YULE BALL TOURNAMENT QUESTIONS: TOSSUPS ONLY
1. Before being refurbished, it was home to a number of unpleasant creatures such as doxies and boggarts. Its decor includes a serpent-shaped door knocker, as well as the mounted heads of house-elves and a strategically burned family tapestry. FTP, name this residence, the new headquarters for the Order of the Phoenix.
Answer:Number 12, Grimmauld Place
2. Born to parents named Pollux and Irma, she died in 1985 as one of the last of her pure-blood line. She hated such members of her family as Alphard and Andromeda, which is why she magically burned their names off the family tree along with that of her son. Who, FTP, is this mother of Sirius?
Answer:Walburga Black
3. This actor first gained fame on the stage for playing such roles as King Lear and Falstaff, but he became most famous with the movies The Singing Detective and, of course, his role in the Harry Pottermovies, which he first took on in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. FTP, name this British-Irish actor, who replaced Richard Harris as Albus Dumbledore.
Answer: Michael Gambon
4. They alone defend users against Lethifolds, though Dumbledore can also use them to send unforgeable messages. In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Umbridge's is a cat, and in the movie of Order of the Phoenix, Ginny's is a horse. What, FTP, are these creatures that are primarily used to defend wizards against Dementors?
Answer: Patronus
5. According to Ron in Chamber of Secrets, Ginny loves these. They make Hagrid sneeze. Dumbledore says that he has never seen one of these "sit so stiffly" in the opening of the first book, and Mrs. Figg once broke her leg tripping over one. FTP, identify this animal, a notable example of which is Mrs. Norris.
Answer:Cats
6. This substance was sold as a potion to guard against Voldemort and the Death Eaters, but that is not one of its true uses. Ron mentions that Hermione would rather eat it than miss an important lesson with Mad-Eye Moody. Eloise Midgen tried to curse her acne off, but she should have used a solution of this liquid, which smells like petrol and is highly corrosive to the skin when undiluted. Name, FTP, this liquid, sent to Hermione by an angry Witch Weekly reader.
Answer:Bubotuber pus
7. In the first Harry Potter film, Nina Young plays the ghost of this character, who J.K. Rowling states "never found true love as she never found a man up to her standards." She was stabbed to death while hiding in Albania, where she had fled after stealing a certain piece of jewelry from her mother Rowena. FTP, who is this woman, who became the Grey Lady after her murder by the Bloody Baron?
Answer:Helena Ravenclaw
8. Banana fritters. Toffee eclairs. Baubles. Tapeworm. Balderdash. Quid agis. Dilligrout. Caput draconis. Abstinence. Fairy lights. Mimbulus mimbletonia. These are, FTP, what keys to entry into one of Harry, Ron and Hermione's favorite hangout spots?
Answer: Passwords to the Gryffindor tower (Accept equivalents.)
9. Professor Slughorn saw Ginny Weasley use this spell on Zacharias Smith and was so impressed that he asked her to join the Slug Club. It is apparently a speciality of hers, as she cast it on Draco Malfoy to escape from Umbridge's office and has often cast it on her brothers. What, FTP, is this hex, which sics the victim's enlarged, winged mucus on his or her face?
Answer: Bat-bogey Hex
10. This actor was given his well-known role in the Harry Potter films only after Tim Roth backed out. Other well-known roles include Sir Alexander Drake in the sci-fi parody Galaxy Quest, as well as in Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy as the voice of Marvin. FTP, name this actor who plays the despised Professor Severus Snape in the Harry Potter films.
Answer: Alan Rickman
11. In the 13th century, Ignatia Wildsmith invented this useful substance, which the Weasley family keeps in a flowerpot. Harry neglected to use it correctly the first time, leaving him temporarily stranded in Knockturn Alley. Throwing it into flames causes them to turn emerald green. FTP, what is this substance that allows magical travel through a network of connected fireplaces?
Answer: FlooPowder
12. Ingredients include leeches, powdered bicorn horn and knotgrass, and it looks like thick, bubbling mud before the key final ingredient is added. One dose's effect lasts for exactly an hour, but doses can be taken indefinitely, as characters such as Crabbe, Goyle, and Crouch Jr. did. What, FTP, is this potion that allowed Harry and Ron to infiltrate the Slytherin common room disguised as Crabbe and Goyle?
Answer:Polyjuice Potion
13. This British actor originally didn't want to be in the Harry Potter films, claiming he had never bought into the world of Harry Potter. Previous credits include the voice of the Pharoah in The Prince of Egypt, a rich senator courting Jennifer Lopez in Maid in Manhattan and a plane crash victim in The English Patient. Who is, FTP, this creepy portrayer of Lord Voldemort?
Answer: Ralph Fiennes
14. This bearded wizard works for the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. He was the one to interrogate Winky after the Dark Mark was cast over the Quidditch World Cup camping grounds. He loves his son beyond all else, even being rude to Harry when the two were in competition, and he was crushed when his son died. FTP, name this father of Cedric Diggory.
