Gryffindor vs. Hufflepuff!

[Lenora Byers]

The game officially begins on Tuesday, December 17, 2007. As we will be playing this game in 24 hour rounds everyone has 24 hours after Hooch's post to reply with their warm-up then the game will begin! Everyone please make sure you are familiar with the new quidditch system and please feel free to contact Hooch or myself with any questions.

[Madam Xiomara Hooch]

It was a nice looking day, if a little cold, as Madam Hooch got up from the breakfast table in the Great Hall. The chill wouldn’t affect the players, though, as they would be doing so much physical activity. The day was clear, perhaps a little too much so as the sun could get into player’s eyes, but of course clear was always preferable to a storm of any kind. The crowd would also appreciate the cloudless sky; Madam Hooch hoped it wouldn’t fool any of them into not dressing for the weather. The members of the Hufflepuff and Gryffindor teams both looked nervous at their meal; likely just first game of the season jitters. Madam Hooch knew both teams would perform admirably.

There was a thunderous roar as the students rose, seemingly as one, from the house tables and made their way behind her out of the Great Hall. It seemed the whole school was awake and headed out to the pitch. Madam Hooch broke off from the crowd as she headed to her office, on the main floor, to collect her broom and the Quidditch Balls.

After collecting the equipment Madam Hooch headed out onto the Quidditch Pitch. The teams would be coming out any moment now, and the commentator would call out their names as they came. After a brief warm-up lap around the pitch the game would begin, opening up this year’s quidditch season.

[Bryce Alexander]

It was going to be a great day. There was no way, with the way Bryce felt, that Hufflepuff could lose. He woke up with a smile, the sun's rays filtering through the cold air and through the glass to land on his face. Despite being sunny, he was sure it was cold outside, but the cold would only keep his senses sharp. He jumped out of bed, almost literally jumping, and he hurried to get dressed so that he could get a quick breakfast that would have time to digest before the day's match. He noticed Luke was still in bed, and he still wondered why Luke was not on the team as well. Shrugging, he knew Luke would likely not miss the match for the world though. He'd likely cheer for Hufflepuff to win but at the same time cheer on his new potential love interest, Zara Phoenix who was a Chaser for the Gryffindor team. Hurrying out the door, Bryce sped to the Great Hall and gobbled down a few pieces of toast and some cranberry juice.

He made his way happily to the Quidditch Pitch, feeling almost like he had taken a vile of Felix Felicis though he wasn't quite sure what that felt like since he had never done that. If he could imagine what it felt like though, this would be it. He felt like the world was his and that there was nothing that could stop him in today's match. If only that were certain though, he also knew that the outcome could easily go any way. Still, he didn't let that hinder his feeling of confidence and excitement. Before long, he was with the rest of the team, all seeing quite excited themselves. "Hey Ivy," he greeted the Hufflepuff captain. She and Ash were the two leaders, and though Bryce would have loved to be a captain he admired the two for the job that they did for the team. If one word could sum up their philosophy, it was spirit. The Hufflepuff team definitely had spirit.

As they huddled together for the team chat before the match, Bryce caught Weetize's eye, and for the first time that day his feeling of excitement and happiness was affected, even if just slightly. Seeing her and knowing that the issued between them had not been solved wasn't easy for Bryce, but for the good of the team he would try to forget that for now. He was sure Weetzie could do the same, at least for the duration of the match. Plus, she was a Chaser, which meant that he only needed to defend her from Bludgers instead of working side by side with her like Ivy and Sydney would be doing as the other chasers. Bryce got to work with Ashley, which was probably good considering that at least she and he were on good terms. Granted, she didn't know about him kissing Weetzie, but then again could she hold that against him? Probably- but Bryce tried pushing his personal life out of his mind for the time being. Today was Quidditch, and he would focus on Quidditch.

The team meeting was over before he knew it, and they all flew onto the field together as the commentator announced them. Bryce flew once around the pitch, smiling from ear to ear, as the crowd cheered loudly for both teams. One positive note about playing Gryffindor was that they were usually a clean playing team. It should end up being an enjoyable match, he concluded. Soon, Madam Hooch had them gathered, and Bryce readied his broom for the start of the game. Quidditch had officially begun, and Bryce couldn't have been happier.

[Scott Ryder G7]

Scott was having second thoughts about trying out for the team now that the day of his first match had finally come. With Gryffindor needing some more players, Scott had agreed to trying out, despite his introverted personality and dislike of any spotlight being on him. To make matters worse in a way, Cassandra had asked Scott to play Seeker, probably the most individually important position. All positions were important, but Scott had the task of catching the Golden Snitch, which could easily swing the game one way or another. He did like the fact that he got to work alone, but hated how much pressure seemed to weigh on his shoulders. He would trust the rest of his teammates to do their jobs though and he would try his best to do his. That was all that could be asked of him, right?

Sitting by himself in the back of the players' quarters, Scott listened from afar as Cass gave her captain's speech. Her words registered in his head, but they were soon drown out by his squirming insides that were riddled with anxiety. He needed to gather his composure if he were to do well. Just the other night he had practiced a bit with Theo, and that had proved to be a success, so perhaps today would be the same. There was no guarantee though. Sooner than he had hoped, the time came where the players took the field, surrounded by cheering from all angles. Scott immediately eyed up the Hufflepuff Seeker, Charles Driscoll. Charles had quite a bit more experience than Scott, and he was also a year ahead of him. Lucky for Scott though, there wasn't that much of a size difference. Most Seekers though were likely to be thin and flexible.

