Some questions (JKR's chat)--Quidditch captain

[Steve]

No: HPFGUIDX 92315

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Jen Snyder" <jasnyder at i...> wrote:
> bboy_mn said:
> >>If she is not there, I think, or more accurately speculate, that 
> Harry will indeed be captain, but will not be very good at it.<<
> 


> 
> Why would you think that Harry would not be a good Quidditch 
> captain?  He does very well in OOtP in directing the DA, even though 
> he's nervous about it at first and doesn't think he can do it...he 
> might not want it, or might not think that he'd be any good, but I 
> think the DA experience shows that he would be good at it.
> 
> Jen


bboy_mn:

I think Harry COULD be a good Quidditch captain under the right
circumstances, but the next book or two will hardly be the right
circumstances. I predict that in the next book Harry will be very
busy. One reason for this, is that I believe that the D.A. Club will
continue in the next book. Plus, escalating conflict and chaos caused
by the DE's and Voldemort.

Second, Ron has grown up in a Quidditch family, he has been surround
by Quidditch, walked Quidditch, talked Quidditch, and played Quidditch
his whole life. I think he understand the game and the strategy better
than Harry.

I make this prediction long ago, even before book five came out. Here
is what I see happening. Harry is named captain, and Ron continues as
Keeper. (I do have some thoughts on alternative positions that I think
they might play, but I will leave that for some other time.)

So, Harry will try his best to be captain, but it means a lot more
than just bossing the other team members around. He has to analyse the
strength and weakness of the other teams, he has to plan appropriate
game stragegy for dealing with those strength and weakness, he has to
guide the other players on his team with regard to improving their
ability at their respective positions, and he has to direct and
control the dynamic flow of the game while it is in play.

Harry is a natural as a Seeker, but Seekers really don't do that much,
they spend the whole game looking for the Snitch. The other player
positions are much more complicated and far more dynamic. Chasers
especially must work seamlessly as a team, and Harry will have at
least two new Chasers. His Beaters need to be strong, alert, and
coordinated, and they have to have a good understanding of the
dynamics of the play of the game in order to effectively use the
Bludgers to their advantage. Harry has no experience in any of the
other positions, and unlike Ron, he hasn't had the opportunity to sit
with his brother and hear them discussing game tactics and strategy
for hours on end.

Consequently, Ron will jump in with advise and instructions in order
to help Harry out. He wouldn't do this with an 'I know more than you'
attitude, he will simply and honestly be trying to help out a friend
and the team. But you know that old saying, 'too many cooks spoil the
broth' or 'too many Chiefs and not enough Indians'. At some point,
this attempt to help by Ron will bring Harry and Ron into conflict.
Short version; a conflict that will be resolved when Harry realizes
that he doesn't like being captain, he's too busy and distracted to be
captain, and that Ron is better at it than he is, so he will turn the
Captainship over to Ron, who will do an impressive job.

I made this prediction well over a year ago, and I'm sticking too it.
I did guess correctly way way way back when that Ron would be Keeper,
so I'm hoping for two in a row. The one thing this prediction didn't
allow for was the possibility that Katie Bell would still be there, if
she is there, the I think she gets it, and I need to shift my
prediction to book 7.

Just a few thoughts.

bboy_mn