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Cold (Wiggy)
Author: Phinfilius
Date: 10-05-07 21:41
Wiggy accepts the Quaffle from Ronan. As he does so, he wonders if his face looks like Ronans - wind chapped red with tinges of blue starting to show around the lips. Wiggy bets he does. His hands are numb through his gloves and if he weren't wearing muffs on his ears, he's certain his ears would be so cold he'd not feel the pain of it. The wind is brutal, more like something he'd expect in January and not mid-November.
Wiggy takes to flying as scrunched in as he can, the expections being when it's trying to get the Quaffle. He does make another exception when he spots his Uncle Lars in the stands and waves. Wiggy hasn't waved to any other family members but it's Uncle Lars's birthday so he figures he can make the sacrifice of waving with the wind blasting icy waves over his fingers.
If he didn't love the sport so much, Wiggy might have been grateful not to make the team and then not have had to practice in weather that's been frosty since that early ice storm. He'd definately not be in the air right now, buffeted by a gust so strong that Wiggy sees small Etta nearly pushed off her broom from the force of it.
He zooms over to help shield her until the gust passes. That and Etta does have the Quaffle at the moment. She passes it off to Wiggy, looking as though she can't wait to be rid of it so she can warm the hand that was holding it. Wiggy grins at her and takes off at top speed.
With the Quaffle in his hand, Wiggy can block out the cold air blowing around him that seems even more frigid thanks to Wiggy's flying speed. He fakes a pass to Francis, tucking his hand in close to him again, hiding the Quaffle. Berengeria is fooled, changing course to go after Francis, but Philippa is not. She gives Wiggy a good smack with a Bludger.
Wiggy's cold enough by now though that the sting of the hit isn't as bad as it might otherwise be. Wiggy surges forward even faster, approaching Alexa who looks to be having as hard a time with the extremely strong wind gusts as Etta is.
Wiggy gets in as close as he can, hoping to reduce the amount of time the Quaffle is in flight from him to the hoops. That way there's less chance of the wind messing up his shot. Wiggy starts to shoot but there's another violently strong gust so he holds off for a second. As it dies down, he lets the Quaffle fly, sending it straight through the center of the middle hoop.
Gabby announces, "Weegy scores! Gryfeendor pulls into ze lead again. Ze score is now 90 to 80!"
Watching The Action (Alexa)
Author: Aaron Miller
Date: 10-06-07 09:54
The only good thing about the cold wind that Alexa can find is that it's help taken her mind off the pain in her head where a Bludger hit her earlier in the match. She's got some other places that are probably shiny and purple now but the worst hit, the most painful hit had been the one to her face. That's not something Alexa wants to duplicate again anytime soon though if she's going to keep laying Quidditch she accepts that there's a high probability it will happen again, maybe even during this game.
A bad thing about the frigid wind is that Alexa's eyes are stinging and watery. She wishes she'd thought to wear goggles. That simply never occurred to her. She knows better now. Alexa wonders what else experience in games will teach her for other matches.
Swiping her eyes with the back of her hand, Alexa blinks several times and squints. The Chasers are all down near Ronan in such a tight bunch she can't tell who has the Quaffle. She tunes in to sounds of the crowd, paying attention to the cheers, the groans, and the oohs and aahs. From the sounds of it, the Quaffle is going back and forth in another heated round of steals and interceptions.
A lone figure breaks away from the pack but doesn't get far before a Bludger hits the broom. The wobbling person, whom Alexa has determined is Francis Yao, keeps coming towards her but takes several seconds to get his broom completely steadied. The other five Chasers have caught up to him by then, with Francis passing off to Etta.
Griet keeps getting into Etta's flight path no matter how much she weaves and bobs. Wiggy shoots past Etta, grabs the Quaffle from her in a nice, tight pass, then looks like he's on a collision course with Griet. Griet doesn't want to give an inch and Wiggy cuts it fine dodging.
Mortimer and Berengeria come up on either side of Wiggy. Griet does a shallow dive to get just below him in case he drops the Quaffle while Francis and Etta go above in case Wiggy decides to attempt a pass to one of them. The four Beaters are zooming about, hitting Bludger after Bludger at the bunch grouped Chasers. It almost looks like there are more than two Bludgers on the pitch.
Wiggy gets within range to throw the Quaffle. Alexa's squint becomes a narrow eyed stare, focusing on nothing but Wiggy and that Quaffle. The blur of red that is the Quaffle thrown hard and fast is on her left. She uses her legs to steer her broom quickly that way, her hands reaching for the ball. Alexa touches it just as she violently sneezes. Much to her chagrin, the sneeze caused her to lose contact with the Quaffle and it goes through the hoop for another Gryffindor goal.
Alexa, frowning now as she hands off the Quaffle to Mortimer while scrabbling in a pocket for a tissue to wipe her nose, wishes Cornelia would hurry up and get that snitch. Gryffindor's leading by twenty again with the score 100 to 80.
(Cornelia) Never Settle for Less than the Best
Author: Griet
Date: 10-06-07 10:45
Cornelia didn't like this one bit. Gryffindor was winning and Slytherin––Slytherin was losing. She hated losing! Cornelia never settled for being less than the best. She couldn't help but think about the time she lost out to Eithne ni Domnhaill at the SAT last year. Just thinking about it made her angry.
