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Photo: Wendy Thoms Professor Koosh (aka Jodi Shay) teaches Divination at Hogwarts on Saturday afternoon. The Harry Potter series came alive at The LaPorte First United Methodist Church with a "Journey to Hogwarts."

Photo: Wendy Thoms Due to High Muggle Traffic, students participate in a flightless game of Quidditch. They also experience other "magical" wonders at the overnight stay.

Hogwarts teaches how to fight selfishness

Boarded into the boat, students floated across to “Hogwarts castle�?for the start of the term Friday night, the stone building darkened in shadows and candlelight reflecting off the stained glass windows.

Inside, the first years filed into the “Great Hall,�?decorated with glowing orange pumpkins, for the welcoming feast and sorting hat ceremony to determine which class house they would be placed: Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff or Slytherin.

A total of 22 sixth through 12th graders took a “Journey to Hogwarts�?based on the Harry Potter book series overnight Friday at The LaPorte First United Methodist Church. They took part in Quidditch tryouts and attended a variety of classes, including Muggle Studies, Ancient Ruins, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Potions and Divination.

Some of the students wore class robes, carrying their lighted wands through the halls where death eaters and dementors made unexpected visits.

More than 25 volunteers, including six youth leaders masquerading as Hogwarts professors, worked setting up the event, planning games, cooking and decorating rooms. Friday marked the second overnight Hogwarts program and the third overall at the church. Last fall, about 12 students attended, focusing on friendships. In May, 18 students attended the second installment that dealt with facing fears and making the right choices.

Last weekend, the students learned about how to combat selfishness, or the solemenous curse. Each class house planned a service project and learned about worldwide service organizations.

“There are amazing things that kids your age are doing,�?explained church youth director Jodi Shay while teaching a Divination lesson as Professor Koosh in the church balcony. Shay came up with the idea two years ago after reading the Harry Potter series to her nephew. “We never intended to do more than the first year, but then it kind of exploded.�?

“The kids love it and can really relate to it,�?said Elena Mrozinske, who posed as Professor Adrestein, the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. “We’re taking something they are interested in anyway and finding a way to tie it into their lives while at the same time helping them to identify and use the resources they have around them to solve problems.�?

Doing community service is important, agreed Olivia Steele, 13, a Boston Middle School student.

“If no one helped out, all of society would collapse. We depend on each other,�?she said.

As another way to give back to the community, the students made fleece baby blankets in their Muggle Studies class to donate to LaPorte Hospital, attaching handwritten notes to the babies.

“We wanted to teach them what it means to think only about themselves and to also give them a vision of what choices they have,�?said Shay.

Heather Howard, 15, a LaPorte High School sophomore, has attended all three Harry Potter programs.

“Here I can be myself,�?she said, wearing a black Hogwarts robe and witch’s hat. “I think J.K. Rowling is a really great author. When I’m worried or troubled, I like to sit and get lost in the books.�?

Diane Stephani, 14, has read each Harry Potter book 13 times.

“I like magic and stuff and I just think the books are really cool,�?said the LaPorte High School freshman. “I like how all of the classes are like they are in the book.�?

Halie Hajek, 13, of Kesling Middle School, agreed. “It’s fun to get to do all the things that Harry gets to do and also cool that we were able to get a wand and cauldron.�?

Meeting the other kids was also exciting.

“It’s fun to hang around and have a great time laughing and doing stuff together,�?said Kevin Hundt, 13, an eighth grader at Kesling Middle School.

Ben Huff, 12, also a Kesling student, has not read any of the Harry Potter books.

“It’s more about being here with everyone,�?he said while eating the lunch the students created in Potions class using various wizard ingredients such as scarab beetles, bubotuber puss, ginger root and dried armadillo bile. “I like all the adventures we’ve had and the games that we’ve played.�?/B>