Quidditch FAQ - Draft

[Ali]

I've decided to post this now. It's not as finished as I would like, 
but I've managed to lose an entire paper draft that had loads of 
alterations on it, and I'm not a happy bunny!

I've got mock exams next week, and then 2 weeks after that. So, 
realistically, I won't have much more time for this until my course 
finishes in mid-May.

I would be grateful if people would start to look at it. Maybe, 
people will decide it's ready for editing, maybe you won't! I am 
aware that there are some message numbers missing. Unfortunately, 
some of these messages were on Neil's original FAQ, and I haven't 
got the details. I will ask him if he has them though.

There are only very small sections on Oliver Wood and Krum. It might 
be better to leave these out altogether. In time perhaps there could 
be a minor character FAQ? The strategy section could probably be 
expanded. That's one of my missing alterations.

Anyhow, have a read and see what you think.


Ali

Quidditch FAQ


Contents

Introduction

The Quidditch metaphor

A skeletal history

Harry and the role of Quidditch

Quidditch: the game
Could Quidditch work?
Strategy
Has there ever been a Quidditch match where the snitch was not 
caught? Y1726
Gender representation 4309
Quidditch attire and accoutrements  

Quidditch at Hogwarts
How many Quidditch Games are played?
How are the House teams chosen? 
The first-year rule
Do the flying lessons continue beyond the first year? Y669
When did Gryffindor last win the House Cup? Quidditch Cup and House 
Cup
How does the Quidditch Cup contribute to the House Cup?
Who won the Quidditch cup in Harry's first year?
The Gryffindor Team (PS/SS through to PoA)
Draco on Slytherin team

The Quidditch World Cup

Some Quidditch Personalities -
Oliver Wood
Victor Krum

Discussions concluded by the publication of OoP

Lack of Quidditch in Year 4    4073 Captains new players
Will Ron Weasley ever get a chance to play? Y669: 




Introduction

Quidditch is the sport of the wizarding world, creating a fervour 
and loyalty equal to that of any Muggle sport.  

The game is played on broomsticks with seven players per team 
battling out with a variety of balls to score points.  The game ends 
when one Seeker catches the Golden Snitch.


JKR invented Quidditch as

"I wanted a sport for wizards, and I'd always wanted to see a game 
where there was more than one ball in play at a time" (JKR in 
Amazon.Co.UK interview).

"Because sport is such an important part of life at school" 
(Scholastic, October 2000)

Harry loves Quidditch and it seems central to both his life and to 
the Wizarding World in general. Yet, despite this, relatively few of 
our posts have been devoted to this them and it certainly seems to 
lack the passion and ambiguity necessary to really captivate HPfGU 
posters.

Much of the early discussion on Quidditch has effectively been 
overtaken by the publication of the Hogwart's schoolbook "Quidditch 
Through the Ages" in March 2001. This book tells us much of the 
basic rules of Quidditch, the historic origins of the game and the 
Quidditch League (for Britain and Ireland). Later discussions have 
now been overtaken by the release of OoP. This document therefore 
serves as a historic record of what was discussed, and how close we 
were.

Debbie has researched Quidditch  [48192 and 88055] as "a Metaphor 
for the struggle against Voldemort and the players role in the 
fight; moreover, the Quidditch sequences appear to foreshadow 
subsequent events". This concept will be considered first, followed 
by sections on the role of Quidditch for Harry in particular, 
together with a discussion of the game itself –A discussion of 
Quidditch at Hogwarts will follow. The FAQ will finish with a look 
at some of the finished debates.

The Quidditch Metaphor

In Debbie's essay, "The Quidditch Metaphor", Debbie suggests that 
Quidditch serves a variety of purposes – a setting for plot 
developments, a diversion, or, a metaphor for the struggle against 
Voldemort". She further suggests that the matches themselves 
foreshadow the Voldemort struggle.

