Rolanda Hooch

"Now I want a nice, clean game... From all of you!"

- Hooch on the opening game of the 1991-1992 Quidditch Season

Madam Rolanda Hooch (b. prior to 1918) is the Flying Instructor, Quidditch coach and referee at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Rolanda is near one-hundred years of age during Harry Potter's education at Hogwarts. Despite this, Hooch is always seen as quite an energetic witch.

Early life
Very little is known about Rolanda's early life, but she was born prior to 1918, and learned how to fly on her own Silver Arrow. During the Great War, an anti-aircraft singed her broom. It is believed that she attended Hogwarts for her education.

Career at Hogwarts
"Well, what are you waiting for? Everyone stand by a broomstick."

- Madam Hooch in 1991 to a class of First Years.



Rolanda Hooch had started her career at Hogwarts long before Harry Potter arrived in 1991 and was a well respected Quidditch teacher known for her fairness and preference to clean play. In 1991 it was Hooch's job to instruct the class of first years for their very first flying lesson. During this class, Neville Longbottom broke his wrist by falling off his broom and Hooch was required to stop the lesson in order to take him to the Hospital Wing. Following Hooch's departure with Longbottom, Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy quarreled over a stolen Remembrall, resulting in the two operating their brooms unsupervised. Witness to the incident was Minerva McGonagall, Transfiguration Professor and the deputy headmistress. It is believed that the students continued flying lessons throughout their first year, but Harry Potter did not have to as he was selected for the Gryffindor Quidditch team and would practise with them. Hooch refereed the Quidditch match between Slytherin and Gryffindor, declaring that she wanted a clean game from all students playing. Later, the refereeing duty was taken over by Severus Snape for the Hufflepuff vs Gryffindor match.

In 1992 Hooch was referee to the Slytherin vs Gryffindor match, a match which resulted in Harry Potter breaking his arm due to a rogue Bludger hitting him. An unusal incident as all the balls and equipment for Quidditch are usually locked and stored inside Hooch's office. Later on in the year the match between Gryffindor and Hufflepuff was cancelled as two students had just been petrified. In 1993, Hooch was referee to Quidditch once again, refereeing the match between Hufflepuff and Gryffindor, despite the severe weather conditions causing poor visibility on both her and the players behalf. When Sirius Black attacked the Fat Lady Hooch was asked to keep a watchfull eye on Harry Potter and his welfare during Quidditch practise. Along with Professor Flitwick, she was also responsible for searching Harry's confiscated broom for any dark magic or possession. After a long intensive search, they had found nothing wrong and gave Harry back his broom.

In 1994 all Quidditch matches had to be cancelled as Hogwarts was holding the Triwizard Tournament and Hooch did not have to referee any games. In 1995, Hogwarts was under inspection from High Inquisitor Dolores Umbridge, who put several students in detention which disrupted the Quidditch time tables. Hooch did however manage to referee a Gryffindor vs. Slytherin match, which was rather dirty and full of foul play, and she did notice the bludger sent at Harry's head after she had blown the whistle ending the game, but was to busy shouting at Crabbe to notice Malfoy insulting the Weasly Family. Later on in 1998, Hogwarts was under attack from Death Eaters and the Battle of Hogwarts broke out. Hooch was not mentioned, but as a member of staff it is presumed she stayed behind and fought.



Physical description
Rolanda Hooch is described to have short spiky grey hair and have piercing yellow hawk-like eyes, usually hidden behind goggles. She usually wears a white button-down collared shirt and black necktie with the Hogwarts Logo, under a cloak.

Personality and traits
Rolanda is known amongst students for her belief in fairness and having clean Quidditch games. She is strict but also caring, as she shows when Neville Longbottom injured himself in one of her flying classes.

Magical abilities and skills

 * Flying: Rolanda had considerable skill in broom flying, becoming both flying instructor and Quidditch referee at Hogwarts School-
 * Defence against the Dark Arts: Rolanda, together with Charms Master Professor Flitwick, was asked to check if Harry Potter´s new broom had been jinxed. She also cast an impediment jinx in 1995.

Behind the scenes

 * Madam Hooch was played by Zoë Wanamaker in the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. Madam Hooch didn't reappear in any of the following films, as Wanamaker had only signed up for one film.
 * Like Professor Quirrell, Madam Hooch's first name was never mentioned on the books. Harry Potter Trading Card Game lists it as Rolanda. The Internet Movie Database lists her first name as Xiomara. Neither of these names have been corroborated in the books.
 * In an episode of the Britcom series My Family, in which Wanamaker plays the family matriarch, one of her sons pulls a trading card from a box of cereal and exclaims "Hey look, Madam Hooch!"
 * On an episode of The Paul O'Grady Show Zoe Wanamaker said in an interview that she was disappointed that she was never asked to return to the Harry Potter saga and wouldn't mind doing so for the last two movies.
 * Zoë Wanamaker was one of three American actors who appeared in the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, the others being Eleanor Columbus, who played Susan Bones, and Verne Troyer, who played Griphook. While she has made a name for herself as an English actress, she was born in New York.
 * On the first game of the series (GBA version), when Harry casts a spell that hits Hooch, she says that she's never been insulted that way since an anti-aircraft singed her broom during the Great War (1914-1918). This indicates that Hooch was born before 1918, possibly on the 1900s, seen as she was already capable of broom flight. The fact that she owned a Silver Arrow supports this, seen as the broom was manufactured very early in the twentieth century.

Appearances

 * Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
 * Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (film)
 * Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (video game)
 * Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
 * Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (video game)
 * Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
 * Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
 * Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
 * Harry Potter: Quidditch World Cup

See also:

 * Amanda
 * Rolanda Hooch's office

Notes and references
Rolanda Bibine ロランダ・フーチ