‘Back to Hogwarts’ offers magic and more at the library

A big celebration of 20 years of Harry Potter in print in Sea Cliff

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Visitors of the Sea Cliff Children’s Library passed through an enchanted “brick wall” upon arriving at the “Back to Hogwarts” event on Friday night, which celebrated the Harry Potter series of book’s 20th anniversary.

Each child was sorted into one of the four Hogwarts houses — Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw or Slytherin — and treated to a magical night in the wizarding world. The event was conjured up by library director Ann DiPietro and MAKEshop volunteer Pooja Vera. MAKEshop is a non-profit organization that offers science- and arts-based enrichment to the community.

The library was transformed into the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardy, complete with spellbinding stations for the children. There was a screening station to watch the Harry Potter films, a trivia game that tested one’s knowledge of the wizarding world, a potions table, and a spell casting station.

“It was pretty easy to come up with the inspiration for the event since it’s the 20th anniversary of the books,” said Vera. “It’s a great way to bring the library and the community together.”

Many of the children came clad in Harry Potter robes and costumes, and brought their own wands, time turners and wizarding accessories. They appeared to enjoy talking about the books between activities.

Vera explained that at the potions table, children were able to perform an “engorgio” spell, which enlarges objects. The wizards placed vinegar and baking soda into little vials, and then capped the vials with a balloon. By shaking the vial, the chemical reaction then caused the balloon to inflate.

“Our main goal at the library is to foster a sense of community, and let people know we’re here and totally in the present day,” said Camille Purcell, the library’s assistant director. “This event is a great way to bring teens and young kids together.”

Aa notice about the event was sent out to North Shore schools in order to garner a greater turnout of Harry Potter fans, as well as fans of having fun, like Sea Cliff Elementary School student, Abby Neice.

“Our class decided it would be a fun thing to do outside of school and my friends like Harry Potter, so I thought it’d be cool to come and learn a few things too,” she said. Neice said she learned a lot of facts about the books, how to cast spells, and how to mix up a science experiment.

DiPietro said she was very impressed with the turnout. “I’m in a state of amazement; this is the first time we’ve held this event, so no one knew what it would be like,” she said. “There are more children interested than I thought.”

Vera agreed, adding that the event ended up bringing children, regardless of whether they were fans of the series or not to the library, which is always a good thing.