As Madam Hooch gathered the players in the center of the pitch for her announcement to start the game, the roar of the crowd built with anticipation. Scott scanned the crowded stands, really only looking for two people in particular. He figured that the only ones who really were cheering for him individually, aside from all of Gryffindor of course, would be Flick and Theo. As his sister and one of his best friends, Flick knew how nervous Scott was, and she promised to cheer loudly for him. She also said that he would do fine, despite his lack of outward confidence in himself. In addition, Theo, his newest friend, had just recently begun to get to know Scott, and Scott was glad to have made a friend outside of just his sister. There weren't many people Scott would call a true friend, but Flick and Theo were in that small group.

Not seeing either of them, and not really having time to look much more than a glance, Scott turned his attention back to the trunk that held the Quaffle, two Bludgers, and most importantly, the Snitch. He didn't take his eyes off of them as he waited for Madam Hooch to start the game. This was it. The time had come. With a deep breath, he tried one last time to settle what nerves he could, and soon the game would be underway, where Scott needed to only focus on one thing... the Golden Snitch.

[Sydney Rawson H6]

Sydney slept like a baby the night before the match. Although her excitement was too much to handle, her body knew a good night's rest was going to be well worth it during the match. As the sun rose, Sydney woke up early along with it. She knew that she had to eat a healthy breakfast well before the match so she would not get sick while at the pitch. Standing up beside her bed, she stretched her arms over her head, getting the blood circulated in he body. A pleasant look painted itself on he face, as she could not seem to shake the excitement for the first Quidditch match of the year! Bending down to touch her toes, she felt her back crack in several different places. "Ahh.." she said quietly as she cracked her neck, when she stood back up. Walking over to her dressed she quickly got dressed for her breakfast, or 'the feast before the battle.'

Although, Sydney was a kind person, she did have a twinge of attitude. She was not an extreme of any emotion. But, she did often wear her heart on her sleeve. She was raised to play quidditch, and she took it quite seriously. Yes, of course, it was a game, only a game. But if Syd would mess up- she scratched it into her brain where she needed to practice more, and did it until she was exhausted. Acting a lot harder on herself than anyone has ever been, she was the best trainer for her. She pushed herself to the brinks of her limits and the ended outcome always seemed beneficial.

Walking quietly out of the girl's dorm, she walked the the stairs to the Common room in silence. No one off of the Quidditch team in their right mind would be up at this hour, so Syd took it into consideration their sleeping patterns. Turning into the Common room, Streamers and banners laced the walls. The Hufflepuff family was surely excited for the match, and Syd smiled bright as she felt an adrenaline pump feeling the game time near. Walking done the grand staircase near the Great Hall. Syd's cloak flew behind her as she marched at a fast pace to the Hufflepuff table for breakfast. More people were awake than she assumed. Walking down the Hufflepuff table side, she noted Bryce Alexander, a seventh year. He was a beater on the team. Patting him on the shoulder a she walked past him, was a mild statement meaning, "Good Luck!" Smiling at the other team members as she sat down, she Begin to eat a bowl of oats, and half downed it along side a glass of orange juice for vitamin C, for energy. During Quidditch season, Sydney only ate the healthiest of foods, so she would stay in shape and work to her full potential at the matches as well as practices. Feeling full once she finished her bowl, Syd finished her glass of juice and watched as Madam Hooch walked out of the Great Hall. Standing up, the entire hall seemed followed behind her.

Once down to the pitch, the teams took their places in their locker rooms. Standing at her locker, she changed into her uniform. The color of Yellow seemed to fill the room. The brilliance of the color and the uniforms seemed to pump up each member of the team even more than they already were. Slipping on her tight leather gloves, she rolled her broom in her hands, to work her wrists for the game that was going to start in seconds, now. With little yellow ribbons tied in the mess of Syd's hair, she joined the group in their pep talk lead by Ivy. She spoke strongly and the team seemed full of spirits before the locker room doors opened. Hollering with joy, Syd wished everyone good luck as she mounted her broom, and made her way through the doors. Out on the Pitch, she started her beginning warm up lap, in the prime of winter weather. Now with a look on her face, it wasn't just a game, it was war. Syd was ready. She was ready to play, and win for her team, and for her house!

