LeakyCon

The idea for LeakyCon originated from a convention The Leaky Cauldron web staff attended together in 2007.

Preliminary funding

LeakyCon was directed by Melissa Anelli and Stephanie Dornhelm, both as volunteers for The Leaky Cauldron. They had originally intended to call it CauldronCon, but a convention by that name had already been held in Massachusetts in 2005.

Prior to the first LeakyCon in 2009, wizarding rock groups performed for a fundraising night outside of the Terminus 2008 convention in Chicago. The dance party, held on Friday, 8 August 2008 and only accessible by showing ID to prove the attendee was at least seventeen, was organised by Wrock Wreggies. Performers included The Chocolate Frogs, Dreary Inferi, Swish and Flick, and The Whomping Willows. Though separate from the Terminus conference, transportation was provided to the concert for Terminus ticket holders.

Even with the fundraiser, Anelli used US$7,500 of her own money to start LeakyCon, and had to borrow funds from her parents to pay for the initial convention.

Charity

LeakyCon was promoted as a charity event, with the editor of LeakyNews stating, "Just by attending LeakyCon, people are giving back and helping those less fortunate."

The first convention's proceeds went to benefit Book Aid International and the Harry Potter Alliance. Later conventions added the This Star Won't Go Out foundation and Friends In Deed. The first convention raised US$20,000 for charity. LeakyCon 2011 brought the total to US$120,000. 2012's Chicago convention raised the total to US$200,000. By 2015, the total donated to charities exceeded US$300,000.

Imagine Better, an initiative intended to spread the charitable efforts of the Harry Potter Alliance to other fandoms, was created at LeakyCon 2011 out of concern that the social awareness projects would end if the Harry Potter fandom were to become a "zombie fandom" after the release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2 on 15 July 2011.

In 2013, LeakyCon instituted a scholarship program, offering US$2,500 for academics. An art fellowship for US$5,000 was also available.

Composition

Attendance consisted primarily of young females, and was supported by Nerdfighteria members. Cosplay was common and spanned multiple fandoms.

Many attendees were LGBTQIA+ people, some of whom preferred to identify with the abbreviation GSM. LeakyCon was "an intersection of largely female, queer-friendly youth cultures". According to Anelli in 2023, LeakyCon statistically had a ratio of genderqueer and gender non-conforming attendees that was at least five times greater than other comparable U.S. events. Issues important to this community, like marriage equality, were sometimes addressed in a whimsical manner at the convention, such as the Harry Potter Alliance holding a vote at LeakyCon for Harry Potter character marriages. Gender-neutral bathrooms were instituted at the rebranded GeekyCon in 2015, and continued to be a feature once the name reverted to LeakyCon, both before and after Rowling's anti-trans rhetoric.

Booths at the convention reflected attendees' social activism, featuring animal rights activists and organizations such as Uplift with a focus on sexual harassment. Such activism extended to activities at the convention, such as when attendees demonstrated their opinions of rape culture at the 2014 Esther Earl Ball. When the DJ began to play "Blurred Lines", the dancing stopped and everyone booed until the song was changed.

One criticism of the composition of attendees was the lack of outreach to non-white and marginalised communities, and specifically that fans in the city where the convention was ongoing in communities of color were entirely unaware of LeakyCon.

Content

Regardless of its advertisement as a Harry Potter convention, LeakyCon attracted fans from multiple fandoms. Attendees were even fans of fanworks. For example, wizarding rock music was a staple at LeakyCon events, with significant parts of the conventions being dedicated to live performances. LeakyCon provided the largest audience at a single time for wizarding rock musicians in the United States. Attendees developed their own traditions around wizarding rock, such as "The Circle of Awesome", which had been in practice since 2009. Wizarding rock involvement was also a part of GeekyCon, and EnchantiCon 2025, which also had a wizarding rock concert held offsite, separate from the event itself.

Panels included discussions on civil liberties, the cultural impact of Harry Potter as a "phenomenon", its impact on literature, and social justice. Critique also extended to literary analysis and the question of objective consumption of the series. Some panels debated what material constitutes the canon of Harry Potter.

