For These Wizard Wannabes, Quidditch is for Muggles, Too

For several Michigan university sports teams, Friday marks the bittersweet ending of one Harry Potter era and the broomstick-wielding beginning of another.

They are Muggle Quidditch teams, and on the day of the final Harry Potter movie release, they'll play in their first tournament for the fictional sport that Harry and his wizard friends made famous.

As part of its weekend-long Harry Potter celebration, the is hosting its first-ever Quidditch Tournament. The tournament, which begins at 2 p.m. Friday, is free for spectators and will follow some special clinics (starting at 11 a.m.) to teach aspiring "seekers" and "chasers" about the sport.

Quidditch teams from Oakland University, Eastern Michigan University and Michigan State University will compete in the tournament.

'Harry Potter come to life'

During a recent Quidditch practice on the campus of Oakland University, a few curious spectators stopped to inquire about what the group was doing.

"It's Quidditch," members of the Oakland Owls would shout, enthusiastically, in reply.

"No kidding?" one onlooker said. "How do you play?"

"You run around with a broom between your legs and try to throw balls through three hoops," said Nichole Seguin, who, in an ode to the books, calls herself the headmistress of the Department of Muggle Games and Sports.

Her description pretty much sums it up.

Seguin, an OU junior from Utica, formed the Owls last year with the support of the university. The Owls are one of about 250 Quidditch teams at colleges and universities across the country.

"For most people, it's their childhood dream come true," said Adam McNeilly, who will start at OU as a freshman this fall. "Everybody wants to fly on their broomstick and perform magic spells, and this is the closest we're going to get.

"And that's what it is for me," he said. "It's Harry Potter come to life."

Potter, full circle

Sequin said she practically cries every time she sees a preview for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (which at The Henry Ford’s IMAX Theater).

Like most of the rest of the Muggle Quidditch players, Seguin was in elementary school when Harry received his first summons to Hogwarts in the pages of the series' first book in 1998.

Since then, she's read every book and seen every movie. Her love for Harry Potter has come full circle with the formation of the Quidditch team.

"It's our whole generation," she said.

The Quidditch tournament begins at 2 p.m. Friday at The Henry Ford with a second game at 4:30 p.m. Quidditch clinics will be held at 11 a.m. and noon.

On Saturday, the museum will also host a presentation with live owls from 12-4 p.m., courtesy of the Leslie Science and Nature Center in Ann Arbor.