[Ashley Hill]

The day had finally come; the match between Hufflepuff and Gryffindor. Ivy and Ashley had been working hard with the team, preparing them for the upcoming match. There wasn’t any doubt in Ashley’s mind that they hadn’t practiced enough. Everyone was going to give it all that they had, and that was really all that mattered. Yes, it was a trite cliché most coaches used with their team, but becoming co-captain this year, Ashley finally found its true meaning. She had been precipitating in sports all her life, and knew teamwork was above the individual, but there was always that competition to be the best, which was exactly Ashley was. Pulling her long blonde hair into a tight ponytail, Ashley tied it securely with a couple black ponytail holders. Rummaging around for another rubber band, her hands fell upon the bendable surface. Picking it carefully, she also pulled it onto her wrist just in case if any of the band brought during the game. It had happened before. Ponytail holders didn’t last well in almost 50 miles per hour wind, especially with Ashley’s hair being so thick. Grabbing her gym bag from the floor with all the gear she cleaned the night before, she set it on her shoulder while bounding down the stairs and out of the common room. Entering the Great Hall she headed down the Hufflepuff table making sure all her team mates were eating something. She saw Bryce devouring his breakfast, in good spirits. Sydney was also eating a healthy breakfast, which brought a smile to Ashley’s face. Spotting Ivy and Charlie at the further end of the table, Ashley took a seat across from her friends letting her bag slide down onto the floor.

“I really do think we have a shot at winning this year, Ivy,” she noted, her head nodding in agreement. A couple years back was the Hufflepuffs worst Quidditch year. They hadn’t won any games and their team was most definitely weak. That was when Ashley was in her fourth year, so it took a long time to build up a solid team. Piling her plate with a couple pieces of toast and boiled eggs, Ashley poured herself some orange juice. Buttering the wheat up with a slab of butter, she stopped noticing bits of egg shell land on her plate. Glancing over her shoulder at Ivy’s embarrassed expression and partially jumped back almost noticing the jug of orange topple over. “It’s alright, Ivy…just take deep breaths. You’re going to do just fine. Everyone has faith in you.” Nodding Ashley flicked the pieces of the egg shell off her plate. Without Harry Potter as Gryffindor Seeker anymore, Ashley really didn’t know how the team could hold up. Jasmine Anderson had caught the snitch last year before him, but most people thought of it to be a fluke. Stuffing the last bite of hard boiled egg into her mouth, Ashley rubbed her fingers together, crumbs falling onto the plate. Taking a gulp of her orange juice she took, picking her bag off from the ground. Ivy had done the same and the two started to make their way to the locker room to get ready.

As Ashley tied the last lace of her boots everyone had already started piling inside. Smiling, she nodded toward everyone standing up with her broom in hand. She stood next to Ivy, resting her hand on her friend’s shoulder to give her a reassuring squeeze. Leaning against the base of her broom, Ashley listened to the silence in the room, until Ivy’s voice rang in her ears. Nodding, she kept quiet, looking down at the ground. She could feel the energy from everyone, which brought a small smile to her lips. Everyone seemed to be getting pumped from Ivy’s speech, and Ashley had to admit, she was as well. Once Ivy finished there were cheers from the players and Ashley joined them, hollering excitedly. “Come on Huffles! Lets show some badger pride and win!” she shrieked over the loud cheers following her team mates down the long isle that lead to the pitch. Mounting her broom, she flew into the air, making a lap around the ring. The roaring of the crowd made Ashley’s heart raced, but she kept her composure, a smile plastered on her face. Her cheeks were beginning to fall numb in the bitter wind, but she ignored the tingling sensation, stopping as she spun her beater bat around between her fingers. Now all they had to do was wait for Madam Hooch’s whistle for the game to begin.

[Ivy Tunstall]

Ivy bashed the top of her boiled egg with a teaspoon, a little distractedly. It made a dent, but not any satisfactory result that could actually be eaten. So she tapped it a bit harder. This time, predictably, she overdid it and bits of shell flew at her, landing in her lap, on Ashley's plate (Ash was sitting opposite to her) and also on Charlie's plate (who was sitting to the side of her). The egg itself toppled off her plate and onto the floor. Ivy blushed and extracted the bits of shell from Charlie's plate. She was about to lean across and do the same for Ashley, when she realised that she was about to knock over the jug of orange juice. While she was all for house colours today, she didn't think that she wanted to bathe all of her breakfast in the yellow liquid. So she stopped and sat back, blushing a little more deeply. She bit her lip, tugged at her hair, and then drew herself up so that she was sitting straight - even more so than before - and with a newly formed air of composure took another boiled egg.

"Well that's good to know," she responded to Ash as she dipped a toast soldier into the egg yolk. "I have complete faith in myself as well." She grinned, not able to stop herself from letting out a chuckle. There might have been a slight edge of hysteria there. But not much. "Well, okay, I don't know about faith in myself, but I am absolutely confident that this is the best team we've had since... well, better than I can ever remember. Everyone's so keen at practices and we've got as much talent as that Ravenclaw team that humiliated us in my first game. We can win this if we get it right." She had finished her egg and now she took another piece of perfectly browned toast, spreading some strawberry jam on it.
"Apparently the Falmouth Falcons treat themselves to a full cooked breakfast before every match they play." she told her two best friends. "I don't think I'd manage it." She laughed as she added, "Then again, unlike them, we believe in fair play. You gonna knock anyone off their broom today, Ash? Any vendettas... against Gryff players?" She had added the end bit on hastily as she remembered the possibility of something she'd been a worrying about a bit - conflict between Ash and Weetzie during the game which could put all that they'd built up as a team into jeopardy. Of course, Ash as the Vice Captain would certainly do all she could for the good of the team, but Ivy was conscious not to encourage the conflict and so she felt she had to be careful with her words sometimes.

