Photo Flash: HARRY POTTER AND THE CURSED CHILD Celebrates The Annual Hogwarts Express Countdown At King's Cross

Today, hundreds of Harry Potter fans descended on King's Cross in honour of 'Back To Hogwarts' - a day celebrated by fans globally to mark the moment Harry Potter and his friends step onto platform nine and three-quarters as they set off for a new term at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

An annual pilgrimage for many, this year there were a few Wizarding World surprises in store to make the day even more special...

An array of wand-erful touches were in place to delight crowds as they readied themselves for the 11:00 departure. From the harmonic voices of the Queens College Oxford Choir, who were dressed to reflect their favourite Hogwarts house as they performed iconic songs from the films of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban and Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, (having appeared on the Grammy nominated soundtrack for the latter), to a hosted count-down especially for fans... magic was in the air!

The atmosphere peaked when, just a few moments after the fictional train made its departure and fans lowered their wands, music began to play and members of the cast of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child suddenly appeared in front of the iconic platform nine and three-quarters trolley! There, they gave an incredible performance of the breath-taking 'Wand Dance' from the multi-award winning theatre production now playing at the Palace Theatre in London, and around the world.

Following the performance, a number of interactive pop-ups were available for fans to discover.

An enchanting Wizarding World Digital installation (built to give fans an exclusive tease of the soon-to launch reimagined Sorting Ceremony) hinted at the immersive experience, which will be included in the forthcoming Wizarding World App. The preview put the iconic Sorting Hat front and centre, showing off a charming new look! Fans also had the opportunity to take photos with the hat as it floated in front of the lyrics of one of its famous songs.

After checking out the hat, fans could finish their day with a photo taken in an impressive life-size brick-built Ford Anglia, presented by The LEGO Group. Created to depict the famous pale blue car from Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, fans were able to actually sit in the big build and be able to relive the moment Harry and Ron used the enchanted Ford Anglia to get to Hogwarts, when the entrance to platform nine and three-quarters was sealed by Dobby in his mission to protect Harry.

Follow #BackToHogwarts to share experiences of the day and see how fans are marking it for themselves.