Game One - Ravenclaw vs Slytherin

[Dylan Cooper]

Position	Ravenclaw	Slytherin
Captain	Dylan Cooper	Paris Nowan
Seeker	Alessandro Darko	Zane Bishop
Chaser	--	Keaira O'Connell
Chaser	--	--
Chaser	--	--
Beater	Katherine Knightswood	--
Beater	Anton Tarasov	--
Keeper	Dylan Cooper	Paris Nowan

Match winner: Slytherin
Score:
Ravenclaw - 70
Slytherin - 250
Ravenclaw MVP: Anton Tarasov
Slytherin MVP: Keaira O'Connell

With Slytherin largely dominating the game, their Seeker did take some time to find the Snitch which allowed a few goals to sneak through for Ravenclaw. With Anton Tarasov doing excellent work in preventing far more goals and Keaira O'Connell sending through 80 points, each got MVP.

[Alessandro Darko]

I contest this.

We have more players....more importantly, a seeker. How can they have beat our Raven-hineys with TWO players...and my character is zipping after that ball of golden happiness?

(I know its randomly generated...but still...::grumbles:

((Dylan, perhaps we need to make some NPC's that are controlled by admins to play for the games?))- just a thought.

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Dylan here! Captains are responsible for filling in any positions not occupied by members, not admins! Ahem, we of course assume that every team has the full amount of players, so us having more member players doesn't affect it, Alessandro

[Zane Lucifer Bishop]

There. Now Slytherin has a seeker. *wicked grin* This is somewhat reminiscent of when Malfoy became the Slytherin Keeper, given the rivalry that already exists between Zee and Darko. And incidentally, if we're only looking at PCs, Ravenclaw has no chasers at all, so they'd be completely limited to 150 points max. So even if there were no Slytherin seeker and it was a given Ravenclaw would get the snitch, our chaser would have to simply score 16 goals before the snitch was caught and the rest is irrelevant. 16 goals, impressive I grant you, but certainly not unattainable. Course it's all a moot point since we're filling the gaps with NPCs anyway.

*****************************************************

Ahem, Keaira here!
Since i didn't want to post after Paris has already started the game I took the liberty to simply add to Zee's post, figuring that he would not mind much.

But to the point. Alessandro, I'm far to afraid that you would be a touch too busy looking at Keaira in all her splendor to be able to keep your eyes away from her, and on the snitch..... Therefore I find it more believable that I would be able to make those 16 goals and win for us, instead of you actually managing to keep yourself focused on finding the snitch to beat us.

Try and contest that!

[parisnowan]

Yes! We have a seeker now!
I for one have no problem with the current Quidditch layout, I'm up for roleplaying fake teamates....although some fake characters roleplayed by the admins would be fine too.
Aren't we supposed to roleplay the game now? I'll start.

Paris made her way to the center of the pitch, her eyes staring up at the sky, taking in all sights and sounds around her. She had forgotten how wonderful it felt to stand ready for battle, confident of the outcome of the game. She'd trained fairly hard this year, pushing her team further than she'd gone before. Because of this, her insides were beaming with confidence....However....There was that one little fact that this was the first game; that Paris and her team were Guinea pigs of the season. Paris always felt better when she'd been able to observe things before; watch everyone settle into Quidditch season. She'd called it rotten luck, fifty-fifty, when her team was posted to play in the first game.

Realizing that she was allowing herself to get anxious, Paris tried to snap back out of her nervous thought process...but she was failing. The usually over confident girl, perhaps conceded, was experiencing a rare case of self-doubt. She hadn't played against the Ravenclaw chasers for quite some time...what if they were better than she had thought they were? What if they humiliated her in front of everyone by continually scoring on her? What if she played horribly. period.? Her hands began to shake as she clutched her broom. She hadn't worried about this before...and now, nerves were taking control.

However, all these thoughts seemed to vanish as she looked upon her teammates. They were good; good chasers, good beaters, and a good seeker. They would win the match for her, Paris was sure of it, even if her beliefs were unfounded. And all of the sudden all of her stressful thoughts sounded ridiculous, and her confidence was restored.

