Harry Potter-Themed Haunted House Scares Up Donations For SLHS Band

HERNDON, VA — For 20 years, Mary Mireles of Herndon has been entertaining neighbors and trick or treaters with homemade Halloween decorations.

This year, the mother of a percussion student at South Lakes High School is trying to drum up support for the school's band with a spooky Harry Potter-themed Halloween display outside her Herndon home.

“I was wanting to do something different this year — Something you don’t see in the stores or even online," Mirales said, in an email to Patch. "I’ve had this idea for a 'Scary” Potter theme for a while but knee and back surgeries prevented me from attempting. When I learned my son’s band needed new uniforms, I knew I had to do the 'Harry Potter' theme. It combines all my passions — Halloween, Harry Potter and South Lakes Band.”

Tom Lee, the SLHS Band Boosters' vice-president for fundraising, said his group raises money annually to help support the band.

"Uniforms are one of the the things that we are looking to do, but all the other types of things that we do include buying new instruments repairing instruments, as well as getting training for band students as well as instructional support," he said.

For example, the band boosters hire additional teachers to assist the marching band or indoor drum line.

"Thirty percent of the students that are in the band are on some kind of financial assistance," Lee said. "When you have activities that require some personal contributions, we try to help out those student as well, so that they don't have to miss out on things because they're financially not able to pay from their own pocket."

Mireles' display includes Dobby the House Elf wearing a tattered band uniform and a skeleton Harry Potter. She just completed He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named — "Lots of trial mostly error on the build" and hopes to add more dementors before she's finished.

"I hand make everything because you can’t buy it," Mireles said. "I tried to buy a Nimbus 2000 Broom and it’s for a toddler, so I made my own for a quidditch scene."

Muggles and wizards of all ages are invited to walk up “Knockturn Alley” to the door for treats on Halloween night. But Mireles will also hand out treats each day for passersby and she's give out little treats to wizards under 12, who come up to talk to her while she's decorating her yard after work. The display will be up until Nov. 11 at Mireles' home located at 2508 “haunted” Halterbreak Court in Herndon.

Donations to South Lakes High Band Boosters, a 501(c)3 non-profit are tax deductible. Go to https://www.classy.org/campaign/tag-days-2023/c503900 to give to the spirit of Reston, South Lakes High School band.