Harry Potter and The Nimbus 2000
Harry Potter is known for many things, hes “the boy who lived” the founder of Dumbledore’s army, the vanquisher of “he who must not be named” and more recently has solidified his place as one of the top Auror’s working today. However what is sometimes lost in all of his achievement is his athletic ability in the game of Quidditch. Although Harry only won two Quidditch cups in his time at Hogwarts you must understand that many of his schooling seasons were sidelined by both injury and attacks on the school. Making the wins in the 95–96 season and the 96–97 seasons more impressive. Not only were they back to back wins but the previous two seasons were not completed. One was cancelled due to threats on “Half-bloods” and another was cancelled due to the Triwizard Tournament (A tournament Harry Potter won in dramatic style, claiming the return of Voldemort at the end). So the double win by Harry Potter and Gryffindor was impressive in itself but even more so due to the time off of the sport that Harry in particular had to take. Championships aside, Harry’s talent for the game was unmatched. Harry became the youngest ever seeker, making the Gryffindor team in his first year. He also had the infamous “mouth catch”, allowing Gryffindor to win the match against Slytherin.
Much has been made of Harry Potters Quidditch career over the years post wizarding war. Some Wizard sports historians claim that he would have been one of the best seeker’s ever had he not had his athletic career sidelined by the great Wizarding War. However speculation around Harry’s true talent has been brought up recently by sports writer Reginald Coppernickle. Coppernickle writes “There is no question that Harry was a talented individual. However one has to question the legitimacy of his sports achievements due to his clear advantage over his competitors with his Nimbus 2000.” — Wizard World of Sports Aug,16
There is no doubt that Harry had one of the best racing brooms in the world during his time playing at Hogwarts. Even after he lost the Nimbus 2000 he was gifted the Firebolt. Which in fairness isn’t as fast as the infamous Nimbus but without question is a world class broom. It isn’t uncommon for seekers to have fast brooms however, and it is often encouraged to use the fastest broom you can control. However in Schooling sports this becomes an issue as some competitors do not have the funds to purchase a world class racing broom. And unlike their professional counterparts they don’t have sponsors to support their athletic career. So when does the price and quality of your broom turn from a perk into a financially unfair advantage? Coppernickle explains “It’s not so much that Harry himself has done anything wrong. In fact he has broken no rules, since Hogwarts Athletics has no rules about the pricing or quality of your broom. However when some athletes like Ronald Weezley can only afford a low classification broom it makes it nearly impossible for him to compete with Potter.” — Wizard World of Sports Aug,16
Ronald Weezley who played keeper on the Gryffindor team that won a championship spoke out against the article saying “Harry was the best keeper I have ever seen. No broom would have made him better or worse. besides I couldn’t have handled a Nimbus 2000 anyways.” — Hogwarts Herald Aug,16. Other players have echoed Ronald Weezley claiming that Potter’s ability to even control a Nimbus 2000 at his young age is proof of his intense skill. Former Quidditch World Champion, Leonel Rolando says “I don’t know of anybody who could fly the way Potter could. His ease with the game was legendary. I think it’s a travesty that they are dragging his name through the mud.” — Quidditch Today Aug,16.
However the question still remains, is there a place for speed regulations in school sport to make sure everybody has a fair playing ground? Or do you allow an open broom policy? Whatever the answer is, it seems that Harry is still regarded as one of the greatest schooling Quidditch players ever, regardless of his potential speed advantage with his broom. As for Harry’s thoughts, he said “I would love for everybody to have an equal go. It’s about fun anyway. Isn’t it?” — Wizards of Yesterday Today, Aug,16.
