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Merlin's bones and Godric's garters...!  Madam Hooch was expecting a mess.  Despite having nearly seventy years of experience with the broomsport, she'd brushed up the night before on the list of Quidditch fouls.  Not only anticipating Slytherin dirty tricks, but also the honest mistakes of a completely green Hufflepuff team who would be prone to mishandling the rules of the game.  She inspected her whistle - it had better be in proper working order because she just knew it'd be put through its paces. 

She stood at the center of the pitch and awaited the captains.  Young Ayla Collins of Hufflepuff, and tried and true Erin Harper of Slytherin.   


OOC:  Captains, please post your starting rosters and notify your team!  The scene begins about ten minutes before the match so feel free to post your entrances in the locker rooms or coming out onto the pitch.  I will post the start of the match in due time.   Go Quidditch!

Figaro was bouncing off the walls!  He was so damn pumped!  He was boxing the air, hopping from foot to foot, and if he wasn't still Silenced, he would have been chattering incessantly, shouting, and singing Hufflepuff fight songs.  Ungh!  This was going to rock!

Figaro loved Quidditch, and he'd always wanted to be on the house team.  But he was unanimously regarded as horrible.  It wasn't that he didn't have the skills (well, he didn't, not really), it wasn't that he didn't try (he certainly did), it was that he was inconsistent, easily distracted, and didn't seem to bother much with following the rules.  Every time he tried out, he was banished from the pitch.  But this never dampened his spirits or his house pride.  And thank Merlin for Broom Sickness, he was in!  At least for one game.

He'd be playing Chaser alongside Ayla and Lorian.  He grasped Katy by the shoulders and stared into her eyes intensely.  They were going to CHASE LIKE THERE WAS NO TOMORROW!  QUAFFLEQUAFFLEQUAFFLE!  Do or die!  Hufflepuffs don't give a flip!

Katy shoved Fig off her and stepped back, straightening her uniform.  Why on earth was he staring at her like that!?  She snatched up her beater's bat from the bench and held it in front of her, ready to use it against Fig if he tried to invade her personal space again.  She almost wished he would.  She was so nervous her stomach was tied up in knots.  She glanced around at her teammates and willed her nerves away.  She had to be able to perform well enough not to embarrass herself and her house.  The outlook wasn't good though.  She waited for the team to be called out onto the pitch.

---

Alice sat in the locker room, taking a deep breath, trying to sooth her anxiety about flying. She wasn't even a good flyer, let alone, having to keep the quaffle away from the hoops? If the team lost, it was surely going to be her fault, she was sure of it. She took out a small mirror from her bag, and the glasses slip that annette had made for her[1]. She secured it tightly under her ponytail and took another deep breath. She could do this. She could. Alice watched as Katy and Fig messed around, and she smiled a little. She didn't want to let anyone down, and knew she had to try her hardest. And that was what she was going to do. Alice tugged at the laces on her boots, and fixed her sweater. Things were going to be fine, Lexi had told her. But to Alice, that seemed far from the truth.

1.	It looks like this, but it's black and gold. She tightens the strap tightly around her head, almost creating goggles.

The old professor, dressed in an extremely loud combination of black and yellow, cleared his throat.  "I'll be heading up to the stands to watch the game in a few minutes but there are a few things I wanted to say to you all before I do.  I am so proud of all of you.  You saw a need and were willing to step forward and do your part.  I don't care what the score is.  By being here, right now, you have already scored the greatest victory possible.  Anything that happens on the other side of that door won't matter.  You have already won in my eyes and in the eyes of many of your peers.  You stepped forward when the need was greatest and that is something no one will ever be able to take away from you.  Not Slytherin.  Not anyone.  It is something that you will be called on to do many times in life and by taking the first step here, it will make the next step easier.  There is more courage in this room right now than in all of Gryffindor."  He wiped a tear out of his eye.  His voice broke as he tried to continue.  "I'm going to go now," he finally managed to get out. " Good luck to you all."

He wanted them to win because of their courage.  He wanted them to win because they had stepped forward knowing what their chances were.  He wanted them to win because in his mind, they deserved it.  There was no balance in the universe that would hand them victory, however.  If they were going to win, it would be a hard fought victory, by the narrowest of margins.  He wiped a tear out of his eye.  His voice broke as he tried to continue.

