January 26th through the 28th of 2018 was the weekend for The Celebration of Harry Potter (aka CoHP) at Universal Studios in Florida. It was my third time going and I enjoyed it every bit as much as I had the two previous years. One of the things I love most about this event is looking at all the amazing cosplayers who come dressed as their favorite characters from the Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts stories.

One of the mornings that weekend my daughter wasn't feeling well so the two of us took a break and sat in the shade near what looks like an entrance to the subway system in New York (remember, I was at Universal, and they have a lot of areas made to look like real buildings and businesses, and this was one such location). She rested her head in my lap while I watched people come and go. Before long, a man and woman dressed as Jacob Kowalski and Queenie Goldstein from the movie Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them started posing while someone with them took pictures reminiscent of their characters parting at the end of the movie.

I watched as they posed and became mesmerized. They didn't just look like Jacob and Queenie, they were them! (They have kindly allowed me to share their photos in this article, and I challenge you to find better cosplayers of this magical couple.)

Queenie Goldstein and Jacob Kowalski visiting England and taking a ride on the Hogwarts Express.

Normally I have no problem asking complete strangers to take their pictures during CoHP but I didn't ask these two. I felt like I would have been intruding on what looked like a very intimate moment in a sea of thousands of Harry Potter fans.

Queenie and Jacob relaxing on the Hogwarts Express.

Later I regretted not asking for a picture, but, to my great surprise, something better happened. I made a post on a Facebook group I belong to dedicated to CoHP asking for pictures of people in costume that I could share on this site. TONS of people responded (and I'll be writing that post next), including the woman I had seen dressed as Queenie. She shared quite a few pictures, many from the morning when I had watched her and her 'Jacob', and I was every bit as mesmerized with her pictures as I had been when I watched them.

Seraphima as Queenie Goldstein and Phoenix as Jacob Kowalski.

I was so impressed with the two of them and their dedication to their characters that I decided to write a post just on them, which is what you are now reading. Seraphima Cosplay is Queenie (you can also follow her on Instagram - Seraphima2846) and William Phoenix is Jacob (you can follow him on Instagram, too - House_of_phoenix_cosplay).

Queenie and Jacob having a bit of fun in New York.

The most amazing thing that I learned from them is that they didn't even know each other a year ago. It is clear from their pictures that they trust each other completely, and I sincerely appreciate that they allowed me to write about them.

Jacob holding his briefcase full of pastries and Queenie holding onto her man.

I asked them to write about how they came to be Queenie and Jacob, and they both responded with what happened in their own words. However, Seraphima asked if I would take their words and write it in the third person, so that's what I have done. What you are about to read is their story, as they told it to me.

A quiet moment for Jacob and Queenie.

Seraphima And Phoenix: A Fantastic Cosplay Journey

This story starts in 2016 when the first Fantastic Beasts movie was released. A woman named Seraphima fell in love with Jacob Kowalski and Queenie Goldstein the moment she first saw them and she wanted to bring them to life through cosplay.

She belongs to a Facebook group dedicated to the annual Celebration of Harry Potter held at Universal Studios. She made a post telling about her search for the perfect Jacob and a gentleman named William Phoenix, whom she had never met, responded with a picture of himself.

Phoenix was indeed perfect! Seraphima messaged him back without any hesitation and invited him to be Jacob to her Queenie during a photoshoot at Shutterbuttons (a place where you can get magical photos taken in Diagon Alley) during the 2017 CoHP. He was unsure about what she wanted him to do but accepted, knowing that it was something new and different.

Friday was the day of the Shutterbuttons photoshoot and the closer it came, the more Phoenix was sure that Seraphima had been joking and wasn't going to show up, which, sadly, was something he'd experienced several times in the past. But Seraphima hadn't been joking and she showed up on time, as promised.

Although they had messaged each other a bit before meeting, they both felt a little awkward when they finally met face-to-face and they both agree that it showed in their session at Shutterbuttons. They were smiling, but they were unsure of each other, which is only natural given that they didn't really know each other.

Fortunately, they both slowly let their guards down as the day proceeded and they got to know each other while also enjoying the day and event. Shortly after their photoshoot was over, someone asked to take pictures of them. Then more and more people stopped them for photos.

They left Universal's Diagon Alley and were stopped yet again, but this time it was from a man associated with J.K. Rowling's website, Pottermore. He wanted to take a picture of them as Queenie and Jacob, so they decided to recreate the scene at the end of the movie, the one in the bakery where Queenie shows herself to Jacob and he remembers her. That picture turned out to be more than just magical, it was life-changing.

This is the magical picture taken by Pottermore at the 2017 Celebration Of Harry Potter.

As you can imagine, Pottermore is a site loved by fans of J.K. Rowling's series all over the world. The Pottermore photographer published the picture he'd taken that day on social media and the response to it was immediate and incredibly positive. Both Seraphima and Phoenix got message after message about the picture, from people they knew and those they didn't, telling them how much their picture was loved by the Wizarding World fandom.

