Chapter 32 Quidditch Training (Revised, Typos Have Been Corrected)

"Someone sent Potter a broomstick, Professor," said Draco Malfoy hastily.

"Yeah, yeah, that's right." Professor Flitwick said, smiling at Harry, "Professor McGonagall told me all about the peculiarities of the situation, Mr. Potter, what model did you get?" of?"

"It's Nimbus 2000, Professor." Ron was still rosy from the quarrel, which made Professor Flitwick think for a moment that his complexion looked a bit like the one that would explode when learning any spell Another Gryffindor.

At this time, Harry's attention was still on his deadly enemy. Seeing the terrified expression on Malfoy's face, he tried his best not to laugh, and added deliberately: "I can get it, thanks to this Malfoy." What about Mr. Fu?"

Allen couldn't help laughing, Malfoy's expression at the moment was really wonderful, with an unbelievable expression on his face.

"Since you have no problem, go do your own work." Professor Flitwick was very kind, smiling and turning his head to look at the new talented student in his college: "Alan, come to the Quidditch training ground after school this afternoon, Luo Jay Davis will be there for you."

"Okay, Professor." Allen said goodbye to his dean. Harry and Ron, who had just left, did not go far. They were waving to him vigorously behind the pillars in front.

Allen hurried to catch up, and Ron gloated: "Allen, did you notice Malfoy's expression just now? He never expected that we were a blessing in disguise! Harry got a Nimbus 2000! And He also became an official member of the Gryffindor Quidditch team, which is really cool! Now I see how that kid Malfoy has the nerve to brag about his flying talent..."

"Great, I also have good news for you. Thanks to Harry, I have also become a member of the Ravenclaw Quidditch team. Maybe we will have a chance to play against each other in the future." Allen was also very happy Well, if the savior hadn't been the first to break the rules and let the school give the green light, it wouldn't be as easy for him to participate in the competition in the first grade as it is now.

"It's not thanks to me, if Malfoy hadn't thrown Neville's memory ball, I wouldn't have made it to the team." Harry laughed, Harry laughed, and he took the opportunity to taunt again.

"So you think this is a reward for your violation of school rules?!" An angry voice came from behind them, and Hermione on the stairs thumped the last few steps, looking dissatisfied at the package in Harry's hand.

Harry's tone became a little weak: "I thought you wouldn't talk to us."

"Hopefully, it's best not to say it just yet," said Ron. "It makes us feel very comfortable."

Hermione snorted coldly and said no more, she strode away with her nose raised high.

"It's really inexplicable, where does she have a sense of superiority?" Harry scratched his head in confusion.

"Probably due to the title of know-it-all. Oh, sorry, Alan, I didn't mean you." Ron looked at Alan apologetically, "Her grades are not as good as yours, but she is much more arrogant than you."

...

In the following classes, Alan was still very calm, listening to lectures and taking notes patiently. Although he is also looking forward to the Quidditch training after class, he knows the importance of grasping the moment - when he is focused, time slips away quickly and unknowingly.

After class, Allen packed his schoolbag quickly, and uncharacteristically did not go to the library, but went straight to the Quidditch training ground. Anyway, it will be a matter of time to complete the task with the current progress.

Roger Davis, the captain of the Ravenclaw Quidditch team, was already waiting for Allen on the court. His slender torso and strong limbs all showed that he was an athlete. The soft sunlight pierced through the trees The green branches and leaves are mottled to draw gentle circles of light, large or small, on the ground.

"Hey, Mr. Alan Harris, here!" Roger waved at Alan in the sun.

Alan made three steps and made two steps,

He quickened his pace and made a brief introduction to each other after he approached. Ravenclaw's Quidditch captain directly bent down and opened a large wooden crate under his feet, which contained various equipment needed for the Quidditch game.

"Mr. Harris, do you know anything about Quidditch?" Roger asked. "I mean not the way the fans know it."

"Of course, Davis, I have some understanding." Looking at Roger's distrustful eyes, Allen paused, "The red ball is a Quaffle, and the Chasers pass the Quaffle to each other and try to pass it through." Every time you pass the opponent's ring, you can score 10 points, and the goalkeeper is responsible for guarding the ring of your team..."

