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Gryffindor vs Hufflepuff 2006
Author: Viktor Krum
Date: 06-01-12 15:54
Swiping a hand across his eyes, Viktor debates donning goggles with a water resistant charm to help him better see once the match begins. Like yesterday, today is dreary with leaden clouds, gusts of wind, and rain. At the moment, that rain is falling very slowly but in fat drops. There is no lightening, at least not right now. Matches at Hogwarts take place in all sorts of horrible weather but the line is drawn when it comes to lightening.
A strong gust of wind letting everyone know that March has definitely arrived slams into Viktor causing him to stagger slightly as he walks to the trunk of balls he'd carried out a minute ago. PLaying his broom down atop the trunk, Viktor makes several stretching bends and as the intensity of the rain increases slightly, accompanied by another blast of wind, he thinks his is going to be such a fun match to referee. At least Humbata Morgana Flowers is helping with that duty today. Visibility may be a problem at times so having another set of eyes up there may end up being crucial.
As if knowing she's just passed through his thoughts Morgana approaches from the sidelines. Hair pulled back in a ponytail from which water steadily drips, she pulls a rain slicker more tightly around her. "The weather would decide to do this on a day I agreed to help you."
"If you vant to back out, I understand, but I really think I need someone else reffing today."
"You do and as the match starts any minute now, I am not going to beg off and leave you in a lurch. You do owe me though, you know that, right?"
"Drinks to warm you up after and dinner at your choice of restaurant?"
"Deal." Morgana nods up at some of the stands. "There's a bigger turnout than I thought there'd be with this weather. I guess though with most weekend options for entertainment limited much of the student body looks forward to a change of pace even if it means sitting bad weather."
Viktor's reply is put on hold when the pitch erupts in cheers as the announcer welcomes everyone, indicating it's time to introduce today's teams.
"First up is Gryffindor! Beaters Ella Harville, who's team captain, and Blake Holloway! Chasers Marjani Batuti, Hunter Rabnott, and co-captain Julietta Wynbourne. Seeker Charisma Stone! And Keeper Hunter Green!"
The cheering increases in volume as the Gryffindor team members make a loop around the pitch on their brooms, hand raised in waves, the smiles on their faces masking their inner thoughts at having to play in such weather.
"Now for Hufflepuff! Beaters Gus Hodfuffer and Caerwyn Valentine, the team co-captain! Chasers Sadie Mickle, Jasper Jenkins, and Marlow MacDougal! Captain and Seeker Aleydis Vanderbilt! Keeper Glori Hodfuffer!"
After the Hufflepuff team has made its circle, Viktor calls Ella and Aleydis to him for the standard, "I expect a clean match from both teams," spiel and their handshake. Morgana and he release the bludgers and snitch then with everyone poised ready, Viktor puts the quaffle into play, hastily getting a better view of the action as the six chasers scramble to be the first to take possession of that red ball.
(Sadie) Rainy Weather
Author: Griet
Date: 06-01-12 17:20
The good thing about the quaffle being red was that it was relatively easy to see when the weather conditions were less than ideal. Fat raindrops continued to fall at a slow, yet steady pace. Sadie had been in the air for only a short time and already felt soaked through to the bone. She felt uncomfortable, especially since it wasn't exactly warm outside.
She followed the path of the quaffle as it flew from Gryffindor hand to Gryffindor hand. Etta Wynbourne had been the first to get her hands on it after Coach Krum's tipoff, and Gryffindor had kept it in their possession ever since. At least no goals had been scored on their part. Sadie's team, Hufflepuff, had done an excellent job so far of keeping the Gryffindor chasers from advancing very far across the Pitch.
When she saw the perfect opportunity, Sadie snatched the ball out of the sky, relieving Gryffindor of the quaffle's possession at long last. She pulled it close to her body and turned in the other direction, hoping she could make it to the goal hoops and earn the first points of the match.
It wasn't meant to be, however. A bludger, more obscured by the rain and dark clouds due to its own dark color, screamed into Sadie's path and clipped her bicep, unavoidably loosening her hold on the quaffle. Ella Harville swooped in and plucked the ball right out of Sadie's arms. Sadie scowled and moved to follow. Her arm throbbed a tiny bit, but she knew her injury was only a flesh wound and that it wouldn't bother her for very much longer.
The rain seemed to fall a bit faster now, though the raindrops were still quite large. Sadie felt almost as if she were being pelted by water balloons. Each drop seemed to make a big splash and drenched her thoroughly.
The Gryffindors passed the quaffle in rapid fire, giving the ball the appearance of a red blur whirring from chaser to chaser. This time they managed to reach scoring range. Marjani Batuti had the quaffle in hand, sized up Hufflepuff Keeper Glori Hodfuffer, and then pitched the ball forward through the pouring rain.
