QUIDDITCHTHROUGHTHEAGES

KennilworthyWhisp

ArthurA.LevineBooksANIMPRINTOFSCHOLASTICPRESS

inassociationwith

WhizzHardBooks

129BDIAGONALLEY,LONDON

PraiseforQuidditchThroughtheAges

“KennilworthyWhisp’spainstaking researchhasuncoveredaveritable treasure troveofhithertounknownfactsaboutthesportofwarlocks.Afascinatingread.”

BathildaBagshot

author,AHistoryofMagic

“Whisphasproducedathoroughlyenjoyablebook;Quidditchfansaresuretofinditbothinstructiveandentertaining.”

Editor

WhichBroomstick

“The definitive work on the origins and history of Quidditch. Highlyrecommended.”

BrutusScrimgeour

author,TheBeaters’Bible

“Mr.Whisp shows a lot of promise. If he keeps up the good work, he may well findhimselfsharingaphotoshootwithmeoneofthesedays!”

GilderoyLockhart,

author,MagicalMe

“Betyouanythingit’llbeabest-seller.Goon,Ibetyou.”

LudovicBagman

EnglandandWimbourneWaspsBeater

“I’vereadworse.”

RitaSkeeter

DailyProphet

Textcopyright©2001byJ.K.Rowling.•Illustrationsandhandletteringcopyright©2001byJ.K.Rowling.Allrights reserved. Published by Scholastic Press, a division of Scholastic Inc.,Publishers since 1920. SCHOLASTIC,SCHOLASTIC PRESS, and the LANTERN LOGO are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Scholastic Inc.HARRYPOTTERandallrelatedcharacters,names,andrelatedindiciaaretrademarksofWarnerBros.

Nopartofthispublicationmaybereproduced,orstoredinaretrievalsystem,ortransmittedinanyformorbyanymeans,electronic,mechanical,photocopying,recording,orotherwise,withoutwrittenpermissionofthepublisher.Forinformation regarding permissions,write to Scholastic Inc.,Attention: PermissionsDepartment, 555Broadway,NewYork,NY10012.

ScholasticInc.hasarrangedfortwentypercentoftheretailsalespricelesstaxesfromthesaleofthisbooktogotoComicReliefU.K.’sHarry’sBooksfund.J.K.Rowlingisdonatingallroyaltiestowhichshewouldbeentitled.Thepurchase of this book is not tax deductible. Comic Relief may be contacted at: Comic Relief, 5th Floor, AlbertEmbankment,LondonSEI77P,England(www.comicrelief.com).ComicReliefintheUnitedKingdomisnotaffiliatedwiththeorganizationofthesamenameintheUnitedStates.

ISBN0-439-32161-1

LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationDataAvailable

20191817161514070809

PrintedintheUnitedStatesandboundinMexico23

Firsthardcoverboxsetedition,September2001

AbouttheAuthor

KENNILWORTHYWHISPisarenownedQuidditchexpert(and,hesays,fanatic).Heis the author of many Quidditch-related works, including The Wonder of WigtownWanderers,HeFlewLike aMadman (a biography of “Dangerous”Dai Llewellyn) andBeatingtheBludgers–AStudyofDefensiveStrategiesinQuidditch.

Kennilworthy Whisp divides his time between his home in Nottinghamshire and“whereverWigtownWanderersareplayingthisweek.”Hishobbiesincludebackgammon,vegetariancookery,andcollectingvintagebroomsticks.

Foreword

QUIDDITCHTHROUGHTHEAGES is oneof themostpopular titles in theHogwartsschoollibrary.MadamPince,ourlibrarian,tellsmethatit is“pawedabout,dribbledon,andgenerallymaltreated”nearly everyday– ahighcompliment for anybook.AnyonewhoplaysorwatchesQuidditchregularlywillrelishMr.Whisp’sbook,asdothoseofusinterestedinwiderwizardinghistory.AswehavedevelopedthegameofQuidditch,soithasdevelopedus;Quidditchuniteswitchesandwizardsfromallwalksoflife,bringingustogether to share moments of exhilaration, triumph, and (for those who support theChudleyCannons)despair.

Itwaswithsomedifficulty,Imustown,thatIpersuadedMadamPincetopartwithoneofherbookssothatitmightbecopiedforwiderconsumption.Indeed,whenItoldheritwas to be made available to Muggles, she was rendered temporarily speechless, andneither moved nor blinked for several minutes. When she came to herself she wasthoughtfulenoughtoaskwhetherIhadtakenleaveofmysenses.IwaspleasedtoreassureheronthatpointandwentontoexplainwhyIhadtakenthisunprecedenteddecision.

Mugglereaderswillneedno introduction to theworkofComicReliefU.K.(which,funnilyenough,hasnothingtodowiththeAmericanorganizationofthesamename),soInowrepeatmyexplanation toMadamPincefor thebenefitofwitchesandwizardswhohavepurchasedthisbook.ComicReliefU.K.useslaughtertofightpoverty,injustice,anddisaster.Widespread amusement is converted into large quantities of money (over 250milliondollars since they started in1985–which is theequivalentofover174millionpoundsorthirty-fourmillionGalleons).

Everyoneinvolvedingettingthisbooktoyou,fromtheauthortothepublishertothepaper suppliers, printers, binders, and booksellers, contributed their time, energy, andmaterialsfreeoratareducedcost,makingitpossiblefortwentypercentoftheretailsalespricelesstaxesfromthesaleofthisbooktogotoafundsetupinHarryPotter’snamebyComic Relief U. K. and J. K. Rowling. This fund was designed specifically to helpchildreninneedthroughouttheworld.Bybuyingthisbook–andIwouldadviseyoutobuyit,becauseifyoureadittoolongwithouthandingovermoneyyouwillfindyourselftheobjectofaThief’sCurse–youtoowillbecontributingtothismagicalmission.

I would be deceivingmy readers if I said that this explanationmadeMadam PincehappyabouthandingoveralibrarybooktoMuggles.Shesuggestedseveralalternatives,suchastellingthepeoplefromComicReliefU.K.thatthelibraryhadburneddown,orsimplypretendingthatIhaddroppeddeadwithout leavinginstructions.WhenI toldherthat on thewhole I preferredmy original plan, she reluctantly agreed to hand over thebook,thoughatthepointwhenitcametoletgoofit,hernervefailedherandIwasforced

topriseherfingersindividuallyfromthespine.Though I have removed the usual library book spells from this volume, I cannot

promisethateverytracehasgone.MadamPincehasbeenknowntoaddunusualjinxestothe books in her care. I myself doodled absentmindedly on a copy of Theories ofTransubstantial Transfiguration last year and nextmoment found the book beatingmefiercely about the head. Please be careful how you treat this book. Do not rip out thepages.Donotdropitinthebath.IcannotpromisethatMadamPincewillnotswoopdownonyou,whereveryouare,anddemandaheavyfine.

AllthatremainsisformetothankyouforsupportingComicReliefU.K.andtobegMugglesnottotryplayingQuidditchathome;itis,ofcourse,anentirelyfictionalsportandnobodyreallyplaysit.MayIalsotakethisopportunitytowishPuddlemereUnitedthebestoflucknextseason.

ChapterOne

TheEvolutionoftheFlyingBroomstick

No spell yet devised enables wizards to fly unaided in human form. Those fewAnimagiwhotransformintowingedcreaturesmayenjoyflight,buttheyareararity.Thewitchorwizardwhofindshim-orherselftransfiguredintoabatmaytaketotheair,but,havingabat’sbrain,theyaresuretoforgetwheretheywanttogothemomenttheytakeflight.Levitationiscommonplace,butourancestorswerenotcontentwithhoveringfivefeet fromtheground.Theywantedmore.Theywanted tofly likebirds,butwithout theinconvenienceofgrowingfeathers.

WearesoaccustomedthesedaystothefactthateverywizardinghouseholdinBritainownsatleastoneflyingbroomstickthatwerarelystoptoaskourselveswhy.Whyshouldthehumblebroomhavebecometheoneobject legallyallowedasameansofwizardingtransport? Why did we in the West not adopt the carpet so beloved of our Easternbrethren? Why didn’t we choose to produce flying barrels, flying armchairs, flyingbathtubs–whybrooms?

ShrewdenoughtoseethattheirMuggleneighbourswouldseektoexploittheirpowersif they knew their full extent,witches andwizards kept themselves to themselves longbefore the International Statute ofWizarding Secrecy came into effect. If theywere tokeep a means of flight in their houses, it would necessarily be something discreet,something easy to hide. The broomstick was ideal for this purpose; it required noexplanation, no excuse if found by Muggles, it was easily portable and inexpensive.Nevertheless,thefirstbroomsbewitchedforflyingpurposeshadtheirdrawbacks.

