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At the Trials
Author: Mildred
Date: 11-18-13 07:06
Mildred stepped into the Quidditch pitch, her heart beating faster than usual due to the nerves. This year, for the very first time, she decided to try out for the Gryffindor Quidditch team.
During the summer she didn't manage to discover anything about the plate of the car that killed her mother. Her grandmother had called her and just like that day at Hogwarts when she came to visit her, she warned Mildred not to dig into the past. Mildred tried to share her suspicious with her, but Regina had refused to hear a word of it. Instead, she told her granddaughter that her mother would not like her to obsess with such issue and she would want Mildred to have a normal life as possible, enjoying her student life at Hogwarts, have good marks and be involved in some of the school activities.
Of course that Mildred did not give up on her research, but she knew there was no way to work on it at school. So instead, she decided to learn more about the Muggle culture and how their newspapers, mail and other things worked, so when she left the castle during Christmas she would be prepared to find out more information regarding her mother's death. Even if her theory was right about the Sims' car, Mildred didn't blame Achilles at all, and their friendship relationship hasn't changed at all. For now she knew she needed some distractions from all this and she knew if she entered the Quiddicth team, it would do her good.
Mildred was not the only one from her year doing so: Queenie and Achilles decided to try out as well. They joined all the other candidates and soon they were separated so they could do the various drills. After the drills, the scrimmage stage took place. Mildred waited with a little bit of impatience for her turn , as she watched the other players up in the air. Finally her name was called and she mounted her broomstick.
She had signed up for chaser position and her eyes fixated immediately on the quaffle when Morgana Flowers released it into the air. She flew in the red ball's direction but she was not fast enough and a boy from the opposite team managed to grab it. Without feeling defeated, Mildred followed him, eager to get the quaffle back to her team. He was bigger than her, but she noticed he was not holding the quaffle very firmly and so she shifted her broom his direction and used her body to collide against his. Like she predicted he dropped the quaffle and she smiled when she noticed one of her team mates, a girl with braids, was able to get it.
However the triumph didn't last long because a bludger hit the girl's shoulder, making her drop the quaffle. The chasers from the other team seized the opportunity: one of them hold the quaffle and he flew towards the hoops, scoring the first goal of the scrimmage. The keeper handed the quaffle to Mildred and she sprinted towards the opponent team's hoops, at the maximum speed. She heard a bludger coming in her direction and at the last minute she leaned down, avoiding the heavy ball to hit her head.
She got in front of the hoops but instead of scoring she passed the quaffle to the other chaser of her team, who was completely free, while she was surrounded by the other chasers who had fled right behind her, trying to steal her the quaffle. Mildred knew the importance of playing in the team, unlike some of her other team players who were more focused in showing off. The keeper defended the goal attempt and the match proceeded.
Mildred's team lost, however she had been able to score three times. Her elbow hurt a bit, due to a bludger that hit her, but she was ready for the next scrimmage. As she waited once again for her turn, she paid attention to the other students playing, admiring some of their skills in the pitch.
Finally her turn arrived and she was up in the air once again. The match started and she was able to catch the quaffle, quickly passing it to her fellow chaser, a boy with black hair. They worked well together, passing the quaffle at each other and seeming to guess each other's next movements. Mildred offered the quaffle to the other chaser, an older girl with a ponytail, and she successfully scored. The chasers from the other team tried to counter strike after the goal, but Mildred stole the quaffle in the air during a pass between two chasers. She then approached the hoops, aimed to the central one and shot, scoring. The keeper hasn't been fast enough to reach to the quaffle.
She kept playing with enthusiasm; however after a while she was starting to feel sore and somewhat tired. She knew that if she made the team she needed more practice in order to get used to the demanded physical effort. Mildred knew she wouldn't mind so. She scored another time and there were other shots to the hoops that had been defended by the keeper. The seeker from her team caught the snitch and Flora Lynch declared that the match was over.
Mildred flew towards the ground and dismounted. She wasn't sure if she would be called to play more or not. She seated, resting and she tried to evaluate her performance. But she couldn't tell if she had been good enough to join the team or not. One thing was for sure: she had given her best and had fun, and that's what mattered the most.
