Advanced Potion Making “textbooks” lined the tables, and every pair had cauldron ready to make an exploding elixir potion.

Children of all ages gathered at Morgan Memorial Library to finish off their weeklong Spring Break staycation with a Harry Potter Potions Class, and library staff and kids were both excited to make a mess and make some magic.

Deborah Ward is the elementary services senior librarian at Morgan Memorial, but she is also an avid Harry Potter fan. Not only did she enjoy getting to plan and participate in the festivities, but she also enjoyed teaching the children.

“It’s great getting to show them different science experiments using the fandom to teach them,” Ward said.

The potions textbook they had included six recipes that they got the chance to observe or even do themselves. Most of the ingredients were common household items that most have in their pantries.

Most of the recipes included ogre boogers and dragon drool to make the magic happen, but most parents would use dish soap and rubbing alcohol.

The mood was set the minute kids shuffled into the conference room. Ward was dressed like a witch with a hat and cape. She even wore a Harry Potter T-shirt for the event. The hardest part of the event was deciding on what outfit to wear, Ward said.

Not only did they have a witch teaching them potions, but they had the chance to drink butterbeer, which was cream soda, and taste Bertie Bott’s Every Flavor Beans. Some kids realized that they included flavors like booger, vomit and soap.

Kids had the chance to make wands out of small wooden dowels, and the parents used hot glue guns to make them look more realistic. There was also a station to make a paper plate owl like Hedwig.

Parents were happy to have something to do indoors on the rainy afternoon capping off their children’s spring break.

“We like to come to the library in general. It’s a nice way to meet people, and the kids get to be a bit messy,” said Nicole Izguierdo.

Some of the kids even came dressed up in character. Lilly McIvor, 10, attended the potions class with her cloak and Harry Potter glasses. She even had a necklace the resemble the golden snitch.

“I really love Harry Potter and all of the adventures,” Lilly said. “I took the test on Pottermore and I’m a Hufflepuff, but I really want to be a Gryffindor.”