Quidditch

Sahara Desert • Regions, counties, and territories The Sahara is found in northern Africa, spans several large countries, and is by far the largest desert in the world. It is also a place where, historically, Quidditch referees have turned up after wizards had transformed their brooms into Portkeys. This little bit of… Read More

Samuel Equiano • Character Samuel Equiano played Seeker for the Nigerian National Team at the 2014 Quidditch World Cup. Read More

Samuel G. Quahog • Character Samuel G. Quahog was President of the Magical Congress of the United States in 2014. Read More

Joshua Sankara • Character Joshua Sankara played Seeker for Burkina Faso’s National Team at the 2006 Quidditch World Cup. His team having won the 2006 final match, Sankara was so popular that he was elected as Burkina Faso’s Minister for Magic. After a few days he resigned the post, in favour of continuing with his… Read More

Rafael Santos • Character Rafael Santos was a Beater for Brazil’s National Team at the 2014 Quidditch World Cup. Read More

Sasabonsam • Creature Sasabonsams are “vampiric, spindle-legged creatures” native to Nigeria. Read More

Noriko Sato • Character Noriko Sato played as Seeker for the Japanese National Team at the Quidditch World Cup tournament in 2014 (Pm). Described as a “gifted” Seeker, Sato was a member of the Japanese team at the 2014 tournament (Pm). Japan won their their first match in the Round of 16 against… Read More

School Brooms • Broomsticks Broomsticks and broom sports hold a special place in the hearts of Hogwarts students. Quidditch matches are routinely attended by nearly every student and teacher in the school, and star fliers have near-celebrity status among the student body. Read More

Scoring Area • Quidditch Areas of the pitch marked off by curved lines around the goals, where only the Keeper and one Chaser at a time are allowed (QA6). Read More

Scotland National Team • Sports teams The Scottish national teams are from Scotland (one of the four countries that together are the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland). Quidditch Scotland lost to Canada in the 1990 Quidditch World Cup. Seeker Hector Lamont blamed his failure to catch the Snitch on the shortness of his fingers,… Read More

Brutus Scrimgeour • Character Brutus Scrimgeour is the author of The Beaters’ Bible (QA6). He also wrote a promotional blurb for the front of Quidditch Through the Ages (QA). Read More

Security Troll/Security Warlock • Occupations Security Trolls and Security Warlocks (wizards and/or witches) provide protection services in the Wizarding world. Security Trolls After the Fat Lady’s portrait was slashed by Sirius Black (who later was let into Gryffindor Tower by Sir Cadogan upon producing the passwords), she agreed to return if she… Read More

Seeker • Quidditch The Seeker is the Quidditch player whose objective is to spot and catch the Golden Snitch. The role of the Seeker is often considered extremely important as catching the Snitch gives his or her team 150 points (PS10, CS7). History The position of Seeker was not originally… Read More

Seekers jinxed as Pride of Portree fall to the Arrows • Headlines and advertisements Seekers jinxed as Pride of Portree fall to the Arrows is a Sports headline in the Daily Prophet, following a controversial Quidditch match (DP3). A collision occurred during the race for the Snitch, between Dougal McBride (Pride of Portree) and Gregory Cotton (Appleby Arrows). This led to illegal… Read More

Selma • Creature The Selma is a large serpent found in icy Norwegian lakes. They eat fish and human flesh. The Norwegian Quidditch team brought one as their team mascot in 2014, were it caused a conflict that eventually included many of the other mascots. Read More

Senegal • Countries A country in Africa. Read More

Senegal National Team • Sports teams The Senegalese National Teams are from the African country of Senegal. Quidditch Senegal lost in the final match of the 1998 Quidditch World Cup to a side from Malawi.  The team had almost refused to play the match after their team mascots, the Yumboes, were arrested… Read More

Setting up camp at the Quidditch World Cup • Event Harry and friends set up camp and meet old friends and new acquaintances before the World Cup game. They set up a couple of old two-man tent belonging to a co-worker of Arthur… Read More

Shanice Higgins • Character Shanice Higgins played Seeker for the Jamaican National Team at the 2014 Quidditch World Cup. Read More

Shintaro Shingo • Character Shintaro Shingo was a Beater on the Japanese National Team at the Quidditch World Cup tournament in 2014 (Pm). Chaser Shingo and his teammate Masaki Hongo were star Chasers at the 2014 tournament, second only in popularity to the legendary Bulgarians of 1994, Volkov and Vulchanov (… Read More

