John Bell

**John Bell** (16 January, 1962 - 25 November, 1980) was a pure-blood English wizard who attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry from 1 September, 1973 to June 1980. In his fifth year of school, he tried out for the Gryffindor Quidditch Team, and he made the team as Beater. He played the position alongside Arthur Brown until he graduated in 1980. He had an older brother, Charlie, who captained the team from 1973 to 1976.

During the First Wizarding War, he joined an Auror recruitment program along with his friend, Arthur Brown. He was killed in the Battle of Normanby le Wold on 25 November, 1980. He was eighteen years old.

## Biography

### Early life

John was born on 16 January, 1962, in Great Baddow, Chelmsford, Essex, England. He had an older brother, Charlie. Chelmsford is the principal settlement of the City of Chelmsford district, and the county town of Essex, in the East of England. Great Baddow's name is believed to have been derived from the River Beadwan, now known as the River Chelmer, which marks the northern boundary of the village. *Beadwan* is thought to be a Celtic word of uncertain meaning, possibly "birch stream" or a reference to the goddess Badbh.

John Bell received his Hogwarts letter in the summer of 1973. Before attending, he likely purchased his wand, which was made of pear and unicorn hair, from Ollivander's Wand Shop in Diagon Alley, London. He boarded the Hogwarts Express on 1 September, 1973, and later that night, he was sorted into Gryffindor.

#### Fourth year

He tried out for the Gryffindor Quidditch team in his fourth year of school, wanting to be Beater. He tried out the same year that his older brother, Charlie, then Captain, had graduated in June. John's brother was succeeded by James Potter, and Potter let him onto the team.

The Gryffindor Quidditch Team, newly captained by James Potter, won the Inter-House Tournament as they beat Slytherin by 530 points, in perhaps the most grueling game ever witnessed by Hogwarts Students in a decade. The Gryffindor team members consisted of Sirius Black, the Keeper, Arthur Brown, John Bell's fellow Beater, as well as Captain James Potter, Geoffrey Fawley and Marlene McKinnon, Chasers, and Phoebe Dawson, Seeker. This match was particularly gruelling in part because Regulus Black, the starting Slytherin Seeker, got ill just before the match, and Slytherin Captain Lucinda Talkalot was forced to replace him with his classmate, Ambrose Greeengrass, who had never played a match of Quidditch before in his life. Greengrass had no idea how to look for the Snitch.

John knocked out the Slytherin Keeper, Euan Evermonde, with a bludger about thirty minutes into play, which only contributed to Slytherin's monumental loss.

#### Fifth year

In John's fifth year, Marina Ogilvy, a second year, was added to the team lineup as a substitute. The Gryffindors then lost to Slytherin in the semi-final, with Regulus Black as Slytherin's new captain, restored in his position as Seeker. Captain James Potter graduated that June.

John sat his O.W.L.s and managed passing grades in most subjects.

#### Sixth year

The Gryffindor Quidditch Team made a number of changes going into the 1978-1979 school year. Geoffrey Fawley was made the new captain, replacing James Potter. Phoebe Dawson switched to playing Chaser, as Marina Ogilvy, then in her third year, became the starting Seeker. Isobel Campbell, a fifth year, joined the team as Gryffindor's third chaser, replacing Marlene McKinnon. Additionally, Peter Liddell, a sixth-year, was added to replace Sirius Black, who had also graduated the year before.

The Gryffindor Quidditch team won the Inter-House Quidditch Tournament this year, although this was helped in part by Slytherin's disorganization during this time. Their Seeker and Captain, Regulus Black, never returned to school after Easter 1979, and was reported dead as a result of the war. Evan Rosier took over as Captain of Slytherin, but his heart was not really into it. Ambrose Greengrass, to every Slytherin's chagrin, became the starting seeker in Black's place. As a result, the Gryffindor Quidditch team beat them easily in a Quidditch final that lasted almost under an hour.

#### Seventh year

John's teammate, Arthur Brown, took over as Captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team for the 1979-1980 school year when Geoffrey Fawley graduated. Ruthie MacCallum, a fourth year, was given Fawley's spot as Chaser. They won the Inter-House Quidditch Cup once more. John graduated from Hogwarts with nine N.E.W.T.s.

### First Wizarding War and death (1980)

John joined an Auror recruitment program straight out of school, in June 1980. He wanted to fight in the war. He was killed in the Battle of Normanby le Wold, where a total of two Death Eaters, one other Auror, and three civilians also lost their lives.

## Etymology

John is a masculine proper name, derived from Old French *Jan, Jean, Jehan* (Modern French *Jean*), from Medieval Latin *Johannes*, an alteration of Late Latin *Joannes*, from Greek *Ioannes*, from Hebrew *Yohanan* (longer form y'hohanan), said to mean literally "Jehovah has favored" or "Jah is gracious," from hanan "he was gracious."