Erika Rath
Origin: Harry Potter
Hair:
Eyes:
Species: Human
Birthday:
Residence: Saul Street 30 (17-83)
Occupation: Athlete (Quidditch)
Affiliation:
Talent: Magic
Medical notes:
Sports/Instruments: Quidditch (Beater)
Languages:
Import Date: 5
Pets:
Erika Rath was a witch who played as the Beater on a Hogwarts Quidditch team in the 1980s and later for the Holyhead Harpies. She was also a member of the school's Dragon Club.[4]
Biography
Little is known about Rath's history before Hogwarts. It is known, that she became acquainted with Gwenog Jones at some point.[4] During her younger years, her father gave her a copy of Quidditch Through the Ages for her birthday.
When Jacob's sibling and Penny Haywood were watching a practice match, between Jacob's sibling's House and Rath's House, Rath inadvertently hit a Bludger towards the stands. Chaser Skye Parkin took the hit so that the audience would not be wounded. Though this action saved the Jacob's sibling and Penny from potential injury, it also allowed the Seeker for Rath's House to catch the Golden Snitch. This caused Skye to begin to develop a great dislike for Rath. It also resulted in Jacob's sibling playing Quidditch as one of the team's Chasers was injured during the match and Jacob's sibling eventually won the position.[5]
During the 1985–1986 school year, when the Comet 220 that Skye Parkin was going to give Jacob's sibling vanished, she believed that Rath was responsible and spread rumours to this effect in an attempt to put pressure on her to return it. Parkin and Jacob's sibling later discovered that Hagrid's crup puppies, who were teething, had gotten ahold of the broom and chewed it to destruction. Though the misunderstanding was cleared up, Rath was still furious with Jacob's sibling as she believed that they had started the rumours about her.[6]
Skye attempted to clear up the matter with Rath during one of her Bludger practices and was struck by one of them, landing her in the Hospital Wing. Skye believed that it was revenge but Rath insisted that it was an accident. This led Jacob's sibling to deduce Rath's disability. They took advantage of this knowledge by instructing teammates to fly near Rath's blind spot when possible during the season's final match between their Houses to make the fearsome beater less effective.[7]
During the 1986–1987 school year, when Jacob's sibling discovered that Gwenog Jones may be connected to a cursed bludger that wrecked the Dragon Clubhouse during that year, Rath contacted Jones and arranged a meeting with Jacob's sibling at the Three Broomsticks Inn.[4]
During their second season playing Quidditch, Jacob's sibling was appointed a Beater on their house team. They played well enough to defeat Rath's house, eliminating them from the Inter-House Quidditch Cup, but as the championship came closer they realised that they would have to address their weaknesses to have a chance to win. Their mutual friend Andre Egwu suggested that Jacob's sibling ask Rath to help them train.[8]
Rath was initially extremely sceptical of their request, given their stormy history and her general opinion of the student, but she decided to give them a chance to prove themselves to her. They managed to do so, proving their determination by keeping up with her at her Bludger practice, and agreeing to teach her a manoeuvre that she didn't know in return.[8]
Rath was eventually impressed enough to help them train and the two began a friendship, though this caused Jacob's sibling to have some friction in their relationship with Skye Parkin, due to Skye's great dislike of Rath.[8]
During a practice match of the 1986–1987 school year, one of Rath's misdirected Bludgers struck Orion Amari and put him in the Hospital Wing. Though Madam Pomfrey was able to quickly heal his physical injuries, Orion was badly shaken by the injury and the major argument that broke out between the two teams because of it.[9]
Upon graduating from Hogwarts, Erika joined the Holyhead Harpies in an unknown position.[1]
Physical description
Erika had dark blue eyes, white skin and long, pale blonde hair. She was notable for having a substantial build with very muscular arms, as befitting for a female Beater. It was later revealed that she had a large blind spot in her eye that did not visibly affect her appearance. When not in her Quidditch robes, Rath was usually seen wearing black leggings with a slight tear in one leg, knee-high brown boots, fingerless gloves, and a sleeveless hoody in her house colours, with a black long sleeve shirt underneath.
Personality and traits
Rath spoke very little, and when she did speak, she was always immediately to the point of what she wanted to say. She was known to be very physically violent, often practising Quiddich by hitting bludgers at practice dummies. She also had a reputation for poor sportsmanship and was thought to deliberately hit bludgers towards the crowd. However, this was never intentional — it was later revealed that she had an abnormally large blind spot in at least one of her eyes and genuinely didn't see the targets she fouled.
Magical abilities and skills
Flying: Erika was a fairly accomplished broomstick flyer, playing as Beater for a Hogwarts Quidditch team, although she was said to possess very poor sportsmanship, often resorting to foul play.