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Hufflepuff Vs Ravenclaw
Author: Viktor Krum
Date: 01-16-15 11:22
Viktor stands looking at the sky. There have been a few snow flurries already this morning, though very light and with tiny flakes that can be difficult to see. The potential of more flurries and even heavier snowfall most likely will hang on the players' minds throughout the day's match.
He's soon joined by the two who are assisting as referees for the Hufflepuff-Ravenclaw match. Neither Glen Jamieson and nor Wanda Carmody attended school here but they are not strangers to Hogwarts Quidditch. They've both helped referee matches in the past and been on hand on other occasions when Viktor has wanted or required help.
The three stand talking for a short time before Wanda and Glen take to their brooms and Viktor goes to stand at center pitch for the announcement of the teams and the release of the balls being used today. Ravenclaw is first out of the dressing rooms, Willow Westwick introducing each player.
"For Ravenclaw - Co-captain and keeper Beatrix Vanderbilt! Captain and chaser Ramona Mickle! Chaser Franciscus Vanderbilt! Seeker Bran Hyland! Beater Aderyn Carter! Chaser Paton Shrewsbury! And beater Jade Green!"
Hufflepuff emerges from the locker room as the last of the Ravenclaw players are completing a lap around the pitch.
"For Hufflepuff - Captain and Beater Caerwyn Valentine! Keeper Glori Hodfuffer! Chaser Duncan Dippet! Chaser Marlow MacDougal! Co-captain and beater Gus Hodfuffer! Chaser Jasper Jenkins! And seeker Sophie McCourt!"
The Hufflepuff team members also take a lap, coming to land on the side opposite Viktor from where Ravenclaw stands. He goes through the usual routine of having captains Caerwyn Valentine and Ramona Mickle shaking hands while somewhat needlessly admonishing them to play a clean match.
Within half a minute the balls have been released, all the players are in the air, and the six chasers are converging on the quaffle. The match has begun!
Quidditch!
Author: Wendy Mills
Date: 01-16-15 12:02
Despite the cold, Wendy and Andrina had decided to go outdoors and watch the Quidditch match. After all, their house would be playing today and they wanted to support the team. This was Wendy's third year at Hogwarts, and she was finally getting used to Quidditch and learning to enjoy it. She had to admit there was a certain beauty in the way the players moved up in the air, and some of their movements were perfectly executed. However, she still disliked the barbarity the bludgers brought to the game but she had to confess they were quite useful at times. Caleb and Ector joined them at the stands. Ector kept singing a chant of support to Ravenclaw that was quite catchy and soon everyone else was singing along with him.
While they were waiting on the match to begin, Wendy looked around to see if she could find Heather Rabnott, her Secret Santa. Despite being on the same house as her, Wendy didn't know Heather, who was two years ahead of her in school. However, she didn't find it too hard to find Heather a gift. She had bought it last weekend at Hogsmeade. The village had a wide range of shops and there has been a blue pajama that caught her attention. Wendy was not sure if this was the sort of thing Heather would wear to sleep, but she liked it so much she decided to get it anyways. But before paying for it, she made sure with the shopkeeper that if Heather didn't like the gift she could always come back to the village and swap it for any other clothing item in the shop.
Meanwhile, Susan and Patricia joined the group as well. Susan was very excited because this was the very first Ravenclaw Quidditch match she would watch. Seeing Gryffindor and Slytherin playing had been fun, but it wasn't the same thing. She didn't want to sit closer to her sister, but Patricia said that all the Ravenclaws should stick together. Susan was cleverer than that, and she was pretty sure all Patricia wanted was to be near Caleb Quigley. Charlie Fairfax and Tom Howard seated next to them too.
It was all very thrilling for Susan, everyone united, crying out for the same house, the packages of sweets being shared, and the bets about who would score more goals and who would get hit by a bludger. It almost made her nervous when she spotted Coach Krum entering the pitch, checking its conditions. The players must be almost ready to start the action. Some of the professors had come to assist the match as well. Blue and yellow painted the stands and Susan found herself smiling with delight.
"Oh a package came for you this morning, but you had already left the Great Hall so I took it to the common room," Tom told Susan.
"Thanks! It must be the gift to my Secret Santa."
At first Susan had asked Andrina to buy something for her Secret Santa at Hogsmeade. But she refused to help Susan, saying that she had been the one signing herself for the Secret Santa, so it was her responsibility to take care of that. Susan felt tempted to ask her newest friend Titus to buy the gift for her, but she discarded that idea because she didn't know yet what exactly she was going to get to the third year Gryffindor Savannah Applewhite and she thought it would be a bit impolite to impose that task to Titus.
