Random Fandom Event: Harry Potter Horcrux Hunt
I created this idea based on a blog post I found on Sophie's World for a Harry Potter themed party. I thought that having a Horcrux Hunt could be a fun event for Teens or Tweens. I have laid the event out for a library, but it could be adapted for any organization. What I am providing is an outline for the event and you can fill in the specifics for your event.
Preparation
Before you start, you need to determine the complexity of the event. I am going to break down the events into three categories: Muggle, OWLS, and NEWTS. You can select the plan based on the time, resources, and audience that you will have for your event.
Muggle
For the Muggle event, it is basically a scavenger hunt. Each Horcrux is hidden somewhere around your space and you provide clues for the items. If your space is small enough, you can simply hide the items and have the participants find them without clues.
For the hunt, you can either have the participants work alone or in groups. Having groups of three would be fun because it would be similar to the Golden Trio in the books.
At each Horcrux location, there should be some marker or token that can be taken to signify that they have found the item. It can be a paper cut out of the item, a slip of paper, or basically anything you want.
If you decide to include clues, they can be as complex or as simple as you want them to be. For example, say that your library has a table for coffee and you tape the ring Horcrux cutout to the bottom of it, the clue provided could be:
"If the Morvolvo's ring is what you lack, it would be wise to have a drink that's black."
It can be whatever you would like, but make sure someone understands it. I would suggest reading it out to a colleague or friend before using it so that the participants aren't completely clueless.
OWLS
This event will be slightly more tricky. After the participants find the Horcruxes, they will be required to complete a task in order to "destroy" the Horcrux. You can create your own tasks to destroy the items, but I have provided a list below of options. I have themed each of these mini-games to go along with each Hocrux. Most are "minute to win it" inspired tasks. I didn't include the killing of Harry Potter, because it didn't really fit in.
Destroy Riddle's Diary with Basilisk Fang -> Word Scramble Puzzle
Each participant is given a cut up quote from the Harry Potter books. They must put it back together in the proper order to move on. For groups, each member is given a quote to unscramble.
Destroy Marvolo Gaunt's Ring with the Sword of Gryffindor -> Ring Toss Game
To make it Harry Potter themed, you can have the participant toss Marvolo's Ring onto the Sword of Gryffindor. For a team, each player must be able to make it for the ring to be destroyed. An individual must make the toss three times for the ring to be destroyed. You can either make your own ring toss game (examples: 1, 2, 3, 4) or buy one.
Destroy Hufflepuff's Cup with a Basilisk Fang -> Cup Challenge
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| http://fabulousarmylife.blogspot.com/2011/05/minute-to-win-it-birthday-party.html |
This is the "Minute to Win It" game called This Blows. Each person is given a minute to knock down 15 cups off of a table with using a balloon. They must complete the task in under a minute. To make it a team event, have each member knock down 5 cups each.
Destroy Diadem of Ravenclaw with Fiend Fire -> Balancing Act
Each participant must balance a book (because Ravenclaw's are nerds) on their head and walk through a simple obstacle course. It can be around shelves, up stairs, or any other mildly difficult walk. For a team, conduct it relay style. For added challenge, you can have them start over if they do not complete the run and/or you can have it timed.
Destroy Nagini with the Sword of Gryffindor -> Snake Crawl
This is an army crawl game. Create a barrier with crepe paper that the participants have to crawl under.
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| image from: Cutting Tiny Bites |
You can either have this as a completion or a timed event. You can tape the crepe paper among chairs as seen in the image above or in between shelves.
NEWTS
For the NEWTS event, the participants will have to go through challenges and/or side quests as well as locating and destroying the Horcruxes. You can decide the level of difficulty that you want to set the challenges at and the quantity of challenges.
NOTE: This is not a quick version of the event. This will take a bunch of time, and I would set aside a decent chunk of time for the NEWT version. If you want the event to be completed within a hour, you will be pushing it.
Challenge Options:
Harry Potter Trivia
Team must answer 5 trivia questions correctly in order to move on. This can easily be added or removed in order to adapt to time constraints.
Defeating Voldemort
This is a "dueling" game to finish off the event. Each participant will have to hit Voldemort (a staff member or volunteer) with a spell (ball of green construction paper). Voldemort is also trying to hit the participant with a spell (ball of red construction paper). Whoever hits first is the winner. In order to win, the individual has to hit Voldemort 2 out of 3 times. Both Voldemort and the participant need to stay behind lines on the ground to make sure that no one gets hurt.
Side Quest Options:
Find the Sword of Gryffindor
This is a mini scavenger hunt to find the sword. Provide a clue to find the sword.
Retrieve a Basilisk Fang
Have a tub filled with slime and miscellaneous objects. Hide your Basilisk Fang inside the slime and have the participants try to find it. An alternative to slime would be darkly colored water and sand. The objective is to make sure that the object is not in plain sight so that it is more difficult to find.
