harry potter - In Quidditch could the Seeker play other positions? - Science Fiction & Fantasy Stack Exchange In Quidditch could the Seeker play other positions? up vote 10 down vote favorite I don't recall it being mentioned in any of the books, but could the Seeker in Quidditch switch to being a Chaser if needed? I always thought it was odd that catching the Snitch would net your team 150 points but end the game no matter what. It seemed to me that the seeker would be a more valuable player if they could net their team 150 points but not end the game if they were behind. However, the rules clearly state that catching the Snitch ends the game, regardless of how many points the Seeker's team has. Is it mentioned anywhere whether it is specifically prohibited for a Seeker to help the Chasers score points so that when their team is behind by more than 150 points they aren't essentially useless? Or would the Seeker just try to distract the other team's Seeker at this point?

up vote 13 down vote accepted In Quidditch Through the Ages, it is said: However, a fast Keeper may be able to score a goal and then return to his baskets in time to prevent the other team equalising. That's as much (that I've found) that's explicitly stated, but since the keeper can score, it's likely that a seeker or beater could as well. As for whether someone else could catch the snitch: A game of Quidditch ends only when the Golden Snitch has been caught, or by mutual consent of the two team Captains. It seems the rules don't say anything about who has to catch the snitch, it's just in a team's best interest to have a seeker searching for it full-time. And, somewhat of a sidenote but I looked it up so I'll add it, in the sixth book, when Harry is in detention with Snape for using sectumsempra on Malfoy, Ginny replaces Harry as seeker: And while he copied out all their various offenses and punishments, he wondered what was going on outside, where the match would have just started... Ginny playing Seeker against Cho...

(HBP, ch.24) up vote 5 down vote No, there's nothing in the rules that says the chasers were prohibited from doing other stuff. However, as an old sign on a Texas highway was reputed to state, "If you're driving a car with one hand and hugging a girl with the other, you ain't doing either thing well". While you're out playing with Quaffles, there's a major risk that the opponent's Seeker will find the Snitch and catch it. And obviously, not having a bat, a Seeker can't do a very good Beater's job (though, when Dobby enchanted a Bludger to go after Harry in CoS, Harry basically ended up telling Weasley twins to stop worrying about the bad Bludger and he will deal with it WHILE looking for Snitch). Quidditch in Harry Potter - The-Leaky-Cauldron.org The-Leaky-Cauldron.org Quidditch in Harry Potter The Games, the Players, and How It Reflects Harry's Abilities as a Hero By Matilda Introduction There are a myriad of factors that make J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series so wonderfully readable, so universally popular among readers of every age and demographic.

She has invented scores of unforgettable characters, suspense-filled storylines teeming with plot twists and red herrings, enough sub-plots to fill many more books, subtle social satires, and all those really funny bits and pieces. My favorite Potter-element, though, is the depth and richness of the Harry Potter world, ˜Potter-verse' to those of us in the know. Jo Rowling has created an entire universe with its own banking system complete with goblins, underground caverns, and (possibly) dragons; at least five transportation systems (Floo Powder, magical vehicles, Apparition, Portkeys, Thestrals); innumerable methods of communication (owls, magic mirrors, enchanted coins, and Floo Powder again) and with, of course, its own sport. Quidditch, like everything from Rowling's amazing mind, is unique, detailed, and entertaining. This complex sport – played on broomsticks, of course! – adds both drama and levity to the plot, and weaves athletic interludes into the story. It gives Harry a secondary identity as an athlete and serves up most of the necessary tension between Hogwarts' four houses.

Quidditch may have a larger role in the books, however, than is immediately obvious. I think that the game serves as something of a microcosm for the story as a whole; both the Quidditch matches themselves and – to a larger extent – the players. The Rules of the Game The game of Quidditch is "easy enough to understand", 1 according to Oliver Wood. There are seven players to each team: three Chasers, two Beaters, one Keeper and one Seeker. The Chasers attempt to score by sending the Quaffle through one of three large hoops placed at either end of the pitch while the Beaters aim brutal Bludgers at them to prevent their scoring. It's sort of like a Muggle soccer match or hockey game, with the Keeper guarding the goals from the opposing team. Last but not least is the Seeker, whose one job is to catch the Golden Snitch, thereby scoring 150 points for his team and ending the match. Part One: The Gryffindor Quidditch Matches Each book, with the exception of the fourth, contains at least two Gryffindor Quidditch matches, and each match seems to correlate with that book's overall storyline.

Now, by that I don't mean that every single detail of each game somehow mimics Harry's movements in the larger picture, or that we can figure out what will happen in book seven based on the very first Quidditch match. But every match seems to have one or two elements that reflect what is happening around Harry at that time, whether by emphasizing the underlying themes of that book or by foreshadowing later events. Take the very first match, for example, from Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. Harry is playing Seeker for the first time, obviously. His broomstick is jinxed by Quirrell (the trio thinks it's Snape), but he wins the game. 2 Two elements from that match are relevant here. The most obvious is the way in which Ron and Hermione mistake Quirrell's jinx as being cast by Snape; it reflects the ongoing confusion about the book's true villain. More subtle is the fact that Harry establishes himself in this match as a very talented Seeker, apparently the best Seeker by far at Hogwarts. This directly correlates with the major theme of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, which is that Harry is ˜the One' – the Hero of the story.

