Sun. Oct. 18
9:00 p.m.
Last night I dreamt about Quidditch. Now this in itself is not unusual for me as I have spent many a night fantasizing about the wizarding sport. What made this dream interesting was that the players were not 50 feet above ground throwing, dodging and chasing enchanted balls. Rather, my dream-athletes were sprinting across a modified soccer field, clutching onto broomsticks.
Now most people who know me from a purely academic setting think of me as logical. I like to think things through and make calculated decisions. However, I am passionate about a few bizarre things and when dealing with them the rational part of my brain has a tendency to turn off. Anything related to Harry Potter falls under this category. So, when I learned last week that the College Quidditch Cup was being held in Middlebury, Vt., only a five-hour drive from Ottawa, I knew I was going.
It didn’t matter that I had no vehicle, nor that it was impossible to take a bus to Middlebury on a Sunday, the day the event was being held. It didn’t matter that I had unfinished assignments stacked higher than I am tall. I was going to that tournament. After all, who wouldn’t love a chance to watch students from universities across the United States play an adapted version of a fictional sport?
So, after much logistical planning and unsuccessful attempts to get my friends to join me, I have added a degree of rationality to my otherwise impulsive trip: I contacted the tournament organizer seeking advice on how to get down to Middlebury. He put me a touch with the McGill team (the only Canadian team to compete). I then contacted the Gringotts Goblin (team manager) from McGill, who is organizing a fan bus to accompany the Canadian team down to the tournament, and have secured myself a seat on the bus. I have also printed out Greyhound Bus schedules and contacted one of my high school friends living in Montreal, so I’ll have a place to stay before the bus leaves at 5:30 a.m. on Sunday morning.
So, in exactly one week from now, I intend to be on a McGill fan bus reaching the outskirts of Montreal with a full day of excitement behind me. Watch out Middlebury — here I come!