Quidditch: Difference between revisions
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Barberus Bragge, the Chief of the Wizards’ Council, attended the 1269 game. As a nod to the sport of Snidget-hunting, which was also popular at the time, Bragge brought a Snidget to the game and released it from its cage. He told the players that 150 [[Money in Harry Potter|Galleon]]s – then an enormous sum of money – would be awarded to the player who caught the bird. As the promise of such a large reward would suggest, the players thence totally ignored the game, and simply went off in pursuit of the Snidget, which was kept within the arena by the crowd using Repelling Charms. |
Barberus Bragge, the Chief of the Wizards’ Council, attended the 1269 game. As a nod to the sport of Snidget-hunting, which was also popular at the time, Bragge brought a Snidget to the game and released it from its cage. He told the players that 150 [[Money in Harry Potter|Galleon]]s – then an enormous sum of money – would be awarded to the player who caught the bird. As the promise of such a large reward would suggest, the players thence totally ignored the game, and simply went off in pursuit of the Snidget, which was kept within the arena by the crowd using Repelling Charms. |
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A witch named Modesty Rabnott took pity on the Snidget and rescued it with a [[Spells in Harry Potter#Accio .28Summoning Charm.29|Summoning Charm]], |
A witch named Modesty Rabnott took pity on the Snidget and rescued it with a [[Spells in Harry Potter#Accio .28Summoning Charm.29|Summoning Charm]], by the time she was caught she had released the Snidget and was fined 10 Galleons, meaning she lost her house. But the connection with Quidditch had been made, and soon a Snidget was being released at every game. Each team added an extra player – originally called the Hunter, later renamed the Seeker – whose sole job was to catch and kill the Snidget, for which 150 points were awarded in memory of the 150 Galleons offered by Bragge in the original game. The popularity of Quidditch led to quickly declining Snidget numbers, and in the middle of the 14th century it was made a protected species by the Wizard's Council. This meant that the bird could no longer be used for Quidditch purposes. The game, however, could not continue without a substitute. |
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Whilst most people looked for a suitable alternative bird to chase, a metal-charmer called [[Bowman Wright]] from [[Godric's Hollow]] invented a fake Snidget which he called the Golden Snitch: a golden ball with silver wings, the same size and weight as a real Snidget, enchanted to accurately follow its flight patterns. An additional benefit was that the ball was also charmed to stay within the playing area. The Snitch was also given a "flesh memory", allowing it to remember who touched it first in order to leave no dispute as to who caught it. The Snitch quickly became the approved replacement for the Snidget, and the game of Quidditch has remained largely unchanged ever since. |
Whilst most people looked for a suitable alternative bird to chase, a metal-charmer called [[Bowman Wright]] from [[Godric's Hollow]] invented a fake Snidget which he called the Golden Snitch: a golden ball with silver wings, the same size and weight as a real Snidget, enchanted to accurately follow its flight patterns. An additional benefit was that the ball was also charmed to stay within the playing area. The Snitch was also given a "flesh memory", allowing it to remember who touched it first in order to leave no dispute as to who caught it. The Snitch quickly became the approved replacement for the Snidget, and the game of Quidditch has remained largely unchanged ever since. |
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Revision as of 16:30, 15 July 2012
 | This article describes a work or element of fiction in a primarily in-universe style. (February 2012) |
Quidditch is a sport created by British author J. K. Rowling for the Harry Potter series of children's novels. It is described as an extremely rough but very popular semi-contact sport, played by wizards and witches around the world. Matches are played between two teams of seven players riding flying broomsticks, using four balls and six elevated ring-shaped goals three on each side of the Quidditch pitch (field). In the Harry Potter universe, Quidditch holds a fervent following similar to the position that association football holds as a globally popular sport.
The sport is featured in every Harry Potter book except for the seventh because they do not speak much of the events happening at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Harry plays an important position for his house team at Hogwarts: he is the seeker and becomes the captain in the sixth book. Regional and international competitions are mentioned throughout the series. In Goblet of Fire, Quidditch at Hogwarts is cancelled for the Tri-Wizard Tournament, but Harry and the Weasleys attend the Quidditch World Cup. In addition, Harry uses his Quidditch skills to capture a golden egg from a dragon called the Hungarian Horntail (in the first task of the Tri-Wizard Tournament), to capture a flying key in Philosopher's Stone, and on two key occasions in Deathly Hallows — getting hold of Ravenclaw's Diadem, and during the final fight with Voldemort — the "unerring skill of the Seeker" is vitally useful to him in snatching the Elder Wand out of the air. Harry Potter has owned two broomsticks, the Nimbus 2000 and the Firebolt, both of which are destroyed by series end.
The sport has been adapted under the name of "Muggle Quidditch" (or simply "Quidditch") to the real world. Since at least 2003, Harry Potter fans have played ball games resembling the Harry Potter sport. In the United States, teams from more than 200 colleges are affiliated with the International Quidditch Association and play tournaments. Quidditch tournaments are a mainstay of Harry Potter Conventions, such as Nimbus 2003, The Witching Hour, and, most recently, Infinitus 2010 and Corbin Fowler's Potterfest, hosted at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania during the autumn of 2011.
