Gryffindor vs. Hufflepuff!

[Madam Xiomara Hooch]

The snow was late this year. There had been a couple of bitterly cold weeks in November, but the snow clouds had never arrived, and then it had become much milder, wet and stormy. The last few clear nights had brought temperatures right down, the dirt path leading to Madam Hooch’s office frozen rock solid and the waterlogged grass of the Quidditch pitch iced over like the surface of a lake. Now, surely, it could only be a matter of time before the dark snow clouds rolled in and covered the grounds in their white blanket. But it hadn’t come in time for the Christmas Quidditch match between Gryffindor and Hufflepuff – the day was dull and bitterly cold, with a cruel wind. The spectators were going to have a chilly experience today, Xiomara reflected indifferently, snug in her thermals and fur-lined cloak.

With any luck, today’s teams would be a little more evenly matched than the Ravenclaw and Slytherin teams that had played each other in September. Not that she was complaining that Slytherin, her own house, had won - far from it – but no one liked a weedy Quidditch match where one side was completely dominant: it got boring. Xiomara surveyed today’s two teams hopefully as their names were read out. There was the usual smattering of promising players amongst the regular schoolchildren. An unusually young Gryffindor team… the Vice Captain had pulled in some of her classmates to fill in the gaps in the team at the last minute, Xiomara suspected. Perhaps they’d catch the Quidditch bug (if it wasn’t too cold for that today) and go on to become firm favourites with the crowd.

Even with her thermals, Xiomara felt that in this cold there was little to be gained from hanging around and delaying the start of the match. She ushered the two team captains over for the pre-match formalities. Then, Bludgers and Snitch released, Quaffle tossed into the air, her whistle shrilled and the game began.

((The commentator for this match is Luna Lovegood.

The current line-ups are…

Gryffindor

Position – Player – Dex, Str, Con, HP
Chaser - Raina Miles G4 - 1, 3, 4, 7
Chaser - Rhoswen O'Shaughnessy G4 - 2, 4, 3, 6
Chaser - Rex Carter G6 - 5, 3, 2, 7 *
Beater - Zoey Shay G4 – (3+2=)5, (5+1=)6, 2, 6
Beater - Melody Bang-Bala G4 - (5+1=)6, (2+4=)6, (3+2=)5, (6+1=)7
Seeker - Danny McKay G5 – 5, 4, 6, 6
Keeper - Oscar Flynn G7 – (2+3=)5, 4, 3, 7

Reserve Team
Rosaliz Hernandez G6 – 6, 3, 6, 8 Inactive

Hufflepuff

Chaser - Grace Hunter H6 – 4, 2, 6, 6
Chaser - Lyli Adams H3 – 6, (5+1=)6, 6, 8
Chaser - Sita Mehadi H6 – (5+1=)6, 6, (3+1=)4, 7
Beater - Xavier Smith H7 - 2, 5, 3, 8 *
Beater - Gavin Armstrong H6 – 2, 6, 6, 7
Seeker - Finn Miles H7 – (5+1=)6, (4+2=)6, 6, (7+4–1=)10
Keeper - Clarissa Carter H5 – 5, 6, 3, 7

Reserve Team
Billy Brady H6 – 6, 1, 3, 7 Inactive
Sophia Hallington H7 – (4+1=)5, (3+2=)5, 6, 7 Inactive
Sydney Rawson H7 – 4, 5, 2, 7 (+3XP) Inactive

*Rex and Xavier are temporary players and will not earn XP points this match.

Gryffindor 150
Hufflepuff 0))

[Grace Hunter H5]

Grace wandered along a corridor, her eyes narrowed and perplexed at the thick cloud of her breath floating in front of her in the cool interior of Hogwarts. She was convinced she caught a suit of armour shivering out of the corner of the eye, but gained no confirmation of this as she stood expectantly watching it for a further five minutes. Giggling, she proceeded down the corridor, her broom thrown over her shoulder. She turned several corners, down the Grand Staircase and out of the main doors before realizing just how cold it was. She hugged herself and walked precariously down to the Quidditch pitch, trying to avoid the distraction of the wonderful sparkle of ice and instead concentrate on not slipping.

Grace shivered as a result of the adrenaline pounding deeply within her and the bitter cold clinging to her body. She yearned to lift herself in the air and warm her body up, to feel free in the air once more and launch herself eagerly into her first Quidditch match. As the captains exchanged pre-match formalities Grace tied her hair back in a bobble and flicked her fringe out of her eyes. The quaffle was ready to be released into the air, and with one last look alongside her at her team and nodding to a tall figure beside her, her legs sinked into the ground and sprung upwards, releasing her into the air with a grateful smile along with her teammates.