She didn't know Savannah but she knew her brother Rex, because he was also a first year. He was a Hufflepuff, and they had some classes together. There were a million things she could give to Savannah, but due to her nervous nature Susan just couldn't pick one, because she was too afraid that Savannah might not like it and get upset. And so, she ended up writing to her friend Maud and her cousin Blair for help. Maud had suggested a piece of clothing, something useful and not too extravagant. Blair told her to buy something red, the color of Savannah's house. Using both her friends' advises, Susan ended up buying a sort of red poncho coat with a hood. She had ordered it by mail and it had quickly arrived to the school in time for her to wrap it and put it under the large tree at the common commons.
"Here we go!" Charlie said, once the players flied into the pitch and the commentator Willow Westwick started to talk, presenting each player to the audience.
Nervous (Duncan)
Author: Briar Rose
Date: 01-16-15 17:38
Before emerging from the locker room Duncan Dippet had taken enough nervous gulping breaths he came close to hyperventilating. He doesn't want to screw up in his first match and make all of Hufflepuff annoyed with him. There's also having his parents, Byron and Betheny, brother, sister, grandparents, Aunt Briar, and cousin Grace somewhere in the stands. Briar and Grace are also cheering on Caerwyn, yet another person Duncan doesn't want to disappoint. Not only is Caerwyn his team captain but Duncan has long viewed him as something of a cousin, what with being Grace's half-brother.
Now that he's out on the pitch, Duncan's nerves has calmed somewhat. He had thought they'd get worse but with the balls being released and something specific for him to focus on, his breathing is more calm and his pulse has slowed from staccato to just a little more rapid than usual.
The quaffle is released and as one of the six chasers Duncan joins the scramble for the red ball. Or, to be more specific, he's jumped in front of Ravenclaw's Patron Shrewbury to keep Paton from being the one to get hold of the quaffle first. Duncan's successful in that but another of the Ravenclaw chasers, Ramona Mickle, grabs hold a half second before Duncan's teammate Jasper Jenkins.
Ramona just as quickly loses the quaffle when a bludger from Gus Hodfuffer connects with her arm, allowing Jasper to snatch the ball away. Duncan gives his broom a nudge to straighten out his direction, shooting off towards the hoops guarded by Ravenclaw's Beatrix Vanderbilt. He's forced to slow when one of the beaters crosses his path going after a bludger and then turn around entirely when a pass from Jasper to Marlow MacDougal is intercepted by Franciscus Vanderbilt.
No sooner has he started the other direction then Franciscus is hit with a bludger, causing him to drop the quaffle. Seeing his chance, Duncan darts forward, latches onto the quaffle, and pivots his broom around yet again, racing once more towards those rings.
Everything is a blur around him but Duncan would swear he just caught a glimpse of his Secret Santa Wendy Mills. Duncan got for Wendy something called loungewear, casual and comfortable clothing she can wear around her common room or the Commons or the library, or anywhere really for that matter, maybe even under her robes going to class.
Spotting Marlow open, Duncan hurls the quaffle to her, moving it further along the pitch and all that much closer to those hoops.
First Match
Author: Sophie McCourt
Date: 01-17-15 14:21
"Duncan Dippet just passed the quaffle to Marlow MacDougal. Marlow has two Ravenclaw chasers right behind her, Ramona Mickle and …"
Sophie tried to ignore what Willow Westwick was saying. She had one job and one job only: to find and catch the snitch. But it was hard not to pay attention to the commentator's words. She knew that from time to time Willow might comment on the seekers' whereabouts and she could warn Sophie in case Bran Hyland spotted the snitch first. Despite being younger, Bran had already more experience than her at official Quidditch matches, while for Sophie this was a first. Before the match started Sophie had been feeling a bit nervous, but now up in the air, things were a little bit different.
Estine had braided her hair, so it wouldn't get in the way, and the canary yellow Hufflepuff Quidditch robes she was wearing fit in perfection, so she felt comfortable. It was easy to forget that everyone was watching because at the height she was flying, the people who came to assist the match, including family and friends, looked like little dots.
