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First Minutes of the Match (Rex)
Author: Saffron
Date: 02-13-20 19:23
Rex can't understand why Ingrid has been peevish with him the past few weeks. She kept getting annoyed with him during the apparition lesson when he kept trying to ask her if Margaret Kegg had a date to the Sweetheart's Dance. He can't think of what he's done since then for her to act so irked with him. At this morning's apparition lesson she took up a position clear across the room from him. Rex reaches up and literally scratches his head in though while watching the progress of the quaffle about three-quarters of the way down the pitch from his position as keeper in front of one set of rings.
Finley had been first to take control of the quaffle. She'd made a beeline for Rex, passing to Gerry when they were just within perfect scoring range. Gerry lobbed the ball to Rex's right but even without Rex getting to it in time the throw wouldn't have been any good unless it hit the outside of the hoop and bounced off in such a way that sent it careening through the ring.
Alex took the quaffle, bolting away with Schuyler hot on his heels. Alex soon passed to Cornington who sent it on to Kaycee. She has the quaffle when Rex scratches his head. Dodging a bludger from Gideon she's hit instead by one from Cecily. Tessa had tried to get to that one in time but was too late to aid Kaycee. The bludger hit allows Gerry to steal only for him to lose the quaffle seconds later when Tessa gets to the bludger that had hit Kaycee and targets Gerry with it.
The quaffle falls free for only half a second before it's scooped up by Kaycee. She throws long to Cornington who drives in towards Oliver. Cornington throws to the right, sending Oliver throwing himself to his left. He smacks the quaffle away as well as rapidly reacting to a bludger that came in right behind the quaffle. Oliver hits the black ball with his hand, sending it back though Rex thinks that had to hurt as bludgers are harder balls than quaffles.
Schuyler grabs up the rebuffed quaffle. He's near the hoop on Oliver's left but shoots the ball towards the hoop farthest to Oliver's right. Rex wishes he had binoculars or omnioculars to better see the quaffle either getting by the Gryffindor keeper or Oliver making another block.
First Goal of the Match
Author: Finley
Date: 02-14-20 10:32
Oliver caught the next goal attempt outright, but using only his body and the arm with the hand that didn't smack the bludger away. He then lobbed the ball at Finley. Finley quickly zoomed away, only to find her path barred by Alex. A bludger courtesy Conrad was coming straight at her from Alex's right, and Kaycee rapidly swooped in to make escape the other way impossible.
Finley took a chance and threw long over Alex's head, where Gerry waited down the Pitch. As predicted, Alex quickly threw his arm up for the block and managed to get his fingers on the quaffle enough to disrupt the pass. Kaycee scrambled to get it before it could be recovered by one of the Gryffindor chasers, but the bludger Finley had just avoided forced Kaycee to jerk backwards after Cecily redirected the black ball straight at her.
Alex and Gerry struggled for the quaffle, with Gerry finally managing to pull it free. He quickly tossed it to Schuyler, who raced steadily ahead to where Rex waited in front of the Hufflepuff goal hoops. Finley sped to catch up to Gerry, who trailed slightly behind Schuyler.
Schuyler charged at the goals and let the quaffly fly, but Rex slapped the ball back with the palm of his hand. Gerry scooped up the rebound and started to throw, only to get jostled away when the opposing chasers caught up to him. Gerry hastily drew his arm back and secured the quaffle at his side, knowing he was in a dangerous position to lose it.
A bludger from one side or the other briefly caused the chasers to scatter. Somehow, none of them were hit. Finley saw her opening and wedged her way in to accept Gerry's hand off. She held the quaffle firmly in her hand and drove her whole arm forward to better propel the ball towards the hoops, but at the last moment, she sent it straight to Schuyler, who put it through before anyone realized what had just happened.
"Weasley scores!" shouted Barbie. "Gryffindor leads by 10 points!"
In the short time it took for Rex to recover the quaffle and hand it to Cornington, Finley thought about the last few weeks. After Eunice Smirt overheard her sarcastic comment about Eirene turning into a dark witch because Phoebus dumped her, Finley found herself in an unused classroom with an auror and Ms. Smirt herself. The auror asked her questions, but they must not have been very satisfactory because Ms. Smirt often jumped in. The interaction reminded Finley of the "good cop, bad cop" scenarios she had seen in Muggle movies and TV shows.
Phoebus was interviewed separately, and then later they were interviwed together. Eirene was even brought in and questioned, which became very awkward in the group setting. Understandably annoyed, Eirene eventually warmed back up to Finley, who was sorry she'd opened her mouth and made a comment that she should have realized would have been taken the wrong way, but the relationship between Eirene and Phoebus remained quite strained.
