Rehoboth’s Grove Park recently saw dozens of brave young witches and wizards racing with their brooms to compete in a Quidditch tournament, concluding the yearly Hogwarts Camp hosted by Rehoboth Beach Public Library.
Popularized by J.K. Rowling’s “Harry Potter” book series, the once-fantastical sport has become a real pastime with the aid of household brooms, hula hoops and a little creative magic.
Every summer, young Hogwarts students compete to win the Quidditch Cup, simultaneously scoring points for their house teams in the hopes of earning the camp’s most coveted award: the House Cup. In keeping with Hogwarts tradition, players must think quickly and work as a team to surmount obstacles, outrun opponents’ bludgers, defend their hoops from quaffles and catch the elusive Golden Snitch.
“Quidditch is a pretty strange and complex sport, but at the end of the day, it’s all about trying something new. There’s no faster way to make friends than overcoming difficult challenges together,” said Jay Campbell, library events coordinator.
After two days of tricky tasks and puzzles, the competition was neck-and-neck, but one team’s outstanding Quidditch performance put them firmly in the lead. Powered by friendship and determination, the underdog team of House Hufflepuff turned their first House Cup victory in 2023 into a consecutive winning streak.