Debbie highlights the parallel of seeker and Harry, comparing his 
real life to his on-pitch role. The seeker is solitary, team mates 
provide the support, but ultimately, the seeker is the probably 
match-winner and must catch the snitch alone, just as Harry is 
supported by Ron and Hermione, but ultimately wins each battle by 
himself. Debbie also points out that the best seeker is a team 
player, again, as Harry have demonstrated on pitch and off.

In terms of Quidditch foreshadowing the books themes, in OoP, Harry 
is banned from Quidditch. Ginny takes over Harry's role. Ginny is of 
course the one other person who has been possessed by Voldemort and 
thus can explain to him the feeling of being possessed which greatly 
worries him at different points in the book. In OoP Harry does not 
play seeker. He does seek to rescue Sirius, but his reasoning is 
flawed, and unwittingly leads to Sirius' death, the very thing he 
was trying to rescue Sirius from. Harry also does not carry out his 
solitary seeking role at the climax of the book. This time he is 
saved by Dumbledore.

Debbie's comments on the keeper remain pertinent after OoP, even the 
terminology of stopping a goal "save", borrowed from football 
showing the keeper as the last line of defence. Are Debbie's words 
going to be prophetic "Perhaps the new keeper
will be called upon to 
choose whether to save himself (or herself) or to sacrifice to allow 
Harry to continue the quest to defeat Voldemort". The keeper is of 
course, Ron and it has long been debated whether Ron will choose to 
sacrifice himself in the final battle as he choose to do in the 
chess scene in the Philosopher's Stone.


A Skeletal history of Quidditch

The name "Quidditch" is a corruption of "Queerditch Marsh" where 
Gertie Keddle observed and wrote about this game played on 
broomsticks. Goodwin later discussed the game at a time when there 
was a "catcher" and a "Blooder" -  Modern day equivalents 
being "chaser" and "bludger". At that time there was no seeker and 
no golden snitch. Bowman Wright of Godrics Hollow [an ancestor of 
Harry's?] invented the Golden Snitch, to replace the Golden Snidget 
bird which had first been released at a Quidditch match when 
Barberus Bragge placed 150 galleons on the head of the Snidget. This 
is the origin of the 150 points award for the snitch [QTTA p 14].

The Professional League in Britain is made up of 20 teams coming 
from different parts of the British Isles. This arguably points to a 
Wizarding World in which, the RL boundaries within the British Isles 
are not recognised. However, this is not entirely the case as 
Ireland and England compete as different Nations in the World Cup.


Harry and the role of Quidditch

There have been suggestions that Harry is a descendant of Bowman 
Wright, the Snitch inventor. This is based on the fact that Lily and 
James's cottage was in Godric Hollow, home to Bowman Wright, and the 
fact that James' wealth was inherited. The assumption here is that 
the snitch invention could have given the Potters a family fortune. 
There is also the hypothesis that Harry's Quidditch talent is 
inherited – James was a talented Quidditch player, and it is 
possible that Harry comes from a long line of talented people.


Harry has had fame thrust upon him and he lacks confidence. Hagrid 
and the Wizarding World might have sprung him from his childhood 
prison, but Harry dislikes being a "famous name", uncomfortable with 
the celebrity status which Snape taunts him about.

Quidditch is very important to Harry and so for the reader, for two 
fundamental reasons. Firstly, understanding and even obsessing over 
Quidditch is a way to show he belongs to the WW. His support of the 
Chudley Canons, a mediocre team, rather than the fashionable 
Tornados, perhaps seals his original bond of friendship with Ron, 
the first person who really seems to have accepted him as an equal. 
Thus, with his Quidditch team support, the reader can see the 
importance Harry places on friendship..

Secondly, Harry is good at Quidditch, very good. In the words of 
Professor McGonagall

 "The boy's a natural. I've never seen anything like it." P. 112 PS 
UK edition.