Records show thatwitches andwizards in Europewere using flying broomsticks asearlyasA.D.962.AGermanilluminatedmanuscriptofthisperiodshowsthreewarlocksdismountingfromtheirbroomswithlooksofexquisitediscomfortontheirfaces.GuthrieLochrin, a Scottish wizard writing in 1107, spoke of the “splinterfilled buttocks andbulgingpiles”hesufferedafterashortbroomridefromMontrosetoArbroath.

AmedievalbroomstickondisplayintheMuseumofQuidditchinLondongivesusaninsightintoLochrin’sdiscomfort(seeFig.A).Athickknottyhandleofunvarnishedash,withhazeltwigsboundcrudelytooneend,itisneithercomfortablenoraerodynamic.Thecharmsplaceduponitaresimilarlybasic:Itwillonlymoveforwardsatonespeed;itwillgoup,down,andstop.

As wizarding families in those days made their own brooms, there was enormousvariation in the speed, comfort, andhandlingof the transport available to them.By the

twelfthcentury,however,wizardshadlearnedtobarterservices,sothataskilledmakerofbrooms could exchange them for the potions his neighbour might make better thanhimself.Oncebroomsticksbecamemorecomfortable,theywereflownforpleasureratherthanmerelyusedasameansofgettingfrompointAtopointB.

ChapterTwo

AncientBroomGames

Broom sports emerged almost as soon as broomstickswere sufficiently advanced toallowflierstoturncornersandvarytheirspeedandheight.Earlywizardingwritingsandpaintingsgiveussomeideaofthegamesourancestorsplayed.Someofthesenolongerexist; others have survived or evolved into the sports we know today. The celebratedannualbroomraceofSwedendatesfromthetenthcentury.FliersracefromKopparbergto Arjeplog, a distance of slightly over three hundred miles. The course runs straightthroughadragonreservation,and thevast silver trophy isshaped likeaSwedishShort-Snout.Nowadaysthisisaninternationaleventandwizardsofallnationalitiescongregateat Kopparberg to cheer the starters, then Apparate to Arjeplog to congratulate thesurvivors.

ThefamouspaintingGüntherderGewalttätigeistderGewinner(“GunthertheViolentIs theWinner”), dated1105, shows the ancientGermangameofStichstock.A twenty-foot-highpolewas toppedwithan inflateddragonbladder.Oneplayeronabroomstickhadthejobofprotectingthisbladder.Thebladder-guardianwastiedtothepolebyaropearoundhisorherwaist,sothatheorshecouldnotflyfurtherthantenfeetawayfromit.Therestoftheplayerswouldtakeitinturnstoflyatthebladderandattempttopunctureitwiththespeciallysharpenedendsof theirbrooms.Thebladder-guardianwasallowedtouse his or her wand to repel these attacks. The game ended when the bladder wassuccessfully punctured, or the bladder-guardian had either succeeded in hexing allopponents out of the running or collapsed from exhaustion. Stichstock died out in thefourteenthcentury.

InIrelandthegameofAingingeinflourished,thesubjectofmanyanIrishballad(thelegendarywizardFingal theFearless is alleged to have been anAingingein champion).OnebyonetheplayerswouldtaketheDom,orball(actuallythegallbladderofagoat),andspeedthroughaseriesofburningbarrelssethighintheaironstilts.TheDomwastobethrownthroughthefinalbarrel.TheplayerwhosucceededingettingtheDomthroughthelastbarrelinthefastesttime,withouthavingcaughtfireontheway,wasthewinner.

Scotlandwasthebirthplaceofwhatisprobablythemostdangerousofallbroomgames–Creaothceann.ThegamefeaturesinatragicGaelicpoemoftheeleventhcentury,thefirstverseofwhichsays,intranslation:

Theplayersassembled,twelvefine,heartymen,

Theystrappedontheircauldrons,stoodpoisedtofly,

Atthesoundofthehorntheywereswiftlyairborne

Buttenoftheirnumberwerefatedtodie.

Creaothceannplayerseachworeacauldronstrappedto thehead.At thesoundof the

horn or drum, up to a hundred charmed rocks and boulders that had been hovering ahundredfeetabovethegroundbegantofalltowardstheearth.TheCreaothceannplayerszoomedaroundtryingtocatchasmanyrocksaspossibleintheircauldrons.Consideredbymany Scottishwizards to be the supreme test ofmanliness and courage, CreaothceannenjoyedconsiderablepopularityintheMiddleAges,despitethehugenumberoffatalitiesthatresultedfromit.

The game was made illegal in 1762, and though Magnus “Dent-Head” Macdonaldspearheadedacampaignforitsreintroductioninthe1960s,theMinistryofMagicrefusedtolifttheban.

ShuntbumpswaspopularinDevon,England.Thiswasacrudeformofjousting,thesoleaimbeingtoknockasmanyotherplayersaspossibleofftheirbrooms,thelastpersonremainingontheirbroomwinning.

Swivenhodge began in Herefordshire. Like Stichstock, this involved an inflatedbladder, usually a pig’s. Players sat backwards on their brooms and batted the bladderbackwards and forwards across a hedgewith the brush ends of their brooms. The firstpersontomissgavetheiropponentapoint.Firsttoreachfiftypointswasthewinner.

SwivenhodgeisstillplayedinEngland,thoughithasneverachievedmuchwidespreadpopularity; Shuntbumps survives only as a children’s game. At Queerditch Marsh,however, a gamehadbeen created thatwould onedaybecome themost popular in thewizardingworld.

ChapterThree

TheGamefromQueerditchMarsh

WeoweourknowledgeoftherudebeginningsofQuidditchtothewritingsofthewitchGertie Keddle, who lived on the edge of Queerditch Marsh in the eleventh century.Fortunately for us, she kept a diary, now in theMuseum ofQuidditch in London. TheexcerptsbelowhavebeentranslatedfromthebadlyspelledSaxonoftheoriginal.

Tuesday.Hot.Thatlotfromacrossthemarshhavebeenatitagain.Playingastupidgameontheirbroomsticks.Abigleatherballlandedinmycabbages.Ihexedthemanwhocameforit.I’dliketoseehimflywithhiskneesonbacktofront,thegreathairyhog.

Tuesday.Wet.Wasoutonthemarshpickingnettles.Broomstickidiotsplayingagain.Watchedforabitfrombehindarock.They’vegotanewball.Throwingittoeachotherandtryingtostickitintreesateitherendofthemarsh.Pointlessrubbish.

Tuesday.Windy.Gwenog came for nettle tea, then invitedme out for a treat. Ended upwatching those numbskullsplayingtheirgameonthemarsh.ThatbigScottishwarlockfromupthehillwasthere.Nowthey’vegottwobig,heavyrocks flying around trying to knock them all off their brooms. Unfortunately didn’t happen while I was watching.Gwenogtoldmesheoftenplayedherself.Wenthomeindisgust.

Theseextracts revealmuchmore thanGertieKeddlecouldhaveguessed,quiteapartfromthefactthatsheonlyknewthenameofoneofthedaysoftheweek.Firstly,theballthatlandedinhercabbagepatchwasmadeofleather,asisthemodernQuaffle–naturally,theinflatedbladderusedinotherbroomgamesoftheperiodwouldbedifficulttothrowaccurately,particularly inwindyconditions.Secondly,Gertie tellsus that themenwere“tryingtostickitintreesateitherendofthemarsh”–apparentlyanearlyformofgoal-scoring.Thirdly, shegivesusaglimpseof the forerunnersofBludgers. It is immenselyinteresting that there was a “big Scottish warlock” present. Could he have been aCreaothceannplayer?Wasithisideatobewitchheavyrockstozoomdangerouslyaroundthepitch,inspiredbythebouldersusedinhisnativegame?

We findno furthermentionof the sport playedonQueerditchMarshuntil a centurylater,whenthewizardGoodwinKneentookuphisquilltowritetohisNorwegiancousinOlaf.Kneen lived inYorkshire,which demonstrates the spread of the sport throughoutBritain in the hundred years after Gertie Keddle first witnessed it. Kneen’s letter isdepositedinthearchivesoftheNorwegianMinistryofMagic.

DearOlaf,

Howareyou?Iamwell,thoughGunhildahadgotatouchofdragonpox.WeenjoyedaspiritedgameofKwidditchlast Saturday night, though poorGunhildawas not up to playingCatcher, andwe had to useRadulf the blacksmithinstead.TheteamfromIlkleyplayedwellthoughwasnomatchforus,forwehadbeenpractisinghardallmonthandscoredforty-twotimes.RadulfgotaBlooderintheheadbecauseoldUggawasn’tquickenoughwithhisclub.Thenewscoringbarrelsworkedwell.Threeateachendonstilts,Oonafromtheinngaveusthem.Sheletushavefreemeadallnightbecausewewonaswell.GunhildawasabitangryIgotbacksolate.IhadtoduckacoupleofnastyjinxesbutI’vegotmyfingersbacknow.

I’msendingthiswiththebestowlI’vegot,hopehemakesit.

