As with any school, sport plays an integral part in student life. At Hogwarts, that sport is Quidditch, and it serves as both a unifying force and a divisive element within the school. Students are bound by their love and enthusiasm for the game, but their Houses also compete against one another to win the Quidditch Cup, as well as the House Cup. Though these rivalries are generally amicable, Slytherin and Gryffindor have always been particularly competitive. Slytherin's Quidditch captain, Marcus Flynt, actually uses the incident with Harry's broom as a means to score more points for his team, showing just how devious and exploitative Slytherins truly are. The two Houses' rivalry soon becomes a metaphor for themes of good vs evil in the series, as Wizards either align themselves with Voldemort or choose to fight him and his Death Eaters. While Gryffindor represents thoseVoldemort's whoopponents activelyand opposeSlytherin Voldemorthis followers, both Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff Houses symbolize how othersmany in the Wizarding world tend to be passive or apathetic to the evil that insidiously creeps in and takes hold, finally adapting themselves to the resulting outcome, whatever it is. Divisions will also be seen within Harry's own House, Gryffindor, later in the series, as Harry's claim that the Dark Lord has returned is disputed, and his fellow studentsHouse-mates take sides either for or against him.
Meanwhile, Hermione's newly-formed friendship with Harry and Ron continues to develop, and her intelligence and generosity are already proving useful. Initially it is the small (comparative to what comes later) matter of helping Harry with his homework when he becomes overwhelmed with the extra Quidditch practices, but she moves quickly and decisively to protect Harry when she sees that his broom is being tampered with during the game, risking his life.