He's not just another wizard at Hogwarts; he's special, unique, and faces an exceptional destiny. He is the Seeker. Harry doesn't play in the last match of the game in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone; he is unconscious and lying in the hospital wing. Without him, Gryffindor loses the match, thus reinforcing what the first game established: Harry's importance to the "game", whether Quidditch or the big story. Without Harry, they lose; it's that simple. 3 There is no back-up Seeker, even though Gryffindor's team has used back-up or reserve players in the past. 4 In Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, the plot is darker and more complicated than the first – a trend that will continue. Hogwarts is imbued with a monster's presence; animals and students are being harmed and everybody seems to suspect Harry. This is the backdrop against which the first Quidditch match occurs and once again it serves as a parallel. Draco Malfoy is now the Slytherin Seeker, reinforcing his role in the story as Harry's rival.

5 The dramatic first game ends with Harry's arm broken, the result of a fixed Bludger, but he wins regardless. 6 The broken arm signals the great danger that Harry and the other students face this year; he has been intentionally injured on the Quidditch pitch right in front of all of the other students and teachers. The rogue Bludger is even more suggestive; it's been corrupted and its new purpose is to knock Harry off his broom. This brings to mind Tom Riddle's diary, which is also not what it seems and, like the bludger, is also out to get Harry! In Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Quidditch plays a greater role and Harry plays in three games. Once again the castle is under threat; Sirius Black and dementors loom large over the plot. In the first Quidditch match, the Hufflepuff team substitutes for Slytherin and dementors invade the pitch, causing Harry to lose consciousness and in turn causing Gryffindor to lose the game. 7 This match just drips with symbolism.

The dementors overrunning the field indicate that no place is safe – Sirius Black invades Hogwarts just a little after the game – and they foreshadow the troubles Harry will have with dementors later in the book. The switch between Hufflepuff and Slytherin and its negative consequences for Harry could even foreshadow the switch between Sirius Black and Peter Pettigrew that is at the heart of the Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban storyline. After all, Sirius Black – dark and seemingly ominous as his name – is whom the reader expects to be the villain while Pettigrew, in the form of Scabbers, appears as non-threatening as the happy house of Hufflepuff. Also during this match, Harry's broom gets destroyed, representing a personal low point for him and corresponding rather well to the low point of hearing his parent's voices, being left behind by Ron and Hermione, and being thought pathetic/cowardly by the rest of the school – even by Professor Lupin (or so he thinks). Not a cheerful time for Harry, really! Things look better in the second match; Harry stays clearheaded, avoids the (fake) dementors, and wins the game for Gryffindor.

8 Does this mirror the way in which Harry remains clearheaded during the climax of the book, in which he is rational enough to accept Sirius Black's tale? Maybe his triumph over the faux-dementors foreshadows his overpowering the real dementors during the book's climax. The third match is even better; Gryffindor beats Slytherin (and Malfoy) for the Quidditch cup, which has been Harry's goal since book one. 9 And at the end of the book Harry acquires a new friend-slash-godfather, the parental figure he's been searching for since, well, book one. A coincidence? Perhaps not. There are no Hogwarts Quidditch matches in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Ostensibly this is because of the Tri-Wizard Tournament, but personally I think J.K. Rowling got a little tired of writing about Harry's Quidditch matches and wanted a break! The Quidditch World Cup is featured in the fourth book, but I prefer to stick to the Gryffindor games as they relate more easily to Harry's story.

Those matches return in the fifth book, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, along with a few changes in the lineup: Ron Weasley becomes the Gryffindor Keeper. Gryffindor wins their first game of the season but due to some after-game unpleasantness the evil Umbridge bans Harry and the Weasley twins from playing, "for life." 10 For some time before the match and all through Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, the Ministry of Magic had been trying to discredit Harry, to release him from his ˜role' in the story, that of the hero/anti-Voldemort. They cease calling him "the boy who lived" (an indicator of his special status) and begin describing him as a disturbed, lying, attention-seeking little brat. 11 For the Ministry of Magic or the Daily Prophet to acknowledge Harry at this point would imply that the wizarding world needs him because Voldemort has returned. Because Voldemort is "not back" in their eyes, they do not need a hero (Seeker); Umbridge removing Harry from the Quidditch game exactly mirrors what the Ministry had been trying to do.

Fred and George's removal from the game foreshadows their sudden flight from Hogwarts”another "game" they're not playing any more. Obviously, Harry doesn't play in Gryffindor's last match, but Ron does – and wins. 12 He's carried off the pitch by the fans and they celebrate late into the night, just as he wished in the Mirror of Erised four years earlier. This match does for Ron what the very first match did for Harry: it establishes his position as a Keeper both in the game and outside it (More on that later). In the most recent book to date, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Harry is back on the team. Not only that, he's been made captain, which puts him on a par with Prefects Ron and Hermione. Harry's captainship reflects the leadership capabilities that he's developed over the course of the fifth book; between his lessons with Dumbeldore's Army and the battle scene at the Ministry of Magic he's moved from an almost-loner to something of a leader, if only by necessity.

As a Seeker, Harry was never that concerned with the rest of the team; his job was just to Seek, regardless of how the rest of the game is played around him. Now, he is responsible for the whole team, just as his role in the books is changing. Before their first match of the year, Harry pretends to give Ron the lucky Felix Felicis potion, causing Ron to perform especially well and win the game. 13 This Felix-caper is very foreshadow-y; everything gets switched around in this book! Text-books, memories, potions and more. Ron's taking or seeming to take the potion is especially interesting because shortly after this he is doubly poisoned by real potions. First he swallows a love potion meant for Harry; moments later a poison meant for Dumbledore. 14 All this on his birthday, too, poor guy. During the second game, Harry is knocked out by a blow to the head; one of his own players cracks his skull, causing Gryffindor to lose the game. 15 That he's attacked by another Gryffindor, Cormac McLaggen, could have many meanings.

