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Championship Match
Author: Finley
Date: 05-30-20 12:16
Finley stood in the locker room with the members of the Gryffindor Quidditch team fanned around her. This was it, the championship Quidditch match, and Gryffindor had made it there. It was all the more special because it was Finley's final year at Hogwarts. Wouldn't it be something if she walked away from the school that had already given her so much with the Quidditch Cup on top of it all?
She looked from face to face and felt both happy and sad at the same time. The other players were all younger than she and would get to play for Gryffindor again if they chose to be on the team next school year. She hoped they would come back winners.
"Let's make this one count," she said. "We've played harder than ever this year, and I think we can win if we don't get too cocky out there. Remember what we practiced and don't forget to have fun!"
She put her arm out into the center of the circle, and one by one, Cecily, Gideon, Oliver, Schuyler, Gerry, and Gareth piled their hands on hers.
"On three," she said. "One, two, three... GO GRYFFINDOR!"
They whooped and hollered and then mounted their booms. The doors to the locker room swung open, and the seven Gryffindors burst out to loud cheers for the most part. They flew a few circuits around the Pitch as Barbie called out their names and positions. All but Finley then flew into a semi circle at center field. She touched down and met Coach Krum and Tessa on the ground.
"Congratulations to you both," Coach Krum said. He didn't need to tell them to show good sportsmanship. "Please shake hands."
Finley thrust out her hand and clasped Tessa's hand firmly in her own. "Good luck," she said.
"You too," Tessa replied, grinning.
The two captains mounted their broomsticks and joined the other players in the circle at center field. Coach Krum opened the trunk of Quidditch balls and released the snitch, the bludgers, and finally the quaffle.
Finley quickly snatched it, thinking it fortuitous that on this last match of hers she was the first to get her hands on the quaffle. She quickly lobbed it to Schuyler, who threw long to Gerry, but Conrad's beater smacked Gerry on the side of his arm, driving him sideways with the impact and causing him to lose his grip on the ball.
Kaycee collected the fumble and tossed the ball to Alex. Alex zipped past Cecily, who was lining up to hit a bludger, and threw the quaffle back to Kaycee after she swung around in a wide arc. Kaycee spotted Cornington wide open and propelled the quaffle straight at him, but Finley emerged out of nowhere and intercepted the quaffle.
She whipped her broomstick around and charged for the Hufflepuff goal hoops. Flattening herself over the shaft of her broomstick, Finley spotted Conrad preparing to aim a bludger at her. He gave it a solid whack, and its aim was true, but at the last second Finley barrel rolled out of its path and handed the quaffle to Gerry as he darted past her.
Gerry tossed the ball to Schuyler, who threw overhand back at Finley. Rex watched the movement of the quaffle closely as it approached him. Finley quickly got within scoring range and made to pump the ball straight forward, but then she threw it back to Schuyler. Schuyler's own fake-out made it difficult for Rex to stop the quaffle from going into the hoop after it left Finley's fingers a second time.
"Nice teamwork by Pride and Weasley!" Barbie shouted. "Gryffindor leads, 10-0!"
Bludger to the Bum
Author: Ellis
Date: 05-30-20 12:44
Even though Gryffindor scored first, Conrad wasn't yet disappointed or worried that Hufflepuff would lose the match. After all, it had only just begun and anything could still happen, like Hufflepuff winning the Quidditch Cup. Just thinking about it put a smile to his face.
He glanced quickly into the stands while Rex recovered the quaffle after Finley's goal. Belinda was there, cheering him on. With it being practically summer, her neck was uncovered, revealing the choker she always seemed to wear. Sometimes when they made out, Conrad would try to take it off so he could kiss her neck, but Belinda would take his hands in hers and distract him by kissing his neck instead. He understood that Sophie had given her the choker and that she really liked wearing it, but he didn't understand why she always had to wear it. It really impeded his attempts to get romantic!
Also in the stands were his many siblings. Blakeney was the only one supporting Hufflepuff fully. The twins were obviously cheering on Gryffindor, who had a long track record of not winning championships. The Ravenclaws were being fair and cheering on both teams, and Gavin actually told Conrad at breakfast that he hoped there would be a ton of injuries and no winner at all.
Rex handed the quaffle to Alex. Alex darted forward and quickly found his path blocked by Schuyler. Schuyler waved his arms around in an attempt to distract Alex and steal the quaffle, but Conrad quickly put an end to that by striking Schuyler between the shoulder blades with a bludger.
