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(Tessa) Early Excitement
Author: Bronwyn Dewhurst
Date: 05-06-19 18:16
The match between Hufflepuff and Slytherin started with a bit of excitement. The balls were released in their usual order, with the quaffle being last. Duncan was first to snatch it from the air, and Tessa immediately went into defense mode to give him the best opportunity to break away from mid-Pitch for the Slytherin goal hoops. Her attention, and those of the other beaters, was instantly pulled toward the seekers, who had quickly spotted the snitch hovering above them.
Tessa raced after one of the bludgers, just barely reaching it before Asher. She knocked it gently to get out from under Asher's arm and then gave it a more solid whack in Sylvestor's direction. Douglas was on the spot to intercept it, though, but rather than bat it at Bertie, he knocked it to Asher to keep the black ball between the Slytherins for now.
Bertie and Sylvestor, meanwhile, were neck and neck and shoulder to shoulder, flying after the golden snitch, which was really giving them a good chase. As the distance closed between them and the winged orb, they each reached out to grab it.
Several things happened at once. Tessa got the other bludger to hit Sylvestor in the side. Asher and Doug had somehow maneuvered themselves and the other bludger on the other side of the two seekers, with Asher getting Bertie in the thigh. And the snitch dropped sharply to the ground, where it then disappeared.
"Dippet, that's Duncan, scores for Hufflepuff!" Ollie Choate shouted, suddenly drawing everybody's attention back to the rest of the players.
Tessa breathed a quick sigh of relief. In all the excitement, she had totally forgotten about the chasers. Looking around, she realized she hadn't been the only one. Conrad and an aching Bertie looked equally relieved, while Asher, Doug, and a bruised Sylvestor frowned.
The game play quickly resumed when Wallace passed the quaffle to Charlotte.
Weird
Author: Saffron
Date: 05-06-19 20:47
Fuming that the quaffle had gotten by him, thus allowing Hufflepuff to make the first goal of the match, Wallace stares down the length of the pitch to where his Hufflepuff counterpart slowly flies back and forth in front of the three large hoops there. For some reason Wallace finds it a little weird that the other keeper is his cousin. When they've played in non-house games he's never found it odd or strange to play against Rex. He's not sure why he does now.
Wallace has no time to dwell on trying to figure out exactly what he finds weird about Rex being the other keeper this match. Kaycee has just intercepted a pass between Belinda and Malden. All six chasers are now zooming straight for his end of the pitch.
As the Slytherin chasers hadn't gotten all that far with the ball when Kaycee intercepted it, she makes quick work of getting back to where a now on high alert Wallace wait. She starts to throw the quaffle at one of the hoops but her actions turn out to be misleading. Kaycee instead passes to Cornington. No sooner has Cornington caught it then he's letting the quaffle go. It sails for the hoop to Wallace's left.
Wallace darts that direction, leaning over his broom handle to reach for the quaffle, palming it away from the hoop with a slap. Duncan catches the ball but at the same instance he's hit but a bludger from Doug. Duncan saw who sent the bludger and is close enough to Wallace for him to overhear through all the noise Duncan say to no one in particular, "I could do without the brotherly love taps." Wallace sniggers a tiny bit and wonders if Duncan often says things like that to himself during all the matches he's in.
When Duncan lost the quaffle because of Doug's bludger, Cornington had managed to get it and once again threw for goal. Once again Wallace denied him the goal. His end of the pitch is suddenly quiet when Charlotte gains the quaffle on the rebound and darts away, everyone else following. Everyone but Wallace that is.
Alone again for the time being Wallace once more looks to where Rex is focuses on keeping track of who has the quaffle and how close it's getting to that end of the pitch. Once more Wallace tries to put a finger on what's giving him the weird vibe about playing opposite his cousin this match. Mentally shrugging, he thinks about the thick slice of cake he's planning on having after the match, either in celebration of a Slytherin victory or as consolation for the loss that keeps Slytherin from a chance at this year's Quidditch cup.
