So I decided that I'm going to make my own cake for my 21st birthday and found the basic idea of what I want to do.
http://superhero-parties.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/amazing-harry-potter-cake2.jpg
http://superhero-parties.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/amazing-harry-potter-cake1.jpg
I have very little experience but, thus far, I've done really good with the few cakes that I've made. I figured that I'd step it up and try a challenging one this time. There's just a few issues that I have and hopefully someone will be able to steer me in the right direction.
Is there a recommended way to fondant the books when they are not stacked directly on top of each other. I assumed that I'd be piping the sides of the books to illustrate pages, but how should I go about extending the fondant to represent the cover? And also, should I be covering the entire cake or just covering the edges and the parts that show?
With the scarf, should I use one solid color for the entire length and just add the strips of the secondary color? Is there an easy way to make the tassels, or just roll out some gum paste or fondant?
I have no intentions of making the money or levitating jar, I only wish to make the wands and glasses. For these items, should I be using gum paste or fondant? If there are any recommended recipes, that would be very welcome too!
I know that I'm asking a lot, but thank you so much for any help that you can provide. [/img]

Ok so I will answer a few of your questions my way but you may get other, better suggestions.
Cover the books seperately then stack. The top book looks like the outer cover of the book is a thin board therefore you would cover than flat in the colour of the outside of the book then the cake the colour of the inside. To get the edges of the pages just run a knife down the side to mark.
I would make the scarf in one colour with strips of the yellow. For the tassels if you have a extruder you can use that or simply make a sausage shape from fondant and then hold one end and cut in one direction several times to make the tassels.
There should be reciepes on here for both fondant & gumpaste as I am in the UK we do things slightly differently from you guys.
HTH and you get some more answers from others

Hi!! I will tell you how I did it.
If you look in my photos you will see this cake, I like the design so much that I made it for my son

1.- Cover each book individually, I made the mistake of covering only the edges and at cutting time when we finished with the top book and took it off it looked awful (even if it is for your own family you feel , I did!) There are good threads here on CC about covering books Example: CSERWA look this members post just go to forum and click member list, when you get to that page do a search by her name.
2.- SCARF: I did it by cutting individually each color piece a little bit thick and and setting them up one after the other one (not on top of each other)
and rolling them until they joined The scarf was one of the last things I did becauce of the draping that it had to have over the book . the scarf has to still be thick so that when you carefully pick it up it will not come apart. Another thing you will cut to size of width after joining colors,
Another thing about the scarf, since I am also quite new at this, But I was told once by a CC member to try to practice new thing or steps, on smaller scale the good thing is that when you are joining the different colors, if you are not please you can separate the colors and start again I glue in the tassels after I had the scarf on book, I glued it against the book and close , very close to scarf and held it in place for a few seconds.
3.-The coins are very easy, cut circles of white fondant, I use my medium size cirle,and afterwards I use one of my tips(frosting tip)to make the inner circle imprint the coins also have little circles at he border which I did with a tip also. and afterwards I color it with gold luster highlight,I painted both sides .You have to wait for one side to dry before doing the other side.
4.- WAND: all decorations are 50/50 gumpaste and fondant. I rolled a pice of mixture already colored brown ,you decide length of it, and made one of the ends thinner by rolling .After I got the shape I wanted I inserted a wooden skewer (got it at PUBLIX) and let it dry on something I use some paper towels and you arrange it so that it does not get a flat side, after it dried a few days later I stemed it

I myself gave up on the glasses I tried but could not do it I really wanted to
I am sorry for the being so long but I hope this helps you some

CIAO
SOLEDAD