Gobstones

Warning! At least some content in this article is derived from information featured in Harry Potter: Wizards Unite and Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery. As such, spoilers will be present within the article.

Gobstones is a game mostly popular amongst wizarding children^[1] similar to the Muggle game of marbles. The only difference between the two games is that Gobstones is played using special stones that squirt a putrid liquid at the player when they lose a point. The game and its players do not enjoy a very 'cool' reputation, which is something its devotees tend to resent.

Variations

Gobstones is an ancient wizarding game that resembles marbles, the principal difference being that every time a point is conceded, the winning stone squirts a foul-smelling liquid into the loser's face. Players start the game with fifteen small, round Gobstones each (Gobstones are sold in sets of thirty) and the winner must capture all of his opponent’s stones. Though most commonly (as the name implies) made of stone, Gobstones may also be made of precious metals.^[1]

There are three other popular variants of Gobstones, however: "Classic" Game (where you have to knock seven Gobstones out of the circle before your opponent does), "Jack Stone" Game (where after four snaps your Gobstone must be the one closest to the Jack Gobstone) and the "Snake Pit" Game (which is similar to "Jack Stone", however instead of a Jack Gobstone there’s a hole on the centre of the circle).^[2]

Clubs, associations, and leagues

There currently exist numerous Gobstones clubs and leagues. Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry has various Gobstones Clubs. Most students own their own set of gobstones. Hogwarts' competitive Gobstones Team even held matches with other wizarding schools.

Eileen Prince, mother of Severus Snape, was Team Captain in her time. There is also an International Gobstones League, officiated from the Official Gobstones Club Offices, on the Department of Magical Games and Sports (level seven of the Ministry of Magic). There is also a National Welsh Gobstones Team, which competed in the Gobstones competition, the Gobstones Tournament. The National Gobstone Association hosts a Gobstones World Championship.^[1] The National Gobstone Association has attempted recruitment campaigns such as 'Give Gobstones A Second Glance', although the choice of accompanying picture (current Gobstones World Champion Kevin Hopwood being squirted with an eyeful of gunk) was perhaps ill-chosen.^[1]

Reputation

Professional Gobstone players compete in national leagues and international tournaments, but it remains a minority sport within the wizarding world, and does not enjoy a very 'cool' reputation, something its devotees tend to resent. It is also known as "the thinking wizard's Quidditch". Gobstones is most popular among very young wizards and witches, but they generally 'grow out' of the game, becoming more interested in Quidditch as they grow older.^[1]

Gobstones enjoys limited popularity at Hogwarts, ranking low among recreational activities, way behind Quidditch and even Wizarding Chess.^[1]

National Gobstones Teams

• American National Gobstones Team
• English National Gobstones Team
• Hungarian National Gobstones Team
• Welsh National Gobstones Team

Gobstones Clubs at Hogwarts

• Slytherin Gobstones Club
• Gryffindor Gobstones Club
• Hogwarts Gobstones Team
• Ravenclaw Gobstones Club
• Hufflepuff Gobstones Club

Behind the scenes

• In the 31 July 1998 edition of the Daily Prophet one reader wrote a letter complaining about the paper's lack of coverage of gobstones.^[3]
• Harry Potter once contemplated buying a solid gold set of gobstones at Diagon Alley.^[4]
• Flavius Belby was the president of his local Gobstones club, as seen in his story in the Lethifold portion of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. It was a happy memory used by Belby to produce his Patronus to chase the Lethifold.^[5]
• Eileen Prince was the club captain of Hogwarts' Gobstones club.^[6]
• Gobstones is mostly popular amongst very young witches and wizards, who tend to "grow out" of the game. It ranks low in popularity amongst recreational activities at Hogwarts.^[1]
• Albus Dumbledore played Gobstones with Remus Lupin while trying to convince Lyall Lupin and Hope Howell, Lupin's parents, to let him attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

See also

• Noisy Hitter

Appearances

• Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
• Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (video game)
• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Mentioned only)
• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (video game) (Nintendo DS version)
• Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (Mentioned only)
• Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (play) (Mentioned only)
• Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Mentioned only)
• Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (film) (Mentioned in a newspaper)
• Pottermore
• Wizarding World
• Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery
• Harry Potter: Wizards Unite

Notes and references