Hogwarts comes to Concord

Fans of J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter franchise can rejoice this Halloween at Concord University. Courtesy of fellow student Adam Rose, the week of Halloween will hold a series of classes meant to mimic the classes of many students’ favorite fantastical learning institution, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. 

 The classes will take place from October 27 to October 31 from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. For the first four nights, the classes will be held in the seminar room of the Marsh Library. On the final night, the class will meet in Subway Sides. 

“The [classes] I’ll be teaching are Charms and Transfigurations, Defense Against the Dark Arts, and Magical History,” Rose explains.

For obvious logistic reasons, the classes won’t be following the exact format of the classes shown in Rowling’s billion dollar fantasy series. Instead, Rose will be taking a creative approach to simulating the classes. “It’s going to be a good bit of folklore and mythology, a little literature and history, and a good bit of nonsense,” he laughs. “I am putting my own spin on things, and drawing from other sources of mythology, folklore, and fantasy.”

Rose explains that was inspired to undertake the teaching of these classes as a result of his own lifelong love of the fantasy genre, saying, “I have an intense love for fantasy magic, I always have…I’ve read and watched so much that I’ve started developing ideas for my own writings, and one of those things is a school teaching magic, which is obviously something in reality that you can’t do.” 

While the concept of the classes are purely of Rose’s own creation, he is incredibly grateful to his faculty sponsor, Dr. Malkovich, Professor of English, and the Marsh Library staff. “If it hadn’t been for the collaboration of Dr. Malkovich and the library, this wouldn’t be happening,” he says, “the idea was mine, but they’re the ones that helped put it together.” 

Although intended to be a fun way to celebrate Halloween and the widespread love of Harry Potter, the course promises some compensation at the end of the course for students that participate. “You’ll get a certificate saying that you’re certified as a witch or wizard, and there will be food,” Rose says. For all those students who were traumatized at a young age by waking up on their eleventh birthdays with no acceptance letter to Hogwarts, this is their chance to live their childhood dreams. 

Unfortunately, there’s only room for so many witches and wizards on Concord’s campus. “I’ve set the [class] limit to 25, and last I checked, eighteen slots are already full. I expect the other [slots] to be filled very quickly,” Rose explains, but fear not, potential witches and wizards! If this event does as well as it’s projected to do, Concord can look forward to the classes being a recurring event on campus from semester to semester. “I would like to continue doing this! At least one week out of the semester. Maybe even two, but that depends on how much time I have,” he laughs.

Rose emphasizes that these classes are intended purely for entertainment and are in no way affiliated with actual black magic or witchcraft, saying, “This is all in fun, it’s not to be taken too seriously. We’re not talking about actual witchcraft, we’re sticking purely to the fantastical folkloric and mythical side of things. If you’re looking for real witchcraft, I suggest you look elsewhere.” 

It’s unlikely that students will be able to make objects levitate or fly on broomsticks in pursuit of the snitch at the end of the classes, but for anyone that shares Rose’s love of magic and the fantastic, this course promises to be a fun way to celebrate Halloween and pay homage to one of the most beloved book and movie franchises of all time.