|
|
Scrimmage Match
Author: Fritz Schnackenpfefferhausen
Date: 07-24-09 09:24
One of the scrimmages in which Fritz takes part is currently underway. He's playing beater, his preferred and favorite position, and feels as if he never quit playing last year. Falling back into the routine of chasing after bludgers, aiming them for opposing teammates and to knock the quaffle off course, and protecting his own teammates comes surprisingly easy. Of course, Fritz has been practicing since getting his broom back, and especially lately in anticipation of the trials. He doesn't want to get too confident, but he feels fairly good about his and Coco's chances of reclaiming their old positions.
Shortly after arriving at the pitch earlier that morning, Fritz wound up in a different warm-up group from Coco. He concentrated closely on his exercises, which included flying sprints, passing the quaffle around, and more flying exercises involving cones and hurdles. Not all the groups did the same warm-up drills, but obviously all of the exercises were important or they wouldn't have been asked of the students trying out.
Eventually, Fritz and Coco took part in the beater specific drills. Fritz did quite well knocking the bludger as far as possible. He did exceptionally well aiming for the various targets in the air, some of which were stationary, and others of which moved around at various speeds and angles. When it came time to hit the bludgers to the other beaters, Fritz had the best coordination with Coco, but he did decently with the other beaters too. Fritz and Coco knew each other's playing styles well from years of practice together.
Later still, Fritz participated in the various mixed scimmages. If he'd been at Hogwarts last year when there'd been no houses and the few Quidditch games there'd been involved students from all the former houses, it might not have felt unusual for Fritz to play with others from different teams. He couldn't associate the mixed matches with the pick-up games he'd frequently played with friends from other houses either. The scrimmage matches were serious business and would either help him get back on the team or not. He did reasonably well, though, if not exceptionally so.
Now, in a Ravenclaw match against Slytherin, Fritz spots a bludger and dives for it before it can hit one of his chaser's in the shoulder. He deflects it quickly, sending it on a trajectory far, far away from the pack. One of the opposing beaters tears after it and attempts once again to use it to his advantage, but Fritz is there before the bludger can do any lasting damage. He plays hard and enjoys himself immensely.
No Closer to Finding Out
Author: Lysander Stratford
Date: 07-24-09 10:27
Lysander and Julian had put their heads together in an effort to figure out who might have sent Lysander the anonymous threatening notes, and they had even gone so far as to make a list of people who might have grudges against him. At the top of the list were Charlotte's maternal relatives, but Lysander felt certain that the mind altering spells he'd used on them to make them forget him and his daughter hadn't ceased to work. He hadn't actually verified this, but he had great confidence in his obliviation skills.
Lysander had done quite a lot to merit the notes, but he also thought his biggest secrets weren't known by anyone save himself and Julian, and he knew Julian wasn't behind the letters. So who was? He didn't know where to start to find out and believed his only course of action was to sit and wait for what might happen next.
With the infrequency of the letters, only two having arrived over a span of months, Lysander could often forget their existence. Astrid Thomason usually occupied his mind these days anyway. She visited Hogsmeade regularly, since she still dated the new manager of Scrivenshafts. Lysander saw her often and though she still reminded him painfully of his late wife Chyler, he saw more and more of what made Astrid unique, and he liked her for it all the more.
Lysander stood inside Twice Told Tales and worked on a new display in the window. He hardly paid attention to the books he removed and those he added, instead looking out and watching the people passing by.
"What are you doing?" Charlotte asked him. At nearly four, she was growing up to be a very inquisitive child.
Lysander didn't want to tell her that he was hoping to catch a glimpse of Astrid walking by. Instead, he turned and explained, "I'm changing out the books. I thought it might be nice to display..." and then it dawned on him that he didn't even know what he was doing. All the books he'd pulled off of the shelf were on different topics.
"Well, I thought it might be nice to promote these," he finally said.
"Why?" Charlotte asked.
"Because, sometimes when you promote books, people buy them."
"Why?" Charlotte asked.
"Because they might not have noticed them on the shelf before."
"Why?" Charlotte asked.
"Because with so many books in the store, it's easy for some of them to get lost."
"Why?" Charlotte asked.
"Because––"
But then the doorbell chimed and Charlotte cried out, "Astrid!"
Lysander hadn't seen her walk by the store and nearly fell off the display.
