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Jaguars vs Anacondas (Theodosia)
Author: Viktor Krum
Date: 12-24-08 06:47
Theodosia stands at mid-pitch, waiting for the time to start the match. It's nearly that time but there are a few minutes to go and the students, staff, and other spectators are still arriving. Theodosia thinks it's a shame that stands that once will filled now have so few to sit in them.
"Dosie, I want to talk to you!"
Theodosia turns around to face her brother. She opens both arms to take in the scene around them. "You might not have noticed but I'm a little busy at the moment."
"There's time before the match," he obstinately points out.
"Fine, what is it?" To her own ears Theodosia sounds tired. In a way she is tired. Tired of dealing with one drama after another with Zuberi.
"Tell that Filthy man he can't order me about."
"Filthy man?"
"Mr. Filthy. The one with the cat Mrs. Norris. He's the caretaker or something."
"Oh, you mean Argus Filch."
"Filthy suits him better but whatever. Tell him."
"What's this about?"
"Just tell him, all right. Here he comes now."
"First of all, Zuberi, if it's a disciplinary measure or something he's told you not to do, then he has the authority to order you about. Second of all, I am not going to instruct Mr. Filch on anything until I know the story."
"You never take my side," Zuberi snits.
"If taking your side means condoning unacceptable behavior, then no, I don't suppose I ever take your side," Theodosia rationally and levelly replies.
Argus Filch reaches them. He scowls at Zuberi and says to Theodosia, "Sorry about the timing."
To Theodosia he doesn't sound at all sorry. In fact, Mr. Filch sounds a little on the gleeful side. "Quite all right, Mr. Filch, but we don't have much time."
"Caught your brother in the village."
"I was not in the village," Zuberi nearly shouts.
"If you want to get particular, no, you weren't," Filch agrees. "You were on the outskirts and had a bag full of dungbombs and other explosives."
Zuberi's face flashes darkly. Theodosia fixes him with a hard stare, saying to Mr. Filch, "I take it you were doling out punishment after you dragged him back to school grounds."
"That I were. Scrubbing and cleaning."
Theodosia calmly says to Zuberi, "The sooner you begin, the sooner you will be done."
"I'm going to miss the match!" Zuberi screams.
"You are also starting to put on an entertaining pre-game show. Do you really want your classmates to see you pitching a childish temper tantrum?"
"I hate you!"
"Yes, so you've told me many times now." To Mr. Filch Theodosia says, "I will check in with you after the match ends. If Zuberi is still giving you a difficult time about his detention, you and I will come up with more for him."
Mr. Filch smiles at that and Theodosia can well imagine he's hoping Zuberi continues acting up today just so he can dole out something harsher.
As Zuberi goes grudgingly, Isabel Parker's voice fills the stadium. "Welcome to the second Quidditch match of the term! Today's teams are the Jaguars and the Anacondas!"
Theodosia turns her attention to the locker rooms from which the teams will emerge. Out first is the team in uniforms of constrasting greens, pale and dark. Isabel announces the Jaguar members as they take to the field.
"Playing for the green on green team, the Jaguars, are captain and Chaser Alanna Beck! Chaser Curtis Fiennes! Chaser Hadrian Rabnott! Beater Cruise Stryde! Beater Crispin Cooke! Keeper Philippa Fox! And Seeker Alexa Wenlock!
Now for the purple and cream team, the Anacondas! Captain and Chaser Sage Porter! Chaser Hunter Rabnott! Chaser Julietta Wynbourne! Beater James Lennox! Beater Ella Harville! Keeper Gaia Goyle! And Seeker Augustus Hodfuffer!"
The two teams fly out to meet Theodosia. The two captains shake hands as Theodosia instructs, "Let's play a clean game."
