Continuing That Winning Streak! ((Ravenclaws))

[Theo Darke]

"Good morning Celia," Theo waved a hand in greeting as he approached the older Ravenclaw, broomstick in one hand, wand in the other. "No one here yet, huh?" He set the levitating trunk down on the floor in front of his Captain and motioned upwards with his wand, causing the top to fly open. "Here." Inside were the one Quaffle, two struggling Bludgers and one Snitch. "As usual, Madam Hooch warned me to not lose them. You probably got the same, right?" He chuckled and glanced across at the chest Celia had collected. Since there were more players than the seven on the main team they had to use more equipment, hence why Theo had gone to collect another chestful from Madam Hooch. He put his wand back into his pocket and bent down to grab one of the Quaffles. "Now that Norah's gone I was wondering what we should do about our main team Beater. We don't have any others apart from you and E." A slight frown creased Theo's forehead. "It'd be a shame to see you move permanently to Beater, though. I think we work well together." Flashing a friendly smile, Theo was distracted when he saw a few figures appearing from afar. Squinting his eyes he said, "Looks like some of them are here now. I hope no one's late so we can start as early as possible. You never know if those Slytherins might gate-crash our practice."

Once the team was all gathered around, Celia congratulated everyone again for their efforts in their last match with Hufflepuff. Theo nodded along in agreement with an infectious smile. "Yeah, you were all brilliant. I was really proud of us all. It's a shame Adriahna's had to leave our line-up, along with Norah. Celia and I were wondering who could replace her as the main team's Seeker, as well as the Chaser spot if Celia becomes a Beater to fill in Norah's spot. Sandy, Edward, Ruth; you would all be brilliant candidates." Theo searched for assurance from his Captain before looking at said players; from the innocent-looking Sandy Hart, to flustered yet academically brilliant Edward Summers, to Ruth Hosker-Thornhill, aloof and distant, and who, Theo was sure, disliked him even more since the match (oddly enough) when she was injured a little. What he had done to deserve her glares was beyond him, but Theo did not let it affect him much. If Ruth really had a problem with him then she would probably tell it to him straight; both of them had a professional student-relationship that would not interfere with their Quidditch.

Once they had finished discussing the main line-up, Theo let Celia address the issue of the practice. Since Theo specialised in Chasing and Keeping, whilst Celia was a Chaser and Beater, they would share the Chasing practice. The Seekers would practice separately afterwards. "So, first we'll have all the Chasers doing the warm-up passing exercise, and then go into passing in two teams. The teams will be Celia and Ruth, and myself with Williard and August." Theo tried a smile. "One team will have to maintain possession of the Quaffle whilst the other team tries to steal and intercept. This will test your teamwork as well as your passing, stealing and intercepting skills. Meanwhile, everyone else," Theo looked up to those who seemed to have been forgotten, "will be doing a speed test around the pitch. You know the drill - to handle and fly your broom as quickly as possible under the time limit. Hopefully this'll help improve your speed and your handling - we don't want any crashes! So that's E, Sandy and Edward. When the Chasers have finished we will split the Chasers: those who are also Keepers like myself will take turns saving goals as the remaining Chasers attempt to shoot. August and myself will switch between Chasing and Keeping so we get a shot at both."

Theo looked at Celia and E. "E, since you and Celia are the only Beaters you will have a separate session with her whilst this happens - well, after Celia has had a go at shooting a few times. Then there's the Seekers. We have..." Theo took a quick glance at the roster list again. "Williard, Ruth, Edward and Sandy. At the end you will get a chance to Snitch-search with me in charge. Everyone else will get to do the speed test, which is the equivalent really. So, that's the plan; hopefully it incorporates everything and everyone. First up, the Chasers need to come with us. E, Edward and Sandy, you three can warm-up for five minutes and then get yourselves ready for the speed test." Celia gathered the Chasers in the centre of the pitch - himself, herself, Ruth, Williard and August - and gave out armbands signally everyone's sides. The boys wore dark blue and the girls a paler shade. Normally Evelyn Winter would be with the latter group but she wasn't available today; neither was Lynnette Collins. Theo passed Celia the Quaffle and they threw it around for about five minutes. Then Celia went to start the other three in their speed test whilst they got ready for their mini Quaffle match. Once Celia had returned, Theo set himself in the middle. "Okay, so I will release the Quaffle and stand back for the first bit," Theo said. He held the Quaffle in the centre and waited for everyone to get ready, before shouting, "On your marks, get set, GO!" The Quaffle was in the air and they were off.

