Katie Bell Character Guide - Wizards Welcome

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Lacey jumped into the world of Harry Potter in her 20s. She quickly found herself immersed in the storyline and the emotions explored in the books and movies. A proud Gryffindor she's not afraid to share her opinion while giving you the best information on the Wizarding Worlds lore, merch, and characters!

Introduction

Katie Bell was a year older than Harry Potter, a member of the Gryffindor Quidditch team, and a brave young woman. She is almost exclusively incorporated into the world of Harry Potter where Quidditch is concerned. While we don’t have any insight into her upbringing, I believe she was raised by a great father who secretly wanted a son and instead taught his daughter everything he knew. We all know the type. With that, she learned how to fly, how to be tolerant of everyone, and how to focus on fair play.

She is most well known for being cursed by a dark object and leaving Hogwarts for a few months to recover at St. Mungo’s.

Katie Bell Quick Facts

Full Name	Katie Bell
Birth Date	Between 1978-1979
Birth Place	Great Britain
Nick Name	None
Death Date [if applicable]
Age When Series Starts	12 or 13
Zodiac Sign	Unknown
Siblings	None
Children	None
Partner / Spouse	None
Most Memorable Moment	Getting cursed by a necklace
Magical Heritage	Pureblood or half-blood
Hogwarts House	Gryffindor
Wand	Unknown
Patronus	Non-corporeal
Actors Who Played	Emily Dale
	Uncredited actress for Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
	Georgina Leonidas
Last Updated	May 18, 2022

Katie Bell Birthplace

Katie Bell was born in Great Britain.

Katie Bell Parents

Nothing is known about her parents or family, though they were likely wizards and witches too.

Katie Bell Physical Traits

Katie is one of the few students who is not given any physical description. Nowhere in the books does it talk about her hair, skin color, eyes, shape, size, etc.

Katie Bell Early Life

Nothing is known about her early life, but it is likely she lived in Great Britain before attending Hogwarts.

Katie Bell Hogwarts Years

Katie Bell attended Hogwarts the year before Harry and his friends. She was sorted into Gryffindor and became the chaser for the Quidditch team in her second year. She joined alongside Angelina as a fellow chaser, Fred and George Weasley as the team’s beaters, Harry as seeker, and of course, Oliver Wood as captain and keeper. Throughout the years to come, she would demonstrate her fierceness on the field, as retold by Jordan, the commentator for Quidditch, who regularly described the way she flew with talent, the way she narrowly avoided crashes, and of course, the times she was targeted and injured.

During each match, Jordan adds some level of commentary about how she moved across the field, where she scored, and how she was targeted by the opposition (Let’s be honest, Slytherin). She played sportingly, too, taking a bludger to the back of the head during her second year without any injuries.

In her third year, she, too, was subject to Oliver Wood’s lectures at the early hours of the weekend and constant team practices. While Fred and George used each other as shoulder pillows for a quick nap, Katie’s head dropped during their first morning “briefing” as she fell victim to drowsiness. When the Slytherin team interrupted their first Quidditch practice owing to the need to train their new seeker, Draco, Katie lunged at him, trying to fight when he called Hermione a “mudblood.”

Incidentally, I personally prefer that scene in the books to the films. In the books, Hermione doesn’t know what the word means and isn’t upset at all. Rather, everyone else has a chance to come to her defense and demonstrate their natural care and concern for equality. In the films, Hermione knows what it is and ends up crying while she huffily explains that it’s “not a term one normally hears in polite conversation” at Hagrid’s hut in a demonstration of some quality over-acting.

That same year, Professor Lockhart initiated the Dueling Club, where Katie fought to keep Lockhart’s cloak when he tossed it at the young girls. It just goes to show that even the brightest girls can be tricked by a smarmy professor.

During her fourth year, her crush had pivoted from Professor Lockhart to Cedric Diggory, over whom she giggled and fawned with her friends, particularly fellow teammate Angelina. The boys, Fred and George, didn’t seem to care for Diggory because he had beaten them in Quidditch the year prior, but the girls seemed to have forgiven him in exchange for a sweet smile. Of course, when Harry Potter’s name was thrown into the Goblet of Fire, it was Katie who congratulated him and reminded Harry that he could win the Triwizard Tournament and get back at Diggory for beating them. I guess women might hold grudges, even with cute boys.