Ayla was bouncing from one foot to the other nervously. She had her broom leaning on her shoulder, over her golden Quidditch robes that were now sporting a big black and shiny 'C', denoting her as Captain, at least for this match. Her green gold eyes flicked over the nervous anxious faces of her fellow players. She chewed on her lip wondering if she should say something but nothing came to mind. She had no idea how she was going to pull this off but she knew she wasn't going to let Slytherin beat them (easily)

"Right well, uh, let's head out then. Time to show those jerks we're no pushovers." That was about as inspirational as she was going to get. With her stomach doing horrible rapid somersaults Ayla pushed her way out of the locker room and out onto the pitch.

It looked as though the entire school had shown up for the match. She couldn't help but wonder if they were all here waiting for the Huffles to fail or if they were hoping just like her that they stood at least some kind of chance against the Slytherin team.

Lorian sat on the bench, staring at the ground, in a trance of sorts. A million thoughts were buzzing through her head and she was trying desperately to sort them out. She tapped her fingers nervously on her thigh, her golden Quidditch robes feeling unbelievably heavy at the moment. What if she made a fool of herself? She couldn't go out there, but, she couldn't let her team down either. Sure, she was a pretty good flyer, but what if being a good flyer wasn't enough? What if playing in the match actually hindered their teams chances of winning? What if she was terrible? Lorian shook her head, her brown locks falling into her vision. No, she couldn't think like that, she had to play. She never thought that anyone has ever needed her, but in this current situation, they all needed each other.

Pulling a hair tie from her wrist, Lorian secured her hair in a pony tail at the back of her head, leaving it well out of the way. She looked around her at her fellow team mates. Figaro and Katy were messing about, and Fig looked incredibly excited. Lorian was sure that if the boy wasn't silenced, he'd be very loud. Her eyes then landed on Alice, the Hufflepuff keeper. She looked how Lorian felt, utterly nervous and a tad bit scared.  Lorian stood at Ayla's little speech and quickly walked over to Alice. She placed a hand on the young girls back and offered a smile, before following Ayla out onto the pitch.

Chasers: Lorian Edevane, Figaro Sellaphix, Ayla Collins
Beaters: Seto Spaulding, Katy Bevans
Keeper: Alice Hunter
Seeker: Heliotrope LeJean

This was the list Heliotrope had been set to staring at since the start of cobbling together the pre game. This was so she could remember the names of who her term players were. She had her broom tempered with lake greens wrapped around the shaft and twigs. (nothing that actually affected the game, it just allowed brooms to work better underwater, something that Heliotrope forgot was not going to occur in Quidditch)

Memorize the list. Catch the Gold Snidge. Memorize the list. Catch the Gold Snidge.

Heliotrope could be considered determined to he task. Even if her reasoning was quite literally to that of a fish out of water, being a partial mermaid that had never heard of broom sports before she started at school.

By no means a description of how well she had taken to flying, rare as she did so.

Erin was in a bit of a snit about his first match as captain, though he didn't know why; he'd been restless all day, surly and bad-tempered. Maybe it was because everyone knew this match would be quick, flying against a team of inexperienced replacements, no challenge at all - it was all first years and Sellaphix, for Merlin's sake. Maybe he'd realized the Seeker had to keep his eye on the Snitch, and he wouldn't be able to watch his team in action. Or maybe he was just due for a snarly spell, since he'd been so good all year. It was hard to adjust to not being able to use his fists, keeping out of trouble, no pranks, no brawls, all so he could hang onto this captain position. In a better mood, he'd confess it was worth it, but today Erin Harper just wanted to get the game over with.

It was bollocks, too, 'cos the captain always made a speech but Erin wasn't exactly much of a public speaker. With all his heavy gear on, he surveyed his well-equipped team amidst the clutter of the locker room. His kingdom, he guessed. Even in such a bad mood, it made him kind of proud. Never had there been a more vicious lot of players.

"Right, you've practiced for this," he said at last. "Let's wrap this up as soon as possible, yeah? When I see the Snitch, I'm grabbing it, not hanging around so we can score more points. And don't break enough bones that you get us kicked out." He sighed, then smiled - though it was really more of a smirk. "Let's go put Hufflepuff out of its misery."

He turned around and headed out in a storm of black, silver, and green. That feeling - that rush - as he strode onto the Pitch never faded, towers rising round him and, this time, his place in the center of the field by Madame Hooch.

Silver and green robes hung off her Naomi's shoulders and arms as she gripped her broom in one hand and lazily held a beater bat in her other. Her hair was tightly wound in braids from her scalp to one single braid down her back--a quick weaving jobbed achieved by Miss Lotti, (who knew that the bad habits Lua taught her spider iwould be useful.) She put a hand on her hip as Harper delivered a quick dose of realism to the Slytherin team--one that Naomi was intent on turning into a quick and merciful truth.