Players and equipment
Pitches
Quidditch matches are played on (or rather over) an oval-shaped, 500 feet (150 m) long and 180 feet (55 m) wide pitch, with a small central circle approximately 2 feet (0.61 m) in diameter. At each end stand three hooped goal posts, each at a different height: one at 30 ft (9.1 m), one at 40 ft (12 m), and one at 50 ft (15 m), comprising the scoring area. There is also a line that shows mid-field, which is 180 ft (55 m). Quidditch fields have white shaded areas around the goalposts, to mark the scoring area and the bounds in which keepers must stay. Since Quidditch is an aerial sport, Quidditch pitches are shown to feature spectator seating at high vantage points, either in towers (such as at Hogwarts) or in a fully encircling platform, and the "top box" is considered the most prestigious place for a spectator to be seated. The British stadium that is shown for the 1994 Quidditch World Cup in the film version of Goblet of Fire is of this latter style, which appears similar to modern football or athletics stadium, albeit that the seating continues to curve upwards beyond the vertical, almost enclosing the pitch. Both the Hogwarts and World Cup pitches have been shown turfed with grass. The surface is used primarily for launching off at the beginning of the game, and on occasion for falling onto when players are dismounted from their brooms. Seekers, who sometimes fly close to the pitch surface, can be tricked into crashing into the surface occasionally at great speed (when tricked into doing so by the opposing seeker, it is known as the Wronski feint).
Quidditch Balls
Quaffle
The Quaffle is spherical in shape (although it is shown with four large dimples in the films, appearing more as a tetrahedron), bright red in color, and approximately 12 inches (30 cm) in diameter, and about the weight of a football but hollow. It is explained in Quidditch Through the Ages that the Quaffle is enchanted to fall very slowly through the air when dropped to prevent players from having to continuously dive to retrieve it. The backstory of Quidditch explains that the red color was instituted to create a stronger contrast between the Quaffle and mud. The Quaffle is also enchanted to make it easy to grip with only one hand. There is only one quaffle, unlike the bludgers. If the chaser throws it through the hoop they score 10 points for their team.
Bludgers
The two Bludgers are round, jet black balls, made of iron. A Bludger is 10 inches (25 cm) in diameter. They are described as being bewitched to fly without any visible means of propulsion, although they do retain inertia, which makes them unable to change speed or direction swiftly. They act as airborne obstacles, flying around the pitch and trying indiscriminately to knock players off their brooms. The Beaters carry short wooden clubs, which they use to knock the Bludgers away from their teammates and/or toward the opposing team. The Bludgers do most of the damage in the game of Quidditch; they will occasionally injure players and break brooms. A correctly bewitched Bludger with no jinxes will not side with a team; they will instead alternate teams after they try and knock a player from one team off their broom.
The Golden Snitch
The Golden Snitch, often referred to as simply the Snitch, is a small golden ball the approximate size of a walnut (roughly 1 inch (2.5 cm) in diameter), developed by Bowman Wright (1492–1560). In the films, the wings on the Snitch are gold, although in the books it is described as having silver wings. The winged Snitch is enchanted to hover, dart, and fly around the pitch, avoiding capture while remaining within the boundaries of the playing area. Each team has a designated Seeker (most seekers are the lightest, fastest, and smallest players on their team), whose only task is to capture the Snitch. The seeker who catches the Snitch scores 150 points, and strictly speaking, only the capture of the Snitch will end the game. (However, Quidditch Through The Ages describes an instance in which the team captains agreed to end the game without the capture of the Snitch, as the game had gone on for several months, and the captains were unhappy with their respective Seekers' performances.) Games have been known to last for months, so it is of key importance to catch the Golden Snitch as quickly as possible. It is also explained in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows that the Snitch has a "flesh memory", able to recall the first person who has touched it, and will respond only to the first person who caught it. This helps when there is a dispute about who caught the snitch first. Bowman Wright of Godric's Hollow was the first person to fashion a Golden Snitch, replacing the Golden Snidget bird, a magical creature resembling a hummingbird, also mentioned in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, which was previously used in the game, but was replaced due to animal cruelty issues. No other player aside from the Seeker is allowed to touch the Snitch, and referees and Snitch makers wear gloves when handling them. In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Dumbledore leaves to Harry in his will the first Snitch Harry had caught, inside of which he had hidden the Resurrection Stone.
Players
Each team is made up of seven players, consisting of three Chasers, two Beaters, one Keeper and one Seeker.
The Chasers progress up and down the pitch passing the Quaffle by hand amongst themselves while keeping it away from the other team, in an attempt to score goals by throwing it through one of their opponent's three goal hoops which scoring 10 points. In this respect, the game is similar, as Harry suggests in the first book, to "basketball on broomsticks with six hoops".Template:HP1
The Keeper will protect the three goal hoops, in much the same way as a goalkeeper in association football.
The Beaters are armed with wooden clubs that are similar to, but shorter than, baseball bats. They are tasked with protecting their team-mates and the seeker (mainly) from the Bludgers by knocking these balls off course or towards opponents.
