|
|
Wenlock Cousins
Author: Aaron Miller
Date: 10-24-15 17:36
Jasper catches the quaffle, tucking it in close to his body while ducking as a bludger comes his way. He ends up having to do a partial roll to ward off a steal attempt. Accelerating forward he swerves around a seeker who's drifted into the middle of the action, focused on finding the snitch so probably not even paying much attention to the others.
Jasper lobs the ball, grimacing when it looks like the pass might be incomplete. He breathes a sigh of relief when the other chaser catches it. They and the third chaser on the team get into a rhythm passing the quaffle between them as they move the ball forward.
That rhythm is broken by a bludger catching one of the others in the back just as the quaffle is being thrown. This quaffle ends up on a jerky course, easily intercepted by the other team. Sharply banking around, Jasper straightens out his broom, speeding after the person now in possession.
The match ends seconds later, the time running about before the snitch is caught. Jasper finds a spot on the ground, up against part of one of the stands, looking to see who's playing next. Eden drops down beside him, handing Jasper a bottle of water.
"Thanks. You regretting yet not signing up?"
"Oh, maybe a little."
"You're good enough. I don't know why you only sometimes try out."
"I like Quidditch but I don't love it like some of you. I get to thinking how much time is taken up being on a team," she shrugs.
"There is that."
They're still sitting together, along with Lauren, Liannah, and Marlow, when Jasper is called again to play. Marlow pops up half a second after when her name is called as well. As they've played on the Hufflepuff team together for years now, they're pleased to find they're on the same team this time. Both are trying for chaser with neither trying for anything else today.
The other team gets the quaffle first, the three chasers working fairly smoothly together for people who aren't used to it. Marlow sees a break when one of them catches a pass but doesn't seem to have a very good grip on the ball. She darts in, knocking it away. Jasper is right there to catch it, handing off soon after to Marlow. The other chaser is Malden McGonagall. He's not someone either would expect to play nicely against two rivals from another team but these are the trials and part of that means showing good sportsmanship and working with teammates instead of against them. Without hesitation, Marlow passes to Malden. He takes the ball and powers forward, charging towards the other team's keeper and the hoops she guards.
Malden is partially hemmed in in a way that would mean his chances are making a goal are reduced. He sends the ball to Marlow who in turn passes it on to Jasper. He shoots and... no good. It hits the rim, allowing the keeper to send the ball back. Marlow grabs the rebound, adjusts her hold on the quaffle then throws. Her shot goes through, thanks partly to the keeper pulling back to avoid getting hit with a bludger.
When on the ground again, Jasper returns to his sister and cousins while Marlow is in the air again, having been called for the next scrimmage. Jasper wonders how Krum and his assistants determine who plays when and why some people will play two scrimmages back to back only to go four or five, or however many, until the next.
Marlow takes a bludger early on, it raking over her shoulder from behind. Luckily, it's not enough to dislodge her hold on the quaffle. She zig zags, avoiding one of the beaters and two of the chasers who are trying to either intercept or steal.
Seeing a chaser open, she throws only to have the thought she's thrown to someone not on her team. She gives a short, giddy laugh at realizing she threw to the right person.
She and the other two chasers on her team with some good assists from the beaters, get the quaffle within scoring range only to have the whistle blow. The seeker lucked out and in such a short time found and caught the snitch, ending this particular match.
She rejoins her sisters and cousins, where they watch more of the action while discussing Jasper's question on how each scrimmage line-up is determined.
Tessa Tries Out
Author: Bronwyn Dewhurst
Date: 10-25-15 08:40
Tessa had given trying out for Quidditch a great deal of thought. She had been enrolled in Fitness & Athletics class since last year and generally liked the Muggle sports with which she was already familiar due to growing up in the Muggle world. Wizarding sports, like Quidditch, were still new and exciting to Tessa. She didn't think she was an expert flyer by any stretch of the imagination, but she had good hand eye coordination and thought she might have a slight chance at making her house team.
When deciding on what position she might like to play, Tessa immediately ruled out chaser. Chasers not only had to zig, zag, dive, and swerve on top of catching and throwing and shooting and hopefully scoring. Keepers were rather stationary which might seem boring, but at the same time, guarding the goals was probably the most important job on the entire team. Seekers also had a major role to play. Catching the snitch usually meant winning the match.
