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First Few Minutes Of The Match (Marjani)
Author: Viktor Krum 
Date:   08-01-11 15:18

A very short time ago the Hogwarts team had taken to the pitch, announced after the Salem team as Hogwarts had won a knut toss for home team status. For this match mainly that just meant being announced second and on the scoreboard, on the side where Beauxbatons's score would be displayed, it's Hogwarts's today. Salem came into this match knowing it's the only team to have a win against Hogwarts in the tournament. Hogwarts came into the match knowing that the team had not been outplayed by Salem. Hogwarts did, afterall, score more goals against Salem. Hogwarts lost because with the aid of a well placed bludger literally knocking Christpher Chant off his broom, the other team was able to outrace Hogwarts for the snitch.

Starting for Salem today are Danny Wignall as keeper, John Nelson, Sarah Whitfield, and Charles Hathorne as chasers, Ian Whitfield and Zelda Piccoli as beaters, and Rhea Flint as seeker.

For Hogwarts it's Gus Van Tassel in as keeper, Basil Wynbourne and Jade Hunter as the beaters, Charisma Stone as seeker, and Wiggy Hoddfuffer, Etta Wynbourne, and Marjani Batuti as the chasers.

At the start of the match, after the team captains had shaken hands and promised to play a fair game, the various balls have been released with Charles Hathorne grabbing the quaffle first. His initial victory was very short lived because not even a full second had passed when Wiggy snatched it from him and took off at top speed. Though tall and muscular Wiggy knows how to pull himself in on his broom to cut wind resistance, which in turn allows him to fly even faster than his already quick speed. Marjani actually passes him though on her way to where Danny Wignall is safeguarding hoops because she flies a straight course whereas Wiggy's zig zagging with Salem chasers to contend with and a bludger from Zelda Piccoli to avoid.

Marjani spins her broom around, open and ready to take a pass. Seeing her, Wiggy hurls the quaffle in a hard throw to help get it the distance to her. Majani catches it then spurs her broom into motion again, turning sharply back in the direction of Danny only to have to suddenly pull up short when Jade goes zipping across her breath with a loud, "SORRY!" her eyes on the bludger she's going after.

Marjani acclerates again, instinctively ducking when she has that distinctive whistling scream of a bludger nearing from somewhere just off to her right and behing at an angle. It sails past her with plenty of room to spare but she's still glad she ducked. Seeing Etta is open, Marjani calls her name then passes the ball.

Sarah Whitfield tries to intercept but jerks back to avoid a bludger from Basil. While Marjani has never personally cared much for Basil Wynbourne and knows for a fact how much disdain he has for his cousin Etta, she has grudgingly admire the fact that while on the same team as Etta, he's done well to keep his feelings about her from interfering with his game play, be it in practice or a match. When the tournament is over, unless the students are thrown another curve in how Quidditch will be next term and if Etta and Basil both make their house teams, her in Gryffindor and him in Slytherin, Marjani has no doubt that the first match in fall, which is almost always a Gryffindor-Slytherin game, will have Basil back enthusiastically hitting bludger after bludger at Etta.

Etta had tucked the quaffle against her torso, driving in now for a goal attempt on Danny. He catches it midflight then tosses it to John Nelson. With Salem now in possession the main of the game's action begins a sprint to the other end of the pitch where Gus Van Tassel awaits.

Basil and Etta In The Match
Author: Jared 
Date:   08-01-11 16:23

Going for a bludger to bat at current quaffle holder John Nelson, Basil nearly gets in a shoving match with Ian Whitfield. They converge on the same bludger, coming in at different angles with paths that would cross if they each kept going in a straight line. Paths that have them slowing at roughly the same time and roughly the same speed in preparation to the approach on the quaffle. They ended up shoulder ot shoulder. Ian was to the left of Basil and as both are right handed, this meant that Ian was jostling Basil to move, pushing at him with his bat trying to get clearance to safely swing the thing. Basil was having none of that. He had plenty of room to swing his bat and the angle was perfect from his position for a clear shot at John.

