| Details for Hogwarts Quidditch 1940-41, Game 03 - Slytherin vs Ravenclaw |
| Summary: | Third game of the 1940-1941 Season. Slytherin vs Ravenclaw. Final Score: Slytherin - 100, Ravenclaw - 260. |
| Date: | January 10th, 1941 |
| Location: | Hogwarts - Quidditch Pitch |
| Related: | — |
| Characters |
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Faculty 
Slytherin Team  
Ravenclaw Team   
In the Stands       |
Hogwarts Quidditch Pitch
It is a winter night. The weather is cold and flurrying.
The wide wooden slats of the stands form a nice geometric patterns that plays in the lights and makes all sorts of amazing shapes. It looks to have enough seating in it's five tiered sections that go up almost as tall as Hogwart's itself, could hold the whole school and then some. During matches, pennants and all manner of decorations could be seen flowing in the wind and snapping about. The cheers of the patrons of the pitch rise and fall in volume from soft whispers to roars to wake those all in London.
The Ravenclaw team are lead by their Captain, in their usual formation, but in her hand is a shining new broom. The dark wood gleams stark against the white snowflakes that swirl around Elspeth and her team. The blonder bristles and the silver of the foot rests are almost lost to sight, however, making it look like she's carrying only a single, dark stick. When she gets to the edge of the pitch, she turns sideways, holding up her arm to clack a bracer with each player as they pass, giving them a word of encouragement, starting with the Chasers, the Beaters, and lastly, the Keeper. With all of them in the air, she runs her fingers one last time down the front curve of the broom, then mounts herself and kicks off.
Alicia sat quietly and waited for the match to began. The young Hufflepuff liked to watch the Quidditch matches; it was more relaxing to be watching, not directly involved!
In the Hufflepuff stands the slim, dark haired form of Mateo climbs into the bleachers. He is wearing a thick coat and scarf matching the Huffleluff colors. A knit winter hat is pulled down over his ears to help ward off the icy air and his hands are clad in thick winter gloves. As he makes his way to the stands he looks at a group of first years and says, "Now remember the chant we practiced. On my signal." Afterward, he moves over and sits near Alicia.
Oberon flies out onto the field, in a V formation with the rest of his team, the Captain in the lead. They make a lap around the field, breaking up into their various positions. Oberon flies into his starting position, the white snow flurrying around him. He puts his club underneath the crook of his arms as pulls his robes in closer, trying to get warmer. The 6th year looks over the pitch, his calculating eyes looking over the stands and watching his opponents. He readies his club, adjusting his grip, trying to regain blood-flow into his hand.
Gabriel clacks a bracer with Elspeth then flies up to take position over the pitch. Gone is the overeager little kid from a few years back. Practice and experience have made Gabriel much more of a cerebral player, with good instincts on when to really push it and when to ease off the proverbial gas pedal. Which shows as he waits calmly for the game to start, instead of giddily bouncing around on his broom like he used to do.
Following his captain out into the pitch, Brody smiles as he catches sight of his broomstick in her hands. He nods to her and says, "Good luck," as they touch bracers. Looking to Gabriel he nods and says, "Lets do this, we gotta win this one." Looking over toward the Slytherin team he overs all of them a challenging glare and even points again at Abraxas. Throwing his leg over his broom, Brody kicks off and flies over toward the Ravenclaw stands, pumping his fist at them to set off a few cheers and then flies over toward the Ravenclaw goalposts.
Hooch flies around in tightening spirals until she's in her starting spot above the Quidditch box in the grass in the center of the pitch. The snow flurrying about her duly ignored. "Welcome to the Slytherin versus Ravenclaw match of the school year of 1940-1941! Thank you for joining us in this weather! Let's have a good game!" The wand at her throat giving her a booming volume is swished and pointed to the Quidditch Box and her special whistle is blown and the box bursts open and all of the balls rush up into the snowy air.
Alicia noticed that the Prefect had approached and smiled politely at him. "It's going to be a fun match, isn't it?" She observed.
Nodding toward Alicia, Mateo says, "Indeed. I am pulling for Ravenclaw, even though they beat us. It would be better if they won than Slytherin. What about you?"
Entering to the Slytherin stands is Orion Black. He wears his house colors and seems excited enough to support his team with his betrothed and older sister both on the team. He seats himself in the stands and claps as the Slytherin team fly out onto the pitch.
Riddle is sitting as he has this year, with relatively few members of the Knights sitting with him, since the Slytherin team is practically bursting at the seams with Knights this year. Those out of the team are there with Riddle to show their support and each has a wooden shield painted metallic silver with a snake coiled as it's crest and a snake shaped rod to bang on the shield in a cheering manner. When the teams make their exit there is an uproar of shield clanging and while some around him whoop and holler, Riddle simple calls out, "Good show!"
Alicia made a 'humm' noise. She hadn't thought of who she supported. "I think Ravenclaw as well," The second-year redhead said, "Their players were quite nice to me after our match, they were."
As he makes it to the Ravenclaw goalposts, Brody circles and weaves between them a few times performing a quick drill and then sliding into place in front of then. "Alright, Ravenclaw!" he yells. "Let's wipe the floor with these guys!"