"Hi Charlotte, hi Lysander," Astrid greeted them both. "I was just leaving but I thought I would stop by and say hello."
"Hello!" Charlotte cried out.
"Hi," Lysander replied, climbing off the display a little more casually to meet Astrid by the door. "Just leaving, are you? You don't want to stay for lunch?"
Astrid smiled. "I think I could be persuaded."
"Great." Lysander ran a hand through his curly hair and debated quickly which route to go for lunch, something intimate at home or pick something up at one of the eateries in the village.
"What about a quick sandwich at the Imperial Crown & Cauldron?" Astrid suggested, before Lysander could decide on something himself.
"Sounds fine. I'll just let Julian know that I'm stepping out."
"Me too!" Charlotte cried out.
"Yes, you too," Lysander replied with a smile.
He quickly told Julian that he and Charlotte would be grabbing lunch with Astrid and before Julian could make a joke or comment of any kind, Lysander disappeared.
Wenlock Cousins at the Quidditch Trials
Author: Aaron Miller
Date: 07-24-09 15:58
Liannah McDougal approached the Quidditch trials with trepdidation. She did have flying experience before coming to Hogwarts but not much and playing in a fast paced Quidditch match with others intent on securing a house cup would be vastly different from dawdling around on a broom in a just for laughs game with relatives and friends.
There's also the fact that Liannah is only a first year. While some first years do make the teams, the sought after positions more often than not go to others. Rumor has it that until Harry Potter secured a spot as a first year for his house team of Gryffindor, it had been a 100 years since anyone of that age had been named to any of the Hogwarts house teams.
Liannah gave a sigh at the thought of Harry Potter. From his pictures he's very cute. Some of her relatives know him and say he's very nice. Maybe if he doesn't have a girlfriend when she turns 17 he'd be interested...
Thoughts of Harry Potter and his dating status aside, Liannah isn't really even sure she wants to take part in the Quidditch trials. Even if she were a bloody awesome player she doesn't think she'd be all that enthused. Liannah hasn't been excited about much of anything since being sent to that awful Camp Lollipop. She hadn't wanted to come to school, doesn't want to get out of bed in the mornings, doesn't care much about eating. All Liannah wants to do is retreat back to her parents and never have to leave them.
Liannah makes it to classes because her three male cousins in the same house as she, Ravenclaw, make sure she's up of a morning, leaving her in the care of her classmates, trusting that they will ensure she actually gets to class. Any that she has with Hufflepuff her cousin Jasper is there. Her other cousins help out as they can as well and in fact Jill has twice guided Liannah to the hospital wing when Liannah was having panic attacks. Deak escorted her another time and Liannah is very much aware that Aaron and Saffron check on her constantly.
Liannah is at the pitch today because her parents and cousins encouraged her to try out. Her mum said in one owl that it was better for Liannah to get and be doing something even if she didn't succeed rather than spending more time holed up in bed until forcibly pulled out of it.
So, here Liannah is, wishing she were in that bed of hers, swearing she can hear it calling to her with siren's song, trying to find something enjoyable about this whole process. Warm-ups took so much energy. Or so it seemed to her. In Liannah's group were Alexa, Daniel, and Hunter. Those three went all out doing the drills and exercises, none of them holding back to make sure she was doing more than going through the motions. Liannah can't fault them for that. It's not their responsibility really to watch out for her plus they each desperately want spots on their house teams.
Alastor Jenkins had ended up in the same warm-up group as Coco Nutt. Although he shouldn't think of the older girl as his enemy, does and can't help that he does. He pulled Pureblood superiority on her to take her spot on the Ravenclaw team two years ago only to end up alongside her at Happy Haven, categorized as a filthy Non. Alastor is ashamed to think about how smug he'd felt as a Pureblood around the Nons only to be reduced to a Non himself and the anger that went with it. Still, he wants to be Beater again and the two major obstacles are Coco and Fritz Schnackenpfefferhausen. Funny how the biggest competition is such a petite girl with blue hair who doesn't wear shoes unless she has to. Alastor should be bowing down, thanking her every day for being the one responsible for getting the Happy Haven breakout orchestrated. Maybe after he's a Beater again and feeling smug once more, though this time for being the better player, he'll be sure to verbally thank Coco.
