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Hufflepuff vs Slytherin 2006-2007
Author: Viktor Krum
Date: 07-16-13 14:32
In the week since the Rita Skeeter article on Viktor appeared in the Daily Prophet he's been asked some questions by students and received some letters from parents. He's even been approached by a couple of his Hogwarts colleagues and a few of those associated with the Humbatas who either weren't around back when Viktor was helping bring down Koyla's cult or who had forgotten the story in the ensuing years. There had also been letters from Humbatas fans. For each letter Viktor took the time to send a reply with copies of articles from when the story broke, making sure those in Bulgarian were complete with English translations. The in-person questions he answered truthfully, doing his best to put the misconceptions created by Skeeter's article to rest.
All in all it wasn't the best week Viktor's had but it was not as awful as he thought it might be. And, at least Skeeter did not uncover the fact that the Kendra Beck Scholarship for Hogwarts students is funded by Viktor. That's something private enough for him that in the years since instituting it, he still only wants the solicitor who handles it for him knowing the truth of it.
Today's Quidditch match, Slytherin against Hufflepuff and the last match to determine who plays for the Hogwarts Quidditch Cup, is a nice distraction from last weekend and this past week. The weather is good after a few days with some drizzly rain, though there are still a few clouds. The sun is out and there is warmth though this being spring in Scotland, it's not overly warm.
Here for a third go of refereeing is Karl Broadmoor. Flora Lynch had been going to help again today but during Humbatas practice yesterday afternoon she tore some muscles in her back and needs a full twenty-four hours for the medicinal potion to mend the tears and then a few days without getting on a broom.
Karl is next to Viktor on the pitch, the chest of four balls to be used on the ground before them. The announcer welcomes everyone to the pitch then gets right to announcing the teams. Slytherin is out first with beaters Mark Farnon and Basil Wynbourne, chasers Mason Jeffers, Alexa Wenlock, and Olive Green, keeper Gus van Tassel, and seeker Rylee Marks.
Viktor is not unaware of the controversy that arose when Rylee made the team but for those who came asking he was very quick to let them know that of those trying for Slytherin seeker, Rylee made the most consistent showing the day of tryouts.
Hufflepuff emerges from the locker room next with beaters Gus Hodfuffer and Caerwyn Valentine, chasers Marlow MacDougal, Jasper Jenkins, and Sadie Mickle, keeper Glori Hodfuffer, and seeker Aleydis Vanderbilt.
Team captains Aleydis and Basil meet with Viktor to shake hands and be given the standard, "Let's play a clean match." Viktor doesn't miss the wink Basil gives Aleydis and her answering grin. Dating couples on opposing teams can sometimes make for an interesting match, especially the more competitive each is.
The players and Karl Broadmoor take to the air. The snitch and bludgers are released. Viktor has the quaffle in hand, tossing it high. He quickly vanishes the ball trunk from the field then joins the fray in the air as chasers scramble to be the first with the quaffle.
(Gus) Two Defenses
Author: Johanna Steele
Date: 07-17-13 03:28
The first chaser to grab the quaffle was Olive Green. Gus thought it was a good way to start the match, and he watched Olive trying to escape the center of the pitch as fast as she could, hoping to catch the Hufflepuff defense in surprise.
Mason Jeffers was flying pretty close to Olive and when Jasper Jenkins approached her, trying to put some pressure on her to drop the quaffle, Olive threw the red ball to Mason, who hold it tight. Mason then continued his route towards the Hufflepuff side of the pitch but then he saw himself being blocked by Sadie Mickle and Marlow MacDougal. With a quick look he noticed that Alexa Wenlock was free and he passed the quaffle to her.
The three Slytherin chasers advanced with efficacy, until they reached Glori Hodfuffer's hoops. Mason did the first goal attempt of the match, but Glori made a good defense, not allowing the quaffle to enter the hoop.
As Gus watched Glori delivering the quaffle to Marlow, he could not help to think this might be his last Quidditch math of the year. If that was so, then there would be no more excuses and he would have to start working hard to prepare himself for his OWLs. It was always good to delay his studies with the excuse he was feeling tired from the Quidditch practice and he needed a good night sleep or that it would be no use to study for just an hour if he had to get ready for practice later.