After being dismissed from the interrogation, Finley was sent to Professor McGonagall's office, while the other two reported to their respective common rooms. Professor McGonagall had looked tired and annoyed. Finley should have known better. In these uncertain times, with everything that had and was still going on, she was a fool to make such a statement, even in jest. Professor McGonagall gave Finley detention and forbade her from attending the Sweethearts Dance. That had suited her just fine, since she'd never found a date. Not surprisingly, Phoebus and Eirene hadn't gone to the dance either.
Despite their being no evidence that any of the three were young Death Eater recruits, because even though Finley had jokingly made the comment only about Eirene, the Smirts decided all three must be guilty. Finley always found herself being watched very closely, and she sort of suspected that her outgoing and incoming post was being inspected. In fact, she noticed this morning at breakfast that the seal on the envelope for the letter of confirmation she had gotten from her birth father about attending today's match had been broken.
Finley quickly looked over to the staff box to see if the Smirts were present. Both were. She briefly wondered if they were Quidditch fans deep down and in possession of excellent self-control, or if the frowns and wrinkled foreheads on display were 100% legitimate.
Kaycee - Second Goal of the Match
Author: Lee Sickleby
Date: 02-14-20 11:12
After accepting the handoff from Rex, Cornington raced as fast as he could to put distance between the quaffle and the Hufflepuff goal hoops. Kaycee and Alex were quick to flank him in the Hawkshead Attacking Formation. For a brief while, this method worked well for the Hufflepuff chasers, but then Cecily picked off Alex and Gideon got Kaycee in the back of the broomstick, causing her to spin out.
Professor Krum blew on his whistle to signal a time out. He flew over to inspect Kaycee's broomstick, the Mountaineer her aunt and uncle had given her the summer before last. It had lost a few bristles and few more were bent in odd angles, but the broom appeared safely able to fly.
After a moment, the game resumed. Cornington still had the quaffle. He bolted for the hoops where Oliver appeared ready and waiting. Cornington threw for a goal, but Oliver got between the ball and the hoop so that the quaffle bounced off his shoulder. It seemed as if it would land straight back in Cornington's arms, but Schuyler appeared out of nowhere and snatched the quaffle, much to everyone's surprise.
Schuyler came around at a fast clip and passed the red ball to Gerry, who started to pass to Finley, only to change his mind when Kaycee drew close. Gerry instead passed the quaffle back to Schuyler, who held onto the ball for a mere second before throwing it to Finley after all. Finley was able to get the ball without any interference, since Kaycee had to swerve to avoid getting hit by yet another bludger.
Finley darted ahead and then launched the quaffle back at Schuyler, but Alex intercepted and spun his broomstick quickly around to go back the other way. In the middle of his spin, he flung the quaffle at Kaycee, who tucked it securely against her body and dashed for the Gryffindor hoops.
Oliver watched her coming and tried to anticipate her next move. Kaycee made quick work of debating her options, but in the end, the decision was made for her. Cornington called out a warning that a bludger was coming straight for her back. Not wanting to look but also not wanting to lose her momentum and quite possibly lose the quaffle, too, Kaycee did the only thing she thought she could. She dropped down so that she lay flat across the shaft of her broomstick and continued to charge straight at Oliver.
The bludger sailed cleanly over her and went straight for Oliver, who lost out to the instinct to move and not get hit. That left the center hoop unguarded just long enough for Kaycee to throw the quaffle in. It sailed cleanly through, and Kaycee, still flying fast, jerked to the left to avoid colliding into the hoop and put on the brakes just in time to miss hitting the wall.
"Sickleby scores for Hufflepuff!" Barbie shouted. "The match is tied, 10-10!"
Kaycee sat up with her hands clutching the shaft of her broomstick so tightly her knuckles were white. She sat still for a moment to catch a breath she really didn't need and marveled that the bludger hit to the back of her broomstick really hadn't messed up the integrity of her broom. It had flown beautifully just now and stopped in time for her to avoid what could have been a very bad collision.
The thought was quickly put aside because Oliver couldn't put the quaffle back into play until she returned from being out of bounds. She flew back onto the playing field, and then the game continued.
Twenty To Ten (Alex)
Author: Plum
Date: 02-14-20 19:50
Over breakfast, realizing Dolly Gumble wasn't present, CJ DeMarco had joked to Alex, "Dolly and you must have broken up."
"She said last night she was going to sleep in and go hungry this morning rather than have to watch you eat," Alex joked back.
