|
|
Watching Exhibition Matches
Author: Oreileah McCoi
Date: 10-16-10 19:09
Orei and Jim had arrived at Hogwarts earlier in the day, and were currently in the stands watching the fourth match between Squad B and C. She didn't know any of the faces, but that didn't keep her from enjoying the play going on. It was sad that they didn't do a quidditch thing like this when she was at Hogwarts, she would have no doubt made the team. Jim probably would have too, if he'd taken an interest in quidditch beyond being a spectator.
The day was cool and clear, and the breezes made it perfect for snuggling. Orei and Jim were currently sharing a large mug of hot chocolate, and Jim was munching on a roasted ear of corn that was slathered with butter and sprinkled with salt. Orei on the other hand wasn't all that hungry at the moment, and spent most of her time sipping the cocoa intermitantly.
The last event, ended in a way that Orei was quite familiar with - a pair of seekers colliding just at the whistle. Now, it was time to see who got the points, because the snitch was caught at the end of the match. The coach had gone over, and it had been ruled that the win had gone to Squad C. She checked the bit of information that they'd been given, and the next match was going to be between Squad B and Squad D. With one final match after that.
This was a good way to spend the day, they'd watched all the matches, and gotten a good look at the members of the Hogwarts Team for the Interscholastic Quidditch Team, this is what would be replacing the house teams for this year. After a few moments, she sniped a bite of Jim's roast corn before he was done with it and she couldn't actually get any. During the break they fell into a quiet conversation, planning the rest of their evening.
"I think dinner at home would be nice. I know Maddie and Titus are in London for the next week because of a variety of things, and I think with the job offer that Maddie just got, she's going to be moving to London in the next month or so." Orei said and shifted so she could face him.
"I know, Titus was saying something about that. He already has to floo to London's West End for work, and it would make the trip easier for him as well if she ends up taking the offer." Jim said, as he offered her the other half of the ear of corn which she accepted, and munched on while they talked.
"Besides, I get to spend all day doing homework, and I know you do too." Orei said, and nudged him. They were both attending St. Emry's this term - it was Jim's first. Orei was also working full time at the Ministry, still doing linguistics for the Ministry itself and the Law Enforcement Department. Thankfully they'd both gotten the weekend off from work to come to the Homecoming and Exhibition matches.
Orei had taken a few minutes to talk to A.J. Hodfuffer, her Ancient Runes teacher and fill him in on what she'd been doing for the last year working at the Ministry and her course work at St. Emry's. Jim talked to a couple of friends as well, and checked in with Professor Masterson. Both also spoke briefly with their former heads of household, Professor McGonagall from Gryffindor and Aaron Miller from Hufflepuff.
Once the break was done, they were back in the stands and ready to watch the next exhibition quidditch match.
All In Good Fun (Wiggy)
Author: Phinfilius
Date: 10-16-10 20:12
Wiggy drops down to the pitch, sweating and thirsty. Although the day is cool and although he's spent a great deal of time in the air whipping around him, he's hot. He glances at the scoreboard where a timer is affixed for things such as these timed exhibition matches and the timed scrimmages during the trials. Wiggy knows how much time has been alotted between the matches but he checked anyway, a sort of reassurance for himself that he's got loads of time to get a drink, to cool off a little, and to change his sweaty undershirt. When this break following the B vs C match is over, Wiggy takes to the air again for the match against D squad.
Wiggy scouts the shortest line for drinks and gets in it, finding himself behind his sister. "Good game," he tells her, "though I would appreciate it if you wouldn't block my shots with such enthusiasm."
Glori grins up at him and says with laughter in her voice, "I blocked everyone's shots with enthusiasm. I was having fun. Am having still for that matter. Congrats on the win against us though if this were a match that counted for anything I'd be demanding a second opinion on who won."
"I personally think it was a tie."
"Sure you do."
"Fine. I admit it. We were the clear cut winners though if C squad had been named winner and you were standing here telling me it was clear cut that Aleydis got the snitch, I'd be the one demanding a second opinion."
They reach the counter and Wiggy says, "I'll have chilled pumpkin juice. Glori, what do you want?"
"The same, please."
Wiggy pays for both their drinks and they walk to the locker room where Wiggy's going to change undershirts and Glori's going to take off her uniform since she doesn't play again for awhile in the last match of the day when A squad takes on C squad.
Wiggy takes his time changing shirts and drinking his pumpkin juice, ending up leaving the locker room at about the same time Glori is. Reaching the set of stands where she's going to sit for the B vs D match Glori tells him, "Have a great match. Please make it spectacular to watch as I feel the need to be greatly entertained when not playing myself."
Wiggy makes a face at her but says nonetheless, "One order of spectacular coming right up."
Draining the last of his pumpkin juice Wiggy joins Deak and Jack standing on the pitch. "Ready to get your arse handed to you?" he good naturedly asks Jack.
"I want to know how it is you ended up on the same squad as Deak and Griet. I think you three paid the coach to stack the deck in your favor," Jack ribs back.