Her narcissistic smile wider than usual, Paris' broom was set on the ground and Paris stood firmly as she grabbed her Keeper gloves, putting them on one at a time and adjusting them. Yes, this was going to be an ideal experience; a great game; Ravenclaw wouldn't know what hit them...or so she thought.

[Alessandro Darko]

(ooc: Zane, must we compete with everything??)

THIS WAS IT. The first Quidditch game between the Ravenclaws and Slytherin house. After Alessandro had found out that Zane had recently taken up the position as Slytherin Seeker, he couldn't help but feel slightly miffed, and that this was a further attempt to outshine him and stake his claim over territory. It was bad enough that he had snaked his way into Keaira's heart, offering her comfort where Alessandro could not. Did anyone understand that he was mentally unwell? An amnesiac that had suffered great trauma? However, bitter feelings were left in Alessandro's own heart after he had found out that there was something going on between Keaira and Zane. Feeling flustered, he swept through the corridors of Hogwarts, onward and downward through, until he reached the grounds, his Quidditch bag slung over his shoulder.

The terrain on the way to the Pitch was bumpy and uneven as he tread across the grounds, looking ahead, surveying the scene ahead. The grandstands were being loaded by the student body of all houses to come and watch the tournament between Ravenclaw, and Alessandro's favorite house, Slytherin. He began to mentally prepare himself, expecting a rather ferocious battle with ruthless snakes, unwitting allies, and broken hearts. He would do his best to ignore the latter, as this was a game, and he was in it to win it. Taking in a deep breath as he neared the Pitch, he could hear the cacophony of several voices overlapping, chattering, gossiping, swooning, wagering, cheering, and booing. It was enough to give anyone a headache if they concentrated on the noise, and he began to wonder if D'rorah would be present at the game. Being a telepath, it must be overwhelming to endure a hundred voices at once, but D'rorah was no novice, and Alessandro was sure she'd be able to turn it off at will. He'd be sure to look for her prior to the commencing of the match.

He made it to the Ravenclaw Grandstands, and entered the small tent which revealed a rather large and lavish interior, equipped with changing rooms, and concessions for the team. Good. Alessandro at this point could use a bit of nourishment before taking flight. Perhaps a nice bar of chocolate, or some treacle. He surpassed the concessions and went straight to the changing area and began to shuck his school robes, throw on his Quidditch colors, and systematically adhere the pads and armor necessary to play. After he had suited up, he mosied over to the table of food and drink and popped a couple chocolate tarts in his mouth, downing a small mug of pumpkin juice to wash it down.

He was ready.

Removing his dragon skin gloves from behind his breastplate, he slipped them on his hands, pulling them snug against his palms. He turned his head toward the row of lockers that he had previously stashed his SonicBoom3000, and flourished his 10 and 3/4 Blackwood wand at the general vicinity, incanting "Accio broom." softly. The broom burst from the locker, and zipped over to him and hovered there, waiting for him to reach down and grasp the slender, yet sturdy, elegantly crafted handle. Sliding his wand down into the sheath in his boot, he gripped the sleek handle. It was about four and a half feet long, not including the bristles, stained black and polished. It also bore silver foot-holder fixtures for support. At the top of the handle, the silver imprinted eblem of a silver sunburst was imbued upon it, leaving silver streaks down the lengths of either side. The top left side of the nose read the words "SonicBoom3000" along the top of the silver streak.

Walking out of the Ravenclaw tent, he made his way up to the Pitch, seeing several more of his teammates waiting out there. He jogged over to them and joined with them, holding his broom at the ready, waiting for the match to begin.

[Dylan Cooper]

Pulling his shirt down over his head was somewhat of a challenge, as usual. Finally emerging and seeing himself in the mirror, he ran his eyes across the image and, satisfied, turned away. Dylan was dressed in his usual Quidditch uniform, he retrieved his broomstick from the corner of the room and grabbed the gloves off of his bedside table, before heading down into the common room. No surprises, it was empty. The wizarding sport was the most popular thing he knew of in this world of his; even the few fifth years usually holed up on the brightest of days to work on assignments were absent.

