By Adway S. Wadekar, Contributing Writer
Westborough – July 31 marks J.K. Rowling’s birthday. The date also marks the birthday of her world-famous and beloved fictional character, Harry Potter. To celebrate this popular character, the Westborough Public Library threw a birthday party for Harry, complete with games, scavenger hunts, challenges, activities, and food. Harry Potter series enthusiasts, mostly of middle-school and high-school age, arrived at the Westborough Public Library meeting room, and experienced a plethora of fun.
As they arrived, the participants were placed into four groups – Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin, representing the four houses at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The participants then socialized and enjoyed different activities, including “potion making,” creating mixtures of different soda products, as well as “transfiguration class,” to make custom buttons. They also sampled the Westborough Public Library’s version of Butterbeer, a staple beverage in the Harry Potter series.
As the mix-and-mingle component of the event drew to a close, the participants tested their skills at trivia. As the points were tallied, the young adults were sent out on a scavenger hunt to find eggs with little slips of paper, containing names of magical creatures. After the scavenger hunt, the party-goers enjoyed birthday cake and ice cream.
Ravenclaw won the final part of the challenge which entailed six riddles, and became the overall winners. Each member of the Ravenclaw house was sent home with a king-size Hershey’s chocolate bar.