Finally, the Seeker, usually the lightest member of the team and equipped with the fastest broom, is tasked for searching for and capturing The Golden Snitch. Seekers are the only players permitted to touch the Snitch. The seekers, like Harry Potter, are usually small, agile, and stealthy.
Each team includes a captain, who may play any of the four roles. The captain helps the team practice and chooses the team players after the tryouts.
Broomsticks
Magical flying broomsticks are one of the forms of transportation for wizards and witches, as well as for playing Quidditch. Interestingly, Hogwarts Quidditch players are allowed to use whatever broomsticks they like or their sponsors can afford, despite the fact that more expensive brooms often confer great (and arguably unfair) advantages in speed and manoeuvrability. The Nimbus model line has a reputation as one of the best in the Wizarding world. Harry receives a Nimbus 2000 during his first year so that he can play for Gryffindor; Lucius Malfoy buys a full set of the more advanced Nimbus 2001s for the Slytherin team in exchange for choosing his son Draco as Seeker the following year. A Firebolt is an advanced professional-level flying broomstick and the most expensive and fastest racing broom in existence. It is said that they are the best in the world. They can even fly out of the atmosphere if the weather conditions are fair. Harry received a Firebolt model from his godfather, Sirius Black, after his Nimbus 2000 was destroyed during a Quidditch match in his third year after flying into the Whomping Willow during a storm. Comets and Cleansweeps are cheaper than the Nimbuses and are more common; however, Cleansweeps are considered still decent brooms. A Shooting Star is another brand of broom, but it is considered to be slow and out of style. Another broomstick series called The Bluebottle was introduced in the advertisements at the Quidditch World Cup, it was described as a family broom, with safety devices such as an anti-theft alarm. There is also another brand called Silver Arrows, as mentioned in Quidditch Through the Ages, along with the Tinderblast, Swiftstick, and Twigger 90, and the Oakshaft 79. The Oakshaft is the broom famed for its journey across the Atlantic and the Moontrimmer was popular because it was still controllable at extremely high altitudes. During a Quidditch training session in the third book, Madam Hooch mentioned that she learned to fly on a Silver Arrow and that it was a fine broom.
Game progression
The game starts with the referee releasing all four balls from the central circle. The Bludgers and the Snitch, having been bewitched, fly off on their own accord; the Snitch to hide itself quickly, and the Bludgers to attack the nearest players. The Quaffle is thrown into the air by the referee to signal the start of play.
Chasers score by sending the red, football-sized Quaffle through any of the three goal hoops. Each goal scored is worth ten points. After a goal is scored, the Keeper of the team scored upon throws the Quaffle back into play. Capturing the Snitch earns the Seeker's team 150 points, equivalent to 15 goals scored by Chasers. Since the game ends immediately after the Snitch is caught, the team capturing the Snitch is very likely to win the game. However, teams are ranked according to points scored, not games won. For example, at Hogwarts, the team with the most points at the end of the year wins the Quidditch Cup. There are only two occasions in the books when the team that catches the Snitch loses: once during the Quidditch World Cup final, when Viktor Krum of Bulgaria catches the Snitch, and once when Ginny Weasley replaces Harry as Seeker after he has been banned from playing by Dolores Umbridge. It is never explained why a Seeker would catch the Snitch in a situation where doing so would give the victory to the other team, i.e., the leading team's score exceeds the losing team's by 160 points, instead of simply waiting for the score to change. If teams are ranked according to points scored, however, a team that knows it cannot hope to catch up to the winning team might favour quickly catching the Snitch (also ending the game) so as to end the game before any more points are scored and hence reduce the lead in point difference obtained by the winning team, so that it is easier to win them back in subsequent matches. It is suggested that Viktor Krum catches the Snitch during the World Cup to "end [the match] on his own terms".Template:HP4
All seven players must constantly avoid both being hit by the Bludgers (which attempt to attack them) and accidental contact with the Golden Snitch (which is a foul if anyone but a Seeker touches it).
The length of a Quidditch game is variable, as play can only end with the capture of the Golden Snitch by one of the Seekers or by mutual consent of the two team captains. The game length is therefore determined largely by the Seekers' abilities. The shortest game ever is described as lasting three and a half seconds, with the score obviously being 150–0 (Seeker Roderick Plumpton catches the Snitch at the mentioned time.Template:HPQ) Some games can go on for days, and even months, if the Snitch is not caught. The longest game recorded supposedly lasted three months.Template:HP1
Rules
The official rules of Quidditch are partially described in Quidditch Through the Ages. They are said to have been laid down in 1750 by the Department of Magical Games and Sports. Some of the more common rules are as follows:
- Players must not stray over the boundary lines of the pitch, although they may fly as high as desired. The Quaffle must be surrendered to the opposition if any player leaves the boundary. Quidditch matches in the Harry Potter films, however, show players often deliberately flying over the boundary lines and even around the spectator towers.
- A time out may be called at any time by a team Captain. It may be extended to two hours if a game has already lasted for more than twelve hours. Failure to return to the pitch afterward disqualifies the offending team.