His nerves having crept up on him steadily throughout the morning, Dylan's face was set in a concentrated expression, his mind running over the game plan he had for the morning. It was largely all drivel; the first game of the season was never a highlight of his. Typically his nerves simply overcame him and he failed to do much in the beginning of the game. He would pick up eventually, but he knew he could not look forward to this game with all that much confidence in himself.

Pushing those thoughts to the back of his mind, he travelled without incident through the castle and soon emerged onto the grassy slopes of the school. The stadium already looked three-quarters full, the remainder of the school body probably either still at breakfast or not that interested. Generally he would prepare within the changing rooms, but for today it was only a brief stop off before proceeding onto the pitch with the rest of the team.

Offering a terse smile to Alessandro that he pointedly hid from his opponents, he turned to the referee with a no-nonsense expression, also giving a small nod to indicate that he was ready when everyone else was.

[antontarasov]

So, this was it, the first game. One would expect more apprehension or excitement from such a thought. But this time around, the thought seemed so far out of place. Anton Tarasov could sense little difference in his mood today that would set it apart from in any other day. Frankly, he just wasn't nervous...or very excited, either. He was sort of in a limbo; not really feeling much other than content and casualness. This wouldn't change for a long time.

He ate a normal, large breakfast in the great hall, relatively in a good mood and finding some of the apprehension he sensed around him humorous. He hadn't been in the mood to talk about Quidditch then, using subtle maneuvers to avoid the topic, and carried on like this until after breakfast when he found himself getting ready for the match. He was just lacking...that bit of a pull that made the adrenaline rush. It wasn't there yet, if it would ever be today.

However, as he entered the stadium, he felt the slightest change. Observing the sights and sounds of all of his fellow students already here and prepared to watch him, he couldn't help but feel pleasure, and his heart jumped a little. Anton Tarasov did indeed enjoy the great deal of attention one could receive from participating in a Quidditch match, and smiled a little to himself. At this moment, he reminded himself why he liked the sport. And this was just the beginning...they hadn't even started playing yet...it was only going to get better.

After entering the changing rooms, making sure that his broom was up to par and firmly gripping his Beater's bat, Anton was on the field. The feeling was...undescribable. It was electrifying to look upon the mass of students here to watch, and hear their soft mutters join together as a constant hum. Pleased and happy, Anton smiled to himself casually. There was no fear or apprehension on his face, just pleasure and confidence. But that was intentional. Lack of fear or nervousness could be a great intimidation factor on the field. He joined his team on the field, and prepared for the beginning of the match. And this time...he felt anxiousness. But not much of fear, but more or less, excitement.

[Katherine Knightswood]

Katherine was so nervous she thought she might die of it.

She’d woken up this morning, eager and ready for her first game. But as the morning progressed from showering and dressing to enduring the whispers of excitement at breakfast to going to the changing rooms at the Pitch, Katherine’s excitement had given way to something near terror. What the hells was she doing playing on the school team when she was only a mere firstie? She’d done well enough in practice, well enough to give all the other students on the team a good impression. So what if they were all at least four years older? It didn’t matter, right?

Yeah. Right. Katherine fumbled with the padding and armor for the game, her fingers suddenly leaden with dread. What was wrong with her? It wasn’t just nerves, it was something more. And the minute Katherine realized that, she understood. It was fear of failure. She was the youngest on the team and a girl as well. She wanted badly to prove herself today. I have to lose that focus. This isn’t about me, it’s about the team. Once that occurred to her, her stomach actually settled a bit, no longer churning acidic over her breakfast.

Katherine took a look in the changing room mirror, and wished she hadn’t. A pale and wide-eyed face looked back out of the glass, all the color fled from her cheeks. The blue and black of her uniform only served to make her face that much paler. And the fact that her hair was pulled back into a severe French braid didn’t help either. Katherine shook her head and turned away from the image. Enough!