Yourcousin,

Goodwin

Hereweseehowfarthegamehasprogressedinacentury.Goodwin’swifewastohaveplayed “Catcher” – probably the old term for Chaser. The “Blooder” (undoubtedlyBludger) thathitRadulf theblacksmithshouldhavebeenfendedoffbyUgga,whowasobviously playingBeater, as hewas carrying a club.Thegoals are no longer trees, butbarrelsonstilts.Onecrucialelementinthegamewasstillmissing,however:theGoldenSnitch The addition of the fourth Quidditch ball did not occur until the middle of thethirteenthcenturyanditcameaboutinacuriousmanner.

ChapterFour

TheArrivaloftheGoldenSnitch

From the early 1100s, Snidget-hunting had been popular among many witches andwizards.TheGoldenSnidget (seeFig.B) is today a protected species, but at that timeGoldenSnidgetswerecommoninnorthernEurope,thoughdifficulttodetectbyMugglesbecauseoftheiraptitudeathidingandtheirverygreatspeed.

Thediminutivesizeof theSnidget,coupledwith its remarkableagility in theairandtalentatavoidingpredators,merelyaddedtotheprestigeofwizardswhocaughtthem.Atwelfth-centurytapestrypreservedintheMuseumofQuidditchshowsagroupsettingouttocatchaSnidget.Inthefirstportionofthetapestry,somehunterscarrynets,othersusewands, and still others attempt to catch theSnidgetwith their bare hands.The tapestryrevealsthefactthattheSnidgetwasoftencrushedbyitscaptor.InthefinalportionofthetapestryweseethewizardwhocaughttheSnidgetbeingpresentedwithabagofgold.

Snidget-hunting was reprehensible in many ways. Every right-minded wizard mustdeplorethedestructionofthesepeace-lovinglittlebirdsinthenameofsport.Moreover,Snidget-hunting, which was usually undertaken in broad daylight, led tomoreMugglebroomsticksightingsthananyotherpursuit.TheWizards’Councilofthetime,however,wasunabletocurbthesport’spopularity–indeed, itappears that theCouncil itselfsawlittlewrongwithit,asweshallsee.

Snidget-huntingfinallycrossedpathswithQuidditchin1269atagameattendedbytheChiefoftheWizards’Councilhimself,BarberusBragge.Weknowthisbecauseofthe

eyewitness account sent byMadamModestyRabnott ofKent to her sister Prudence inAberdeen(thisletterisalsoondisplayintheMuseumofQuidditch).AccordingtoMadamRabnott,BraggebroughtacagedSnidgettothematchandtoldtheassembledplayersthathewould award one hundred and fiftyGalleons [NOTE: Equivalent to over amillionGalleons today.Whether Chief Bragge intended to pay or not is a moot point.] to theplayer who caught it during the course of the game. Madam Rabnott explains what

happenednext:

Theplayersroseasoneintotheair,ignoringtheQuaffleanddodgingtheBlooders.BothKeepersabandonedthegoalbasketsandjoinedthehunt.ThepoorlittleSnidgetshotupanddownthepitchseekingameansofescape,butthewizardsinthecrowdforceditbackwithRepellingSpells.Well,Pru,youknowhowIamaboutSnidget-huntingandwhatIgetlikewhenmytempergoes.Iranontothepitchandscreamed,“ChiefBragge,thisisnotsport!LettheSnidgetgofreeandletuswatchthenoblegameofCuaditchwhichwehaveallcometosee!”Ifyou’llbelieveme.Pru,allthebrutedidwaslaughandthrowtheemptybirdcageatme.Well,Isawred,Pru,Ireallydid.WhenthepoorlittleSnidgetflewMywayIdidaSummoningCharm.YouknowhowgoodmySummoningCharmsare,Pru–ofcourseitwaseasierformetoaimproperly,notbeingmountedonabroomstickatthetime.Thelittlebirdcamezoomingintomyhand.Istuffedit down the front ofmy robes and ran like fury.Well, they caughtme, but not before I’d got out of the crowds andreleasedtheSnidget.ChiefBraggewasveryangryandforamomentIthoughtI’dendupahornedtoad,orworse,butluckilyhisadvisorscalmedhimdownandIwasonlyfinedtenGalleonsfordisruptingthegame.OfcourseI’veneverhadtenGalleonsinmylife,sothat’stheoldhomegone.I’llbecomingtolivewithyoushortly,luckilytheydidn’ttaketheHippogriff.AndI’lltellyouthis,Pru,ChiefBraggewouldhavelostmyvoteifI’dhadone.

Yourlovingsister,

Modesty

MadamRabnott’sbraveactionmighthavesavedoneSnidget,butshecouldnotsavethemall. Chief Bragge’s idea had forever changed the nature ofQuidditch.Golden Snidgetswere soon being released during all Quidditch games, one player on each team (theHunter)havingthesoletaskofcatchingit.Whenthebirdwaskilled,thegamewasoverandtheHunter’steamwasawardedanextraonehundredandfiftypoints,inmemoryoftheonehundredand fiftyGalleonspromisedbyChiefBragge.Thecrowdundertook tokeeptheSnidgetonthepitchbyusingtheRepellingSpellsmentionedbyMadamRabnott.

Bythemiddleofthefollowingcentury,however,GoldenSnidgetnumbershadfallenso low that the Wizards’ Council, now headed by the considerably more enlightenedElfridaClagg,madetheGoldenSnidgetaprotectedspecies,outlawingbothitskillinganditsuseinQuidditchgames.TheModestyRabnottSnidget

Reservation was founded in Somerset and a substitute for the bird was franticallysoughttoenablethegameofQuidditchtoproceed.

The invention of the Golden Snitch is credited to the wizard Bowman Wright ofGodric’sHollow.WhileQuidditchteamsalloverthecountrytriedtofindbirdsubstitutesfor the Snidget, Wright, who was a skilled metal-charmer, set himself to the task ofcreating a ball thatmimicked the behaviour and flight patterns of the Snidget. That hesucceededperfectly isclearfromthemanyrollsofparchmenthe leftbehindhimonhisdeath(nowinthepossessionofaprivatecollector),listingtheordersthathehadreceivedfrom all over the country. The Golden Snitch, as Bowman called his invention, was awalnut-sizedball exactly theweightofaSnidget. Its silverywingshad rotational jointsliketheSnidget’s,enablingittochangedirectionwiththelightningspeedandprecisionofits livingmodel.Unlike theSnidget,however, theSnitchhadbeenbewitched to remainwithintheboundariesofthefield.TheintroductionoftheGoldenSnitchmaybesaidtohave finished the process begun three hundred years before on Queerditch Marsh.Quidditchhadbeentrulyborn.

ChapterFive

Anti-MugglePrecautions

In1398thewizardZachariasMumpssetdownthefirstfulldescriptionofthegameofQuidditch.Hebeganbyemphasisingtheneedforanti-Mugglesecuritywhileplayingthegame: “Choose areas of desertedmoorland far fromMuggle habitations andmake surethatyoucannotbeseenonceyoutakeoffonyourbrooms.Muggle-RepellingCharmsareusefulifyouaresettingupapermanentpitch.Itisadvisable,too,toplayatnight.”

WededucethatMumps’sexcellentadvicewasnotalwaysfollowedfromthefactthattheWizards’CounciloutlawedallQuidditch-playingwithinfiftymilesoftownsin1362.Clearly the popularity of the game was increasing rapidly, for the Council found itnecessarytoamendthebanin1368,makingitillegaltoplaywithinahundredmilesofatown.In1419,theCouncilissuedthefamouslywordeddecreethatQuidditchshouldnotbe played “anywhere near any placewhere there is the slightest chance that aMugglemightbewatchingorwe’llseehowwellyoucanplaywhilstchainedtoadungeonwall.”

Aseveryschool-agewizardknows,thefactthatweflyonbroomsticksisprobablyourworst-kept secret. NoMuggle illustration of a witch is complete without a broom andhoweverludicrousthesedrawingsare(fornoneofthebroomsticksdepictedbyMugglescouldstayupintheairforamoment),theyremindusthatwewerecarelessfortoomanycenturiestobesurprisedthatbroomsticksandmagicareinextricablylinkedintheMugglemind.

Adequate security measures were not enforced until the International Statute ofWizarding Secrecy of 1692made everyMinistry ofMagic directly responsible for theconsequencesofmagical sportsplayedwithin their territories.This subsequently led, inBritain, to the formation of the Department of Magical Games and Sports. Quidditchteams that flouted theMinistry guidelineswerehenceforth forced to disband.ThemostfamousinstanceofthiswastheBanchoryBangers,aScottishteamrenownednotonlyfortheir poorQuidditch skills but also for their post-match parties.After their 1814matchagainst the Appleby Arrows (see Chapter Seven), the Bangers not only allowed theirBludgers tozoomawayintothenight,butalsosetout tocaptureaHebrideanBlackfortheir team mascot. Ministry of Magic representatives apprehended them as they wereflyingoverInvernessandtheBanchoryBangersneverplayedagain.