- The referee can impose penalties if a foul occurs. A single Chaser from the fouled team takes a penalty shot by flying from the central circle towards the scoring area. The opposing team's Keeper may attempt to block this shot, but no other player may interfere, much like a penalty shot in ice hockey.
- Contact is allowed, but a player may not grasp another's broomstick or any part of his or her body. (Draco Malfoy breaks this rule in Prisoner of Azkaban by grabbing Harry's broomtail to stop him from seizing the Snitch.)
- No substitution of a player is allowed, even if one is too badly hurt to continue (rare exceptions may be made when the game continues for a great length of time, and players become too fatigued to continue).
- Players may take their wands onto the pitch, but they must not be used on or against any players, any player's broomstick, the referee, any of the four balls, or the spectators. (The right to carry wands at all times was granted during the height of wizard and witch persecution by Muggles, according to Quidditch Through the Ages).
- Players shall not attack one another by wand, hand or broom.
Fouls
Rowling writes that there are 700 Quidditch fouls listed in the Department of Magical Games and Sports records, but most of these fouls are not open to the public, owing to the Department's supposed fear the wizards/witches who read the list of fouls "might get ideas". It is claimed that all 700 occurred during the very first Quidditch World Cup. Apparently, most are now impossible to commit as there is a ban on using wands against an opponent (imposed in 1538). The most common of those fouls which are described are enumerated below.
- Blagging: No player may seize any part of an opponent's broom to slow or hinder the player (Draco Malfoy commits this foul in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, thus preventing Harry from seizing the Snitch).
- Blatching: No player may fly with the intent to collide. (Substitute Slytherin seeker Harper breaks this rule when he collides into Harry after insulting the latter's friend, and Gryffindor Keeper, Ronald Weasley. This occurs in the sixth book, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.)
- Blurting: No player may lock broom handles with the intent to steer an opponent off course. (Often occurs whilst playing Slytherin)
- Bumphing: Beaters must not hit Bludgers towards spectators (although Harry jokingly orders one of his Beaters to send one at Zacharias Smith in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince), or the Keeper, unless the Quaffle is within the scoring area (in the first film, however, Marcus Flint, a Chaser, commits this foul with a Beater's bat, and Madam Hooch refuses to penalise him for it).
- Cobbing: Players must not make excessive use of their elbows against opponents. (Marcus Flint, the Slytherin Chaser, commits this foul against the Gryffindor Chaser, Angelina Johnson, in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban).
- Flacking: Keepers must not defend the posts from behind by punching Quaffles out of the hoops – goals must be defended from the front.
- Haversacking: Chasers must not still be in contact with the Quaffle as it passes through a hoop (the Quaffle must be thrown through).
- Quaffle-pocking: Chasers must not tamper with the Quaffle in any way.
- Snitchnip: No player other than the Seeker may touch or catch the Golden Snitch.
- Stooging: No more than one Chaser is allowed in the scoring area at any one time. (However, game play in Harry Potter: Quidditch World Cup and the fan-made Q3D permit this behaviour.)
International renowned player Patrick Mckenzie of Scotland is the only known player to commit more than half of these in one match, with multiple offenses.
Fictional history
The backstory of Quidditch is mentioned only in passing in the main Harry Potter books. The majority of information on the origins of the game comes from Quidditch Through the Ages.
Ancient games
Quidditch is explained to be derived from an amalgamation of several fictional ancient games:
- Stichstock: Originating in Germany and consisting of a single wizard acting as a guardian or goalkeeper, trying to protect an inflated dragon bladder. A number of other players mounted on broomsticks would attempt to pierce the bladder, with the first who successfully did so being declared the winner; the goalkeeper could attempt to hex the other players; if nobody was able to pierce the bladder, the goalkeeper won.[1]
- Aingingein: An Irish game which required broomstick-mounted players to fly through a number of burning barrels set in the air, whilst all the time clutching a ball with one hand. At the end of this fiery course was a goal into which the ball had to be hurled. The wizard who completed the course and scored a goal in the shortest time, without catching fire along the way, was the winner.[1]
- Creaothceann: An exceptionally violent and often fatal game originating in Scotland. A large number of boulders were charmed to hover in the air and each player had a cauldron strapped to the back of his/her head. A horn was sounded, the rocks were released, and the players would fly around on their broomsticks trying to catch as many rocks in their cauldron as possible. The winner was the player who caught the most rocks.[1]
- Shuntbumps: A very simple form of broomstick-jousting where one flyer attempted to knock the other off his broom.[1]
- Swivenhodge: Rather like tennis on a broom, this involved hitting an inflated pig's bladder back and forth across a hedge.[1]
Evolution of Quidditch
The name "Quidditch" is supposedly derived from Queerditch Marsher, the location of the first recorded game. The first ball to be introduced was the Quaffle, then a leather ball quite similar to the modern Quaffle, and hence the only playing positions were Chaser and Keeper. Soon afterwards were included in the game flying boulders that had been enchanted to attack players – the first Bludgers.
