By: Nina Campli, Assistant Editor of Student Life and Arts Photographer: Lynne DeLade
Have you ever wanted to go to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry? Thursday, Feb. 4, was your opportunity. At 5 p.m. students and faculty of Drew gathered in the United Methodist Archives and History Center to drink Butterbeer, eat magical treats and enjoy the wonderful world of Harry Potter.
This event was part of a worldwide celebration centering on the publication of the Harry Potter series. The Rose Room of the Archives had four tables, each set up with the colors of a different Hogwarts House, with different potions and other magical treats to snack on. Some fan favorites were the Butterbeer, which was homemade by one of the staff members, as well as the rice crispy treat shaped like a basilisk, a large snake with many deadly attributes. In addition, they had the original version of Bertie Bott’s Every Flavored Beans. For those that were not feeling daring there were also regular Jelly Beans, labeled “Muggle Beans.”
In the “Restricted Section” there were books of all different types, as well as copies of the Harry Potter series. There was also a book about the alchemist Nicolas Flamel, the creator of the Philosopher’s Stone, which is used to make the Elixir of Life.
After everyone had food and went to the restricted section to look at the books, there was a game of Harry Potter trivia. Everyone sat at their respective house tables to compete for the coveted House Cup. Questions ranged from moderately easy, “What is the proper and full name of the Gryffindor ghost Nearly Headless Nick?” to relatively difficult, “How many staircases are there at Hogwarts?” Each question in the game was worth one point and in the end Ravenclaw and Slytherin tied for the House cup. To break the tie a bonus question was asked that was worth five points. The question was, “What is Dumbledore’s full name and what year was he born?” Almost everyone knew his full name, but the Ravenclaw’s managed to take the House Cup after doing a few quick calculations to determine his birth year.
As the event wound down students were encouraged to take some potions with them or stick around for a little bit to look at all the amazing props that were replicas of things in the Wizarding World.
