Inaugural Season · Finals November 2026

U.S. Harry Potter
Knowledge Championship

The First Structured Test of Pure Book Knowledge · Open Worldwide

Seven books. No films. No Pottermore. Eight duos enter a knockout bracket this November, every spot earned through an open online qualifier that anyone in the world can enter.

7
Books. Nothing Else.
8
Duos in the Finals
8
Spots · All Via Qualifier
$0
Entry Fee

The Competition

How the Bracket Works

Stage I

Open Qualifier

Held online, open to any duo worldwide. The top eight teams earn every place in the finals bracket. Format details are sent to registered duos first.

Stage II

Knockout Bracket

Eight duos. Quarterfinals, semifinals, final. Every round is a best-of-three series of full matches, so one bad game never decides a round.

Stage III

The Championship

The winning duo takes the inaugural national title. Matches are recorded, and the full question sets are published after the event for public verification.

The Match Format

Sprint & Vault

Every match is two segments. The Sprint: one teammate goes on the clock alone, answering fifteen themed rapid-fire questions while the opposing team is isolated. Their opponent then faces the exact same set. The Vault: both teammates sit together, untimed, working through ten far harder questions with point values fixed in advance. One Double Score play per match, declared before the question is revealed.

Independent

Run by Fans, for Fans

This championship is run by a single independent founder, charges nothing, and sells nothing.

Competition Information · v1.0

Competition Information

This information is published in advance of the inaugural season and applies to the qualifier and all bracket matches. Any amendments before the qualifier will be versioned and dated on this page.

1. Eligibility & Teams

  • Teams are duos: exactly two players, fixed for the entire season.
  • The qualifier is open worldwide. There is no entry fee at any stage.
  • All eight finals spots are earned through the open qualifier. There are no invited teams and no seeding privileges.

2. Source Material

  • All questions are drawn exclusively from the seven canonical novels.
  • Film content, Pottermore/Wizarding World content, Cursed Child, and supplementary books are not valid sources and will never appear as answers.
  • Where editions differ (UK/US), both accepted answers are credited.

3. Match Structure: Sprint & Vault

Every match consists of two segments played back to back.

Segment 1: The Sprint (timed)

  • Each Sprint has a declared theme (e.g. a specific book, a character, potions, Quidditch), announced before player selection.
  • Each team sends one player, who answers 15 questions alone, on the clock, while the opposing team is muted and isolated.
  • The opposing team's player then answers the exact same 15 questions under identical conditions.
  • Each correct answer: 10 points (150 possible).
  • Because themes rotate every match, teams must alternate strengths, since the same player cannot carry every Sprint.

Segment 2: The Vault (untimed)

  • Both teammates work together through 10 questions of significantly higher difficulty. No clock.
  • Point values are fixed per question when the question bank is written, not judged during play:
TierQuestionsValueSubtotal
Tier 1420 pts80
Tier 2435 pts140
Tier 3250 pts100
Vault total possible320

4. The Double Score

  • Each team holds one Double Score per match.
  • It must be declared before the question is revealed. A team may double based on the announced theme or tier, never after hearing the question.
  • A doubled question scores twice its value if correct, zero if wrong. It is never negative.

5. Series & Bracket

  • Every bracket round (quarterfinal, semifinal, final) is a best-of-three series of full matches.
  • The team winning two matches takes the round. Match scores do not carry between matches.
  • Single-elimination bracket: 8 duos → 4 → 2 → champion.

6. Questions, Verification & Disputes

  • Every question is written with a direct book citation (book, chapter) on file before the event.
  • Any disputed answer is resolved by reading the cited passage aloud. The text is final.
  • Full question sets and citations are published after each stage for public verification.
  • The head judge's citation-based ruling during a match is final and issued the same day.

7. Conduct & Integrity

  • No reference materials, devices, or outside assistance during any segment.
  • Sprint isolation is enforced via muted/separated calls; violations forfeit the segment.
  • Matches are recorded. Finals matches may be streamed or published.