At some of the conventions, they broached controversial social issues, expanding the context of depictions in Harry Potter to the real world and allowing debate of issues such as civil rights, white privilege, and segregation. Panels also included critique of Harry Potter in relation to diversity, which extended to the representation of Korean history in relation to Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, specifically with respect to Nagini.

Panels at the 2022 Orlando convention addressed the Harry Potter LGBTQIA+ community's reactions to Rowling's gender identity comments.

Staffing

LeakyCon was dependent upon volunteers: the 2011 convention included among its attendees more than 140 volunteers, and in 2012, Anelli recruited an unpaid social media manager. The entire staff of the 2012 convention were unpaid volunteers. In 2014, pop-up programming sometimes relied on attendees volunteering their time and talents.

Panelists were unpaid. In one particularly memorable panel at the 2012 convention, attendee and Severus Snape cosplayer Nigel Taylor ended up giving a lecture on Lily Evans when the scheduled speaker didn't show.

The inaugural convention took place at the Park Plaza Hilton in Boston, 21-24 May 2009. There were more than 750 attendees and more than 70 various panels and activities. Among the invited guests were Michael Goldenberg; keynote speakers Hank Green and John Green; Lev Grossman, who was discussing his then-upcoming release of The Magicians; Arthur A. Levine Books senior editor Cheryl Klein; and Kansas State University professor of British literature Karin Westman.

Among the performers were the Potter Puppet Pals. Live music performances at the event were compiled onto an album which was presold online for US$17 and presold at the event for US$20, with proceeds benefiting Book Aid International and the Harry Potter Alliance. Draco and the Malfoys, Gred and Forge, Harry and the Potters, Justin Finch-Fletchley and the Sugar Quills, The Moaning Myrtles, The Mudbloods, The Parselmouths, The Remus Lupins, Riddle TM, Swish and Flick, Tonks and the Aurors, and The Whomping Willows performed live, and all had recordings on the album. Music performances at the event were divided into three separate programs, not including performances that took place as a part of other portions of the convention. The groups The House of Black and Ministry of Magic also had recordings included on the album, which was released 25 October 2010.

An authenticity-certified signed hardback set of the Harry Potter novels and companion books, ten in all, was provided by J. K. Rowling specifically for LeakyCon in 2009; to obtain the set required attendance at the event.

No LeakyCon took place in 2010, as The Leaky Cauldron crew who had organised the 2009 convention had planned to take the year off, though Anelli told Reuters that the interval between conventions was to allow attendees to be able to budget for the cost of traveling to Orlando. Rather than a year off, the LeakyCon crew were contacted by Hank and John Green and helped to organise the inaugural VidCon.

The 2011 convention was held 13-17 July 2011 at Loews Royal Pacific Resort in Orlando, Florida. There were 3,400 attendees, including over 140 volunteer staff. A private party for the convention took place inside The Wizarding World of Harry Potter from 10:00 PM, 13 July to 1:30 AM, 14 July.

From 15 July 2011 at 6:00 AM Eastern through 18 July 2011 at 3:00 AM Eastern, LeakyCon Radio was broadcast by SiriusXM. Several panels were broadcast, as well as information on Pottermore and the Universal Orlando Wizarding World theme park. Anelli was a speaker regarding Pottermore, as she had been working as a consultant on the site since 2009. James Deeley, creative director for Pottermore, headed the presentation.

Among the invited guests were Helena Barlow, Arthur Bowen, Scarlett Byrne, Benedict Clarke, Ellie Darcey-Alden, Rohan Gotobed, Evanna Lynch, Chris Rankin, Ryan Turner, and Will Dunn.

In addition to fan-created and performed musicals The Fountain of Fair Fortune, The Last Battle and The Warlock's Hairy Heart, both StarKid Productions, drawing an audience of 3,000, and Potter Puppet Pals performed live. Keynote speakers included Arthur A. Levine, the U.S. editor for the Harry Potter series, and Electronic Arts, who produced Harry Potter video games. ArtInsights debuted six new prints designed by Stuart Craig and illustrated by Andrew Williamson at the convetion.

