DISCUSSION - Quidditch

[Caius Marcius]

No: HPFGUIDX 21189

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., "Simon" <simon at h...> wrote:
> Shall Binkly: "Some people believe Quidditch is a matter of life 
and death, I
> am very disappointed with that attitude. I can assure you it is 
much, much
> more important than that." [1] [2]
> 
> 
> Quidditch - The Noble Sport of Warlocks?

Excellent summary! JKR writes as lovingly of Quidditch as (say) 
Stephen Gould or George Will write of baseball, or David Halberstam 
of basketball. 

The famous line of the Duke of Wellington: "The battle of Waterloo 
was won on the playing fields of Eton."  Will the battle of Voldemort 
II be won on the playing fields of Hogwarts?  Consider these two 
scenes from GoF:

"[Harry] swung his leg over the broom and kicked off from the 
ground.  And a second later, something miraculous happened....

As he soared upward, as the wind rushed through his hair, as the 
crowd's faces became mere flesh-colored pinpnicks below, and the 
Horntail shrank to the size of a dog, he realized that he had left 
not only the ground behind, but also his fear. . . . He was back 
where he belonged.... 

This was just another Quidditch match, that was all. . . just another 
Quidditch match, and that Horntail was just another ugly opposing 
team." (Chapter 21)

And later against a dude who make Horntails look cuddly:

"Voldemort raised his wand, but this time Harry was ready; with the 
reflexes born of his Quidditch training, he flung himself sideways 
onto the ground; he rolled behind the marble headstone of Voldemort s 
father, and he heard it crack as the curse missed him.
"We are not playing hide-and-seek, Harry," said Voldemort's soft, 
cold voice, drawing nearer, as the Death Eaters laughed.  "You cannot 
hide from me." (Ch. 34)

But of course we know that Harry - thanks to Quidditch - can best 
Voldy in hide-and-seek (and most other games as well).  

Did Tom Riddle ever fly for Slytherin?

  - CMC