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Another Goal (Gus & Glori)
Author: Phinfilius
Date: 01-18-15 14:49
Before going to the Great Hall this morning Gus stopped by the commons to drop off a Secret Santa gift for Asher Kent. Gus knows Asher somewhat from Quidditch but being in different houses and different years, the acquaintance doesn't go much beyond that. He's gotten Asher some trainers that have wheels built into the soles.
When delivering the gift Gus briefly wondered if there was a package under the tree with his name from his own Secret Santa but he didn't stop to look. With a match to play he wanted to get to breakfast and then down to the pitch.
Since the game against Ravenclaw began Gus hasn't thought about anything other than the match. In the however many minutes it's been since Hufflepuff scored the first goal of the game Ravenclaw has stepped up its efforts. That team now leads 30 to 10.
Curving around Ramona to get to a bludger that he'll probably direct back to her as she's got the quaffle Gus can't help but wish Ramona and he were in the same house so that he wasn't sending bludgers after her in matches. In the short time it takes Gus to get to the bludger, Ramona has passed to Paton. Gus shifts his position slightly before connecting his bat with the bludger.
Aderyn gets between the bludger and Paton, hitting the black ball towards Marlow. Marlow is beyond Paton and no matter how fast he was to fly and could go in a straight line, which he can't, he only might be able to do something. Caerwyn is heading towards Marlow and has a far better chance of intercepting the bludger so Gus turns his attention to locating the second bludger.
He sees Jade and then sees the bludger. She's turned with her bat not to send the bludger at one of the Hufflepuff chasers but at Sophie, its seeker. Gus zooms forward, picking up speed. He gets to the bludger but by then Sophie had seen the ball and avoided being hit. If she had spotted the snitch, bringing Jade's attention with the bludger, it seems to be gone again as now Sophie is flying in a manner that puts Gus in mind of searching for something.
Gus takes a second to check out what's going on with the chasers and quaffle. Quickly assessing and making a decision, he sends the bludger towards Franciscus, who's got hands ready to catch the incoming quaffle. He lucks out with the bludger, smacking into the quaffle and not Franciscus. Duncan is closest to where the quaffle has been shoved off course by the bludger. He snatches it up before it loses much altitude and sprints off in Beatrix's direction.
At her end of the pitch Glori wishes she had glasses or contacts that she could fix to better allow her to watch what's going on at the other three hoops. She has good eyesight but it's still a distance and she wouldn't mind having close up details. Too bad a mini pair of omniocculars wouldn't be allowed but, then, she's not sure enhanced glasses or contacts would be either.
She watches the action down the pitch while listening closely to Willow's calling of the game, matching the words with the actions she's seeing. Duncan still have the quaffle, getting in close to Beatrix, acting as though he's passing off to Marlow only to take a goal shot. Beatrix rebuffs it, sending it back towards the eager chasers. Duncan's able to get it again and takes the shot, and aided by a bludger from Caerwyn this time he's able to get the quaffle past the Ravenclaw keeper, bringing the score to 30 to 20.
Ramona has the quaffle now but Paton has gotten far enough out from the Ravenclaw guarded hoops that she passes long to him. Jasper dives for the red ball but just misses the interception. Paton, quaffle now firmly in his grip, pours on the speed. The three Ravenclaw chasers make quick work of getting the quaffle back down to Glori.
It's Ramona with the quaffle when they actually reach her. Ramona throws, the quaffle heading towards the center hoop. Glori bats it with her broom, trying to aim for Marlow but it's Franciscus with the rebound. He ducks a bludger then aims for the hoop on Glori's right. She throws her body at it, stopping the quaffle with a full body block.
The quaffle again in Hufflepuff possession, Glori gives the ball to Jasper and watches once more as the action moves away from her, giving her time to ponder how she'd enhance a pair of goggles for bifocal type vision, one regular sight and the other magnified to allow her to better see the specifics of what's taking place across the pitch.
Turnovers (Jade)
Author: Emerald Green
Date: 01-19-15 12:32
During a time out Jade takes a moment to stretch one of her legs. For some reason it's been stiff today and being on a broom for so long hasn't helped. Time out over, the quaffle goes back to Hufflepuff, who'd taken possession via interception right before the time out was called.
Marlow tosses the quaffle to Duncan who then throws over to Jasper. Jade reaches one of the bludgers, sending it on a course to connect with Jasper. Jasper isn't very cooperative, climbing slightly and slowing, passing the quaffle back to Duncan. The bludger goes underneath Jasper, not even clipping one of his feet.
