Around the time the final "Harry Potter" book was published in July, 2007, author J.K. Rowling told NBC's Meredith Vieira that she was looking forward to seeing her magical visions brought to life in the planned Harry Potter theme park.
"[The park] will be amazing because it will be a place that I can take all three of my children," she said, noting that the park and the remaining Potter movies were welcome reminders that "the world hasn't ended for me. So even though the books are done, I feel like I still have a connection to Harry's world."
Five years, two movies, an interactive online world and (of course) a theme park later, it seems that Rowling -- whose first book for adults will be released at the end of September -- is still intent on keeping the magic of Potter alive for her kids. The author's husband, Dr. Neil Murray (a GP), recently applied to build two treehouses on their property in Edinburgh -- and the associated planners' images are a Muggle's Marauder's Map of the site, revealing everything from turrets, a rope bridge and a "secret tunnel" to a trampoline deck and a trap door. For fans, the pictures immediately drum up memories of of Harry, Ron and Hermione's beloved alma mater.
Rowling's youngest children, David and Mackenzie -- 9 and 7, respectively -- will be the lucky denizens of the treehouses, designed for the family by a firm called Blue Forest. (The author also has an older daughter, Jessica.) Estimates of the project's price tag vary, but it looks likely to cost "over $200,000,"according to TODAY Moms. The treehouses might not be built on the same imposing scale as Hogwarts, but, according to plans, the taller of them will approach 40 feet.
Edinburgh City Council needs to approve the structures before they can be built, but The Telegraph's Richard Alleyne reports that this shouldn't be a problem:
A source at Edinburgh Council said: “It would be highly unlikely that JK Rowling will not get permission for these tree houses. They are only for her children to play in, she’s not seeking permission for residential permission for them.”
Click through the gallery below to see amazing images of Rowling's project.