Harry is not a natural scholar. He carries the burden of fame for a 
past he cannot remember, and constantly zigzags between fame and 
infamy. Yet, with flying, with Quidditch, he feels he can justify 
his famous name:

"In a rush of fierce joy he realised he'd found something he could 
do without being taught – this was easy, this was wonderful".

Harry doesn't really believe that he has any strengths, but

"What was he best at? Well, that was easy, really –

"Quidditch" he said" GoF p.301

When Harry flew in the first task in GoF,

"He realised that he had left not only the ground behind, but also 
his fear 
 he was back where he belonged 
" p.310

Thus, Quidditch allows Harry to justify his fame to himself but it 
also allows him to forget it and all his worries.

In contrast to his school work, Harry does work hard in Quidditch, 
he practices hard and reads up about the theory, showing that when 
Harry is dedicate to something, he can apply himself.

Harry's Quidditch talent is recognised and encouraged by his adult 
mentors. Rules are broken to allow him to play Quidditch in the 
first year and to have his own broom. The gift of the Firebolt 
allows Harry to realise his talent more fully than if he had to 
continue with a slower Cleansweep, like Ron. 
Quidditch also gives Harry a link to his dead father, James who was  
a good Quidditch player. When Sirius gives Harry the Firebolt, it 
somehow connects Harry to the life he might have had – with his 
father and godfather -to one of his most enjoyable past times now, 
Quidditch.

Of course, because Quidditch is so important to Harry, JKR 
constantly deprives him of it:

 In CoS, Quidditch is cancelled because of the Basilisk menace. In 
GoF there is no Quidditch season because of the Tri-Wizard 
tournament, and of course, Umbridge knowing what Quidditch means to 
Harry, gives him a lifelong ban in OoP. In PoA, Harry's enjoyment of 
Quidditch is threatened until he can gain mastery over the 
Dementors. 


To date, Harry has never truly been beaten in Quidditch. When 
Hufflepuff won in PoA, it was because Harry was facing the 
Dementors. Arguably, despite his lack of attention at that point, 
Cedric would not have won if the Dementors (and Sirius) and had 
diverted Harry's attention.

Despite Harry's ability, he seems never to have considered Quidditch 
as a post-Hogwarts Career. Perhaps this is because he knows that 
Quidditch can only ever be a diversionary hobby, but JKR has chosen 
not to explain this.

With Umbridge removed, it would seem likely that Harry's lifelong 
ban has been lifted. Now, we must wonder will Harry ever be captain 
of the Gryffindor team and will he ever be beaten?


Quidditch the game:

Could Quidditch work?

There has been discussion about whether Quidditch could 
actually "work". Ali felt that Quidditch was really 2 games roughly 
meshed together and questioned whether there was cohesiveness to the 
game [47806]. Tim felt that there were too many balls to work 
[47807]. Although this was the concept that actually drove JKR to 
invent the game (Amazon.Co.UK interview).

On the other hand, Bboy [47809] believes " it is the dangers of 
stock car racing, sky diving, bungie jumping, motocross and high 
speed aerial combat, combined with the skill and strategy of any 
typical muggle team ball/puck type sport
playable s 

Several posters have felt that 150 points for catching the snitch 
threatens the legitimacy of the game [47815 and 47916] as the snitch 
and seekers role overshadow the rest of the game to such a great 
extent. James [47832] countered this by theorising that in 
Professional Quidditch, the point difference of 150 might not be 
that great. He queried the comparative length of the Hogwarts 
matches with those in the League, deciding that greater talent must 
be the driving force. This view is challenged by Ali [47829] who 
asks where the Professional teams get their players from if it isn't 
Hogwarts. This is based on the oft-disputed statement that Hogwarts 
is the only Wizarding school in Britain [see interview ?] Ali 
suggests that the Professional League is kept afloat by foreign 
players. Alexander disagrees believing it to be additional evidence 
that there is more than one school despite JKR's word.

