Hufflepuff Quidditch Practice: Tryouts Open [[Feb-Apr 2024]]

[Lauraisawesomeobvs]

First Year--Hufflepuff

I think I'll go for a walk,

Maybe out in the rain,

Maybe there'll be tears rolling down my face...

Jack looked up nervously at Bailey, she was starting to feel a bit nervous about having been put on the Quidditch team. "I think my great uncle was a seeker when he went to Hogwarts...", She wished that she could have offered more, and blushed when she realised that she was the least qualified person on the team.

...And I'd feel the pain.

Maybe think about something?

Maybe think about you?

 

[Rechosia]

Kaera smiled toward the new girl, making a mental note to introduce herself later. Listening to Bailey's instructions, she returned to the ground and set about getting a bludger. The box where the balls were stored shook with the bludger's anxious thrashings as it struggled to free itself from its restraints, and Kaera cautiously removed it, setting it free to soar about the pitch. Immediately grabbing her broom, she once again took to the sky as she gripped her bat and readied herself to try and hit the crazed ball and protect Ryn if need be.

 

[Sailor Tralfamadore]

Oberon did not usually visit the Quidditch Pitch during the daytime, but some things could not be avoided. It was his house's team practicing, and it was essential that he be updated on their progress. In some ways, Oberon was happy that he no longer needed a broom to swoop and dip around the pitch, like he did when alive. To be truthful, though, he really missed the feeling of his Comet 140 underneath him, and his Beater bat in his hands.

"So what's happening, Hufflepuffs?" he said. "How is the team going? Be sure to let me know if you need tips. Don't forget, I helped win your house three straight Quidditch championships back when your grandparents were just getting born!" He smugly hovered above the students, who were just getting on to their brooms to begin the first practice of the year. If they were wise, they'd seek him out for advice. Surely they'd seen his name on the trophies, if they'd done any amount of research.

 

[MysticHoneyRose]

Rose had been waiting for Bailey's reply when she heard someone speak. When she turned she saw the rare sight of the Quidditch ghost. She had only heard stories of it and was rather happy that she was able to see such a rare sight. "Hello" she said curtsying. "Although we are first years" she said indicating to herself and Jack," we have been allowed to play. So we are getting a quick lesson in flying." she said smiling at the spirit.

 

[Porcelaine Ivory]

 

вαιℓεy яαε σℓιvεя

 

"нαvε α нεαяt tнαt nεvεr нαяdεns,

 

α tεmρεr tнαt nεvεr tιяεs,

 

α toυcн tнαt nεvεr нυяts."

 

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Bailey nodded as she listened to what her first years had to say, nearly replying with an encouraging comment, but was unexpectedly interrupted by a young boy floating a few feet above the ground. What was most surprising was the fact that she knew who he was - without a doubt, the ghost of Oberon Davies. Throughout her four year stay at Hogwarts, Bailey had yet to see him in person, but she certainly recognized his face from all the published attention he had gotten during his time as a praised Hufflepuff Quidditch beater. "Pleased to meet you, Oberon. As Rose here was saying, I'm just about to give them a quick flying tutorial. Perhaps you could come back during one of our future practices and give my team a speech. I'm sure there's tons we could all learn from you." She told him enthusiastically before turning back to the girls.

"Alright, since you both are nearing the end of your flying course, you should know how to properly command your broom while your feet are still planted on the ground. With that being said, why don't you two go ahead and mount up, and I'll teach you how to command your brooms while in the air." Bailey allowed Jack and Rose a moment to follow her instructions before continuing with their lesson. "Okay, now the most important thing you must remember while flying is the acronym M-K-C, which stands for two different things. The first is the order of your instructions: You want to Mount your broom, then carefully bend your knees and Kick-off into the air, than all that is left is to Command your broom in the specific directions you would like it to take you. However, this leads us to M-K-C's other meaning. You Must Keep Concentrated if you want to succeed. Your broom has no tolerance for indecision, so be calm, assertive, and focus on where it is you want your broom to take you."