That left beater, which involved some serious flying but also good aim. Tessa thought it would be her best fit, which was why beater was the only position for which she put down her name. If she didn't make the team, then she wouldn't be too upset. Besides, there was always next year.
Her warm-up and drills were led by Pyrrhus Fine. Tessa did sprints, practiced catching and throwing the quaffle, and whacked bludgers over and over again until her arm felt sore.
Her first scrimmage match was exciting and nerve-wracking at the same time. Tessa had never, ever played in a real Quidditch match before, much less a pickup game with friends. What if she only thought she might make a decent beater, only to find out she was totally rubbish? Maybe not the whole school was at the Pitch, watching the trials, but the stands were by no means empty.
Her first act as trial beater was to defend one of her chasers from getting hit by a bludger. Tessa wedged herself between the chaser and the black ball and struck it hard and as far away from her as possible. She watched the ball soar through the air before it was intercepted by Madoc, a beater on the other team. Madoc, an experienced beater, aimed it back at the chaser Tessa had just defended and who had moved some distance down the Pitch.
Tessa went in pursuit of the chaser, hoping to intercept the bludger again, but this time she was too late. The bludger struck the chaser in the shoulder blade. Tessa managed to get to the bludger as it bounced off the chaser and used it on the enemy chaser who had just scooped up the quaffle. It struck him in the middle of his back.
All at once, Tessa felt bad and good about the hit. She felt bad, because she didn't mean to hurt anybody, but good because the quaffle slipped from his grip and allowed a chaser on her team to get it back. If she really wanted to play beater, then she would have to learn that hurting her classmates was sometimes necessary.
It was during her second scrimmage match that she got hit by a bludger for the first time. She had her eye on the other one, not realizing that another inexperienced beater playing on her team had somehow aimed for her instead of somebody on the opposite team. The bludger hit her from behind, just above her tailbone. Tessa let out a cry of surprise more so from pain, though the point of impact throbbed terribly. The hit was in a place that didn't affect her seat on the broomstick, but it would probably cause her trouble when she sat down in a real chair.
She supposed it was good that she got hit, though, because now she knew what it felt like to be the target of a bludger. She grimaced and tried not to think about the discomfort in her behind and instead focused on trying to help out her team. Malden was one of the chasers on her team and he currently had the quaffle in his hand. He found himself boxed in by the chasers on the other team and also the target of a bludger. Tessa swooped in to deflect the bludger elsewhere. She managed to aim it at one of the chasers harassing Malden, which allowed him to hand off the quaffle to a teammate. When the match ended, Tessa's team was ahead of the other, which made her feel good about herself even though it was only a scrimmage match.
Conrad for Beater
Author: Ellis
Date: 10-25-15 12:33
Conrad was the only Ellis interested in trying out for Quidditch, though he knew making the Hufflepuff team was a long shot. What motivated him to give it a go was the fact that first years did sometimes earn a position on their respective house teams.
While Alys and Blakeney watched from the stands, Conrad played in the position of beater. He made a mad dash for one of the black balls and gave it a hard whack in the direction of Paton, an older boy in possession of the quaffle. The bludger missed Paton, but just barely, and was enough of a distraction for Franciscus Vanderbilt to lift the quaffle from his cousin's arms.
Conrad immediately sized up his options and then sprinted after the other bludger, which was being monopolized by a beater on the other team. That beater seemed to be bumping it slowly and steadily along until it was in a good position to do some serious damage. Conrad foiled the beater's attempt to hit his team's seeker and redirected the bludger at Paton, who was doing his very best to steal the quaffle back for his team.
Once again, Paton managed to elude the bludger. Conrad made a face. It seemed like he would never hit anybody with one of the black balls, and he felt more determined than ever to make sure that Paton got hit sooner or later. Unfortunately for Conrad, the scrimmage match came to an abrupt halt when somebody took a bludger to the face and ended up with a bloody nose.
Conrad's next scrimmage match was several matches later and didn't include Paton on either team at all. He played beater again, since it was the only position he had signed up for, despite not having any real preference.