[Ruth Hosker-Thornhill]

In her mind she considered the possibility that she was late, an odd occurrence if she were, but she didn’t care so much for what might be the consequence. In truth she wasn’t really that late but even a few minutes behind the time agreed was considered late in her mind. As she walked towards the pitch she was accompanied by a few other members of her team but she ignored them, lost her in her own thoughts for now. Ruth enjoyed Quidditch- she loved the mode, the state, the new personality that it put her in. Yet she wasn’t sure if she wanted to commit 100% to her team just yet. It was obvious to her that the Beater position was free as a result of Norah’s leave from the team. Celia was a brilliant beater and if she did take this position, that would mean the chaser position would be open. Ruth wasn’t sure if she wanted it. There was no definite seeker on the team, and she wanted that. Her natural determined personality made her want whatever she knew she could get; and she knew that seeker position could be hers if she showed enough passion for the sport. She was a good Chaser and had done fairly well in the last game, but she had always preferred Seeker. It was such a great position to be in, and with Ruth’s agility and in-game determination it was ideal for her. As she reached her captain and vice-captain Ruth looked up into their eyes, wondering what they were thinking. The team had done very well and as Theo spoke, she did indeed feel a sense of pride wash over her. She accepted this; Ruth, and her team, deserved the verbal reward after all.

It almost irritated Ruth that Theo had been taking so much control lately in the terms of practises- Celia was the captain after all. Ruth hadn’t seen the vices in the Gryffindor or Slytherin teams take so much responsibility. Shaking the thought from her mind she decided it was none of her business- her business was that seeker position. She now felt a little protective, as if it should be hers- not Edward’s, not Sandy’s. Ruth listened to Theo speak and didn’t avert her gaze as he looked at her- instead she stared straight back into his eyes. Not defiantly, yet she hated being assessed this way, hated being considered like this. It should be her position already. Sandy was good maybe, but did she have that passion? That fight? Edward shouldn’t even be considered and it irritated Ruth to think that she was being compared to him- he was still a boy after all and she couldn’t see the change from boy to man come anytime soon. And Williard... she didn’t know much about him really. In Theo’s eyes Ruth wondered what he thought of her. She was critical, cynical sometimes, and it showed. Her annoyance in their last game had been slightly uncalled for surely, but Theo should have known that she wasn’t a child to be checked on. She could look after herself, and if she had confessed to being in the amount of pain she had been then he would have put her on the bench- something she would not stand. Lately Ruth had lost the quiet, focused-on-her-studies air and knew that she had gained something else, something that made others feel uncomfortable around her. She was aware of this and welcomed it. If people were uncomfortable they wouldn’t try to get close. And if they didn’t try to get close then Ruth could be by herself, look after herself, no-one else... apart from Claudia. As always, there was Claudia to look after.

Ruth nodded to Theo’s explanation of how things would go. She was with Celia for the Chaser practise, which she was relatively happy about. She quite liked her captain, after seven years Celia knew Ruth well enough to know not to intrude and not to pry- and Ruth respected this. Listening carefully to Theo’s words Ruth nodded slightly again. Passing. Stealing. Intercepting. It was simple but Ruth recognised how it could benefit her so welcome the task. She ignored the speed test instructions to everyone else as they didn’t concern her. When Theo turned to the Seeking section of the day she tuned in once more, instantly alert. Snitch-search. Right. She followed Theo and Celia into the centre of the pitch slowly, her broom tight against her slender form. Once there she took out the pale armband with a scowl that she found difficult to suppress. Armbands? Really? Without further complaint she put the armband loosely on. The throwing of the Quaffle was irritating her and she was pleased when it was over- and the real practise started. She and Celia swapped one look and she knew that the two would work well together instantly. She tracked the Quaffle with her Seeker’s eyes as it rose before falling- and then her trusty broom propelled her form forwards, her hands reaching out. She blocked out anyone else, not caring if Williard or August decided to go at the same time. If they did she would probably collide with them, an inevitable event in a Quidditch game anyway. All she wanted was that Quaffle in her hands for now, and one it was hers, the knowledge that Celia was open nearby.

((Catching the Quaffle.))

[August Reid R7]

The best part of Quidditch was the practices, August decided as he made his way to the pitch. There was no pressure put on the players. Of course the captains wanted them to play their best but during a game the entire school was watching wanting one team to dominate. Although August felt like he could ignore the crowd if he occupied himself by concentrating on the game, a practice had a different tone and mood than a game. It was more relaxed. It was an opportunity to get to know your teammates a little better. August smiled at Theo as he joined the rest of the team listening to Theo's explanation of the day. He took a spot next to Ed and gave his fellow fifth year a little nudge with his elbow as he thought of Ed hanging from a tree by his feet. As the team listened to Theo, August looked around at the other players. August did not know Williard very well but he was the same age as Bronsen and sometimes his name would come up in conversations with his brother. Then there was Sandy. August was still unsure what to think of her. He vividly remembered searching for hellebore with her. Then there was Ephraim or E as he was known. August wanted to get to know him better. But like many sixth years he was very busy with studies. Finally, August's eye's landed on Ruth. August avoided her. He heard that she had quite a temper on her and August had no desire to see if that was the truth or not.

