Dressed in capes, ties, scarves and hats from their favorite house, people of all ages from all over the area arrived at Barnes & Noble Booksellers in Warwick on Friday night for the “Magical Ball,” a Harry Potter-themed event inspired by “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.”

Gryffindor and Slytherin, two houses at the boarding school Hogwarts, were well represented, and some guests carried wands in hopes of casting a spell or two. While no one wore a dusty old dress robe like Ron Weasley, many guests, and even a few store employees, wore holiday garb. Alongside muggles in plain clothes, they played games and enjoyed original music by Vladimir Snape (a cosplay character created by V. Nigel Taylor) and his band, Errandofmercy. 

During a break after “My Love Remains,” the raven haired Professor Severus Snape look-a-like offered a bit of trivia: “It’s very difficult playing Robes when you have a thousand buttons on each sleeve,” which elicited laughter from kids and adults who gathered at the back of the store.  Uncharacteristically patient and pleasant (for Severus Snape was neither), Vladimir Snape chatted with fans and posed for selfies with guests. 

A crowd gathered at wandmaster Carol Oster’s table to ask questions about the beautiful wood she used to craft wands.  One of the visitors dressed up like Professor Mcgonagall, who kept her voice in character as she engaged in conversation. 

Employees of Barnes & Noble hid a snitch, a ball used in the wizard sport of Quidditch, and the guest who located it received a Barnes & Noble gift card. Partygoers also enjoyed games like Harry Potter Pictionary and “Who Said That?” trivia; a tabletop game of Quidditch; and a craft table, where young Harry Potter fans made ornaments and owl masks.