Across the table from CJ and Alex, Joe Brecknock yawned. "I should have slept in too. I know I'd have had to get breakfast in the commons because of the apparition lesson but I feel like my eyelids are so heavy right now that they're going to stick shut. Maybe I'll go back to bed until time to for the match."
Mention of the match had the boys talking about the game taking place a little later in the day. In the thick of the action that conversation seems days ago to Alex. Flying past the stands where CJ, Joe, and Dolly are, seeing them wide awake and cheering for him and the rest of the Hufflepuff team, it's hard to believe that Joe had been so bleary eyed this morning or that Dolly hadn't been able to drag herself out of bed.
A minute or two ago Kaycee had scored for Hufflepuff. Finley had accepted the quaffle from Oliver. Play resumed when she'd thrown the ball to Gerry who'd then shot past Alex in the quest to move the quaffle down the pitch to Rex and the Hufflepuff guarded hoops. Alex had meant to be in motion when Gerry blitzed by him but had gotten distracted by an extreme itch in the middle of his back. He'd been twisted up trying to reach it while waiting for Kaycee to return in bounds and for Oliver to put the quaffle back into play.
He'd cursed under his breath and taken off after Gerry, sure that if Plum or Antony had heard what he'd said his allowance would be docked and he'd have extra chores. If a professor had heard what he'd said, detention would have been a sure thing and possibly a lost of a house point or three. What came out of his mouth was surprising enough to Alex that if not in the middle of a house quidditch match he would be tempted to wash his own mouth out with soap. What he said isn't his usual choice of "bad" words and he can't think of where he would have heard the particular foul phrase he'd uttered. Something to think more on when not trying to position himself to intercept a pass from Gerry to Schuyler.
Alex ended up missing the steal because he'd had to zag to avoid a bludger from Cecily rather than zig to grab the quaffle as it sailed from Gerry to Schuyler. Schuyler took the quaffle all the way to the hoops where he tossed the quaffle to Finley who was in a better goal shot position. Alex reaches the hoops just as Finley hurls the quaffle at the metal ring nearest to her. Rex easily deflects, sending the quaffle in Cornington's direction but Schuyler makes a move that from Alex's vantage point looks like Schuyler's broom sort of hopped to the side to snatch up the quaffle before Cornington can.
Kaycee attempts to put herself between Schuyler and the hoops to disrupt his throw but Schuyler foils her effort with a pass to Gerry. Just as Gerry shoots the quaffle towards the center hoop a bludger directed by Gideon slams into Rex's side. Alex makes a face and nearly utters that really bad phrase again as Barbie Bones proclaims, "Martini-Blackwell scores! That's another ten points for Gryffindor bringing the score to 20 Gryffindor, 10 Hufflepuff!"
As Rex hands the quaffle to Alex, who throws it to Cornington, Alex thinks that three goals between the two teams so early in the match could mean quite a high score before the snitch is caught, unless that happens fairly soon that is.
(Cecily) Beater Corporation
Author: Sophie McCourt
Date: 02-15-20 10:47
The match's rhythm was faster than usual. Cecily watched from the corner of her eye Cornington holding the quaffle, and initiating an Hufflepuff incursion towards the Gryffindor's side of the pitch. Finley reached him by the right flank, but she wasn't able to do much, because Cornington passed the quaffle to Kaycee who was right by his left side. They were so close it was as if the quaffle only exchanged hands, given the short distance it had to fly to reach Kaycee's hands.
Cecily went after a bludger, aware that it was important to stop Kaycee and the other Hufflepuff chasers. She reached the black ball but she knew she did not get a good angle to aim at anyone. She looked at Gideon and called out his name. He raised his head from where he was placed and after knowing she had been seen and heard, Cecily hit the bludger with her bat as hard as she could, into Gideon's direction.
The bludger moved very fast towards him. Gideon quickly prepared himself and then he too hit the bludger with his own bat. The black heavy ball was sent into Kaycee's direction. The corporation between the two Gryffindor's beaters paid off, as the bludger hit her thigh. Kaycee was caught by surprise and she lost the quaffle's grip. All Gerry had to do was to steal it from her hands.
He shifted his broom towards the Hufflepuff side of the pitch and speeded up. He passed the quaffle to Schuyler. Tessa throw him a bludger, but Cecily cut its trajectory, allowing Schuyler to keep his flying rhythm. He then passed the quaffle back to Gerry who then offered it to Finley. Cecily watched as Finley was face to face with Rex. This was Finley's last year at Hogwarts and Cecily was going to miss her. She liked having Finley as their captain.