Theo explained that the Chasers were going to have a little scrimmage while the rest of team was going to do something else. August vaguely wondered what the Keepers would be doing during the practice as he followed the rest of the Chasers to the centre of the pitch. Theo had recently took August aside and asked August to change his main position to Chaser. At first, he was a little reluctant. He was proud of being the Ravenclaw Keeper. There was only one of them and three Chasers. But the more he thought about it, the more he liked it. Whereas if you performed poorly as a Keeper you could change the tide of the game but as a Chaser if you performed poorly you had two other Chasers to fall back on. He agreed. And besides, he still might have to play Keeper one of these days. His attention was brought back to the field as armbands were passed out to the Chasers. It looked as if this little lark was going to be the boys against the girls. He took the armband and fastened it snugly on his arm with his wand. He then mounted his broom and waited for Theo to release the Quaffle. Once loose he saw Ruth going for it. August forgot about Williard and Theo for the moment. She wanted the ball but she couldn't have it if August got there first.

((Catching the Quaffle))

[Edward Summers R6]

Ed smiled as he felt the soft fabric of his pillow digging into his cheek. He was half awake and half asleep as the little bit of sun dipped through the window and warmed his cheek. This was peaceful; it was one of the main reasons why Edward finished his homework quickly, so that he could sleep in and enjoy the weekends at Hogwarts. Ed smiled and snuggled even deeper, today was going to be a good day, he would probably sleep until noon, and then take a quiet walk around the lake. He groaned in annoyance as a hand gripped his shoulder and shook him gently. “Oi! Ed, wake up…..” Groaning Ed rolled over ignoring the voice that was intruding upon his sleep. “You dolt….Ed! ED!!!” Yelled the voice. “Why do you forget every week? You’re on the darn Quidditch team! Practice!” The next shove was hardly gently and it sent Ed crashing off the opposite side of the bed.

Ed’s groan turned from one of annoyance to one of despair as the message sank in, he was on the Quidditch team, and that meant he had to attend practice, why bother? He was a horrible player, he could barely stay on the broom, and when he did stay on he nearly killed the people around him. He had been spared embarrassment on the last game due to a quick Snitch capture for Ravenclaw, but he knew he wouldn’t be getting that lucky in the next game, not to mention there was going to be some lineup changes on the team, he might get more playing time because of it. Ed picked himself up from the floor, whoever had woken him was already gone, he groped around and located his glasses and placed them on his nose, bringing the dorm into clear focus. Quickly untangling himself from his blankets he got dressed and headed down to the great hall for breakfast.

He had quickly found that it was almost a necessity to eat a good breakfast before a practice. During his first few he had been so nervous he couldn’t eat a single bite and he had always left that practice defeated and tired, but after eating a good practice he found that he had some energy left over. He ate quietly and by himself, like always, most of the other team members at amongst themselves, they had been on the team longer than him and already had their little niche’s built. Edward kept his eye on these groups and watched them, soon they all got up as one and began to leave the great hall. He took this as his cue and got up too and followed them out onto the grounds as they made their way toward the pitch. Ed followed a few feet behind the largest group, most of these students deserved to be on the team, they were athletic and had gotten on the team by skill. Ed had only made it on the team because they had been desperate for players, he didn’t even want to join the team at the time.

Ed joined the group as they all lined up around the Captain, Celia, and the Vice Captain, Theo. He felt a nudge on his elbow and glance to the side and spotted August join the group, Ed grinned as the memory of their last meeting came to mind, Ed had started that meeting hanging upside down from a tree. Ed turned his attention back to the Captain’s as they officially started the practice. He listened with a slight bit of dread, the Seeker position was opening up and he was a candidate for it? He gulped, who in their right mind would keep him in mind for the most important position in the game? Spotting and catching tiny moving objects wasn’t exactly Edward’s forte. Again his heart fell as he heard what it was he would be doing for the first part of the practice, a speed test? Ed gulped as he moved away from the other players for his five minute warm-up.

He watched the other players warming up, some were stretching, some jogging in place getting their blood flowing, Ed stood there watching stupidly. Ed lifted one leg and grabbed it in a quad stretch, he felt stupid just standing there not doing anything, he quickly realized that that was a mistake as he immediately overbalanced and fell on his face. He was up quickly looking around to see if anyone had seen him fall, “I’m fine, I’m fine.” He added quickly as a precaution to dispel anyone’s fears. Edward’s face burned with embarrassment but luckily he was spared anything else as Celia approached to start the speed trials. A fresh knot of panic raced through him as he took his broom in hand, his flying was shoddy as it was but now they were adding speed and precision into the mix. Ed glanced around at his fellow team mates, with this current equation it seemed highly possible that he would be killing one of them today.