The Keepers get in their positions. The Seekers are already up and hovering. The Chasers are in a ring above Theodosia's head, waiting for the release of the Quaffle. Theodosia lets the Bludgers free, then sends the Snitch on its way. Next she takes the Quaffle, throws the red ball up with a hard toss, then after clearing the trunk from the pitch, takes to her broom to referee the match.
Clearing the mind
Author: Cailyn Spicer
Date: 12-25-08 19:35
Cailyn sat high up onto of Moondancer way up in the clouds over Hogwarts. The one thing that had never been denied to her was her love of flying on her winged horse. For this she was generally thankful for. She didn’t know what she would do if she could fly when things bothered her. And right now, things were bothering her. She had enough of Hogwarts and Professor Snider. She had enough of her failing father who had decided to marry again. Muffy! Ugh what a name!
She still could not believe that her father (who had always prided himself in being a single widow with a daughter) was going to re marry. He had stated that the ministry of magic was giving him a hard time for all the muggle women he likes to frolic with. But, Cailyn wasn’t so sure that was it. When she had last seen him with Muffy, he two looked extremely happy together.
Cailyn groaned, yeah they looked happy together. Muffy and all her little brats looked very happy living in her home. She was certain that Muffy was marring Nicko for his money. Though she wouldn’t ever say this. No, it was better to just have a plan when she graduated Hogwarts at the end of the year. She was after all legally and adult and did not have to return home if she didn’t want too.
She could even go on to St. Emrys which was something she had in mind. She wasn’t sure what she would do there though. She gave a small sigh and leaned in on Moondancer’s back.
“You’re so lucky you’re a horse Moondancer. You don’t have anything to worry about.” She muttered as she turned Moondancer around and headed back towards Hogwarts. Thinking that it wouldn’t be very good if she showed up missing. No one knew she was gone. Not even Gaia.
Taking The Early Lead (Hadrian)
Author: Aaron Miller
Date: 12-26-08 12:56
Scanning the pitch, Hadrian decides it's a good thing the teams are in such distinctly different colors. He's not sure he'd remember exactly who is on his team and who's opposing otherwise. It's probably also a good thing the beaters have bats, the keepers are stuck at their respective goals, and the seekers are busy searching for the snitch to be in the thick of the action, otherwise Hadrian might still be confused who on his team is a chaser.
What's harder still is adjusting to having people of other houses on the same team. Hadrian knows he's not supposed to think of the Hogwarts students as being in a particular house anymore but even with the start of the seven month of the so called new Hogwarts, Hadrian still can't help but think of who was at the school the previous year as being associated with a particular house. If this were a pick-up game, having a team consisting of a mix of houses wouldn't be odd; but this isn't a regular match.
To say the least, Hadrian really hates not having regular teams.
A bludger whistles past Hadrian's ear, passing by so closely it makes the top of his ear lobe feel slightly chafed. Any closer and there would have been a whole new meaning to Hadrian getting his head into the game.
Even though the bludger is well past, Hadrian veers the opposite direction, pulling his broom into a climb, rising at a sharp angle only to quickly level off. His timing is such that Hadrian's there to intercept a pass from his brother Hunter to Etta Wynbourne.
Hadrian grins at Hunter's scowl, at the same time wheeling about to shoot off towards the opposite end of the pitch. Hunter wants the quaffle back so hastily zooms forward to block Hadrian's progress. Hadrian swerves but finds Etta's moves just as quickly to attempt to pin him.
A voice from just below shouts his name. Hadrian grins at his brother again as he drops the ball down for a pass. Curtis snatches it and takes off, Hunter and Etta abandoning Hadrian to go in pursuit.
Hadrian angles down to approximately the same heighth as Curtis. Diving as he is, Hadrian's able to cut in front of Sage Porter just as Sage is looking to grab the quaffle from Curtis's grip. This gives Curtis time to get off a perfect, unobstructed pass to the other Jaguars chaser Alanna.
Aided by their two beaters, Crispin and Cruise, Alanna, Curtis, and Hadrian get a smooth rhythm of passing going, working the quaffle ever closer to Anacondas keeper Gaia Goyle.
