Hufflepuff vs. Ravenclaw

[Finn Miles H7]

Finn heard a roar of cheering which fought against and equally loud sigh of the crowd whenever Ravenclaw stole the Quaffle from Hufflepuff. In Quidditch, the Quaffle could change possession like a metamorphagus could change their appearance. Back and forth, one team to another. Perhaps it was this excitement that many enjoyed watching. Finn knew that he loved to watch Wyatt in the Chaser postion. He flew with such grace and agility that some might liken it to dancing in the air. Many professional Quidditch players could produce this illusion. Finn wondered if his flying was the same. Doubtful.

With one hand firmly pressed on his broom and guiding him around the pitch, Finn's other hand was shielding the sun as he kept an eye scanning in every direction for the Snitch. The game had just started, but there was no saying when the Snitch would decide to show itself. Perhaps it wasn't in the mood to hide today...

((Searching for the Snitch.))

[Ephraim Eades R7]

Ephraim bit his lip guiltily as he watched the Bludger zoom past him toward Theo. Luckily Theo was able to dodge the buzzing black ball. "Sorry mate!" he said, flying past Theo and off toward Sydney. She had managed to outplay him once, but in Ephriam's mind, every action started with a clean slate. Thus, when he watched her aim a Bludger at Ruth, he didn't let the memory of the last mistake cloud his mind. A clear mind was crucial if success were to be expected.

"Get past me once... shame on me. Past me twice... shame on... me?" He laughed, realizing that he had messed up the saying when he flew past Sydney to try to protect Ruth. Again, the path of the Bludger was mapped out in his head, and he flew to the spot where he might best be able to direct it away from Ruth. Ephraim swung with the bulk of his upper body strength. "That should do the trick," he said, hopeful as he turned his head to see who the Bludger would be flying toward if it were a successful swing. He smirked as Syd was flying in just the right place to be the receiver of his attack if he made contact.

((Defending Ruth and sending it right back to Syd. ))

[chace]

Chace smiled when Seth had caught the Quaffle. Seth often doubted his own skills but Chace knew that he had them. He flew alongside his best friend down the pitch preparing himself for a pass if Seth wanted to make one. Sometimes a pass wasn't always the best plan of action. Ivy had her strategies but Chace and Seth usually ignored them. They knew what needed to be done and they were going to get it accomplished their own way. Everything was going fine until out of nowhere Ruth came and stole the Quaffle. She just seemed to pluck it from Seth like one plucks a strawberry. One moment Seth had the Quaffle and the next they were headed toward the other end of the pitch following the Ravenclaw. Out of the corner of his eye, Chace saw Sydney send a Bludger at the Chaser. He hoped that would distract her.

((Intercepting Pass))

[Seth Wright]

Oh no! He'd lost the Quaffle, and to Ruth too. Scowling at his fellow Seventh Year, Seth watched her retreating back and cursed his inability to protect the red ball. He just wasn't made to be violent! That's why he could never be a Chaser. Sighing loudly to himself, Seth wondered what to do next. The Chaser position was so stressful and required constant concentration, action and movement. Seth could only think about one thing at a time! He wasn't made for multitasking! Biting his cheek, Seth felt his self-doubt arising again, threatening to overcome his confidence. However, then he saw Chace send him a reassuring smile, surging forwards in an attempt to stop Ruth. Spurred on by Chace's confidence in him, Seth nodded to himself assuredly and followed suit. He would win this game - for Hufflepuff, for Ivy, for Chace... but most of all, for himself.

((Attempting to steal the Quaffle. Ooer.))

[Madam Xiomara Hooch]

((Sydney hits a Bludger at Ruth. Ephraim attempts to defend her.
Sydney = Bludger (D6 + Str) = 6 + 5 = 11
Ephraim = Defend (D8 + Str) = 4 + 3 = 7
Ephraim fails to defend Ruth from Sydney's Bludger. It continues at Ruth.