It might represent "friendly fire" of some kind – that someone on his side inadvertently causes him trouble, even harm. Professor McGonagall's well-intentioned meddling after Dumbledore's death leaps to mind: "Harry, I would like to know what you and Professor Dumbledore were doing this evening when you left the school." 16 Does McLaggen equal McGonagall? They certainly sound alike. Or does the incident represent the Minister of Magic's interference in Harry's life? 17 After all, the Ministry and Harry are on the same side – against Voldemort – but they get along about as well as Harry and McLaggen do. Or maybe losing the game in such an awful, painful way mirrors the failed Horcrux mission and Dumbledore's death later in the book. In the last match of the year, Harry doesn't get to play. Gryffindor wins without him while he sits in detention with Snape. 18 There is so much symbolism here, all in reference to the book's climax. It is now Harry's team, as he's the captain, and they win even without his assistance.

After Harry and Dumbledore leave the castle that night, Harry's other "team" (Ron, Hermione, Neville, and Luna) fight the Death Eaters without him – and win. Likewise, Dumbledore's "team", the Order of the Phoenix, fight and win without him. Part Two: The Quidditch Characters Just as the Quidditch matches in Harry Potter correspond with the plot, so the Quidditch-roles of certain characters relate to their role in the story. The characters involved in Quidditch can be roughly divided into two groups: those who are only involved as players, and those who play a larger role. Angelina Johnson is an example of the former. She's introduced as a Gryffindor Chaser in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone and never really moves beyond that role. The same goes for Oliver Wood and a dozen other names introduced solely for the purpose of Quidditch; they don't interact with Harry in any way except as fellow Quidditch players. The Weasley twins, on the other hand, roam all throughout the story, not merely at Hogwarts but at the Burrow, Grimmauld Place, Diagon Alley¦ even showing up twice at number 4, Privet Drive.

They have a part in the Harry Pottertale that is much larger than their role as the Gryffindor Beaters, as do their siblings Ron and Ginny. Draco Malfoy, Cedric Diggory, Cho Chang, and of course Harry himself also seem to play the same role in the greater story that they play on the Quidditch pitch, whether it be Seeker, Beater, Chaser, or Keeper. Take the twins, for example. Oliver Wood describes Fred and George as "a pair of human Bludgers" 19 and he's not far off! In Quidditch, the Beaters protect their team and attack the other by zooming around swatting Bludgers. Fred and George could be described as Beaters off the pitch as well; they are always running around playing pranks (aiming Bludgers?) and being generally offensive. They seem to be always in motion and working as a team; rocketing around Hogwarts putting Bulbadox powder in pajamas and feeding Nosebleed Nougats to unsuspecting first years.

This is all in good fun, though, and the twins never really harm anyone; just as in Quidditch they save the real Bludgers for the opposite team. Fred and George may be pranksters but they are fiercely loyal to their "team"; their family, Harry, Dumbledore, Hogwarts. The Beater position is uniquely both offensive and defensive; consider in this light the role the twins take up in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix against Umbridge, a known enemy of Harry and Dumbledore. Here, the gloves come off and the real Bludgers come out. The pranks the twins pull against Umbridge – setting off a crate of firecrackers, filling a corridor with swamp – are no longer in good fun; they're intended to cause as much trouble as possible. These Bludgers are aimed to knock her off her broom! Luna Lovegood, although a minor character, is also partially defined by the role she plays in Quidditch. No, I'm not losing my mind; I know she doesn't play the game.

But she does act as commentator for one memorable game in the sixth book, in which she describes the opposing players as having "Loser's Lurgy", draws the crowd's attention to the clouds, and notices every little squabble on the pitch. 20 Correspondingly, one of Luna's roles in the Harry Potter chronicle is that of a commentator. Everything she says seems to have that "narration" effect. She is always pointing things out to him – usually facts that are already obvious: "Oh, hello, Harry¦did you know that one of your eyebrows is bright yellow?" 21 Her first words to him are, after all, "You're Harry Potter" (To which he replies¦ "I know I am"). 22 While most of what she says has little to do with the goings-on at hand (just like her game commentary), it's almost always interesting and worth a second glance. Look- clouds! In the sky! Ginny Weasley is another for whom Quidditch mirrors life. Her introduction into the team is not her role of choice; she replaces Harry as Seeker but prefers to be a Chaser. This one fact speaks volumes about Ginny.

First of all, she's playing a role she doesn't want; this could refer back to Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets when she was being possessed by Tom Riddle/ Lord Voldemort and being made to act against her will. 23 It could also indicate the role she's been playing as everyone's girlfriend but Harry's. At the end of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince she tells Harry that although she's been dating various boys, she's wanted to be with him since the beginning; 24 how similar this is to being "in the game" in one position when she'd rather be in another? Secondly, Ginny prefers to be a Chaser. Chasers, as opposed to Seekers, are team players. The Quidditch match is filled with the action of the Chasers as they interact with each other, ball-handling, passing, and scoring. This trait shows up in Ginny off the pitch as well. She is certainly a team player; she teams up with the twins, with Dumbledore's Army, with Harry's little team at the Ministry of Magic, with Neville and Luna as the underdogs.

Offensive, she fights to be included in all the action, and chases her main goal ’ Harry – unflaggingly. She is straightforward, very social, and determined: a Chaser through and through. Like many of his siblings, Ron Weasley plays on the Gryffindor Quidditch team, at least for the two most recent books. Ron's role is less clear-cut than Ginny's or the twins' because his part in the story is so much larger than theirs; he's Harry's best friend and one-third of the Trio. His role is that of Keeper: the defense position. Interestingly, his skill on the Quidditch pitch is the least established of any of the main players; the twins and Harry are naturals, even Ginny is very good. Ron is held back, mainly by lack of confidence. Although it is less obvious than, say, the fact that "Gred and Forge" are Beaters, Ron also plays the role of Harry's Keeper outside Quidditch. It's fairly common in literature that a hero should have a wingman, someone who looks out for him and guards him.