Schuyler buckled forward and Alex pitched the quaffle over the Gryffindor chaser at Cornington. Cornington drove quickly across the Pitch and then passed to Kaycee, who attempted a goal. The quaffle hit the rim of the hoop and bounced back into the fray. Kaycee nearly had the rebound but Gerry yanked it out of her arms. He whirled around and threw it at Finley.
Conrad dove for a bludger the same time Cecily was racing towards it. He was a fraction faster, which gave him the hit, but Cecily's proximity messed up his aim. The ball was knocked away and didn't hit anybody, and then Gideon intercepted it and fired it at Kaycee when she tried to steal the ball after Finley passed it back to Gerry. Kaycee saw the black ball approach out of the corner of her eye and jerked away, allowing Gerry to pass to Schuyler.
Before Schuyler could catch it, a well-timed bludger from Tessa knocked the ball away from him. The quaffle went into free-fall, with all six chasers diving to see who could get it first. Conrad got to Tessa's bludger in the interim and aimed it for Gerry, his nearest target. The bludger got him on his right butt cheek and nearly unseated him. Gerry nearly had his fingers on the quaffle but pulled back to grasp onto him broomstick to prevent himself from falling.
Conrad snickered, especially when Barbie announced, "Ellis just smacked Martini-Blackwell in the bum!" And then, "Sorry, Professor!", in response to a look Professor McGonagall gave her.
(Cecily) Avoiding a Snitchnip
Author: Sophie McCourt
Date: 05-30-20 23:13
Cecily couldn't help herself to giggle a little even if the person who got hit in the bum had been her teammate Gerry. She had never seen such a thing happen at Quidditch before, and it was somewhat amusing.
The quaffle kept dropping down, until Kaycee got a hold on the red ball. She avoided a collision with Schuyler by abruptly turning to the left, and started to regain some altitude. Cecily saw Gideon retrieving the bludger that hit Gerry and her eyes swept the pitch looking for the second black ball. She went after it as so did Tessa. While the two beaters raced against each other, Kaycee passed the quaffle to Cornington. Finley approached him, and she tried to get the quaffle's possession back to the Gryffindor team. Cornington dropped down the red ball, which landed right into Alex's arms. He had positioned himself right under Cornington.
Meanwhile Cecily kept trying to reach for the bludger. She was getting closer but so was Tessa. That was when both beaters saw it. Floating right into their bodies was the snitch. Not wanting to commit a snitchnip foul, Cecily moved away and so did Tessa. The two of them forgot the bludger for a moment and started to call out the seekers, trying to warn them about the snitch. Gareth and Bertie quickly got the message but once they came to the area pointed by Cecily and Tessa the golden snitch had already vanished.
The seekers returned to their search and Cecily and Tessa back into the bludger dispute. Fortunately Cecily got there first and aimed the bludger at Alex, who was approaching Gryffindor's scoring area. Alex dodged the black ball, but Gideon recovered it and aimed at Alex again. This time the Hufflepuff chaser was hit on the shoulder, right on the moment he was about to score. His throw got weakened with the impact and Oliver mad an easy defense.
The Gryffindor supporters clapped their hands on the stands, and Cecily tried to locate Wren among them. Her brother was a Hufflepuff, but she was sure part of him was supporting Gryffindor today because of her. She pushed her broom forward, holding her bat tight in her hand. Conrad had just hit a bludger towards Gerry, who had received the quaffle from Oliver after his defense. She quickly got in the way and deflected it with her bat, giving Gerry enough room to fly into Hufflepuff's side of the pitch, undisturbed.
(Tessa) Hit
Author: Bronwyn Dewhurst
Date: 05-31-20 07:14
Tessa thought back to before the match, when she had everyone gathered in the locker room. As the captain, it was her duty to inspire the team to play their very best, which including playing fair but also playing to win. Hufflepuff had won championships in the recent past, so winning today's match, though still desired and important, wasn't quite as fervently hoped for as it was for Gryffindor, who had quite the losing streak when it came to championships. Tessa wanted to win, no doubt about it, but losing would be bittersweet.
Currently, Hufflepuff was technically losing. Gryffindor had ten points to Hufflepuff's dragon egg. Gerry of Gryffindor also had the quaffle, which meant that Gryffindor could very well be on its way to getting another ten points on the score board. Tessa was hoping to stop Gerry from getting very far or better yet, getting the quaffle back into Hufflepuff hands.
