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Championship Quidditch Match
Author: Viktor Krum
Date: 05-04-08 09:23
Viktor stands to the side of and slightly behind Theodosia, waiting for her cue to bring the various balls forward to release. The stands are filling with excited Ravenclaws and Slytherins, each house hoping to take today's Quidditch cup. Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs, disappointed that their own houses aren't playing today, show their support for one of the other teams. From what Viktor can see so far, most of that support is being given to Ravenclaw.
Freya Abbott's voice suddenly fills the pitch, welcoming the spectators. "It's the championship match between Ravenclaw!" she pauses to let the cheering die down, "And Slytherin!"
Freya pauses again then announces the teams as the players emerge from the locker rooms. "For Ravenclaw - Keeper Megara Flynn! Chaser Jack Emerson! Seeker Daria Matthews! Beater Fritz Schnackenpfefferhausen! Chaser and team captain Phin Hodfuffer! Chaser Deak Bennett! Beater Alastor Jenkins! For Slytherin - Chaser Berengaria Montagu! Chaser and team captain Mortimer Rollo! Beater Basil Wynbourne! Keeper Alexa Wenlock! Chaser Griet Vanderbilt! Beater Philippa Fox! Seeker Cornelia Vanderbilt!"
The players converge on Theodosia and Viktor. Daria and Mortimer meet in front of Theodosia to shake hands then return to the semi-circle around Theodosia. She gives Viktor the signal and he releases the Bludgers and then the Snitch. He hands Theodosia the Quaffle then takes to the air, moving to a sideline position from where he can best observe the initial moments of the game.
The players take to the air as well. Theodosia releases the Quaffle then mounts her broom to join the flyers. Freya's been doing running commentary on what's taking place on, and now over, the pitch. "The Quaffle is still free! Deak Bennett's going to get it! No! It's Mortimer Rollo! But wait! The Quaffle's already changed hands again. Now it's Jack Emerson with the Quaffle!"
First With The Quaffle (Jack)
Author: Kody
Date: 05-04-08 14:03
The quaffle had bounced from Deak to Mortimer to Jack. Before it could bounce again and before any of the other chasers could grab it, Jack got a solid grip on the red ball and took off. His aim was a straight line path to where Alexa Wenlock guards one set of hoops.
In Quidditch flying in a straight line from point A to point B is not an easy one. No sooner did Jack pull away from the spot where he'd grabbed the quaffle then he's having to swerve to avoid a bludger. Berengaria catches up with Jack and comes up on his right side; the side where he's holding the quaffle. Jack climbs slightly and at the same time cuts to the right then dips back down to the level he'd been on. Berengaria darts right and comes right back up on his side.
Jack shifts the quaffle so that he's holding it against his stomach instead of his side then leans forward and puts to cut wind resistance. At the same time he puts on the speed, shooting ahead of Berengaria. It's a small victory because next thing Jack knows something that feels like a brick wall has hit him on his left side. His grip loosens on the quaffle and although he's still ahead of Berengaria, Mortimer's caught up and is there to pluck the quaffle from his hand even though he's tightly holding the ball to his stomach.
Mortimer twists his body to throw the quaffle to Griet. She takes off with Deak and Phin on either side of her. Jack wheels sharply around, as does Mortimer, to race after them. Berengaria gets between Jack and the rest of the pack, moving whichever way he flies so that he can't get around her. Jack's getting extremely frustrated with her, almost to the point of purposefully ramming into her from behind. He doesn't though, not wanting to intentially garner a foul.
Jack's finally able to get past Berengaria thanks to a bludger from Alastor. Berengaria avoids being hit by it but in doing so, she doesn't block Jack from coming up even and then flying on by. By this time Deak, Phin, Griet, and Mortimer are nearly to where Megara is flying back and forth, ready to block any Slytherin goal attempt.
Griet looks to be ready to throw the quaffle but instead passes to Mortimer. Mortimer gets in a little closer but then passes back to Griet. They continue passing the red ball and working in closer, their fast passing technique aimed at making it more difficult for Megara to see the goal attempt coming when it's made. Deak, Phin, and now Jack get in as close to the two as they dare without fouling. This is made more difficult when Berengaria joins the fray.
