Last year, the historical building of Government College University (GCU), Lahore, with its imposing towers and turrets designed in the tradition of Gothic architecture, lent itself famously to the fictional world of Harry Potter when Khayaali Productions, the local makers of a Potter fan movie, were looking to recreate Hogwarts in the city. That they eventually came up with The Last Follower and the Resurrection of Voldemort, a purely student-made short film, is old news.

It wasn’t until recently that the young makers had the chance to showcase their film at GCU, which is also their alma mater. The movie inspired the varsity administration to curate an entire Harry Potter Festival, which ran for over a week. Visitors to the festival were amazed to see GCU come alive as the re-imagined Potter school of wizardry and witchcraft.

The GCU building, which stands over a natural hillock, was built in colonial times. Construction began in 1872 and was completed in 1877. According to Dr Ajaz Anwar, GCU is “known to be a mysterious building. The main [building] resembles a church; it has two towers, the taller one is known as the bell tower but for long periods did not have a bell in it. Besides, there’s a large hall with timbre wood and slate stone roof.”

He says the building is made of finest British red bricks. “As we hadn’t progressed much in technology back then, cast iron was used instead of welding for balcony grills.

“The architecture from that time depended on natural light and air, hence the roofs and doors [of GCU building] are very high, and most rooms comprising windows face the north in order to keep the temperatures cooler in summers.”

“The architecture from that time depended on natural light and air, hence the roofs and doors [of GCU building] are very high, and most rooms comprising windows face the north in order to keep the temperatures cooler in summers.”

There are two porches — the in front of the magnificent Salam Hall and the other facing the VC’s office. The hall takes inspiration from “basilica architecture, with central nave and aisles running along the four sides. The nave has double height. The four aisles are double-storeyed and form a gallery on the upper floor.”

Perhaps, the most interesting part of the GCU building is that it does not have gargoyles, which have been a part of Gothic architecture for ages. Gargoyles are decorative, monstrous little creatures known to keep the evil spirits away and threaten the enemies. Their spouts helped in rainwater to drain off from the roof.

These features of the varsity building would definitely remind the visitors of JK Rowling’s Harry Potter series. Speaking to this scribe, Mariam Hassan Naqvi, who played one of the main actors in The Last Follower and the Resurrection of Voldemort, said: “The Gothic architecture always struck us as Hogwarts. When Waleed [the director of the movie] gave us the idea [of a Potter fan movie], all of us were very excited. We’ve put our heart and soul into making the movie.”

The Potter fan movie is set in a time several years after Harry Potter and his friends eliminated Lord Voldemort. Director Waleed Akram, who is also the movie’s cinematographer and editor, is said to have shot the entire movie at the GCU. The film’s special effects, executed by Zeeshan Hameed, also deserve a mention.

Other than the screening of the movie, the festival included lots of Harry Potter merchandise, food stalls, stalls for face painting and posters, and photo booths. The “Muggles” — students dressed in costumes from the “Potterverse,” sporting the pointed wizard/ witch hats and wielding the magic wands — ushered the visitors into the Salam Hall, redone as Hogwarts’ Great Hall, with broomsticks, bats, and a separate area for brewing potions. Theme music from the Potter films played in the background.

The writer is a freelance journalist