She spied one of the bludgers arcing towards the pack of chasers, seemingly sent there by Gideon. Tessa zig zagged around Bertie and lunged with her arm outstretched to intercept the bludger. She tapped it to Conrad, who was nearby, and who aimed it at Gerry. Gerry not only dodged the approaching bludger but he also passed the quaffle to Schuyler. Schuyler ducked and then swerved to avoid the other bludger, which Conrad had hit soon after the first one.
Tessa and Cecily made a beeline for it, but Cecily was slightly closer and quicker. She bumped the bludger at Alex, who was trying to steal the quaffle from Schuyler. The bludger nicked the back of his broom, causing him to wobble a little but otherwise not doing much in the way of damage or slowing him down. Schuyler switched the quaffle from one arm to the other and then handed the ball back to Gerry, but suddenly Kaycee shot between them and lifted the quaffle out of Schuyler's hand.
Kaycee arced around Gerry and then shot the ball at Cornington. Tessa saw Cecily aim a bludger for him and dove to get between him and the black ball. She got a little too close to the bludger and couldn't hit it with her bat. Instead, it struck her in the shoulder. Tessa winced. She wasn't used to getting hit by bludgers.
Quickly recovering, Tessa chased after the bludger after it ricocheted off her body and whacked it at Finley. Fortunately, the bludger didn't strike her batting arm and so didn't prevent her from doing what she did best. Finley nevertheless rolled to avoid getting hit and continued chasing after Kaycee, who was getting closer and closer to the Gryffindor goal hoops.
(Oliver) Crack
Author: Ethan Somerset
Date: 05-31-20 07:27
Oliver hunkered down before the Gryffindor goal hoops. His eyes were focused on Kaycee and the red ball she carried, but he was also on the look out for the two Hufflepuff beaters, Conrad and Tessa, and the two black bludgers. He knew that as Kaycee drew nearer and nearer, he would become more of a target for the Hufflepuff beaters.
True enough, Kaycee was just about to reach scoring range when Oliver saw Tessa aim a bludger in his direction. Kaycee took the opportunity to attempt a goal, but Oliver dodged the bludger and slapped the quaffle back with the palm of his hand. Kaycee caught the rebound but before she could attempt another goal, Cecily hit her in the back with the other bludger. Fortunately for Hufflepuff, Alex was next to Kaycee and quickly took it from her hand before she could lose it to Schuyler, who was also close.
Alex attempted a goal, but Oliver stopped it outright with a solid catch to his middle. He threw the ball to Schuyler, who attempted to turn around, but there were too many players in close proximity, making it difficult to make a clean break away from the Gryffindor goal hoops. Schuyler quickly handed the quaffle to Finley, who managed to pull it close to her body the same time Cornington swiped out his arm in an attempt to steal it. Finley tried to make a run for it, but she was also hemmed in.
A bludger sent the players scattering, though both Schuyler and Alex were hit by it as it bounced between them, Gerry and Cornington were scraped by broomstick bristles, Finley was accidentally kicked in the leg, and Kaycee got an elbow to the ribs. Finley saw her opening, though, and took it, giving Oliver brief respite. His relief was very temporary, though, because the other bludger struck Finley squarely in the chest. She loosened her grip on the ball, and Kaycee was on the spot to steal it.
Kaycee turned back in Oliver's direction and launched the ball. Oliver dove, but then the other bludger or maybe even the same one that hit Finley struck his outstretched arm, causing a sickening crack that shot pain from the impact all the way up his shoulder. Oliver saw stars.
"Sickleby scores!" Barbie shouted. "The match is tied 10-10!"
A shrill whistle sounded after that so that Coach Krum could check on the status of Oliver's arm.
Kaycee - Making Adjustments
Author: Lee Sickleby
Date: 05-31-20 07:45
During timeout, Kaycee looked into the stands. She spotted Chip decked out head to toe in Hufflepuff gear. Her aunt and uncle were also there to cheer her on. The Hogwarts championship wasn't just an ordinary match, after all. It was the chance to earn the Quidditch Cup, and Hufflepuff was primed to win it all. Her aunt and uncle hadn't come to any of her previous matches, so Kaycee was very glad to see them.
Coach Krum assessed Oliver's arm. Kaycee wasn't sure if it was broken or anything, but he looked to be in pain. The arm wasn't bent in a weird position, so that was probably a good thing. Coach Krum ended up doing some sort of magic and then conjured a splint. Oliver was cleared to keep playing for now.
