Harry Potter: University of Texas wins 6th Quidditch World Cup
Their brooms may not fly, but the dedicated muggles at the annual event still know how to knock aside bludgers, score with quaffles and catch snitches...
If you thought quidditch belonged safely within the realms of JK Rowling's Harry Potter books, you thought wrong. Introducing... the Quidditch World Cup. Haven't heard of it before? Shame on you, it's in its sixth year with teams from all over the world gathering last weekend in Kissimmee, Florida to compete for the global title.
Alright, so they may not be Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin, but the Universities of Texas and California are giving it their best shot. After all, being unable to scale the heights on the back of a broom does bring with it certain difficulties. Instead of soaring through the air in hot pursuit of the snitch - as we're used to seeing the likes of Harry and Malfoy doing - these dedicated fans are left waddling with a broomstick between their legs.
Determined to overcome the obvious setbacks, 1600 players travelled to compete as part of 80 teams from different campuses in North America, Europe and Australia.
Ultimately it was the University of Texas who knocked aside the most bludgers, scored with the most quaffles and caught the most snitches to emerge triumphant, winning 190-80 against UCLA in the grand final on Sunday.
And while the Quidditch World Cups of Rowling's wizarding community were marred by attacks from Lord Voldemort's Death Eaters, last weekend's butterbeer-fuelled merriment saw the revellers exploring the magical realms of Universal Studios Wizarding World of Harry Potter, situated just minutes away of the tournament.
