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Saturday with Family
Author: Lawrence Masterson
Date: 05-29-13 06:32
Maggie and Ariella and I had all opted to brave the cold to come support Hufflepuff in their match against Gryffindor - I was a former Hufflepuff, as was Ariella and Maggie.
I'd spent the morning dealing with grading of assignments that had been turned in the day before, and relaxing in my quarters with Ariella, since it was the weekend and neither of us had anything to do until the match.
"Anyone want anything?"
"Cocoa!" Came the reply in stereo from both the bundled up women, one on either side of me.
"Aside from the obvious ladies." I teased, as I got ready to head down to the concession stand and grab a few things.
"I'll take something warm to nibble on please..." Ariella offered.
"Me too! Surprise me." Maggie said with a grin.
"Not a problem."
The match played on while I braved the wind and headed down to the concessions to grab three cocoas and three warm snacks for the three of us. I'd opted for a warm pretzel for me, warm sweet roll for Maggie and Ariella. I figured the three of us would have ended up sharing anyway, and that's exactly what happened. I ended up with a third of my pretzel, and bits from each of their sweet rolls not ten minutes after I'd sat down and passed out the food.
"Did i miss anything exciting?"
"Nope, score is still Gryffindor twenty, Hufflepuff ten." Ariella offered between sips of cocoa, as the three of us snuggled under the blanket.
"Has there been word on how Hunter is fairing after his fall?"
"Nothing, but hopefully it wasn't too serious since it wasn't all that far, but you could always check on him after the match."
"I'd already figured on doing that."
We all turned our attention back to the match and cheered when Sadie Mickle soon obtained possession of the quaffle in a fantastic steal from Etta Wynbourne with aid from beaters Caerwyn Valentine and Gus Hodfuffer.
Glori & Gus In The Match
Author: Phinfilius
Date: 05-29-13 14:56
Hufflepuff has the quaffle until a pass goes wrong between Sadie and Jasper. From what Glori can tell it would have been a good pass otherwise but Jasper had slowed slightly and jiggered to the left to avoid the bat of Madoc McGonagall. That put him not quite where he needed to be to easily catch the quaffle. He had to lunge for it then fumbled it, which allowed Hunter Rabnott to grab it. Hunter seems a little stiff and slower than he had been before his fall but overall he seems fine. Glori had the thought that of course he could be covering as best he can any serious injury so as not to be taken from the match. If that's the case, it wouldn't be the first time and certainly wouldn't be the last.
Now, Gryffindor is closing in on Glori's position. The quaffle has moved along the pitch from Hunter R to Etta to Marjani. As the seventy year Gryffindor approaches, Glori can tell Marjani is weighing her options. She can push in closer and take a shot or she can pass to Etta on her right or Hunter R on her left. She fakes a throw left as she accelerates forward, attempting to catch Glori off guard.
Marjani's ploy nearly works but Glori's able to quickly turn her attention back to where it needs to be. Marjani throws, the quaffle heading for center but a little to the right as well. Glori bats it away with the palm of one hand, angling the hit more towards Marlow. Her teammate catches the ball only to lose it on the spot thanks to a bludger from Edgar.
Hunter R plucks the quaffle out of the air then throws only to have Glori out and out catch the ball this time. She hands it to Sadie, watching as the action moves away yet again. Gus hastens to intercept a bludger from Madoc that's targeting Sadie. He deflects it, sending it to hit Etta.
He thinks he's doing fairly well with bludgers today considering that this morning on a stop by the library to pick up a book he needs to finish a paper this evening or in the morning, he'd knocked some parchments and quills on the floor by accident. In leaning to pick them up the first year they belonged to accidentally stepped on his hand, the hand he uses the most for batting bludgers. It didn't seem that bad at first but the more the day has gone on with Gus tightly gripping his bat to smack those bludgers, his hand has tightened up to the point he's having a hard time retain a hold on his bat. It wasn't that long really before he found himself switching to his other hand more and more until he finally just left it there. It's a good thing he practices using both hands or else he'd probably put on an entertaining show fumbling around trying to bat bludgers with his good hand.
Flying now to reach the second of the two bludgers, Gus glances down at his injured hand, wincing as he flexes stiff, swollen fingers. If that first year hadn't been a Hufflepuff as well, Gus might start to wonder if the girl was rotting for another team and had seen a chance to deliberately keep him from being 100%.