In the first book, Ron sacrifices himself during the chess game so that Harry can go on with his quest, 25 and while that hasn't happened again as blatantly, it is a theme that underlies Ron's basic character throughout the books. In Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, it's Ron who comes to rescue Harry from the Dursleys, getting him out of his cage and flying him away back to a safe haven. 26 He is always willing to jump into danger should Harry do so, even if it means dealing with spiders, his own worst fear. 27 In conversation, Ron is constantly defending Harry, whether from Professor Snape, Draco Malfoy, or even Hermione. When their friendship stalls in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, it is the fact that Harry is in grave danger that brings Ron around again. 28 Seeing these tendencies in Ron makes it obvious that he should be Quidditch Keeper; it would make no sense for him to be, say, a Chaser or a Beater. This is why it's so important that Ron be a good Keeper when he's playing Quidditch; it reflects his ability to be Harry's Keeper off-pitch.

He has the ability, as shown in that last match of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix; he just needs the drive and the confidence to develop it. His continued improvement implies that he will hold his own in the book to come. It's interesting that while there are perhaps one or two examples of every position, we have scads of Seekers to analyze. Draco Malfoy, Cedric Diggory, Cho Chang and of course Harry Potter are all Seekers, and they all have certain elements in common. The most obvious is that each of the other Seekers is portrayed as an opposite to Harry, and not just in the game. Draco, of course, is Harry's nemesis-at-Hogwarts, someone on whom Harry focuses his bad-guy-fighting skills when Voldemort is too far away. 29 Every scene that Harry and Draco share puts them in opposition with each other. Cedric Diggory, too, is Harry's rival in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, both for Cho Chang's attentions and in the Tri-Wizard Tournament.

He is older, more experienced, even better-looking than Harry; they play the same position, want the same girl, and of course both end up competing in the Tournament. 30 Cho Chang, on the other hand, is a romantic opposite to Harry, like a leading lady playing opposite the lead role in a play. 31 That Harry is Cedric's immediate replacement with Cho underlines both the Harry-Cedric parallel and the Cho-Harry parallel. Harry and Cho's relationship never really takes off and their style of interaction looks as much like a Quidditch match as like a courtship dance: they circle around each other, advancing and retreating, each misunderstanding the other. Because Seekers interact so little with the rest of the team, these are the only Quidditch players against whom Harry plays directly. Each match pitches him against one of these other Seekers in a straight contest; first to capture the Snitch wins for their team. It's no surprise that Harry would have some kind of conflict with these other Seekers even outside the game; their role is to be opposite him, on-field and off.

This is another reason why Ginny is better suited for the Chaser position than that of Seeker; Harry doesn't get along very well with other Seekers, they act like magnets repelling each other. As Harry's true romantic interest, it's unlikely she'd remain a Seeker or that that position would be her natural inclination. Part Three: Harry So, let's get to the real heart of the matter: Harry. Harry's Quidditch persona and his status as the champion in the story are very closely aligned. The fact that he is a Seeker defines the kind of hero that he becomes; it describes his modus operandi and his way of thinking. While the Chasers and Beaters constantly interact with both the Quaffle and their fellow teammates, the Keeper is slightly distanced from his team as the defenseman but still involved with the game, closely following the Quaffle and its play. The Seekers for each team, on the other hand, are quite removed from the rest of the action. They zoom in and around the rest of the game, staying out of the team's way, seeking the Golden Snitch; their action ends the game for better or for worse.

It's almost as if the Seekers are playing their own game that doesn't really interact with the other, but weaves around it. In fact, the game the Seekers play is in many ways the "real" game because its outcome decides the fate of the whole match. The Seeker is a loner who doesn't rely much on his team and is concerned with his own affair: the Snitch, which just happens to be the game-ender. This is Harry in a nutshell! His response to dangerous, battle-like situations is to go it alone; Ron and Hermione (and later Ginny, Neville, and Luna) have to force their way in to help him when they can. 32 Even then, he faces most of his climactic scenes on his own; he's alone by the time he confronts Quirrell in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Tom Riddle in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, the dementors in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, and Voldemort in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

Interestingly, these situations in which he is on his own end considerably better than the Ministry of Magic scene in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (in which he is with Ron, Hermione, Neville, Luna, and Ginny), 33 and the disastrous Horcrux-hunt with Dumbledore in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. 34 Harry is very private, tending to not tell even Ron and Hermione what is going on in his head. He frequently keeps to himself his fears, problems, and troubling dreams, preferring not to bother his friends with his issues and pragmatically understanding that there's not much they could do anyway. He keeps the information about the prophecy from them, for example, until Dumbledore tells him to share it. 35 Even his tendency to go to Dumbledore, Hagrid, and other adults whom he trusts diminishes as he grows older, leaving him more on his own than ever. Consider what a different kind of hero Harry would have been if he were a Chaser-type rather than a Seeker: social, forming little groups and teams to help him along, fighting in the midst of others instead of alone; burden-sharing instead of burden-shouldering.

Besides defining what kind of personality Harry has, his Quidditch-role may point to what kind of challenge he faces. By now it's well-established that Harry is Voldemort's foe, that the two are bound together by both destiny and choice. 36 While the "game" is played all around them, it won't end until one conquers the other, for better or for worse – just as a Quidditch match won't end until the Snitch is caught. Interestingly, Harry has little choice in both roles. He does not try out for Seeker, Professor McGonagall and Oliver Wood assign it to him. He never has the chance to try out the other positions or even to decline the offer. Of course, he doesn't initially choose his role as the Hero, either; it was thrust upon him when he survived Voldemort's curse. In time Harry comes to accept his place against Voldemort, though, just as he readily accepted the Seeker position. Harry's role is not to join the Order of the Phoenix or Dumbledore's Army, teaching, coordinating, and leading troops into battle; his quest is an individual one, just like his quest on the Quidditch pitch.

