Dragon Con adds “Harry Potter” actresses to guest list
3 min read
It’s about damn time.
After feeling a little bit of despair at the lack of Potter-related guests for this year’s Dragon Con, Potterheads received notice that not one, but two actresses from the series would be appearing at the popular convention held every Labor Day weekend.
The official Dragon Con Facebook page announced today that Evanna Lynch and Scarlett Byrne, known to Harry Potter fans as Luna Lovegood and Pansy Parkinson, respectively, would make first-time appearances.
Lynch first appeared in the fifth film of the series, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, as the eccentric but fiercely loyal Luna Lovegood. For all of Luna’s…erm, differences, she proves herself to be one of Harry’s staunchest supporters and one of the few people whose opinion he respects. She stands by Harry, Ron and Hermione in their greatest times of need and has the heart of a Gryffindor, even though she belongs to the witty Ravenclaw House. Harry and Ginny even honor her by naming their only daughter, Lily Luna, after her (Lily is the name of Harry’s mother).
Byrne makes her first appearance in the sixth installment, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. She portrays the character of Pansy Parkinson, who is mostly known throughout the films as the girlfriend of Draco Malfoy. Her character famously offered to give Harry up to Lord Voldemort in an effort to keep him from killing more wizards in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2. It was her outburst that caused the Slytherin students to be locked in the dungeons while the Battle of Hogwarts brewed on.
Byrne is more recently known for her role as Lexi in the sci-fi TV show, Falling Skies.
Dragon Con is the largest multi-media, popular culture convention focusing on science fiction and fantasy, gaming, comics, literature, art, music, and film. It is held every Labor Day weekend in the downtown Atlanta area. For more information regarding daily and weekend memberships, photo ops, and other events, check out the official website.
Side note: I will be speaking on two panels related to Harry Potter during Dragon Con. The first is Shipping Wars in Harry Potter!, which will discuss one of the largest shipping debates ever, Ron/Hermione or Harry/Hermione (I am of course on Team Ron!). This panel will be held on Saturday, August 30 at 10 pm. The second panel is Growing Up to Save the World, which will discuss the roles of teens from several different fandoms (Harry Potter, Hunger Games, Buffy, Teen Wolf, etc) and their roles in “saving the world”. That panel will take place on Sunday, August 31 at 1 pm. You can keep up with my Dragon Con adventures here or on my other blog, Confessions of a Grown-Up Fangirl.