Akilina looks a bit like a blueberry! All wrapped up in very thick winter gear in Ravenclaw Blue with her trademark magical air horn. With a press of the button the large bronze curled horn that looks like it belongs as an old fashioned ear horn lets out a spray of blue and bronze confetti to mingle with the snow. The confetti comes with an eagles cry to make up for the fact that even hollering Akilina's voice is more at talking level and that's loud for the soft spoken Ravenclaw.
Oberon watches as the beaters fly off, noting their locations in the back his mind. He eyes dart back to the quaffle as a Ravenclaw chaser grabs it. He turns his broom, darting towards a nearby beater. As he closes in, he looks to the quaffle, and recognizing a pass about to made, he slams his club into the iron beater, sending it flying towards the Ravenclaw chaser.
Gabriel, who is the Chaser the pass is intended for, is forced to swerve out of the way of the beater Oberon has hit his way and misses the pass. Thankfully the Ravenclaws have practiced for eventualities like this and another Chaser switches places with Gabriel, catching the pass a little closer to the ground than intended.
Elspeth's eyes go to Brody when he yells, but she doesn't say anything. She takes a couple loops on her new broom, appreciating the feel of it, and then she's off darting upwards and around in a rapid scan of the pitch for the snitch.
A Ravenclaw beater going for the bludger finds himself a second too late as Oberon is there first. His reflexive raise of the bat is too slow, and so it growls past him towards the Chaser, disrupting the flow they were trying to set up.
Oberon flies up a little higher, attempting to get a better view of the pitch. Noticing he was able to disrupt the play a bit, a smile crosses his face. It only lasts for a second though as he dives back down into the pitch, eyes searching for his next target.
With Oberon's well placed hits, and the Slytherin attack taking it to the Ravenclaws right from the outset, the Green and Silver jumps to an early lead. Hooch calls out the score as the quaffle makes it past the Eagle's keeper, and the play continues as the snowflakes whip around, flying in the eyes of the players and fans alike.
Hooch says, "Ravenclaw with 30 points! Slytherin at 50 points!"
Alicia threw her hands up in the air and cheers when a score is made. She seems to be cheering for both sides, without being too attached to one or the other.
Slytherin's winning scores for the moment gather up another shield beating round of applause from Riddle and entourage.
Elspeth slows down a bit after her first headlong rush, peering through the snowflakes that swirl around her for a glimpse of the snitch. If there was ever a perfect camouflage for the little rascally critter, this is it. A glimpse below tells her that the Eagles are reforming, and getting ready to charge again as one of the beaters manages to intercept and send back a bludger towards the keeper to keep him occupied, at least briefly.
Oberon is now flying a breakneck speed. His body is pressed against his broom, minimizing air resistance. A half-smile, one of his rare signs of emotion, is seen on his face, from the early surge by Slytherin. It also helps that it's partly due to his early performance, keep the pressure on the Ravenclaw chasers. He sees Myrus intercept the bludger sent by his teammate and pushes his broom even harder, winding up his club to send a bludger at wicked speed at the Ravenclaw seeker. From there, everything went wrong. He misses the bludger, it smashing into his hand, and a cry of pain escapes his lips. Miraculously, he managed to keep hold of his club, but it doesn't look good.
Another thing that has come with practice is compartmentalization. Now-a-days when Gabriel is playing Quidditch injuries can happen around him without interrupting his focus. So Oberon's injuries is factored in as just an opportunity, which he takes advantage of spectacularly. Catching a pass right at the Slytherin hoops he heads straight for their Keeper and the right ring. At the last second he barrel rolls, dropping altitude and popping up in the perfect position to take a shot at the wide open left ring. "Huzzah!" His celebration is short lived as he quickly joins back into the flow of the game.
Loudly, Riddle gives a mustering battering of rod against the snake emblazoned shield on one arm, "Shake it off Oberon! Well done, you can do this!"
The snitch eludes Elspeth, and she grabs at the higher bend of her broomstick to keep from falling over when she misses it. Giving a shake of her head, she looks around for it, but it's already melded in with the swirling snowflakes, and she begins anew. A glance downwards and she sees that her team is starting to regroup, and they are now in sync, the Beaters making a path, with Oberon momentarily put off his game.
After his star moment Gabriel settles back into the complex patterns the Ravenclaws have been working on for months, which helps keep the scores very, very close to each other until the moment Elspeth manages to catch the snitch.
And, catch it Elspeth does. This time, when the snitch tempts fate by darting across in front of her, she banks hard and keeps an eye on it through the snowflakes. Her fingers close around it, holding it tightly. She pulls it in to her chest, bowing her head with a little relief, and then she raises it up, circling down towards her teams goal hoops.
Hooch lifts up her whistle and gives it a good blow that halts all of the balls but the Snitch that is fluttering about in Elspeth's hand. The balls return to the box and when the whistle comes out of her mouth her wand (a bit shakily from shivering) goes to her throat. "Ravenclaw WINS! Ravenclaw with 260 points. It was an amazing game with Slytherin not to far behind with 100 points. Thank you teams and audience alike for this outstanding game. If everyone when ready please leave the Pitch in an orderly fashion. I have been informed that the Domestics Club has put together a little after-party in the Club room for all involved. Hot Chocolate and some other goodies will be available for us all to warm up!"