Ruth attempts to avoid Sydney's Bludger.
Sydney = Bludger (D6 + Str) = 4 + 5 = 9
Ruth = Avoid (D8 + Dex) = 2 + 4 = 6
Ruth fails to avoid Sydney's Bludger, which hits her.

Ruth must concentrate to maintain her actions.
Sydney = Bludger (D6 + Str) = 5 + 5 = 10
Ruth = Con (D4 + Con) = 3 + 4 = 7
Ruth fails to maintain her actions and drops the Quaffle.

The Quaffle is free.

Finn searches for the Snitch. Since Finn has a Con of 5 the Search roll will not be rolled.

Finn = Search = 8
8 is the Snitch number. Finn sees the Snitch!))

[Adriahna Dynes R5]

“Sugar!” Adriahna exclaimed out loud when she noticed the other seeker looking a bit particular, he had likely seen something! Trying to elbow her way discreetly out of the swarm of bodies she kept her eyes peeled in the direction the Hufflepuff seemed to be looking. There! It was there!

The day was fine, no undo weather to mess things up, and Adriahna could see the snitch which seemed to be hovering closer to the other seeker. “Oi! Seeker!” Adriahna hollered at her beaters, hoping they could help her out and distract the guy with a well placed bludger.

With that Adriahna sped off towards the shinning golden ball…

((Snitch catching! And telling the beaters to get Finn before 5 AM.))

[Seth Wright]

Seth watched Sydney's Beater bounce between Ephraim and hit Ruth. He didn't feel particularly elated that his classmate had suffered a blow from those deadly Bludgers, but it was a good thing for Hufflepuff! Seth felt his heart drop in anxiety for Ruth but soar in exultation for Hufflepuff's chances. Grimacing in sympathy for Ruth, Seth forced himself to shove away his soft side. After all, this was the game and Ruth and everyone else knew what was at stake and what dangers Quidditch held. No one, like Seth, was probably hovering on their brooms wondering if Bludger-injuree was okay. "Move, Seth, move!" he told himself when his eyes caught onto the flash of red falling from Ruth's grasp. It was the Quaffle! In a flash Seth was onto it, racing towards it. He had to get it before the Ravenclaws. He was so intent on his job he completely did not notice the roar of the crowd when the Snitch was seen.

((Attempting to catch the Quaffle!))

[Sydney Rawson H6]

Biting her lip, Syd watched as her bludger smacked into the side of the Ravenclaw Chaser- Ruth. She felt bad for the physical pain made by her bludger. Syd wasn't a masochist, but such was the beater position on a quidditch team.
She nodded with efficiency as she eyed up E, who tried to defend his player and hit the bludger back at Syd. Shaking her head at E, she couldn't believe he tried to hit the iron ball back AT HER! She felt like it was a low blow to her, but then a new thought came into her mind. Obviously, Syd was a worthy opponent and E felt like she needed to be docked a few skill points. "I can't believe you!" She laughed. "Nice try though!" She said she a shrug of her shoulders and a slight grin as she soared around the lower part of the pitch.

She caught up to the bludger that just fell from hitting Ruth. Acting as if the iron ball was a soccer ball, she dribbled it back and forth to herself between hits from her bat. She loved playing with gravity in the sense that she flew faster than gravity could pull the ball down with a heavy fist. Syd watched the falling quaffle, making note of who from the Ravenclaw team was going to make an attempt to retrieve it. Seth from her team was first to make a move, and was about to direct to the next player she saw twitch, but within her focus she heard a low roar from the crowd. Normally, a qudditch player would not focus on the crowd's reactions, but this was uncharacteristic. She was upset that the crowd took her out of focus as she looked up. She noticed Adriahna, the seeker from the Ravenclaw team, make her way thought the game to follow suit behind Finn. "Bloody Hell!" Syd shouted in sync with the crowd. The game was currently being played above where Syd was flying. She had to make a split second decision. Help the chaser or help the seeker. She found herself hoping Carson was somewhere near a bludger- so the Hufflepuff's could take control of the defense.

