Ravenclaw vs. Slytherin

[Madam Xiomara Hooch]

It was reasonably mild for a late January day, due to the absence of the bitterly cold north wind that was normally the prevailing wind at this time of year. The snow had thawed to mush, leaving the Quidditch pitch as a mudbath, and although it was reasonably bright and sunny at the moment, the weather was coming from the west, the clouds borne slowly by a very light wind, and so if the match went on, the Ravenclaw and Slytherin teams would find themselves playing in endlessly steady, possibly heavy rain. Ability and skill alone ought to determine the course of the first part of the match, but it looked as though endurance was set to play an ever increasing part. It would be interesting to see who would come out on top.

The Slytherin team certainly outnumbered the Ravenclaws, with numbers close to that of a small army. Both team captains were very experienced Quidditch players, and Xiomara appraised the way that they handled themselves with interest. With the Quidditch Skills Cup taking place, and chances to enter professional Quidditch available, she expected that these players were just the ones who would be hoping to take advantage of the chance. Miss Evans - the Head Girl an excellent Beater, Xiomara noted with pride - had been in the Slytherin team lineup for a long time, and it would come as a surprise if she didn't do very well in the Skills Cup. Miss Richmond was playing as a Beater today, although it was as a Chaser that she had proved herself time and time again in the past. Satsified that the two captains had exchanged the necessary niceties, Xiomara released the four magical balls from their crate and blew her whistle to signal the start of the match.

((The current line-ups are...

Ravenclaw

Position - Player: Dex/Str/Con
Chaser - Theo Darke R6 6, (3+2)=5, 5
Chaser - August Reid R5 (3+1=)4, 4, 1
Chaser - Williard Thoth R2 3, 4, 4
Beater - Celia Richmond R7 (3+2=)5, (3+2=)5, 6
Beater - Ephraim Eades R6 5, 6, 6
Keeper - Edward Summers R5 6, 5, 2
Seeker - Ruth Hosker-Thornhill R7 4, 5, 2

Reserve Team
Sandy Hart R4 3, 3, 3

Slytherin

Position - Player: Dex/Str/Con
Chaser - Julian Fallon S7 (2+1=)3, 4, 4
Chaser - Wynd Lehane S6 4, (2+2=)4, 4
Chaser - Merrick Marr S7 6, 4, 2
Beater - Dylan Caoimhe S6 4, 6, (3+1=)4
Beater - Mary Evans S7 (4+2=)6, (5+1=)6, 5
Keeper - Drake Manning S7 (3+2=)5, 3, 3
Seeker - Stephen Donahue S5 6, 4, 3

Reserve - Kailyn Valak S5 3, (3+1=)4, 6
Reserve - Adalia St John S4 1, 6, 6
Reserve - Olivia Dawson S6 6, 5, 3
Reserve - Tiernan McCoy S6 2, 2, 2
Reserve - Sierra Greene S5 4, 2, 3
Reserve - Pyro Blackfire S7 3, 4, 2
Reserve - Josephine Bowman S5 3, 4, (2+2)=4

Ravenclaw 30
Slytherin 160))

[Theo Darke]

Theo breathed in, out, staring at the frosty puffs of air that left his mouth. It was still cold for January, but he was kitted out warmly, and no doubt once the match started and his adrenaline kicked into action, his body would warm right up. Theo gazed up at the stands expectantly, wondering where Oscar was sat; probably with the Gryffindors, with Scott. Theo was unsure to where Lori would be seated, since Theo no longer merely accompanied her to the matches - not when Ravenclaw was playing. Lori would want to be with her house, though, so she could cheer Theo and the team on properly with everyone else.

Theo looked away and glanced at his fellow teammates. Catching Celia's eye, he smiled, trying to exude confidence and strength. After all, sending a sweeping look over their opponents, Theo knew their task would not be easy today; oh, it would not be easy at all. The Ravenclaw team had been rather diminished since their win over Hufflepuff before the winter holidays, and it was certainly showing, for Slytherin had just as many reserve players as they did main team players. It made Theo feel a little apprehensive, but it only increased his determination to win.