There's nothing for it but to go after it and try again. Out of the corner of her eye she sees Gus heading for the same bludger. Jade slows, determining where she needs to go to be in place to redirect the bludger once Gus has batted it.
As the bludger comes her way, Duncan is passing to Marlow with Franciscus aiming for a steal. It's easy enough for Jade smack the bludger to send it towards Marlow rather than at Franciscus as Gus intended. The bludger gets Marlow on the shoulder. Franciscus may have been thinking to take possession of the quaffle by intercepting the pass but missing that he takes advantage of the bludger hitting Marlow just as she's catching the red ball to grab it away from her.
In the stands, Hunter cheers as Franciscus sprints off towards the waiting Glori. With Gryffindor not in the match today, he's rooting for his sister, which means giving support to Ravenclaw. When Jasper steals the quaffle right back a few seconds later, Hunter rises, thinking to get a cup of hot chocolate. As he moves from the stands he scans for Jane Linton, whose name he drew for Secret Santa. Hunter wonders if she's picked up her gift yet and if she has, whether she's opened the present containing a red cowl sweater. Her gift is one of the few for a female he's ever bought without at least one of his sisters giving him input.
Jade had gotten Joylon Kent's name. She got the professor a photo tree and even added some candid pictures of his children Arielle and Asher that were taken using one of the school cameras readily available to yearbook, photography club, and newspaper members. She left some of the frames empty for Professor Kent to fill.
(Willow) Second Time Commentating
Author: Rowan Westwick
Date: 01-19-15 12:58
"It's Vanderbilt with the quaffle. He passes to Mickle. Mickle passes to Shrewsbury. It's back to Mickle," Willow said, commentating on the game play as it happened in the air.
This was her second opportunity commentating a Quidditch match. Willow found it far easier this time around because Slytherin wasn't one of the teams playing. It wasn't easy hiding bias, but Willow thought she had managed all right during the last match. Too bad Slytherin had lost.
"Mickle throws to Vanderbilt, but the quaffle is intercepted by Dippet! Dippet passes to MacDougal, but she fumbles the ball thanks to Green's bludger. Vanderbilt recovers the ball for Ravenclaw!"
The Ravenclaws worked the quaffle all the way to the Hufflepuff goal hoops, where Glori blocked two goal attempts before Hufflepuff caught the rebound and darted in the opposite direction. The Hufflepuffs got about halfway down the Pitch before there was another turnover. Ramona of Ravenclaw darted away with the quaffle under her arm.
This year, Willow had gotten Ravenclaw student Hope Hyland for Secret Santa. Hope was in the same year as Willow, so they knew each other from classes. While in Hogsmeade last weekend, Willow had found a set of super cute Christmas soaps at one of the temporary stalls along High Street. The soaps were in the shape of snowflakes and even shimmered a little bit.
Right now, tiny shimmering snowflakes were drifting from the sky. It was beautiful but also made everything seem all the more chilly. Willow shivered in the staff box and hoped that her teeth weren't chattering too much while she announced the game.
"Mickle shoots!" Willow cried out, after Ramona let the quaffle go with all the force of her arm. Glori lunged for the ball to knock it back, but a bludger came at her from the side and struck her in the hand. The bludger knocked her hand back just enough for the quaffle to squeeze on by, though it was tapped just slightly off its trajectory. Rather than go cleanly through the hoop, it hit the rim, bouncing from one side to the other with no clear picture of which way it might drop. Then it tipped backwards through the hoop.
"She scores! Ravenclaw leads 40 to Hufflepuff's 20!"
Unexpected Meeting
Author: Lee Sickleby
Date: 01-19-15 13:55
It being a Saturday and him not being involved in any sort of operation at the moment, Lee spent the day lounging around the house and running errands in Diagon Alley. With the sweetshop having Saturday hours, Alaia spent a lot of time in the kitchen and at the counter. At the moment, she was out picking up supplies like flour and sugar, leaving Divina in charge of the store.
Lee decided to get in a workout at the Health Nut and donned workout clothes before setting out. He used the interior staircase of the flat to leave, which took him into the heart of the store. If not for a certain visitor, Lee would have continued out the front door and made his way down the cobblestone path for the gym.
Thanks to the rigorous training he endured as a novice covert operative, Lee kept his face guarded despite the shock he felt at finding his handler perusing the wares in the store. Lee casually bent to tighten the laces on his trainers and watched out of the corner of his eye as Rowle, who was dressed in pinstriped business robes despite the fact it was a Saturday, picked up a box of chocolate covered strawberries and carried them to the checkout counter.
Divina shot him a friendly smile and asked him, "Did you find everything you were looking for?" as she rang up his purchase.
"Oh, yes," Rowle said. "Thank you very much for asking."