(Conrad) There's No Kissing in Quidditch
Author: Ellis
Date: 05-07-19 18:24
It was this match and not the upcoming Championship Match that Conrad looked forward to the most. Hufflepuff vs Slytherin meant he and Belinda were in the same match, albeit on opposite teams. Conrad had no plans to go easy on his best girl, especially since he knew that Belinda would play fiercely against him too. Besides, part of the excitement of playing against one another was the consoling and making up (and out!) that would happen later.
Of course, Hufflepuff was going to win, and Conrad would have to cheer Belinda up the best way he knew how. By the time he was done with her, she'd have completely forgotten about how badly Slytherin had played.
At least, that was the outcome Conrad was hoping for today.
So far, things were at least somewhat promising, since Hufflepuff was ahead by 10 points. Right now, Charlotte had the quaffle, though. She moved swiftly across the Pitch, flying between other players, dodging bludgers, and just seeming untouchable. That all ended when Tessa got her in the arm with a bludger. The quaffle popped free, and then Belinda had it.
Perfect! Conrad thought to himself. He zoomed ahead to reach the other bludger before either Slytherin beater could and then hit it at Belinda. As if she knew what he was up to, even though he wasn't in her line of sight, she rolled her shoulder enough to avoid the hit. Then, she looked over her shoulder at him and smirked.
Conrad laughed aloud. Belinda, meanwhile, focused her attention ahead again and then lobbed the ball at Malden. Malden tossed it to Charlotte, who attempted a quick goal. Rex swatted the quaffle away, only for Belinda to get the rebound and try for another goal. Conrad, having just gotten to a bludger, caught Belinda on her rear end seconds after she threw. Rex, forced to dodge the other bludger, couldn't do that and stop the quaffle, though he made an admirable job attempting it. Belinda's goal attempt was good.
"McCourt scores!" Ollie shouted. "The match is tied 10-10."
Belinda turned around while rubbing her bottom and smirked at Conrad again. He just so happened to be next to her now and leaned over to kiss her on one of the cheeks on her face.
"There's no kissing in Quidditch!" Ollie shouted, getting whoops and laughter from the assembled crowd.
"Is your bum sore, McCourt?" Conrad asked with a grin.
"Oh, Ellis. You tried and failed at stopping me from scoring."
Rex handed the quaffle to Kaycee. Belinda, taking note, smirked at Conrad yet again and took off after the Hufflepuff chaser.
Thoughts Of OWLs (Cornington)
Author: Phinfilius
Date: 05-07-19 21:25
As he zips up beside Kaycee to cut off Charlotte's effort to steal the quaffle from that side, Cornington is wishing and hoping this match is a short one. With OWLs fast approaching he's got studying to do. He isn't the best of students but he's also no slacker and as with many the looming Ordinary Wizarding Levels has motivated Cornington to put more time into examination preparation. In fact, though he'd never it to anyone, Cornington wouldn't be as upset as he'd make a show of if Hufflepuff loses today. He would dearly love for Hufflepuff to win this year's Quidditch Cup but winning this match to play in that one would mean less time to study until the championship game is over. With only two teams needing practice time more slots would be available to get in practice sessions and with the all important cup on the line, captain Duncan and co-captain Tessa will expect everyone to show up for each practice and to stay the entire duration of every session. More practice time means less study time.
He's so deep in feeling guilty about having a smidgeon of desire that this match be Hufflepuff's last this school year Cornington nearly misses Kaycee literally handing him the quaffle. He tries to cover the near loss of the quaffle with, "Sorry. Was watching Charlotte," before surging forward, that very Slytherin chaser hot on his heels.
Cornington swerves around Tessa, locates Duncan and hurls the quaffle. The ball has barely left his hand when has to duck to avoid a bludger, most likely hit by Asher based on the beater's current location and the direction from which the bludger came. Tessa goes after that very bludger, sending it towards Belinda.
