"Reach into the Sorting Hat!" said the kindly lady in the Gryffindor scarf. "You'll find out which Triwizard champion you are."
"Oh no!" the young boy exclaimed, frowning at the card in his hand. "Cedric?"

While several children may have started their Harry Potter Book Night experience at the Artesia Public Library in Artesia, New Mexico, thinking the Triwizard Tournament wasn't going to end well for them, their concerns were quickly allayed as they stepped into a Voldemort-free evening of games, crafts, and snacks.
After assuming their new identities, kids were ushered to an obstacle course they navigated by broom, receiving a lightning-bolt scar tattoo as a prize. At the button-crafting table, they could create a badge declaring their support for their favorite champion or simply have their own custom design made into a memento. Completing a dragon craft earned participants a pair of Harry Potter glasses.

Then it was out into the hall for a visit to the refreshment table, which featured Polyjuice Potion, broomsticks made of pretzels and peanut-butter cups, Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans, and more.

But more significant than the activities was what the evening meant to the children in attendance. It was evident in the eyes of the toddler imagining himself to be the boy wizard before "taking flight" on his broom.

At the snack table, a little girl giggled excitedly as she created "Niffler Munch" by combining the available treats. A pair of preteens quoted Albus Dumbledore verbatim while daring one another to try various Bertie Bott's beans. Fathers spent quality time with their children, helping them glue pom-pom eyes onto their dragons.
Over the past six years, Bloomsbury's Harry Potter Book Night has brought a little piece of the magic to life for children across the globe. By letting them step for a moment into the world of the characters they love, their imaginations are fueled, their sense of belonging is strengthened, and - most importantly - they're inspired to keep reading.
The fact that the vast majority of local events are free of charge makes them accessible to everyone. Children and adults alike form new friendships with the people they encounter. Libraries large and small benefit from the opportunity to introduce their facilities and programs to residents who've never utilized them before.
The Wizarding World fandom is a community, and each year since 2014, new members of all ages have been welcomed in by events like Harry Potter Book Night. And whether that's experienced at an enormous community center packed with hundreds of people or among a few dozen at a tiny hometown library, that's a type of magic that's very real indeed.