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Hufflepuff Vs Slytherin 2008-2009
Author: Viktor Krum
Date: 07-09-15 14:38
As with the last match Wanda Carmody and Marjani are refereeing today's game with Viktor. Unlike last time, he's not on pain medication. The balls are ready to be released once the players are on the field. In the meantime, Viktor, Wanda, and Marjani stand talking. From time to time someone approaches to talk with them for a few minutes before moving on to find a seat in the stands.
This match is the sixth, and last, of the regular games. After today, the school will know which teams will play for the Quidditch Cup, to be played in two weeks. At the moment, Gryffindor leads in points earned during matches and stands a good chance of playing for the cup. Ravenclaw's standing is more precarious. Depending on how Hufflepuff and Slytherin do today, Ravenclaw could be knocked to third or even to fourth.
Slytherin has had a change to its roster since its last match, Taran Tremaine taking the chaser slot formerly held by Crew Morgan. The rest of the line-up remains the same with Mason Jeffers and Malden McGonagall as the other two chasers, Rylee Marks as seeker, Gus van Tassel as keeper, and Baron Marchbanks and Asher Kent as the beaters.
Hufflepuff's team is composed of chasers Duncan Dippet, Marlow MacDougal, and Jasper Jenkins, seeker Sophie McCourt, keeper Glori Hodfuffer, and beaters Gus Hodfuffer and Caerwyn Valentine.
Willow Westwick has begun a pre-game spiel and the ambient nose from the stands has increased just in the past few minutes. The match will begin soon and it's clear that everyone present is eager to not only see the outcome of this game but to have speculation ended on who's playing for the championship.
The Match Starts (Duncan)
Author: Briar Rose
Date: 07-10-15 18:09
Excited to play in what might be his last match this school year, Duncan hopes Hufflepuff does well enough to play one more game, for the championship no less, but if not, he's happy having gotten to be on the team at all. He's definitely going to be trying out again in the Fall!
Lining up with the rest of the team to exit the locker room, the next few minutes are something of a blur, as they always are to Duncan, as the announcer, a position filled this year by Willow Westwick, introduces the two teams. Duncan flies a circuit around the pitch then comes to a stop near where Coach Krum is waiting to speak to captains Caerwyn Valentine and Gus van Tassel before releasing the balls. The two captains shake hands then everyone takes to the air and the balls released.
The last ball to be released is the quaffle. Duncan along with teammates Marlow MacDougal and Jasper Jenkins scramble for the red ball as Slytherin chasers Malden MacGonagall, Mason Jeffers, and Taran Tremaine do the same. Duncan works not to get the quaffle for himself but to assist Marlow getting it by trying to block Mason.
His efforts seem to be working until both bludgers come screaming into the midst of the congregated chasers. He has no idea who sent them only that the bludgers serve to have people jerking away in various directions to avoid being hit. In the chaos, newcomer to the Slytherin team Taran emerges with possession of the quaffle.
Taran hustles away, tucking the quaffle in close to his body, the other chasers swarming after. Mason and Malden hasten to better position themselves to assist and aid Taran while Marlow, Jasper, and Duncan aim to interfere as best they can to prevent their opponents from reaching keeper Glori Hodfuffer.
An opening to put the quaffle into Hufflepuff hands comes a few seconds later when a bludger sent by Baron Marchbanks to force Duncan away from Taran is intercepted and redirected at Taran. Taran's been hit by bludgers in practice and probably in just for fun games but Duncan knows from experience that first hit during a match that counts can be disconcerting and jarring. It comes as no surprise to him that Taran fumbles his grasp on the quaffle.
It's not Duncan who's able to steal but Jasper. Jasper snags the ball away, whips his broom around, rocketing away in the other direction. Duncan and everyone else, other than the seekers and keepers that is, rapidly change course as well, Duncan pouring on the speed to get into Jasper's line of sight as the other boy already seems to be looking to pass.
(Gus) Tricked
Author: Johanna Steele
Date: 07-11-15 02:52
Jasper passed the quaffle to Duncan. Malden approached Duncan's flank, but the Hufflepuff chaser didn't get intimidated and he continued his way towards Slytherin's hoops. Gus didn't lost the quaffle from sight, knowing that today every point would count, to determinate which houses will attend the Championship Match. This was his last year at Hogwarts and, as the captain of the Slytherin team, he wants his house to win the Quidditch cup more than he wanted all those past years.