Using his good arm, Oliver retrieved the quaffle. He waited for Coach Krum to blow his whistle to signal a resume to game play, and when the shrill noise pierced the air, Oliver handed the ball to Schuyler. Schuyler immediately threw long to Gerry, who held onto the ball for only a second before lobbing it overhand at Finley. Kaycee followed the movement of the quaffle, which changed hands a few more times. She urged her broomstick to go faster and faster, closing the gap between her and the Gryffindor chasers. Then, when the moment was perfect, Kaycee intercepted a past between Finley and Schuyler. She turned abruptly around and charged back towards Oliver.
The look on his face was a mix of determination and dread. Kaycee suspected his arm still hurt and that he worried its state would prevent him from stopping future goal attempts. Just when she thought she might have an easy time at scoring, a bludger got her in the collar bone. She let out an undignified yelp, but she didn't lose her hold on the quaffle. The bludger had struck her other side, and though it hurt, it didn't stop her from reaching Oliver.
She reassessed her position as she approached him, though, and threw crossbody from right to left, despite knowing it was own left arm that was injured and not his right. Oliver dove for the ball and knocked it back, no problem. Kaycee attempted to catch the rebound, but the quaffle bounced off her injured collar bone and had her yelping again. Alex yanked the ball out of the air before Finley could get a solid grasp on it and attempted a goal.
This one was blocked by Oliver's whole body. The quaffle bounced back into the fray. Kaycee scooped it up with her good arm and fired it quickly with clenched teeth. Oliver made for another full-body dive, thinking this a better option than just trying with his injured arm, but he was quicker than the ball, which sailed cleanly over his right shoulder and went into the hoop without touching any rim.
"Sickleby scores again! Hufflepuff leads 20-10!" Barbie shouted.
Another shrill whistled sounded, this time so Coach Krum could check on Kaycee's collar bone. She didn't think it was broken, though... only bruised and sore.
Watching the Match
Author: Sophie McCourt
Date: 05-31-20 09:44
Belinda was holding a pair of small yellow pompons, in support for Hufflepuff. Shamefully Slytherin had not won a single match this school year and they were at the bottom of the scoring board with only 80 points. Naturally, because of Conrad, she wanted Hufflepuff to win today. The OWLs were days away, and Belinda was getting nervous about them. Going to see the match was a good distraction.
When Conrad's bludger hit Gerry Martini-Blackwell, Belinda grinned and she turned to Eileen:
"Next up my boyfriend will hit Gareth in the bum as well!"
"Not a chance!"
Today Eileen was supporting Gryffindor. She wanted Gareth to catch the snitch and give the victory to his house. Eileen had watched at breakfast Gareth being surrounded by some of his Gryffindor's colleagues, including Isla Ludlow. She left her meal unfinished and marched towards them, so she could wish Gareth good luck for the match. Gareth had thanked her and he asked if she wanted to accompany him to the pitch. Eileen accepted and they left the Great Hall and walked down the school grounds together, leaving Isla and the others behind, for Eileen's satisfaction.
"Are you sure it's wise that you are friends with Gareth?" Patricia questioned her sister.
She wasn't supporting any team today. Ravenclaw wasn't playing and Quidditch did not interest her much. But she decided to come along and watch the match with her sisters.
"What do you mean?"
"Well….everyone knows his brother doesn't have a very good reputation. What if Gareth takes after him?"
Patricia was a little bit preoccupied with Eileen. It was clear she was getting closer to Gerry's brother and she didn't want her to get into trouble.
"Gareth has nothing to do with his brother," Eileen assured Patricia.
"Even if he was like her brother, wouldn't that be thrilling?" Belinda asked. A bad boy like Gerry didn't sound so bad. Eileen could actually benefit from it. At times she could be very uptight. Breaking up some rules could loose her up a little bit.
"Don't encourage her!" Patricia scolded Belinda.
"You can't really say much, Patricia. Going to that silly debutant ball with Titus Nott," Belinda replied.
"What is wrong about Titus?"
Belinda realized she had just implied that Titus was not the best of wizards. Of course that none of her sister's knew about his involvement with the Death Eaters. To Belinda it was actually a good thing Patricia was going to that ball with Titus. She came up with an new argument very quickly:
"He only has one eye. It's weird. But everything about that ball is weird."
"Well, you better prepare yourself, because Honoria is already saying that if I do well, you'll be next."
"No way!" Belinda replied. She was not going to attend a stupid high society ball. Honoria would have to drag her there, if she wanted her to do so.
"Hey, has anyone seen Elmer?" Eileen asked.
But Patricia and Belinda haven't seen him. The three sisters concluded he might be on another section of the stands, watching the match with his fellow Gryffindors.
