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At least some content in this article is derived from information featured in Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery. Spoilers will be present within the article. |
- Penny Haywood: "I've seen her play before. She has a reputation for eliminating her competition…"
- Jacob's sibling: "And eliminating the few fans in the stands…?"
- — Penny and Jacob's sibling watch Erika Rath committing a foul during a Quidditch friendly[src]
Erika Rath was a witch who played as the Beater on a Hogwarts Quidditch team in the 1980s and was also a member of the school's Dragon Club.[7] After graduating from Hogwarts, she played as a Beater for the Holyhead Harpies.[5]
Biography[]
Early life[]
Little is known about Rath's history before Hogwarts. It is known, that she became acquainted with Gwenog Jones at some point.[7] During her younger years, her father gave her a copy of Quidditch Through the Ages for her birthday.
Hogwarts years (1984-1991)[]
- "That's Rath. She's the toughest Quidditch player at Hogwarts"
- — Penny Haywood to Jacob's sibling[src]
During the 1984–1985 school year, she accidentally knocked into Jacob's sibling since she couldn't see them, casuing Jacob's sibling to fall to the ground. This was Jacob's sibling's first introduction to Rath.[8]
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.[9]
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.[10]
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.[11]
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.[7]
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.[12]
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.[12]
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.[12]
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.[13]
Quidditch career (1991-)[]
Upon graduating from Hogwarts, Erika joined the Holyhead Harpies as a Beater.[4][5]
Physical description[]
Erika had 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.
Possessions[]
- Quidditch Through the Ages: Erika's dad gave her copy this book for her birthday.
- Nimbus 1700: During 1988–1989 school year, Erika's fans gift her this broomstick after she was injured by the Wellnelly twins. At the end of the year, it turns out that the twins themselves gave her the broom.
Behind the scenes[]
- "Strong and silent, Erika Rath prefers to let her Beater's bat do the talking. Despite her fearsome reputation, Rath is a loyal friend... just be sure to stand a safe distance away when she's hitting Bludgers."
- — Erika's character description[src]
- Which house she is in depends on that of Jacob's sibling (chosen by the player). If Jacob's sibling is in Gryffindor, Hufflepuff or Slytherin, Rath is in Ravenclaw. If Jacob's sibling is in Ravenclaw, Rath is in Slytherin.
- In official material posted by the creators of Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery, including the loading screen from 4 September to 10 October 2019, she is usually shown as a Slytherin.
- She is often shown as a Slytherin alongside a Gryffindor Skye Parkin. However, this is impossible in-game, as Rath is in Ravenclaw if Skye is in Gryffindor.
- Towards the end of Quidditch season 1, it was revealed that she has a blind spot that causes her fouls. In real life, all humans have a blind spot in their eyes, although an abnormally large blind spot is also a real medical condition.
- Her name may be a play on "wrath", in reference to her violent reputation.
- In order for her to have already been at Hogwarts at least a year before Jacob's sibling, but to have graduated at the same time as them, she must have been held back at least once.
Appearances[]
- Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery (First appearance)
Notes and references[]
- ↑ Erika Rath is already playing Quidditch when Jacob's sibling arrives at Hogwarts in the 1984-1985 School Year. As Harry Potter was the youngest Quidditch player in a century, she couldn't have been in her first year at Hogwarts, but couldn't be more than a third year as she is still in school during Jacob's sibling's third year.
- ↑ "World Exclusive Interview with J K Rowling," South West News Service, 8 July 2000 - "Hogwarts just serves Britain and Ireland."
- ↑ Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery, Year 4, Quidditch Season 3, Chapter 10 (Fair Game)
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery, Year 7, Chapter 60 (Graduation and Beyond)
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery, Beyond Hogwarts, Volume 1, Chapter 16 (FIRE AND EYES)
- ↑ Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery, Beyond Hogwarts, Volume 1, Chapter 12 (CHECK MATES)
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery, Year 3, "A DRAGON'S QUEST" Achievement
- ↑ Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery Cutscene
- ↑ Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery, Year 2, Quidditch Season 1, Chapter 1 (Welcome to Quidditch)
- ↑ Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery, Year 2, Quidditch Season 1, Chapter 9 (Searching for a Comet)
- ↑ Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery, Year 2, Quidditch Season 1, Chapter 12 (The Quidditch Cup)
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery, Year 3, Quidditch Season 2, Chapter 9 (RIVALRY, RESPECT, AND RATH)
- ↑ Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery, Year 4, Quidditch Season 3, Chapter 1 (An Unfriendly Friendly)