An active, character-driven Hogwarts experience set in the early 2000s. Unique items, plots, and features. Non-canon; this isn't Harry Potter's story, it's ours.
The match won't start until after breakfast. Only Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff players are permitted to arrive early to use the change room, which is done in this thread. They remain in their respective team rooms until told to queue for the match. No one else may post until breakfast ends.
Unfortunately, both our Captains aren't able to be online due to pressing RL situations that have them on an informed hiatus for the time being. Rather than cancel the match (as it is of no fault of theirs nor caused by general inactivity) or cost the teams a chance to earn points towards the cup, this is a modified match.
Rules are as follows:
Only the Chasers may RP gameplay during this match. As in, for them, it's business as usual.
Other players may post and will also earn participation exp at the end of the match, but cannot RP doing their part besides assisting with post accumulation (such as needing x posts from team members to proceed). To be clear: every player mentioned below are present in this match but their gameplay contributions are off-screen.
Both Bludgers are actively in play, with increased frequency. If targeted, a player must stop what they're doing and attempt a dodge. Beater intervention isn't allowed (Free-RP a reason if needed).
Hufflepuff have no current Keeper, so Ravenclaw Chasers have the usual 1/3 chance of missing in that scenario. However, as Ravenclaw does have a Keeper -- Hufflepuff Chasers have an odd / even chance of scoring during this match. Mods will put it back in play when needed.
When the Snitch appears, it won't disappear (thus no extending the match). As Seekers cannot partake in gameplay during this match, the chase etc happens off-screen. The Snitch will be caught but modded in such a way that it's undetermined who caught it; thus results in a tie and neither team receive the 150 points bonus.
A modified match is a very rare event and not done lightly. We receive updates from our Captains when possible, but their situations (though different and separate) were sprung on them. We miss them and look forward to their return, but I've decided not to cancel the match. If they happen to return before this match is over, they may RP but their gameplay remains off-screen.
Post by Sophia Rhynhart on Sept 8, 2021 22:36:38 GMT 10
Sophia was shocked she'd gotten any sleep at all, let alone a good night's sleep. She refused to credit any of that to stupid Headmaster Rickard and his stupid new rules about the stupid decision to remove dessert. She still sulked about it during her early breakfast before allowing Quidditch to completely take over.
It was finally here. She was beyond excited! All that agonising waiting, and it was finally time for Hufflepuff to play. She was all grins and energy as she strolled into the changing room with her broomstick in hand. Sophia high-fived every member of her team who showed up and were willing, then set about focusing on preparations.
Mentally running the plays through her head, Sophia sat on a bench to breathe - fully dressed and ready to go. She glanced around for Elara, hoping to talk to her before they got out there, and considered enthusing with Lucky but he was busy being all Captainy. Sophia tied her black hair back so it wouldn't get in her way during the game.
Elara was fortunate, last night after dinner she'd decided on an early night in preparation for the big game that day and had settled down to sleep almost as soon as she'd reached her dormitory. She hadn't even touched any of her revision that she'd set aside in preparation for her end of year exams (you could never start too early) there was too much at stake. Her team were depending on her to perform well.
That early night enabled her to get up early for breakfast without too much of a complaint and now she was in her yellow Quidditch robes, feeling just a little anxious about what was to come. Not only did she have to face Ravenclaw, but Joe was a chaser on the opposing team and she'd have to compete against him- was it beneath her to knock a first year off his broom? Most definitely...
She supposed that she could hope a bludger knocked him out of the game... Without injuring him too badly, but then... She didn't think he'd be too much of a threat anyway. He was only eleven after all.
Walking over to Sophia, she gave a nervous smile "ready?" she knew the older girl was a seasoned player and knew what she was doing and she hoped that she could meet any expectations she might have of her, but in the face of impending doom it seemed a daunting prospect.
Spirits and excitement were high, with a mingled range of chatter or anxious waiting -- which was broken by the arrival of owls for anyone with a subscription to the Daily Prophet, or expecting any mail from home. Thy flew into the rooms as if in the Great Hall itself.
Once they'd done their job, the owls took flight and the changing rooms atmosphere returned to it was before -- with the addition of new conversation topics for those who read over the Prophet in the meantime.
No additional letters were delivered, as none were sent that required answering.
Post by Sophia Rhynhart on Sept 9, 2021 1:23:42 GMT 10
Sophia smiled broadly as Elara joined her. 'Of course,' she answered rather flippantly, her voice higher as excitement bled through. 'How about you? We didn't get much done in practice, but I think we could b a great team -- you and I. We just have to stay focused.'
