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‪Fan studies have documented the creative nature of certain fan practices. The study of audiovisual Harry Potter fan fiction allows us to consider the ways in which fans participate in the co-creation of a transmedia universe by filling in ‘blank spaces’, or narrative openings left in canon storylines. Analysis shows that these are limited creative opportunities. Despite fans’ creativity and expertise, fan fiction highlights the illusory freedom of fans, who are constrained not only with regard to the narrative, but also by ‘real world’ considerations, including legal constraints.‪