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Hufflepuff vs Slytherin (Theodosia)
Author: Viktor Krum
Date: 05-23-10 12:21
As with the every Quidditch match day just before the game starts, Theodosia is standing at mid-pitch with the trunk of balls, ready for the players' introductions and the release of balls to get the match going. Viktor Krum is already in the air, a look of eager anticipation clearly visible on his face as he waits for the match to begin. Two weeks ago Viktor had come to Hogwarts to help Theodosia test all the school brooms, practice balls, and game balls to see what might need replacing as the deadline to get the order form turned in for school headmaster Albus Dumbledore's approval was fast approaching. While there, Viktor volunteered to help officiate the next match if Theodosia still needed, or wanted, someone. Theodosia hadn't lined anyone up yet so was happy to accept Viktor's offer.
It's a lovely spring day with sun and a few clouds of the big, fluffy, white kind, with no hint of light showers or heavier rain. There's a very light breeze, making the day even more pleasant. Up in the air, the breeze will be more noticeable but then, even when the air is at dead calm, when whizzing along at high speeds when flying in a Quidditch match, there is the wind generated around players by the resistance of the air as they move around the pitch.
With the beautiful weather, the stands seem even fuller today than they've been for other matches but could be that's just Theodosia's imagination. There's a great deal of noise and cheering and when the announcer officially welcomes everyone to the @003-2004 school term Hufflepuff-Slythering match, the volume increases even more.
First out are the Slytherin team members, led by team captain Griet Vanderbilt. Griet's followed by fellow Chasers Olive Green and Alexa Wenlock. Next out are Beaters Mark Farnon and Basil Wynbourne. Zuberi Batuti, still on as Slytherin Keeper, follows and then Cornelia Vanderbilt, Seeker.
Theodosia watches Zuberi as he flies out. There's been something different about him lately and he's been on good behavior. With the way her brother has been the past two years, Theodosia can't help but be suspicious. Either Zuberi's gotten good enough at being bad he's simply not yet been caught at whatever he's been doing or he's holding off for something big, possibly even waiting for summer. It's possible that the detention work Professor Dumbledore has given Zuberi is taking effect but Theodosia had promised the professor she'd stay out of it so as yet doesn't even know what the work is that he's got Zuberi doing. Then there was that boy at the Spring Social who had to have been someone's guest as he's not a Hogwarts student and who was chumming around with Zuberi. She doesn't recall the boy from Okapi École de Sorcellerie but that doesn't really mean anything. She meant to ask who he was a guest of but that was such a full day with so much going on, she simply didn't get a chance to spend time talking with him and Zuberi didn't say much later when she asked him a few questions other than that Karamoh is a friend.
Theodosia's eyes next go to Cornelia Vanderbilt. With today's Seekers being siblings, the fight for the snitch could get interesting, especially given Cornelia's known competitive out to win attitude.
The Hufflepuff players are flying onto the pitch now, led by Keeper Sophia Hall. She's followed by Chasers Timothy Gabble, Milo Martin, and team captain Emerald Green. Beaters Augustus Hodfuffer and Caerwyn Valentine are the next two out with Seeker Aleydis Vandberbilt bringing up the rear.
The Keepers take up their postions while the others get ready at center pitch where Theodosia has the captains do the usual handshake and she admonishes, "Let's play a clean game."
The balls are released with the Snitch rapidly vanishing in the bright sunlight and the Bludgers black leather having a glistening menace about them. The Quaffle is up and there's the usual scramble and jockeying for the red ball. It's Hufflepuff's Milo Martin with hands on it first but with the jostling going on, he's bumped. In a blink Alexa Wenlock has the Quaffle and is off with her Slytherin teammates rapidly moving to offer support as they work the Quaffle to where Sophia Hall awaits.
