The Holyhead Harpies are a historically significant and highly successful Quidditch team from Wales. Founded in 1203, they are one of the oldest teams in the British and Irish Quidditch League. (Quidditch Through the Ages) The team is renowned for two primary reasons: their unique hiring policy and their famously aggressive style of play. The Harpies are the only Quidditch team in the league that has exclusively hired witches to play for them since their inception. This tradition has made them an iconic team in the wizarding world. (Quidditch Through the Ages) Their reputation for fierceness was cemented in a legendary 1953 match against the Heidelberg Harriers. The match, which lasted for seven days, concluded when the Harriers' Seeker, Rudolf Brand, proposed to the Harpies' Captain, Gwendolyn Morgan. Morgan responded by hitting him over the head with her broom. This incident is often cited as an example of the team's no-nonsense, competitive spirit. (Quidditch Through the Ages) The Harpies have won the League Cup at least thirty times, a testament to their long-standing excellence. (Quidditch Through the Ages)
The Holyhead Harpies are mentioned several times throughout the series as one of the premier Quidditch teams. In Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Ludo Bagman recalls his playing days, noting that his team, the Wimbourne Wasps, lost to the Harpies in a semi-final match. In Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Horace Slughorn boasts of his connection to the team's famous Captain, Gwenog Jones. He tells Harry Potter that he receives free tickets to their matches whenever he likes, highlighting the team's celebrity status. In the epilogue of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, it is revealed that Ginny Weasley went on to have a successful career as a professional Quidditch player. She played the position of Chaser for the Holyhead Harpies before retiring to start a family with Harry Potter and become the Senior Quidditch Correspondent for the Daily Prophet. This fulfills Ginny's lifelong passion and talent for the sport at the highest level.