Gryffindor vs. Ravenclaw!

[Madam Xiomara Hooch]

((In canon, this game ought to have happened earlier on in the year but it was postponed OOC so that more people would be around to play. Therefore I am setting the game in mid-June. Please take note of time of day/weather conditions as described in this opening post so that there is continuity between everyone's posts. Thank you!))

A hearty breakfast of muesli, boiled egg, toast and strawberry jam inside her, Xiomara felt quite ready to take on the world. It was days like this when she felt like trying to find some wizarding village's Quidditch team to coach and getting them good enough to take on the Holyhead Harpies, rather than being stuck mediating mediocre Quidditch matches between adolescent students of whom only a small proportion were serious about taking their game to a professional level. It was hot-headed Gryffindors and uncommitted Ravenclaws today.

It was, admittedly, quite a cushy job. The strawberry jam she'd just eaten was one demonstration of that and was certainly a perk. She had a certain amount of power, like being able to make it difficult for any captains who had annoyed her to get practice slots for their teams. Hogwarts was a less cut-throat professional environment than a professional Quidditch team. And perhaps the occasional flashes of real talent she saw in the students were worth something to get to see. After all, she'd seen many of the League's best players developing their skills a long time before they'd become famous.

The game was starting at a quarter to ten on this fine Saturday morning. It was clear that it was going to be a hot day; the sun was in possession of its June strength and had already burnt through the early morning mist. It beat down on Xiomara's grey hair as she carried the crate containing the balls out onto the pitch. She looked up, squinting into the light. If the match went on for a long time, they were going to get absolutely baked out here. She hoped the spectators had plenty of suncream with them.

Xiomara called Cassandra Fallon and Celia Richmond over to shake hands. She took the opportunity to request that they play a clean game. There shouldn't be too much to worry about considering the teams that were playing, but she could hardly be sure about that after the very Gryffindor Captain's outburst in the game against Hufflepuff, which she had expected would have been a more innocuous occasion.
"I expect a clean game from both of your teams," she told the captains sternly, holding Fallon's eye with an especially hawk-like stare. "Keep it sensible and fair. Any cheating or stupidity will be severely penalised." She dismissed them and called for both teams to mount their brooms. Mounting her own broom, she released the balls and blew her whistle. The race for the Quaffle was on.

((The commentators for this match are Ruby Lehane S6 and Wynd Lehane S6.

The current line-ups are...

Gryffindor

Position – Player: Dex/Str/Con
Chaser - Mikayla Moon G7 (2, 3, 5)
Chaser - Zoey Shay G3 (6, 4, 2)
Chaser - Scott Ryder G6 ((2+4=)6, (4+2=)6, 4)
Beater - Julius Lionheart G7 (5, 4, 5)
Beater - Cassandra Fallon G7 ((3+2=)5, (5+1=)6, (3+2=)5)
Seeker - Trinity Bleu G5 (3, 2, 6)
Keeper - Oscar Flynn G6 (3, 3, 4)

Reserve Team
Melody Bang Bala G3 ((4+2=)6, (3+3=)6, (4+2=)6)
Rosaliz Hernandez G5 (4, 2, 5)


Ravenclaw

Position – Player: Dex/Str/Con
Chaser - Theo Darke R6 ((5+1=)6, (5+1=)6, (4+2)=6)
Chaser - August Reid R5 (5, (2+2=)4, 2)
Chaser - Woodrow Winchester R3 (4, 4, 5)
Beater - Edward Summers R5 (3, 5, 2) *
Beater - Celia Richmond R7 (6, (1+5=)6, 4)
Seeker - Sandy Hart R4 (5, 6, 3)
Keeper - Ephraim Eades R6 ((4+1=)5, 2, 5)

Reserve Team
Williard Thoth R2 (6, 4, 2)
Ruth Hosker-Thornhill R7 (6, 4, 1)

NB. Edward is not playing in one of his favoured positions and so will only earn experience points at half the normal rate.

Gryffindor 150
Ravenclaw 20))

[Scott Ryder G7]

It was a great day for Quidditch, but that didn't mean Scott was highly anticipating the match between the reds and the blues today. Gryffindor hadn't won their last match after Miles had caught the Snitch despite the attack from Cass, and Scott wasn't so sure that they'd be able to win today either. He wasn't normally a pessimist, but he was just being a realist today. With two new Chasers at his side, Scott figured he might have to use his experience to help Gryffindor secure any sort of lead by goals. That wouldn't be easy with Theo as his opposition. His friend had become a rising star on the Ravenclaw team, probably all thanks to those few times they shared a good laugh and practice together on the grounds. Scott smiled at the thought. Lucky for him, things with Theo had seemed to mellow over, though they hadn't had a proper chat about all that had passed in the recent months. Scott knew Theo would approach him when he was ready though. A lot had happened.

