Madam Rolanda Hooch

> None of you is to move while I take this boy to the Hospital Wing! You leave those brooms where they are or you'll be out of Hogwarts before you can say 'Quidditch.'
>
> Hooch's strict attitude with her students, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

**Madam Rolanda Hooch** (b. before ***1918***) was a witch who worked as the Flying ***instructor***, Quidditch ***referee***, and coach at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. She learnt to fly on ***her own Silver Arrow broomstick*** sometime before or during the Great War and returned to Hogwarts, which was her childhood school, for a job. While on staff at Hogwarts, Hooch worked under Headmasters Albus Dumbledore, ***Dolores Umbridge***, and Minerva McGonagall.

## Physical description

### Eye color

Yellow

During her years of employment at Hogwarts, she taught students how to successfully fly broomsticks (such as the famous Harry Potter), and also acted as the official referee for Quidditch games held at Hogwarts. Her profession also included other important duties, such as keeping students safe from harm whilst they trained for Quidditch, and ***checking*** the brooms of students to make sure they were not bewitched with dark charms.

Hooch also survived the Second Wizarding War, and returned to her post as Flying Instructor and Quidditch referee after ***1998***.

## Biography

### Early life

Rolanda Hooch was born prior to ***1918***. She taught herself to fly on a ***Silver Arrow*** broomstick at some point. One night, at some point during the Great War (***1914***-***1918***), ***her broom*** was singed by a ***Muggle*** anti-aircraft device, which she found personally insulting. She declared that the only thing she found more humiliating than that incident was when a student jinxed her many decades later, in 1991.

 File:Quidditchpitch.jpg  She attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in her youth, and was a member of her House Quidditch team. However, it is unknown which Hogwarts House she was Sorted into.

Sometime after her student years at Hogwarts, Rolanda was selected by the ***Department of Magical Games and Sports*** as the Hogwarts Quidditch referee. After being selected she underwent a series of complicated and rigorous tests, both written and practical.

### Career at Hogwarts

#### 1991–1992 school year

> Now, when I blow my whistle, you kick off from the ground, hard. Keep your brooms steady, rise a few feet, and then come straight back down by leaning forward slightly. On my whistle — three — two —
>
> Madam Hooch teaching first students how to hover on their brooms, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

In the 1991–1992 school year, first year Gryffindors and Slytherins had their first flying lesson in the Training Grounds on Thursday, ***12 September*** 1991, during the second week of term. She had twenty of the school broomsticks lined up ready on the grass before she arrived, despite the fact that the school brooms vibrated if the rider flew too high and always flew slightly to the left. She probably had a personal acquaintance with a student named ***Amanda***, whom Hooch greeted personally.

 File:Amanda1.jpg
To begin the class, Hooch ordered the students to stand on the left side of their brooms with their right hand over it. They were told to say, "up!" to summon the brooms to their hands and were then to hover slightly in the air. Unfortunately, a Gryffindor named Neville Longbottom kicked off too early and lost control, resulting in an accident and breaking his wrist. After examining the wound, Madam Hooch took Neville to the infirmary and warned that anyone caught flying without supervision would be expelled "faster than you can say Quidditch."
Despite this, when Draco Malfoy threw Neville's dropped Remembrall high in the air Harry Potter used his broom to retrieve it, showing great natural skill. Fortunately for Potter, due to Professor McGonagall's intervention, he was spared expulsion and was offered a position as ***seeker*** on the Gryffindor Quidditch team.

 File:Madam-hooch.jpg
Not long after Hallowe'en, the first match of the Quidditch season took place: Gryffindor versus Slytherin. Madam Hooch was to referee the game and told both teams to play fairly, though she was obviously speaking more to the Slytherin team. She released the Bludgers first, then the Golden Snitch, and the game began when she threw the Quaffle into the air. During that game, many fouls were committed by the Slytherins, and she awarded several penalties to the Gryffindors, who won when the new ***Seeker***, Harry Potter, caught the Golden Snitch. Hooch, riding her broom, blew the whistle and announced the Gryffindors' victory to the Hogwarts crowd.
Later on in the year, Madam Hooch was relieved of the responsibility of refereeing the Gryffindor versus Hufflepuff match, as Professor Snape insisted on refereeing the game to make sure Harry Potter's Nimbus 2000 was not jinxed again.

#### 1992–1993 school year

> Madam Hooch, the Quidditch teacher, asked Flint and Wood to shake hands, which they did, giving each other threatening stares and gripping rather harder than was necessary.
>
> Description, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

 File:Lucius m.png  In August, 1992, Hooch went to Diagon Alley, and rushed to ***Flourish and Blotts*** to see Gilderoy Lockhart, who had been hired by Dumbledore to teach Defence Against the Dark Arts that year. She was clearly a fan of him and of his written works.
The next school year, Madam Hooch refereed the Gryffindor versus Slytherin Quidditch match, during which Harry Potter, the Gryffindor ***Seeker***, was attacked by a jinxed Bludger. The mystery was how the Bludger was jinxed, since it had been kept safe and locked in Madam Hooch's office. She was forced to stop the game momentarily for the Gryffindors once they deliberated over the rogue Bludger, but they ultimately decided to continue playing, as otherwise they would have had to forfeit the match.
The Gryffindor versus Hufflepuff match followed later on in the year, but was cancelled by Professor McGonagall shortly after Madam Hooch had released the balls and began the game. The reason for the cancellation was that Hermione Granger had been found petrified near the library.