NowadaysQuidditchteamsdonotplaylocally,buttraveltopitches,whichhavebeenset up by the Department of Magical Games and Sports where adequate anti-Mugglesecurityismaintained.AsZachariasMumpssorightlysuggestedsixhundredyearsago,Quidditchpitchesaresafestondesertedmoors.

ChapterSix

ChangesinQuidditchsincetheFourteenthCentury

Pitch

ZachariasMumpsdescribesthefourteenth-centurypitchasoval-shaped,fivehundredfeet long,andahundredandeightyfeetwidewithasmallcentralcircle(approximatelytwofeetindiameter)inthemiddle.Mumpstellsusthatthereferee(orQuijudge,asheorshe was then known), carried the four balls into this central circle while the fourteenplayersstoodaroundhim.Themomenttheballswerereleased(theQuafflewasthrownbythereferee;see“Quaffle”below),theplayersracedintotheair.ThegoalpostsinMumps’stimewerestilllargebasketsonpoles,asseeninFig.C.

In1620QuintiusUmfravillewroteabookcalledTheNobleSportofWarlocks,whichincludedadiagramoftheseventeenth-centurypitch(seeFig.D).Hereweseetheadditionof what we know as “scoring areas” (see “Rules” below). The baskets on top of thegoalpostswereconsiderablysmallerandhigherthaninMumps’stime.

By 1883 baskets had ceased to be used for scoring and were replaced with thegoalposts we use today, an innovation reported in theDaily Prophet of the time (seebelow).TheQuidditchpitchhasnotalteredsincethattime.

BringBackOurBaskets!ThatwasthecryheardfromQuidditchplayersacrossthenationlastnightasitbecameclearthattheDepartmentof

MagicalGamesandSportshaddecidedtoburnthebasketsusedforcenturiesforgoalscoringinQuidditch.

“We’renotburningthem,don’texaggerate,”saidanirritable-lookingDepartmentalrepresentativelastnightwhenasked to comment. “Baskets, as you may have noticed, come in different sizes. We have found it impossible tostandardizebasketsizesoastomakegoalpoststhroughoutBritainequal.Surelyyoucanseeit’samatteroffairness.Imean,there’sateamupnearBarnton,they’vegottheseminusculelittlebasketsattachedtotheopposingteam’sposts,youcouldn’tgetagrapeinthem.Anduptheirownendthey’vegotthesegreatwickercavesswingingaround.It’snoton.We’vesettledonafixedhoopsizeandthat’sit.Everythingniceandfair.”

At this point, theDepartmental representativewas forced to retreat under a hail of baskets thrownby the angrydemonstratorsassembledinthehall.Althoughtheensuingriotwaslaterblamedongoblinagitators, therecanbenodoubtthatQuidditchfansacrossBritainaretonightmourningtheendofthegameasweknowit.

“’Twon’tbet’samewi’outbaskets,”saidoneapple-cheekedoldwizardsadly.“IrememberwhenIwerealad,weusedtosetfireto’emforalaughduringt’match.Youcan’tdothatwithgoalhoops.’Alft’fun’sgone.”

DailyProphet,12February1883

Balls

TheQuaffleAswe know fromGertie Keddle’s diary, the Quaffle was from earliest timesmade ofleather.Aloneof thefourQuidditchballs, theQuafflewasnotoriginallyenchanted,butmerelyapatched leatherball,oftenwithastrap(seeFig.E),as ithad tobecaughtandthrownone-handed.SomeoldQuaffleshavefingerholes.WiththediscoveryofGrippingCharmsin1875,however,strapsandfingerholeshavebecomeunnecessary,astheChaserisabletokeepaone-handedholdonthecharmedleatherwithoutsuchaids.

ThemodernQuaffle is twelve inches indiameter and seamless. Itwas first colouredscarletinthewinterof1711,afteragamewhenheavyrainhadmadeitindistinguishable

from the muddy ground whenever it was dropped. Chasers were also becomingincreasinglyirritatedbythenecessityofdivingcontinuallytowardsthegroundtoretrievetheQuafflewhenever theymissed a catch and so, shortly after theQuaffle’s change ofcolour, the witch Daisy Pennifold had the idea of bewitching the Quaffle so that ifdropped, itwould fall slowlyearthwardsas thoughsinking throughwater,meaning thatChaserscouldgrabitinmid-air.The“PennifoldQuaffle”isstillusedtoday.

TheBludgersThefirstBludgers(or“Blooders”)were,aswehaveseen,flyingrocks,andinMumps’stime theyhadmerelyprogressed to rockscarved into theshapeofballs.Thesehadoneimportant disadvantage, however: They could be cracked by the magically reinforcedBeaters’batsofthefifteenthcentury,inwhichcaseallplayerswouldbepursuedbyflyinggravelfortheremainderofthegame.

Itwasprobably for this reason that someQuidditch teamsbeganexperimentingwithmetalBludgersintheearlysixteenthcentury.AgathaChubb,expertinancientwizardingartifacts, has identified no fewer than twelve lead Bludgers dating from this period,discoveredbothinIrishpeatbogsandEnglishmarshes.“TheyareundoubtedlyBludgersratherthancannonballs,”shewrites.

The faint indentations ofmagically reinforcedBeaters’ bats are visible and one can see the distinctive hallmarks ofmanufacturebyawizard(asopposedtoaMuggle)–thesmoothnessofline,theperfectsymmetry.Afinalcluewasthefactthateachandeveryoneofthemwhizzedaroundmystudyandattemptedtoknockmetothefloorwhenreleasedfromitscase.

LeadwaseventuallydiscoveredtobetoosoftforthepurposeofBludgermanufacture(any indentation left on a Bludger will affect its ability to fly straight). Nowadays allBludgersaremadeofiron.Theyareteninchesindiameter.

Bludgersarebewitchedtochaseplayersindiscriminately.If left totheirowndevices,theywillattacktheplayerclosesttothem,hencetheBeaters’taskistoknocktheBludgersasfarawayfromtheirownteamaspossible.

TheGoldenSnitch

TheGoldenSnitchiswalnut-sized,aswastheGoldenSnidget.Itisbewitchedtoevadecapture as long as possible.There is a tale that aGoldenSnitch evaded capture for sixmonthsonBodminMoorin1884,bothteamsfinallygivingupindisgustattheirSeekers’poorperformances.CornishwizardsfamiliarwiththeareainsisttothisdaythattheSnitchisstilllivingwildonthemoor,thoughIhavenotbeenabletoconfirmthisstory.

Players

TheKeeperThepositionofKeeperhascertainlyexistedsincethethirteenthcentury(seeChapter

Four),thoughtherolehaschangedsincethattime.

AccordingtoZachariasMumps,theKeeper

should be first to reach the goal baskets for it is his job to prevent theQuaffle entering therein. TheKeeper shouldbeware of straying too far towards the other end of the pitch, in case his baskets come under threat in his absence.However, a fastKeepermaybeable to scoreagoal and then return tohisbaskets in time toprevent theother teamequalising.ItisamatterfortheindividualconscienceoftheKeeper.

It isclear fromthis that inMumps’sday theKeepersperformedlikeChaserswithextraresponsibilities.Theywereallowedtomovealloverthepitchandtoscoregoals.

BythetimeQuintiusUmfravillewroteTheNobleSportofWarlocksin1620,however,theKeeper’sjobhadbeensimplified.ThescoringareashadnowbeenaddedtothepitchandtheKeeperswereadvisedtoremainwithinthem,guardingtheirgoalbaskets,thoughKeepersmay fly out of this area in an attempt to intimidate opposingChasers or headthemoffearly.

TheBeatersThe duties of theBeaters have changed little through the centuries and it is likely thatBeaters have existed ever since the introduction of the Bludgers. Their first duty is toguard their teammembers from theBludgers,which theydowith the aidofbats (onceclubs, see Goodwin Kneen’s letter in Chapter Three). Beaters have never been goal-scorers,noristhereanyindicationthattheyhavehandledtheQuaffle.

Beatersneedagooddealofphysicalstrength torepel theBludgers.This is thereforethe position that, more than any other, has tended to be taken by wizards rather thanwitches. Beaters also need to have an excellent sense of balance, as it is sometimesnecessaryforthemtotakebothhandsfromtheirbroomsforadouble-handedassaultonaBludger.

TheChasers

Chaser is theoldest position inQuidditch, for thegameonce consistedwhollyof goal-scoring.TheChasersthrowtheQuaffletoeachotherandscoretenpointsforeverytimetheygetitthroughoneofthegoalhoops.

The only significant change in Chasing came about in 1884, one year after thesubstitutionofgoalhoopsforgoalbaskets.AnewrulewasintroducedwhichstatedthatonlytheChasercarryingtheQuafflecouldenterthescoringarea.IfmorethanoneChaserentered, thegoalwouldbedisallowed.Therulewasdesignedtooutlaw“stooging”(see“Fouls”below),amovebywhichtwoChaserswouldenterthescoringareaandramtheKeeperaside,leavingagoalhoopclearforthethirdChaser.ReactiontothisnewrulewasreportedintheDailyProphetofthetime.