A bludger sent by Asher flew in Duncan's direction. He managed to dodge it and he threw the quaffle to Marlow. She was being marked by Mason, but she got to the red ball first. Marlow was at an enough distance to try and score and that's what she did. She shot the quaffle to the right and Gus dived to the right as well. He was confident that this was going to be an easy defense. But on the last second, Jasper came out of nowhere and grabbed the quaffle and threw it to the left hoop, scoring.
"Jenkins scores! Hufflpefuff leads by ten," Willow Westwick said. The Hufflepuffs applauded on the stands.
Gus couldn't help to feel frustrated for being tricked like this but there was no point to sulk. He passed the ball to Taran who was closer to him and the Slytherin chasers quickly tried to get the red ball out of their side of the pitch. Taran was hit by another bludger, sent by Gus Hodfuffer, but he managed to hold it bravely. He threw the quaffle to Malden and he speeded up, reaching an incredible velocity. Mason followed next to him and when Marlow tried to snatch the quaffle from Malden, he passed it to the Slytherin co-captain.
The ball seemed pretty safe under the guard of the Slytherin chasers and Gus took a chance to try and locate the seekers. Rylee and Sophie were flying closer to each other, but none of them seemed desperately looking for the snitch. It seemed more like they were just having a quiet relaxed broomstick flight on a Sunday morning. But Gus knew looks could be deceiving and he noticed the way the two seeker's eyes moved from one side to the other, even if their poses on the brooms seemed relaxed.
Meanwhile, Mason managed to shorten the distance between Glori's hoops. He tried to score shooting the quaffle to the central hoop with all the strength he had. Glori performed a fantastic defense, which caused more applause from her fellow Hufflepuffs on the stands. Willow commented on the defense but without the same excitement, since naturally as a Slytherin, she was rooting for the other team.
Glori passed the quaffle to Duncan and the match proceeded.
An Ugly Feeling
Author: Susan Fricks
Date: 07-11-15 03:26
Susan was watching the Quidditch match with Titus Nott. They met every Saturday mornings to work on the Hogwarts model together, but today she had wanted to watch the Quidditch and he ended up going to the pitch with her. He didn't seem very excited with it, and Susan couldn't tell why because after all, his house was playing. Titus wasn't even wearing anything that would denounce him as a member of the Slytherin house. When Jasper Jenkins scored, he didn't join the choir of discontent Slytherins that immediately booed the Hufflepuff chaser. He didn't even look upset and instead he yawned! This apathy frustrated Susan. She couldn't understand why he acted like this.
"Don't you want Slytherin to win?"
"Not particularly."
"Why not? Aren't you supposed to support your house? Don't you want them to be champions?"
"No. I don't want to deal with Kent and McGonagall's smug attitude later at the dorms. They aren't on the team by merit. It's obvious that they just play because they are related to a teacher and a headmistress. It's called traffic of influence. I read that term in The Daily Prophet once."
Susan stood quiet for a moment. She watched the players moving on the pitch and she tried to identify who Malden McGonagall and Asher Kent were. She knew enough about Quidditch to think they both were decent players who seemed to know what they were doing. It didn't look like they had somehow acquired their spots on the team because of their family ties.
"You know, my mother always says that jealousy is a very ugly feeling."
Titus' cheeks turned red, but he denied Susan's accusations:
"I'm not jealous! You just don't understand because you're still too young. You have to admit that it's fishy that both of them are playing."
"I turned twelve a few weeks ago," she said, feeling the need to remind Titus that she was not a little girl anymore. He might be fourteen, but she was old enough to understand things. "Asher Kent has a sister, does he not?"
"Yes. Arielle. She's at my year as well. A Gryffindor."
"Well there you go! She doesn't play Quidditch. So not all of them got a place because of who they are. It was due to merit."
Susan was very proud of her clever argument. Titus could not refute what she had just said. And he didn't try to do so. Instead he just shrugged his shoulder and he opened a package of sugar quills he brought with him. He offered the package to Susan who took one quill out and started to eat it. He then served himself of one as well. His enthusiasm towards the match continued quite low, but he didn't make any more comments about his house mates. Susan was glad to be the author of that change and she continued to enjoy the match, rooting for Slytherin in the hopes to get Titus more involved in the match, like a proper Hogwarts student should be, in her humble opinion.