Catlady [133] wondered how big a wizarding population is required to 
have enough players for all the professional/semi-professional 
Quidditch teams and to provide the associated financial support.  
Acting on the suggestion that there are 20 teams in the British 
Quidditch league, she proposed a low end guess of 200 active 
professional Quidditch players and pointed out that this estimate 
exceeds the apparent number of Quidditch players leaving Hogwarts 
each year.

Joywitch referred to the teams of other countries and repeated her 
earlier (Y6031, Chapter 5 summary) comment that tiny 
Luxembourg "somehow has enough athletic witches and wizards for a 
world-class Quidditch team capable of beating JKR's  Scotland."  
This, she asserts, is stretching logic.  Ellen the Beekeeper [246] 
proposed that Luxembourg is rich enough to hire the best players and 
Catlady [304] reminded us that just seven good players or seven good 
brooms would be enough to sweep the board at the World Cup. In fact, 
as Luxembourg's population is 500,000, and Scotland's is 5.1 
million, it is possible for Luxembourg to have a stronger team. This 
is perhaps a similar ratio to England and New Zealand. Despite the 
size differences, New Zealand has a superior rugby team.

Strategy

See 2627.  Cho's Comet could not match Harry's Firebolt, so she just 
followed his coattails
to see if she could get to the snitch that 
way.  Simon thinks this would be a stupid stratagem, since the 
person with the slower broom would have to be in front of Harry in 
order to block his access to the Snitch [otherwise, he would easily 
reach it first].  Alternatively, they would have to be searching for 
the Snitch elsewhere, rather than trailing Harry. [2660].



Has there ever been a Quidditch match where the snitch was not 
caught? Y1726

Dave H suggests that maybe Quidditch has an equivalent to the "Fifty 
Move Rule" in chess, so that if the snitch is not caught within a 
certain time, the game is automatically drawn [or based on the score 
at that point]. [1766]  Smitster1 pointed out an interview with JKR 
in which she said that a game can last indefinitely and only ends 
when the snitch is caught. [1867 for URL of clip?]. In PS, Wood 
tells Harry that a "game of Quidditch can go on for ages – I think 
the record is three months, they had to keep bringing on substitutes 
so the players could get some sleep"  p. 125. There is no canon to 
decide whether Hogwarts operates a truncated school version of 
Quidditch.

Gender representation 

Professor Nellup  [4309] commented on how well females were 
represented in Quidditch and on the fact that it was a unisex sport, 
something almost unknown in Muggle team sports.  She gave the 
examples of Cho Chang, the Ravenclaw chaser, and in the World Cup in 
GoF, two of the three chasers - Mullet and Moran. In fact, when 
Ginny joins the Gryffindor team in OoP over half the Gryffindor team 
are females, this is in contrast to the Slytherin team which seems 
to be always male . It is interesting to note that the Weasleys, who 
are in many ways our benchmark of fair-minded wizards actually have 
many prejudices, and amongst these are allowing little sisters to 
play Quidditch. Ginny learned by borrowing her brothers brooms, they 
did not let her play with them.

Quidditch attire and accoutrements  

Quidditch robes? And hats

Jen P suggests "some synthetic fabric meant to be more aerodynamic 
and light". 2055  

As to what is worn under the robes, at one point, we see Harry 
putting on a t-shirt under his Quidditch robes, but this could be 
underwear or outerwear, according to Catlady.  Do the players wear 
jeans or boxer shorts underneath? [3217] JoAnna refers to p110 of 
SS, when Harry and Ron "took off their jackets and pulled on their 
long black robes."  This supports the idea that Quidditch robes are 
worn over ordinary clothes. [3225]. The team certainly seem to get 
changed together again supporting the idea that they do not have to 
undress in forn of each other.

Catlady wondered whether Quidditch hats - with team logos etc - are 
the same as the pointed witch hats worn otherwise. [5399]. She also 
wondered whether the hats worn by the players would fall off during 
play and noted that the robes could be cumbersome during play. 
[5400]. 



Quidditch at Hogwarts

How many Quidditch Games are played?