Bailey held her own broomstick out before her, gesturing to it slightly with her head. "Just as your learned from Professor Skylar, the bond between a rider and their broomstick is extremely important, as brooms tend to have a mind of their own. Where they keep it...I'm not sure, but this is why I have been granted permission for you two to stick with those two brooms until you find means of getting your own. Now, which of your would like to go first?" She asked the girls with a hearty smile on her face, hoping they would both jump at the opportunity.

 

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[MysticHoneyRose]

Rose's face lit up when Bailey mentioned about actually getting to fly. She gripped the loaned broom and bounced a little.

"Oh I will!" she said enthusiastically. With a deep breath, as she remembered that emotions have a big impact on the brooms control, she mounted her broom. She could feel it's eagerness as she stood there. It seemed that both shared the excitement of flying. With one more deep breath to relax herself she pushed off and she felt her legs hover a few feet from the ground. Her eyes widened and she smiled at Bailey.

"I cant believe Im flying! This is great! Now what?" She asked and tried hard not to command the broom to zip around until she learned more about control.

 

[Porcelaine Ivory]

 

вαιℓεy яαε σℓιvεя

 

"нαvε α нεαяt tнαt nεvεr нαяdεns,

 

α tεmρεr tнαt nεvεr tιяεs,

 

α toυcн tнαt nεvεr нυяts."

 

┌ --- ~ --- ~ --- ~ --- ~ --- ~ --- ~ --- ~ --- ~ --- ~ --- ~ --- ~ --- ~ --- ┐

 

"Yes, yes, Rose! That's it! You've now mastered the first step of flying!" Bailey cheered as she watched her new chaser with excitement. "Now keep your thoughts confident, and tell your broom where you want it to take you! Go ahead and try for a couple laps around the pitch!" Bailey told her, taking a step back to allow herself a better view. Today's practice was proving to be much more entertaining to her than she had thought it would, and she found herself anxious to get both of these girls in the air, knowing that's where the real fun would take place.

 

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[MysticHoneyRose]

Rose nodded at Bailey's instruction and returned her focus to the broom. Her excitement must have gotten the best of her because the broom shot off like a rocket when she commanded it to move forward. A long shrill but excited scream erupted from the little Hufflepuff. Before it went entirely out of control she brought it to a stop. The broom was now very high off the ground. The height was a little frightening but the broom was steady and made her feel safe. Her heart was beating a mile a minute as she gathered her thoughts as to what went wrong. She knew it was because she had been far to eager. Now that the burst of speed had knocked her into a much more controlled state she believed that the second time would be better.

Now when she commanded the broom it went at the speed she wanted. A nice gentle slow speed. She kept at the speed as she went around the pitch. Every so often she'd command it to zig zag between the stands, or dip down or up. When she felt that her and her broom had a relatively good connection she instructed it to speed up. Again she'd command the same things, when that felt comfortable she'd increase the speed again. This continued until rose was zipping around at high speeds. Even on occasion she did back flips and loop de loops. After a while in the air she flew back to Bailey, her hair a wild mess but she didnt care. Rose was laughing historically. The whole thing had felt so freeing to her.

"H..How did I do?" She panted out as her lungs gasped for air. Never before had she done something so liberating. She couldn't wait for a real game now or even just simple practice.

 

[Porcelaine Ivory]

 

вαιℓεy яαε σℓιvεя

 

"нαvε α нεαяt tнαt nεvεr нαяdεns,

 

α tεmρεr tнαt nεvεr tιяεs,

 

α toυcн tнαt nεvεr нυяts."

 

┌ --- ~ --- ~ --- ~ --- ~ --- ~ --- ~ --- ~ --- ~ --- ~ --- ~ --- ~ --- ~ --- ┐

 

Bailey watched carefully, doing her best to suppress her excitement while she watched Rose take off into the air. She gasped as the girl flew forward at radical speeds, and again in relief as she seemed to quickly get a hold of both the broom and her thoughts. Watching the chaser soar through the air with such elegance, getting such a rush from the feeling of being airborne, it was as if she were watching herself fly. Even to this day Bailey felt a sharp pang of adrenaline each time she mounted her broom.