Ivy saw Ash finishing off her breakfast, and having caught a meaningful glance from the older Hufflepuff, she too downed her orange juice. She gave Charlie's hand a quick squeeze underneath the table, saying "See you as soon as you're ready." She herself would put him being slightly behind down to his having done too much teasing her about her nerves, but that might just have been wishful thinking. There were many times when he seemed perfectly capable of multitasking when one of the tasks involved was teasing her. Anyway, she didn't make any comment on the matter, preferring to focus on the matter at hand - Quidditch. Quidditch was a serious business - deadly serious. Ivy would not be tolerating any unfair play from the Gryffindor side, just as much as she wouldn't expect them to tolerate the same thing from the Hufflepuff team. She expected her team to play fair, of course. Quidditch was worth a lot, but it wasn't worth their house's reputation as being honourable and fair. They would just have to win within the rules, as they had lost within the rules in other years.

They discussed nothing but Quidditch on the way to the pitch. What they were aiming for. Their tactics. Whether the weather conditions were likely to work in their favour, or against them. Who they were pinning their hopes on. It wasn't that they hadn't already discussed this at great length, but rather that with the anticipation for the match coming to a frantic head they were hardly about to start discussing the ridiculous amounts of Christmas essays they were receiving in the build-up to the holidays. They had far more exciting and pressing issues to think about than mere schoolwork. As they entered the Quidditch pitch, the usual mudbath of this time of year frozen hard by the persistent cold spell, Ivy's stature suddenly improved and in a moment she had drawn herself up to her full height, appearing confident and for once showing her very slight height advantage over her best friend. They had worked for this match. They were all ready for it, and she was ready to lead the Hufflepuff team in this match.

Once inside the relative warmth of the locker room, Ivy smiled at each team member as they appeared. She could feel her shoulders shaking slightly in her anticipation, but she barely acknowledged Ash's reassuring squeeze; she was no longer in need of it. She was already perfectly buoyed up herself - now it was time to do the same to the rest of her team! She took a small pair of cymbals out of a spare locker and brought them together with a resounding crash, grinning at those who instinctively protected their hearing. It had got their attention!
"Okay everyone, I know you're all wanting to get out there so I won't go on for too long." She waited a moment longer to ensure that no one still had their hands over their ears before beginning her mandatory speech.
"All right! We need all of you today. Every single one. Those of you who are on reserve at the start... be ready! You'll be playing today, and I'm proud to be playing with every one of you. You're all fantastic." She smiled at Harmony, who was trying to hop into her boots. "Keep up that energy, Harmony!" she said happily. "Beaters, make sure to keep the Gryffs too busy to play effectively! Chasers - let's batter their Keeper with goal attempts! Keep in mind the scoring practice we had the other day and we'll soon be 50 points up. Charlie, don't let their Beaters distract you, you're too good for that! Sophia, Kael - we're relying on you. Be a human wall!" She paused for each camp to take in what she'd said, and then continued, "I think we all know that we're good! But today, I want you all to go out there and play better than good. Show them the power of Hufflepuff Pride. Put your all into it, and we can be great!"

It wouldn't have taken a good speech to make this team cheer. At any rate, she'd said something and she'd sounded confident. "Ash, anything to add?" she asked, and she stepped aside whilst a few other members of the group added their encouragement. Then it was time to go. She picked up her broom and made her way out onto the pitch, her head held high against the bitter cold of December as she kicked off from the ground and soared around the pitch, taking in the mass of yellow scarves that was the Hufflepuff contingent in the crowd. They showed up as a whir as she built up her speed, making sure that her Nimbus 2001 was feeling responsive before they started playing. Finally, she came to a halt and walked across the pitch to stand in front of Madam Hooch with the Gryffindor Captain, a girl in her own year - Cassie Blackfire. She would like especially to show her what Hufflepuff Pride meant.

[Sophia Hallington H7]

Sophia reached out a hand from under the duvet in order to silence the increasingly annoying buzz from her machanical alarm clock on her bedside table. However all she succeeded in doing was pushing it further away, and eventually knocking it off the table completely and onto the floor. At least that silenced it, even if the impact with the cold stone floor had actually broken the clock. She hadn't bothered to look at the time before it fell onto the floor, but she guessed it was very early seeing as it was still dark (well, it might not have been too early seeing as it was still dark at 8am at this time of year) and looking around everyone else was still fast asleep. She pondered for a minute over why she'd set her clock for such an early time. On a Saturday too.

She then realised, thinking how stupid she was to forget such a thing, even when it was 6.37am (by this time she'd pulled herself out of bed and picked up the clock-thankfully it wasn't broken, just the switch to turn it off had been pushed) and she was still groggy, that it was the day of her very first school quidditch match. Hufflepuff were to be playing against Gryffindor today, and although the opposition were a strong team, now they no longer had Potter they had no specific advantage, and Sophia knew that her team had a good chance of beating them. She was to be playing as Keeper to start with-which was a rather scary prospect, but she'd had enough training, so she was confident she'd so the best she could.