He keeps finding himself working with Coco, like during the warm up drills it was Coco who passed him the quaffle during the one involving a blind throw. It was Coco who ran alongside Alastor when running the stadium stairs only to pass him up easily without any effort.
At least Alastor's group hadn't been the only one running stairs. The group Jill and Jasper were in did as well. Jsasper still can't believe he was huffing up and down steps. This is Quidditch! What does running up and down stairs or doing sprints on the ground have to do with hanging onto a broom and either hitting bludgers, passing quaffles, blocking quaffles, or looking for snitches? Jill, on the other hand, loved the physical exercise, understanding fully that if a player wants to be in top form for Quidditch, more needs to be done than practicing on a broom. Jasper's favorite warm-up had been flying around floating cones that would unexpectedly move just as he got to them, forcing him to quickly compensate. Jill's had been sprints to reach a quaffle, grab it then race back without being caught.
Hadrian Rabnott had been on the pitch just after sunrise, eager to get the Quidditch trials started by the time Coach Batuti called order and gave instructions, he was more than warmed but Hadrian knew better than to complain. He joined his group doing stretches, sprints, dodging bludgers and other exercises designed to get the blood pumping and body primed for more things to come.
Liannah was relieved when her group was allowed back to the stands. She sat beside Alexa with Hunter and Daniel on the seat in front, listening them talking about who was looking good and who should consider today just good experience for tryouts another year. As the other groups ended their warm-ups they were quickly joined by Jasper, Jill, Hadrian, and Alastor.
Hunter, Jasper, and Alastor took part in the Beater drills. It's not secret to any of them that Alastor wants to be a Beater more than anything else. Hunter most wants Chaser but says he wouldn't mind Beater. Jasper just wants to be on a team so put his name in for all four positions. All three boys loved hitting moving targets with the bludgers and Alastor and Hunter had a little side competition going to see who hit further for distance alone. Alastor won but Hadrian didn't mind. It's not as though he's got the Beater or nothing mentality like some.
Alastor surprised them all when joining those on the pitch who were called down for Chaser specific drills. He'd shrugged at his cousins, not bothering to say aloud that if he can't have Beater he'll do one of the other - lesser in his opinion - positions just to say he's on the team. Then he'd be in the perfect place to take over as Beater should something happen to one of the ones named. Not that Alastor wishes anything untoward to happen to someone playing Ravenclaw Beater. He just believes in being prepared.
All his cousins but Liannah take part in the Chaser drills. Jill wants Chaser and Seeker equally. Hunter most wants Chaser as do Daniel, Hadrian, and Alexa. Jasper will take what he can get and be thrilled. The Wenlock cousins passed quaffles, caught them, stole them, tried to keep them from being stolen, threw them for goals or attempts at goals, did some fast paced formation flying, dodged bludgers, and several drills that combined various ones of all those others.
Trying out for Keeper was Jasper and, again surprising his cousins, Alastor, Daniel, Liannah and Alexa. Liannah figures that at least with Keeper, part of the time is spent just hovering around while everyone's flying about some other part of the pitch. Alastor found the drills boring, even the more daring blocks like Starfish and Stick, required in one of the drills. Jasper had great fun chasing after quaffles trying to block them from going through the hoops. For someone who's never played Keeper before, not even in practice or matches with friends and relatives, he thinks he did really well. Daniel and Alexa enjoyed trying to out think and out maneuver those standing in as Chasers throwing quaffles in hopes of getting them through one of the three hoops for a goal. Alexa especially found some of the drills taught to them by the pro Humbata players interesting, not just the Keeper ones but for the other positions as well.
When Seeker drills were carried out, Jill was once again in the lot as were Hadrian, Jasper, and Alastor. For his part, as he tried to beat one person after another to a snitch, Alastor couldn't see why everyone things Seekers are so great. They play alone while the rest of the team does all the hard work, then they get 150 points for catching an irritating little winged ball and in most instances then get the credit for winning the game, leaving those who did the actual, real work standing on the side, watching as the Seeker gets lauded with attention and praise. Jill finds Seeker a real challenge. As she was dodging bludgers and sprinting after a snitch, she loved the wind rushing over her face and the dexterity involved with trying to follow the snitch, catch up to it, and snatch it from the air before it can dart away.
