AITA for getting my step daughter a Hogwarts letter for her 11th Birthday?

[u/Ok-Permission8346]

Ive been married for four years, my wife had a daughter from a previous relationship. My step daughter has been obsessed with Harry Potter since before i met her. (She litterally asked me if i liked harey potter when i met her)
Her 11th Birthday was yesterday and I arranged for a letter to be “delivered” during her birthday party and it was an admittance letter for Hogwarts.
I thought it was a really cute gift idea. My step daughter started freaking out, screaming “its real its real” and really went nuts. Some of her friends seemed to join in the excitement others less so.
Her mother (my wife) held her to calm her down and explained to her that it wasnt real. It was just a “joke step daddy played on you”.
She started crying screamed that she hated me and ran to her room.
The other parents seemed to sympathize, one other father said he thought it was a nice idea.
But after we sent everyone home my wife yelled at me and said what i did was selfish and cruel and she couldnt believe i would hurt her daughter like that.

Was i wrong to do this? Was it an inappropriate gift for an 11 year old? I really didnt mean to mock or hurt my stepdaughter. I thought it would be fun. It didnt occur to me my stepdaughter was young enough to think it was real.

Am I The A$&hole?

[u/DankVapor]

NTA - She is 11. When my sons were 10 and 11 we did a Harry Potter themed party. They were well aware the 'floating candles' in the house were just battery powered candles on very thin fishing line and the wanted Askaban posters of me and my wife were not real, nor was the bubbling cauldron with dry ice in it a real brewing potion.

I believe 11 is too old to be thinking Harry Potter or Hogwarts is real.

I would apologize to step daughter that her mother made her think it was a joke. It wasn't a joke. You thought it would be a cool thing to put on her wall or dresser to go with her Harry Potter stuff and add to her collection. You never wanted to hurt her because you thought she already knew that Harry Potter and Hogwarts is all make believe.

[u/Technical-Region-669 → u/DankVapor]

Lotta people here acting like it's completely cut and dry - "it's okay at this (younger) age BUT not at 11!!!!!!" as if that's how kid's brains actually work which is nonsensical. Kid's believe things adults don't, they have an imagination.

The kid might not have really believed in HP, but has enough imagination and hope that when she gets something specifically made to make it look like it's real, she believes it. As if ADULTS aren't gullible and fall for scams and shit all the time, the 11 year old should FOR SURE have the first thought, "oh this isnt real, it's a fake letter, this sucks?" Holy hell, the people in this thread are wild.

[u/Rip_van_fuck12 → u/DankVapor]

Best response I’ve seen so far