Hogwarts Satellite Campus

Welcome back everyone! As I noted before my nearly month-long absence, the entire month of September I would be taking off from prop commissions in anticipation of my Harry Potter weekend coming up in the first weekend of October. Well, I've been doing just that! A few posts ago, I gave you all a primer on magical creatures, which I've been expanding my menagerie and now have several  more creatures indigenous to the Harry Potter universe, but also have a number of creatures outside of it. I plan to continue building my collection even after the party is over because I really like magical critters.

But you've already heard about all of them so today I wanted to take a quick second and show off all of the other fun things I've been making to slowly transform my house into Hogwarts. Now I haven't mortared all of the walls with stone, but we do have each of the four house common rooms represented.

The Gryffindor commmon room will of course have a painting of the Fat Lady on its door. The painting isn't finished yet but I have every confidence that she will guard the room well. Gryffindor common room will also house our hall of relics, where most of the magical objects we've come to know and love will be on display. We'll get back to those later.

Hufflepuff common room will be accessed through a stack of barrels. for those of you who are not members of the house, the key to getting into the common room is by tapping your wand on the correct barrel in the proper rhythm. Don't screw it up or you'll get a face full of vinegar!
As this is in our master bedroom, there will not be as much extraneous stuff here, but I am planning to hang a picture of our house founder in the room, as it is at Hogwarts.

Ravenclaw tower is sporting its blue and bronze banners and is entererd by answering a riddle from the bronze door knocker gracing the door. Hope you're clever enough to get in. Though it isn't yet finished, there will be a bronze bust of Rowena Ravenclaw with her diadem.

As Ravenclaw common room is in a tower, it seemed appropriate to have the Owlery located there as well, and as a nod to the astronomy tower, the cieling will be filled with stars.

Slytherin common room can be accessed through a large grey curtain painted to resemble stone. Sadly we don't have a basement because it would be great to have it there, but we'll make due.

Given that the potions master has consistently been the head of house, the apothecary will be located there. Also (as you can see by the stuff on the floor) this is usually my craft room so I have all of my supplies there. As such, we've modded it into the Dark Arts (& Crafts) Center!

Along with changing the actual living space for the event, I of course have been hard at work making a bunch of props of magical relics!

First up we have a Remembrall which glows red when you forget something. Good luck remembering whatever it is that you've forgotten.

We also have the Goblet of Fire, in case we need to choose any capable witches and wizards to be our champions.

Don't waste away looking into the Mirror of Erised. It may show you your deepest desires, but it does not show the truth, or what will come to pass.

We have two new books to add to the magical library: Hogwarts, A History and The Moster Book of Monsters. If I get around to it, Magical Me will also be added to out collection. And although it's kind of hard to tell from the photo, the bits that look like they're glowing do actually light up (including the moon).

Naturally we need to have the sorting hat around, especially because there will be a bunch of group activities we need to be sorted for. He was quite grumpy when I asked for his picture...

Here you can see the (nearly) full collection of horcruxes. I plan to add a little portrait of Harry to complete the bunch.

And of course the one Hogwarts founder's treasure that was not corrupted by Voldemort, the Sword of Gryffindor. So shiny. So chrome.

And last, but certainly not least, we have some flying keys for the chamber that protects the Philosopher's Stone. They may have their wings but we haven't charmed them to fly just yet. We'll have a few other items for that room, including a wizard chess set, some Devil's Snare, a collection of potions bottles, the Philosopher's Stone itself, and a permanently unconscious troll. And of course the Mirror of Erised will be kept there as well.

I am thoroughly looking forward to this event, and will most certainly be sharing more photos from the weekend with all of you. Cheers!