By now Sadie has passed off to Marlow. Madoc gets a bludger off at Marlow and spotting this, Gus speeds that direction even though he doubts he'll get there in time. He slows then turns back to the bludger he'd been after when Caerwyn intervenes on Marlow's behalf. He frowns at seeing Edgar getting to his goal first, now needing to wait until the Gryffindor beater has hit the bludger before he can do anything with it. Eyes going back to the chaser action, Gus reassesses where he should send it.
Edgar, having a fairly good idea that Gus is simply going to alter the bludger's course after he's hit it, does the sneaky thing of taking off after the bludger once he's hit it, staying somewhat close to it, making it far more difficult for Gus to safely get in there and hit it without possibly clipping Edgar with his bat. Gus makes a mental reminder to tell Edgar after the match that in his opinion Edgar's playing better for Gryffindor than Calliope did.
The bludger gets Jasper in the thigh, probably not exactly what Edgar had hoped. It does, however, distract Jasper for a split second and in the split second Marlow had seen Jasper wasn't looking her way so instead of passing off to Jasper she'd sent the quaffle to Sadie. Because of this, it's Sadie who has the red ball ready to throw for another goal attempt, Hunter G staring her down, ready to do his best at stopping the quaffle.
That Stings (Hunter)
Author: Emerald Green
Date: 05-29-13 18:54
There have been a few times during practice and during matches that Hunter has thought about trying out for a different position in the fall. These thoughts come mainly from the fact that he does get impatient sitting and waiting for the action to come to him. A different position would mean being in the thick of it or, if seeker, at least being constantly active. Then, when the action does come to him, any such thought he might be having on the matter goes away, his sole attention and focus being who has the quaffle and where that chaser plans to throw it.
Sadie is who has the quaffle and at the moment it looks as though she will be throwing to Hunter's left. It's quickly apparent to him she's hoping to get him going that direction when she actually is planning to throw to his right. Or so he thinks from the way her eyes dart to the right even though the hand with the ball seems to be aiming to his left.
Hunter twitches a little, wanting to go left but forcing himself to stay where he is, ready to go right, just knowing that's what Sadie's going to do. When she does indeed throw to his right, he's glad he went with this instincts as he smacks the quaffle back with the flat tail of his broom. The other Hunter on the Gryffindor team, Hunter Rabnott, catches it, turns to dash away only to be hit with a bludger from Caerwyn. Marlow grabs the quaffle from him and does a weird, half backward, underhand throw to one of the hoops.
That throw turns out not to be half bad. If Hunter hadn't booted the ball away with his foot, that weird throw would have gone through the hoop. Jasper gains possession next, quickly taking a goal shot as well. Hunter would have had that one too if not for the bludger that smacks him on the side of the face. He's normally better at being aware of movement to the sides but he didn't notice this one at all. It's not a terribly hard hit, but his cheek does sting and will probably be red for awhile, maybe even a little bruised.
The bludger to the cheek also served the purpose of allowing the quaffle to get past, making for a tied score of 20-20.
Muscle Kink (Caerwyn)
Author: Julian Valentine
Date: 05-30-13 08:33
During a timeout, Caerwyn flattens out along the length of his broom, stretching out a muscle in his back that has decided to kink for some reason. After doing that he bends backward the other way and twists from side to side a few times, giving the illusion of doing calisthenics on his broom. While he's doing this he's also paying attention to what Sadie has to say. Gryffindor called the timeout but Hufflepuff captain Sadie Mickle sees no reason not to utilize the time to say a few words and check with how everyone is, particularly the chasers who've accumulated various bumps, scrapes, and bruises through the course of the match.
Timeout over Gus takes off after one of the bludgers and Caerwyn zips towards the other. Hufflepuff has the quaffle with Sadie putting it back into play with a pass to Jasper. Jasper tucks the ball in close, shooting off in the direction of hoops guarded by Gryffindor Hunter Green. Etta is flying very close to Jasper so that's who Caerwyn decides to Target.
Madoc McGonagall has other ideas, racing to beat Caerwyn to that bludger. They reach the bludger at practically the same time but Madoc's bat is positioned closer to the bludger so he's the one connecting bat to ball. Caerwyn by then is already darting off, heading towards Jasper, certain that's where Madoc's sending the bludger since Jasper still has the quaffle.