"Get Out of the way!" Syd shouted suddenly as her mind made up the decision for her. Syd lightly hit the bludger directly above her. She spun her broom in a circle to gain momentum as she swung her arm around with all of her power. A loud hollow sound erupted from her bat as she hit the falling bludger square on it's side. Her aim was again, from below, as she shot her weapon of choice into the air above her toward Adriahna. Her hit was so powerful it pushed her, and her broom back wards a few yards. Clenching her jaw, she watched the seekers, deep in the game.

(( Attack on Adriahna. ))

[Ruth Hosker-Thornhill]

Wham. The monster smashed into Ruth, hitting her in the back, just beneath her shoulder. She let out a strangled cry at the instant pain and in that moment the Quaffle slipped from her fingers... she barely realised it was doing so, her mind only on one thing- the insane sensation in her shoulder as a result of Syd's attack. "Eades!" She hissed at the boy- not really out of anger, she knew the beater game was sometimes difficult- just because she felt the need to blame someone. Sydney really had put her all into that Bludger. Ruth was not heavily built, her slight frame was not strong enough to fend off such force. She scowled at everyone and from the corner of her eye, she noticed Seth already on his way to the Quaffle. "Reid, Darke! One of you?!" She bellowed into the air, not knowing where the boys were. She couldn't go for the Quaffle so soon- still reeling from the attack, her body was not ready to move that fast. To hide how much pain she was in Ruth shifted her position so that she was in the perfect place to attempt a steal should Seth catch the falling ball or to accept a pass if Theo or August caught it. As she moved it was difficult to disguise the wince, but she did so with determined eyes. She would not be called from the pitch because some sixth year girl threw a tennis ball at her...

((Just dodging any further Bludgers and being open.))

[August Reid R7]

Here he was. A Chaser. He really wanted to be Keeper. August wondered if Celia was punishing him because he had performed so poorly in the last game. That was just his insecurities talking. Surely she had forgotten about his poor performance in the last game. ...Surely? Nevertheless, August found himself flying around the pitch beside Ruth and Theo. He was rather glad that he would be working closely with Theo. August liked Theo. He was the only one who could possibly understand... Ruth on the other hand... August didn't know Ruth. He wasn't the sort of person that liked being thrown into situations with people he didn't know but here he was. When Ruth stole the Quaffle he flew next to her near toward the hoops. Theo on one side and he on the other. She looked as though she was going to pass to Theo and then out of nowhere BAM! She was hit by a Bludger. She dropped the Quaffle and August saw Seth go for it. He was worried about his teammate but he had to get the ball.

((Catching the Quaffle))

[Finn Miles H7]

Yes? No? Yes. Yes! It was the Snitch!

Finn barely thought it possible that the golden orb would appear so early. As he thought before though, perhaps it just wasn't in the mood to hide today. Instinctively, his eyes shot toward Adriahna. Any seasoned Seeker would have known better to worry about the other Seeker, but Finn was hardly experienced in this position. Thus, his eyes went toward Adriahna instead of having his focus on the Snitch. Realizing the error of his ways though, Finn hurried to turn his head back and find the glint of gold again so that he might chase after it. If he knew what was best, he shouldn't have even worried about Adriahna.

Pushing with all of his strength (though his excitement made him a bit weaker than normal), Finn shot downward at a very small angle since the Snitch was hovering just below his plane of flight, about an eighth of the distance of the pitch away from him. Sure enough, he was able to catch the peripheral view of a speeding blue blur to his left. He assumed it was Adriahna, but this time Finn was more worried about the Snitch than her. He knew that if he concentrated, his flying skills were his best asset. Whether they were better than Adriahna's he didn't know.

The next split second was a blur as Finn reached out, his fingertips seemingly miles away from the golden stream of zooming confusion. By now, the roaring cheers from the crowd were all but a faint hum in his ears as he imagined the thrill of the possibility of catching the Snitch so soon...

