Ever wonder what everyone is talking about when it comes to the hit series of Harry Potter? With so many unique names and catchy phrases, it’s hard to keep up with the meanings. Here is a list compiled of many popular terms you might have heard and what they actually mean in the realm of Harry Potter.
Quidditch: This is a popular sport among the wizard community. It is a game played with two opposing teams of seven players. There are four main pieces to the game; a Quaffle, Golden Snitch, and two Bludgers. The entire tournament is played on flying broomsticks, there is no ground contact. The objects of the game are for the Keeper to guard his/her teams hoops while the Chasers will attempt to score goals through them with the Quaffle. During the game, Bludgers will soar in random directions attempting to hit the players from their brooms. A Beaters job is to keep the Bludgers away from their teammates and attempt to knock them into players from the opposite team. While all of this is happening the Golden Snitch, a tiny dragonfly looking ball, will be soaring around the field at very intense speeds. It is a Seekers job to catch the Golden Snitch which will earn the team a whopping 150 points! The game will not end unless the Snitch has been caught or if both teams mutually agree to end the tournament.
Hogwarts: Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry is the school Harry Potter and his friends attend. It is an academic place that teaches magic, potion brewing, and many other interesting courses. The school itself is surrounded by powerful enchantments which prevent those of “non-magic” from seeing it. Hogwarts is the main location for all of the Harry Potter books and movies, it is where many of Harry’s adventures take place. The school consists of four different “Houses”, groups in which the students are divided into upon their first arrival to Hogwarts by the Sorting Hat. This is an enchanted hat which has the ability to read a person and appropriately place them into the correct house. The houses of Hogwarts consists of:
Hufflepuff– representing loyalty and a hard work ethic. Ravenclaw– representing wit and intellect. Gryffindor– representing valor and courage. Slytherin– representing ambition and cunning.
Mudblood: This is a derogatory term used against those who are Muggle born meaning “dirty blood”. It is typically used by those who are “pure-blood” and frown upon anyone who is not.
Pure-blood: These are wizards or witches who have no Muggles in their family blood line. Characters such as Ron Weasely and Draco Malfoy are pure-blood wizards.
Half-blood: A half-blood is a wizard or witch who have one or more Muggles in their family tree. This is the most common kind of wizard with over 50% of the students in Hogwarts being of this category.
Animagus: This is when a witch or wizard has the ability to transform them self into an animal.
Hogsmeade: A village outside of the Hogwarts school inhabited by many unique shops and pubs. Students must be in their third year or above in order to travel to Hogsmeade.
