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Gargoyles vs Manticores (Theodosia)
Author: Viktor Krum
Date: 09-04-08 15:12
Theodosia deposits the locker of balls into the middle of the pitch then turns a slow, three hundred sixty degree circle taking in the scene. The stands are decorated in scarlet, black, royal blue, and white for the first school Quidditch match. The scarlet and black are the team colors of the Gargoyles with the royal blue and white being for the Manticores. With the team line-ups for the second match differing from today's, Theodosia's already got a list of possible colors and names to be used. she supposes the same colors and names for this match could be utilized but thinks it would be more interesting and fun to have new colors and names.
Of the students in the stands, some have banners for one team or the other, some have both. Without a house team to root for Theodosia has no idea what criteria any are using to decide who to back. Although randomly selected from all the Fitness & Athletic students both teams turned out to be fairly evenly spread between years and houses, though one team does have three former Ravenclaws but none of those three are in the same year. The only real disparity with the teams is that one team drew five girls, two boys and the other drew six boys and one girl.
Today's announcer is Rosalinda Yorke who gets things started a few minutes before the scheduled start of the game. "Good morning, Quidditch fans! It's bitingly cold and it's horribly windy but it's nevertheless a fine day for the first of three Quidditch matches to be played this term. For those of you who haven't heard, the next match is March 3rd and the last is June 7th."
Rosalinda continues the pre-game chatter, giving those coming down to the pitch time to reach the stands and get seated. It's also giving those who arrived a little early time to hit the refreshment stand for piping hot cocoa and steaming mugs of spiced pumpkin juice, anything to help warm them after sitting in the wind.
Receiving a signal from Theodosia, Rosalinda launches into announcing the teams. The locker room doors open and the players come onto the pitch as Rosalinda speaks. "Today we have the Gargoyles! The scarlet and black are led by team captain Mary Black! Mary is playing in the position she held when on the Slytherin team in previous years, that of Chaser.
Daniel Gelson, at Chaser!
Deak Bennett, also a Chaser!
A new face at Hogwarts, Don Thomas in one of the Beater positions!
The other Gargoyle Beater is Anne Kendrick!
Isabel Parker as Keeper!
Lastly is Aleydis Vanderbilt in the very important position of Seeker!
Good luck, Gargoyles!
Now for the royal blue and white team! Here come the Manticores!
Captain and chaser Jared Wynbourne!
Christopher Chant is a Chaser!
Timothy Gabble at Chaser!
Mark Farnon is in a Beater position!
Mortimer Rollo is also a Beater!
At Keeper is Sonya Silver!
Caerwyn Valentine, another new face at Hogwarts and a first year at that, has the coveted Seeker position!
Good luck, Manticores!"
The players gather around Theodosia for the captains' handshake and the release of the balls, first the Bludgers, the Snitch, and lastly, Theodosia tosses up the Quaffle.
Everyone takes to the air, including Theodosia, the six Chasers converging on that red ball known as the Quaffle.
(Mark) Manticore Mayhem
Author: Isolde
Date: 09-04-08 18:35
As soon as Professor Batuti let all four balls loose, Mark charged after one of the bludgers. He sensed movement behind him and knew that at least one if not both of the opposing beaters were on his tail, eager to get ahead of him and to the coveted black ball before he could use it to his advantage. Leaning forward over the shaft of his broomstick, Mark attempted to reduce the wind resistance, which was difficult as it was a particularly windy day. It was also quite cold, and he could already feel the skin stretched over his red knuckles cracking painfully.
He propelled himself forward and raised his bat. A split second before hitting the bludger, he gauged where to aim it. He struck the ball with a loud crack, using the entire force of his arm and turning in the direction of the powerful movement. It was then that he noticed that only one of the opposing beaters, Anne, had been behind him. The other was across the Pitch with his teammate, Mortimer, scrambling for the second black ball.
Anne didn't waste another second by Mark's side. She shot after his projectile, willing herself to get between it and its target. Mark held his breath for a moment as he, too, followed it and her, hoping it would meet its target. Unfortunately, the pack of chasers, six frantic players in scarlet and black and royal blue and white looked like a mass of tangled limbs as they struggled over possession of the quaffle. One moment it belonged to the Gargoyles, the next it was in the hands of a Manticore chaser.