First Goal Attempt of the Match
Author: Griet
Date: 05-23-10 14:33
Griet immediately flew into formation next to and just behind Alexa, while Olive flew opposite her on Alexa's other side. They held this formation for as long as they could, with the intent of protecting Alexa from the onslaught of bludgers and opposing chasers or being close enough to accept a handoff if necessary. The tactic worked until Caerwyn aimed a bludger at Alexa from directly in front of her, and neither Mark nor Basil were near or quick enough to block it. Instinctually, Alexa veered to the right, and Griet, who was on that same side, moved with her to avoid a crash. In the blink of an eye, the red quaffle passed hands.
Griet surged forward, urging her broomstick faster and faster. The Stratus 2000 jolted ahead for a short period of time, allowing her to gain distance between herself and the others, but it didn't take long at all for them to begin catching up to her. A black bludger courtesy Gus Hodfuffer nearly got her in the shoulder, but she flattened her body over the shaft of her broomstick with only a second to spare. The near-attack and resulting reaction was distraction enough for Emerald to swoop in and pluck the ball from the crook in Griet's arm, but Mark instantly send a bludger at the Hufflepuff captain and caused her to lose control of her broomstick.
Griet snatched the ball back and continued on her way to the Hufflepuff goal hoops, where Sophia waited to block any Slytherin goal attempt. When Griet felt the pressure of the Hufflepuff chasers closing in on her again, she cast the ball to Olive, who immediately rolled out of the path of an oncoming bludger. Olive dropped the ball into Alexa's arms as Alexa flew beneath her broomstick. Alexa lofted the ball back to Griet when Milo drew too close.
It didn't take long for them to reach the Hufflepuff goals. Griet set up to shoot, but at the last second she flicked her arm towards Alexa. Alexa laid hands on the ball for only half a second before attempting to score through the left-most hoop. Sophia had the grace to look surprised, but her reflexes were phenomenal. She changed her position with only a second to spare and managed to prevent the quaffle from reaching its target with only the tips of her fingers.
All the chasers converged on the quaffle as it fell from Sophia's hand, but it was Timothy who emerged victorious.
Fast Paced Match (Caerwyn)
Author: Julian Valentine
Date: 05-23-10 15:22
When first flying onto the pitch for today's Hufflepuff-Slythering match, Caerwyn had looked to the stands where his dad had said Caerwyn's family supporters would be sitting. Grace was waving a Hufflepuff pennent with Caerwyn's name on it, the pennent so big it nearly blocked Grace and Charlotte, whom Caerwyn's come to regard as much as a little sister as Grace is, from view. His dad waved when he saw Caerwyn looking their way and to Caerwyn's delight sitting next to Dad are Lissie (as Grandmother Lisette has decided to be called, saying she thinks she's far too young yet to be called Gran) and Grandy, the nickname Grace started a long while back for Grandfather Tiberius even though from what Caerwyn understands Grace was speaking extremely well from an early age). Briar's there as well, giving Caerwyn big smiles and waves. She's almost like a mother to him even though she and Dad aren't together. Still, it's enough to make Caerwyn miss his own mum even though Mum was often away.
Once the game began, nostalgic thoughts of Mum were put on hold. Caerwyn was after the nearest bludger, in a race against Basil to get to it. Basil reached it first and hit it but Caerwyn, upon realizing Basil was going to get the first hit, altered course and was down pitch where he could intercept that bludger. Basil's hit had gone wide, curving around the players, most likely because Basil clipped the ball with his bat instead of giving it a proper, solid hit to sent it on a straighter course. Because of this, Caerwyn had been able to get in front of the Slytherin chasers and was therefore able to sent a bludger right at Alexa.