(Blake) Different Shades of Grey - First Score
Author: Charisma Stone
Date: 06-01-12 19:18
Rain.
Thick, fat drops fell from the sky and quickly saturated everyone they landed on. The dull, dreary grey weather wasn't one that inspired a good mood and Blake was really attempting to not be surly or otherwise snippy to anyone, and of course Gryffindor would have to play when the weather conditions were absolutely dreadful (though at least there wasn't lightning so they could have their match).
Shifting slightly, he adjusted his glove and tightened his grip on his bat once more and raced after the bludger that had so recently allowed Etta to reclaim the quaffle from Hufflepuff chaser Sadie. He'd not been the one that hit it, and he wasn't sure if Ella had been the one that hit it or if it had simply been at the right place at the right time?
Either way, Gryffindor was soon in position to score the first points as Marjani attempted to lob the quaffle past Glori Hodfuffer. Quick movements of the Gryffindor chaser sent the ball arcing toward the left most hoop, while the fake had worked and Glori dove for the right most hoop. Having little chance to get to the ball before it sailed perfectly through the hoop - a loud cheer rose from the Gryffindor section of the stands as the first points had been scored.
Quickly the quaffle was thrown back into the match, landing in the hands of Hufflepuff chaser Jasper Jenkins. With the ball tucked into his body, Jasper sped toward the other end of the pitch, but Blake was ready and his bat connected with a loud crack against the storm-cloud colored bludger and launched it in Jasper's path, however he was a fraction of a second too early and it sailed past Jasper before he got to the intended location.
"Bloody hell..." Blake cursed beneath his breath and shifted, attempting to find the other dark hued ball, wondering how Charisma was faring, attempting to find the snitch in this god-forsaken weather.
Hunting for Gold in the Rain
Author: Charisma Stone
Date: 06-01-12 19:27
Seeking in the rain was about as difficult as seeking in the sun when the ground was thick with snow. Drenched, but quite glad for her water resistant charmed goggles, she managed to see well enough. Currently hovering above the abundance of action between chaser and beaters from each team she hunted slowly and methodically for the slightest glimmer of the golden snitch that would award the seeker's team with one hundred and fifty points and pretty much assure them the win.
Digits of one gloved hand squeezed some of the collected moisture from her hair and she ducked lower a bit to watch some of the action while she hunted. Already Gryffindor had scored the first goal, putting them up 10-0 and that was always a good thing when they could manage to get the first goal.
Gaze slid over the rain drenched stands for a moment, before turning her attention to the expanse of the hunt for the snitch. Her gaze lofted up to see Aleydis Vanderbilt, seeker for the Hufflepuff team, near the opposite end of the pitch, hovering off to the side and just above the goal posts, but getting ready to move.
Isma watched her for a few moments from across the pitch before shifting closer to mid-pitch and continuing her search for the glimmering golden ball. Thankful for Professor McGonagall's need to crackdown on the sweet wrappers there was a lot less confusion for the seekers and more of a chance that the glimmering bit of gold that they'd seen was the snitch.
Stretching lightly, she moved in a slow descent and quickly did a lower canvas of the pitch, staying well out of the way of the chasers and beaters before climbing higher once more and hovering at mid-pitch. Her thoughts drifted away from the hunt for the snitch and soon focused on the hot chocolate and warm sticky bun that she intended on having once the match was over and she could get inside, and desperately hope that she didn't manage to catch a cold.
She tuned into the announcer's play by play of the match, listening while her eyes moved rapidly over the expanse of the pitch hunting for that glittering, speedy golden ball.
Very Silly
Author: Mildred
Date: 06-02-12 06:00
Since Parents Weekend that Achilles had stopped to get along with Mildred. He did his best to pretend she wasn't there with him and the others, although sometimes he would forget and he would actually exchange a word or two with her, until he realized he shouldn't.
Queenie had pressure Achilles so much that he ended up confessing her that his parents had forbidden him to talk and be friends with Mildred. When she had asked him why he shrugged his shoulders, not knowing the answer. That relieved Mildred. She had the feeling the Sims did not want his son to get along with her because of her father. She noticed the way they acted when they found who she was.
No one seemed too curious about the reason Achilles' parents forbid him to speak to Mildred. Amelia said her father worked with Achilles' mother and that sometimes they would clash. They heard that both his parents had been part of the Slytherin house while at Hogwarts and so they all agreed they could not be that very good people. The Quidditch match between Gryffindor and Hufflepuff made them all forget Achilles' attitude towards Mildred for a while.
Gryffindor has lost the last match against Slytherin and everyone was hoping for a victory today. The rain did not stop the Gryffindor first years to come to the pitch. Melpomene, efficient as always, had gathered some umbrellas for them to use. They were decorated with the Gryffindor colors, red and gold. Mildred was also wearing her scarf, while Queenie and Wesley had painted their cheeks with lions. Amelia brought a small flag.