Ed climbed awkwardly on his broom as she approached and watched as the rest did also. He waited nervously and then the moment came. Celia blew her whistle and everyone launched into the air and began to race around the pitch. Ed climbed higher and higher, he paid too much attention to his ascent though and didn’t notice as he began to slip sideways on his broom. His broom lurched violently to the side, he would have gone over and fallen had he not collided with the player to his left, knocking them both off course. “Sorry….” Ed called as he quickly righted himself. He made sure to stay away from the rest of the group as they began to make their laps. The first few went fine for him, but once again he lost temporary control of his broom and it bucked violently. Ed bounced and his glasses slipped off his nose and fell.

He flayed his arms and tried to catch them but they slipped past his fingers and began to fall to the pitch below. Ed quickly dove, he was nearly blind without his glasses and he barely saw the tiny black speck in the distance. He was hardly aware of what he was doing but he slowly made way against the falling glasses. Ed snatched them out of the air and quickly pulled out of his dive, his feet skimming the grass slightly as he came level. He breathed a sigh of relief and replaced the glasses. The world came back into sharp focus, and so did the curving wall of the Pitch in front of him. Ed didn’t have enough time to dodge and he collided with the slightly padded wood wall. He bounced and landed in a heap on the grass and groaned. “I’m…..Ok…” He called weakly and slowly stood up on shaky knees. Hopefully everyone would be too enthralled in their practice to have noticed his slip.

Ed remounted his broom and took off into the air. He finished his ten laps, way behind the rest of the group that was doing their speed test and then landed, rather horribly, and waited for the next part of the practice to take place.

[Celia Richmond]

(Before I start, rolls)
Theo Darke R6: 6, 2, 4
Ephraim Eades R6: 4, 1, 4
Sandy Hart R4: 5, 3, 4
Ruth Hosker-Thornhill R7: 6, 5, 2
August Reid R5: 6, 5, 2
Celia Richmond R7: 5, 1, 3
Edward Summers R5: 5, 5, 2
Williard Thoth R2: 6, 6, 1
Woodrow Winchester R3: 6, 1, 6


Celia arrived at the quidditch pitch early that morning, in plenty of time for the practice herself and Theo had organised for the team. They had all morning for it, so she hoped to get a lot done in that time. She had confidence in her team after their recent, very quick, victory, but that didn’t mean they could slack on practices! If anything it made her decide that the team should practice more-to keep up the great work, and to show the other teams that the last match wasn’t just a one-off, and they could be that good consistently.

She kicked the box of equipment that she’d collected from Madam Hooch into the corner of the room, as inconspicuous as possible, as she changed into her quidditch robes. Soon after she emerged from the changing room Theo arrived, with an extra set of equipment, as promised. “Hey!” she smiled over at the younger boy as he arrived, more enthusiastic than she would’ve thought possible at that time of day. “yeah, I have another set of stuff. I think it’s necessary when we’ll be having a few things going on at once”. She went to collect the chest from the corner, and moved it next to Theo’s.

“Oh yeah, you have a point there about the beaters…I guess I don’t really have much choice but to move to beater permanently, unless someone else auditions before the next game. And you’re right, it is a shame…I do really enjoy being a chaser, and we do work well together, definitely.” Celia smiled back at him, albeit unenthusiastically due to this thought, as she saw some people coming their way. She was glad that people were arriving early-it meant that they could start early, and either fit more in or finish early. Either way, it was good. Theo seemed to share her thoughts, and she nodded in agreement as the first arrivals entered the room.

Soon enough, everyone had arrived and they all gathered in the main room. “Hey everyone, and thanks for coming! Before going ahead with the practice, I have to congratulate you once again for last week’s performance-you were all fantastic out there! Especially Adriahna…I think everyone was shocked at how quickly she caught the snitch! It really is a shame that she left…and Norah. Theo will talk about the line-up changes in a bit, once I’ve finished…though I think those concerned should already know what’s happening. Anyway, I’m really proud of you all, and we just have to keep up the good work from now on! We can’t let this season be a repeat of last year’s!”

She listened as Theo explained the changes, and then went on to explain the practice. “Yeah, Ruth, Williard and August come with me. The rest of you, Theo will start you off on a speed test and then come back to the chasers. After that’s all done, as Theo said, the keepers will go and practice against the remaining chasers…Theo and August will switch between the two. Then afterwards the seekers will practice while the rest of us have a speed test. Then lunch! I’ll repeat that all later on, don’t worry. Anyway, we might as well get started now! Chasers, come with me!”

They did some passing practice, and when Theo left to see to the others they started the mini game in their teams. Ruth and August both went for the quaffle very quickly, with Ruth* fortunately being just about successful…it was very close! Ruth held the quaffle, and Celia made sure she was free to receive the pass.