Making his way onto the pitch, Scott shared a smile with his team, refusing to let them know just how worried he was about their chances of winning. A lot would surely rest on Melody, but that was one variable that Scott was confident in. If they won today, it would surely be at the hands of Melody, the youngest yet most valuable of their team. Well, everyone was valuable in their own ways, but Melody had clearly shown why she was an asset to the team time and time again. Scott could only hope that today might be one of those times.

Before long, the fourteen players were hovering in the air, anticipating the shrill sound of Hooch's whistle. When it came, Scott immediately shifted into Quidditch mode, darting faster than he may have ever done so before, determined to get to the Quaffle first. If he could have made a bet, he would have been almost certain that Theo would be the other Chaser making the dive, but he tried to not let that thought cloud his mind. He needed to stay focused, and that's what he would try to do. One moment at a time, that was the best he could do for Gryffindor, and so he reached with all that he could, ready to take the Quaffle and begin to lead the Gryffindor offensive.

((Trying to catch the Quaffle. )

[Ephraim Eades R7]

Perhaps if he were a good dancer, Ephraim might have felt to urge to dance away some of his excitement. It was another day for Quidditch, and the weather couldn't have been more cooperative. From the time that the sun peeked it's first rays into the Ravenclaw tower windows, Ephraim was wide awake and ready for the match against Gryffindor. Though he wouldn't be playing his normal spot as Beater, he'd be defending the goals against the Gryffindor Chasers. As a Keeper, he could enjoy watching the game a lot more freely than when he was zooming around chasing after the reckless Bludgers.

Finding his teammates, E shared some positives words with the lot of them, ready to work together to take down the lions. Oh how he loved friendly competition. As they walked onto the pitch, Ephraim found Theo, the only other sixth year on the team. "Just think, next year we'll be the leaders," he said. "Well, not that you aren't leading the team already." Ephraim smiled. Theo had been an undeniable asset to the Ravenclaw team since becoming vice, and nobody could deny his skills as Chaser. Though, Ephraim knew Theo had endured quite the drama in the past months, some of which revolved around his Gryffindor friend and opposite Chaser, Scott Ryder. "Just keep Ryder and the other Gryffs on that side of the pitch," he said with a grin, pointing to the Gryffindor hoops. He clapped Theo on the shoulder, mounting his broom and going off to defend his hoops.

Ephraim may not have been the best Keeper in the school, and he probably wasn't even the best of the Ravens, but he would do his best nonetheless to keep the Gryffindor score as low as possible. Showing his pearly whites as the whistle was blown to start the game, Eprhaim zoomed back and forth in front of the goals, happy to be playing Quidditch as he always was.

((Defending hoops, even though nobody will attempt to shoot just yet. ))

[zoeyshay]

Gulping, Zoey made her way from the castle to the Quidditch field for the game. She felt the butterflies fluttering in her half empty stomach and she breathed in. It was a beautiful day, but it was certainly a hot one. Summer was coming, and the harsh, bright sun certainly knew it too. After months of hiding behind the morning mist, clouds, and snow form the winter, it seemed like it was trying to make up for the months of sunshine it had lost. She put her hand above her eyes and looked up at the bright sky. It was a great day for a Quidditch match. She returned her attention to the Quidditch field she was entering. She straightened up a bit and smiled a quick, nervous but happy smile to her teammates. She grabbed her broom and hovered, looking around. She was one of the youngest on her team, along with the Ravenclaw team.

She looked toward Melody, a fellow third year on her team, and mouthed “Good luck!” to her, and smiled at the rest of her teammates. Soon, she was hovering, along with the rest of the players, and she felt the butterflies flutter even more. She was happy that she wasn’t that hungry this morning, knowing that if she ate a full breakfast, she would have been sick. She gulped again, seeing the captains shake hands and she gripped her broom tighter. The whistle was blown, and Zoey jumped slightly, taking off. She saw Scott, another Chaser on her team, race to the Quaffle. He almost looked like a blur to Zoey, and she smirked. She raced a little toward the Ravenclaw hoops, making sure saw was near, and free of any other Chasers so that if Scott got the Quaffle, she could be if he needed to pass it.

Adrenaline started to pump through her veins, blocking the annoying butterflies that were fluttering in her stomach. Going...Going...Gone.She said in her mind at the fading feeling of butterfly flaps. She smiled broadly, confident in Gryffindor despite the Ravenclaw team, and better yet, Theo Darke.