From there, Caerwyn darted around other players, once more in a race for a black ball, this time with Mark Farnon. Mark was closer though and got off a hit. That's when Caerwyn spotted the other bludger, saw it was closer, and went after it, bat held close so that he could pour on the speed to get to the bludger first. As he neared it, Caerwyn sat more upright and swung his bat out in preparation of hitting the bludger. His eyes went to the action, assessing the situation, picking a target, and then he was swinging the bat, loving as always the satisfying THWACK sound the crack makes. Using the bat so much with one arm has built up Caerwyn's muscle on that side so he's already started practicing more using his other hand. He figures with enough practice he'll be able to switch the bat from hand to hand during matches. That would mean by match end, one arm wouldn't be so fatigued, and it would also mean he wouldn't have to angle and manuever around so much just to hit the bludger. He'd simply just need to switch the bat to his other hand.
The quaffle is now in Hufflepuff possession so Caerwyn is looking at which Slytherin chaser is being the biggest pest. He decides it's Olive so when he whips the bat back to connect with the bludger he's now upon, Olive Green is his target. The bludger is on course to hit her but Mark gets in the way, first stopping the bludger with a block then moving around so that he can hit it at the Hufflepuff player holding the quaffle. That player is now Emerald, who seconds ago took a handoff from Tim Gabble.
Caerwyn shoots ahead, hoping to position himself in the way of the bludger to do what Mark had done: block then redirect.
Caerwyn can't get there in time. so the bludger hits Emerald square on her back, the momentum shoving her forward over her broom handle. Teammate Milo Martin is right there and is able to grab the quaffle from her as she recovers to catch her breath. By then, Caerwyn's gotten to the bludger and is hitting it at Griet at the same moment that Milo is setting up to take a shot for a goal.
(Cornelia) Slytherin Better Win
Author: Griet
Date: 05-23-10 15:48
Cornelia wanted nothing more than to win today's match. Slytherin hadn't won a single one all year long, which she found absolutely disgraceful. She wished she could blame Griet for each of Slytherin's losses, since Griet was team captain and in theory should have spurned them on to victory each time, but Cornelia knew better than to lay the blame solely on her big sister. There were more factors than poor leadership that could lead to failure, and truth be told, Cornelia didn't think Griet was a bad team captain. But she wouldn't say that to Griet's face.
She was coming around to her older sister again, but only one day at a time. Cornelia knew full well that it had been stupid to be angry at Griet because of how Gervaise had one time felt about her. It had been jealousy that had led her to do all the horrible things she'd said and done since Halloween night––jealousy that was gradually dissipating as Gervaise got over Griet and spent more and more time with Cornelia.
But again, Cornelia would never admit to Griet that she'd overreacted or been a horrid person since that night last October. Cornelia wasn't the type to apologize or admit that she'd been wrong, and she knew that Griet knew that and probably wouldn't care. Griet was easygoing and would forgive and forget. She probably already had.
Cornelia cast her eyes in the direction of her sister, who was drawing closer to Milo Martin, the Hufflepuff chaser currently in possession of the quaffle. She didn't look for very long, since she had her own very important job to do. She had to catch the snitch before her other sister, Aleydis, did. Aleydis was already proving to be a very capable seeker. She had caught the snitch in two previous games already and probably hoped to do so again this match. If she did, Hufflepuff would no doubt wind up playing in the championship match.
Just another reason Cornelia wanted to win. The only hope Slytherin had of making it to the championship match at the beginning of June was to outscore all the other teams. It would be super hard, considering Slytherin had the least amount of points built up. It meant that Cornelia couldn't catch the snitch too early, but then, she also didn't want to leave it for Hufflepuff to catch. She had a very difficult task ahead of her!
First Ten Points Of The Match
Author: Emerald Green
Date: 05-23-10 16:15
Emerald had finally caught her breath again. The bludger did hurt and it's all part of the game but being hit so blindly and having that hit be smack in the middle of the back, does have a habit of making it hard to breath for a short time. Milo's passed off to Tim and Tim's set to pass to Emerald but only if she indicates she's ready. They're too close to Zuberi Batuti and the Slytherin goals to mess up a simple pass right now. Then again, with Quidditch, when one team is within goal range, the definition of simple is vastly changed.
