======Gobstones Club======
=====Club Information=====
  * **Type:** [[Hogwarts School]] student club
  * **Activity:** Playing the game of [[Gobstones]]
  * **Location:** [[Hogwarts Castle]]
  * **Faculty Head (Presumed):** [[Filius Flitwick]]
  * **Known Captains:** [[Eileen Prince]] (circa 1940s)
=====Description and History=====
The **Gobstones Club** is a student organization at [[Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry]] dedicated to playing the magical game of [[Gobstones]]. The game itself is a popular wizarding pastime, similar to the [[Muggle]] game of marbles, with the key difference that the stones spit a foul-smelling liquid into the loser's face upon the loss of a point.
The club has a long history at [[Hogwarts]]. During her time as a student, [[Eileen Prince]], the mother of [[Severus Snape]], was the captain of the [[Hogwarts]] [[Gobstones]] team. This indicates that the activity was not merely a casual club but was structured competitively, much like [[Quidditch]].
In the 1990s, the club was still active. [[Horace Slughorn]] noted that [[Filius Flitwick]], the [[Charms]] master, had "a nose for a Gobstones champion," strongly suggesting that Professor Flitwick was the faculty head of the club, responsible for overseeing its activities and identifying talented players.
=====Role in the Story=====
The Gobstones Club is most notably mentioned during the 1995-1996 school year in //Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix//. When [[Dolores Umbridge]] was appointed [[Hogwarts High Inquisitor]], she enacted [[Educational Decree Number Twenty-Four]], which disbanded all student organizations, societies, teams, groups, and clubs. The Gobstones Club was explicitly listed on the notice board alongside the house [[Quidditch]] teams as a group that was henceforth banned unless it received special permission from Umbridge to reform.
This event highlights the sweeping and oppressive nature of Umbridge's control over student life, demonstrating that her power grab extended even to seemingly innocuous recreational activities. The club's existence also serves to enrich the world of [[Hogwarts]], showing that student interests and organized activities went beyond [[Quidditch]] and schoolwork. The earlier mention of [[Eileen Prince]] as a team captain also provides a subtle but important detail about [[Severus Snape]]'s maternal lineage.
=====Behind the Scenes=====
  * The Gobstones Club is not mentioned or depicted in the film adaptations of the *Harry Potter* series.
  * The game of [[Gobstones]] is a playable mini-game in several video games, including //Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets//, //Hogwarts: A Mystery//, and //Hogwarts Legacy//. The gameplay mechanics in these adaptations often involve strategy, trivia, or timing challenges. (video game)
  * According to Pottermore, [[Gobstones]] is an ancient game, and professional leagues and international tournaments exist. (Pottermore)