She just HAD to find that snitch. If Orei got it, it would be SO over and Cornelia would never be able to forgive herself.
She hunkered down over her broom and scanned the field desperately, looking for any sight of the golden snitch, and hating whomever had had the audacity to litter gold candy wrappers all over the Pitch. Suddenly, she heard a flittering sound right next to her ear. The source moved into her line of vision, teasing her, and then flitted away quickly. Cornelia tore after it, determined to catch it.
Already, she knew that Orei had caught on and that she was just behind Cornelia, desperate to pull ahead and claim the snitch herself. Both girls were flying against the wind, which made it difficult to catch up to the tiny golden ball, which seemed to have very little resistance to the icy blast.
Cornelia reached out for it but she couldn't ever get near it. Something skimmed over her wrist guard, and Cornelia instinctively retracted her arm and looked around accusingly. She saw Bailey smirk at her, but wasn't able to shoot him a dirty look because Orei accidentally collided into Cornelia from behind.
"Watch where you're going!" Cornelia snapped, steering her broomstick away from Orei.
She looked for the snitch again but it was already gone. "Damn it!"
Meanwhile, Griet had the quaffle. She zig zagged between the various obstacles put in her way and grew ever closer to the Gryffindor hoops. Cornelia tore her gaze away from her older sister to pursue the snitch again, which had revealed itself once more. It flew along the ground, skimming the blades of grass.
Cornelia angled her broomstick downwards and went after it, with Orei once again right behind her. The Gryffindor seeker somehow pulled ahead, but Cornelia pushed herself forwards again so that they were shoulder and shoulder.
Cornelia didn't even hear the announcement that Griet had made a goal, bringing the score to 100-90, with Gryffindor still leading. She and Orei both stretched out their arms and tried to touch the snitch.
Just a little closer, Cornelia urged herself. She finally decided to try something risky. She launched herself off of her broom, closed her hand around the golden ball, and rolled onto the grass until she wound up on her back. Her broomstick kept on its trajectory, though it eventually stopped on its own. She pumped her fist in the air.
"Vanderbeelt has caught ze sneetch! Sleethereen weens, 240-100!"
Game Over
Author: Gabrielle Delacour
Date: 10-06-07 11:09
"Ze first game of ze Ogwarts zeason eends weeth Slythereen vitoree! Zat was a close match up until ze vairee end! Well done, Slythereen! Well done, Gryffeendoor!"
Gabby pauses to check a notation before continuing. "Join us ere ze eighth of Deceember for ze Ufflepuff-Raveenclaw match! We weel ope zere eez not zo much weend thees time, no?"
Gabby finishes up her announcements with stats from the game - who made how many goals, how many shots each Keeper blocked, how many fouls each team had, etc. The stands are steadily emptying while she talks but her voice will carry all the way to the castle with the wind what it is. With the wind what it is, Gabby would by scurrying out of the stands and hastening up to the castle were she a regular spectator. As Estella and Rosalinda would say, it's bloody arctic out here.
Rewrapping her heavy woolen scarf to cover her face for the walk back, Gabby is startled when she looks up to find Viktor Krum hovering there. "Good job today, Gabrielle."
Gabby beams. "Zank you, Coach Krum."
Cold as she is, Gabby watches him fly down to the ground. She doesn't move until Viktor is hidden from her view. Getting up and finishing the task of covering her face and nose with the scarf, Gabby can't stop smiling. Afterall, the man who one day will be her husband - even if he doesn't know that yet and won't know for several more years - has just given her a compliment. Definately something to grin foolishly over. Also definately something to be glad to have the scarf covering her lower features. Women of her family do not grin foolishly over men. Itis always the other way around.
Joining Estella and Rosalinda who've been waiting at the bottom of the stands, impatiently stamping their feet against another biting cold blast of wind, Gabby links arms with them, huddling up close together and walking briskly to the castle.
Dinner with Auntie Synn
Author: Lysander Stratford
Date: 10-06-07 17:13
Lysander buttoned Charlotte into a lovely woolen coat his mother had given her and made sure she had little mittens on her tiny hands before setting out with her for his auntie Synn's house. Charlotte teetered along, not at all fazed by the cold weather. She pointed her free hand at things she saw along the way and spoke to Lysander in a mixture of her own language and the one he understood.
When at last they got to his aunt's house, Lysander knelt down in front of his little girl and said, "We're visiting our Aunt Synn for dinner. Let's be on our best behavior, yes?"
"Yes," Charlotte echoed, smiling. She gently clapped both hands on her father's face until he smiled too. He rose, took her by the hand and approached his aunt's front door. Lysander raised his fist to it and knocked.
He heard the sound of a chair scraping over the floor and then footsteps growing louder as they came nearer. The curtains of the slim window next to the door were drawn back for a moment. Lysander barely glimpsed the sight of the woman he remembered as his aunt looking him and Charlotte over before the curtain closed and the door opened.