Steve Bboy [50570] thought that as there is no mention of Harry 
attending matches he does not play in, that the Quidditch Cup must 
be won after elimination rounds. Other posters pointed out that the 
Potterverse is "Harrycentric" and there is little time to see things 
in his peripheral vision. The consensus [Torsten, 50630 and Scott 
50636] is that 6 games are played, each house playing each other 
once.


How are the House teams chosen? 

Is the selection left to the Professor in charge of the house or are 
there "tryouts" each year?  Penny [Y669] notes that in CoS, Harry 
was worried that he might lose his place as Seeker because he hadn't 
practiced in 2 months - could McGonagall have replaced him if he 
hadn't made the grade? In PS it is stated that there will be House 
Quidditch trials. [670]. 

This question appears to be answered in OoP. 

Angelina holds trials for the Goalkeeper position that Oliver Wood 
had just vacated.  Angelina chooses Ron, not because he's the best, 
but because he's the best team player. Later on, after Harry, Fred 
and George are expelled from the team, trials are again held. But, 
it seems very likely that McGonagall would be able to throw someone 
off the team if she felt that they did not come up to scratch. She 
threatens Angelina with removing her captaincy after Angelina's 
outburst at Harry in the Great Hall [p. 285]


The first-year rule

There is a rule that first year students are not allowed their own 
broomsticks at Hogwarts (p. 53 PS ). It is slightly less clear 
whether this means that First years are not ordinarily allowed to 
play on the House Quidditch team .Draco complains that first years 
never get on the first team, (p. 107 PS) but this could be because 
the rule prohibiting them from using their own brooms all but rules 
them out of the teams because the school brooms are so slow. When 
McGonagall talks to Dumbledore about bending the rules in Harry's 
case it could be either to allow Harry to own his own broom or be on 
the House Team. Professor Flitwick later refers to the "special 
circumstances [670], again not clarifying what the rule is. 

Do the flying lessons continue beyond the first year? Y669

Flying lessons are only mentioned once, so people have often 
questioned whether students carry on these lessons passed the first 
year, perhaps Harry is exempt because he's obviously mastered the 
basics. But, we are never told, and we never hear whether Hermione 
and Neville managed to improve their broomstick skills.


When did Gryffindor last win the House Cup? Quidditch Cup and House 
Cup


In PoA, Wood says Gryffindor haven't won the Quidditch Cup for seven 
years, (p. 108) In PS, Fred says that Gryffindor haven't won the cup 
since Charlie Weasley left p. 114 PS, presumably meaning that 
Gryffindor hadn't won the Quidditch cup for the 5 years preceding 
Harry starting at Hogwarts. Y5349 & Y5352. However, when Harry goes 
to the end of term feast in PS, the Great Hall is decked in green 
and silver to celebrate the fact that Slytherin had won the House 
cup for the seventh year in a row. Thus, it would seem that in 
Charlie's final year, Gryffindor won the Quidditch cup, but 
Slytherin won the House cup.

Stephanie75 [4973] wondered how Slytherin won the House Cup six 
years in a row? If they haven't won the Quidditch Cup in those 
years, where are they getting the points? Cheating?  Catlady thought 
that Slytherin did win the Quidditch Cup all those years but was 
still puzzled by the implication in PoA that Slytherin started their 
winning streak in the Quidditch Cup one year before their winning 
streak of the House Cup [5039].  Milz suggested that the other 
Houses had lost more points than Slytherin, leaving them in a 
stronger position for the House Cup [4975].

During a discussion about the Weasley boys' ages, Milz pointed out 
the importance of Harry being the youngest Quidditch player in 100 
years; this was evidence that Charlie Weasley must have been at 
least a second year student when he began playing for Gryffindor.  
Penny said she had the impression that Charlie Weasley had given 
Gryffindor the Quidditch Cup several years running, and the last 
time they had won it before PoA was in his final year at Hogwarts

How does the Quidditch Cup contribute to the House Cup?