Theo rose into the air after the captains had shaken hands and everyone was ready. He waited for the whistle, hearing the crowd hold its breath, and the moment the shrill sound pierced his ears, he raced forward towards the Quaffle that left Madam Hooch's fingers. It was now or never, Theo thought. He had to get that Quaffle now before the Slytherins did, and show them that Ravenclaw, with their small, limited team, would be able to match them. "You'd better not underestimate us," Theo thought with grim and steeled determination.

((Attempting to catch the Quaffle. Ravenclaws will not fall to this 'army' of Slytherins!!! Fight, Ravenclaws, fight!!!))

[Pyro Blackfire S5]

Pyro couldn’t help but feel a slight sense of triumph as he picked up his firebolt and slung it over his shoulder. Ever since his break up with Alex Pyro had practically ridden the bench on the house Quidditch team, a position he was none too happy with after he had leapt out of his depression. It had been a tough struggle to get back on the starting line-up, mostly because the Slytherin’s now had a small army on its line-up. Pyro knew that he could out fly any of the players on the team, but still the captains had continued to keep him down for as long as they possibly could. Pyro had managed to get some playing time in the last game, only he had been a Keeper, a position he wasn’t very adept at. Luckily he hadn’t been tested that hard during that game, still, his performance had finally shot him back onto the starting line-up. He couldn’t help but wonder how long he would remain in the game though, Mary was really gun-ho about switching out players so that everyone got some playing time in. Pyro frowned at the thought and made his way to the Quidditch pitch.

The last game ran through his mind endlessly, Cassie hadn’t exactly let him forget the fact that ever since she had joined the Gryffindor team they had never lost to the Slytherin’s, she would graduate with an unbeaten record Vs. Slytherin. Pyro’s mind drifted toward his current opponent, the Ravenclaws. The Slytherin’s had them outnumbered, not to mention their line-up was rather sad. They had a pathetic book worm tending the goals; their lead chaser was a little queer boy who would probably freak out at the first nail break. Pyro almost felt sorry for Ruth, the woman had greatly impressed him when he had met her earlier, it was sad for a woman of her stature to be surrounded by such failures. Still, Ravenclaw had won their match against Hufflepuff by sheer luck, but it was still a win which meant that if Slytherin lost today they would lose all chance of winning the cup.

Pyro stepped into the changing room and quickly changed into his robes, he sat calmly like he always did, leaning his back against the locker and listened to Mary give her customary pre-game speech. With that Pyro picked up his broom and entered the pitch. As always they entered to a fast amount of cheers and boos, Slytherin house was always booed, but it didn’t matter, you didn’t have to be liked to be feared and respected. Pyro mounted his broom and waited for the whistle to blow. He pushed off the ground and launched himself into the air and quickly dived for the open Quaffle, hoping to beat the Ravenclaw chaser to it.

((Getting into the game. Avoiding any Bludgers and catching the Quaffle))

[Edward Summers R6]

Edward quite wished that he could simply just disappear, he always felt like this on game day. Despite the reassurances of his teammates that he was in fact a rather good Keeper Ed still had his reservations. Nerves were his weakness, practices were slightly less stressful, all the eyes of the school weren’t on you. But during the game everyone was watching, and all the Quaffles that managed to get by you actually counted. Edward picked up his pathetic broom and made his way down toward the pitch, he didn’t even attempt to eat any breakfast, that plan hadn’t worked out during the last game and it wouldn’t go any better this time around. The last week had been a practical hell for him. He was easily the skinniest and least athletic body on the Ravenclaw team, the keeper position didn’t really afford much chance to exercise either, So physical intimidation was quite easily one of the Slytherin team’s favorite tactics. It also didn’t help that the Slytherin team had enough members on their team to take over an army, which meant it was hard for him to get away from the torment in the halls.

Edward passed the great hall doors and moved past quickly as the jeers and hisses issued from the Slytherin table at the sight of him. It was still early, hardly anyone had made their way down to the pitch yet. This was fine by him, Ed needed some time on his own to get his nerves under control. Ed sat down on one of the benches after he had changed, imperviused his glasses (in case it rained), put a strengthening charm on the lenses so that they didn’t break when struck by a bludger and put a slight sticking charm on them to keep them in place. He had been reading many books on habits of famous Quidditch players so that he could pick up on their technique, hoping it would calm him down some, it really didn’t. He sat in silence, almost meditating, until the stands above his head began to fill with the sound of students and shortly after the Ravenclaw team filtered in and began to change.