Kaycee is now closer to the Slytherin tended hoops and it's to her Duncan shoots off a pass. Malden attempts to get to the quaffle first but Conrad's going after a bludger interferes with Malden's flight plan to reach the quaffle. Kaycee makes a beeline for Wallace, or rather toward the hoops with a hope of avoiding Wallace. Cornington's caught up to her about the time she shoots the quaffle on a course to pass through the dead center of one of the hoops.
Wallace is able to get there in time to knock the quaffle away. Cornington surges for the quaffle and ends up knocking into Charlotte on one side and gets inadvertently jostled by Duncan on the other. Next thing Cornington knows he's dangling one-handed from his broom, Charlotte gripping his other arm in an effort to boost him up enough for him to get back on his broom. His feet suddenly have something firm beneath them thanks to Duncan maneuvering below. Cornington is soon back on his broom, both his shoulders sore around the sockets but no more so than if he'd taken a bludger to either of them. Assuring Coach Krum he's fine, the game is soon back on course with Kaycee, who'd somehow managed in all that to get the quaffle, making another goal attempt. Wallace again rebuffs the ball.
This time, with the aid of a bludger from Doug, Malden gains possession of the quaffle. Angling his broom around, the Slytherin chaser dashes away with the five other chasers joining him in racing back down the pitch, Cornington telling himself if he's not careful, this match definitely will be over soon for him even if not for everyone else and that spending time in the hospital wing is not conducive to getting any OWL studying done.
Kaycee - Worries
Author: Lee Sickleby
Date: 05-08-19 18:03
The bad thing about Quidditch matches nowadays was the fact that Kaycee had to wonder if Gerry and Will had planned anything to get her injured or even to embarrass her in front of the entire school. At the start of the match, when the captains met to shake hands and promise to play fair, she had taken a good look around the Pitch to see if the boys were there. Problem was, the stands were so packed with people, probably because it was the last normal game of the season and also just an all around nice day. She figured they were there, but she hadn't found them.
Kaycee tried not to worry about them, because this match was super important. The outcome would determine who made it to the Championship Match.
Right now, Malden had the quaffle. Kaycee zipped around Conrad and then raced to catch up to Malden, but he passed the quaffle over to Belinda. Belinda didn't hold onto the quaffle for very long, becoming the target of both bludgers. She dodged them both but also rid herself of the quaffle, throwing to Charlotte.
Charlotte darted forward, and Kaycee acted very quickly, swiping out her arm and dislodging the ball. Charlotte tried to regain a firm grip on the ball, but Kaycee nudged it again and knocked it free. She and Charlotte struggled for possession, and then a bludger knocked into Charlotte, allowing Kaycee to claim the quaffle. She turned around and zoomed towards the Slytherin hoops.
The Hufflepuff chasers worked the ball across the Pitch, with Kaycee being the one to have it when the pack got within scoring range. She tried for another goal, but Wallace knocked it back. Cornington scooped up the rebound and tried for a goal, but again, Wallace blocked the hoop. Kaycee caught the rebound and faked a pass to Duncan. In the moment Wallace shifted his attention, Kaycee scored.
Hufflepuff 20, Slytherin 10
(Belinda) Challenge Accepted
Author: Sophie McCourt
Date: 05-09-19 12:27
Hufflepuff was winning by 10 points. Wallace passed the quaffle to Malden. He shoved Cornington away using his elbow, and he flew towards the other side of the pitch. Malden paused when a bludger crossed his path, perpendicularly to his route. Asher went to get it and he used his bat to aim the bludger at Kaycee, who was very close to Charlotte. Malden continued his movement but Cornington had caught up with him once again. This time Malden would not get rid of him easily and so he opted to pass the quaffle to Belinda, who was free. Belinda continued her flight and she heard another bludger approaching. She was almost sure it came from Conrad! She was actually proud he did not go easy on her and he was bringing everything to the field, for a chance to get his house a place at the Championship match. But Hufflepuff was not going to win. Belinda was convinced Slytherin would face Ravenclaw just like last year but this time they were going to win. Eileen could not be a Quidditch champion again.