It seems that it does. When Harry loses 50 points in PS/SS, he 
thinks that this will wipe out the lead he had just won in 
Quidditch. Gryffindor won the House cup in PoA, thanks largely to 
their spectacular performance in Quidditch. We are not told the 
exact correlation of Quidditch points to House Points. Whatever the 
correlation, Gryffindor Quidditch tactics have always been to secure 
wins, not maximise the House point score.

Who won the Quidditch cup in Harry's first year?

We aren't told who won the Quidditch Cup since Harry missed the last 
match, but Penny suggested that it would be whichever House was 
second to Gryffindor in the Quidditch matches; probably Slytherin 
since they were ahead in terms of House points in the race for House 
Cup and we can suppose that winning the Quidditch Cup yields a high 
number of points for the House who wins it.  Penny suggests that 
Quidditch success secures points towards the House Cup, either 
accumulating points through individual matches won or through a set 
number of points being Quidditch champions.  Kelley added that 
McGonagall tells the kids she's going to deduct 50 points. from 
Gryffindor, and Harry thinks "They would lose the lead, the lead 
he'd  won in the last Quidditch match.". p. 178 PS  Maybe the 
winning team gets the amount of points they score in the game added 
to their House points.



Succession planning and reserve teams

The Potterverse is unclear, but there is no evidence of succession 
planning in the Gryfindor team. Whilst Alicia Spinnet was on the 
reserve team prior to Harry joining, it seems very likely that this 
team never reformed. When Harry is in the hospital wing at the end 
of PS/SS, the team suffered its worst defeat for 300 years. Melanie 
Ravenclawlady [1498], asked whether the team continued without a 
seeker, whether there was an alternative, or whether one of the 
existing team members switched positions. Arguably, whatever they 
did, the team's spirit was diminished by the risk to Harry's life 
and so they failed to play effectively.

The Gryffindor were wholly unprepared for losing their beaters and 
seeker after Fred, George and Harry received lifelong bans. Whilst 
their ban could not have been anticipated, their incapacitation 
probably could have been. More trials had to be held, again 
emphasising the lack of obvious reserves.

This succession planning seems a weakness in teambuilding and is in 
contrast to professional level Quidditch as we know that Oliver Wood 
was selected to play for the Puddlemere United reserve team (p. 78 
GoF).

  
FFA wanted to know why there wasn't a team for each year in the 
school [1488].  The Gryffindor team hadn't changed at all in the 
first three years that Harry was seeker, there was then no Quidditch 
for a year. It could be to provide some reinforcement of the 
identities of the team members across the first three books. FFA 
also raised the fact that there are only about 40 pupils per year 
and about 70 per House, so perhaps they can only summon up one team 
per House. [1509]

The Gryffindor Team (PS/SS through to PoA)

Keeper and Captain: Oliver Wood  -left
Chaser                      : Angelina Johnson 
Chaser                      : Alicia Spinnet
Chaser                      : Katie
Beater                       : George Weasley
Beater                       : Fred Weasley
Seeker                       : Harry Potter


Draco on Slytherin team

There is an inference that Draco only got into the Slytherin team 
because Lucius bought brooms for the players [2967]. But, this is 
not really supported by canon. The Slytherin team seems second to 
Gryffindor in CoS and PoA. In OoP, they actually lose 2 of their 3 
matches, but that could be because of the weakness of the other 
players (eg Crabbe and Goyle) rather than Malfoy himself. Malfoy may 
have bought himself onto the team, but he does seem to be a 
relatively effective player, just not a true opponent for Harry – at 
least not yet.


The Quidditch World Cup


 Jen P. sums up Chapter 8, "The Quidditch World Cup [428]the chapter 
devoted to the only Quidditch action in GoF: a match between Ireland 
and Bulgaria.  We meet the team mascots - Leprechauns and Veela and 
the star Bulgarian Seeker, Viktor Krum.  "Over the next few (many?) 
pages, we're treated to spectacular Quidditch moves, special effects 
from the omnioculars (nose-picking again and again and again, slow-
motion gone wrong, etc), and rude gestures from the opposing teams' 
mascots.  Catlady notes that this is fast-paced Quidditch of a level 
that Harry had never seen before.

