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SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - The gymnasium at N.J. Macpherson school was vividly transmogrified last week into a haunted house of ghoulish persuasion, based on the fantasy world of a famous boy wizard - one who cannot be more properly identified due to copyright restrictions.

Liam Philipp watches his image in the hall of mirrors inside the maze of Hagwarts haunted house in the gymnasium of N.J. Macpherson school, Oct. 24. - Ben Morgan / NNSL photo

"Hagwarts haunted house" is what it was called - a subtle variation from a similar fictional place of learning from inside the pages of a popular cultural phenomenon. Abot 600 Yellowknife spectators visited the haunted house over a three-day period last week, their imagination ripe with visions of spells and monsters and the hope of immersing themselves into the universe of a best-selling fantasy series.

"They did a fabulous job with it - it was really overwhelming to see how fast it all came together and I think they really improved on it from last year," said the school's principal Michelle Krause. "It was much more grand."

Krause was surprised at how quickly the construction of the haunted house was completed and she said it was a great example of the teamwork within the community.

A team of volunteers contributed dozens of hours to assemble the project - with much preparation and planning - working under the direction of Sean Daly, music and fine arts teacher at N.J. Macpherson.

Daly's team created most of the concept on paper and spent a lot of time preparing for the job.

"I think it was very well-received," said Daly. "I know many of the kids who came were dressed up in costume and they really seemed to enjoy themselves."

The gymnasium was filled with a twisted maze of lights, sounds and lasers, cropped by the silhouette of frightening treetops and the occasional surprise from the world of fantasy.

Sound effects, surprises and the proper lighting finished off the experience with a subtle ambiance.

Inside the maze of attractions, an army of volunteer actors, many of them from the drama program at nearby Sir John Franklin school, played the roles of familiar characters to further enhance the experience of the tour.

"I think we got more screams from the parents than the kids," said Daly.

Daly said the whole point of the haunted house was to help spark the imagination with a safe and fun atmosphere at Halloween time. He said Hagwarts haunted house raised thousands of dollars for school programs.

On opening night, the event was interrupted when a fog machine inside the gym set off a false alarm causing a brief visit from the fire department.

"Actually, they were very well organized and got everyone out of the building quickly," said deputy fire chief Gerda Groothuizen. "It didn't take long before they were allowed back inside but from what I saw it was a fabulous set up for the kids."