Harry Potter: 10 Fascinating Hidden Meanings And Metaphors

3. Quidditch Sums Up Hogwarts

Three out of the seven years that Harry was at Hogwarts, the annual Hogwarts Quidditch Cup was cancelled; Gryffindor lost in the first year, Harry failed to pick up the trophy in the year he was captain, and the pitch was destroyed come the final films. Despite Harry's hugely unlucky career in the sport though, quidditch has caught on in the real world.

The more you think about it though, the more quidditch reflects what Harry learned at Hogwarts. The teamwork element of the houses is represented in the various different positions interacting on the field; it's a sport that teaches you how to lead, but how to look out for those that might be in danger. The captain is almost like a Head Student or prefect, and then there are seekers, like Harry and Malfoy, who tend to be the most gifted or prodigal students in the school. It's a sport that accommodates all kinds of athlete, from the brawny to the brainy, and that's perhaps reflected in the vast array of subjects and studies of the school itself.

Quidditch isn't a product of Hogwarts, but it's appropriate that the school should take the sport so seriously. Rather fittingly too, Harry took centre-stage in quidditch, as a Seeker searching for the Snitch: there's got to be some parallel there with him looking for the Deathly Hallows?