Hufflepuff vs. Slytherin

[Madam Xiomara Hooch]

((The game is now officially beginning. Please feel free to post your warm-up with your first action.))

It was fairly warm day for Quidditch, to say the least. Xiomara cast a hand over her narrowed eyes to shade them from the glaring afternoon sunlight streaming down from a sky barely filled with clouds. It was a pure azure, free of wisps of white or grey, and although it indicated the good fortune of no rain (she had checked the magical weather forecast early today, and that had agreed with her prediction), she was a little concerned about how hot the atmosphere was. The best conditions for Quidditch were dry, breezy and cool. At this rate, she had a feeling her students would have melted before the match was even past the halfway point. Restraining an outward sigh, Xiomara patted down her Quidditch referee robes and looked away from the weather outlook to the Captains just making their way onto the pitch to join her. The crowd surrounding the stadium were already chanting the names of players, the houses of Hufflepuff and Slytherin, and she let a rueful smile twitch at her lips. She always savoured that rush of excitement and adrenaline and anticipation before a match; it was what Quidditch was all about. She was so glad that there were so many enthusiastic, passionate flyers here. It made her job the more interesting and rewarding.

"Captains, shake hands please," Xiomara ordered when the teams finally gathered around her. The cheering died down a little, and she could hear her voice better. "Keep this a clean game and we'll get through this match with no injuries for Madam Pomfrey to take care of. Try not to become dehydrated. I will allow time-outs from Captains to let their team replenish with brief drinks of water, because today is going to be a hot one." Nodding at all the girls and boys in approval, Xiomara gave a fuller smile. "Ready? Okay, it's time mount your brooms," she said as the stadium completely quieted, and all eyes turned on the yellow and green-clad students. As they did as they were told and flew into the air to take their positions, Xiomara kicked open the wooden box by her feet, and out flew the Bludgers and Snitch. The golden flash was gone in moments. Xiomara mounted her own broomstick, Quaffle in hand, and flew to join the waiting Chasers. She held the red ball above their expectant hands and counted down slowly, her voice echoing round the pitch, "Three... Two... One... GO!"

((The current line-ups are…

Hufflepuff

Chaser - Kael Collins H6: 6, 3, 6
Chaser - Ivy Tunstall H6: (3+1=)4, 6, 3
Chaser - Harmony Chan H4: 6, 4, 3
Beater - Ashley Hill H7: 2, 4, 2
Beater - Randy Kerr H6: 6, 6, 4
Seeker - Charles Driscoll H6: 6, 4, 4
Keeper - Sophia Hallington H5: (5+1=)6, 1, 2

Reserve Team:
Chace Coxen H6: 5, 5, 2
Bryce Alexander H7: 5, 6, 1
Carson McGreggor H5: 4, 1, 2
Weetzie O'Keeffe H7: 2, 1, 1
Sydney Rawson H6: 1, 3, 4
Seth Wright H6: (3+1=)4, 3, 1

Slytherin

Chaser – Asteria Greengrass S7: 6, 6, 2
Chaser – Pyro Blackfire S6: 4, 6, 6
Chaser – Wynd Lehane S5: 5, 5, 3
Beater – Mary Evans S6: 3, (4+1=)5, 4
Beater – Dylan Caoimhe S5: 3, 3, 1
Keeper – Drake Manning S7: 5, 3, 6
Seeker – Payton Laslie S3: 6, 5, 5

Reserve Team:
Olivia Dawson S5: 3, 2, 4
Caleb Donnelly S7: 1, 6, 6

Hufflepuff 170
Slytherin 0))

[Harmony Chan H6]

Harmony shook her hair free and proceeded to throw it into a high ponytail again, freeing stray strands from obscuring her facial features. A bright, determined smile appeared behind her curtain of straight, dark tresses, and she straightened her yellow robes, proud to be donned in the rather bright colour. It matched the sunny day she thought as she glanced upwards at the cloudless sky. It was a little too hot for Quidditch, but Harmony had prepared herself; her sleeves were rolled up, out of the way, and some of her collar buttons were undone, letting in some cool wind. Hopefully when they were in the air, more wind would be generated by their fast flying. Looking forward to the match, Harmony turned to the rest of the team as they also got themselves ready. The changing room was filled with fellow yellow-clad people, pulling at socks and tugging at trousers. Finally, Ivy began her Captain's speech when everyone was ready, smiling at everyone and generally being the reliable, responsible Captain that she was. Harmony listened intently, feeling her body's willingness to begin flying and pumping the adrenaline aorund her body. It had been a while since the Gryffindor vs Hufflepuff match, which they had unfortunately and unluckily lost, but their team had come back stronger than ever, with brilliant new recruits and a greater team ethos.

