If you follow me on social media you may have seen that I spent Tuesday evening at the opening event of the new Dark Arts permanent exhibition at Warner Brother Studios Tour – The Making of Harry Potter. It was a fabulous event and once again I was amazed to notice even more bits that I had never seen before. As the event was closed to the public we were able to make our way around without the crowds which meant we got to pay more attention to the little details. I also loved the fact we were there late in the evening as it meant that the outdoor sets looked a lot different to how they look in the daytime.
The Malfoy Manor fireplace has been expanded to show the headquarters of Lord Voldemort’s followers, the Death Eaters, in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1. You can now see the ornate chandeliers, imposing fireplace and the long, grand table around which the costumes of Bellatrix Lestrange, the Malfoy family, the Death Eaters and Voldemort sit. The scarily lifelike mannequin of captured Muggle Studies teacher Charity Burbage is suspended above the table and a model of Voldemort’s loyal 20-foot snake Nagini sits below her.
To celebrate the launch of the new permanent additions, the Studio Tour will also offer extra Dark Arts activities throughout the October half-term. From Friday 17th October – Monday 3rd November, a section of the Halloween feast from Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone will be on display in Hogwarts’ Great Hall. For these two weeks only, visitors will be able to walk down a darker Diagon Alley as the lights are dimmed, the music becomes more foreboding and the wizarding shopping street set is patrolled by Death Eaters. Those who choose to can also take part in an interactive wand combat lesson where they can practise their duelling techniques.