OurChasersAren’tCheating!ThatwasthestunnedreactionofQuidditchfansacrossBritain lastnightwhenthesocalled“StoogingPenalty”wasannouncedbytheDepartmentofMagicalGamesandSportslastnight.

“Instancesofstooginghavebeenontheincrease,”saidaharassed-lookingDepartmentalrepresentativelastnight.“WefeelthatthisnewrulewilleliminatethesevereKeeperinjurieswehavebeenseeingonlytoooften.Fromnowon,oneChaserwillattempttobeattheKeeper,asopposedtothreeChasersbeatingtheKeeperup.Everythingwillbemuchcleanerandfairer.”

AtthispointtheDepartmentalrepresentativewasforcedtoretreatastheangrycrowdstartedtobombardhimwithQuaffles. Wizards from the Department of Magical Law Enforcement arrived to disperse the crowd, who werethreateningtostoogetheMinisterofMagichimself.

Onefreckle-facedsix-year-oldleftthehallintears.

“Ilovedstooging,”hesobbedtotheDailyProphet.“MeandmedadlikewatchingthemKeepersflattened.Idon’twanttogotoQuidditchnomore.”

DailyProphet,22June1884

TheSeeker

Usuallythelightestandfastestfliers,Seekersneedbothasharpeyeandtheabilitytoflyone-orno-handed.Giventheirimmenseimportanceintheoveralloutcomeofthematch,forthecaptureoftheSnitchsooftensnatchesvictoryfromthejawsofdefeat,Seekersaremostlikelytobefouledbymembersoftheopposition.Indeed,whilethereisconsiderableglamourattachedtothepositionofSeeker,fortheyaretraditionallythebestfliersonthepitch,theyareusuallytheplayerswhoreceivetheworstinjuries.“TakeouttheSeeker”isthefirstruleinBrutusScrimgeour’sTheBeaters’Bible.

Rules

ThefollowingrulesweresetdownbytheDepartmentofMagicalGamesandSportsuponitsformationin1750:

1.Thoughthereisnolimitimposedontheheighttowhichaplayermayriseduringthe

game,heorshemustnotstrayover theboundarylinesof thepitch.Shouldaplayerflyovertheboundary,hisorherteammustsurrendertheQuaffletotheopposingteam.

2.TheCaptainofateammaycallfor“timeout”bysignalingtothereferee.Thisis theonlytimeplayers’feetareallowedtotouchthegroundduringamatch.Timeoutmaybeextended to a two-hour period if a game has lastedmore than twelve hours. Failure toreturntothepitchaftertwohoursleadstotheteam’sdisqualification.

3.Therefereemayawardpenaltiesagainstateam.TheChasertakingthepenaltywillflyfrom the central circle towards the scoring area. All players other than the opposingKeepermustkeepwellbackwhilethepenaltyistaken.

4.TheQuafflemaybetakenfromanotherplayer’sgraspbutundernocircumstancesmustoneplayerseizeholdofanypartofanotherplayer’sanatomy.

5.Inthecaseofinjury,nosubstitutionofplayerswilltakeplace.Theteamwillplayonwithouttheinjuredplayer.

6.Wandsmaybetakenontothepitch[NOTE:Therighttocarryawandatalltimeswasestablished by the International Confederation of Wizards in 1692, when Mugglepersecutionwasatitsheightandthewizardswereplanningtheirretreatintohiding.]butmust under no circumstanceswhatsoever be used against opposing teammembers, anyopposing team member’s broom, the referee, any of the balls, or any member of thecrowd.

7.AgameofQuidditchendsonlywhentheGoldenSnitchhasbeencaught,orbymutualconsentofthetwoteamCaptains.

FoulsRulesareofcourse“madetobebroken.”SevenhundredQuidditchfoulsarelistedintheDepartment ofMagicalGames and Sports records, and all of them are known to haveoccurredduringthefinalofthefirsteverWorldCupin1473.Thefulllistofthesefouls,however, hasneverbeenmade available to thewizardingpublic. It is theDepartment’sviewthatwitchesandwizardswhoseethelist“mightgetideas.”

Iwas fortunate enough togain access to thedocuments relating to these foulswhileresearchingthisbookandcanconfirmthatnopublicgoodcancomeoftheirpublication.Ninetypercentofthefoulslistedare,inanycase,impossibleaslongasthebanonusingwands against the opposing team is upheld (this ban was imposed in 1538). Of theremaining ten percent, it is safe to say that most would not occur to even the dirtiestplayer; forexample,“settingfire toanopponent’sbroomtail,”“attackinganopponent’sbroomwithaclub,”“attackinganopponentwithanaxe.”ThisisnottosaythatmodernQuidditch players never break rules. Ten common fouls are listed below. The correctQuidditchtermforeachfoulisgiveninthefirstcolumn.

Name:Blagging

Appliesto:Allplayers

Description:Seizingopponent’sbroomtailtosloworhinder

Name:Matching

Appliesto:AllplayersDescription:Flyingwithintenttocollide

Name:Blurting

Appliesto:Allplayers

Description:Lockingbroomhandleswithviewtosteeringopponentoffcourse

Name:Bumphing

Appliesto:Beatersonly

Description:HittingBludger towards crowd, necessitating a halt of the game as officials rush to protect bystanders.SometimesusedbyunscrupulousplayerstopreventanopposingChaserscoring

Name:Copping

Appliesto:Allplayers

Description:Excessiveuseofelbowstowardsopponents

Name:Flacking

Appliesto:Keeperonly

Description:StickinganyportionofanatomythroughgoalhooptopunchQuaffleoutTheKeeperissupposedtoblockthegoalhoopfromthefrontratherthantherear

Name:Haversacking

Appliesto:Chasersonly

Description:HandstillonQuaffleasitgoesthroughgoalhoop(Quafflemustbethrown)

Name:Quaffle-pocking

Appliesto:Chasersonly

Description:TamperingwithQuaffle,e.g.,puncturingitsothatitfallsmorequicklyorzigzags

Name:Snitchnip

Appliesto:AllplayersbutSeeker

Description:AnyplayerotherthantheSeekertouchingorcatchingtheGoldenSnitch

Name:Stooging

Appliesto:Chasersonly

Description:MorethanoneChaserenteringthescoringarea

Referees

RefereeingaQuidditchmatchwasonceataskforonlythebravestwitchesandwizards.Zacharias Mumps tells us that a Norfolk referee called Cyprian Youdle died during afriendly match between local wizards in 1357. The originator of the curse was nevercaught but is believed to have been amember of the crowd.While there have beennoprovenrefereeslayingssince,therehavebeenseveralincidencesofbroom-tamperingoverthecenturies, themostdangerousbeing the transformationof thereferee’sbroomintoaPortkey,sothatheorsheiswhiskedawayfromthematchhalfwaythroughandturnsupmonths later in the Sahara Desert. The Department ofMagical Games and Sports hasissued strict guidelines on the security measures relating to players’ brooms and theseincidentsarenow,thankfully,extremelyrare.

TheeffectiveQuidditchrefereeneedstobemorethananexpertflier.Heorshehastowatch the antics of fourteen players at once and the most common referee’s injury isconsequentlyneckstrain.Atprofessionalmatchestherefereeisassistedbyofficialswhostand around the boundaries of the pitch and ensure that neither players nor balls strayovertheouterperimeter.

InBritain,Quidditch referees are selectedby theDepartmentofMagicalGamesandSports.TheyhavetotakerigorousflyingtestsandanexactingwrittenexaminationontherulesofQuidditchandprove,throughaseriesofintensivetrials,thattheywillnotjinxorcurseoffensiveplayersevenunderseverepressure.

ChapterSeven

QuidditchTeamsofBritainandIreland

The necessity for keeping the game of Quidditch secret fromMuggles means that theDepartmentofMagicalGamesandSportshashad to limit thenumberofgamesplayedeachyear.While amateurgamesarepermittedas longas theappropriateguidelinesarefollowed,professionalQuidditchteamshavebeenlimitedinnumbersince1674whentheLeague was established. At that time, the thirteen best Quidditch teams in Britain andIrelandwereselectedtojointheLeagueandallotherswereaskedtodisband.ThethirteenteamscontinuetocompeteeachyearfortheLeagueCup.

ApplebyArrowsThisnorthernEnglishteamwasfoundedin1612.Itsrobesarepaleblue,emblazonedwithasilverarrow.Arrowsfanswillagreethattheirteam’smostglorioushourwastheir1932defeatoftheteamwhowerethentheEuropeanchampions,theVratsaVultures,inamatchthat lasted sixteen days in conditions of dense fog and rain. The club supporters’ oldpracticeofshootingarrowsintotheairfromtheirwandseverytimetheirChasersscoredwasbannedbytheDepartmentofMagicalGamesandSportsin1894,whenoneoftheseweaponspierced the refereeNugentPotts through thenose.There is traditionally fiercerivalrybetweentheArrowsandtheWimbourneWasps(seebelow).

