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Bludger to the Head = Blackness (Blake)
Author: Charisma Stone
Date: 06-06-10 13:32
Back and forth, back and forth. This had been the trend lately concerning this quidditch match - the final match of the school year, the House Cup match. The score was - Blake thought - twenty to twenty tied even, but he could be wrong. Gryffindor may still be up by ten points, or Ravenclaw may have tied. He'd lost track about twenty minutes or so ago, focusing on bludgers and keeping the quaffle out of Ravenclaw's hands.
Hadrian had nearly fallen from his broom, but he'd managed to get righted and the match continued. He'd caught a glance at the Ravenclaw Seeker, Christopher Chant, who did not look like he was 100% here. However, there were some that had played in worse for wear conditions...playing through a cold wasn't all that bad all things considered. He knew for some that this would be their final matches at Hogwarts, and he wished them all the best - he did not however envy them the weeks to come when they were taking their NEWTs. He had two more years before he began OWL level course work, and he was going to enjoy them.
Shift of frame on his broom as he swung his bat trying to deflect a bludger hit by Fritz to attempt to knock the quaffle off its intended trajectory from a pass made by Wiggy to Etta. He managed to deflect the bludger and the pass made it safely into Etta's hands who took off down the pitch once more. Forever in the motions of back and forth, up and down the pitch with the quaffle forever changing hands from one of three Gryffindor Chasers or one of three Ravenclaw chasers.
He'd flicked his gaze upwards toward the pair of seekers that were hovering above the pitch, hunting and searching for the bright, glimmering, rapidly flying golden ball that will finally bring this game to an end - which means that the players could go grab lunch or finally use the loo in the case of some players. However, by the time Blake realized that he'd zoned out, it was too late and he couldn't get his bat up in time to deflect the bludger coming straight for his head.
He took the hard, black ball to the side of the head - well, actually to the right eye and barely managed to stay lucid enough to hear the whistle being called. Blackness descended and well, he'd have to find out later who won the game. Between Coach Batuti and the guest ref Hilda Ruiz-Márquez, they got him down to the ground and he was sent to the hopsital wing to ensure that he would be alright, aside from the splitting headache and black eye that would be present by the time he woke.
For now, the game continued on, until one of the Seeker's caught the snitch.
First One, then the Other
Author: Ella
Date: 06-06-10 13:54
Ella did her damnedest to ensure that Gryffindor held onto the ball without any interference from Ravenclaw. She really didn't care for low-scoring games, particularly when a lot of time had already passed without many points to show for it. True, it had been exciting at first. Every failed goal attempt had showcased the skill of each team's keeper and had gotten everyone in the stands cheering and groaning all at once.
Ella herself had felt the thrill of the close game and had cheered and groaned with the crowd, but as time went by, the excitement faded. She really wanted Charisma to catch the snitch already and put an end to what felt like a neverending game. in that moment, Ella spotted Charisma chasing after something, but what she caught in her hand wasn't the golden snitch. It was a candy wrapper. Charisma scowled and put the wrapper in her pocket.
Then something exciting did happen, though it was a blow for Gryffindor. A bludger beaned Blake in the head, which took him out of the game when it became clear that he was starting to black out. That just left Ella as beater for Gryffindor.
Ella looked away from Blake as he was taken off of the field and started searching for the nearest available bludger after Professor Batuti restarted the match. She found it near the ground and made a beeline for it at the same time as Coco. Coco reached it first and batted it up towards Fritz, who aimed for one of the Gryffindors, but Ella didn't see who. She started to pull up to join the fray when she felt something strike the back of her head. Ella pitched forward, and the front of her broom struck the turf, causing her to flip over and land on her back. Her broom flew over her head and landed on the ground somewhere ahead of her.
She heard the shrill sound of a whistle blowing and made out the figure of an approaching flyer. Her vision was blurred, so she couldn't see who was talking to her until that person was hovering over her face.
"Are you all right, Ella?" Professor Batuti asked. The Quidditch coach clearly hadn't expected to have another injured player so soon after last one.