She went to say more, but was distracted by the arrival of the Daily Prophet. Sophia groaned; she really wanted to read it, and it looked interesting too! But it was a distraction, so she shoved it into her locker for now and returned to sit with Elara. She'd quickly skimmed a letter of good luck from her dad though, which was sweet of him to send.
'Your cousin's playing today, right? Chaser, too?' She sighed, sympathetic. 'I remember being the 1st year on a seasoned team. Scary stuff. Easily underestimated, though.' Sophia gave Elara a pointed look.
After a glance to see what their teammates were doing, she shuffled closer to Elara.
'Look, it's just us out there. You and me, team Chasers.' Sophia nodded. 'Is there anything about your cousin that could give us an idea what to expect? I've never met him. Is he good?'
Post by Jonathan King on Sept 9, 2021 19:38:47 GMT 10
Contemplating his decision to eat that second sandwich or even eating at all, Joe was somewhat spaced out for a while. He was snapped out of it when he saw movement at the corner of his vision and turned to look at his teammates.
They were all fifth years and Joe once again secretly wished Gerald had not been kicked off the team. That fact made him worry much more than the prospect of possibly being the only chaser for his House this match.
He wondered why it was that no other Ravenclaw student had tried out for the team and his gaze drifted towards the team captain. Was Nox too scary to try out for?
He had to admit that she made him nervous but in a good way somehow. Joe definitely wanted to impress her on the pitch today.
His stomach still felt a little weird to him but he distracted himself with jostling the handle of his broom from hand to hand, unaware that might be annoying.
Looking around, Joe wondered whether he was determined rather than anxious right now and whether he ought to be more nervous as he opened his juice to help out with his dry throat.
Truthfully, he was looking forward to the game and hoped that he would have more fun than at practice. Fun like he had had playing in the backyard with his cousins, with nothing at stake.
Either way, he was impatient for the game to begin and lift off.
Last Edit: Sept 9, 2021 20:52:07 GMT 10 by Jonathan King: juicy juice
Sophia seemed confident, that was good. She was the experienced one, if she wasn't worried then Elara figured that she had no reason to be either. The first match was always the most anxiety inducing, that's what she expected anyway. Next time she'd feel more confident.
"I'm great!" she said, hoping that it sounded convincing to the older girl. They definitely had potential to be a great team, this would be their chance to prove that and bring home a victory for Hufflepuff. Once this match was out of the way, the only thing to look forward to was Christmas and the holidays- yes, all good things.
The arrival of the morning post was disappointing, no letter from home but at least she had the daily prophet to read once the match was over. She followed her teammates example of putting her copy into her locker, where it didn't pose a risk of distraction- not even allowing herself the temptation of reading the front page.
Elara nodded vigorously at the question about her cousin "yes Joe's a chaser, it's his first time playing in a real match" and if he proved to be their downfall today, she was going to quickly regret teaching him how to play in the first place. "He's... Decent" she admitted "pretty good when he's at his best but I'd bet he's feeling pretty nervous right about now, bet he makes a few mistakes before the match is over"
Last Edit: Sept 9, 2021 22:08:02 GMT 10 by Deleted
Noise increased outside; people began to make their way into the stands, as breakfast had ended. The match would be starting soon. Madam Hooch made her way to the Ravenclaw team room, then the Hufflepuff one, to get things moving.
She delivered the same message to both:
'It's time,' Hooch said, dressed in her black and purple referee robes. 'Head to your team tunnel and wait. When Casey, our commentator, welcomes everyone to the game -- that's your cue.'
This thread can now be posted in by all characters.
Samantha slowly meandered with most of the student body to the Quidditch Pitch. She would have rather worked on some extra work for classes, but the foul mood she was in would made it near impossible to concentrate.
Quidditch seemed like a good idea to release some tension, despite Samantha not being the one on the broomstick. Sometimes, the adrenaline from watching and cheering on the teams (especially her own) was just a good a high.
Sammy had no horse in the match, though she bet on Hufflepuff, so she would make an effort to cheer for both teams, just louder for the one that would be blood-thirsty the most.
She made her way up the stands and avoided both Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff sides, trying to sit somewhere in the middle of the area where a good mix of different houses were sat. Yawning, Sammy waited for the start of the match, nodding distractedly at some people she recognized.