BallycastleBatsNorthernIreland’smostcelebratedQuidditchteamhaswontheQuidditchLeagueatotalof twenty-seven times to date, making it the second most successful in the League’shistory.TheBatswearblackrobeswithascarletbatacrossthechest.TheirfamousmascotBarny the Fruitbat is alsowell-known as the bat featured in Butterbeer advertisements(Barnysays:I’mjustbattyaboutButterbeer!).

CaerphillyCatapultsTheWelsh Catapults, formed in 1402, wear vertically striped robes of light green andscarlet. Their distinguished club history includes eighteen League wins and a famoustriumphintheEuropeanCupfinalof1956,whentheydefeatedtheNorwegianKarasjokKites.The tragicdemiseof theirmost famousplayer, “Dangerous”DaiLlewellyn,who

was eaten by a Chimaera while on holiday in Mykonos, Greece, resulted in a day ofnational mourning for all Welsh witches and wizards. The Dangerous DaiCommemorativeMedal isnowawardedat the endof each season to theLeagueplayerwhohastakenthemostexcitingandfoolhardyrisksduringagame.

ChudleyCannons

The Chudley Cannons’ glory days may be considered by many to be over, but theirdevotedfansliveinhopeofarenaissance.TheCannonshavewontheLeaguetwenty-onetimes,butthelasttimetheydidsowasin1892andtheirperformanceoverthelastcenturyhasbeenlacklustre.TheChudleyCannonswearrobesofbrightorangeemblazonedwithaspeeding cannon ball and a double “C” in black.The clubmottowas changed in 1972from“Weshallconquer”to“Let’salljustkeepourfingerscrossedandhopeforthebest.”

FalmouthFalconsTheFalconsweardark-greyandwhiterobeswithafalcon-heademblemacrossthechest.The Falcons are known for hard play, a reputation consolidated by their world-famousBeaters, Kevin and Karl Broadmoor, who played for the club from 1958 to 1969 andwhose antics resulted in no fewer than fourteen suspensions from the Department ofMagicalGamesandSports.Clubmotto:“Letuswin,butifwecannotwin,letusbreakafewheads.”

HolyheadHarpiesTheHolyheadHarpiesisaveryoldWelshclub(founded1203),uniqueamongQuidditchteamsaroundtheworldbecauseithasonlyeverhiredwitches.Harpyrobesaredarkgreenwithagoldentalonuponthechest.TheHarpies’defeatoftheHeidelbergHarriersin1953iswidelyagreedtohavebeenoneofthefinestQuidditchgameseverseen.Foughtoveraseven-dayperiod,thegamewasbroughttoanendbyaspectacularSnitchcapturebytheHarpy Seeker Glynnis Griffiths. The Harriers’ Captain Rudolf Brand famouslydismountedfromhisbroomattheendofthematchandproposedmarriagetohisoppositenumber,GwendolynMorgan,whoconcussedhimwithherCleansweepFive.

KenmareKestrelsThisIrishsidewasfoundedin1291andispopularworldwideforthespiriteddisplaysoftheir leprechaun mascots and the accomplished harp playing of their supporters. TheKestrels wear emerald-green robes with two yellow “K”s back to back on the chest.DarrenO’Hare,KestrelKeeper1947–60, captained the IrishNationalTeam three timesand is credited with the invention of the Chaser Hawkshead Attacking Formation (seeChapterTen).

MontroseMagpiesTheMagpiesarethemostsuccessfulteaminthehistoryoftheBritishandIrishLeague,which they have won thirty-two times. Twice European Champions, theMagpies havefansacrosstheglobe.TheirmanyoutstandingplayersincludetheSeekerEuniceMurray(died1942),whooncepetitioned fora“fasterSnitchbecause this is just tooeasy,”andHamishMacFarlan(Captain1957–68),whofollowedhissuccessfulQuidditchcareerwithanequallyillustriousperiodasHeadoftheDepartmentofMagicalGamesandSports.TheMagpieswear black andwhite robeswith onemagpie on the chest and another on theback.

PrideofPortreeThis teamcomesfromtheIsleofSkye,where itwasfoundedin1292.The“Prides,”astheyareknowntotheirfans,weardeep-purplerobeswithagoldstaronthechest.TheirmostfamousChaser,CatrionaMcCormack,captainedtheteamtotwoLeaguewinsinthe1960s, and played for Scotland thirty-six times.Her daughterMeaghan currently playsKeeperfortheteam.(HersonKirleyisleadguitaristwiththepopularwizardingbandTheWeirdSisters.)

PuddlemereUnitedFounded in1163,PuddlemereUnited is theoldest team in theLeague.Puddlemerehastwenty-twoLeaguewins and twoEuropeanCup triumphs to its credit. Its teamanthem“BeatBackThoseBludgers,Boys,andChuckThatQuaffleHere”wasrecentlyrecordedby the singing sorceressCelestinaWarbeck to raise funds for St.Mungo’sHospital forMagicalMaladiesandInjuries.Puddlemereplayerswearnavy-bluerobesbearingtheclubemblemoftwocrossedgoldenbulrushes.

TutshillTornadosTheTornadoswearsky-bluerobeswithadouble“T”indarkblueonthechestandback.Founded in 1520, the Tornados enjoyed their greatest period of success in the earlytwentieth centurywhen, captained bySeekerRoderick Plumpton, theywon theLeagueCupfivetimesinarow,aBritishandIrishrecord.RoderickPlumptonplayedSeekerforEngland twenty-two times and holds the British record for fastest capture of a Snitchduringagame(threeandahalfseconds,againstCaerphillyCatapults,1921).

WigtownWanderersThis Borders clubwas founded in 1422 by the seven offspring of awizarding butchernamed Walter Parkin. The four brothers and three sisters were by all accounts aformidableteamwhorarelylostamatch,partly,itissaid,becauseoftheintimidationfeltbyopposingteamsatthesightofWalterstandingonthesidelineswithawandinonehandandameatcleaverintheother.AParkindescendanthasoftenbeenfoundontheWigtown

teamover the centuries and in tribute to their origins, theplayerswearblood-red robeswithasilvermeatcleaveruponthechest.

WimbourneWaspsTheWimbourneWaspswearhorizontallystripedrobesofyellowandblackwithawaspupontheirchests.Foundedin1312,theWaspshavebeeneighteentimesLeaguewinnersand twicesemifinalists in theEuropeanCup.Theyarealleged tohave taken theirnamefromanastyincidentwhichoccurredduringamatchagainsttheApplebyArrowsinthemid-seventeenthcentury,whenaBeaterflyingpastatreeontheedgeofthepitchnoticedawasps’nestamongthebranchesandbattedittowardstheArrows’Seeker,whowassobadlystungthathehadtoretirefromthegame.Wimbournewonandthereafteradoptedthewaspastheirluckyemblem.Waspfans(alsoknownas“Stingers”)traditionallybuzzloudlytodistractopposingChaserswhentheyaretakingpenalties.

ChapterEight

TheSpreadofQuidditchWorldwide

EuropeQuidditch was well established in Ireland by the fourteenth century, as proved byZachariasMumps’s account of amatch in 1385: “A team ofWarlocks fromCork flewoverforagameinLancashireanddidoffendthelocalsbybeatingtheirheroessoundly.TheIrishmenknewtrickswiththeQuafflethathadnotbeenseeninLancashirebeforeandhadtofleethevillageforfearoftheirliveswhenthecrowddrewouttheirwandsandgavechase.”

DiversesourcesshowthatthegamehadspreadintootherpartsofEuropebytheearlyfifteenthcentury.WeknowthatNorwaywasanearlyconverttothegame(couldGoodwinKneen’scousinOlafhaveintroducedthegamethere?)becauseoftheversewrittenbythepoetIngolfrtheIambicintheearly1400s:

Oh,thethrillofthechaseasIsoarthroughtheair

WiththeSnitchupaheadandthewindinmyhair

AsIdrawevercloser,thecrowdgivesashout

ButthencomesaBludgerandIamknockedout.

Around thesame time, theFrenchwizardMalecritwrote the following lines inhisplayHélas,JemesuisTransfiguréLesPieds(“Alas,I’veTransfiguredMyFeet”):

GRENOUILLE:Icannotgowithyoutothemarkettoday,Crapaud.

CRAPAUD:ButGrenouille,Icannotcarrythecowalone.

GRENOUILLE:Youknow,Crapaud,thatIamtobeKeeperthismorning.WhowillstoptheQuaffleifIdonot?

Theyear1473sawthefirsteverQuidditchWorldCup,thoughthenationsrepresentedwere all European. The nonappearance of teams frommore distant nationsmay be putdowntothecollapseofowlsbearinglettersofinvitation,thereluctanceofthoseinvitedtomake such a long and perilous journey, or perhaps a simple preference for staying athome.