Ella shook her head and then regretted it. Her head throbbed. She closed her eyes and said, "Not really."
"We'll get you to the Hospital Wing, then."
"But Blake's already out!" Ella protested, without opening her eyes. She really wanted to resume playing, but her head was killing her. She opened her eyes to fix Professor Batuti with a pleading gaze, but she still couldn't focus. She could make out her coach, but everything was blurry.
"I'm sorry, Ella."
Ella closed her eyes again, but she didn't lose consciousness. She felt herself being levitated and then placed on a stretcher, which was directed to the castle and to Madam Pomfrey's domain.
Now Gryffindor didn't have any beaters left.
Never Ending Match - Sweet Wrap Count Eighty
Author: Charisma Stone
Date: 06-06-10 14:00
As the match continued unendingly, Isma shifted on her broom once more, she was getting hungry and heaven help her if she didn't need to use the loo as well. The score was tied twenty, and it had taken for ever for that to even happen. Both teams so evenly matched, it probably would come down to the snitch being caught at this rate.
She'd watched as Blake had been helped off the pitch, after taking a nasty bludger hit to the face. She'd check on him when and if this match ever bloody ended. She'd as of right now, gone after five more glittering objects that turned out to be nothing more than glimmering, empty sweet wrapers bringing her season count to eighty, and the match wasn't even over yet!
She cast a glance toward Ravenclaw Seeker Christopher Chant, he didn't look well, and she had a feeling he was fading he looked like he had a pretty decent cold that had set in. The quaffle continued its eternal back and forth along the pitch going from chaser to chaser on both sides.
She would catch sight of the snitch, at the same time that Christopher did, and both would start for it. Racing, moving quickly they would be neck and neck for a period of time, before one would pull ahead of the other for a time being and they would continue to volley in position as they followed that glimmering, brilliant golden ball.
They lost sight of it not once but twice, but each time they managed to find it again and would continue to race after it. They both wanted the match to come to an end, needed the match to come to an end.
Charisma got close to wrapping her hand around the glimmering golden ball before she nearly lost her balance on her broom, that would give Christopher an edge on trying to catch the snitch as he zoomed past her. She managed to regain her hold upon her broom and not go sailing downward into the ground or need the assistance that Hadrian got to get back on his broom earlier in the match.
She continued to try and catch up to, and ultimately pass Christopher to wrap her hands around the glimmering golden ball, but she was starting to think that it simply wasn't going to happen.
Not Quite Fully Recovered
Author: Zabrynna
Date: 06-06-10 14:39
Zabrynna is sitting by an open window in the common commons. Over the music coming from the WWN she can hear the cheers from the pitch off in the distance but cannot tell whether those cheers are mainly for Ravenclaw or for Gryffindor. Though not a fan of anything that requires flying on brooms, Zabrynna does hope that her house wins the Quidditch cup, though she supposes that if Gryffindor wins, Anne will be estatic and since Anne is a huge Quidditch fan, then having Gryffindor win isn't all bad.
"Would miss like an ice?"
She'd had her eyes closed but opens then now, giving the house elf a smile. "Yes, thank you. Is there tangerine?"
"Yes, miss." The house owl smiles back then hurries away, eager as most house elves are to work and please others.
Zabrynna closes her eyes again, shifting in the window seat to stretch out her left leg. Madam Pomfrey told her to expect to be stiff and somewhat sore for several weeks. Zabrynna had no idea that mean feeling absolutely ancient and decrepit.
She'd spent the better part of the week in hospital then all day Friday more in her dorm under orders to not return to classes until Monday. Anne and Philippa got Zabrynna's assignments for everything but Transfiguration and History of Magic and turned her work in for her for those classes in which they were getting her assignments. Zabrynna's roommates Cordelia Quincy and Miranda Newberry made sure she got the Transfiguration assignments and Miranda would have done the same for History of Magic then ended up not having to.