She swooped underneath one of the Hufflepuff chasers and launched herself towards the opposing team, focused on marking one of Gryffindors chasers. A start to the game where she proved a definite asset and helped towards her teams early capture of the Quaffle was set firmly in her mind as she leaned forwards on her broom and propelled herself forwards.

((Marking Rhoswen O'Shaughnessy))

[Oscar Flynn G7]

Oscar Flynn eyed his friend a little warily as they shook hands. Admittedly it was not something he enjoyed; he had to take off his Quidditch gloves for the handshake, and in the bitter winds of Winter bare skin was hardly advisable. But the twitching smile that played about his lips suggested his excitement and there was no malice in his expression as skin met skin. Madam Hooch, clearly loving her fur-lined cloak, was ready to begin.

As the Gryffindor captain prepared for flight his mind ran over the morning. He had woken up early - or rather, he hadn't really slept. He would not have been surprised if Theo turned out to be a secret Hufflepuff supporter, for Oscar's boyfriend had made it difficult for him to get any sleep last night. The captain had felt the weight of his sleepless night dragging on his brow at breakfast in the Great Hall. He had eyed the members of his team during the meal, making sure each one present was getting his or her fill of energy.

The cold was bitter and merciless, but it had helped wake Oscar up. Stepping outside on his way to the Quidditch lockers pushed him into full consciousness, so when he had faced his team on their way to the pitch moments later, the enthusiasm and Gryffindor spirit was clear in his expression. Walking backwards as they moved out of the locker room, he had spoken fiercely.
"I know it'll might difficult to repeat last year's wins without Cassie, but I also know we can do it - if we work hard. We've got a great team this year and so have they. Finn won't take this game lightly, and nor will we. Any mistakes, any breaches of the rules, any deliberate fouls, and you're out. We can't afford to send off players, but if you're acting the Slytherin then that's what will happen." The 'strict captain' part done, Oscar beamed at the fresh-faced players.
"So be good - no, be brilliant. Melody, Zoey; attack Mr Miles like your lives depend on it. He's tougher than ever this year. Raina, Rose and Rosaliz, you girls have to be moving at all times. Gavin's got a good arm on him. Lyli and Sita are fierce so mark them heavily; if I see anyone flying idle when Zoey or I call 'mark up' then I will not be happy.
Basically, girls - and Danny - keep on your toes. Keep moving, and make the right decisions. Focus on what you can do to help get that Quaffle down the right end and that Snitch in Danny's hand." A serious nod followed before he twisted around, ready to move out. Before they reached the door he halted again and spun to face his team a final time.
"- Oh yeah. And have fun." And over-exaggerated wink, a smirk at his young Vice Captain, and he was done.

The whistle cut through his recollections sharply and in the next moment the game was in fast play. Tucking his chin onto his chest, Oscar took just a second to track down his favourite blonde-haired blue-eyed Ravenclaw in the stands before his eyes narrowed and he went into 'Quidditch mode'. Next to 'boyfriend mode', it was his favourite state of mind in the world.

(Making a change in the line-up: taking Rosaliz out as inactive and putting Rex Carter in as Chaser))

[Danny McKay G5]

Danny woke up excited about the game which he had coming up. He was happy and cheerful till he saw the time and realized the game was still four hours away and he woke up far too early. He tried to get back to sleep but sleep wasn't going to come anytime soon so he just gave up and got dressed. It was very quiet as he walked down to the Common Room, which was odd normally there was a student or two down here already but it was as empty as could be. Danny found a seat next to a window that perfectly viewed the Quidditch field and sighed as he looked out of it. “Four hours to kill and no one is even awake.” He muttered to himself as he just kept looking out, wishing it was game time already. Danny laughed slightly to himself as he realized that next to Christmas this has been the most excited he has ever been.

Two hours later Danny was in another seat on the other side of the Common room. If someone had watched him it would have seemed like he was playing a very slow game of musical chairs all by himself. Slowly people started to wake up and make they're way to the Common Room. Danny let out one last sigh as he got up and finally made his way out of the common room, since he was up he might as well get breakfast. Danny couldn't help but smile every time someone wished him luck as he passed by, Danny wasn't one to seek attention but he wasn't going to turn it away also. After talking to a few people and getting stopped a couple times he finally made it to the Main hall and found a seat next to some of the other Quidditch players. “It's difficult being popular.” He said with a laugh to the other players as he started to grab some food.

Time seemed to pass much quicker around other students and his teammate because before he knew it, it was time to get to the locker room. Danny couldn't help but get changed quickly and grab his broom. “Finally it's time.” Danny thought to himself as he followed everyone else out of the locker room with his broom then listened to Oscar speak. He regretted not being part of the team last year when they won but now he was here and he wanted to try and have it happen once again. Danny just kept smiled as Oscar stopped talking and they headed out to the field once again. “I think we'll be all set as long as our beautiful Vice-Captain doesn't hit me with any Bludgers.” Danny said laughing slightly as he messed with Zoey, who was standing right next to him as they made their way out.