She slipped into her slippers, changed into her robes and went down to have breakfast. The only other people there were other members of the teams that were playing today, plus several professors. As she walked over to the Hufflepuff table, Ivy appeared to have had an unfortunate event involving an egg, but was now quite happly dunking a soldier into another egg. Sophia sat next to her, picking up a slice of toast, and a goblet of orange juice. She helped herself to some beans and sausages too-she needed the energy if she could potentially be playing for several hours. She finished her food, had a quick cup of coffee to wake herself up, and followed Ivy and the others off to the locker room for the captains pep talk.

Sophia nodded as Ivy gave her speech, taking account of everything she said. There was nothing like a good pep talk to get the team spirit flowing. Filled with Hufflepuff pride, Sophia found her kit and broom, and donned her brand new canary yellow quidditch robes and goggles. She mounted her broom and flew after the others, onto the pitch and flew into place. It would be a good match-the conditions weren't too bad, and the teams were relatively equally matched she thought. She hovered in place as the Gryffindor team flew out, trying to block out the cheering from the crowd in order to concentrate, and waited for the all-important whistle.

[Cassandra Blackfire G7]

Cass stepped into the Gryffindor quidditch locker room long before any of her teammates had arrived. She had been up most of the night with her stomach in knots over over the impending match with Hufflepuff. She wasn't worried about winning. She knew that would happen, but she did have nerves over her newly formed team. This would be her third year as the Gryffindor Quidditch captain, and many of her players were brand new to the team. She had been surprised when Scott Ryder auditioned for the team, and even more surprised when he told her he wanted to play Seeker. Since she had been in need of a Seeker, she didn't press the issue, but she had always known Scott to be the quiet type. It had surprised her when he said he wanted the Seeker position. Arywiel Coone was also a new addition to her team. She had placed her as beater in the starting lineup. The girl had a lot of spunk. Cass felt that she would do well in the position.

Then it came down to Cassandra herself. Harry Potter himself had put Cass in as a beater when she had auditioned for the Quidditch team. She had played well in the position for the past two years, but an open keeper position forced her to change roles on the team. The team captain's fear and anxiety only mounted as she put on the keeper's pads she had fitted in Hogsmeade only a couple of weeks prior.

Within the hour, the rest of the team showed up. Their excitement mounted as they heard the stands filling up overhead. Cass joked around with the others but her nervousness was evident. About twenty minutes before the match began, she bade them all to sit down.

"Okay, all. I hope you all had a good breakfast. We've got a good match ahead of us. From what I've heard, the Hufflepuffs have been working extremely hard this year. I know we have some new players, but we need to play like we've always played. If you haven't figured out already, Scott will be replacing Ethan as Seeker, and Arywiel will be replacing me as Beater. I will be in front of the goal posts today. I know you guys are ready; so, I won't preach to you anymore. Let's just so those Badgers what us Lions are made of." Cass motioned to the team to follow her out to the pitch.

The crowd was roaring as they marched to the open door that Cass had walked to so many times before. She watched her team mount their brooms and fly into the air as their names were called. Cass took off as her name was called. She did a lap around the pitch and landed next to Madam Hooch. Standing there, she felt her right leg begin to tap anticipatorily on the ground. Ivy, a Hufflepuff in her year, began her approach to exchange formalities before the match began.

[Madam Xiomara Hooch]

The teams walked out into the field and mounted their brooms. Hooch watched as the players took off and flew around the field. No one fell off their broom from nervousness, that was always a good sign. Madam Hooch hadn’t seen it happen in awhile but it had happened a few times and always spelt disaster for the team. As the players landed around her Hooch gave them all a smile and called the captains forward, not that there was much need as Ivy and Cassandra had both been on the teams long enough to know protocol. “I want a nice clean games, good luck all” Hooch said, only telling them out of fairness as she had never had problems when Hufflepuff and Gryffindor played each other before. “Captains step forward and shake hands. Everyone may re-mount their brooms.”

Once the captains had shook hands and everyone was back on their brooms Madam Hooch stepped back to the other side of the box filled with Quidditch balls. The players flew directly up into the air and Hooch opened the box, suddenly the bludgers escaped out into the pitch and the snitch zoomed off to do it’s own thing. The quaffle stayed with Hooch as she mounted her own broom and hovered up above the players, the chasers poised to catch the red ball.

“Ready, on the count from 3 the match will begin. 3… 2… 1…” with that Hooch dropped the quaffle and let the chasers dash for it.

((Starting line up and skill points

Hufflepuff
Position - Player, Dex, Str, Con
Chaser - Kael Collins, 4, 3, 1
Chaser - Ivy Tunstall, 4, 6, 3
Chaser - Harmony Chan 5, 5, 4
Beater - Ashley Hill, 1, 4, 5
Beater - Bryce Alexander, 3, 6, 6
Keeper - Sophia Hallington, 5, 1, 1
Seeker - Charles Driscoll, 5, 5, 2

Gryffindor
Position - Player, Dex, Str, Con
Chaser - Maryn Lively, 5, 2, 4
Chaser - Lenora Byers, 6, 3, 3
Chaser - Arywiel Coone, 5, 3, 6
Beater - Branden Davis, 6, 5, 6
Beater - Melody Bang-Bala, 3, 4, 6
Keeper - AJ Murphy, 4, 2, 6
Seeker - Scott Ryder, 5, 4, 1

Note: Line-ups are based on the most recent PMs captains sent me. If there have been any changes please let me know before the start of the next round!