"MacDougal manages to escape a bludger sent by Jade Green, she's very closer to Beatrix Vanderbilt's hoops, she's getting into position, she's about to score…and Paton Shrewsbury steals the quaffle right from her hands! What a bold move from Shewsbury…"
Willow keeps talking, but Sophie blocks her once again from her mind. She has to focus on trying to find the snitch and also has to make sure she keeps Bran Hyland under her eye. He's not been flying far from her, certainly watching her moves as well. Sophie didn't want to stay in the same spot the whole match and she started circling the pitch, looking around for the snitch. A bludger came right into her face's direction but she managed to avoid it, by a few inches. All the color disappeared from her face, with the fright. Caerwyn Valentine, one of her team's beaters, and also the captain passed by her, to fetch the bludger. He grinned at Sophie, an encouraging gesture, and she felt much better.
She kept looking around for the snitch for a little while and then she decided to change her strategy and started stalking Bran, flying almost side by side with him. Caleb had read a few books about Quidditch and he told her that this sort of strategy was often used, not only to distract the other seeker but also to frustrate him. Sophie did not want to anger Bran, but she thought everything was valid inside the pitch.
As she followed him she couldn't help to think about the gift she bought at Hogsmeade for Professor Black. It was a stone rounded box with a dragon on the top of the lid. It had been complicated to choose a gift for a teacher, especially one she had never had classes with. But she thought that Professor Sirius Black had some sort of tough aura and that he might like dragons.
Hufflepuff Takes The Lead (Marlow & Jasper)
Author: Aaron Miller
Date: 01-17-15 18:16
After breakfast Marlow and Jasper had gone to the commons together to drop off Secret Santa presents before walking to the pitch to dress for the match against Ravenclaw. Jasper had stood, gold and green wrapped present in hand, at the Christmas tree under which a number of other gifts have already been placed. "Maybe I should get something else."
Marlow screwed up her face in thought, trying to remember what various friends and family had told her they were giving to the people whose name they'd drawn. "Pajamas?"
"Fleece pajamas," Jasper had nodded.
"Fleece pajamas are a nice gift."
"But what if a hundred others are giving pajamas of some sort this year?"
"That's possible but it's not as though you are purposely copying what someone else might be doing."
"True."
Marlow gave him a look that Jasper read as hurry up and decide. He fixed his eyes on the carefully wrapped present, thought about what else he saw while looking for a Secret Santa give, Johanna Steele in mind while he shopped. Nothing quickly came to mind that he could write off to the village for or anything that might be on a Diagon Alley shoppe, or even elsewhere such as through a catalogue. It's not even that he dislikes what he selected, it's that Jasper doesn't want to be guilty of being thought of as having taken an easy way out, not after the agonizing time he took to be careful and put real thought into the gift.
Before he convinced himself to start back over, Jasper placed the gold and green box under the tree not knowing that Marlow has had her own doubts. Marlow had found an interesting looking watch with leather straps that she went back to buy after first seeing it and nothing else jumping out at her all day to give to Mason Jeffers. She spent what was left of Hogsmeade Saturday and all this past week thinking back over what else she might get him. She kept coming back to the watch and as she delivered it under the tree in the commons she reminded herself of this then promptly turned her attention to Jasper and to thinking about the upcoming Quidditch match.
The match is all Marlow is thinking about at the moment. There's been so many turnovers of the quaffle and so much up and down the pitch in the short time since the start of the game, she wonders if they'll all have whiplash by match's end.
A breeze starts up, swirling snow flurries, making Marlow glad she's got on a thick layer of warmth beneath her team uniform. Playing Quidditch can make a person hot and sweaty but at this time of the year the colder air can sometimes negate that or, worse, the wind whipping about combined with the rush of air around the body while speeding about the pitch can work with that sweat to make you feel even colder than you might otherwise; or so that's been Marlow's experience. Could be others with the different ways bodies can work don't have that.
Hufflepuff currently has the quaffle, Duncan veering around Franciscus. He has to zig zag again when Paton attempts to cut him off. Marlow waves a hand and calls out, unsure if he'd be able to hear her. Whether he sees her waving arm, hears her, both, or neither, Duncan chunks the quaffle in Marlow's direction. Ramona is suddenly there, trying to scoop the ball up before Marlow catches it but isn't able to do so.
Marlow catches the quaffle, cradling it in one arm until she's able to better secure her hold on it with a tight grip holding it against her abdomen. She avoids a bludger she thinks came from Jade, darts around Paton, closing in on Beatrix.
Arm up, Marlow readies to throw the quaffle, firing off the ball to her left, a quaffle smacking into her arm just as her fingers release. The quaffle's now slightly off target, moving more to a spot between that leftmost and the center ring. Beatrix has no trouble slapping the quaffle back, Franciscus snatching it up.
