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Magic wand in the air (symbolic image)
Photo: Joe Maher / Getty Images
A man “with a large knife” in a hotel: This alarming idea provoked a police operation in the English community of Enderby near Leicester.
Several officers rushed to the hostel to deal with the allegedly armed man. But it quickly became clear that the supposedly threatening guy was just a Harry Potter fan whose wand had apparently been perceived as a weapon.
"Fortunately, none of those present were harmed and there was no sign of Voldemort," a police officer joked on Facebook.
The message inspired jokes on social networks. “Expecto patrol-man,” a user modified the spell “Expecto patronum.” Another user asked whether the police really meant "Sirius" - a play on the English word "serious" and the name of Harry Potter's godfather Sirius Black.
ala/dpa