We’ve all waited for that letter from Hogwarts. We’ve all dreamed of being whisked off to that magical school of witchcraft and wizardry, of feasting under the night sky of the Great Hall, or practicing our charms in the hidden Room of Requirement.
What if things were reversed, and our most beloved characters from the Harry Potter series dreamed of attending or teaching at UC Davis? Here, we imagine what their favorite spots on campus might be.
Harry Potter: Hutchison Field
Harry is a skilled Quidditch player, and as an athlete, he’d likely find his home on campus at Hutchison Field by the ARC. This field is used for a number of intramural sports, including Flag Football, Kickball, Softball, and you guessed it: Quidditch.
Ron Weasley: Dining Commons
Chocolate frogs, pumpkin pasties, crumpets, sandwiches… there’s almost nothing that Ron won’t eat, or at least try. Ron’s favorite on-campus spots are likely to be cafés and eateries — especially the dining commons, which is essentially an All-You-Can-Eat-Buffet. He’ll have to trade the crumpets for pizza, though.
Hermione Granger: Main Reading Room
Brainy, brilliant, and hardworking Hermione would likely find her solace in the Main Reading Room on the second floor of Shields Library, doing a bit of “light” reading. It’s well-lit, spacious, and gently buzzing with activity. It’s the perfect spot to get homework done (let’s be real, she’d probably be taking 20+ units)!
Neville Longbottom: Botanical Conservatory
Bumbling and lovably awkward Neville has an aptitude for Herbology, the study of magical plants and fungi. He even returns to Hogwarts as a Herbology professor as an adult. While Muggle plants don’t scream when uprooted or ensnare limbs when touched, they are grown at the greenhouses on Hutchison Drive, which is where Mr. Longbottom would be his happiest.
Luna Lovegood: Aggie Reuse Store
Luna is described as a girl with “an aura of distinct dottiness.” Luna loves bottlecap necklaces, Dirigible plum earrings, and colorful Spectrespecs. She clearly has a fondness for quirky fashion and repurposed goods, and she’s exactly the kind of girl who would be fascinated by the Aggie Reuse Store in the Silo.
Draco Malfoy: The Death Star
For much of the series, Draco — the son of wealthy Lucius Malfoy — is often cold, arrogant, and brooding. He seems like he would have an affinity for the grand and imposing Social Sciences and Humanities Building, also known as The Death Star. Its metallic shine and maze-like structure make for the perfect place for Draco to get lost in his thoughts and daydreams of becoming the school’s most powerful and popular young student.
Rubeus Hagrid: Horse Barn
Hagrid is a true animal-lover, and even teaches the Care of Magical Creatures at Hogwarts. Cheerful, jolly Hagrid would probably trade his dragons and hippogriffs for the horses at the UC Davis Horse Barn — they’re a lot less dangerous, and he’d love to feed them carrots and sugar cubes.
Severus Snape: Sciences Lab Building
Snape, the owner of the infamous textbook belonging to the Half-Blood Prince, is well-known for his extraordinary talent in potion-making. While he won’t be making much Felix Felicis (liquid luck) at UC Davis, he might still conduct his own Muggle-friendly experiments in the chemistry labs of the Sciences Lab Building.
Albus Dumbledore: Arboretum
Wise, old Dumbledore has a penchant for long walks, which makes the peaceful Arboretum seem like a top choice for the former Hogwarts headmaster. With over 100 acres of gardens and Lake Spafford — Davis’ version of the Great Lake at Hogwarts — the Arboretum is a beautiful place for Dumbledore to take a moment for himself.