Harmony followed the others onto the pitch, feeling the sun hit her hair and back immediately. She didn't cringe, because she liked the light, but she knew it wasn't the best condition for Quidditch, and Ari would no doubt be complaining about how hot it was, and how positively evil the sun was. Then again, she hadn't had a private talk with Harmony for a while. But, her sister was the last thing on her mind. Harmony sent Seth a bright smile; he looked nervous, and she was glad he was on the reserve team at the moment. The poor guy looked ready to run away and not look back. She patted his arm sympathetically, the crowd's roars filling her ears, and smiled again. "Don't be nervous. You'll get used to it. I was terrified my first time too." She noted the large amount of sun cream Seth had applied and giggled. Caucasian people could burn so easily, she thought, before gathering in front of Hooch. The flying professor spoke her usual words, and soon, the teams were mounting their brooms and shot into the air. Harmony immediately took flight somewhere high that overlooked the pitch. For once, she had been assigned the Seeker, her secondary position. She enjoyed Chaser more, but she was glad of the change. Hufflepuff suddenly had a lot of competent Chasers! Seeker was a responsible position, but Harmony hoped she would benefit and help the team to victory this time.

Harmony scoured the sky, watching the Chasers get ready with catching the Quaffle. She heard Madam Hooch's voice blare around the stadium, until the crowd began to cheer like crazy, and Harmony knew, with a little envy, that the Chasers were off. Knowing her job was not with them though, Harmony began to circle the skies with keen eyes, watching for any glint of gold.

((Searching for the Snitch and avoiding any Bludgers.))

[Wynd Lehane]

Wynd didn't want to admit it, but he was excited about the Quidditch game today. It had been a while since their last match against Ravenclaw and that game ended way too soon. He was glad that they had won that game (Ravenclaw had recently lost again making them the real losers of the castle) but he wished it had been longer. The team had changed since then. Last game, their team had consisted of mostly fifth years. Samaal had been really distant lately refusing to talk to anyone even in the dorms. Olivia was just plain weird and Wynd could not that he was sad she was not in the starting lineup. Payton Laslie had also joined the team. He was the youngest of the team and Wynd could tell that he was full of energy. Good or bad had yet to be determined.

Wynd lined up with the rest of his team as Mary and Ivy shook hands. The Slytherins were not really worried about the Hufflepuffs today. If Gryffindor could beat them in a match then they must not really be that good. Plus everyone knew that Hufflepuff was full of the students that did not belong anywhere else. They were too stupid to be in Ravenclaw, too scared to be in Gryffindor, and too passive to be in Slytherin. This was going to be an easy match. Still, Wynd hoped for some sort of challenge. The Ravenclaw team had not put up much of a fight. After the captains had shook hands, Wynd mounted his broom with the rest of his team. He was surprised some of the blood traitors from Hufflepuff could even ride a broom. He got into position and anxiously awaited Madam Hooch to start the game. "Three... Two... One... GO!"

((Catching the Quaffle))

[Payton Laslie]

As Payton woke that morning at around 5:00 he couldn't sleep anymore after that and spent most of his time walking around the common room preparing to walk out onto a field with hundreds of screaming and shouting people, it was funny, he had never imagined himself walking out there wearing those long, green and sliver robes riding a broom around throwing things, he felt sad that he had to be chaser, for the line up didn't have room for him to play beater. he rolled his eyes at this thought as he noticed people starting to leave the common room and head for the field.
he seemed to wake up a lot more when he actually heard the screaming and cheering as he fastened the last tie to the back of his uniform and stepped out onto the huge field. he looked out at the seas of green and seas of yellow, he knew somwhere out there was Delilah Mortis, his girl friend, cheering him on. he held his nimbus 2001 tight in hand and mounted, as the Quaffle was tossed, he rose, and grabbed for it....

((Catching Quaffle and avoiding bludgers))

[Ivy Tunstall]

Big day. Very important day. Quidditch soon. Getting closer by the minute... end of Astronomy class soon. These sorts of thoughts whirled in a cycle through Ivy's head the morning of the day when the match against Slytherin was scheduled. She wasn't going dotty with the strain, actually. She really was having an Astronomy class in the morning, which was a little unusual to be sure. Normally one studied Astronomy at night. However, when some really spectacular, but fairly short-lived celestial event was going to occur, the NEWTs class usually had to study about it in the daylight hours beforehand, which was the reason why Ivy was in a class in what was usually a free period for her. Whatever it was, an eclipse of Venus or harmony of two planets or... something, then it was happening tomorrow. Evidently, Ivy hadn't gained much from the session - she'd written down notes fairly mechanically and hadn't taken any of it in yet. Thankfully, Professor Miller hadn't made any really cutting remark about the fact that Ivy was in a world of her own. Ivy was at least a fairly conscientious student... she would of course have to read through the notes at some point when she wasn't all het up about the Quidditch match; then maybe some of the information would enjoy the privilege of retention in her brain.