((Heading into the field to prepare for a pass sometime :’D;)

[Theo Darke]

Theo heard the sneering contempt of the Lehane twins echo in his ears as he entered the School Quidditch stadium. Cocking an eyebrow and shaking his head at the typical behaviour of Wynd and his twin sister, Ruby, Theo followed behind Celia towards the centre of the perfectly-cut pitch. There they stood opposite the Gryffindor team, captained by Cassandra Fallon (Theo remembered the crazy dive she'd attempted on poor Finn a few weeks back, during their match against Hufflepuff, with a half amused, half dubious grin) and of course, Oscar, her Vice. Theo flashed his boyfriend and opponent a challenging smile he knew he wouldn't be able to resist. This was the first time they had been pitted against one another, Vice against Vice; the first time Theo would help captain Ravenclaw against Oscar, helping to captain Gryffindor. It would be an interesting match, to say the least. Theo would have to watch his boyfriend carefully; a Bludger from Oscar would not lack oomph.

Theo turned away from Oscar to mount his broom on Madam Hooch's word. He glanced round the team, flashing encouraging, determined smiles; his fellow Chasers, Woody and August, were beside him, whereas Edward and Celia readied themselves to play as Beaters, and E flew to the hoops to defend. Placing Edward in a position he did not normally play was not ideal of course; the younger boy lacked muscle and drive to play Beater well, but they were relying on E's more experienced skills as Keeper. If their strategy went wrong, Theo knew Celia would quickly switch the two around. Ruth was playing Seeker, of course, but if needs be there were Williard and Sandy available on the bench. Theo watched his Captain push into the air with a somewhat sad expression; Celia would be graduating next year, meaning this would be her last match as a Ravenclaw Quidditch player and Captain. It would be an emotional game for her. Theo was determined to win on her behalf, even if it meant beating Oscar. Anyway, his boyfriend knew the stakes; this was a game, a sport, and there had to always be a winner and a loser. Theo was determined the former would be them.

"C'mon Team! For Ravenclaw! And for Celia!" Theo shouted as his feet gently pushed upwards from the ground, causing him to hover up to join the other players. He heard the stadium explode around him, blue and red banners burning his retinas. Theo's eyes focused on the red ball in Madam Hooch's hand as she awaited everyone to assume their positions. Theo felt the familiar rush of adrenaline pump against his brain; his fingers gripped his broom tighter. Here we go, he thought as he waited for the signal. He could tell - his gut said it - today was a good day. Here we go! As soon as Madam Hooch had blown her whistle, Theo shot off towards the Quaffle. He reached out his hand to grab it, and realised with some deja vu that Scott was mirroring his move. Theo grinned at his friend; this had happened before. He was humoured yet still determined to win, so Theo stretched his hand out further and yelled, "May the best man win, Scott!"

((Catching Quaffle. Go Team!))

[Trinity Bleu]

Trinity's first match on the Gryffindor Quidditch team and she was raring to go. The blood of competition flowed alive through her veins, already pumped from the flying practice she'd performed beforehand that had given her a healthy red flush across her cheeks. Broom in hand, brand new uniform proudly worn, Trinity felt ready to battle on behalf of Gryffindor and win. She hadn't expected to be placed in the starting line-up, but the fact Cassandra had done so made Trinity more determined to do well and prove to the Captain she had made the right choice. She didn't look it, because although Trinity sported a resolute expression, her eyes burnt with the fire of her willpower and competitive spirit. On the other hand, Trinity was a bit dubious at being asked to play Chaser. Her positions were Beater and Seeker, but she guessed they needed someone to play Chaser. Trinity didn't mind immensely; she could play that, as long as it wasn't Keeper, because it was such a boring job. Trinity would shoulder this opportunity and hopefully do well.

Everyone gathered on the pitch, Hooch said a few words, the Captains shook hands. Trinity yawned widely, more keen on watching the supporters rallying around them than the commotion on the pitch itself. After waving to some of her friends with a grin, Trinity mounted her broom and eagerly ascended into the air. She was impatient for the match to start, impatient to win. Finally the whistle blew and Trinity watched as fellow Chaser Scott flew towards the Quaffle. At the same time, the Ravenclaw Vice Theo did the same. Furrowing her eyebrows in determination, Trinity flew towards Theo. If she couldn't grab the Quaffle, she'd help stop the other team from getting it. "Sorry, mate," she said jovially as she cut in front of Theo. "But today's not your lucky day."

