Hogsmeade is not as quiet and peace-loving as anticipated.
There are obnoxious crowds that I, regretfully must admit, participated.
Visitors, such as myself, maybe you, have to wait
For one and a half hours in a line afore the dark, iron gate.
The line of sweaty tourists curls down the footpath into Jurassic Park.
While waiting, some wonder, if it's true
What rangers say about the prehistoric jungle after dark?
I cannot recall, but I remember the good nights sleep I had hardly
And the comfortable Nike shoes I wore gladly.
Hogsmeade village is settled within Orlando Studios Islands of Adventure.
The air was pleasant, too pleasant, and hottest at two o' clock,
But the sights oddly chilly, on the way to the wintry Wizarding World.
Hogsmeade looked more somber from outside
Perhaps a spell or trickery, a failed attempt to hide?
For all the hype and anticipation, surely wizards scorned muggle attentions?
Still the denizens humored our curiosity and kept shops open longer than necessary.
The shops covered the ground floor of tall buildings
That seemed to slump here and there
In which residents stayed in flats upstairs.
The streets were positively Old English.
The houses and shops were of neutral shades.
They required more contrast, perhaps with tudor frame.
Instead, they settled for grey on grey.
Perhaps the glamouring crew was traveling for yuletide holiday.
Glittering winter snow gave a cozy appeal and the pines
Of the Forbidden Forest provided a falsely domesticated sight.
The town roads were wide but its shops crunched,
With magically expanded internal dimensions,
Assuaging any possible cases of claustrophobia.
Need a wand? Perhaps not? But Ollivander's is just across the way
If you want a demonstration of what mugglekind is lacking.
In there, on a rare day, Ollivander will pick a lucky boy or girl
Who will baffle his or her parents, leaving them to wonder where they went wrong.
Eyelop's Emporium is the place for anyone, magic or muggle.
Choose a pet, say a Hedwig, a special magicked clone,
To remind you of the Hero's familiar and her short-lived glory days.
Need a cool butterbeer? There's a wagon on main street ready to pour a pint.
It's another line, and ten bucks to keep the mug,
So why not spend that time more wisely inside the Three Broomsticks pub?
For only an hour longer, try the foods of the old country,
Such delicacies as fish and chips with malt vinegar.
I assure you, food this good can't be cooked up at home.
Meat pies never looks so good until you saw them on a magical menu.
Want to a booth in a hurry? On the other side of the great tavern is the Hog's Head,
A shady corner, for it's dimly lit, with an even more questionable bar.
Mr. Aberforth is not in today, but his associates would be more than glad
To serve adults the house brew in a spit-cleaned tankard.
Exit and turn the corner, Honeydukes offers all the desert and candy favorites.
Of course what's another store without another line? May the chocolate frogs prove worth it!
Hogwarts is always in session, teaching Potions, Charms, and whatnot,
But Luna Lovegood finds a way around her classes
With the express permission granted by Headmistress McGonagall
Along with a quartet of friends and frog familiars, who promote House unity
In sweet, harmonious tunes. All you need
Is to catch them on time. Triwizard competitors and teammates, too,
Krum and Fleur to name a few,
Give demonstrations of their prowess
At the square decorated with three rune obelisks.
Come to Hogsmeade, for eighty-nine dollars or so,
Walk the streets as I have walked, passed the hour long lines
With parents dragged by children from a home halfway across the globe.
Swedes, Brits, Chinese, Malaysian, and more,
Meet muggles from all different cultures while discovering the magical world.
Soon you will come to love the illogical little village,
A most memorable village, one I could only dream to call my own.