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Hoping The Match Lasts Several More Hours (Mason)
Author: Pyrrhus
Date: 07-10-16 13:23
The score still stands at thirty to zero and has for awhile now. Mason is fine with that as the thirty is in Slytherin's favor. He's also fine with neither seeker locating the snitch anytime soon. There are two reasons for that. The first is this is Mason's last official Quidditch match at Hogwarts. Anything else is just for fun but who'll have time for much fun and goofing off with NEWTs starting in nine days?
NEWTs are the second reason he hopes this match lasts a few more hours. At some point today he needs to get in some study time. Studying is how Mason and many seventh years will be spending the bulk of their free time this next week. Fifth years too because they have OWLs starting the same day as the NEWTs.
There are moments when Mason finds it difficult to accept that he's been at Hogwarts almost seven full years and that he's known of the Wizarding World only a relatively short time before beginning Hogwarts.
A bludger cutting across his path jolts him. He never saw or heard it until it was right there, practically scraping across the tip of his broom handle. Can only have come from Conrad as Tessa's out of the match and though Mason supposes she could return at any moment that seems unlikely. Hufflepuff has a slightly more difficult time of it now but not as much as if one of the chasers, Glori the keeper, or Sophie the seeker were forced by injury from the match.
Mason swerves to avoid the other bludger and Baron in the process of swinging his bat. Belinda currently has the quaffle, passed by Mason to her a second before that bludger crossed in front of him. Belinda weaves around Jasper then Duncan, closing in on Glori.
It might be Mason's imagination but Glori's mouth seems tighter than just from concentrating on what Belinda is doing with the quaffle. There's also a whiteness to her face that seems whiter because of blotches of red on her cheeks. The Hufflepuff keeper shows no hesitation in hurling herself sideways, arms outstretch to block Belinda's shot though Mason would swear the red spots get redder and the whiteness of her face and around her lips, and the tightness of her lips get whiter and tighter.
Malden swoops up the quaffle only to have Conrad catch him with a bludger. Mason tries to zoom in to assist but Marlow and Duncan get in his way. The closer in to the hoops the chasers get, the harder maneuvering around others can become. This is definitely one of those times.
Malden scrabbles to retain his hold on the quaffle as Marlow makes an effort to steal. He succeeds but his goal shot ends up going wide. It passes between between two of the hoops instead of through one of them. Mason scurries to get there first on retrieval but Jasper beats him to it.
As Hufflepuff starts working the quaffle back to Boris's end of the pitch, Mason tries to get between Jasper and Marlow to stymie any pass attempt while also casting about to see what the seekers are up to, hoping again that neither sees the snitch anytime soon.
(Duncan) Frustration
Author: Briar Rose
Date: 07-10-16 17:16
In the stands Rand asks, "If Hufflepuff wins today but don't have the points to go past Slytherin's total does Hufflepuff win the cup or does Slytherin?"
Oliver gives a "don't look at me, I'm new to all this" expression with shrug. Grace purses her lips in thought then also shrugs. "I'm not sure."
Over the pitch, scrambling for the quaffle, which is in freefall, Duncan has thought about that question a few times. He wishes he thought to ask before the match began. Now, he'll have to wait until after though if Slytherin keeps scoring goals while Boris keeps stopping Hufflepuff's goal efforts then it won't matter if Hufflepuff gets the snitch. Slytherin will win on goals alone.
Expelling a breath in frustration when Malden uses a hand to bat the quaffle from Duncan's reach, he does admit to himself that a 30 point lead isn't enough to worry whether the game will be won on goal points or not.
Malden had swatted the quaffle in Mason's direction but to Duncan's delight it's Jasper who takes possession by diving in front of Mason, nearly avoiding a collision. Jasper lobs the ball to Marlow who accelerates away, Belinda right beside her, watching for even the smallest opportunity to steal.
Duncan arcs around them, pulling ahead, putting himself in a good position to accept a pass. Seconds later he does just that when Belinda's pestering has Marlow flinging the quaffle at him. It's not the best of throws but Duncan's able to catch it without a problem only to take a bludger to the leg. The bludger hit isn't enough to cause him to fumble or drop the ball nor does it give Malden an opening to grab the quaffle away.
Nearing Boris, Duncan speedily decides which of the three hoops to aim for, shooting the quaffle off before he has time to truly think about it and change his mind. His breath catches when it looks like Boris is going to miss the block only to them loudly exhale in frustration when Boris somehow stretches himself another few inches, fingers curling around the quaffle to shove the ball away. Even more frustrating, it's Belinda who catches it.
Bringing his broom about, Duncan starts down the pitch again for who knows how many times so far this match.
