Beck Blood
Author: Hermione Granger
Date: 05-02-04 15:29
Hufflepuff led Gryffindor by twenty points already, all at the hand of the newest player Anthony Beck. Hermione remembered that his older siblings Toby and Kendra had both played Quidditch for Hufflepuff and done quite well at the sport. Toby now played professional Quidditch in Australia, and were Kendra still alive today she'd likely still be on the House team.
Currently, Ginny was in possession of the quaffle, thanks to another brilliant save by Annie who seemed to have the Gryffindor chasers covered. Anthony, meanwhile, rocketed through the air in chase with impressive speed and dexterity. Where Sebastian and Arlington appeared to specialize in strategy, Anthony showed remarkable excellence in pure ability. His fluid movements seemed graceful, flawless and above all else, natural.
"It must be in the Beck blood," Hermione commented aloud.
Majandra nodded her head in agreement, as if she understood Hermione's comment without further elaboration, and followed Ginny's path with her eyes. The youngest Weasley darted towards the goal hoops, where Desdemona hovered with a look of determination etched across her face.
Correcting and Oversight
Author: Viktor Krum
Date: 05-02-04 16:37
Glancing at the score, Viktor scratches his head and does a quick mental replay of the game so far. Keeping an eye on the Hufflepuff hoops as Ginny Weasley seems to be setting up for a goal attempt, Viktor flys over to the announcer's booth. In the meantime Ginny's effort has been blocked and the quaffle is once again being jostled from one chaser to another as both teams try to keep possession long enough to score.
Viktor quietly speaks with Bronwyn Dewhurst about what's troubling him. Bronwyn grins sheepishly then flips the score card on the Hufflepuff side to read 30. As Viktor flies away, Bronwyn announces, "There's a score correction. Anthony Beck has scored three times. I announced the first one but then forgot to post it. The corrected score is Hufflepuff 30, Gryffindor 0!"
So Close!
Author: H Potter
Date: 05-02-04 19:20
Flying high above the pitch, Harry spies a fleck of rapidly moving gold. Never taking his eyes off the darting glimmer, he nonetheless keeps watch peripherally for any movement in the same direction by Hannah Abbott. The speck that must be the snitch dips low, so Harry dips as well.
A loop.
A steep climb.
A ninety degree turn.
Another dip.
Fingers stretching, feeling the beat of the snitch's wings.
Crunch!
A hit to the back from a bludger.
That's all it takes for Harry to lose track of the snitch. Near the goals Ron where has a determined look on his face not to let Hufflepuff score on him again, Harry prepares to climb above the action once more. He pauses though, noting the grayish-green tinge on an even paler than normal Ron. Beneath that determined look the red head looks positively nauseous.
Moving to hover close enough to speak to Ron, Harry sees that close-up Ron looks even more green. "You don't look so well, Ron."
"I feel bloody awful. Nothing to do about it now though. The sooner you catch the snitch, the quicker I get to the hospital wing."
Ron takes several gulps of air, obviously fighting to keep down his breakfast. Harry gives a supportive, "Hang in there," then is off in search of the snitch and wishing there was some way that Jared could take over for Ron; but there are no substitutions allowed during a game. Bugger!
Reluctant
Author: Severus Snape
Date: 05-02-04 20:36
Had Severus just heard right? Was Dumbledore asking him to participate in the Valentine's Day carnival, and did he just request that he sit in the dunking booth? Surely not! Snape stared at Dumbledore, his face expressionless but for the tightening of his lips. The seriousness in the Headmaster's face was quite evident.
Finally, Snape frowned and stated quietly, "The children will make a mockery of me, Albus. Think of my reputation!"
Dumbledore's eyes twinkled and he smiled. "Surely you can indulge the students for one afternoon."
Snape pictured himself falling into a tank of water at the hands of a young Gryffindor student and cringed. Dumbledore couldn't be serious, could he? Once again, Severus stared at Dumbledore and could see that there was no way he could say no. Dumbledore had done so much for Snape in the past. Severus could sacrifice his pride for one afternoon, even if it meant being humiliated in front of the entire school.