To Zabrynna's surprise Declan Douglass himself brought her the assignment and went over with her what he'd gone over for the rest of the class. She'd felt awkward having him show up the first time during lunch on Sunday. He must have felt slightly awkward as well because after just standing in silence for a full minute he finally said, "I don't hate you. Maybe at first I did but now.. ." He'd let the sentence drop then shrugged. Zabrynna took that to mean that now he doesn't hate her but that doesn't mean he can tolerate the sight of her.
Still, she'd felt herself flushing, both at the vague memory of being found and babbling about wanting him to just go away and leave her alone, and from the knowledge of what she'd done to him a year ago. Though she's apologize several times Zabrynna forced herself to look Declan in the eyes and in a voice that still sounded weak to her she told him, "I didn't mean what I said yesterday. I should have been thanking you and Professor Isuki for helping me. As for whether you hate me or not, I couldn't blame you if you did. I could apologize and do acts of penance every day until I die and I don't think that would even begin to be enough."
Declan hadn't replied to that. He'd simply handed her a small bouquet of wildflowers, said it was good she was fairly alert after such a bad fall, and to feel better soon. He'd left right after with the only other thing said was Zabrynna's, "Thank you."
Declan had come again late Tuesday afternoon and then on Thursday he'd done the same. Both of those times he was all business, getting right to what she'd missed in class and on Thursday getting from her what of her assignment from Tuesday she was able to do while confined to the hospital wing.
Her first visitor last Sunday when she'd been lucid enough was Professor Dumbledore. The Headmaster had been beside himself, saying he was to blame for hours having elapsed from the time Zabrynna fell to her being discovered. He explained that he had planned to check on Zabrynna but there had been an incident involving someone with murderous intent finding a way onto the grounds and into the castle. Given that Zabrynna's never had any prior problems with spills or other accidents when inventorying, Professor Dumbledore's thoughts when dealing with the incident and its aftermath had not included thinking it absolutely necessary to check up on Zabrynna Ravensdale.
Professor Dumbledore had then produced her wand, all six pieces of it. He promised to personally see to it that she get a new one at no cost. Yesterday, the only time Zabrynna left her dorm was to go to the Headmaster's office to meet with Mr. Ollivander, who came bearing a large selection of new wands for Zabrynna to try. When she left Professor Dumbledore's Zabrynna had a 7 inch cocobolo wand with a core made from a Chinese Fireball heart and scales. She sort of likes how the cocobolo wood is red and that the dragon was a red one. Those suit her.
The house elf has returned with Zabrynna's tangerine ice. He stands for a moment with head cocked to one side, large ears twitching before saying as much to himself as to her, "Sounds like the match is a good one."
Zabrynna smiles by way of reply, thanks him for the ice, then shifts position again, her hip and knee starting to ache. She'd not told Anne and Philippa the full story, or any of the other students for that matter. If she'd mentioned doing the book inventory they'd want to know why and she can't tell them why. Zabrynna didn't like but she did omit facts, much as she's done since her stupidity this time last year. She kept to the simple truth. She fell, losing her wand in the process. She couldn't locate her wand so couldn't call for help. With it being a Hogsmeade weekend and the workshop taking place on the pitch, there wasn't much foot traffic near where she fell so it was hours before she was found.
With a nasty gash on her forehead, bruises all over the visible parts of her body, her left shoulder not fully dislocated but also not in the socket correctly either, some fractured bones in her left wrist, a fractured left hip, left femure broken just above the knee, a broken kneecap (which she learned is called the patella) and some cracked bones in her left ankle, her friends didn't press too much on too many of the specifics. What it did do was garner her lots of sympathy, with kids she doesn't even really know sending her get well cards and friends bringing her sweets and stuff animals. Her mother even came and fussed over her and promised that she won't argue too much with Zabrynna over the summer about Zabrynna returning to Hogwarts. Zabrynna knows her mum well enough to know that Margretta will argue with her over the summer just as much as always but she does appreciate the thought.