The EWEs (Rex)
Author: Saffron
Date: 05-31-20 18:41
Massaging a shoulder recently clobbered by a bludger Rex sits back on his broom a moment to watch Cornington, Kaycee, and Alex rapidly work the quaffle back down Oliver's way. After Hufflepuff's second goal the Gryffindor chasers had twice gotten within scoring range of Rex's hoops. The first time, just as Schuyler raised his quaffle holding arm up to throw, Tessa got him with a bludger that allowed Alex to get in close enough to jerk the ball from his grip.
Kaycee had the quaffle by the time they reached Oliver but that time the Gryffindor keeper blocked her shot. The next seven or eight minutes involved Hufflepuff taking possession of the quaffle only to lose it to Gryffindor before anyone even made it to mid-pitch. Then with a one-two bludger punch from Gideon and Cecily, Cornington flubbed a throw for goal, allowing Oliver to easily catch it. Oliver handed the quaffle off to Gerry, who raced away, successfully dodging Hufflepuff's own one-two bludger effort around midfield, with Tessa getting off the first one and Conrad the second. Conrad's bludger did graze Gerry's broom but the Gryffindor had already been in the process of passing to Schuyler. Nearing Rex Schuyler simultaneously slowed and executed an underhand pass to Finley.
Finley threw to Rex's left. He'd pulled his broom sideways while leaning out his body, stretching an arm for the block. The quaffle bounced away, going straight back to Finley. She'd immediately thrown again, this time all the way to his right. Rex hustled, reaching the quaffle in time but only just. No sooner had he turned the quaffle back then a bludger smacked his shoulder. Even half a second sooner and Gryffindor would be celebrating its second goal.
Watching on as Alex does a half-barrel roll away from Finley trying to steal the quaffle from him, Rex can't help but wonder if her concentration is 100% on the match. She's a seventh year and has NEWTs starting Monday. Come to think of it, Kaycee, Bertie, Conrad, and Oliver are all fifth years and OWLs are Monday as well. Rex is glad sixth years only have regular final examinations to write. If sixth years did have exams similar to the OWLs and NEWTs what would they be called?
It takes Rex a moment to come up with something. He turns the name over in his mind several times then tries it aloud a few more. Even though Alex's goal attempt was just rebuffed by Oliver and Gerry with the quaffle is racing his way, Rex can't help but grin at not having to take the EWEs, Exacting Wizarding Evaluations, this term.
Gamble (Cornington)
Author: Phinfilius
Date: 06-01-20 18:12
Blinking rapidly after a speck of something got into one eye, Cornington wants to rub the eye but he's got the quaffle in one hand and is holding his broom handle tightly to swiftly maneuver first around Tessa going after a bludger, then around Gideon going after the second bludger. He ends up ducking that black ball hit by Gideon just before tossing the red ball to Kaycee.
Kaycee drives in towards Oliver only to send the quaffle sideways to Alex. Cornington arrives at the hoops, the dust or grit or whatever it was thankfully out of his eye though it's still watery. Alex hurls the quaffle, his aim almost dead center of one of the rings. Oliver throws himself and his broom at the red blur, causing the ball to literally bounce off his chest. Cornington grabs for it as does Finley, both of them jerking away when a bludger comes right between them. The quaffle has continued on past them enabling Schuyler to scoop it up.
The Gryffindor chaser pivots his broom to race back the other direction only to be slammed by the other bludger. The quaffle pops away at an angle, Gerry hustling for it only to be forced to pull up or risk smashing into Kaycee. Quaffle in hand she does a sort of arching turn to send the quaffle up and back behind her, passing to Cornington.
Rather than immediately throw the quaffle in a goal attempt, Cornington flies in even closer to Oliver and his hoops. He gets close enough that throwing straight ahead would seem the optimal option; instead, Cornington sends the quaffle to his right, hoping he got the trajectory and the angle just right to get it through the ring rather than bouncing off the rim.
Oliver appears to have expected Cornington to throw straight ahead. They're in such close quarters that Cornington's unexpected throw has the Gryffindor keeper scrambling. Cornington lets out a heavy sigh of relief when his gamble works, Oliver unable to get enough of a hand on the quaffle to stop it.
The Hufflepuffs supporters in the stands are already roaring when Barbie announces, "Marchbanks scores! That's three goals for Hufflepuff! Gryffindor now trails 10 to 30!"