Two concerts featuring twelve bands were scheduled. LeakyCon 2011: Live at the Leaky Cauldron II, a collection of 33 tracks from performances at the convention, was released on 17 August 2016 and featured Draco and the Malfoys, Lauren Fairweather, Gred and Forge, Hank Green, Harry and the Potters, The House of Black, Justin Finch-Fletchley and the Sugar Quills, MC Kreacher, The Parselmouths, Tonks and the Aurors, and The Whomping Willows. Evanna Lynch was featured on the final track, with Harry and the Potters.

A literary track was introduced to LeakyCon in 2011, which was organised by Maureen Johnson.

John Green met Esther Earl, who later served as inspiration for The Fault in Our Stars, in person at LeakyCon 2009. After her death 25 August 2010, the LeakyCon ball was renamed "The Esther Earl Rocking Charity Ball", beginning with the 2011 convention. Anelli stated she initially expected the 2011 event to be the only other LeakyCon, but when closing out the Esther Earl Ball, she decided to continue organising the convention.

Held in Chicago, the 2012 convention had approximately 3,800 attendees, and took place from 9-12 August at the Hilton Chicago. The Harry Potter Alliance's charity project for the event was "Live the Lovegood Way". LeakyCon instituted "Charity Row" in the vendors' hall for the first time, which included areas for attendees to donate to the Alliance, ShelterBox, Kamp Kiwanis, Oxfam, Snow City Arts, and Reading Is Fundamental.

Guests included activist Nancee Lee-Allen, Evanna Lynch, Louis Cordice, Robbie Jarvis, John Granger, Scarlett Byrne, Dominic Barnes, Riker Lynch, Titus Makin Jr., Curt Mega, William Melling, and Anelli herself, as well as StarKid Productions, The Lizzie Bennet Diaries, Potter Puppet Pals, and MinaLima. Melling revealed at this LeakyCon that his movie-only character, Nigel Wolpert, would have followed the same path as Colin Creevey, but was ultimately omitted from the final film for the same reason that Creevey's character was replaced, he no longer had a "childlike" enough appearance for the impact the filmmakers wanted.

The premiere performance of "A Very Potter 3-D: A Very Potter Senior Year", announced less than a month prior to the convention, lasted four-and-a-half hours. The troupe was only able to rehearse for three days prior to the performance. Evanna Lynch stepped in to play the part of Luna Lovegood. Dubbed "A Very StarKid Event (II)", it was announced after LeakyCon tickets had already been on sale, and required altering registration for seating to view live, but was viewable in a separate ballroom via live feed for those having at least a day pass for Saturday events. Left over props from the show, signed by members of Team Starkid, were given away through the LeakyCon and LeakyNews websites beginning in May 2013.

ArtInsights premiered another set of art prints to LeakyCon attendees at the 2012 convention.

Book guests for the literary track included Holly Black, Daniel Ehrenhaft, John Green, Stephanie Perkins, Margaret Stohl, Lev Grossman, Amanda Hocking, Jennifer Laughran, Rebecca Sherman, Laini Taylor, Kate Schafer Testerman, Megan Whalen Turner, and Robin Wasserman. Maureen Johnson moderated the "I Was a Teenage Writer" panel.

The convention also featured a Quidditch match between Puddlemere United and the Appleby Arrows.

Portland, Oregon

The Portland LeakyCon was held at the Oregon Convention Center from 27 to 30 June 2013. Approximately 5,000 people attended the convention. The convention opened with the "Fittie 5K", the first walk/run event for LeakyCon attendees.

Guests included Amber Benson, Scarlett Byrne, Ellie Darcey-Alden, Jacqueline Emerson, Tom Lenk, Devon Murray, and Anthony Rapp, as well as cast and creators from The Lizzie Bennet Diaries, including Hank Green.

Green was also listed as one of the musical acts, along with Alex Carpenter, Lauren Fairweather, Justin Finch-Fletchley, Harry and the Potters, Kirstyn Hippe, Ministry of Magic, Tonks and the Aurors, The Whomping Willows, and The Doubleclicks. The Dalton Academy Warblers' Dominic Barnes, Titus Makin Jr., and Curt Mega were present as well.