(Malden) Luck of the Draw
Author: Minerva McGonagall
Date: 07-11-15 11:13
Malden shadowed Duncan very closely. Mason managed to pull up on Duncan's other side before Jasper or Marlow could flank their teammate. The Slytherin co-captain pressed in close, so that Duncan couldn't move left or right without hitting Malden or Mason. He hugged the quaffle closer to him, knowing they would try to steal it.
He didn't have to fret for long, because Gus Hodfuffer whacked a bludger right at Malden. Malden debated for half a second taking the hit or dodging the black ball, and instinct won out in the end. He swerved left, giving Marlow the opportunity to pull up beside Duncan once the bludger had passed.
Malden scowled and thought about the gift hidden within layers of clothing in the trunk at the foot of his bed. He had thought long and hard about using it today but had ultimately decided it would serve better if Slytherin made it to championship match. However, it seemed likely he would regret the decision if Slytherin lost today's match.
The gift had arrived anonymously a couple of months ago. The accompanying note had thanked him for a job well done but had said nothing more. Malden thought the gift had something to do with the toad he had given his great aunt but he was unaware of any particulars. The directive to bring her the fire-bellied toad had come directly from his grandfather, but Malden was fairly certain the thank-you gift hadn't come from Menelaus McGonagall at all. He was naturally curious to find out more, but he also knew better than the look a gift-horse in the mouth.
Duncan passed the quaffle to Marlow, who threw long to Jasper. Jasper raced towards the Slytherin goal hoops, where Gus van Tassel looked doubly determined to stop him from scoring. Jasper let the quaffle fly from his hand, and Gus slapped it back with the palm of his hand. It landed back in Jasper's arms, who again tried to score. He somewhat managed it when a bludger meant for Gus accidentally hit the quaffle instead. It struck the red ball at such an angle that it knocked it straight through a different hoop. It would have been impressive if it hadn't been a total accident and caused by one of Slytherin's beaters.
"That's another goal for Hufflepuff!" Willow called out. Despite being a Slytherin herself, she actually seemed excited about the goal.
Malden angrily accepted the hand-off from Gus and shot away from the goal posts. He wove around Rylee as she crossed his path in her search for the golden snitch and ducked when Caerwyn aims a bludger at him. The bludger sailed cleanly over his head, only to be intercepted by Gus H., who aimed it for Malden's back. Mason called out a warning, which allowed Malden to pass the quaffle to him before taking the hit. The bludger struck him between the shoulder blades.
Mason, meanwhile, passed the ball to Taran. Taran passed it quickly back to Mason, who zigzagged around Sophie and Caerwyn, who were flying near each other and more or less at the same level. Malden, his back stinging from the bludger hit, zoomed forward and accepted Mason's pass after Caerwyn redirected Gus' bludger at him. Mason avoided the bludger, though just barely. Malden threw the ball at Taran, who tried to get the quaffle passed Glori, but she knocked it back with a fancy spin of her broomstick.
Malden caught the rebound and scored before Glori could dive in front of the goal hoop.
"McGonagall scores!"
The Petition
Author: Abdul Hazrat AlGunud
Date: 07-11-15 19:46
Pedro's was sparsely populated, the morning crowd had left and the evening crowd had not yet arrived in force. People in the establishment made up for lack of numbers by their vocal enthusiasm. They cheered as speakers came and went, declaring their support for various causes. Finally, one speaker began to shout, "Do you know what this country truly needs? Really and truly needs?" He paused long enough to let the crowd respond. When the response was not forthcoming, he did not let the lack of encouragement stop him.
"It needs a leader! Not some minister! Not an appointed bureaucrat! We need a bona fide leader who will help the wizarding community reach it's true destiny - to achieve greatness and to take our rightful place as rulers over the muggle world."
This elicited some cheers from the audience.
"If we had a true leader, we wouldn't have to knuckle under to the dictates of a bunch of bureaucrats. I say we should be able to select our own minister of magic!"
The idea silenced the crowd momentarily, it's novelty seemed to take them by surprise. The silence lasted until someone from the crowd called out, "And I suppose you would select yourself as this leader?"
If the idea of selecting the next minister of magic had surprised the crowd, then the speaker's response to the question left them stunned.