 File:Harry-potter-a-l-ecole-d-ii25-g1.jpg  Near the end of the year, Madam Hooch and the rest of the staff were called to the staffroom by Professor McGonagall, who had become Acting Headmistress in Professor Dumbledore's absence. McGonagall told the professors that a student had been kidnapped by Salazar Slytherin's monster and taken into the Chamber of Secrets. After revealing this, Madam Hooch became too weak at the knees to stand, collapsed into a chair and asked who had been taken, when she was told that it was Ginevra Weasley, whom Hooch had been giving Flying Lessons. However, she was saved by the end of the year by Harry Potter and Ron Weasley and then the school returned to its normal routines.

#### 1997–1998 school year

> Every eye, living and dead, was fixed on Professor McGonagall, who was speaking from the raised platform at the top of the Hall *[and]* behind her stood the remaining teachers...
>
> Opening stage of the final battle, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

 File:Voldemort vanquished.png  During the 1997–1998 school year, Severus Snape became the Headmaster and ***Alecto*** and ***Amycus Carrow*** became the Deputy Headmasters. In May of that year, Snape and the Carrows were attacked and the ***Battle of Hogwarts*** took place, in which Madam Hooch was probably more than likely to participate in, being a teacher at Hogwarts. She was also most likely there when Harry Potter defeated and killed Voldemort for good, ending the Second Wizarding War. The Hogwarts Quidditch Pitch was burned to the ground in the early stages of the battle, however.

## Physical description

> Their teacher, Madam Hooch, arrived. She had short, grey hair and yellow eyes like a hawk.
>
> A description of Madam Hooch in 1991, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

In her elderly years, during the 1990s, Madam Hooch had spiky grey hair which was cut short and had piercing, yellow, hawk-like eyes, usually hidden behind goggles. She usually wore a white button-down collared shirt and black necktie with the Hogwarts crest, under a cloak, but wore more formal black robes with a hat while sitting in the Great Hall.

## Personality and traits

> Well, what are you waiting for? Everyone stand by a broomstick. Come on, hurry up.
>
> Madam Hooch being impatient with a class of first years, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

Madam Hooch was known and respected by her students because of her belief in good sportsmanship, fairness, and clean games of Quidditch. She sometimes seemed impatient whilst teaching her students flying, as while teaching a group of first years, during the 1991–1992 school year she was continually telling them to "hurry up" and asking "well, what're you waiting for?".

Regardless she was still kind and caring, as evident when Neville Longbottom broke his wrist after injuring himself during a Flying Class, she tended to him after his accident and took him immediately to the Hospital Wing. Another example was when she learnt that Ginevra Weasley had been taken into the Chamber of Secrets. After learning this she had sunk (weak-kneed) into a chair in the ***staffroom***. Hooch was also very strict and was unafraid to use an Impediment Jinx on Harry Potter and George Weasley after the two attacked Draco Malfoy.

> Now, I want a nice fair game, all of you... Mount your brooms, please.
>
> Madam Hooch starting the first game of the season, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

A very fair-minded individual, Madam Hooch expected all Quidditch games to be played fairly and expected nothing but good behaviour from the players. Normally even-tempered, if a bit brisk and impatient, she could fly into a rage if she witnessed cheating or disorderly conduct, shrieking loudly at the Slytherin Beaters Derrick and Bole for attacking Oliver Wood out of bounds.

## Magical abilities and skills

* **Flying**: Madam Hooch had considerable skill and talent in broomstick flight. She learnt how to fly on a ***Silver Arrow***, and flew over the Quidditch stadium at the end of the Gryffindor versus Slytherin match in 1991, announcing the Gryffindors' victory. Her accomplishment and talent in flying allowed to teach Flying class to Hogwarts students as the school's Flying Instructor, which she did highly competently and professionally, teaching students how to safely and successfully fly broomsticks.
* **Broomology**: Hooch was also known to be highly adept in the lore of brooms. This was evident when Minerva McGonagall handed over a ***Firebolt*** to her and Filius Flitwick so that they could ***test*** it for jinxes, hexes and curses; Flitwick using his charms mastery, and Hooch using her knowledge. Also, while examining Harry's ***Firebolt*** before his first flight on it, she commented how the Nimbus series develop a drag after a few years of flying. This implied that she possessed very considerable knowledge of broomsticks.

