Dominic Gudgeon

**Dominic Gudgeon** (born 13 April, 1926) was a half-blood English wizard who attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry from 1 September, 1937 to June 1944. He attended school one year above the infamous Lord Voldemort, or as he was known then, Tom Riddle. He played Seeker on the Gryffindor Quidditch team from September 1940 to June 1944.

## Biography

### Early life (1926-1937)

Dominic Gudgeon was born on 13 April, 1926, the son of Albert Gudgeon and his wife, Eleanora Gudgeon (née Moore). He had an older brother, Nicolas Gudgeon, and a cousin on his father's side named Gladys. Dominic was born in Tutshill, a small village within the parish of Tidenham in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire, England. It is located on the eastern bank of the River Wye, which forms the boundary with Monmouthshire at this point and which separates the village from the town of Chepstow. The village of Woodcroft adjoins Tutshill to the north, and across the A48 road to the south is the village of Sedbury.

Dominic grew up supporting the Chudley Cannons, but became routinely accustomed to disappointment, as most fans do.

#### Hogwarts years (1937-1944)

Dominic Gudgeon received his Hogwarts letter in the summer of 1937. Sometime before he left for school, he purchased a wand made of walnut and dragon heartstring from Ollivander's Wand Shop in Diagon Alley, London. He boarded the Hogwarts Express on 1 September, 1937, and later that night, he was sorted into Gryffindor.

In his fourth year of school, Dominic tried out for the Gryffindor Quidditch Team, hoping to play Seeker. He caught the snitch during tryouts in about ten minutes, which captain Tobias Goodwin saw as impressive, and gave him the spot. His other teammembers consisted of mainly fourth and fifth years. Tobias Goodwin was a fifth year, and he played Chaser, alongside Mick Rigby and Gordon MacCallum. The Beaters were Gilchrist Bellchant and Archie Dodge. Playing Keeper was Ivor McKinnon, another fellow Fourth Year, with whom Dominic shared a dorm. Also on the team was Ansel Hume, a third-year, who played substitute. That year, they won the Quidditch Cup.

In Dominic's sixth year of school, the Chamber of Secrets was opened by Tom Riddle, which resulted in the petrification of four muggle-borns, and the death of a third year Ravenclaw student, Myrtle Warren. Another third year student was framed for her death, Rubeus Hagrid, as well as an illegal acromantula he'd been hiding in the school, which was passed off as the monster.

### Later life

Dominic entered a training programme to become a Quidditch referee after leaving school. A Quidditch referee is the individual responsible for adjudicating a Quidditch match. Referees are usually extremely brave wizards and witches, and in Great Britain are selected by the Department of Magical Games and Sports. Each referee has to be an excellent flier, and capable of watching the antics of fourteen players at once. They are required to take rigorous flying tests, and written examination on the rules of the game, and prove — through a series of trials — that they will not jinx or curse offensive players even while under pressure. Dominic passed these trials and worked as a referee.

Dominic married a witch named Marsha Tolipan and had two children with her, Richard and David. His younger son, Davey, almost lost his eye trying to get close enough to the Whomping Willow, a tree planted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, attempting to touch its trunk, in 1971. For student safety (and possibly the Willow's as well), students then became forbidden to go near the tree since that event occurred. He retired as a Quidditch referee at the age of fifty in 1976.

## Etymology

Dominic is a name common among Roman Catholics and other Latin-Romans as a boys name. Originally from the late Roman-Italic name "Dominicus", its translation means "Lordly", "Belonging to God" or "of the Master".

A Gudgeon is a European small freshwater fish, early 15c., from Middle French *goujon*, from Old French *gojon* (14c.), from Latin *gobionem* (nominative *gobio*), alteration of *gobius*, from Greek *kobios*, a kind of fish, a word of unknown origin. They are easily caught, hence the figurative sense of "a credulous person" (one who will "bite" at
"bait"), from 1580s.