(Edgar) Trying Out
Author: Johanna Steele
Date: 11-18-13 13:38
The Quidditch pitch was crowded with students from all ages and sizes. Everyone wanted a place on their respective house teams; however there were only 28 spots to be filled and of course most people would not be able to make it.
Edgar had signed up for the beater position. He had played twice last year next to Madoc McGonagall and he was hoping he was good enough to make the Gryffindor Quidditch team again. However you never knew if someone better would appear. There were students who practiced hard during summer and there were even first years that had made the team before. It was rare but still a possibility.
During the warm up and the drills Edgar showed control of his broom and he also proved he had a good aim when throwing bludgers using his bat. But the real test consisted in playing well during the scrimmages. Edgar was paired with an older boy from Ravenclaw and he tried to memorize the chasers and the seeker of his team, so he wouldn't hit any of them by mistake.
The scrimmage began moments later and Edgar had his bat ready. He spotted a bludger and he flew in its direction, not taking much time to aim it at the chaser from the other team who was holding the quaffle. The chaser was a younger girl and the bludger hit her arm. She started to scream, perhaps not expecting the pain. The scrimmage was suspended as the girl left the pitch, giving up the trials. Another girl took her place. Edgar didn't allow himself to feel sorry for the little girl. He had to prove he could hit the chasers and the seeker with bludgers if he wanted the so wanted spot in the team. The scrimmage continued.
Edgar paid attention to the bludgers and he tried to work together with the other boy to make sure no one from their team would get hit by any of them. He caught a movement by the corner of his eye and he saw a bludger coming towards the seeker direction.
"Watch out!" he screamed and he used the bat to deviate the heavy ball's route.
The seeker looked somewhat relived and he thanked Edgar, but he was already busy at another side of the pitch.
At the end of the first scrimmage, Edgar felt satisfied with his performance. As he rested and waited for his turn to play again, his eyes studied the people at the stands. For his surprise he found Evelyn there. He thought his sister was going to go to the trials just like last year. Evelyn was not alone: she was seated next to Luke and Alcmene who were once again holding hands.
Edgar still couldn't believe they dated. Evelyn said he was just jealous, but Edgar wasn't sure if that was that. He just couldn't understand why Alcmene would prefer Luke over him. He had played on the Quidditch team last year, and here was now. He thought Quidditch was far more interesting than being a swimmer at the Athletics Club. Not to mention that Luke was always talking about his holidays at the sea with his father and what he learned about the Merpeople and Edgar had no idea how Alcmene found that attractive.
"That was a nice performance up there," someone said at his side.
It was Evinrude Walthrop, Evelyn's friend.
"Thanks," Edgar replied. "I didn't know you played Quidditch."
"Sometimes. It was a last minute decision to come and try out. I signed up for seeker."
They spoke for a few more minutes and then Edgar was called back for another scrimmage. And so did Evinrude. She seemed very happy to be playing on his team, but Edgar didn't understand why since she was a Slytherin and he was a Gryffindor. At the end of the scrimmage, he felt good with himself. Most of the times his aim was good and his targets were not hit more often because some of the chasers and the seeker managed to deviate themselves, or the other beaters protected their players.
Edgar also avoided Evinrude to be hit by a bludger, although he had to do it with a very unorthodox method, by putting himself in front of her. His bat was not in the right angle and so he stopped the bludger with part of his chest. After a grimace caused by the pain of the impact, Edgar made a sign to Flora Lynch to assure her that he was fine and the match could continue. Not once he had noticed the adoration look on Evinrude's face or the fact that she stopped caring with the snitch's location. That made the scrimmage to finish faster than usual because the other seeker had no trouble catching the snitch, since he had no opponent.
2007 Quidditch Trials Are Underway
Author: Viktor Krum
Date: 11-18-13 15:50
Friday evening, with Marjani helping even though he'd encouraged her she should get out and see some of her friends, Viktor had done another check on all the school brooms as well as on all the balls to be used during tryouts. He'd checked the brooms several times already, mainly in preparation for flying lessons but Viktor being Viktor, he's rather spend even more time ensuring the equipment is up to standards than risk putting a student on a broom that isn't flight worthy even before the trials begin.
