| Hufflepuff Chaser |

Lorian cringed as Slytherin scored the first points. This was going to be a hard game to win. Seeing Figaro fly towards the Slytherin goals, Lorian sped after him, ready to retrieve the Quaffle or help him get towards the goals, if needed.

When a Slytherin chaser dove into the path of Figaro, Lorian hoped that he would be able to dodge them. If not, Lorian would be there to catch the Quaffle, if she was fast enough.

Suddenly, Waverly swerved right in front of Figaro who had the quaffle.  He's seen the pros do it many times before.  Chasers couldn't actually tackle each other, but they could still be just as bothersome.  And when this happened to the Falcons, the Falcon chaser always seemed to know just where her buddies were and get off a clean pass.

Figaro tried that.

Just before he would have collided with Waverly, he whipped away the Quaffle.  He had only just glanced over his shoulder and it went in Lorian's general direction.  Not bad! (Not great.)

And a moment later he was flying roughly into Waverly.  He pushed her away as soon as he could, so he could get on with things.

Lorian was surprised when Figaro tossed the Quaffle to her. She had to swerve a bit, but she caught the Quaffle and was already speeding towards Slytherin territory.

She tucked the Quaffle under her arm and held it tightly, hoping that she wouldn't let it slip from her grip. That would be embarrassing. As she neared the hoops, Lorian took the Quaffle in her hand and threw it towards the hoops.

| Slytherin Keeper |

Xavier straightened up on his broom watching the Hufflepuff Chasers approach. He smirked as Waverly cut Figaro off, well played. He hadn't expected much out of the frilliest member of their team but he supposed she didn't have to be all that great when you considered what Hufflepuff had brought to the pitch.

He sat back on his broom taking his hands off to free them for Edevan's approach. If she had been a little more experienced she wouldn't have broadcasted her moves so much. He leaned to the side slightly and easily caught the Quaffle. He narrowed his eyes looking for any of his girls and quickly tossed the Quaffle to the nearest one getting the game back into action.

| Slytherin Chaser |

"Good girl!" Kitty cried out as Waverly successfully made herself an obstacle. Tawse managed to catch the quaffle and all was well once more. Zooming towards the right side of the pitch, she gave the Keeper a sly wink and saw the red spherical ball being tossed her way. Spinning to a halt, Kitty gracefully caught the quaffle and tucked it under her arm.

Quickly glancing around to find the other chasers, Kitty dived low, picking up speed as she made her way diagonally towards the halfway line.

Slytherin was quick and efficient - Hooch could see very clearly that even early on in the season they were a mature and practiced squad.  And at this point, they hadn't had to resort to anything dirty; Hufflepuff just didn't require that kind of heavy hitting.  Hufflepuff had heart, but they were sorely outmatched.

The black-and-white-robed referee continue flying a broad clipped formation that would allow her to see everything and respond quickly to this pace of gameplay. 

Slytherin had the quaffle and if Hufflepuff couldn't get something together, that young keeper would have another encounter on her hands.

Figaro just couldn't catch her!  He was racing after Kitty Li who had the quaffle, trying to get on defense like he knew they were supposed to.  She was too fast, he didn't get how she did it.  He was practically laid flat over his broom for maximum speed, but she was just faster.

Where were the Hufflepuff Beaters?! Was Alice ready for a shot from Li?

| Announcers |

Spotting a figure in yellow speed up to meet Figaro, Connor snatched up his mike again, the golden horn clutched in a red-fingered grip. “An’ now Edevane joins th’ party!” he trumpeted, scrambling forward in his seat to get a better look. “Just in time fer Sellaphix t’ make his throw. Will Roh-Ballentyne intercept-?

“She doesn’t!” A wave of boo’s—and cheers—rose from the crowd as the female Chaser sped away, the coveted red ball safely in her hold. “An’ now Hufflepuff’s got possession of th’ ball! Edevane’s goin’ straight fer the hoops-” with Slytherin’s Beaters oh so conveniently too far away. His hold on the horn tightening further, Connor leaned forward again, his free hand inching closer and closer to the opposite edge of the desk. “She’s preparin’ t’ throw—ooh, Keeper Tawse’s caught th’ quaffle!” The boy tsk’d loudly into the mike. Beside him, Ananke pulled out a paper to grade. “Better luck next time, maybe-”

-Or not. Despite himself, the Ravenclaw groaned, torn between pity and laughter. Of all the people to catch it- “Li’s got hold of th’ quaffle now—an’ lookit her go!”

Blue eyes espied the Hufflepuff tailing her in vain; this time their owner grimaced in real pity. You could give Hufflepuff all the tinkly ‘A+ for Effort!’ stars their Head hearts desired, but in the end only actual goals mattered.

   

| Beater |

Not if Gracie had something to say about it.

Green eyes narrowing into vicious slits, the girl flattened herself against the length of her broom, torso lowered just enough until she was practically draped across it. She hadn’t been able to get back to Tawse in time to harry Edevane even a little bit, but ultimately, she hadn’t had to—just as the team figured the case would be. Xavier, at least, was capable of holding his own.