He thought correctly and is able to divert the bludger from Jasper though because of where the various chasers are and that Etta has moved where she is in relation to Jasper, Caerwyn doesn't have a specific player to redirect the bludger to. Cai Carter, the Gryffindor seeker doesn't look to be a threat right then either, so he taps the bludger with his bat to move it along to a better point. Following it, he hits is harder this time, sending it now in Hunter Rabnott's direction because Hunter is covering Marlow and it's to Marlow Jasper is now trying to pass off the quaffle. The bludger gets Hunter Rabnott on the shin as Marlow catches the pass. She immediately sends it off to Sadie who's not only in the open but very close to scoring range.
Circling around to avoid the thick of the chaser action, Caerwyn waves to his sister Grace in the stands with their father. It's too bad Charlotte still can't come to the matches. He's not sure she likes Quidditch that much or not but she always seems to have fun coming with Grace. His dad has assured him that Uncle Lysander and he are working on getting Charlotte permanently home but they all have to be patient.
Spotting the same bludger he'd recently sent toward Hunter Rabnott, Caerwyn starts that way, aware the Edgar Steele has set his sights on the same bludger.
Breaking The Tie (Marjani)
Author: Viktor Krum
Date: 05-30-13 12:32
A bludger, she doesn't know from who, combined with Hunter G.'s blocking ability put the quaffle back in Gryffindor hands. Marjani is off to one side, slightly ahead of where Etta has the red ball. The momentum of the game stalls when referee Karl Broadmoor calls a halt to check on a possible crack in Etta's broom. After close inspection the broom is determined to be fine and fit for continued use. Marjani can tell by Etta's expression that her teammate is greatly relieved not to be in need of a new broom when the current one isn't all that old. Unless Marjani is mistaken, Etta used some of her Kendra Beck Hogwarts Scholarship money to purchase it. Marjani would have been envious of her friend being a recipient and not Marjani if not for the fact that as a member of Viktor's family, Marjani pretty much gets her pick of any of the brooms he stocks at Krum's Completely Quidditch and any of the assorted not yet available to the public models he gets as an owner of a professional Quidditch team.
As Etta had the quaffle when the match was interrupted, it's she who is given the quaffle to put back into play. She throws to Hunter R. who in turn moves it along with a pass to Marjani. Once Etta's has not only caught up with Marjani but surpassed her, Marjani cocks her arm back to put the quaffle once again in Etta's hands. Jasper has other plans, swooping in front of Etta just before the quaffle reaches her, catching it then taking off the other way.
The three Hufflepuff chasers move into a tight, somewhat wedge-like formation, making it more difficult for any of the Gryffindor chasers to get in between them to steal back the quaffle. Marjani is more than a little frustrated by the time they reach the end of the pitch where the three hoops loom large enough that they make Hunter G looks smaller, more like he's a first year in size.
As the six chasers get closer to Hunter G., the Hufflepuffs break apart their wedge somewhat, partially due to both bludgers and partially due, Marjani surmises, to wanting to better spread out to catch any rebound should Hunter G. stop the quaffle. It's Jasper who takes the first shot. Hunter just barely misses it but luckily it catches on the hoop's rim, rebounding back towards the chasers.
Hunter R. and Marlow both get it with a tussle ensuing that nearly goes long enough that Marjani expects a whistle blown any second. One of those hard, black balls whacks Hunter R. in the arm, allowing Marlow to wrest the ball from him. She gets off a shot but this one Hunter G. stops with a full palm slap. Marjani does a side way dive for the quaffle but it's just enough out of her reach that Marlow's able to grab it again.
This time when Marlow throws, Hunter G.'s fingers connect with the quaffle but not with enough force to stop its forward motion. The quaffle successfully soars through the hoop, adding another ten points to Hufflepuff's score, making for an overall tally of Hufflepuff 30, Gryffindor 20.
Marjani accepts the quaffle to get it going again, sending it to Etta then rocketing away from Hunter G., intent on getting the quaffle back down to where Glori awaits, scoring, and making this a tie game once more.
(Aleydis) Oh Snitch, Where Art Thou?
Author: Griet
Date: 05-30-13 16:07
Aleydis made a slow circuit around the Pitch, turning her head this way and that in what felt like a futile attempt at spotting the snitch. She had not seen it once all match, except when Coach Krum had released it from the trunk at the very start. She had almost begun to wonder if it had left the Pitch altogether and was flying wildly around the Forbidden Forest, never to be seen again except by other denizens of the dark wood.
As she made her way past Basil for perhaps the dozenth time, she smiled and gave a sort of half shrug as if to say, "Maybe I'll find it eventually."
He shot her an encouraging smile and then looked over to where Cai hovered, equally as blind as Aleydis appeared to be. Aleydis followed his gaze, hoping Cai would give her a lead, even if it meant the Gryffindor seeker getting a possible headstart, but Cai remained unmoving and merely scanned the horizon.