Finley tried to score, but Alex snatched the quaffle in the air, not giving Rex the chance to try and make a defense.
Cecily went after another bludger, as Alex kept moving away from his team's scoring area. She ended up disputing the bludger with Conrad. Conrad was Franklin's brother, but they were very different from each other that Cecily wouldn't believe they were siblings if someone told her. After the Sweethearts Dance, Cecily would sometimes seek Franklin's company. Most of the times she hanged out with Miranda and the other Gryffindors, but from time to time she would sit next to him at lunch or dinner, or even at the library where they didn't talk and only did homework. His quiet nature was quite a contrast with Miranda and the others, who were loud and vivacious, and it was refreshing to Cecily.
The race for the bludger was won by Conrad who reached to it first, and he aimed it at Gareth, in the hopes to knock the Gryffindor's seeker out. Cecily went after the bludger, trying to stop it, while Alex still had the quaffle's possession.
(Tessa) Another Goal
Author: Bronwyn Dewhurst
Date: 02-15-20 11:55
Tessa thought it pretty bold of Conrad to go after Gareth when he wasn't yet in pursuit of the snitch. To take out a seeker preemptively took guts and didn't seem like very Hufflepuff sportsmanship behavior. Perhaps Conrad's Slytherin girlfriend was a bad influence on him, or maybe he was simply being thoughtless the way he had been over the summer when he'd dressed up like a Death Eater at a party.
Tessa didn't dwell on the thought long. She saw Gideon tap the other bludger at Alex, who still had possession of the quaffle. Tessa darted ahead to intercept the black ball, which she managed to do successfully. She redirected its course only slightly, targeting Finley with it because she was harassing Alex for the quaffle.
Alex switched the quaffle from his right arm to his left and then lobbed the ball at Cornington. Cornington swerved to avoid Cecily as she lined up to get the other bludger and then pitched the quaffle at Kaycee. Kaycee charged towards the Gryffindor goal hoops and threw the quaffle forcefully at the right most hoop. Oliver dove toward it with both arms outstretched and took the quaffle on both forearms. The red ball bounced back into the fray.
There was a brief struggle as Kaycee and Gerry wrestled for the ball. Gerry jerked it out of Kaycee's grasp, only to lose it when Conrad hit him in the back of the shoulder with a bludger. Tessa sped forward to either get the same bludger or prevent Cecily or Gideon from reaching it before Conrad could use it again. Kaycee, meanwhile, had recovered the quaffle and threw it sideways to Cornington. Tessa plowed straight for the bludger, gave it a mighty whack, and watched with satisfaction as Oliver held up his hand to drive it back as he had done one time before. He threw out his other arm to block Cornington's goal attempt, but the impact of the bludger pushed him back and threw him off. Cornington's throw wasn't clean and the ball threatened not to go in, instead ricocheting from one side of the rim to the other, but then it tipped in.
"Marchbanks scores!" Barbie shouted. "The match is tied once again, 20-20!"
Tessa cast a quick glance at the stands and spotted Brom. They had spent time together here and there since the dance, and Tessa discovered that she actually liked him more after getting to know him. She didn't think she wanted another boyfriend, but when he asked her just yesterday, she said yes.
Oliver handed the quaffle over to Schuyler with a wince. Tessa immediately put her head back in the game and went after the nearest bludger, hoping to use it to get the quaffle back in Hufflepuff possession while they were still so close to the Gryffindor goal hoops.
(Oliver) Ouch
Author: Ethan Somerset
Date: 02-15-20 13:06
After the first time Oliver stopped the bludger with his hand, he felt not only a stinging sensation in his palm but also a strain in his wrist. It felt much worse the second time around, but Oliver did his very best to school his features. He didn't want Professor Krum to pull him from the match, because if Gryffindor didn't have a keeper blocking the goal hoops, then Hufflepuff would have no problem running up points. It would have to be up to Gareth to catch the snitch before Hufflepuff could rack up more than 150 points.
Oliver waited until the quaffle was halfway across the Pitch before he looked at his hand. His palm was still red from where the bludger had struck it. He wondered if it would eventually turn black and blue, for surely it was also bruised from the powerful impacts.
After studying his palm, Oliver gently bend his hand back and then turned it around in a circle. That hurt quite badly, but Oliver was fairly certain he hadn't broken anything. He figured it was just a really bad strain that would hurt for a good while. He probably shouldn't try stopping the bludger with his hand a third time, though.
