Declaration of Harry Potter

1.     I am Harry Potter and I am a student at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry (“Hogwarts”). I have personal knowledge of the matters stated in this Declaration and could and would competently testify to them if called as a witness.

2.     I a member of the world-class Gryffindor quidditch team. I play the vital position of “seeker.”

3.     Just prior to the collision, both the Gryffiindor and Slytherin teams were slated to play in the Hogwarts finals, with the winner advancing to the World Cup. As such, I was directly pitted against Malfoy, who was and is the seeker for the Slytherin team.

4.     In the days directly proceeding the collision, Malfoy and other Slytherin players, specifically including, but not limited to, Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle, routinely harassed and taunted me and other Gryffindor players.

5.     On the date of the collision, this harassment escalated. More particularly, Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle deliberately flew their quidditch brooms in the airspace above the Field for the exact purpose of disrupting the Gryffindor’s team practice. Malfoy led the intrusion, accompanied by Crabbe and Goyle.

6.     When Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle purposely entered the reserved air space about the Field, the trio immediately began to dart mid-air at Gryffindor players. At that time, I was attempting to capture, a golden ball score point that flies at its own whim about the playing area.

7.     When I saw Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle, I directed the trio to exit the air space, to no avail. Malfoy instead signaled to Crabbe and Goyle to congregate near mid-field, refusing to leave.

8.     As I resumed my quest for the snitch, Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle took off in triangular fashion, with Malfoy at the apex. The trio then sped just past Harry, then dropped down – directly in Harry’s path – and abruptly decelerated. This tactic is referred to in quidditch as a “lunge and halt” maneuver, which is prohibited in regular play.

9.     The “lunge and halt” maneuver caused me to immediately decelerate and attempt to raise his broom to avoid a collision. In the process, I crashed into the back of Malfoy’s broom, causing both myself and Malfoy to be ejected.

10.     At the time of the collision, I, along with Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle, were airborne approximately 50 feet above the ground level of the Field. Both my broom and Malfoy’s broom were equipped with the standard “cushioning charm” that provides for a soft landing following a crash and/or an ejection. The softening occurs when, e.g., the flier is approximately 10 feet above ground.

11.    While I was able to float safely to the ground, Malfoy apparently steered his fall and overrode the “cushioning charm” in the last seconds in order to target two of my friends, namely, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasely.  Granger, who was seated on a steel bench with Weasley, noticed Malfoy’s acceleration and recognized that Malfoy was planning on lurching forward to land directly atop them on the steel bench. Granger, a top wizarding student, snapped into action with a counter-charm that diverted Malfoy’s fall.

12.     I landed about 40 feet away from the spot where Malfoy had attempted to crash into Granger and Weasley. This was because I purposefully steered my fall to an isolated area just left to bench where Granger and Weasley were seated. I then immediately rushed over to offer assistance to Malfoy, as well as Granger and Weasley. I was very relieved to find that no one had been hurt.

I declare under the penalty of perjury under the wizardly laws of the Magic Ministry that the foregoing is true and correct. 

Executed this day in Hogsmeade, Scotland.

                                                                                                                                                                                                   Harry Potter /s/