'Quidditch. End of class. Quick lunch, Quidditch. Speech. Quidditch.' thought Ivy as she stood up with the other students... presumably they'd been dismissed now. She was soon in lunch and managed to regain some level of coherence as she found some friends and it was therefore necessary for her to speak. Being able to talk would definitely come in handy for the speech, she thought as she helped herself to a fairly meagre portion of salade niçoise (Ivy usually ate well but it wouldn't do well to have a heavy meal just before a match). Tactics and assessments of her team's strengths and weaknesses whirled through Ivy's mind as she ate, and she didn't re-emerge from her reverie until she found herself walking out of the main doors with Charlie, and being hit by a blast of hot air that was in contrast to the fairly cool castle. Ivy started a little and muttered worriedly, "We're going to boil." She carried on walking, and turning to her best friend, she asked him a quiet question: "Charlie, do you think I take Quidditch a bit too seriously?" She stared at him for a moment and then laughed at herself. "Perish the thought!" she answered herself. "God forbid that I should ever take it any less seriously. I don't know what I was thinking when I said that."

She had, at least, returned to the real world, and she stopped Charlie suddenly by catching hold of his arm. "You know, about the lineup..." she began, starting to walk on but looking at him very seriously, "... don't worry about not being in the starting lineup, will you? You're going to get a chance to play Seeker, I believe in you and so does Ash. It worked for Gryffindor in their last game to bring on a fresh pair of eyes so we're going to try the same thing... you just be ready to be substituted in. And you... you can go as fast as you want - I'll just have to try not to look!" She regarded him worriedly and then let out a spontaneous nervous squeak, hugging Charlie tight for a brief moment: "Eep! I'm so... excited!" she tried to explain. "And a bit... a bit nervous!" She jigged up and down a little and then composed herself as they entered the Hufflepuff locker room, giving all the team members already assembled a bright smile. "Afternoon, everyone!" she greeted them. Her hair was already tied up in a long, swingy ponytail (all the better to swish Slytherins away with if they started being aggressive towards her), and she was soon changed into her bright yellow Quidditch robes as well. She needed new ones actually... the current ones were a bit frayed. But it would be wasteful to get them just for one year's play, so she didn't suppose that she would be getting herself any new ones in actual fact.

Once everyone seemed to be ready, Ivy stood up on one of the benches so that they'd all be able to hear her, and she began her speech. It wouldn't be acceptable to make a speech, although Ivy wasn't sure whether she'd actually be able to motivate them today. But it was worth having a try.
"It's good to see you all here, minus Sydney," she said. "I don't think that Sydney's going to be able to make the game today, but if she does arrive, then I'm trusting to the players on the bench to give her a friendly welcome." She smiled at the general assembly, pausing for a moment to catch her breath and gather her thoughts; she already had some idea of what she was going to say because she had thought through it last night, but she always had to pause for thought quite a bit during her speeches anyway. "It's going to be a hard match today. It's not just that it's hot - we've got a tough target to reach too." She paused again before summing up the bad news. "Now, this doesn't at all reflect our real ability... but at the moment Hufflepuff are last in the running for the Quidditch Cup. We all know that's not where we should be, but I want us to go out there today and prove it. Four goals will do... catching the Snitch will get us to second place so that we're well on target to win next year!" She smiled a little wryly at the thought.

"It won't be easy... the Slytherin team are good and I don't know if they'll play rough or not. Hopefully not, but if they do... don't get involved. Just stay focused. Their Captain is one of the most experienced Beaters in the school, but then again... we've got two of those!" She smiled towards Ash and Bryce, and then dropped the volume of her voice so that they would all have to listen very carefully. "I want everyone to play their very best Quidditch today, serious Quidditch -" she glanced at Chace surreptitiously since, unbeknownst to him and Seth, she and Ash intended to try the pair of friends together as Chasers in the game, in the hope that they would actually play properly in a real match situation. It had to be tried, but it was a scary gamble. "- and do yourselves proud," she continued. "Play like I know you can play. Do me proud." She nodded at them all, trying not to look flustered as she finished off her speech. "Good luck!"

((Just showing my face this round...))

[Drake Manning]

Hot. Drake cast a narrowed eye to the sky as the Captains led them onto the pitch. His face was etched into a lazy, indifferent expression despite the fact he already felt the heat getting on his nerves. Drake preferred the cold. He didn't like hot conditions; they made him uncomfortable, sweaty... as if he was losing control of his body. Drake was always in control. The only times he hadn't... well, recently, those events had included two specific girls: Brianna Bowman and India Nightingale. The fellow seventh year Ravenclaw was probably sitting in the audience, watching him... cheering for him? The old Drake probably would've smirked at the thought, but he couldn't find the heart to do it right now. Instead, he let his eyes skim the blue-clad end of the crowd, cheering like idiots, before letting his eyes slip to the even more excited Slytherin crowd. Yet again, Drake knew his old self probably would have smirked even wider, displaying his lost arrogance, and soaking up the attention. However, most of Drake was only thinking about one thing... or rather, one person: India.