Their pre-game speech didn’t really register in Ed’s mind, all he knew was that out of nowhere the team was up and filtering out onto the field. Ed jumped up and joined the line and stepped out to the roaring crowd. He nearly fainted, just like he nearly did during his first game, but managed to hold on to consciousness. His eyes moved toward the Ravenclaw goal hoops, those were his responsibility, that was all he had to worry about. He shut his eyes, pretending that the crowd wasn’t there, something difficult to do since they continued to holler and cheer. Edward almost missed the whistle as it was blown. He hastily mounted his broom and shoved off, flying awkwardly toward the goal hoops and taking his position.

((Taking my position in front of hoops, avoiding any bludgers.))

[Ephraim Eades R7]

High off of his recent success at the Quidditch Skills Cup, Ephraim was in a rather good mood and quite looking forward to playing some more Quidditch. He figured that he might even be bold enough to try the new move (the Bludger Backbeat) during the match if Ravenclaw had a comfortable enough lead at any given point. Granted, he'd be up against Mary again, and she had done fairly well herself at the challenge. But, Ephraim had edged her out in the skills cup, so he felt that there was no reason to assume he couldn't do it again today. It'd take all the skill he had, but he was up for the challenge.

Madam Hooch wasted no time in gathering the two teams. For a second he thought that Slytherin was two teams in itself. They almost had enough reserves to make an entire second team! He figured that could go both ways in determining the outcome of the match though. Either they'd be constantly recycling fresh blood into their lineup, or the abundance of attitude all on one bench might cause frustrations to run high. Mary sure did have her hands full in captaining such a large team. Ephraim was thankful for his own captains though. Both Celia and Theo had done well in their positions so far. Today he'd be working hand in hand with Celia since her recent switch to the Beater position. The Ravenclaw had little room for error if they wanted to win, but Ephraim had confidence, especially in their new Seeker, Ruth. She was quite the determined type.

As the whistle blew, Ephraim rushed to find the two whizzing Bludgers. One, he came across easy, and so with a steady swing he prepared to send it into the fray of Chasers huddled around the Quaffle. It's target, Pyro Blackfire was a Slytherin veteran. Let's see how well he's on his toes today, Ephraim thought.

((Bludger attack on Pyro.))

[Drake Manning]

Oooh, Quidditch. It had really started to annoy Drake lately. Not only was he quickly replaced in the last match by the backup Keeper Adalia, but in the recent challenge at the Skills Cup, the younger Slytherin had once again outplayed Drake to earn the top spot within the Keepers group for the time being. He was a bit surprised Mary hadn't rotated Adalia into the starting lineup. He wouldn't have put it past her. Yet, there he was, floating in front of the goal posts and awaiting the start of the Slytherin vs. Ravenclaw match. A loss today would put the Slytherin team at the bottom of the standings, and Drake was hardly wanting to deal with Mary's reaction to that happening. Nothing was going to get past him today without him doing his damnedest to stop it.

From a distance he could see the Chasers zoom after the Quaffle when Madam Hooch released it. Pyro was quick to make the first move for Slytherin. Drake really hoped that the Chasers would do their part today to make his job easy. He wasn't in the mood to be flying back and forth in front of the hoops just because the Ravenclaw Chasers were playing the better game.

With an annoyed look and a wary eye, he watched nonchalantly as the huddle around the Quaffle dissipated and one of the Chasers emerged with possession. Ready or not, here they come, he thought, knowing just how quickly the Quaffle could change possessions five times in a minute. You had to be ready for anything, something that he was willing to do even if it did annoy him.

((Guarding hoops.))

[Mary Evans]

((Don’t forget that the mole game is on again! So don’t forget to vote!))