> Impedimenta!
>
> Madam Hooch casting a powerful Impediment Jinx, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

* **Defence Against the Dark Arts**: Madam Hooch was able to cast an exceptionally powerful Impediment Jinx and was also able to ***examine*** a broom for curses and other unfriendly spells. She was also tasked in 1993 by Minerva McGonagall with overseeing Harry Potter's Quidditch training, in order to protect him from the then presumed mass-murderer Sirius Black, which she agreed to do. She also taught her advanced ***sixth-year*** students in Flying class ***Broom Casting***, a defensive technique which involved casting spells while flying in combat.
* **Charms**: Rolanda was capable of producing a non-corporeal Patronus, an incredibly advanced piece of magic and a mark of superior magical ability, given the immense difficulty of casting the charm. She was also capable of teaching her Flying students how to perform the ***Gripping Charm***.

## Etymology

Rolanda is a feminine form of Roland, a name of Germanic origin that means "fame-land", "fame of the land", "old and wise", or "judicious, wise". Roland was a paladin of Charlemagne and a principal figure in the Matter of France. The "Roland" was a Franco-German missile system, and the WWI aircraft manufacturer Luft-Fahrzeug-Gesellschaft was known for their various "Roland" designs.
Hooch may come from Hoch or Hoog, Germanic words that mean "high" or "tall."

## Behind the scenes

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 File:PAS Hogwarts Faculty Pack Rolanda Hooch.png
* Madam Hooch was played by ***Zoë Wanamaker*** in the ***film adaptation*** of Template:PS. Madam Hooch did not reappear in any of the following films, as Wanamaker had only signed up for one film.
* Like Professor Quirrell, Madam Hooch's first name was never given in the books. Template:TCG identifies it as Rolanda.
* Prior to the release of the first film, IMDb listed her first name as Xiomara.Template:Fact
* In an episode of the Britcom series *Template:Wplink*, in which Wanamaker plays Susan, one of her sons pulls a trading card from a box of cereal and exclaims *"Hey look, Madam Hooch!"* Also, in a later episode during Hallowe'en when Susan is dressed as a witch and is trying to encourage her husband to join in, he tells her she *"can take your Nimbus 2000 and stick it where the sun doesn't shine.*"
* On an episode of *Template:Wplink* Zoë Wanamaker said she was disappointed that she was never asked to return to the Harry Potter saga and would not mind doing so for the last two films.
* Zoë Wanamaker was one of three American actors who appeared in the film adaptation of Template:PS, the others being Eleanor Columbus, who played Susan Bones, and Verne Troyer, who played ***Griphook***. It should be noted that though she was born in the States, she is in fact British.
* On the first game of the series (GBA version), when Harry casts a spell that hits Hooch, she says that she's never been insulted that way since an anti-aircraft singed her broom during the Great War (***1914***-***1918***). This indicates that Hooch was born before ***1918***, possibly in the ***1900s***, seeing as she was already capable of broom flight. The fact that she owned a Silver Arrow supports this, seen as the broom was manufactured very early in the ***twentieth century***.
* To create Madam Hooch's yellow hawk-like eyes, special contact lenses were used.
* Madam Hooch is the only Hogwarts teacher (excluding members of staff who do not teach, such as Madam Pomfrey and Madam Pince) to be referred to as 'Madam' rather than 'Professor'. The exact reasons for this are unknown, although it is possible that it is because she only teaches the first-years, and the majority of her job involves Quidditch matches as opposed to actual teaching. Alternately, she may not be considered a Professor as flying is primarily a physical discipline rather than an academic one.
	+ Though she is commonly only depicted as teaching first years, in Template:HM, Hooch is also seen teaching more advanced manoeuvres to later years. If this is taken as canon, it does contradict the theory of her not having a professorship due to only teaching first years.
* ***J. K. Rowling*** stated in an interview with ***PotterCast*** on ***17 December*** ***2007*** that "Madam Hooch really did not have any romantic backstory. Well, not my invention, I don't know".

## Appearances

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## Notes and references

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1. ↑ "*You know what? Madam Hooch really did not have any kind of romantic backstory.*" --[[***J. K. Rowling***]], ***PotterCast 131*** (transcript available here)
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 Template:PS - Chapter 15 (*New Seeker*)
3. ↑ 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 Template:PS
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Template:PS
5. ↑ Template:HM
6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Cite error: Invalid `<ref>` tag; no text was provided for refs named `PS9`
7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Template:PS - Chapter 19 (*Quidditch*)
8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Template:PS - Chapter 20 (*Interference Overcome*)
9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 Template:COS
10. ↑ Template:PS - Chapter 12 (*Sorting Hat*)
11. ↑ Cite error: Invalid `<ref>` tag; no text was provided for refs named `PS11`
12. ↑ Cite error: Invalid `<ref>` tag; no text was provided for refs named `CSF`
13. ↑ Cite error: Invalid `<ref>` tag; no text was provided for refs named `OPF`
14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 14.4 14.5 Cite error: Invalid `<ref>` tag; no text was provided for refs named `PAF`
15. ↑ Cite error: Invalid `<ref>` tag; no text was provided for refs named `OOTPF`
16. ↑ "PotterCast Interviews J.K. Rowling, part one." PotterCast #130, 17 December 2007.
17. ↑ During the Tour of the Portrait Gallery at the end of *The Quest of Sir Cadogan*, we come across a portrait of a witch on a broomstick and the narrator asks her if she has been practising with Madam Hooch.

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