Just after breakfast, Viktor came down to the pitch to find, unsurprisingly, some students already there, some warming up, some just milling around, chatting. Flora Lynch had gotten to the pitch almost at the same time as he had so she helped him bring out brooms. Several students came to help as well, speeding along the process considerably. If not for the number of brooms and balls to be brought out, Viktor would have just used a summoning spell but with all that equipment and so many students already at the pitch, physically carrying things out seemed the best course of action.
In the short time it took to do that the other assistants for the day, the Flowers siblings Morgana and Marmaduke and Pyrrhus Fine, had arrived. The five adults spent a few minutes talking and then, Viktor went on and began signing out brooms to those in need and assigning students to one of the five groups for drills. As others arrived, they too were put into one of the groups and for those without a broom, given a school model.
Time passed quickly with Viktor dealing with each new arrival. When the designated start time for the trials arrived, he was pleased to note that once again there is a nice sized number trying out for a house team and a goodly number of spectators to cheer them on. Blowing his whistle, Viktor signals for the drills to begin, each group working in its own area to give everyone plenty of room to maneuver. After the drills, a break is called, allowing participants and spectators alike to partake of refreshments while Viktor and the other four sit in his office putting together scrimmage lists. When they emerge, Viktor gets the first of the scrimmages going, handing out colors to each person called, the colors a visual reminder of who is on a given team.
The trials are scheduled for much of the day, but Viktor doesn't mind. This is one way he absolutely loves to spend a day.
Madoc and Malden at the Pitch
Author: Minerva McGonagall
Date: 11-18-13 18:08
Madoc charged down the Pitch and swung his bat at one of the bludgers, aiming it towards the pack of chasers fighting over the quaffle. Some of them scattered to avoid getting hit, but the bludger struck at least two, one dead-on and the other on the rebound. Luckily for Madoc, both of the victims were playing for the other team.
He quickly calculated his next move, deciding to go after the same bludger, since it was closer and much easier to get to than the other one. He swooped into the fray, nearly getting bristles in his eye for his efforts, and managed to intercept the ball. Madoc aimed it for the chaser now attempting to steal the quaffle from his teammate. It struck the wizard in the elbow, causing him to grimace comically and clutch at his funny bone.
Madoc turned to follow the path of the other bludger, when the whistle sounded, signalling the end of the match.
He touched down, dismounted and went to the refreshments table to get a cup of water.
While Madoc cooled off, Malden got his turn at playing in the position of beater. He didn't have a broomstick of his own and so had to rely on one of the school brooms. To his surprise, it didn't seem very old and it actually handled quite well.
He made a sharp turn to chase after the nearest black bludger. The broomstick obliged and carried him into the ball's path. Malden swung his arm, making contact with the bludger with the very middle of his bat. He felt the vibration of the impact travel all the way up his arm, but Malden refused to let the sensation distract him. He darted ahead, watching his bludger hit somebody between the shoulder blades.
The next time he made a hit, his aim was less than perfect. The bludger struck the tip of his bat, giving him little control on where he wanted it to go. One of the beaters on the other team easily intercepted it. Malden scowled. He didn't want anyone comparing his beating skills to those of his more experienced brother. Malden knew he could play better and set out to prove it.
The end of the scrimmage came all too quickly, but Malden was also selected for the next match, this time in the role of chaser. Madoc was back in the air as beater, with the brothers both playing for the same team.
Malden was not the first chaser to get his hands on the ball, but when it eventually found him, he caught the ball easily and passed it to his teammate with fairly good aim. Madoc put himself in the position as defender, batting away the bludgers aimed in the direction of his team's chasers.
When Malden found himself in possession of the quaffle and in range of the goal hoops, Madoc did his best to assist his brother in scoring by keeping all the bludgers away from him or directing them at the other team's keeper.
As they had gotten older, they had grown apart, but the McGonagall brothers could still make a good team.
