Quaffle-Pocking Charm

• Incantation: Unknown
• Pronunciation: Not applicable
• Wand Movement: Unknown
• Light: Unknown
• Effect: Causes a Quaffle to fall slowly and erratically, as if moving through water.
• Type: Charm

The Quaffle-Pocking Charm is a form of illegal tampering used in the sport of Quidditch. Its existence and function are detailed in the book Quidditch Through the Ages. When cast upon a Quaffle, the charm alters its behaviour, causing it to fall very slowly and in a zig-zagging pattern instead of dropping at a normal speed. This magical alteration was designed to give a team's Chasers an unfair advantage, as the slowed descent of the Quaffle made it significantly easier to catch. This form of cheating was eventually rendered obsolete in professional matches. Since 1932, all Quaffles used in official Ministry of Magic-sanctioned games have been enchanted to be impervious to this charm, a measure that ensures fair play. (Quidditch Through the Ages) There are no recorded instances of this charm being used during the events of the Harry Potter novels.

There is no information available regarding the difficulty of learning this charm. While no direct counter-spell is known, the primary defense against the Quaffle-Pocking Charm is preventative. The standard-issue Quaffles used in modern Quidditch are bewitched with counter-enchantments that make them immune to this specific type of magical tampering.

• Quaffle: The name of the red ball used for scoring in Quidditch, which this charm is designed to affect.
• Pocking: This verb likely derives from “pockmark,” meaning to mark or pit. In this context, it refers to the act of magically “marking” or altering the Quaffle's inherent properties to affect its flight.

The Quaffle-Pocking Charm is not mentioned in the seven main novels of the *Harry Potter* series. All known information about this spell comes from the supplementary book Quidditch Through the Ages, written by J.K. Rowling under the pseudonym of famed Quidditch expert Kennilworthy Whisp.