((Blocking Theo. >D))

[Cassandra Blackfire G7]

"All right, Gryffs! Listen up!" Cass yelled at the top of her voice to catch the attention of her team in the locker room. "I want no funny business out there today. This is the last game of the season, and we still have a chance at the house cup. So, I really want you to get out there and do your best." She stared at her team silently for a moment, and then continued. "On a more personal note, I lwould ike to thank all of you. You all know that this will be my last game as your captain. It has been an honor to lead you these last few years, and I know Oscar will do a fabulous job next year. I just wanted you all to know that I consider all of you my friends, and I will miss you next year." She sighed, and offered each of them a hug.

The gryffindor captain flew out into the pitch and waived to the stands. She could see in their eyes that they remembered her little stunt last game. She was pretty sure they wanted to see more of that. Word had gotten out that she had been drafted to the Harpies; so, many were dying to see the future quidditch star in action. Landing softly on the ground, she rushed forward to grab Celia's hand. Madam Hooch made sure to emphasize that she wanted a clean game. Cass smiled cockily at the referee as she rose into the air. She might as well give the old matron a run for her money on her way out. A bludger quickly came her way, and she sent it towards Ruth. It only took her a moment after that to realize that she had made a severe error in her line-up. She waved down Hooch, and announced, "I need to switch Trinity and Mikayla. Mikayla needs to be in the chaser position, and Trinity need to be our seeker."

((bludger attack on Ruth. Change in line-up. Trinity will replace Mikayla as seeker, and Mikayla will take Trinity's place as chaser.)) It's Ruth. I swear. I fixed it.

[Edward Summers R6]

“No! You can’t make me.” Edward cried in protest as the Beater bat was once again shoved into his face. Ed scooted further down the bench away from the reserve player. “Captain’s orders Ed.” Said the player as he pursued Ed, “You’re playing Beater this game.” He once again presented the bat. “But I’m no good at Beater” Edward wailed, “During practice I’ve broken your nose twice! And you’re on the bench during practice.” The reserve player quickly lunged foreword and attempted to drop the bat onto Ed’s lap but Edward for once was faster on the draw. Edward quickly leapt off the bench and took off deeper into the locker room. Most of the team was assembled and changing and Ed barreled into their midst, knocking people as and receiving many dirty looks as he passed.

Unfortunately for Ed the reserve member resorted to a new tactic, instead of giving chase he merely cocked his arm back and let the bat fly, and since Ed was creating a decent path of his own the bat had a nice clear path. Ed felt the crashing impact on the back of his head and fell foreword, knocking over a set of lockers and the students in front of them. Ed groaned as the bat slowly came to a rest in front of him, he really was horrible at that position, combined with his accident prone luck this wouldn’t be a great game. He reluctantly grabbed the bat off the ground and climbed off his fellow team mates as he returned to his locker (Undisturbed by his recent rampage through the locker room) to finish changing.

Edward finished just in time for the big pep talk before entering the field. He immediately felt weird walking in from this position of the line. He glanced over at the goal posts with a slight feeling of yearning. At least as a Keeper the attention was never on you unless the Quaffle was on your side of the pitch, and the Ravenclaw team was pretty good at keeping the Quaffle away. But as a Beater he was expected to do a constant job of protecting team members and making attacks on the opposing team. Although the Beaters weren’t in the spotlight with the crowd, the team really noticed their absence during a game.

Edward stepped up to his starting position with one last glance at the hoops. The whistle suddenly blew and Edward leapt awkwardly into the air. The broom shook and it took him a moment to gain control of his ascent. Once he regained his balance he glanced around the field, the game was already under way, the Quaffle was loose and the respected Chasers were diving for it. Edward watched as Cassandra sent of a Bludger and nearly blanched as he realized he was playing against someone drafted by a professional team. He shook his head to clear those thoughts away and dove after the Bludger, he saw two potential targets, the Gryffindor diving for the Quaffle or the one going to block Theo. Ed had all confidence that Theo could shake the blocker and decided to concentrate on redirecting Cassie’s Bludger at Scott.

*In Cassie’s post she designates Ruth as the target but in her action she put Ephraim, so I’m not sure who the actual target is
((Defending Ruth/Ephraim and redirecting at Scott))

[Celia Richmond]

Summer had rolled around once again, and with it came yet another Quidditch match. Celia was as enthusiastic as ever, which was a triumph after the stress of the past few weeks, given all the studying they had to do, plus quidditch practises and prefect duties. Luckily Theo was very reliable and had been a great help, so her team was well prepared for the upcoming match. She was sure that Theo would continue doing a great job next year, when he took over as main captain, along with the new vice-captain.