As the young girl came to a landing, casually asking about her performance, Bailey found herself nearly speechless until she gathered enough words to describe what she had just witnessed. "Brilliant, Rose! You were amazing! Looks like recruiting first years with no experience wasn't such a bad idea, after all!" Bailey exclaimed, happy to see that Roselia was enjoying this as much as she was. "Why don't you go ahead and grab that quaffle over there and get a feel for flying with it in your hands. Once you feel comfortable you can go ahead and meet up with Ryn, she'll teach you the ins and outs of being a chaser." She pointed at a brown ball that was sitting in the trunk she had brought out onto the field before turning to Jacqueline.

"Alright, Jack. You ready? Just remember, Mount, Kick-off, and Command. Go ahead and try to hover for a second, then make a few laps around the pitch. I'll be right here if you need me." Bailey told her new beater, hoping she could pull of a performance that was somewhat like Roselia's.

 

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[MysticHoneyRose]

Rose smiled when she was highly praised by Bailey. When instructed to now try to fly with the quaffle she nodded and quickly ran to its location and scooped it up. It was, to put lightly, rather difficult to fly with something of this size in her small arms. She pushed off the ground and hovered a few feet from the ground. She wobbled a little as she tried to get used to using one hand. Slowly she went higher and higher until she was almost level with the stands. She took a deep breath and began her slow round of the pitch. The broom seemed to understand her nervousness and instead of reacting badly it helped keep her balanced as best as it could.

It took much MUCH longer for her to speed up with the quaffle in her hand. Yet soon she too got the hang of this. She wasn't going nearly as fast as before but of course that would come with time. From her extreme height she looked down,

"Ah Bailey! Can I try shooting this through a goal?" she yelled from her high perch.

 

[Porcelaine Ivory]

 

вαιℓεy яαε σℓιvεя

 

"нαvε α нεαяt tнαt nεvεr нαяdεns,

 

α tεmρεr tнαt nεvεr tιяεs,

 

α toυcн tнαt nεvεr нυяts."

 

┌ --- ~ --- ~ --- ~ --- ~ --- ~ --- ~ --- ~ --- ~ --- ~ --- ~ --- ~ --- ~ --- ┐

 

At the sound of her name, Bailey whirled around, her eyes focused on Rose, who was hovering quite some distance from the ground. She laughed at the girl's impatience, but nodded with a smile. "Go ahead, Rose! We need you to get all the practice in that you can!" She hollered through the wind, hoping the new chaser would be as good at playing the position as she was at flying.

 

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[MysticHoneyRose]

Rose nodded then turned to the goals that Nevin was guarding.The best practice she felt she could get was with someone who knew what they were doing. Considering his dislike for her she knew he wouldn't hold back. That is exactly what she wanted.

Adjusting herself so she felt comfortable and stable she then darted forward. To get used to what actual play would be she darted up and down and to different sides as if others were chasing her. She came up fast on the goals and with all her might threw the quaffle towards the goal.

 

[MysticHoneyRose]

Nevin glared slightly as he saw the Prince girl coming at him. What nerve. She must think she is better if she felt she could score against him. He readied himself and watched her as she flew. He did have to admit that her flying was not all that bad. Of course she did look a little unbalanced on her broom and in real play the quaffle would have been taken from her by now.

When she threw it he moved quickly to retrieve it...  

[MysticHoneyRose]

Rose pulled her broom around and glared back at the snotty keeper. She really didnt expect as a first year to make it through the goal, but still, the boy seemed so dang smug about it that it started to irritate her.

 

[MysticHoneyRose]

As he dove his hands wrapped around the quaffle and perfectly prevented it from moving through the goal. It felt good to get one for once. He smirked up at Rose before he tossed it back to her. "Probably want to practice at the empty ones till you are comfortable" he offered. It sounded kind but the look on his face was anything but. This made Rose glare at him but she did turn and move to the other side to practice her aim.

After Rose left Nevin turned his attention back to the one person he wanted to try and beat. At least once.