Answer:Amos Diggory
15. It lies just east of Hogwarts, and has been the focus of many key events in the Harry Potter series. Harry and Voldemort's final showdown occurred here, and creatures that live in it include Acromantulas, unicorns and centaurs. FTP, what is this off-limits location where Harry first saw Snape confronting Quirrell in the first book?
Answer:Forbidden Forest
16. Hagrid's favorite is named Tenebrus, who was born from an original herd of a male and five females. They aren't actually bad luck, but they do have an amazing sense of direction and an affinity for raw meat. Name, FTP, these magical animals, invisible to those who have not seen death, shaped like reptilian winged horses?
Answer:Thestrals
17. This spell enables Draco Malfoy, Hermione, and Voldemort to communicate with others via coins or dark marks. It is at N.E.W.T. level, but Hermione manages to cast it in her fifth year. FTP, name this shape-changing charm, which was used to help members of the D.A. know when to meet again.
Answer:Protean Charm
18. Invented in the 1300s by Bowman Wright, it replaced an animal that became an endangered species in the 1200s. It is enchanted to move like this animal, a small, round bird, and is the most important item in its game. FTP, name this walnut-sized golden ball invented in Godric's Hollow to replace the Snidget.
Answer: The Golden Snitch
19. Their names were changed to Wendell and Monica Wilkins, and they only actually appear once in the entire book series. They support magic, but not its use for "quick fixes," such as dental readjustments. This would make sense, as they are both dentists. Name, FTP, these Muggles, relocated to Australia by their daughter to protect them from Voldemort's wrath.
Answer: The Grangers or Hermione's parents
20. A PG-13 Disney movie about babysitting was his directorial debut; he didn't gain recognition, though, until he directed Home Alone. Other famous movies he directed include Mrs. Doubtfire, RENT, and Bicentennial Man, and his sort-of-namesake production company is called 1492 Pictures. This is, FTP, what director of the first two Harry Potter movies, conveniently named after the leader of the Nina, Pinta, and Santa Maria fleet?
Answer: Chris Columbus
21. Famed Quidditch teams from this location include the Moutohora Macaws; Quidditch arrived here when English wizards came in the seventeenth century to study magical plants. Fittingly, the Antipodean Opaleye dragon is native to this country, which is part of the Antipodes island region of the south Pacific. FTP, what is this country, famous for Lord of the Rings and sheep?
Answer: New Zealand
22. Invisibility Cloaks can be created by permeating a simple traveling cloak with this spell. In Order of the Phoenix, when it is cast on Harry, he thinks that it feels like someone has broken an egg over his head and the cold yolk is trickling over him. Name, FTP, this charm, which hides the true magical nature of people, items, or creatures.
Answer: Disillusionment Charm
23. Found on mountaintops in Egypt, India and China, this animal has been given a quadruple X rating by the Ministry of Magic's Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures because attempts to domesticate it are rarely successful. This creature can survive a killing curse, though the curse does cause it to temporarily revert to its newborn state. It can carry incredibly heavy loads with ease, and its tears have great healing properties. FTP, name this legendary bird, a notable example of which is Fawkes.
Answer: Phoenix
24. These took six months and a lot of neglected O.W.L. studying to invent, but they seem to have been worth it. One of their notable victims was a then-dieting Dudley, who snagged one when they were "accidentally" dropped. FTP, what are these sweets, imbued with an Engorgement Charm that make a person's tongue swell to ten times its usual size?
Answer:Ton-tongue toffees
25. In June 2004, she was the "Wizard of the Month" on J.K. Rowling's Web site. People who disagree with her "have a nasty habit of turning into woodlice," and she enjoys butterbeer and the Weird Sisters. She was a member of the Slug Club while at Hogwarts and still sends Horace Slughorn tickets to see her Quidditch team play. Who, FTP, is this witch, captain and Beater of the only all-female professional Quidditch team, the Holyhead Harpies?
Answer:Gwenog Jones
26. She has worked for such illustrious publications as The New Yorker, the Atlantic Monthly, and the Wall Street Journal, and one of her best-known children's books is Chin Yu Min and the Ginger Cat. A resident of the author's hometown of Sarasota, Florida, she was among the few who read the Harry Potter books before their release in order to best draw her illustrations. FTP, name this woman, cover artist and illustrator of the American editions of the Harry Potter books.
Answer: Mary GrandPré
27. It is owned by the Flume couple and is constantly packed with Hogwarts students on certain weekends. In the celler is a secret passageway to Hogwarts, but the shop is best known for its homemade fudge and huge blocks of chocolate. What, FTP, is the name of this Hogsmeade sweetshop?
Answer:Honeydukes Sweetshop
28. It takes a full mooncycle to mature, and its use is very strictly controlled, though N.E.W.T. students should be able to make it. This potion only takes three drops to have its effect; it is notably used on Barty Crouch Jr., and Umbridge probably attempted to use it on Harry. FTP, what is this colorless, odorless potion that compels the user to tell the truth.