LeakyLit was extended to two days and featured Lev Grossman, Maureen Johnson, David Levithan, Rebecca Carlson, E. Lockhart, Rainbow Rowell, Maggie Stiefvater, Leigh Bardugo, Coe Booth, Heather Brewer, Andrea Cremer, Matt de la Peña, Barry Lyga, Lauren Myracle, Stephanie Perkins, and Laini Taylor. Maureen Johnson and Robin Wasserman co-directed LeakyLit in 2013.

Senior Scholastic editor Cheryl Klein revealed the new cover art for Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by Kazu Kibuishi during the convention's opening ceremony. It was displayed as a five foot tall print in the exhibit hall throughout the convention. On 28 June, Bernie Su announced that Touchstone Books would be releasing a novelization of The Lizzie Bennet Diaries in summer 2014. On 29 June, the convention screened footage from The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones, as well as the film's trailer; a pre-taped interview with Cassandra Clare was shown between the two.

London, England

LeakyCon partnered with Alohomora 2013 to host the first international LeakyCon convention in London, 8-11 August 2013. It was held at the Grand Connaught Rooms. The convention began with the Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden tour in Watford. Attendance was limited to 1,500.

Guests included Benedict Clarke, Robbie Jarvis, Joe Walker, Scarlett Byrne, Alfie Enoch, Evanna Lynch, Ellie Darcey-Alden, Rohan Gotobed, Chris Rankin, and Ryan Turner.

Wizarding rock performers included The Blibbering Humdingers, Alex Carpenter, Lauren Fairweather, Harry and The Potters, Jason Munday, RiddleTM, Romilda Vane and the Chocolate Cauldrons, Siriusly Hazza P, Solitary Snape, and The Whomping Willows.

LeakyCon partnered with J. K. Rowling's Lumos charity.

LeakyCon 2014 took place at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida from 30 July to 3 August, and included a private event, "Open at the Close", inside Universal Studios, much like the 2011 convention. The Diagon Alley, Hogwarts Express, and Hogsmeade attractions were only open for LeakyCon attendees, from 8 PM, 30 July until 2 AM, 31 July. Approximately 1,500 attendees had tickets for the special event; total attendance at the convention was estimated as surpassing 5,000.

Guests included Dayeanne Hutton and James Brent Isaacs of Emma Approved, Hannah Hart, Jon Cozart, Joe Moses, Terra Netting, Hugh Mitchell, Nick Shirm, Charlotte Skeoch, Anna Lore, Bernie Su, Steve Zaragoza, Scarlett Byrne, Adam Glass, Alaina Huffman, MinaLima, Robbie Thompson, Nina Toussaint-White, Kazu Kibuishi, and Team Starkid. Musical acts included Alex Carpenter, Harry and the Potters, Meghan Tonjes, Lauren Fairweather, Molly Lewis, Not Literally, The Blibbering Humdingers, Draco and the Malfoys, Gred and Forge, and Tonks and the Aurors.

Young adult novelists John Green, Stephanie Perkins, Rainbow Rowell, and Scott Westerfeld revealed information about characters in their works by sorting them into Harry Potter houses at a Q&A session. Laurie Halse Anderson, Holly Black, Gayle Forman, Lev Grossman, Alaya Dawn Johnson, Varian Johnson, Malinda Lo, and Lauren Myracle were also guests for the literary track, which was organised by Maureen Johnson and Robin Wasserman. Lynn M. Boughey and Peter Earnest had a copy of Unauthorized Harry Potter and the Art of Spying printed specifically for LeakyCon 2014.

Corporate sponsorship, particularly from Tumblr, became more visibly pronounced.

Pemberley Digital premiered the first two episodes of Frankenstein, MD at the 2014 convention, and MinaLima announced a new project to make some of their art prints available on postcards and notebooks, and for books cataloguing the art of the Harry Potter films.