Emerald nods at Tim who readies the throw to her but he's temporarily stymied by Alexa. Alexa is flying so closely and has both hands reaching and grabbing for the ball in Tim's grasp that it's a wonder she can make the subtle broom adjustments constantly needed when flying in close quarters so as not to cause a foul. When Tim does let the quaffle go, his arm isn't steady and thus the ball wobbles on its path. Nevertheless, Emerald's able to catch it without interference from the other two Slytherin chasers or from that team's beaters.
Emerald manuevers her broom to where she's flying parallel to the Slytherin goals. That will hopefully make it more difficult for Zuberi to figure out where she's aiming the quaffle. Before she gets the shot off, Emerald has to duck a bludger she sees coming at her out of the corner of her eye. Then it's avoid Olive and Griet then her arm is in a throwing motion. She releases the quaffle and now can do nothing but watch is soar towards the hoops.
At first the quaffle looks to be going toward the center and Zuberi is right there to block but Emerald had put a spin on her throw, which has the quaffle veering slightly as it flies towards the target. Zuberi realizes a fraction too late that it's going to his right and rockets to block it. His fingers touch but there's not enough of his hand there to effectively block. The ball continues on, slowed only slightly by his efforts.
Emerald grins as Hufflepuff gets the first points of the match while a scowling Zuberi retrieves the quaffle to put it back into play. Seconds later it's Griet with the quaffle, shooting off at high speed across the length of the pitch with five chasers and four beaters tagging along.
(Aleydis) Seeking the Snitch
Author: Griet
Date: 05-23-10 16:42
Aleydis allowed herself a grin when Emerald managed to secure Hufflepuff the first ten points of the match, but then it was back to business. She knew she had to work extra hard today––not that her job as seeker was ever a piece of cake. It was merely the fact that her sister Cornelia was the opposing seeker that made today's match all the more tense.
Cornelia was notorious for her grim determination to succeed at everything she did. She was a sore loser, too. Aleydis could already picture the temper tantrum sure to happen if she caught the snitch and Cornelia didn't.
She realized she was thinking too much about everything other than what she should be thinking about and renewed her efforts to find the snitch. She knew there was a very real chance that Hufflepuff could win the Quidditch Cup this year and she certainly didn't want to spoil it by letting her thoughts distract her from the task at hand.
Aleydis started moving systematically up and down the Pitch, scanning her eyes this way and that for any sign of something gold. It was a beautiful day, and with the sun shining she knew there was a great risk that she might see other shiny things that were not the snitch.
Every once in a while, she stole a glance in Cornelia's direction to see whether or not her older sister had caught sight of something. So far, it didn't look like it.
Meanwhile, Griet had the quaffle and began moving swiftly in the direction of the Hufflepuff hoops. She didn't get very far when first one and then the other bludger targeted her. One struck her on the thigh, the other on the opposite shoulder. She dropped the quaffle, and though she moved to recover it, even while gritting her teeth from the throbbing pains on her body, Tim Gabble was faster and hightailed it back to the Slytherin hoops.
As soon as he got within scoring range, he let the quaffle fly.
Hurray Hufflepuff
Author: Linnea Rose
Date: 05-24-10 10:03
Linnea was standing cheering. It was the Hufflepuff turn to play Quidditch and this time Linnea did not have to doubt which team she would cheer for.
Standing there she could not think so much about the schoolwork since the rather be here outside in the lovely sun then inside stuck to her potions book.
Linnea looked interested at the game and she was quit happy with how the game was played. She really enjoyed watching Quidditch and her family use to on games sometimes even if it was not often because her parents was so busy with everything. But in summer there Papa has promise them he would take them on a game when there cousins comes and visited them. Indeed the summer holiday seems to come closer, even if the school year is not over yet Linnea can't stop thing of what she would do during the summer holiday.