Answer:Veritaserum
29. These nasty critters are native to lakes in Britain, and they first appeared in Prisoner ofAzkaban in Lupin's class. They live in weed beds and have sharp horns and green teeth, as well as long brittle fingers to grab their prey, but merpeople can domesticate them. FTP, give the name of these creatures, which Harry had to avoid during the second task of the Triwizard championship.
Answer: Grindylows
30. The first of this series was released in 1926 and dominated the racing market due to its superior cornering. A wizard claimed in The Quibbler to have flown to the moon on the sixth one, and Ron received the new Eleven as a present for becoming a prefect. FTP, what is this punnily named series of racing broomsticks?
Answer: Cleansweep
31. Harry Potter performed the Cruciatus Curse on this wizard after he spit in McGonagall's face; this followed an argument in which he tried to convince her that Ravenclaw students had summoned You-Know-Who to Hogwarts. After the takeover of the school, he forced students to learn the Dark Arts, but he ended up captured and under McGonagall's Imperius Curse. Who, FTP, is this Death Eater, brother of Alecto?
Answer:Amycus Carrow
32. The national Hungarian team for this activity lost to Wales at one point, but the Daily Prophet thought it was too boring to cover. Many Hogwarts students own their own sets, and Harry wanted to buy a solid gold set in Diagon Alley. Besides the International League, there is also a Hogwarts club for, FTP, what game in which marble-like stones spit horrible fluid at players who lose a point?
Answer:Gobstones
33. He disapproves of cheating and deception, but some of his favorite things are wizard chess, spiders, and gnomes, and he even approves of Ron's pet owl, Pigwidgeon. Sirius called him "the most intelligent of his kind I've ever met," but may not have known at the time that he was part Kneazle. FTP, who is this large, bowlegged ginger cat that Hermione bought in Diagon Alley?
Answer:Crookshanks
34. Scenes involving this character were filmed, but later cut for the movie of Sorcerer’s Stone. He has knowingly taken an order from a student only once, when Fred and George Weasley made their extravagant escape from Professor Umbridge, though Harry tricked him into following an fake order from the Bloody Baron. FTP, name this poltergeist who is perennially excluded from the Welcoming Feast due to his extreme lack of manners.
Answer:Peeves
35. In Order of the Phoenix, Harry had to write 12 inches of parchment for Professor Snape about the uses of this potion ingredient. Reputedly, it helps equilibrate the emotions, and it comes in many colors. Its most famed use is in powdered form in the Draught of Peace. FTP, what is this gem, an opalescent stone named after the Earth's only natural satellite?
Answer: Moonstone
36. It is situated in the middle of the North Sea, though its precise location is unknown to most. After Kingsley Shacklebolt became Minister of Magic, he terminated the use of Dementors for security. FTP, name this wizarding prison from which Sirius Black, among others, managed to escape.
Answer: Azkaban
37. One episode's production was cancelled, though the audio for it still remains. In the first episode, one character asks, "For that matter, where the hell am I?" before getting naked but after picking the pockets of a dead Harry and Ron. What, FTP, is this series of Flash animations created by Neil Cicierega, the latest episode of which features a pipe bomb and its "mysterious ticking noise?"
Answer:Potter Puppet Pals
38. This entity's decor changes depending on the time of day, though candles in sconces always light the interior. It can travel up to 160 km in an instant, and objects dodge it so that it can travel at breakneck paces. This describes, FTP, what mode of transportation, which costs 11 sickles and requires only that the customer hold out his wand arm?
Answer:Knight Bus
39. Diricawls and phoenixes can do this, and Hogwarts students are taught how to do it to small objects starting in fifth year Transfiguration. The incantation evanesco can have this effect, and a certain cabinet into which Montague was stuffed does it very effectively. FTP, all these have what in common, which very simply makes things disappear?
Answer:Vanishing (accept logical equivalents)
40. It was first released in 2001 by Electronic Arts to criticism for overly simple gameplay. Highlights in the console version include an adventure in the Forbidden Forest, but many of the details differ from those in the book. Harry is the only playable character, though in most versions he converses with other characters. FTP, what is this video/PC game, based on the first Harry Potter book?
Answer:Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (also accept Sorcerer's Stone)
41. He fought on Voldemort's side during the final Battle of Hogwarts, though this may have been because he was under Yaxley's Imperius Curse. Being a Muggle-born wizard became a criminal offense during his term, which was essentially a front government for Voldemort. FTP, name this former Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement and brief puppet Minister of Magic.
Answer: Pius Thicknesse
42. Whizzing Worms. Screaming Yo-Yos. Ever-Bashing Boomerangs. Fanged Frisbees. Dungbombs. Stink Pellets. These are just a few of the 437 items on, FTP, what list of Argus Filch's, possession of which can land a Hogwarts student in detention?