Spots are limited--email me to be a contestant!

Hey Potterfans!

Tryouts went really well and the judges and I met some really cool HP nerds there :)  First off I would like to say that our Hufflepuff judge is an amazing artist and for this competition she painted the four House crests that we proudly displayed on the wall in the community room (where the competition will be held).

And these are the amazing doodles she did:

AKBurnett2010

We still still have a few spaces available for the competition, so if you still want to be a contestant then e-mail me at hpcompetition@gmail.com to sign up.  Please only e-mail me if you can commit to November 21st from 2-6PM.

Here are the questions that we asked at tryouts.  This is so you can get a feel for the types of questions we'll be asking.  The questions will be asked corresponding with the colors that match those categories.

Spells/Potions

Characters

Mythical Creatures

Hogwarts/Hogsmeade

Magical Objects

Dark Arts 

Answers are displayed in block after questions (highlight to see).

Difficulty: Easy


Q: What is the name of the main wizarding newspaper? A: Daily Prophet

Q: What is Hagrid's first name? A: Rubeus

Q: What is the name of Neville's pet toad? A: Trevor

Q: Voldemort drinks the blood of what creature to stay alive in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone?  A: Unicorn

Q: How do first years get to Hogwarts from the Hogwarts Express? A: By boat

Q: What are Gryffindor's House colors? A: Scarlet and Gold (if you said "red and gold" we would have asked to "be more specific" and if you did not answer with "Scarlet" this question would be incorrect, as the book specifically states "scarlet and gold")

Q: What does Professor Lupin see when he encounters a boggart? A: The full moon (if you said "moon" we would have asked to "be more specific" and if you did not answer with "full moon" this question would be incorrect)

Q: Which spell provides a point of light at the end of one's wand? A: Lumos

Q: Which charm allows the user to make objects fly? A: Wingardium Leviosa

Q: Who kills Sirius Black in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix? A: Bellatrix Lestrange

Difficulty: Medium

Q: Where was the Hufflepuff cup horcrux that Harry, Ron, and Hermione found? A: Bellatrix Lestrange's Gringotts vault

Q: How does one split one's soul in order to create a horcrux? A: Commit an act of murder

Difficulty: Hard

Q: How long, from what type of wood, and from what type of core is Harry's wand made?
A: 11 inches, holly, phoenix feather


So email me giving me your name and Hogwwarts House and I will let you know if I can add you to the list.  HURRY, THOUGH!!  We only have a few spaces left and I go off a first-come-first-serve basis, so email me ASAP when you know you are able to commit to November 21st from 2-6PM.

***UPDATE: We will also have a raffle for the non-1st and 2nd place winners!  At the end of the tournament we will put everyone's name in a basket and draw randomly who will win 2 tickets to the Deathly Hallows movie coming out in November.

I am also working on trying to get movie tickets as additional 1st and 2nd place prizes.

Enjoy the questions and be quick to email me!  See you later!

-HPC Founder
Ravenclaw House 

Tryouts are this Sunday. Be there!

Hey Potterfans,

This is a reminder that tryouts to be in the Harry Potter Trivia Competition are this Sunday, October 24th.  You can show up any time between 2-6PM at Ed McKay's Used Books and More in the community room located upstairs next to the vinyl section.  We'll have signs, but if you somehow get lost in the store, just ask for the "community room."

Here I'll have you sign in, give your Hogwarts house, meet the judges and then ask you a few sample questions from the easy, medium, and hard difficulties to give you an idea of the types of questions that will be asked during the competition in November.

All you really need to do to "try out" for the tryouts is show up.  However, if more than 32 people sign up I will unfortunately have to choose the ones to be contestants and request that the others be alternates in the event of contestants dropping out or no-showing.

And again, if you cannot make it to the tryouts but still want to and can make it to the competition in November, then e-mail me and we can try to work something out.

I will see you in two days, Potterfans!

-HPC Founder
Ravenclaw House

1st and 2nd Place Prizes!

I'm finally back from my trip to Orlando and I have the prizes from the Wizarding World of Harry Potter!

And oh, how it was magical.

1st Place Winnings:

1 Harry Potter replica wand (did not come sealed, but wand is untouched)
1 (sealed) box of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans
1 (sealed) Chocolate Frog, including the Famous Wizard Card!

2nd Place Winnings:

1 glass cup with Hogwarts crest (did not come sealed, but is re-wrapped in tissue paper for safe handling)
1 (sealed) Chocolate Frog, including the Famous Wizard Card!