Celia could tell by looking at the ceiling in the great hall as she ate her relatively large breakfast (energy was key!) that it would be a lovely day outside, seeing the distinct lack of cloud even at this early hour. She just hoped it wouldn’t be too hot and uncomfortable outside, but then wondered what the chances of that would be, being right in the middle of nowhere up in Scotland, famous for it’s dismally cold weather. Nevertheless, she decided that suncream would probably be a good idea, as it looked as if the sun was rather strong.

Stepping outside half an hour later confirmed that it was indeed sun cream weather, and hardly ideal weather for Quidditch-playing. Nevertheless, she had played in worse conditions, and she had tried to practise in as many different conditions as possible, so she wasn’t too concerned about the weather at all. She just hoped her team played as well as they could, though they weren’t all in their favoured positions. It was her last game ever with Ravenclaw, and her last game as captain, and she was extremely proud of the progress her team had made over the years.

She arrived at the changing rooms, equipment in her arms, to find that she wasn’t the first to have arrived, not surprisingly. She got changed as quickly as she could, and once everyone had arrived and prepared themselves, she clapped her hands together as she prepared her final Captain’s speech.

“OK, team” she began “today will be a tough match. The Gryffindors have a strong team, and conditions aren’t quite ideal, but I KNOW you can and will do me proud out there.” She noticed a few more smiles creeping up onto people’s faces. “Also, as you all know, this is my final game as Ravenclaw captain, and on the Ravenclaw team, ever. I am unbelievably proud of all of you, and the progress you have made.” At this point she had to make an effort to hold back her tears, and she wasn’t the emotional type to begin with. “Now, go out there, and beat them! If we win, we’ll be in the lead and stand a chance of winning the cup! GO RAVENCLAW”. Now she was greeted by chears all around as they prepared to go out onto the field for the last time this school year.

The crowd were also cheering , to nobody’s surprise as she flew over to Madam Hooch and Cassandra Fallon to exchange pleasantries as the rest of their teams flew to their positions. After the usual “good clean game” speech the captains joined their teams for their last times, and the whistle blew. Scott and Theo headed out towards the quaffle first, while Cassie sent one bludger towards Ruth. Come to think of it, Ruth had actually been looking a bit off that morning, and she was wondering whether she was fit to play today. Well, before she sorted that out, she raced over to the other bludger and hit it towards Scott, just incase Edward didn't manage to defend Theo and hit that bludger at Scott, hoping that Theo would be able to get past Trinity and get to the quaffle first.

She then looked around for Ruth, and with her not being too far away she could definitely see that she wasn’t too well, for one reason or other. Why she hadn’t said earlier, Celia didn’t know, but she definitely had to be subbed out right away, however unfortunate it was for her to miss her last game, for now at least. She flew back to Hooch, and informer her that Sandy was going to be subbed in in Ruth’s place, after telling Ruth herself that she could tell she wasn’t up to it. It really was a shame, but these things had to be done, and people did have off days.
((Hitting bludger at Scott, subbing in Sandy in Ruth’s place))

[Melody Bang-Bala G6]

It was difficult to know whether she would have been more scared playing Beater or Seeker today. After failing to catch the Snitch, and victory, for Gryffindor in the last game, it was in some ways a relief not to have that responsibility on her shoulders, and as Beater she would lend her full support to Mikayla, an older girl who she didn't talk to much at all in practices, but who she thought was all right. But Melody had found it difficult to play as Beater after her pacifist approach to life had developed, a little while after the Death Eater attack in her first year. It made her feel sick to hurt people - yes, it was just a game and they were always all right in the end, but she still caused them pain. However, she'd always been persuaded out of switching to a different position, because she'd never been able to put her feelings on the subject into words, and when she was actually playing as a Beater, she was very good at it due to her accuracy and quick tactical thinking. So here she was playing as Beater.

At least it would mean that she would get to share her teamwork with Cassandra again, as the two of them worked to defend their own team and disrupt their opponents. There was nothing that Melody liked better. She smiled and hugged her team captain back, shyly: the Gryffindor Quidditch Captain was a role model for Melody to the same extent as Dana Coran had been (and still was in some ways), and even as much as her cousin Hebe. When an older student deigned to talk to and befriend Melody, they were almost guaranteed to become a heroine in her eyes, and to gain her eternal admiration, appreciation and respect. Melody was very sad to see Cassandra going.

