[HPforGrownups] Re: "Potter for President"

[Kathryn Cawte]

No: HPFGUIDX 91137



> dorapye:

> A closer, and more British (though definitely girlie, which is
> presumably why JKR avoided it) point of reference would have been
> netball.
>
K

It may be why JKR avoided it, but it would also be a good explanation for
why *Harry* avoided it. He may well never have played basketball but even if
it is more American than British it's hardly obscure and he would recognise
the similarities even if he didn;t know much about the precise rules of
Basketball beyond there's two teams with a ball and they try to get it in
the nets. No self-respecting boy of any age would admit to knowing anything
about netball and I doubt the sport would have crossed his mind. We played
both at my school but basketball was mainly for the boys and netball for the
girls - it was perfectly fine for a girl to play basketball but a boy even
*thinking* about netball would be considered utterly sissylike - and Harry's
probably used to not giving Dudley and co any more reasons than they already
have to beat him up.

If you actually think it through - quidditch is not much like basketball at
all. The *only* similarity is putting a ball in a hoop, which is like saying
that because the chasers carry the ball and throw it to one another when in
danger of being tackled it's like rugby on broomsticks.

K