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J.K. Rowling writes history of Quidditch World Cup for the Pottermore website

The website Pottermore recently posted the first part of an essay by Rowling on the history of the Quidditch World Cup, the championship of the popular sport in the 'Potter' world. It's only the newest original material from Rowling revealed on Pottermore.

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Daniel Radcliffe (third from l.) plays Harry Potter, who is a member of his House Qudditch team, in the films.
  • By Molly Driscoll Staff Writer

“Harry Potter” author J.K. Rowling has added a new original piece to the website Pottermore, this one detailing the history of the wizard sport Quidditch’s World Cup, and the essay is one of the most lengthy pieces of new writing that’s been added to the Potter site.

The first part of the essay is up now (it's found within the book "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" on the site) and provides some background into the tournament itself and historically significant World Cups, including “the Tournament that Nobody Remembers” that took place in Kazakhstan in 1877.

“Neither those in possession of tickets nor any of the players could remember a single game,” Rowling writes. “However, for reasons none of them understood, English Beater Lucas Bargeworthy was missing most of his teeth, Canadian Seeker Angelus Peel’s knees were on backwards and half the Argentinian team were found tied up in the basement of a pub in Cardiff.”

The second part of Rowling’s history will be posted on March 21 and will look at more recent Quidditch World Cups, examining those held in Harry's world since 1990. 

While it’s one of the longest pieces written by the author for the Pottermore website – which allows users to play as students of Hogwarts and purchase Harry e-books – it’s far from the first original material to come to Pottermore. The website allows users to peruse the first three books in the "Harry Potter" series as well as part of the fourth. As they do, they find occasional digital "moments" interspersed throughout the text. These "moments" are fresh commentary from Rowling on the Potter story. For example, at one point she offers additional background on Harry's aunt and uncle and their relationship to his parents. At another, Rowling delves into the life story of one of Harry’s teachers, Minerva McGonagall. This new material can be found only on the Pottermore website.

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