"Me? I would not presume to think that I could lead the wizarding community of Britain. No, I nominate Lord Voldemort for the position of head of the Ministry of Magic!"
The silence that ensued was deafening. The speaker, perhaps unsure about whether-or-not his suggestion had earned him the audience's approbation or a future visit from an Auror, almost immediately sought to modify his proposal.
"I say we should circulate a petition so that people can let their voices be heard. Just put a mark down. You won't even have to sign your name."
The evening crowd at Pedro's found a petition to appoint Lord Voldemort as the next Minister of Magic written on the wall behind the stage. Below were several check marks and x's. Before the evening was over, the number of check marks had increased substantially.
Marlow And Jasper In The Match
Author: Aaron Miller
Date: 07-11-15 20:38
During a lull when the quaffle must be retrieved after a bludger knocked it well out of bounds, Marlow sits back on her broom, face turned to catch the slight breeze. It's been awhile, though how long specifically she isn't sure, since either team scored. They all know what's on the line and neither team is giving an inch if it can be helped.
The quaffle's put back into play with Duncan in possession. Marlow moves in on one side to shield him from Mason's efforts to get closer. A bludger comes across the front of Marlow's broom. It's so unexpected she abruptly stops. Mason and Duncan pull ahead and without Marlow as buffer Mason is angling in towards Duncan.
Duncan surges ahead, spots Jasper and throws long. With excellent timing, Malden inserts himself between the two Hufflepuffs, intercepting the quaffle. Malden executes a tight turn to shoot back the direction they've just come. Marlow curves around the other day, moving to cut off Malden. Another bludgers slows her yet again but she's still able to get near enough to Malden to have him shifting the quaffle out of her reach.
Taran gets ahead of them then turns around, flying towards Marlow and Malden. She has to allow the gap between Malden and her increase. Taran slides between them then once behind pivots his broom around to fly towards Glori instead of away from her. It takes everyone a moment, Marlow included, to realize that Taran now has the quaffle, Malden having handed it to him as Taran went by.
They approach Glori, Taran still with the quaffle. Just as he reaches a good distance from which to throw for goal, he passes to Malden. A bludger from Asher aids Malden, catching Glori on her outstretched arm. The quaffle gets past her, bringing the match to a tie at 20 points apiece.
Jasper accepts the quaffle, giving it a light toss to Duncan. In turn, Duncan tosses to Marlow. When Jasper has had a chance to get into motion and put on the speed, Marlow hands off to him. The three of them get into a formation that allows them to easily pass the quaffle back and forth as they move it down the pitch. Taran, Malden, and Mason make attempts to impede them and disrupt their rhythm but Gus and Caerwyn are able to effectively use the bludgers to stop them. Baron and Asher work just as hard to use those same bludgers to assist their chasers but for the moment Slytherin isn't able to break Hufflepuff's stride.
That finally happens when Duncan, Marlow, and Jasper have the quaffle almost to a good scoring range. A bludger from Baron gets past Caerwyn to smack Jasper just as he's letting go of the quaffle in a pass to Duncan. The quaffle bobbles away from Jasper in uneven flight. Seeing an opening, Mason swiftly reacts to snap it up.
Rubbing the spot where the bludger got him, Jasper gets turned around and goes after Mason. The Slytherin chaser looks to pass but before he has a chance, Gus gets him with a bludger, allowing Jasper to take the quaffle back. Half-turning his upper around, he hurls the quaffle to the nearest Hufflepuff chaser, Duncan.
Duncan catches, though not without Taran making a grab for the red ball. Taran shadows Duncan the short distance to where Duncan throws the quaffle in the direction of one of the hoops Gus Van Tassel is guarding. Gus has no difficulty reaching the quaffle to bat it back from the hoop's opening. Taran and Duncan tussle briefly over the quaffle with Duncan coming out of it in clear possession. He again lets the quaffle go but passes it off to a teammate. Duncan had started to send it to Marlow but both Malden and Mason are all over her so he returns it to Jasper.
Jasper goes through the motion of throwing with Gus reacting but doesn't actually release the quaffle. He does it again, this time letting go of the ball. Gus can't recover in time to change position, the quaffle sailing past him through one of the hoops.
Hufflepuff leads once again, 30 to 20.