If you love "Harry Potter" and have always imagined what it would be like to spend the holidays at Hogwarts, here’s the next best thing.
A retreat located in the English countryside at North York Moors National Park is offering the chance to stay in a hut inspired by Hagrid’s cottage from the beloved book and movie series. A seven-night stay for up to six people could cost you the equivalent of only a British pound (about $1.25).
North Shire, the site which is running the competition, is giving away this stay as a way to raise money for "Harry Potter" author J.K. Rowling’s international charity Lumos. The charity’s mission is to help children in orphanages around the world return to their family or be placed in a loving home.
Owner Carol Cavendish told TODAY Home that the charity is especially close to her heart because she was an orphan herself. “It means a lot to me to help children find a forever family,” she said.
And Rowling is also her literary hero. “I am a huge fan of literature, especially anything as magical as the world she created,” Cavendish said.
The Grounds Keepers Cottage at North Shire, which officially opened in April, is pretty magical itself. While the retreat is not associated with Warner Bros., it is inspired by the sets from the hit movies.
And while the exterior design of Hagrid’s hut is based on the movie (a turret roof, stained glass windows and rustic interior), it’s a little more posh than it is at Hogwarts.
Inside, the cottage features cushy furniture, an open fireplace and a fancy copper bathtub.
Interested in entering the contest? Submit your entry on the North Shire website through Oct. 31. You can enter as many times as you like, although each entry costs 1 British pound and a portion of the fee will go to Lumos. The winner gets a stay in the cottage for up to six people between Dec. 22–29.
The first prize package includes an introduction to a snowy owl (Hedwig), magic lessons from a Harry Potter look-alike and a ride on the steam train from the nearby Goathland station which was used as Hogsmeade station in the film “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.”
The winner of the second prize package will get a three-night stay in the Grounds Keepers Cottage while the third prize winner will be awarded a two-night stay at the Shire House, another retreat within the North Shire grounds.