It almost looked like it would strike one of his own who had just gotten within its path but then Mortimer came out of seemingly nowhere and knocked it on a better course with his own bat. It careened into the shoulder blade of Mary, who'd just been reaching for the quaffle in Timothy's arms. She slumped forward with the impact and lost her momentum.
It was somewhat strange to have struck Mary, a former Slytherin just like himself. If things had been different at Hogwarts, she'd have probably still been captain of the Slytherin team and maybe Mark would have also made the team. They wouldn't be rivals like they were now.
Mark didn't let the thought linger any longer. The bludger that had ricocheted off of Mary's back was now within Don's grasp. She connected her bat with it and sent it in the direction of the pack of chasers, that hardly seemed to move in any one direction since possession of the quaffle kept changing sides. Mark, fearing it would hit one of his own, flew in between the bludger and the fray. At just the right moment, he slugged it at a slightly variant angle. It struck the quaffle in mid-pass between two of the Gargoyles chasers, allowing Christopher to pluck it from the air before anyone else could.
Mortimer tore after the bludger Mark had just used, so Mark directed his attention on the other one. He rushed towards it, hoping to reach it before either of the other two beaters could.
(Camp Lollipop) So Long, Farewell (Jade & Hunter)
Author: Emerald Green
Date: 09-04-08 19:32
Nine year old Hunter Green picks up a box of freshly stamped stationary and carries it from the stamping room down the hallway, bracing himself at the exit for the blast of bracing wind he knows is coming. Balancing the box, Hunter gets the door open, the freezing air like a slap in the face. Eyes watering, Hunter carries the heavy box to the building where it and other boxes, filled with work from Camp Lollipop, will be sent off to other locations around the British Wizarding World.
Hefting and toting boxes can be tiring but today Hunter doesn't mind one bit. If things go as Jade and he hope, this will be the last time he'll have to look at another box marked with the image of sweets that is the Camp Lollipop logo.
Jade Green, twin of Hunter and thus alo nine, puts aside the soft, fluffy towel onto which she's been assigned to hand embroider the initials of that odious woman who runs Hogwarts, Harriet Snider. At least Jade thinks the woman must be truly awful if what Olive and Emerald had to say about her is anything to do by. The thought of her sisters, even as fleeting as it is, has Jade picking her pace.
Starting at 11 am each day, Jade has to go to the room from which Camp Lollipop employees Floo to and from the community. She's to be there at 11, at noon, at 1, and again at 2, sweeping up around the fireplace as each lunch shift leaves for lunch and returns. Personally, Jade thinks it's stupid to sweep up when the first shift goes then again when they return and the second shift goes, and then do it all over again with the second shift comes back and the third shift leaves, only to turn around and go sweep yet again when the third shift returns. At least she's not on morning and evening duties as well.
Warden Hester Rackharrow insists all the sweeping in employee lounge around the Floo is necessary, "... so that we Pures aren't taken for lazy, filthy Nons."
Jade mentally shrugs. Unless she and Hunter get stopped, the sweeping from about 11 am to 11:15 is the last she'll be doing at Camp Lollipop. If Warden Rackharrow had known that all the sweeping around the Floo is what's allowing the Green twins to get away, the woman would definately have given second thoughts to the daily task. In appearance Rackharrow might look like a sweet grandmotherly type but in personality she's anything but. Jade thinks the woman is only second in evilness to Euphemia Smythe-Jones, the person behind Hunter, Jade, and all the others being taken from their homes and locked up and treated like trash.
Jade stops at the supply closet to pick up the broom and dustpan before continuing on to the employee lounge. Once there, she stands quietly in the corner nearest the fireplace, broom at the ready to sweep up the ashes and soot that often erupt from the fireplace when someone Floos. Something else is in that mix of ashes and soot.
Floo powder.
It's never much but it's there. It's not unusual for some to scatter to the floor when someone flings it into the fireplace. Ever since realizing this fact, Jade's been secretly collecting what of it she's able. It's taken awhile to get what she hopes is enough for Hunter and her to leave. She might have more than they need but they figured that with all the fireplace grit thrown in, Jade should gather extra.
