Uploading the many stories and posts that compose the Webb School’s Instagram, Melodie Akers is the official Social Media Director for Webb. “I’ve worked in social media here for about a year now,” Ms. Akers said. Whether it be socials, symposiums, or admission events, she can be seen with her phone around campus at the heart of the action, snapping videos and photos.
Melodie Akers
After the pandemic in 2022, I got to go to Leavesden Studios in England where Harry Potter was filmed. It was there that I got to finally meet Jilly. I had been friends with her through Tumblr for over 10 years where we connected through Harry Potter. She’s like, my very best Harry Potter friend. I used to call her— or I still call her — my favorite, and we connected because our favorite character is Neville Longbottom. It was great to meet her because we’d never met before, as we had just been friends online, but being able to actually go to Hogwarts with her specifically was definitely special. It wouldn’t be Hogwarts for me without Jilly.
There’s a point in the tour where you walk through Gringotts, the Wizarding Bank. There’s the scene in Deathly Hallows where the dragon destroys Gringotts. We walked into the next room, and they have it set up — I think it’s like a projector doing it and then other things are also crashing — but I was so scared, like dorky scared. I mean, it got my heart going! And we stood there and watched it two more times because it felt so real.
And near the end of the tour, you go into this big room, and there is this gigantic model of Hogwarts that they used for filming, and it took my breath away and I started crying. It just — I don’t know. It was overwhelming to see it all at once because it came to represent an idealistic home in the last 25 years that I’ve liked Harry Potter.
Growing up, I felt like an outsider who didn’t have a place and [connected with] Harry — he doesn’t want to be with the Dursleys, who are wildly abusive. I had struggled with an abusive father growing up, and for a lot of my childhood, I wasn’t aware. I feel like when we’re kids, we don’t know, especially when there’s no physical abuse. It’s harder to distinguish. So, the idea of having a place to escape where everyone is valued for their differences important to see as a kid. Everyone has different strengths, and if we all work together and come together, that makes us strong. It took me some time to fully grasp that since I was twelve when I first started reading the books.
What really struck my interest initially was how intricate the universe was, and how Rowling thought through all the details — that really fascinated me. I love the complexity of the characters. I love their personalities in the books. They’re very snarky and very smart. The movies are more watered down. Since I was a kid, I’ve really gravitated towards biographies and politics, more so than fantasy. But Harry Potter was my exception.
I don’t know, I feel a little silly admiring fictional characters like Neville Longbottom, but at the same time I feel like it’s about the values that they represent — the bravery and honesty.