Passers-by of Gerlinger Lawn on any given Saturday afternoon are likely to see sophomore Charmaine Ng passing the Quaffle. That’s not a typo, and no, she’s not crazy.
She’s just playing Quidditch, the Harry Potter universe’s favorite sport, with other members of the University of Oregon Muggle Quidditch League and trying not to take everything too seriously during her time at the University.
“In college there’s always so much stress and serious stuff going on, like classes and finals and internships and stuff. So it’s nice to take a break and just be like, ‘I’m going to go play Quidditch,’” she said, pumping her fist in the air.
Although the idea of a UO Muggle Quidditch League has been circulating for years, Ng turned the rumors into reality. What started as an assignment for a public policy class, in which she was supposed to reshape a community organization, has become a weekly sporting event for Harry Potter fans of all backgrounds.
“I thought, ‘Well, why don’t I do something silly and random like Muggle Quidditch?’ I love Harry Potter and I was a member of the Facebook group, but nothing was getting started. I decided to just create my own,” Ng said.
After getting permission from the original Facebook administrator, Ng took over the group and started making plans last November to create a functioning Quidditch league.
The league started playing in January with a core group of about 10 people, and Ng said games now attract up to 20 people, depending on the weather, midterms and finals.
Every Saturday from 12:30 to 3 p.m., people walking to the library or the Student Recreation Center can catch a glimpse of or even join in a scrimmage replete with Chasers, Beaters, Seekers, Keepers, Bludgers, a Quaffle and, most importantly, a Golden Snitch.
“It’s crazy,” Ng said, who alternates between playing Chaser and refereeing the scrimmages. “Absolutely crazy. There’s so much going on at one time.”
The players run around the field using a volleyball for the Quaffle, hula hoops on PVC pipes for goal posts and Spiderman dodgeballs for Bludgers. Best of all, the person playing the Snitch is decked out in yellow and gold with a tennis ball in a yellow sock hanging from their shorts, like a flag in flag football. The Snitch runs around campus hiding from the Seekers, and the game isn’t over until one of the Seekers has grabbed the sock.
The University League isn’t rich like the Malfoys, so they don’t ride Firebolts or Nimbus 2000s or any other broomsticks.
“Besides, there’s already enough going on without adding brooms to the mix,” Ng said. “It’s so hard to keep track of everything. There’s this huge mass of people just attacking each other. There are like 15 people running after just one ball, and you’re looking out for a Beater who might be sneaking up behind you to knock you out. It’s really exhilarating
and exciting.”
Muggle Quidditch leagues are surprisingly popular. They have their own governing organization, called the International Quidditch Association, and more than 200 leagues exist at various colleges and universities across the country. There are tournaments and championships, and even a 40-page rule book. Some leagues take the game more seriously than others. For now, Ng just wants people to come together to celebrate Harry Potter and enjoy themselves.
“It’s just for fun; it’s not that serious. No one’s going to cry if they lose. There isn’t a whole lot of pressure, and that’s what I like about it. And I just like that it’s silly,” she said.
Even though it’s rare to meet someone who dislikes Harry Potter in this day and age, Ng admits her idea of starting a League has been met with occasional criticism and ridicule. But she’s not letting it get to her, and she knows that more and more people will discover how fun the game is over time.
“It seems like we’re taking Harry Potter way too seriously, but why not? This is something that we love; why not live it out? It’s a combination of rugby, basketball, soccer and dodgeball, but it’s something that’s unique and special. It’s so different, and there’s nothing like it, so why wouldn’t you want to be a part of it? I mean, everyone plays basketball; there’s nothing special about that.”
The League has provided many opportunities for Ng to grow, as well. She had never been part of a team sport before. And even though she does not consider herself to be athletic, she loves running around the field with the Quaffle.
“I am growing because of this … I like to play Chaser because it comes naturally, just running around and catching. Plus, I’m not good at dodgeball, and I’m too short and small to be a Keeper,” she said, smiling.
A self-described introvert, Ng has also grown as a public speaker and leader and couldn’t imagine leaving the League and her new friends, no matter how busy she gets.
And she’s already really busy. In addition to playing and organizing Quidditch, Ng is a journalism student and writer for Ethos Magazine, a member of the Asian Pacific American Student Union, vice president, historian and Webmaster for the University’s National Society of Collegiate Scholars chapter and works at the help desk in the Living Learning Center.
But through all this, Ng still has made time to create and enjoy a community where students can share their love of Harry Potter, meet new people and play a unique sport. She’s even come up with more exciting icebreaker questions for new members, including “Which Harry Potter character would you most like to make out with?”
Ng’s answer is simple.
“Harry, definitely. Ever since The Sorcerer’s Stone, I’ve been like, ‘Oh, you’re amazing.’ I just love him,” she said.
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