The bludger was deviated by Douglas, so Belinda was able to continue her course. She then threw the quaffle to Charlotte who was in a better position to score. Charlotte shot, but Rex defended, kicking the quaffle away with his foot, in a very original move. Duncan picked up the quaffle but Malden went after him. There was a lot of intensity in his eyes and Belinda couldn't help thinking how the Team Delta Echo would proceed next year without him at Hogwarts. Malden was not able to steal the quaffle from Duncan but when the Hufflepuff team captain tried to pass the red ball to Kaycee in a short pass, Charlotte darted in the middle and stole the quaffle. She simulated a goal attempt to the right but instead she passed the quaffle to Belinda. Belinda quickly shot the red ball towards the left hoop. Rex tried to fix his trajectory but he wasn't fast enough to make a defense.
"McCourt scores again! Is there going to be any more kissing?" Ollie joked.
Belinda searched for Conrad. He was once again near her. Ollie's words had sounded like a challenge to the young couple and this time it was Belinda who took the initiative. Without any shame, her lips met Conrad's. It was a small quick peck but it was enough to unleash another comment from Ollie:
"I am almost sure they are breaking some Quidditch rule here..."
Rex silenced Ollie by passing the quaffle to Cornington and resuming the match.
(Malden) Quick Goal
Author: Minerva McGonagall
Date: 05-09-19 18:28
Malden darted after Cornington and slapped the ball out of the crook of his arm at the first opportunity. Cornington looked a bit surprised by the quick attack and watched as the quaffle flew into the air, only for Malden to scoop it up, turn his broomstick around, and race towards the Hufflepuff goal hoops.
Rex readied himself for the speedy onslaught so quickly after Belinda's goal, but Asher and Doug simultaneously aimed bludgers at him. He danced to get around them but got grazed by one and was unable to block Malden's goal attempt.
"That was fast. McGonagall scores! Slytherin leads, 30-20," Ollie announced.
Rex handed the quaffle to Kaycee. Malden immediately took off after her, hoping for a repeat, but he found his path quickly cut off by Conrad's bludger.
Malden scowled. He wanted to tell Belinda that she was making a mistake in dating somebody who wasn't in Slytherin. He himself had made the same mistake, and look what had happened to him.
His thoughts quickly shifted to the upcoming Team Delta Echo meeting happening in Hogsmeade. Maurice had once again written, stating he had very big news. Malden wished his grandfather would be there as Sam, but that wasn't going likely to happen. His grandfather was still being held by the Ministry of Magic. Malden wanted to know if their group had been compromised, but then they probably wouldn't be having their meeting and likely would have all been interviewed by aurors by now. They were probably safe for the moment.
The Hufflepuffs worked the quaffle across the Pitch, until Malden intercepted the pass between Kaycee and Duncan. He turned abruptly around and sped back over to the Rex, fully intending on scoring again.
(Asher) Game Play
Author: Jolyon
Date: 05-10-19 05:42
Asher tightened his grip on his bat and swung at a bludger coming his way. He aimed for Cornington, who was practically on top of Malden. Tessa called out a warning to Cornington, giving him the chance to avoid getting hit, but she was too far away to intercept the bludger herself. Malden, meanwhile, threw long to Charlotte.
Asher sought out the other bludger and saw that Conrad was near it. Conrad gave it a solid thump at Charlotte, but Charlotte passed the quaffle to Belinda before the bludger ever got near her, and even then, it missed her. Asher quickly circled around and got to the bludger, directing it at Rex so that Belinda had another chance at scoring.
Rex dodged the bludger and blocked Belinda's goal attempt. The quaffle rebounded into Charlotte's arms. She quickly attempted another goal, but once again, Rex knocked it back into her arms. Asher and Conrad competed for the same bludger, with Asher just barely edging Conrad out. Because they were so close together and so many other people were right there at the goal hoops, Asher's swing was a bit awkward, but he still managed to catch Rex in the side.