But of course deep down this didn't mean anything. Didn't Slytherin reached to the Championship Match last year and Mark had managed to pass his OWLs? He could already hear Johanna's voice asking him that question if he just seated lazily at one of the common commons sofas, his legs on the coffee table in front of it, as he refused to study.
Marlow had passed the quaffle to Sadie, but she was forced to drop it when a bludger from Basil came in her direction. Alexa recovered the red ball but when she tried to pass it to Olive, Jasper was able to steal it.
Now it was the time for the Hufflepuff team to attack. Gus put himself in position as he observed Jasper, Sadie and Marlow approaching his hoops, followed by the Slytherin chasers who were trying to take the quaffle back in their possession. Mark and Basil aimed the bludgers at the Hufflepuff chasers, but Caewryn Valentine and Gus Hodfuffer were able to change the balls' course with their bats.
Marlow had the quaffle in her hands and she was very close to Gus. He was having a hard time to decide if he should move to the right or the left, or if he should stay where he was, in front of the central hoop. Marlow was raising her hand, ready to shoot. After a moment of hesitation Gus took a chance and he flew to the left.
His hunch was right and he was able to stop the quaffle from entering the hoops. He passed it to Alexa, feeling relieved. It had been pure luck and for a moment he had panicked.
Gus blamed the OWLs for his lack of concentration. He should not think about that when he was on the pitch. He always had a laid back attitude towards examinations, but he just couldn't help to feel the OWLs were different and that let him a bit apprehensive.
He looked up trying to locate the seekers. Neither Rylee nor Aleydis seemed to have spotted the snitch. Then his eyes went back to Alexa and he decided to put his worries away for now and focus on the match.
A Second Of The Sun In Her Eyes (Marlow)
Author: Aaron Miller
Date: 07-17-13 18:12
Marlow squints slightly as the sun gets right in her eyes. There are some clouds today and the sun isn't overly bright but it's hitting her just right at the moment. Because of it, she almost doesn't see the bludger coming straight at her. It would have hit her in the chest, maybe even the chin, if she'd not spotted it nearly too late and did a combination of steep dive and laying low of her broom to avoid a hit.
She's now lost track of the quaffle. Alexa had had it but either when the sun momentarily blinded her or when she went into that dive, Alexa has passed it. She can see that Jasper didn't intercept or steal. Mason's hands both seem free of a red ball. Marlow can't fully see Sadie because Caerwyn's in the way and she can only see Olive's back. Caerwyn soon moves, and can see Sadie doesn't have the quaffle. She hadn't thought either Sadie or Jasper had it because they're going the wrong direction, but she thought it best to be sure.
Assured that Olive has it, Marlow darts forward, catching up with everyone else. She has to avoid a bludger again but this time she sees it long before it reaches her. Olive is also trying to avoid a bludger but isn't as successful, getting clipped in the shoulder. Jasper shoots in for a steal attempt but Olive holds him off.
Mason gets close to Olive, who hands him the quaffle in close enough quarters that Jasper, who's still right there, has no hope of making the steal and there is no interception opportunity. Marlow moves up to do her best to block Alexa from any pass attempt Mason might might while Sadie now shadows Mason and the quaffle.
Mason is starting to get close enough to Glori to be thinking about throwing for goal. Alexa shoots forward with that thought in mind as well, wanting to be near for a rebound if it comes. Determined to stop her, wanting to get the rebound instead, if there is one, Marlow accelerates as well, doing her best to keep watch for yet another bludger coming her direction.
Freefall (Alexa)
Author: Aaron Miller
Date: 07-17-13 18:42
Alexa shoots a frown at her cousin. Marlow is in her way for taking a hand off should Mason decide to pass. That's Marlow's job, of course, but that doesn't mean Alexa can't find it annoying. As they all get in closer to where Hufflepuff keeper Glori Hodfuffer is on high alert, Alexa maneuvers around Marlow to get in position for a rebound if Glori turns back the shot, though Marlow makes even this act difficult.