Lee finished tying his shoes and stepped outside into the cold. He started to make his way in the direction of the gym but then ducked into The Hopping Pot instead. Long tables and benches filled the dim-lit pub, and though it was not overly crowded, it was noisy. The WWN was set to a Quidditch match, so there was a lot of cheering and groaning depending on the gameplay.
He found the most out of the way place to sit and sat down, hailing a bartender to bring him a beer. It didn't take long for Lee to feel a presence behind him. The bartender brought him a bottle of Quality Black and then fetched another for the person seated behind Lee. Once that person had his beer, he said, "Hello, Lee."
Lee replied, "Hello, Rowle."
"I suppose you might be wondering why I visited your lady's shoppe."
"You could say that," Lee said, looking around to see if anyone was noticing two men sitting back to back holding a conversation. "The last time we spoke of her, you told me you wouldn't interfere unless absolutely necessary."
"Quite right," Rowle answered without any further explanation.
"Have I done something to seek your interference?" Lee asked, attempting to remain calm but finding it very difficult.
"Are you frightened, Lee?" Rowle asked.
Lee twisted his beer bottle in circles on the coarse tabletop and said, "I am now."
"Good," Rowle said. "You've chosen a certain lifestyle and one that is never easy, no matter the circumstances. Let this be a lesson to you that those you hold dear are not safe and never can be. As for your worries…" Rowle paused to have a drink from his beer bottle. "I only wanted to see for myself how you live now."
"Is that all?" Lee asked, not quite believing what he was hearing.
"Yes, for the moment," Rowle said. He took another drink from his beer and then got up, leaving the not yet empty bottle on the table. Lee waited until Rowle had left the building before leaving himself. He stepped out onto the cobblestoned alley and looked around, but Rowle was gone.
"Hi, sweetie," Alaia said, juggling several sacks that would have been heavier if not impossible to manage alone if not for magic. "Are you all right?" she added, noting his furrowed brow.
Lee snapped out of it and said, "Yes. Let me give you a hand." He took a few of the sacks and walked with her the short distance to the shoppe, no longer interested in getting a workout.
(Kate) In the Stands
Author: Bronwyn Dewhurst
Date: 01-19-15 15:58
Kate sat in the stands with her friends and cheered on Hufflepuff. Since Slytherin wasn't playing today, her friends also supported her house team. They sat a few rows back from Hugo and some of the other boys, who were all wearing yellow jumpers with great big letters on the front. Hugo's jumper had a black H on it, whereas the boy directly to his left had a U, and the boy next to him an F and so on so that they spelled out HUFFLEPUFF. Hugo's idea had originally been to paint the H on his bare chest but Kate had talked him out of it, since it was practically winter. Besides, she somehow doubted the professors would approve of the stunt.
She laughed at him as he and the other boys danced around and acted silly in support of their house team. Johanna nudged her in the shoulder with her own shoulder and remarked, "You're lucky."
"Why's that?" Kate asked, laughing when Hugo and the boy next to him started bumping hips.
"Because you found a guy who can make you laugh."
Hugo did make her laugh a lot. She smiled and looked over to the staff box, where Professor McGonagall seemed on the verge of having a fit. The boys weren't exactly acting inappropriately, but the Headmistress didn't seem very fond of their antics. She rose to her feet the moment Hugo and Demetrius started bumping each other harder and harder, threatening to knock each other off the bench on which they were standing.
Kate thought about calling a warning down to her boyfriend, but he probably wouldn't have stopped goofing around. He was in his element.
"Think she'll give him detention?" Johanna wondered aloud.
"Probably," Kate said.
Professor McGonagall made it over to their section and became very stern with Hugo, Demetrius, and the other boys. Kate couldn't quite hear what she was saying but she knew the gist based on Professor McGonagall's facial expression and body language.
Just watching Hugo get into trouble put Mark into mind, who hadn't been very far from her thoughts every since Felicia revealed the news that he had gotten himself arrested. Baltus still hadn't gotten the full scoop, so Kate could only wonder what had happened to land Mark in jail. She had thought about writing to her father, who also worked at the Ministry of Magic and could probably find out, if he didn't already know, but she hadn't. She wasn't supposed to care, and even if she could blame simple curiosity for the reason for asking, Kate didn't want her father getting the wrong idea.
So, she was left wondering about Mark.
Professor McGonagall had her last word and then left their section to return to the staff box. Hugo turned around and grinned sheepishly but certainly not apologetically at Kate, who could only smile in return.