Was she standing in that crowd right now? Phff, standing. More like sitting, he thought dryly. He looked away quickly, because Madam Hooch was doing her usual talk. Drake ignored it, mounting his broom and getting ready for take-off. He didn't want to think about India right now - couldn't, in fact, otherwise he'd never find the Snitch. He needed to concentrate. Drake wasn't exactly filled with house pride, but he did have pride, and he was sure of his Quidditch abilities. Still, it wasn't enough to make him want to captain his team. He would work with them, but he was more of a lone player; that's why Seeker fitted him. So why was he spending so much time with Brianna recently? Drake knew his thoughts were turning back to previous happenings, and quickly drew himself away. No. No Brianna, and certainly no India, he told himself. Instead, he flew into the air and savoured the rush of air around his green robes. In the air, he circled the filled stadium, glimpsing familiar faces belonging to anticipating students and somewhat anxious professors. Across his line of vision, Drake noted the little Harmony Chan. She was only a fourth year. The old Drake would've sneered, perhaps. She was so small, so vulnerable. He felt - knew - he could knock her off her broom with one hefty hit to the side. But he wasn't a Beater, and he wasn't even that naturally violent. Drake just wanted to win, and he knew how to do that fair and square. Harmony was just small fry, even though he would never again, after watching her, underestimate the younger girl's ability in the air; she was fast, agile and speedy; her light weight actually gave her an advantage, for she could weave through her opponents fluidly, avoiding attacks and out-flying everyone. However, right now, she wasn't in her usual zone of Chaser - now, it was one on one with Drake, and he planned to take her down.

((Searching for the Snitch and avoiding any Bludgers.))

[Bryce Alexander]

The game was on! Bryce pushed into the air, feeling Ashley surge along on her own broomstick beside him. Smiling at the thought of playing his last game with her in Quidditch for the Hufflepuffs, he was determined to savour the game, and hopefully win it even after the disappointing loss against Gryffindor. Jutting his broom sideways as he came to rest at a still position, his bat tensing in midair as his eyes scanned for any familiar shape of a black ball, or the sound of fast, dense material against the atmosphere. Bryce glanced across at Ash, who was also poised in a similar stance. Deciding he'd move along a bit and give them both some space, Bryce steered his broom along a little. The Quaffle had just been launched, and already Wynd Lehane, a fifth year Slytherin, was pelting after it like a mad man. It was between Ivy, Randy and Sophia to match the boy. Three girls versus one man? Bryce thought with a wide grin. Shouldn't be too hard. He had faith in his teammates.

Bryce knew he'd really miss this great set of Quidditch players by the time he left. Only recently, the team had a new addition of fantastic players, not lacking in enthusiasm and talent. Bryce knew the Hufflepuff team would be in safe hands and would continue to greatness even after his and Ash's departure. Seth and Chace, best friends in sixth year, were very good indeed - if only the babbling Seth would ever stop talking and stop being nervous. Chace was much more versatile, and Bryce knew the kid would go far. He was so much quieter, it made one wonder why the two boys were even best mates. But, Bryce thought, opposites are meant to attract, right?

Black. A smudge of black just to his left, heading his way. Immediately Bryce darted after it, urging his broom to fly faster and stretching out his batting hand. Before swinging though, he took a quick glance around him to see who he should target. Noting that he should probably put Wynd out of action before he got to the Quaffle (had that little time passed? Bryce didn't know; Quidditch games lacked time spans, it seemed), he put all his strength behind his arm, and whacked the incoming Bludger hard with his bat, sending it across the sky. Hope this helps the girls, Bryce thought hopefully.

((Hitting a Bludger at Wynd.))

[Sophia Hallington H7]

Sophia finished off the salad sandwich she'd made for herself for lunch from a piece of baguette and the bowl of salad in the middle of the table. The soft, fresh bread complemented the crunchy salad leaves well, and the tangy pumpkin juice was another great addition to the meal. It was energy rich which would be necessary for the afternoon, as she had a quidditch game to play in, which would be exhausting whenever it was. And on a hot June day it would be even more tiring. She was looking forward to the game, though she was worried and nervous about it-they couldn't afford to lose. Hufflepuff had a strong team and she was confident they could do well-she hoped she wouldn't let the team down as a chaser, and keeper if she was ever moved to that position.

Sophia left the dining room and made her way straight to the quidditch pitch where she met some of her teammates in the locker room. it was a hot day and she could feel the heat in the air, not looking forward to playing quidditch in it. Their last game against Gryffindor had been the opposite-it had been freezing that day and everyone had to wrap up warm, but everyone maaged to fight and persevere through the harsh wind to play a good game of quidditch. Unfortunately Hufflepuff had lost then despite being ahead before Scott caught the snitch, and Gryffindor had since won their second game against Ravenclaw (which had been extremely close) and so Hufflepuff really needed to win this to stay in the running for the cup.

