Katie Bell

"I know you're going to ask me Harry, but I don't know who cursed me. I've been trying to remember, honestly. But I just can't."

- Katie Bell to Harry Potter in 1997.

Katie Bell (born c. 1978-1979) was a witch and a Gryffindor student at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry from 1990 to 1997. She was a Chaser for the Gryffindor Quidditch team. During her Hogwarts years, she became close friends with Angelina Johnson and Alicia Spinnet. In her sixth year, she joined Dumbledore's Army, an organisation founded and led by Harry Potter. During her seventh year, she was tortured by a cursed opal necklace and recovered at St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries. She graduated from Hogwarts in 1997, but returned in 1998, in order to fight at the Battle of Hogwarts against Lord Voldemort and his Death Eaters. Her life after the Second Wizarding War is unknown.

First year
Katie Bell started her education at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in 1990. During the Welcoming Feast, Katie was sorted into the house of Gryffindor. Her Head of House was Minerva McGonagall.

Second year
In her second year, the famous wizard Harry Potter arrived, and he was likewise sorted into Gryffindor. Katie joined the Gryffindor Quidditch team the same year, to play the position of Chaser. During her first ever Quidditch match she was hit in the head by a Bludger, but did not sustain any serious injury.

Third year
In her third year at Hogwarts, Gryffindor captain Oliver Wood lectured his team on their performance. Before any practice actually took place, the team was removed from the pitch by the Slytherin team. Katie was then witness to Draco Malfoy calling Hermione Granger a Mudblood, a term which shocked her. She also was a member of the Duelling Club and she attended the first gathering with Alicia and Angelina. At the Duelling Club, the three of them fought for Gilderoy Lockhart's cloak that he tossed into the crowd before duelling with Snape. That year, Katie caught the Mumblemumps and was often seen resting in the hospital wing, complaining that she was bored. She also taught fellow Gryffindor team-mate Harry Potter the Full Body-Bind Curse.



Fourth year
In Katie's fourth year, Wood became more competitive, as Gryffindor had not won the Quidditch Cup in over seven years and he wanted to break the losing streak. During practice, Wood commented on his chasers playing "superbly". Gryffindor had originally planned to play Slytherin first, but due to Draco's injury, they faced the Hufflepuff team instead, captained by Cedric Diggory. When Wood spoke of the Hufflepuff Captain Cedric, Katie, Angelina and Alicia started giggling and commented on Cedric's good looks. The game itself did not go too well, as the players struggled against the terrible weather, and Harry, Gryffindor's Seeker, had passed out in the presence of a Dementor and fell from his broom, leaving Cedric to catch the Snitch and Gryffindor to lose the match.

Katie and her team later played Ravenclaw, and she scored the first goal and soon after Gryffindor were up by eighty points. Ravenclaw started to make a comeback but Harry caught the Snitch, and Katie kissed Harry on the cheek afterwards. The final match of the season, against Slytherin, was loaded with brutal play, and when Gryffindor was up by twenty points, Graham Montague had gripped Katie's hair and made her do a cartwheel in the air; she managed to stay on her broom but lost possession of the Quaffle. As a result, Madam Hooch awarded Katie a penalty and she scored. Gryffindor won the match and the Quidditch Cup. At the end of Katie's fourth year, she and her fellow players would bid farewell to Wood as he graduated from Hogwarts.

Fifth year
In Katie's fifth year, all Quidditch games had been cancelled due to the school hosting the Triwizard Tournament. When Harry was selected at the fourth champion, alongside Cedric Diggory, Fleur Delacour of the Beauxbatons Academy of Magic, and Viktor Krum of the Durmstrang Institute, Katie, like all the Gryffindors, was ecstatic. She was excited that Harry could pay Hufflepuff back for losing against them in their previous year by beating Cedric. Harry won the Triwizard Cup, but no one expressed happiness, as the school was in mourning over the death of Cedric Diggory. At the end of the school year, Albus Dumbledore held a memorial service to Diggory and he openly voiced the rise of evil and the start of the Second Wizarding War.

Sixth year
In Katie's sixth year, Angelina was named the new Gryffindor Quidditch captain, and was no less demanding than Wood had been. During the term, Hogwarts was under inspection from High Inquisitor Dolores Umbridge, who had a disliking for Harry and put him in detention several times, disrupting the Gryffindors' Quidditch practice schedule. During one training session, Keeper Ron Weasley passed the Quaffle to Katie rather quickly, causing it to hit her square in the face. Fred Weasley passed her a small purple something from his pocket to staunch the resulting nosebleed, but it actually increased the blood loss to the point that practice was cancelled and Katie was taken to the hospital wing by the twins. Later on in the year, Hogwarts was under rebellion from both students and staff alike.