It is too modest for Allen to claim to know something. As early as when he got Neptune, he had already understood the rules of the Quidditch game thoroughly. He introduced it to his new captain once—although his influence on them still stays in words.

"It's really great. You are worthy of Ravenclaw's point controller. It seems that you are not only a fan, but also have a certain research on tactics." After speaking, Roger threw a small wooden stick to Allen, and then Added a more Ravenclaw question, "Then do you know the history of Quidditch?"

"Uh... I don't know much about this." Allen was a little speechless. After taking over the batter's bat, he thought that the next step would be the actual operation. Although he thought the history of magic was very interesting, he had a task ahead of him. He doesn't have the time to read such idle books, "Quidditch is the first and so far the only broom sport that is loved by wizards almost all over the world. Of course, it is not the first broom sport. All other ancient broom games, such as German bollards, Irish fire barrels on stilts or Scottish overhead cauldrons, were localized and did not have the same appeal as Quidditch today. From the moment the movement emerged, it has continued to evolve for nearly a millennium."

Seeing that Alan didn't know much, Roger happily pulled out a book from the box and gave it to Alan to let him read it first to understand the sport itself.

Allen, who was a little confused by the Ravenclaw training method: "Aren't we going to test?  …"

"Oh, there's no rush for that, it's okay to talk about it after you finish reading it."

Seeing that Roger stopped and looked at the book in his hand expectantly, Allen sighed and read it cooperatively. He somewhat understood why the Ravenclaw Quidditch team rarely won the championship at Hogwarts. . (Author’s Note: Anyway, it’s a free chapter now, so I’ll take the opportunity to give you some knowledge about Quidditch at the end of this article. There are allusions to why the Golden Snitch is worth 150 points, and I think it’s quite interesting.)

When Allen finished reading the book, Ravenclaw's Quidditch captain called Allen to ride on his broom, and then Roger released a shiny black beast struggling desperately in the box. ball. As soon as the Bludger was free, it quickly hit Allen's face. Allen swung his backhand, and the Bludger was hit high and far, passing through the high-altitude iron ring above the training ground.

"Heh, what did I see, you used the bludger to pass through the hoop, fast and... oh..." Before Roger could finish speaking, the swift bludger fell towards Roger from the sky, Roger hugged the Bludger desperately and put it back in the box, where the Bludger writhed reluctantly.

Then Allen tried to cooperate with Roger to show some very difficult game skills. Such as reverse pass and Lonski's defensive fake action, and then he tried to make Allen do some flying skills. Allen was able to successfully perform each of them. Roger was amazed and excited by his observation skills.

"If you're so good at goalkeeping, you're suitable for all positions!" Roger exclaimed excitedly, "Alan, you are so versatile, I think our Ravenclaws are very hopeful to win this year's Quebec Cup! "

Different from the flight class where he was shy, Allen was also very excited after letting go of flying for a while. He enjoyed the feeling of controlling the whole field and flying against the wind. "Then what role can I play?"

"I think you can act as the chaser first. We need the support of a strong player in scoring. As for the seeker—" It can be seen that Roger is hesitating, he is weighing where to put Allen have more advantages.

"We have also recruited a very talented Seeker this year. She is very - uh - cute, let her try it first." Roger looked dazed, and Allen felt that the newly recruited Seeker Must be a very beautiful and impressive girl.

Allen then knew who the Seeker was from Roger. It was Qiu Zhang, an Asian girl in the second grade.

In the following days, Allen was even busier. In addition to the wizard's physical training every morning and completing more and more heavy homework, he still spent a long time in the library for the rest of his spare time, and had to deal with three times a week. Quidditch training.

【The following is the relevant information about Quidditch. Those who don’t like it can skip it directly without affecting the content of the next chapter. I think there are many things about Quidditch that are disliked and misunderstood by many people, so I will post a relatively complete information here to give everyone an idea.

ancient broom game

Bollard Game: This game originated in Germany. A wizard acts as a bodyguard or keeper, working to protect an inflated dragon bladder. The rest of the athletes will take turns flying towards that bladder, trying to pierce it with a sharpened broom handle. The first person to pierce the bladder is the winner.