Crushes aside, her Quidditch matches remained intense and full of potential injuries. When the team played Slytherin, it was never a nice affair. But even playing Hufflepuff meant challenges, as Katie watched Harry fall off his broom owing to dementor attacks in years prior, or get hit in the back of the head because of McLaggen, have his arm broken by Dobby, and more. During a particularly challenging game, the team had to work together to ensure they made a certain number of goals (thanks, Katie) before they could look for the snitch in order to get the score they needed. When the team walked away victorious from one such match, Katie gave Harry a congratulatory kiss on the cheek. Her suffering was not over yet; in their final match, Montague played as dirty as they could, pulling her hair and trying to yank her off her broom in midair. Slytherin deliberately fouled her on more than one occasion. It was the dirtiest game ever played at Hogwarts. Katie suffered multiple hits, knocks, and collisions but still managed to score a few points for the team, building up their score until it was high enough that Harry could catch the snitch and give Gryffindor the lead.

Dumbledore’s Army

During her sixth year, as Dolores Umbridge continued to impose insufferable bans and restrictions on students, Katie Bell joined Dumbledore’s army immediately. She signed her name to the list after meeting at the Hog’s Head.

During another practice, Katie got hit in the face and suffered a nosebleed. Trying to quell the bleeding, Fred handed her a purple candy from his pocket, which turned out not to be the end of his special Wheezing candy that stopped the nosebleed, but the end that worsened it. So she ended up in the hospital wing at the end of a truly abysmal practice.

Later that year, she helped retain Fred from fighting Malfoy after Malfoy made some pretty heinous comments about Mrs. Weasley. When I’m in the moment, wrapped up in the book, I want to hit Draco too, and yet, as soon as they are in front of Professor McGonagall, her remarks ground me and remind me that I am an adult and I need to remember that idiots will say idiot things because they are idiots. It’s incredible to me how, at the moment, I get just as caught up as the team and need my own Katie to hold me back. I think he is just so pathetic and annoying I am eager for any excuse to slap him.

St. Mungo’s

In her seventh year, Katie reminded Harry not to let her back on the Quidditch team just because she had played before; there might very well be someone much better than her in the new pool of players. I loved that scene. She was smart enough to note that teams had been brought down in the past because they just settled for favoritism and automatically let older team members back.

That same year she went out to Hogsmeade in October, after which she brought an opal necklace back to give to Dumbledore. Her best friend, Leanne, got in a row with her, unable to understand where the necklace came from or why she was bringing it back. In the end, their row resulted in a tussle, and Katie touched a bit of the necklace through a hole in her glove. This minor contact was enough to curse her, causing terrible (and silent) pain. Snape had to manage the curse while getting her to St. Mungo’s.

I never liked that the films left out St. Mungo’s. Of all the magical places, creatures, and curses, this was one of the few that was almost entirely ignored. There may have been one of those camera shots that panned across a screen of Daily Prophet segments quickly, without giving viewers enough time to read, but even then, it would have been a passing affair. St. Mungo’s isn’t really even talked about other than name dropping here and there. I think it is a shame because setting up the Christmas scene involving Neville’s parents would have paved the way for the seriousness of Katie Bell’s injuries (and earlier in the books, Professor McGonagall was stunned by six people at once). I digress.

After being cursed, Katie left school to recover at the hospital, and it was quite a lengthy recovery. When she returned, just about everyone (Harry included) asked about her experience and if she could recall anything. Incidentally, Harry Potter spent this entire school year convinced that Malfoy was now a Death Eater doing something nefarious. Ron and Hermione tired of his theory pretty early on and basically told him to come off it each time he tried to follow up. Not once after Katie was cursed or the truth was revealed did either of them apologizes for doubting Harry’s intuition. For that matter, not once did any of the adult members of the Order of the Phoenix apologize or admit their mistake either. Poor Harry, just having to live with knowing he was right and never getting the chance for an I-told-you-so-dance.

She didn’t let her ailment stop her from jumping right back into Quidditch practice or fighting against Death Eaters and Voldemort during her repeat seventh year or the Battle of Hogwarts.

Katie Bell After Hogwarts Years

Katie was seen sitting with other students at the conclusion of the Battle of Hogwarts, having survived. Beyond that, though, little is known about her life after Hogwarts. I have to assume she had some academic trouble with this repeat the seventh year. I mean, everyone must-have. What would the school have done, realistically, when a major war was found on campus, hold N.E.W.T.’s in the rubble? I am curious what students did and if they just had to take their final exams, as it were, having been subject to torture throughout the final year, or in the case of Harry, Ron, and Hermione, not being present at all. So many students were not allowed back, we’re on the run, or missed part of the year that I wonder about the nuances of homework, grades, and graduation.

So after she (finally) finished her seventh year, I like to assume she went on to be a Quidditch coach for high school-aged kids, sporting her good nature and a short haircut to match Madam Hooch.