His first act in this scrimmage was to put himself in between one of the bludgers and his seeker, who had spotted the snitch right off the bat. The seeker nevertheless lost sight of the golden, winged orb, but Conrad still managed to get to the bludger before it could hit the seeker. He aimed it at one of the chasers on the other team who seemed keen on hassling Malden, the chaser on Conrad's team who had the quaffle at that moment.
The bludger missed completely. Conrad frowned, not thinking his aim had been so very bad and wishing he could have blamed the miss on the fact the players had gone a different path than he'd anticipated, but the fact was, they had continued on in a straight line. He chased after the same bludger, hoping to rectify his mistake, but Aderyn Carter, the beater on the other team, beat him to it. She aimed for Malden but also missed, but only because someone called out a warning to him and he rolled away to avoid getting hit.
Conrad wasn't about to give up yet. He set his sights on the same bludger, though Aderyn was closer, and thought about how he could use it on the keeper awaiting Malden's approach. Aderyn predictably used it on Malden, but he passed the quaffle to a teammate to avoid his team losing possession of the ball. Conrad made a timely interception and aimed for the keeper, who followed instinct and dodged out of the bludger's way. The goal attempt was good!
Heeeeere Snitch! (Bran)
Author: Saffron
Date: 10-25-15 14:26
Swiping at some grit in his eye, Bran slows his broom then stops it completely. He looks down the length of the pitch ahead of him then turns to look behind him, sighing deeply. This scrimmage has less than five minutes left and so far he's not seen the snitch since its release at the beginning of the game. As far as he's aware, the other seeker hasn't seen anything either so that's something at least.
Deciding to go across the pitch the short way across, Bran turns his broom then slowly moves forward. Something brushes against his jaw just under his ear. Thinking it a leave or a bug, he reaches up to brush it away. Even when his fingers touch something feathery he doesn't think much of it. A feather blowing on the breeze is just as likely as a leaf.
Brushing his fingers again at it, wondering why it's not fallen away or blown off in another direction, Bran feels something else. Incredulous, he closes his fingers, then brings his hand around to peer at what now rests on the palm of his hand.
Marmaduke Flowers sees what Bran has, blowing his whistle to end the match. On the ground, those who'd made up Bran's team this game give him high fives and fist bumps, happy to have a victory, even though the win doesn't actually count beyond, in this case, a seeker able to show a little skill. And not even displaying that. Not really. The catch was serendipitous though Bran doubts he'll actually tell anyone it was simply a lucky accident.
When he's next called to play, Bran's competition is his roommate Brom von Room. Brom's tried out for chaser as well but Bran knows that despite their friendship of sorts, Brom would love nothing more than to unseat Bran as Ravenclaw seeker. Brom apparently hasn't given any consideration to the fact that someone else could get the spot just as easily as either Bran or he.
The balls are released and the match begins. Bran goes a direction other than the one Brom chooses. When he gets to the sidelines and turns fly a parallel path to the one he just covered, he sees one chaser with the quaffle being penned in by two others. The chaser, who's on his team, throws the quaffle straight up where it's caught by another of their team's chasers.
He forces his attention back to his own task, though from time to time he does look to see what's going on with the quaffle. About halfway through the time allotted for the scrimmage Brom starts shadowing Bran. It's not an uncommon move but coming from Brom it's somewhat more annoying.
Bran spots the snitch, increasing his speed to give chase. Brom matches Bran's speed though continues trailing just behind. When Brom does make a move he inadvertently bumps Bran. They both take eyes off the snitch for a second. The snitch is no longer visible when each turns attention back that direction.
By the time the match end, the game is scoreless and neither Brom nor Bran had spotted the snitch again.
Trying His Hand At Beater (Kurt)
Author: Saffron
Date: 10-25-15 15:10
Knowing his chances of making the Ravenclaw team as a beater are slim with the competition out there, Kurt has put in a 110%, no make that 220% effort today. It's a good thing he's only up against people from his own house. If he were going up against everyone from all four houses who want a beater position, like for a single school team that would play against another schools with a single team, Kurt isn't sure he would have signed up for today. Then again, he probably would have just to say he did.
Shifting the bat from one hand to the other to flex the fingers that have been tightly gripping its handle, Kurt slows as he approaches one of the bludgers. He's not as good with the bat in his non-dominant hand but he's not totally horrible or spastic either.