Oliver redirected his attention to the gameplay. Schuyler still had the quaffle, but at last he threw it to Gerry. Gerry tucked it against his body and slalomed first around his brother and then Bertie, who were both scouring the same section of Pitch for the golden snitch. When he came out on the other side, Gerry threw the quaffle to Finley. Finley made herself quite flat along the shaft of her broom and torpedoed to the Hufflepuff goal hoops. At the last second she sat up and fired the ball, but Rex stopped the quaffle with a good catch. He tossed the quaffle at Alex.
Finley almost stole the ball right back, but she she veered away suddenly when Conrad aimed a bludger at her. Alex secured his hold on the ball and raced back towards Oliver. At midfield, he threw the quaffle at Cornington, who tossed it to Kaycee when the other bludger suddenly came directly at him. Kaycee came directly at Oliver, but right before she reached scoring range, she turned first away and then arced around, causing Oliver some confusion. He couldn't judge where she might throw, and when she finally did, it was too late for him to make the needed adjustment. Kaycee's ball sailed straight through the right hoop without touching rim, and Oliver dove in front of it several seconds later.
"Sickleby scores!" Barbie announced. "Hufflepuff leads, 30-20!"
(Hannah) Mother & Daughter
Author: Nathaniel Ross
Date: 02-16-20 02:43
"Sickleby scores!" Barbie announced. "Hufflepuff leads, 30-20!"
Hannah's mother joined the other Hufflepuff's supporters in an ovation.
"Mom!" Hannah called, upset. She had painted her face once again in Gryffindors's red and golden colors, and besides wearing her house's scarf she was also carrying a flag.
"I'm sorry sweetie but I cannot help myself. I know I am not at Hogwarts anymore but I will always be a Hufflepuff."
Emilia Powell passed a hand over her daughter's brown hair with affection. Hannah looked around feeling a little bit worried with the possibility someone she knew would see this, but at the same time she was quite happy with the maternal gesture. Lately she had been feeling somewhat homesick and when her mother wrote announcing she was coming to the match Hannah had been very excited with the idea of seeing at least one of her parents.
She had gone to the Sweethearts Dance with her group of friends, and she had a lot of fun. But she had been a little bit sad because no boy had asked her for the event. She knew she was only a first year, but there had been some girls in her year that had a dance date. Hannah couldn't help wondering at the time that perhaps she wasn't beautiful enough, with her brown hair and freckles in her face. She then harbored some hope that her cousin Kearney would invite her as a familiar obligation but he didn't do so. She saw him at the dance with a girl from his year.
Hannah focused on the match, cheering for Gryffindor. Her mother stayed quiet but she wasn't able to hold herself much longer. She started clapping her hands once again. Hannah was about to protest but she noticed that Emilia was wearing the bracelet Hannah had given her. At Christmas Hannah had received from her secret Santa, Professor Weatherby, a jewelry kit. She had adored it and she started making jewels to everyone she knew including friends and relatives. After seeing that her mother had her bracelet on, Hannah did not have the courage to get angry at her for cheering for Hufflepuff.
Her attention returned to the match, and Hannah was quite hopeful that Gryffindor would turn things around and win the match in the end.
(Conrad) Being Bad
Author: Ellis
Date: 02-16-20 14:04
Oliver put the quaffle back into play via Schuyler. Schuyler made quick work of getting the ball out of scoring range, during which time Conrad made an unsuccessful run for one of the bludgers. Cecily, with a smile, knocked the black ball at Alex, who was flying right alongside Schuyler. Fortunately, Tessa was on the spot to intervene. She made eye contact with Conrad, silently telling him that she intended on sending it his way, since the only other viable option at the moment was to knock it far, far away from everyone.
Conrad took the hint and raced forward, but Cecily was right there with him, having rightly guessed Tessa's intentions. Like Alex and Schuyler, still flying side by side as they raced towards the Hufflepuff goal hoops, Conrad and Cecily flew shoulder to shoulder. The good news was the bludger was flying to meet them, but Conrad feared that Cecily would be in the better position to hit it. She might not be able to do much with it, but Conrad didn't want to risk whatever could happen.
He didn't give his plan any thought. Conrad swerved suddenly and locked his broom handle with Cecily, so that she was no longer on target to intercept the bludger. Two things happened then. Coach Krum blew his whistle and shouted, "Foul! Blurting!", and the bludger hit Conrad in the collar bone.
Conrad cursed under his breath, both for his bad luck and the fact that the front of his shoulder and upper chest stung like mad. Coach Krum flew over to see if Conrad needed medical assistance, even to be pulled from the match, but Conrad insisted he was fine and could continue playing. He'd just probably use his other arm to bat the bludgers.