Organisers introduced pop-up programming, entertainment or activities that were not officially a part of the program, which relied on attendee participation in some cases. An impromptu pep band composed of approximately fifty attendees; a Lego station where attendees could build snowmen and occasionally be serenaded by Anna and Elsa cosplayers singing "Do You Want to Build a Snowman?"; and actor Maxwell Glick recreating the final scene of Sherlock season two were some of the unscheduled events.

At the close of the convention, Anelli announced that the existing LeakyCon, as a multiple fandom convention, would be rebranded as GeekyCon, with the LeakyCon name returning to being a Harry Potter only convention. GeekyCon was the only convention Mischief Management organised in 2015.

The 2016 convention took place from 19 to 23 October at the Marriott Hotel in Burbank, California. It was promoted as an "immersive" experience, with attendance limited to 500. Guests included Pierre Bohanna, Bryn Court, Ellie Darcey-Alden, Katy Fray, Laurent Guinci, and Charlotte Skeoch.

The Mudbloods, who had called their last performance in 2009 their final one, reunited for the convention, announcing an upcoming extended play release during their set. The Parselmouths also came out of retirement, joining wizarding rock bands Draco and the Malfoys, Lauren Fairweather, Tianna and the Cliffhangers, Tonks and the Aurors, and The Whomping Willows for the Burbank convention.

The convention featured a private event at Universal Studios Hollywood's Wizarding World of Harry Potter on 19 October from 6:00 PM until 10:00 PM, with bus transportation between venues an additional charge to the ticket prices.

Following this LeakyCon convention, Anelli announced on Tumblr that GeekyCon was on hiatus.

The 2017 convention took place at the Citywest Hotel in Saggart, Ireland, 31 August to 3 September. Guests included Dan Fogler, Afshan Azad, Pierre Bohanna, Louis Cordice, Jim Cornish, Alfred Enoch, Hero Fiennes Tiffin, Katie Leung, Evanna Lynch, Charlotte Skeoch, MinaLima, PotterCast, Potter Puppet Pals, and StarKid Productions. Hermione Granger and the Quarter Life Crisis were also present.

Wizarding rock performers at the convention included Draco and the Malfoys, Lauren Fairweather, Harry and the Potters, Romilda Vane and the Chocolate Cauldrons, Siriusly Hazza P, Solitary Snape, Tonks and the Aurors, and The Whomping Willows. LeakyLit featured authors included Juno Dawson, Moïra Fowley-Doyle, Catherine Johnson, Joshua Khan, Melinda Salsbury, and Elizabeth E. Wein.

Organisers added two new features to the Dublin convention: 'surprise' panels throughout the event, and an Expo Day devoted to photo-ops and autographs.

The Harry Potter Alliance was represented in person by Jackson Bird who discussed the projects "Granger Leadership Academy", a general program to help those interested in becoming activists, and "A World Without Hermione", an effort to bring equality for female, transgender, and non-binary students in schools worldwide.

Today FM reported attendance as being in the "thousands".

The 2018 location was originally scheduled for the Hyatt Regency Dallas. Organisers had at first set the convention for 3,000 tickets, but interest quickly resulted in doubling that number to 6,000. It was then moved to the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center in Dallas, Texas, for 10-12 August 2018. Initial tickets went on sale 15 November 2017, with additional tickets added on 6 December 2017 once the location moved. The added tickets sold out within two days, and there were a total of 18,000 attendees.

In 2017, Warner Bros. began sending cease and desist letters to various festivals with Harry Potter themed events, including those held in Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia, Aurora, Illinois, and Ithaca, New York. The letters informed organisers of a prohibition on using the names of characters, objects, or locations from the series. Speaking to The Dallas Morning News, Anelli stated that the name "LeakyCon" had been approved for her use by Warner Bros. in 2009 and that she had taken steps to make certain that attendees were aware that LeakyCon was not officially affiliated with either Rowling or Warner Brothers. Anelli also said that Warner Bros. had not given Mischief Management "any indication that they have any problem with what we're doing."