Hufflepuff 30
Gryffindor 150))

[Bryce Alexander]

A subtle hush fell over the stands as Madam Hooch greeted the teams and called for a clean game. Soon, they were all hovering and waiting for the sound of her whistle. When the shrill pitch was heard, a roar of cheering flooded from the stands full of spectators, and the fourteen players on the field all seemed to speed off at once, each heading in their own direction to chase either the Quaffle, the nasty Bludgers, or the elusive Snitch. Bryce had veered off to his left, heading straight toward the Bludger closest to him.

He was so caught up in determination to just get the first hit in that Bryce wasn't really even aware of which team had ended up with the Quaffle to start. Even the commentator's announcement had slipped through his ear and not registered in his mind. He was so focused on getting to the speeding Bludger that he barely focused on anything else. It was so bad that he almost clipped the tail end of another player's broom. He didn't though, which probably saved them both from a dangerous collision.

Nearing the dodging Bludger, Bryce steadied his broom with one hand whilst making sure to have a proper grip on his bat with the other. Since he was right handed, he had better control with that hand, which meant he used it to swing. Flying with your off hand was a little easier than aiming with it, at least Bryce had thought. This was the time though that he was glad to have had to practice flying with just his left hand steering him. Ashley had said it would pay off, and it had. He wondered where she was, and figured she was likely after the other Bludger. It wouldn't do them much good to chase the same one.

Now close enough to get a good swing, Bryce scanned the surrounding area to see if the Bludger was heading toward any of his teammates. No Hufflepuffs around, while flying and preparing to swing his bat, he simultaneously looked for the closest Gryffindor. In this case, it happened to be Zara. For a split second, Bryce thought it was amusing that his first Bludger attack would be at Luke's potential love interest. He wondered what Luke would say, but things like that couldn't distract him at this point. So, with a mighty swing, Bryce swept through the air with his bat and attempted to knock the Bludger toward Zara with the hopes of making her lose concentration by having to dodge it.

((Bryce is attempting to make contact with the Bludger and hit it at Zara.))

[Scott Ryder G7]

Scott had run out of time to continue worrying. The teams had gathered, Madame Hooch had given her speech, and the game had started. In a bit of a daze, Scott took a few seconds before letting the realization of it all sink in. Steadily then, he flew upward, up far enough that he could get a good overview of the pitch in its entirety. No sign of the Snitch yet. It had disappeared in mere seconds after Madam Hooch had released it. Charlie hadn't seemed to have spotted it yet either, as Scott saw him off elsewhere, not really appearing to be chasing anything.

If Scott did see the Snitch this early, he knew it would make for quite a quick game. Perhaps it would even be a record. He wasn't sure what the quickest game was in Quidditch, or even what the quickest game was in Hogwarts history. That would be quite interesting if Hogwarts held the all-time record, though he doubted that. The way that some of the professional Seeker's glided through the air was amazing for Scott to watch. He had only ever seen them in moving photos though, and he wished to someday see a real life professional Quidditch game.

Watching the other players below, Scott kept his eyes constantly darting from one side of the pitch to the other. No glint of gold anywhere. He did noticed though that one of the Hufflepuff Beaters had caught up to a Bludger and seemed ready to send it toward Zara. A flash of robes caught his attention though, and Scott turned to see a Chaser fly by with the Quaffle. They were so close to him and flying so fast that he couldn't even make out who it was. Scott realized he needed to concentrate less on the rest of the game though, and worry about finding that Snitch and catching it. Concentrate, Scott. Concentrate. He tried his best to clear his mind and continue looking for the Snitch.

((Searching for the Snitch))

[Zara Phoenix]

Zara tightened her hold around her broomstick, nursing her slight headache with a veiled frown. The two house teams, Gryffindor and Hufflepuff, were stood tensely on the pitch, hundreds of students and teachers staring down expectantly at them. Zara didn’t feel particularly pressurised or self-conscious, but she was feeling somewhat nervous, which was unlike her. Usually, Zara would face every Quidditch match with utmost confidence. However, last night she had failed to get a good night’s sleep, resulting in her rather tired awareness this bright and early morning; the beginnings of a headache worried her. Thankfully the weather was fair, and Zara had managed to survive having breakfast, listening to Cass’ Captain talk, and Madam Hooch’s usual warnings before the match. Zara had paid as much attention as she could, but she wanted to save her real energy until the match itself. She was worried about her condition, but it wasn’t anything serious, and she was sure the minute she hit the wave of competition and adrenaline, she would soar high and live in the moment for the length of the game, despite a headache. That’s why Quidditch was so exciting; it made Zara feel alive.

Zara kicked off into the sky confidently once Madam Hooch had blown the whistle, eager to start the game and get it over and done with. The still air lifted with her as she soared into the sky, followed by her fellow Gryffindor Chasers Lenora and Maryn. Zara sent the two girls a brief smile, trusting in their teamwork to get them through the game. Her eyes caught sight of the three Hufflepuff Chasers, and her entire body tensed in anticipation of the starting game. Already Zara could feel the excitement ripple not only through the fourteen Quidditch players, but the buzzing crowd surrounding them. Coupled with the familiar sensation of ticking wind around her, Zara felt her mind reluctantly, but gradually, wake up. She smiled to herself. She loved this feeling; encircled by great Quidditch players – determined teammates, competitive opponents; the bated breaths the audience would hold watching them, the thrill of the game. It was all so surreal, Zara lived in every second of it.