Next, Coach Krum flew over to Schuyler to retrieve the quaffle, which was then handed to Alex. Alex flew over to the Gryffindor hoops and prepared to take a foul shot. Conrad watched with bated, and wheezing breath, and felt relieve shoot through him along with his throbbing shoulder when Oliver successfully blocked the shot.
Before the game resumed, Conrad cast a quick look into the stands. He saw Belinda sitting with the Slytherins. He knew she was cheering him on, and in fact, though she was dressed all in green and silver, she rustled a small pair of yellow and black pompoms in support of her boyfriend's team.
Conrad briefly thought about how he knew she was probably wearing the choker Sophie had given her under the green and silver scarf around her neck. When she'd told him she didn't ever want to take the thing off, he hadn't thought she'd been literal about it, but then he'd not seen her without it everyday since.
He didn't get to think about it anymore, because Schuyler had the quaffle again and was racing for the Hufflepuff hoops, hoping to tie up the match again.
Tied Score Again (Gideon)
Author: Blossom
Date: 02-16-20 14:46
Cutting Tessa off to get to a bludger so he can assist Schuyler with the quaffle by forcing Cornington to back off a little, a thought flashes through Gideon's mind that he'd never admit to anyone, least of all his cousin. He feels guilty every time he wishes that instead of Schuyler the chaser he was assisting was Seth. Of course, for that to ever happen in an official house match Seth would have to miraculously be switched from Ravenclaw to Gryffindor. At no time has Gideon ever considered that he would have to be the one switching houses from Gryffindor to Ravenclaw.
Just as the bludger reaches Cornington the Hufflepuff chaser swerves. The bludger sails past him and nearly knocks into Gareth as the seeker passes the thick of the action as he searches for the snitch. Thankfully, Gareth was in the process of simultaneously turning and climbing so wasn't directly in line with the bludger's straight ahead course.
Gideon races after it only to slow and bide his time while Conrad bats the black ball, setting his sights on Gerry. Gideon intercepts the bludger, letting the ball slide across his bat, the friction slowing it slightly. Next he adjusts the angle his bat will hit the bludger and sends it after Kaycee who is blocking Finley from receiving a pass from Schuyler.
Kaycee swings her broom around as she sees from the corner of her eye the bludger looming larger and larger. Her movement is enough to open the way for Schuyler to pass to Finley. Finley catches the quaffle only to immediately have to jerk away from Alex on her other side trying to snatch the red ball away.
Rapidly recovering from the steal attempt Finley zips with increasing acceleration, making a beeline for Rex. In a blink and you'd miss it moment, a bludger from Cecily clips the Hufflepuff keeper in the shoulder at the same time the quaffle thrown by Finley soars by. Unable to block the ball, Gryffindor scores another goals.
"Pride scores! The score is again tied, folks, at 30 to 30!"
Grumbling (Bertie)
Author: Georgia Copperpot
Date: 02-16-20 18:04
Slowing to a snail's pace then stopping completely Bertie grumbles under his breath. He was at one end of the pitch when he thought he saw the snitch. Keeping his eyes on it, he'd traversed the entire length of the pitch without alerting anyone he was checking out what could be the snitch. When he'd reached this spot Bertie wanted to scream his frustration instead of just grumble under his breath. The bit of gold he'd seen flitting about is a golden brown bird feather.
The feather isn't huge but it's a nice size and in relatively good shape. Bertie thinks it might make a good quill. As he's holding the feather debating where to tuck it in his uniform to save Gareth slowly drifts. The Gryffindor seeker had been intently searching for the snitch but upon getting a glimpse of what's in Bertie's hand he also stops. "You too, huh?" Gareth reveals an almost identical feather he's tucked away. "I can't think of what sort of bird it's from."
"Me either and I've not seen one since the match started that has this color feathers. Saving yours for a quill? I am."
"Maybe, but I'm not sure yet."
Bertie grins at Gareth. "Been nice chatting with you but I have a snitch to find now. See you around." He pulls away to Gareth's chuckling.
While all this was going on, Kaycee had the quaffle and had reached Oliver and his hoops. She'd taken a shot but Oliver catch the quaffle outright then handed it off to Gerry. Gerry took off, Cornington shadowing him. Tessa bats a bludger into Gerry's path, forcing him to "jump" over it to stay on the course he seems determined to fly.
It's only when Finley and Schuyler have reached Rex and seem to be waiting for Gerry to either pass one of them the quaffle or give goal assistance to him that Finley produces the quaffle, passing it to Schuyler. Gerry hadn't tucked the quaffle in close to his body when accepting it from Oliver but had somehow snuck it to Finley. She'd taken off unchallenged for the opposite end of the pitch without anyone from Hufflepuff thinking anything of it.