The real excitement was when the scrimmages began. Each of the Wenlock cousins took part in several of the both types of matches. Once in an actual scrimmage, Liannah found her assessment of being Keeper was much as she thought though it wasn't half as bad as she thought it might be. Still, her heart wasn't in it that match or the others she was in and she knows it showed. Nonetheless, Liannah did her best no matter what position she was put in for a mixed match and each time she was Keeper for the house scrimmages. She was not going to let anyone accuse her of half assing it on purpose. The fact that she's not crazy for the game and still has a lot to learn about flying in general and Quidditch in particular is obvious to anyone who watched her so no way is anyone going to be able to say she didn't at least try.
In one of the matches in which Coco and Alastor were both Beaters, he went to great effort to show himself as better than she is. In another match in which Fritz and he were the Beaters, Alastor did the same. The problem was that in both of those matches, Coco and Fritz were quicker to Bludgers than he was, hit their targets with more accuracy, and had better aim over a longer distance than he did. He sat pouting in the stands until called to play in another match, that time as Keeper. Playing Keeper did not help Alastor's mood any but he didn't let on to Coach Batuti or to those assisting her today how pettishly peevish he's being.
Hiding a scowl, Alastor took to the stands again, sitting with the very quiet Liannah, to watch as another scrimmage got under way.
Unsteady (Mason)
Author: Pyrrhus
Date: 07-24-09 19:00
Mason ducks to avoid an opposing Beater's swinging bat, the swing off kilter due to being pulled partway through the swing in an attempt not to hit him. Mason had been in the guy's blindspot only he'd not realized that until nearly too late. At least the Bludger isn't now on its way to one of Mason's Chasers.
Still very wobbly on a broom, Mason pulls around to go after that very same Bludger with the very same opposing Beater after it again as well. The other Slytherin Beater this game gets there first so Mason immediately starts searching for the second of the hard, black balls.
Spying it, Mason sprints for it, cocking his arm back to connect. He gives it a good, solid thwack but his aim is slightly off. The Bludger hits his intended target but only around the ankle. Moving on, following the trajectory of the Bludger he'd just hit, Mason sees his half-brother Pyrrhus giving him a thumbs up. Py is here to help with the tryouts on Viktor Krum's invitation who in turn had been asked by Professor Batuti.
Mason can't help but feel he's letting Py down. Before school began, Py had introduced Mason to both the sport of Quidditch and to flying. Nevertheless, when the first flying lesson came along, taught by Professor Batuti, Mason had only done so-so. In the days leading up to this one, Mason had gotten in more practice with both flying and with Quidditch but knows he's sadly lacking the real skills needed.
This morning Mason hadn't even been sure he'd make a try for the Slytherin team but then Py talked with him, convincing Mason that if nothing else, today would be a good learning experience. Mason had agreed to give it a go, climbing into the stands and signing his name to the roster passed around, indicating he'd like to try for as Beater and Chaser.
Mason had warmed up in a group that did stretching of the sit on the ground and touch your toes variety. He thought it a good idea because from what he's been able to tell so far, you use a whole lot of different muscles to play Quidditch. Best to have them stretched and ready than to pull or strain something in a game because the muscles are tight. He'd found flying through hoops a real challenge but would like to do something like that again. He think in time he could master such a course. Maybe all that's part of the later flying lessons or will be included in something in the Fitness & Athletics class he takes.
Mason was glad that the Beater drills were directly after the warm-ups as it meant his body was primed for them instead of sitting around cooling his heels. After that were the Chaser drills. Mason isn't sure which he liked better because there were aspects of each he really liked and aspects of both he didn't much care for. Dodging Bludgers while trying to fly around others AND hold onto a Quaffle wasn't easy and Mason has the still burgeoning bruise on one shoulder to prove it.
He really like smacking the hell out of Bludgers, trying to him them as far as he could. That exercise alone would be great for building up his biceps or triceps or whatever the heck muscle group batting Bludgers like that works. One thing he likes about Chaser over Beater is that mainly work alone, aiding the team as possible with the Bludgers whereas Chasers constantly have to work as a team if they're to be truly effective. Mason likes how effective the teamwork of the Chasers can be when done right.
After the Chaser drills ended, Mason had time to sit back and simply watch for awhile. He grabbed food, talked with his brother, talked with some of the students he's seen in the Great Hall, library, commons, or other places around school but hadn't yet met, and just enjoyed being there in general.
