Harry Potter Party Revisit 3 – Classes

The bulk of our Harry Potter party all those years ago was the classes. Once the kids were in the house and had their uniforms, we were ready to go!

Charms – do homework like Harry!

feathers with angled points (a utility knife works for this)
India ink*
parchment paper (available in craft stores)
plastic tablecloth (to protect work area)

Dip quills into ink to write on parchment. They used india ink to dip their quills and wrote on parchment. While the kids write, discuss the place of quills in history and what it means to “blot” your paper, a phrase seen in the Harry Potter books. More information on quills.

*India ink stains, so make sure the kids are aware and being careful. Younger kids may need aprons or old shirts to protect their clothing.

Transfiguration-make your own owl

Felt owl bodies, pre-made*
felt face pieces (see above link), pre-cut in a variety of colors
feathers
glue
google eyes

Use the spell Strigiformes (“nocturnal bird of prey”) to transfigure a pile of supplies into an owl. Have the listed supplies out for students to choose from. After gluing owls together, leave to dry overnight.

Potions– Make Butterbeer!

plastic goblets or cups
root beer (½ cup for each student)
butterscotch syrup
vanilla ice cream
cookie scoop

Prepare ahead of time: Scoop ice cream with cookie scoop, placing scoops on cookie sheet. Harden in freezer for at least two hours before party.

Just before you need it, warm root beer in the microwave or stove top, making sure not to get it too hot. Each child receives a goblet approximately 1/2 full of warm root beer. Serve ice cream scoop with tongs, allowing each child to add his or her own. Serve butterscotch syrup in from a “potion bottle” or cruet. Enjoy!

Care of Magical Creatures – You have received special permission from the Ministry of Magic for your students to raise dragon eggs (very important, as it’s against wizarding law to own a dragon!).

Plastic or craft eggs that open
homemade slime
small toy dragons or charms (I like these)
acrylic craft paint, in a variety of colors (authentic colors can be found in Fantastic Beasts & Where To Find Them)
clear acrylic sealant

Prepare ahead of time: Paint eggs using craft paint, covering with sealant once dry. Allow to dry overnight. Fill with a small amount of slime and a small toy dragon. Placed the eggs in a small cauldron filled with polyfil before the guests arrive.

During the party: Explain that you have received special permission from the Ministry of Magic to raise dragon eggs for your Care of Magical Creatures class. Dragon eggs need to be kept warm, so keep near a fireplace if available. When it’s time for the eggs to hatch, have each child reach in a choose an egg. Their eggs then “hatch.”

The important part of this project is the suspense of what’s in the egg. During our party, the kids asked me dozens of times if it was “time.” When I finally announced the dragons were hatching, they were all very excited. They enjoyed the dragons and the slime!

Herbology-grow a magical plant!

small terracotta pot or small plastic cups
Jiffy soil pellets
herb or bean seeds
plastic spoon

Have students add soil to their cup or pot. Add a seed and water gently. Explain to the students that they need to add 1 spoon of water to the plants each day. They then wave their wand and say the spell “Exerceo” (roughly translated means grow or cultivate). Pots should be kept in a warm, sunny place, like a window.

Defense Against the Dark Arts – fight off Dementors using the Patronus Charm!

Long, dark cloak or “death” costume
willing actor to play a dementor
wands (see Diagon Alley from the last post)

Your students will be learning the incredibly advanced Patronus Charm. The Patronus charm creates a Patronus, or protector. A silver-colored being (each is different, according to who does the spell) races out of the wand to ward off Dementors. The charm consists of thinking of a happy memory and the saying the words “Expecto Patronum.”

Have the students think of happy memories. They can do this privately or as a group. Once they start practicing the charm, that’s the cue for the dementor to make it’s appearance. The dementor should back away in fear, eventually fleeing as the students perform their charms. While a very simple “class,” this was the most popular at our party!