Time for yet another game of quidditch, so soon after the first skills cup competition. Mary was still disappointed at not making it to the end, only to round two. The rest of her Slytherins had done really well though, and that meant a lot to her. She had been on the team since her third year and had seen a lot of players come and go, it was good to have a large team with such skills and enthusiasm. Something they would need if it came to rain today…

She met her team in the locker room with a board going over the plays they had been practicing running through it’s information behind her. “Okay guys, here we go again. We’re playing Ravenclaw so keep on your toes, but you all did so well with Gryffindor… you don’t need to worry. Chasers, teamwork. Beaters, target the seeker. Keepers, I have faith in you. Seekers, focus. Reserves, keep on your toes because who knows when or where you’ll be in. I don’t think we need a long speech because you all know your jobs by now. Just get out there and rock it.” With that Mary swept out of the doors ahead of her team.

She glared at the Ravenclaws and shook hands with Richmond, sizing the girl up. Nothing too scary, and certainly not a beater as she was dressed. A good sign, she had to juggle her team so much so that she had to move herself.

Soon the game was off and Pyro was going after the quaffle. Of course that made him target number one for the birds… might as well show them how the big boys played quidditch.

((Defend Pyro and send to Ruth.))

[Madam Xiomara Hooch]

((Ephraim hits a Bludger at Pyro. Mary attempts to defend Pyro and deflect the Bludger to Ruth.
Ephraim = Bludger (D6 + Str) = 2 + 6 = 8
Mary = Defend (D8 + Str) = 5 + 6 = 11
Mary successfully deflects Ephraim’s Bludger. There is a Bludger flying at Ruth.

Theo and Pyro try to catch the Quaffle.
Theo = Catch (D6 + Dex) = 1 + 6 = 7
Pyro = Catch (D6 + Dex) = 1 + 3 = 4
Theo gets to the Quaffle before Pyro. Theo has the Quaffle.))

[Olivia Dawson S6]

Olivia had missed Quidditch. It was odd really, she didn’t think she would. What with Lehane constantly around and her damn captain always yelling at Olivia about her cigarettes; Olivia figured that even though she liked the Quidditch game itself, she wouldn’t be this excited to play again. She always thought that this game would be just a game to her. She liked to play and it blew off steam, but she didn’t really consider Quidditch to be her life, like many others she knew tended to. However, now that Olivia had so much on her mind, she was glad that she had Quidditch in her life. She was completely psyched about the game that day and she couldn’t wait to get out there and play. It didn’t take her long to get ready for the game, and before she knew it, Olivia was practically skipping onto the Quidditch pitch to get the game started. It didn’t take long for the Quaffle to end up in someone’s hands. After only a few moments, one of the Ravenclaw chasers had possession. Feeling the anger at her situation with Julian Fallon boil inside of her, Olivia decided to use that strength to try and get the Quaffle back on the Slytherin side.

((Attempting to steal the Quaffle from Theo))

[Theo Darke]

Theo's arms closed around the Quaffle before Pyro did, and he swooped away before the Slytherin could attack again. Triumphantly he rose away and flew towards the goals. Theo was small for a boy and fast, though he knew he wasn't the quickest, for speed had never been Theo's forte. Narrowing his eyes against the howling cold wind, he braced himself and sped towards the goals where the Slytherin Keeper was waiting. Theo was about to launch the Quaffle, eyes peeled for any Bludgers that might come his way, when he noticed Olivia Dawson, a Slytherin girl in his year with a notorious reputation, fly trowards him, evidently about to try to steal the Quaffle from him. Determined that would not happen, Theo tried to outstrip her and fling the Quaffle at the goals.

((Defending the Quaffle, attempting to shoot and avoiding any Bludgers.))

[Drake Manning]

Despite having to observe through the constant wind-blown rain, Drake could see the unmistakable red Quaffle in the hands of a quickly approaching Ravenclaw. It was the blonde male, Theo, or the gay one as Drake knew him. How a guy could like other blokes, he wasn't sure, but that wasn't what concerned him at the moment. All that he could care about was making sure that Ravenclaw didn't start the game with a quick lead. Mary would have his ass if they did.

He saw that Olivia was trying to fend off Theo's attack on the Slytherin end, but he couldn't count on her success. It was rainy and the players were just getting warmed up. Anything could happen. Drake hovered in the air, swaying slightly from side to side as he prepared to lurch one way or another. The rain was starting to collect on his hair, causing it to droop some into his sight. He swung his head to his right, flinging the wet mess of hair to the side. Then, when his eyes met Theo's and he knew what way the shot would be coming, Drake bolted in that direction with hopes of giving Slytherin possession of the Quaffle.