Zara narrowed her eyes as she watched the Quaffle released, surging forward to grab it, as often happened during practice. Zara was confident she would get it; she was fast and accurate, as well as experienced and had a real love of the game; she was also competitive, and right now, she wanted to win. However, it was then a smudge of black flashed in the corner of Zara’s eye. Her experience and lightning reflexes caused her hands to jerk her broom automatically, attempting to dodge the bludger unmistakably hit towards her. How many times had people tried to knock her down? Who would it be this time? Zara's eyes lifted to see the familiar face of fellow seventh year Bryce Alexander, one of the Hufflepuff Beaters and Luke Dallan’s best friend. Zara had no time to contemplate this connection however, as her gaze flew somewhere else in the midst her frenzied motion. If she had had some time to think, she would’ve observed the hilarity that the first bludger hit would be aimed at her from Luke’s best friend; she sensed already that lining herself in Luke’s friendship would not bode well with some, but that wasn’t necessarily intended at Bryce. However, Zara didn’t want Luke in her thoughts during the Quidditch game, however relevant that was to him. Back to the match, she hoped that one of her fellow Chasers had picked up the Quaffle, since she was now distracted and preoccupied. Her eyes glanced around swiftly, looking for the familiar figures of Branden and Arywiel, the Gryffindor Beaters.

((Attempting to avoid the bludger.))

[Ivy Tunstall]

Ivy could feel her knees giving into the temptation to knock as she walked up to Madam Hooch - both from the bitter cold that she was able to feel now that she was on the ground again, and also from a little nervousness that of course, since she was Ivy, was bound to be there. She had heard Madam Hooch's plea for a 'clean' game many times before, but never when it was her being spoken to as the representative for her team. That had always been someone else - Kim, Noko, Jordan. They were all her friends, and she'd always watched them with pride, willing them to do themselves and the team proud, but never had she actually stood here herself. It felt a bit different. She was both much closer and much more removed - there was more at stake, she perhaps cared more that the outcome was favourable, but at the same time her thoughts were not completely on herself. She not only had to play her part as a Chaser, but also make sure that everyone else on the team was doing their job. The prospect seemed a bit daunting right now, and Madam Hooch seemed to loom over her and Cassie, more like an eagle than ever.

Ivy shook hands with Cassandra, glad to get that part of the game out of the way. Now she could focus on the actual Quidditch. She mounted her broom and kicked off the ground - an action that was totally instinctive now due to the number of times that she had done it in the past three years. The cold was put to the back of her mind again as she circled in the air, determined to get to the Quaffle before any of Gryffindor's Chasers. An early advantage for Hufflepuff would be no bad thing. She watched Madam Hooch eagerly, and accelerated towards the position where she had dropped the Quaffle as soon as she saw it was free, urging power out of her broom as she had practiced just before the match began. They were underway, and for now she was here to do her job as a Chaser. She'd worry about the Captaincy part once the Chasers had managed to work together as a team.

((Trying to catch the Quaffle!))

[Lenora Byers]

Lenora woke up early, before the sun, as usual. Today she wasn’t the only one up, though – which was unusual. Today was the day a lot of people were waiting for, anxious about, the first quidditch game of the season. She went for her usual morning run while the rest of the quidditch team who were up did their own thing. She went into the Great Hall cheerily; glad she would be back in the game again. Lenora had been on the team too long to be overly nervous, they would win or they wouldn’t, either way they would play well. Of course it wouldn’t be easy, but Lenora had faith in herself and faith in the team, they wouldn’t let Gryffindor down.

After breakfast Lenora went down to the pitch and pulled on her chaser’s robes as Cassandra gave her usual pre-game pep-talk. Lenora pulled her hair up into a pony-tail to keep it out of her face before walking out to see the stands filled.

Formalities finished Lenora rose into the air and waited for Hooch to drop the quaffle. As soon as Hooch had counted down from 3 and began the game Lenora was off in pursuit of the quaffle.

((Trying to catch the quaffle))

[Branden Davis G6]

The day had come, Branden got up with his head swimming. Here it was, the first game of the season; Gryffindor versus Hufflepuff. Only one team would come out the victor! Well whatever, should be fun. Branden was on the starting line up this year as a beater, quite exciting! Branden was nervous as he went down to breakfast in the Great Hall. Of course, that didn’t stop him eating a good full breakfast, complete with bacon, eggs, and orange juice. When Branden had finished demolishing his meal he tromped down to the quidditch pitch with butterflies in his stomach; this was going to be a great day.

“Hear! Hear!” Branden cried when Cass had finished her speech. He was well prepared to go out there and show the school just what he could do. Following the rest of the team Branden flew into the air as his name was announced and did a lap around the pitch. The stands were filled, the whole school must have turned up.

As soon as the game began a bludgers seemed to come after one of his team members. Branden placed himself between them and swung.

((Attempting to defend Zara and deflect to Ivy))

[Madam Xiomara Hooch]

((Bryce hits a bludger at Zara and Branden tries to defend.