Mason presses in, readying the quaffle to throw though Alexa can't tell if the throw will be to her or Olive or if he'll go for the goal. Mason's hand snaps back and sends the quaffle to the right, at one of the hoops. For goal it is then.
Glori is ready for him, throwing herself to her left, batting the quaffle away. It goes off towards where Jasper and Olive are. There's a scuffle over the quaffle that's nearly long enough for the referees to intervene. It's Olive who comes up victorious, throwing the quaffle for another goal attempt. Glori again stops it, the quaffle going straight towards Sadie.
Alexa frowns again as she pulls her broom around to head back the other direction. This is likely her last Hogwarts match ever so she'd like nothing more than to win this one. Slytherin could still make it to the Quidditch Cup match but the team needs to run up a high score and get the snitch to ensure that. Alexa can't see them scoring enough goals for that unless one or more of the Hufflepuffs are injured enough to be out of the game.
Coming up beside Sadie, Alexa looks for an opening to retake the quaffle. Sadie gives Alexa a smile then promptly passes off Marlow on her other side. Alexa smiles back, though more from involuntary habit. That smile quickly turns to yet another frown when she has to dodge a bludger meant for Sadie, probably hit just as she was deciding to pass off the quaffle. Sadie avoids it as well, and Alexa sees Mark coming up in her side vision to get to it before Caerwyn or Gus Hodfuffer.
Marlow goes to pass to Jasper but the second bludger smacks her arm before she's fully let go of the ball. The quaffle goes off course with Mason rushing for it. He and Sadie almost collide in the effort to get to it. The near collision slows them, allowing Alexa to get there. She grabs the quaffle but before she can pull it in close, she too is hit by a bludger and the quaffle again goes into freefall.
Is The Shot Good? (Jasper)
Author: Aaron Miller
Date: 07-17-13 19:50
Diving for the quaffle Jasper bangs his head against someone else, though with them all suddenly packed in so closely together and heading downward, he can't tell who it is. Not that it matters.
The chasers break apart almost as rapidly as they converged, Sadie tucking the quaffle in close to her body. Jasper rubs the spot on the side of his head. The head bump was a little jarring but not enough to raise a goose egg. Not even a hummingbird egg. The spot stings though isn't overly tender to the touch nor does he have a headache coming on. Jasper glances around to see if he spots anyone else doing a head rub but doesn't immediately see someone mirroring his actions.
He doesn't have time to think much about it as Sadie is off with the quaffle and he needs to be there to assist her and Marlow with getting the red ball the rest of the way to Gus van Tassel. Sadie rolls sideways with her broom, first to avoid a bludger then to avoid Mason trying to grab the quaffle away.
Before full upright again, she tosses laterally to Jasper. In turn, he throws forward to Marlow. She draws in close to Gus van T, ready to throw but Alexa jostles her. It's unintentional but enough to mess up the planned throw. In the short times it takes Marlow to recover for the goal attempt, she's bounded closely by Alexa and Olive. Marlow does throw but Jasper can tell it's not the best. Sure enough it hits one of the hoops and bounces back. Gus had just missed getting hands on the ball so Slytherin lucked out that the quaffle hits the rim and bounds back off instead of going through the hoop.
Alexa, Olive, and Marlow are bunched up closely near Gus and the hoops and not in the optimal positions to get the rebound. Mason goes for it but Jasper's slightly quicker. He catches the ball, hastily repositions his hold on it then lets it go, trying not to hold his breath waiting to see if his shot is successful.
(Colin) Supporting Slytherin
Author: Johanna Steele
Date: 07-18-13 03:51
Jenny had her cheeks painted with yellow and black, the Hufflepuff colors. She also held a little flag in her hand, which she would wave with enthusiasm whenever the Hufflepuff players made a successful move.
Colin was seated next to her, his arms crossed as he watched the match. Jenny little squeaks of excitement and the way she cheered for her house was starting to annoy him. She had tried to make him paint his face as well, but Colin had lied to her saying he was allergic to such a thing.
"Go Hufflepuff!" Jenny said, joining other people in a loud cheering ovation.