At first, the bludgers had no human opponents on the pitch, but Beaters were introduced not long afterwards. As the heavy bats had the unfortunate tendency to shatter the boulders into flying gravel, the first metal Bludgers replaced them almost immediately. They were originally made of lead, but in the 15th century, magically reinforced beaters bats were introduced. They are currently made of iron. The final modification to the original "Kwidditch" was to set up three half-barrels at either end of the pitch as scoring targets (previously trees had been used for this purpose). The one missing element from this ancient game was the Golden Snitch.
History of the Snitch
The back-story of the Snitch is the most elaborate of all the Quidditch balls, and its introduction (so it is described in Quidditch Through the Ages) came as the direct result of a game played in 1269 in Kent. By this time, the game had attracted a cult following, and large crowds regularly attended matches.
Barberus Bragge, the Chief of the Wizards’ Council, attended the 1269 game. As a nod to the sport of Snidget-hunting, which was also popular at the time, Bragge brought a Snidget to the game and released it from its cage. He told the players that 150 Galleons – then an enormous sum of money – would be awarded to the player who caught the bird. As the promise of such a large reward would suggest, the players thence totally ignored the game, and simply went off in pursuit of the Snidget, which was kept within the arena by the crowd using Repelling Charms.
A witch named Modesty Rabnott took pity on the Snidget and rescued it with a Summoning Charm, by the time she was caught she had released the Snidget and was fined 10 Galleons, meaning she lost her house. But the connection with Quidditch had been made, and soon a Snidget was being released at every game. Each team added an extra player – originally called the Hunter, later renamed the Seeker – whose sole job was to catch and kill the Snidget, for which 150 points were awarded in memory of the 150 Galleons offered by Bragge in the original game. The popularity of Quidditch led to quickly declining Snidget numbers, and in the middle of the 14th century it was made a protected species by the Wizard's Council. This meant that the bird could no longer be used for Quidditch purposes. The game, however, could not continue without a substitute.
Whilst most people looked for a suitable alternative bird to chase, a metal-charmer called Bowman Wright from Godric's Hollow invented a fake Snidget which he called the Golden Snitch: a golden ball with silver wings, the same size and weight as a real Snidget, enchanted to accurately follow its flight patterns. An additional benefit was that the ball was also charmed to stay within the playing area. The Snitch was also given a "flesh memory", allowing it to remember who touched it first in order to leave no dispute as to who caught it. The Snitch quickly became the approved replacement for the Snidget, and the game of Quidditch has remained largely unchanged ever since.
Quidditch pitch
At the time of the introduction of the Golden Snitch, a standard Quidditch pitch consisted of an elongated oval playing area 500 feet (150 m) long and 180 feet (55 m) wide. It had a small circle at the centre, approximately 2 feet (61 cm) in diameter, from which all the balls were released at the start of the game. The early barrel-goals had been replaced by baskets on stilts, but whilst these were practical, they did carry an inherent problem: there was no size restriction on the baskets, which differed dramatically from pitch to pitch.
By the late 1800s, scoring areas had been added at each end of the pitch, and an additional rule in the game dictated that only one Chaser was allowed in these areas at any given time. This rule is called "Stooging". Stooging, being introduced at this time, made it a more recent rule then most other simple rules in Quidditch history which meant that many did not agree with this rule. Before stooging, all three chasers would fly towards the scoring area, two of them would hold the keeper back and the third would get an easy shot at the goal. Quidditch Through the Ages Gives a thorough argument to these game additions. This includes a viewers' perspective of the Quidditch game with this new rule of Stooging. A common argument for stooging would be that the snitch was worth so many points that the chasers and keepers almost did not matter due to the snitch being worth so many points and would end the match. In the end, stooging was declared overly brutal for a sport.
In 1650, the size of the baskets themselves had reduced considerably, although there was still a certain amount of variation between pitches. Regulations were finally introduced in 1883, which replaced the baskets with hoops of a fixed size. Quidditch through the ages also devotes a large portion of a chapter to this rule.[2]
Quidditch in the Harry Potter books
Hogwarts Quidditch Cup
| Year | Champions | Year | Book | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ravenclaw | 1991/1992 | Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone | Harry Potter's first Quidditch match, won by Potter when he caught the Golden Snitch in his mouth. |
| 2 | Cancelled | 1992/1993 | Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets | Deemed unsafe due to the mysterious attacks on students |
| 3 | Gryffindor | 1993/1994 | Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban | For the first time, Harry failed to win the match. |
| 4 | Cancelled | 1994/1995 | Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire | Cancelled due to Triwizard Tournament |
| 5 | Gryffindor | 1995/1996 | Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix | Harry, Fred and George are not allowed to play, they win without them |
| 6 | Gryffindor | 1996/1997 | Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince | Harry is not allowed to play, they win without him |
| 7 | Never Played | 1997/1998 | Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows | Field destroyed |
Hogwarts teams
A major motif of five of the Harry Potter books is the competition among the four Hogwarts houses for the Quidditch Cup each school year. The games are nearly always refereed by flying teacher Madam Hooch, although Snape refereed once in Harry's first year.