Mortimer throws the quaffle again but this time it's aimed at one of the hoops. Phin gets a hand on the quaffle but can't get a grip to grab it. His effort does screw up Mortimer's throw and the quaffle wobbles and slows, making it easy for Megara to block the shot. She tosses the quaffle back into play, sending it to Phin who takes it and immediately hands it off to Deak. Deak takes the ball then puts his broom into high gear, taking off down the pitch with Jack flying off to his left and Phin just behind.
Watching With Interest
Author: Georgia Copperpot
Date: 05-04-08 17:15
In between cheering on Ravenclaw Catherine asks, "Why are we sitting in this particular section? We always sit over there."
Edith looks in the direction Catherine's pointing then gives me a pointed look. "Why do you think, Catherine?"
She shrugs. "I don't know. That's why I asked."
"Why do you keep giving me that look, Edith?" I ask.
Isabella is now giving me a look as well. "You are beyond daft, Georgia." She nods her head towards a row of seats not quite directly in front of us. "Catherine, who's sitting just over there?"
At the same time I say, "If I'm beyond daft, Izzy, then there are no words to describe what you are," Catherine says, "Oh, I see now."
The person in front of me stands up, cheering loudly. He earns a poke in the back from me. "You're blocking my view."
He turns and looks quizzically at me. "I'm a short first year, sitting below you and the action is taking place well above us at the moment, so how am I blocking you?"
"Don't be a twit. There is something vair gorgey, fabbity-fab to watch that has nothing to do with the game."
"How would I know that?"
A hand hits me across the back of my head. "Hey!"
Izzy tells the first year, "Ignore our friend. She's starkers. Even as we speak a padded cell is being prepared for her."
"Izzy, just because you are a swot with no sex god of a boyfriend and just because no one rates you does not mean you should... blimey! My sex god boyfriend is looking this way. Is my hair all right? You didn't muss it when you hit me, did you, Izzy?"
Edith and Catherine start giggling. Izzy just glares. The first year sits back down though I am vair sure he says something under his breath about hoping I enjoy my padded cell.
I keep patting my hair and trying to figure out why Edith and Catherine are giggling so I ignore them. To my tres jealous bestest pal I ask, "Why are you staring, Izzy? You are being poxy and I shall have to give you a duffing up if you do not desist."
"Of all the friends I could have picked when coming to school, I had to pick one who is delusional."
"Can I help if it I have a ginormous pash for my sex god boyfriend?"
Shaking her head, Izzy looks back to the match taking place over the pitch. Edith and Catherine snort unattractively for another minute then they too turn their attention back to the game. I look to where the sex god is sitting, wondering who would want to watch the game when Sage Porter is so much more interesting?
Translations:
beyond daft = barmier than a lunatic
twit = slow on the uptake; idiot
vair = very
gorgey = gorgeous
fabbity-fab = tres vair fabulous
starkers = mental
swot = a goody, goody who always has homework done on time; somewhat of a nerd
sex god = in this instance, Sage Porter
poxy = horrible; interesting history of the word is that it dates back to way, way back when people got the pox
duffing up = not that I condone violence but Izzy sometimes needs a beating
ginormous = gigantic, enormous
pash = passion
Long Time Coming
Author: Fritz Schnackenpfefferhausen
Date: 05-04-08 17:40
Fritz is quick to pursue the closest bludger so that he might aid Deak in getting across the Pitch and prevent the opposing beaters, Philippa and Basil, from hurting Ravenclaw's chances from getting the first points on the board. He wends his way to the black ball, which is flying in an arc high overhead, just as Basil chases after it, too. Determined to reach it first, Fritz shoots forward as fast as he can. He closes the distance between himself and the bludger mere moments before Basil. Although Fritz has to be careful not to accidentally hit Basil with his bat as he swings, he nonetheless rotates his arm and connects with the black ball. Luckily for both beaters, Fritz doesn't his Basil in the process.