Last night they determined they probably have enough for two Floos. Jade was thinking they'd Floo separately but Hunter argued that they should Floo together and have the extra to Floo again, the better to cover their tracks. Afterall, one of the things they have learned in the almost year and a half of living in the Wizarding World is that the Ministry can monitor the Floo network.
The fifteen minutes that those leaving for first lunch generally take seems to crawl by, Jade certain at any moment one of them will suddenly decide to pick on her, make her turn out her pockets. She nearly collapses with relief when the quarter hour arrives and the last of those who are leaving have gone.
Hunter had filled the time staying busy, carrying boxes from one building to the other. The last box he slowed down with, acting as though it was heavier and harder to carry. When he reached the room to deposit it, Hunter was pleased to see that the clock in the hall showed it to be 11:15 on the dot. After making sure that hallway and the one he needs to turn down are clear, Hunter makes the turn and hastens to the door of the employee lounge.
Jade had made sure the door was open so that Hunter wouldn't come barreling in if there were any employees still in the lounge. He ducks into the room, pulling the door shut behind him. Jade makes a hurry up motion with one hand, propping the broom in the corner with the other.
"Where do we go from here?" Jade asks.
They'd discussed this before but never reached an answer. They knew they couldn't go to Aunt Blythe's in case someone after them immediately.
Jade's pulling out the handful of ashes, soot and Floo powder as Hunter reaches her, grabbing her free hand. "I saw we go to Rackharrow's home," he replies with a mischievous glint in his eyes.
"Good one," Jade whispers. "They'd not think to look there."
Having witnessed Warden Rackharrow leaving for lunch many times now, Jade knows just what to say. Clutching Hunter's hand even more tightly she throws the powder mixture into the fireplace and calls out clearly, "Rackharrow Place."
There's the weird sensation that goes with traveling by Floo and then the twins find themselves stepping from a nondescript, medium sized fireplace into a nondescript medium sized room. Jade starts to turn around for the second Floo trip but Hunter stops her.
"Let's look outside first."
Jade nods, silently following Hunter to a window. They peer through and find themselves looking out over a residential street, cars driving by. Jade grins. "I bet this is one of those Wizarding homes smack in the middle of a Muggle neighborhood."
"Yeah, but where?"
"Want to explore?"
"Might be a good idea."
Moving very quietly through the house, in case someone else is there, even if only a House Elf, the twins make their way to the front door. Easing it open, they then run down the steps to the sidewalk. A few passersbys by blink in surprise at the sudden appearance of the two children, both of them dressed similarly in shabby clothes, faces and arms dirty, and neither wearing coats warm enough for the cold weather.
Jade and Hunter make note of the house number in case they need to return and start jogging down the block, doing their best to ignore the stares of the people who'd seen them just sort appear. When nearing the corner, from where they can see what street they are on, Jade says, "From the way they acted, I don't think they can see Rackharrow's house."
"Yeah, me either. Okay. We have a street name and her house number if we need to go back to Floo from there, but we still don't know where exactly this is."
"Look, there's a bus stop. Maybe that will tell us something."
They reach the bus stop and are exciting to find that it does tell them something useful. They are in London!
Jade chews her bottom lip for a moment then musing aloud says, "Too bad we don't have bus fare. We could go to that Leaky Cauldron place and use the Floo from there."
"Charing Cross Road, right?"
"Yeah. Let's look around for some dropped coins."
Hunter sits on the bus stop bench, pulling a foot up to rest on the opposite knee. "Remember how Dad always said it was a good idea to have money hidden on you in case you got robbed or lost your wallet or something?"
"Yeah."
Hunter, wearing the same shoes he wore they day they were taken from Aunt Blythe's, takes a finger and starts working on the thick sole of the shoe he's propped on his knee. "He showed me how to slit a thick sole and use that as a hiding place for cash. I'd been carrying around some British pound notes. Not sure why, but now I'm glad I did. Let's hope we don't have to have exact change for the bus."
"Or that they won't let us on because of how we look," Jade adds, her stomach all aflutter that they are hopefully minutes from making their escape a total success.
