Friday, April 19, 2013

A-Z Challenge: Q is for Quidditch

Q is a hard letter to find something to fit, so I'm going with the popular wizarding sport created by JK Rowling.

Quidditch is the most popular sport in the Wizarding World.  They have other sports, like Gobstones, but none bare the popularity as Quidditch.  Muggles, such as ourselves, are even privy to a book about the sport titled Quidditch Through the Ages by Kennilworthy Whisp.

Each team consists of 7 players: 3 Chasers, 2 Beaters, 1 Keeper, and 1 Seeker.  The Keeper guards the three rings where the Chasers try to throw in the Quaffle.  The Beaters have bats and use them to hit Bludgers at the opposing team.  Each goal is worth 10 points.  The Seeker's job is to find the Snitch, a golden ball flying through the air.  Catching the Snitch results in 150 points and the end of the match.  Most times catching the Snitch results in the win, but not always.  Oh, yes, I should mention this all happens up in the air as everyone is on brooms.

Ten Facts about Quidditch:

  • There are over 700 Quidditch fouls, but most are not open to the public.
  • 1473, first ever Quidditch World Cup.  Only European teams competed.
  • 1473, all 700 fouls are committed at the Quidditch World Cup.
  • In the early days of Quidditch, they used a Golden Snidget instead of a Snitch.  The Snidget is alive and so people were looking for replacements.
  • Bowman Wright invented the fake Snidget, the Golden Snitch.
  • Harry is the youngest student at Hogwarts to play Quidditch.  Students don't usually start joining teams until their second year.  They aren't even allowed their own brooms in their first year.  Harry was invited to the team in his first year by the head of his house, Minerva McGonagall.
  • Harry's first match is against Slytherin.  Gryffindor wins when Harry catches the Snitch in his mouth.
  • Gryffindors won the Quidditch Cup in three of Harry's years at Hogwarts starting with year 3, Prisoner of Azkaban.
  • Harry's final game is Gryffindor's second game of his year 6 against Hufflepuff.  He is knocked out of the game and his team loses.  The injury he sustains does not allow him to play in the third and final game against Ravenclaw.
  • The record for length of game is 3 months.
For more information check out the following sites:

4 comments:

  1. A great topic, Q is an awkward word but there are always ways around it. Enjoyed what you wrote so extremely well.
    Yvonne.

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  2. Saying hello from A to Z. It would be so cool if we could actually ride around in brooms so we could play quidditch.

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