Wizards and Muggles

Are you a Gryffindor? A Hufflepuff? Or perhaps even a Slytherin?
Curious muggles wishing to find out which Hogwarts House they belong to can try on the Sorting Hat for themselves.

If you have no idea what a muggle, Gryffindor or Sorting Hat is, you are one of the few people in the world who has not read the Harry Potter book series by J.K. Rowling or seen one of the six movies based on her books. Curious to discover this magical world of wizards? Check out the exclusive Canadian viewing of Harry Potter: The Exhibition being held at Toronto’s Ontario Science Centre until August 22.

Nine unique settings, and over 400 authentic Harry Potter artifacts create an amazing journey from reality to fantasy.

“The fans will be thrilled with it,” says actor James Phelps, 24. James and his twin brother, Oliver, play the mischievous Weasley twins (Fred and George respectively) in the Harry Potter films.
Both attended the opening of the exhibit in Toronto.

“The good thing about this exhibit,” says James, “is that you can walk through the whole thing and see different things from the different films. It’s just not the clothing and wands and props. They’ve got the entire settings here.”

Oliver agrees the exhibit will be appreciated by fans. “It’s fantastic to walk through the whole thing and see stuff from the whole film series,” he says. “ I think because we are so close to it (the movie filming process) we don’t really notice the size of it. But it’s fantastic to able to show it to the entire world.”

James says fans will love “all the special details” put into the exhibition. “They’ll love it. The detail on wands, the golden snitch and Harry’s wand and such is amazing. The fans will appreciate what we take for granted. One of my favourite rooms is the Forbidden Forest.”

“I’d love to be able to keep a few props (after filming of the remaining Harry Potter films is complete),” says Oliver. “But whether they’ll let us or not? I don’t think we’ll be allowed to.”

Wanting to keep certain Harry Potter artifacts is a temptation not only for the actors, but for Ontario Science Centre’s CEO, Lesley Lewis.

“I would probably choose the whole Quidditch area,” she says. “It’s interactive, it’s colourful and it is really invocative of the film and book. Although, I would probably try to add Harry’s wand to my collection as well.”

Lewis says it is hard to pick her favourite part of the exhibit.
“It depends what room I am in. I think Hagrid’s hut is wonderful. It’s a fabulous, immersive experience. And the Quidditch area- I love it. It’s got the videos running of the quidditch games (from the Harry Potter films). There are some magnificent , colourful costumes, and it’s interactive as well; you can toss a quaffle!”

Lewis says the production team did “an amazing job in developing this exhibition and we are so excited to have it here. It brings the Harry Potter we are familiar with from films and books to life.”

It took over three years to plan the exhibition, but Eddie Newquist of Global Experience Specialists, Inc (GES) says putting it together was “absolutely like a party”

Newquist, the chief creative officer, says “We had such support from the film makers. It can be laborious at times, but for the most part it’s very, very fun and we love it.”

He says one of his favourite artefacts is a birdlike creature named Buckbeak. “I love the fact that he’s the hippogriff Harry rides. And all of the feathers are put in by hand on Buckbeak. So if you look at it very close there’s tens of thousands of feathers.”

Although he has favourites, Newquist says he wouldn’t keep any of the artifacts, even if he was allowed to.
“I come from a film background and because I am very passionate about collections, I wouldn’t keep any of them,” he says. “I would want to know that the collection is safe somewhere where I could always visit it. I think studios or museums keeping a collection together is far more important than individuals taking elements out.”

When visitors enter Harry Potter: the Exhibit they immediately cross into a world of fantasy.
There are nine distinct scenes to wander through; each one featuring authentic costumes, movie props and facts. A Gryffindor common room is guarded by a painting of the Fat Lady. Classrooms allow an inside glimpse to the world of potions, and in herbology screaming mandrakes are ready to be pulled from their pots by visitors. A Quiddich area showcases the Golden Snitch, brooms and guests can even toss a quaffle through the goalpost. Venturing into Hagrid’s Hut you can watch a hatching dragon egg and even sit in the half-giant’s chair.

The mood shifts to a level of spookiness as you enter the Forbidden Forest and encounter creatures such as giant spiders, centaurs and dragons. The feeling of darkness continues when you come face to face with dementors, death eaters and the costumes of Lord Voldemort.

The last room in the exhibit is the Great Hall which is lit with floating candles. Ice sculptures, Dumbeldore’s phoenix and props from the Yule Ball are located here.

For more information about Harry Potter: The Exhibit go to www.ontariosciencecentre.ca or call 416-696-1000.

TEN AUTHENTIC HARRY POTTER ARTIFACTS NOT TO MISS:
Harry Potter’s wand, glasses and Nimbus 2000 broom
The Golden Snitch and Quidditch area
Buckbeak the Hippogriff
The Sorcerer’s Stone
Giant Pawn Chess Piece
Dumbledore’s wand and robes
Dementor & Death Eater robes and masks
Dobby the house elf
Fawkes, Dumbledore’s phoenix
Lord Voldemort’s wand and robes

WHAT IS A MUGGLE?For the few people out there who haven’t a clue what a muggle (or anything else in the Harry Potter world is) here are some basic facts!
A muggle is the word wizards used to describe non-magic people
Harry Potter discovered he was a wizard on his 11th birthday and enters Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
Harry’s best friends are Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger and his mortal enemy is Lord Voldemort
Quidditch is a popular wizarding sports. Players fly on broomsticks and try to catch a golden snitch.
A sorting hat is placed on students heads when they arrive at Hogwarts to determine which house they belong to: Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, or Slytherin
The Harry Potter films is the largest-grossing film franchise in history
There are six Harry Potter films currently; the seventh will be released in 2010 and the final in 2011.

The Welland Tribune-April 23,2010