Sighing, Snape reluctantly agreed. "Very well."
Resentment, Anger, Jealousy and Their Many Impacts on Quidditch
Author: Sebastian Sjoblom
Date: 05-02-04 21:13
Sebastian circles the pitch, not much in the mood for physical exertion or recalling his first game. Nor is he enthused about thinking about the other accompanying first that day, for it gives him a terrible little twinge in his chest. Bad for his game.
He and Arley have barely spoken in the intervening weeks since their little altercation. Various jealous games have begun. Arley has taken up the practice of leaving curt, thorny messages via mutual friends (Desi reluctantly delivered one that went like this: "You snore. There are charms for that.").
He tugs at his sweater. Too tight.
The little punch in the stomach that started the whole row is generally only a dim afterthought to Sebastian. Indeed, he hadn't thought it was too bad at first, but the more he thought about it the more he felt a poisonous anger at Arley. Then he forgot about it and only the anger was left. He noticed bad things about Arley that he had previously overlooked. Example: during warmups at Quidditch practice, when Hannah assigned them five laps 'round the pitch to do, Arley only did four, which led Sebastian to the conclusion of "lazy bum" (though a better explanation would be that Arley had stayed up half the night worrying about Sebastian and then skipped breakfast that morning.)
Quidditch practices had been a rough affair. Chaser practice was difficult, as two thirds of the Chasers were not speaking with one another. If Anthony Beck, the new recruit to replace the abysmal Wolf boy, tried to understand one of the many complicated strategies they had devised, both of them attempted to demonstrate their superior prowess at executing, for example, the reverse pincer maneuver (code named, from a randomly drawn Chocolate Frog card, Kirley Duke).
That quickly became very confusing for Anthony, as they both zipped around on their shiny new Christmas brooms, attempting to interrupt each other's jumbled instructions with their own. "Move to the left!" and "Pretend that spot there is the other Chaser!" and "Fly a little higher!" and "Ja, I'll throw you a pass and then...." contradicted by "Y'ain't gonna need to pass for this one at all, got it?"
Thankfully, Anthony has a solid grounding in Quidditch anyway. He scores, and Sebastian is brought back to the present by the Hufflepuffs' cheer. Ron Weasley, one of the two Gryffindor players whom Sebastian can identify by both first and last name (the other being, of course, the famous Harry Potter), retrieves the Quaffle and chucks it back across the pitch.
Arley intercepts it before the three female Gryffindor Chasers can, and Sebastian grunts unhappily. He was just in the right place at the right time, he tells himself. I could have caught it as easily. He accelerates toward the Quaffle, determined to get ahold of it himself. The violent, tetchy ape deserves some comeuppance, and Sebastian deserves to score a few points to show him his place.
Things do not work out thusly. An errant Bludger hits Seb before he even has an opportunity to enter the fray, and as he regains his balance he has to watch as Anthony and Arley pass back and forth toward the goal. Anthony scores.
Sebastian wishes he could deny that Arley's a talented Quidditch player, but it was such a skillful assist. He groans and tightens his grip on his American broom, the Peregrine G-70 Lightspeed, Mark IV. Quidditch has a curious influence on his personality. It's making him competitive again. He wants to score more than Arley. He has to.
And now the score is at thirty, due to Krum's blunder, now corrected. The Gryffindors attempt to score, but Desi leans out, almost tumbling from her broom, and catches the Quaffle. She makes eye contact with Seb, and he nods.
The Quaffle hits his open palms with a reassuring thump, and he makes a wide arc away from the approaching Gryffindor Chasers. Weasley (the girl) is making closer and closer circles around him like a hyena with an empty stomach, while her comrades hold back in case he attempts a pass. He sees an opening, though, and hurls a pass at Anthony.
Anthony catches the Quaffle, just barely. The three Gryffindor girls pull up alongside him, waiting for a slip-up. Arley approaches from behind.