Danny looked around at all the students in the stands then to the Hufflepuff team and looked for the Seeker on their team which wasn't hard, Danny made sure to remember what student was what before the game even came around. “Find the snitch, catch it and don't be hit by any Bludgers. Sounds like a piece of cake.” Danny said in a sarcastic tone as just then the whistle blew and Danny kicked off the ground and up into the air. As he made his way up into the air he made sure to check for the snitch and any possible Bludgers.

(Seaching for the snitch and dodging any possible Bludgers.)

(OOC: I didn't mean for it to be that long.)

[Sita Mehadi H7]

Sita wasn't complaining that Finn had given himself the Seeker spot this game. It meant that she got to play as Chaser, a position far to be preferred by any Quidditch player of adrenaline and enthusiasm to the monotonous, one-moment-of-glory task of being Seeker. Not that she didn't like the attention that you got as Seeker. But considering that one of the Gryffindor Beaters, a fearsome opponent at the best of times, had only just been released from prison for murdering one of her own family members, she was quite glad not to have the 'I'm Seeker!' target on her back. It was rather chivalrous of Finn to take the spot in the circumstances, Sita felt.

Sita was pleased with their team line-up. Gavin was there on the main team, playing Beater just like he should. Billy remained a reserve for now - he wouldn't be playing as Beater anytime soon, not with Gavin in that spot. He was just... maybe a bit too passive for that position? Sita wasn't sure what it was, but she was sure that Gavin was the better player. Of course, there might be another reason why she was so ruthless in her comparison of her friends. Well, anyway. Billy was a safe pair of hands when it came to wearing the Keeper's gloves, so he could well get a turn in that position, especially if they wanted to mobilise Clarissa away from the stationary position. So she didn't feel too guilty on Billy's behalf...

Finn had one of his dormmates playing in the second Beater spot, a very last minute addition to the team. Sita wondered whether he'd be much good... it was difficult to judge without having had much practice time to observe him in. But Finn had a formidable amount of Quidditch knowse, so she presumed he'd have chosen someone good. As Chaser, she'd be playing alongside Grace, who she knew pretty well, and Lyli, who she knew less well because she was much younger and often played as Beater. But she was always very impressive in practice. Sita felt pretty confident about their Chaser team. Sure it wasn't the usual team of Hufflepuff Chasers, but the Gryffindor Chasers weren't experienced either. Ah, this game was going to be good...

The whistle blew and everything started. Sita always forgot how fast everything was at the start of a Quidditch game... as Seekers shot up almost out of view in their search, Beaters scrambled to get to the Bludgers first and the Chasers streaked through the air after the falling red Quaffle, like Sita was doing now. Determination set hard in her face as she chased the falling Quaffle... it would be Hufflepuff's first and for the rest of the game!

((Chasing the Quaffle!))

[Gavin Armstrong H6]

Well this was it, after months of practice it was Gavin's first quidditch game. Thanks to the practice he was feeling a fair bit more confident than he had when trying out, he really would have to thank Sita for the push one of these days... maybe. Assuming he didn't make a fool of himself like his brother thought he would... Jheylon still didn't get the idea of quidditch because being a muggle he had never seen the game and Gavin always got sidetracked when telling his twin about this wonderful sport. Gavin had to admit... he was nervous, but he was also super excited, it should be a good game. Especially because of the team line-ups. There was no obviously better team and both Hufflepuff and Gryffindor were known for playing good clean games, which would add to the mystery of the outcome. Gavin smiled at his friend Sita while listening to the captain's speech in the locker room, his first real quidditch speech ever.

The captains shook hands and all that while Gavin realised just how cold the day was, and how glad he was that he would be one of the few people in the area being active, he would warm up soon but he knew the spectators would be shivering while glued to their seats watching the action. Soon the balls were released and Gavin was mesmerized by the tiny golden snitch for a moment before remembering that his job this game would be the big iron balls that could break bones, or worse. Time to go do some damage...

Being small and speedy Gavin quickly made it to the closest bludger and whacked it towards the Gryffindor seeker, he would have liked to have gotten their chaser who went for the quaffle to give his team the first score and some positive energy but he couldn't tell yet who that player was...

((Bludger attack on Danny.))