"You think we'd do that and include Griet instead of you?" Deak asks with mock seriousness.
"Absobloodylutely," Jack shoots back with a grin.
Wiggy snorts in amusement. "Yes, you're right, we would, but only because you have beaten us at chess for two weeks straight now."
The three friends continue exchanging similar remarks for the remainder of the break, never taking any of what's said personally as each knows it's all in good fun.
The B vs C Match (Alastor)
Author: Aaron Miller
Date: 10-17-10 09:37
Alastor swings his bat, connecting with the hard, black bludger with enough force to send it the distance it needs to go. If Alexa doesn't change course in the next second, the bludger should make a solid hit. If she does alter course, depending on the direction she goes, slows up, slows down, and other factors involved with trying to hit fast moving targets, then Alastor's bludger may or may not make contact with Alexa.
Alastor doesn't really have time to think of the physics involved with aiming one object and having the timing right with all the other variables to hit a moving target. For him, and probably for most others playing Quidditch in the position as beater, knowing how and when and where to target a bludger is simply something that comes with practice. Some people have an innate ability to know these things better than others, though of course that doesn't necessarily mean the person is a good athlete capable of successfully making a hit. For Alastor, he's learned over the years how to best judge batting a bludger and having it go where he aims it and have a high chance of hitting his intended target but he's still got lots to learn and gets in as much practice as he's able. While it still greatly bothers Alastor that he was categorized as a Non and ended up in Happy Haven, resulting in him now being a fourth year instead of a fifth, the one good thing that's come of it is that in this year that he's legitimately made the team he's not having to study for OWLs on top of being loaded with classwork while also trying to get in as much time on the pitch as possible.
Alastor slows as the nears the other bludger, frowning when Caerwyn Valentine reaches it before him. All he can do now is race after it and hope to get it before it clips - Alastory does a quick look to see where team C's beater might be sending it - before it clips Wiggy. The other bludger, the one he most recently hit, is now being chased down by both Alastory's teammate Jade and by the other team C's beater Ella so he doesn't bother going after that one. Instead, he swings around and laying low over his broom, accelerates to get where he needs to be to foil Caerwyn's hit.
Alastor has his bat at the ready only to have a change of plans when his team's seeker Charisma flies between him and where the incoming bludger is. Alastor calls a warning while accelerating once more, flying straight at Charisma, pulling up just enough to climb over then immediately angles back down into a dive, bat in position to not so much hit the bludger as to use it to block and deflect. The bludger hits with enough force that Alastor has to tighten his grib on the bat then once it's rebounded the other way and with Charisma clear of him swinging his bat backwards, Alastor hits the bludger but without much force behind it. He simply wants to get it a little further back so that he can swing around and hit it the other way, with a clearer view of where to send it. All the while he's playing, Alastor tries not to think about how the last time he was on a Hogwarts team, it was because he was still considered a Pure and usurped Coco Nutt's position off the Ravenclaw team simply because he could. Only recently has Alastor begun to understand that the anger and snottiness all last year stemmed partly from the anger and guilt he's carried at having let the Pure label turn him into an elitist.
Alastor tries not to dwell on any of that while playing but as being part of the Quidditch team then is what helped bring out the snobbish superiority, it can be difficult not to think about it when playing nowadays.
Not Going To Be Sidelined (Mason)
Author: Pyrrhus
Date: 10-17-10 15:00
Mason watches the current match with interest, not because he's sizing the players up as competition but because it's good to see his teammates in an actual game, even if a timed one. They do all scrimmage in practice but in Mason's opinion the best way to see a player's real strength and weaknesses is in playing a match for points, preferably with spectators in the stands. He thinks that's true of any sport be it footie or Quidditch.
Mason plays one more match after this one today when his squad, Squad C goes up against Squad A. He looks down at the bruised knuckles on his right hand, flexing his hand, fingers, and wrist. There's some swelling but he's been icing it and will see Madam Pomfrey later today. He's got other bumps and bruises but his right hand is the most painful and what he most needs seeing to if he has a hope of finishing up some homework assignments tomorrow.
The mash up that led to this particular injury happened late in Mason's first match when Squad C played Squad D. Adina had been in possession of the quaffle. After dodging left to avoid being grazed by a bludger, she'd passed off to Mason. Mason in turn had simultaneously tucked the quaffle in close and increased speed. One second he had a clear, straight shot to where Gus Van Tassel guarded hoops and the next his own team's seeker Aleydis was in front of him. From the way she was flying she must have thought she spotted the snitch and was so intent on following its trail that she hadn't even noticed Mason was on a collision course with her.
Mason course corrected as best he could while also slowing down and calling out a warning to Aleydis. Luckily for him she not only heard him but processed what he was saying. Aleydis sped up and with her increase in speed, Mason's decrease in speed, and Mason curving around to go behind Aleydis, the collision was avoided.