He sends the bludger not at the chaser with the quaffle but at the chaser's teammate who's pulled ahead and is open for a pass. It misses but only because the chaser suddenly stopped, which mean he wasn't where Kurt expected him to be when the bludger passed through a certain spot.
Not the first miss he's had and probably won't be the last but Kurt's all right with that as he's had a number of hits ranging from decent to great in the games he's played so far.
The scrimmage ends far too soon, as they all have as far as Kurt is concerned and he's sure plenty of others feel that way. Maybe instead of a single day for trials, he'll suggest to Professor Krum that the trials be spread out over several days, maybe even a week.
On the ground again Kurt grabs a snack and a drink before seeking out his friends, Bran and Estella in particular. Estella isn't trying out today but she's a great cheer section. She'll also be up front with him about any errors he's made and anything she saw that he needs to work more on to improve, which is really just about everything.
When he plays again, Kurt nearly gets hit by a bludger. The beater who had gotten to it gave it a good, solid hit. It was, unfortunately, simply sent the wrong direction.
Once he's avoided the bludger, Kurt sets up to give that very ball a hit. Double checking who should be the target, he smacks it hard, wanting to put enough energy into it to cover the distance it needs to go. Though he hates that bludgers can cause bruises and even broken bones, he is nevertheless pleased with the bludger connects with the intended chaser.
With one good hit early in the match, which assisted one of his teammates in stealing the quaffle, Kurt hopes to make it through this game without a single missed target.
Watching
Author: Susan Fricks
Date: 10-25-15 15:46
Susan watched Blair flying around the Quidditch pitch, mounted on one of the school broomsticks. Even if she was a first year Blair wanted to try out for her house's team. Susan thought she was really brave. She liked Quidditch but she didn't think she would ever want to be part of any of the school's teams. She knew she would get nervous every time she would have to play, always afraid to disappoint all the Ravenclaws in case the team lost the match. Besides, most of the players were older than her and they were intimidating. But her cousin Blair didn't seem to think so, as she flied among them, trying to get her hands at the quaffle. Maybe it was because Blair was a Gryffindor, Susan thought.
The place next to hers was occupied by Titus Nott, who had also came to the pitch to watch the try outs. He would laugh anytime the less experienced players would make any sort mistake. At first Susan didn't say anything, but his behavior upset her when he laughed at Blair, who got confused and tried to score in her own team's hoops.
"Look at that fool!"
"That's my cousin," Susan informed him.
"I'm sorry. But I've never seen someone doing that before. I don't know why people sign up for this, if they can't play at all."
"Blair can play. She was just nervous, I guess. And you shouldn't tease people. At least they are out there, doing their best, while you're seated here. I haven't seen you doing better than any of them."
"I could do better. I just don't want to try out. I am not interested in playing for the Slytherin Quidditch team. "
They continued to watch the scrimmages in silence. Titus did his best not to tease anyone else while he was next to Susan and she appreciated that. Then they started talking again with each other. Titus mentioned buying a new model next time he went to Hogsmeade and he asked if Susan wanted to help him to build it. She accepted immediately. Last year she had a lot of fun building the Hogwarts one.
Blair was participating in another scrimmage when a bludger hit her head. Susan stood up, watching her cousin falling from the broomstick but she didn't hit the grown with violence because Coach Krum was ready, and with a spell he managed to sustain her in the air. She left the stands, as Blair was taken to the Hospital Wing. She had regained conscience but seemed dizzy. Worried about her cousin, Susan went back to the castle to check on her, leaving Titus behind, who know was feeling a little bit guilty for having teased the young Gryffindor earlier.
Trying Out
Author: Georgia Copperpot
Date: 10-25-15 18:14
Libby punches Bertie on the shoulder. "See, told you this would be fun, Burpie!"
Libby's name is called for the next match up so she hurries off, wishing she had her own broom. If she makes the Slytherin team she'd be able to have one, or so she's been told.
Next to Bertie Edwina asks, "Your arm okay?"
He's still rubbing it as he nods. "Yeah, I guess though she does hit harder than a bludger."
"You don't seem like you wanted to try out so how come you signed up?"
Bertie cuts his eyes to where Libby is taking to the air. "Libby."
Edwina grins and holds up a hand. "That's all you have to say."
