I am a councilor in a youth group. And have 30 kids from the fourth grade. My other two co- councilors were celebrating their 16th birthday that same week. So we decided to plan a party inspired by a Harry potter theme. Hope you can benefit from our idea like I enjoyed planning it.  We had to have the party inside because it is winter now. So we held it in a classroom and the games that needed more space were held in the inside patio.  The kids didn't know what to expect that Tuesday when they arrived.  I made a sign out of cardbored paper and Cray paper. That read "welcome" under that there was another sign that read " welcome, we are pleased to invite you to celebrate Michael and Jeffery 16th birthday party at Hogwarts school of with craft and wizardry" signed at the bottom by Albus Dambaldor. One councilor drew on the kid's face the famous scar with make-up and escorted them in through the door. While at the door two councilors were waiting one held a with had and announced as the kids came in the houses and the outer gave out sickers (I made on the computer) which had the symbol of the houses. The room was set like "the great hall" I bought the soundtrack of the movie and the music was playing as the kids took their seats at the table. We explained to the kids what they were here for they were so exited some were not (because the hat put them in slyterin). We told theme in order to get the prize at the end they most work together as a team. We organized 8 stations of activity for the kids like in the book.  The first one held at "Digon Ally" where they had to make wands. We calculated the time to 5 min. but the kids were so in to that they wanted to color the wands . So they did and they had fun.  The next station was held in the patio we had a race after leaving Olivanders shop of wands and each kid was pleased with their wands we needed to collect school supplies. The kids divided into their houses 8 kids per team, and they had to run with the things that they were given and fill their suitcase. It was a lot of fun each time they had to run a different way. One time jumping next hopping or running backward etc. I had difficulty time thinking what 8 items but in the end I came up with a wand, magic ball, potion, recipe, and magic animal, with hat and more. This game of musical chairs we played inside my kids like to run a lot so we had to be prepared. We set up chairs and the soundtrack music and gave each two members per team the color of the house a bandana made out of craypaper.  The fourth station was at Hogwarts at snape potion class. We made homemade playdough the kids absolutely loved it. We made animal and other magical things and they got to take it home. The spare time we had we paled bubbing for chocolate frogs that were in flour.  The 5th station was based upon the second book were harry and friends meet "mounign mertal in the bathroom. In this game we paled in the patio. We picked a child blindfolded him and he had to fined the rest of the kids by listing to them whine and cry. The kids couldn't have enough of this game.  The sixth station we brought the kids back into the classroom for history class were I made up 14 questions based on harry potter every right answer the got a candy and they had to save it and count to see which house won the quiz.  The seventh station was sticking the tale on the dragon in "defense agents the dark arts. This game was based on what we call " hot or warm" we blindfolded a representative from each house and the houses had to point theme to stick the tale on the dragon while shutting hot or coled. Hot means you are closed and cold means not.   The last station was the best it was cake time. But while I was pre paring the cake and gar-bags the other two councilors played "the look of the Basilisk" like in book two if the Basilisk look at you, you are dead. So all the kids sat in a circle and the councilor walked around theme tapping each one on the back if he tapped you twice you are it - the basilisk and you have to kill as many kids as you can by winking at them. The game ends when somebody figures out who is the Basilisk. And them we brought out the cake. And lit. The candles and sang happy-birthday counted all the points each station was worth 10 points. By me there were no winners or losers everyone got a gra-bag. And he kids couldn't stop taking about this party for weeks. I got phone calls from parents tanking us.  The party believe it or not lasted only an hour and a half. I planned it for about a week.