Ian had been on the verge of getting truly aggressive, which would have had Basil matching him and possibly outdoing him. The other beater only calmed and back down when noticing that referee Mary Benaki was sternly glaring at him, her whistle between her lips at the ready to blow at the first sign of a foul or fight or other unsportsmanlike behavior.

Feeling somewhat smug at having won that little tiff without having to show John just what he can be capable of when push comes to shove, which would have possibly earned him a quick boot from the match, Basil followed through on a swing with a lot of energy behind it. He was even more satisfied when John was slow to react for some reason in going after it. If it had been Basil, he would have already been flying forward with the intention of intercepting it with a redircting hit.

The bludger had taken John from the side. It wasn't a horrible hit but any full on bludger hit carries a nice sting iwth it. Although not a bad hit from the standpoint of the person being struck, the bludger did have the effect of allowing Etta to swoop in and steal the quaffle. That it was Etta gaining the quaffle had a small sneer on Basil's lips but much as he has no use for the twit at least the ball is back in the possession of Hogwarts. From her his eyes flicked to the location of one bludger and then the other. Picking one of them to go after, Basil zipped away, his thoughts on much better things that his insipid cousin.

With quaffle firmly in hand, Etta angles her broom, curving around to fly back the other way. She soon passes to Wiggy and together they work it further down pitch with Marjani running interference for them with the help of beaters Basil and Jade. Etta's just taken a pass back from Wiggy when Sarah Whitfield comes up between them, her timing slightly off if her intention had been to get there with the quaffle in mid pass. Sarah edges closer to Etta so Etta simply makes a forward pass to Marjani.

Marjani dashes ahead, flying an arc around beater Zelda Piccoli then swerving around Salem keeper Rhea Flint. The way Rhea's flying has Etta thinking that like a number of seekers, Rhea has a set search pattern in her head rather than just flying randomly all over the pitch.

Marjani makes a pass to Wiggy and none too soon as a bludger smacks her hard in one shoulder. Etta flies around two of the Salem chasers to try and get into a better position in relation to Wiggy should he need or want to pass. Charles Hathorne gets in the way though, making something of a pest of himself and making it nearly impossible to be of any assistance to Wiggy. That is until Jade pops Charlies with a bludger that slows him long enough for Etta to get clear of him.

Wiggy does go for a pass but just as the quaffle leaves his hand John Nelson practically flies right into it. The quaffle back in Salem hands now, once again the chasers begin moving the other direction along the pitch.

Having A Grand Time (Jade)
Author: Emerald Green 
Date:   08-01-11 17:48

Since the team's arrival in France on Wednesday Jade has been having a grand time. Being on the Quidditch team, while hard work to maintain her position since not only is she a first year but a scrawny girl at that one and hefting around a weighty bat, has been so great. Because of making the team at a time Hogwarts was participating in a multi-country tournament has meant getting to see some totally cool places. This trip has been no different and for the three Greens, getting to see Château d'If had been awesome and would have only been better if Emmie had been with them. Château d'If is an integral part of the Alexander Dumas novel The Count of Monte Cristo, which had been one of their mother's absolutely most favorite books. She'd often talked about the family taking a trip to the south of France with Château d'If on the itinerary and had hinted that they'd take such a trip in the summer of 2001. That was in the spring of 2000 only weeks before she was killed in a traffic accident. Going to Château d'If without her had been a little bittersweet to be sure but mostly it was wonderful and they'd taken tons of pictures to commemorate it, vowing to visit again when Emmie could come with them.

As with the other IQT trips, this one passes far to quickly. To Jade it hardly seems like they'd only just arrived but here they are a half hour to forty-five minutes into the championship match. The game has been fast paced with lots of action and too many goal attempts to count so so far none have cleared any of the hoops to score. The most recent of these attempts was only a minute ago, made by Wiggy but was blocked by Wignall. Etta caught the rebound but so far since getting a solid grip on the quaffle hasn't been able to get a clear shot off.