Shooting arrows into the air to celebrate an Appleby Arrows goal is banned • Event The Appleby Arrow tradition is banned in 1894 after Nugent Potts, a referee, is pierced through the nose by an arrow (QA7). Read More

Shooting Star • Broomsticks The Shooting Star is a racing broom manufactured by Universal Brooms Ltd. They were a very popular broom when introduced in 1955, as they were then the most inexpensive racing broom on the market. However, as the broom got older, it had a unfortunate tendency to lose height and speed,… Read More

Shuntbumps • Sports and competitions Originating in the county of Devon in England, Shuntbumps is a broom game now only played by children. The aim of the game is to knock all other fliers off their brooms (QA2). Read More

Sidney Todd • Character Sidney Todd was a fan the Montrose Magpies Quidditch team (DP3). Read More

Sigrid Kristoffersen • Character Sigrid Kristofferson played Seeker for the Norwegian National Team at the 2014 Quidditch World Cup. Read More

Tony Silva • Character Tony Silva played Seeker for Brazil’s National Team at the 2014 Quidditch World Cup. Read More

Silver Arrow • Broomsticks The Silver Arrow was a popular broom produced by Leonard Jewkes, developed sometime after the Moontrimmer of 1901 and before the advent of the Cleansweep One in 1926. The good-looking Silver Arrow broom achieved higher speeds than either the Moontrimmer or the Oakshaft 79. Its maximum… Read More

Narinder Singh • Character Narinder Singh was a Beater for the Fijian National Team at the 2014 Quidditch World Cup. Read More

Skele-Gro • Potions Skele-gro is a medical potion which regrows bones. The effect takes about eight hours and can be quite painful. Read More

Skinning • Quidditch Skinning is the Quidditch foul of flying to deliberately collide with another player. During the Quidditch World Cup of 1994 the Irish team was awarded a penalty after an incident of skinning by the Bulgarian side (GF8). This foul would have been one of the… Read More

Jack Sloper • Character Jack Sloper was a Gryffindor Hogwarts student. He played on the Gryffindor Quidditch team as a replacement Beater when Fred and George were banned from playing (OP21). He was a poor substitute, so bad at handling his bat that he hit Angelina Johnson in the mouth with it during a… Read More

Sloth Grip Roll • Quidditch This Quidditch manoeuvre involves a player rolling upside down to avoid a Bludger (QA10). Read More

Slytherin Quidditch Team • Sports teams The Slytherin Quidditch Team of Hogwarts is drawn from the students of Slytherin House. The team wear robes of green. The Slytherins field a very strong Quidditch team. They won the Cup for seven years in a row until Gryffindor finally took it away from them in 1994. Slytherin… Read More

Slytherin's Quidditch Team narrowly beats Ravenclaw • Event Because Slytherin did not beat the Ravenclaw team by a large margin in their Quidditch match, Oliver Wood tells Harry Potter that it means that Gryffindor will be in second place for the Quidditch Cup if they also beat Ravenclaw in the next match (PA12). Read More

Slytherin wins the Quidditch Cup but not the House Cup (1985) • Event Gryffindor had won the Quidditch Cup the previous year (1984). During his first year, Harry says to himself that “The idea of overtaking Slytherin in the house championship was wonderful, no one had done it for seven years” (PS13). The 1983-84 school year is seven school years before that… Read More

Slytherin wins both the Quidditch Cup and the House Cup (1986) • Event Nearly Headless Nick tells the new Gryffindors about the House Cup, saying that “Gryffindor have never gone so long without winning. Slytherin have got the cup six years in a row!” (PS7) Having been pushed hard by Oliver Wood in Quidditch practice, Harry thinks “If they won their next… Read More

Slytherin wins both the Quidditch Cup and the House Cup (1987) • Event Nearly Headless Nick tells the new Gryffindors about the House Cup, saying that “Gryffindor have never gone so long without winning. Slytherin have got the cup six years in a row!” (PS7) Having been pushed hard by Oliver Wood in Quidditch practice, Harry thinks “If they won their next… Read More

Slytherin wins both the Quidditch Cup and the House Cup (1988) • Event Harry Potter is told during his first year by Nearly Headless Nick that Slytherin House has won the House Cup for several years: “Gryffindor have never gone so long without winning. Slytherin have got the cup six years in a row!” (PS7) Later he thinks: “If they won their… Read More

