Rolanda Hooch

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

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

Rolanda Hooch is the Flying Instructor, Quidditch coach and referee at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Rolanda is nearing 100 years of age during Harry Potter's education at Hogwarts.

Early life
Very little is known about Rolanda's early life, she was born around 1900, and was able to fly her broom, an old Silver Arrows by 1914. Rolanda is considered a true forerunner of the racing broom that is no longer made, this indicates her age. It is believed that she attended Hogwarts for her education and was in the house of Ravenclaw. If Rolanda was able to ride a broom in 1914 then she would have lived through the muggles First and Second World War and survived the First Wizarding War.

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

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

Ronalda 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 quarrel over a stolen item, resulting in two operating their brooms unsupervised, witness to the incident was Minerva McGonagall the deputy headmistress. It is believed that students continue 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 referees the Quidditch match between Slytherin and Gryffindor, threatening she wants a clean game to all students playing. Later the refereeing duty is 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 Hooch cancelled the match between Gryffindor and Hufflepuff as two students had earlier just been petrified. In 1993 Hooch was referee to Quidditch once again, refereeing the match between Ravenclaw and Gryffindor, despite the severe weather conditions causing poor visibility on both hers and the players behalf. When Sirius Black attacks the Fat Lady Hooch is asked to keep a watchfull eye on Harry Potter and his welfare. She is also responsible for searching Harry's confiscated brroom for any dark magic or possession. After a long intensive search Hooch had found nothing and gave Harry back his broom, during practise Harry then participates in Hooch falls asleep in the stands as a result of her long search.

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 managed to referee a Gryffindor vs Slytherin match, which was rather dirty and full of foul play, and she did not notice the bludger sent at Harry's head after she had blown the whistle. Later on in 1998 Hogwarts was under attack from Death Eaters and the Battle of Hogwarts broke out, Hooch was not seen but as a member of staff loyalty it is presumed she stayed behind and fought.

Character description
Rolanda Hooch is desribed to have short spiky grey hair and have piercing yellow hawk-like eyes, usually hidden behind goggles. 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 injured himself in his first year.



Behind the scenes

 * Madam Hooch was played by Zoë Wanamaker in 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 doesn't have an official first name. The 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 canon.
 * 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 two American actors who appeared in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (film). 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 1914, 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