I modified the 2nd place winnings a bit because I considered how awfully rude it would be to assume everyone would like a Gryffindor mug.  So, instead I replaced it with an unbiased glass cup that looks much nicer!  I hope you all will kindly accept this alteration.

Also, I haven't gotten a 100% yet on the extra prizes I'm trying to get, but things are looking good.

And remember, if you cannot come to Tryouts on Sunday, October 24th but you still want to and can make it to the Competition on Sunday, November 21st, then e-mail me and we'll work something out.

Stay posted, Potterfans!  I can't wait to see the turnout on the 24th!

-HPC Founder
Ravenclaw House

This is how we roll... (Part II)

Hey everyone!

The other judges and I have collaborated over the past few weekends and have finally come up with all the questions needed for the tournament!!  We have even managed to create a handful of Sudden Death questions in case of any of you crazy HP fanatics tying with each other.

The categories have been updated and a few of them must be corrected.  Here are the new and improved categories you will get to choose from:

Spells & Potions

Characters

Mythical Creatures

Hogwarts & Hogsmeade

Magical Objects 

Dark Arts

And this is an example of what will happen in each Game:  In each Game there will be Player 1 and Player 2 (or Team 1 and Team 2 as you will see only for Round 1).  For the sake of example, Player 1 will go first.  Player 1 decides to pick "Magical Objects" and is asked, "What is the long pointy thing wizards use to do magic?"  Player 1 answers, "A spoon" and is declared incorrect.  The question is then passed to Player 2 for a rebound chance.  Player 2 answers "A wand" and is awarded 1 point.  Now it is Player 2's turn.

Player 2 can now choose from any of the 6 categories (6 questions per player).  Player 2 chooses "Mythical Creatures" and is asked, "Which creature breathes fire and flies?"  Player 2 answers "A dragon" and is awarded 2 points.  Now it is player 1's turn.  Player 1 can now choose from ONLY the 5 remaining categories he has left (all but "Magical Objects").  And this is how the game will proceed until all the questions are asked and all the points are tallied.

**Disclaimer: Actual questions in the competition will be Easy, Medium, Hard, or Very Hard (Sudden Death Only).  The questions in this example would be considered "Very Easy" and so nothing like them would be asked in the real tournament.

Once you are asked your question you will have 1 minute to answer and ONLY the first answer given will be accepted.  If the judges deem it necessary that your answer needs more clarification to be correct, "more information please" or "be more specific" will be requested.

In the even of a Game resulting in a tie, both players will be asked a Sudden Death question and must write their answers on pieces of paper provided.  The players have 1 minute to answer the question to the best of their ability and once time is up, the judges will review both answers and deem who came the closest to the correct answer.

So here's what you've all been waiting for:  The Layout.

There will be 5 rounds.  The first round is the only round that will consist of teams.  You will not know who is on your team until the day of the competition.  There will be 2 people to a team and only 2 teams playing against each other per Game.
There will be 8 Games played in Round 1.
1 Game=2 Teams against each other.
1 Team=2 Players.  Got it?

In this round, each game will be governed by two judges, to look like this:
Round 1:

Judges=Blue
Team 1=Red
Team 2=Green

There are 4 judges total, so in Round 1 there will be 2 Games going on at any given time, so 8 people competing at once.
Each team will have 6 questions to answer (one question per category), totaling 12 questions per Game.

Round 2:

Now it's pretty much the same as Round 1, except half the players.  Here you will go head-to-head with another contestant, with 2 judges governing your game.  8 Games in this round.  Now 1 Game=2 Players (instead of 2 Teams).  Each player has 6 questions to answer (one from each category) totaling 12 questions per Game.

~When Round 2 ends there will be a 20 minute intermission for a bathroom/food break.~

Round 3:

Here is where all 4 judges start to govern each Game.  There will be 4 Games in Round 3.
1 Game =2 Players.  12 total questions.


Round 4:


All 4 judges will govern each game in Round 4.  There will be 2 Games in Round 4.
1 Game=2 Players.  12 total questions.


Final Round:

All 4 judges will govern this last round.  1 Game=Final 2 Players.  12 total questions. This Round will determine 1st and 2nd Place Winners.

If there is anything else you would like answered, e-mail me at HPCompetition@gmail.com and I'll address it in the next entry.  I will be leaving for Orlando tomorrow at 4A.M. and will be picking up the prizes soon!  See you in a few weeks at the tryouts!!

-HPC Founder
Ravenclaw House