Synn opened the door herself and smiled at the both of them. "Lysander!" she exclaimed, holding out both arms. "It's been a long time." She embraced him and then looked down at Charlotte, who stared up at her wonderingly. "And this must be my grandniece. She looks just like you, Lysander!"
Synn opened the door wider and had Lysander and Charlotte quickly come in. They shed their coats and handed them to the house elf waiting dutifully nearby. Then they followed Aunt Synn through the house to the dining room, which was already set for the two adults and the baby.
"You have a lovely home," Lysander murmured politely. Even if it hadn't been a nice place, he was sure that any place must be nicer than Azkaban, where Synn had been for quite a few years until recently. Lysander had had a fear of going to prison for a long time.
"Thank you, dear. I trust you'll invite me over to your flat sometime so that I can see how my favorite nephew and his daughter live!"
"Of course. Any time."
He put Charlotte into her chair and then held Synn's chair out for her. After she sat, he sat down opposite her.
"How is your business?" Synn asked.
"Oh, it's well. Profits are up. I couldn't be happier with it."
"That's wonderful, dear. You may not have heard but I've recently entered into a business investment of my own as well."
"I'd like to hear all about it," Lysander replied honestly. He sat back, waiting for dinner to be served, and listened with full interest to his aunt's telling of her ownership of the Fire Berry in Diagon Alley and all the adventures and misadventures that went with it.
Dinner Announcements (Harriet Snider)
Author: Harry Potter
Date: 10-06-07 19:54
Just after 5 pm, when the majority of students have come to the Great Hall for supper, Harriet stands on a dias looking out over the tables of Pureblooded students. Her eyes never once flick towards the back where the Nons are.
Her voice raised just enough to be heard, Harriet begins with, "Don't forget that the Crash Test Mummies are performing this evening in the Pures Only Common Room. Next Friday night is The Rusty Cauldrons."
Harriet pauses to let three students who've just entered get seated and settled before continuing.
"Some of you have noticed, and asked about, the fact that two bands are scheduled for next Saturday, The Wicked Wizards of the West & Cassandra's Orb. Starting at 6 pm in the Pures Only Common Room the Fall Ball begins. Formal wear is strongly suggested though not required. There will be a lavish buffet and plenty of room for dancing."
For the first time Harriet looks at the four tables of Nons in the back of the hall. "Dinner for the Nons will be a feast as well, on par with what you had at Halloween. Also, you will have entertainment here in the Great Hall as well."
Harriet suppresses a smirk at how inadequate the word entertainment is to describe what they'll get: Hagrid playing the spoons on chairs, table, and pans.
Harriet has one other announcement for the Nons. "A representative from the Ministry will be here all week long to register your wands. If you do not have your fee ready to pay, do not have a receipt from your parents showing they've paid already for you, or cannot afford to pay the fee, your wand will be confiscated. You may only get it back when the fee, with a late penalty, is paid. If your wand is confiscated, for classes that require wand use, you will have to sign out a wand from your professor and must return it before leaving class."
Harriet smiles broadly at everyone then returns to her chair to tuck into her supper.
Dinner Conversation
Author: Charisma Stone
Date: 10-06-07 23:57
"A representative from the Ministry will be here all week long to register your wands. If you do not have your fee ready to pay, do not have a receipt from your parents showing they've paid already for you, or cannot afford to pay the fee, your wand will be confiscated. You may only get it back when the fee, with a late penalty, is paid. If your wand is confiscated, for classes that require wand use, you will have to sign out a wand from your professor and must return it before leaving class."
That was the announcement that had gotten the attention of the four first years. Thankfully all of their parents already knew about the wand registration and such. 'Della, Eric and Blake had gotten their receipts this afternoon, Isma's had come in that morning at breakfast before the match. "I swear, this is so stupid. I mean why does it matter if a non has a wand or not? What is the point of having it 'registered' with the Ministry? Do they think that a non is going to go out and commit a horrible crime or something simply because we are being repressed?" Though, it hadn't happened yet, not that either of the four knew about, but it was always a possibility given the current tension in every day life in the Wizarding World now.
"Mum wanted me to transfer to Beaubaxtons, but because of the Ministry I can't. Hell, I'd even consider transferring to the muggle girl's boarding school that is near where Charlie goes at this point." Isma said, shaking her head and playing with her mashed potatoes instead of eating them.
"Snobby pures. I swear, I'd like one of them, especially that tub of lard Gus, to live one day like we are forced to. Might give him some appreciation for how the nons are being treated." Blake said, tearing off half of his dinner roll and adding butter to it.
"No, it wouldn't Blake and you know it. He's a pure, it will only make him more smug in knowing that he's getting the best of everything." 'Della said, shaking her head and finishing off the last bite of her chicken breast.
"Still can't believe we lost the match. If only Orei had been a bit faster, she would have caught the snitch before Cornelia. There is always the next game." Eric said before reaching for more mashed potatoes and chicken.
"I think I am going to head up to the common room, I want to look over a few things, and get a letter written to Charlie." Isma said getting up and heading out of the great hall, her plate still ninety percent full. She knew the others would not be far behind as the quad rarely did anything individually any more.