Jade hopes to help as she approaches one of the bludgers, waiting until she's slowing and manuerving into the position from which she wants to hit it before cocking her bat back in preparation of swinging. Based on the feel of her bat against the bludger and the sound the connection makes, Jade knows without having actually seen the hit that it's a good one. Her target is opposing chaser Hathorne who has managed to put himself in front of Etta in a way that is making it hard for her get a clear eyeline on any of the hoops.

Much to Jade's happiness the bludger hits Hathorne just as she'd hope, square in the back and with enough force that he bends over the handle of his broom. Etta quickly fires off the quaffle only to have Wignall annoyingly block with a swat off the palm of his hand. Nelson has the rebound, flying a jagged course to get around the bunching of players around the hoops.

Jade checks where the bludger she just hit is, spots the other and goes after it instead. It's a little closer plus Basil and Piccoli are both going for that one she just hit. Whitfield, Ian not Sarah, is far enough away from this other that she knows she'll get to it first. Keeping an eye on the bludger Jade also checks the chaser action, which is a good thing because by the time she gets to the bludger - why can't they be two different colors? she briefly wonders - the other Whitfield, Sarah, has the quaffle after taking a hand-off from Nelson. Sending the bludger on target to hit Sarah Whitfield, Jade immediately arcs her broom to slightly change directions and accelerates to get to the other bludger now that it's been hit by Basil, knocking into Charles Hathorne.

Lining up her bat on the approach, Jade gives that bludger a whacking too wallop, turning for a few seconds to watch it on its way before manuevering her broom around again to see if the second bludger is free for the moment. It's not so she follows the one she just hit, ready to smack it again after it's hopefully hit Hawthorne.

Thrill Of The Match (Wiggy)
Author: Phinfilius 
Date:   08-01-11 18:36

Just before being hit but a bludger from Jade Green, Sarah Whitfield got the quaffle off to John Nelson who accelerates away, driving in towards Gus Van Tassel. There's still some distance to go though. Wiggy races to get even with John then increasing speed even more pulls ahead then without warning cuts across in front of John. With no time to dive or climb, John has to both slow and swerve. As he's swerving, Marjani darts in to grab the quaffle.

She whips around going the other way, Etta moving to flank her. A bludger is coming in on Marjani's unprotected side but Basil gets there in time to stop it. By then Wiggy is there and the three Hogwarts chasers pass the quaffle back and forth between them, keeping it moving as they work down the pitch, making it hard for a Salem beater to know which of them to hit, though any of them would do really, and making it harder for a Salem chaser to get in a steal. The formation they are flying also makes it difficult for someone to intercept. They make it a fair way along the pitch in this manner until Zelda Piccoli decides she doesn't care who has the quaffle, she's going to hit one of them with a bludger and break their rhythm.

It's Wiggy taking the hit and it comes just as he's accepting a pass. Because of the way he's hit on his exposed upper thigh, he pushes just enough towards the other side that his catching is thrown off balance. The quaffle ends up flopping out of his hand and dropping free.

It's Sarah Whitfield who snatches up the ball. Wiggy would swear if asked that in that moment she let loose a gleeful laugh. She might have and, really, who could blame her? Thrill of the match. A stumble by the opposition. Being the one to make the most of the error. Yeah, he might laugh too and given that the match is early yet, who knows, by the time he's out of the game, he might have let loose a gleeful chuckle or two. Merlin knows he often feels like it when in the middle of the action and something goes well for his team.

Salem is able to get the quaffle all the way down to Gus, with Charles Hathorne with the quaffle to make a scoring attempt. His effort falls just short of the hoop, though Gus had the block anyway. Sarah has the rebound but passes off to John Nelson, who hurls the quaffle at the centermost ring. Again Gus blocks, with the quaffle going straight back to John. He tries again but is once more rebuffed. It's Etta this time with the rebound. She sends the quaffle on to Marjani who throws to Wiggy who tears away, once more flying away from Gus and towards Danny Wignall, quaffle tightly in his grip.

(Gus) In Your Dreams
Author: Johanna Steele 
Date:   08-02-11 01:47

The hate Gus felt towards the Salem’s chase John Nelson was bigger than everything else. He still remembered how that boy with a goblin face managed to score a few times in the last mach and he just wished Basil or Jade would hit his face with a bludger to erase the smug smile in John’s face.