While the game seems to float by Linnea was dreaming of what she would do for summer holiday and someone Linnea thought was standing somewhere else suddenly pushed her at her shoulder.
-"Linnea are you day dreaming as always", the person said.
She turned left to see her older sister Maria standing there looking questioned at her youngest sister.
-"Yes I was think of what to do during summer holiday", Linnea said.
-"Why would you think of that, instead of standing here cheering for our team", Maria said.
-"You are so right" Linnea said and she turned to start cheer on the team.
Sun, Sun, Sun (Basil)
Author: Jared
Date: 05-24-10 16:02
Basil slows his broom, eyes rapidly scanning for the bludger he was after. He'd momentarily lost sight of it due to a combination of sun in his eyes and having to skirt around Cornelia Vanderbilt, the Slytherin seeker. Basil admits to himself that also contributing a tiny bit is that he was up way, way too late last night playing a game with Ivan Grimsby, Cassander Mayfield, Barnaby Barlow, and some first year, Gaston something or other. He knew he should have gone to be at least by midnight but Basil being young and Basil being Basil, he didn't think he'd be as bleary eyed for the match as he is.
Having located the bludger again, Basil reaches it before anyone else. With the sun in his eyes once again, he blinks and then squints in the direction where his teammate Olive Green now has the quaffle. She'd taken possession of it from Zuberi after Tim Gabble put another ten points on the board for Hufflepuff, making the score 20 to 0. Basil would like to be able to blame Zuberi as he doesn't care much for that bloke but Zuberi got doubled up on with bludgers just as he had the quaffle blocked.
Basil pulls his bat back and gives the bludger a might hit, sending it on course to hit Milo Marton, the Hufflepuff closest to Olive. No sooner does he hit the hard black ball and send it screaming at Milo than he's off again, on the tail of the bludger so he can be right there ready to hit it again once it's given Milo a good knocking about.
The bludger does hit Milo then weirdly bounces off Milo's leg to hit the shaft of Milo's broom then rebounds directly at Basil. He's never seen a bludger to something quite like that but, shrugging both mentally and physically, he doesn't care since it's come straight back to him, lessening the work he's got to do to get to it for another hit. Basil's bat is already at the ready and he once again smashes it at Milo. The Hufflepuff had been in the process of reaching to pluck the quaffle from Olive as she prepared to make a pass to Griet but thanks to Basil's bludger the steal is prevented.
Olive successfully passes to Griet. Griet dodges a hit from the other bludger sent by Gus Hodfuffer, swerves around her sister Aleydis who was so engrossed with her search for the snitch that she didn't see or hear any of the chasers until Griet and the others are practically on top of her. Mark Farnon's at the bludger now that Basil had just hit twice in a row. Griet's got the quaffle and is pulling ahead of the Hufflepuff chasers to Mark doesn't have to think twice about using the bludger in an effort to distract Aleydis from her hunt.
Meanwhile, Griet's closed in on where keeper Sophia Hall guards three of the six hoops on the pitch. Basil watches briefly as the Slytherin chasers work the quaffle ever closer, trying to throw Sophia off balance as to whether it will be Griet, Alexa, or Olive who'll have the quaffle for the goal attempt. Basil doesn't care who makes the shot. He simply wants Slytherin to finally get some points on the board!
He'd love to sit and watch everything that happens but there are two bludgers out there in need of hitting and if he and Mark can both get to one, maybe they can double up on Sophia like Caerwyn and Gus did a short time ago to Zuberi. Now, if only a few clouds would help block the glare of the sun, Basil wouldn't have to squint so much at a time when squinting makes the urge to close his bleary eyes even greater.
(Mark) Not Good
Author: Isolde
Date: 05-24-10 18:21
With Slytherin currently in possession of the quaffle, Mark did his best to ensure that his teammates kept their hold on the ball and that the opposition didn't succeed in causing it to change sides. He aimed a bludger at Emerald when she got too close to Griet, but she managed to avoid it with some crafty flying. Then, he swooped in to protect Olive just seconds after Griet passed the quaffle to her, when Augustus had directed the other bludger her way. Mark's bat made a satisfying crack when it struck the black ball. He sent it high over the heads of everybody, since he didn't really have time or opportunity to target somebody specific with it.