The bludger careens towards Griet, just as she's reaching for the quaffle Deak is holding. As if sensing she ought to look over her shoulder, she does and spots the bludger heading her way. Griet rolls to the side, giving Deak a chance to keep possession of the ball.
Fritz, meanwhile, is already searching for the other ball. It's too far away from him, and the ball he aimed at Griet, Basil's already gone after and would no doubt reach first if Fritz pursued it, too. Instead, Fritz realizes he's going to need to protect Deak. He swoops in close, swiveling his head this way and that to see which way the bludgers are coming from. As if they intentionally synchronize it, Basil and Philippa hit their bludgers simultaneously, one on either side of Deak. Alastor, quickly discovering what is happening, protects Deak on the side Fritz can't cover. Both bat the balls away and then follow after them.
While Fritz goes after his ball, he thinks about how glad he is that Ravenclaw is in the championship match. He's just sorry Coco isn't playing beater with him. Fritz has nothing against Alastor. He just wishes things were the way they had been, from the time they'd first joined the Quidditch team together. Ravenclaw had only won the Quidditch Cup once in the sixth years Fritz had been at Hogwarts, and that had been in his first year, when he hadn't even been on the team. Ravenclaw had not made it to the championships since then.
He hopes Ravenclaw wins today. Although it won't right any of the wrongs he's experienced since term started, a win will definitely lift his spirits up.
Precision
Author: Griet
Date: 05-05-08 06:57
For a while, it seemed as if Deak was too protected for Griet to attempt another grab for the quaffle. Only when he decided to chuck the ball up at Phin, who flew slightly to the left and overhead of Deak, did Griet sweep back in with the hopes of intercepting or picking up a fumble. Phin cast the ball to Jack. Jack flung it at Deak. The red ball moved back and forth, over and under, this way and that, with such precision that even then, Griet wondered if she could successfully block its path and put the ball in Slytherin's possession at last.
She tried several times, only to be a second off or to find herself thwarted by a bludger aimed her way. The Ravenclaws easily made it to the Slytherin hoops guarded by Alexa. Phin set up to pitch the ball into one of the hoops, but passed it last minute to Deak. Alexa, anticipating a fakeout somewhat, compensated enough to tip the ball away from its intended hoop with her fingertips.
Griet, on the mark, scooped the ball up in her arms and turned in a wide arc away from the Slytherin hoops. She rolled immediately to her right when a bludger careened past her left shoulder. It didn't touch her, but she'd felt the wind ruffle the sleeve of her uniform and whip past her hair.
She aimed the nose of her broomstick at an angle to return more or less to the very middle of the Pitch so that she could make the distance to the Ravenclaw hoops the very shortest, than if she flew at them from the wide course she'd been taking. Everyone else converged on her, Slytherin chasers making themselves open to accept the quaffle if she decided to hand it off, and the Ravenclaws trying to steal it from her arms.
Just as Phin reached out to bump it from where she had it, she lobbed it at Berengaria. Berengaria swerved to avoid a bludger and chucked it at Mortimer. Mortimer dove and flew under Jack and then swerved to fly past Phin. He handed it off to Griet, who'd just flown up beside him. Griet flattened herself against her broom without letting the quaffle peek out dangerously on either side of her and darted ahead.
Just as Basil sent a bludger at Megara, Griet let the quaffle fly. Megara hesitated for a fraction of a second, debating whether to take the hit and attempt the block or avoid the bludger and possibly allow Griet to make the goal. Her instinct to avoid collision won out. Megara dodged the bludger, allowing Griet's quaffle to sail through the right-most hoop without any obstruction.
