Secondly, Gertie tells us that the men were 'trying to stick it in trees at either end of the marsh' — apparently an early form of goal‑scoring. Thirdly, she gives us a glimpse of the forerunners of Bludgers. It is immensely interesting that there was a 'big Scottish warlock' present. Could he have been a Creaothceann player? Was it his idea to bewitch heavy rocks to zoom dangerously around the pitch, inspired by the boulders used in his native game?

We find no further mention of the sport played on Queerditch Marsh until a century later, when the wizard Goodwin Kneen took up his quill to write to his Norwegian cousin Olaf. Kneen lived in Yorkshire, which demonstrates the spread of the sport throughout Britain in the hundred years after Gertie Keddle first witnessed it. Kneen's letter is deposited in the archives of the Norwegian Ministry of Magic.

Dear Olaf,

How are you? I am well, though Gunhilda has not a touch of dragon pox.

We enjoyed a spirited game of Kwidditch last Saturday night, though poor Gunhilda was not up to playing Catcher, and we had to use Radulf the blacksmith instead. The team from Ilkley played well though was no match for us, for we had been practising hard all month and scored forty‑two times. Radulf got a Blooder in the head because old Ugga wasn't quick enough with his club. The new scoring barrels worked well. Three at each end on stilts, Oona from the inn gave us them. She let us have free mead all night because we won as well. Gunhilda wan a bit angry I got back so late. I had to duck a couple of nasty jinxes but I've got my fingers back now.

I'm sending this with the best owl I've got, hope he makes it.

Your cousin,

Goodwin

Here we see how far the game has progressed in a century.



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