Post by Sophia Rhynhart on Sept 11, 2021 23:14:12 GMT 10
Sophia smiled at Elara's confidence -- fake bravado or not, it was a good habit to have for Quidditch players. If you're not feeling great, fake it until you make it. So long as thy got the job done, that's what mattered. Oh, and having fun, she supposed.
She nodded, listening to what Elara said about Joe though knew better than to underestimate someone just because it was their first match and they were inexperienced. Sophia wanted to ask more, but Madam Hooch put a stop to that.
'Let's do this.' She fist-bumped Elara, then grabbed her own broom.
It was time. Sophia made her way along the familiar path through the tunnel, excitement and focus growing the closer they got. She could hear the growing crowd and it gave her a thrill. All that was left was to make her team proud by doing her best to score goals. The weather was good, so that was a bonus.
Elara could've spent an extra ten minutes hyping herself up for what was to come but it seemed she would not be allowed that time to process. It was time to face the music and knock Ravenclaw down a peg or two- even if that meant destroying (in a non-violent way) her baby cousin.
"Let's go!" she returned Sophia's fist-bump and grabbed her broom in what she hoped was a steady hand. There would be no room for last minute nerves while they were out there, she could throw up later when the game was won.
Following her teammates down through the tunnel, she focused on her breathing- that was the one thing she could control in this situation, that and how well she played once the game commenced. It was hard not to think about how difficult it would be to face her cousin if he actually managed to better her at this.
Stands and towers filled with the match's eager audience of students and various visitors or Hogwarts staff. Energy was high, as everyone anticipated another great match. Madam Hooch elevated the excitement as she carried the Quidditch box onto the field. She was dressed in black and purple referee robes, with goggles sat atop her head and a whistle chain around her neck.
Professor McGonagall was in the main / commentator's tower, more commonly known as the loud box, seated beside 3rd year Ravenclaw Casey -- who had commentated the previous match, and was excited to do so again especially as their house was playing this time. They were dressed as in many Ravenclaw colours as McGonagall permitted.
They barely sat still in excitement, holding the magical microphone in one hand while admiring the points box in front of them. Matches were fun anyway, but it was an added bonus that each time was a different set of houses playing.
0 0 0
0 0 0
When McGonagall gave Casey the nod of approval, they jumped up in excitement.
'Hello, and welcome to Hogwarts' second Quidditch game of the season,' Casey said, their voice magnified for everyone to hear -- including in the team tunnels. 'Today's game is Ravenclaw versus Hufflepuff!'
Cheers erupted around the pitch, so loud it was hard to tell where it started or who was loudest. It was also the cute everyone waited for. Team players were to mount their brooms and fly out of the tunnels. Whatever their entrance or formation, Casey waited for them to then form a circle above the Quidditch box where Madam Hooch stood -- Hufflepuff in one semi-circle, facing Ravenclaw as the other. Each Seeker hovered above their respective team.
Player posts aren't mandatory in response to this one. Match begins after a few posts, made by anyone who wants to do so. Betting is officially closed. Good luck, everyone!
Amelia was searching for Jacob when she finally arrived at the Pitch, though a bit winded from the running she had done after leaving the Gryffindor Tower. She searched for anyone she knew and watched the Pitch, glad it hadn't totally started. She had barely made it and once she spotted some of her fifth years friends, she joined them, ready to watch the match begin.
"Go get 'em, Hufflepuff!" She yelled out over the crowd. She wasn't as spectacular as Lucky had been the match before, all painted... But that would have likely caused quite a scene if she was. A smile appeared on her lips as she searched for the field for any of her friends on the pitch.
Post by Arthur Hocking on Sept 12, 2021 6:40:06 GMT 10
Dressed almost entirely in Hufflepuff colours and waving his hands around excitedly, Arthur was ready to cheer for his house team. Even if he wasn't on it, something he was still a little upset about. He knew Quidditch wasn't really his strength, though, so he wasn't overly upset. He just hoped no one would get hurt.
Maybe he was hoping for a teeny, tiny broken bone later on in the season, when he might actually be able to help by brewing a good bone mend potion. Professor Snape would be so proud of him. Arthur smiled just thinking about it.
Jamie had worked his way to the Ravenclaw section and looked around for anyone he knew. It seemed he had made it here before Ryan and Toby, so maybe that was a good thing. Jamie glanced up at the pitch and looked around for a moment before sitting down by himself. Maybe Grace would be here and they could watch together? It wasn't as worrisome since she wasn't playing.
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