My how the time flies. We been working on decorations for the party (pictures soon!) - including a Hogwarts sign, Track 9 3/4 (complete with stone wall “entry way”), the entrance to Diagon Alley and much more.
We made a Professor McGonagel hat (complete with feather and tartan trim) in addition to the Dumbledore hat.
Despite what J.K. Rowling says about the fate of dear Professor Dumbledore - there has been a Dumbledore sighting, strangely enough, in the United States. Perhaps he’s taking some down time to explore new places…
Or at least he’s inspiring crafting. I made the Dumbledore hat for the costume. It’s a simple felted “pill box” hat out of gray-green wool, embellished with ribbon and a tassel!
Dips are always a big hit at parties - and I’m sure that we can conjure up some “crafty” recipes. I would note, however, that there is a chance that it will be mercilessly hot the night of our party - so if any dips require “cooler” temperatures - be sure to serve appropriately (in chilled thermal containers, by placing the bowl of dip in a larger bowl of ice or inside).
Polyjuice dip (black olive tapenade)
1 1/2 cups Kalamata or other oil cured olives, pitted
4 garlic cloves
1/4 cup fresh flat leaf parsley leaves
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (or to taste)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Mix olives, garlic, parsley, lemon juice, salt and pepper in a food processor until very finely chopped.
With processor running, drizzle in oil - should result in a pasty spread. I usually like my tapenade a little chunky, but for this batch - it should be as smooth as possible (adding some canned “black olives” will help with the texture)
Berty Botts Vomit dip (creamy salsa dip)
8oz sour cream
8oz mayonnaise
8oz pre-packaged salsa
Mix all ingredients together and let chill for at least an hour (longer is better) - **note, if you find that your salsa is a bit watery, drain it before adding to the mixture.
Nearly Headless Nick’s mold dip (blue cheese onion dip)
16oz sour cream
1 packet dried onion soup mix
6oz (more or less depending on taste and strength of flavor) blue cheese
Mix all ingredients together and let chill overnight - the flavors will be more pronounced the longer it sits.
Serve the above dips with crackers, corn chips, toast points, raw vegetables…
until the release of the fifth Harry Potter movie, Order of the Phoenix - This time (that is, Wednesday morning) in 14 days many will have already seen the film and will be busily critiquing and analyzing.
I have not yet seen whether or not a movie theatre near me will be hosting a midnight showing of OotP on the 11th, but I’m researching it. In the event that there is no “late late” showing, I’ll be in the audience for a matinee that afternoon so we can get straight into the discussing!
***Update - my local theatre does have a midnight showing - midnight, on a week day? I’m going to have to take a nap!***
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Harry Potter movies
Scholastic.com has posted Question #6 (in a series of 7):
Will Voldemort be defeated?
Your choices are: yes, and he will die; yes, but he will live; no way; and, there will be a truce.
I pick “yes, and he will die”. He’s got to go. Any sort of ending without the defeat of ‘you know who’ would be very disappointing - no matter what happens to the other characters - he must be destroyed.
Harry Potter and the Deadly Hallows, Scholastic.com, “You know who”
So, this is the 3rd time we’ve been tagged for the “7 random facts” meme. (is it “mem” or “meem”, btw?) This time by Brick at Encouraging Health.
Since there really aren’t many more “random” things about me, personally, I thought I’d extend the “tag” to one of our favorite subjects, Albus Dumbledore…
So, Professor Dumbledore, here’s the deal… we need 7 random facts about you…
1. The name “Dumbledore” is an old Devonshire word for “bumblebee”
2. My favourite flavour of jam is raspberry
3. My brother, Aberforth, is currently the bartender at the Hog’s Head in Hogsmeade.
4. As, you undoubtedly know from your collection of wizard cards, I, along with Nicholas Flamel, discovered the 12 uses of dragon blood.
5. One of my favorite muggle activities is ten-pin bowling
6. Upon returning to Hogwarts, I was Professor of Transfiguration.
7. Although I am supposed to be dead, Maddy refuses to believe it and therefore awoke me from my nap in my easy chair, and asked me to participate.
