LEGO Dimensions: Hermione Granger Fun Pack

**A Geek Daddy received the featured product for free to review**

My daughter has been having a magical time playing as her favorite character from the HARRY POTTER novels and movies in the newly released Hermione Granger Fun Pack for the LEGO Dimensions video game.  Like many kids, and adults too, she loves J.K. Rowling's fantasy stories and is thrilled with this addition to LEGO Dimensions.  The Fun Pack comes with a LEGO mini-figure of the heroine from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry along with a buildable Buckbeak sidekick that can be created from LEGO bricks.  Place either toy figure on the video game's LEGO Toy Pad to incorporate the characters into your LEGO Dimensions experience.

The Hermione Granger LEGO mini-figure provides you the ability to use two two magic spells while playing the game.  Wingadium Leviosa allows players to levitate objects and Lumos can be used to light up dark places.  Buckbeak can be ridden by other characters in the game plus has a Stomp Attack for smashing LEGO bricks.  The griffin can also be rebuilt into either a Giant Owl or a Fierce Falcon which each also have unique in-game abilities.

Hermione can be incorporated into the game's master story or any of its story or level pack additions.  Plus her LEGO mini-figure can be used to unlock a Wizarding World of Harry Potter adventure area where players can explore locations such as Hogwarts, Hogsmeade, and Diagon Alley.  There is also a Hogwarts' quidditch pitch themed Battle Arena that Hermione can access where you can compete with up the three other players in four different capture the flag type competitions.



Team up Hermione with Harry Potter and have them combat Lord Voldemort in the games adventure worlds and battle arenas when you also purchase the Harry Potter Team Pack.  This expansion pack to LEGO Dimensions includes mini-figures of Harry and Voldemort as well as buildable vehicles of the Enchanted Car and Hogwarts Express.   Or team up Hermione with the characters from J.K. Rowling's new wizarding adventure Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them when you purchase the LEGO Dimensions storypack based upon the movie.

Join Newt Scamander find his escaped magical creatures in New York City as you make your way through 6 action packed levels of gameplay.  This storypack also unlocks a Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them Adventure World and Battle Arena as well.  How do you think Newt would fare teamed up with Hermione?  What is great about LEGO Dimensions is you can recreate your favorite scenes from these wizarding world movies or you can create brand new adventures to embark upon.

While my son and daughter get a lot of enjoyment from playing LEGO Dimensions, my wife and I really like playing it too.  The LEGO Dimensions video game provides is great for spending some family time together having fun.  Hey you guuuys if you're are a fan of HARRY POTTER you definitely aren't going to want to miss out on adding the fun, team and story expansion pack to your gaming experience.  Plus for those of you who grew up in the '80s and love The Goonies, LEGO Dimensions also has a storypack based upon that classic children's movie that is a great way to share its story and characters with your kids.

For more information about the video game and its expansion packs, please visit lego.com/en-us/dimensions

Fantastic Beasts & Where To Find Them

Who else is looking forward to returning to the wizarding world of J.K. Rowling when Fantastic Beasts & Where To Find Them arrives at theaters across the United States on November 18, 2016?  Fan of the Harry Potter books and movies will find themselves transported back to this magical realm, but this time are visiting it decades before the birth of the famous boy wizard who became a world phenomenon within the Muggle --  people who lack any sort of magical ability -- community.  Fantastic Beasts & Where To Find Them was referred to as a Hogwarts School of Witchery & Wizardry text book in the Harry Potter book series and is the inspiration for this original movie which was scripted by J.K. Rowling and is her screenwriting debut.  To help get A Geek Daddy in the mood to go see Fantastic Beasts, Warner Brothers Pictures kindly provided me authentic recreations of the scarf and wand associated with the main character in the film, Newt Scamander.  I'm all ready now to conjure up a good time by going to see this film when it appears at movie theaters -- Accio Fantastic Beasts & Where to Find Them!

