We love a good fan theory, and there’s nothing more exciting than the possibility of two completely separate IPs being connected. We already know that Star Wars might share the same universe as two other iconic franchises, but what about the Wizarding World? Are there any other franchises that might be set in the same universe as Harry Potter?
A fan theory on Reddit suggests that there’s one that could easily fit into the magical world created by J.K. Rowling — and it just so happens to be Disney’s Mary Poppins. But how? Well, it would seem that everyone’s favorite British nanny may have actually learned all her magic abilities at none other than Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
So, forget the Boy Who Lived – here are seven facts that prove Mary Poppins is the Nanny Who Lived!
7. She Can Perform Levitation Charms
One of the first charms Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) learns at Hogwarts is a Levitation Charm. With the swish and flick of a wand, accompanied by the words “Wingardium Leviosa“, a witch or wizard can make an object of their choice levitate. And that object can be anything, from something as light as feather to, say, a bed with two children sitting on it!
In the original Mary Poppins (1964), the titular nanny played by Julie Andrews does just that, when she takes Jane and Michael Banks (Karen Dotrice and Matthew Garber, respectively) to see Uncle Albert (Ed Wynn). While she doesn’t say “Wingardium Leviosa“, as an expert witch, she wouldn’t need to utter the words in order to perform the charm.
Come to think of it, “supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” sounds like a Harry Potter spell.
6. Mary Poppins Has a Hidden Wand
In the Wizarding World, every witch and wizard is equipped with their own wand, with which they can perform many charms, spells, and curses. But if Mary Poppins is indeed from Hogwarts, then why doesn’t she have one? Even Hogwarts gamekeeper and groundskeeper Hagrid (Robbie Coltrane) has a wand — it’s just hidden inside his magic umbrella.
But could Mary Poppins also have a wand hidden inside her magic umbrella? After all, she takes it with her everywhere she goes, it can speak to her, and it even grants her the power of flight, which means that she’s probably performing a Levitation Charm on herself. And if her umbrella isn’t concealing a wand, then it must either be a Portkey or a broomstick!
5. She Uses an Undetectable Extension Charm
Besides her magic umbrella, Mary Poppins is best known for her bottomless magic bag, which can hold all sorts of items. This is easily one of the biggest giveaways that she’s from the Wizarding World because, in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows — Part 1 (2010), we learn that Hermione Granger (Emma Watson) has the same kind of bag.
While on the run with Harry and Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint), Hermione’s bag comes in handy for storing a wealth of much-needed items. And even though it’s not the bag itself that’s magic, as she admits to having placed an Undetectable Extension Charm on it, who’s to say that Mary Poppins hasn’t done the same thing with hers?
Related: ‘Harry Potter’: The Wizarding World’s Easter Bunny Explained
4. Is Mary Poppins Immortal?
When you take the Philosopher’s Stone-wielding Nicolas Flamel and the immortality-seeking Lord Voldemort out of the equation, living forever isn’t something witches and wizards can do in Harry Potter. That said, some are known to live a bit longer than us Muggles, which could explain why Mary Poppins hasn’t aged a bit when we’re reunited with her in Walt Disney’s sequel Mary Poppins Returns (2018), which takes place 25 years after the original.
Or, maybe she has, at some point in her life, acquired the Philosopher’s Stone, or even one or all three of the Deathly Hallows (the Resurrection Stone, the Invisibility Cloak, and the Elder Want). Is it possible that Mary Poppins (played by Emily Blunt in the 2018 sequel) has achieved what Tom Riddle/Lord Voldemort himself could not?
Come to think of it, we wonder if her ability to speak to animals extends to snakes…
3. Mary Poppins Can Apparate and Disapparate
There are many scenes in Mary Poppins and Mary Poppins Returns where the nanny appears out of the blue or disappears to various locations (including the bathtub scene in the sequel). But where did she learn this magic? The answer is Hogwarts, of course, where the art of appearing and disappearing is known as Apparating and Disapparating, respectively.
This is something only older students at the school can learn, and we first see Weasley twins Fred and George (Oliver and James Phelps) use it in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007). For many older students and adults, it’s a common method of moving around the Wizarding World, a method of transport that Mary Poppins certainly appears to be using (when she’s not using her umbrella, of course).
2. The Nanny Uses Easy-Cleaning Spells
Self-Cleaning Charms are used frequently in the Harry Potter franchise, as it’s one of the most useful spells a witch or wizard can use from day to day (if there’s one type of magic we wish was real here in the real world, it’s this). And, to no surprise, Mary Poppins uses the spell when she helps clean up the Banks children’s bedroom.
While Jane and Michael Banks end up getting involved, seemingly using their own magic to put things away, it’s possible that they’re actually Muggle-born magic folk, and, as such, are able to pick up these basic spells from Mary Poppins. Or, perhaps the nanny is simply allowing them to think they’re performing the magic themselves.
Related: ‘Harry Potter’: The Wizarding World’s Santa Claus Explained
1. She Uses Discretion in Public
Throughout the Harry Potter series, witches and wizards are very discreet about using magic when moving around in the Muggle world – unless it’s absolutely necessary. Such an act is even illegal and can result in the expulsion of a student from Hogwarts, or jail time at Azkaban for an adult offender.
While there are many occasions in which Mary Poppins performs magic in front of the Banks children (both generations), there are also times when she’s rather discreet about using her magic in public. “I have no intention of making a spectacle of myself, thank you,” she tells chimney sweep Bert (Dick Van Dyke) in the original film.
There are many more tell-tale signs that Mary Poppins is from the Wizarding World, from enchanted paintings and mirrors to the ability to distort reality. And to quote “Mary Poppins” author P. L. Travers, “Don’t you know that everybody’s got a Fairyland of their own?” It’s pretty obvious now that she was referring to the Wizarding World!
Do you think Mary Poppins is a witch from Hogwarts? Let us know in the comments down below!
The post The Nanny Who Lived! 7 Facts That Prove Mary Poppins Is From Hogwarts appeared first on Inside the Magic.