Fire barrels on stilts: This Irish game involves competitors carrying a dom or ball, one by one, through a series of burning barrels suspended high in the air on stilts. The competitor who manages to get Dom through all the barrels the fastest, without catching fire along the way, is the winner.

Crucible Overhead: This is an extremely violent and extremely dangerous game that originated in Scotland. Each player has a cauldron strapped to his head by a strap. At the sound of a horn or a drum, as many as a hundred enchanted stones, large and small, which had been suspended a hundred feet above the ground, began to fall toward the ground. The contestants rise and fall in all directions, catching falling stones in cauldrons overhead. The person who catches the most stones is the winner.

Mid-Air Crash: A very simple form of broomstick jousting in which the object is to knock other people off their broomsticks. The last person left on the broom wins.

Upside-down broomstick riding: A broomstick sport developed in Herefordshire, England, in which athletes ride broomsticks upside down and beat pig bladders back and forth between a circle of hedges with the fringed end of the broomstick. Whoever hits the bladder scores points, and the first to reach fifty points wins.

The development of Quidditch

The sport of Quidditch takes its name from the Quidditch Marshes where it originated. A witch named Gerty Kidder who lived near the swamp in the eleventh century recorded what she saw and heard in her diary. In her diary for several days, she described the development of the game of Quidditch in its inception, and how various elements of the game were introduced.

Gerty began by complaining only of her annoyance that a group of people on broomsticks were playing ball over the swamp, and the ball had fallen into her vegetable patch. She confiscated the ball and put a poisonous spell on the person who asked her for it. On the second day, the ball players didn't give up, they made a new ball. They also started throwing the ball into the woods at one end of the swamp to score. This is the earliest prototype of the Quaffle and Scoring Ring.

On the third day, the players brought two rocks and flew them in the sky, trying to knock them off their brooms. This is the predecessor of the Bludger. She also mentions the presence of a "large Scottish wizard" who may have been a player in an even older broom game, the Crucible, which also suggests some connection between the two broom games.

Records of Quidditch from this period are rather limited. Few mentions were made of the sport for the next century - until, in the twelfth century, a wizard named Goodwin Nyen brought it up again in a letter to his Norwegian cousin Olaf. sports.

By this time, the sport was known as Kwidditch, with dedicated teams, player positions and different balls with their own names. From Goodwin's letters, it can be seen that the Chasers were called "Catchers" at the time, and the Bludgers were called "Blooders".

Nin's letter also revealed a new twist on the game: three wooden barrels on stilts were used as goals, replacing the original trees. As a modern sport, this is undoubtedly a huge improvement. It can be seen that the "Guidditch" played by Nin at that time is very similar to today's Quidditch.

golden snitch

So far, the only element that is still lacking in Quidditch is the Golden Snitch. The history of the appearance of the Golden Snitch may be the most interesting of all Quidditch balls! Its introduction is directly linked to a game played in Kent in 1269 - when the name of the sport of Quidditch became Cuaditch. A century after Goodwin Nein wrote his cousin, the movement seems to have gained more popularity and participation. However, the movement has changed very little during this time.

During the game mentioned above, Barber Bragg, who was then the chairman of the Wizarding Council, came to watch the game. Because the Golden Snidget hunt was so popular at the time, Bragg brought a bird called the Golden Snidget to the game. He told the players on the field that whoever catches the Golden Snidget in the game will get one hundred and fifty galleons—this amount may not seem like much now, but it was not a small amount at the time.

This is easier said than done: the Snidget is small, fast, and can change direction instantly. This challenge allowed the wizard who caught the Golden Snidget to gain fame.

What happened next on the Quidditch pitch was predictable: the players completely forgot about the game, everyone was chasing Kin Snidget, and the audience was using the warding spell to force the fleeing Kin Snidget back onto the pitch.