Emotional
Author: Arlington J Montgomery
Date: 11-18-13 19:31
"Arley?" Sebastian stepped in the living room on the hunt for his partner, they were supposed to be meeting Fallon and Fletcher for lunch. He finally found him, perched on the back of the couch. When he was stressed or scared, Arley could be found sitting on the back of the couch or hovering on his broom outside, the height made him feel safe, and he was distant.
"Honey, what's wrong?" Seb moved closer and gently sat near him on the couch. He knew what was bothering him, everyone was on edge lately.
Arley clutched a pillow to his chest before speaking. "Why does it happen, Seb? To everyone I know, to my family?" His fingers traced along the stump of his severed hand, something he did when the memories, the nightmares, returned.
Sebastian instantly picked up on his mood and pulled the larger man into his arms. "It's not everyone, Arley, accidents do happen…"
"Accidents?! Seb, it ain't an accident that Dexter is missing, that it happened on the same night he was at Drivers bar that was attacked! It can't be an accident that Bron is missing now too! And it sure as hell wasn't an accident that my DAD kidnapped, and tortured my sister and I…"
The blonde opened his mouth to speak, but Arley held up his hand to stop him. "Don't. I love you, but I can't handle this right now." He pulled out of Sebastian's arms and went to the bedroom.
"Arlington! Don't run way from me right now, we need to talk about this."
A mumbled "No" could barely be heard from the other room as the door slammed shut. Seb knew not to push him when Arley was this angry, it never went well, and Sebastian couldn't help but remember the only time they had a big fight. They had been sixth years at Hogwarts, and the incident left Seb with a deep pain in his stomach from a punch, the boys eventually reconciled and had been together ever since. Seb sat down on the couch, he would wait until Arley decided they could talk.
~*~
It was almost two hours later when Arlington emerged from the bedroom, his eyes were red and his hair wet from a shower. Seb looked up and sat his book down, before sliding over on the couch to make room for Arley, a wordless gesture the couple shared.
"I'm sorry, Seb, I know it's not your fault."
"You're right, it is not my fault. I owled Fal and told them we would come by later."
Arley simply nodded and cuddled up next to the taller man.
"I don't like it when you are mad at me, Arley. I know this is hard on you, on us, on everyone, but I will not be yelled at. I vividly remember what I went through when you were gone, I've never felt so helpless in my life."
"I can't imagine how it was for you, it was horrible for all of us."
"Exactly, that is why we must be supportive of our family, to help them however we can, and yes, Bronwyn and Toby are very much part of our family too." He ran his fingers through Arley's long hair as they relaxed.
"Thank you, Sebastian. I love you."
"It is alright, Arlington, I love you too. We'll manage, let's just hope Dexter and Bronwyn come home safely and soon."
"I hope so. Can we go visit Fal and Etch now? I need to see my big sis right now." He was still emotional, and hoped the end of the evening wouldn't bring back the nasty nightmares about his mother, the ones that made him really panic. He needed to talk to Desi about what he'd been thinking about lately. She understood too.
Seb nodded, "Of course, I think Crew could use some cheering up too." With that the boys changed and apparated off to Fallon and Fletchers house in Hogsmeade.
The Mickle Sisters Try Out
Author: Griet
Date: 11-19-13 05:27
Sadie accepted the quaffle from her sister, Ramona, and tucked it closely to her body. She weaved through the obstacles in her path, dodging bludgers and outstretched arms from the enemy chasers. With the aid of one of her team's beaters, Sadie found the hoops temporarily unguarded. She shot, she scored, and then she high-fived Ramona.
The girls usually didn't get to play on the same team, unless they were playing a pick-up match with friends. It was nice playing together in a semi-real manner. If they both earned back their old positions on their respective teams, then they would go back to being rivals. At least they were both good sports.
The quaffle was put back into play, and the girls did their best to try to steal it back for their team. Ramona shot forward with a burst of speed and swiped out her arm to get at the quaffle, but its carrier quickly shifted it to his other arm. She debated for a half a second and then charged forward, swerving into the other chaser's path. He was forced to swerve himself or crash into her. In the chaos that followed, Sadie was able to lift the ball straight from his arms.
The match ended after both Sadie and Ramona had gotten a few points onto the board. They touched down and sat together in the stands, musing over how they had done and what they could have done better.