No Luck
Author: Sophie McCourt
Date: 07-11-16 15:08
This time Sophie opted for ignoring Belinda. She had to convince herself that her sister was just another player no different than the rest. She just had to play her own game and the only person she had to beat was Sylvestor. Last time she was not able to do so, and yet the Hufflepuff team was able to qualify to the Championship Match.
So far neither of the seekers had spotted the snitch. On the other hand, Slytherin was leading by thirty to nothing. Sophie just hoped the Slytherin chasers would stop scoring. What if she caught the snitch, but the points would not be enough to cover the ones they had made during the match?
She circled the pitch for a while and then she decided to change strategy. She started following Sylvestor, almost as if she was his shadow. Most of the time she disliked this sort of move, but this was the Championship Match and so Sophie felt like she had a good excuse for doing this. She started to feel Sylvestor's irritation when he started to fly in an erratic way, sometimes speeding up, others turning to one side and then a moment later to another one, to see if he could drive Sophie away. Finally, he succeeded but only because Sophie spotted the snitch. She saw the glint of gold on her left, and she speeded up, her eyes searching for it. She sighted the snitch and she flew at full speed. Soon Sylvestor was closer to her.
The snitch turned the right, getting closer to the people watching the game. Sophie could hear them cheering so loud, that for a moment she thought she was getting deaf. She stretched her arm. Sylvestor did the same. None of them reached the snitch. Instead their hands bumped into each other. When Sophie looked to the front, the snitch was gone. This didn't seem to be her lucky day again!
She decided to go on a separate way from the Slytherin seeker. Once she had some space between Sylvestor, Sophie stopped her broom in the air, and rubbed her hand. Her eyes kept moving in search of the snitch.
Last Match For More Than The Seventh Years (Jasper & Marlow)
Author: Aaron Miller
Date: 07-11-16 17:40
Jasper rolls out of the way of an oncoming bludger, veers around Belinda then passes the quaffle to Duncan. Grabby Malden comes close to intercepting but Duncan's able to get the quaffle before the Slytherin does. Duncan shoots forward, avoiding Conrad going after a bludger.
Jasper wonders how Tessa is then looks back towards Glori. It's obvious by now that something isn't quite right with her but whatever it is Glori is doing a bloody wonderful job of masking it.
Duncan calls Jasper's name. He's being double teamed by Malden and Mason. Jasper flies in between Mason and Duncan, forcing Mason to move over some or risk a side on collision. Pouring on more speed, Duncan decreases the distance to Boris and the Slytherin tended hoops, Jasper keeping pace.
Just as they reach optimal goal attempt range a well targeted bludger from Asher knocks the quaffle from Duncan's hands. There's a near free-for-all as the chasers converge, jockeying and jostling to be the one to seize the red ball. Much to the chagrin of the three Hufflepuff chasers it's Malden who pulls away with the quaffle clutched in one hand.
Jasper is nearest, reaching out to steal the ball away only to jerk back as Baron sends a bludger between them. Malden weaves around others as he makes his way across the pitch. About the time it looks like he's carrying the quaffle the entire way he passes to Belinda.
Belinda closes in on Glori who's alert and ready though Jasper thinks there's pain in her eyes. Since realizing she's got something going on they've not had a timeout, which would have allowed him to ask her what's wrong.
Belinda throws with enough spin and curve on the ball that at first it looks like it's going straight toward the center hoop but ends up heading to the one on her left. Despite this, Glori not only stops the ball but outright catches it. She hands it to Jasper, who wants to ask the question but now isn't exactly the time for that.
Jasper tosses the ball to Marlow who flies off, gathering speed as she goes. Circumventing a bludger Marlow then has to dodge Sylvestor who's strayed into her path without realizing she's almost upon him. Smash up avoided Marlow looks for Duncan to pass but Malden is currently in a position that would make a successful pass to him unlikely. The same is true of Jasper at the moment because of both Mason and Belinda.
Marlow continues on, Belinda breaking off from Jasper to harass her. Staving off Belinda's efforts to snatch the quaffle from her, Marlow draws near to Boris. Eyeing the rightmost hoop she launches the quaffle. Boris has the block. Marlow's prepared to scramble for the rebound but then, to her surprise, a bludger seems to come from out of nowhere. It connects with Boris and instead of the quaffle being slapped away from the hoop, it's propelled through it.
At last! It's only 10 points to Slytherin's 30 but at least if Sylvestor were to catch the snitch within a few seconds from now, Hufflepuff won't have been completely shut out. Of course, Marlow hopes they'll score even more goals and that Sophie will get the snitch but it is at least a start. And about bloody time!
