The Gryffindor Quidditch Team

[GulPlum]

No: HPFGUIDX 53342

This isn't a reply to any particular post, but a more general comment.

Unlike most participants in this thread, I don't see Harry as Quidditch 
Captain. Not because he won't have time because of exams (Wood managed 
fine...), but because a) he wouldn't want the job, because b) he'd be no 
good at it.

Harry is not a natural leader in general terms. He's not been in a position 
of giving orders and expecting them to be obeyed without question. He might 
be nominal leader of the Trio, but that's only because he's the catalyst of 
their adventures. They're all equal members of their little clique and each 
has equal input into how they overcome whatever challenges they face. I've 
not done a numerical comparison, but off the top of my head, all of them 
have had the same opportunities to come up with "plans". They rarely 
discuss these plans, and the first idea usually prevails.

If Harry decides to do something, he decides *for himself* and although 
he's happy for H&R to stay around (and is glad of their presence), he 
doesn't see himself as "leading" them into anything.

Being in charge is not a position Harry relishes (largely as a result of 
his psychological make-up as a downtrodden child) and he's far happier to 
take orders. In fact, he takes orders very well, whether from his friends 
and teachers, or on the Quidditch pitch (unless they lead to something he 
sees as unfair).

Furthermore, Harry knows next to nothing about Quidditch tactics. He knows 
something about being a Seeker, but even so, not a great deal of the finer 
points: it's not until the QWC that he understands the execution of the 
Wronski Feint.  He doesn't have any kind of understanding of the general 
tactics of the game, or how to develop *team* tactics.

Off the pitch, his idea of "team tactics" is basically "we'll go along with 
the first idea which occurs to us unless someone comes up with a better one 
very quickly".

Harry therefore has neither the personality nor the skills to be a 
Quidditch team captain.

Someone else, though, is obsessed with Quidditch and its tactics; he's 
shown himself to be no mean tactical player in a different domain (chess), 
and indeed had that talent acknowledged in front of the whole school in 
PS/SS: Ron.

I don't know about the other players, but I certainly think that in 
symbolic terms at least, Ron as Keeper (and Captain) sounds pretty good...

In narrative terms, though, I have a feeling that Quidditch is going to go 
off on a different track in the remaining books. We've already had all the 
permutations: Gryffindor lose a match, Gryffindor win a match; Harry 
catches the Snitch, Harry misses the Snitch; Gryffindor lose the House Cup, 
Gryffindor win the House Cup.

We've already had the be-all and end-all of professional Quidditch, the 
World Cup, so what can possibly top that?

At the same time, to borrow one of my favourite phrases over on the Movie 
list, a Potter book/movie without *some* Quidditch is like a James Bond 
movie without a car chase. So Quidditch *has* to make an appearance in all 
three remaining books.

I've no idea how JKR has this element planned out, but I'm sure she has.

I can see one variation which we've not had yet, which would tie into some 
of the elements of GoF: a Quidditch competition between the three great 
European wizarding schools. Krum was, I believe, in his last year at 
Durmstrang, so he wouldn't be playing. However, I'm sure that this wouldn't 
stop him participating in *some* capacity on Durmstrang's team 
(trainer/coach?). Fleur could also come back from Beauxbatons as the team 
cheerleader and raise a few more eyebrows. ;-)

In any case, Hogwarts would be fielding a school-wide team, which would 
have several other narrative advantages, the main one of which would be to 
give us the opportunity to get to know some of the kids from the other 
Houses in a co-operative endeavour rather than the framework of the usual 
Hogwarts inter-House rivalry.

It could perhaps, depending on the format of any such competition, also 
offer us the opportunity of visiting one (or both) of the other schools 
which again is ripe in developmental possibilities.

Well, that takes care of one of the remaining three books. I have no ideas 
for Quidditch in the other two. :-)

--
GulPlum AKA Richard, open to suggestions...