Hadrian's the one in possession of the quaffle when they get within good scoring range. He's got Etta dogging him, getting so close at times Hadrian thinks it's a miracle they've not fouled each other. Hadrian's always liked classmate Julietta as a friend but this very minute he's suddenly noticing just how cute she is.
Hadrian cannot believe he's just had that thought. He mustn't get distracted that way, not during the game in general but especially not when he's about to throw for a goal.
Hadrian moves as though to throw to the center hoop but lofts the quaffle in such a way that it slices to his right. Hadrian pumps one fist triumphantly when, when much to keeper Gaia's chagrin, the quaffle sails cleanly through the hoop.
The Jaguars score the first goal of the match, making the score 10 Jaguars, 0 Anacondas.
Sore Loser
Author: Ella
Date: 12-26-08 17:56
Ella made a most unladylike remark in response to Hadrian's successful goal attempt. She absolutely did not like losing, and though it was still the very beginning of the match and Ella knew that things could still change in her favor, she felt as if the worst possible thing had happened. What made it worse is that Zane sat in the audience.
She'd been hesitant to allow him to attend the match, not because she didn't like seeing him but because no one knew they were dating and Ella didn't want him accidentally finding out the truth about her age. When he'd found out she'd made the team for the current match, he'd asked to see her play. Zane had freely admitted that he wasn't a Quidditch fan but that he wanted to support her in all her endeavors. Despite his dark and mysterious appearance, he showed sensitivity and tenderness one almost didn't expect to find within him.
With her concerns about his visit in mind, Ella hadn't gone out to meet him earlier that morning and wouldn't bend over backwards to see him after the match. She knew that if someone saw them together and questioned their relationship, knowing her young age and assuming his older one, she would lose him, and Ella wanted to avoid that at all costs.
She figured she had a good excuse for not seeing him before or after the game. Her morning had been filled with peptalks and other Quidditch-related things, and if she really were in her seventh year, she'd have NEWTs for which to study. Ella knew that Zane would understand.
Gaia put the quaffle back into play via Sage, the captain for the Anacondas. Sage and his fellow chasers, Julietta and Hunter, started working the quaffle down the pitch towards the opposite goal zone. Ella, abandoning thoughts of Zane and the lies she told, sprung into action. She zoomed after the nearest bludger and reached it half a second before opposing beater Cruise could. She knocked it in the direction of the pack of chasers, hoping to get one of the Jaguars but knowing that she didn't have a certain target at the moment. Ella simply wasn't in the right position and didn't have the exact angle to do so. It also didn't help that her targets continuously moved around and were heading away from her.
The bludger never made it to the pack because Crispin intercepted it and sent in on another trajectory. Ella was too far away to concern herself with it, so she tackled the other bludger, which her co-beater James had hit away in his effort to defend the Jaguar chasers as they tried to steal the quaffle from the three Anacondas who still worked the ball down the pitch.
She batted it to James, who aimed it for Philippa just as Hunter released the quaffle for his goal attempt. The bludger distracted Philippa enough to leave one of the hoops slightly unprotected. The quaffle went through without touching the rim of the hoop.
Now the game was tied.
Island Hopping
Author: Bronwyn Dewhurst
Date: 12-26-08 18:36
Bronwyn gave Toby one last farewell kiss and then hugged Katherine goodbye. She and Desi planned on traveling to Seattle, Desi because she had to return to her real life, and Bron because it had been oh-so-long since her last visit and she really wanted a change of scenery. Toby and Katherine elected to stay behind, Toby wanting to give his wife and friend some time alone together, and Katherine because she was still recuperating from life in Azkaban and at The Mews.
Desi said her own goodbyes and at Bronwyn's, "Fiji, here I come!", dispparated on the spot.