*Ruth = catch = (D6+dex) = 3+6 = 9
August = catch = (D6+dex) = 2+6 = 8

[Theo Darke]

Theo watched as Ruth and August both dived for the Quaffle immediately. Immediately after the ball was released from his fingers Theo was in competition mode - they had to beat the girls. He glanced across at Celia and Williard; both were ready for passes to be made at them. Theo observed the battle between Ruth and August with bated breath, willing his younger friend on, but it was Ruth who caught the Quaffle by an inch. "Oo, so close," he muttered under his breath. Immediately he darted forwards, eager to win back the Quaffle and do something for the men. Flashing Williard a smile as he passed the younger kid, Theo raced straight for Ruth, who would no doubt pass to Celia since there were only two players on the girls' team. "I'll intercept!" Theo yelled at August and Williard as he rounded on Celia, seeing as he was closest to his Captain. "Someone steal from Ruth!" Theo braced for Ruth's pass to Celia if the other two didn't manage to steal from her, his arms raised in the arm, waving madly in the hope that he'd block the pass or catch the Quaffle mid-pass. Theo could see the determination in Ruth's eyes and knew she was not a Chaser to be messed with, even if her preferred position was Seeker. Still, Theo was not afraid; bring on the battle - as long there was no violence or injury he would be content.

((Attempting to intercept Ruth's pass if one is made.))

[Ruth Hosker-Thornhill]

It didn’t take much to feel the Quaffle beneath her fingertips. Without hesitation Ruth continued at the same constant speed- she found it irritating when members of her team slowed after catching the Quaffle, as if amazed they had done so. She would not be so foolish as to lose precious time like that even in a practise. So she didn’t slow down but after a few more metres of satisfying Quaffle-holding flight, she turned sharply; perhaps that would put anyone who wanted to steal off. If it didn’t and she would soon have the Quaffle taken from her then she would learn from the mistake and know to turn a sharper corner next time. Without waiting to see if the Quaffle was ripped from her hands the Ravenclaw turned her head and, with a strong throw, attempted to send the red ball towards her team captain. As she did so she heard Theo’s cry of ‘I’ll intercept!” and couldn’t keep the amused, challenging smirk from her face as she looked him in the eye while he flew over and her arms moved into the pass.

((Attempting a pass to Celia))

[August Reid R7]

So close and yet so far. His fingers were inches away from the Quaffle and yet Ruth had caught it first. This did not deter him just yet however. Just because you caught the Quaffle did not mean that you were going to keep it forever. Ruth lost no time to speed away and August was on her tail. The first action that came to mind was trying to intercept the pass if she made one but then he heard the voice of Theo. He was going to intercept and wanted either August or Williard to steal. August was in the better position. He nodded to himself, acknowledging Theo's words. Theo was the vice after all. A team was only as good as their leadership. Focusing only on Ruth and the red ball, August lost track of where Celia and the other players were. All that mattered was getting the Quaffle. He neared the older player and reached out when suddenly she took a sharp turn. August flew right past her, surprised but not beaten, before making a turn of his own. He was going to get that Quaffle. Her hands moved as if she was going to throw it but he wouldn't let her.

((Stealing the Quaffle))

[Theo Darke]

((August attempts to steal from Ruth. Ruth attempts to defend.
August = Steal (D4 + Str) = 3 + 5 = 8
Ruth = Defend (D8 + Str) = 7 + 5 = 12
Ruth retains the Quaffle.

Ruth attempts to pass the Quaffle to Celia. Theo attempts to intercept.
Ruth = Pass (D6 + Dex) = 2 + 6 = 8
Theo = Intercept (D4 + Dex) = 1 + 6 = 7
Ruth passes the Quaffle to Celia.

Celia has the Quaffle.))

Admirably, August flew up against Ruth again to attempt to steal from her. However, the older girl was just stronger than August - well, at the moment. Theo felt that August would one day be stronger than Ruth. Watching the scene carefully, Theo knew he would have to be determined to intercept the pass from Ruth now that August had not been able to steal the Quaffle. As Ruth neared him, Theo flew between her and Celia to attempt to get in the way and get the Quaffle for himself. Ruth flung the Quaffle at Celia and Theo soared up, his fingers brushing the ball, but it wasn't enough, for the Quaffle sailed over his head and into Celia's arms. The boys were losing.

"C'mon guys," Theo rallied at his three-man team. "We can beat the girls!" He added his last quip as a joke, but he was serious about beating them. They could do this. Seeing as Celia had the Quaffle now, Theo turned right around so he could try to stop her passing it back to Ruth. With a friendly but competitive grin at his Captain, Theo got ready to try to block the Quaffle between the girls again. Hopefully he would be more successful this time. Whoever would steal from Celia had a good chance - she was not as strong as Ruth, she had always been better at passing, and if August tried again, he was sure he would get the Quaffle for sure.

[Celia Richmond]

Celia reached up to grab the quaffle as she saw it heading towards her from Ruth's arms. Fortunately Theo's attempt to intercept that pass failed, though it was very close...very, very close, and August had previously narrowly missed out on stealing the quaffle from Ruth. She knew they was very strong chasers (though August was predominantly a keeper above all), so she wasn't worried at all by that-maybe one of them would intercept the next pass, or successfully steal.