Melody gave Zoey a bright smile and a thumbs up. It was really wonderful having someone in her own year on the team: it had become very lonely being the young, odd one out. Now she and Zoey could walk to practices together, and it even gave them something in common to talk about. That thought made Melody very happy; she had been without a friend for as long as she could remember and it wasn't something that she liked.

Hooch blew her whistle and Melody kicked off the ground a little more slowly than the other players, rising at a gentle pace as she surveyed the field of players, her keen eyes picking out targets. It was always good to rile or dispirit the opposition at the beginning of the match by targeting their captain, but Celia Richmond was playing as a Beater today and Melody didn't believe in sending Bludgers at Beaters, seeing as it just made their job easier if they were provided with a Bludger to hit. She did believe in Bludgering Seekers as much as possible, but the Ravenclaw Seeker didn't look too with it today anyway, so that seemed unnecessary right now. The Vice Captain was Theo Darke, a dangerously good player to have on the opposing team. Yes, she might well go for him. It was a compromise as he wasn't the actual captain, but it was good enough for her. He was going for the Quaffle as well, so even better.

Now she just needed a Bludger to hit at him. Searching around for a streaking dark blot in the bright sunshine, Melody noticed one heading towards... Scott. Not really where she wanted it to be going. She hared off towards it, ready to intercept it and deflect it at Theo instead.

((Defending Scott, deflecting to Theo.))

[Madam Xiomara Hooch]

((For the purpose of rolls and experience points, all substitutions take place at the end of the round.

There has been a change in the Gryffindor lineup!
Trinity Bleu G5 is replacing Mikayla as Seeker.
Mikayla Moon G7 is replacing Trinity as Chaser.

There has been a change in the Ravenclaw lineup!
Ruth has been substituted out of the game.
Sandy Hart R4 is replacing Ruth as Seeker.

Cassandra hits a Bludger at Ruth; Edward tries to deflect it towards Scott.
Cassandra = Bludger (D6 + Str) = 1 + 6 = 7
Edward = Defend (D8 + Str) = 8 + 5 = 13
Edward deflects the Bludger successfully. There is a Bludger flying at Scott.

Celia hits a Bludger at Scott; Melody tries to deflect it towards Theo.
Celia = Bludger (D6 + Str) = 2 + 6 = 8
Melody = Defend (D8 + Str) = 5 + 6 = 11
Melody deflects the Bludger successfully. There is a Bludger flying at Theo.

Trinity tries to block Theo.
Trinity = Mark (D4 + Dex) = 3 + 3 = 6
Theo = Avoid (D8 + Dex) = 3 + 6 = 9
Trinity does not mark Theo successfully.

Scott and Theo try to catch the Quaffle.
Scott = Catch (D6 + Dex) = 2 + 6 = 8
Theo = Catch (D6 + Dex) = 6 + 6 = 12
Theo has the Quaffle!))

[Theo Darke]

As Theo flew towards the Quaffle, trying to reach it before Scott, he did a 360 of his surroundings to ensure there wasn't another Chaser in his way, or a Beater was trying to send a Bludger at him. The first thing his survey connected with were a pair of determined eyes and a cocky grin. Theo recognised one of Gryffindor's newest recruits, Trinity Bleu, in her fifth year. Theo had undertaken the task of learning all the names, statistics and general knowledge of his opposing teams just to be thorough, and he was sure before the match that, if his brilliant memory served, Trinity wasn't meant to be playing Chaser. It was an odd choice in Cassandra's behalf. Then again, the Gryffindor Captain had been rather odd lately. Theo hoped Oscar had things under control. Flashing Trinity a friendlily challenging smile, Theo swerved away from her to avoid her getting in his way of the Quaffle. "I don't think so, Trinity," Theo parried as he zipped past the Gryffindor, "Not today!" He chuckled inwardly at his joke, which he was sure Trinity would get. She would make a good player in time; she definitely had the zeal and competitive spirit that Theo himself had lacked for so many years.

But back to the Quaffle. Yet again, however, there were other obstacles in his way. Theo looked up and noted that Edward had just successfully sent a Bludger hurtling in Scott's direction. Theo's first instinct was to warn Scott, despite the fact that was stupid since Scott was his opponent even if he was his friend. Before Theo could make a decision about whether or not to be a Quidditch player or a friend first, he found his own troubles - in a Bludger zooming towards himself. His eyes widened in alarm and he strove to avoid it. Meanwhile, he sought desperate for one of his fellow teammates to defend him. Whether or not there was a Bludger heading for him or Scott, though, Theo still had a job to do, and he pushed forward towards the falling Quaffle, to snatch it out of Scott's hands. Theo grinned in triumph as he pulled up, aware of the Bludger heading his way and hoping for a Beater to save him. "Celia! Edward!" he yelled, flying forwards. "Cover me!" He needed to get to the goal and score! He was pretty close. Theo was only metres from it and he had to get it in the hoops, where lo and behold, Oscar was waiting.

