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Have you ever wanted to experience a romantic moment at Hogwarts? The movie studio behind the Harry Potter film franchise has decided to host a Valentine’s Day banquet inside the Great Hall of the famous wizarding school.

TIME reports that this event will take place on Feb. 13 and Feb. 14. Guests will be greeted with canapés and a special Love Potion cocktail before moving on to a three-course dinner. Click here to download the dinner menu.

According to the Warner Bros. Studio Tour London website, dinner will be followed by an “exclusive after-hours access to the Studio Tour with the chance to see sets such as the Gryffindor common room, Dumbledore’s office, the Weasley kitchen at The Burrow and the Malfoy Manor dining table, before enjoying a drink on Platform 9 3/4. Following a tankard of Butterbeer in the backlot cafe, you will be able to wander up the wizarding shopping street of Diagon Alley, before arriving at the breathtaking Hogwarts castle model for after-dinner tea, coffee and chocolates. The evening concludes when you return to the Studio Tour lobby to collect your chosen wand.” (via Cosmopolitan)

I went on an epic adventure to Universal Studios where I spent two days exploring the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. If you have already been there, then you know how awesome it is. If not, I’m bringing the adventure to you!

On the first day, I went to Islands of Adventure to visit Hogsmeade and Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. As soon as I walked through the Hogsmeade entrance, I felt like I had walked onto a movie set or a real Harry Potter dream. The ground is made of cobblestone; the buildings are all whimsical and pointy, and store windows have displays that actually move! (If you buy a wand from Ollivanders, you can activate the displays by waving your wand at them.)

In the middle of the crowd of witches, wizards, and Muggles, stood a large wooden cart with a wizard serving butterbeer. Since this is the beverage in the wizarding world, I had to give it a try. It has a surprisingly pleasant taste like butterscotch soda with a dollop of cream on top. Then I took a stroll through Honeydukes and bought my very own Bertie Bott’s Every Flavour Beans (and they do mean every flavor). I accidentally ate a vomit-flavored bean and it didn’t go so well.

After passing Three Broomsticks, I finally came to the massive Hogwarts castle. Although its size is impressive, it is nothing compared to the magical experience inside. The pictures move and talk; the ceiling snows, and you can watch Dumbledore, Harry, Ron, and Hermione talk in some of the corridors. I won’t spill the beans on what the ride is like, but let’s just say it is awesome, scary, and exhilarating. I went on it twice and loved it both times!

On the second day, I went back to Hogsmeade to catch the Hogwarts Express which travels to King’s Cross Station, a.k.a. Platform 9¾. The exterior of the train is just like the movie in all red and black. Inside, there are cabins capable of holding 8-10 people. The ride, although short, is probably the best ride ever! The windows display scenic views of Hogwarts and show real wizards flying by on their broomsticks. Even the doors are animated. You can actually see and hear shadows of Harry and his friends walking by.

As soon as we stepped off the train, it felt like I had crossed the world and landed in London, a.k.a. Platform 9¾. The first place I wanted to go was Diagon Alley, but it was kind of hard to find. I had to really look at the small details of the map to see that Diagon Alley is actually hidden behind walls! You could easily walk past the entrance and not even notice it was there. It is a hidden passage which leads to another secret wall with an unfinished brick passageway just like when Hagrid takes Harry to Diagon Alley for the first time.

Diagon Alley is everything I thought it would be, and more! There is a store for almost everything a wizard or witch needs, including books, robes, owls, Quidditch supplies, wands, and even Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes. The most impressive structure is Gringotts Bank, complete with a dragon perched on top. Inside, there are life-sized goblins that move and even blink as they work behind their desks. To get to the 3-D ride, “Escape from Gringotts,” you travel on moving elevators just like the ones in the Ministry of Magic. I don’t want to reveal all of the details of the ride, but let’s just say water and fire are involved and it is absolutely incredible!

If you want to chat with me and other Harry Potter fans about the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, join the Harry Potter Message Board here. Ask me any questions you want and I’ll try my best to be as detailed as possible. TTYL!

-Sandy, STACKS Staffer

September first marks the “beginning” of many new things for different people, but for the fans and readers of the Harry Potter books series from J.K. Rowlings, September 1st exceptionally special.

You see, 9/1 is the day that all students go back to Hogwarts in Harry Potter’ World. That being said; this last Tuesday was a huge day all across the Internet and Twitter in honor of the #backtohogwarts celebration. There were huge giveaways , J.K. Rowling herself was interacting with Tweeters and I personally had a ball interacting, reading and tweeting all of the wonderful “Harry-related” stuff.

Here are some highlights of our very Harry Potter fulfilled day. First off, Kings Cross Train Station, the real actual one in London England had Hogwarts posted on their train schedule. The platform was wrong but what can we except from muggles?