Guests at the event included Scarlett Byrne, Louis Cordice, Christian Coulson, Dan Fogler, Alison Sudol, Ellie Darcey-Alden, Devon Murray, Chris Rankin, Stanislav Yanevski, and Luke Youngblood. Wizarding rock performers included Draco and the Malfoys, Lauren Fairweather, Harry and the Potters, The Mudbloods, Tonks and the Aurors, The Whomping Willows, and The Lovegoods. Members of Team Starkid were also present.

Several podcasts recorded live episodes at the event, including Harry Potter and the Sacred Text, MuggleCast, and PotterCast. The Sartorial Geek also recorded a live episode at the convention, interviewing then chief operating officer of Mischief Management Taekia Blackwell. Binge Mode was also present to record a live podcast with Chris Rankin.

Authors appearing at the event included Robin Benway, Kacen Callender, Mackenzi Lee, Mindy McGinnis, Anna-Marie McLemore, Julie Murphy, Mark Oshiro, Peng Shepherd, and Nic Stone.

Dallas,Texas

Tickets for the 2019 Dallas LeakyCon went on sale 2 August 2018, before the 2018 convention had even taken place. The event was scheduled for 9-11 August 2019, at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center. There were approximately 10,000 attendees.

Guests included Afshan Azad, Tiana Benjamin, Scarlett Byrne, Tom Felton, Georgina Leonidas, Paul Harris, James Payton, and Jim Tavaré. Felton performed a concert exclusively for LeakyCon on Saturday, 10 August. Wizarding rock acts included Draco and the Malfoys, Harry and the Potters, Lauren Fairweather, and Tonks and the Aurors.

LeakyLit featured Becky Albertalli, Hafsah Faizal, Mackenzi Lee, Julie Murphy, Mark Oshiro, Justin A. Reynolds, Nic Stone, and Angie Thomas.

Some activities, such as Paul Harris' panel on dueling choreography in the Harry Potter films, required an additional ticket purchase to attend.

Organisers created a new "Family Day" on 11 August, promoting more crafts and games for younger children. They also had craft stations, with a different craft available each day of the convention, as well as a Quidditch game. The game took place inside, on a concrete floor with only a half-court, and required signing a waiver to play. Players were not required to have experience in the game, and teams were not composed of players with similar skill levels.

Additionally, LeakyCon encouraged all speakers present to omit associations with attendees' outward appearances.

Rose City Comic Con collaboration

LeakyCon was present at the Rose City Comic Con in Portland, Oregon from 13 to 15 September. They had five presentation slots, as well as "Wizard's Alley", which included booths and vendors. The "House Cup Challenge" held by LeakyCon organisers was to benefit the Harry Potter Alliance.

Boston, Massachusetts

The Seaport Hotel and Seaport World Trade Center in Boston hosted the tenth anniversary LeakyCon, which was held 11-13 October 2019. Guests at the event included Louis Cordice, Dan Fogler, Chris Rankin, Stanislav Yanevski, and Luke Youngblood. Fogler announced that Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore would begin filming in February 2020 during a Q&A session.

Musical acts included Draco and the Malfoys, Harry and the Potters, Lauren Fairweather, and Tonks and the Aurors. The LeakyCon pop-up pep band was also present, as was wizarding rock performer Ashley Trix. The fan-produced musical performance was The Other Chosen One, exploring the interactions of Neville Longbottom and Dumbledore's Army during Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

Several podcasts recorded live shows, including Harry Potter and the Sacred Text, MuggleCast, PotterCast, and Swish and Flick. Tessa Netting of Fantastic Geeks was expected to attend and record a live podcast with Potterless, but was unable to due to medical reasons; the live podcast recording included Chris Rankin in Netting's place.

Potter Puppet Pals also gave a live performance.

Authors at the event included Jackson Bird, Kacen Callender, Preeti Chhibber, Mason Deaver, Claudia Gray, and Mark Oshiro.

Matt London, writer for Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery, led a panel and did a main stage presentation regarding the decisions in constructing the storyline for the game.

COVID-19

For 2020, dates had been announced for Orlando (31 July to 2 August) with guests Josh Herdman, Devon Murray, and Stanislav Yanevski; and Denver, Colorado (23-25 October), with Evanna Lynch having to move her guest slot from Orlando to Denver and LeakyCon offering to switch tickets as late as 4 March 2020.