They all cheered and clapped when the first goal was scored, giving Gryffindor a ten point advantage. All but Achilles, because his first reaction was to high five Mildred but after realizing what he was about to do he stopped, staying still in his place.
"Why aren't you celebrating?" Queenie asked him.
Achilles crossed his arms and muttered:
"I am cheering for Hufflepuff this time."
"Traitor!" Amelia insulted him.
Achilles' cheeks turned red. Melpomene started to lecture him about loyalty to his own house. Wesley told her to be quiet, because he wanted to hear the commentator but still she was not finished yet. Queenie was telling Achilles in a dramatic way that she was no longer his friend from now on. Finally it was Mildred who ended with the discussion.
With a low voice she told everyone:
"If he wants to support Hufflepuff, that is his choice. Achilles has the right to do so and we cannot stop being his friend just because of a Quidditch match. I think that is…what's the word? Frivolous. And very silly."
This time it were the other who seemed embarrassed. Achilles looked at Mildred a little bit surprised but she turned her head away not wanting to face him. She had been this close to tell him he should not stop being her friend just because her father was at Azkaban. But then she knew all the others would hear and of course questions were going to be asked, such as what had her father done to be in prison.
Mildred did not know that answer yet. She wondered about it from time to time. The little witch knew that she could just ask her grandmother or maybe her aunt if she wrote to her again or decided to appear. She could even search for old copies of The Daily Prophet and find out by herself. But she was afraid. What if she discovered her father had committed a horrible crime? Did he do something atrocious like killing someone? Or did he use the dark arts to hurt and torture people? The idea that her father could be someone different from the man she knew scared Mildred a lot. She preferred to stay in ignorance than knowing the truth. At least for now. Perhaps eventually she would gain courage to collect the answers to her questions.
The little witch turned her attention back to the game, hoping that Gryffindor would be able to score again and that Charisma Stone would be able to catch the snitch in the end.
Water, Water Everywhere
Author: Phinfilius
Date: 06-02-12 09:33
Shifting back on his broom Gus Hodfuffer runs his bat free hand through his hair, giving his head a shake, sending water flinging out in all directions. Eyes tracking a bludger he briefly wonders if there's a water repellent charm that can be used on hair. Skin too for that matter. There are ones for materials such as the goggles and glasses some are wearing today. Ones for cloth and leather as well. Thinking this Gus regrets not taking the time to have someone help him with his Hufflepuff uniform before taking to the pitch. At least he's not the only one who didn't think of it.
Shifting weight again, Gus braces against another forceful blast of wind, waiting for it dissipate somewhat before attempting to meet bat to bludger. Eyes go from the bludger to Gryffindor chaser Etta Wynbourne then back again. Giving the bludger a mighty hit, sending water shooting out in a spray, Gus sends the black ball at Etta, hoping to interfere with the pass she's attempting to make to Hunter Rabnott.
The bludger clips Etta in the shoulder but half a second after she's released the quaffle. Hunter R catches the pass before accelerating forward, transfering the quaffle from one hand to the other, preventing Marlow MacDougal from stealing it straight away after the pass.
Marlow doesn't give up and half a minute later when Hunter is looking to pass to Marjani Batuti, between the effect of another gust of wind on the pass and a bludger, though from Caerwyn not from Gus, Hufflepuff retakes possession of the quaffle. Gus is moving in on the second bludger, trying to get to it before Ella Harville but has to pull up when the seventh year Gryffindor reaches it first. It's that or take a bludger to the chest.
Gus is patient, waiting until the bludger is clear of Ella and for him to be able to bring his broom around to better line up a hit. This time he sends it towards Marjani, the bludger cutting across her line of flight, forcing her to slow down just as Marlow is handing off to Sadie Mickle.
Going in pursuit of that same bludger, Gus once more shakes his head to rid it of the excess water. Even though it would mean an extremely low scoring, somewhat uninteresting, unentertaining match, he wouldn't mind at all if Aleydid were to catch the snitch this very minute, allowing them all back inside to get dry and warm. If that's not going to happen, then he'd like to see his team tie the match, putting ten of its own points on the scoreboard. Reaching the bludger again, Gus swings his bat back in preparation of a hit, doing his part to help Hufflepuff do just that.
A Church with too Many Questions
Author: Araxie Loren
Date: 06-02-12 11:52
It had been a handful of days since my little temper tantrum and my Aunt and Uncle have left me pretty much alone for the time being, though I vaguely heard the murmurings of the word therapist coming from their bedroom last night when they'd been talking. Great, now they wanted me to see a therapist over my father being a murderer and rotting in Azkaban? Is it really a surprise that I want nothing to do with him?
