Katie Bell – Harry Potter Lexicon

"Flint flying like an eagle up there -- he's going to sc- no, stopped by an excellent move by Gryffindor Keeper Wood and the Gryffindors take the Quaffle -- that's Chaser Katie Bell of Gryffindor there, nice dive around Flint, off up the field and -- OOPS-- that must have hurt, hit in the back of the head by a Bludger ..."
-- Lee Jordan, commentating on Harry's (and Katie's) first Quidditch match (PS11)

Katie Bell is a Gryffindor girl a year older than Harry, one of the three Chasers on the Gryffindor Quidditch team during most of Harry’s years at Hogwarts.

Oliver Wood considered her to be a superb Chaser (PA8), along with Angelina Johnson and Alicia Spinnet, who are a year older than Katie (OP26). As a member of the team, Katie has taken her share of rough play, including a time when Montague of Slytherin intentionally grabbed her head instead of the Quaffle, nearly unseating her (PA15). Katie, along with Alicia and Angelina, joined Dumbledore’s Army (the DA) (OP17).

During his first practice as Gryffindor Keeper, a nervous Ron passed her the Quaffle so hard that she missed the catch and was hit in the face, causing a nosebleed. Fred then accidentally gave her what seems to have been the wrong end of a Nosebleed Nougat — the one that causes nosebleeds rather than arresting them — so that eventually practice had to be called off when Katie didn’t stop losing blood (OP14).

Katie had more bad luck in the fall of 1996 when she was placed under the Imperius Curse by Madam Rosmerta to carry a cursed opal necklace to someone at Hogwarts. The parcel broke open as she argued with her friend Leanne. When Katie touched the necklace her body levitated as she writhed in pain, and then collapsed (HBP12); she had to be evacuated to St. Mungo’s Hospital (HBP13) and didn’t return until April.

In May of 1998, Katie returned to the school to fight in the Battle of Hogwarts (DH30).

Skills

a talented Quidditch Chaser

Gender Female

Birthday 1979

Species / Race Witch

School Hogwarts - Gryffindor

Affiliations Gryffindor Quidditch team Gryffindor House

First Introduced PS11: Quidditch

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Etymology

Katie is usually short for, or a nickname derived from, the given name Katherine. It may come from the Greek name ικατερινη (Aikaterine) / ‘Εκατερινη (Hekaterine), meaning "each of the two", or from a Coptic name meaning "my consecration of your name". Through Christianity it became associated with the Greek word καθαρος (katharos), meaning "pure" (Behind the Name).

Bell may be an occupational name for a bellringer or bell foundry worker, or the name for someone living "at the bell" (an actual bell or a building/pub called "The Bell"). It can also derive from the medieval given name Bel (meaning "handsome") (Internet Surname Database).