I believe I’ll “tag” the following professors/staff:
Severus Snape - because he owes me one;
Cuthbert Binns - as he knows so much history;
Aurora Sinistra - because it’s in the stars;
Septima Vector - because she adores numbers so;
Irma Pince - if she can’t think of anything on her own, she can look it up;
Wilkie Twycross - for reasons that are apparent; and, finally,
Hagrid - because he is so randomly good at random matters.
Thanks Professor Dumbledore (and Wikipedia!)for helping out!
So, much of the news and speculation regarding the events and outcomes of the final Harry Potter book has focused on Harry’s life expectancy.
My personal opinion (hope) is that Harry will survive - I know that keeping Harry alive would open the door for (unauthorized) sequels - but J.K. Rowling has the chance to influence and guide how Harry’s future will pan out.
Harry could, at the conclusion of the book, be depicted as an older man, sitting, perhaps, in Professor Dumbledore’s office, having just finished putting a “memory” in the pensieve.
Many “epic” novelists (I’m specifically thinking of J.R.R. Tolkien) include epilogues at the end of their great tales - a sort of post script for those readers (such as I am) who really suffer over the “but what happens next?” questions.
It’s fun to guess what will happen - of course, we won’t know until July 21st (or as soon as we can read!). It will be interesting to see if people stay “in” to read that weekend.
4 weeks until party time!
mmm, more snack recipes please…
Licorice Wands
As much of a novelty as a treat (although I do love licorice)
1 bag of licorice sticks (black and/or red)
1 bag of white melting chocolates - you can get these at the craft store
bamboo skewers
sprinkles (optional)
styrofoam/oasis/some sort of base
1. Skewer each licorice stick with bamboo skewer
2. Melt chocolate according to package directions
3. Brush (or dip, roll, etc) chocolate onto one end (non-skewered) of licorice (this will be the handle)
4. cover with sprinkles (optional)
5. place skewer into styrofoam base to dry
6. allow to set in cool (even the freezer) place
7. to serve, either remove skewers and serve in glass or decorate styrofoam and serve right from there!
You’ve most likely heard that an internet hacker is claiming to have hacked into Bloomsbury’s computer system and the Harry Potter manuscript. There have been no confirmations of this and, so far, no leaks.
We here at the Herald are vehemently opposed to any spoilers, leaks, ill gotten pieces of information and we will not post anything regarding the (actual) plot(s) of the final book until it is available to the public (after July 21st, all bets are off and we plan to post often).
We are, however, very much in favor of speculation, opinions, gleanings and the like. We have hopes and theories regarding what will happen in the final chapter of Harry’s literary life - and we can’t wait to read about it - but not until July!
mmm, more snack recipes for the party - inspired by the treats served by Molly Weasley at the Burrows…
Dark Chocolate Fudge
3 C semisweet chocolate chips
1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
1/4 t salt
1 C chopped walnuts
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
In over low heat, mix chips with sweetened condensed milk and salt until chocolate is melted. Remove from heat; stir in walnuts and vanilla. Spread evenly into non-stick aluminum foil lined 8 or 9 inch square pan. Chill until firm (about 2 hours). Flip fudge out of pan and onto a cutting board; peel off foil and cut into squares.
Nut Brittle Block
Recipe from Martha Stewart Holiday Handmade Gifts, December 2006.
Makes one 9-by-13-inch pan
Unsalted butter, softened, for baking sheet
Vegetable oil, for spatula
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
Pinch of salt
2 1/2 cups unsalted nuts, such as dry-roasted peanuts, cashews, hazelnuts, almonds or pecans, or toasted pumpkin seeds
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking soda
1. Brush a 9-by-13-inch rimmed baking sheet with butter, and oil an offset spatula; set aside. Put sugar, corn syrup, and salt in a medium saucepan with 1/4 cup cold water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar has dissolved. Wash down sides of the pan with a wet pastry brush to prevent crystals from forming. Cook, swirling the pan occasionally, until the mixture registers 238° on a candy thermometer (soft-ball stage). Stir in nuts, and continue to cook, stirring often so that the nuts do not burn, until the mixture is medium amber in color, 10 to 15 minutes.
