Harry Potter diehards and non-fans alike came together this past Saturday night at the Oakland Center for dancing, eating and lots of Harry Potter-themed entertainment.

The Oakland University Muggle Quidditch League sponsored the second annual OU Yule Ball in the Gold Rooms in the OC. Admission, food and entertainment were all free for students who came in their suits and dresses, while a select few decided to use the vast Harry Potter world as inspiration. The night also included a contest for the best dressed witch and wizard.

President of the OU Muggle Quidditch League, Yahawa Ashaqua, said that the inspiration for the event came from the fourth installment in the Harry Potter series, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. The club held the event for the first time last year with no plans of it being an annual tradition, but they got a lot of positive feedback so they decided to hold the event for the second straight year. The turnout was even bigger this year as 45 students were at last year’s event while an estimated 80 to 90 students attended this year.

One of the bigger changes this year was the addition of the OU Ballroom Dance club, who gave students ballroom dance lessons. Majority of the attendees joined in lessons that included the Waltz and Fox Trot.

Along with students from the OU Quidditch club, a lot of OU students not involved in the club showed up for the event. Many students came because of their love of Harry Potter, while others came for the free entertainment. For Harry Potter superfan freshman Evan Dietz, one of the reasons he went was very simple.

“I wanted to try butterbeer,” said Dietz.

Along with the popular butterbeer (which does not contain beer), the ballroom was filled with Harry Potter atmosphere. Even though the music was usually modern hits, the DJ from WXOU often sprinkled in music from the Harry Potter films. There was even a photobooth where students could take pictures with Harry Potter themed props.

Victoria Alcorn, who is in charge of promotions for the club, said that the event was not meant to just celebrate Harry Potter, but to bring people together who had a common interest. The goal was to get people to connect and be able to have a great time, which she also believes is a goal of the club as a whole.

“It’s not all about the sport, it’s about friends. Making friends is one of the reasons I love being on the Quidditch team,” Alcorn said.

As mentioned before, the event is not a yearly tradition but with the turnouts the club has been able to get the last two years, it would be hard to imagine there not being more OU Yule Balls. Club president Ashaqua thinks that the ball can grow into something even more special one day.

“Maybe one day, if we could ever get enough funding, we could have it at the Meadowbrook Mansion, get ice sculptures and have fancy menus just like the ball in the movies,” Ashaqua said.

The OU Quidditch club does not have any scheduled event until next April when they will host a Quidditch tournament on campus. More information can be found at the club’s Facebook page, facebook.com/ouquidditch.