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Polish event brings 'Harry Potter' castle Hogwarts to life

'Harry Potter' fans came together at a castle in Poland to act out the world of J.K. Rowling's books.  More events are planned for April.

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Scott Audette/Reuters
Smoke filters through Hogwarts Castle during the grand opening celebration for The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at the Universal Studio Resort in Orlando, Florida.
  • By Molly Driscoll Staff Writer

For some “Harry Potter” fans, watching the movies, reading the books, and visiting the theme park isn’t enough. They want to BE Harry Potter – to find out what it's like to be a student at the magical school Hogwarts and truly live the life of a wizard or witch.

If you are one of those fans, The College of Wizardry is here for you.

The event is a LARP (live-action roleplaying game) in which “Potter” fans can travel to a castle in Poland and pretend to be professors, students, and other characters at the imaginary Czocha College of Witchcraft and Wizardry. According to the event’s website, it’s put together by volunteers from Denmark and Poland.

“It is a collaborative experience in the Nordic larp tradition, and is created by the players and organisers together, with everyone pitching in and helping make the magic come alive,” the website reads. “It's essentially the same as when kids use curtains as robes and sticks as wands and run around pretending to be witches and wizards – except we're grownups with nicer costumes and a lot of experience in designing interactive experiences for each other." 

The first session happened last month and brought almost 200 players from 11 different countries. Two more events are planned for this April. (Cost to attend is $345, according to Entertainment Weekly.)

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