She greeted her teammates as she entered the locker room making her way over to where her robes, broom and accessories were kept. She quickly changed into her bright yellow robes, tying her long hair up with a bright yellow bobble and pulled on her goggles over her eyes-she was sure they'd be necessary in the glaring sunlight. She knew that some of the older students, including Ivy herself, had had an astronomy lesson that morning from what she'd heard around school, hence why the game started in the afternoon and not the morning as it usually did, and one of the reasons why Ivy seemed to be more flustered than usual-though Sophia was sure that her role as team captain couldn't be an easy one at all. Sophia however had had a free morning and was, despite being nervous, generally quite calm because of this. She'd had no work to get her stressed as she usually did. Unfortunately her OWLs were coming up so she needed to study for those more, but she would leave that till tomorrow now-for today, quidditch was top priority.

Sophia listened as Ivy gave her captain's speech, agreeing with what she was saying about it being a hard game against a tough team to beat. She was confident about the team doing well, but she was worried that Slytherin could do what they did with Ravenclaw and catch the snitch very quickly. That would mean Hufflepuff were last which was a demoralising thought. The speech ended, and they all lined up, ready to fly out onto the pitch. She could already hear the crowd outside cheering and chanting, waiting for the game to start. They all prepared themselves, and then flew out into their positions, ready for the game to start. The captains shook hands as usual before joining, and before long Madam Hooch had released the balls and the game was starting. Acting on instinct Sophia flew as fast as she could to catch the quaffle before any of the Slytherins did. An early advantage was the key with these things, then hopefully they could keep the quaffle with the Hufflepuffs for a while.

((catching quaffle))

[Mary Evans]

This was it, the final game of the year, and an important one for Mary. Next September she would officially begin as captain but because of it she had really had to step up for this game. She had chosen the line-up and she would be giving the warm-up speech. Mary was sure Kennedy would be keeping close tabs on the game but really… today… it was her team. It was therefore no surprise when, uncommonly, Mary was up before her alarm and astir with excitement, and more than a couple nerves. She had been on the team for 3 years now, longer than anyone save Pyro, and still… it was nerve-wracking. Thankfully there would be plenty of bludgers and plenty of Hufflepuffs around that day to bear the blunt of Mary’s uneasiness. Mary had never exactly been a subtle creature.

Sitting in the captain’s office in the dressing room Mary ate the breakfast she had picked up in the Great Hall, not wanting to waste a single moment that could be spent getting ready for the day. There were charts and hand-drawn pictures everywhere showing plays they had gone over and over again through the year – including ones they had seen Hufflepuff use in their last game. Not drawn by Mary of course, she couldn’t draw to save her life, but someone else had done the honours. The little people in all of the pictures and charts zoomed around their papers in a comforting way and Mary reminded herself that her team was prepared for this. Hufflepuff had trained hard but they were still Hufflepuffs, lacking in ambition. And what could you win without ambition? They did not, could not, want this as bad as the Slytherins. Not that Mary took her opponents lightly, and she certainly wouldn’t allow her team to but…

Eventually the rest of the team turned up to pull on their robes and get set for the game, When everyone seemed mostly ready Mary emerged from the office and set about the task of catching their attention. “Okay everyone, listen up. Here we are at last, playing against Hufflepuff, we have been training for this all year so don’t forget it. Kennedy pushed us hard, and we all worked ourselves the best we could, so now it’s time to show them how much they should fear us. Ivy and her team have trained hard for this too but never forget that they are Hufflepuffs, they don’t go after that they want, they don’t deserve what we do. We’re all Slytherins here, we all know how to get what we want, we’re tough, we’re ruthless, and we’re wonderful, so let’s go win this thing.

“As well, it’s hot out there kids. Use the sun to your advantage. Chasers, you’re a unit, don’t forget it. Beaters, we’re here to assist the seeker and keep our guys safe. Best defence is a good offensive. Keeper, Asteria, remember to keep on your toes. Seeker, Drake, well you know how to do your job, and remember to do it fast – we all want to make that celebratory lunch.” She joked, especially with how fast they won their last game against Ravenclaw and were able to celebrate all afternoon and into the night, it was one of the longest Slytherin parties ever.

The teams stepped out onto the pitch and Mary shook hands with Ivy. She gave her opponent a confident smile, sure it would unnerve Ivy, as Hooch went on about water and clean games. Soon they were all up in the air and the quaffle was released. Mary saw with satisfaction that Wynd was right on the ball but unfortunately so was a blond in yellow… Spotting a recently released bludgers zooming around the pitch Mary chased after it and put her bat into her well practiced swing, sending it right at the kid…

((Bludger attack on Sophia))

[Dylan Caoimhe]

Dylan tightened his wrist guards while staring determinedly at his locker. He ran his tongue against the back of his teeth as he picked up his Firebolt, and headed for the door with the rest of his team. He was confident; not saying that Hufflepuff were horrible quidditch players, but the Slytherin line up was, new. He wasn't sure how some of this ''new blood'' would perform, but he didn't have time to worry about them. Quidditch was a game where one of the key components were out on the field, you not only had to play as a team, but you also had to focus on your job, and play your position to the best of your ability. So, seeing as how he didn't exactly feel comfortable with everyone yet, he still took Mary's speech to heart and decided he would cooperate, to say the least.

