Harry Potter Party

To end my Harry Potter Month, I threw a Halloween Harry Potter Party. In the books, it always talks about how the Great Hall has live bats fluttering around the floating candles and huge pumpkins for the Halloween feast decorations. I wanted to sort of do that, but of course I am not a witch and could not actually procure live bats. Instead, this is what I did:

My friend, Becky, had made a ton of felt bats and a felt garland for Halloween and she let me borrow them to decorate. We just used Christmas lights for the floating candles and they worked.

We had quite a few people come to out party! Everyone came dressed up and everyone had great costumes. 

Eli (a snitch) and Elanor (Free Dobby) eating at the kid's table.

Tyler was Neville (or just a Gryffindor), Elanor was Dobby after he was freed (i.e. the crazy get-up) and I was Luna.

A pretty blurry picture, but this is our "in character" picture. Tyler looks hilarious and I don't know why I did that face, it is not really Luna.

Elanor as Dobby, once he has been freed and works at Hogwarts (mismatching socks, kids soccer shorts, a Weasley sweater, a large tie (is supposed to have horse shoes on the tie), and a tea cozy for a hat (we just used a hat).
Blurry, again--but I don't like using the flash so my indoor pictures always look blurry...

Malachi (as Harry), Mikaela (as Bellatrix) and Elanor.
I wish I would have taken more pictures of everyone, but I was rather busy playing hostess and did not take many pictures...

I also did not take hardly any pictures of the food! I am so sad, especially since the butterbeer looked so wonderful in the mason jar glasses.  I only got this picture of the Chocolate-Bottom Pumpkin Tart:

 We had meat and potato individual pies (same recipe as here), Mrs. Weasley's Creamy Onion Soup (made by my friend, Casey), Butterbeer (made by my friend, Becky), Pumpkin Juice and of course, the tart. Everything, except the butterbeer, was made from my Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook.

Also, during the party some people (i.e. Becky and her little brother) took the Pottermore sorting hat quiz at someone's insistence (i.e. mine). They were both sorted into Ravenclaw. I have taken the test three or four times and I have been sorted into Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Gryffindor. I have always answered the questions truthfully, but you do get different questions most of the time. I feel like I am either a Ravenclaw or a Gryffindor, but I do not feel like one house is perfect for me. Most people get sorted and feel complete, as if they could not imagine being in any other house. If the real sorting hat was going to placed on my head I wonder where it would put me..... Have you taken the Pottermore test? If not, you should!!! I am very curious to see where people get sorted. In my own family, my mom and brother, Ian, are Hufflepuffs, my sister, Jessica, brother, Erik, and Tyler are Gryffindors and my dad is a Ravenclaw. I love Harry Potter, obviously.

Did anyone (besides myself) enjoy doing the Harry Potter Month thing (recipes, etc.)? Oh, and an update.....on reading.... I did not finish all the books. I am very embarrassed to announce this. I am half-way done with the 5th book. I know I could have done it, but I honestly did not read that often. I was busy taking care of Elanor during the day (sometimes I read during naps, but I often had many other things to do) and only read right before bed (I wanted to spend time with Tyler!). So, I did not read as much as I should have, but I suspect I will finish midway through this month. Oh, well.... I'm embarrassed.