Facts we did not know about Quidditch

Any fan of Harry Potter, also known as "Potter Head", knows what a Quidditch game is and how it is played. Unfortunately, there are many "muggles" among us who know little about the popular sport played by witches and wizards.

What most know about Quidditch is that it is played while riding a broomstick. But there is more to the game than this. Here are a few lesser known facts about Quidditch.

Manchester was the birthplace of Quidditch

JK Rowling first wrote about Quidditch while staying at a small hotel in Manchester. Later, the author elaborated details in an annotated copy of "Philosopher's Stone" that was auctioned for charity.

In her notes she wrote, "I had been pondering the things that hold a society together, cause it to congregate and signify its particular character and knew I needed a sport."

The longest Quidditch match lasted for three months

As we know, a Quidditch match ends when the Seeker catches the Snitch. Oliver Wood, the Keeper and captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team, tell us that that the longest Quidditch match lasted for about three months. 

The Golden Snitch was invented in the 19th century 

In "Quidditch Through the Ages" JK Rowling reveals the history of the Golden Snitch. Before snitches were introduced to the game, an actual bird, called Golden Snidget was used to play the wizarding sport.

The Chief of the Wizard's Council, Barberus Bragge, in 1269, offered 150 galleons during a match to whoever could catch a Golden Snidget. The idea was good but it was animal cruelty, endangering the Golden Snitches to near extinction. 

After almost a century later, Elfrida Clagg, Chief of the Wizard's Council, made the bird a protected species and banned using them for the game. The Golden Snitch, as the modern wizarding world knows it, was invented in the 19th century by a metalsmith named Bowman Wright.

Ginny was a successful chaser 

Ginny Weasley was good at Quidditch at Hogwarts and she ended up having a career as a Chaser in the all-female team, the Holyhead Harpies. 

According to JK Rowling, after retiring from the sport, Ginny became the senior Quidditch correspondent at The Daily Prophet. She also covered the 2014 Quidditch World Cup.

The 2014 Quidditch World Cup took place in Argentina

The 427th Quidditch World Cup took place in the Patagonian Desert situated in Argentina.  That year, Bulgaria won the Cup against Brazil. The entire Dumbledore's Army was there to watch the final match. 

And as Rita Skeeter was reporting on the tournament's gossip, we got to know that Harry, Ginny and their three children enjoyed the match in the VIP box with the Weasleys, Neville Longbottom and Luna Lovegood. 

Viktor Krum came out of retirement to took part in 2014 Quidditch World Cup 

Popular Bulgarian wizard and Seeker, Viktor Krum came out of retirement at the age of 38 to play in the 2014 Quidditch World Cup. 

He was the oldest player in the tournament. His team won the World Cup which shut up the critics who thought Viktor was too old to play anymore.