With there being only 2 chasers on her side, and no keepers to shoot against, she had no option but to pass back to Ruth, so she flew over to a clear area and threw the quaffle as quickly as possible towards the other 7th year girl. Though almost as soon as she was ready to throw it back to Ruth, Theo flew right in between them, trying to intercept. So Celia decided to try and change her position slightly, and threw the quaffle at an odd angle rather than straight ahead, hoping that this would somehow be more successful.

In a way though, she hoped Theo would catch it, for a few reasons. Firstly, it would prove his strength as an interceptor-a vital skill. Secondly, it would give them a chance to practice passing between them more, and finally it would give the girls more of a chance to practice stealing and intercepting. The aim of the practice was for all team members to try out and improve in all the skills necessary for both their primary and secondary positions, so it would be good in a way of Theo caught it, though she did want herself and Ruth to win!

[August Reid R7]

August could feel his fingers grace the surface of the Quaffle before Ruth launched it at her fellow teammate. She seemed not even to notice that August was trying to steal it. That could mean one of two things. Either August was being very sneaky and Ruth had failed to notice him or she was not concerned by his presence. August feared that it was the latter reason. Ruth had managed to keep the Quaffle and what was worse she was able to pass the ball to Celia without much fuss from Theo. They were not playing with a Keeper so the only thing that Celia could do was pass the ball back to Ruth. August moved his broom to intercept but saw that once again Theo was going to intercept. August sighed to himself and tried to remember that it was just a game. Theo wasn't intercepting because he didn't want August to but because Theo thought it was the best course of action. It was not personal. It was not personal. All right he was ready. With Theo getting ready to intercept, August went to steal from the older girl. Surely, one of the boys would be successful this time? They just had to be.

[Theo Darke]

((Sorry for the delay!

August attempts to steal the Quaffle from Celia.
August = Steal (D6 + Str) = 6 + 5 = 11
Celia = Defend (D8 + Str) = 8 + 1 = 9
August has the Quaffle.))

Theo whooped loudly when August successfully stole the Quaffle from Celia. Strength was probably the Ravenclaw Captain's weakness, but Theo wondered for a moment if Celia had gone easy on them on purpose; knowing her, she'd want everyone to have a go, and the boys had not had a chance yet. Still, Theo knew Celia would never admit defeat without a fight. Ruth, on the other hand, would definitely not consider going easy on them, so Theo knew it was her they should be afraid of. "Well done, August!" Theo yelled to his teammate, smiling proudly. He whipped away from Ruth, flying nearer to August. "I'm open, pass to me!" he yelled, seeing as Williard was not in the vicinity. Ruth and Celia would be flying forwards to steal and intercept soon so, "Make it quick!" he added, arms up in the air and ready to receive.

[August Reid R7]

Finally! The Quaffle was in his possession. Not Ruth's, not Celia's, not Theo's. His. He turned his broom toward the hoops on one end of the pitch and took off. He quickly realised and remembered that this was just a practice and there would be no Keeper to score against and that he would not win any points for doing so. He turned his broom back toward the center of the pitch and the rest of the Chasers. He hoped that they would not notice his lapse in memory. That they would think he was making a big loop to gain some acceleration. Yeah, that sound good. He had a good speed going now. He heard Theo call for him to pass. August looked for Williard thinking it would be nice for all the Chasers to get some practice. But he was not as close as Theo was. Surely one of the girls would try to intercept the pass but he would never know if he didn't try.

((Passing to Theo))

[Ephraim Eades R7]

((Experience points counted up to and including this post.))

Their last match hadn't been much of a match at all. Ephraim was glad that they won, but he was a bit disappointed to fly away wihtout much time on the pitch. Half the fun in Quidditch was just getting to play. Winning was nice, but getting to play was what made Quidditch Quidditch.

Today's pratise would be a nice chance to get out on his broom and keep his muscles in tune. With the Quidditch Skills cup and the upcoming match against Slytherin, there could never be too much practise.

Ephraim found his way to the pitch and gathered around the rest of his team. Celia and Theo were quick to explain the directions, and since Ephraim wasn't a Chaser, all he needed to do for now was a quick speed drill. Easy enough. Mounting his broom, Ephraim did what was asked of him and prepared to fly.

[Woodrow Winchester R4]

Woodrow was in a hurry, he was late for his first team practice. He was the newest addition to the team, and felt bad that he would be turning up late to it. He wished now that he hadn't tripped, knocking over that suit of armor, especially seeing as how Filch had seemed to appear out of nowhere, in hiding no doubt, and made him shine the armor as well as put it back together. It had taken the better part of an hour to do all that, and then he had to rush back up to Ravenclaw tower, change into his quidditch robes, and grab his Nimbus. He was at the Entrance Hall now, and then outside, rushing torwards the pitch.