Phoenix didn't know much about the world of cosplay but he loved dressing up in various Harry Potter inspired costumes. He had planned on wearing a total of three costumes that particular weekend, one for each day. His plans changed, though, after he realized how much people loved seeing him as Jacob. Phoenix decided to scrap the other two costumes and dressed as the No-maj (aka Muggle, or non-magical) baker for all three days.

This is a picture of Phoenix as Jacob Kowalski and Seraphima as Queenie Goldstein shortly after they met for the first time.

This is another picture of Phoenix as Jacob Kowalski and Seraphima as Queenie Goldstein shortly after they met for the first time.

Seraphima and Phoenix made plans after the 2017 Celebration came to an end to meet up a month later at the Syfy Bartow con, which they did. It was a much smaller event than the one held at Universal Studios and allowed them to get to know each other better, and to perfect their Jacob and Queenie.

A few months later they attended Megacon Orlando, although circumstances beyond their control meant they only got to spend a few hours together as Queenie and Jacob, not the entire weekend as they had planned. It was then that they decided to always cosplay as Queenie and Jacob, as long as there was a reason to do so.

Fast forward to January, 2018, and the two of them have become very close friends. No, for those who are wondering, they are not dating each other, even though you might think otherwise when looking at pictures of them. They have, however, developed a very deep friendship, love, and trust for each other, all of which comes through in pictures taken of them.

Just like the year before, they dressed all weekend long at the Celebration Of Harry Potter as Jacob and Queenie. They both spent the previous year improving their outfits, with Jacob's being more noticeable than Queenie's. Phoenix updated his jacket and briefcase, and even added a niffler coming out of his jacket's pocket.

Phoenix also arranged professional photography sessions that weekend that included Charm Hawthor, Once upon a Khaleesi, Red Enchantress Anna Faith, Lexie Grace, and Alyson Tabbitha. They were ready to fully embrace playing star-crossed lovers again.

A picture taken by Ethereal Visionz Photography of Phoenix and Seraphima as Jacob and Queenie. Newt Scamander's niffler has gotten into Jacob's briefcase, along with a stolen necklace.

One of the pictures taken by Ethereal Visionz Photography of Phoenix and Seraphima as Jacob and Queenie. Jacob is presenting Queenie with the necklace found by the niffler.

A picture taken by Ethereal Visionz Photography of Phoenix and Seraphima as Jacob and Queenie, with her wand.

A picture taken by Ethereal Visionz Photography of Phoenix and Seraphima as Jacob and Queenie, both of whom look adorable!

A picture taken by Ethereal Visionz Photography of Phoenix and Seraphima as Jacob and Queenie.

They walked around the Celebration and met many different Newt Scamanders and Tina Goldsteins, and happily took pictures with each of them. They loved seeing their favorite characters come to life, as well as acting like children (in the best ways possible). They were in awe of how wonderful this time of the year is for them [and I can add that, as a bystander who saw them at the 2018 Celebration, I was just one of many who were in awe of them].

Jacob Kowalski and Queenie Goldstein in the rain.

Pottermore found them again, having remembered them both from the previous year, and insisted on taking another picture. They were also followed that weekend by Warner Brothers and Simply Potter. Phoenix and Seraphima were both much more confident this time around with each other, having had a year to get to know one another, as you can see in this side-by-side comparison.

What a difference a year makes! You can see how much more comfortable Phoenix and Seraphima are with each other and their cosplay roles.

Eventually they decided that it was time to take THE picture, the one that will break anyone's heart who understands the significance of the image. They went to the subway entrance [near where I was sitting and watched as this transpired] and had several pictures taken, from different angles. They were right next to the line for the Expo and many, many people raised their phones and took candid shots of the couple who would soon be forced to part, saying their tearful goodbye...

Jacob and Queenie standing in the entrance to the subway.

Queenie Goldstein and Jacob Kowalski standing in the rain, preparing to say goodbye.

Of course, we know that it wasn't really forever, that Queenie and Jacob found their way to each other again. Their story isn't over, just like the story of Seraphima and Phoenix isn't. As for this article, I've decided to end it in their words, not mine.

Phoenix and Seraphima reenacting the famous scene at the end of "Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them" where Jacob and Queenie think they are saying goodbye forever...

Although Phoenix and I have only known each other for a little over a year, I truly consider him one of my dearest friends. I have enjoyed watching him grow in the cosplay community and he is an absolute delight to be around. We are able to laugh and be silly together while not in cosplay, but we are able portray two characters whom we both love dearly because we are so comfortable with each other. I love you, Phoenix (my Jacob), and I look forward to many more adventures together, both in and out of cosplay.

Seraphima,

"Have courage and be kind"

So, in closing, the moral of this whole story? Jump. Don’t be afraid and take that leap. Open your mind, be kind to strangers and see what worlds open before your eyes: thank you Seraphima for being that stranger and showing me the way. Here’s to future meet-ups and cosplays.

Jacob

As always, Love more. End hate.