But Gus also wanted Hogwarts to win. For the past few days he had been picturing what would be like to be the winner of the tournament. Probably he would be able to play for Slytherin next year and he knew there would be a bunch of girls eager to help him with his homework. Being a quidditch player had enormous advantages. But Gus knew it also sucked when it came to lose the game. There was an enormous pressure and the practices with Coach Batuti were intensive and pretty tiring.

Gus went back to reality when he saw John Nelson approaching with the quaffle. He shot, but Gus made a defense with ease. ‘In your dreams, Nelson’, he thought, throwing the quaffle to Marjani. She flew far away from the Hogwarts’ hoops and the other chasers had a hard time following her because she was flying very fast. Finally she slowed down a bit and tossed the quaffle to Wiggy who caught it with ease.

For a long time the quaffle was possessed only by the Hogwarts chasers and it was getting hard for the Salem players, even the beaters, to break that. But it finally happened when Etta tried to score but Charles Hathorne intercepted the quaffle passing it right away to Sarah Whitfield who flew towards the opposite direction.

She left the quaffle fall due to a bludger sent by Jade but John Nelson managed to catch it before Marjani and soon he was facing Gus again. Gus focused knowing he would die if John, with his ugly goblin face scored and he knew he wasn’t going to let that happen. But instead of trying to score John passed the quaffle back to Sarah and she was the one who shot the quaffle towards the left hoop.

Gus was paying attention and so he made a very good defense that made the Hogwarts’ supporters clap their hands. Smiling he threw the quaffle to Etta and the match continued.

Up and Down, Round and Round
Author: Charisma Stone 
Date:   08-02-11 14:02

This final, championship, match of the IQT was nothing less than action packed. Just like the previous matches, being back in France was wonderful for Isma and Blake, they'd love the sightseeing tours that they'd been on with the Salem team and enjoyed being back at Beauxbaton's and seeing the French team again. However, all too soon the fun ended and the Quidditch began. Isma was in the starting line up for this Championship game as Seeker along with Gus Van Tassel, Marjani Batuti, Etta Wynbourne, Wiggy Hodfuffer, Basil Wynbourne and Jade Green.

No one had scored yet, but that didn't mean that it couldn't happen at any point in time by either side. At the moment Isma was perched high above the pitch hunting for that glimmering golden ball. She was at the Salem side of the pitch, hovering near the hoops guarded by Danny Wignall, while the Salem Seeker, Rhea Flint was hovering somewhere about mid pitch about half a dozen feet lower than Isma. It was already about an hour into the match, and Isma was about ready to settle into her grid search when a scream of celebration rose up from the Salem side of the pitch.

Gus had missed blocking a shot from Salem Chaser Sarah Whitfield who had accepted the pass from John Nelson moments before. This put the Salem team up by ten points, leaving Hogwarts with a big, fat goose-egg as far as points went. At the moment the Quaffle was currently being ushered back up the pitch toward the Salem hoops, and Isma missed the ultimate pass that had resulted in cheers rising from the Hogwarts side of the pitch moments later, however from the looks of things it had come from a well timed throw by Marjani who was at this moment chasing behind the trio of Salem chasers who were now deftly passing the quaffle.

Isma shifted her gaze over the pitch continuing to look for the ever ellusive glimmering golden ball. "Where in the bloody hell is it?" She muttered to herself, sliding a gloved hand through her hair after a moment, before turning her attention briefly down to the match.

Basil and Ian had collided being unable to alter their courses in going for the same bludger which had ultimately been hit by Basil's bat in the end and lobbed helter-skelter toward the Salem chasers who deftly were able to dodge it. However, chaser John Nelson was unable to avoid the return strike of the bludger by Jade Green, who nicked his arm which held the quaffle.

Once again the Quaffle was in Hogwarts possession when Wiggy snatched it up after John dropped it and was racing toward the Salem hoops still guarded by Keeper Danny.