As he neared the pitch, he could see that some of the other players were already flying, which made him feel worse. He didn't want to interrupt what they were doing, but he would have to, so that he could find out where they needed him at. He stopped running as he came into view of the team, and saw that it was only chasers in the air, and five of them at that. He wasn't sure what to do, so he simply walked over to a boy maybe one or two years older than him, he believed his name was something Summers, Nick, no, Walt, no Ed, yeah that was it, Edward Summers! Stopping within four feet of him, he was about to ask the boy what he had missed, but then remembered the vice captain, Theo Darke saying that the chasers would begin practice with a mini game.He could see that the chasers had formed into two teams, it appeared to be boys versus girls, and that the girls were short a member. Holding his broom at ready, he swung his right leg over, and kicked off. He immediately felt his nervousness leave, as if it was only a thing that the earth itself could care for, and the sky wanted nothing to do with it. Looking at the other chasers, he saw that they all had armbands, and that the girls wore a slightly paler armband than the boys. Not having one of those armbands himself, he pulled out his wand, and placed the same colors as the girls around his wrist, so that he could be identifiable to them. With that, he flew into the mini-game.

( I know I don't have my stats yet, but attempting to intercept the pass to Theo if possible.)

[Sandy Hart R4]

Quidditch. It was time for Quidditch. It was a horrible, bloody sport that hurt and maimed people in the endeavor of throwing a bloody ball through a hoop. Still, she felt free in the air with the rest of her team. The wind blowing in her hair, the blue sky around her, and her prey in front of her. There was only one position in the game she enjoyed, and that was the position of seeker. Oh, the thrill of the hunt! The thrill of the chase! All the other positions were quite brutish and horrible. Chaser was alright, and it was her back up position. But to play keeper, or beater! HA! She couldn't understand those two girls who captained the Gryffindor and Slytherin teams. What were there names? Cassandra and Mary? She watched both of them during their last match together. Cassandra screamed at her team like an amazon woman most of the time, and Mary kept giving her people dirty looks. Both girls seemed classless and unrefined on the quidditch field. However, they both came from very prestigious pureblood families. It seemed even the best could become animals when it came to the wizarding sport.

After receiving her instructions, Sandy took to the air with the rest of her team's seekers. She knew that she was the last string reserve for the Ravenclaw team. She didn't care. She only wanted her chance to find the little golden ball that eluded her. She had caught it once. That moment of triumph felt amazing and almost surreal for the little raven. She was able to do what the other, more experienced seeker couldn't do. It had eluded him, but hadn't eluded her. What an amazing creature that snitch was! She knew that it was nothing more than a charmed ball, but it seemed to have a mind of its own. Each ball seemed to have its own personality as well. The snitch in the last game seemed to be light and airy. It wanted to tease and taunt the seeker anyway it could. She wondered about the personality of the current snitch. Soon, in Sandy's mind, the snitch had its own life including hopes, dreams, and aspirations. Of course, the only true aspiration a snitch should have was running away from the quidditch game. Wouldn't that show all those wizards chasing after them? She shook her head getting back to the business at hand. Snitch searching. She squinted her eyes into the sun looking for the golden ball. She reached out...

Sandy's daydream ended. Alas, there was no golden ball. She looked around at her fellow seekers as she took the final lap around the pitch. Well, she had to imagine something, didn't she? There was no fun in running laps around the pitch. Honestly, she couldn't believe that she had been ordered to do such a horrid thing. She had to push her poor broom to the limit. It hacked and coughed to a stop when it came to the end of its toil. Her poor broom. She was going to have to put it in its sick bed after this practice.

[Theo Darke]

((Woody's stats will be edited into Celia's post. :)

August attempts to pass the Quaffle to Theo. Woodrow attempts to intercept.
August = Pass (D6 + Dex) = 5 + 6 = 11
Woodrow = Intercept (D4 + Dex) = 1+ 6 = 7
August passes the Quaffle to Theo. Theo has the Quaffle.

I have told Sandy to edit her post so she's not Snitch-searching. ;)

Edward, Ephraim and Sandy race.

Edward = Speed (D6 + D6 + Dex + Con) = 2 + 6 + 5 + 2 = 13
Ephraim = Speed (D6 + D6 + Dex + Con) = 3 + 4 + 4 + 4 = 15
Sandy = Speed (D6 + D6 + Dex + Con) = 1 + 6 + 5 + 4 = 16

Edward comes third.
Ephraim comes second.
Sandy comes first.
Sandy wins the race.))


Theo only noticed Woodrow's entrance when he flew up towards them. Seeing that the younger boy had already got himself an armband - and the correct one, since the girls' team was uneven - Theo sent him a smile and welcomed him as the teams came to a rest so Woodrow could join in. "Here at last," he teased playfully, before Celia signalled for the match to continue. Theo switched his attention back to the Quaffle, and now that August had it, he waited for the younger boy to throw it to himself or Williard. He was closer, and when August made to pass it to him, Theo flew forwards to try and make his task a little easier. Only, Woodrow made his first move of the day, flying in to attempt to intercept the pass. August's moves were too much for him, though, and the Quaffle successfully fell into Theo's waiting arms.