The beater cast a sly smile towards Gracie as Erin told them not to break enough bones to get kicked out, "But I thought 'dat was our job," then she followed the captain out onto the field and then mounted her broom as she braced her bat against her shoulder. As she began to float away from the field, her robes began to beat in the wind and Naomi turned and faced her fellow beater, "So quick means we're making a game of hot potato 'til the snitch comes around, and 'den we're stalking seekers?" A brow arched above Naomi's green gaze before a smile creeped across her lips.

As she let go of her broom and pressed a hand against her chest, Naomi lazily began to float off from her friend as she hollered, "So keep on eye on your better half, Gracie!"

At the right time, the teams emerged from the locker rooms.  Slytherin streaked out in green and silver, in formation looking confident.  Hufflepuff, in it's bright gold and black, came out with less precision but with equal gusto.  Although there were some stragglers.

Hooch waved the captains over to her where she stood at the center of the pitch.  The other players would hopefully know to get in position.  The match would start at any moment.  Clad in her striking black and white magpie's referee's robes, Hooch set about giving her little speech to the captains.

"Harper.  Collins.  I want a clean match today.  Play your best.  But remember we've got First Years on the pitch - let them live to fly again, please and thank you."

After a stern look to both captains, Hooch waved them off and set the whistle to her lips.

The quidditch announcer's voice filled the pitch. "And it looks like the pitch is set and Madam Hooch is preparing to release the snitch!"[1]

Hooch paused just one moment more to see to it that the players all in the air.  Then, she opened the trunk and let loose the golden snitch!  It buzzed from one Seeker to the next before disappearing. 

Next, came the bludgers.  With a kick, she released them from their bonds and they shot off into the air.  It would only be a few moments before they set about their bumpy business.

And in her next breath, Hooch mounted her broom and tossed the red quaffle straight into the air between the Chasers. 

"Fweeeeeeeet!"

"And the game is on!" shouted the announcer to the roar of the crowd.

1.	Do you want to be the Quidditch announcer? Step right up!

| Hufflepuff Chaser |

Figaro was as close to the middle line as he could be - he just had to be first to get his hands on the Quaffle as soon as Hooch released it.  Hooch had her chat with the captains and Figaro let his hands off the broom so he could sit up and wave to his mates shouting at him from the stands.  He thrust both fists in the air and shouted a silent shout.  Hufflepuff Forever!  Badgers Don't Give A -

Crap!  The whistle! Hooch had started the match!  Figaro threw himself forward and he lunged towards the Quaffle.  And he caught it!  He held it in one hand and dove down low, making sure to keep it away from Slytherin. 

He could hear Hufflepuff cheering and let his hand off the broom again so he could pump his fist in victory.

|Hufflepuff Keeper|

Alice walked on to the pitch, feeling scared, but at the same time, ready, as she mounted her broom. She took a deep breath as she listened to Hooch speak to the captains. As soon as the whistle was blown, Alice shot up into the sky, swallowing the feeling of worry. Alice flew to the hoops where she ignored all worry, and focused on where the Quaffle was. She didn't dare look down or at the stands, as she scanned the pitch.

| Slytherin Beater |

Before they’d followed their captain into the pitch, and the beginning of the end began with a whistle, the smile Gracie had flashed the younger Beater’s way was quick and wicked. A promise (or threat, depending on one’s perspective) had been clamped between bright, pearly teeth like a fatal case of the either/or’s. “And here I was, just about to share mine,” she had purred, her voice rich with laughter.

And then moments, literally seconds later, they were up in the air.

When green eyes spotted a familiar red ball hoisted up like a trophy, their owner hauled her broom in a sudden turn—not for the Chaser, as it turned out, but for one of the bludgers swinging closest in a malicious curve. Fingers tightened around broom in a terrifying a grip; all traces of amusement leaving her face, Gracie shot towards it, swerving swerving swerving until the angle was just right, her bat held at the ready-

Sorry, Sellaphix, went a slight pang of remorse, and then she cracked the thing right at him before tearing away.

TWHACK!

Slant's bludger nailed Figaro right in his gut!  Figaro wasn't far from the turf and he tumbled from his broom.  The Quaffle shot out of his grip and rolled rapidly through the short grass.

Figaro found himself sprawled out on the grass, rattled but not injured. 

"Ooh! And Slant smears Sellaphix across the grass...!"

He got up quickly with a groan, feeling a little embarrassed to have been handily handled so quickly and easily by the Slytherin beater.  This match was not going to be an easy ride!  He had to jog a few meters to pick up his broom, and shortly he was in the air again.