Invite:  Hogwarts Acceptance Letter: Paper rolled as scroll, ribbon tie, with White Feather inserted under ribbon,and delivered secretly to each invitee(owl delivery)  Sorting Hat All First Years Must Attend...  Stool covered with black garbage bag (walkie talkie hidden under it).  Black felt witch's hat placed on children's head. Someone within hearing distance with other walkie talkie reads the sorting hat song and then sorts attendees into houses. We gave each attendee a badge stating the house they were sorted into(printed out from house crests found on the internet). Herbology The study of magical plants (such as mandrakes or bubotubers), and how to take care of, utilise and/or combat them.    Grassdrakes relation to the mandrake with grasslike appearance.  Does not have the earpiercing cry of its relative Mandrake.   Does require daily watering and weekly grooming.  Created Grass Heads (Grassdrakes): Nylon stocking, 6 tbs. potting soil, 2 tbs grass seed, small plastic cup or yogurt container, 2 google eyes, and glue.   Fill nylon with potting soil. Put the grass seed in the nylon  Knot bottom of nylon  Glue on wiggle eyes.  Place in container filled with water  Bubotubers: Use green bag or green childs T-shirt (Rubber band arms, neck and bottom of childs green T shirt).  Add leaves and moss to rubber band tightened areas. Fill T-shirt with mesh squishy balls (look like puss when squeezed and found at party stores or online discount party supply). We added plastic bags for another texture. Children had to put their hand in elastic hole of T-shirt neck (can't see inside shirt) to pull out Bubotuber puss prize.  Quidditch Seeker Tryouts: Catch the Golden Snitch Game Golden Snitch: At a craft store found some holiday styrofoam gold balls with glitter on them. Poked holes in the sides of the ball and glued feathers. We tied one of the "Golden Snitches" to invisible fishing line and to the end of a dowel (or broom handle). We then blindfolded the child and had them hold a small broom between their legs(written on the handle of the broom was Firebolt). We then dangled the snitch around them and they had to try and catch it.  It was very funny watching the child grope for the snitch (big laughs when the dangled snitch bounced off the seekers head) Each child was given one of these handmade snitch's as a prize. Potions The art of creating potions with magical effects. The process is delicate and instructions must be followed exactly in order to achieve the desired result.  We gave each child a plastic black cauldron (from party store)to use... Exploding Potion The erumpent produces a remarkable  potion causes anything it is injected with to explode. 1/4 cup doxy dust (baking soda) 1 drop dragon sweat (green food coloring) 1/4 cup erumpent (Vinegar)  Made a great bubbling concoction in their cauldrons. As we washed the cauldrons we gave the children clear cups to make Babbling Potion.  Babbling Potion Causes the drinker to babble nonsense Clear Plastic Cup  1/4 cup Elf tears (blue punch drink or koolaid) 1/4 cup Hippogriff Sweat (Sunny D) 1/4 cup Giant Spider Venom (red punch drink) 1 Bloodworm (Gummy Worm) 1/4 tsp unicorn dander (Pop Rocks)  Tip: We used individual sport bottle size punch drinks and removed labels. This was a manageable pour size for 7 year olds.  The children really liked watching the potion change colors from blue to green to brown. They also loved the great effect and sound the pop rocks made.  The potion tasted good and the children had fun acting as if the babbling potion really made them babble! Defense Against the Dark Arts -this class teaches defensive techniques to protect from dark magical beasts and creatures such as Dementors. Taught "Expecto Patronum" Patronus Charm: A positive force  which acts as protection from a dementor.   Using black painter plastic we built a black hallway in our garage with PVC pipe frame.  We also used a fog machine. The party goers walked through the Hallway where Dementors (older siblings dressed as Dementors) popped out at them. The kids using their wands said "Expecto Patronum" to make the Dementors go away.  We handed out Harry Potter Party Favor Wands that have light up tips (looked great in the dark hallway).   Transfiguration Transfiguration is the changing of the form and appearance of an object,. This is generally achieved through concentration, the precise waving of the wand and speaking the appropriate incantation.   My husband and son performed some simple magic tricks.  We gave a small magic trick (found in the $1 aisle of some stores or at onine game/magic stores) to each child and taught them how to perfom the trick. Many magic tricks can be found on the internet.  Wingardium Leviosa - to make things float (floating card trick) Aparecium-Spell to make invisible ink visible (write with lemon juice, use candle flame to make lemon juice visable) Disapaero to make things disappear (magic box trick) Pigmento changes colors of objects (scarf color change trick)   Great Hall Feast:   Happy 7th Birthday Seth!! Served Birthday cake, Butter Beer (Irish Cream Soda with Butterscotch sauce), Poison Apple Slices, Pretzel Wands,Flubber Worms (baby carrot sticks) Decorations: Spooky holograph halloween framed pictures tied to cieling with transparent fishing wire (one side picture, other side House Crests.  Scene setter wallpaper stone wall (hung to create illusion of a wall in hallway to create Platform 9 3/4.  The children then had to run through it to get into Hogwarts...the decorated rooms we were using for the party. Computer print out of Moaning Myrtle's face (taped to toilet seat)and sign on bathroom mirror stating Myrtle was Here.  Giant spider (Aragog) made out of garbage bags hung from cieling.