The witch Modesty Rabno, who also came to watch the game, felt pity for the Snitch. She saved the bird with a summoning spell and hid it in her robe. An angry Bragg fined her ten Galleons for disrupting the game, but she had already let Jin Snidget go.

Mrs. Labnor's actions saved the life of the Golden Snidget, but the Golden Snidget and Quidditch have been in touch ever since. In each game, a Golden Snidget is released, and a player on each team—originally known as the Hunter and later the Seeker—is tasked with catching it. If any hunter could capture and kill the Golden Snidget, his team would earn 150 points to symbolize the 150 Galleons promised by Breno.

However, the popularity of Quidditch caused the number of Golden Snidgets to decline sharply. By the middle of the 14th century, Golden Snidgets were finally declared a protected species by the Wizards Council led by Alida Cragg. This means that the Golden Snidget can no longer be used in the Quidditch game. In addition, Somerset County has also established the Modesty Rabno Flying Man Sanctuary to protect the future living space of the Golden Snidget.

However, there had to be a Golden Snidget replacement in the game of Quidditch, and when most people were looking for another bird to replace the Golden Snidget, a metalsmith from Godric's Hollow by the name of Bowman Wright had He came up with a different idea - he invented a fake Snidget, which he called the Golden Snitch. His invention is very similar to the Snitch seen on the Quidditch pitch today: it is a small golden ball with silver wings, its size and weight are the same as the real Golden Snidget, and it can fly as fast as the Golden Snidget. ,agile. In addition, the ball will not run to the outside of the court, so the audience no longer need to use the repelling spell.

After the Snitch was approved as an alternative to the Snidget, the sport of Quidditch continued. So far, all the balls used in the modern Quidditch sport have appeared, and the composition of the team has also been perfected. However, although the Quidditch sport at that time was very similar to today's Quidditch game, its specific rules and court styles are still slightly different from today's Quidditch. It wasn't until 1883 that the format of the Quidditch game was finalized.

committee

The International Confederation of Wizards Quidditch Committee (ICWQC) is the international body that oversees the game of Quidditch and hosts the Quidditch World Cup every four years. In addition, there is an international organization related to Quidditch, the International Quidditch Federation. In the UK, Quidditch affairs are managed by the Department of Magical Sports and Sports, which also houses the British and Irish Quidditch Union Command.

player

There are seven players on each side of the Quidditch game, including three Chasers, two Beaters, a Keeper and a Seeker. Four balls are also used in the game: a Quaffle, two Bludgers and a Snitch.

Goalkeepers guard their team's goalposts and prevent opposing players from scoring goals; three Chasers throw the Quaffle into one of the opposing team's three goalposts to score points for their team; Players protect their teammates from Bludgers and hit the Bludgers at opposing players; Seekers are responsible for finding the Snitch on the field, catching it and ending the game. The team that catches the Snitch wins an extra 150 points, but that doesn't mean the team will win, as the difference between the two teams could be greater than 150 points.

quidditch pitch

A Quidditch pitch is usually an oval five hundred feet long and one hundred and eighty feet wide, with a small circle in the center about two feet in diameter from which all the balls are released at the start of the game. There are three goalposts of different heights in the goal areas at each end of the pitch. Since Quidditch is a sport played in the air, the stands on the Quidditch pitch are set at higher positions.

The hooped post currently in use was a barrel in the time of Goodwin Nyon. By the time the Snitch was introduced, they had been replaced with baskets on stilts. As useful as the basket is, it comes with another problem: there is no limit to the size of the basket, so the size of the basket varies from court to court.

In 1620, scoring areas were added at both ends of the pitch. In addition, the baskets at the top of the goalposts have become a bit smaller, but the difference in the size of the baskets between different pitches remains. In 1883, the rules regarding gatepost standards were finally introduced, and standard-sized hoops replaced the original baskets. At this point, the modern Quidditch pitch has taken shape. In the year following the replacement of the basket with hoops, a new rule was introduced in Quidditch that only the Chaser with the Quaffle could enter the end zone. Therefore, the act of "clamping" fouls is prohibited. Both changes have sparked considerable controversy, with riots and threats directed at the Minister for Magic.