Their next matches were played separately. Ramona went first, again in the position of chaser, the only one she was interested in. Only a minute into the game, a bludger struck her in the shoulder. Ramona grimaced in pain and squeezed her shoulder, as if applying pressure would make it feel better. She knew she couldn't afford to wait for the stinging to subside––not when a match was underway. So, she set her mind to ignoring the pain and took off to claim the quaffle for her team.
Her arm had stopped throbbing by the time she rejoined Sadie in the stands, but she knew she would get a terrible bruise, if it wasn't there already.
Sadie didn't suffer the same extent of injury as Ramona when she next took flight, again as chaser. She did have several near misses, though. One time, a bludger sailed right past her nose. An inch closer and her nose would have been broken. Another time, she nearly experienced a head-on collision with someone else. Sadie swerved at the last minute, avoiding the head injury but scraping her hand and arm rather painfully.
She accepted the quaffle with her uninjured arm and raced to the goal hoops, throwing the ball as she arced in front of them. The whistle went off seconds before the keeper caught the quaffle.
Sadie touched back down, content with her tryout so far.
Two Trials and One Birthday
Author: Cai Pembroke Carter
Date: 11-19-13 11:35
Cai and Aderyn were both down at the pitch early this morning, intending on trying out for their respective house teams. Cai was going to try for seeker again this year, and Aderyn was going to try once again for beater. Both had also left gifts for Broderick who said he would come down a bit later and cheer them on during the trials, as today was his eighteenth birthday.
Warm ups and drills were run through, before names were called for a scrimmage game, Aderyn was called for the first and went to grab her assigned color.
Aderyn's focus in her scrimmage was to keep the blugers away from the chasers on her team and allow the seeker on her team to try and catch the Snitch before the seeker on the other. There were no faces on either team that she knew, but she some how managed to make things work – there was plenty of communication between the team and while neither of the seekers had managed to catch the snitch, their chasers had managed twenty points to the other's ten.
She'd even managed to keep onto both bludgers and one of those scores had been the result of a perfectly timed swing, that had knocked the quaffle from one of the other chaser's hands into the chaser on her team's hands and they'd immediately made a shot to score and the keeper had only just missed it letting the big red ball bounce once upon the edge of the hoop and then tumble through right before the whistle sounded ending the match.
Once she touched down, she headed to the stands and dropped down next to Angharad who was there to cheer them on as well, instead of trying out for her own house.
"Cai's in this next scrimmage as seeker, I don't think any of the seekers have caught the snitch before the whistle called time."
"I don't think so either and I've been watching most of them, you were pretty good."
"Thanks."
Both girls turned their attention to the pitch as the next scrimmage got underway – the balls in the air, and the sound of the bludgers getting hit with the bats filled the pitch, mingling with the rest of the sounds. Cai circled slowly at first, looking for that glimmer of gold, that rapidly flying ball that was worth the most points and could ultimately bring about an early end to any quidditch game.
"Watch out!"
Cai barely had time to move before a bludger went sailing by, mere millimeters from where her head had been. That would have hurt, considerably, if not have knocked her out and sent her falling from her broom to the ground below and that was NOT how she wanted her Quidditch trial to end. A sheepish looking Ravenclaw first year flew by calling out an apology as he swung his bat and sent the bludger back in the opposite direction – this time fully missing where Cai was on her broom.
She snapped herself back to attention and quickly resumed her search for the snitch, knowing well that that particular ball liked to be exceptionally tricky, especially when it didn't want to be found before a certain point.
"Have you seen it yet?"
The question came from the second year, Slytherin girl that Cai didn't recognize right off the bat, who was playing seeker opposite her in the scrimmage. Cai couldn't help but chuckle.
"No, and if you'd asked me that in an actual match rather than something like this I wouldn't have bothered to answer you. You've just gotta keep looking, you have to have patience to be a seeker, you don't get most of the action and yet you have the most responsibility trying to catch the snitch and win a hundred and fifty points for your team..."
No sooner had Cai stopped speaking did the snitch make it's presence known hovering right above the Slytherin girl's head, almost as if it was mocking her. Slowly, Cai reached a hand forward and within seconds, before the girl could even realize what had happened Cai's hand had closed around the snitch and the shrill sound of the whistle blew.