One of my favorite tweets was from Professor Snape with a word of caution to students. Anyone remember when Ron Weasley missed the Hogwarts Express and took the car instead ? Bet he won’t do that again?

JK Rowling sent her greetings to Harry Potter’s son James Potter, wishing him good luck on his first day at Hogwarts.

A little bit later she heard from one of this year’s newest students that she is near James on the Hogwarts Express. A funny little conversation ensued.

Later on in the day we learned that young James Potter, son of Harry, has now been sorted into Gryffindor. That was a no-brainer. Would this be an appropriate time to get on my knees and BEG for more Harry Potter books, or even James Potter books.

I miss this boy Harry Potter. I am filled with nostalgia at the thought of returning to Hogwarts. My eldest daughter Zaina and Harry are the very same age. Harry Potter is a huge part of my parenting memories as my sweet girl would sit on a lawn chair in the driveway waiting for the FedEx man to come with the NEXT newly-released Harry Potter book. Begging is not a crime, neither is pleading. I know you may have moved on JK Rowling but you must miss the wizarding world just a little. PLEASE……bring us another book.

OK, all begging aside, let me wave my magic wand and share some really incredible info with you.

JK Rowling  has this incredible site called Pottermore.

Pottermore is the official Harry Potter site created by JK Rowling along with Sony. A unique and free-to-use website which builds an exciting online experience around the reading of the Harry Potter books. We enter inside the wizarding world book by book via scenes that we unlock which correlates with the writing.

Also added perks is that JK Rowling herself shares exclusive new writing all the time because she owns this site. Besides being FREE here are a few good reasons to join,…. it’s so incredibly safe for kids, promotes literacy by interacting with her books and it’s the only place you can get the audio versions. Wonderful interactive items inside the books where you can earn badges, collect friends, and items for your trunk.  The most important thing is that everyone is magical and a wizard. It’s amazing. Yep I think it’s time to dive into the Potterverse. So you see I really didn’t need to beg, I was just being dramatic. Head on over to Pottermore and have a ball. You’ll see all the regulars there!

Looking for better guide for successful homeschooling? The Waldorf Homeschool Handbook is a simple step-by-step guide to creating and understanding a Waldorf inspired homeschool plan. Within the pages of this comprehensive homeschooling guide, parents will find information, lesson plans, curriculum, helpful hints, behind the scenes reasons why, rhythm, rituals, helping you fit homeschooling into your life. Discover how to educate your children in a nurturing and creative environment.
The Waldorf Homeschool Handbook is a simple step-by-step guide to creating and understanding a Waldorf inspired homeschool plan. Within the pages of this comprehensive homeschooling guide, parents will find information, lesson plans, curriculum, helpful hints, behind the scenes reasons why, rhythm, rituals, helping you fit homeschooling into your life. Discover The Waldorf Homeschool Handbook: The Simple Step-by-Step guide to creating a Waldorf-inspired homeschool.

The post Weekend Links: Exploring the Potterverse (Harry Potter events and links) appeared first on Jump Into A Book.

by

E.C. Myers

—

A couple of weeks ago, I was thrilled to participate in one of the most exciting and memorable things I’ve ever done: the Launch Pad Astronomy Workshop. Dubbed a “space camp for writers,” it brings together established writers, editors, and creators for an intensive, week-long crash course in astronomy: basically a semester’s worth of Astronomy 101 classes in  seven days. It was breathtaking (literally—it takes place in Laramie, Wyoming, about 7,100 feet above sea level), mind-blowing, and, most of all, inspiring.

It was inspiring not only because of all the story ideas it generated and the opportunity to learn more about our incredible, mysterious universe, but because there’s nothing like meeting and spending time with other writers and creative professionals. The 2014 class included authors, reviewers, editors, and television and film writers: Amy Sterling Casil, Geetanjali Dighe, Doug Farren,Susan Forest, Marc Halsey, Gabrielle Harbowy, Meg Howrey, Ann Leckie, William Ledbetter, Andrew Liptak, Malinda Lo, Sarah McCarry, James L. Sutter, Anne Toole, Todd Vandemark, and Lisa Yee. Our intrepid instructors were Mike Brotherton, Christian Ready, and Andria Schwortz, whose enthusiasm for their field was apparent and contagious.

We were in class almost every day from 10 a.m. until well after 5 p.m., with some lab sessions and outings thrown in. So what sort of things did we learn? Just as an example, our Monday lectures included the Scales of the Universe, Units, the Solar System, Seasons and Lunar Phases, and Misconceptions about Astronomy. By Friday and Saturday we were discussing galaxies, quasars, and cosmology (including dark matter and dark energy). That’s quite the learning curve! Most of us felt like our heads were full by the end, yet we were always eager to hear more.

Yup. That is totally an exoplanet.