In an attempt to defy Dolores Umbridge, Harry, with the help of Hermione, set up an organisation called Dumbledore's Army, where students could practice how to defend themselves in a practical manner. Katie and her friends joined the D.A. and attended several meetings. She then had a run-in with Peeves, who spilled an entire pot of ink over her head. In the opening match against Slytherin, the Gryffindor team were being taunted by Malfoy and his crew due to the poor quality of play by Ron Weasley. Gryffindor won after Harry caught the Snitch, but during a post-match fight between Malfoy and Harry, the three Chasers had to forcibly restrain Fred from attacking Malfoy after he insulted his family. At the end of the year, Katie had to bid farewell to Angelina and Alicia.

Seventh year


In Katie's seventh and final year, she was the only original member of the Quidditch team left alongside Harry. When Harry held try-outs, Katie told Harry that she did not wish him to favour her because she was an old player, but to hold a fair trial and not put friendship first, which he had ironically done with Ron. Katie managed to keep the position of Chaser, working alongside newcomers Ginny Weasley and Demelza Robins.

In October 1996, whilst on a trip to Hogsmeade, Katie was put under the Imperius Curse by the Three Broomsticks innkeeper, Madam Rosmerta (herself under the Imperius Curse). Katie was made to take a cursed opal necklace, which she found inside the girls' bathroom, to Dumbledore in an assassination attempt. However, as she argued with her friend Leanne, the package ripped and Katie came in contact with the necklace. Fortunately, as she had only touched it through a small hole in her glove, it only caused her terrible pain and not death. She was sent to St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries and spent six months recovering. Dean Thomas temporarily replaced her as Chaser but she was healthy enough to return for the final against Ravenclaw, and helped Gryffindor win the Quidditch Cup for the third time since she was on the team. Harry questioned Katie on whether she had any recollection of who had given her the necklace, which she didn't. However, Malfoy, who was responsible for the incident, overheard their conversation and believed she had actually implicated him, and therefore fled into the girls' bathroom to hide from Harry, who had eventually cast "Sectumsempra" on Malfoy in the washroom in self-defense.

Battle of Hogwarts
"Your efforts are futile. You cannot fight me. I do not want to kill you. I have a great respect for the teachers of Hogwarts. I do not want to spill magical blood."

- Voldemort to all those preparing to fight him.

Katie had graduated Hogwarts and had gone on to other things. In 1998, at the height of the Second Wizarding War, Katie was contacted via her Dumbledore's Army coin by Neville Longbottom, requesting that past and present members of the D.A. return to Hogwarts to fight in the Battle of Hogwarts against Lord Voldemort and his army of Death Eaters. Katie reunited with Oliver, Alicia and Angelina at Hogwarts, and proved her loyalty and courage by fighting. The battle was called to a halt when Voldemort asked that the school merely surrender Harry and he would stop fighting, Pansy Parkinson expressed interest in doing this but was alone and all students not belonging to Slytherin raised their wands at her. Harry eventually stood out of the crowd and faced Voldemort one-on-one, and defeated him again. After the battle, she was seen sitting with Cho Chang and Leanne

Later life
Katie was not listed amongst the casualties, and is presumed to have survived the battle and the war. Her life after the Second Wizarding War is unknown.

Physical appearance
Katie was described as having brown hair and brownish eyes.

Personality and traits
Katie was a friendly person who was very interested in Quidditch. Furthermore, she disliked those who had a pure-blood obsession, such as Draco Malfoy, and believed that there were no differences between pure-bloods and Muggle-borns, as she was angered when Malfoy called Hermione Granger a "Mudblood", as were Angelina, Alicia, Fred and George. She was also brave, as she was sorted at Gryffindor house, and was a member of Dumbledore's Army in order to oppose Dolores Umbridge. Also, she fought at the Battle of Hogwarts in order to help defeat the Death Eaters and win the final battle.

Magical abilities and skills
Quidditch: Katie played the position of Chaser on the Gryffindor Quidditch team, indicating that she is a skilled flyer and Quidditch player.
 * Duellist: Katie learned how to duel at the Duelling Club in her third year, and was taught duelling spells at the meetings of Dumbledore's Army.
 * Transfiguration: Katie was apparently skilled in Transfiguration as she took the subject on to N.E.W.T. level.

