Geek Girl in Hollywood: On nerding out over the ‘Fantastic Beasts’ trailer

Last weekend, we got a new trailer for the “Harry Potter” prequel (sort of), “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.” I was at a convention and my schedule was packed to the gills, but after I watched (with my sister Christina, who is as big a “Harry Potter” fan as I am), it was all we could talk about. If you’re not familiar with the new film, this is the story of Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne), a wizard from Hogwarts back in the 1920s, who goes to New York on an adventure. It’s based on J.K. Rowling’s book with the same title about magical creatures, which is credited to Scamander.

“Fantastic Beasts” doesn’t really have a narrative, so we have no idea what the plot of the story will be. However, just hearing the first strains of the so-familiar score put me right back into the big armchair where I read the very first book. It made me remember that back then I was too old to get an owl asking me to go to Hogwarts, but that I was pulled in anyway. I’ve written before about fandom, my happiness with the continued expanded universe and Rowling’s refusal to leave us hanging. But this trailer awakened the “Harry Potter” love again, and I suspect that I’m not the only one.

The trailer gives us a few clues about what we’re going to see. First, it appears that Dumbledore (oh, how I miss him) is an ally of Scamander’s, but the poor boy was kicked out of Hogwarts for doing something dangerous with a magical creature that put everyone’s lives in danger. We get to see a little of the wizardry in New York with some stunning costumes. We know that Scamander has a mysterious briefcase that clearly has a beastie in it. He also has the ability to make it look innocuous to Muggles. What other clues are there? We’ll just have to keep rewatching to find out.

There is something about this fandom that really grabs people. Heck, I just got re-sorted from Gryffindor into Ravenclaw, and it actually really threw me for a loop for a bit! (For the record, I’m very proud to be a Ravenclaw!) Is your Hogwarts house part of your identity?

So tell me, Harry Potter fans: Are you as committed to this as I am? Are you excited to go back in this world? Have you been re-sorted, and how did it feel? Remind me that I’m not the only one who says “accio Diet Coke” when I’m thirsty. Tweet me @jennabusch and let me know your thoughts on the new trailer.

Follow Jenna Busch on Twitter @jennabusch and visit her site, Legion of Leia