Gryffindor Quidditch team – Harry Potter Lexicon

"I've become accustomed to seeing the Quidditch Cup in my study, boys, and I really don't want to have to hand it over to Professor Snape, so use the extra time to practice, won't you?"
-- Professor McGonagall lets her fifth year Gryffindor Transfiguration class off homework (OP19)

The Gryffindor Quidditch Team of Hogwarts is drawn from the students of Gryffindor House. The team wear robes of scarlet red.

Gryffindor traditionally fields a strong team, although they lost the Quidditch Cup to Slytherin for seven years between 1985 and 1991. With the addition of Harry Potter as Seeker in 1991, at the time the youngest House player in over a hundred years, the Gryffindor team was widely believed to be the best team at Hogwarts.

Unfortunately, the team lost their chance for the cup in spring 1992 because Harry was out of action for the final game and again in spring 1993 when the competition was cancelled. In 1994, finally, Gryffindor took their well-deserved victory and won the cup. The captain for Gryffindor was Oliver Wood, a strong and very capable player who played Keeper in Harry’s first three years. Wood was obsessive about the game, dragging his team out for more practices than any other team and devising complicated strategies over the summer to inflict on his players in the fall. The school year after Wood left there was no Quidditch because of the Tri-Wizard Tournament. The following year, Angelina Johnson took over as captain in her seventh year. Harry Potter took over as captain the next year.

Gryffindor Quidditch Team members

Katie Bell, Chaser (1991-1997)

Katie joined the team in her second year
In her first match she took a Bludger to the back of the head a short time into the game.
Katie played on the team every year for the rest of her time at Hogwarts, although she missed several matches in her seventh year after touching a cursed necklace and recovering in St Mungos.

Ritchie Coote, Beater (1996-1997)

Coote is described as "weedy" but has good aim with Bludger, hitting Harper in the game against Slytherin.
Coote and Peakes rescued Harry when McLaggen's mis-hit Bludger knocked him out.

Angelina Johnson, Chaser (probably joined in 1990, her second year - 1996), captain (1995-1996)

Angelina most likely started her illustrious Quidditch career at Hogwarts in her second year.
She took over as captain in Harry's fifth year, when she had to deal with a large part of her team banned from play by Umbridge and Ron Weasley's lack of consistency as Keeper. In spite of it all, she led the team to winning the Quidditch Cup.

Andrew Kirke, Beater (1995-1996)

Andrew joined the team as Beater when Fred and George Weasley were banned after the first match of the 1995-1996 season.
Angelina didn't seem particularly excited about his tryout and Ron described him as being even worse than he was. In fact, Kirke actually shrieked and fell backwards off his broom during a match with Hufflepuff.
Kirke did not make the team the next year.

Minerva McGonagall, position unknown (c.1938-1944)

McGonagall, a "talented Quidditch player" was a member of the Gryffindor team until a serious injury in her seventh year (caused by a Slytherin foul).

Cormac McLaggen, reserve - Keeper (1996-1997)

McLaggen played Keeper for one match while Ron was recovering from being poisoned. He spent his time telling everyone else what to do and completely missing the Quaffle sailing past him.
When he grabbed a Beater's bat and tried to demonstrate to Peakes how to hit the Bludger, McLaggen instead pounded the Bludger into Harry's head, putting him in the Hospital Wing.

Jimmy Peakes, Beater (1996-1997)

Peakes joined the team in his Third year.
Peakes and Coote rescued Harry when McLaggen hit him with a Bludger.

Harry Potter, Seeker (1991-1997), captain (1996-1997)

Harry joined the team in his first year, the youngest house player in a century. He was a superb Seeker whose amazing feats of flying won many matches for the Gryffindor team.
Along with Fred and George Weasley, Harry was banned from play after the first match of the 1995-1996 season, but came back to captain the team to winning the Quidditch Cup in the 1996-1997 season.

James Potter, Chaser (1970s)

James Potter was a very talented Quidditch player during his years at Hogwarts.
His team won the Quidditch Cup at least once (PA14).

Demelza Robins, Chaser (1996-1997)

Demelza joined the team in 1996 after showing at tryouts that she was particularly good at dodging Bludgers.

Jack Sloper, Beater (1995-1996)

Jack Sloper joined the team as a Beater after Fred and George Weasley were banned from playing.
Sloper was a poor player, once hitting Angelina in the mouth with his bat during a match.
He seemed to have quite a bit of trouble with his bat, actually, since during one practice he managed to knock himself out with it.

Alicia Spinnet, Chaser (1991-1996)

During the 1990-1991 season, Alicia was a reserve player. In her third year, she joined the team as a Chaser along with Katie Bell and Angelina Johnson.
She played on the team all through her years at Hogwarts.

Dean Thomas, reserve Chaser (1996-1997)

Dean stepped in as Chaser during the 1996-1997 season as a replacement for Katie Bell, who had been cursed and was recuperating in St Mungos.
Dean was a competent player who worked well with the other Chasers, Ginny Weasley and Demelza Robins.