Quidditch pitches are set up where they won't attract the attention of Muggles. This has been going on since 1398. Zacharias Mumps, the wizard at the time, emphasized the need for safety measures against Muggles during the game: "Choose a deserted field far away from Muggle-inhabited areas, and make sure that you will not be caught by Muggles when you fly on a broom." We see. The Repelling Muggle Charm is a useful spell if you are building a long-term playing field. It is also wise to hold games at night." But before that, in 1362, the Wizarding Council had banned Quidditch matches are played within fifty miles of Muggle towns. This rule was amended in 1368 to prohibit Quidditch matches within one hundred miles of Muggle towns. This may indicate that the sport of Quidditch is rapidly gaining popularity. Eventually, the Council of Wizards issued a decree in satisfactorily worded terms: "No game shall be played anywhere where Muggles are even remotely likely to see it," or we shall see it, and you shall be chained to the dungeon wall. play."

The International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy, enacted in 1692, made all Ministry of Magic directly responsible for the consequences of magical sports played within their own jurisdictions. So in the UK, the Department of Magical Sports and Sports was born. Quidditch teams that do not follow Ministry of Magic guidelines are forcibly disbanded. The Banchory Bangers are one example.

game progress

At the start of a game, the Quidditch referee releases the four game balls in the central circle of the pitch. Enchanted Quaffles and Snitches fly straight into the sky, while Quaffles need to be thrown into the air by the referee to mark the start of the game (this is how Muggle sports like basketball and Gaelic football start similarly, the referee throws the ball into the air).

Because Quidditch matches are played indefinitely (some matches can go on for days if the Snitch is not caught), there are no quarters, but the captain can ask the game to be stopped. Teams will use the same set of goalposts throughout the match.

Chasers earn ten points for their team by dropping the Quaffle into the hoop of any of the opposing goalposts. After the goal is scored, the opposing goalkeeper throws the Quaffle and play continues.

A game ends only if the Snitch is captured, or if the captains of both teams agree. If the Seeker catches the Snitch, his team gets an extra 150 points. The Snitch has flesh memory and can recognize the first person to touch it, in case there is a dispute over grabbing the ball. The winner of a game is the team with the most points at the end of the game, not the team that catches the Snitch. So if a team leads by more than 150 points when the other team's Seeker catches the Snitch, they can still win. A more famous example occurred in the 1994 Quidditch World Cup final. Ireland won the game 170-160, despite Bulgarian Seeker Viktor Krum catching the Snitch. However, if the game is tied, the way to determine the winner is still unknown.

rule

Worldwide, the popularity and competition of the game of Quidditch is closely monitored and analyzed by the International Federation of Wizards and Wizards Quidditch Committee.

In 1750, the Department of Magical Sports and Games established the official rules for the game of Quidditch.

Although there is no limit to the height at which athletes can fly during the game, athletes must not go beyond the boundaries of the court. If a player flies beyond the boundaries of the court, his or her team must surrender the Quaffle to the opposing team (though the penalty is unknown if the defense leaves the court).

The team captain can signal a "timeout" to the referee. This is the only time during the game that the athlete can touch the ground. If a match has lasted more than twelve hours, the timeout may be extended to two hours. If any team fails to return to the field after two hours, the team will be disqualified.

The referee may award a team a free throw. The Chaser who takes the free throw will fly from the center circle to the end zone. All players must stay behind when the Chaser takes the penalty kick, except for the opposing goalkeeper who can prevent the Chaser from scoring a goal (it is unknown whether the Seeker can still catch the Snitch during the penalty kick).

The Quaffle may be taken from another player's hand, but under no circumstances should a player grasp any part of the other player's body.

In the event of a disability, no other athlete may be substituted. The team will continue to play after the injured player is off the field (though according to the Philosopher's Stone, during a Quidditch match, if the game lasts for several days, then the team will send substitute players to the field, and the players will sleep. sleep for a while).

A player may bring a wand onto the field, but under no circumstances may it be used against an opponent, an opponent's broom, the referee, the ball, or any spectators present.