Supply Lists
The supply lists are based off what I discussed above. You can change up the supplies based on what suits you best.
Muggle
- printout of list of Horcrux items
- cutouts of Horcruxes (laminated if you want to repeat the game) or actual Horcrux items if you have them
- ring
- diary
- locket
- cup
- diadem
- Nagini (snake)
- Harry Potter
- Horcrux tokens - these need to have a distinguishing characteristic between each Horcrux (if they are all the same then the participants could grab 7 at the first station and claim to have gone to each one)
- prizes (optional)
OWLS
Everything on the Muggle list plus:
- Word Scramble Puzzle
- plastic bags or paper clips to keep puzzle pieces together
- printouts of pieces
- Ring Toss
- diy ring toss game or purchase one (materials vary by how you want to do it -> see examples included with description)
- Cup Challenge
- masking tape
- table
- balloons
- 15 (or more if you want extras) plastic cups
- stop watch
- Balancing Act
- Book that you don't mind being dropped on the ground
- Masking tape -> marking out the course
- Snake Crawl
- crepe paper
- masking tape
NEWTS
Everything on the OWLS list plus:
- Harry Potter Trivia
- printout of trivia sheet
- Defeating Voldemort
- masking tape
- red construction paper
- green cosntruction paper
- Finding the Sword of Gryffindor
- printout of Sword or actual sword
- token
- Finding a Basilisk Fang
- miscellaneous objects
- plastic tub
- slime or dark water (food coloring) and sand
- Basilisk Fang (it doesn't actually have to be a fang, but something distinctive)
Game Play
Now that you have all of the supplies gathered and prepped, you are ready for game play.
To begin, there needs to be a designated start and end location. The start location will be where the game is explained and the teams are decided. If you want this to be a more passive event, you can have it as a table with a display indicating how to play the game.The end location will be where they turn in the Horcruxes.
For the OWL and NEWT versions, different stations for each challenge or task will need to be set up. To cut down on the number of people needed to run the stations, you can set them up near the start/end locations so that only one of two people are needed to pounce between the stations. However, if you are expecting a large number of people, you will need more people to take care of the stations. Another option to cut down on the number of operators needed would be to conduct the Hunt in stages.
- Stage 1: Hunt for Horcruxes
- Stage 2: Destruction of Horcruxes, Finding the Sword of Gryffindor (to be completed before you can destroy the ring or Nagini), and Finding the Baslisk Fang (to be completed before you can destroy the diary or the cup)
- Stage 3: Obstacle Course, Harry Potter Trivia & Killing Voldemort
For a complete breakdown of the order of events, see below:
Muggle
The Muggle game play is similar to a classic scavenger hunt.
- Send the participants out in search of the items (you can include clues if you want)
- Whenever they find the item, they must bring it back to the end location in order to receive the next clue.
- Game ends when all Horcruxes have been found.
OWLS
For OWLS game play, there are two different ways of running the event.
Option 1: Find 7 then Destroy 7
- Send the participants out in search of the items (you can include clues if you want)
- Whenever they find the item, they must bring it back to the end location in order to receive the next clue.
- When all Horcruxes have been found, they must go through each destruction station.
- After they have all been destroyed, the game is over.
Option 2: Find then Destroy, Repeat 7 Times
- Send the participants out in search of the items (you can include clues if you want)
- Whenever they find the item, they must bring it back to the end location.
- Participants must complete the destruction station that corresponds with the Horcrux that they have returned.
- After they have all been destroyed, the game is over.
NEWTS
The NEWTS version can be played a variety of ways, but this is my ideal order of events.
- Send the participants are sent out in search of the items (you can include clues if you want)
- Whenever they find the item, they must bring it back to the end location.
- Participants must complete the destruction station that corresponds with the Horcrux that they have returned.
- If the diary or cup is returned, participants must complete the Finding the Basilisk Fang station before they can destroy the Horcrux. Once they have retrieved the Basilisk Fang for one, they do not have to do so again for the other.
- If the ring or Nagini is returned, participants must complete the Finding the Sword of Gryffindor task before they can destroy the Horcrux. Once they have retrieved the Basilisk Fang for one, they do not have to do so again for the other.
- If the diadem is returned, participants must complete the Harry Potter trivia.
- After they have all been destroyed, the participants must complete the Defeat Voldemort station.
- After Voldemort is defeated, the game is over.
Determining a Winner
For any game, there is expected to be a winner or winners. You can decide this in a variety of ways:
- Everyone wins if they complete the game.
- Winner determined by quickest time in completing the game.
- Winner determined by number of Horcruxes found/destroyed in a certain amount of time.
Any way that you do it would be fine. I would pick a method based on how long you want the program to last and/or how competitive your participants are. With my library, the teens always want a winner or some type of goal even if they don't win a prize.
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