Taking a bite of tangerine ice, Zabrynna listens more closely to the WWN's announcer talking about Emrys' Fest. At least this year Zabrynna should be able to go. She'll have to see what plans for it Anne and Phillpa want to make. She'll also have to make other plans with them for the summer because she is NOT going to be sent away again. Not when it's her last summer before graduation. Zabrynna's going to spend it with her friends, her parents' wishes be damned.
His And Her Bludgers
Author: Coco Nutt
Date: 06-06-10 16:25
Coco's broom is perfectly still, for all of two seconds, while she stops to massage her shoulder of the arm she primarily bats with. Earlier in the week she'd strained it slightly. Not enough to warrant a visit to see the school nurse, but enough to feel the occassional twinge what with all the extra practice Ravenclaw's been putting in for today's championship match to determine who wins the coveted House Cup. That two second pause gave Coco time to assess where both bludgers are in respect to the other players. With Ella and Blake out of the match, Fritz and she don't have to fight for first dibs on the hard, black balls. While that's nice, Coco is very aware that simply because Gryffindor is down its Beaters does not mean Fritz and she have free reign to do some real damage to Gryffindor. It means Fritz and she can better use the bludgers both defensively and offensively. Some might argue that it means Beaters have the liberty to deliberately take out one opposing Chaser after another, the Keeper, and the other team's Seeker.
In Coco's opinion, that's poor sportsmanship.
If another Gryffindor is removed from the match due to injury, it will be because that is the nature of the game and not because she's set out to purposely hurt the other player badly enough to be sent down.
Deccelerating as she approaches one of the bludgers, Coco takes her time in lining up the hit, sending it into Charisma's path as the Gryffindor Seeker attempts to beat Christopher to the snitch that both spotted a little bit ago and have been chasing after since. Charisma has four choices: speed up, slow down, dodge, come to a stop.
From the looks of it at the moment, Charisma's got her broom at maximum velocity so speeding up is not an option.
If she dodges, even that slight move puts a little more distance between Christopher and her.
Slowing down or completely stopping ensure she's further behind Christopher and therefore further from the snitch.
Dodging is the best option with the least loss of distance and time and is the option Charisma choosing, shooting Coco sarcastic look of thanks as she manuevers the dodge. Coco tips fingers in a salute and is already in motion to intercept that same bludger.
Elsewhere in the pitch, Fritz is set to bat the bludger that Coco and he can now think of as basically his for the remainder of the match. Marjani's got the quaffle and Fritz wants to do something about that. Fritz sends the bludger on an intercept and it hits Marjani on the upper arm and shoulder. She doesn't lose her hold on the quaffle but it does have her automatically slowing as she does a quick assessment. Fritz speedily reaches his bludger and moves to target Marjani once more. He doesn't hit the bludger with a great amount of force as the ball doesn't have all that far to go to reach the Gryffindor Chaser, but there's still a resounding crack from the bat.
When they'd been hovering waiting for the match to resume during the time Ella Harville was being seen to, Fritz and Coco had spent the time out talking remaining game strategy. During that short period, Fritz expressed his concern about the hairline crack his bad has sustained a little earlier in the game. Hearing the reverberating crack, Coco looks over from where she's catching up with her own bludger to harass Charisma even more, worried that she'll see Fritz with his back totally shattered.
To her relief, the bat is still intact but she can tell by the way Fritz is frowning and turning his bat this way and that to study it that the bat is even more damaged. At least if his bat goes entirely, he can use his broom tail to swat his bludger. It's not as effective and is lacking in how well the bludger can be aimed, but it's better than nothing.
Her bludger heading into Charisma's path again, Coco darts over to be on the other side to be ready to swat it right back once it's crossed over.
Let's Get This Over With Already
Author: Christopher Chant
Date: 06-06-10 18:40
Losing sight of the snitch that had been so tantalizingly close and at a time when Charisma has fallen back, due in part to her nearly falling and after that to Coco swatting a bludger back and forth across Charisma's path. It's enough to make him want to cry. He badly wants to just curl into a fetal position and be left alone. Without having his temperature taken Christopher knows his fever is climbing higher and the chills are getting worse. His head feels as though it's going to explode and his throat is now raw from flying around so much with the wind whipping past and only the occassional stop for water, and that only usually when there's a time-out called, be it by one of the referees or by one of the team captains. At times, Christopher feels as though his throat is closing up and his neck is feeling tender.
