Harry Potter fans want to buy their own 'Hogwarts' castle for live action role-play events

The College of Wizardry is not actually connected to JK Rowling's magical universe - but is sure to appeal to fans of the books

Antonia Molloy
Monday 02 March 2015 14:01 GMT
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The first film introduced Daniel Radcliffe to our screens, pictured here as he prepares to board the train to Hogwarts for the first time.
The first film introduced Daniel Radcliffe to our screens, pictured here as he prepares to board the train to Hogwarts for the first time.

For true fans of Harry Potter, it's simply not enough to read the books and watch the films – they want to live and breathe everything witchcraft and wizardry.

And now they could soon have the chance to do that very thing at their own magical castle.

Within just two days, a crowdfunding campaign seeking to raise up to $1 million to buy a fairytale fortress has attracted almost $20,000 in donations.

The organisers, a team of volunteers from the non-profit organisations Liveform (Poland) and Rollespilsfabrikken (Denmark) hope to raise at least $50,000.

This will allow them to run a four-day College of Wizardry Nordic-style larp (live action role play) in November, during which around 130 participants will be students at their very own "Hogwarts" - Czocha Castle in Poland.

But what they really want to do is reach the $1 million mark that will enable them to purchase a castle of their own.

The larp is not officially a Harry Potter fan event – after the first larp was held in April 2014 the College of Wizardry agreed with Warner Bros that their magical school would remain unconnected to JK Rowling’s fictional universe.

But the event is sure to appeal to fans of the book.

Participants remain in character throughout, as they are selected to represent one of the five ancient Houses of Czocha Castle, attend classes as a witch or wizard and eat and drink in their robes.

The College of Wizardry has already arranged two larps for April, both of which sold out in record time, but it hopes the money will allow it to hold as many as three events in November - and, of course, buy its "own freakin' castle".

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