‘Harry Potter’: Dad Carves Hogwarts out of Ice for His Daughters

Winter just got a lot more magical for two children courtesy of their dad, and it only required a very practical kind of wizardry.

Canadian ice carver Kelly Davies built his own Harry Potter-inspired playground for his 6- and 8- year-old daughters by carving Hogwarts out of ice in the family’s Alberta front yard. Davies’ version of Hogwarts is still a work in progress with owl-adorned snow pillars yet to come, but the elaborate display currently is epic all on its own with a section of the famous fictional magical institutions’ Great Hall, complete with Albus Dumbledore’s seat at the high table.

Davies’ Hogwarts is just his latest creation for his daughters. Last year he built the girls an ice slide adorned with various sea creatures, such as turtles and seahorses. This year, however, he was inspired both by his daughters’ love for JK Rowling’s Harry Potter books and a heavy snowfall, telling CBC that it all literally made him shake.

“When I woke up that morning, I started to vibrate,” Davies said.

It wasn’t just his daughter’s love of the Harry Potter books and movies that inspired the sculpture’s details, however. Davies said Dumbledore’s chair was inspired by his wife’s request that he make an ice sofa so that she could enjoy the creation as well.

Of course, not every Harry Potter fan is fortunate enough to have someone carve them their own ice Hogwarts. Fortunately, there are other ways to get a Harry Potter experience. This summer, fans will be able to experience their own encounter with Harry Potter’s world via cruise. The Barge Lady Cruises company recently unveiled their Harry Potter Magic Cruise slated to sail along the River Thames this summer, taking passengers on a tour of filming locations for the Harry Potter films — including Oxford’s Christ Church College which served as the model for Hogwarts’ Great Hall.

Fans also won’t have to wait too much longer to revisit Rowling’s magical world in theaters, either. Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindewald is set to open in theaters on November 16.