Years 1–3
The winning Gryffindor Team of Harry Potter Year 3 consisted of:
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| Keeper | Oliver Wood (Captain) |
| Centre Chaser | Angelina Johnson |
| Outside Chaser | Katie Bell |
| Outside Chaser | Alicia Spinnet |
| Blind Side Beater | Fred Weasley |
| Open Side Beater | George Weasley |
| Seeker | Harry Potter |
This team was often referred to, in the books, as the best team Hogwarts had ever seen. No Quidditch Cup tournament was held in Year 4 (Goblet of Fire) because of the Triwizard Tournament being hosted by Hogwarts.
Year 5
The winning Gryffindor Team of Harry Potter Year 5 consisted of:
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| Keeper | Ron Weasley |
| Centre Chaser | Angelina Johnson (Captain) |
| Outside Chaser | Katie Bell |
| Outside Chaser | Alicia Spinnet |
| Blind Side Beater | Fred Weasley/Jack Sloper |
| Open Side Beater | George Weasley/Andrew Kirke |
| Seeker | Harry Potter/Ginny Weasley |
Harry and the Weasley twins were banned from playing Quidditch for life by Dolores Umbridge for being involved in a fight with Draco Malfoy after the Gryffindor-Slytherin game. Subsequently the seeker spot was taken over by Ginny Weasley, while Andrew Kirke and Jack Sloper became the new beaters. Following Umbridge's removal from the school, Harry's ban was lifted, so he could play again in the next year.
Year 6
The winning Gryffindor Team of Harry Potter Year 6 consisted of:
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| Keeper | Ron Weasley/Cormac McLaggen |
| Centre Chaser | Ginny Weasley/Dean Thomas |
| Outside Chaser | Katie Bell/Dean Thomas |
| Outside Chaser | Demelza Robins |
| Blind Side Beater | Ritchie Coote |
| Open Side Beater | Jimmy Peakes |
| Seeker | Harry Potter (Captain)/Ginny Weasley |
Ron Weasley and Katie Bell both became unintended victims of Draco Malfoy's attempts to kill Dumbledore, and while they were unable to play, their spots in the team were taken over by Cormac McLaggen and Dean Thomas. After they were healed, they both returned to the team. Snape banned Harry from the season’s last game for cursing Malfoy. Therefore, for that game, Ginny Weasley played as a seeker, and her position as chaser was taken over by Dean Thomas.
Harry's performance as Seeker
| Year | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | Slytherin | Harry catches the Snitch in his mouth; Gryffindor wins |
| Hufflepuff | Harry catches the Snitch in under five minutes; Gryffindor wins | |
| Ravenclaw | Harry does not play; unconscious in hospital wing, Gryffindor loses | |
| 2nd | Slytherin | Harry catches the Snitch with one of his arms broken; Gryffindor wins |
| Hufflepuff | Game cancelled | |
| Ravenclaw | Game cancelled | |
| 3rd | Hufflepuff | Harry falls during match due to Dementors; Gryffindor loses (though Hufflepuff Seeker Cedric Diggory thought the win to be unfair and wanted a rematch) |
| Ravenclaw | Harry's first match flying on the Firebolt; Harry catches the Snitch, despite Slytherin's attempts to sabotage his performance; Gryffindor wins | |
| Slytherin | Harry catches the Snitch; Gryffindor wins the match and the championship too | |
| 4th | N/A | No Quidditch matches due to Triwizard Tournament |
| 5th | Slytherin | Harry catches the Snitch; Gryffindor wins |
| Hufflepuff | Harry does not play; banned by Umbridge; Gryffindor loses, even though Ginny Weasley catches the Snitch | |
| Ravenclaw | Harry does not play; banned by Umbridge;Gryffindor wins anyway due to Ron's efforts | |
| 6th | Slytherin | Harry catches the Snitch; Gryffindor wins |
| Hufflepuff | Harry knocked out of game injured; Gryffindor loses | |
| Ravenclaw | Harry does not play; in detention with Snape; Gryffindor wins anyway with Ginny as Seeker, Gryffindor wins the championship as well |
Professional Quidditch teams
The following teams are listed in Quidditch Through the Ages.
| Team | Situated | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Current Teams of Great Britain and Ireland | |||
 |
Appleby Arrows[2] | Appleby | Colors are pale blue with a silver arrow. Founded in 1612. Has a rivalry with the Wasps (see below) |
|
Chudley Cannons[3] | Chudley | Bright orange and a double C with a speeding cannonball. The team's motto was originally "We shall conquer"; it was later changed to "Let's all just keep our fingers crossed and hope for the best." Ron Weasley is a fan of the team. |
|
Falmouth Falcons[4] | Falmouth | Dark grey & white robes with a Falcon on the chest.