The teams touched down and Cai went to join her sisters up in the stands, smiling when she saw Broderick there as well, giving her brother a big hug. "Happy birthday Broderick."
"Thanks, and that was pretty awesome the way you caught the snitch right over the other girl's head."
"Yeah, she'd stopped to ask me if I'd seen it yet...." Cai chuckled and since neither she nor Aderyn were playing in the next scrimmage they settled down to watch.
Hope for Redemption or Rylee's Quidditch Trial
Author: Rylee
Date: 11-19-13 12:03
Saturday, September 15th, found Rylee and Raz both at the Quidditch pitch. Rylee was once again going to try out for Slytherin Seeker, and by Merlin this year better be better than last if she makes the team. She was not going to go another year as a social pariah because Slytherin lost every single quidditch match that they'd played and had ultimately lost their chance at the championship match and she knew well enough that everyone just about blamed her for it as she was the teams Seeker.
"Are you trying out as well Raz, or just here to watch?"
"I do not think I will try out this year, as I am only passingly familiar with the sport and haven't actually played before."
Rylee nodded and while she had gone down to the pitch to get her color for the scrimmage game after the drills had been run, Raz had taken a seat in the stands to watch Rylee while she tried out, wishing to learn as much as he could as well and perhaps he would try out next year. What he didn't want to tell Rylee was that he'd never actually been comfortable upon a broom and thus flying was not something he did often, if at all if he could help it. So, he was content to merely cheer her on from the sidelines and hope that she would make the position she desired for her house team.
Warm-up drills were easily done and Rylee had been sure to practice throughout the summer while she'd been home – not that there had been much else to do while her parents were getting divorced and then her Mother was in Israel, which is where she'd ultimately made the decision to come home with two foster children, Raz and his little sister Etana, whose family had been killed by a bomb.
It was the scrimmage match that Rylee was most looking forward to, and she was playing Seeker, as that was the position she most wanted. The moment the balls were let loose to begin the scrimmage match, she was up the air, moving in a calculated formation to begin hunting the snitch. The only thing that was on the peripheral of her mind was the location of the bludgers – as she had absolutely no desire to be hit by one of those hard, black balls. Their bruises were nasty, and they also if they hit you in the head held the potential to knock you out.
"Focus Rylee..." She murmured to herself, as her hands gripped her broom, and gaze focused on the pitch, the hunt for the snitch, that glimmering, winged ball that would net her scrimmage team the win in the match. Quick glance around, found the other seeker, a fourth year that she didn't know, searching methodically as well for that golden ball.
She'd just been about to turn her head and look in the opposite direction when the snitch made it's presence known by fluttering right in her direct line of sight. Even as her hand started moving the ball took off, and she had no choice but to follow it. Zigging and zagging, across the pitch, she'd barely missed running headlong into a bludger if Madoc McGonagall hadn't gotten there first and sent the bludger in the opposite direction. A quick word of thanks had been thrown to him, as she sped along.
Sharp turn as the snitch decided it wanted to double back, before she was dropping below the group of six chasers that were headed toward one of the sets of goal hoops – thankfully she managed to not hit any of them in her dive to follow the snitch. By this point, the other Seeker had realized that Rylee had found the snitch and was already in pursuit of the golden ball.
Rylee pulled ahead, being a bit lighter than the other girl, and already having more practice at being a seeker, and had she been a split second faster she would have caught the snitch before Flora Lynch blew the whistle to end the scrimmage match.
Once she was on the ground, she grabbed a drink and headed up to the stands to wait until she was called for another.
"Very well done, you are quite good Rylee."
"Thanks Raz, now, lets just hope no one outshines me and I will get a chance to redeem myself after last year's hideous failure."
Raz nodded, having heard about the fact that quite a few people blamed Rylee for Slytherin's loss of their chance at the championship match and influenced their chances at winning the house cup.
"You'll be fine Rylee, don't worry so much about it."
She nodded her head lightly, and turned her attention back to the stands, wanting to watch the next set of scrimmage matches that were being held.