Cheating in Quidditch

[Amy Z <lupinesque@yahoo.com>]

No: HPFGUIDX 50767

Diana wrote:

>  I think the use of magic during Quidditch games to
> influence the game at the point in time of these books
> would be considered dishonorable - like the Red Sox
> throwing that baseball game way back when.  

It was the White Sox, not the Red Sox.  This is totally OT, but I 
just couldn't let a slander like that stand, even an unintentional 
one.  The poor Red Sox have suffered enough.  ;-)

Let's see--I'd better add something canonical.  Right, charms at 
Quidditch games.  I would imagine that if there are actually charms 
in place that make it impossible to do magic (besides flying) on the 
field (as opposed to just penalizing it with fouls), the ref is 
exempt.  One might want a similar exemption in place for the 
announcer, otherwise the crowd would get into an arms race for which 
side could drown out the other with the more powerful magical 
megaphones/Sonorus Charms.  As for Dumbledore being able to do magic, 
he too can be trusted not to use his magic to sway the outcome of a 
game (unlike McGonagall, who might give in to temptation <g>), and 
besides, even if there were a damper preventing Quidditch-relevant 
charms like slowing a player's fall, the greatest wizard of the age 
might well be able to do it anyway.

The fact that Dobby could not only do magic that would work during a 
Quidditch match, but charm an already magical object to do something 
against its nature, is another example of house-elves' powerful 
magic.  

Amy