"Hey," Theo shouted, knowing time wasn't on his side but intent on speaking to his boyfriend anyway. "Don't go easy on me, okay?" He was tempted to yell something sappy - I love you - but his mouth remained shut as it drew into a determined line. Theo launched the Quaffle, knowing he had good aim but aware that Oscar was also fast. Go in, Theo hoped. Go in!

((Avoiding Melody's Bludger; scoring!))

[Trinity Bleu]

Trinity scowled as Theo dodged past her attempt to block with his witty words. "Whatever," she muttered stubbornly under her breath. "I'll get you next time, Theo Darke." Despite everything, a smile still edged onto Trinity's lips. Theo was indeed an amusing boy. Trinity had heard a lot about him but she hadn't spoken to him much. He was a good Quidditch player, though. "You're not getting away from me next time," she continued to speak to the wind as she immediately zipped after Theo without an ounce of hesitation. However, before she could pummel forwards with an attempt to steal the Quaffle from Theo, who had caught it instead of Scott and was flying towards the goal, Trinity was subbed into the Seeker position, swapping with Mikayla. "What's going on?" Trinity asked as she passed Mikayla. "I've only been playing for two minutes." Still, Trinity shrugged uncaringly. It was an odd move and it seemed pointless having put Trinity in Chaser; she was just getting warmed up with her competitive spirit as well! But she couldn't complain; Seeker was one of her preferred positions. Trinity was ready to bring glory to Gryffindor, she was happy to shoulder the responsibility. "All right then," she grinned, gripping her broom and scouting around. "Come to momma, Snitch."

((Searching for the Snitch, Take One.))

[zoeyshay]

Zoey frowned as Theo caught the Quaffle. She took off from the Ravenclaw side of the field, to the Gryffindor side. She gulped, leaning closer to her broom racing toward him. She smirked at the Bludger Melody sent him, and she swerved so that she’d appear on the other side of him. She ignored the Bludger, knowing if it was going to hit anyone, it’d hit Theo and not her, if it even hit him. She hoped that one of the Ravenclaw beaters would save him, just so that she wouldn’t feel any of the impact that would occur when he was hit. Well, that wasn’t the only reason, she didn’t want to see anyone seriously hurt, so that also played a role, but it was mostly for her own good. She felt greedy, but she knew that it wasn’t so bad, at least, not in this situation. She planned on ramming into the side of him, knowing it probably wasn’t smart due to his skills, much better than hers, but she was willing to do anything to get the Quaffle loose of his grip, or make the Quaffle miss when he launched it. She was confident in Oscar’s ability to block it, but she was trying to make it easier for him. She squinted in determination, catching up to Theo. She smirked when she was next to him, and she rammed into him. She stretched her arms out, attempting to steal the Quaffle.

((Stealing the Quaffle from Theo before he scores >D ))

[Cassandra Blackfire G7]

Wow! Ravenclaw had taken possession of the quaffle very quickly. Cass soon saw the flaw. There were some serious weak spots in her line, and she was surprised that she hadn't recognized it before. She ticked the problems off in her head as she watched the bludger speed towards Theo. She had time to think, and it was better to fix the problems earlier rather than later. She called the referee over again. "I'm sorry. I need to make another lineup change." She rattled off the changes, and then ordered her team to switch it up. She then went to do her job, and save Scott from the bludger heading his direction.

((Sorry! Please see the line up change as follows:
Chaser- Mikayla
Chaser - Scott
Chaser - Rosaliz
Beater - Trinity
Beater - Zoey
Keeper - Cass
Seeker - Melody
blocking bludger from Scott))

[Sandy Hart R4]

"Snitch, oh Snitch! Come to me!" jingled Sandy's voice as she took off in the air. She had been dying to get on the pitch and show her stuff! To soar through the clouds with eagles! Oh, to shoot across the sky like lightning! She would find the snitch. Oh, yes, she would find the snitch! The cacophony of noise and sound around her didn't faze Sandy from her mission. She cooed out to the minuscule ball as if it would come to her like her mother's small dog. Little golden balls bounced across the sky in her imagination as she thought about the little black dog. She giggled at her own personal joke that no one else would understand.