On 11 March, Mischief Management announced on Facebook that they did not anticipate needing to alter their upcoming conventions due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A week later, they announced a streaming program broadcast via Twitch called "Mischief From Home" that would begin with LeakyCon notables Jackson Bird and Mike Schubert, and include LeakyCon employee Promla Khosla and Anelli herself. Regularly scheduled programming included Wizard Rock Wednesdays.

On 5 June, LeakyCon announced that the 2020 conventions had been postponed due to COVID. New dates, for the same cities, were provided: 25-27 June 2021, for Orlando, and 29-31 October 2021, for Denver. Initially, Mischief Management announced that 2020 ticket holders would be allowed to transfer their ticket for a 2022 event if they would prefer, rather than a 2021 event. The 2021 conventions were also postponed, with a new date announced for Orlando for 29-31 July 2022, and for Denver for 14-16 October 2022. For anyone choosing not to keep their tickets, refunds were issued through 31 August 2021, with ticket holders also being offered the option of obtaining credit to any 2022 or 2023 Mischief Management original convention.

Rowling's transphobia

In December 2019, J. K. Rowling posted support for Maya Forstater, whose views were ruled in November 2019 by an employment tribunal in London to be "incompatible with human dignity and fundamental rights of others." On 6 June 2020, Rowling posted a series of Tweets that were publicly called out for being anti-trans. The week of 7 June 2020, Rowling posted an essay which unequivocally stated her position as being solidly against transgender persons.

Anelli told Variety that she found supporting Rowling "difficult", that the comments devastated her, and stated her disinterest in the Fantastic Beasts series of films as a result. On 2 July 2020, The Leaky Cauldron and MuggleNet released a joint statement, after consultation with GLAAD and The Trevor Project, denouncing Rowling's transphobia.

In February 2021, Anelli told IGN that Mischief Management intended to make sure attendees at their conferences knew that everyone was welcome and that "everyone is who they say they are". LeakyCon posted a statement on their website, updated on 9 November 2021, stating that they were opposed to the "fear and hatred" Rowling's posts spread regarding both the transgender and non-binary communities, as well as their commitment to inclusivity.

Some attendees at both Orlando and Denver had purchased tickets in 2019 or 2020 and kept them through COVID rescheduling. Podcasts Fanatical Fics and Where to Find Them, Potterless and the Wizarding Wireless Network of podcasts appeared at both LeakyCon events in 2022. The charity The Protego Foundation was also present at both conventions.

Orlando, Florida

The Orlando convention took place from 29 to 31 July 2022, at the Orange County Convention Center. Some attendees wore protective facemasks.

Guests included Afshan Azad, Sean Biggerstaff, Bryn Court, Josh Herdman, Chris Rankin, Cherry Wallis, Chanel Williams, Stanislav Yanevski, and Trey Beachum. Devon Murray had been expected to attend, but had to cancel due to a medical situation. In addition to the other podcasts, Goblet of Wine and Pottership appeared at the Orlando convention. Wizarding rock performers at the event included Lauren Fairweather, Hawthorn and Holly, How Airplanes Fly, and Tonks and the Aurors. Author Darren Fink was present.

The theme for the convention was candy, with organisers using the colors of the trans pride flag on the signage borders in the shapes of candy canes. During one of the panels moderated by Mike Schubert, it was revealed that the vomit flavored Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans jelly bean was a previously failed Jelly Belly flavor intended to be pepperoni pizza.

Charities represented at the Orlando convention included The Little Petal Alliance, This Star Won't Go Out, and Transfiguring Adoption. On Sunday, 31 July, Universal notified The Protego Foundation that their petition to have butterbeer served without the topping had been granted, allowing for vegan butterbeer to be served on tap instead of only from the bottle.

Unlike previous years, the convention did not host a Quidditch game.

Denver, Colorado

The Denver convention took place from 14 to 16 October at the Crowne Plaza Denver Airport Convention Center. There were approximately 3,000 attendees on Saturday.