In a few minutes, they were all out on the field in their positions to cheers and boo's, but Dylan ignored it like he always did. Once the whistle sounded, he kicked off from the ground and was up in the air. He immediately noticed Harmony and Wynd dart for the Quaffle. Dylan searched around for a Bludger, and saw Bryce Alexander, Hufflepuff Beater, hit one and aimed it at Wynd. Dylan zoomed forward immediately. ''Here we go,'' he said to himself.

[[Defending Wynd, deflecting to Harmony]]

[Madam Xiomara Hooch]

((Payton's actions do not count as only one player may use a specific action each round, and Wynd posted first.


Bryce hits a Bludger at Wynd. Dylan attempts to defend him.
Bryce = Bludger (D6 + Str) = 5 + 6 = 11
Dylan = Defend (D8 + Str) = 7 + 3 = 10
Bryce's Bludger escapes Dylan.

Since Wynd posted it is assumed he would attempt to avoid the Bludger.
Bryce = Bludger (D6 + Str) = 6 + 6 = 12
Wynd = Avoid (D8 + Dex) = 2 + 5 = 7
Bryce's Bludger hits Wynd.

Wynd must roll concentration to maintain his actions.
Bryce = Bludger (D6 + Str) = 2 + 6 = 8
Wynd = Concentration (D4 + Con) = 3 + 3 = 6
Wynd cannot concentrate and therefore cannot concentrate on catching the Quaffle.

Mary hits a Bludger at Sophia. Since Sophia posted it is assumed she would attempt to avoid it.
Mary = Bludger (D6 + Str) = 4 + 5 = 9
Sophia = Avoid (D8 + Dex) = 6 + 6 = 12
Sophia avoids Mary's Bludger.

Since Wynd cannot attempt to catch the Quaffle, Sophia catches it. Sophia has the Quaffle.

Harmony and Drake attempt to search for the Snitch.

Harmony = Search (D6 + Con) = 2 + 3 = 5
Harmony's search roll is above 5, so she is able to search.

Harmony = Search = 2
2 is not the Snitch number. Harmony does not see the Snitch.

Since Drake has a Con of 6, concentration does not need to be rolled, therefore he is able to search.

Drake = Search = 5
5 is not the Snitch number. Drake does not see the Snitch.))

[Payton Laslie]

Oh Great, thought Payton as he flew after the Hufflepuff Chaser, now they have the quaffle and a better chance to score, Payton had always taken Quidditch a whole lot more serious then anyone else he knew, he knew all the moves the tackles the doges and anything else you could think of, so he thought he would use this ability to take the quaffle from that Hufflepuff girl with the quaffle, he figured that she didn't deserve it, infact nobody but Slytherins would actualy Deserve it. he stoped arguing with himself and Flew after her, arms outstretched.

((Stealing Quaffle From Sophia))

[Sophia Hallington H7]

Sophia smiled as she neatly managed to catch the quaffle before the Slytherin chaser-Wynd, she thought-caught it. However, while looking around she noticed that Wynd had been hit by a bludger, from Bryce she assumed, whom she smiled at while deciding who to pass to. But while looking round she noticed that the other bludger was heading her way, but luckily she managed to swerve out of the way before it hit her. She really didn't want to be hit by a bludger so early in the game-that wouldn't be good at all for the Hufflepuff team (despite having a full roseter and 6 reserves...so it wouldn't be too disasterous. But still, she was glad to have avoided the pain that the bludger hit would've surely brought.

Unfortunately, though, while she was avoiding the bludger and hence was being somewhat distracted from the game, Payton had flown closer to her and he looked as though he was going to try and steal the quaffle from Sophia. She had to think fast before the young Slytherin boy managed to steal it from her, so she had to make a choice-Randy or Ivy. Seeing as Randy was slightly closer and easier to pass to, aswell as being a new member of the team and hence needing expreience, she threw the quaffle in her direction, hoping that nobody would intercept. She didn't want to let Hufflepuff down and hoped that the quaffle would stay in her team's possession for as long as possible. She hoped that Randy would catch it and then go on to score for an early advantage which would be great.

((Passing to Randy))

[Ashley Hill]

Ashley hovered absentmindedly in midair with her beater bat propped comfortably on her leg. Her brown eyes stared at the players around the pitch, eagerly awaiting for Madam Hooch's signal to proceed. This was going to be Ashley Hill's last Quidditch match at Hogwarts after being on the team for four years. When Ashley first joined the team, she was petite, frizzy, fourteen-year-old girl with more energy than she could handle. Through the years she changed: being with Ryan to almost loose him, watching him walk out of her life, and meeting Bryce who managed to almost ruin something they had, all those things changed her. Everyone changed though. It was a part of growing up. It was still hard to imagine that she wouldn't get to play Quidditch anymore, but somehow Ashley was ready to quit. It wasn't that the game was more less thrilling than before, she just was ready to move on. Maybe it was the meeting at Dixie's house that had Ashley view a new prospective of her life. Seeing her best friends and what they did with their lives gave her the confidence to do the same in hers. Though, Ashley was going to put off any future plans for later. She and Bryce still had to talk about those kind of things.

