Gobstories

• Type: Magical Game, Recreational Item
• Owners: Widely owned by wizarding students and families. Known players include Eileen Prince and Ginny Weasley.
• Maker: Unknown; a common magical product.

Gobstories is a magical game played with small, round stones known as Gobstories. The stones themselves are very similar in appearance and function to Muggle marbles. They are typically sold in sets, and one such set was seen by Harry Potter amongst the myriad of hidden objects within the Room of Requirement at Hogwarts. While the exact material of the stones is not specified, they are enchanted to react during gameplay.

The primary magical property of Gobstones is their ability to spit a foul-smelling, unpleasant liquid into the face of a player who loses a point. This serves as a penalty and is the game's defining characteristic. The game itself is a wizarding version of marbles. The objective is to knock the opponents' Gobstones out of a drawn circle using one's own stones. It is a common pastime for young witches and wizards, though its popularity varies. Ron Weasley considered it “rubbish” compared to the more thrilling sport of Quidditch. Despite this, a Gobstones Club exists at Hogwarts, indicating a dedicated following for the game.

Gobstories has been a long-established game within the wizarding community. Its presence at Hogwarts is well-documented, with an official school club dedicated to it. A newspaper clipping from the Daily Prophet revealed that Severus Snape's mother, Eileen Prince, was the captain of the Hogwarts Gobstones Club during her time as a student. The game has remained a consistent part of student life, with a first-year student in Harry's time being seen crying after losing all his Gobstones.

Gobstories primarily functions as a world-building element, enriching the daily life and culture of the wizarding world and showing that not all magical activities involve high-stakes duels or complex spell-casting. It serves to illustrate several minor character points and aspects of life at Hogwarts:

• It establishes Ron Weasley's early preference for action and excitement, as he dismisses the game in favor of Quidditch.
• It provides a rare glimpse into the personal life of Eileen Prince, revealing she held a position of leadership in a school club.
• It highlights a skill of Ginny Weasley, who is described as being very good at the game.
• It is used as a point of contrast by Percy Weasley to emphasize his serious ambitions, noting he has better things to do than play Gobstones with fellow prefects.
• Albus Dumbledore once humorously referenced “the vampire's view of Gobstones” when speaking to Harry in the hospital wing, using it as part of a lighthearted, coded conversation.

• The Pottermore website (now Wizarding World) details several different versions of the game, including Classic, Jack Stone, and Snake Pit, each with its own specific rules and objectives. (Pottermore)
• In the video game Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, students can be challenged to games of Gobstones as a side quest. (video game)