"She shoots, she scores!" Ollie shouted. "Slytherin leads, 40-20!"
Asher felt immensely satisfied by the score, but it would be even better if Sylvestor caught the snitch and secured Slytherin's place in the Championship Match. Even though Asher had NEWTs just around the corner and needed more time to study, he really wanted to end his career at Hogwarts with the Quidditch Cup.
Rex handed the quaffle to Kaycee. Asher looked around for a bludger, caught one in his sights, and took off after it.
(Charlotte) Playing Hard
Author: Lysander Stratford
Date: 05-10-19 06:57
Charlotte hurried after Kaycee, who had possession of the quaffle. Kaycee, feeling increasing pressure from not only Charlotte but also the other two Slytherin chasers, quickly lobbed the red ball at Cornington. Cornington held onto the quaffle for only a split second before throwing to Duncan. Duncan sped towards the Slytherin goal hoops.
Charlotte, meanwhile, flew around the opposite way, hoping to catch up to Duncan before he could attempt a goal. Duncan and Charlotte arced towards each other, and then Duncan, sizing up both her and Wallace, made a quick calculation and threw the quaffle.
Charlotte was flying to fast that she couldn't readjust her route without crashing into either Duncan or Wallace or one of the goal posts, so she sailed past all of them. Wallace, meanwhile, lunged to stop Duncan's goal attempt, but in keeping a close eye on Charlotte's trajectory on top of everything else, he was a hair too slow.
"Dippet scores!"
The score was now Slytherin 40-Hufflepuff 30. Charlotte frowned, even though her team was still ahead.
Wallace retrieved the quaffle and handed it off to Belinda. Belinda immediately threw to Malden, who threw to Charlotte. Charlotte dodged around Conrad's bludger and then ducked to fly underneath Sylvestor as he systematically searched for the snitch.
Charlotte drove hard for the Hufflepuff goal hoops, and was quickly accompanied by Kaycee, who started harassing her for the quaffle. Charlotte looked around, saw Malden pull up below her, and dropped the ball. He got it easily and proceeded for the Hufflepuff hoops. Kaycee dropped down to harass him, but then he lobbed the ball back up at Charlotte. Charlotte got within scoring range and let the quaffle fly…
Deep Thoughts (Duncan & Doug)
Author: Briar Rose
Date: 05-10-19 19:07
Rex had no trouble rebuffing Charlotte's throw. The angle he'd hit the quaffle away from the hoop sent it straight at Duncan. Ducking a bludger as he came about the seventh year Hufflepuff goes low over his broom speeding off down the pitch. For the first time ever Duncan wonders exactly how the accelerating and braking mechanisms of the broom work. How does the broom know he wants to speed up or to slow down or to come to a complete stop? Some is how he uses his body but can that be all of it when at times his broom seems telepathic even though he knows it can't be. Or could it? The Sorting Hat is a "thing" and it seems to telepathically read a person when placed on the person's head. It's like the Sorting Hat is a legilimens but how is that possible? And how do the people in paintings carry on real conversations?
Duncan shakes his head. Too much NEWT prep. He's tired of doubling up doing coursework and studying for the NEWTs. A lot of days his head feels so stuffed he's certain things will start leaking from his ears. He'll be walking from breakfast to a class and information will be visibly streaming from his ears like tiny waterfalls.
Shaking his head again Duncan grimaces. He's had attention issues the entire match. Lack of focus is never good during any game but when it's a match to determine who goes to the championship attention deficit is particularly bad.
He snaps back fully into the moment when a bludger bonks him on one knee. His frown at the momentary pain turns to a scowl when Malden snakes in close enough to put a hand into Duncan's personal space, making a grab for the quaffle. Careful not to swerve into the Slytherin's broom and potentially foul, Duncan suddenly slows, causing Malden to zip on by. Noting Kaycee is open, he tosses the quaffle to her then hurries forward to get in a position to either aid her in scoring, or catch a pass if needed, or be the one to get to the red ball before anyone else should Wallace knock back any goal attempt.
