Library celebrates Harry Potter’s birthday

Children and parents from across Charles County celebrated Harry Potter’s birthday last week by spending a day at Hogwarts, at the Charles County Public Library Potomac branch.

As children entered the children’s wing of the library they randomly chose their Hogwarts house and received a ticket to the Hogwarts Express, a Hogwarts paper tie to color in the theme of their chosen house and a plastic wand.

Some children came to the celebration in costume, mirroring the movie’s main characters, with robes, ties, scarfs, glasses and even painted on scars, like Harry Potter.

When it was time for the Hogwarts Express to leave, the children entered through the famous 9 ¾ brick wall like in the books and films.

Once inside Hogwarts, children were assigned to go to wizard classes to complete various hands on activities. They created slime in potions class and a Mandrake character from the series in herbology class. The children also played the Hogwarts game Quidditch and tested their magic abilities by putting spells on a Dementor.

This was the first time the Potomac library has hosted a birthday celebration for the fictional character.

“It’s high interest for the children and it gets the kids to read the [Harry Potter] books, instead of just watching the movies,” said Sarah Anderson, children’s supervisor at the Potomac library.

Children and parents ended Harry’s celebration by singing “Happy Birthday,” and enjoying Harry Potter themed cupcakes and Gillywater, a wizarding beverage from the series.

PHOTOS BY JESSI STICKEL Children and parents ended the Harry Potter celebration by singing “Happy Birthday” to the popular children’s fiction character before enjoying cupcakes and “Gillywater,” a wizarding beverage from the series.

Sisters Isabelle Jackowski, 5, (left) and Emma Jackowski, 8, of La Plata, and William Rempfer, 7, of Marbury played a game of Quidditch with Ping-Pong balls, plastic rings and cups at the Harry Potter birthday celebration at the Potomac library Monday.

“Expecto patronum,” is the Harry Potter spell that Scarlett Deleon, 6, of Waldorf yelled at the evil Dementor with her wand.

The Charles County Public Library Potomac branch covered its children’s wing with Harry Potter themed decorations for the fictional character’s birthday celebration.

Willoe Harris, 6, of Indian Head (right) and Alexa Erslev, 8, visiting from Florida share laughs together while creating a slime potion with glitter.

Sarah Anderson, children’s supervisor, showed children how to enter Hogwarts through the fictional “9 ¾” brick wall during the Harry Potter birthday celebration at the Potomac library Monday.