Bryce = Bludger (D6 + Str) = 3 + 6 = 9
Branden = Bludger (D6 + Str) = 5 + 5 = 10

Branden defends Zara.

Scott searches for the snitch.

Scott = (D30) = 20

20 is not the snitch number. Scott does not notice the snitch.

Ivy and Lenora go for the quaffle.

Ivy = Catching the Quaffle (D4 + Dex) = 2 + 4 = 6
Lenora = Catching the Quaffle (D4 + Dex) = 3 + 6 = 9

Lenora has the quaffle.))

[Zara Phoenix]

Zara felt her stomach heave uncomfortably as she jerked sideways, her broomstick swinging desperately, and hoped she would dodge the bludger. She had experienced some awful attacks from bludgers before; they were not nice to feel against your ribcage. However, Zara had nothing to worry about, as just as she had also anticipated, Branden flew from nowhere and whacked the nearing bludger away. Relieved, Zara inwardly cursed her wavering concentration and sent Branden a wide and confident, but stubborn smile. Ashley Hill and Bryce Alexander, the Hufflepuff Beaters, were good. But that didn’t mean she could not rely on her teammates, Branden and Arywiel. “Thanks!” Zara screamed over the rushing wind, and without a further glance back at the Beaters, flew away and back into the Chaser and Quaffle game. Her eyes landed on Lenora, who currently had the Quaffle. Delighted but not letting that fact get to her head, Zara grimly gripped her broomstick and shot towards Lenora, aware that Maryn was on the other side and would also be readying herself for passing.

Zara narrowly avoided colliding with one of the opposing yellow Chasers, before bending upwards sharply with as much skill as she could muster, and careened off towards the goalposts again, where she could see the yellow speck of Kael Collins, the Keeper, hovering, many yellow and red flashes speeding at him. Zara zipped past Arywiel, probably concentrating on her Beater job, keeping a keen eye out for her fellow Chasers. Everything was going fine despite the earlier setback, much to Zara’s relief, though she had little time to contemplate this as the adrenaline pumped through her veins, hearing the distant roar of the crowd. Spurred onwards by the proud Gryffindor followers’ cries, Zara surged forward, wind whistling piercingly in her ears.

Vaguely, Zara noticed the fifth year Seeker, Scott, floating hesitantly up ahead; he hadn’t spotted the snitch yet. No worries. It was too early on in the game for it to be found anyway. Zara wanted to play some good Quidditch before the game ended. She also noticed the opposing Hufflepuff Seeker doing little but circling the pitch. This match had more substance to it yet. Grinning to herself, Zara finally caught up to Lenora, whizzing by her side with a confident and encouraging smile. Hopefully Lenora would get the message and attempt to pass at her. Zara’s other eye trained on their surroundings, making sure no Chaser got in the way if a pass was indeed initiated. Gryffindor could not afford to lose the Quaffle to Hufflepuff, and if this did happen, then the responsibility landed on the Chasers’ shoulders. Zara hated to let her team down.

[Ashley Hill]

Ashley watched attentively as the two team captains stepped forward, shaking hands with each other. She took a deep breath, the cheering of the crowd ringing in her ear. This was Hufflepuffs chance to shine after all those years of humiliation on the Quidditch pitch. Ashley was going to make sure her last year on the team would be better than the rest. Griping tightly to the base of her broom, she waited as Madam Hooch began to release the balls. She watched the bludgers zoom past the players, a sickening noise following behind them. Squinting in determination she waited until Hooch’s whistle as the quaffle was thrown in the air. Ivy and Lenora were the first to dive at it, Lenora snatching it quickly from her captain’s grasps. Steering her broom to the other side, she kept a watchful eye out for any upcoming bludger. Noticing Bryce had already found a target (Zara) she watched as Branden deflected the iron ball away from his team mate. Noticing a bludger in the distance, Ashley made her way over toward her. Her arm extended backwards until finally swinging forward in hopes of hitting the bludger.

((Attempting to hit bludger at Lenora))

[Scott Ryder G7]

It was still really early in the game, right? Scott wasn't sure if he should start to worry that he had yet to spot the Snitch. It felt though that every second passing was more like a minute. Time seemed to be going so quickly and he felt that if he didn't catch the snitch soon that it would never happen. The score was 0-0 though, and he realized he just needed to calm down a focus.

The Bludger that had been hit at Zara was thankfully defended by Branden, and from what he could tell, Gryffindor had possession of the Quaffle. So far, so good. Though, if he didn't catch the Snitch, would it all matter? He took another look around to see if he could spot Charlie, but there wasn't any sign of him. Perhaps he had secretly caught the Snitch and was just laughing at how terrible Scott was. No. That was ridiculous. Just focus.

There was still a rush of action below him, and so Scott decided to descend into the mass of chaos. Perhaps the Snitch was hiding among the other players. Regardless, he felt he needed a different perspective, and if he didn't start to fly around instead of hovering above everyone, then he was bound to let his muscles tighten. They needed to be lose if he was to catch the Snitch. So, with a forceful push, he guided his broom downward toward the other players, hoping to catch a glimpse of gold.

((Searching for the Snitch again. )