Kaycee drives in to where Wallace is intently following the quaffle's progress. She passes to Cornington but when he can't find an opening to throw forwards to the hoops, Cornington sends the red ball back to Kaycee in a pass that's more than a fling rather than a controlled throw. In turn, Kaycee sends the quaffle to Duncan, putting a spin on it so it curves slightly, which in turn mucks up Charlotte's effort to steal.
Doug has already targeted his brother with a bludger, thinking it's just a good fortune of timing when the bludger smacks into Duncan's arm right at the shoulder just as he's caught the quaffle. It's enough of a ding that Duncan switches hands to throw for goal. In that short span Belinda is right there and as Duncan lets the quaffle go, sending it arcing towards a hoop, she snatches the ball away.
Belinda throws hard to Charlotte who's already got her broom pointed to take her down the pitch to Rex and his three hoops. Charlotte doesn't get far as a well placed, well timed bludger from Tessa knocks her just right in the hand and wrist that she looses her hold on the quaffle.
Doug tries to get to the bludger to bat at Cornington to keep him from taking possession but the Hufflepuff's actions are quick enough that the bludger goes right by Cornington without so much as riffling his hair on the way past. Cornington rapidly closes what little gap there is to the Slytherin kept hoops, throwing the quaffle without slowing.
Wallace hastily flies to his right to intercept the quaffle but though it grazes his fingers he can't stop the ball this time. Doug makes an exasperated sound as Ollie announces, "Marchbanks scores! We have a tie game, folks, at forty points apiece!"
Wallace hands the quaffle to Malden and as the Slytherin team captain tosses to Belinda to get the quaffle moving again, Doug waits for Conrad to bat one of the bludgers so he can intercept it and redirect it towards one of Conrad's chaser teammates, all the while hoping Sylvestor hurries up and catches the snitch. Doug's lunch seems to have been days ago. He's hungry enough now to eat the bludger rather than hit it. That makes him wonder if a bludger could actually be eaten. Could it be transfigured into something he could eat? Can't conjure food from nothing but a bludger is a something so could he transfigure it into, say, a giant meatball? Or into chocolate? Definitely something to think about when not in the middle of a match!
All Alone (Rex)
Author: Saffron
Date: 05-10-19 20:11
After Hufflepuff scored its fourth goal the ball rapidly changed hands several times over the next half hour or so. The action mostly centered around the middle of the pitch, leaving both Wallace and Rex as spectators rather than participants. Hufflepuff finally broke the "going in circles" cycles when with an assist of a bludger from Conrad, Duncan was able to get within scoring range at Wallace's end of the pitch.
Duncan shot the quaffle, a mostly blurry red streak from Rex's vantage point, at the center hoop. Wallace hit the ball away with a solid thump of a fist. Charlotte caught the quaffle but Kaycee snatched it away in such a way that Rex wished he had omnioculars so that he could replay how she'd gingerly plucked the quaffle away without fouling Charlotte in the process.
Wallace was able to block Kaycee's throw as well and though Cornington made a great effort to grab the quaffle, the ball bounced around in his hand then out of his grip altogether. This allowed Malden to get ahold of the quaffle. As he pulled away from Wallace's end of the pitch, Tessa tried to dislodge the quaffle with a bludger but Asher got to it before the hard black ball got to Malden.
It was still Malden with the quaffle when the action converged on Rex. Doug send a bludger at Rex to assist Slytherin scoring again but Rex saw the ball coming in time to roll slightly and dart his broom forward just enough that all the bludger did was slide along his back from shoulder to shoulder. Because of the way he'd darted and rolled, Rex was able to catch the quaffle outright. He handed it off to Kaycee who, in turn, put the quaffle back into play with a pass to Duncan.
And just like that Rex was all alone again at his end of the pitch.
Crack [Bertie & Sylvestor]
Author: Georgia Copperpot
Date: 05-10-19 21:32
Five sightings.