During the scrimmages where people were placed randomly on teams regardless of house, Mason played some as Beater and some as Chaser. When it came time for the house scrimmages, he was first in as a Slytherin Chaser and then as a Beater. This third match he's in as Beater again.
Speeding after another Bludger, Mason wishes he were steadier on his broom. Maybe he should concentrate on getting a better feel for flying next time before throwing in all that goes with trying to play Quidditch too!
Tryouts (Etta & Basil)
Author: Jared
Date: 07-24-09 22:06
Eyes narrowed to slits, Basil bears down on a bludger, determined to get there before anyone else, including his own teammate. Nothing and no one is standing in the way of Basil being beater for Slytherin again!
Basil's already got his target lined up, tracking the path of the chaser's broom. He swings his arm back, flying on a trajectory to bring him and his bat to the bludger that will give maximum force behind his swing. He hits the bludger hard, jarring his arm but Basil grits his teeth. It's part of a game that's not for soft pansies.
Basil allows a grin when the bludger solidly connects with his cousin Julietta. Goody goody, sweet, everyone loves her so much she could be a Hufflepuff Etta. Why did Basil have to get stuck with a cousin who landed in Gryffindor? Worse is that Etta's brother Jared was also a Gryffindor. Basil can't say he's at all upset that Jared's not back at Hogwarts this year. Jared's probably not missing Hogwarts either since it means he can shag that girlfriend of his whenever he wants. At fourteen, Basil thinks a great deal about girls. Maybe this year he'll let one be his girlfriend.
The force of a bludger against her back is enough to shove Etta forward, knocking the breath from her and ruining the momemtum she was building in an approach to the goal posts. The other Slytherin beater for this match is in view across the pitch so Etta knows that the bludger that smacked her on the back was a gift from her cousin Basil.
She's so glad that if she's got to be related to Basil that they are cousins. If they were brother and sister Etta would be forced to kill him. Any court hearing what Basil is like would not only acquit of murder charges but would give her an award for removing such a menace from society. She can't think of a better Quidditch position for him than beater. He gets to fly around whacking a bat against bludgers to deliberately hurt people. The boy is barmy that way.
The only position Etta's hoping for on the Gryffindor team is Chaser. She likes the other positions well enough but her current favorite is Chaser. Chaser hasn't always been her favorite so that it is now might very well change. Basil's always been all about bludgers, bats, and playing beater. Etta doesn't want to even think what trouble Basil will cause if he's not selected as a Slytherin beater. She feels sorry for the others in his house.
As little regard for Basil as Etta has and as little regard for Etta as Basil has, when on the same team during one of the earlier scrimmages, they'd played well together with Basil even using his bat and bludger to help clear the way for Etta to score a goal. Go figure.
Basil had found the warm-ups overly simple and had wished for something more challenged. He didn't mind so much having to run around the pitch or fast passes with a quaffle or any of the other excercises. He just wishes there'd been more to them. The beater drills were better than the warm-ups though Basil is sure that if Etta or one of her stupid friends had been used for targets, his accuracy rate would have been 100%.
Etta liked most of the drills and exercises though some she could have done without. Running the bleachers, as one person put it, is one exercise she could have lived without ever having done. On the other hand, some of the passing drills were the exact same drills many of the professionals do. They were fast paced, some of them intricate, and all of them aimed at improving hand-eye coordination for passing or catching the quaffle and for scoring goals.
A whistle blows signaling the end of this scrimmage match. Etta lands and gets in line with the others from Gryffindor who'd just played. After each match, those wanting it can get feedback from the Humbatas helping with the tryouts. Etta's taken advantage of the offer and talked with at least one of them after every one of the scrimmages she's been in so far today. Along with those critiques were the ones given from all the various drills. Etta's been told some really useful, and helpful, things.
Basil heads right for the stands. He talked with one of the pros earlier, after the first scrimmage he was in. Basil didn't like being told that there's more to playing beater than how hard he can hit the bludger into someone. What more than that could there be? If one of them has something actually helpful to say, Basil will listen but they'll need to come to him. At the moment he's thirsty and hungry and is going to grab something off the table and sit in the stands with it, sizing up the players in the next scrimmage match.