Bronwyn disappeared a moment later and resurfaced in the coastal town of Labasa on the smaller of two islands, Vanua Levu. She saw first the crystal blue water and the rolling waves that gently drifted to the white sandy beach. Then she saw Desi standing next to her.
"Oh, it's so nice."
"Yeah, yeah," Desi said, latching onto her arm. "If I let you sunbathe and whatever else you are planning on doing, we'll never get back to Seattle. Come on. French Polynesia is next."
Bronwyn pouted. "But..."
Desi placed her hands on her hips but didn't say a word.
Defeated, Bronwyn said, "Okay." Then she departed with a pop.
Desi disapparated a moment later and arrived in Paopao in Tahiti. She got there in just the knick of time, for Bronwyn was already walking off the white beach onto one of the many docks that ran over the gorgeous turquoise-colored water. She jogged over and latched her hand around Bronwyn's wrist.
"Not so fast."
"I'm not going fast at all," Bronwyn protested.
Desi rolled her eyes and pulled Bronwyn in the opposite direction. "I know you want to stay and look around, but we've got several more stops to do."
"But..."
Desi laughed. "We'll stop at the next one, I promise, but only because I think we'll need the rest."
Bronwyn allowed Desi to escort her to the out of the way spot they'd apparated to and then disapparated again. Moments later, they reappeared on the big island in Hawaii in the town of Hilo. It, like the previous two stops, was on the coast and featured blue water and a most perfect waterfront.
Bronwyn looked at Desi pleadingly.
Desi laughed. "Go ahead."
With a grin on her face, Bronwyn kicked off her shoes, dropped her bags, and ran across the sand to get her feet wet in the shallow, crystal blue water of Hilo Bay.
Gaining Then Losing The Quaffle (Etta)
Author: Jared
Date: 12-27-08 13:19
Etta scowls at Hadrian for scoring earlier. Her expression isn't out of bad sportsmanship, just out of a desire for her team, the Anacondas to win. Truth be told, Etta had really hoped to get selected as Seeker for whichever match and team she was selected for but since the announcement for the second game's teams, Etta's devoted herself to being the best chaser she can be.
Alanna throws the quaffle back into play, sending the ball to Curtis. Whether it was a bad pass, a bad catch, or Curtis's hands are slippery, Etta's not sure. Whatever it is though has Curtis promptly losing the quaffle and Etta snatching it up. She's off, whirlying around for a goal attempt since the goals are literally right there. Hadrian, Curtis, and Alanna have other ideas, so effectively blocking Etta that somehow she ends up just past the center of the pitch, trying hard to fly back to the other end of the pitch. Etta bends low over her broom to both reduce wind resistance and to better safeguard the quaffle now tucked up against her.
Hunter calls a warning to Etta, "Etta, Bludger!" but Etta can't see or hear it immediately and doesn't know which way to go to avoid it. She ends up rolling left, the Bludger hitting her on her right leg but not as hard or as solidly as it might have.
Her teammate Ella is there in a blink to send the Bludger at one of the green clad Jaguars. In the meantime Etta's zigzagging to get away from Hadrian and Alanna who are attempting to hem her in and prevent her from successfully passing the quaffle.
Hunter darts in, narrowly avoiding a collision with his brother, takes a hand off from Etta, then sprints away. Hadrian's course brings him so close that Etta has to duck down to avoid her own collision with him. Hadrian grins at her in the process and gives her a look that is more than that of friendly competition. It startles Etta somewhat because as far as she knows Hadrian doesn't like her that way and besides that, he took Marjani Batuti to the Valentine's Hearts & Roses Ball.
Choosing to ignore whatever it is for the rest of the match, Etta catches up with Hunter who's just passes off to Sage. The three Anacondas chasers work the quaffle down pitch, successfully avoiding attempts at stealing and bludgers until Etta's reaching for the quaffle after a pass from Sage and a bludger takes her squarely in the hand.