Fantastic Beasts & Where To Find Them takes place in 1926, and Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) has just completed a global excursion to find and document an extraordinary array of magical creatures. Arriving in New York for a brief stopover, he might have come and gone without incident, were it not for a No-Maj (American for Muggle) named Jacob, a misplaced magical case, and the escape of some of Newt's fantastic beasts, which could spell trouble for both the wizarding and No-Maj worlds.




For more information about the film, please visit fantasticbeasts.com

2nd & Charles: Harry Potter Midnight Book Release Party

2nd & Charles, a retail chain which specializes in trading and selling books, audio books, CDs, DVDs, and video games, isn't waiting for its newest Metro Detroit location to officially open to welcome visitors.  While its brand new Utica, Michigan location's grand opening isn't until Saturday, August 6th, the store will be hosting a special countdown celebration this weekend for the release of the book formated script of "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child -- Parts I & II," the theatrical eighth installment of JK Rowling's series that delves into the wizarding world.

From 2 pm to 9 pm on Saturday, July 30, 2016 visitors to the new 2nd & Charles store located in the Utica Park shopping center at 45290 Utica Park Blvd. can take a photographic journey throughout the store for a Harry Potter-themed scavenger hunt.  The official countdown party begins at 9 pm featuring a Sorting Hat ceremony for guests to discover their Hogwarts house perfect pairing.  Every half hour leading up to the midnight book release, visitors can join in the various interactive activity stations leading up to the midnight release of the book compilation of the "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child -- Parts I & II" theatrical script.  Special activities will include face painting, a coloring station, Harry Potter trivia and a wand-making session.

Beginning at 11 pm, Harry Potter fans are encouraged to don their best Hogwarts robes with brooms and wants in tow for a costume contest.  You can also register to win an ultimate Harry Potter prize pack while you are at this event; plus while supplies last attendees will receive and exclusive swag bag filled with enchanted Harry Potter-themed goodies!  When the clock ticks midnight, the newest edition of the Harry Potter saga will be available to purchase.  Are you going to be going out to get a copy of "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child -- Parts I & II" during the Witching Hour?

If you don't live near Macomb County, Michigan's M-59 shopping corridor, 2nd and Charles has locations throughout the United States holding similar events.  CLICK HERE to find out if there is a location near you and contact the store to see if they are hosting a Harry Potter Midnight Book Release Party on Saturday, July 30th.  You can also arrange to pre-order the book from these stores and submit your voucher in an express lane to quickly pick up your book at 12:01 am.

For more information about the new 2nd & Charles location in Utica, Michigan, visit 2ndandcharles.com/locations/utica-mi. This will be the second location in Metro Detroit for the eclectic retailer joining a store near Great Lakes Crossing Outlet Mall in Auburn Hills.  2nd & Charles draws a diverse audience of gamer fanatics, pop culture junkies, movie buffs, and bookworms that are drawn to the 300,000+ items that are available from more than three miles of stocked shelf space at each store.  Whether it is a classic vinyl record, used video games, collectible toys, or a brand new Harry Potter book, 2nd & Charles has something for most everyone no matter his or her age or interests.  Check them out and see for yourself!

History of Magic in North America

To help promote the newest movie set within J.K. Rowling's "wizarding world", Fantastic Beasts & Where to Find Them which is opening at U.S. theaters on November 18, 2016, the Harry Potter author is introducing four brand new short stories, one each day this week from Tuesday March 8 through Friday, March 11.  While the original Harry Potter saga was based in modern day Europe, Fantastic Beasts & Where to Find Them is set in 1920's era New York City.  These four new stories will provide some insight on this new setting within the wizarding world by looking at the history of magic in North America.

The four stories will provide readers with an overview of topics such as Ilvermorny (the Hogwarts school of the USA), Skin-Walkers (the first native American magic users), the  witch trials, and the Magical Congress of the United States of America (the New World's equivalent of the Ministry of Magic from the Harry Potter stories).

These stories will be available to read for FREE on the Pottermore.com website.  A new story on each of the four topics above will be released each morning at 9am EST.  For more information about the upcoming movie, visit FantasticBeasts.com.