Last week, Trinity Literary Society (Lit Soc) transformed the Graduates Memorial Building (GMB) into Hogwarts for an evening of magic, mystery and memories. Following an orchestrated “hack”, in which the Lit Soc posted cryptic messages relating to Hogwarts on TCDSU and college society social media pages, it was revealed that Hogwarts would allow muggles to visit the school for one night only and, unsurprisingly, the tickets sold out within hours.
Upon purchasing a ticket, the buyer was presented with a brown envelope containing said ticket, a badge indicating their Hogwarts house for the night, a letter of invitation explaining the scheme that was designed to integrate muggles into the magical world and an information sheet about the character you would be playing for the night. The information sheet allowed participants to come up with their own pseudonyms and included some personality traits or quirks. These ranged from a Quidditch aficionado, Luna Lovegood’s daughter, someone who specializes in giving unusual compliments and a student completing her dissertation about why Rita Skeeter was a feminist icon.
The GMB, with its high ceilings and winding staircase, played the part of Hogwarts perfectly, with banners representing the four houses draped from the banisters and sashes of the same colours wrapped around the handrails. The dress code was “school uniform” and the vast majority of attendees enthusiastically obliged, with many going to extraordinary lengths to emulate their characters with robes, wands and house scarves.
The evening began as the houses were filed in one by one, sitting in anticipation, no-one quite sure what to expect. Without warning, Dumbledore appeared on the overlooking balcony in his dressing gown, claiming he was “just out of the sauna”. His magnificent and convincing performance truly opened the night, transporting students into the world of the beloved Harry Potter books.
The sheer quantity of magic in the GMB left no room for cynicism. This was a night which allowed students to fully embrace the chance to fulfil their childhood dreams of attending Hogwarts, and the Lit Soc went to extraordinary lengths to ensure that the experience did not disappoint. From the generous feast in the Great Hall to the Bertie Botts Every Flavoured Beans and Chocolate Frogs available in the house common rooms, there was great attention to detail, and the enthusiasm of the organisers was contagious. Consequently, it wasn’t long before everyone was wholeheartedly invested in playing their part, right down to the quirks and subtleties on the information sheets. Students moved from class to class with their respective houses, enjoying the chance to make a sample of “Happy Draught” in potions class. Prof McGonagall and Dumbledore roamed around during classes, hinting at undertones of dark magic present in the school.
The mystery continued during a palm reading in divination class, during which a stand-off between teacher and student resulted in the dramatic exit of the student. The following duelling class lent its time to spells and wand decorating, but finished with the dramatic death of the duelling professor.
The tension reached its peak in the final part of the night, when all the houses were brought back together and it was revealed that Death Eaters had infiltrated Hogwarts, with each house trying to determine whom from within their own group to condemn for the betrayal. A dramatic battle ensued, but concluded successfully with all the dark wizards having been overthrown.
Amidst the stress and pressure of assignments and exams and everything else that comes with college life, it can be all too easy to get caught up in the constant loop of deadlines and exhaustion. Lit Soc’s “A Night at Hogwarts” allowed everyone to get away from mundane, muggle tribulations and to embrace their inner child for a few hours without fear of judgment, retribution or consequence. Lit Soc planned and executed the night in a way that payed respect not only to the books, but also to all the students who had grown up as devoted fans. The night would not have been such a success without the participation and enthusiasm of all those who attended. In putting on this event, Lit Soc placed their faith in the students to take part – a gamble that most certainly paid off. It was impossible to leave the event without the words from Dumbledore’s opening speech ringing in your ears: “There’s a little bit of magic inside everyone in the world.”