Colin, who had never really paid much attention to the school's Quidditch during the year, was secretly praying Merlin for Slytherin to win. That way Jenny's state of mind would be crushed and she would stop making silly jokes about how her house was great and his wasn't, or how it was funny that whole her life she had refused to date someone from Slytherin and here she was now, his girlfriend.
Colin spotted Angus a few rows below him, with a group of Slytherins. Not only they cheered for their house but also they would boo whenever the Hufflepuff chasers had the quaffle or when their seeker, Aleydis Vanderbilt, would fly nearby. They would also throw litter to some younger students wearing Hufflepuff scarves, when they were sure no one was looking. He wished he could join them instead of being with Jenny.
Colin then felt tempted to tell his girlfriend he was feeling indisposed and maybe he should go back to the castle. But Jenny cared for him and he knew she would want to personally escort him towards the Hospital Wing. So Colin just dropped that idea.
He looked to a small green spot that was Rylee Marks, the Slytherin seeker. He started to imagine the girl grabbing the snitch and his face formed a grin of anticipation. He could just see Jenny's beautiful face when that happened. Then he would look at her and say 'I told you so' and he would kiss her because she would need to be comforted.
Despite this fantasy he could not help to feel like he was wasting his time in the pitch. He used to be a Quidditch fan when he was little but now he had grew out of it. Since he had only joined Hogwarts this year, his loyalty to the Slytherin house was not as intense as everyone else's and he would not feel sad or frustrated if they lost.
Colin was very ambitious and he wanted to have good grades at his NEWTs in order to be admitted right away into St. Emrys. Being home schooled all his life he had asked his parents to spend his last year of school at Hogwarts. A new experience, he had said, where for sure he would learn new things.
It was exciting to have classes with other people, to share the dormitory with four other boys his age and not to have his meals alone. However, there were things that no matter what Colin just couldn't get used to such as having to stay inside the school and its grounds without being able to leave unless it was Hogsmeade visitation day, or how most of his actions would result in either loosing or winning points. He also disliked the perfects and how they were there to make sure rules were followed. He didn't like to be told what to do, especially by students his age or even younger.
Once he had an argument with Jenny because he said he would refuse to obey a fifth year just because they had a silly badge attached to their robes. Jenny seemed very offended that Colin was not willing to follow the school's rules on that matter and for several days she hasn't spoke to him.
Finally they made up in a dark corner under a staircase and things seemed to have gone back to normal and Jenny helped him again with his homework.
"I just love that we can both enjoy this match together, no matter the outcome" Jenny confessed.
That was one of the things he liked about Jenny. She would be a bit sad if her house lost, but it wouldn't affect her much. In fact maybe she would even be glad her boyfriend's house had won, if that made him happy. Colin kissed her cheek, ignoring the yellow paint in it and then he held her hand. Jenny smiled.
(Cassandra's Flat, Knockturn Alley) More Nonsense in the Prophet
Author: Kirley Mockridge
Date: 07-19-13 06:29
Written with Cassandra Catesby
Cass closed the day's Prophet with a faint sigh of resignation. A small furrow appeared between her brows. "So that makes, what, three more articles?" she said, tossing the newspaper on to the coffee table in her flat above the shop with a small sound of disgust. The individuals in the photo on the front page protested this treatment and waved their hands indignantly. She ignored them.
"All of them going on about how dangerous Callie is, how the Ministry is negligent in its duties to track down and capture such criminals, and hinting at Callie being in league with Phineus Grimshaw-Spore... the implication presumably being that if he's in Azkaban, why isn't she?" she said. "That last one linked her to the latest atrocities too... that Muggle attack and such. She doesn't outright come out and say she thinks Callie is involved. Oh no, she just implies it by going on about how dangerous she is and then mentioning whatever incident of Muggle-baiting or Dark magic has recently hit the headlines. There's going to be plenty of wizards and witches who put two and two together and end up with five." Her voice had risen as this rant went on, her indignation getting the better of her.
Kirley stepped up behind her, his hands smoothing over her shoulders. "You know Skeeter's just making stuff up, as usual. This is what she does," he murmured. "As for those who might believe her, well, they're idiots."