((Trying to catch the Snitch!!! ))

[Ephraim Eades R7]

For the second time that day, Ephraim watched as the Bludger passed by him and toward his teammate. Only this time, it was directed toward Ruth, and unlike Theo, she was unable to dodge the bloody rascal. As he watched, Ephraim cringed with disbelief. He knew Ruth wouldn't be happy. Even worse, she had dropped the Quaffle as a result of the collision.

As Syd flew by, Ephraim tried to smile, but he was highly frustrated with himself. Still, he had to give Syd credit. Either she was playing a top-notch game, or his calculations were way out of whack. He'd like to have believed it was the former of the two. And, in that case, Syd deserved to be confident as she flew past him.

His eyes following her, wondering where she'd go next, Ephraim noticed (around the same time everyone else seemed to notice) that the two Seekers seemed to be flying awfully determined toward something. The Snitch? It was early. Perhaps Finn was attempting a fake, seeing that he was in the front. Ephraim wouldn't put it past his cousin to do that. Finn liked to have fun; keep things interesting. Still, it could have very well been the Snitch, making this one of the shortest matches Hogwarts had seen in a while.

Seeing that Syd was directing a Bludger toward Adriahna, no doubt, Ephraim decided it might be best to do the same. Well, not direct a Bludger at Adriahna, but instead direct one at Finn. Lucky for E, the second Bludger zoomed past him during this split-second thought process. He chased after it, and with as much precision as he could, aimed his swing toward Finn. "Sorry, cousin," he said to himself, joining the rest of the hundreds of people who watched as a two Bludgers flew at the two Seekers, both trying to catch the Snitch. Now this was the excitement that Ephraim loved about Quidditch!

((Bludger attack on Finn.))

[Theo Darke]

Theo began hollering at Ruth and August the moment Sydney's Bludger knocked it from the only female Chaser on the Ravenclaw team. "Dive for it! Catch it!" He watched as Seth Wright also began chasing after the Quaffle and he hoped Ruth or August would get it first. From glancing quickly at Ruth it seemed like she might've been injured from the blow; she certainly wasn't going for the Quaffle. So that left August. Theo himself was much too far away to be of any use. Since Celia was playing Beater today, Theo found himself having to order the Ravens around to make sure their teamwork was slick. He flew up beside Ruth to assess if she was harmed or not, flashing her a concerned look. "Are you okay?" Theo had barely ever spoken to Ruth outside of training, and even when they were working as a team they rarely exchanged words; Ruth was such a reserved, quiet girl, quite the opposite of Theo's open personality. Theo wasn't intimidated by Ruth as she scowled, perhaps from pain, perhaps from annoyance. If the latter, Theo fully understood her frustration. She had had the Quaffle for but a few seconds and then it was knocked from her hands. Theo sent Celia a glance as she flew past, indicating she and E needed to work harder to protect them. However, as he was scanning the sky for the Beaters, he noticed Sydney hitting yet another one. That girl was lethal, Theo thought, his eyes looking around hurriedly for any targets. Adriahna! It was then Theo noticed that she and Finn had spotted the Snitch. His heart flew into his chest and he yelled, "Celia, E, Bludger at Adriahna!" He began flying towards their direction. "Adriahna, heads up!" There was no time to wonder whether August or Seth had caught the Quaffle, or if Ruth was in pain - all that mattered now was that tiny golden Snitch.

((Warning Adriahna about Sydney's Bludger and floating around aimlessly. ))

[Carson McGreggor H6]

Carson flew around his fellow team mates, making sure to stay close enough to protect them if needed, but far enough away so he wouldn’t get in their way. Being a beater was the perfect Quidditch position for Carson, who practically lived to be a protector. He was extremely protective of Casey, Ezzie, and even his older sister (not to mention legal guardian) Julie. It was only natural that Carson would become a beater. Of course, he was only on reserve for right now, but this was mainly because of time restrictions. He knew that with all that was going on in his life, he couldn’t possibly have enough time on his hands to be the great player he wanted to be. Carson was a decent enough player in his opinion, and he was sure others thought him to be great. However, Carson was a generally modest person, so he figured the reserve team was perfect.

