Quaffle
From UnknowableWiki
The Quaffle is one of the balls used in Quidditch. It is the largest of the four balls. Chasers toss it through the goal hoops in order to score. The modern Pennifold Quaffle is made of leather, red, seamless, twelve inches in diameter and bewitched with charms that cause it to drop slowly and make it easy to grip (QA6).
The Quaffle is the oldest of the four balls, because it serves the most basic function—that of scoring goals. The Bludgers that are used distract the opposing team were added shortly afterwards, while the Snitch was invented three hundred years later (QA3, QA4). The players who invented the first version of Quidditch on Queerditch Marsh in the 11th century used a simple ball made of leather—a material that is easier to throw accurately than an inflated dragon bladder, which was used in other ancient broom games (QA3). Ancient Quaffles were made from patched leather and had no enchantments. They usually had straps or finger holes so that they could easily be caught and thrown with one hand. In the winter of 1711, after a match in particularly bad weather conditions in which the players could hardly distinguish the brown Quaffle from the muddy ground, the ball was first coloured scarlet. Shortly afterwards, the witch Daisy Pennifold had the idea to charm the Quaffle so that it would not fall quickly to the ground. When enchanted, Quaffles fall slowly, as if they were sinking through water. The invention of Gripping Charms in 1875 finally allowed easy handling of a seamless ball (QA6).
