Hi! My name is Charlotte Olmstead. I wrote this book to act like a course. The course is all about quidditch. You can still read the book without taking assignments, but if you wish to enroll in this course owl me at: http://www.hogwartsishere.com/charlotteolmstead/ from there I will give you details. Also if you do decide to take this course note that the lessons will be pretty short and the homework light. If you are going to enroll you must do it now, because I am ending the enrolling December 1. And information comes from Quidditch through the ages by Kennilworthy Whisp.

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How it began:

Quidditch, the most famous magical sport of all time, began in small town called Queerditch Marsh. All the knowledge we obtained from the sport was due to Gertie Keddle who lived in Queerditch Marsh keeping a dairy. Her entries are:

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Tuesday. Hot. That lot from across the marsh have been at it

again. Playing a stupid game on their broomsticks. A big

leather ball landed in my cabbages. I hexed the man who

came for it. I’d like to see him fly with his knees on back to

front, the great hairy hog.

Tuesday. Wet. Was out on the marsh picking nettles.

Broomstick idiots playing again. Watched for a bit from

behind a rock. They’ve got a new ball. Throwing it to each

other and trying to stick it in trees at either end of the

marsh. Pointless rubbish.

Tuesday. Windy. Gwenog came for nettle tea, then invited

me out for a treat. Ended up watching those numbskulls

playing their game on the marsh. That big Scottish warlock

from up the hill was there. Now they’ve got two big, heavy

rocks flying around trying to knock them all off their

brooms. Unfortunately didn’t happen while I was watching.

Gwenog told me she often played herself. Went home in

disgust.

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These entries tell us quite a lot about the earliest form of quidditch. For instance, the "big leather ball" that fell in her garden is the modern day quaffle, and when she says "trying to stick it in trees at either end" that was an early example of goalscoring. 

About a century later Goodwin Kneen from Yorkshire wrote to his cousin Olaf and shed a little more light on the topic.

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Dear Olaf,

How are you? I am well, though Gunhilda had got a

touch of dragon pox.

We enjoyed a spirited game of Kwidditch last Saturday

night, though poor Gunhilda was not up to playing Catcher,

and we had to use Radulf the blacksmith instead. The team

from Ilkley played well though was no match for us, for we

had been practising hard all month and scored forty-two

times. Radulf got a Blooder in the head because old Ugga

wasn’t quick enough with his club. The new scoring barrels

worked well. Three at each end on stilts, Oona from the inn

gave us them. She let us have free mead all night because we

won as well. Gunhilda was a bit angry I got back so late. I

had to duck a couple of nasty jinxes but I’ve got my fingers

back now.

I’m sending this with the best owl I’ve got, hope he makes it.

Your cousin,

Goodwin

As you can see quidditch has progressed a lot through the years. Goodwin's wife played catcher which was most likely the old term for chaser. The blooder obviously was an old term for bludger.

The golden snitch arrived a little later in the early 1100s. Back in the day snidget-hunting was quite popular. A golden snidget was a bird commonly found that had great speed. People usually hunted snidgets either for the fun of it or for money. Quidditch and snidget-hunting crossed paths in 1269 at a game attended by the Chief of Wizards' council, Barberus Bragge. We know this because Madam Rabnott sent a letter to her sister Prudence. According to her Bragge brought a caged snidget to the game and offered 150 galleons to the player who could catch it. Well, Madam Rabnott took pity on the bird and summoned it using a summoning charm. She may have saved one but she couldn't save them all. Bragges idea changed quidditch, soon at every game a snidget would be released and the job of the hunter was to catch it. Who evers team caught the snidget first was awarded 150 points in honer of Bragge.

The invention of the golden snitch is credited to Bowman Wright of Godrics Hollow. He created a ball that mimicked the snidget's behavior and flight.

That is lesson 1, more lessons coming soon. If any spelling or grammar is wrong please or you have a question owl me.

Also if you are enrolled in this course the homework is a short quiz and essay. If you are enrolled than I will owl you them as soon as possible and once you finish them just owl your answers back.