It’s #HarryPotterBookNight!  From now until 9 pm CST (10 pm EST), I’ll be here and on Twitter chatting about all things Harry Potter and responding to commenters.  Below are a bunch of activities that you can participate in, as well as some other fun HP related links, but first up, we all need to find out our Harry Potter names.  Head on over to the Harry Potter Name Generator to get your name.  My new name is:

Rowena Abbott

For tonight, I’ll be going by my new name.  Let me know in the comments or on Twitter what your new name is as well as the House you belong in (mine is Gryffindor), and don’t forget to use the official hashtag, #HarryPotterBookNight.  If you need to be sorted, hop on over to Pottermore.

Now, on to the games and other fun stuff:

GAMES

Here are a bunch of ways to earn points for your House.  You have until 8 pm CST to complete the various games, and I will announce the winning House, along with the individual winners of the scavenger hunt and Potion Masters contest at 9 pm CST tonight.

• Diagon Alley Scavenger Hunt: Fortified By Books has temporarily opened up shop in Diagon Alley, and to celebrate I’ve put 7 magical items on random pages and posts throughout the Fortified By Books blog!  Each is worth 10 House points, and you’ll win an additional 30 points for your House for finding them all.  Look very carefully for wizard coins, a copy of the Daily Prophet, the book cover of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, an owl, a wand (5 bonus House points to the first person who can tell me who the wand belongs to), a Chocolate Frog, and a broomstick.  Can you find them all?  Leave a comment on the page or post where you found each item and then leave a comment on this post to let me know you’ve found them all.
• Potion Masters: You have been asked to invent a new potion.  In a comment, list up to five ingredients that it contains, what it does once taken, and a unique name for your newly invented potion.  1st place will get 100 House points, 2nd place will get 50, and 3rd place will get 25.  All other participants will get 10 House points.  Anyone who also provides what their potion looks and smells like will get 5 bonus points.
• Harry Potter Trivia Challenge: See if you can answer all 60 questions correctly to earn an O (Outstanding).
• G.N.O.M.E.S.: Take any, or all, of these quizzes, and for every one you answer all the questions correctly, you’ll earn 10 House points.  Just share the results and then come back here and leave the link in a comment.
• Who Is Your Hogwarts Best Friend? Take this quiz to find out, and then share the results.  All participants who come back here to leave their shared results link in a comment will earn 10 House points.
• Do You Remember the First Chapter of “Harry Potter”?: You’ll earn 10 House points for answering all the questions correctly, sharing the results, and then leaving the link in a comment.

FUN STUFF

• Harry Potter Polls: There are 5 polls you can vote in and then see the results.
• Free Downloads: Do you want some new Harry Potter wallpaper or maybe a new Twitter header or Facebook cover photo?  Check these out.
• Harry Potter Recipes: Are you hungry after all those games and quizzes?  Whip something up from this super long list of HP foods and snacks.
• Harry Potter Spells You Ought to Know:

This is going to be a great Harry Potter Book Night!  Enjoy the games and fun links, and let me know what your favorite is, or if you’ve got any of your own Harry Potter Book Night links to share.