Team

• Type: Sports Team, Competitive Group
• Owners: Team Captain, Team Manager, Hogwarts Head of House, Ministry of Magic (Department of Magical Games and Sports)
• Maker: The concept of formal teams, particularly in Quidditch, is governed by rules established and maintained by the Department of Magical Games and Sports.

A team in the wizarding world is a group of individuals organized to compete against other similar groups, primarily in the sport of Quidditch. The most clearly defined team structure is that of a Quidditch team, which is strictly composed of seven players, each with a specific role:

• Three Chasers
• Two Beaters
• One Keeper
• One Seeker

Each team is led by a Captain, who is responsible for strategy, discipline, and leading practices. The Captain can be any of the seven players on the team. Teams are visually distinguished by their uniforms, which typically consist of brightly coloured robes. For example, the Hogwarts House teams have signature colours: Gryffindor in scarlet, Slytherin in green, Ravenclaw in blue and bronze, and Hufflepuff in yellow and black. National teams also have distinct colours, such as the blood-red of the Bulgaria national Quidditch team and the emerald green of the Ireland national Quidditch team.

The primary purpose of a team is to work cohesively to achieve a common competitive goal. In a game of Quidditch, the objective is to score more points than the opposing team before the Golden Snitch is caught. This requires a high degree of teamwork and coordination.

• The Chasers work together to control the Quaffle and score goals through the opponent's hoops.
• The Beaters use their bats to direct the dangerous Bludgers away from their own teammates and towards their opponents, acting as a form of defence and offence.
• The Keeper defends the team's three goalposts.
• The Seeker has the independent but crucial role of catching the Golden Snitch, which earns the team 150 points and ends the match.

Beyond Quidditch, the concept of a team applies to events like the Triwizard Tournament, where each participating school—Hogwarts, Beauxbatons Academy of Magic, and Durmstrang Institute—effectively acts as a team supporting its single Champion.

The formation of organized teams is intrinsically linked to the history of Quidditch. As the sport grew in popularity, local teams began to form across Britain. This eventually led to the establishment of the British and Irish Quidditch League, a professional league featuring thirteen teams, including well-known ones like the Chudley Cannons and the Holyhead Harpies. On an international level, the Quidditch World Cup was established in 1473, requiring countries to form national teams to compete for the title. At Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, the tradition of the inter-house Hogwarts Quidditch Cup is a long-standing one, fostering rivalry and pride among the four houses for centuries.

Teams are central to many subplots in the Harry Potter series, serving as a vehicle for character development, rivalry, and world-building.

• Hogwarts House Teams: The intense rivalry between the Gryffindor and Slytherin Quidditch teams is a recurring element. Harry Potter's identity at school is significantly shaped by his role as the Gryffindor Seeker and, later, Captain. The matches provide moments of triumph, conflict, and school-wide excitement, and his place on the team is one of the first things that makes him feel like he truly belongs at Hogwarts.
• National Teams: The Quidditch World Cup final between Bulgaria and Ireland is a major event in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. It introduces the international wizarding community and key characters like world-famous Seeker Viktor Krum and Ministry of Magic official Ludo Bagman.
• Triwizard Tournament Teams: In the revived Triwizard Tournament, the champions—Harry Potter, Cedric Diggory, Fleur Delacour, and Viktor Krum—represent their respective schools. While they compete as individuals, they carry the honour of their “team,” their entire school, creating a unique form of inter-school competition and camaraderie.

• In the film adaptations, the Quidditch uniforms were redesigned from the simple robes described in the books into more modern, athletic-style gear, often including player names and numbers, padding, and capes. (film)
• The supplementary book Quidditch Through the Ages provides background information on many professional teams, such as the Holyhead Harpies being the only Quidditch team in the British and Irish league to be composed entirely of witches. (Quidditch Through the Ages)