Katie Bell Magical Abilities and Special Skills

Katie Bell was an exceptional flyer. I think fans take for granted that flying is a magical skill; Hermione, for example, was incredibly book smart and clever, but she hated flying of any kind and preferred apparating. So it’s not something every magical being is good at, making Katie’s skill during Quidditch quite impressive.

She also demonstrated exceptional dueling abilities, introduced (rather poorly) at the Dueling Club initiated by the bumbling Professor Lockhart, and later cemented with her participation in Dumbledore’s Army. She learned quite a bit at Harry’s hand and used those skills to survive the Battle of Hogwarts when she fought against adult Death Eaters. During that time, she also learned how to create a non-corporeal Patronus, the mark of advanced magical abilities, as well as full body-bind curses, levitation charms, and the impervius charm.

Katie Bell Wand

Nothing is known about Katie’s wand, but she no doubt picked it up at Ollivander’s the year she started at Hogwarts and used it to great success throughout her time at school.

Katie Bell Trivial and Fun Facts

While it is never directly stated, Katie Bell spent so much time at St. Mungo’s that she clearly had to return and repeat her seventh year at Hogwarts. This is likely why she was there, on the Hogwarts Express when the Death Eaters came to search for Harry Potter. I believe that many of the older characters, like Katie Bell and Cormac McLaggen, were just thrown into the train scene in the film because they were well-known characters who would flesh out the scene, and the producers and fans realized a little too late that those same older kids should have graduated the year before and wouldn’t have been on the train. Oops.

Similarly, Katie is shown sitting with Cho Chang on the Hogwarts Express that same year, even though both of them should have graduated the year prior.

Katie is shown in Potions class with Harry, even though she was in her sixth year and Harry was in his fifth. Again, you might pretend that she was suddenly allowed to take a N.E.W.T. level potions class because Slughorn was teaching, but I think it was just a continuity error because it only happens in the film adaptations, never in the books.

Katie was played by three different actresses in the films. No reason for this was given.

Katie Bell Appearances in Books

Katie Bell Appeared in the Following Books

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Katie Bell Appearances in Films

Katie Bell appeared in the following films:

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2

Katie Bell Quotes

Katie, after touching the cursed necklace:

“At once, Katie rose into the air, not as Ron had done, suspended comically by the ankle, but gracefully, her arms outstretched, as though she was about to fly. Yet there was something wrong, something eerie… Her hair whipped her by the fierce wind, but her eyes were closed and her face was quite empty of expression… Then, six feet above the ground, Katie let out a terrible scream. Her eyes flew open but whatever she could see, or whatever she was feeling, was clearly causing her terrible anguish.”

Katie talking to Harry Potter about her experience with the cursed necklace:

“No. Everyone’s been asking me, but I haven’t got a clue. The last thing I remember was walking into the ladies’ in the Three Broomsticks. Well, I know I pushed open the door, so I suppose whoever Imperiused me was standing just behind it. After that, my memory’s a blank until about two weeks ago in St Mungos. Listen, I’d better go, I wouldn’t put it past McGonagall to give me lines even if it is my first day back…”

Katie and Angelina giggling over Cedric Diggory’s appeal:

Angelina Johnson: “He’s that tall, good-looking one, isn’t he?”

Katie: “Strong and silent.”

Jordan giving commentary on the Quidditch match in which Katie played:

“Gryffindor take the Quaffle — that’s Chaser Katie Bell of Gryffindor there, nice dive around Flint, off up the field and — OUCH — that must have hurt.”

FAQs

Question: Who Cursed Katie Bell in Harry Potter?

Answer: The necklace given to Katie Bell was given to her by Rosmerta, who was under the imperius curse by Draco Malfoy. Draco was attempting to kill Dumbledore without it being linked to himself and had hoped that using someone like Katie would mean the cursed object would find its way to Dumbledore. However, I think it is not just feeble but odd for Draco to think that Dumbledore would happily accept a necklace and touch it directly. It was, of course, incredibly cowardly to curse Rosmerta and make her give the cursed item to Katie, putting at risk multiple lives in order to reach his end goal.

Question: What Curse did Katie Bell Have?

Answer: The exact curse on the necklace given to Katie is not known. It was said to have killed 19 Muggles before it found its way to Borgin and Burkes. It was crafted from opals and was such a dark object that Katie Bell’s stint at St. Mungo’s (though it lasted a long time) was the result of it touching her through the smallest of holes in her gloves. Had even a full finger touched the necklace, it could have killed her.

Question: What Hogwarts House was Katie Bell in?

Answer: Katie Bell was sorted into Gryffindor. She was in the same house as Harry Potter and earned her place on the Gryffindor Quidditch team.

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