Ghostly Sports

Ghostly Sports are recreational activities and pastimes pursued by the ghosts of the Wizarding World. These activities often appear to be macabre parodies of sports enjoyed by living witches and wizards, tailored to the unique abilities and conditions of spectral beings. The most detailed example of such a sport is the Headless Hunt, an exclusive activity for beheaded ghosts.

The primary source of information on ghostly sporting activities comes from Nearly Headless Nick's five-hundredth Deathday Party in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.

• The Headless Hunt
  • The Headless Hunt is both a sporting club and a series of activities for ghosts who have been fully decapitated. Led by Sir Patrick Delaney-Podmore, its members enjoy thundering through the countryside on ghostly horses, horns blowing, as they engage in their unique brand of sport.
  • Specific games and activities played by the Hunt include:
    • Head Hockey: A game presumably played using the ghosts' own severed heads in place of a ball or puck.
    • Head Polo: A similar game, likely a variation of Head Hockey.
    • Head Tossing: A general pastime where members toss their disembodied heads for others to catch.
  • Membership in the Headless Hunt is strictly exclusive and a matter of great prestige among the beheaded. Nearly Headless Nick was famously and repeatedly denied entry because his head, attached by a half-inch of skin and sinew, was not completely severed from his neck. This rejection was a source of great personal shame and disappointment for him.

The concept of Ghostly Sports is introduced in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets when Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger attend Nearly Headless Nick's Deathday Party. The dramatic arrival of the Headless Hunt, who storm the party on horseback, serves as the main event. Nick's failed ambition to join the Hunt is a key element of his characterisation, highlighting his insecurities and the unique social hierarchies that exist within the ghost community at Hogwarts. The event provides a rare glimpse into the culture and afterlife of ghosts in the Wizarding World.

• In the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, the Deathday Party and the Headless Hunt are depicted. Sir Patrick Delaney-Podmore is shown demonstrating his ability to remove his head completely, using it to frighten party guests and illustrate why Nearly Headless Nick is ineligible to join. (film)