Harry and Hermione

As EVERYONE knows, the final film in the Harry Potter series was released Friday.

(At VBS on Friday morning, there were quite a few sleepy, dejected youth workers. Sleepy because they'd stayed out late for the midnight showing of part two of the seventh movie. Dejected because it's all over. Serious HP depression was settling in.)

Cooper will be going with a friend or our awesome sitter Haley sometime soon. Katie and I can't see it yet because we've only made it through the third book, and the rule, long ago established by Steve, is that you don't see the movie until you've read the book.

Katie is begging to start the fourth book, but the content is too dark for her still. And there are so many other wonderful books to read. (The three of us are loving Anne of Green Gables right now.)

As soon as I read about a Harry Potter party at our local Barnes & Noble, I knew we had to go. Even if we can't all see the movie right now, we can certainly take part in the hype.

Cooper dressed as Harry, of course. He reluctantly retired his Gryffindor robe for public wearing. He's been wearing it since he was 4. The once-long sleeves are now elbow length. He can still wear the scarf, though.

Steve and Cooper as Harry, October 2005

Harry, Hedwig and Katie

Katie was thrilled to take the robe for her costume. The robe plus her fuzzy hair really made her look like a young Hermione.

We gathered Hedwig (our snowy white owl puppet) and a wooden flute (to act as a wand) and headed to the mall.

Both children took a quiz to help the "headmistress" (the store's community relations director) and the sorting hat place them in a house.

Both were placed in Gryffindor.

We answered trivia questions, went on a scavenger hunt throughout the store, made golden snitches and drank some butterbeer in the upstairs cafe.

It was a magical day for us Muggles.

Cooper waits for the Sorting Hat's answer.

Katie was seriously nervous about the Sorting Hat's decision.

She was thrilled to learn that she, too, would be placed in Gryffindor.

The golden snitch: foam ball coated in spray glue, covered in gold glitter and embellished with pipe cleaners 

We left a trail of glitter as we left the mall, where the snitches were unceremoniously tossed in the garbage. I don't need gold glitter decorating the van or the house. 

The cafe served butterbeer for the occasion. (I even came home with the recipe.) (Also, this is such a Steve face that Coop is making.)

Main ingredients: cream soda, caramel syrup, toffee nut syrup and whipped cream

Cheers!