((Blocking.))

[Ephraim Eades R7]

Mary was good. There was no denying that. Ephraim wasn't too upset though that his first hit of the game was blocked by her. It was only the beginning and the fun had yet to start. Pyro didn't get the Quaffle anyways, and E watched as Theo was quickly down to the other end of the pitch, taking the majority of the action with him as he prepared to try to draw first blood.

Meanwhile, the Bludger that Mary had defended was now headed toward Ruth. Ephraim wasn't going to let that happen without a chase. So, turning mid-flight, he swung his weight all in one direction and then pushed as he zoomed off in the direction of the Ravenclaw Seeker.

"Ruth!" he said, as the Bludger was approaching her from behind with E gaining on it by the second. He hoped she'd turn around so that she could at least dodge it if he didn't get there on time. Closer and closer he came to her, the Bludger still in between them. He knew he'd have to be careful not to hit Ruth when the time came to take a swing. It was going to be a close one.

With a last chance burst of speed, he was close enough to hit the Bludger. He swung, somewhat recklessly, just as it was about to connect with Ruth's back. In the process, he felt the end of his bat brush against her broom, which might have made things worse. If he was lucky though, his effort would save her from a surprise encounter with an unfriendly opponent.

((Trying to defend Ruth without killing her in the process and deflecting toward the next Slytherin to fly by (the next Slyth to post)...))

[Dylan Caoimhe]

Dylan kicked off hard from the ground and immediately looked for a Bludger. With a quick glance he saw Pyro and Theo going for the Quaffle. He had half a mind to send a Bludger flying at Theo, but opted against it; though he was sure that his friendship with Theo wouldn't get in the way of him doing what needed to be done when it needed to be done.

Theo caught the Quaffle and almost immediately he attempted to score. Scouting out Mary, Dylan saw her defend Pyro and send the Bludger flying at Ruth, Ravenclaw's seeker, and remembered what she had said. Finding the other Bludger, he flew after it and hit it with all his might at Ruth.

((Hitting a Bludger at Ruth, and apparently keeping an eye out for Ephraim's Bludger if he successfully defends.))

[Williard Thoth R4]

"One-two-three-four-five-six-seven-eight. One-two-three-four-five-six-seven-eight."

Williard watched his breath freeze as he made his way across the field to get into position counting out loud. Here he was. His first quidditch match! Though he was excited, his nerves seemed to have gotten the better of him, and he shook worse and worse with each step. Not only was this his first match, but against Slytherin? He had thought after thought, day dream after day dream about today being the very last day of his life, but he knew it was just his overly active imagination. Before he knew it, everyone was in position and the captains had shaken hands.

"One-two-three-four-five-six-seven-eight, one-two-three-four-five-six-seven-eight."

The whistle sounded and everyone shot up into the air, that is, everyone except Williard. Coming to, and ignoring laughs and jeers from the crowd, he kicked off from the ground and stayed a fair distance away from the "action." He watched Theo capture the Quaffle, he watched Bludgers get hit and players defended. Part of him was scared, another part apprehensive, and somewhere in his brain, he could feel himself analyzing. So, Williard hovered there waiting.

((Just showing my face this round ))

[Ruth Hosker-Thornhill]

“Merlin!” Two minutes into the game – not even that, and already Ruth was being targeted. She sighed heavily as the saw the first Bludger whiz her way from Mary, and a second looking as though it was headed for a heavy collision with her face too. Although her expression and sigh made it as though she was irritated already, she was not. In fact, Ruth was exhilarated. She felt quite alive. She doubted that she would be able to dodge all of the Bludgers the snakes sent to her in the game – clearly, they were targeting her. She was not expecting to come from the pitch unscathed. Such thinking would be foolish. Ruth also welcomed the challenge that the oncoming Bludgers brought – finally, some action! With a sneer and a gentle nudge to the wood beneath her, she was gone. Her eyes were, for the moment, focusing on scanning the area just one half of the pitch because she couldn’t very well turn and face the other could she? Then the Bludger-face meeting would come round sooner than she wanted. So she kept an increasing pace with determined eyes, ignoring the Quaffle match beneath her.