Etta's hand had been closing on the quaffle. The hit from the bludger shoves her handsides, sending the quaffle sideways as well. She tries to grab it with her other hand but ends up flailing for balance instead.
Curtis gets to the quaffle before anyone else, triumphant in getting it back from Etta. The Jaguars chaser starts for the opposite end of the field with the other chasers and beaters turning as well. Etta shakes her smashed hand, experimentally flexing fingers to make sure nothing's broken, then joins leans over her broom to catch up with the pack.
(San Marino) Breathtaking
Author: Griet
Date: 12-27-08 18:06
The Most Serene Republic of San Marino was a small European country landlocked by Italy. It was founded on September 3, 301 by a Muggle named Marinus and as such was the oldest sovereign state and republic in the world. It also had the distinction of having the oldest constitution, dating from 1600.
Griet had never even heard of San Marino before her arrival there, despite its lengthy history. The long rectangular villa in which she and many other rescued students lived had a small collection of books, some of which pertained to the city of San Marino. With a lot of time on her hands these days, Griet read through a number of the books and learned a lot of new things.
The villa, despite its length, felt cramped with all the bodies inside. Besides Griet there were her cousins Sadie and Ramona, her former housemates Gervaise and Oberon, and several of other refugees, too. In addition to them were the Resistance and Order members and other good samaritans who looked over them everyday. Not all of the same adults stayed everyday and every night. Griet suspected some sort of rotation was set in place.
She often went outside to get some fresh air. The villa was in the snowcapped Apennine mountains. Rolling green hills stretched for miles everywhere else. The view was breathtaking.
"I don't think I'll get tired of this," came a remark from behind her.
Griet stood several paces away from the back door and gazed out at the beautiful scenery. It was cold, but she wore a coat, gloves, mittens, and a knitted cap and didn't feel anything like she'd felt during the winter months at Happy Haven.
"It is stunning," she said, not bothering to turn around to address the speaker face-to-face.
"I think I could stay here."
"Don't you miss your family?" Griet asked, finally turning around.
Oberon shrugged. "I do."
"So do I."
"Why? They abandoned you, didn't they? Seems to me you're better off without them," Oberon retorted.
Griet shook her head. "You don't know what you're talking about, and it's actually none of your business."
"Your parents gave up on you the minute blood status became an issue," Oberon carried on, as if Griet hadn't made it clear that he should just stop talking. "They seen Cornelia as their first-born now."
"Shut up!" Griet exclaimed, throwing her hands into the air. "They had to do what they had to do. Yes, it hurt, but I know why they did it. Honestly, I think it's good they did. Otherwise, they'd be at Happy Haven or someplace like it now."
Oberon stepped out of the door way and walked towards Griet. She could tell that he wasn't about to give it up just yet.
"Does it make it right, what they did to you, what they did for themselves?" he pressed.
Griet's blood was already boiling. She felt her hands ball into fists. "You would have done the same, if you'd been in their position."
"You think so?"
"I know so!" Griet replied hotly. They were nearly nose and nose now. "I seem to recall that you were still considered a pureblood when this nonsense started. How did you treat nons before you were one of them? Just the same, Oberon. Just the same."
"You know what?"
"What?"
"I think you're..."
"What, Oberon? What?"
Just when they were going to start making out, something they hadn't done since leaving Happy Haven, a voice called out to them from the doorway.
"You guys are making an awful amount of racket out here."
Oberon turned around and looked at Gervaise. "And that's unusual?"
Griet, slightly red in the face (something she hoped Gervaise thought was a side-effect of anger and not embarrassment from nearly having been caught kissing the enemy), sidestepped Oberon, stalked past him, and headed for the doorway where Gervaise stood. He stepped out of the way to allow her to go inside and then whistled.
"You got her all riled up."
Oberon nodded, not letting on that he knew exactly what was going on in her mind right now. He waited a beat longer and then followed Griet into the house, with Gervaise right behind him.