[zoeyshay]

Zoey chewed her nails in a furious manner as she gripped her robes and walked briskly down to the Quidditch match. The unusual game was against Hufflepuff and in the winter, instead of being against Slytherin earlier that year. She shrugged. Maybe it was a sign that they'd win? Zoey hoped so. Being a Vice, and the youngest of the vices in Quidditch, and possibly the youngest in a while that Hogwarts had seen, she prayed that her team would win. Many of her firends were on it- Danny, Melody, Raina and Rose. Well, they may have not been considered her friends, but they were in her year and house. She knew them a long time even though they may have never talked.

Her heart was pumping chaotically in her chest as she looked at her team, standing in her place at Oscar's side as he gave his speech. She smiled at the wink and mouthed a good luck to him. She stayed behind to walk with Danny. He was the most comforting, and probably her best friend in all of Hogwarts. Surley, she'd feel better near him. "Good luck, Seeker. You have to keep the beginner's uck repuation for Gryffindor up by catching the Snitch today." she smirked. She gave him a quick hug with a pat on the back before climbing over her broom and lifting up in the air.

The game began before she knew it. It was freezing. The wind ruffled her black curls as sped toward the other free Bludger. "Hehe..." she giggled, hitting it toward the Hufflepuff Seeker.

((Attack on Finn!!))

[Xavier Smith H7]

The cold air whipped across the pitch and tortured the players. Xavier shivered. He had battled long and hard whether or not to wear layers today. It was cold and blasting through the frigid air can make one colder. Swinging the bat around through and using so much energy usually warmed them up however. But still the debate raged in his head. If he didn't wear thermals, chances were that Finn would make him sit out this match and Xavier would freeze. Silently on the bench. They wouldn't know that he was dead until long after the game. Back in the Hufflepuff dorms someone might ask, "Where's Xavier?" and then they would find him, dead on the bench. There would be a mighty funeral. The Queen herself would come to Hogwarts to show her grief that the world lost such a wonderful soul.

On the other hand, if he wore thermals, Finn would put him in the game and he would die of heat exhaustion. Either way he would die. Xavier finally decided that he would rather die from heat. That sounded more pleasant. When he entered the locker room he was informed that he would be in the game and immediately Xavier regretted wearing an extra layer. Oh well. He shivered in silence as Oscar and Finn shook hands and then patiently waited for the game to begin.

As soon as they were in the air and the balls released, Gavin wasted no time in hitting a stray Bludger at the Gryffindor Seeker. Likewise, Zoey took little time to hit a Bludger at Hufflepuff's own Seeker. Xavier was glad for the extra protection from the elements for now but wondered how long that would last.

((Defending Finn, Deflecting to Danny))

[lyli]

Lyli shivered, wrapping her arms around herself to keep in the warmth as she ran down the stairs of Hogwarts and out into with cruel November air. There was no snow, which was a good thing, but the only problem would be it it started falling during the game. It's become much harder to search and catch the Snitch with little specks of snow falling,t hat in the right light, could look like that pesky golden, winged ball. Lyli gulped and tied her hair back into a messy ponytail as she entered the Hufflepuff locker room. Her ears and neck were cold now, but at least her hair wouldn't get in her face as she played for Hufflepuff for the first time.

Looking around she shrugged as she was by far, the youngest player....out of both teams. The second youngest players in the match were on Gryffindor, the Vice, Zoey, and then the three other fourth years. As they headed out she smiled at her team, saying good lucks and such, and mounted her broom. Befor she knew it, Hooch had blown the whistle and everyone was up in the air. Lyli followed that motion, kicking up and following the Chasers. Sita was already following the Quaffle, Grace was marking one of the Gryffindor Chasers, so she decided to do the same. It'd give Sita a greater chance of catching the Quaffle.

((Marking Raina!))

[Finn Miles H7]

Finn was nervous. There was no denying that. But, burried underneath the pressure of captaining his first Quidditch match, Finn was more excited than ever. It didn't help that his father and brother had somehow managed to secure a spot in the stands. Having a name like Miles though could get you things in the Quidditch realm, and Finn wasn't sure if he was happy or annoyed that his father would be watching from the pitch. Granted, Finn wasn't the only Miles playing in this match. Raina would be one of Gryffindor's starting Chasers. Ironically enough, even with three of the four Miles siblings playing Quidditch for their houses (Blayton wouldn't be caught dead on the Quidditch pitch), this was the first match in Hogwarts history that pitted two of the Miles against each other. While Finn was desperately hoping for a Hufflepuff victory, he knew that his father was only hoping that Finn and Raina would outshine everyone else.

As he strapped on his Quidditch boots and gloves, Finn couldn't help but remember the last match he'd played in. It was the one that Cass had almost killed him in by hi-jaking his broom in mid air. Definitely not a fun memory to have. Lukcy for him though, Finn's mind was filled with so much more though, and he was able to focus on the day's match, rather than remembering matches from the past. Part of him wished Ivy were there to give him some advice, but he knew that she had been confident in leaving the team with him. And, to make matters a bit easier, Sita had turned out to be an awesome vice, literally the brains and organisation of the team for the most part. What she lacked in skill (which wasn't really much at all), she made up for in her strategic thinking. If he hadn't known better, Finn might have thought she was some long lost Miles relative, the way she understood the sport.

