Hogwarts Castle
On a cliff overlooking the still waters of a vast lake rises the imposing edifice of Hogwarts Castle, where lessons in magic are taught. All new entrants would be handed a copy of the Marauder's Map, a floor plan of the castle that highlights the locations of classes available, including:
Other places of interest highlighted on the map would include the Owlery, where bird trainers would show off tricks performed by live owls and also teach students the basics of how to handle and train real birds. Literary-minded people might also visit the Library, where the careless could get lost in the invisibility section and the unwary might get chewed out by both the librarian and books :)
Stumbling into an unused classroom, people would be confronted with the Mirror Of Erised, which is actually a monitor connected to a camera embedded in the mirror frame. Playing the live video feed of the people standing before the mirror, an augmented reality software would track discreet markers in the room and show the people reacting with computer generated objects as a reflection on the mirror.
The map would also include coded instructions on accessing hidden zones, such as the Headmaster's Office (complete with moving spiral staircase), the Room of Requirement (contains a Vanishing Cabinet that leads to Knockturn Alley) and the entrance to a secret tunnel that ends up in the cellar of Honeydukes in Hogsmeade Village.
Entrances and exits that lead beyond the castle walls towards the extensive grounds of the Forbidden Forest, as well as the flat expanse of the Quidditch Pitch, would also be shown on the map.
- Potions - held in the dungeons, where Professor Snape would demonstrate the making of a complicated potion. With fancy knife skills and the actual use of exotic ingredients, such as snake gallbladder, it would be like watching a wizarding masterchef at work. The Professor would fill vials with the concoction, actually just a bracing tonic, and offer them to brave students for tasting.
- Transfiguration - conducted by Professor McGonagall, who would employ sleight of hand, smoke and mechanical devices to transform objects and small animals from one form into another. The class will end with the Professor turning into a cat, no mean feat, even for a magician :)
- Charms - a class of nifty wand work where Professor Flitwick, with precise timing and mechanics, would demonstrate simple charms such as levitation and summoning spells, as well as the more advanced incendiary and freezing charms.
- Divination - where Professor Trelawney and her assistants, who would all be practicing fortune tellers, would conduct private readings for all interested students.
- Herbology - held in a greenhouse, the lesson would feature Professor Sprout deftly enchanting and tackling the dangerous plants. Students would be required wear protective gear, like earmuffs and gloves.
- Defense against the Dark Arts - taught by Professor Remus, who would release a Boggart that would take on many different forms, all of which would be easily quelled. But when it transforms into a Dementor, plunging the room into darkness and a deep chill, the professor would end the class by unleashing a Patronus that banishes the darkness and cold.
Other places of interest highlighted on the map would include the Owlery, where bird trainers would show off tricks performed by live owls and also teach students the basics of how to handle and train real birds. Literary-minded people might also visit the Library, where the careless could get lost in the invisibility section and the unwary might get chewed out by both the librarian and books :)
Stumbling into an unused classroom, people would be confronted with the Mirror Of Erised, which is actually a monitor connected to a camera embedded in the mirror frame. Playing the live video feed of the people standing before the mirror, an augmented reality software would track discreet markers in the room and show the people reacting with computer generated objects as a reflection on the mirror.
The map would also include coded instructions on accessing hidden zones, such as the Headmaster's Office (complete with moving spiral staircase), the Room of Requirement (contains a Vanishing Cabinet that leads to Knockturn Alley) and the entrance to a secret tunnel that ends up in the cellar of Honeydukes in Hogsmeade Village.
Entrances and exits that lead beyond the castle walls towards the extensive grounds of the Forbidden Forest, as well as the flat expanse of the Quidditch Pitch, would also be shown on the map.