WARNER Bros. Studios, London, kicked off a new attraction last to ring in the festive season – a snow-covered Hogwarts in its Making of Harry Potter exhibition.

Hogwarts in the Snow opened on the 14th of November, and will run until the 1st February, giving Harry Potter fans plenty of time to follow in the footsteps of their fantasy heroes and enjoy festive Christmas entertainment on the set of the School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Visitors get the opportunity to take a peek behind the scenes and of some the best loved Harry Potter films, including the original movie, The Philosopher’s Stone. Taking centre-stage is the model castle of Hogwarts, originally made for the first film, together with other props and costumes, including Harry’s Invisible Cloak that was given to him as a Christmas present in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.

THE focal point of the exhibition is the set of Hogwarts’ iconic Great Hall which is adorned with original props and costumes. Designed to replicate family Christmas dinners in the iconic films, the set features eight Christmas trees decorated with over 200 gold stars. Flaming plum puddings, coloured fire crackers, steaming turkeys and cakes have also been used to decorate the two long dining tables set for Christmas dinner.

The highlight of the tour is a glimpse of the backstage magic created by the Warner special effects team. Visitors can see first-hand how the snow scenes for the Harry Potter films were made. The majority of snow used during filming was a simple mix of paper and salt, as they gather like real snow-flakes and have a similar-sounding crunch underfoot. The fabricated snowflakes were then sprinkled on the impressive model of Hogwarts with a sieve.

The demonstration in the backstage tour is even more impressive, however, and the special effects experts have transformed the Making of Harry Potter exhibition, enabling fans of JK Rowling’s bespectacled hero to experience the winter scenes in the films and relive some of the magic moments of their favourite characters.

Look out for the hand-knitted jumpers Molly Weasley gave Harry and Ron for their first Christmas together. And who can forget the glorious sparkly dress worn by Luna Lovegood when she attended the Christmas party at the Slug Club? Tickets for The Making of Harry Potter – Hogwarts in the Snow should be pre-booked on the Warner Bros. Studio London website. All additional activities are included in the ticket price; the Warner Bros.

Studio London is located off the M25, near Watford.