With his team gathered, Finn scanned their faces, realizing just how new some of them were. There were a few familiar faces from previous years, but at least four of them were new additions to the team. And, while he had confidence in their abilities, he was still a bit apprehensive for some of them to take the pitch for their first match. Fortunately, Gryffindor had just as young of a team, if not even less experienced than his own team in front of him.

"Well, this is it guys; our first match of the year. We've been pracising hard though, and I know that we can go out there and take Gryffindor. Sita, I need you to lead the Chasers. Lyli and Grace, I know you're both new at this, but follow Sita's lead. You guys have talent, and together, I know you can make something of it. Communicate with each other, and I'm sure that the other Chasers won't be able to keep up with you guys. Xavier and Gavin, you'll have to watch those Gryffindor girls. They may be small, but I've seen them both in action, so don't underestimate them. I know that you guys can use your size to your advantage though, and don't forget that that Flynn will have them targetting me for sure. As for you Clarissa, I can't offer much but to say that Raina will try to trick you with her eyes. Don't watch them when she's shooting. Time and time again she's used that move to score at home." Finn let out a long sigh as he scanned his team again. "I know we can do this if we just work together. After all, that's why we're in hufflepuff. Teamwork is essential, and we're going to prove why today. Now get out there and kick some ass!" He smiled a wide smile, ushering his team out onto the pitch.

The crowd was going crazy, despite the bitter cold winds, and Finn caught a glimpse of his father and Wyatt in the crowds as the teams were being announced. Then, before going to the middle of the pitch to meet Oscar and Madame Hooch, Finn flew over to his sister. "Good luck, Raina," he said, nudging her on the shoulder. He knew that in a few minutes he'd be in Quidditch mode, and his close bond with his sister would be pushed aside. But for now, he could at least wish her the best. "Don't count on scoring though," he teased, "because I plan to catch the Snitch in the first minute." He winked, knowng that it was highly improbable.

Back to the middle of the pitch, Finn shook hands with Oscar, noting the same kind of intensity in Oscar's eyes that Finn felt in his chest. They both wanted this win, that was certain. It was a debut for both of them, with equal amounts of repuation on the line. But only one could come out on top, and Finn was counting on his drive and his team to make sure that it was Hufflepuff. "Best of luck Flynn," he said, before taking his spot and watching with eagle-eyes as the Snitch flew away.

At the sound of the whistle, Finn had to forget everything and focus on one thing. He needed to trust that his team would do what they were trained to do, and he would do what he was meant to do by finding that Snitch.

It wasn't long though before he saw a Bludger coming his way, and he was happy to see Xavier nearby. That allowed him to keep one eye searching and the other on the Bludger in case it managed to get through.

((Searching & Dodging))

[Melody Bang-Bala G6]

Previously, Quidditch had been one of the simple joys of life. Melody used to savour the build-up of excitement before a Quidditch match along with the rest of the school, and nurse a little nervous bubble of anticipation inside her. But this time her heart was too heavy to stir at the prospect of a game. It seemed very trivial, and pointless. In fact, most things seemed pointless. She didn't know what she was working towards anymore. Where was happiness to be found? She knew, she thought she knew that was what she wanted. But she didn't know where to find it - she'd never really had to search for it before. Previously, it had been built on stable, loving family relationships. That source was gone now, and she wasn't convinced that there was any point in building it back up again. 'Try as we might, happy as we were, we cannot go back.'

The only way in which she didn't feel entirely passive about playing in the Quidditch match was that she dreaded the consequences of being exposed to the entire school. She'd seen the newspaper articles. She was aware that other students would have seen them too; in fact some of the hate mail she'd received in prison had come from other students. Of course it was in the papers that she was back at Hogwarts, but she'd been doing her best to stay out of the limelight, keeping her head down, getting on with her work, not trying to get involved in conversations, only responding to people when they talked to her. She talked to Matt, but not when there were other people around unless he insisted on starting the conversation. She didn't want to make things difficult for him by association. Playing in a school Quidditch match was a sure way to draw attention to yourself...

At least it was cold. It was nice to have a physical discomfort to focus on, numbing her mental exhaustion for a bit. Yes, the cold would keep her head clear. Melody didn't have doubts about her ability in the sport: she'd reluctantly attended practices since her return and she still knew what she was doing when it came to the two positions she practiced in. She felt a bit like an automaton, actually. There was no desire to be good or to win for Gryffindor driving her through games anymore, but she was there with her Beater's bat and she carried out her function as was expected. She just wished she knew the point of it all.