Krum eventually captures the snitch, even though Bulgaria is down by 
160 points and it's not going to win them the game.  Fred and George 
Weasley had bet some money on this happening and Kathleen MacMillan 
wondered how they managed to predict such an odd outcome: perhaps a 
few sessions with Professor Trelawney?  Although Harry assumes that 
Krum caught the Snitch to retain some semblance of pride, Catlady 
points out that this is only Harry's assumption and also suggests 
that the twins had studied team form in placing their bet [538].

Catlady also suggests that all the players on the Irish team must 
have attended Hogwarts, and finds it strange that McGonagall had not 
mentioned any of them.  Simon responded  that perhaps there is 
another wizarding school in), or that maybe the Irish players were 
in Houses other than Gryffindor and spread over several school 
years. [581].

6031 (Chap 5 summary) Joywitch points out that tiny 
Luxembourg "somehow has enough athletic witches and wizards for a 
world-class Quidditch team capable of beating JKR's native 
Scotland.". However, when you consider that Luxembourg has one 
twentieth of Scotland's population, it would be possible for 
Luxembourg to be better, just as New Zealand tend to be better than 
England at rugby despite their smaller pool from which to attract 
players.

 
Some Quidditch personalities


Oliver Wood

Catlady imagines that Wood is a "nice, sincere, committed guy" and 
imagines having a conversation with him, in which she tries to get 
his one-track mind off the topic off Quidditch and on to global 
warming! [2841]

After Hogwarts, Oliver Wood signs to Puddlemere United reserve team. 
7630 Ch 7 summary

Marcus Flint

The Slytherin Captain had to repeat a year, according to an 
interview with JKR, but 4972 suggests that she just forgot that he 
would have left. At the end of CoS, when Flint is meant to be taking 
his NEWTs, Harry's exams are cancelled, so perhaps all exams were 
cancelled and Flint was forced to return the following year to take 
them. 5458 Simon.

Later editions show Flint in the 5th year in PS, 6th year in CoS and 
7th year in PoA. This had had two effects. Firstly, it shows us that 
JKR's interviews cannot always be treated as "canon" as sometimes 
she simply has to think on her feet and cover up minor 
inconsistencies. Secondly, it has led to the coining of the term 
a "Flint" which is now used by list members of HPfGU to point out 
perceived inconsistencies in the Potterverse.



Viktor Krum

Catlady [7340] raised the possibility that Krum was bewitched to 
play great Quidditch, based on the contrast between his "clumsy and 
graceless walk" and his "perfect broom-flying".  Jim Ferer thought 
that if it were possible to use magic in this way, there would 
hardly be a need for Hogwarts [7361]  Vicki thought that Krum was 
just "shy and basically insecure" with one major talent - his 
Quidditch playing - which he regards as "a freak talent". [7399]




Questions concluded by the publication of QTTA:Aren't broomsticks 
uncomfortable? – see QTTA for cushion charm

Well, yes.  Scott 6113.  Ouch!  Vicki noted that JKR had never 
mentioned that the brooms had seats and suggested that 
they "magically disperse the force along your whole legs, instead of 
just in your groin area".  Otherwise, the boys would find the brooms 
a particularly rough ride and "would never grow up to reproduce". 
[6179]

Dee [6154] thought it was unlikely that the girls in HP ride `side-
saddle,' whereas in "Bedknobs and Broomsticks" witches were expected 
to "be a lady" and do just that.