The climactic scene in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is completely indicative of this. While Order members and DA students face off against Death Eaters, Harry is miles away, fighting his own battle. Even when he returns he can't join that fray so it goes on without him. 37 While Harry has developed some leadership potential over the last few books, it seems he's best equipped to teach what he knows and leave others to get on with it, whether on the Quidditch pitch or in battle. This, I think, is the key to understanding something about the next book, giving us an idea of what might happen. Many have suggested that with Dumbledore gone Harry will join up with the Order, but I don't think that's very likely. The Order fights Death Eaters, and while they do their best to thwart Voldemort it's not their role to defeat him – it's Harry's. The same can be said for the DA; they may have a valuable role to play in the final outcome but they most likely won't be led by Harry. Harry's job was defined in Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. It is simply to find Voldemort's Horcruxes, destroy them, and then defeat Voldemort himself.

I picture the climax of the final book being just like a Quidditch match: an enormous battle between The Order/Dumbledore's Army and the Death Eaters – the Chasers and Beaters for each side – with all the violent interaction and involvement of the game. Harry present, yes, but not actively involved; just like the end of book six. He is playing a different game on the same pitch, seeking a different "ball". I've read many people's concerns that Harry hasn't developed his battle skills. Some readers were hoping that Dumbledore would teach him some amazing wizardly tricks to arm him for battle instead of showing him old memories. To quote John Noe's essay "Jo's Harry: A Fan's Point of View": Around the third chapter, when Dumbledore tells Harry how he wants to have some special training sessions with him that year, I really started punching the air, excited to read about Harry learning a bunch of new techniques, advanced magic, fancy "wrap you up in water" type battling spells. [¦] as I was reading, I remember being disappointed after every "training" session¦ 38 Hermione, too, seems to think that Harry needs this kind of help: "I wonder what he'll teach you, Harry?

Really advanced defensive magic, probably¦ powerful counter-curses¦anti-jinxes." 39 Here's the thing, though: Hermione, John Noe, and all the other readers and characters who think that Harry needs training up, who picture him learning special battle-magic and fantasize about him taking on several Death Eaters at once are treating Harry as though he were a Chaser; someone who will be at the heart of a general battle. But Harry is not a Chaser, he is a Seeker. Dumbledore never mentions ˜training sessions', he calls them lessons. 40 Dumbledore and Harry spend that year seeking the truth behind Voldemort, seeking out the knowledge that will lead to Voldemort's destruction. Seeking, to Harry, is effortless. His first time on a broomstick is euphoric: ¦ in a rush of fierce joy, he realised he'd found something he could do without being taught – this was easy, this was wonderful. [¦] Harry knew, somehow, what to do. 41 Professor McGonagall, not generally known for her enthusiasm, describes Harry in this way: The boy's a natural. I've never seen anything like it.

[¦] He caught that thing in his hand after a 50-foot dive, [¦] didn't even scratch himself. Charlie Weasley couldn't have done it. 42 Think for a moment about the implications of these early statements in terms of Harry's role as the Hero, the one who will finally defeat Voldemort: "Something he could do without being taught¦" Harry does not need special defensive training or fancy battling skills; he's already got what it takes. His skill is innate and instinctive. Every time he comes up against Voldemort directly – in front of the Mirror of Erised, in the graveyard, even at the Ministry – he acts instinctively and it works. In Quidditch, Harry doesn't need to be trained or taught, he just needs to know the rules of the game and he's good to play. This goes for his bigger battle as well; his Seeker abilities are inborn and peerless as well. J.K. Rowling goes to some trouble to point out that Harry is not just any Seeker, he's the best Seeker. No other comes close, not even the legendary Charlie Weasley or the internationally renowned, professional Seeker Viktor Krum, who sincerely admires Harry's flying.

43 The fact that Harry is so incredibly good, so gifted and exceptional, and that this talent is not taught, speaks volumes for his ability to fight Voldemort and win. Teaching Harry "wrap-you-up-in-water" type spells would be like trying, at this late stage in the game, to teach him to handle a Quaffle; it just doesn't make sense. Harry already has what he needs to Seek, whether on the Quidditch pitch or off. Exactly what he has isn't totally clear yet. Perhaps it's the "all-you-need-is-love" thing that Dumbledore tended to go on (and on) about, or maybe it's his (oh-so-Quidditch-like) "duck-and-dodge" maneuvers that many fans have observed, 44 or maybe it's in the few flashes of brilliant magic we've seen here and there”like his famous patronus ability. Whatever it is, Harry already has it, just as he came to Hogwarts already able to fly. Harry's special role and his amazing ability are well established: he alone is both destined and able to defeat Lord Voldemort. It's up to him alone to capture the Snitch and end the match. Works Cited 1.