Schuyler shoots the ball but Rex, unable to fully reach, taps it away using the handle of his broom. No one else is quite to the hoops yet so Finley easily scoops up the quaffle. She throws far to Rex's right but he throws himself to block the hoop. The quaffle goes straight back to Finley. She throws again but jerks her arm to avoid a bludger just as she releases the ball. The red ball hits the outside of the ring and bounces away from the hoop where it's grabbed up by the just arrived Kaycee who swings around to race back the other way.
Bertie listens intently to Barbie's running commentary, occasionally getting in a peak, while hunting for the snitch and also checking out any nearby birds to see if any have feathers like Gareth's and his.
Unintended (Schuyler)
Author: Charlie Weasley
Date: 02-16-20 20:32
Schuyler thinks it's too bad that Gerry, Finley, and he can't use the same fake out move again this match. They end result didn't nab them a goal but they'd come close. He climbs at a low angle so that he's covering ground laterally at the same time he's gaining a tiny bit of altitude. Leveling off he accelerates, going low over his broom and keenly watching Kaycee as she looks to pass to Alex. At roughly the same time Kaycee releases the quaffle, Schuyler dives down to snatch the ball from its path from Kaycee to Alex.
Whirling his broom around as quickly as he can, Schuyler dashes back towards Rex. He bobs around Cornington in a zagging weave then hurls the quaffle towards Finley. She drives in towards Rex, several times acting like she's going to throw. Her effort to confuse Rex might have worked but they'll never know because Tessa's gotten off a bludger that thumps Finley directly between her shoulders. She lurches forward, the quaffle popping away from her fingers.
Finley scrambles to retrieve the quaffle, having to dive for it but is now at an awkward enough angle to the ball that before she can reposition Cornington gets to it. The Hufflepuff races back in the direction of the Gryffindor guarded hoops, Oliver already on high alert enough though there's still some distance to cover before the quaffle reaches him.
Kaycee and Alex join up with Cornington, flying in a tight formation. Schuyler tries to insert himself between Kaycee and Alex but can't do it without deliberately fouling. Gerry is trying to wedge himself between Kaycee and Cornington but is having the same issue as Schuyler. Deliberately fouling would break up the formation but only because one of the Hufflepuff chasers would be given the quaffle for a harassment free goal attempt. Not exactly what Schuyler or Gerry is going for.
As the trio begins slowing as they near Oliver, Cecily slaps a bludger their way. It doesn't hit any of them but does have the effect of breaking up their tight formation. Gideon sends that same bludger at Alex, who now has the quaffle, but Tessa stops it, turning it in Gerry's direction instead.
Intent on watching where the ball is, Schuyler doesn't see Conrad positioning himself to bat a bludger. Though not meaning to collide with Conrad, and though it's a relatively mild crash, blatching is called on Schuyler. Mad at himself for committing a foul, even if he didn't do it deliberately, he can do nothing but observe as Coach Krum has Alex with the quaffle lining up for a goal attempt. At least, Schuyler thinks, neither Conrad nor he or their brooms were negatively impacted by the slight collision.
Taking The Lead (Cornington)
Author: Phinfilius
Date: 02-17-20 14:09
No one's surprised when Oliver is able to block Alex's foul shot though Alex makes him work for it, sending Oliver shooting far to the left, extending his arm to smack the quaffle with his flattened fingers and palm. There's a scramble for the quaffle, Schuyler the victor, plucking up the red ball and sending his broom racing forward from the hoops. Kaycee almost had the quaffle so is right there keeping pace with Schuyler when he rockets away.
Gideon sends a bludger at Kaycee but Conrad gets to the bludger before it reaches her. He redirects it towards Schuyler. Cecily attempts to intervene but the bludger didn't have far to go to hit Schuyler when Conrad sent it the Gryffindor chaser's way. The bludger gets Schuyler on the hip. It's not a soft tap but it's also not smashingly hard. Even though he subconsciously reacts by reaching to rub his hip he doesn't lose control of the quaffle. Kaycee does attempt to pull the ball from his grasp but Schuyler isn't having it. He simultaneously rolls the opposite direction from her while increasing his speed.
That's when Tessa gets him with the other bludger. This one hits him on the front of his shoulder, eliciting a loud grunt. Cornington takes advantage of the split second distraction to wrench the quaffle out of Schuyler's hand. Cornington lobs the quaffle up over his head in a sort of side throw, sending it back to Kaycee who is still close to Schuyler's other side and a little behind.