Discussions concluded by the publication of OoP

Lack of Quidditch in Year 4    4073 Captains new players

Several members bemoaned the lack of Quidditch in Harry's 4th year, 
due to the Triwizard Tournament.  Simon 4106 commented that this 
also put off the question of who would be the new Quidditch 
captains, since there were at least three vacancies.  He suggests 
that Harry would be a good candidate for captain of Gryffindor in 
Book 5.  FFA thought this would be one glory too many and proposed 
Angelina Johnson as captain.

Ebony suggests that the twins should co-captain, or that one of the 
three chasers should be captain. 6051.  Catlady suggests that the 
twins should co-captain [6045]  Ebony  also suggests that Dean and 
Seamus could become Chasers, if Angelina  has left the school in 
Book 5.  Draco might be made captain of Slytherin in Book 5, and 
perhaps Cho Chang will be captain of Ravenclaw.


.6045 Dean Thomas, being a fan of West Ham soccer team, was 
suggested as a replacement for Oliver Wood as Gryffindor Keeper.  
Jim Ferer pointed out that Wood was stocky, like a hockey goalie, 
and that either of the twins, who are also stocky, would make a good 
Keeper. In fact, Ron who is gangily played keeper. He was not the 
best, and suffered badly from lack of confidence, but showed his 
competence in the final match.

Someone suggested that the Creevey brothers might turn out to be 
fairly good players and Ginny has been suggested. – of course, Ginny 
proved herself to be a competent player in OoP and may reach greater 
heights in Books 6 and 7 once she changes position.


Will Ron Weasley ever get a chance to play? Y669: 

In PS, the Mirror of Erised revealed that it was Ron's greatest 
desire to be Captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team and he is 
obsessed with the game in general.  Bedroom quote


Ebony proposes that Ron is made Keeper of Gryffindor House team in 
Book 5. [6051]  Penny thought Ron would get his chance when the 
twins and some of the chasers leave.  Mike Gray [6376] suggested 
that Ron would get to be Keeper and Captain of the team, because he 
is good at chess, which requires "planning, insight, thinking ahead, 
laying out a strategy".  He might join as a "second-string" player 
and surprise everyone by pointing out a brilliant strategy. This 
might still happen as the captaincy is once again open. Katie 
Spinnet and Harry are the most experienced players, but Harry did 
not play for much of the year through hot-headed Quidditch related 
behaviour which may rule him out of contention, although he 
successfully led the DA.

Jen [6074] thought Ron should be a Beater and have one of the twins 
take over from Wood as Keeper, but Ebony thought the twins should 
not be split up as they were "like a pair of human Bludgers 
themselves" (Oliver Wood).

Danemead [6393] was worried that if Ron played on the Quidditch team 
Voldemort might be better able to cause injury to Harry's `wheezy'. 

In eGroups  Jinx noted that Ron has never played A-side Quidditch 
before [4945].  Captains need to be among the older more experienced 
players.  Catlady said that when Cedric was introduced, he was said 
to be Hufflepuff's new Seeker and new Captain, which really made her 
question why a new team member would be chosen as Captain. [5037].  
Amanda proposed that Cedric was on the team already and moved to 
Seeker, rather than being completely new to the team [5047].

Simon thought Ron's predicament could be part of a vicious cycle 
[4865]. He does not have a good enough broom so is not good enough 
to get onto the team. Because he is not good enough to get on the 
team he cannot justify asking his parents for a better broom. So he 
cannot get on the team.  Although Ron isn't too proud to borrow a 
broom for tryouts, Catlady thinks he avoids trying out because he 
believes that his parents don't have enough money to buy him a 
decent broom even if he did get on the team.

In a sense this argument was supported by JKR as Ron chooses a new 
broom as his reward for being a prefect. This in turn enables him to 
try for the keeper position – something that his lack of confidence 
might never have allowed him without the talisman of a new broom.

[When Ginny becomes seeker after Harry's ban, it would seem unlikely 
that she had a new broom, but does not seem to need the emotional 
crutch that the new broom gave Ron. It does beg the question though, 
what kind of broom Ginny must have had to allow her to play 
competently – surely the school brooms were insufficient?