That collision was avoided but in keeping his eyes on Aleydis, Mason never saw Jill Prewitt. Jill, playing chaser for Squad D, had been moving in to try and steal the quaffle from Mason. She saw that he might collide with Aleydis and had altered her own course slightly to avoid adding a third to the smash up. She simply misjudged how far she needed to swerve and how far Mason was going. She also wasn't aware that he didn't know how close she was. Before Jill and Mason knew it, he'd smacked hard into her. His right hand was holding onto his broom right then and ended up getting smacked a good one by Jill's broom handle. After the match, Jill said that her left hip was smarting from where Mason had jabbed it with probably his knee though could have been his elbow. She wasn't really sure.
Mason had a foul called on him but at least Jill, who was given the quaffle to shoot, hadn't been able to add points to the board just then.
The ice in the pack just about melted, Mason excuses himself from his friend Boris, with whom he's sitting the the stands, to get more. Playing one more match is going to be a real pisser with this hand but Mason will tough it out and not complain. People have played with far worse injuries than this so Mason isn't about to inform Coach Batuti he can't play because part of his hand is swollen. What sort of pro Quidditch player would he make if he starts whining now a minor injury?
How The Squads Came About (Theodosia)
Author: Viktor Krum
Date: 10-17-10 18:12
Between the fourth and fifth matches of the day, Theodosia had spent her break first with a visit to the loo, then getting something to drink and a snack. She was in the middle of taking a bite of a Cornish pasty when Viktor came over to talk. Although not a Hogwarts graduate, Viktor had offered to help referee the matches. Theodosia had decided to call these matches herself but thanked Viktor and asked if he'd be on standby should it turn out she did need assistance or if she were injured. With the nature of Quidditch, referees do get their share of bumps and bruises, usually from stray bludgers but not always, and on occassion one does get injured enough to have to leave the match.
One of the thing they talked about during the break are some of the notes Viktor's been taking on each of the players. As someone in the stands with a professional eye, such notes could prove to be valuable to the overall improvement of the team. Just before Theodosia takes to the air again for the fifth match, which is between squads B and D, Viktor asks, "How did you decide the squads?"
Theodosia laughed then sheepishly explained, "It's like this, I spent hours staring at the rosters, shuffling names around, debating how to balance the teams. I finally just went down the alphabetical listing for each position, writing A, B, C, D by each name."
Viktor chuckled loudly over this. "I wonder if anyone's figured that out."
"No idea," she'd grinned.
They'd talked for another minute or so then Theodosia went to mid-pitch and summoned the trunk of balls for the next match. A very short time after that squad D's Etta Wynbourne has first possession of the quaffle, racing in the direction of squad B's keeper Hunter Green.
Wynbournes In Action (Etta & Basil)
Author: Jared
Date: 10-17-10 19:44
Etta gingerly shifts on her broom, her lower back stinging hotly from where a bludger hit less than a minute ago. As much as being smacked there hurt, she's just glad that it didn't do damage to her broom as well. The bludger wasn't even meant for her she doesn't think. She's pretty sure Jade or Alastor, she's not sure which, meant to hit Jack. It's just the chance of the game that Etta got in the way as she did, and did it in a way that had her stopping the bludger with her lower back. Most direct hits by a bludger are unpleasant but Etta's decided that the lower back is a particularly bad spot for such a hit. It's not the first time she's been hit there and if she continues playing Quidditch, it probably won't be the last. She's pretty sure she's not going to change her mind that she'd rather take five hits to the shoulder over one hit to the lower back.
Basil chases down that same bludger seconds after it's clear of Etta and knocks it a good one, aiming at Deak. He almost feels bad about it because of how Deak puts up with his cousin Etta. Almost. Deak does, afterall, choose to date the tart. She's lucky Basil and she are on the same quad today and she's lucky there's just the one school team this term. Next year though, as Basil has no doubts they will make their respective house teams barring something like Etta deciding not to try out, next year he'll be able to targer her especially with bludgers just to be doing it. With any luck, Slytherin and Gryffindor will make the House Cup match, giving Basil two opportunities next term to repeatedly smash bludgers at his cousin.
Etta meanwhile has stolen the quaffle from Griet. Out of the corner of her eye she sees a bludger heading her way so Etta does a half barrel roll and slightly slows her speed. As soon as she's clear of the bludger she increases speed again. Deak comes in from the same direction of the bludger. He sharply angles around to a more parallel path with Etta's, arm extending in preparation for making a grab at the quaffle. Etta rolls away, spots Jill just below her and drops the quaffle down to her.
Jill gets a good grip on the ball, moving forward at a fast clip and gradually climbing to better be in a position to score. Griet and Wiggy close in on her so instead of moving into goal position Jill passes to Jack who in turn throws to Etta. It's Etta who ends up with the quaffle in scoring range and it's her much loathed cousin Basil wielding his bat to hit a bludger at Wiggy to fend the squad B chaser off as Etta hurls the quaffle. Hunter blocks, with the quaffle rebounding straight back to Etta. She again throws for a goal, sending the quaffle towards a different hoop. Hunter can't change position fast enough to effectively stop the ball. Etta grins as another 10 points made by her are posted to the scoreboard.