At the moment I was staring out the bay window in the living room, curled on the window seat a sketchbook in my lap and idly drawing while I let my thoughts wander. Charcoal dust smeared my hands all the way up to my elbows from the detailed drawing that I was making.
"How could you possibly know that place Araxie?"
I jumped at the sound of my Uncle's voice and turned to face him before looking down at the portrait in front of me. "I wasn't even paying attention to what I was drawing, and what place is it?"
I didn't like the fact that my uncle had gone pale when he'd been looking at the picture I had drawn.
"It is the church where your mother and father had been married and ultimately the place where her body had been found," he said with some trepidation.
I stared at him for a few moments, not quite registering what he'd said. "This is the place where my mum's body was found?" Trying very hard to keep the disbelief out of my voice, not realizing that her body had been found on holy ground.
"The very place, and your father's finger prints were found all over the scene as well and on the murder weapon," his voice was barely above a whisper, knowing well that I didn't like talking about this particular subject, especially because it usually came around to the fact that I should still go visit my murdering father in Azkaban.
I stared down at the church that I'd drawn, it was detailed and even the weather of the scene matched the current soggy weather conditions. "I'm not ready to talk about this yet..." I said before pushing myself up and heading up to my room.
Fat drops beat a heavy rhythm on my bedroom window as I stared out into the expanse of the backyard and let my fingers idly toy with the fraying edge of my curtains. This opened a whole new box of questions that I wasn't ready to ask, that I wasn't ready to deal with and at the moment made me all the more determined not to go see my father again any time soon - despite the protests of my aunt and uncle. Maybe tomorrow if it was clear enough I'd go to the library and do some research, try and find some of the answers on my own before I brought my list of questions to my aunt and uncle.
More than anything I needed a distraction, grabbing sketchbook, I quickly tucked it in the waterproof bag I had, and headed down the stairs. Slipping into my wellies and rain slicker, I darted across the backyard and into my studio. Smiling as I saw that my uncle had added a cold box and when I opened it found it stocked with some of my favorites, as well as a dry storage area that had my favorite biscuits and even bags of crisps and things for me to snack on when I spent hours upon hours within my studio. I'd have to thank him for it later - for now, I had a sketch to turn into a painting - oil on canvas.
Deluge
Author: Ella
Date: 06-03-12 09:09
With Sadie currently in possession of the quaffle, Ella sought out the nearest bludger and zoomed after it with the intention of preventing the Hufflepuff chaser from getting even closer to the Gryffindor goal hoops.
The rain had started coming down at an angle, the raindrops no longer large and soft. They fell sharply, and felt like ice against Ella's exposed skin. She was thankful for the thick jumper she wore beneath her Quidditch robes, even though every inch of her was soaking wet.
Ella intercepted a bludger meant for Etta, who'd been attempting to reach out for the quaffle still in Sadie's arms. Her close proximity to the quaffle-carrying chaser meant Ella did not have to worry much about the accuracy of her aim. She swung, adjusting the path of the bludger, and managed to hit Sadie in the thigh.
Sadie was determined not to let go, but she grimaced from the throbbing in her thigh. The bludger couldn't go far before Ella had it again, but before she could take aim at Sadie once more, Etta had managed to pop the quaffle free from Sadie's grasp. There was a bit of a scramble for the red ball, which didn't have far to go, trapped as it was by all the people flying around it. Etta and Sadie wrestled with it for a moment, but the ball was slick from all the rain and slipped from their hands.
Marjani managed to recover it and turned quickly in the opposite direction, putting as much distance between herself and the pack as possible. Ella immediately followed to assist Marjani, whether it meant blocking her from the inevitable bludgers the Hufflepuff beaters would send her way or distracting Glori from the goal hoops once Marjani had reached scoring range again.
Both Gus and Caerwyn fired bludgers at Marjani. Ella managed to bat one away, while Blake redirected the other at Marlow, whose fast flying had made it possible for her to catch up to Marjani in only a matter of seconds. Marjani shot the quaffle at the right-most goal hoop, but Glori managed to spike it with her fist. Marjani caught the ball before Marlow could lay her hands on it and fired it at the left-most goal this time.
Once again, Glori managed to stop it from going into the hoop by batting it away with her hand. This time Marlow caught the rebound, but Ella hit her in the hand with a bludger a second later, causing her to drop the quaffle. Hunter Rabnott, not to be confused with Hunter Green hovering in front of the Gryffindor goal hoops on the other side of the Quidditch Pitch, snatched the ball up and propelled it at the right-most hoop.
Glori lunged for it, but she barely missed it. The quaffle sailed cleanly through the hoop, bringing up the score by ten more points for Gryffindor.