The final between Transylvania and Flanders has gone down in history as themostviolentofalltimeandmanyofthefoulsthenrecordedhadneverbeenseenbefore–forinstance, the transfiguration of a Chaser into a polecat, the attempted decapitation of aKeeperwith a broadsword, and the release, from under the robes of the TransylvanianCaptain,ofahundredblood-suckingvampirebats.

The World Cup has since been held every four years, though it was not until theseventeenthcenturythatnon-Europeanteamsturneduptocompete.In1652theEuropeanCupwasestablished,andithasbeenplayedeverythreeyearssince.

Of themanysuperbEuropean teams,perhaps theBulgarianVratsaVultures ismostrenowned.SeventimesEuropeanCupwinners, theVratsaVulturesareundoubtedlyoneofthemostthrillingteamsintheworldtowatch,pioneersofthelonggoal(shootingfromwelloutsidethescoringarea),andalwayswillingtogivenewplayersachancetomakeanameforthemselves.

InFrancethefrequentLeaguewinnerstheQuiberonQuafflepunchersarefamedfortheir flamboyantplayasmuchas for their shocking-pink robes. InGermanywe find theHeidelbergHarriers, the teamthat theIrishCaptainDarrenO’Hareoncefamouslysaidwas“fiercerthanadragonandtwiceasclever.”Luxembourg,alwaysastrongQuidditchnation,hasgivenustheBigonvilleBombers,celebratedfortheiroffensivestrategiesandalwaysamongthetopgoal-scorers.ThePortugueseteamBragaBroomfleethaverecentlybrokenthroughintothetoplevelsofthesportwiththeirgroundbreakingBeater-markingsystem;and thePolishGrodziskGoblinsgaveusarguably theworld’smost innovativeSeeker,JosefWronski.

AustraliaandNewZealandQuidditchwasintroducedtoNewZealandsometimeintheseventeenthcentury,allegedlyby a team of European herbologists who had gone on an expedition there to researchmagicalplantsandfungi.Wearetoldthatafteralongday’stoilcollectingsamples,thesewitches andwizards let off steambyplayingQuidditch under the bemusedgaze of thelocalmagicalcommunity.TheNewZealandMinistryofMagichascertainlyspentmuchtimeandmoneypreventingMugglesgettingholdofMaoriartofthatperiodwhichclearlydepictswhitewizardsplayingQuidditch(thesecarvingsandpaintingsarenowondisplayattheMinistryofMagicinWellington).ThespreadofQuidditchtoAustraliaisbelievedtohaveoccurredsometimeintheeighteenthcentury.AustraliamaybesaidtobeanidealQuidditch-playing territory, given the great expanses of uninhabited outback whereQuidditchpitchesmaybeestablished.

Antipodean teams have always thrilled European crowds with their speed andshowmanship.Among the best are theMoutohoraMacaws (NewZealand),with theirfamousred,yellow,andbluerobes,andtheirphoenixmascotSparky.TheThundelarraThunderersand theWoollongongWarriorshavedominated theAustralianLeagueforthe best part of a century. Their enmity is legendary among the Australian magicalcommunity,somuchsothatapopularresponsetoanunlikelyclaimorboastis“Yeah,andIthinkI’llvolunteertorefthenextThunderer–Warriorgame.”

AfricaThe broomstickwas probably introduced to theAfrican continent byEuropeanwizardsandwitchestravellingthereinsearchofinformationonalchemyandastronomy,subjectsinwhichAfricanwizardshavealwaysbeenparticularlyskilled.ThoughnotyetaswidelyplayedasinEurope,QuidditchisbecomingincreasinglypopularthroughouttheAfricancontinent.

UgandainparticularisemergingasakeenQuidditchplayingnation.Theirmostnotableclub, thePatongaProudsticks, held the Montrose Magpies to a draw in 1986 to theastonishment of most of the Quidditchplaying world. Six Proudstick players recentlyrepresented Uganda in the Quidditch World Cup, the highest number of fliers from asingle team ever united on a national side. Other African teams of note include theTchamba Charmers (Togo), masters of the reverse pass; the Gimbi Giant-Slayers(Ethiopia), twice winners of the All-Africa Cup; and the Sumbawanga Sunrays(Tanzania),ahighlypopular teamwhoseformation loopinghasdelightedcrowdsacrosstheworld.

NorthAmericaQuidditch reached the North American continent in the early seventeenth century,although it was slow to take hold there owing to the great intensity of anti-wizardingfeelingunfortunatelyexportedfromEuropeatthesametime.Thegreatcautionexercisedbywizard settlers,many ofwhomhad hoped to find less prejudice in theNewWorld,tendedtorestrictthegrowthofthegameinitsearlydays.

In later times,however,Canadahasgivenus threeof themostaccomplishedQuidditchteams in the world: theMoose Jaw Meteorites, theHaileybury Hammers, and theStonewall Stormers. The Meteorites were threatened with disbandment in the 1970sowing to their persistent practice of performing post-match victory flights overneighbouring towns and villageswhile trailing fiery sparks from their broom tails. TheteamnowconfinesthistraditiontothepitchattheendofeachmatchandMeteoritegamesconsequentlyremainagreatwizardingtouristattraction.

The United States has not produced as many world-class Quidditch teams as othernationsbecausethegamehashadtocompetewiththeAmericanbroomgameQuodpot.Avariant ofQuidditch,Quodpotwas invented by the eighteenth-centurywizardAbrahamPeasegood,who had brought aQuafflewith him from the old country and intended torecruitaQuidditchteam.ThestorygoesthatPeasegood’sQuafflehadinadvertentlycomeintocontactwiththetipofhiswandinhistrunk,sothatwhenhefinallytookitoutandbegan to throw it around inacasualmanner, it exploded inhis face.Peasegood,whosesenseofhumourappearstohavebeenrobust,promptlysetouttorecreatetheeffectonaseriesofleatherballsandsoonallthoughtofQuidditchwasforgottenasheandhisfriendsdeveloped a game which centred on the explosive properties of the newly renamed“Quod.”

There are eleven players a side in the game of Quodpot. They throw the Quod, or

modifiedQuaffle,fromteammembertomember,attemptingtogetitintothe“pot”attheendofthepitchbeforeitexplodes.AnyplayerinpossessionoftheQuodwhenitexplodesmustleavethepitch.OncetheQuodissafelyinthe“pot”(asmallcauldroncontainingasolutionwhichwillpreventtheQuodexploding),thescorer’steamisawardedapointandanewQuodisbroughtontothepitch.QuodpothashadsomesuccessasaminoritysportinEurope,thoughthevastmajorityofwizardsremainfaithfultoQuidditch.

The rival charmsofQuodpotnotwithstanding,Quidditch isgainingpopularity in theUnited States. Two teams have recently broken through at international level: theSweetwaterAll-Stars fromTexas,who gained awell-deservedwin over theQuiberonQuafflepunchersin1993afterathrillingfive-daymatch;andtheFitchburgFinchesfromMassachusetts, who have now won the US League seven times and whose Seeker,MaximusBrankovitchIII,hascaptainedAmericaatthelasttwoWorldCups.

SouthAmericaQuidditchisplayedthroughoutSouthAmerica, thoughthegamemustcompetewith thepopularQuodpothereasintheNorth.ArgentinaandBrazilbothreachedthequarter-finalsof theWorldCup in the last century.Undoubtedly themost skilledQuidditchnation inSouthAmericaisPeru,whichistippedtobecomethefirstLatinWorldCupwinnerwithinten years. Peruvianwarlocks are believed to have had their first exposure toQuidditchfromEuropeanwizardssentbytheInternationalConfederationtomonitorthenumbersofVipertooths (Peru’s native dragon). Quidditch has become a veritable obsession of thewizardcommunitytheresincethattime,andtheirmostfamousteam,theTarapotoTree-Skimmers,recentlytouredEuropetogreatacclaim.

AsiaQuidditchhasneverachievedgreatpopularity in theEast, as the flyingbroomstick is ararityincountrieswherethecarpetisstillthepreferredmodeoftravel.TheMinistriesofMagicincountriessuchasIndia,Pakistan,Bangladesh,Iran,andMongolia,allofwhommaintain a flourishing trade in flying carpets, regard Quidditch with some suspicion,thoughthesportdoeshavesomefansamongwitchesandwizardsonthestreet.

TheexceptiontothisgeneralruleisJapan,whereQuidditchhasbeengainingsteadilyinpopularity over the last century. The most successful Japanese team, the ToyohashiTengu, narrowly missed a win over Lithuania’s Gorodok Gargoyles in 1994. TheJapanesepracticeofceremoniallysettingfiretotheirbroomsincaseofdefeatis,however,frowned upon by the International Confederation ofWizards’ Quidditch Committee asbeingawasteofgoodwood.