She snorted and leaned back against him. "The world is full of idiots," she muttered.
"I can't argue with that," he agreed, kissing the top of her head as he wrapped his arms around her. "I've dealt with more than a few at Mother's functions. Which reminds me, any in her circle who would believe that may face her wand. Mother's been quite clear in her approval of you," he said.
Her lips twitched. "And I suspect Cloris Mockridge knows some particularly nasty hexes," she murmured.
He chuckled. "She does. And she taught almost all of them to Nephele and probably all to Valeria."
"Hmm... perhaps I should ask her for some tips," Cass said. "Something I can use on the next customer who comes in and oh so casually mentions Rita Skeeter."
"I'm sure she'd be glad to help in such a case," Kirley said, amused. "Mother does like to plot mayhem and mischief, especially with those she considers family."
"I had noticed," she said, casting him an amused look over her shoulder. Then she frowned.
"I think what bothers me most about the Rita Skeeter articles is that I don't know how much they're true. Just consider the spate of articles she did on the Hogwarts professors. I had the distinct impression a lot of what was in them might actually be true. Heavily skewed and distorted to suit Skeeter's bias, of course, but not fundamentally a lie."
"And that's understandable. Do you want me to dig into the records I can and see what I can find out?" he offered. "I doubt Kingsley will object if I say I'm out to discredit that vile reporter."
"Would you?" she said. "I don't want you to get into any trouble, but..." She fell silent. Callandra was her twin. In some ways they had been chalk and cheese, but there had always been a bond between them. To not know where she was or why she had run had always been hard. She had had to trust that Callie had known what she was doing. But now there were all these newspaper articles and she didn't know what to think.
"I wouldn't have offered if it was any trouble," Kirley said quietly. "You matter, Cass, and you know I'll do whatever I can to ease your mind." It went hand in hand with his over-protective nature, though he tried to keep it in check where Cass was concerned.
She turned in his arms, reaching up to touch his cheek with her hand. "Thank you," she said softly, and kissed him.
His head leaned into her touch. "You're quite welcome," he murmured. With Cass, it was so easy to let his guard down, let her see beneath the charming, shallow mask he presented to most of the world. In some ways, it scared him, but he rather liked it and he wasn't about to run from it.
Tie Score (Mason)
Author: Pyrrhus
Date: 07-19-13 08:12
Fifteen to twenty minutes ago Hufflepuff's Jasper Jenkins had thrown the quaffle for a goal. Much to Mason's chagrin, the attempt was good, putting the score at 10 points Hufflepuff, 0 points Slytherin. In the time since, neither team has been able to get anything past the keepers Gus van Tassel and Glori Hodfuffer. Mason tries not to let Slytherin's lack of points or the fact that his team hasn't yet won a match this school year get him down but it isn't easy. It's not easy to the point that a few times he's sort of wished he was a beater just to be able to knock the hell out of something.
At the moment Olive has the ball and Mason has curved around two of the beaters - Mark and Caerwyn - to then accelerate ahead should Olive want to move the quaffle along by forward passing. She spots him and seems to be inclined to do just that when a bludger from Gus Hodfuffer jolts her. Sadie moves in close to pluck the ball from Olive.
Mason spins his broom around to sprint the other direction, now behind the action instead of in front of it. He barely gets more than a few years along when Sadie fumbles her hold on the quaffle, allowing Alexa to swoop in. Mason quickly finds himself heading back in Glori Hodfuffer's direction.
Shortly thereafter, Alexa tosses to Olive who then hurls the quaffle to Mason. He drives in towards Glori with the quaffle, readying to take a shot. He throws cross body to send it to his left, Glori jerking her broom sideways for the block. It's Jasper for the rebound only to lose the quaffle thanks to a bludger hit. Olive has it now and takes the shot. Glori gets her fingers on it but not enough to halt the ball entirely.
Mason swivels to watch as a 10 goes up on the Slytherin side of the scoreboard. Only a tie for now but that's far better than a total nothing. With the score at 10-10, Sadie puts the quaffle back into play with a throw to Marlow.