Rowling, JK. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. London: Bloomsbury, 1997. p. 124. 2. Ibid. pp. 136-141. 17. Ibid. pp. 342-346, 648-649. 18. Ibid. pp. 532-535. 19. Rowling, JK. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. London: Bloomsbury, 1997. p. 125. 20. Rowling, JK. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. New York: Scholastic, 2005. p. 310. 21. Rowling, JK. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. New York: Scholastic, 2003. pp. 185. 22. Ibid. p. 575. 23. Rowling, JK. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. London: Bloomsbury, 1998. pp. 228-230. 24. Rowling, JK.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. New York: Scholastic, 2005. p. 647. 25. Rowling, JK. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. London: Bloomsbury, 1997. pp. 205-206. 26. Rowling, JK. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. London: Bloomsbury, 1998. pp. 24-28. 27. Ibid. pp 201-209. 28. Rowling, JK. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. New York: Scholastic, 2000. pp. 358-360. 29. Rowling, JK. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. London: Bloomsbury, 1998. p. 27. 30. Rowling, JK. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. New York: Scholastic, 2000. pp. 71-73, 431, 460-461. 31. Rowling, JK.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. New York: Scholastic, 2003. pp. 349, 394-395, 455-459, 528-529, 556-562. 32. Ibid. pp. 761-763. 34. Rowling, JK. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. New York: Scholastic, 2005. pp. 570-578. 35. Ibid., pp. 76-80. 36. Ibid. pp. 509-512. 37. Ibid. pp. 582-585. 38. Noe, John. "Jo's Harry: a Fan's Point of View" Scribbulus Issue 4. 1 June 2006. The Leaky Cauldron. 3 June 2006. < /#scribbulus:essay:209 > 39. Rowling, JK. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.

New York: Scholastic, 2005. p. 99. 40. Ibid. p. 78. 41. Rowling, JK. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. London: Bloomsbury, 1997. p. 111. 42. Ibid. p. 112-113. 43. Rowling, JK. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. New York: Scholastic, 2000. p. 553. 44. Ford, Brandon. "Grown Up Harry: Is He There Yet?" The Underground Lake # 29. December 6, 2005. MuggleNet. 3 June 2006. < > Bibliography Mugglenet. 23 July 2006. < > Rowling, J.K. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. London: Bloomsbury, 1998. Rowling, JK. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. New York: Scholastic, 2000. Rowling, JK. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.

New York: Scholastic, 2005. Rowling, JK. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. New York: Scholastic, 2003. Rowling, JK. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. London: Bloomsbury, 1997. Rowling, JK. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. New York: Scholastic, 1999. Seeker - Harry Potter Wiki - Neoseeker [ edit ] Summary Quidditch is a wizard sport played all over the world, by witches and wizards alike. The idea of the game is to get the most points by the end of the game. The game ends when the Golden Snitch has been caught. The whole game is played while on broomsticks flying through the air. The pitch consists of an area set out by lines, and three hoops at either end. Quidditch is supposedly the most dangerous sport. The Quidditch Pitch. [ edit ] Rules Though there is no limit imposed on the height to which the player can rise, but you cannot stray from the boundary. The Captain of the team may call for time out.

This is the only time a players feet can touch the ground. The referee may award penalties against a team. In the case of an injured player, the team must play on without a substitute. The game only ends when the Snitch is caught, or by mutual consent of the two team's captains. Wands cannot be used during the match. Under no circumstances are any players allowed to seize another player. [ edit ] Quaffle This ball is a light-weighted red ball, it has three hollowed out areas, designed to make holding the ball easier. [ edit ] Bludger This ball is a black leathery ball, with an incantation on it to make it fly around and have a nasty temper. They fly at other people on the quidditch team, and it is the beaters job to protect their team mates from the bludgers. "Nasty little buggers" - said by Oliver Wood about bludgers in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone Bludger [ edit ] Golden Snitch Snitch This is a small nimble golden ball with wings, that can fly around at high speeds.

"Wicked fast, and damn near impossible to see." - said by Oliver Wood about the golden snitch in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone . The player who catches the snitch ends the game, and wins his team 150 points, which usually means the team who caught the snitch wins. [ edit ] Chaser There are a total of three chasers on a Quidditch team, and their job is to gain possession of the Quaffle and to score a goal by throwing the ball through the hoops at the end of the pitch. This is much more difficult than it sounds, however; there are chasers on the other side of the field with the same objective, who can kick, and bash the chaser in order to get the ball, as well as a keeper they have to out-maneuver in order to score the goal. Being the chaser is also dangerous due to the inclusion of Beaters , attempting to knock the chasers off of their brooms to help their teammates. Each Quaffle scored is worth 10 points towards the final score.

Gryffindor Chasers [ edit ] Beater These players carry bats around for the sole purpose of beating the bludgers attempting to hit, or distract the opposing teams chasers in order to make them drop the ball. There are two beaters per team. The beaters also try and protect the members of their team, from being hit of their brooms by a bludger. [ edit ] Keeper The keeper is like the goal keeper, they defend the hoops at the end of the pitch. There is only the one keeper. [ edit ] Seeker There is one Seeker on each team, and his or her job is to catch the Golden Snitch to end the game. While catching the Golden Snitch does earn the team who caught it many points, it does not guarantee them the win of the game depending on if they are losing and how badly. However, almost always whoever catches the Snitch wins the game. This is why Seekers are often targeted in games (i.e. with Bludgers) since they play such a crucial role in the game. And, since the game doesn't end until the Snitch is caught, there is no telling how long they will go on for. Sometimes they even last months.

Some known Hogwarts Seekers include: James Potter (Gryffindor), Harry Potter (Gryffindor), Draco Malfoy (Slytherin), Cedric Diggory (Hufflepuff) and Cho Chang (Ravenclaw). Ginny Weasley also played Seeker a few times when Harry wasn't allowed to in the fifth and sixth books. Viktor Krum is a Seeker as well, for Bulgaria. He catches the Snitch at the Quidditch World Cup , however they still lose the game to Ireland. [ edit ] History The first early form of Quidditch was played at Queerditch March (Quidditch is named after) in the eleventh century. Since then many different variations of the sport have been played but Quidditch is vastly the most popular. There were also early names of the Chaser and the Beater which were the Catcher and the Blooder. During the early 1100's Snidget hunting was a big sport. It involved killing a Snidget which was a very fast bird similar to the Golden Snith.