A Quidditch match cannot be concluded until the Snitch is caught, or with the consent of the captains of both teams.

Only the goalie can prevent the opposing team's Quaffle from being thrown.

An amendment to the Quidditch Rules in 1849 stated that if anyone in the crowd used any hexes or charms on players, their team would be automatically disqualified from the game, regardless of whether the team ordered or supported the use of such magic.

foul

In the records of the Department of Magical Sports and Sports, a total of 700 methods of Quidditch fouls are listed. However, the details of these foul play have never been made public to the wizarding public (in the view of the Sports Division, wizards who read the list "may be inspired"). As long as the prohibition against using wands on the opposing team is upheld, 90% of the fouls listed are unlikely to occur under any circumstances. Of the remaining 10 percent, most of them don't happen, even by the most sleazy athletes. However, there are ten fouls that are more common (applies to those in parentheses):

Pulling: Grabbing the handle of an opponent's broomstick to slow the opponent down or impede his progress. (all players)

Ramping: Deliberately bumping into an opponent while flying. (all players)

Sudden brake on the broom: Stop the broom in an emergency, hoping to make the opponent deviate from the flying direction. (all players)

Hit Out: Hit the Bludger toward the crowd. (for batsmen only)

Elbow Strike: Abuse of the elbow to butt the opponent. (all players)

Hitting behind the hoop: Hitting the Quaffle with any part of the body through the hoop - the keeper should block the hoop in front of it rather than behind it. (for goalie only)

Hold the ball into the hoop: The Quaffle is still caught in the hand as it passes through the hoop - the Quaffle must be thrown. (for Chasers only)

Wrecking the Quaffle: Tackling the Quaffle - such as puncturing it to make it fall faster or zigzag. (for Chasers only)

Touching the Snitch: Any player other than the Seeker touches or grabs the Snitch. (all players except Seeker)

Trapping: More than one Chaser enters the end zone. (for Chasers only)

All seven hundred fouls were used in the Quidditch World Cup Final in 1473. In addition to the above ten foul methods, there are:

Transform Chaser into a skunk;

Tried to decapitate the goalkeeper with a machete;

Released a hundred vampire bats from under the robes of the Transylvanian captain during the match;

Burns the broom tail of the opponent;

clubbing an opponent's broom;

Ax the opponent.

Quidditch moves

Over the centuries, Quidditch players have invented many difficult and interesting moves to improve themselves and their game. These tricks are:

Counter Bludger? - The batter hits the Bludger with a backhand swing to confuse the opponent.

Double hit? - Two hitters hit a Bludger at the same time, making the Bludger attack more lethal.

Double "8" Ring Fly? - The goalkeeper scrambles around the three goal hoops in order to fend off the Quaffle.

Eagle Head Formation? - Three Chasers form an arrow and fly towards the post, forcing the opposing Chaser to step aside.

Parkin's pincer? - two Chasers approaching one Chaser of the opposing team from the wings while the other Chaser flies head-on at him or her.

Prenton's Retaliation? - Confuse the opponent by hiding the Snitch up the Seeker's sleeve.

Pokov Lure? - A Chaser flies above and throws the Quaffle directly at another Chaser directly below.

Reverse Pass? - A Chaser throws the Quaffle over his shoulder to a teammate behind him.

Sloth Hugging and Rolling? - Players hang from a broomstick and dodge Bludgers with hands and feet on the broomstick.

Starfish Upside Down? - The keeper grabs the broom handle with one hand, hooks one foot over it, and stretches all fours to ensure that the Quaffle is blocked as much as possible (most vulnerable to Bludgers).

Transylvanian feint? - Pretend to hit the opponent's nose to confuse the opponent (as long as the opponent's nose is not actually touched, this trick is legal).

Wollongong Zigzag Fly? - The Chaser zigzags at high speed to confuse the opposing Chaser.

Ronsky Feint? - The Seeker pretends to see the Snitch far below and dashes toward the ground, allowing the opposing Seeker to imitate himself. But the former stopped diving when it was about to hit the ground, so that the opponent had no time to react and hit the ground. 】