Oh, don't pass to Arley, stupid, Sebastian thinks. He leans into the wind, signaling to Beck and mouthing: "Pass, pass!" He waves a frantic arm.
Anthony makes slow progress across the pitch, with the Gryffindors grabbing aggressively at the Quaffle. Sebastian slices through the air, intent on getting ahold of the Quaffle. He's been watching the Gryffindors in practice; they're pretty good at blitzing for the goal. He hopes it doesn't have to advance to that point.
He signals again to Anthony, catching his eyes as he flies above the mob of Gryffindors.
Anthony hurls the Quaffle, tossing it up over the opposition, and Aemilius grabs for it, but to no avail. Sebastian catches it in his right hand, tucks it under his arm, and makes for the goal. He'll have to outstrip the Gryffindors; if they mob him like they did Anthony, he won't have a chance at scoring, and he has to score.
A Bludger whizzes by his nose, meeting the bat of some Beater in his peripheral vision--Lawrence, he thinks. He pays no mind to the close scrape. Ron Weasley is squaring his position in front of the middle goal, where Sebastian was headed, a determined look on his pale, sickened face.
Perfect! The Keeper won't be able to catch a ball to one of the side goals. He hefts his arm backwards and slings the Quaffle, discus-style, at the right hoop.
It goes in! He grins victoriously at Arley, though he's not sure his ex is looking at him. The Hufflepuffs' cheer and Bronwyn's Sonorus-enhanced voice add ballast to his spirits. Victory gives him such a marvelous feeling, and Arley hasn't even scored once!
That is about to change. McCoi catches the pass from Ron and the Quaffle is back in play. She immediately heads for Desi's post at the goal. Vera sees an opportunity, and aims a Bludger straight at the Chaser, who ducks and cries out. In her alarm, she drops the Quaffle. It falls slowly, as if through water, thanks to the charm on it.
Sebastian sees no point in going after the falling Quaffle. He can wait downpitch, await a pass, watch the Seekers. Harry Potter comes close to a 150-point clincher on the game, if the flash of gold wasn't only Sebastian's imagination, but a Bludger diverts him from his goal, thankfully.
He wiggles his cold toes in their Hufflepuff socks. (He decided to play sans boots again, just in case the socks are good luck.) The wind blows a lock of hair in his face, and while he's busy freeing his vision, Hufflepuff gains possession.
He sees a wight, wearing the old yellow and black, climbing above the Gryffindor Chasers, vermilion Quaffle in hand. Too broad at the shoulders to be Anthony....
He sighs, hard and frustrated. Arley has the Quaffle. The Gryffindor Chasers are only a broom's length away and gaining on him. Speed has never been Arley's best suit, and now, with Weasley, the most aggressive Chaser among the Gryffindors, gaining on him, he doesn't look like he can make it to the scoring area.
But what does Sebastian care if Arley scores, anyway, when Hufflepuff is ahead anyway? Even if he looks so handsome with his green eyes set on the goal and his blond hair and yellow cloak whipping in the win--
Sebastian clears his throat and resolutely reminds himself that Arley is an ugly git. He glances over at the stands and sees a huge banner, the painted text on it magically flashing back and forth between yellow and black. It reads: "WE LOVE YOU SEBASTIAN!!!!" (with all four exclamation points).
Martin made that. Marty Makepeace is a diminutive fifth-year from Ravenclaw whom Sebastian has made his official Rebound Boyfriend, though that's not what he calls it.
Martin is very self-conscious, being about the only out gay boy at school (Sebastian and Arley are borderline), so Sebastian constantly has to buoy his ego with compliments, few of which are true. To speak the truth, Martin has a thin, pointy nose, little in the way of a chin, an ugly bowl haircut, a smattering of pimples that make his face look something akin to a pizza, eyes always squinted, and an incredibly irritating nasal voice. He's also an abominable conversationalist.
Nevertheless, Sebastian does not hang around with a fifth-year Ravenclaw and his bland friends for reasons of attraction. Marty is mostly a trophy to wear on his arm when Arley's around. Sebastian doesn't really know him all that well.