Before he can pivot around well enough to fly the other direction, Jasper jerks the quaffle from Franciscus, immediately throwing towards a hoop. This was unexpected enough that Beatrix isn't quite fast enough to block. She makes a face at Jasper but he knows it's meant goodnaturedly enough as Beatrix isn't the poor sport type.
Announcer Willow Westwick is proclaiming to all the goal Jasper has just made, the score now 10 Hufflepuff, 0 Ravenclaw.
Beatrix has the quaffle back in play with a handoff to Ramona. Ramona, in turn, throws to Paton. Duncan dives for an interception but his fingers slide off the quaffle as it zips by him. Jasper is shadowing Franciscus in hopes of screwing up the Ravenclaw's efforts to assist Paton.
Paton makes it halfway along the length of the pitch, unable to find any openings to pass, when a quaffle from Gus smashes into him. He fumbles the ball, Duncan trying to get it before Paton recovers but the other bludger seemingly comes out of nowhere, forcing Duncan to pull back. Jasper isn't sure how but Ramona now has possession of the quaffle.
She races away, Marlow close behind. Jasper accelerates to catch up, cutting Franciscus off as they near Glori. Ramona lets the quaffle fly. Glori turns it back, Paton grabbing it up to throw again. Glori outright catches the ball this time, hanging onto it until she can place it in Jasper's hands.
He shoots forward getting a little away from Glori and her hoops before he passes off to Duncan. Jasper rockets away, moving ahead to be ready to give Duncan, or Marlow, any assistance when needed.
(Beatrix & Franciscus) Ravenclaw Evens the Score
Author: Griet
Date: 01-18-15 13:18
The downside to playing keeper was one didn't get to move terribly much. In colder weather, that meant Beatrix more or less shivered the entire match. She had layered as much as she could underneath her Quidditch robes, but there was only so much she could put on and not cause restrictions in her movements. It would do Ravenclaw no good if her clothing hindered her from stopping the quaffle from going through a hoop.
While it was true that she had already let one goal get past her, it had only happened because Jasper had taken her by surprise. She wouldn't let it happen again, if she could help it.
Right now Duncan had possession of the quaffle. He passed to Marlow, who passed to Jasper, who passed it back to Marlow. Marlow kept the ball close to her side for several long moments and then saw an opening in Duncan. She launched the ball towards him with a powerful throw and relief crossed his face when it landed neatly in his arms. Duncan turned his attention onto Beatrix and let the quaffle fly as soon as he thought he might have a chance at scoring.
Beatrix had other ideas, however, and caught the ball.
Like so many other students and teachers, she had submitted her name for Secret Santa. Incidentally, she had drawn the name of one of her own Ravenclaw teammates, Bran. After much consideration she had gotten him a toiletry bag that was Ravenclaw blue with leather accents. She figured it might be useful for him to carry between the dorm and the locker room.
She handed the ball to her brother. Franciscus pulled it close to his body to protect it from the hands that reached out for it and tried to negotiate the congestion around the hoops. When an opening presented itself, he bolted. Ramona and Paton were quick to follow, as were the three Hufflepuff chasers.
For a while, Franciscus flew without running into trouble. Then he heard Ramona shout, "Bludger on your left!" Paton moved to the right to give Franciscus the chance to move in that direction. Franciscus swerved and also handed the ball to his cousin. The bludger whizzed past Franciscus, only to be stopped by Caerwyn. Caerwyn aimed it at Paton, who quickly handed the ball back to Franciscus.
Paton dodged the bludger, even though it had been hit at close quarters. Franciscus, meanwhile, threw the ball to Ramona, who had pulled ahead. Ramona dipped to avoid the other bludger and then rolled when Bran and Sophie unknowingly cut across her path. They were so engrossed in their search of the snitch that they hardly noticed the rapidly approaching chasers.
When Ramona came out of her roll, she handed the ball to Franciscus while simultaneously pretending as if she still had it tucked under her arm. It wasn't a clean hand-off, but hopefully it would fool some of the players at least temporarily. Franciscus charged ahead, trying to hide the ball but knowing he probably didn't have a lot of time before everybody figured out what had happened. Willow apparently didn't realize it at first, but when she did, she announced it so that everybody knew he had the quaffle.
By then Franciscus was within scoring range. He propelled the quaffle forward, but it hit the rim instead of going through the hoop. It bounced back into his arms. He didn't waste a second in trying again. He let the quaffle go and hoped Glori wouldn't stop it, but she did with a slap of her hand. When the ball came back, he had to wrestle with Jasper to get a firm hold on the ball. His third try was a success, if only because Glori moved to avoid a bludger.
