Katie Bell, and reserves

[mtwelovett]

No: HPFGUIDX 72767

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, <lmbolland at e...> wrote:
> 
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "mtwelovett" <mbush at l...>
> > Katie should be a 7th year in OOP since it is made a big deal about
> > Harry being the youngest house player in a century, and that first
> > years never make the team. 
> 
> 
> Well almost.  According to SS (US pg 152) Wood told Harry he was the
youngest SEEKER in a century.  It was Ron who began to say, "But first
years never ---" and never finished!  We can only wonder what first
years never do! :D  The idea that first years never make the team is,
I believe, Movie Contamination (spray!!!!) - hence people's confusion,
I think.  :)
> 
> Lauri


Okay, in my book, (US HB, 36th? Ed. SS) on page 152 it reads:

"Ron had a piece of steak and kidney pie halfway to his mouth, but
he'd forgotten about it. 
     "Seeker?" he said. "but first years never –– you must be the
youngest house player in about ––"
     "–– a century," said Harry, shoveling pie into his mouth. He felt
particularly hungry after the excitement of the afternoon. "Wood told
me.""

Seeker refers to Harry's position that he has just told Ron about. No
Ron doesn't finish the first years statement, but it is supported by
Malfoy on page 144 (same edition) where it reads:

"Malfoy certainly did talk about flying a lot. He complained loudly
about first years never getting on the house Quidditch teams." 

The statement of youngest house player implies any position on the
team not just that of Seeker. So we can from this deduct that it had
been a very long time indeed since a first year has been on the
Gryffendor team. (we do not however have any idea how many have been
reserves.)

Now as far as Katie Bell goes, I have always thought she was the same
year as Angelina, and Alicia and that she was on the team prior to
Harry joining (the Harry Potter Lexicon supports this as well showing
her as being at Hogwarts two years earlier than Harry, but they may
have made the same assumptions that I have). It is possible that she
could be a sixth year, if she made the team at tryouts and they hadn't
found a seeker yet. 

Dumbledore says on page 127
     "Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of the term." 

we know that HR visit to Hagrid's hut was at the end of the first
week, given that his invitation to Harry on page 136 says
"...I want to hear about your first week...."

The notice that Flying lessons are starting happens after this visit,
but it isn't certain that it is the following week (the week of
Quidditch trials). In fact, given the  discussion of Malfoy around
it,(sorry didn't pull direct quotes from it.. about page 143 though)
it would seem that it was after the second week since on Thursday (the
day of the Week Flying lessons were to be on) of the second week they
would only have had one class session with Malfoy/Slytherin prior to
that, (since the only class they have with Slytherin is Potions) and
it says that everyone groaned at having the lesson with Slytherin. But
this happens sometime before Halloween since it is apparent that Harry
has been practicing for several weeks by Halloween when on p. 170 it
reads:

"Perhaps it was because he was now so busy, what with Quidditch
practice three evenings a week on top of all his homework, but Harry
could hardly believe it when he realized that he'd already been at
Hogwarts two months." 

Katie could possibly have made the team at tryouts Harry's first year-
her second, and they may have been practicing without a seeker prior
to Harry joining the team giving the impression that she had been
there for a while. There is very little written about Katie, even when
she is mentioned with the team, there aren't many if any details given
away about her. (I scanned all the books especially around Quittich
matches and the Yule ball in GoF, but there may be a common room clue
somewhere that I missed) so the only really solid cannon for her to be
6th year is Ginny's omission of her name when she is talking to Harry
in OOP about Alicia and Angelina graduating and she (Ginny) wanting to
be Chaser. So I guess I've been assuming incorrectly about her all
along since this would seem to imply that she is in fact only a year
ahead of Harry.

Mtwelovett