A Real ‘Harry Potter’ Wizarding School Is Opening Next Year

Though it’s coming too late for those of us who spent our 11th birthdays waiting in vain for an owl-post acceptance letter, the dream of millions of other Harry Potter fans is finally about to become a reality. Yes, Hogwarts really exists—or at least it will soon!

Next spring, the Potter superfans at the Mimbulus Mimbletonia Association are opening the Muggle world’s first official school of witchcraft and wizardry. According to Metro.co.uk, the school will be housed in an old château (so, basically a castle) in Bourgougnague, in southern France.

The first session is scheduled for May 25-28, 2017. During those four days, students will go under the Sorting Hat, take Quidditch lessons and enroll in classes like Charms and Potions.

“Mimbulus Mimbletonia is organizing an event based on the first book in the saga, ‘Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone,'” the Association explained in an announcement on its Facebook page. “Come and take part in the sorting ceremony, enroll for courses in botany, spells, potions, and of course Muggle Quidditch. Do not forget to collect points for your house, so that it can win the cup!’

The Details

Unfortunately, admission isn’t as easy as waiting for a letter-toting owl to arrive. This four-day event is only open to 100 students, reports DesignTAXI. Participants must be at least 16 years old by May 2017, and those under 18 will need parental permission.

The trickiest part, though, is the language. Students don’t need to know Parseltongue, but since Mimbulus Mimbletonia is based in France, all activities will be in French. If you don’t speak French, you might have to keep your fingers crossed for an English-speaking school soon!

Tickets for the program are set to go on sale in December. There’s no information on ticket prices yet, but the costs will cover four days of activities, three nights of lodging and all meals at the school.

Don’t even think about trying to sneak in if you aren’t lucky enough to snag one of those 100 golden tickets, though. All together now, “There’s no Apparating on school grounds!”

And here’s some fun facts about the Harry Potter franchise:

Photo by brittreints