The chaser tosses the quaffle to her teammate, dodging between the defenders. The goals are in sight, the keeper bouncing between the three hoops, trying to predict her move. She winds up for a shot but is suddenly slammed in the side by a bludger. The opposing beater yells in triumph.
The opposing team snatches up the quaffle and darts to the opposing goal. But wait! The snitch has been spotted. A red streak bolts for it and chases it down for a capture. The match is over! The victory goes to ... Ball State?
This was no scene from one of the "Harry Potter" books. These events played out at Ball State on a crisp November morning. Believe it or not, the university has its own quidditch team, and it's not alone.
The game from the "Harry Potter" series by J.K. Rowling has always been one of the most popular aspects of the books and movies and has spawned an official organization, the International Quidditch Association. The sport is still in its infancy but is booming with new teams. Founded in 2006, the IQA has already captured the attention of hundreds of high schools and colleges. It even holds tournaments, including a World Cup.
Ball State, an official member of the IQA, plays several other colleges in the area, including Purdue and Loyola.
The sport, a hybrid mix of soccer, basketball and lacrosse, can be physical. For Hannah Lindgren, co-founder and co-president of the Ball State Horcruxes, even poor broom quality is a safety issue because they are liable to break.
"One of our guys at the Purdue tournament almost got impaled," she said. "The problem with getting 14 legitimate brooms from Alivan's, even with the 30 percent discount for being part of the IQA, [is] it's $570."
Alivan's is an online store that sells "Harry Potter" merchandise, including the equipment to play quidditch.
Much of the game is the same as it is portrayed in the books. Each team is made up of three chasers, offensive players who score goals with the quaffle; two beaters, defensive players who throw the bludgers; one keeper; and one seeker, who finds and captures the snitch.
Scoring is also the same. A team gets 10 points for tossing the quaffle through one of the three goals. In this version, however, a team gets only 30 points for catching the snitch, which ends the game. The team that has more points when the snitch is caught wins.
Not every facet of the fictional game can be copied straight from the book. "Muggle" technology hasn't given the world a broom that can fly yet, so the players default to running with one. Volleyballs and dodgeballs replace the quaffle and bludgers. If a bludger hits a player, she have to run back past her own goal to simulate falling off a broom.
The snitch poses a different kind of problem. In the books, a little yellow ball with wings zips around the pitch. Instead of this, a person with gold clothing runs around the field with a tennis ball in a sock tied around them until one of the Seekers catches him and takes the tennis ball. The seeker is the most important team member because catching the snitch gives that team 30 points and ends the game. In many cases, the team that captures the Snitch is guaranteed a win.
Ball State seeker Tyler Macy said even though his job is difficult, it's not as bad as it is in the book.
"I have no doubt that my job is easier than Harry Potter's," Macy said. "A person running around in yellow is definitely easier to find than a small, golden, flying ball."
Watching a quidditch match is exciting and the action is constant.
The team members are active beyond the pitch as well. They are also members of the Harry Potter Alliance, an organization that raises money for various charities and causes. For example, the HPA raised more than $120,000 to aid the victims of the Haiti hurricane.
The future is bright for the Ball State Horcruxes, who are looking to make a trip to New York City for the World Cup tournament next year.
"Give quidditch a chance," Lindgren said. "It's really a lot cooler than people think and it's just fun."
While their season is over for now, you can catch them in action next spring. Just look for a flash of gold and follow.
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