In The Match (Deak)
Author: Kody 
Date:   08-02-11 16:30

OOC: Charisma has Zelda Piccoli subbing for Ian Whitfield but as Zelda was already in the match as a starter, I'm making the substitution be Marshall Standish.

"Deak, go in for Etta," Coach Batuti instructs after motioning him over to her.

The signal is made for a substitution and as Deak and Etta pass each other, they high five, though both would have loved playing at least a little of the match together. That could still happen since Etta isn't leaving injured and hopefully Deak won't be forced to exit because of broken bones, concussion, damaged broom, or something else equally bad.

There had been a foul just seconds before, on Wiggy by John Nelson, it wasn't one for which there's a penalty shot awarded. Wiggy's handed the quaffle by referee Tsunimi Watachi who puts it back into play with a throw to Deak. Deak in turn passes it further along to Marjani. Sarah Whitfield tries to intercept but her positioning her off.

Deak spurs his broom to pick up speed, arcing around a beater in the process then straighening out to shoot forward in a relatively straight line. Wiggy has just taken a hand off from Marjani and is also pouring on the speed, decreasing the distance between him and Danny Wignall, the Salem keeper. Deak catches up to then passes Charles Hathorne, shooting up on Charles's right, putting Deak between Charles and Wiggy.

With Deak there now, Wiggy passes off to him just as he takes a bludger to the back of his shoulder. The way the bludger bounces off Wiggy, Deak ends up having to scoot forward quickly while leaning to one side to avoid also getting knocked about. He's barely straighened up when Sarah Whitfield, somewhat aggressively moves in for a steal. Deak jerks away from her and increases his speed even more. Sarah sticks on his tail though, following him as he makes a long arc around three other players.

Sarah finally does get the quaffle from Deak but only because Marshall Standish, who'd come into the match for Salem shortly before Deak entered, gets him with a solid smack of a bludger directly in the middle of his back. It knocks the breath from him and as Deak took that first second or two to struggle breathing properly again, Sarah snuck in and grabbed the quaffle away. Deak, his back burning smartly and eyes watering somewhat from the force of the blow, is slow to react for a couple more seconds - which can make a huge difference in many sports - then whips his broom around to give chase, determined to take the quaffle right back.

Greens Going In (Hunter & Olive)
Author: Emerald Green 
Date:   08-02-11 17:57

Salem calls a time-out and one of the first things Coach Batuti does when the Hogwarts players group around her to conference is to tell them she's putting Hunter in as keeper and Olive in as chaser with Gus and Marjani coming out. When the time-out is over, Hunter springs on his broom and sprints to get into position. As he settles into a good watching and waiting pose in front of the three rings, he wonders what Quidditch will be like his second year at Hogwarts. Will it be house teams again? If so, will he make it? Will he want to try for keeper again or something else? Jade LOVES being a beater so he can't see her trying for anything else. Thinking of his twin, Hunter looks around for her on the pitch and wonders if he'll want to be on a house team that will be in opposition against hers. Looking to the other Green sister on the pitch, Hunter doesn't wonder the same about playing against Olive. It would be nice to be on the same team to be sure but between the age difference and his bond with his twin, Hunter doesn't have the same qualms about having to play on a team against Olive as he does with Jade.

Before the time-out Salem had had the quaffle so of course when the time out ended, possession went back to them. During the time-out Salem made some changes to its line-up as well. Bearing down on him with the quaffle is Irma Lassister, coming in for John Nelson. Just out of decent goal range Irma passes to Ross Trescott who'd taken Charles Hathorne's place.

Ross tries some fancy manuevering on his broom, trying to confuse Hunter but when he finally actually shoots the quaffle, Hunter easily blocks much to Ross's chagrin. Hunter had caught it so now, a flash of as smirk in Ross's direction, he hands off to Deak. Deak throws to Olive who passes it further along to Wiggy. Hunter sits back on his broom to enjoy the sight of the Hogwarts chasers working the quaffle towards center of the pitch.

