Another new thing was added onto an existing 'page' at some point, which might be of interest, as it talks a bit about squibs in wizarding society, and sports.
Stand between the Silver Crystal and the Golden Sea.
"Youngsters these days just have no appreciation for the magnificence of the legendary cucumber." --Krityan Elder, Tales of Vesperia.
Quote:The wizarding world’s affection for the Scottish rugby team is all-----
the more bizarre because a substantial part of wizarding society knows
nothing about Muggle sports, which they regard as inherently dull and
even silly. Yet the Scottish rugby team has become a wizarding meme –
part in-joke, part genuine interest – which has its roots in the
nineteenth century and is a tale both sad and uplifting.
The
wizarding family of Buchanan lived in a village in the Scottish Borders
for many generations. A reputation for aggression and drunkenness,
coupled with their prodigious size (the daughters alone had won the
village tug-of-war every year in living memory), kept their neighbors at
a respectful distance and ignorant of their magical abilities. One by
one, as they reached the age of eleven, the Buchanan sons and daughters
would disappear to Hogwarts. The village whispered that the enormous,
wild children were being removed to a corrective facility or even a
mental institution.
By the mid-nineteenth century the
Buchanan family comprised an overworked mother, a fierce father and
eleven children. The household was loud and chaotic, but even so, it is
surprising that neither of the Buchanan parents realized that their
third son, Angus, was a Squib – a wizard-born child with no magical
powers. It had always been the proud boast of Mr Buchanan senior that
such an anomaly had never occurred in their family. The proud old
warlock went further: a Squib in any family was a sign that they were in
decline and deserved to be winnowed out.
His brothers
and sisters were all very fond of Angus, who was the largest and kindest
of them all, so they covered up for him in front of his parents. The
deception was innocently begun, but as the time approached for him to
leave for Hogwarts, Angus and his siblings became uneasily aware that
they could not maintain the pretense much longer. No letter from school
arrived for Angus, but his panicking sister Flora forged one, which kept
the parents in ignorance for several weeks more. Shy, good-natured and
frightened of his father, Angus could not think of any alternative but
to play along with his older siblings. They took him to Diagon Alley,
where they bought a wand and pretended that it had chosen him. On the
appointed day, his big brother Hamish took him to Hogwarts on the back
of his broomstick, hoping against desperate hope that Angus would be
allowed to stay once they got there, or that the school might be able to
tease some magic out of him.
It had never happened
before and it has never happened since, but Angus got as far as the
Sorting Hat before he was exposed. In sheer desperation he threw himself
ahead of a girl whose name had been called and placed the Hat upon his
head. The horror of the moment when the Hat announced kindly that the
boy beneath it was a good-hearted chap, but no wizard, would never be
forgotten by those who witnessed it. Angus took off the hat and left the
hall with tears streaming down his face.
News of
Angus’s humiliation reached his parents in a flurry of owls before their
son arrived home on foot. He was met by his humiliated father, who
barred his entrance, bade him never darken their door again, and fired
curses after Angus as he fled.
Without any idea of what
he would do next, without family or money, the eleven-year-old Angus
walked to the capital, occasionally hitching rides on carts. In
Edinburgh he lied about his age and managed to find work as a laborer.
To
Angus’s surprise, Muggles were not nearly as bad as his father and
mother had always told him. He had the good fortune to be taken in by a
kind foreman and his wife who had no children of their own, and by the
time he was eighteen, Angus had grown into a big strong man who was
loved for his kind nature and admired for his physical prowess, but who
never shared the strange secrets of his past.
Angus’s
early childhood had been spent dodging curses on an almost daily basis,
which meant that he was surprisingly fast for a man of his size. He
found his greatest pleasure and pride in athleticism, and soon became
adept at the relatively new Muggle sport of rugby. Years of helping his
siblings catch Golden Snitches in the back garden also made him a
natural at cricket.
In 1871 Angus found himself
representing his country in the first ever international rugby match,
which took place in Edinburgh between England and Scotland. Angus’s
emotion can perhaps be imagined as he walked out onto the pitch and saw
all ten of his brothers and sisters among the spectators. Defying their
father’s contempt for all Muggle pursuits and his injunction against
ever seeing Angus again, they had set out to track him down. Elated,
Angus scored the first try. Scotland won the match.
Reunion
with his family caused Angus to reevaluate his relationship with his
magical roots and in 1900 he published the groundbreaking worldwide
bestseller My Life As A Squib.
Until this point, Squibs had lived in the shadows. Some clung to the
fringes of the wizarding world, always feeling second-class and trying
to fit in; others cut all ties and lived entirely as Muggles, often
repudiating their beginnings. My Life As A Squib brought the plight of these individuals to the wizarding world’s attention.
Thus
Angus Buchanan became world-famous among wizards whilst also being
celebrated among Muggles, a hitherto unknown achievement. Wizards of
many nationalities began turning up to watch him play sport.
Unfortunately, cricket found little favour with wizardkind. As the chief
sports writer in the Daily Prophet
wrote in 1902: ‘a Beater who is unable to fly defends three sticks
instead of a hoop, while a Snitch without wings is thrown at the sticks.
That’s it. Sometimes for several days’. Rugby held more appeal. Wizards
could not help but admire the strength and courage of Muggles prepared
to engage in a sport so brutal, without recourse to Disapparating out of
the way, or access to Skele-Gro to repair broken bones. It must be
admitted that there was an edge of sadism to some wizards’ enjoyment.
When
Angus Buchanan died, he was honoured by both wizarding and Muggle
worlds, an almost unique achievement in the annals of history. A shining
example of a person who had made the most of the hand that life had
dealt them and emerged triumphant, Angus was too modest to realize the
impact that he had had. The Angus Buchanan Cup for Outstanding Effort is
awarded at Hogwarts each year and My Life as A Squib is on its 110th printing.
When
it comes to wizarding sports and games (Quidditch, Quodpot,
Creaothceann – officially banned but still played illegally –
broom-racing, Gobstones and so forth) wizards are naturally fiercely
partisan and support their own country, but it is considered infra dig
for wizards to support any rugby team other than Scotland. Over the
nearly 150 years since Angus Buchanan helped win the first international
rugby match, discussing Scottish rugby has become one of several covert
identifiers for wizards meeting in front of Muggles and seeking to
establish each other’s credentials. Eavesdropping Muggles might be
puzzled as to why two Peruvians are so interested in a Scottish team,
but it is generally agreed that this is preferable to arguing about
Quidditch or comparing wand lengths in public.
Shortly
after Angus’s death, the Wizarding Supporters of Scottish Rugby Union
was set up in his memory by his devoted fans. The WSSRU, which exists to
this day, has both Scottish and foreign wizarding members. They meet on
the eve of every Scottish international match to toast Angus’s memory
and anticipate a happy eighty minutes of watching Muggles trample each
other into the mud.
The International Statute of Secrecy expressly
forbids wizards to participate in Muggle sport, but there is nothing
illegal in supporting a Muggle side. However, the WSSRU has often had to
deny the persistent rumour that its secret mission is to smuggle a
talented Squib on to every Scottish team. Current suspects include Kelly
Brown (possible cousin of Lavender’s), Jim Hamilton (strong resemblance
to Hagrid) and Stuart Hogg (enough said).
Stand between the Silver Crystal and the Golden Sea.
"Youngsters these days just have no appreciation for the magnificence of the legendary cucumber." --Krityan Elder, Tales of Vesperia.