When almost all of them went extinct a blacksmith by the name of Bowman Wright crafted a ball which replicated the speed and look of the bird. This then led to the Golden Snitch being included in Quidditch. These are the 10 most common fouls in Quidditch: Blagging (All players): Seizing opponents broom to slow them down. Blatching (All players): Flying with intent to collide. Blurting (All players): Locking broom handles to steer opponent off course. Bumphing (Beaters): Hitting a bludger to the crowd. Cobbing (All players): Excessive use of elbows towards a player. Flacking (Keeper): Sticking any anatomy in a hoop to punch the Quaffle out. Haversacking (Chasers): Hand still on Quaffle as it goes through a goal hoop. Quaffle-pocking (Chasers): Tampering with Quaffle. Snitchnip (All except Seeker): Any player except for the seeker touching or catching the Golden Snitch. Stooging (Chasers): More than one chaser entering the scoring area.

There are over 700 listed fouls in the Department of Magical Games and Sports Records but 85% of them are listed about different spells being used. The other 10% are just silly fouls like attacking a player with an axe etc. [ edit ] Quidditch Teams in the British league List of all Quidditch teams in the British League: Quidditch - A Keeper's Tale, a harry potter fanfic | FanFiction By: dancer4813 He had dreamed of playing Quidditch from a young age. From the first time he had ridden a broomstick at age six to hearing his brothers' stories of famous games and Hogwarts matches, he was in love with the game. The lead-up to Ron's trying out for Keeper in fifth year. Rated: Fiction K - English - Adventure - Ron W. - Words: 681 - Reviews: 4 - Published: 3/11/2013 - id: 9091708 + - Full 3/4 1/2 Expand Tighten Word count: 531… Enjoy! Quidditch – A Keeper's Tale Ron was terribly nervous that week.

Not only did he have to live up to the legacy of all his brothers, but also to the renowned Oliver Wood – one of the best keepers Gryffindor had ever had. Accepted by Puddlemere United almost immediately after he left school, renowned for his expert saves (and his grueling practices, for that matter), Oliver had been admired and saluted in Gryffindor. Yet Ron, tall-and-lanky, youngest-Weasley-boy, red-hair-with-freckles Ron was planning on trying out. He had dreamed of playing Quidditch from a young age. From the first time he had ridden a broomstick at age six to hearing his brothers' stories of famous games and Hogwarts matches, he was in love with the game. He had decided – at age nine – that his favorite Quidditch team was the Chudley Cannons after his father received tickets from a friend and brought him to the match. It had been just him and his dad, as everyone else was either at Hogwarts or back at the Burrow, and Ron had relished the opportunity to see a game in action without their input on the best players.

He had gotten all things Chudley Cannons – despite his mother's insistence that it clashed horribly with his hair – and he was proud that his room looked like an explosion of fire. He had practiced flying as much as he could. With his brothers, without his brothers, when he was allowed to and when he was supposed to be doing other things. He didn't ever mind which position he played, but rather relished the simple feeling of soaring through the air, of flying. He had gone to Hogwarts, disappointed that he could not take his broom with him, but excited for flying lessons and the chance to be on the team the year after. Maybe as a Chaser or a Keeper. Probably a Keeper though. Charlie had always been Seeker (or Chaser when they didn't have a Snitch on hand) and Fred and George were already Beaters on the team, so it was unlikely he would get a spot on the team until after they had gone. He had told Harry, the famous Harry Potter, about his favorite sport. It was not often that he had such an enraptured audience, one willing to actually listen to what he had to say.

He had watched as Harry gained a spot on the team – Seeker – and was pleased for his friend. It wasn't every day that a first year even got on the team! Quidditch had been blown to the back corner of his mind for a few years, but now he was ready. Ready to prove himself. Even if Fred and George would make fun of him for it, even if he wasn't sure how Harry would feel about having his best friend on the team, Ron was going to try out. And he was going to do what he was really good at. Not school, not pranks, certainly not reading. Quidditch. Pure, freeing Quidditch. But as he stepped back through the great oak doors for the fifth time that week, he felt encouraged, empowered. Not just because of the cheers or the excitement of the other Gryffindors, but because he had done it. He had proved himself in the only way he knew how. Quidditch.

The Honeydukes Competition: Fizzing Whizbees – write about a Quidditch player The Weasley Wizard Wheezes Competition: Ton-Tongue Toffees – write something with no dialogue The Greenhouse Competition: Begonia – write something with no dialogue The Diagon Alley Competition: Quality Quidditch Supplies – write something related to Quidditch The Philosopher's Stone Competition: Quidditch – write about a Quidditch game or player The Magical Objects Competition: Broomsticks – write about Quidditch or a Quidditch player Hope you enjoyed! At first I was writing this for the Page Number Competition, but it sort of just mutated and grew out of control… :P Things tend to do that though… Please tell me what you thought! :D The author would like to thank you for your continued support. Your review has been posted. Favorite : Story Seeker, Chaser, Keeper Chapter 16, a harry potter fanfic | FanFiction By: VivacissimoVoce Rumor has it that a wealthy investor is starting up a brand new professional Quidditch team and he's looking for players.

