A Very Harry Week

Dobby lives!!!
Life sized papier mache, with sock, greeting guests at the front door.

Myrtle, acrylic on plexiglass, lurking in the downstairs loo.

Our family's Weasley clock.

The potions bar for the underage wizards getting set up.

Pomona Sprout's fruit & veggie platter in progress and the beginnings of the grown up potions bar.

Almost ready for the feast.

Mandrakes ready for re-potting.

Don't worry, we cast Muffliato. No ear muffs required.

No posts last week. No time for posts last week! It was a jam packed week of getting ready for the HP party!

I wish I had more pics of some of the completed set ups and food to show you, but it is only thanks to my brother in law that I have any photos at all. I was too busy to have camera in hand.

We all went to a noon showing of Deathly Hallows pt 1, along with some of the boys' friends. I must say that I am an ENORMOUS fan of the books, but have never been that keen on the movies. I mean, it is wonderful as a Potter fan to see the world brought to life on the big screen, but it can also be very, very frustrating at times (Michael Gambon's Dumbledore...need I say more?). But this first half of DH was the most faithful to the plot and characters of any of the later movies, and it was beautifully shot. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

After the movie, we dropped off the extra kids and came home to party with just family. We all got into our wizard kit, and everyone went all out. There was everything from striped stockings a la Wicked Witch of the East on my mom (with full wizard robes and matching lipstick too!) to a dark mark tattoo and black wig for the DH as Snape (we were the alternate reality Snape & Lily couple, with 2 little blonde kids...don't ask how we got from there into this reality. I don't know for sure, but it was something very wibbly-wobbly, timey-wimey Dr. Who-ish, of course.).

There was a make your own potions bar, a fruit & veg platter from Professor Sprout and goat's cheese courtesy of Aberforth. For supper, shepherd's pie. For dessert, pumpkin pasties, treacle tart and chocolate frogs.

In between courses the boys knocked our socks off as the highly amusing duo Messrs Swish & Flick, makers of finest Canadian wands (obviously with the disappearance of Ollivander and the Death Eaters on a rampage we were in need of some wands), and the birthday people had to solve riddles found on golden snitches in order to get to their presents. It was fantastic!

Today finds me basking in the afterglow of all the fun, and familial warmth. Everyone contributed something to the party (especially my sister Elizabeth who came early and worked at my side like a house elf getting everything ready. Thank you! Couldn't have done it without you!), and everyone was so full of laughter and enthusiasm. Not to mention the fact that most drove hours here and back through prairie snowstorms to be together. I am feeling patronus-producing joyful to have such a family, not a squib in the bunch....all full on magical.

A little blood here and there because they were beaten up by the Carrows (their idea, not mine). This was the first of 3 costume changes for them!

And because the boys would only let me post a picture of them if I did one of me too. That's my beautiful and beloved Elizabeth on the left, potions in hand.