With Oscar hollering his Captain's speech at them all (loudly so that those at the back of the column processing out onto the pitch could hear), it struck her that being away from people made you see them in a different light. There was a touch of arrogance about Oscar's speech, for example, that Melody didn't think she would have noticed before. She managed not to roll her eyes. Did he really think that Zoey and Melody needed advice on how to play as a team of Beaters? Of course they would be targeting the Hufflepuff Seeker, and the Earth would orbit the Sun and the moon would drag the tides onto Earth's shores... was it time to start the game yet?

Aeons later and it was time to start the game. Melody had long since lost any sense of urgency and the other Beaters were quicker off the mark than she. Lo and behold, someone had hit a Bludger at the Gryffindor Seeker, a joker called Danny. Excellent. The game took its predictable course. She supposed it was her job to go to the rescue...

((Defending Danny + deflecting to Finn.))

[Rhoswen O'Shaughnessy G5]

This was Rhoswen O’Shaughnessy’s first Quidditch game ever and it was making her more nervous than a dog around a vacuum. She could hardly sit still, which really wasn’t all that different. Her hands kept moving and her legs kept tapping the ground as she listened to the captain’s speech. She really wasn’t sure how well they were going to do, without Cassandra Blackfire things were going to be hard. There always seemed to be something that reminded them all of how well she had carried their team…if you even consider it in that way. There had been a lot of good players that left. Cassandra was one of them, but so were Mikayla Moon and Scott Ryder. They were all great members of the team who had either left the team or finished their last year at Hogwarts. It was a good thing for them she supposed, but Rose had loved watching the Gryffindor team last year. They’d done incredibly well; hopefully they could be that good this year, especially now that she was part of the team. How she longed to carry her own weight.

The speech ended and Rose found herself taking off with the rest of the team toward the middle of the field. Madam Hooch was waiting along with the Hufflepuff team. It was going to be a hard game, but Rose knew what she had to do. She had to grab that Quaffle the first chance she got. They had to keep Hufflepuff from getting the Quaffle and the Snitch. It was going to be a tough job, but she was going to mark the heck out of everyone. They wouldn’t know what hit them. Well they would know, but they wouldn’t know she was going to do it. It was going to be delightful. She rubbed her hands together as her foot bounced in midair by itself. She still had to move…that nervous tick of her was going to annoy her one of these days, but it certainly wasn’t going to be today.

The already cold wind picked up it seemed in anticipation of the beginning of the game. A chill slowly spread through Rose’s body, but she was going to ignore it as much as possible. Even though it was colder than an ice cub in a freezer box she was going to play just as good as she did when it was warm outside. She just had to get her mind into the right frame. The Quaffle seemed to call her like a red cape did to a bull and as soon as it was released she was flying for it, ready to grab it before any Hufflepuff could touch it. Of course at the same time she caught sight of yellow robes out of the corner of her eye. They were going to try to mark her and keep her from the Quaffle. That wasn’t good. She attempted to avoid the mark and grab the Quaffle…hopefully she would get the Quaffle first.

((Avoiding Mark and Catching the Quaffle))

[Clarissa Carter H5]

“How do they expect me to stay warm out there?” Clary asked as she leaned back against Jace’s body, his hands rubbing her arms up and down, trying to warm them before she entered the dressing room. Jace had hurt himself the last practice and was unable to play during the game today. Which he found extremely annoying, but Clary didn’t mind. She was glad he wasn’t going to get injured again, not that Gryffindor was necessarily the team that would take him out. That was usually the Slytherin team…which was highly annoying. They were so full of themselves. Clary wished they would all just crawl into a hole and get out of her sight, but that wasn’t going to happen. Not many of the Slytherins showed up for the Gryffindor/Hufflepuff team, though the ones that did cheered for Hufflepuff, which was nice. It was probably just because of how deep the team rivalry ran between Gryffindor and Slytherin. It was deeper and thicker than blood…that Clary was sure about. She sighed before turning in Jace’s arms. They shared a brief kiss before Clary slipped into the dressing room.

It wasn’t much warmer inside, but Clary changed as quickly as possible, not even bothering to think about how cold it was. She left on the thermal sweater that she had been wearing. It was yellow and would keep some of the chill from spreading over her body. Why hadn’t they been lucky enough to play earlier in the months…not when it was freezing outside. Shrugging mostly to herself she went over the plays one more time and listened to the captain’s speech. Finn was such a cutie and he had great ideas. Of course it could be because he was a Miles…the history of Quidditch in that family…well it was safe to say Quidditch was in his blood. As it was in the Gryffindor team now what with Finn’s younger sister Raina having made the team this year. Clary wondered if she was going to be like Finn or more intense. Either way she’d have to keep her eyes on the girl…she had to block every shot the girl took. Just to put her in her place, let her know the world isn’t that easy.

