Quidditch Through the Ages

In Quidditch Through the Ages, Rowling’s detailed explanations of the origins and evolution of Quidditch (via fictional author Whisp) reveal that witches and wizards have always been concerned with protecting the wizarding world from outside interference. In developing this theme, the author shows that Muggles have always been perceived as a threat to the wizarding world. This concern led Quidditch to become the highly regulated and supervised sport that it is today.

Throughout the historical analysis, Rowling repeatedly refers to wizards’ negative perceptions of Muggles. For example, the author describes how wizards and witches always assumed that Muggles would be tempted to “exploit” their magical powers (3). Even before the development of legal codes that require wizards to keep their abilities secret, the wizarding community protected itself by behaving discreetly. The author explains, “Witches and wizards kept to themselves long before the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy came into effect” (3). The author makes it clear that this tension was not just a matter of paranoia but was caused by real persecution from Muggles that sometimes made life dangerous for witches and wizards. For instance, during the period of European Muggle colonization of North and South America, Muggles’ anti-magic prejudice was particularly high, making witches and wizards more vulnerable. This, in turn, led members of the North American magical community to use “great caution,” which “tended to restrict the growth of the game” (82). Rowling explains, “Quidditch reached the North American continent in the early seventeenth century, although it was slow to take hold there owing to the great intensity of anti-wizarding feeling unfortunately exported from Europe at the same time” (82), which might refer to actual historic witch persecutions, like those at Salem in the late 17th century.

She connects this wariness and sense of danger with wizards’ consistent efforts to keep Quidditch, and by extension, their magic and society, a secret. Author and early Quidditch expert Zacharias Mumps passed along his sage advice on the topic in his 1392 essay on the sport: “Choose areas of deserted moorland far from Muggle habitations and make sure you cannot be seen once you take off on your brooms. Muggle-repelling charms are useful if you are setting up a permanent pitch” (35). During the Middle Ages, the Wizards’ Council was concerned enough to pass laws banning wizards and witches from playing Quidditch near Muggle towns, and later, the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy intensified these rules.

In today’s wizarding world, Quidditch is a highly regulated activity to ensure that the wizarding world is sufficiently protected. The author explains that the Ministry of Magic’s Department of Games and Sports has made Quidditch an organized affair, and players can only legally play on their pitches with anti-Muggle security. By detailing witches’ and wizards’ long history of keeping their magic and their favorite game a secret, the author shows the importance of protecting the wizarding world from Muggle interference.