They go quiet as they watch Libby grabbing the quaffle from another chaser, both finding themselves double checking that the chaser is actually on the other team. Despite her aggressive style of play, Libby is a team player, much to the surprise of some of those who know her best. Bertie would have thought once Libby got the quaffle she'd not let it go until throwing for goal and then scare the keeper badly enough to let her throw pass through whichever hoop she'd chosen.
Libby has thrown the quaffle to Gerry Martini-Blackwell. A bludger comes at her, probably meant for before she passed off the ball. Libby doesn't bother ducking it. She punches out with a fist to shove it away. Seeing this Edwina comments, "I would have thought she'd go out for beater."
Bertie nods, not feeling a need to verbally agree. He can easily picture Libby as a beater who only sometimes bothers to use a bat to hit the bludger.
As Libby's match ends Bertie is called. He too is trying out for chaser, mainly because that's what Libby said, though he'd have been happy with keeper if this had been his idea and if Libby hadn't already decided a position for him. He could have tried out for more than one position but this being his first time and him being a first year, he thought only one would be better this time. Maybe next year. Maybe next year he'll also tell Libby what he's going to do instead of the other way around.
It's only after he's in the air that Bertie thinks to look at who else is playing the scrimmage. He'd not been paying much attention as names were called or when they were all on the ground. Edwina's brother, and Libby's cousin, Sylvestor is on Bertie's team. Must be as seeker because that's the only position Bertie's noticed Sylvestor playing today.
Bertie watches for an opening to pass the quaffle, trying hard not to lose it to one of the other team's chasers. He's doing his best today and he knows his dad, and his mum too, will be proud of him for putting himself out there, but he'll be fine if he doesn't make the team. He can't help but think Libby might have a fit if she doesn't make her house's team. If she does, he hopes he's not around to witness it.
Sylvestor flies a slow, steady pace, at times feeling as if his eyes might roll out of their sockets from how much he's moving them all around in search of the snitch. Oh! There! Sylvestor takes off, coming up right behind the snitch. Just as he stretches out his arm to grab it, the other team's seeker comes up so suddenly he starts. The slight jostle is all it takes for him to lose focus on the ball.
The other seekers glares at Sylvestor as if it's his fault the snitch is now nowhere to be seen. They part ways, Sylvestor going back to his slow, steady pace as he methodically searches the pitch. He isn't sure how long he's been at it again when the other seeker goes streaking past. Sylvestor takes off after, thinking there's been a snitch sighting. Sure enough, he can see it just ahead.
The other seeker and he are neck and neck, each trying to edge out the other. The snitch is tantalizingly near, both of their hands outstretched for it, fingers reaching. A whistle blowing has them both sighing. So close to getting the snitch and the match is over.
When Libby next plays she's pleased that Bertie is in the same scrimmage and on her team. It really is too bad that he just had to be Sorted into a different house from her. He's a little better at Potions than she is and having him in the same class would be helpful. It would also be easier to look at his homework to check hers against it.
The other team gets the quaffle first but Libby, Bertie, and an older girl in Bertie's house who's been on the Hufflepuff team before, Marlow, soon fix that. Marlow intercepts then passes to Bertie who passes to Libby. The distance between Libby and the hoops is open, at least for the moment so she pours on the speed to get to those hoops before the other team can do anything about it.
She's stopped by a bludger, but only because it knocks into the quaffle just right to make her lose her grip. Luckily, Marlow has caught up by then and is able to get it before anyone else does.
A few matches later and Sylvestor is in again. Within seconds the other seeker and he are streaking after the snitch, which is hurtling along at a dizzying speed. It's going so fast it's no surprise to Sylvestor he has a hard time keeping up while also keeping an eye on it. The other seeker has a problem as well, both of them slowing about the same time, perplexed as to exactly how that little ball seems to wink in and out of their plane of existence. Sylvestor would also like to know just how such a tiny thing with small wings can go that bloody fast.
With the snitch out of sight for the moment, Sylvestor uses the same search method he's used for every scrimmage he's been in so far. By going slow and steady he's more likely to see something than if he's zipping along or staying in one place like some seeker wannabes seem to do.
Hoping that wasn't the only snitch sighting this game, Sylvestor also hopes if it shows again he gets it and not his opposition, who probably feels exactly the same way about Sylvestor.