Chasing Bludgers (Gideon)
Author: Blossom
Date: 06-01-20 21:22
Hufflepuff had intercepted a pass between Finley and Schuyler. Gideon was able to time a bludger well enough that though it didn't smack into Alex it did graze him. Alex released his throw too soon, which affected the quaffle's speed and trajectory. As Oliver easily blocked the shot the bludger smacked into a hoop post. There was a loud metallic clang as the bludger bounced off in such a way that it headed for one of the nearby stands.
Coach Krum halted the match so the bludger could be retrieved. As they wait Gideon worries that he'll be charged with a foul but when he isn't he has to think it's because the bludger hitting the post is what sent it into the stands rather than Gideon hitting the ball and it heading straight for the stands, and the spectators there. As the game begins again with Oliver handing the caught quaffle off to Gerry, Gideon thinks maybe bludgers and quaffles should be charmed not to go out of bounds and that would mean at least a few fouls could be dropped from Quidditch. He then wonders why he's not given much consideration to the fact that snitches have to have some sort of charm but bludgers nor quaffles do not. He can only guess that's because snitches have wings and would fly who knows where if not charmed. Or are not charmed and they just somehow know?
Gideon mentally shrugs while giving a shake of his head. He'll think about all this later. Maybe Seth knows. He bets Aunt Hermione does. She seems to know just about everything and what she doesn't she knows where to find the information to learn it.
Gerry has reached a point that's about midway between Oliver and the center of the pitch. He passes to Finley with Kaycee closely shadowing, looking to steal. Gideon slows as he approaches a bludger, making a small adjustment to how he's holding the bat so he can better send the bludger towards his target: Kaycee.
Gideon frowns when Tessa gets in between the bludger and Kaycee, doing her own bit of shifting and adjusting before batting the bludger at Finley. He increases his speed thinking to stop the bludger but Finley unexpectedly changes course. With the bludger nowhere near her, Gideon doesn't have to approach it going quite as fast. He can better assess where he should bat it.
Finley's closing in on Rex so that's who Gideon targets. Meanwhile, Conrad is after the other bludger, which Cecily had hit half a second before. Cornington gets in between the bludger Gideon batted and Rex but from his expression when it clips him in the side Gideon is certain Cornington hadn't seen the bludger beforehand so wasn't "saving" Rex from taking a hit while a Gryffindor chaser was making a goal attempt. Rex easily makes the block, sending the quaffle to Alex.
Conrad waited to hit the bludger until Alex has the quaffle in hand. He sends it after Gerry who's rapidly moved up even with Alex, watching closely for an opening to get the quaffle. Gideon jets that direction, intercepting the bludger. His intention is to change it's trajectory just enough to get Alex rather than Gerry but catching sight of Hufflepuff seeker Bertie acting oddly, Gideon bats the bludger that way. He can't tell if Bertie's had a snitch sighting but better to be safe. Gideon's not ready for Gryffindor to lose another Hogwarts Quidditch Cup!
Photic Sneezes (Alex)
Author: Plum
Date: 06-02-20 18:14
Bringing his broom around in a Alex rapidly blinks as the sun suddenly seems brighter as light hits him straight on in the face. He sneezes twice, swiping an arm under his nose, wishing he had something other than his sleeve on which to wipe his nose. He has no tissue tucked away as he's not had any sniffles or allergies. He had no idea he needed to be prepared for what his sister refers to as photic sneezes because although he's had bright sunlight on his face many times he's never sneezed because of it that he can recall.
Although the sneezes took up a second, second and a half tops, and the wiping of his nose also took little time, Alex missed Finley swooping in close. When he becomes aware how near she is, Finley's already reaching for the quaffle. He jerks away but the action actually causes his grip on the ball to loosen a fraction. That fraction is just enough for Finley to fully pull the quaffle from his hand. She moves so quickly that for Alex to reach in an effort to grab it back would result in a foul. Swearing under his breath he bolts after her, watching for the needed opening to steal back the ball.
Before Alex can redeem his error, Finley passes long to Schuyler who, in turn, sends the quaffle along to Gerry. Cornington gets between the two Gryffindors, one hand on the quaffle to intercept when a bludger batted by Cecily hits him square in the chest. Because Cornington has interrupted the quaffle on its path to Gerry, rather than continuing on to Gerry as Schuyler had planned, the ball begins dropping. Kaycee, Alex, and Finley are converge on it, a bludger from Alex has no idea forcing them all back.
Bludger past them Kaycee is first to reach the quaffle but the other bludger comes out of nowhere to smack her in the arm. Finley grabs up the quaffle before Alex can get to it, swinging her broom around in a tight turn. Straightening out of the turn she races back towards Rex.