Tucking a strand of brown hair behind her ears Ashley was starting to regret having Dixie make her over. It was harder to put up, but Ashley still loved how it looked on her. Hearing Madam Hooch's whistle, the chasers dived forward after the quaffle while the beaters were elsewhere. Ashley had to stay focused during this match. Even though she was complimenting her future, there was still something else eating at her mind. Weetzie had come back and she was sitting on the reserve bench now. Ashley didn't know how Bryce felt about it, but Ashley knew she wasn't at all thrilled for the girl's return. She wasn't going to stop Bryce for wanting to be friends with her, but deep down Ashley didn't know if she could trust him again. Maybe it was the jealously that she felt toward the girl, or anger that maybe she wasn't good enough for Bryce. Sighing, Ashley shook her head. Why was she thinking this way? She had to get her head in the game. Ashley had done it so many times before. When something bothered her, she didn't let it show during a match. She wasn't going to let this eat her alive.

Noticing Sophia dodge a bludger from the Slytherin beater, Ashley grinned as she noticed Bryce's bludger heat one of their chasers. Chasing after the bludger that Sophia had dodge, Ashley jeered to the side, extending her bat to make contact with the iron surface with a hard swing.

((Bludger attack on Payton.))

[Randy Kerr]

It had finally arrived. Randy had been waiting months for this game. It was time to prove the other teams wrong. It was time to show that Hufflepuffs were talented and could do anything they wanted to. And Randy was all about supporting her house and proving people dead wrong. Hufflepuff was in last place for the Qudditch cup. This had to be changed. They had played such a good game last match, but Gryffindor caught the snitch and unexpectedly won. Randy didn’t think that it was fair but it was in the past. Now Hufflepuff had to work their hardest to win this match and move up in the standings. Slytherin was a good team and they weren’t going to be easy to beat. They were also in second place for the Quidditch Cup so if they caught the snitch, there was a chance that they could have enough points to surpass Gryffindor and win the cup for themselves. Randy would do everything in her power to stop that from happening. Randy had never met a Slytherin that she liked and as unmoral as it was, she would use that to play her hardest. Randy didn’t play dirty like some players, but she could play her best that was for sure. She didn’t want to let the team down.

After changing into her robes, Randy gathered around with the rest of the team to hear Ivy’s speech. Ivy was a good captain and she made sure that Hufflepuff was already prepared for a match. Plus she was a good leader and the team liked her. That was important in a captain. Randy nodded and listened patiently. Her heart was pounding. She just wanted to play already! But she knew that she had to wait. Randy swayed her hands back and forth trying to remain calm. It was safe to say that calm was not her strong suit. Randy smiled and cheered with the rest of the team when Ivy finished her speech. And then she headed out to the Quidditch pitch. It was a dry day. Good for Quidditch but perhaps too hot. But Madam Hooch said that they could have fast water breaks so that would help a lot. She then told them to have a clean game. Randy eyed the Slytherins. She would if they would. Randy mounted her broom and took off as they made there lap around the pitch. The crowd was roaring and Randy beamed at the loudness of the Hufflepuff section. And with the sound of the whistle, the game had officially begun.

“Yes!” Randy cheered when Sophia caught the quaffle. Randy, Sophia, and Ivy were currently playing Chaser. Randy’s first position was Beater, but she didn’t mind playing Chaser every now and then. She would be happy with any position besides Keeper. Nope, that was too dull for Randy. She wanted to be out in the action. That was why Chaser and Beater worked best for her. Actually she had never tried Seeker, but Randy probably wouldn’t be great at it. In the first few seconds after Sophia caught the quaffle, someone sent a bludger at her but she avoided it. Randy flew faster as she tried to get open and in Sophia’s line of vision. Randy nodded to Sophia as to signal that she was open. Sophia saw that and attempted to pass it to her. Randy clenched her teeth and concentrated hard. She just wanted to catch the quaffle and not let her team down.

((Receiving Sophia’s pass.))

[Wynd Lehane]

An attack so early in the game? Yes, that was the case. Wynd was glad to see that his teammate and roommate Dylan tried to defend him. Dylan and he had a rocky start but things were definitely better between the two. The keyword was 'try' but there was no 'succeed.' The Bludger slipped by Dylan and continued on its journey straight for Wynd's broom. Wynd was too concentrated on catching the Quaffle to really be bothered with an oncoming Bludger. Perhaps he should have been though. Maybe that way he could have made more of an effort to avoid the collision. But he wanted that Quaffle. Therefore he compromised his evasion skills. Wynd flinched and the Quaffle went to Sophia. Taking a second to recover, Wynd didn't look at Bryce. His anger for the Hufflepuff was growing by the second but Ruby would have told him to control his emotions. He did his best to put aside his anger and the hurt and focus on the game.