Guests included Sean Biggerstaff, Devon Murray, Chris Rankin, Tolga Safer, Luke Youngblood, Trey Beachum, Jakob Lovelady, and Stanislav Yanevski. In addition to the other podcasts, The Nerd Couple Show and Don't Call Me Crazy! were also present. Wizarding rock performers included Draco and the Malfoys, Dream Quaffle, The Weirdos are Out, and The Whomping Willows. Author Lorrie Kim was also present.

At the beginning of 2023, Anelli announced that LeakyCon would be distancing itself from being a Harry Potter convention with the slogan "More Fandoms, More Magic". Anelli stated that attendees could expect to see more content related to other fandoms such as Avatar: The Last Airbender, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The Hunger Games, The Lord of the Rings, Percy Jackson & the Olympians, Supernatural, and Twilight, but also said that the designation as a Harry Potter convention remained "for ease and for marketing reasons".

The convention was held in Chicago, Illinois, 4-6 August at McCormick Place South, under the name "LeakyCon: Chicago Wizarding World's Fair". Guests included Sean Astin, Trey Beachum, Sean Biggerstaff, Ellie Darcey-Alden, Tom Felton, Rohan Gotobed, Walles Hamonde, Miranda Otto, James Payton, Chris Rankin, Em Wallbank, Chanel Williams, Stanislav Yanevski, Miltos Yerolemou, Kiran Shah, and Elijah Wood.

To show their support for SAG/AFTRA and WGA strikes taking place at the time, Astin and Wood chose not to speak to specific on-set experiences, instead giving fans insights into their personal histories. Rankin moderated the panel.

Music performers included Autumn Brooke, Hogwarts Therapist, Hawthorn and Holly, and The Weirdos Are Out for the wizarding rock cafe, with the concert featuring only Draco and the Malfoys and Lauren Fairweather. Tom Felton also gave a separate concert performance.

Authors included Nana Kay, Brittany Hanson and Lorrie Kim.

Podcasts present included Behind the Wand with Flick Miles; Potterless and The Newest Olympian with Mike Schubert; Fanatical Fics and Where to Find Them; MuggleCast; Potterversity; Puffcast; Shell Cottage Radio; Creating Magic; First Year Pod; Pottership; Swish and Flick; and WZRD Radio.

The Esther Earl Rocking Charity Ball was renamed to the LeakyCon Ball.

On 25 August 2023, LeakyCon announced that the 2024 convention would be held at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland, 5-7 July. Guests included Chris Rankin, Catherine Tate, Bonnie Wright, Stanislav Yanevski, Isaac Hempstead Wright, Team StarKid, Indira Varma, Em Wallbank, Chanel Williams, and Kit Young. Initial reporting stated attendance as 500, but was later updated to 2,800.

Several podcasts were present, including Fantasy Fangirls, MuggleCast, PotterCast, and Potterless. Musical performances included The Bookish Songs Collective, Geoff Hutton (known as Dream Quaffle) and Brian Ross. Rather than an evening event, the Friday wizarding rock performances were in a panel time slot at 5:00 PM. Outside of the convention proper, a wizarding rock concert was organized by Hawthorn and Holly at the Rose City Book Pub which took place the same night as the LeakyCon Ball.

Some vendors reported that the convention center required loading dock entry, atypical for LeakyCon, and that they had to resolve the situation of not even knowing where to be themselves, with no help from Mischief Management.

EnchantiCon

Regardless of Anelli's assertion in 2021 that LeakyCon would not change its name again, the convention rebranded as EnchantiCon, as announced at the final LeakyCon in July 2024. Guests, vendors and artists who had participated in past LeakyCons stated that they would not participate in an explicitly Harry Potter event, resulting in the name change.

Anelli described EnchantiCon as "a whole new world", stating that the intent behind the event is to give Harry Potter fans a space where they can celebrate their love for the series "without feeling like they were celebrating something that now represented something that was against their values." The announcement at the 2024 Portland LeakyCon stated that the name change would allow for the incorporation of even more Harry Potter content from those who were apprehensive of associating with Rowling's intellectual properties after her anti-trans comments.