ChapterNine

TheDevelopmentoftheRacingBroom

Until the early nineteenth century, Quidditch was played on day brooms of varyingquality.Thesebroomsrepresentedamassiveadvanceovertheirmedievalforerunners;theinvention of the Cushioning Charm by Elliot Smethwyck in 1820 went a long waytowards making broomsticks more comfortable than ever before (see Fig. F).Nevertheless,nineteenth-centurybroomsticksweregenerallyincapableofachievinghighspeeds andwere often difficult to control at high altitudes.Brooms tended to be hand-produced by individual broom-makers, andwhile they are admirable from the point ofviewofstylingandcraftsmanship,theirperformancerarelymatcheduptotheirhandsomeappearance.

AcaseinpointistheOakshaft79(sonamedbecausethefirstexamplewascreatedin1879). Crafted by the broom-maker Elias Grimstone of Portsmouth, the Oakshaft is ahandsomebroomwith a very thick oaken handle, designed for endurance flying and towithstandhighwinds.TheOakshaftisnowahighlyprizedvintagebroom,butattemptstouse it forQuidditchwere never successful. Too cumbersome to turn at high speed, theOakshaftnevergainedmuchpopularitywiththosewhoprizedagilityoversafety,thoughitwillalwaysberememberedasthebroomusedinthefirst

ever Atlantic broom crossing, by Jocunda Sykes in 1935. (Before that time, wizardspreferred to take ships rather than trust broomsticks over such distances. Apparitionbecomesincreasinglyunreliableoververylongdistances,andonlyhighlyskilledwizardsarewisetoattemptitacrosscontinents.)

TheMoontrimmer,whichwasfirstcreatedbyGladysBoothbyin1901,representedaleap forward in broom construction, and for a while these slender, ashhandled broomswereingreatdemandasQuidditchbrooms.TheMoontrimmer’sprincipaladvantageoverother brooms was its ability to achieve greater heights than ever before (and remain

controllableatsuchaltitudes).GladysBoothbywasunabletoproduceMoontrimmersinthequantitiesQuidditchplayersclamouredfor.Theproductionofanewbroom,theSilverArrow,waswelcomed;thiswasthetrueforerunneroftheracingbroom,achievingmuchhigher speeds than theMoontrimmer or Oakshaft (up to seventymiles an hour with atailwind),butliketheseitwastheworkofasinglewizard(LeonardJewkes),anddemandfaroutstrippedsupply.

Thebreakthroughoccurredin1926,whenthebrothersBob,Bill,andBarnabyOllertonstarted theCleansweepBroomCompany. Their firstmodel, theCleansweepOne, wasproduced in numbers never seen before and marketed as a racing broom specificallydesignedforsportinguse.TheCleansweepwasaninstant,runawaysuccess,corneringasnobroombeforeit,andwithinayear,everyQuidditchteaminthecountrywasmountedonCleansweeps.

TheOllertonbrotherswerenotleftinsolepossessionoftheracing-broommarketforlong.In1929asecondracing-broomcompanywasestablishedbyRandolphKeitchandBasilHorton,bothplayersfortheFalmouthFalcons.TheCometTradingCompany’sfirstbroomwastheComet140,thisbeingthenumberofmodelsthatKeitchandHortonhadtested prior to its release. The patented Horton–Keitch braking charm meant thatQuidditchplayersweremuchlesslikelytoovershootgoalsorflyoffside,andtheCometnowbecamethebroomofpreferenceformanyBritishandIrishteamsinconsequence.

WhiletheCleansweep–Cometcompetitionbecamemoreintense,markedbythereleaseof the improved Cleansweeps Two and Three in 1934 and 1937 respectively, and theComet180in1938,otherbroomstickmanufacturerswerespringingupalloverEurope.

TheTinderblastwas launchedon themarket in1940.Producedby theBlackForestcompanyEllerbyandSpudmore,theTinderblastisahighlyresilientbroom,thoughithasnever achieved the top speeds of the Comets and Cleansweeps. In 1952 Ellerby andSpudmore brought out a new model, the Swiftstick. Faster than the Tinderblast, theSwiftstickneverthelesshasatendencytolosepowerinascentandhasneverbeenusedbyprofessionalQuidditchteams.

In 1955 Universal Brooms Ltd. introduced the Shooting Star, the cheapest racingbroom to date.Unfortunately, after its initial burst of popularity, the ShootingStarwasfoundtolosespeedandheightasitaged,andUniversalBroomswentoutofbusinessin1978.

In 1967 the broom world was galvanised by the formation of the Nimbus RacingBroomCompany.Nothing like theNimbus 1000 had ever been seen before. Reachingspeedsofuptoahundredmilesperhour,capableofturning360degreesatafixedpointin mid-air, the Nimbus combined the reliability of the old Oakshaft 79 with the easyhandlingofthebestCleansweeps.TheNimbusimmediatelybecamethebroompreferredbyprofessionalQuidditchteamsacrossEurope,andthesubsequentmodels(1001,1500,and1700)havekepttheNimbusRacingBroomCompanyatthetopofthefield.

TheTwigger90, firstproducedin1990,wasintendedbyitsmanufacturersFlyteandBarker to replace the Nimbus as market leader. However, though highly finished andincluding a number of new gimmicks such as an inbuilt Warning Whistle and Self-Straightening Brush, the Twigger has been found to warp under high speeds and has

gainedtheunluckyreputationofbeingflownbywizardswithmoreGalleonsthansense.

ChapterTen

QuidditchToday

The game of Quidditch continues to thrill and obsess its many fans around the world.Nowadays every purchaser of a Quidditch match ticket is guaranteed to witness asophisticatedcontestbetweenhighlyskilledfliers(unlessofcoursetheSnitchiscaughtinthe first five minutes of the match, in which case we all feel slightly short-changed).Nothingdemonstratesthismorethanthedifficultmovesthathavebeeninventedoveritslonghistorybywitchesandwizardseagertopushthemselvesandthegameasfarastheycango.Someofthesearelistedbelow.

BludgerBackbeatAmovebywhichtheBeaterstrikestheBludgerwithabackhandedclubswing,sendingitbehindhimorherrather thaninfront.Difficult tobringoffwithprecisionbutexcellentforconfusingopponents.

DopplebeaterDefenceBothBeatershitaBludgeratthesametimeforextrapower,resultinginaBludgerattackofgreaterseverity.

DoubleEightLoopAKeeperdefence,usuallyemployedagainstpenaltytakers,wherebytheKeeperswervesaroundallthreegoalhoopsathighspeedtoblocktheQuaffle.

HawksheadAttackingFormationChasers form an arrowhead pattern and fly together towards the goalposts. Highlyintimidatingtoopposingteamsandeffectiveinforcingotherplayersaside.

Parkin’sPincerSonamedfortheoriginalmembersoftheWigtownWanderers,whoarereputedtohave

inventedthismove.TwoChaserscloseinonanopposingChaseroneitherside,whilethethirdfliesheadlongtowardshimorher.

PlumptonPassSeekermove:aseeminglycarelessswervethatscoopstheSnitchupone’ssleeve.NamedafterRoderickPlumpton,TutshillTornadoSeeker,whoemployedthemoveinhisfamousrecord-breakingSnitchcatchof1921.Althoughsomecriticshaveallegedthatthiswasanaccident,Plumptonmaintaineduntilhisdeaththathehadmeanttodoit.

PorskoffPloyTheChasercarryingtheQuafflefliesupwards,leadingopposingChaserstobelieveheorsheistryingtoescapethemtoscore,butthenthrowstheQuaffledownwardstoafellowChaser waiting to catch it. Pinpoint timing is of the essence. Named after the RussianChaserPetrovaPorskoff.

ReversePassAChaserthrowstheQuaffleoveroneshouldertoateammember.Accuracyisdifficult.

SlothGripRollHanging upside down off the broom, gripping tightly with hands and feet to avoid aBludger.

StarfishandStickKeeper defence: the Keeper holds the broom horizontally with one hand and one footcurledaroundthehandle,whilekeepingalllimbsoutstretched(seeFig.G).TheStarfishWithoutStickshouldneverbeattempted.

TransylvanianTackleFirstseenat theWorldCupof1473, this isa fakepunchaimedat thenose.As longascontact is notmade, themove is not illegal, though it is difficult to pull offwhenbothpartiesareonspeedingbroomsticks.

WoollongongShimmyPerfected by the Australian Woollongong Warriors, this is a high-speed zigzaggingmovementintendedtothrowoffopposingChasers.

WronskiFeintTheSeekerhurtlestowardsthegroundpretendingtohaveseentheSnitchfarbelow,butpullsoutof thedive justbeforehitting thepitch. Intended tomake theopposingSeekercopyhimandcrash.NamedafterthePolishSeekerJosefWronski.

TherecanbenodoubtthatQuidditchhaschangedbeyondallrecognitionsinceGertieKeddle first watched “those numbskulls” onQueerditchMarsh. Perhaps, had she livedtoday, she toowouldhave thrilled to thepoetryandpowerofQuidditch.Longmay thegamecontinue toevolveand longmay futuregenerationsofwitchesandwizardsenjoythismostgloriousofsports!