Bludgers, Bludgers, Bludgers (Caerwyn)
Author: Julian Valentine
Date: 01-19-15 18:43
Sighting along the path he wants to send the bludger, Caerwyn swings back his bat and gives the hard, dark ball a solid hit with enough force behind it to send the bludger a quarter way down the pitch. Following along after it, he waves to Grace and Charlotte in the stands, hoping the are enjoying the match despite Hufflepuff currently being behind. With both him and Duncan to cheer on, he doubts either of them care quite as much about who's winning at the moment.
Attention back on the bludger, Caerwyn frowns slightly that it misses Paton by a hair. Unfazed by a bludger passing so closely, Paton passes to Ramona. Weaving around Aderyn, who's after the bludger recently hit by Caerwyn, she ducks the other bludger, increasing speed to put as much distance as she can between the quaffle and Hufflepuff keeper Glori.
Ramona doesn't get far before Jasper is as close as he can get without purposely committing a foul. Marlow moves in on Ramona's other side, making it more difficult for the Ravenclaw to accomplish much. Caerwyn takes the opportunity to target Ramona with a bludger. It gets her on one shoulder blade. The momentum of the hit causes Ramona to jerk forward then back, Jasper seizing the opportunity to wrest the quaffle from her.
Going after one of the bludgers, Caerwyn doesn't see Jasper pass to Duncan but does hear Willow Westwick giving the details. He reaches the bludger, takes stock of the action then slams his bat against the bludger, his target Franciscus. Caerwyn would very much like Hufflepuff to make more goals but if Sophie gets the snitch, the number of goals can become moot unless there are so many that catching the snitch is meaningless. Of course, winning matches and racking up points does go towards determining who plays for the Quidditch Cup.
A gust of wind, that seems more laden with flurries of snow then before, buffets the players on their brooms. The gust is strong enough that the bludger he's just hit is pushed slightly off course. Leaning low over his broom, Caerwyn chases after it, not only to put it back on a course he wants but to change that course to Paton, who now has the quaffle.
The redirected bludger hits Paton hard enough that he drops the quaffle entirely. Caerwyn scrambles after that bludger to help the Hufflepuff chasers as chasers from both teams converge on the quaffle, each intent on gaining possession.
Caerwyn again catches sight of Grace and Charlotte in the stands as well as several of those they are with. He's seeing them after the match, not only to say hello but to get some fresh baked goods from Briar as part of Caerwyn's Secret Santa gift to Caleb Quigley. In addition to the sweets Briar has brought from the bakery, Caerwyn got some candy from Honeydukes while in the village last weekend. The candy is in the form of some interesting gummies and candy sushi while the sweets from Briar are an assortment of Christmas biscuits. In addition to what she's bringing for him to add to the Secret Santa gift, Briar also said she'd bring Christmas biscuits for Caerwyn to set out in the Hufflepuff common room.
Homesick
Author: Jane Linton
Date: 01-20-15 13:44
Jane was on her tiptoes, trying to open the window with her wand. But it seemed like there was an Anti-Alohomora charm on it. She grumbled, put her wand aside and used her bare hands.
"Miss Linton! Go back to your bed at once! Do you want me to charm the sheets to keep you inside the bed?"
"But Madam Pomfrey, I was just trying to…"
"No buts. Come on now…"
Jane marched back to her bed at the Hospital Wing. From all the days of Fall Term she had to be sick today, during the Hufflepuff's match against Ravenclaw. She had planned to go to the pitch and only pass by the Hospital Wing after the match, but Nala didn't let her. She complained that Jane didn't let anyone sleep with her cough last night, and that she looked terrible. Jane only believed Nala once she looked at her figure in the mirror. Her skin looked like wax. She looked like an Inferious! Finally she agreed on seeing Madam Pomfrey but she made Nala, Bowen and Pelinore promise her they would watch the match and then come at once to the Hospital Wing to fill her with the details.
Now she was back in bed, dying of curiosity to know which house was winning, who scored and how the game was developing. She played with the tip of her blanket, trying to think about something else. She had homework to do: Potions, History of Magic, Herbology… Charcoal, her black cat, jumped into the bed and Jane started to pet him. Madam Pomfrey was giving medicine to another patient and she didn't notice the intruder. Jane was glad at least she had some company now.
Then she thought about her Secret Santa. Her name was Hydrangea Marchbanks. Hydrangea belonged to the Gryffindor house and was a sixth year. Jane was going to offer her a pair of rain boots. They were navy blue and had a red bow on the top, which gave the boots a nice touch. Thinking about Christmas, made Jane suddenly miss her family. She wouldn't mind her mother to be here with her, tucking her inside the bed, and cooking her some chicken broth. Her father would be putting the radio next to her bed so she could hear some Quidditch match that was on. She sighed and continued to pet her cat, homesick suddenly leaving her blue.