Harry and Draco both want to make the team, but there can be only one Seeker. Will competing for the position bring them closer or drive them further apart? Contains mature language and sexual content. Cover art by Aladdinboy. Rated: Fiction M - English - Romance/Humor - Harry P., Draco M. - Chapters: 19 - Words: 59,416 - Reviews: 56 - Favs: 164 - Follows: 20 - Published: 5/13/2013 - Status: Complete - id: 9291354 + - Full 3/4 1/2 Expand Tighten < Prev Next > The first exhibition game was nearly a disaster. They chalked it up to nerves but Harry suspected it was due to a lack of unity. They had been practicing as separate factions, and this was their first time playing against an experienced opponent as a team. They just didn't gel. Harry circled above the action, watching Draco and Zane struggle for control as they each called contradictory plays to the other Chasers and Beaters. The opposing team's Seeker stalked Harry mercilessly, watching him instead of looking for the snitch.

He was used to that strategy, in fact Draco Malfoy had made it an art form at Hogwarts, But this time it threw him off of his rhythm. Down below Draco was blocking way too many passes thanks to an inconsistent defense from his teammates. Then Antonio was hit by a Bludger and Ginny was sent up in his place. She was fresher and faster and helped reign in some of the formation errors but by then everyone else was fatigued from hours of play. It didn't help that the Snitch took its sweet time showing up. Harry circled and circled but all of the action was down at the hoops. By the time the little golden ball chose to show itself, both teams had scored more than a dozen times. Harry blamed his broken rhythm for not spotting the Snitch first. And because the other Seeker was focused on him, he didn't spot it first, either. It was Draco who spotted it, in between Quaffle shots. "Potter!" he shouted, waving his arm for Harry's attention. He didn't care if the other Seeker saw him, too. Everyone just wanted the sodding game finished. Harry spotted the little golden ball within Draco's reach.

He could have reached out and plucked it out of the air with two fingers. He found it ironic that Draco hadn't beaten him to the snitch once during house competition, but now that they were on the same team he could have pocketed it before Harry noticed. In the back of his mind he heard an echo of an argument, ending with, "practice snitch!" He smirked to himself as he wheeled around and fired off like a cannon. He dove at top speed with the other Seeker close behind, coming in at a steep angle to try to intercept the Snitch before it could fly away. Harry kept one eye on the ball and one eye on Draco as they barrelled straight towards his position in front of the hoops. The grim determination on Draco's face said he would hold his position and defend their goal until the last possible second. This had all the makings of a collision. Harry didn't shy away; he knew Draco trusted him to mind his approach. Harry was gaining speed, pelting towards his target with unflinching aim. The crowd gasped as it became apparent that he was heading straight for his teammate. The other Seeker hesitated and adjusted his angle, robbing himself of precious seconds.

Harry didn't falter. A Quaffle broke free from the mass of Chasers and plunged towards them in a speeding arc. Harry quickly calculated and knew Draco could stop it in time and still get out of the way. He braced himself. He was close enough now that he could hear the rush of the Quaffle through the air over the noise of his flapping tunic. In the span of a heartbeat the Quaffle slammed into Draco's arms and he dropped like a stone to clear the path. Harry blitzed by so closely that his shirt tail whipped Draco's hair as he passed. The crowd gasped in unison again at what surely looked like a crash. But the instant Harry was past Draco shot straight up into the air and readied himself in front of the goals again. He hurled the Quaffle back to his teammates with a triumphant roar. The crowd went mad as Harry pulled up from his dive with the Snitch held aloft in his hand. The announcer called the win for the Manchester Maulers and the players descended for an ecstatic pile-on. They hefted Harry into the air and paraded him to the center of the pitch, and even Draco grinned at the celebration.

He didn't gripe that he had seen the Snitch first, that he'd proven his worth as a Keeper, that he'd played in perfect sync with Harry's dive to defend the goal to the end. It was the Seeker's moment and for once Harry knew that Draco was proud of him instead of jealous. As that thought passed through his mind Magnus grabbed Draco from behind and he and Franz hoisted him aloft. He flailed his arms as he ascended unexpectedly and joined Harry above the throng. His eyes were wide, stunned by the recognition, and Harry was thrilled to see him struck speechless by the unsolicited attention. How many times had he clamoured for praise at school, only to be recognized now when he had finally let go of his envy? Harry stretched across the heads of their teammates and clasped Draco's hand in mutual victory. The crowd descended from the stands and rushed the field. Tex and Nigel appeared in the sea of faces below as Harry and Draco were passed from shoulder to shoulder. The celebration went on for several minutes until the officials had enough and ordered the field cleared of attendees. "Harry!" a shriek rose in the distance as Hermione and Ron shoved their way through the crush of bodies.

Hermione threw herself at Harry with an excited scream and Ron babbled with incoherent ebullient praise. Harry could do nothing but grin and let them gush. Ron was so swept up in his excitement that he actually seized Draco's hand and pumped his arm in congratulations. Hermione was more reserved, instead offering her appreciation with a wave. "I couldn't have done it without him," Harry grinned, throwing his arm around Draco's shoulders. "You'd be nothing without me," Draco quipped with false arrogance. Ron frowned. Draco had forgotten that his former classmates had never understood the way he used arrogance for effect. "He's joking," Harry said. What is Quidditch? - Quora Quora Written Aug 5, 2015 Quidditch is a sport from the Harry Potter Universe, a sort of soccer on brooms. There are 7 players on each team: the keeper, three chasers, two beaters, and one seeker.

The object of the game is to score as many points on the other team's three goals (each goal scored by the chasers is 10 points) and for the Seeker to catch the snitch, a walnut-sized, flying, golden ball (which ends the game and awards the victorious Seeker 150 points). The keeper defends the goals from rival chasers, and the beaters use large clubs to stop vicious flying balls, called bludgers, from hitting the chasers. Chasers use the Quaffle, passing to one another and scoring, and may steal it from the other team via tackle.

Question: In the 'Harry Potter' books, players in the game of 'Quidditch' can be a 'Seeker', 'Chaser', 'Keeper' or.... Which other position?
Answer: 'BEATER'