‘Ruth!’ A male voice suddenly tangled the seeker’s thoughts in her mind and for just a moment she hesitated, losing precious speed as she did so. Eades was calling her – what on earth for?! Did he want to ask her what hair shampoo she used? Whether she would point out the best quill ink to use? They were playing a Quidditch match, she had a Bludger on her tail (with another gaining) and he had was expecting her to turn around? And if not, what could be so important? She was not stupid – there was a Bludger behind her. She knew that, and she was dodging it, not just standing there idle and waiting to be destroyed by Mary’s strong aim. With a deep, snake-like hiss Ruth wove sharply to the side as she noticed Eades closer by. He attempted to defend her and, with eyes still scanning the skies for that beautiful glimmering gold, Ruth shouted. “What on earth, Eades?! Do you want me to get hit?!” She scowled once more at him before attempting to speed away. The words had tumbled angrily from her mouth and she didn’t care if they were picked up by the winds before reaching him. She was concentrating more on the second Bludger. “Celia!” She roared into the sky. And with that, she left the Bludgers up to the beaters, turning all her attentions to scouring the sky.

(Snitch searching, Bludger dodging!)

[Celia Richmond]

For January, it was surprisingly warm. Or, rather, not as cold as would be expected. The conditions couldn't be better for a quidditch match, which Celia was happy about, and she hoped they would act in her team's favour. Despite having since lost Adriahna from the team, she hoped that they could win as easily as they had done against Hufflepuff last time, though she recognised that the Slytherin team was just as good, if not better, than her own. The pitch couldn't be much muddier, thanks to the recently melted snow, but that wasn't an issue, given that they'd be spending most of the time in the air anyway, if all went to plan.

Celia arrived at the changing rooms early, as usual, and waited for the rest of the team to arrive before making her usual captain's speech. but not really being a big speaker, she kept it short "Right, everyone! Good luck out there today - it's gonna be a tough match! But I know you can all play excellently, and we're certainly capable of winning! Maybe not as convincingly as against Hufflepuff, but you never know! I think this will be the toughest game...the Slytherins are definitely a good team, but don't let them get you down! Just be as confident about your own abilities as I am of them, and show them that despite our, well, hardly numerous team, we're not pushovers, and we're in it to win it!"

Confirming that everyone knew where they were starting (feeling sorry for Sandy, being the only team member on the bench, for now anyway), they lined up and flew out onto the pitch, opposing the Slytherins. Before joining the rest of the team, Celia flew to Madam Hooch for the usual ritual, and soon enough the game was under way. She was pleased to see Theo catch the quaffle before Pyro did, and Ephraim's quick reactions to this, by sending a bludger towards the older Slytherin. Unfortunately, Mary managed to hit it away from Pyro, so it was now heading towards Ruth.

So was the other bludger, thanks to Dylan managing to get to it before Celia did. She guessed Beater was outside her comfort zone, but she'd get into it. She went over to join E in defending Ruth, hoping to hit the second bludger towards Olivia, who was trying to steal the quaffle fro Theo. She couldn't afford him losing possession of the quaffle this early on, especially as he was about to shoot!

((Defending Ruth from other bludger, and deflecting towards Olivia))

[Madam Xiomara Hooch]

((Ephraim attempts to defend Ruth from Mary’s Bludger and deflect it to Dylan.
Mary = Bludger (D6 + Str) = 2 + 6 = 8
Ephraim = Defend (D8 + Str) = 8 + 6 = 14
Ephraim successfully deflects Mary’s Bludger. There is a Bludger flying at Dylan.

Dylan hits a Bludger at Ruth; Celia attempts to deflect it towards Olivia.
Dylan = Bludger (D6 + Str) = 3 + 6 = 9
Celia = Defend (D8 + Str) = 3 + 5 = 8
Celia fails to defend Ruth from Dylan’s Bludger.