I know I must have learned some of this stuff in elementary school (and forgotten most of it), but there have also been so many breakthroughs in astronomy since I was a kid (sorry, Pluto!), I was learning much of this for the first time — and I also had a new appreciation for the topic. Every class was a revelation. What made it even better was having the opportunity to see the science we were learning at work: analyzing the emission spectrum of different elements in the lab, searching for exoplanets at planethunters.org (warning — that site is addictive!), learning how those famous images of space are put together for the public, and visiting the University of Wyoming Infrared Observatory to photograph stars with a giant telescope. It was there, at the top of Jelm Mt., that I experienced the highlight of my week: viewing the Milky Way with the naked eye in a clear night sky. (It also looks very impressive in expensive night vision binoculars.) Returning home and looking up at night was depressing; the city lights blot out all but the brightest stars, and I can imagine that some people go their whole lives without seeing a sight like that.

© 2014 Todd Vandemark

People always ask writers, “Where do you get your ideas?” Look up. Look around you. Ideas are all around us! As a science fiction author who doesn’t have a background in science, all too often I get distracted by fun concepts like time travel and parallel universes and faster-than-light space travel. It’s so easy to forget just how fascinating and exciting actual science is and skimp on it in stories. Why make everything up when we have a whole galaxy to play with, and an even bigger universe full of weird and mind-boggling things?

I’ve always enjoyed doing research for stories, but from now on I’m going to pay more attention to what’s happening in astronomy and physics and the world and universe we live in — and hopefully the things I learn will inspire new stories, instead of the other way around. (Added bonus of the workshop: Now I actually understand those astronomy articles in Scientific American!)

We also stopped by the Geological Museum at the University of Wyoming. I love dinosaurs. Meet Dracorex hogwartsia, “Dragon King of Hogwarts”!

I want to continue learning about astronomy, and work real science into more of my fiction. It’s important to keep “refilling your creative well,” and Launch Pad was a great way to do that. If you’re a science fiction writer, I encourage you to apply to next year’s workshop, and I also encourage you to donate to keep the program going. It’s a wonderful resource that is helping to get more people interested in science, and helping we writers to make our stories as scientifically plausible and accurate as we can.

For other perspectives on this year’s Launch Pad experience, read accounts from my awesome classmates and instructor:

Gabrielle Harbowy
Andrew Liptak
Sarah McCarry
Christian Ready
Jenn Reese

How about you? Would you go to Launch Pad? How do you refill your creative well?

—

E.C. Myers was assembled in the U.S. from Korean and German parts and raised by a single mother and a public library in Yonkers, New York. He is the author of the Andre Norton Award–winning young adult novel FAIR COIN and its sequel, QUANTUM COIN; his next YA novel, THE SILENCE OF SIX, will be published by Adaptive in November 2014. You can find traces of him all over the internet, but especially at his blog, Twitter, Facebook, and Tumblr.

Professor Severus Snape has been crowned the winner of the Harry Potter World Cup. Over at MTV News, 64 characters were pitted against one another to determine who is the greatest Harry Potter character of all time.

MTV News asked Alan Rickman on what he will miss about playing Snape in the films. He replied: “I won’t really miss anything because it’s been such an extraordinarily complete character to play. To go back…I don’t know what the scenario would be. It’s been so much about he appears to be one thing and then you find out a bit more about him as time goes on.”

MTV created a chart to record each round of the competition, including star characters like Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Ron Weasley. After 7.4 million votes were cast, Snape emerged victorious against Weasley in the final round. Do you think the right character came out on top?

continued…

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

For the longest time, I thought that my father was magic.  He really only had one power, but it was impressive: he could turn off the rain with a snap of his finger!  Another snap, and it turned back on!

For some reason, he didn’t use his powers for the greater good, solving droughts and clearing up the weather at my soccer games, he only exercised this amazing power in two second intervals while driving in the rain at night… and going under overpasses…

Wait a second…

As an adult, you have a distinct intellectual advantage, and it is your right, nay, your DUTY to mystify your children/nephews/granddaughters with your brilliance and superpowers.  MJM Books wants to know: how do you put one over on your little ones? If we all share, we can increase our magical powers faster than a whole year of Hogwarts.

Please leave a comment and check out how other parents are fooling their trusting little angels.

My youngest child will be a high school senior this fall. She's thinking ahead to college, so we are touring some local campuses in the next week.

Today we went to the University of Washington, with all its gorgeous Gothic architecture.

The main library especially, has always been a favorite of mine.

Built to represent a 'cathedral of learning'...

Parts of the interior also look like the inside of a cathedral.

Or a castle...

...massive stone archways and curves....

And then there is the graduate-student library!

Hogwarts anyone?

If it wasn't for all the sun-drenched windows and walls, it would feel remarkably like its wizardly counterpart...

All the beautiful, ornate details...

A magical place indeed.