Amanda's Harry Potter birthday party!

Wow! This was an amazing party! (I love to throw parties!) We had so much fun!! I was dressed-up as Professor Trelawney, my friend Cory was dressed as Professor McGonagall and my friend Maria was Professor Flitwick. Before the party, I took pictures of the three girls together in their costumes (even Katrina had a little robe, although she was at the Fox's house during the party). They all waved their wands and said "Wingardium Leviosa", although Katrina says, "Adiosa!"

When the kids arrived they were sorted into their houses by the sorting hat and Professor McGonagall. (She held the sorting hat, and I drew badges out of a bag.) We had Gryffindor, Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw. (The Slytherins were in the Forbidden Forest with Hagrid.) Those three groups went off to their different classes.

We had a Transfiguration class where they made their own parchment books (I had stamped their names in gold on the front covers of the books) and picked out a colored feather that we had cut into a quill, and then they got to try writing with ink and a quill.

We had a Charms class where the kids got a Spell Quiz where they had to match the spell to a description of what it does.

We had Olivander's out in the garage where the kids got to make their own wands. They each got to pick out a "core" for their wand which also provided the "sparks" that come out of a wand when a spell is cast.

Then we tried butter beer. Yum! We melted butterscotch chips, stirred in cream and then added cream soda. It was really good! It was SWEET! But it was really good!

Then we all drove over to the cultural hall at the chapel and we played Quidditch. The kids chased after a softball that we called the quaffle and a little yellow bouncy ball that we called the snitch. We didn't end the game just because the snitch was caught, so the scores were pretty high. It was fun, but after a few bumps and bruises, we went back to the house.

We got the cake out that I had decorated just like the one in the first movie that Hagrid brings to Harry. It was fun! We also put the magic re-lighting candles on it, and that was funny! Amanda's eyes just about popped out when those candles re-lit. What!?? She kept trying to blow them out until she was laughing too hard to keep blowing.

We separated into classes again, and one group stayed in the kitchen to eat cake and ice cream at the table that was decorated with gold plates, cups and silverware, a caudron that was smoking with dry ice, and candles.

Another group went to Defense Against the Dark Arts, where they watched the part in the 3rd Harry Potter movie where Professor Lupin tells the students about boggarts. Boggarts take the shape of whatever you fear the most, and when you say "Riddikulus!" it becomes something funny and you are no longer afraid of it. After they watched the part in the movie, they were each given a paper that said "boggart" on it and they drew something they were most afraid of, and then they were given another paper that said "Riddikulus!" on it and they drew that thing funny so that they weren't afraid of it any more.

The last group was in Potions class in the dungeon (garage). Each person got a bottle and they put colored water in it and then they got to fill it with whatever glitter, sequins and beads they wanted and then we sealed it closed.

At the end of the party we had a wizard's duel, where the kids all answered trivia questions about the Harry Potter books.

When they went home they had goodie bags with them that said "Thanks for visiting Diagon Alley" and they were filled with coloring pages, bookmarks, stickers, a homemade chocolate frog pack with trading cards in it, and a small yelllow bouncy ball that was supposed to be like the snitch. We also put in all the stuff they had made. They all had a great time and we have been resting with our feet up ever since.

I wish there was a spell for cleaning everything up after a party.

See all the pics here.