Sure, he feels guilty quite a lot about manipulating poor little Martin to make Arley jealous. More and more lately, his conscience has been taking a back seat to his anger at Arley. It's painful to suppress his sense of morals, but he badly wants to show Mr. Montgomery up.
Just then, he looks away from the banner to see Arley dip down below him and heave the Quaffle, his powerful arm sending it on a blurred red path to the left goal hoop. Ron slumps and issues a disappointed groan as the Quaffle finds its mark and Bronwyn announces the new score. Sebastian, on the other hand, straightens his posture and sucks his breath in through his teeth. He flies up, intent on catching the Quaffle when Ron returns it to play.
He glances at a scarlet-and-gold figure banking hard to reach a Bludger. It's Kingston. He chokes up on the black Beater's bat and swings.
The iron Bludger is redirected. Arley is hapless, waving to the crowd. Like the attention-loving blockhead he is, Sebastian seethes. The Bludger wavers on its path for a moment, as though to decide between Arley and the nearby Gryffindor Chaser.
It picks Arley.
The ball connects at the base of Arley's spine. It hits so hard that Sebastian finds his hand involuntarily leaping to his own tailbone. There is a crack, and the Peregrine G-70 Lightspeed, Mark IV, flies out from under Arley.
Sebastian had, before the fight, thought of Arley as the rock in his life, with his hard chin and solid, invigorating presence, but now the Hufflepuff's body is being tossed like a doll missing stuffing. His hands reach out, scrabbling at handfuls of insubstantial, numbing January air as he falls.
Arley's legs do a midair twist, but the rest of his body doesn't, so when he hits the grass with a thud, his torso is facing down but his legs are at a crazy corkscrew angle, one bent under him.
Sebastian finds himself holding his breath. He finds his head swimming and his lips dry and his fingers tight on his broom. He shouldn't be thinking about Arley. If he's going to fly down and help him, he ought to just do it. If he's going to return to the game, he ought to do that.
Do something, Sebastian Alberik, he tells himself. Gryffindor has the Quaffle. They're probably going to score.
From way up, Arley is a still speck tangled up in a yellow cloak. The vacant Peregrine idles in the air.
Visiting Neighbors...
Author: Ellspeth
Date: 05-02-04 23:19
Ellspeth had finished hours ago with all the cleaning of the shoppe and restocking for the supplies. Wandering around, she noticed that there were as usual, very few people doing business in Hogsmeade because of the Quidditch Match at Hogwarts. And to tell the truth she was bored to pieces. There was just nothing to do.
Quickly grabbing a warm cloak and hat and putting on her best winter boots, she decided it was time to do a bit of exploring. Of Hogsmeade that is. She hadn't visited any of the stores herself yet and thought since business was so slow, it just might be a great idea to see who some of her neighbors were.
Walking out the door, she quickly locked it after putting a little sign in the window~~"Exploring Hogsmeade~will be back shortly". Then looking left, right and across the street and stood for a moment deciding which way to go.
She noticed first the small shoppe almost across the street from her. "Pots & Pages". Now that might be a good place to start. She had been wanting to get a book on the ins and outs of Quidditch, seeings she had never been quite able to follow the whole jest of the game. She knew that it was really quite the rage with all of her friends back in London, but she herself had always had her face buried in flowers and such. This might just do the trick.
"Yes," she said to herself, "a nice little book on the general rules and regulations of Quidditch would be a nice bit of reading." Hopefully there would be something nice and simple and not to complicated for her to figure out. Suddenly she realize that one of the shoppe owners had placed an order for some herbs, a few days ago, and this might just be a great opportunity to get to know some neighbors. She quickly turned back to her door and unlocking it, went over to the desk and picked up the box containing the herbs ordered. Looking quickly at the name~~Sidi Ross, she headed back out and crossed the street to "Pots & Pages".
Ellspeth slowly pushed the door open to the shoppe and stepped in. It was warm and smelled deliciously of warm coffee and new and old books. Suddenly she was in heaven. If she hadn't been such a plant lover, she would definitely love to have a shoppe like this.
