Harry Potter and the Order of Bloomington

In this quiet college town, something magical and mysterious is occurring behind the backs of its “muggle” residents. Although the final book in the
“Harry Potter” series is out, the teen wizard is still alive and well. As the tradition lives on and devotion grows stronger, it’s not hard to tell that this was no ordinary children’s book. It encompasses a ginormous fan following across the globe, even locally.

Quidditch: Not just for wizards

With hundreds of Facebook groups dedicated to the mystic world of “Harry Potter,” there is only one at IU trying to get its feet off the ground (literally) – the Indiana University Quidditch Team.

Quidditch, the magical broom-flying sport created and popularized by J.K. Rowling’s “Harry Potter” series, allows students to come together and transform a fantasy world into a reality. And although the IU team hasn’t technically played the sport yet – due to trying to get around the flying aspect – they are working on creating a real-life version.

The IU Facebook group consists of 47 members, with team captain Derek Hutton at the helm.

“I consider myself a ‘Harry Potter’ freak. I bought each and every book in advance,” Hutton boasted.

Although Quidditch is an original sport, it does share similar aspects with mortal sports, such as lacrosse and baseball, Hutton said.

Hutton explained that playing the wizard sport can be tricky for real-life people because portions of the game are controlled by magic, such as the Golden Snitch.

The Snitch zips around the field on its own accord while the Seekers try to catch it.
Hutton compared the catching of the Snitch with the contest at county fairs where people try to catch a greased pig. “The pig is notorious for running fast and the Snitch moves faster than anything out there out on the field,” he said.

However, IU is not the only school bewitched by this wizarding sport. Over 150 colleges belong to the Intercollegiate Quidditch Association, where teams play a muggle form of Quidditch. Some of the teams will compete Oct. 26 at the Intercollegiate World Cup 2008.

IU alumnus Patrick Tiffany is a Beater on the IU Quidditch Team Facebook group, and he said IU has no reason not to join and play in the association.

“We have a plethora of random activities and recreational sports – why not Quidditch?” Tiffany asked.

The IQA, started in 2005 by Middlebury student Xander Manshel, has a rulebook with guidelines for students interested in developing a non-magic version of the sport. It covers everything from necessary equipment to penalties that are denoted by yellow or red wands, which are similar to the colored cards used in soccer.

Hutton hopes to use the rulebook to kick-start the IU team into action and perhaps play at the World Cup.

“I think that is a distinct possibility,” he said. “I wasn’t aware that association existed, but it’s something I would definitely look into in the future.”

This one time at ‘Harry Potter’ camp …

At the Bloomington WonderLab, 308 W. Fourth St., elementary school students were able to partake in a weeklong summer camp that examined the science of “Harry Potter.”

“Who thought ‘Harry Potter’ could be science?,” Mandie Guinn, the camp director, said with a laugh.

The summer camp, which has taken place every year since 2002 (except 2004), allows children to experience courses Harry and his Hogwarts classmates took, such as “Transfiguration,” “Herbology,” “Potions,” “Charms” and “Care of Magical Creatures.”
Of course, there is a muggle twist, but two-year instructor Kirstin Maxwell tries to immerse the children in the fantasy as much as possible.

The classroom was covered with characteristics of the magical world, from the snack table with the sign “Bertie Botts” to the bookshelf named “Flourish & Blotts.” Beakers even had the words “unicorn tears” and “dragon blood.”

Maxwell used “Harry Potter” terminology, placed the children in respective Hogwarts houses, gave them house points, called them “Hogwarts students” and even dressed like a witch.

“Children love science! It gives them a chance to use their imagination and creativity,” she said. “And they’re transported to this magical school to help them find skills.”

The final day, “Care of Magical Creatures,” included such activities as the study of carnivorous plants, animals and “Billywig” (termite) races, where the children learned that Billywigs are attracted to blue pen ink because it smells like pheromones.

Maxwell, who is an elementary school science teacher at St. Charles Catholic School, said she thought adults could even benefit and enjoy a “Harry Potter”-themed science class.

“Science is so magical; there is still a lot that can’t be explained,” she said.

Nerds unite!

Terminus, a five-day “Harry Potter” conference from Aug. 7 to 11 in Chicago, aims to “examine the complete ‘Harry Potter’ series from a variety of perspectives,” Amy Tenbrink, co-lead event organizer, said.

Before the last book dropped, previous conferences were unaware of how the series would end. Now fans and scholars “can look back and analyze what happened – where we were right, where we were wrong and what questions we had that can be answered now that we can look at the entire work as a whole,” she said.

The 1,500 expected attendees will be able to enjoy presentations and seminars, a Quidditch tournament and a masquerade ball, according to the Terminus Web site. Representatives from IU will present at Terminus, Hallie Tibbett, co-lead event organizer, said.

IU art education assistant professor Marjorie Manifold is on the creative review board for the art section of the conference and was also at last summer’s Phoenix Rising, a New Orleans-based “Harry Potter” conference. She said the major difference is this conference is “anti-climatic” because the last book came out and everyone knows what happened.

She is presenting two of her papers at the conference: “Fanart and Cosplay: Escapism or a Healing Aesthetic?” and “Harry the Hero: An Archetype for Real 21st-Century Heroes.”

The latter is not yet in print, but she is presenting it to get feedback, she said.
Manifold, who takes a “popular-culture approach” to research, said researchers don’t have to be outside to impartialy observe and understand.

“But you can’t research something like ‘Harry Potter’ and not fall in love with it. Well, at least I couldn’t,” she said with a laugh.

Children younger than 14 aren’t allowed to attend the conference, and those 14 to 17 can only attend with parents or guardians. “People don’t bring their kids; they go to get away from their kids – to be grownups and enjoy ‘Harry Potter,’” Manifold said.
Bloomington resident Melissa Horton attended Phoenix Rising and is looking forward to attending Terminus as well.

The advantage of Terminus is that it’s a short drive compared to the full-day commute to New Orleans for Phoenix Rising, she said. Although she said she’d love to attend an Indiana “Harry Potter” conference, the venue’s location would matter.

“While there are a lot of diehard fans who could attend presentations and workshops all day, some of the draw of their conferences is getting to do other things in a city you might not normally visit,” she said.

Although the books have come to an end, Manifold believes that “Harry Potter” will endure even after the final movie.

“The literature will last; the books will last,” she said. “It’ll be there as long as people are around reading literature and looking at great literature. I think it will be considered a piece of great literature. Just like “Great Expectations,” “Pride and Prejudice,” “Mark Twain,” it’s gonna be up there with them. … It already is.”