Halfway there she hands off to Gerry when zips up close to her, flying parallel, then accelerating away once he has the quaffle in hand. Alex pours on the speed to get even with Gerry then to pull ahead When he's moved forward enough he abruptly veers to the side, right in front of Gerry who fiercely scowls at Alex while diving. Kaycee joins Alex is harassing Gerry in his effort to fly back up high enough to be within good goal range. He finally throws up and to one side to get the quaffle to Schuyler.
Schuyler draws near to Rex, Cornington right with him as Schuyler prepares to throw the ball. Rapidly approaching the hoops as well, Alex checks for ways he can assist in stopping Gryffindor from scoring a second goal.
Eyes On The Back Of His Head [Bertie]
Author: Georgia Copperpot
Date: 06-02-20 19:46
Hearing that Gryffindor's Schuyler Weasley is moving into goal range Bertie slows from a crawl to a snail's pace so he can turn to watch. Schuyler throws but from Bertie's perspective the aim is slightly off. Sure enough the quaffle goes more towards the hoop itself rather than the hole created by the hoop. Even if Rex hadn't blocked the shot Bertie's certain the quaffle would have bounced off the rim.
Swiveling his body forward Bertie resumes the crawling pace he's been using much of this match. It's not so slow as to be mind numbing but not so fast that he would pass up the snitch before it registered with him. The one time he thought he'd seen the snitch this game he'd tried very hard not to increase his speed until close enough to it to pluck it from the air. He swears if a snitch could laugh this one did because one second it was flitting along and the next it was hovering in one spot much like a hummingbird. He felt it was looking right at him. Then it was gone. Just like that.
Now, he's not even sure he'd actually seen the snitch. Maybe it was a hummingbird after all. Maybe he's coming down with something and is having delirious hallucinations. He put a palm against his cheek to see if he can tell if he's feverish or just a little warm from a nice June afternoon.
A bludger soars by. Bertie can't tell if it was meant for him or if it was meant for one of the chasers and blew right on by that person. Earlier in the match he had been an intended target. He can understand why one of Gryffindor's beaters send a bludger after him. What either Cecily or Gideon didn't know is that his behavior right then wasn't due to a snitch sighting but because there was a wasp of some sort and it wouldn't leave him alone.
Behind him and at a slightly lower altitude, Kaycee now has the quaffle. She darts around Finley then passes forward to Cornington. Cornington ducks a bludger from Gideon only to be dinged on the knee by the second bludger hit by Cecily. Conrad goes after that bludger, batting it after Gerry. Gerry avoids the bludger but in doing so misses a chance to intercept the quaffle when Cornington throws to Alex.
Cecily aims a bludger at Alex but Tessa stops the black ball to alter its course. Tessa directs the bludger at Finley but the shot goes wide when Finley greatly reduces speed when she decides to get in as close to Alex rather than getting ahead of him.
Bertie decides it's really too bad that a seeker cannot search for the snitch while simultaneously watching every bit of the chaser, beater, and keeper action. At times when the action is at its most exciting he wishes he not only had eyes on he back of his head but also on both sides so as not to miss anything. Those extra eyes would also be bloody helpful in finding that darned snitch!
Trailing A Little More (Schuyler)
Author: Charlie Weasley
Date: 06-03-20 14:14
Alex hardly slows as he approaches Oliver. Swerving at the last moment while letting the quaffle fly in the direction of one of the hoops, he thinks Oliver flinches a little but he wouldn't swear to that. Whether the Gryffindor keeper flinched at how close Alex came at him head on or not doesn't really matter. What matter is that because of the extremely close quarters when Alex threw the quaffle, Oliver had less time to react. To his credit he did react quickly and was able to get fingertips of one hand on the quaffle but not enough to change the ball's direction.
Barbie Bones proclaims, "Lancaster scores for Hufflepuff! The scores stands at Hufflepuff 40, Gryffindor 10!"
Schuyler retrieves the quaffle, putting it back into play with a pass to Gerry. Gerry takes off with Schuyler coming up right beside while Finley takes a position on Gerry's other side. They shield him to move the quaffle all the way to where Rex awaits. Along the way Kaycee kept coming up between Schuyler and Gerry, attempting to jostle her way in. On Gerry's other side, Alex was doing the same, trying to wedge himself between Gerry and Finley. Cornington dogged them from behind for awhile then zipped around to get ahead of them. The entire way Gideon and Cecily sent bludgers attempting to force Kaycee and Alex to back off while Tessa and Conrad used the bludgers in an effort to break up the tight formation the three Gryffindors were holding.