Ruth attempts to dodge Dylan’s Bludger.
Dylan = Bludger (D6 + Str) = 4 + 6 = 10
Ruth = Avoid (D8 + Dex) = 6 + 4 = 10
Tie! Re-roll.

Dylan = Bludger (D6 + Str) = 3 + 6 = 9
Ruth = Avoid (D8 + Dex) = 6 + 4 = 10
Ruth manages to dodge Dylan’s Bludger.

Olivia attempts to steal the Quaffle from Theo; Theo attempts to defend it.
Olivia = Steal (D4 + Str) = 3 + 5 = 8
Theo = Defend (D8 + Str) = 1 + 5 = 6
Olivia steals the Quaffle from Theo. Olivia has the Quaffle.

Ruth searches for the Snitch. She must get a search roll of 5 or more to search successfully.
Ruth = Search (D6 + Con) = 3 + 2 = 5
Ruth is able to search for the Snitch.

Ruth = Search = 20.
20 is not the Snitch number. Ruth does not see the Snitch.))

[Theo Darke]

Damn! The curse reverberated through his mind as Olivia's successful steal almost knocked the wind out of him; not because she had physically attacked him, but it really was quite a blow to his Quidditch, Vice-Captain and male pride. Theo narrowed his eyes as he regained control over his emotions. He had never felt so competitive or enraged during Quidditch before. Perhaps it was the atmosphere that was created from playing with naturally competitive and often aggressive Slytherins; maybe it was Oscar's influence; or maybe it was the build-up of the last few months' worth of stress and lies. Theo didn't know, but he was keen to channel this sudden competitiveness and anger into positive energy for the match. Theo knew that he was desperate to win against Slytherin - more than he had ever wanted to win before.

Hotly pursuing Olivia's tracks, Theo was determined to reclaim the Quaffle. Swerving in front of her, he locked his sharp eyes onto the red ball and flung his arms out to try to jab at it, desiring to knock the precious object away and claim it for himself. Behind, he could hear the Ravenclaw supporters cheering, and he knew he could not let them down.

((Theo is attempting to steal the Quaffle and avoiding any Bludgers. He thinks that, out of a D8 roll, getting a 1 is possibly the worst luck ever. Hmph.))

[Dylan Caoimhe]

Dylan made a small noise to himself out of frustration. His Bludger had flew passed Celia's attempt at deflecting, but Ruth had somehow managed to dodge it anyway. Then, out of the corner of his eye, Dylan noticed something flying at him rather quickly. Apparently, Ephraim had hit a Bludger at Dylan. No problem. Dylan raised his bat and swung, staying focused on his target.

((Defending self and deflecting to Ruth. RUTH MUST DIE!!! lol kidding.))

[Wynd Lehane]

It was a good day to die. All right, maybe that was a bit dramatic. It was a good day for a Quidditch match. It was not warm but it was not cold either. As he made his way to the changing rooms, Wynd eyed the clouds in the distance. The clouds were bringing some sort of weather with them. If the players got swept up in that, well, it would make the game rather interesting to say the least. Today Slytherin played against Ravenclaw. A bunch of bookworms. There really was going to be no challenge. Although they did win against Hufflepuff. But come on, Hufflepuff? Anyone could win against them. Reaching the changing rooms he could not believe how full it was. There were just as many reserve players as there was main team players. Wynd was glad that he was on the main team and didn't have to sit out like the rest but he knew Mary would likely switch players in and out trying to give everyone a turn. Maybe not.

The crowd erupted in a mix of cheers and boos as the team made their way onto the pitch. That was nothing new. Most of the school disliked the Slytherin House. Whatever, they would never understand what it meant to be a part of the Slytherin legacy. Madam Hooch blew her whistle and they were off. Wynd was going to dive for the Quaffle but out of the corner of his eye he saw Pyro going for it. Wynd pulled out of his dive and flew to a position where Pyro could pass if he wanted. Wynd watched as Theo pulled out with the Quaffle. He chased after the Ravenclaw Chaser but someone was there first. Olivia. Olivia? Where did she come from? Wasn't she gone from his life? She somehow managed to steal the Quaffle from Theo. Wynd had to give her a little credit. "Oi! Livy!" a new nickname he just invented. "You better score or pass it to someone who can!"

((Open))