Photo by Sana Sadiq Photography

It’s 75F with about 80 percent humidity. I am sticky, sunburnt, every muscle hurts and my lungs threaten to picket in search of more airtime. My hand hurts from holding my broom and I have several bruises already forming. A finger on my other hand got squished in the battle for a bludger.

I hear cheers behind me, and thank goodness, we caught the snitch. This game is over and we’re victorious. I high five my teammates and after our discussion, race to the shade where I feel like melting into the blanket.

Welcome to Texas, where football may be #1, but quidditch rules in other circles.

That’s “quidditch”, with a small q, defined by Oxford Dictionary as a noun.