Gryffindor Quidditch team
Katie was a member of the Gryffindor Quidditch team during her years at Hogwarts. There, she became best friends with fellow members Angelina Johnson and Alicia Spinnet, who were both a year older than her. Katie, Alicia and Angelina were also the only girls on the team. She was also a good friend of the twins Fred and George Weasley. Fred and George liked doing pranks and teasing the others, but defended their friends. When Fred and George were kicked off from the team by Dolores Umbridge, Katie was angry with them, as their loss at the team would cost them the Quidditch Cup.

Another friend of hers was Lee Jordan. Although he wasn't a member of the team, he was the Quidditch match commentator, and strongly supported the Gryffindor Quidditch team. Lee liked doing pranks, too.

Katie was also a close friend of Oliver Wood, the captain of the team. However, they argued several times, and Katie thought Oliver wanted to win the Quidditch cup "too much".

Other members of the team were Harry Potter and Ron Weasley. Harry, the Seeker, was extremely good, but Ron had a lack of confidence, due to the Slytherins making fun of him. Eventually, Ron was proved to be very good, as the members of the team, including Alicia, supported him and advised him not to be bothered by the Slytherins. She was also a good friend of Harry. Katie also became a member of Dumbledore's Army, in order to be taught Defence Against the Dark Arts by Harry, and she later fought at the Battle of Hogwarts, alongside Harry and the other members of the team. Furthermore, when Katie was tortured by the opal necklace, Harry helped save her, by calling Rubeus Hagrid. He also wanted to learn who gave the necklace to Katie, but she wasn't able to recall it.

Dumbledore's Army
Katie became a member of Dumbledore's Army in her sixth year. It was an organisation founded by Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, and led by Harry, in order to teach students Defence Against the Dark Arts and oppose Dolores Umbridge.

Katie was a friend of Hermione Granger, a Gryffindor girl who was a year younger than her. Katie and the other girls from the Gryffindor Quidditch team were angered when Draco Malfoy called Hermione a "Mudblood." When Katie was tortured by the opal necklace, Hermione helped save her, showing that she cared about Katie. The two girls fought together during the Battle of Hogwarts.

Katie may have been friendly with fellow Gryffindors Neville Longbottom, Seamus Finnigan, Dean Thomas, Lavender Brown, Parvati Patil, Ginny Weasley, Colin and Dennis Creevey. Other members of the army were Justin Finch-Fletchley, Susan Bones, Terry Boot, Anthony Goldstein, Michael Corner, Zacharias Smith, Padma Patil, Ernie Macmillan, Hannah Abbott, Cho Chang, Marietta Edgecombe, and Luna Lovegood. Katie possibly disliked Marietta Edgecombe, who betrayed the army to Umbridge, and Zacharias Smith, who abandoned the army during the Battle of Hogwarts.

Etymology

 * Katie is derived from Katherine, which itself is derived from the Greek name Αικατερίνη, from the name of the goddess Hecate (who is, perhaps coincidentally, the goddess of magic). It could be related to Greek αικία (aikia), meaning "torture", which is relative as Katie was tortured during her seventh year.
 * Bell is an English name with various meanings: (1) a person who lived by a town or church bell; (2) a bell-ringer, as in a church; (3) beautiful or handsome.

Behind the scenes

 * Katie Bell was portrayed by Emily Dale for both Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets films. For Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Dale was replaced by new actress Georgina Leonidas.
 * Katie can be seen briefly in the Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban film. Her broom is struck by lightning and set on fire during a Quidditch match, and she is lying on a bed in the Hospital wing afterwards . However, her face cannot be seen and the role is uncredited.
 * In the sixth film, Katie and Leanne are seen in a Potions class with Harry, but in the books, she's one year above him. However, this could be due to Horace Slughorn becoming the Potions master and requiring a lower grade than Severus Snape to take the N.E.W.T. Potions class. This would have allowed Katie and Leanne to take it in their seventh year, when they might not have had the required "Outstanding" O.W.L.s to take Snape's classes in their sixth year.
 * Katie Bell can be seen sitting with Cho Chang and Padma Patil on the Hogwarts Express in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 despite both Katie and Cho having been seventh years in Half-Blood Prince.

Appearances

 * Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
 * Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (film)
 * Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
 * Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (film)
 * Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (video game)
 * Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
 * Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (film)
 * Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
 * Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
 * Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (film)
 * Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (video game)
 * Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
 * Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (film)
 * Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (video game)
 * Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
 * Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1
 * Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
 * Harry Potter:Quidditch World Cup
 * Lego Harry Potter: Years 1-4

Notes and references
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