HOLLY, MI — Hundreds of witches and wizards have begun arriving in Holly through residential fireplaces ahead of this weekend’s Mischief & Magic festivities, overwhelming living rooms and catching homeowners unprepared for the sudden expansion of the Floo Network into Oakland County.
The first arrivals were reported shortly after 3 a.m. Friday, when a family on Maple Street awoke to find seven strangers in robes standing around their coffee table, shaking soot from their hats. By sunrise, similar scenes were reported throughout the village, including one home where a steady stream of wizards had formed a line from the fireplace, through the kitchen, and out the front door.
The situation has been complicated by Holly’s assortment of gas inserts, decorative fireplaces, and wood-burning stoves. One wizard spent nearly an hour wedged inside a cast-iron stove before being extracted with fireplace tongs and a considerable amount of butter. Another emerged from an electric fireplace in a cloud of green smoke, immediately tripped over a basket of decorative pine cones, and demanded to know why the fire wasn’t real.
Residents without fireplaces have not been entirely spared. A family watching a crackling fireplace video on their television reported three witches tumbling out of the 65-inch screen, followed by a confused elderly wizard who insisted he had been trying to reach Hogsmeade. The television has since been unplugged, although faint knocking continues from the HDMI ports.
Organizers are reminding residents to keep their hearths clear, open their chimney dampers, and avoid starting fires until all expected visitors have arrived. Homeowners are also advised not to vacuum up any mysterious green powder, as it may be Floo powder, a visiting wizard’s remains, or both.
As of Friday morning, most arrivals had successfully reached downtown Holly, although one family reported that a wizard had been repeatedly emerging from their fireplace, checking his surroundings, muttering “Wrong Holly,” and disappearing again. He has made 14 attempts and is now helping himself to breakfast.