I gotta get back to Hogwarts.

So we sell many a Lego set at Scholastic, but definitely the coolest (or maybe just my favorites for obvious reasons) have to be the Star Wars and Harry Potter stuff. But, um, I'm too old/poor to be spending my money on Legos, obviously. So when a Hogwarts Express box came up damaged and leaking pieces, I jumped on the idea that I should build it and we could use it as a display.

So last night, my roommate Robin and I sat down with Raiders of the Lost Ark on the television and built us a train (and a Ford Anglia). The results:

Close-up on HP and Ron driving the Ford Anglia. I love Ron's oh-no face.

Close-up: Ginny and Draco about to duke it out on the roof of the dining car,
epic wizarding duel style. Luna's chilling on the luggage car with Hedwig,
reading the latest issue of the Quibbler.

Close-up: HP in his invisibility cloak. Luna totally knows he's there.

My thoughts: The car is brilliant. The boot totally opens and you put luggage in it. It's got a stick shift and everything. Plus, I liked hanging them out the side like that. And I just threw their wands in the back. Ginny and Draco both have the snarkiest faces. It's supremely excellent, plus Ginny's hair wins. The dining car is fully furnished and comes along with the candy trolley, or whatever it's called, which advertises Bertie Botts' Every-Flavor Beans and, erm, something else I can't remember. Possibly chocolate frogs. Also there's an actual chocolate frog on top of it. We popped all the extra stuff in the luggage car, including boxed up wands, the Daily Prophet, two more owls, Scabbers and more. Luna has the option of her crazy awesome glasses or not (all the characters have two face options), although her hair was having a hard time staying on. The invisibility cloak is absolutely fabulous.

There's lots of extra tidbits like the fuel in the engine or parts of the car. It's well done, there were lots of things where I was thinking how intricate it was for parts you wouldn't even end up seeing. But it was fairly easy with the instructions, which take you no more than a couple of pieces at a time. Just a lot of things to do, I was thankful for Rob's help.

Overall I give it 5/5 stars. A good family project, and then lots of fun options of things to play with and do with the characters.

Now hopefully someone will mess up a box of the Hogwarts castle.

Bonus points for any use of the word magicool in your everyday life.