Realizing that the chasers had themselves covered and the seeker seemed to have seen something, Carson decided it was time to change tactics. He’d been sticking close to the chasers recently, though Sydney seemed to have dominated that aspect of the game so he figured now was probably a good enough time to keep his eye on the seeker. Carson tightened his grip on his beater’s bat just to make sure he’d be ready in case anything was to happen. It wasn’t as easy as it would normally be to catch up with Finn Miles, as he seemed to be after something. Carson’s eyes darted quickly in the direction Finn was looking and noticed a small speck of gold in the distance. Carson then realized that even though it was early on in the game, Finn had managed to locate the snitch. Carson then noticed one of the Ravenclaw beaters hurl a bludger toward the seeker, as if trying to stop him from grabbing the snitch before he did. Carson raised his bat, preparing to defend his seeker from the incoming ball. If Carson’s plan worked, the bludger would be sent straight at the Ravenclaw seeker.

((Defending Finn and deflecting to Adriahna.))

[Madam Xiomara Hooch]

((Sydney hits a Bluder at Adriahna.
Sydney = Bludger (D6 + Str) = 5 + 5 = 10
Adriahna = Avoid (D8 + Dex) = 8 + 5 = 13
Adriahna avoids Sydney's Bludger.

Ephraim hits a Bludger at Finn. Carson attempts to defend him.
Ephraim = Bludger (D6 + Str) = 3 + 3 = 6
Carson = Defend (D8 + Str) = 7 + 5 = 12
Carson defends Finn from Ephraim's Bludger and deflects it to Adriahna.

There is a Bludger flying at Adriahna.

Seth and August attempt to catch the Quaffle.
Seth = Catch (D6 + Dex) = 2 + 4 = 6
August = Catch (D6 + Dex) = 3 + 5 = 8
August catches the Quaffle. August has the Quaffle.

Adriahna and Finn attempt to catch the Snitch.
Adriahna = Catch (D6 + Dex) = 4 + 5 = 9
Finn = Catch (D6 + Dex) = 1 + 3 = 4
Snitch = Escape (D10 + D4) = 5 + 3 = 8
Adriahna catches the Snitch!

Hufflepuff 0
Ravenclaw 150

Ravenclaw win!


Everyone may now post their character's reactions to the end of the match.))

[Theo Darke]

Theo watched the race between the two Seekers round the pitch, his mind chanting, urging Adriahna on, just as loud as the crowd. The Bludger had thankfully missed the little Seeker, and Theo was sure that she had the advantage over Finn, who was taller and heavier than her - dexterity-wise she had to beat him, right? As Adriahna neared the glint of gold, Theo subconsciously held his breath: it was now or never. When her hand closed over the elusive object Theo burst into raptuous cheering like all the other Ravenclaws. He jumped excitedly (and rather dangerously) on his broomstick, elated with their first win in the first match of the Quidditch season. At some point he moved across to Celia and gave her an overjoyed hug (an awkward one over air and broomstick, but neither of them cared). Eventually, all the players descended back to earth; along the way Theo congratulated all of them for their hard work and effort in this short game. It was a shame the Chasers and Keepers had not got a chance to shine, but they had done their best and won - and that was what mattered. Theo gave a special thank you to Adriahna for stepping in as Seeker and doing a fantastic job before alerting Celia to Ruth; he was concerned about her health but was rather afraid he might just exacerbate her problems by getting on nerves - she certainly didn't seem to take to him much. Theo went to shake the Hufflepuffs' hands with dignity and respect, clapping Finn consolingly on the back before returning to his team. Another cheer went round the stadium as the players celebrated with big beams on their faces.

Bring on the next match, Theo thought.