2. Carefully stir in vanilla and baking soda (the mixture will foam up).
3. Pour onto prepared baking sheet, and using oiled offset spatula, quickly spread into a 1/2-inch-thick layer. Let cool completely.
4. Break brittle into pieces if desired; store in an airtight container at room temperature.
this time by Cloudy at Clear as Mud.
Hmmmm, now, we’ve already answered the questions once, I guess it can’t hurt to have another go…
7 random facts about moi?
1. My favorite (permanent) Hogwarts professor is Minerva McGonagle
2. I was about half way through Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets when I conceded that J.K. Rowling was a genius and that all the hype was well deserved.
3. My favorite character, apart from Harry, of course, is Hagrid.
4. My favorite Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher is/was Professor Lupin
5. I was, for quite some time, completely addicted to the Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets computer game.
6. The magical place I would most like to visit is Diagon Alley
7. If the house team really needed me to play quidditch, so that they could compete for the House Cup, the position I would be best suited for would be beater.
So there you have it -
now to tag or not to tag? I’m going to go with not - This madness must stop!
Question 5 (of 7) on Scholastic.com’s Shrieking Shack is…
Where are the Horcruxes?
The choices listed are:
Diagon Alley
Hogsmeade
Hogwarts
Only with the Death Eaters
Godric’s Hollows
Ministry of Magic
Azkaban
St. Mungo’s
Among Muggles
Elsewhere
Any of the choices above, or Elsewhere?
I think that the theory(ies) that they may be at Hogwarts or among Muggles are the most intriguing. The “right under your nose” idea (whether that nose be wizard or muggle).
One problem with anything being “among Muggles” is that we are such a disposable society - we’ve probably thrown away or torn down (or at least renovated) anything that might have been used.
What’s going to happen? How will it all end? We’ll just have to wait and read!
Scholastic.com, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Horcruxes
- 
I knitted, as a sort of prototype, a Hufflepuff scarf and I’m currently working on a Gryffindor scarf. It’s a pretty simple pattern - but it’s a long scarf - so I recommend knitting while re-watching some past Harry Potter films or listening to some peppy music.
Our party is just 5 weeks away. We’ve sent out invitations and were knee-deep in planning.
I’m still brainstorming on activities -
we’ve already decided to make bookmarks, and have a “door prize guessing game” - I’ve decided to fill one jar with gumballs (a smaller number) for a kid’s size house scarf and a larger jar with (un-inflated) balloons for an adult size house scarf - whoever guesses the number of items in the jar (or gets the closest) wins!
I’ve made a “suggestion box” and slips of paper with different “plot” questions (similar to the Scholastic questions) for guests to speculate how things will unfold in book 7.
If we need a “filler game” - a rousing game of charades is always fun - even more so with a Potter theme!
Now, let’s review our menu so far…
Beverages:
tea, I think would be nice.
butter beer sodas
Snacks/food:
cornish pasties
sandwiches
Treats:
Chocolate covered pretzel “wands”
raspberry trifle
So, I’m thinking that we need to plan more food! Look for more recipes next week!
So, as you may have read, I’ve been experimenting with a recipe for a summertime butter beer.
I think I’ve got it - butter beer sodas.
What you need:
1 pint vanilla ice cream
1 container butterscotch ice cream topping (or, if you’re game, make it from scratch)
1 bottle butterscotch italian soda syrup (pretty much the same stuff they put in the fancy coffees)
1 liter soda water
Do ahead…
Allow ice cream to soften to room temperature (about 30 minutes).
Once melted, transfer ice cream to a medium sized bowl.
Fold in 3/4 cup of topping. The more “air” you can get into the mixture the better (more fizz later). Be sure to throughly combine (topping will tend to sink, and stick to, the bottom of the bowl).
Return ice cream to container (it make not all fit; if so, put in a clean plastic container) - and freeze until set.
Ready to serve:
place a small scoop of ice cream mixture into a chilled beer mug (or a glass) - drizzle syrup on top of ice cream (check specific directions for portions - and adjust to taste).
top with soda and serve!
Hogwarts Herald is here to document the press surrounding all things Harry Potter.
Hogwarts Herald Author(s)
» Cindy-Crouch
