A wonderful Harry Potter night!

I feel like I haven't had much that is very interesting to post about recently as our weekends have largely been taken up with house-based issues, concerts and work preparation and our Half term in February was spent at home in Essex.  I apologise for this. It has largely been a bit uninspired!

Well, the final Wednesday of term was spent in a most unusual way. 

CBC's work had organised a Harry Potter night which he had been to last year and enthused over as well as bringing me back some treats.  

Well, this year, he was asked to be one of the Professors for it- he was asked to be Newt Scamander from the Fantastic Beasts and where to find them movie.

In case you are not sure of the Harry Potter link, Newt Scamander is the author of the book entitled, Fantastic Beasts and Where to find them which is on Harry's required reading list in his first year at Hogwarts.

This month, in preparation, CBC has spent time searching for costume items to make his costume up. I was getting very excited and wishing I could also dress up though in the end, I just wore his colleague's academic gown!

The excitement began at the entrance.  They had covered the main doors with this brick wall material which you had to step through rather like Platform 9 3/4 at King's Cross. I failed miserably at getting through and also tripped up!

 After putting my bags in CBC's office, Sorry NEWT's office, I headed to the library to hear CBC and his music ensemble playing the Harry Potter, Hedwig's Theme.

Here began the first of 3 sorting ceremonies, introduced by two of the pupils who were organising, most beautifully! It was very clever the way they got some pupils to come up and used their knowledge of the pupils to make a judgement.

 The space was disguised beautifully with the long tables set out like the Hogwarts dining room, fairy lights and then these 'floating candles' on the ceiling!

 At this point, I had a look at CBC's costume- someone had made him a wire Bowtruckle which was attached to his suitcase (this once housed Grasmere Gingerbread!)

 Here is CBC as Newt Scamander! My Mum made him a really cute crocheted Bowtruckle which was annoyingly not pictured as it cheekily poked out his pocket on the other side.

 At this point, the students were sent to their lessons- each had been given a timetable of Hogwarts lessons to attend.

I crept into Transfiguration where they were using the Wingardium Leviosa spell to try and make their feathers float!

 A previous Headteacher seemed to be a talking, moving portrait!

One very cool thing you could do was you had to change your money at the Gringotts bank for Wizarding money.

I chose to change £5 for 11 sickles which surprisingly, bought a lot!

Next, I headed to Diagon Alley to see what I could spend my money on.

Here, you could buy Nifflers- these canny Critters are attracted to treasure and steal it!

Golden snitches were also for sale!

Honeydukes were selling their famous treat mix!

You could buy the Monster Book of books which is what CBC bought me last year! The one in the cage was very fierce!

Pumpkin pastries could be purchased!

Or Golden snitch cake pops!

One of CBC's jobs was to be accosted by pupils at various times who had to seek the various professors around and obtain their autographs by answering a question about that particular character!

At various times, CBC's suitcase burst open and animals escaped!  He had a lot of my soft toys in there and we bought some Nifflers!

Another of the tasks was to seek various objects hidden around the building such as the Sword of Godric Gryffindor!

As well as specific lessons the pupils had to attend, there were various 'free-period' activities and lessons they could take part in. Here was one of the potions free choices.

I headed into Herbology and paid 1 sickle to try and repot a Mandrake! It was one of those 'don't touch the wire' games but with a Mandrake attached and going from one pot to another! I wasn't very good!

Always remember to wear your furry earmuffs for Mandrake repotting!

 There were lots of scary looking plants in the Herbology lab!

But rather goofy too!

Next, I caught the tail-end of one of the Potions lessons which involved some chemistry and at the end of the lesson you had to put something through a bunsen burner flame.  Confession- I was deadly scared of these at Secondary School and never touched one in my 5 years of Science!

I spotted Aragog , the enormous Acromantula lurking by the shredder! AHRGH!

 Back in Diagon Alley, I had a go at one of the games which was to guess what was in Dobby, the House Elf''s socks. Got all of them right but one!

CBC and I tried some Butterbeer. It was NOT nice!

At this point, I spotted Dumbledore's Phoenix, Fawkes!

I headed to the Hall to watch the Quidditch lesson!

I didn't manage to catch any of the other lessons such as Divination or look at all the stalls but what I saw was super!

The final event was the announcement of the winners of the House Cup and the Yule Ball which I played flute for.  We played the Waltz from the Yule Ball whilst some students waltzed like in the Goblet of Fire and then the Wyrd Sisters performed, Can you do the Hippogriff?

There are many other things I haven't mentioned or photographed including lessons, decorations, stalls, games, things to buy. All the Professors looked amazing- there was Hagrid, Mad-eye Moody, McGonagle, Sirius Black, Professor Trelawney, Madame Olympe Maxime, Professor Dolores Umbridge, Professor Sprout.

The whole thing was utterly wonderfully organised and great fun.  The delight of all the pupils who attended was really obvious. I kept giggling with delight all the time.

What did I spend my 11 sickles on you may ask?

Well:

2 sickles were spent on a Pygmy Puff,

2 sickles on a bag of Honeydukes treat mix

1 sickle on a Golden Snitch.

2 Sickles on a Niffler, 

2 sickles on a wand.

1 sickle on a Pumpkin pastry (not pictured)

1 sickle on a Golden Snitch cake pop

CBC also bought a Niffler and I was given a wand glow stick as I left.

You could also buy Bowtruckles like his.

Oh and here is the Bowtruckle my Mum made!

The whole event was brilliant! I hope if anyone reads this, it might give them some ideas of an event like this to organise!

x