(Aderyn) Of Cold and Bludgers
Author: Cai Pembroke Carter
Date: 01-20-15 16:53
The score currently had Ravenclaw in the lead by two goals, and hopefully Bran would find the snitch before Sophie of Hufflepuff, but at this point Aderyn really didn't care who caught the snitch if it meant that she could go in and grab a mug of cocoa and something warm to snack on.
At the moment, she was currently trying to get sight of a bludger, that could be used to dislodge the quaffle from Marlow's grasp or at least disrupt her attempt to pass the quaffle to another chaser for Hufflepuff. Shifting slightly, she caught sight of Jade who was currently launching a bludger in the direction of Marlow who was just attempting to pass the quaffle to Jasper.
Quick look over her shoulder and she headed forward, reaching the bludger just after it had narrowly missed the quaffle, allowing it to change hands between Hufflepuff chasers, who were rapidly closing in on Beatrix at the Ravenclaw hoops. Darting forward she swung her bat hard, sending the bludger with careful aim, in hopes to dislodge the final attempt of a pass from Jasper back to Marlow who had pulled ahead and was in scoring position for Hufflepuff. The bludger hit its mark and the quaffle was thrown off course, allowing Paton to grab the big red ball and send the mass of chasers back toward the hoops guarded by Glori Hodfuffer.
Caerwyn had just hit a bludger toward Ramona who was just about to catch a pass from Paton, and thankfully the bludger missed, but it ended up right near Aderyn who quickly launched it back, in an attempt to keep Marlow from attempting to intercept the pass from Ramona to Franciscus, who was closer to the hoops than she was.
It took but a second for Franciscus to get the quaffle and take a shot at the hoops, however Glori was ready for it and blocked the shot quickly. Within moments, the quaffle was back in Hufflepuff hands and Duncan was quickly flanked by Marlo and Jasper, with Paton, Ramona and Franciscus quickly in chase. Aderyn quickly headed for the next bludger and attempted to launch it in such a fashion that it would cause Paton to have to shift his position slightly allowing one of the Ravenclaw chasers to take his place flanking Marlow who was still in possession of the quaffle.
In Want Of A Tissue (Bran)
Author: Saffron
Date: 01-20-15 19:14
Swiping a sleeve under his nose, Bran once again reminds himself that next match, he needs to stuff more tissue about his uniform. With the wind and the chill today he went through what he did have with him in short order. Suddenly remembering a spot he'd tucked away a couple of tissues not yet used, Bran pauses in his search for the snitch to pull one of them out as he wonders if there's some sort of charm to keep the nose from profusely running while out in the cold air.
As long as he's stopped Bran swivels to watch as Hufflepuff makes a drive for another goal. Duncan, Marlow, and Jasper are clustered near enough to each other to rapidly pass the quaffle back and forth between them. When they are near enough to Beatrix to take a shot it's Marlow in possession of the ball. She cocks her arm back to throw, spots a bludger about to hit her so throws to Jasper instead of towards a hoop.
Jasper catches the ball then immediately lobs it at the nearest hoop. Beatrix gets enough of one hand on the quaffle to shove it back but can't get a firm hold on it for a possession change from Hufflepuff to Ravenclaw. The quaffle goes right back to Jasper but by then Paton is in a position to hinder an easy throw. He ends up leaning far out and hurling the quaffle in the direction of one of the other hoops. Franciscus nearly intercepts but a bludger from Gus has him jerking his arm back, wincing at the sting to his funny bone. Beatrix is able to block again, this time with the rebound going to Duncan.
Duncan propels the quaffle towards the center hoop. Bran thinks Beatrix has the block for a third time but the other bludger grazes across her shoulder and close enough to her face that Beatrix reflexively moves her body, messing up her aim at stopping the quaffle. The ball goes through the hoop, giving Hufflepuff ten more points and bringing the score to Ravenclaw 40, Hufflepuff 30.
Realizing just how long he's been stationary, Bran swipes his nose again, this time with the tissue as he turns to resume the search. As he repositions himself, dabbing the tissue at his steaming nose, Bran goes cross-eyed at seeing the snitch literally an inch front his face. Reaching with his non-dominant hand, not wanting to risk the scant time it would take to switch the tissue to it or stuff the tissue into his uniform, without any fanfare or anyone even knowing yet that he's got the snitch, Bran awkwardly closes fingers around the small winged ball. Waiting a beat to let the reality of the catch sink in before revealing to all that he has the snitch and the match is ended with a Ravenclaw victory, final score 190 to 30!