As Boris hands off to Belinda Marlow turns to go back the other way. As she does, in that sweeping view she can see three of the seventh year players: Jasper, Mason, and Boris. Turning to fly down the pitch she can see the other seventh year player, Glori. They put her in mind of the other seventh year on a house team, Beatrix Vanderbilt. Marlow can't think of anyone else on the four teams who is set soon to finish their time at Hogwarts, moving on to other things, university or a job or doing nothing for awhile. She's heard them all talk about their last Hogwarts matches. Frankly, she's a little tired of it but not for the reason anyone would think.
Marlow is tired of the last matches talks because what they all fail to remember or realize since the announcement of next year's Scholastic Aptitude Tournament and its events is that for all the sixth years on the house teams, they've had their last official matches as well or are in the middle of it. The only Quidditch next term will be for fun. For Marlow and Baron this is their last official house match at Hogwarts. For Gryffindor's Hunter Green and Madoc McGonagall and Ravenclaw's Jade Green and Penny Puckett, official house matches have already ended.
Suddenly feeling a little sniffly and teary, Marlow swipes at her eyes and hustles to catch up with Mason who nows has the quaffle.
Blah [Sylvestor]
Author: Georgia Copperpot
Date: 07-11-16 20:52
Sylvestor flies along at a slow, some might say glacial, pace. He's starting to get disheartened. The only snitch sighting so far was made by Sophie. Sylvestor only got into the action after she was already after the winged ball.
On a plane below him Belinda passes the quaffle to Mason who gets hit by a bludger. Even without Willow's commentary Sylvestor knows the bludger was courtesy of Conrad. Tessa had to leave the match. He looks around at the stands as he flies, searching for faces, Tessa's included. She couldn't come back to the match but if she didn't have to stay long in the hospital wing she might be in the stands somewhere.
His looking to see if he spots Tessa and waving at his parents has Sylvestor being slow to absorb that Willow was saying the bludger caused the quaffle to pop loose from Mason's grasp. Marlow was near enough she was able to quickly dart in even closer and grab the quaffle away before Mason could firm his grip on the ball again.
The chasers aren't all that far from Boris. Marlow passes to Duncan who immediately lobs it in the direction of one of the hoops. Boris thumbs it away, straight into Jasper's arms. Jasper takes a second or two to set up a shot but it too is swatted away. This time Malden's got it.
As the fast paced action migrates down the pitch Sylvestor reaches a turn around spot. Moving even more slowly he cannot suppress a sigh. This is not how he pictured this match. He expected two, maybe three snitch sightings, or more if lucky, giving him (and Sophie) the thrill of the chase before a final sighting that would lead to actually catching the tiny ball. Ths ho-hum nothing, that one oh so brief sighting aside, has made for a somewhat dull match for him. Not every match has several snitch sightings but Sylvestor's never experienced what almost seems like a sense of boredom.
He wonders why that is. Regardless of who's seen the snitch how many times this should be an exciting match for him. Maybe he's coming down with something. Yeah, that's probably it. There's this blahness right now and by tonight he'll have something like full blown sniffles or heaving stomach or something.
Or, maybe he's grown tired of being a seeker. Next year he'll try out for something else while also trying for seeker again.
Oh.
Right.
No Quidditch for the 2010-2011 year.
That blows.
Then again, the broom racing events could be brilliant.
Tuning in to Willow again, Sylvestor speeds up though not by much. If he goes too fast he'll for certain miss that damned elusive snitch.
Widening The Lead (Baron)
Author: Phinfilius
Date: 07-12-16 07:55
Baron approached a bludger, noticing that Asher and Conrad are racing each other to get to the other one. Baron brings his bat back, swings, smacking it hard against the black ball. He tracks its trajectory as it sails through the air toward Marlow. She avoids it though only just barely.
As Marlow, who's got the quaffle, looks to pass to Jasper Baron goes after that same bludger. When he reaches it Jasper has the ball and is driving in towards the hoops. Boris stops the shot, using the flat of one hand to slap the quaffle away. Malden catches it, brings his broom about and accelerates away.
Baron sends the bludger in Duncan's direction as the Hufflepuff chaser moves in to shadow Malden. Conrad suddenly appears, inserting himself between the bludger and Duncan. Baron hadn't noticed Conrad because he thought the opposing beater was still competing with Ash for the second bludger, one of them getting to it with the other then causing interference.
Duncan tries to steal as Malden passes the quaffle to Belinda. Conrad redirects the bludger towards Belinda but the timing is just enough off that she avoids the hit. As she nears Glori Belinda throws but the goal attempt is stopped with a swat of Glori's broom tail.
Mason grabs the quaffle before Marlow is able. Baron tries to get in to assist Mason with a bludger but the bludger is in close enough to two of the chasers that he has to be careful. By the time he can manuever the shot, Mason's thrown the quaffle, Glori's rebuffed it, Marlow thought she had it only to have Belinda snatch it away, and angle into a better position to make another goal attempt.