Common Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there an entry fee?
No. Entry is free at every stage, qualifier and finals, and there are no plans to ever charge competitors.
Which sources count? Movies? Pottermore? Cursed Child?
Only the seven canonical novels. No films, no Pottermore or Wizarding World content, no Cursed Child, no supplementary books. Where UK and US editions differ, both answers are accepted.
Where are matches held?
Online, over Zoom, with Sprint isolation handled through muted breakout rooms. Matches are recorded, and finals matches may be livestreamed depending on turnout.
What's the qualifier format?
Live, over video call, using the same Sprint & Vault format as the finals in a shortened form, with competing duos matched randomly. Scheduling accommodates time zones since the qualifier is open worldwide. Registered duos receive full details by email before anything is locked in.
How are questions verified?
Every question is written against the text with a book-and-chapter citation on file before the event. If an answer is challenged, the cited passage is read aloud and the text decides. Question sets are published with citations after each stage.
What happens if scores are tied?
The question weighting makes exact ties very unlikely, but every round has a rapid-fire tiebreaker as backup.
I read the books in another language. Am I at a disadvantage?
Somewhat, but less than you'd think. Answers are expected in the standard English names and terms, so if you know a character or spell only by its translated name, that specific recall will cost you. But name recall is not what most of the competition tests. The majority of questions focus on comprehension, plot logic, character motivation, and grasp of how the world works, all of which translate fully across editions. A deep reader in any language can absolutely compete; just brush up on the English proper nouns.
I don't have a teammate. Can I still register?
Yes. Register solo and note it in the form. Solo registrants will be connected with other partner-seeking players before the qualifier so duos can form in time.
How long does a match take?
Roughly 45 to 60 minutes: two timed Sprint runs plus an untimed Vault segment. A best-of-three bracket round can run two to three hours and may be split across sessions when scheduling requires it.
What do I need to compete?
A stable internet connection, a webcam, and a microphone. Cameras stay on during matches as part of integrity enforcement. No special software beyond Zoom.
What happens if my teammate can't make a match?
Duos are fixed for the season, so matches are rescheduled within a reasonable window rather than played shorthanded. If a teammate withdraws entirely during the qualifier stage, the remaining player may continue with a replacement, but bracket rosters lock once the finals begin.
How should we prepare?
Read the books. Genuinely, that's the meta. Rereads with attention to detail beat memorizing wiki lists, because questions are written from the text and weighted toward comprehension over trivia recall. Knowing each other's strong books also matters, since Sprint themes rotate and you must choose who goes up.
Can spectators watch?
Matches are recorded, and finals matches may be livestreamed or published afterward depending on turnout. Live spectating during early rounds is limited to keep Sprint isolation airtight.
What if fewer or more than 8 teams qualify?
If more than 8 duos enter the qualifier, only the top 8 scores advance. If fewer than 8 enter, the bracket shrinks to the nearest clean size and that's disclosed before the finals begin.
Are there prizes?
The inaugural champion duo receives the official championship title and permanent recognition as the first champions on this site. There is no cash prize in season one. This is a title event, and it's free to enter.
I'm not in the U.S. Can I still compete?
Yes. The qualifier is online and open worldwide. The "U.S." in the name reflects where the championship was founded, not who may enter.

Who's Behind This

From the Founder

My name is Michael Novoselsky. I've fallen asleep to the Harry Potter audiobooks nearly every night since I was six years old. That adds up to roughly 1,700 hours, about fifteen full cycles through the series (proof?), in two languages. At this point the books aren't something I've read; they're something I live in.

Full disclosure: most of those hours were the Russian audiobooks. I've spent the past months drilling the standard English terminology, names, and spellings to make sure nothing gets lost in translation when writing and judging questions. Every question is checked against the English text before it's used.

I went looking for an official championship to test that knowledge against the best, found that none existed, and built one. This championship is independent, free, and run for one purpose: to find out, fairly and verifiably, who knows the books best. Questions, doubts, suggestions: email me directly.

Michael Novoselsky, Founder

mnovoselsky27@seaburyhall.org

Open Worldwide · Free Entry

Register Your Duo for the Qualifier

All eight finals spots are earned through the open qualifier. Registering here doesn't commit you to anything. It puts your duo on the list to receive the qualifier details, format guide, and scheduling options before they're announced publicly.

1 = watched the movies once · 50 = solid rereader · 100 = we can tell you what the Weasley clock says without checking

Registration is free and non-binding. You'll receive qualifier details by email before anything is scheduled. Your information is used only for championship communication and is never shared.

Questions before registering? Email mnovoselsky27@seaburyhall.org and everything gets answered.