"Vanderbilt scores!" Willow shouted. "The match is tied!"
Franciscus grinned and glanced over at the staff box where all the teachers sat, as well as the Quidditch commentator. His glance was fleeting though since the match was already underway again, so he wasn't sure if his Secret Santa was present. He had gotten Professor Douglass. What did one get a history professor besides a history book or something else having to do with history? It hadn't been an easy choice, but in the end, Franciscus had found a bow tie that even he wouldn't mind wearing. It was plaid in varying shades of blue and looked modern and stylish.
There was a sudden turnover of the quaffle. Ravenclaw had possession of it again, with cousin Ramona darting for the Hufflepuff goal hoops and looking very determined to put another ten points on the board for Ravenclaw
(Ramona & Paton) Ravenclaw Chasers Rock
Author: Griet
Date: 01-18-15 13:48
Ramona eyeballed her options very quickly and then made the decision to shoot for the left most hoop, even though she was coming up from a slight right. Her hope was that Glori would anticipate her throwing to the right or middle instead of the far left. She waited for just the right moment, put a little spin on her throw, and watched with baited breath as the ball arced for the left hoop. Glori realized what was happening a shade too late. She made a good effort of diving for the quaffle and maybe got a finger on it, but the ball had enough force to go through the hoop without getting misdirected.
"Mickle scores for Ravenclaw!" Willow shouted. "The score is now 20 Ravenclaw, 10 Hufflepuff."
She spun around, flashing a quick smile at her boyfriend Gus, who was playing on the opposite team and had already hit her with a bludger one time. He knew he would have to make it up to her after the match, no matter how many scores she made for Ravenclaw. Ramona was thinking chocolate, flowers, and a massage would do the trick.
She darted after Marlow, who had the quaffle and was looking to pass it to somebody since both Paton and Franciscus were doing their very best to get on her nerves. Marlow eventually tried passing the quaffle to Jasper, only to have Paton try to intercept the ball. Jasper and Paton tussled with the ball for a little bit, but then Jade's bludger made it possible for Paton to seize the ball fully and turn back around. He passed the ball back to Ramona, who saw that Gus was on the verge of getting to the other bludger. Surely he wouldn't attempt to hit her again!
He batted it straight towards her with a wicked wink. Ramona quickly tossed the ball to Paton and contorted herself to avoid full-contact with the bludger. It sort of grazed her collar bone but didn't cause her any injury or discomfort.
Paton, meanwhile, pushed himself as fast as he could go. Wouldn't it be grand if Ravenclaw scored three times in a row? Glori didn't seem too happy about Ravenclaw's return to her neck of the woods, but she hunkered down before the goals and watched Paton very closely to see where he might throw. He shot for the right hoop, and she dove for it and knocked the ball back into the fray. By now, the rest of the chasers had caught up him. He got shouldered by somebody, but was too busy trying to catch the rebound to notice who was practically on top of him.
He grasped for the ball but Duncan managed to get a firmer grip on it. He found himself too boxed in to go anywhere, though, and sort of struggled to break free. Paton took the opportunity to try to steal the ball back but tried to avoid causing a foul. He didn't want to give Hufflepuff a free opportunity to score.
A bludger struck Duncan in the shoulder, which allowed Paton another chance at getting the quaffle. He pulled it free from Duncan's grasp and threw it at the goals again, but once more, Glori knocked the ball back. Like when Franciscus scored earlier, Paton was luckiest on his third try. He threw the same time somebody aimed a bludger at Glori. She wavered in what to do and ultimately gave way to instinct. She moved out of the way making it possible for Paton to score for Ravenclaw.
Now Ravenclaw led by twenty whole points!
Paton was also participating in Secret Santa this year. His person was Devon Abbott. While in Hogsmeade last weekend he had picked up a variety of fingernail polish for Devon, not knowing what else to get her. He'd never actually seen Devon wear fingernail polish before, but that didn't mean she didn't, or maybe she only did on her toes which were always hidden by shoes. He'd gotten a few different colors so that she could mix it up.
Like Paton, Ramona was also participating in Secret Santa. Her recipient was Raz Kohen, who had transferred to Hogwarts last year. She had picked out a very nice leather backpack for him. It was so nice she thought about getting one for Gus as well but she hadn't yet decided if that was what she would do. One thing she knew for sure was that Christmas was right around the corner and she had to make a decision soon.