In J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter books, catching the Golden Snitch is worth 150 points in Quidditch.
Quidditch is played by two teams of seven witches or wizards flying on broomsticks. Each team has three Chasers, two Beaters, one Keeper and one Seeker. Chasers score 10 points by putting the Quaffle through one of the opposing team’s hoops, while Beaters use bats to redirect Bludgers.
The Golden Snitch is a tiny, extremely fast golden ball with silver wings. The Seeker who catches it normally ends the match and earns 150 points for that team. Catching the Snitch does not automatically guarantee victory: a team can still lose if its opponent has built a lead of more than 150 points.
The sport’s scoring creates much of its drama, especially in matches involving Harry Potter as Gryffindor’s Seeker. In the first book, Harry catches the Snitch in his mouth during a match, although the object is actually caught under his tongue.