There was an unusual cast of characters at Riverview Middle School on Monday, but anyone familiar with the Harry Potter book series would have recognized the faces.

Students and teachers worked for months to transform the cafeteria and classrooms into one of the most famous schools in literature: Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Erin Whelan is an eighth-grader who was here to help out over the weekend. When she saw the cafeteria, she was completely impressed.

“I just thought, this is unbelievable. I didn’t think it would go this far,” she said.

One hundred volunteers worked all weekend to make the magic happen.

Headmaster Dumbledore, a teacher known most days as Armand Doucet, has been planning the remodel since October.

No expense was spared in the cafeteria. 250 candles lit the ceiling and there were even gargoyles and candelabras as well as portals in each washroom.

“And at the end of the night we thought, ‘We hope they like it,’ because we saw it and it looked brilliant,” Doucet said.

The students were not disappointed.

“Seeing them come in this morning, their faces shining and how excited they were, gave us the energy we needed to keep going this week,” Doucet said.

While the exercises certainly get the children excited about going to school, they also get to know the New Brunswick curriculum, meaning the students are learning something.

Students participate in Harry Potter games and events throughout the week.