Slytherin wins both the Quidditch Cup and the House Cup (1990) • Event New Gryffindors are told about the House Cup by Nearly Headless Nick “Gryffindor have never gone so long without winning. Slytherin have got the cup six years in a row!” (PS7) Harry speculates after a hard Quidditch practice session “If they won their next match, against Hufflepuff, they would… Read More

Slytherin wins both the Quidditch Cup and the House Cup (1991) • Event The Slytherin Quidditch Team “flatten” Gryffindor in their Quidditch match the previous year, according to McGonagall (PS9). The new Gryffindors are reminded of the history during their first evening by Nearly-Headless Nick: “Gryffindor have never gone so long without winning. Slytherin have got the cup… Read More

Darius Smackhammer • Character Darius Smackhammer played Seeker for the United States National Team at the Quidditch World Cup tournament in 2014. Smackhammer was considered to be the “outstanding player” from the US team at the 2014 tournament (Pm). A controversial but close-fought match against Jamaica ended when the opposing… Read More

Leopoldina Smethwyk • Character Leopoldina Smethwyk was the first witch to referee a Quidditch match (FW). Read More

Zacharias Smith • Character Zacharias Smith is a student in Hufflepuff House during the 1990s. He’s a real winner of a guy who seems to offend people every time he speaks. He was a Chaser on the Hufflepuff Quidditch team from at least 1995 (OP16, OP26). Zacharias joined… Read More

Barnaby Snell • Character Barnaby Snell is a fan of the Chudley Cannons Quidditch team in the 1990s. Mr Snell was quoted in the Daily Prophet. He was in disbelief after the team defeated the Wigtown Wanderers, a win which ended the Cannons’ seventeen-game losing streak (DP3). Read More

Snidget • Creature The Snidget is a small round-bodied bird that was chased as part of the game of Quidditch for about a century in the 1200s and 1300s, until the bird became nearly extinct. Read More

Snidget-hunting • Sports and competitions Hunting the tiny, highly manoeuvrable, magical Snidget birds was a popular Wizarding sport from the early 1100s until the practice was banned in the mid 1300s. A tapestry in the Museum of Quidditch shows witches and wizards engaged in Snidget-hunting using nets, wands, and even bare hands. The tiny… Read More

Snidget introduced into Quidditch • Event At a Quidditch match, Chief Barberus Bragge of the Wizards’ Council releases a Golden Snidget and offers 150 Galleons to whichever player catches it first; this eventually proves so popular that a new position is added to Quidditch teams, the “Hunter,” whose sole task is to catch a Golden Snidget… Read More

A Snitch escapes during a Quidditch game • Event A Golden Snitch allegedly evades capture by either team’s Seeker during a game on Bodmin Moor in 1884; some say it is still out there somewhere, living wild on the moor (QA6). Read More

Snitchnip • Quidditch A foul in Quidditch which happens when any other player than the Seeker touches the Golden Snitch (QA6). Read More

Snitch record set by Roderick Plumpton of the Tornados • Event Roderick Plumpton of the Tutshill Tornados makes the fastest-ever capture of a Snitch in 1921 – only three and a half seconds – in a match against the Caerphilly Catapaults. He casually swerved just after the start of the match and the Snitch flew right up… Read More

Joseph Snuka • Character Joseph Snuka played Seeker for the Fiji National Team at the 2014 Quidditch World Cup. Read More

New Spain • Countries New Spain was the colony of Spain in the southern part of the North American continent much of which became Mexico in 1821. New Spain was established with the conquest of the Aztecs in 1521. Read More

New Spain National Team • Sports teams The New Spain National Teams come from the North American country of New Spain. This is an old name for the country of Mexico. Quidditch New Spain’s Quidditch team were finalists in the 1809 Quidditch World Cup, a disaster more commonly referred to as “The… Read More

Sparky • Character Sparky was a phoenix and the mascot of the Moutohora Macaws Quidditch team of New Zealand (QA8, Pm). Read More

Oddvar Spillum • Character Oddvar Spillum was the coach for the Norwegian National Quidditch team in 2014. Read More

Alicia Spinnet • Character Alicia Spinnet was a Gryffindor girl two years (CS7) ahead of Harry Potter, in the same year as Angelina Johnson, Fred and George Weasley and Lee Jordan. She played Chaser on the Gryffindor Quidditch team with Harry (PS11). She was made a full member… Read More

Sponge-Knees Curse — "none given" • Spells Presumably turns the target’s knees spongy, making it difficult for him or her to walk.  … Read More

