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Admit it. As the dawn broke on your 11^th birthday, you bypassed the bundle of brightly-wrapped presents piled in the corner and set up camp by the letterbox, eagerly awaiting the arrival of the postman (you knew the letter was meant to arrive by Owl, but you were keeping your options open). When the flap of the rectangular portal opened, and the flurry of envelopes fell in your lap, you eagerly tore through the pile, throwing birthday cards, bank statements and car boot sale leaflets over your shoulder in increasing impatience… until nothing was left in your hands but air. It’s ok, we won’t judge you: you waited for your Hogwarts acceptance letter… and it never came.

It’s one of the great traumas of childhood, the moment you realise Hogwarts really is fictional and magic is just a word used to describe trap doors, smoke and mirrors. You resign yourself to life as a muggle, discard your magic wand (or magic stick you found in the road) and pick up your pen at the start of the long journey to your GCSEs. Yet, for one establishment, the magic never died and they’re determined to keep it alive in the next generation.

Scarborough Art Gallery has opened its doors to young witches and wizards whose acceptance letters got tragically lost in the mail when the owls went on strike. From Herbology to broom engineering, every day sees a new skill honed within our young magical adepts. Some may be wondering what the cost of such a thorough education may entail, after all, funds have been notoriously tight in the wake of the Voldemort-induced recession. However, the Academy’s organisers at the Ministry of the BBC are pleased to announce all lessons are free to under 18s, with a small charge of £2 and £1.50 respectively to adults and concessions.

Classes run from Wednesday 1 August to Saturday 25 August, starting at 11am and finishing at 4pm. There’s no need to book, Professors are particularly distrustful of muggle technology, instead just pop by on your hypogriff for the start of your long-awaited foray into the world of magical education.