Hunter jumps up. "Here comes a bus. Let's take it no matter where it's going. Get away from this spot as quick as we can."
Ten minutes later the twins are on the bus, the corner leading to Hester Rackharrow's house well behind them now.
In the Stands
Author: Alanna Beck
Date: 09-05-08 08:01
Alanna sat in the stands and waved a royal blue and white flag in support of her friend Jared and the Manticores. It seemed somewhat strange now not to be sitting in the stands decked out in black and yellow or in her Hufflepuff uniform out on the field itself. Hogwarts seemed like a totally different school now, and Alanna quite frankly didn't like it. She missed the goood old days and doubted she'd see things return to normal before she graduated.
The Manticores currently had possession of the quaffle. Christopher passed it to Jared, and Jared passed it to Timothy. Mark and Mortimer protected their chasers to the best of their abilities, allowing them for perhaps the first time that game to draw nearer to the Gargoyle goal hoops. Isabel, the keeper, prepared herself for the quaffle's arrival, and easily blocked Timothy's goal attempt. She tossed the quaffle to Mary, Alanna's roommate.
Mary and Alanna didn't exactly get along, but they did tend to stay out of each other's way and avoided outright confrontation for that reason. Alanna sensed that Mary thought she should have been named prefect, and Alanna still didn't know why she'd been given the silver badge instead. Snider had not once called Alanna to her office since the new term began, and Alanna felt less and less as if she were under the grotesque woman's radar. Perhaps cutting off all ties from her family, however unwillingly, had done the trick.
Alanna wanted to finish out her year at Hogwarts but sometimes wondered if not talking to her family was worth it. She had no idea what was going on in the lives of her siblings or her grandparents. They hadn't wanted to keep her out of the loop but had done so at her own request. She knew she wouldn't have been able to make it through the year without a lot of trouble if she didn't distance herself from the unfavorable labels with which certain members of her family had been branded.
A cold draft of wind swept through the stands. Alanna shivered and crossed her arms over her chest in a bid to get warm. Her loose hair blew wildly around her face. When the gust dissipated, Alanna once again raised her flag and cheered on Jared and the Manticore team.
This Is Weird
Author: Jared
Date: 09-05-08 16:29
Jared's played chaser before in pick-up games. Never in an actual match. Being high above the pitch without his bat feels off. He also has to fight the urge to go after bludgers instead of playing quaffle keep away. Also weird is that of all people, Mortimer Rollo is one of Jared's teammates. The only way this weirdness he's feeling would be greater is if it were Mary Black on the team.
Another thing hard to get used to is seeing the team he's on wearing royal blue and white instead of Gryffindor red and gold. Stranger still is that the team that does have red is who Jared's playing against. If he were to play at university or professionally, Jared would expect to have to get used to playing on the same team with former opponents, different team colors, different team names, and possibly even playing a different position. It's simply not what he ever thought he'd have to get used to while still at Hogwarts.
Since Timothy's goal attempt for the Manticores, which is the team Jared is on, the quaffle has changed hands a number of times. Deak Bennett has the red ball at the moment but Jared's closing in for the steal. He gets close enough to Deak to reach over and grab the ball away but jerks his hand back in the knick of time as a bludger screams between Deak and him.
In that half a second Deak barrel rolls away from Jared. Undeterred, Jared alters course to stay with the Gargoyle. Mary appears on Deak's other side, hand out for a pass off. Christopher Chant, or Cat as some call him, forces Mary out of the way using knees and elbows yet somehow not getting called on a cobbing foul.
Deak, the quaffle ready to hand off, swerves to avoid Cat as well, putting him in perfect position for Jared to make the steal. Jared plucks the ball from Deak only to immediately hurl it at Timothy. Timothy catches it, ducks a bludger, veers around Daniel Gelson, and sets up to pass back to Jared.
Something hard hits Jared square in the back with a whoomph! The force from the unexpected blow sends him in a face plant on his broom handle, causing him to whack his nose hard enough for Jared to be pretty certain he's now got a deviated septum. What Quidditch match is complete without a visit to the hospital wing?