This time the quaffle slips by Glori's outstretched fingers. Slytherin regains its 30 point lead. The score now stands at 40 to 10 as Baron finally gets off that bludger, this time aiming at Jasper.
(Ariella) Worried
Author: Beck
Date: 07-12-16 19:26
Ariella sat at the window in her living quarters and half-heartedly listened to the championship Quidditch match taking place at the Pitch. She and Lawrence both should have been excited for it, since their own former house was one of the teams vying for the Quidditch Cup. Ariella's heart wasn't in it, though, and Lawrence was gone.
He never showed up for their lunch meeting in Hogsmeade last weekend. Ariella couldn't help but worry when the minutes turned to hours––not when their infant daughter had been kidnapped in Hogsmeade and been missing for more than half a year. Had a similar fate befallen Lawrence?
By that evening, Ariella had contacted Anthony, her direct line to the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. She'd also spoken with Professor McGonagall about Lawrence's unexplained absence, though the Headmistress had been a bit preoccupied with other goings on at the time. Ariella had talked to the other teachers, too, in case any of them had seen Lawrence or knew where he might have gone. Nobody knew what happened.
Ariella went to Maggie's London flat that evening after talking to Anthony and Lawrence's coworkers. Maggie never answered the door, and when Ariella used the key Maggie gave her to enter, she found the flat completely empty except for a few articles of furniture, like a bed stripped of its sheets and a chest of drawers with nothing in them. Stunned, Ariella reported Maggie's absence to Anthony too in case it was related to Lawrence's missing persons case.
Ariella had a feeling that her husband's disappearance had something to do with his odd behavior lately. She wondered if he had gotten into some kind of trouble, but what could it be? She'd told the authorities everything she possibly could about him, which also meant sharing her concerns that he'd been hiding something from her, though she had no idea what.
Why would Maggie clear out of her flat without saying anything to Ariella? Why was Maggie's flat empty, whereas Lawrence's things were still in the Hogwarts quarters he shared with his wife and daughter? It seemed too coincidental for the half-siblings to have vanished without a trace, though the circumstances seemed so very different.
Ariella was at a complete and total loss. She was also really upset.
At least Karina seemed all right. She asked about Daddy but so far didn't seem too concerned that she hadn't seen him in an entire week. Ariella pretended as if he were just away and would be back any day now.
While Lawrence was away, Professor Grubbly-Plank filled in for his classes. The timing was actually quite terrible, since O.W.L.s and N.E.W.T.s were approaching. What could possibly be more stress-inducing than having one's professor disappear and a substitute fill in? At least Wilhelmina was well-regarded by the other professors and well-liked by most students.
Ariella hoped Lawrence would return soon, for the sake of his family and his students. She counted her blessings everyday that she had gotten Karina back safe and sound. Maybe she would be as lucky the second time around, too.
Victory Yet Not
Author: Viktor Krum
Date: 07-12-16 21:08
Viktor blows his whistle when the quaffle gets sent out of bounds when Mason's catching of the ball is hindered by a bludger to the shoulder. The quaffle goes right on past him, passing between two of the stands. After retrieving the ball Viktor gives it to Mason. With a pass from Mason to Belinda the game is once again in motion.
The Slytherin chasers only get to around the midpitch mark when Duncan intercepts a pass. Marlow, Jasper, and he quickly move the quaffle back where keeper Boris awaits to stymie whatever they throw his way. Jasper has the quaffle when they reach Boris but rather than taking a shot he passes back to Duncan. Duncan flies straight at the center hoop but throws the quaffle to the one on his left. Boris is fooled but not long enough that he's unable to block the ball.
Malden snags the quaffle and takes off for the other end of the pitch just as Willow excitedly announces, "Trainor has sighted the snitch!"
The chaser action doesn't slow. None of them stop to see what's going on with Sylvestor or with Sophie. They know all too well how often a seeker will have a snitch sighting only to lose the winged ball. The beaters also do not stop to watch. Conrad, instead of hitting a bludger in Malden's direction, sends it after Sylvestor. Asher does the same with Sophie even though she's not caught up with Sylvestor and isn't as much of a threat just yet.
The bludger from Asher misses it mark as Sophie alters direction as well as gaining speed. About the time Sylvestor thinks he's got the snitch Sophie is there forcing him to continually make adjustments to his broom, and her having to do much the same, as they keep brushing against each other.
Unexpectedly, Sophie both surges forward and leans far over her broom. Before Sylvestor can react and match or surpass her movements Sophie is closing a hand around the wing ball.
It is a bittersweet victory for Hufflepuff. They win this match 160 to Slytherin's 40 but according to Hogwarts rules, Slytherin wins the cup with its point total of 620 to Hufflepuff's 420 points.
Flying to the ground he wonders how long it will take for this to sink in with everyone.