That changes very quickly though when Irma snatches the quaffle mid-pass, immediately getting rid of it with a throw to Sarah Whitfield. Sarah makes a mad drive towards Hunter, not slowing as she sharply steers her broom around in a curve and throws the quaffle. He nearly doesn't get it in time but his fingers grazing along it are just enough to alter the ball's course. It sails harmlessly between two of the hoops instead of going through one of them.

It's Olive who takes the quaffle then. She nods at Deak and Wiggy, letting Deak know she caught the signal he gave for a certain formation and play. She throws to Wiggy then hastens to get into the formation position, Deak and Olive flank Wiggy so closely that each is touching legs with him. Together they barrel down the pitch, Olive and Deak acting as barriers for Wiggy to any bludgers coming in from the sides. Mark and Jade are doing what they can to help protect Wiggy's rear and front.

Still, a bludger does get through, coming straight on so Wiggy dips down to avoid it. Deak pulls his broom a little to one side. Olive just keeps going straight as she knows the bludger won't hit her. Wiggy calls her name and the quaffle pops up into view from below. She grabs for it, pulls it against her and shoots away, eeking out even more speed from her broom. Ross gets right up on her, almost as close as she'd been to Wiggy a moment ago. He's looking for any opening she might give for him to reach over and take the quaffle from her.

Deak is on her other side now and open, so with a mock sweet smile aimed at Ross, she throws the quaffle to Deak. By this time they are not all that distant from keeper Danny Wignall so Deak tries for a goal. The ball goes across to Olive's and Deak's left but Danny throws himself at it, cleanly blocking. It's Irma on the rebound so Olive veers around in a wide arc that puts her next to Irma, heading back the other way.

(Mark) Something's Up
Author: Isolde 
Date:   08-02-11 18:46

Since entering the match, Mark had had surprisingly little game play. It was unusual because as a beater he was typically in the thick of things, launching attacks at the opposing team or protecting members of his own. He really wasn't sure what the problem was.

Any time he headed after one of the black balls, one of the other beaters got to it first. Whenever one of his teammates needed protection, it was Jade to the rescue, if anybody at all could get there in time.

Mark didn't feel under the weather, so he couldn't blame his sluggishness on an illness. It wasn't even an unpleasant day in southern France, so he couldn't fault bad weather like freezing temperatures or a rainstorm either.

The only thing Mark could think of was his broomstick. It hadn't looked out of the ordinary when he'd grabbed it before the match, but then he'd not studied it all that closely either. It also didn't feel much differently than usual.

Now with the Salemites in possession of the quaffle, Mark tried his best to do what needed to be done to overturn the red ball. He spotted a bludger not too far away and moved toward it, but once again, Marshall reached it before Mark could. He scowled in frustration. Just what was going on?!

Marshall aimed for Olive, who was trying her damnedest to steal the ball from Irma. Luckily, Olive swerved away from the bludger before it could meet its target. Mark, meanwhile, adjusted his flight path for the other bludger. By some miracle, he actually got to it, but that might mainly have been because it had been headed more or less his way.

Mark gave it a hard whack in Irma's direction, but Zelda got in the way and batted it at Olive. Olive rolled away from the bludger once again.

Mark went after Zelda's ball, but Jade, perhaps not noticing Mark's intentions, batted it at Sarah, who'd just accepted Irma's pass. The bludger struck Sarah on the shoulder blade, but not before she launched the quaffle longhand to Ross. Ross tucked it securely against his body and took off like a shot.

Mark didn't like the look of his determination and did the only thing he thought he could do to help. He flagged down one of the referees and said, "I think there's something wrong with my broom."

Jason Evers, the head official, put his whistle to his lips and blew hard, calling for a time out.

Ross looked a little peeved. Mark felt a bit good about that, at least.

Jason had Mark leave the match, which wasn't his intention, but oh well. Mark touched down on the platform, with Coach Batuti sending in Caerwyn Valentine in his place.

Turning over his broomstick in his hands, Mark made a discovery both surprising and unsurprising. His broomstick had a hairline fracture practically the whole length of its shaft. If not for really scrutinizing the wood, Mark might not have really noticed it. How strange that such a small crack could hinder his flying, though!

Referee Evers blew on his whistle again, resuming the match.

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