The quaffle, already in flight from the lob Timothy had given it in Jared's direction, is intercepted by a grinning Mary. That girl is even more scary when she grins, Jared thinks, suppressing a shudder. If he were playing beater, he'd be quick with an effort to remove that frightening smirk but Jared has to settle for going in pursuit back the other direction, thinking once more how weird it is to be on the same side as Mortimer when the other boy pulls ahead of Jared, chasing Mary down to steal the quaffle back for the Manticores.
OOC: Cobbing is an excessive use of elbows.
(Enid) Resurrection
Author: Ronan Eastwick
Date: 09-05-08 18:16
Enid swept down the hidden staircase in the middle of St. James' Park in Muggle London and entered the mausoleum where her son and so many other wizards were interred. She had already set into motion a ritual to raise him from the dead, one she had intensely researched after searching the globe for all known resurrection spells. This one in particular lasted an exhausting thirty-three hours and, out of the number of spells she'd collected, seemed the most practical.
Now she intended on completing the ritual. She glided down the corridor, passing by sarcophagi bearing the engraved names of deceased wizards. Enid stopped after a time and turned to face the stone coffin belonging to her son. For a moment, her heart stopped. She hadn't visited him since his interment, and suddenly the memory of his death seemed so near. Had it really been a year and a half since his murder?
She shook herself and remembered why she was there. Enid reached into her pocket and removed her wand. She pointed it at the stone coffin and levitated it, with great effort, from its slot in the wall onto the floor before her. It hit the ground with a loud echo, and Enid looked around, wondering if anyone had heard. She hadn't seen anyone when she first entered the mausoleum, but then she hadn't exactly checked either. She'd been too focused on her task to pause to make sure she didn't have any interruptions.
When she heard no approaching footsteps, she exhaled the breath she'd been keeping and pointed her wand at the sarcophagus. She slowly broke through the air-tight seal between the base and the lid and then took a step back. Only a slab of stone stood between her and her son now.
Remembering herself, she dipped her hand back into her pocket and pulled out a small vial of clear liquid and a plastic bag of green herbs. She opened the bag and moved clockwise around the sarcophagus, sprinkling the green herbs as she went. When she came full-circle, she uncorked the vial and went counterclockwise around the coffin, sprinkling liquid as she went. When she came to the starting point again, she checked the gold pocket watch she carried in her pocket. She had one minute to spare before the long thirty-three hours ended.
Every second seemed excruciatingly long now. When the second hand hit 12, she sucked in her breath and waited.
At first, nothing happened.
And then...
Thump.
A natural instinct might have been to jump back, but Enid leaned forward in anticipation.
Thump. Thump.
She started to point her wand at the lid of the stone coffin to levitate it, but it suddenly rose on her own and slid over at a slight angle so that most of the base was still covered.
A hand emerged just as Enid heard footsteps coming down the corridor behind her.
Natural Knack
Author: Don Thomas
Date: 09-05-08 23:06
Don jolted in front of Aleydis Vanderbilt and took a powerful swing at the bludger. It flew in the other direction and Mark Farnon, the one who had hit it in the direction of the Gargoyles' seeker in the first place, ran to get it. Don hadn't truly hit it in any general direction, but with a stroke of luck she could see the bludger flying towards some kid named Jared or something. Judging by the air and momentum of the bludger, Don guessed her hit would have been considered a home-run in the Muggle world.
Though Don had never been a girl whose life was run by organized sports and elaborate trophies did not mean she wasn't good at them. As a matter of a fact, Don had a natural knack for sports and did enjoy playing them. She just never ran her life off of them. One sport she didn't know too well before the beginning of her 1st (& 6th) year at Hogwarts was Quidditch. True, it was all around her as a witch in a modern wizarding world. She had just never shown an interest in the sport. Don was more of a soccer/football fan anyway.
Don watched as Jared took back the quaffle from Mary. She also saw Anne Kendrick hit a bludger towards Christopher Chant. Don intercepted it as if it was just another reflex in her body. She hit the bludger towards Jared and watched as it hit his side. He dropped the quaffle. Mary picked it up. Smiling to herself, Don flew to find another move to make.