To mark this grand occasion, I've cast a spell over my restaurant, The Garlic Tree. The scores of familiar faces who are regular visitors to my place have risen to the challenge and have done a great job of getting themselves into character. So let's start at King's Cross, where there's plenty of hustle and bustle at Platform Nine and Three Quarters.
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| Platform Nine and Three Quarters at The Garlic Tree |
All aboard! The Train Conductor has never been quite so at home! He's blowing his whistle with gusto as the clock ticks down to the departure of the Hogwarts Express. The Locomotive has Red Hot Rods attached - these may not look capable of holding a school-full of eager students but with a well executed undetectable extension charm there will be no trouble packing everyone in.
There are only a few stragglers left on the platform. The Rose Seller is playing the role of none other than Ginny Weasley, and is giving her parents (the Lake Fisher and Playful Parasol) one last goodbye before boarding the train. The Weasleys never had any family pets, but I think they should have, so the Lake Dog and Frisbee Dog are more than welcome to join in.
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Invite the Storm8 ID 'lorettasapron' and visit the wall
There's another dog also present, with the Perro hiding behind the Pirate Equipment in the corner. Hmm. A dog with a hat and a moustache? That seems awfully suspicious to me - anyone seen Sirius?
Meanwhile a grumpy kid (played superbly by the Jock) is bemoaning to his parents (Hanbok Phoebe and the Cowboy Greeter) the fact that he is not yet old enough to attend Hogwarts. The Referee Waitress and Snow Suit are old enough, and are making their way to the train which now has thick smoke billowing from its funnel.
The chime of 11 o'clock sounds and the Hogwarts Express is off on the long journey through the British countryside to the wizarding village of Hogsmeade. But where are the golden trio? I suggest taking a look up...
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| Three themed sections at The Garlic Tree |
The section in the bottom left corner above reveals at least part of the answer - Harry and Ron have missed the train! They couldn't get on to the platform, and so have made the dangerous decision to take Arthur Weasley's car for a spin. In the books it's a Ford Anglia, but for some extra panache we're using the Parade Car here. With Harry's Snowy Owl Hedwig in tow, the car has taken to the skies, and is soaring between the Cloud Loveseats.
But we've still not located Hermione! Checking a classroom seems a fairly good bet, and so we head for the potions classroom. There we have the Witch's Kitchen, where potion ingredients are prepared with precision. There's all manner of weird and wonderful concoctions here, but there's no sign of Hermione. We could ask the teacher if he's seen her, particularly given that Professor Snape is absent - the Mad Scientist is one of those substitutes that is a proper bundle of fun, and he's demonstrating a brew at the Wicked Spell Station.
Right, let's take a break - I'm going to nip to the loo. Hermione! There she is, in the first floor girls' lavatory! At a glance you may think that Detective Phoebe has done a poor job of getting into character, but think again. Hermione is at her investigative best here, and is armed with a magnifying glass to comb the bathroom for clues. But wait, there's a Basilisk emerging from one of the Spaceage Chair toilets! Looking the Loch Ness Decor in the eye will result in instant death, so Hermione has brought along the magnifying glass to ensure that if she does it's only indirect contact.
After that tense moment in the bathroom, let's relax and unwind a little with a game of Wizard Chess.
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| Wizard Chess game at The Garlic Tree |
Normally the Lounge Lizard and Pool Shark are shooting pool in this area of my diner, but today they're going head-to-head at a different game. Wizard Chess is barbaric since it involves the pieces literally destroying one another. Unfortunately the shark didn't get the memo, and has lined up with a random assortment of objects that he stumbled across whilst in the Room of Requirement. Luckily the lizard did, and so he has strong pieces such as the Desert Hound and Pirate Pand-Arr at his disposal.
Protecting the Lady Liberty is the lizard's main objective, and when the Ice Penguin goes up against the likes of a Watering Can and Round Plant I suspect there is only one possible outcome. The Lady can rest easy!
For fielding such an inept team in that chess game, the Pool Shark has earned himself a detention in the Forbidden Forest...
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| Forbidden Forest at The Garlic Tree |
The Forest is dark and dangerous, especially if you leave the path. Fortunately the restaurant customer's have the Sliced Wood Floor to guide them, and hopefully avoid any spooks hiding among the Fallen Trees. Indeed where the trees are thick you could run into trouble. Trick or Treat Ghosts have been seen in these parts, while the Dark Lord himself has skulked the Forest in the past (he looked like the Grim Reaper when sighted previously).
Meanwhile I draw your attention to the Moon Clock which is hanging in the sky above The Woods. It's a full moon, and I've not seen Professor Lupin all day. Constant vigilance! And what about the Fall Owl perched in the tree? It looks genuinely disturbed by something towards the corner of the Forest. Through the dark, several pairs of red eyes stare back unblinkingly. The Spider Tables are hungry, and with no sign of Aragog to keep a rein on them, I suggest we leg it!
After that close encounter, there's nowhere better to be than the warm and grandeur of the Great Hall.
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| Great Hall at The Garlic Tree |
The four House tables fill most of this enormous room, with Fur Chairs set and a great feast about to begin. The House Elves have put together a delicious three course meal, so sit down and stuff yourself silly! The Fancy Waiter and Fancy Waitress are living the dream in working within this iconic room, and the Treat Trolley is sure to be popular ('anything off the trolley dears!')
Don't eat too much though, otherwise you won't be as receptive when you visit Professor Trelawney, the Psychic Reader. The crystal ball seems to be her choice of instrument today, but don't take her prophecies to heart - she's known for her arm waving and non-committal exclamations as much as her Seer abilities.
Before you head up to your house common room, there's a throat being cleared up at the the staff table. Dumbledore is a busy man, and couldn't be persuaded to take time out of his schedule to appear at The Garlic Tree, so none other than Action Chef Lee has taken his place. He's probably making a rousing speech about the latest flavour of Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Bean, but I'm not listening. Instead I'm looking across at My Fair Gran-Gran and the Vampire Waiter. The former is excelling in her role as McGonagall and the latter has provided us with an exclusive revelation - Snape is a vampire! We might be advised to hotfoot it back to the Forest!
Originally I had only planned to decorate my large themed section with Platform Nine and Three Quarters to commemorate Epilogue Day. But whilst flicking through the market I became inspired to have a stab at spreading the magic a little further. I'm really pleased with the outcome, even if there are one or two elements which are very much open to interpretation.
But that's part of the fun. It's been thrilling to have so many nice comments in-game from neighbours and community members alike, but even more fun to hear the various interpretations of different areas of the restaurant. Fandoms come and go, but Harry Potter remains as mighty as ever. We recently passed the 10 year anniversary of the final volume's release and yet JK Rowling's wizarding world continues to have such a spellbinding influence. Here's to Harry, Ron, Hermione and all the rest!
I love this! My favourite is the great hall!
ReplyDeleteThanks! :)
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