[Seth Wright]

Oh well. Hufflepuff had lost. It hadn't been a shameful defeat, though; they had not surrendered, they had fought for victory. Seth didn't feel like the better team had won, at the end of the day, but that wasn't what Quidditch was always like... When you had two equally good teams it depended on the Seekers to win the game, and Adriahna had done better than Finn. Seth didn't blame the Sixth year, though; it was his secondary position and he was a recent addition to the main line-up, like Seth himself. He felt for Finn, and although he felt awkward doing it, he thanked Finn for his efforts when they'd touched the ground again. Seth could feel the disappointment in the Hufflepuffs' faces and wished he could've done more, but the match was over and it was too late. Never midn - there was always next time, right? Seth believed in remaining positive; it was the only way forward.

[Edward Summers R6]

The game was over! Edward felt his heart leaping with joy, nearly unseating himself from his broom while he was at it. The game had been quick, and not once had the Quaffle come to the Ravenclaw side of the Pitch. Ed had not had to do any work, which meant that he hadn’t completely failed a saved either. Ed watched as the entire team starting crowding around Adriahana, the Ravenclaw Seeker and the star of this game. Grinning and clutching his broom and glasses Ed soared over to the growing throng. He slammed into the group rather harder than he had intended too, jostling a few of the players. Ed patted Adriahana on the back, “Way to go!” He congratulated with a slight feeling of relief, her spectacular catch had saved him a lot of embarrassment. “If you could do that for all the other games I’d greatly appreciate it.”

[August Reid R7]

He had it! The Quaffle! Seth had been going for it but August was just too quick for him. He was so excited to have the ball that he almost dropped it. Almost. He turned the nose of his broom up and aimed for the Hufflepuff goal. He was so caught up in his own victory that he failed to notice the crowd going wild. Until now. He stopped his broom when he heard Madam Hooch blow her whistle. Someone had caught the Snitch. Already? August had just caught the Quaffle. Didn't anyone care about that? The rest of the Ravenclaw team was gathering around Adriahna with big smiles on their faces so August could assume that Ravenclaw had won. Their first win of the season. August looked down at the red ball in his hands. He had tried really hard to catch it and his efforts had paid off but he was being ignored. "Story of my life," he told the ball. He then threw it over his left shoulder letting it fall to the ground and flew toward the rest of his team. Ravenclaw had won.

[Finn Miles H7]

Aaaannnnd.... No. Finn didn't catch the Snitch.

Slightly dejected, his broom came to a gradual stop on its own when Finn's hands released the applied pressure he had been using to chase after the Snitch. Adriahna, now far away, flew with one hand in the air, the other on her broom as the Ravenclaw team surrounded her with cheers of excitement. It was over. Hufflepuff had lost.

It took him only a half a minute or so, and Finn was already making himself be ok with the result of the match. He knew he couldn't win every match, and even though this was his first match as a Seeker, there was always going to be that chance that he'd have to fly away as the defeated one of two. This was one of those times. Plus, for all he knew, he may never win a game as a Seeker or catch the Snitch during a real match. Even if he played no more games or a hundred more, he knew there was always the chance of defeat. With his next breath, he made himself accept that and move on. It's just a game.

The rest of the Hufflepuff team seemed to leave the pitch with the same feeling. Finn kind of hoped one or two of them might help console the loss, his failure to catch the Snitch before Adriahna. But nobody did. He made himself believe that it wasn't because they blamed him. The Chasers hadn't scored either, not that there was much time.

Part of him wanted to fly up to Adriahna. He wished to congratulate her. If it were reversed, he'd have hoped she'd do the same. Yet, with the crowd of hovering blue players, he couldn't find it in him to do it now. Perhaps he'd find her later and offer a kind word. She truly had played a good game to be able to beat him to the Snitch when he had been the first to notice it.

Oh well, he thought. There's always next time. Next time... would there be a next time? Would Ivy let him play Seeker again? Eh, it didn't matter. As long as he was able to be on the team and have fun. That's all that Finn really cared about. He'd hardly be kicked of the team for losing. If that were the case, each house might run out of players!