Bertie has seen the snitch five times since the match began.
The first sighting was just as the game began and Sylvestor saw the snitch as well. They'd given chase but bludgers caused them to lose track of the winged ball.
Bertie has no idea of Sylvestor saw the snitch any of the next four times he did. All he knows is that there was no chasing after the snitch any of those four times.
The second time Bertie saw the snitch was just after Belinda scored a goal and tied the match at 10-10. The snitch was at Wallace's end of the pitch, down where the leg of one of the hoops disappeared into the grass. Bertie has nudged his broom down at a shallow angle, his eyes glued to the snitch. The little ball dropped further as if burrowing into the grass and metal hoop support. He never saw the snitch come up but when he reached the spot the snitch was nowhere to be seen. Bertie conducted what he considers a thorough search of the area but other than a Small Copper. If not for one of Bertie's grandfather's being an avid amateur lepidopterist who's forever sharing information on butterflies and moths with Bertie, he'd never have known the butterfly is a Small Copper. He'd merely think it's a pretty orange and black butterfly.
The next three snitch sightings were of a similar vein. Bertie would see the snitch but despite not looking away from it by in the time it would take him to reach what he thought was the snitch's location, the flying orb would be gone.
Bertie did not know yet that when he saw the snitch for the fifth time Sylvestor had still only seen it once. Sylvestor has recently started putting in time studying for the OWLs in earnest. He'd meant to get to bed early Friday night so he'd be rested and alert for this match but he'd tossed and turned to the point he'd gotten up and in a move that would have those who know Sylvestor well asking if he was sick, he'd gotten in some studying for the Defense Against The Dark Arts OWL. At this juncture in the match the adrenaline rush he's had since the game began has worn off and he's bleary from the combined lack of sleep and coming off the adrenaline high.
Sylvestor wonders how many times he's seen the snitch since that one chase for it ended but that his sluggish brain didn't properly process. Just then the snitch whizzes right in front of the tip of his broom's handle. Blinking several times, hoping he's not started seeing things in his fatigue, Sylvestor jerkily rushes to guide his broom after the snitch.
The snitch flies up as if hopping over some invisible obstacle then down again. It continues making the up-down moves and as Sylvestor pulls nearly close enough to grab the ball, it adds a zigging and zagging to the upping and downing.
By that time Ollie's telling the entire stadium that Sylvestor is on the snitch's tail. He's not sure if Bertie's rushing over is because he'd noticed what Sylvestor is up to or if Ollie's announced alerted him. Either way, they're both tracking the snitch now.
The snitch leads them all over the pitch doing it's up-down, zig-zag thing. As it flies it's also angling towards the ground and them back up up up until they are higher than the tallest parts stands. A bludger comes at them from Bertie's outside so the batter was probably Asher or Doug. The next bludger that comes their way is from Sylvestor's outside so he thinks he wouldn't be wrong is presuming the beater responsible was Tessa or Conrad. The two seekers are able to avoid each of the bludgers.
It's the third time a bludger comes at them that there's trouble. Sylvestor can see it coming. It's ahead and to his side and if he stays at the same speed or on the same patch it will most likely knock into his torso. In an effort to both avoid getting hit by the bludger and to pull up even closer to the snitch, one hand reaching out for it, Sylvestor accelerates.
Just when his hand touches the snitch there is, to his ears, a deafening crack and his broom violently jolts then starts bucking. The movement is so spasmodic he cannot keep his hand in the right position to close fingers around the snitch. He's forced to pull his hand back so he can tightly grip the shuddering, bucking broom with both hands, gripping the handle so tightly his fingers aches.
Bertie surges forward, his own hand out, reaching for the snitch. Sylvestor can do nothing but hang onto his broom as the snitch disappears behind the closed fingers of Hufflepuff's seeker and then, because his broom will not cooperate, he ends up waiting for Coach Krum's assistance while Bertie is already on the ground celebrating victory with his Hufflepuff teammates, the final score 190 Hufflepuff, 40 Slytherin.