Sophia had the Quaffle and Payton was quickly trying to steal it. Wynd could feel a swell of pride as the newest member of the team tried to take the game back into their hands. Wynd made a mental note of his ambition and would be sure to tell Ruby at a later date. It was never the wrong time or the wrong place to think of recruitment. Sophia saw Payton also and decided to make a pass. Wynd knew that if Payton was not able to steal the ball then Wynd would. Payton seemed to know what he was doing however and Wynd was not that worried. But just in case...

((Intercepting Sophia's Pass))

[Harmony Chan H6]

The job of Seeker was a lot more boring than Chaser, Harmony concluded after ten minutes of no action on her end. True, she was a very patient person, and she didn't need to worry about her stamina, which was her weakest area in Quidditch (and games and sport in general). However, Harmony liked to be active and participating, and despite the fact being Seeker meant a very integral part of the team, as well as a lack of head-on collision with the opposing side, Harmony missed the excitement and activity of Chasing. There was less chance to utilise her speed as well, even though it would be useful when the Snitch came into view. Harmony felt an odd homesickness for her usual position, remembering why it was her best role to begin with. Smiling wryly to herself as she tilted her head sideways to avoid the sun and glance briefly in the other direction to search for the Snitch, Harmony caught a glimpse of green across the pitch, floating on the same level as her. Drake Manning was going at a slower pace than her, but his eyes were just as keen. Harmony was a bit fearful of the much bigger seventh year, but she wasn't scared, per se. She knew she could take him on, but she certainly didn't want to be his enemy physically. Certainly, she didn't want to imagine fighting him for the Quaffle... not that she wouldn't fight back.

((Searching for the Snitch and avoiding any Bludgers.))

[Drake Manning]

Drake was bored. He liked Quidditch a lot; wouldn't have joined the house team had he not been interested in the sport. Perhaps his initial intentions had been to gain glory, but over the years, it had progressed into a proper liking for Quidditch, rather than just played for in a pursuit of attention. Drake was, admittedly, pretty good at flying. But right now, and recently really, his mind had been distracted. Quidditch was the last thing on his mind. In truth, he found he didn't really care. The only reason he was even out here today was because he had made a stupid commitment to the team and sport, and because if he didn't, Mary and Kennedy would have him by the neck. Not that Drake couldn't take the two sixth years on; they were smaller and scrawnier than him (then again, who wasn't?). He just didn't want the hassle. He had enough on his plate, didn't he? Someone, please, give him a rest. But anyway, back to Quidditch - Drake wasn't going to lose to those fluffed-up Hufflepuffs, but he wasn't that interested in the game anyway. Just keep his eye out, make sure to watch that Harmony carefully, and victory wouldn't be too difficult.

((Searching for the Snitch and avoiding any Bludgers.))

[Bryce Alexander]

Bryce smiled triumphantly when his Bludger knocked into Wynd, causing the fifth year to lose concentration and leaving the Quaffle wide open for Sophia. Elated that his fellow teammate now had the ball and looked to be heading up the pitch to pass to Randy, Bryce looked around to see if there was anyone he needed to 'take out'. He turned to the left just in time to see Ash whack a Bludger at Payton, the new third year Slytherin Chaser. Bryce noted the boy was heading for Sophia, probably to attempt a steal. He then saw Wynd, who seemed to have recovered from his earlier attack. He was flying between Sophia and Randy. Well, Bryce supposed he'd have to stop him again. Luckily for him, he could hear a Bludger whistling up from his side, and flying towards it, he raised his bat and hit the black ball at the fifth year again, hoping for another success. Bryce felt confident; he was in good shape today.

((Hitting a Bludger at Wynd.))

[Madam Xiomara Hooch]

((Ashley hits a Bludger at Payton. Since Payton posted, it is assumed he would attempt to avoid it.
Ashley = Bludger (D6 + Str) = 6 + 4 = 10
Payton = Avoid (D8 + Dex) = 6 + 6 = 12
Payton avoids Ashley's Bludger.

Bryce hits a Bludger at Wynd. There is a Bludger flying at Wynd.

Payton attempts to steal the Quaffle from Sophia. Sophia attempts to defend.
Payton = Steal (D4 + Str) = 2 + 5 = 7
Sophia = Defend (D8 + Str) = 7 + 1 = 8
Payton fails to steal. Sophia retains the Quaffle.

Sophia attempts to pass the Quaffle to Randy. Wynd attempts to intercept.
Sophia = Pass (D6 + Dex) = 2 + 6 = 8
Wynd = Intercept (D4 + Dex) = 2 + 5 = 7
Wynd fails to steal. Sophia passes to Randy. Randy has the Quaffle.

Harmony and Drake search for the Snitch.

Harmony = Search (D6 + Con) = 3 + 3 = 6
Harmony's search roll is above 5, so she is able to search.

Harmony = Search = 10
10 is not the Snitch number. Harmony does not see the Snitch.

Since Drake has a Con of 6, concentration does not need to be rolled, therefore he is able to search.

Drake = Search = 24
24 is not the Snitch number. Drake does not see the Snitch.))