The chief of the Wizards’ Council Barberus Bragge, set a Golden Snidget free before a Quidditch match on the Quidditch field in 1269 which was the first recorded use of this bird. 150 galleons were given to the Seeker who caught the Snitch, and this trend was continued by rewarding 150 points to the player, and the team in extension, that caught the Snitch. This bird could fly up to very high speeds but eventually, many wizards and witches came to realize the number of birds that simply got crushed during Quidditch matches and the Golden Snidget soon became an endangered species. This is when the skilled metal-charmer Bowman Wright carved the first Golden Snitch using a walnut-sized metal ball that resembled the Golden Snidget in flight patterns and speed. According to Danish translations of the Harry Potter novels, the Golden Snitch is referred to as Det Gyldne Lyn which translates as The Golden Lightning. J. K. Rowling first developed Quidditch after a fight with her boyfriend at the time in a small hotel in Manchester. Some of the game's elements, such as the Golden Snitch being worth a disproportionate amount of points, were due to her state of mind at the time, as she felt these elements would be frustrating to men. [20] You May Like: How Can I Watch Harry Potter Movies The Original Snitch Was Not A Ball But Actually A Bird Called A Golden Snidget Mount your brooms, please .' Harry clambered onto his Nimbus Two Thousand. Madam Hooch gave a loud blast on her silver whistle. Fifteen brooms rose up, high, high into the air. They were off." — The start of a 1991 Gryffindor vs. Slytherin match [src]

Just weeks after he first climbed onto a broom and impressed Professor McGonogall by making an incredible diving catch of Neville Longbottom’s remembrall, Harry is thrust into his very first Quidditch match. Harry spends most of the first part of the match away from the action as part of Gryffindor Captain Oliver Wood’s strategy to “keep out of the way until you catch sight of the Snitch” (SS 187). Gryffindor and Slytherin exchange some early turnovers before Angelina Johnson strikes first for a Gryffindor goal.The winner of the game was the team with the most points, regardless of who caught the Golden Snitch. [2] Catching the Golden Snitch was worth 150 points to the team whose Seeker made the catch, but this did not necessarily mean they would win, as the other team could still have more points after the Snitch was caught (i.e. if the other team had at least 160 more points when the Snitch was caught). As a result, it was possible, although difficult, to win the game even though the opposing team caught the Snitch, as was the case of the final match between Ireland and Bulgaria of the 1994 Quidditch World Cup. [4] A Snitch is not touched by bare skin before it is released, not even by the maker, who wears gloves. It carries an enchantment by which it can identify the first human to lay hands upon it, in the case of disputed capture." — Description of a Flesh Memory [src] About a century after Barberus Bragge's introduction of Snidgets to Quidditch, when it became apparent that the Snidget was close to extinction, Elfrida Clagg, then Chief of the Wizards' Council, declared it a protected species. The Snidget was classified as XXXX, not because of being dangerous, but because severe penalties would apply if any were captured or injured. Clagg also founded the Modesty Rabnott Snidget Reservation in Somerset, England, named in honour of Modesty Rabnott's early efforts at protecting Snidgets. [2]

In the potion world, gold plays an important role too. Harry’s Polyjuice Potion turns to gold — once again reinforcing the heroic leadership qualities he possesses — and the bottle of Felix Felicis he wins is also a stunning golden colour. It is thanks to this little bottle that he gets essential information from Professor Slughorn about Voldemort’s Horcruxes. Time out' may be called at any time by the Captain of a team. Time out may be extended to two hours if a game has already lasted for more than twelve hours. Failure to return to the pitch after this time will lead to the team being disqualified. [1] Most of the players in Great Britain bought their equipment at Quality Quidditch Supplies, in Diagon Alley, London. [7] Penalties can be awarded to teams by the referee. A single Chaser may take the penalty by flying from the central circle towards the scoring area. The opposing team's Keeper may attempt to stop the shot being scored, but all other players must not interfere (it is unknown if the Seeker may still attempt to catch the Snitch while a penalty is being attempted). [1]This was easier said than done: the Snidget was very fast, very small, and could make sudden changes of direction at high speeds. The considerable challenge posed by the flight patterns of the bird was what made Snidget-hunting so popular in the first place. [1] The first Golden Snitch to be made in real life is probably the one used in the Harry Potter movies. The Harry Potter filmmakers made it a point to make the Snitch as realistic and accurate as possible, despite the graphics covering all the flight scenes for it. The iconic Golden Snitch used in Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone was made of a metal ball made of copper and later plated with gold, with art nouveau shapes carved on it and combined the elements of industrial design to make an aerodynamically accurate Snitch. Furthermore, two thin feather-like structures in the form of a sail were added to it.