Clary smiled to herself, today was going to be a good day, despite the freezing cold. They were going to win…she could feel it in her veins. No one was going to get past her. That was her promise to herself. She was going to stop every Quaffle that was thrown at her goals. She was the best or so she liked to believe. Either way she was going to be the best she could be. With that thought she emerged onto the field, took one look at the cheering yellow banners and mounted her broom. Heading to her goals, she stretched one last time before taking her position, her eyes watching the red robed hooligans.

((Taking position in front of goals and observing the game))

[Madam Xiomara Hooch]

((There has been a change in the Gryffindor lineup.
Rex Carter G6 replaces Rosaliz as Chaser.
Rosaliz has been substituted out of the game.

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Gavin hits a Bludger at Danny; Melody attempts to deflect it towards Finn.
Gavin = Bludger (D6 + Str) = 4 + 6 = 10
Melody = Defend (D8 + Str) = 7 + 6 = 13
Melody deflects the Bludger successfully! There is a Bludger flying at Finn.

Zoey hits a Bludger at Finn; Xavier attempts to deflect it towards Danny.
Zoey = Bludger (D6 + Str) = 3 + 6 = 9
Xavier = Defend (D8 + Str) = 4 + 5 = 9
Tie! Re-roll.

Zoey = Bludger (D6 + Str) = 5 + 6 = 11
Xavier = Defend (D8 + Str) = 1 + 5 = 6
Xavier is unable to deflect the Bludger; it continues towards Finn.

Finn attempts to dodge Zoey’s Bludger.
Zoey = Bludger (D6 + Str) = 4 + 6 = 10
Finn = Avoid (D8 + Dex) = 2 + 6 = 8
Zoey’s Bludger hits Finn! Finn suffers a minor hit and loses 1HP.

Finn must concentrate in order to maintain his action.
Zoey = Bludger (D8 + Str) = 5 + 6 = 11
Finn = Concentrate (D4 + Con) = 1 + 6 = 7
Finn is unable to concentrate and will not be able to search for the Snitch this round.

Grace attempts to mark Rhoswen.
Grace = Mark (D4 + Dex) = 1 + 4 = 5
Rhoswen = Avoid (D8 + Dex) = 3 + 2 = 5
Tie! Re-roll.

Grace = Mark (D4 + Dex) = 2 + 4 = 6
Rhoswen = Avoid (D8 + Dex) = 1 + 2 = 3
Grace marks Rhoswen successfully! Rhoswen will suffer a –2 penalty on her moves this round.

Lyli attempts to mark Raina. Raina won’t get her stat points for avoiding because she hasn’t posted.
Lyli = Mark (D4 + Dex) = 4 + 6 = 10
Raina = Avoid (D8 + Dex) = 4 + 0 = 4
Lyli marks Raina successfully!

Sita and Rhoswen attempt to catch the Quaffle.
Sita = Catch (D6 + Dex) = 3 + 6 = 9
Rhoswen = Catch (D6 + Dex – 2 ) = 5 + 2 – 2 = 5
Sita has the Quaffle!

Danny searches for the Snitch. He has 6 Con and so his search rolls will automatically be successful, so I will not bother rolling them this game.

Danny = Search = 8
8 is not the Snitch number. Danny does not see the Snitch.))

[Oscar Flynn G7]

Making sure he was not idle in the sky, Oscar dropped momentarily lower before pulling his broom sharply up and darting back above his hoops. He knew if he stayed still for an extended period of time then he would start to get comfortable and his tiredness would return. His team could definitely not afford to have their Keeper, let alone their captain, half-asleep at the start of their first game.
Although Oscar loved being Beater for Gryffindor because the position truly made him feel involved in the thick of the game, playing as Keeper was useful. He was in a perfect position to watch his team and observe their skills. He could make mental notes about who excelled in which aspect of Quidditch so that later he could return to them and re-asses the players' positions if need be.

Watching the Gryffindor players now he allowed himself a hasty grin as Zoey's bat made hard contact with the Bludger she had rushed towards. His eyes narrowed competitively when the Bludger then slammed into Finn. Though Zoey was young, she was an extremely good Beater and he knew having her as his Vice Captain was not a mistake. Though he understood it was terribly immature to see Scott in a bad light because of his history with Theo he still could not help doing so, thus Zoey was automatically above Ryder as Vice in his eyes; though no-one could say Scott had not been a brilliant player on the team. Oscar knew Scott's Quidditch skill had surpassed even his own; only Cassie had been a faster flier.

