Exclusive Reveal: “THE SHRIEKING SHACK™” with “PROFESSOR SEVERUS SNAPE™” from The Bradford Exchange
Just like the trio in Prisoner of Azkaban, what Harry Potter fan wouldn’t be excited at the prospect of finally visiting the wizarding village of Hogsmeade? Imagine spending a Saturday afternoon exploring all of the unique shops, picking out trinkets and candies from Zonko’s and Honeydukes, and then topping it off with some butterbeer from the Three Broomsticks pub. And maybe, if you’re brave enough, you’ll make your way over to the Shrieking Shack, which is said to be the most haunted house in all of Britain.
Winter leaves Hogwarts Castle, as well as Hogsmeade Village, blanketed in a thick layer of snow. If you happen to visit the rickety, boarded-up shack around the winter holidays, “THE SHRIEKING SHACK™” with a “PROFESSOR SEVERUS SNAPE™” figurine from The Bradford Exchange is what you’ll most likely see. Despite the cheeriness of the time of year, the snow does little to expel the ominous and foreboding nature of this abandoned building.
The snow and icicles hanging from the windowsills, roofline, and chimney give “THE SHRIEKING SHACK™” a forlorn look, adding to the already dilapidated and dreary nature of the house. The detail of the wooden exterior, as well as the brick of the chimney, is very intricate and very well done. All the windows are boarded up, but since the “HARRY POTTER™” Illuminated Village collection pieces light up, you can still see light peeking through the slats when turned on.
The Bradford Exchange’s “THE SHRIEKING SHACK™” with a free “PROFESSOR SEVERUS SNAPE™” figurine depicts sparkling snow from the light emanating from its boarded-up windows.
For the light feature to work, you will need a tiny screwdriver to unscrew the compartment on the bottom, as well as three AAA batteries. It was by sheer luck that I had the correct type of batteries on hand. I don’t know how much light Lupin had during his painful transformations, but the added light does seem to give the shack a little life to it.
The Bradford Exchange’s “THE SHRIEKING SHACK™” with a free “PROFESSOR SEVERUS SNAPE™” figurine shown from the back, the light adding life to both sides of this ominous building.
The “PROFESSOR SEVERUS SNAPE™” figurine depicts the character in his never-changing, always-black attire, with one hand in his pocket while the other clutches his robes, giving off an air of importance and respectability. To be honest, I was surprised when I discovered that he was the Harry Potter character I received with this collection piece. I would think a Remus Lupin or even a Sirius Black figurine would be more appropriate since both of these men have a direct connection to this house. And let’s face it, Snape hasn’t had the best of luck with the Shrieking Shack overall (i.e., Sirius’s prank, being killed by Nagini). It’s not a big deal, but…
The Bradford Exchange’s “PROFESSOR SEVERUS SNAPE™” figurine is ready to impress and intimidate with his black robes and no-nonsense stance.
All in all, I am very pleased with “THE SHRIEKING SHACK™” and “PROFESSOR SEVERUS SNAPE™”. This is my very first piece from The Bradford Exchange, and based on the quality and attention to detail, I see myself getting more to add to my collection in the future. This piece is currently sitting on my already-too-full Harry Potter shelf, but it will probably find a home among the Christmas decorations as my collection continues to grow. I highly recommend adding this piece if you happen to be collecting them. Hogsmeade Village wouldn’t be complete without it.
The snow atop The Bradford Exchange’s “THE SHRIEKING SHACK™” sparkles in the sunlight, making the piece a bit cheerier.
Currently, this collection is available in the United States and Canada only. If you are a fan in the United States and want to start collecting, you can subscribe here. If you are in Canada, you can start your collection by subscribing here.
There are five announced sets in the Harry Potter Illuminated Village collection, with more issued each month. As a collector subscribed to The Bradford Exchange’s subscription plan, you will have the entire Illuminated Village collection reserved for you, which means regular deliveries of each new set and no increase in price! New sets are billed and shipped separately approximately every other month, once your previous bill has been paid in full, and you can cancel your plan at any time with no obligation. Here are the five sets that have been announced so far:
- Issue 1 – “THREE BROOMSTICKS PUB™” with a free “HARRY POTTER™” figurine
- Issue 2 – “HONEYDUKES™” Sweet Shop with a free “RON WEASLEY™” figurine
- Issue 3 – “HOGWARTS™” School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
- Issue 4 – “HOGWARTS EXPRESS™” with free Hogsmeade caroler figurines
- Issue 5 – “HOGWARTS TRAIN STATION™” with a free “HERMIONE GRANGER™” figurine
A review set of “THE SHRIEKING SHACK™” with a free “PROFESSOR SEVERUS SNAPE™” figurine was provided to MuggleNet by The Bradford Exchange. All opinions belong to the reviewer.