A Harry Potter inspired dodgeball tournament is coming to Toronto, known as the Canadian Cup Quidditch Tournament. Through my adventures in babysitting I've picked up that Quidditch is a game that only exists in Harry Potter and involves broomsticks and magic, but before you go searching enchanted broomsticks on Ebay, you should know that this championship on November 9th will not require the powers of flight or witchcraft. All you need is the spirit of fun, and maybe some knee pads.

In Harry Potter world non witches are known as Muggles, which is a made up word for "squares" or "normies," and Canadian Cup Quidditch uses Muggle Quidditch rules for all things including snitches. So the broomsticks go between the legs, but do not fly. Wikipedia, friend to those who are doubly muggles or as I prefer, meta-muggles, states: "While the Snitch is a magical object within the canon of the Harry Potter novels, in Quidditch the Snitch is simply a tennis ball contained in a sock tucked in the waistband of the snitch runner." Right. None of this sounds weirdly sexual at all.

Apparently the game is best summed up as a contact sport that combines rugby and dodgeball. There are 27 Muggle Quiddich teams in Canada, and an unknown number of real witch covens (I'm unable to report at this time on how many real witches participate in Muggle Quiddich to let loose). You can watch 16 teams face off at the championships at Cherry Beach Fields on November 9th. No word on what the punishment is for using actual magic in the competition, but assume it will be swift and severe.

The Canadian Cup Quidditch Tournament takes place November 9, 2013 at Cherry Beach Fields. Admission is free. You can also sign up to be a volunteer.

Photo by Joel Robison on Flickr