Motto: "Let us win, but if we cannot win, let us break a few heads." |
|
Puddlemere United[5] | Puddlemere | Place does not exist in the muggle world. Navy blue robes with two crossed Bulrushes. Founded in 1163. Oliver Wood is picked for this team's reserve squad after graduating from Hogwarts. Albus Dumbledore's favourite side. |
|
Tutshill Tornados[6] | Tutshill | Sky blue robes with a double T in dark blue on the front and back; league success in 1995; accused of cheating. Cho Chang supported this team since she was six. |
|
Wimbourne Wasps[7] | Wimborne | Horizontally striped robes of yellow and black and a Wasp on the chest. Ludo Bagman played as beater for this team in his younger days. |
|
Ballycastle Bats[8] | Ballycastle | Black robes with a scarlet bat. |
 |
Kenmare Kestrels[9] | Kenmare | Emerald green robes with two yellow K's back to back. Founded in 1291 |
|
Montrose Magpies[10] | Montrose | Black and white robes with a magpie on the front and back |
|
Pride of Portree[5] | Portree | Deep Purple Robes with a gold star on the chest. Founded in 1292 |
|
Wigtown Wanderers[6] | Wigtown | Blood red robes with a Meat Cleaver on the chest. Founded in 1422 |
|
Caerphilly Catapults[11] | Caerphilly | Vertically striped robes of light green and scarlet. Founded in 1402. Beat the Karasjok Kites to win the 1956 European Cup Final. |
|
Holyhead Harpies[12] | Holyhead | Dark green robes with a golden talon on the chest. An all-female team whose members have first names that start with G. Founded in 1203. Between 1998 and 2013, Ginny Weasley spends several years playing for this team.[citation needed] |
| Other teams | |||
 |
Thundelarra Thunderers[13] | Thundelarra | |
|
Wollongong Warriors[13] | Wollongong | Has a rivalry with the Thunderers (above) |
 |
Vratsa Vultures[14] | Vratsa | Seven times champions of Europe |
 |
Haileybury Hammers[15] | Haileybury | |
|
Moose Jaw Meteorites[15] | Moose Jaw | |
|
Stonewall Stormers[15] | Stonewall | |
 |
Gimbi Giant-Slayers[15] | Gimbi | |
 |
Quiberon Quafflepunchers[14] | Quiberon | Known for its shocking pink robes |
 |
Heidelberg Harriers[16] | Heidelberg | |
 |
Toyohashi Tengu[17] | Toyohashi | Burns their brooms after a defeat. |
 |
Gorodok Gargoyles | Gorodok, Lithuania | Ambiguous place name ("gorodok" means "town" in Russian). Won against the Toyohashi Tengu in 1994. |
 |
Bigonville Bombers[16] | Bigonville | |
 |
Moutohora Macaws[13] | Moutohora | |
 |
Karasjok Kites | Kárášjohka - Karasjok | Lost to the Caerphilly Catapults in the 1956 European Cup final.[18] |
 |
Tarapoto Tree-Skimmers[17] | Tarapoto | |
 |
Grodzisk Goblins[16] | Grodzisk | Ambiguous place name. Home team of Josef Wronski |
 |
Braga Broomfleet[16] | Braga, Portugal |
This Portuguese team invented an innovative Beater-marking system that made it one of the best in Quidditch competitions[16] |
|
Banchory Bangers | Banchory | "Team" now defunct |
 |
Sumbawanga Sunrays[15] | Sumbawanga | |
 |
Tchamba Charmers[15] | Tchamba | |
 |
Patonga Proudsticks[19] | Patonga | |
 |
Fitchburg Finches[20] | Fitchburg | Captain and seeker Maximus Brankovitch III also captained the USA team at the Quidditch World Cup several times. |
|
Sweetwater All-Stars[20] | Sweetwater | Won a five-day match against the Quiberon Quafflepunchers in 1993 |
Bulgarian national and Irish national teams
The Bulgarian National Quidditch team and Irish National Quidditch team appear in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, in which Ireland defeat Bulgaria in the Quidditch World Cup by 10 points. The Bulgarian team consists of Chasers Dimitrov, Ivanova, and Levski, Keeper Zograf, Beaters Volkov and Vulchanov, and superstar Seeker Viktor Krum. The Irish team consists of Chasers Troy, Mullet, and Moran, Keeper Barry Ryan, Beaters Quigley and Connolly, and Seeker Aidan Lynch. According to Rowling's website, several players were named after friends of hers as an inside joke.
Despite this, Ireland does not feature in the QWC video game.
Quidditch in the films and video games
There are some minor differences between how Quidditch is represented in Rowling's books and how it appears to be played in the films and video games. For example, the rule that players must not stray outside the pitch boundary is not evident, as players can be seen flying around the spectator towers at the Hogwarts Quidditch pitch.
In Half-Blood Prince (2009), Quidditch players are seen to use a flying wedge formation to advance the quaffles toward the goal.[21]
Quidditch was absent entirely from Order of the Phoenix (2007) and The Deathly Hallows, Part I (2010). In Goblet of Fire, only before and after the Quidditch World Cup are seen. In The Deathly Hallows, Part II (2011) the Hogwarts Quidditch pitch is seen only in a single shot, on fire.
In the 2003 video game Harry Potter: Quidditch World Cup, the rule of only having a single Chaser in the scoring area is not enforced. Additionally, the game allows players to make special moves whereby several goals are scored in succession as multiple Chasers pass the Quaffle back and forwards through the hoops, whereas the rules dictate that after a goal is scored, possession passes to the Keeper.