((searching for the snitch))

[Scott Ryder G7]

Damn Theo. Scott couldn't help but grin at his friend's success though in beating him to the Quaffle. In a way, Scott felt at least the slightest bit responsible for Theo's sudden rise on the Ravenclaw team. And now it was coming back to bite him. He wouldn't let that get to him though as he flew forward, making sure to stay close to Theo. It didn't help though that both of them seemed to be the targets of a Bludger or two here and there. Scott couldn't tell which Bludger was meant for who, but it seemed that they were all coming in their direction.

Noting Zoey on one side, Scott flew to the other, careful to avoid Bludgers as best he could. If Zoey were blocked from trying to steal, Scott might get a clean swipe from the other side. As they flew closer and closer to the Gryffindor hoops though, it was evident that Theo was going straight for the score. His determination was clear.

"Not if I can stop you!" he yelled, smiling as he ever so slightly let the enjoyable part of Quidditch take over. While it was serious, he also made sure to have some fun. Playing against Theo helped make it fun, as Scott knew that he could find at least some happiness in his friend winning, even if it meant him losing. Still, he would rather be on the winning side as he looped around, ready to steal if possible.

((Trying to steal IF Zoey is blocked from stealing (are we allowed to do that?) and dodging the Bludger.))

[August Reid R7]

Looking up at the enchanted ceiling, August could tell that it was going to be a warm day. There was not a cloud in sight which meant the sun would be bearing down on the players all game long. Wonderful. Eating his breakfast in silence he looked down the Ravenclaw bench and tried to see the rest of the team. Hopefully this game would be quick. August did not like Gryffindor. He would much rather be playing Slytherin than the Lions today. Plus it was announced that Edward would be playing Beater today instead of Keeper. No, E was playing Keeper today. August was sure E would do a fine job playing as Keeper but it made August miss the days when he used to be the Ravenclaw's Keeper. It seemed like ages ago. Theo had asked him if he would be all right with Chaser and he was, just every now and again he missed the simplicity of Keeper.

Celia gave a hearty speech in the locker room. The thought had never really struck August but today was her last game. Theo would be the captain next year. Which meant that vice captain would be open. He looked around the locker room and thought about each player individually. Would he make a good captain? Would she be able to order them around? For all he knew, Theo already had somebody in mind and he was waiting until next year to announce it. He shrugged the thought away as Celia brought the attention back to beating Gryffindor today. August would give almost anything to beat Gryffindor. If they won today there would be no catching them for the Quidditch cup. All they needed was something else to boast about. He shuddered at the thought. The Ravens would win today.

The game was quick to start as Theo grabbed the Quaffle after a tense moment where August thought Scott had been able to grab the ball. Theo wasted no time and zoomed off toward the goals. August would help him as much as possible. He wanted the Seeker to catch the Quaffle as soon as possible but that didn't mean the Chasers could not add to the score first.

((Blocking Zoey from stealing))

[Edward Summers R6]

Edward nearly cried in shock and dropped the bat as the heavy connection of Bludger meating bat ran through his arms. He watched in amazement as the Bludger that had been sent from Cassie, a drafted professional player, was deflected by him and sent off into Scotts directions. Ed cried in joy, not only at his success but also to see that Theo had snagged the Quaffle and was making a bee line toward the opposing goal. Suddenly something black zipped by him and he noticed the other Bludger flying toward Theo and one of the Gryffindor chasers moving to intercept. Edward quickly dove into action and chased after the Bludger.

((Defending Theo and Redirecting to Zoey))

[Mikayla Moon]

Mikayla Moon had been in the game all of two minutes before Cassie alerted to her that she was going to be switching to chaser. The confusion in her face was obvious as it was in Trinity's as well. As they passed each other Mikayla managed to shrug. "No idea...Cassie must have had a revelation," Mikayla muttered before speeding up to get back into play with the rest of her teammates. The truth was that Mikayla wasn't much use to playing as a chaser, so this was no doubt going to be one crazy match. The one good thing though about her, was she was so small that she moved quite quickly through the sky. She passed Cassie at one point. "What's going on?" she asked briefly before her eyes trained on the Ravenclaw chaser that was barreling toward the Gryffindor hoops.

Mikayla felt the panic and thrill of Quidditch enter every fiber of her being at that time and she smirked. "All right...time for some tactical moves." Yes Mikayla talked to herself...she always did, it was a bad habit of hers, but as she said this she took off, her entire attention focus on Theo Darke and the Quaffle in his hands. She didn't bother trying to hide her actions as she flew straight at Darke intent on stopping him from scoring.

((Marking Theo, hopefully that's right, if not let me know))