Christopher has no idea what he's come down with. He doesn't think it's cold or flu because if it were either, wouldn't he also be congested? Maybe have a runny or stopped up nose, or a runny, stopped up nose? Maybe a cough?
He's got none of that.
He also doesn't have the snitch. Neither does Charisma. Under normal circumstances, Christopher would consider that reason to rejoice for as long as the other seeker doesn't have it, there's hope for him to get it.
This is not a normal circumstance.
An odd, crackling pop shatters through the sounds of cheering and air whistling past. With the snitch momentarily out of sight again, Christopher has no reason not to look and see what's happened. Just a very short time ago he'd heard a sort of cracking but couldn't chance looking away from the snitch to see what it was. What Christopher sees now when he looks is Fritz with something weird looking sticking out of his hand.
It takes Christopher a moment to understand that what he's seeing in Fritz's hand is what's left of the Ravenclaw beater's bat. His eyes go to the ground where there are bits of wood visible on the grass. Lots of bits. Wow, that's got to suck to have your bat shatter like that during a championship match.
Thinking maybe he missed hearing a whistle, Christopher looks around more, but the match is still being played with Etta trying to snatch the quaffle from Jack. He guesses that since it doesn't appear that Fritz is injured and the bat pieces are not currently posing a threat to Fritz or other players, the referees see no reason to halt the game yet again. Fritz is going to have to make do best he can.
Christopher looks back to where Fritz with a deep frown and a shrug is in the process of taking his wrist from the bat strap to drop what remains of the bat to the ground. No sense hanging onto it for the duration of the match when it does Fritz no good.
Christopher gets his broom moving forward again, his eyes still on Fritz. As he's about to turn away to see if he can spot that bloody annoying winged snitch, he spots the blasted thing. It's not two feet from him. All he has to do is gently coax his broom slightly over, sort of sneak up on the golden snitch then grab it.
As his fingers wrap around the snitch, the end of the match seems almost anti-climatic to Christopher. He hears the announcer jubilently proclaiming, "Chant has the snitch! With a final score of 170 to 20, Ravenclaw beats Gryffindor for the House Cup!"
Christopher doesn't want to be slapped on the back or grabbed or anything like that. He just wants to hand the snitch over to Coach Batuti and get up the castle where he can crawl in bed. Hopefully the celebration in the common room won't disturb him.
Instead of heading straight to the ground where others are already touching down, Christopher flies over to Coach Batuti to hand over the snitch. Now that he's not having to keep a stiff upper lip and a game face, the extent of his misery is written all over his face. There's also the fact that he's shivering. Even through his gloves, Coach Batuti can feel the heat radiating off Christopher's hand when she takes the snitch.
She reaches out and puts a hand on his forehead. "Poor dear, you've got a fever. Let's get you to see the nurse."
Christopher's parents are there and since he'd managed to avoid seeing them close up, face to face prior to the start of the match, they hadn't known themselves that their son was ill. They could tell as the game progressed that he was looking tired and possibly feeling blah but they had no idea just how ill he is. They help shield him from those wanting to congratulate Christopher on the win and escort him to see Madam Pomfrey in the hospital wing.
A short time after that he's in a bed away from Blake and Ella and some first or second year, being made to drink a vile tasting potion, and told that he definitely has tonsillitis and may also have strep throat. If it's strep, then there's a chance he's contagious. Madam Pomfrey needs to confirm that and if he is, the one of the last thing he's cognizant of her saying before the effects of the potion and his fever put him to sleep is that she'll likely need to have all the students take doses of one of the treatments as a preventative measure so that the school isn't dealing with widespread strep throat just as OWLs, NEWTs, and final examinations are upon them.