"Hello?" she said quietly, not wanting to disturb the mood of the place....
Re: Visiting Neighbors...
Author: Adam Sparrow
Date: 05-02-04 23:44
The bell on the door jingled as Ellspeth walked into the shoppe. Adam didn't look up. He continued to mournfully turn the pages of the quidditch books stacked in front of him, still clad in the Griffindor hat and scarf.
Sidi smiled. "Hello! You're Ellspeth from across the street aren't you? Your shope is lovely! You have so many wonderful herbs. I'm like a child in a candy store there! Adam, say hello!"
She gestured toward her husband.
Adam looked up. "Hello/" He went back to flipping pages and feeling sorry for himself.
Sidi leaned over the counter and shrugged. "That's my husband. He's a bit upset that he was unable to attend today's match. You know how men are. Can I offer you a nice cup of coffee and some good conversation Ellspeth?"
Adam watched his wife practically attack the herb lady. If there was one thing that woman loved it was herbs. Poor Ellspeth. By the time she leaves here she's going to never want to see another herb again. Sidi was not normally a talker in the presence of friends and strangers alike but when you got her on one of her favorite topics, watch out. He was proud of her. She was beautiful, intelligent and she loved him. If only I could go to the match..life would be perfect. He caressed his "Quidditch Through the Ages" book.
A Bargain with Severus
Author: Albus Dumbledore
Date: 05-03-04 07:44
"Thank you, Severus," I reply. "I shall try to see that you do not regret this decision."
He looks at me somewhat puzzled. "What do you mean by that?" he asks rather grimly.
"Let us just say that there are certain artifacts in my possession which the Dark Lord greatly desires. The Mirror of Erised, for example. I know he has coveted that for some time, not understanding the true nature of the thing. Perhaps we could arrange to have that spirited out of the Castle for delivery into his hands. Do you think he might not be grateful for such a gift from you?"
The gleam in Severus' dark eyes tells me I have a sound bargaining position. "Also, if it is a matter of your getting wet, there are certain spells which... Ahhh... might be applicable in this situation," I smile. "Are you, by any chance, familiar with Petrolatum Hydrophobis? If not, I suggest you consult volume seventeen of 'Ancient Spells for All Occasions'."
The trace of a smile touches the corners of his lips. I think he understands what I am getting at. He give me a curt nod and we resume our seats to watch the match. I notice that the scoreboard has finally been corrected. I was almost certain that I had counted three goals by Beck.
Player Down
Author: Bronwyn Dewhurst
Date: 05-03-04 15:59
Hufflepuff 50, Gryffindor 0
Peering fearfully over the side of the staff box, Bronwyn held a mittened hand to her mouth and watched Arley's unmoving body. He lay on the ground unconscious and in unnatural form. Long, excruciating moments of silence passed.
Viktor descended and knelt next to Arley, who showed no outward signs of life. The moments went by at an unbearable pace, until finally the fallen chaser stirred. His fingers twitched, then he moved his whole arm and opened his eyes.
Helping him into sitting position, Viktor continued to confer with Arley, who rubbed the side of his head with one hand. Bronwyn breathed a sigh of relief at Arley's rapid recuperation and shouted, "Montgomery is okay! Give him a hand, everybody!"
Moderate applause rippled around the Pitch, heavier in the Hufflepuff section and non-existant from the Slytherins. On the field, Viktor rose to his feet and helped Arley up, whose knees immediately buckled, sending him back to the ground.
He grimaced, but managed a sheepish smile. His determination to continue the game became evident. He squared his shoulders and tried to stand again...
OOC Note: PanHistoria crashed the evening of 05/03/04. The following day, the Quidditch match was to end. Posting resumed at Hogwarts on 06/10/04, without completing the extra day for the Quidditch match. Gryffindor was to score once, and Harry Potter was to catch the snitch for a final score of Gryffindor 160, Hufflepuff 50.
