Kathy Kavanaugh, Ph.D is a licensed psychologist in the Denver metropolitan area. Kathy identified as part of the Harry Potter generation and engaged with the HP fan community from a young age. Her belief in the powerful force of fan communities eventually culminated in merging with her academic interests and she completed her dissertation on the experience of LGBTQIA+ members of the Harry Potter fandom. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Kathy considers herself to be a “professional nerd” as she often utilizes narratives and themes from popular culture in her academic and clinical work. Outside of her professional life, Kathy enjoys traveling, listening to podcasts, playing (and watching actual play content of) TTRPGS, and spending time with her cat, Phoebe. Additionally, Kathy has more recently created and released music as the Wizard Rock artist Hogwarts Therapist. As the fandom grapples with how to build and maintain community in the wake of JKR’s continued anti-transgender rhetoric, Kathy also finds herself questioning her own affiliation with the Harry Potter fandom and looks forward to exploring this with other LeakyCon 2023 attendees.