"Brilliant, Zoey! Break him down." Oscar did not bother raising his voice much over the roar of the excited crowds. The words of encouragement had been more for himself than for his Vice, as he liked to keep himself involved. He turned his attentions to the business with the first catch of the Quaffle and frowned as he saw the bright ball clutched in Sita's firm grasp.
"Get in there, Rex!" He called out softly to the younger boy, urgency lacing his tone while he positioned himself before his hoops, his fingers drumming impatiently on the broomstick beneath his hands.

(Focus on defending goaaaals.)

[zoeyshay]

"Yes!" Zoey cried, not helping but smiling brilliantly as her Bludger hit Finn. It wasn't a very hard blow, but it kept him from Snitch searching for a bit. She turned her head, nodding to Oscar with the smug smiled on her face and her fist in the air. Without wasting anymore time and letting one of the Hufflepuff Beaters get to the newly freed Bludger first, she gribbed her bat, lowered her self on her broom, and sped toward it. She planned on hitting Finn again, harder this time and hopefully it'd hit again and it'd hit hard than the one before.

She arrived and swung her heart out in the swing, aiming toward Finn. "Sorry...Nothing personal...." she muttered under her breath.

((Focus+attack on Finn again ;D ))

[lyli]

Lyli gritted her teeth as she saw only a glimpse of the Bludger heading toward Finn. "Block it, Xavier..." she whispered to him while taking place in the Chaser action. Sita had caught the Quaffle, which made she smile and she followed close behind Finn was hit, incase she needed any help. Glancing back to see if Finn was hit, she couldn;t see him, but she saw the Vice of the Gryffindors, Zoey, with a triumphant grin on her face and a fist in the air. She hit him. Shaking her head, she disreguarded it...for now. Finn was tough, and that little hit wouldn't affect him much.

A flash of red clouded her view for a moment and blocked the harsh, cold air form whipping her face. Despite the momentary comfort, she hated it and sped up to mark the Gryffindor.

((Marking Rex))

[Danny McKay G5]

Danny kept searching for the snitch but his seach was cut short. “This isn't good.” Danny muttered as he saw two Bludgers heading right for him. He thought of the best way to avoid both of them but he didn't need to after all as both Melody and Zoey hit them back at the Hufflepuff team. "I need to remeber to hug them both for that." He said with a laugh as he watched the Bludgers fly off. He wanted to keep watching just to see who they would hit but he had more important things to do so he kept searching for the snitch but as he did he heard a loud cheer, which he was sure meant one of them had hit a Hufflepuff. Danny stopped searching for a second out of curiosity and saw that Finn had been hit. He smiled then went flying off searching some more but still no sign of the snitch and also made sure to check for Bludgers more often.

(Searching for the Snitch and dodging any Bludgers.)

[Sita Mehadi H7]

The first minute of the game went to the Gryffindor Beaters as they hit the Hufflepuff captain, Seeker and team morale in one fell swoop. But it also went to the Hufflepuff Chasers as Sita pulled out of her dive with the Quaffle in her hand, the fourth year Gryffindor who'd been chasing it left behind at the last minute. Sita had expected it to be a more close run thing; a quick glance confirmed Sita's suspicions that one of her team members - Grace - had got in the way. Sita grinned at her classmate, and would have given her a thumbs up had she not been using her arms to hold onto the Quaffle as tightly as she could, not daring to loosen her grip in case a sneaky Gryffindor attempted to steal it away from her. She pelted off towards the Gryffindor goal-hoops, where Oscar Flynn sat astride his broom awaiting her arrival. Of course he would know she was coming; he had years more experience in the game than she did.

He'd never had any experience of her approach to scoring goals before, though: she'd never played in a game as Chaser before, only in practice. Goal scoring wasn't the best part of her game and she knew it, but she hoped that the fact Oscar had never attempted to save any of her shots before would play to her advantage. She knew that she could aim properly - that was hardly too difficult - and all the tennis meant she had strength in her arms, as well. Her issues tended to be with getting the timing of the shot right, so that she didn't give herself away too soon. That was a matter of experience, but also of focus. So she concentrated on getting it right this time. There were only ever so many opportunities to score in a match, so it was important to make them count.

((Defending the Quaffle and focusing on scoring!))

[Grace Hunter H5]

Something fleeted through her as she marked Rhoswen, contributing to her failure of catching the quaffle. A broad grin reached across her face as Sita captured the Quaffle and released herself up the pitch. Flashing her blurred figure a quick smile, Grace turned in her broom. It seemed to happen in slow motion as she seen the bludger making contact with Finn. Fresh adrenaline poured into her as she fired herself towards Rhoswen once again.

((Marking Rhoswen))