"Thanks August," Theo grinned, and he was about to pass the Williard when he noticed E, Sandy and Edward hovering a distance away, looking over expectantly at them. "Oh, it looks like they've finished their speed race," Theo said pleasantly, before signalling that their mini match was over. "Let's move onto the next part?" Theo asked Celia, flying over to her. He used his wand to collect the armbands from the other four and motioned E, Sandy and Edward over. Once everyone was hovering around himself and Celia, the two of them began to outline the next part of the practice. "The Keepers will now be put to the test," Theo explained. "E and Sandy, if you could take that goal." He pointed to the left. "Edward, the other one." He pointed right.

"The Chasers - Celia, Williard and Ruth - will line up and attempt to shoot. You must try to save. Celia and co., if you take turns shooting at one end, then the other. Celia and Williard can start at the end with Edward, and Ruth with E and Sandy. As for me, Woodrow and August, we'll take turns doing both. We shoot once, save once. Does that make sense? I'll start saving with Edward. August, you can shoot at me and Williard with Celia. And Woodrow can shoot at E and Sandy with Ruth."

Theo nodded at all of his teammates and smiled as Celia asked f there were any questions. It was a complicated practice plan, but they'd tried to make it as fair and incorporative as possible. As everyone dispersed, Theo made towards the goalposts with Edward, Celia and Williard. "I'll go first?" Theo offered as he smiled at Edward, then took his position in front of the goals, waiting for either Williard or Celia to shoot at him.


((Okay, to explain:

Goalpost 1:
Keepers: Ephraim + Sandy
Chasers: Ruth
Chaser + Keeper: Woodrow

Goalpost 2:
Keepers: Edward
Chasers: Celia + Williard
Chaser + Keeper: Theo + August

For Theo, August and Woodrow, the three boys will alternate like so:

First post:
Woodrow - Chaser (Goalpost 1)
Theo - Keeper (G2)
August - Chaser (G2)

Second post:
August - Chaser (G1)
Woodrow - Keeper (G2)
Theo - Chaser (G2)

Third post:
Theo - Chaser (G1)
August - Keeper (G2)
Woodrow - Chaser (G2)

Basically, they rotate. Does that make sense?

As for everyone else, you take turns posting. For example, if Ephraim posts keeping first at Goalpost 1, Sandy will wait until her turn in which she'll post, then Ephraim, then Sandy. Ruth will alternate scoring with whoever partners her at Goalpost 1 (either Theo, August or Woodrow). The same applies for the players at Goalpost 2.

If you have any questions, just ask in the team owl. :) Thanks everyone!))

[Woodrow Winchester R4]

( I'll go first so I'll be ready at G2 shall I?)

At once, Woodrow knew that his attempt to intercept the pass would go awry, he has overflown the area that he had expected to quaffle to be, although August had made quite an impressive pass. Shaking his head at his own action, he smiled, still enjoying what he was doing. He heard Theo after he caught the pass, and immediately flew over to him so that they could begin the next part of practice.

He listened to Theo as he issued out the orders and felt that he was going to be able to make up for being late, by playing both positions, he would be able to do twice the work, making up for his lateness. He felt that he should probably shoot first since he was going to be Keeper on the other side, so he pointed his broom down. He dove close to the other chest, coming to a halt in midair, and extracted the second quaffle from it. Pointing his broomstick back up, he flew off torwards goalpost one so that he could take his shot when whoever decided to be Keeper would be ready. He wondered about the middle goal post though, could them implement it into their shooting tactics? He dismissed the question, for now, for he would ask Theo when he got to the second post.

( When a keeper is prepared for G1, I wish to attempt a shot.)

[August Reid R7]

Just as things were getting interesting, the captains decided to change things a little. August secretly thought it was because Celia was no longer in possession of the Quaffle but he held his tongue. He wasn't in charge of the practice, they were. He was just being a smart ass anyway. He listened as Theo explained what they were going to do next. The Chasers were going to practice scoring while the Keepers tried saving. Only problem was that August was a Keeper and a Chaser. As were Theo and Woodrow. However, Theo had thought of this as well. He tried to explain what was going on and how the three boys were going to alternating Chaser and Keeper. August's eyes went wide with misunderstanding. What? Luckily Theo was there to explain just his part to him. The older Raven pulled him aside and explained it to him step by step. August turned a shade of crimson but was grateful now that he understood. He picked up a loose Quaffle and rose in the air. He watched as Woodrow headed for one goal and that was August's cue to go to the other. Trying to score.

((Scoring on Goalpost Two.... I think))