Starfish and Stick • Quidditch This Quidditch manoeuvre is used by the Keeper to protect as large an area as possible. To accomplish this move, the Keeper hangs by one hand and one foot from his or her broom, extending the other hand and foot as far out as possible (QA10). Read More

Starfish Without Stick • Quidditch Don’t even think about it (QA10). Read More

Starsweeper XXI • Broomsticks Starsweeper XXIs are the brooms ridden by the United States National Team during the Quidditch World Cup tournament of 2014 (Pm). Read More

Starting Fires • Trivia Oliver Wood has an incendiary relationship with Slytherin’s Quidditch captain, Marcus Flint. Note that wood and flint are both materials that can be used to start fires. Read More

Stichstock • Sports and competitions Stichstock was an ancient broom game played in Germany (QA2). Read More

Stichstock Painting Created • Event The famous painting Gunther der Gewalttätig ist der Gewinner (“Gunther the Violent is the Winner”) is drawn, depicting a game of Stichstock (QA2). Read More

Stingers • Quidditch Nickname for the fans of the Wimbourne Wasps Quidditch team. (QA7)… Read More

Stonewall Stormers  • Sports teams A Quidditch team from Stonewall in Manitoba, Canada… Read More

Stooging • Quidditch Stooging is a formerly allowable Quidditch tactic (now considered a foul) where two of a team’s Chasers would shove the opposing Keeper aside so that the third Chaser could score a goal (QA6). Although it wasn’t technically a foul at the time, it would have been one… Read More

Stooging is outlawed in Quidditch • Event The Department of Magical Games and Sports introduces a new rule that only one Chaser at a time may be within the scoring area. This new rule provokes a strong response from fans who loved seeing opposing Keepers roughed up. The Ministry representative announces the rule this way:… Read More

Stoyanka Grozda • Character Stoyanka Grozda was a Chaser on the Bulgarian National Team at the 2014 Quidditch World Cup. Read More

Stubby Lamont • Character Stubby Lamont was blamed for passing on undesirable physical attributes to his son Hector, the Seeker for Scotland at the 1990 Quidditch World Cup tournament (Pm). Read More

Grogan Stump • Character Grogan Stump was a popular Minister for Magic who served from 1811 to 1819 (Pm). Read More

Sumbawanga Sunrays • Sports teams The Sunrays, a professional Quidditch team from Sumbawanga in Tanzania, are known for their formation looping. (QA8)… Read More

Summerby • Character

Sunday Prophet • Publications The Sunday Prophet is a weekend edition of the Daily Prophet, the newspaper of the wizarding world. Read More

Susan Blancheflower • Character Susan Blancheflower played Keeper for the United States National Team at the Quidditch World Cup in 2014. Appearances A participant in the 2014 tournament, her weakness in the early rounds was letting in too many goals during the opening matches against Jamaica and their subsequent quarter-final against… Read More

Sweetwater All-Stars  • Sports teams A Quidditch team from Texas in the U.S.A. Read More

The Sweetwater All-Stars of Texas defeat a French team, the Quiberon Quafflepunchers • Event The Quiberon Quafflepunchers, an established European team from France, were defeated by the Sweetwater All-Stars of Texas, USA. The match lasts five days and this win elevated the American team to international status (QA8). Read More

The Swiftstick broom is released by Ellerby and Spudmore of the Black Forest • Event

Swivenhodge • Sports and competitions Swivenhodge is played with an inflated bladder, with players sitting backwards on brooms and using the brush end to knock the bladder back and forth across a hedge. A point is awarded every time an opponent misses (QA2). Read More

Sylvian Boigny • Character Sylvian Boigny played Seeker for Ivory Coast’s National Team in 2014. A participant in the Quidditch World Cup tournament in 2014, Boigny failed to outrace the Norwegian Seeker and missed the Snitch in the opening Round of 16 match (QWC). Read More

Sylvian Jolicoeur • Character Sylvian Jolicoeur played Seeker for the Haitian National Team at the Quidditch World Cup in 2014. In Haiti’s first-round match against Brazil at the 2014 tournament, Jolicoeur was knocked out by a poorly hit Bludger from his teammate, Bloncourt, just before he would have caught the Snitch. Read More

Syria National Team • Sports teams The Syrian National Teams are from the Asian country of Syria. Quidditch Syria won the 1974 Quidditch World Cup after beating a team from Madagascar in the final match. This Quidditch World Cup tournament is mostly remembered for the mass rule-breaking known as “Royston Idlewind and the… Read More