Upon reaching the hoops and Rex, Schuyler broke left and Finley broke right as Gerry continued on a little more before hurling the quaffle. He'd acted as if he was aiming for center but at the last moment changed the trajectory of his throw just enough to send the quaffle to the right. Rex wasn't fooled but he was smacked in the shoulder from the side with a bludger from Cecily. He threw his broom to the side while stretching with his other arm, his hand in a fist to wallop the quaffle, sending it back out in the fray.
Schuyler makes a dive for it only to rapidly withdraw his arm when a bludger bangs into it, his hand reflexively curling from the pain. Kaycee grabs up the quaffle instead, flashing Schuyler a somewhat but not overly sympathetic smile before dashing off, heading for Oliver at the opposite end of the pitch.
That's a Wrap
Author: Gerry
Date: 06-03-20 16:36
Gerry rubbed his bottom, feeling the phantom pain where a bludger had struck it earlier in the match. Of course it didn't really hurt anymore, though he figured it probably would if he sat on it or banged something else into it later.
He reached for the quaffle when Kaycee zipped past him, but she was faster and seemingly more agile than he. Gerry wasn't sure what happened, but she seemed to have become a very impressive Quidditch player. Each game play was better than the last. Gerry would never ever admit it out loud or say it to her face, of course. He'd much rather imagine her as the little first year her peed her pants in front of everybody after one of his pranks.
The not-so-little girl lobbed the quaffle at Alex, who threw it quickly to Cornington. Gerry watched the movements, flying this way and that in order to get into a better position. Cornington threw the ball back to Alex after a while, but when Finley got close, he threw it back to Kaycee. Gerry put her and the quaffle in his sights and did his very best to fly a little faster in an attempt to close the gap.
He found his opportunity when Cecily's bludger went straight for Kaycee. Kaycee tossed the ball at Cornington, hoping to keep the quaffle in Hufflepuff possession when she knew there was a strong likelihood she would be hit. Gerry dove between them and intercepted the quaffle. He missed the look on Kaycee's face, both from his steal and the blunger's impact. He turned around abruptly and saw that Finley was open. He threw the ball to her.
For a while, it was just the two of them passing the ball back and forth. Schuyler was in the pack with them, but his hand was still throbbing and it showed on his face. He lent them support anyhow, providing a buffer against the other chasers and the bludgers.
It was Gerry who had the bludger when they rapidly approached the goals. He let the quaffle fly with a quick flick of his wrist, but Rex managed to throw his body in front of the quaffle. It rebounded into Gerry's arms again. Gerry immediately tried for another goal, and this time was successful when Rex wasn't quick enough to stop him.
"Martini-Blackwell scores!" Barbie shouted from the staff box. "Hufflepuff still leads, 40-20."
Gareth wasn't all that upset that Gryffindor wasn't leading in points, since the final results were ultimately based on whether he caught the snitch or not. He scoured the Pitch for it, but didn't see it anywhere.
He chanced a quick glance in the stands and saw Eileen sitting with her sisters. He had already talked to her about perhaps visiting over the summer. Perhaps she could spend some time with his family and he with hers, even if only for a day each.
Suddenly, Gareth saw a glint of gold. He focused his eyes on it, not yet moving because he didn't want to alert Bertie to it if it really wasn't the snitch. When he verified that it really was the snitch, Gareth slowly made his way over, pretending to still systematically search for it so as to keep Bertie away.
Unfortunately, his plan didn't last long because somebody in the nearby stands shouted, "HEY! IT'S THE SNITCH!"
That got a lot of people talking, and then Barbie announced, "Martini-Blackwell the younger has spotted the snitch!"
All bets were off then. Gareth raced for it, and the snitch took off, leading him and soon Bertie on a fast chase around the entire Pitch. They flew up down left right twisting and turning and very nearly colliding into each other in the process of chasing after the snitch. It wasn't long before the bludgers were targeting them too, but somehow neither got hit during their fast, intricate flying.
Gareth was starting to think that the snitch would tire them both out and disappear, but then it did something totally unexpected. It did a 180 and flew right at him. Gareth quickly snatched it up and held his hand up high with a big grin on his face.
"I guess the snitch wanted to be caught!" Barbie shouted. "Martini-Blackwell has it in his hand. That's a wrap, everybody! Gryffindor has won the Quidditch Cup, 170-40! Well done!"