The Hogwarts Summer Correspondence Course is actually a Yahoo group you (the parent) join. Once approved, they will send you an email with a link to files on how to "set up" your correspondence course. Several families shared how they set up the illusion of receiving an invitation to join Hogwarts Summer Correspondence School. They have stationary, sample invitation letters, sorting hat questionnaires, etc.
Link:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HogwartsSCSSince this seems to be driven by homeschooling parents, they pull out all the (highly skilled and creative) stops in the integration of art, basic science experiments, math and other things in the service of courses like "charms", "care of magical creatures", "herbology" etc. Once you join, you will be supplied with links to other yahoo groups to join...each group is a collection of lesson plans surrounding a particular topic, such as "charms". It is all homemade, economical and creative.
Since these are archived files in the yahoo groups (you join the various subject groups, like "charms", to get the files), you can start any time. I wish I had given myself several weeks to carefully select 3 courses and set up the lesson plans ahead of time (Like all good homeschoolers do)...instead, I've had to spend time catching up, finding new things and inventing coverups....but we are a theater family, so we love the improv and role play anyway.
You select the classes your kids will take and send them a welcome letter with class supplies lists, etc. The letters and supplies come through "owl post" and you will have to set up a bag or tub for the owl to drop things off at night (they put their homework in...it disappears, graded work (Mom or Dad in role, again) and new assignments and sometimes Hogwarts rewards, games and treats arrive in the box).
Like the winter holidays, it can be as simple or complex as you desire (and can manage to pull off).
My son (who is BIG into pretend even now) solemnly asked me if this was real or pretend at the beginning and I answered "pretend". Nonetheless, he brought all of his PG intensity, anxiety and perfectionism to this adventure and I couldn't figure out why he was making it so real. This morning, while watering the garden, I said something about Hermione and he quickly corrected me ( or my role play) saying "mom, Harry Potter and all of those characters are FICTION...the Harry Potter series is a work of FICTION about the world of Hogwarts." I then realized that he had decided that, while Harry was fictional, Hogwarts (like Italy or China) was real. I let it ride. (He's my third :-) ).
If you get into a timing jam or forget to clear the box, remember, the magical world is fraught with storms and mishaps. Owls get lost. I know for a fact that, while I was in Seattle last week, with a babysitter at home, the owls stopped delivering due to massive, group depression. They thought the children didn't appreciate them. Prof Mcgonagal, in an email to me which I forwarded to the babysitter and my son, suggested that it might be useful for all the children to devote the week to learning about owls (muggle and magical) and create owl-like treats for them and write thank you notes to them. This created an entire week of activity for the babysitter and DS to pursue. They dissected owl pellets, visited owls at the zoo, watched some internet video and DS wrote several "parchments" and drew a picture for the place where the owls sleep. The babysitter found owl-themed cupcakes and cookies and they had a good time baking some treats which they shared with family as well as putting some treats in the box for the owls. Also, sometimes Hogwarts dispatches Magnus, the house elf, who is available to make irregular deliveries, always in unexpected places with very poorly spelled notes.
Early on, DS8 pointed out that I could ask questions by email ( similar to how I handle all of his other activities), which is a useful cover for finding out new resources and checking out "what went wrong", as in "I don't know why this experiment didn't work. I'll have to email your Potions teacher".
It appears that many high-energy families do this several years in a row.
Good luck and please post your adventures. It will inspire me (and maybe save my neck some time).