Don & The Delancy
Author: Don Thomas
Date: 05-05-08 13:21
Brody giggled as Don brought the green ball to her face and then tossed it onto the table part of his high chair. He picked up and threw the ball with his small hands. Don raced to get it. The first obstacle was Stefan. Stefan tried to block Don, but Don just made a roaring sound, picked her younger sister up, and placed her on the couch. The next one was Lilly. Lilly stood ready for Don, but shrieked when Don picked her up and placed her on the couch as well. Then, Don made a bee line for the ball. Stefan got there first and threw the ball away from Don. Don rushed for the ball. It had gone down the hall and in the direction of the stairs. The same stairs that Mr. Poplar had told the kids not to venture down. Don made it to the stairwell and stopped. She watched the ball go down the stairs, sceptical to go down there at first. She didn't know what was down the stairs and through the door at the end of them. For all she knew, it could be a workshop full of elves making Christmas toys. It could also be a torture house for smart assed teens with trippy names. Don knew neither was practical, but the threat was still there. Don swallowed her pride as she stepped down the stairs cautiously.
One barefoot after the other. Don tried not to breath hard. She didn't want to draw any attention to herself. Right foot. Left foot. She was getting closer to the last step. Right foot. Left foot. One barefoot after the other. A door was getting closer. One barefoot after the other. Don was there. She picked up the ball and continued to stare at the door in front of her. There were no sounds from the other side. This fact only upped Don's curiosity tenfold. She checked the lock on the door first. It was locked. Putting her fingers on the small knob that unlocked the door, Don looked at the top of the door. She counted to three silently and then winced as she turned the knob, thinking there would be a noise that followed the turning of the knob. She was relieved to find out that there hadn't been that loud of a sound at all. Now was the next step. Placing her hand on the doorknob itself, Don, with her eyes closed, turned the knob and opened the door.
A small blonde woman was hunched over on the floor, picking up one of the many things that had fallen over in an early morning struggle, when the door to the upstairs apartment opened. She looked, thinking it would be something bad or someone bad.
"Oh. It's just you," she said as she caught a glimpse of Don and turned back to her cleaning.
Don opened her eyes to see the blond woman crouched over. "Yeah, me," Don said as she walked closer to the woman. "And you are?"
The woman nodded and stood up. She tried to smile, but Don could tell it was forced. The woman was around Don's height of 5'4" and a little bigger than her in the breast and buttox area. Her blond hair was a little longer than shoulder-length, but curled up as though she was a 50's housewife. Don had already nicknamed her Suzie Homemaker. It didn't matter what her name truly was. The woman seemed to be completing her look with a 1950's style dress and matching pumps. She smiled as she shoved a hand towards Don.
"I'm Dana Delancy," the woman spoke in a spaced out tone. Like she may have been drugged or something similar. "I work here."
"Don Thomas," Don said as she took and shook the woman's hand. She took a look around the store and smiled. "Is this an art store?"
The woman nodded. "Yes. We sell hobbies too. Aunt Dede gave me a job here when I was 11. My mother and her didn't want me attending Hogwarts because I'm slow in the head. So Aunt Dede let me live with her and let me help in the store."
"Who's Aunt Dede?" Don continued to look around the store. "And when did the tornado come through?"
The store was topsy turvy. Almost everything was off their shelves. Things were broken and strewn across the room. Dana scratched her chin for a moment. "I don't know what a tornado is, but Aunt Dede is my aunt. She owns this store. Snatchers took her really really early this morning. Mr. Mason said it was because she was a blood traitor. He said Aunt Dede put up a big fight."
"A blood traitor? You mean, like breaking a bond bound in blood? Or what? Because that sounds like some freaky ish right there."
Dana shrugged and went back to cleaning. "You should ask Mr. Mason. He owns the junk shop right over there."
Don nodded as she squeezed the green ball she had retrieved before entering the store. She remembered her baby brother and the game everyone had been playing. How long had she been down in the store? When would Stefan and Lilly come looking for her? How long until Madeline Poplar came after her and grounded her for breaking the rules? Don decided in that moment that she should go.
"Well, I better be off." The woman didn't acknowledge Don's words. Don just turned around, making sure she didn't step on any glass as she made her way back to the doorway. She looked once more at the woman before saying a "Later gator" and closing the door. She locked it and went back upstairs to see Brody excited for her return.