But, she pushed the Keeper out of her mind. It had been a good thing that she’d stayed on this end of the field, and she wasn’t about to waste it. Not when another, possible goal for Slytherin was so close within their reach.

Her teeth bared into a wicked smile, the Beater signaled her fellow Beater and homed in on the bludger nearest to herself. With another haul of her broom, she got behind it, her bat ready for round two-

And sent the ball hurtling at the littlest Keeper there ever was.

   

Slytherin Chaser.

Kitty kept tight hold of the quaffle, gloved, slender fingers clutching it tighter than a goblin with a galleon. She could feel them on her tail, and looking over her right shoulder, Kitty momentarily panicked. Sellaphix was picking up speed. Sure, Kitty was fast, but she couldn't outrun him. Not a chance.

She took a tactical nosedive, squeaking with excitement as she plummeted towards the left side of the pitch, Hufflepuff hoops becoming a a graspable prize. At the last moment, the Slytherin princess pulled up, the tail of her broom kicking up a whole maelstrom of sand, dirt and grass for the opposition to chew on: a move that was becoming more of a trademark for Li than her high heels and steely rhetoric.

Either way, they wouldn't be delayed forever. "Eugh!" she shrieked, launching the quaffle towards the left hoop. It was a long shot. Kitty clenched her teeth nervously. Nerves that disappeared when she heard the familiar snarl: the snarl of a bludger. Looking up towards the heavens of the pitch, she saluted Slant. What a hero.

Now, all Kitty could do was watch with glee.

Alice was finally getting to relax, as she watched the quaffle go up and down the pitch. She steadied on the broom, keeping balance, and refusing to look down. Just then, a Bludger came streaking towards her. Frightened of being hit, Alice jetted towards the ground, tumbling off her broom, as the red ball fell through the left hoop.

Alice's cheeks reddened. This was the worst. She got back on her broom, and flew back to the middle hoop, where she hovered. "I'm really sorry!" She shouted.

"An excessive dodge by Miss Hunter, and a well-placed shot by Miss Li," rang Ananke's voice over the speaker, "Looks like another goal for Slytherin," and then the ball perilously made its way into the Hufflepuff goals.

"Ding!" Cheers and groans floaded the stadiums and Ananke absent-mindedly hummed to herself over the speakers as she waited for the ball to be put back into play.

It's been three days, so I'm going to poke this thread a little bit!  Don't mind me! If there's something you'd like to do with this match, please - coordinate with PMs.  Teamwork with other players to set up a fun play, or to orchestrate a colossal blunder!  There's no need at all to keep to posting order.  If a day has passed, just jump in!

Slytherin was dominating, and it actually wasn't completely to do with Hufflepuff's lack of experience.  Slytherin was playing good, clean Quidditch and so far as Hooch's hawk's eyes could see, they were playing fair.  And in a show of prowess...

Slytherin scored three more times in the next 10 minutes.  Shots came off by Strelnikov and Roh-Ballentyne, but all three Chasers worked in lethal tandem.  They'd actually taken a fourth shot, but the first year Keeper had blocked it!  Hufflepuff exploded with cheers for the first year keeper.


The quaffle was back in play, but after a wild pass and a tip-off, the quaffle was loose and falling to the ground.

Demitria hissed in frustration. How on earth had that measly firstie blocked her shot? It was more embarrassing than catching two fourth years in the astronomy tower. Oh well, she had admitted that the way she had thrown the ball had been weaker than the past few. Still. There was no excuse.

Her mind still whirling, she chased the quaffle in a dive. No matter how fast she flew, gravity would always prove stronger and the ball fell at an amazing speed. The Russian kicked her broom faster and at the last moment, her hand closed around the ball and she pulled up. Her broom wasn't as fast at halting, though, and her left foot clipped the ground with a painful crack. Feeling the pain, she located one of the other chasers in the air and dodged around a stray bludger. Tossing the quaffle to the other Slytherin chaser, Strellie yelled, "Keep them busy!" and pulled back towards the Slytherin goals.

With an experimental twirl of her ankle, a rush of pain filled her leg. With another hiss, she put her foot back and chose to ignore it. As long as she was in the air, it wouldn't bother her. Harper better get this over with soon, she thought to herself. 

| Hufflepuff Seeker |

In the long minutes of the game Helio did little while sitting on her broom at such an altitude over the pitch that nobody was bothered with her. Her arial displacement was little, side to side in midair as she stared unblinkingly at the great distance below her to the ground. The whole time searching for the ball she knew as the Gold Snidge.

The goals and scores, stacked against her team, didn't bother her at all. Heliotrope stayed focus on her task on the team. Such a stakeout was not unfamiliar to her. The spawnlings in her colony in Loch Lomond, on their first hunts, were taught patience while observing all the surroundings of their hunt before they moved in on the pry.

After extensive eyeballing she had it. Something gold and shiny that twinkled like a small speck below. The way it vibrated and its location, it must be the Gold Snidge flying below the hoops of the Slytherin goal.

Pivoting her kelp wrapped broomstick, Heliotrope aimed downwards and flew towards the Slytherin goals where she had seen something she thought was the Snidge, her speed approaching terminal velocity. Which either spoke volumes of the speed of her broom, or meant she was just falling and the broom was an unaiding accessory.