In the Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey attraction in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at the Islands of Adventure theme park, quidditch is featured near the end where riders are flown through the quidditch pitch. A storefront near Ollivanders Wand Shop is themed as a quidditch supply with a golden snitch on the sign and a case containing animated quaffle and bludgers surrounded by beaters bats.[22]
Quodpot
Quodpot is a variant of Quidditch popular in the United States, the Western Hemisphere and, as a minority, Europe – a clear reference to American football and its relative, Canadian football. Quodpot has never been mentioned in the novels, but it is described in Quidditch Through the Ages. There are eleven players on a side, who throw the Quod, a Quaffle modified to explode after a certain amount of time, from player to player, attempting to get it into the "pot" at the end of the pitch before it explodes. Any player in possession of the Quod when it explodes is disqualified. Once the Quod is in the "pot" (a cauldron containing a solution which prevents it from exploding), the scoring team is awarded a point and a new Quod is brought onto the pitch.
Nonfictional Quidditch
There have been small-scale attempts to adapt Quidditch to readily available technology, using bicycles, and unicycles.[23]
A street in Lower Cambourne, Cambridgeshire, England is named Quidditch Lane, supposedly after a type of nearby dry ditch called a Quidditch. Fans have been known to visit the area.[24]
Also, some American schools, such as Polytechnic School in California and Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, have added Quidditch to their list of team sports.
Quidditch video games
There have been video games that simulate playing Quidditch. Major games include:
- Harry Potter: Quidditch World Cup
- Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
- Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
- Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
See also
References
- ^ a b c d e Harry Potter Lexicon – Games & Sports
- ^ a b Whisp, Kennilworthy (2001). Quidditch Through the Ages. WhizzHard Books. p. 32. ISBN 1-55192-454-4.
- ^ Whisp, Kennilworthy (2001). Quidditch Through the Ages. WhizzHard Books. pp. 33–34. ISBN 1-55192-454-4.
- ^ Whisp, Kennilworthy (2001). Quidditch Through the Ages. WhizzHard Books. p. 34. ISBN 1-55192-454-4.
- ^ a b Whisp, Kennilworthy (2001). Quidditch Through the Ages. WhizzHard Books. p. 36. ISBN 1-55192-454-4.
- ^ a b Whisp, Kennilworthy (2001). Quidditch Through the Ages. WhizzHard Books. p. 37. ISBN 1-55192-454-4.
- ^ Whisp, Kennilworthy (2001). Quidditch Through the Ages. WhizzHard Books. pp. 37–38. ISBN 1-55192-454-4.
- ^ Whisp, Kennilworthy (2001). Quidditch Through the Ages. WhizzHard Books. pp. 32–33. ISBN 1-55192-454-4.
- ^ Whisp, Kennilworthy (2001). Quidditch Through the Ages. WhizzHard Books. p. 35. ISBN 1-55192-454-4.
- ^ Whisp, Kennilworthy (2001). Quidditch Through the Ages. WhizzHard Books. pp. 35–36. ISBN 1-55192-454-4.
- ^ Whisp, Kennilworthy (2001). Quidditch Through the Ages. WhizzHard Books. p. 33. ISBN 1-55192-454-4.
- ^ Whisp, Kennilworthy (2001). Quidditch Through the Ages. WhizzHard Books. pp. 34–35. ISBN 1-55192-454-4.
- ^ a b c Whisp, Kennilworthy (2001). Quidditch Through the Ages. WhizzHard Books. p. 42. ISBN 1-55192-454-4.
- ^ a b Whisp, Kennilworthy (2001). Quidditch Through the Ages. WhizzHard Books. p. 40. ISBN 1-55192-454-4.
- ^ a b c d e f Whisp, Kennilworthy (2001). Quidditch Through the Ages. WhizzHard Books. p. 43. ISBN 1-55192-454-4.
- ^ a b c d e Whisp, Kennilworthy (2001). Quidditch Through the Ages. WhizzHard Books. p. 41. ISBN 1-55192-454-4.
- ^ a b Whisp, Kennilworthy (2001). Quidditch Through the Ages. WhizzHard Books. p. 46. ISBN 1-55192-454-4.
- ^ Whisp, Kennilworthy (2001). Quidditch Through the Ages. WhizzHard Books. p. 33. ISBN 1-55192-454-4.
- ^ Whisp, Kennilworthy (2001). Quidditch Through the Ages. WhizzHard Books. pp. 42–43. ISBN 1-55192-454-4.
- ^ a b Whisp, Kennilworthy (2001). Quidditch Through the Ages. WhizzHard Books. p. 45. ISBN 1-55192-454-4.
- ^ Eric Scull (7 September 2008). "A test screening experience and review by Eric Scull". MuggleNet. Retrieved 16 November 2008.
- ^ "Harry Potter's magic conjures success for theme park". CNN International. 6 April 2011.
- ^ "Unicycle Quidditch Rules". Retrieved 10 October 2011.
- ^ Village sign attracts Potter fans, BBC News
External links