The Slytherin chasers continued to move the ball closer and closer to the Hufflepuff goal hoops. Mark had his fingers crossed (figuratively, since to actually do so would probably affect how well he played) that Slytherin would finally get ten points on the board. It would be even better if his team could score several goals in succession. He didn't like losing. Not one bit!
By the time the chasers got within scoring range, Griet had the ball again. She let the quaffle fly but Sophia had no problem blocking the goal attempt. She caught the ball with both hands and then shot it over to Emerald, who immediately tore through the sky for the other side of the pitch.
Swearing, Mark followed. He flew hard, racing for the nearest bludger, but Caerwyn reached it first. Mark swore again and turned, preparing to set off again, when he realized he was hovering in line with one of the bleacher towers designated yellow and black. It was filled to the brim with Hufflepuff students and there was Kate, sitting in the middle of the front row. Her head was turned toward the mass of chasers, who were moving ever increasingly toward the Slytherin goal hoops. After a while, she got up on her feet and started jumping up and down and yelling encouragement to her teammates. When Hufflepuff scored for a third time, she turned to the person next to her and went in for a double high-five.
It was then that Mark realized he'd wasted however many seconds watching Kate rather than doing what he was supposed to be doing, and it didn't help that the commentator loudly announced that "Farnon seems to be in a daze!"
Mark scowled and set his sights on the nearest bludger, determined to take out all of his frustration on it!
Fool You Once (Olive)
Author: Emerald Green
Date: 05-24-10 19:14
Olive catches up to Emerald just as Emerald is set to pass to Tim. With an "I'm sorry but not really" smile at her sister, Olive intercepts the pass. In a flash, Olive has whipped her broom around, almost violently in her zeal to get the quaffle going in the opposite direction again. Zigging around a startled Mile then zagging to avoid a bludger, Olive doesn't slow her speed in the slightest. If anything, she's trying to get her broom to go faster though she's fairly sure that at the moment she's topped out at this model's maximum speed.
Olive is forced to slow a bit but only because there's another bludger and because Alexa's caught and Olive is thinking about handing off the quaffle while there's a chance none of the Hufflepuff chasers will see the pass. That increases Slytherin's chance throwing Sophia off for a goal attempt. Olive gives Alexa the signal for a secret pass. Alexa nods to show she's seen it and positions herself to take the quaffle.
They have to be quick about it because by that time the three Hufflepuffs are nearly upon them. Griet's pulled ahead, ready to assist as needed. Olive picks up speed again, acting as though she's got the quaffle. Griet helps the illusion by moving to Olive's right, acting as though she's both helping protect the quaffle from any attempts by Hufflepuff to steal and ready to accept a pass should Olive decide to do so.
Alexa is on Olive's left, doing much the same as Griet. She's got the quaffle hidden in the folds of her uniform, close to her stomach, using her position of hands on her broom and bending over the handle to cut air flow to help hide the fact she's got the ball. They know they've got at least the Hufflepuff beaters fooled when first Caerwyn and then Gus send bludgers at Olive, not Alexa. The one by Caerwyn is stopped by Mark but Basil can't get to the one hit by Gus quickly enough to redirect it. It takes Olive on the shoulder, hitting with enough force she knows that it's yet another big bruise to chalk up by match's end. Working to continue the pretense that it's Olive with the quaffle, Griet immediately moves in next to Olive and acts as though she's taken the quaffle from Olive while Olive's shoulder is still stinging badly.
The close in on the Hufflepuff hoops with everyone still thinking Griet now has the quaffle. Olive hopes the act will hold long enough to fool their way into getting ten points on the board at last!