Master of the Dark oops...!

As the rain and wind have been battering the windows all day, Bill, Lily, Poppy and I have hidden ourselves away in the front room with the fire on and the curtains drawn. The real world safely hidden away, we have entered our own little magical wonderland. Our well-worn copy of The Philosopher's Stone has been on the video about six times in a row, and the afternoon has been spent re-enacting various aspects of life at Hogwarts.

Lily usually takes charge as Hermione, Poppy variously bringing up the rear as Harry, Ron, or some imaginary character they have added. I am usually Professor McGonagall - unless my mother is with us - when she takes this part and I am relegated to Madam Hooch (I personally find her much more fun anyway; I've always had a penchant for broomstick flying). Bill invariably ends up as Professor Snape. He likes nothing more than striding round the house shouting instructions at the children in a booming dramatic voice, so the part suits him down to the ground.




Introducing a new plot to the game, in a cunning attempt to get Lily to close the dining room curtains for me, I said: 'Quick! Miss Granger, close those curtains before the Master of the Dark Arts catches us!' Lily dutifully sped over to the curtains and used her plastic 'Hermione wand' to drag the curtains together.


Then she looked at Poppy - at this moment playing Ron;

she looked at me - busy in the part of Professor McGonagall;

she looked towards the kitchen where she could hear Professor Snape conjuring up some magic potions for tea....

'Mummy,' she asked, her mind trying to work our where the extra actor was coming from 'who is the Master of the Dark Arse?'


I think I'll have to check with JK Rowling about that one...