Aleydis turned back to Basil, only to notice that he wasn't looking directly at her. He seemed to squint at something over her shoulder but seemed uncertain about what he was looking at. Aleydis turned her head to see what had drawn his attention and at first didn't see anything. She flew slowly in that direction, scanning her eyes in the general area, until she saw it. The snitch hovered just below the lip of one of the boxes, out of sight of those spectactators seated directly behind it.
Aleydis inched closer, hoping to take the snitch by surprise, but as soon as it sensed her pursuit, it took off, racing along the edge of the Pitch. Aleydis shot after it, with Cai quickly catching on and following suit. She came at Aleydis from an angle, causing them to fly shoulder to shoulder as they followed the snitch in a loop around the edge of the pitch. Aleydis, being on the inside of her circuit with Cai, felt her robes flap against the wood of the spectator boxes on her immediate right and feared that she might snag and lose control of her broom, not to mention lose the snitch to Cai.
Luckily, none of that happened. Instead, Caerwyn or Gus hit Cai with a bludger, who being on the left side of Aleydis and therefore more exposed than Aleydis herself, also managed to shield Aleydis somewhat from the Gryffindor beaters. Cai fell back, giving Aleydis the chance she needed to get her hand on the snitch. She pushed herself forward, leaning as far as she could go, and then swiped at the golden ball. Securing it in her hand, Aleydis peeled away from the wall and slowed to a stop.
She held up the snitch and grinned victoriously. The scoreboard read Gryffindor 20, Hufflepuff 180.
Waiting and a Warning
Author: Abdul Hazrat AlGunud
Date: 05-30-13 19:15
What would have been most striking to an outside observer was the riot of color presented by the rugs; scarlet, sapphire blue and incandescent green. They covered the floor from wall-to-wall. They edged around the four pillars set in a square in the center of the chamber. In contrast to the rugs, the pillars were carved from reddish sandstone and were unadorned.
None of this made any impression upon the two figures who knelt upon the floor. They had seen the chamber before. Perhaps familiarity had bred some measure of contempt. If that was the case, it was not in evidence. The slight figure who sat on a raised dais served as a check on any display of such an attitude. He was clad in garments made of black velvet, of fine quality but extremely plain. His eyes were fixed upon a fist-sized crystal that flickered with an internal light.
One of the figures kneeling on the floor shifted his weight slightly. Movement, glimpsed out of the corner of the eye, caught his attention. A shadow had detached itself from the ceiling and had begun to drift lower, like a leaf separated from the tree and gradually fluttering to the ground. Its outline wavered, making it impossible to see clearly. Two points of red light, not unlike eyes, gleamed in the center of the shadow.
He tensed, but remained kneeling. To stand without permission would constitute disrespect. And to show disrespect to the individual on the dais would have...unpleasant consequences. The shadow moved closer. He watched it approach for a seeming eternity, until the man seated on the dais glanced up from the crystal and focused his attention upon the darkness. The shadow seemed to sense his gaze, because it retreated back to the arched spaces of the ceiling.
The gaze then shifted to the two figures who knelt upon the carpet. This was not necessarily an improvement. For the unblinking eyes were blank, displaying neither expression nor compassion. The voice, when he spoke, was quiet but nevertheless seemed to fill the entire chamber.
"So, what have you to report?"
There was an exchange of glances between the two kneeling figures before one spoke. The words came out in a rush.
"Master, we are still studying the creature. It has recently displayed some new characteristics that were not evident at the outset. We think..."
"I have read the written report. Do you have nothing new to add?" The interruption came in the same quiet tone of voice.
"Well it has been difficult..."
"Akhirom, do you evade my question?" This time the voice might have held the faintest hint of menace.
"Forgive me master. We shall re-double of efforts."
"See that you do. The subject may assume greater importance. Events in Europe are progressing rapidly. Another has arisen to claim the mantle of Voldemort. This appears to be a serious effort. The more potential weapons we have at our disposal; the better we shall be prepared for the endgame. Do I make myself clear?"
"Abundantly so master."
"I expect results. If they are not forthcoming soon, then I shall be forced to re-evaluate both your research skills and your overall usefulness. You may go."
With the apparent dismissal the velvet clad individual returned to watching the crystal, ignoring the exit of the two men of knelt before him. Thus, the two figures were able to quit the chamber with an alacrity that was not altogether dignified.