As recent graduates of Manhasset High School entered the gym this past Friday, June 27, they marveled that it had been transformed into the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. They entered on platform 9 3/4 for the train leading to Hogwarts. The train, created by parents of seniors, was incredibly realistic. The parents paid great attention to detail from the train tracks to the coal loaded on the train. Those who put the night together have decided to donate the life-like train to a worthy cause yet to be decided so they can enjoy it as much as the Class of 2008.

When students entered "Hogwarts" they were amazed by everything from the candles hanging from the ceiling to the tables modeled after the banquet tables in Harry Potter. As those in attendance made their way through the gym, they came upon a village the parents had created. It contained eight buildings, which included everything from professional photographers, a woman making hats, a magician, and a tattoo emporium, to a candy store. And there was a newspaper at a newsstand telling the story of the class of 2008 as if they were part of the Harry Potter story themselves. There were pictures of every student in the Class of 2008 wearing a wizard's hat and glasses with a seal representing the house where they belonged.

The students were amazed and in awe with what the parents had created. Phrases heard repeatedly were "wow" and "this is crazy." Scott Fitzsimons, member of the class of 2008, commented, "It's very well done. Wow, it's a surprise. A lot of effort went into this. Wow, I had no idea. I would come in one day and it's just a bunch of like wooden planks across the floor and one week later it becomes this whole big set. I'm really quite impressed. It shows the parents really care about us and they spent a lot of time and devotion creating this."

The parents, on the other hand, seemed to believe the theme was perfect because Harry Potter is a part of the class--the class was there when the first book came out, and many have read all the books and seen all the movies. The parents knew the stories, too, and were able to model the frolic after the essence of Harry Potter. The Class of 2008 has the drive to succeed in life, according to the parents, and the parents were driven to create an amazing dance for their children. If the goal was to keep the kids off the streets after graduation by making the frolic as interesting as possible so they would stay longer, the parents definitely succeeded in their goal.