Charlie Weasley, Seeker (1985-1991) Captain (years uncertain, since Wood seems to have been captain during Charlie's last year)

Charlie Weasley is a legend in Hogwarts Quidditch. He was captain of the team and such a good Seeker that he could have played for England.
The text is not consistent about any Quidditch Cup victories by Charlie's teams, stating in one place that Gryffindor "hasn't won the Cup since Charlie left" and in another place that Slytherin won the Cup seven years in a row, which would mean that Slytherin won every year that Charlie could have been on the team. Presumably Rowling will fix this error in a future edition.

athletes-lf Fred Weasley, Beater (1990-1995)

Fred is an excellent Beater, sometimes referred to as almost a human Bludger.
He was on the team the year before Harry joined, which would have been in his second year.
He played until he was banned from Quidditch by Umbridge after the first match of the 1995-1996 season.

George Weasley, Beater (1990-1995)

George joined the team in his second year and quickly established himself as a superb Beater.
He, along with his twin brother, was known as a human Bludger by other Gryffindors.
George played on the team every year until he was banned from Quidditch by Umbridge after the first match of the 1995-1996 season.

Ginny Weasley, Seeker and reserve Seeker (1995-1997), Chaser (1996-1997)

Ginny comes from a family of excellent Quidditch players, but her skills remained hidden until she tried out for the team when Harry was banned at the beginning of the 1995-1996 season.
She was a very good Seeker and played well that year, but she was more than happy to turn the Seeking duties back over to Harry the following season and play Chaser.

Ron Weasley, Keeper (1995-1997)

Ron joined the team as Keeper to replace Oliver Wood, who had left school.
Ron was clearly capable as a player but was erratic and inconsistent when faced with the pressure of an actual match.
He managed to overcome this handicap and help the team to Quidditch Cup victories in 1996 and 1997.

Rose Granger-Weasley, Chaser (from 2018)

Unlike her mother Hermione Granger, Rose is a talented Quidditch player and is a Chaser like her aunt, Ginny Weasley.

Oliver Wood, Keeper (captain) (probably 1988-1993)

Oliver Wood was a very good Keeper who captained the team from 1990, when he was only a fourth year, until he left school.
Oliver went on to play for Puddlemere United's reserve team after leaving Hogwarts.
Although it is never stated, it seems likely that Oliver would have played in both his second year and third year before taking over as captain in his fourth, when Fred and George Weasley joined the team and consequently could repeat Wood's pregame pep talks the following year.
It is curious that Wood was made captain of the team in 1990-1991 when Charlie Weasley was still in school and presumably still Seeker.

Timeline of Gryffindor Quidditch

1970s - James Potter was Chaser; his team won the Cup at least once.

1985-86 - Charlie Weasley is a second year; he joins the team as Seeker. Slytherin wins the Quidditch Cup.

1986-87 - Despite having Charlie as Seeker, Gryffindor loses the Cup to Slytherin again.

1987-88 - Oliver Wood joins the team (presumably) as a second year, but again Slytherin takes the Cup.

1988-89 - Charlie is a fifth year and Oliver a third year. Slytherin take the Cup once again.

1989-90 - Charlie, in his sixth year, is captain. Oliver, now a third year, is Keeper. Even with these two excellent players, Slytherin takes the Cup.

1990-91 - Charlie's last year, but for some reason Oliver, a fourth year, is made captain. Angelina Johnson joins the team in her second year as a Chaser. Alicia Spinnet, also second year, is a reserve Chaser, which suggests that someone even better was on the regular team. Fred and George Weasley, two spectacular second year Beaters, are also on the team. In spite of this, McGonagall refers to this team as being particularly bad. They lose the Cup to Slytherin once again.

1991-92 - Harry Potter, a first year, joins the team, replacing Charlie who is off studying dragons. Fifth year Oliver Wood is captain and Keeper. Third years Fred and George Weasley are Beaters and the Chasers, Angelina Johnson and Alicia Spinnet and also third years, are joined by a new player named Katie Bell, who is in her second year. Unfortunately, Gryffindor again loses the Cup after Harry is injured and misses the final match of the season.

1992-93 - The final match and the Cup competition are cancelled because of the Basilisk attacks in the school. The team stays the same as last year and Oliver Wood is captain once again.

1993-94 - For the third year in a row, the team stays the same. This year, Oliver's last, Gryffindor finally takes the Cup. Harry is a third year, Katie is a fourth year, and Fred, George, Angelina, and Alicia are all fifth years.

1994-95 - Quidditch is cancelled for the Tri-Wizard Tournament.

1995-96 - Angelina Johnson, now a seventh year, is made captain of the Gryffindor team. The team has played together now for a number of years and they are expected to dominate. Ron Weasley, fifth year, joins the team as Keeper. However, after the first match Fred, George, and Harry are banned from Quidditch. This forces Angelina to hold tryouts to replace her most experienced players. Ginny Weasley, a fourth year, becomes Seeker and two relatively poor players, Kirke and Sloper, come on board as Beaters. In spite of this, Gryffindor wins the Cup.

1996-97 - Harry Potter, now a sixth year, is made captain. The only player left of the powerful team of the early 1990s besides Harry is Katie Bell, a seventh year. She is injured early in the season and Ron is poisoned, which forces Harry to pull players from his reserve. Ginny leads the Chasers, which now include Demelza Robins, Dean Thomas, and Katie Bell (depending on injuries). The new Beaters, Coote and Peakes, are relatively good but inexperienced. Ron Weasley is inconsistent in the Keeper position again but gains confidence as the year goes by. He is temporarily replaced by Cormac McLaggen for one match, but it doesn't go well. In the end, Gryffindor manages to win the Cup yet again.

1997-98 - There is no Quidditch in the seventh book.