I confess that when Harry Potter was first published I was one of these people who refused to get on board. I was 15 years old and nothing was cool. Sure, I saw the movies - who didn't. Fast forward to 2012, aged 30. I decided that enough time had passed and I should probably read the books. When I say read I mean listen to them on audio book (thank you Stephen Fry). OK I concede the books are amazing. Well done JK, have all the money.

My enthusiasm had been slowly simmering until it reached fever pitch last year. The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studio Japan - ahhh yes please, and thank you. You can also have all the money. Melbourne Symphony Orchestra playing the Philosophers Stone In Concert, I'm taking this shit high-brow. Have all the money too.

Cruising through an industrial estate at Mornington - be still my heart is that Hogwarts on that building?! W. T. F. How long has this been here? and why are they closed right now? What I had stumbled upon was a magical place called The Little Shop of Horrors Costumery.

I found out that night, after some serious FB stalking (OMG their banner video), that they offer Hogwarts themed classes in their ROOM OF REQUIREMENT (all caps to emphasise screaming joy). I made it my mission to get to a class. I may have been more than three times the age of the other attendees and I didn't care - and neither did those sisters of mirth, Louise and Alicia, who run this magical wonderland. What I experienced in that class was pure joy.

I resolved that my impending 36th birthday would be Harry Potter themed and I booked in for eight 'mature aged' students for a private Charms Class (don't judge me).

Charms Class is described on their website as follows:

... in our Wand Making Classes students will have the opportunity to create their very own magical wand that is capable of producing even the most advanced spells. With an enormous variety of enchanted objects such as Dragon Heart String, Fragments of Philosopher's Stone, Pearls from the Bottom of the Black Lake or Phoenix Feathers, students will twist and glue and paint their own magical and one of a kind wand to their hearts desire. Then guided by our Professor (as to avoid exploding or vanishing), students will put their wand to good use and learn to produce their first spell! And of course the wand is then theirs to keep close by at all times in case of an outbreak of Dementors or Werewolves.

Who wouldn't want to do this class?! How did they even source a Phoenix Feather? These ladies have some mad connections in Diagon Alley or perhaps Knockturn Alley...! The booking had been made and I could feel the golden hue of Priori Incantatem emitting from my credit card. But I wanted to level this up even further.

As we all know the most reputable wands are sourced from Ollivanders. So every student would need a special Ollivanders wand box (tutorial to come). Each party attendee had to confirm what their wand was using pottermore.com and I created a personalised 'spec' label for each box. To ensure each guest received the right box I created little 'I choose...' labels (because we all know the wand chooses the wizard ammiright!)

But, back to the class.

After some special magic the Room of Requirement revealed itself to us so that we could begin our class. Along with our Hogwarts Professor, into the room piled Queenie Goldstein, Ollivander, Bellatrix Lestrange, Fred and George Weasley, Lune Lovegood, Fleur Delacour and of course, the Prince of Potions himself, Harry Potter. Our Hufflepuff Professor gave an in-depth and knowledgeable explanation of all the magical properties that were contained within a wand, including the wands core, the choice of wood, the colours and other magical elements. The desire was for each student to craft an appropriately balanced wand for them to perform their charms, hexes and curses (though hopefully not the unforgivable kind). Safety guidelines provided and we were away.

A couple of Ravenclaws got hold of the hot glue guns and what ensued was an exercise in precision and determination to see a vision come true. For others it was a literal hot mess. Our group was comprised of people with varying creative abilities - from avid crafters to people who hadn't attempted anything creative since leaving high school over a decade prior. Fortunately our Professor was able to supply a number of demo wands as visual aides to help the creatively challenged amongst us.

As a bonus we ate Bertie Botts Every-Flavour Beans. The term 'bonus' is actually misleading. Much like Dumbledore I was unfortunate enough to come across a vomit-flavoured bean, and since then I'm afraid I've rather lost my liking for them. Our well-learned Professor challenged us to some Harry Potter trivia which was fiercely competitive among one end of the table. The class chatter moved between Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Dr Who, Star Wars and all manner of nerdly delight with gracious commentary by our Professor whoes knowledge of movie and tv extend well beyond the seemingly endless plains of the Potterverse. The wands were finished and our wand permits issued. We headed outside for a tutorial in wand handling and a class photo, where just as much fun was had using our wands as there was making them.

If you want a wand for yourself there are approximately a thousand variations of wand-making tutorials on You Tube. You can grab a hot glue gun and rip them out in your lounge room by yourself until your hearts content. But there isn't much that's magical about that. What is so charming about Charms Class at the Little Shop of Horrors Costumery is the mise-en-scene and the characters you will meet. Not just a craft class, Charms Class is a journey into the wizarding world of Harry Potter that is on our Australian doorstep. The attention to detail is off the charts and it is hard to not get caught up in the magic of it all. Follow them on Facey to see what classes are coming up and pre-book to secure your/or your child's/but probably your spot. So much crafty good times. I can't wait to attend Herbology and Care of Magical Creatures Class. In summary, I think Ron said it best

Bonus note: Whilst The Little Shop of Horrors Costumery is a mecca for Potter fans (you can buy official merchandise, all sorts of Potter themed delights and hunt for horcruxes in their wall murals) they are also repping an epic selection of carefully curated costumes the likes of which I have never seen before (movie level accuracy) and a gobsmaking boutique salon for special FX make-up. I'm not getting paid for this but I am telling you to go and check them out if you are on the Peninsula. I cannot do these ladies justice when I say it is the best costume shop I have ever been to. More than a costume shop it is a god-damn experience.

A Hogwarts Birthday