Kaycee pivots her broom around, racing back towards Oliver. As she nears she launches the quaffle to Alex just as Cecily clips her with a bludger. As Alex lines up his shot, sending the quaffle straight ahead to the center hoop. Oliver has the block until the other bludger, hit by Tessa, gets him in the stomach just as he's reaching out with both hands to catch the quaffle. Oliver doubles over with an oomph, the quaffle passing over his hunched form.
"Goal by Lancaster! Hufflepuff leads 40 to 30!"
Martini-Blackwells in the Match
Author: Gerry
Date: 02-17-20 18:14
Gerry had no idea how Oliver managed to take the bludger hit to his stomach and not spew up everything he'd had for breakfast. His brow was furrowed and his expression was a grimace, but somehow Oliver was able to function as if nothing was wrong. He handed the quaffle to Gerry, who threw it to Finley. Finley grimaced when she reached out to accept the pass, but she caught the ball without any trouble. A moment later, Schuyler darted past and swiped the ball from her open grasp.
He raced quickly to the opposite side of the Pitch, with Gerry and Finley lending a hand here and there. When they got within scoring range, it was Finley with the quaffle. Instead of attempting a goal, she threw it back to Gerry, who tossed it to Schuyler. Alex tried to intercept, but Schuyler grabbed hold of the ball and then fired for one of the hoops. It was halfway to the hoop when a bludger struck it and send it spiralling out of bounds.
There was a brief pause while Coach Krum retrieved the quaffle so that the game could resume. Gerry, meanwhile, swiped his sleeve under his nose. He wasn't sure if he was starting to come down with something, or if his nose just was a little bit runny. It had only begun a few minutes ago, so he didn't really feel sick. Mainly he just wanted a tissue, but he supposed his sleeve would do until the match ended.
He sort of wished that his Quidditch uniform had pockets. He could stash a tissue in there, plus candy and whatever he felt like carrying on his person during the match. Sometimes it was good to wear goggles or gloves, but they weren't always needed throughout an entire match. It often depended on the weather, which could always change in the course of an afternoon.
Feeling a little drip begin to trickle from his nostril, Gerry once again wiped his nose on his sleeve. He then glanced into the stands and saw Grace sitting with her friend Rand. They weren't looking at him at the moment, which was good, because Gerry didn't want to imagine what Grace thought about his manners. He honestly believed she'd enjoyed their time together at the Sweethearts Dance. He certainly had. He just worried she'd eventually think him not mature enough.
He had heard about the spiked punch at the dance and naturally had been rumored to be behind it, but Gerry hadn't been involved and neither had Will. Somehow the fact that a first year had done it got lost as the rumor traveled from person to person.
Once the quaffle was put into play, Gareth resumed his systematic search of the golden snitch. Like Bertie, he had found a feather that was the same color as the coveted ball. It was so pretty he'd pocketed it. Gareth wasn't really sure what he would do with it yet. Maybe he'd also turn it into a quill, or maybe he could make something else out of it, like jewelry. Perhaps he'd give it to Eileen as a gift, or see if she was crafty and would find it useful for a project.
Gareth had had great fun with Eileen at the Sweethearts Dance. He'd known her before, sure, but he'd never spent a whole lot of time with her one-on-one until the night of the dance. They'd talked quite a lot, both while at dinner and later while on the dance floor. Gareth wouldn't say he was a good dancer, but he had a sense of humor and had no problem making fun of himself. He bounced around the dance floor during the more upbeat numbers and drew lots of clapping and laughter from those who stopped to watch his antics.
"Nutcombe has seen the snitch!"
Gareth realized he'd been thinking about the feather and the dance and not about the task at hand. He threw a quick look around and saw that Bertie was far across the Pitch, racing hard after the little winged orb.
Cecily and Gideon both set their sights on him and tried to take him out with the bludgers, but Conrad and Tessa were ready and able to intercept. Gareth made a beeline towards Bertie and the snitch, which were flying rapidly at an angle from him. Gareth didn't expect to catch up, but then the snitch did something very surprising. It turned abruptly and went straight at Gareth.
Gareth and the snitch charged at each other. Bertie was right behind the snitch, too. Just when Gareth thought it might end badly in more ways than one, a bludger clipped the back of Bertie's broom and sent him spinning off course. Gareth held his hand palm out and felt the snitch slam against it. He closed his fingers just barely at the right moment.
"Martini-Blackwell has caught the snitch! Gryffindor wins 180-40!"