Katherine walked out of the tent towards her teammates, shrugging her shoulders in a vain attempt to loosen the tension. She saw Dylan and Anton and Alessandro there with their brooms, huddled with the other members of the team. She took a deep breath and walked up, taking her place in the huddle. Her dragonskin gloves creaked as she held her Firebolt 3000 so tightly her left hand knuckles popped. Her Beater’s bat rested in her right hand, and she rubbed her thumb over the wood nervously. Her blue eyes flickered from one teammate to the next, wide and anxious.

Soon. It’ll all start soon. Katherine tried to focus on the rules of the game, going over feints and strategy and tricks in her head. She saw Dylan’s eyes meet the referee’s and knew it was not long until they began. Gods, please don’t let me disgrace the team by passing out before I even get to hit a Bludger . . .

[Keaira O'Connell]

There was an air of anticipation in Keaira’s walk as she traveled the path down to the Quidditch pitch on the day of the first game of the season. If things were different perhaps she would not be so worried about this particular game, but they weren’t different. Today she would see Zane and Alessandro pitted against each other in a match for supremacy in the air. Perhaps if she was lucky they would keep the game just that, a game. But, when boys were concerned there was little she could do to predict their reactions to each other.

Keaira was relieved that Paris had heard little of the triangle of affections between the two Slytherin and the Ravenclaw. It wasn’t entirely like her to use something like that to her advantage but there was always the chance that Paris was competitive enough to press any and all advantages in their favor. But Paris had trained them well over the past few weeks. Well enough that they may not need to try their hand and certain underhanded tasks to secure a victory. Keaira was confident in her abilities…And yet the thought of being pushed against Alessandro so soon after the Valentines ball, had left her feeling unnerved.

As with most major public events Keaira had to spend a large portion of the day preparing for what was to come this evening. After her classes had ended she had found the quietest location she could on the school grounds, and began her meditation. That had been three hours ago. Now she was prepared. With the multitude of students that attend the Quidditch matches Keaira needed to ensure that her mind was particularly reinforced, and ready to be assaulted by the majority of the student populace.

When she had only 30 minutes before the game would begin Keaira had pulled herself out of her mental reverie, and began to get ready for the match. Her team colors were adorning her body, as well as a pair of lack dragon skin gloves. Her book bag held a freshly resupplied potions kit, as well as general bandaging if she got beat up, as well as a bottle of water, a few snacks, and something just in case it was needed. Even when having fun at a game, there was still the threat of danger, if all hell broke out, she wouldn’t be caught without a weapon or two. She had made sure that her best broom was sent to the school before their first practice, and had grabbed it from underneath her bed before heading down to the quidditch pitch.

The trip down there seemed long in comparison, but perhaps that was merely because of the edge of anticipation that clung to her mind as she walked. Keaira had made sure she took a less traveled path to avoid as many people as she could before she would have to. Before she reached the team room, Keaira pulled a pair of ear plugs from her pocket and carefully inserted it in to both her ears. She would not need her hearing, and she had found through practice that she could concentrate better without her hearing, and she knew that she wouldn’t need her hearing to know what was needed of her by her teammates. With her earplugs in place, she crossed through the teams’ room, and slowly made her way across the field to the center with the rest of her team.

The roar of the stands was loud in her head, but not echoing through her ears as well. The earplugs at least deadened some of the loudness of the crowd. Her eyes flitted across the faces that had gathered at the center of the field. She game a small nod to Dylan, the smallest of a smile to Alessandro, and a knowing glace to Katherine. She had met Katherine before in the Room of Requirements, a meeting that was pleasant enough, hers to hoping that this one would be on the same terms. Alessandro still held a part of her every time she saw that mischievous smile, and even though it would always melt her a little, she knew part of it was lost forever. Dylan… was Dylan. And that what that. Everyone else of the Ravenclaw team meant nothing to her, and she planned on keeping it that way. As it was she knew too many of them personally to make playing against them easy.

After her glance had acknowledged the other team, she turned to face Paris. Her gaze lingered across the girls face, sensing anxiousness, and then quickly a confidence. She was a good leader, and Keaira was glad to be on her team. The left side of her lips pulled upward in to a causal smirk just for her. They would be fine. Her gaze then traveled to the rest of her teammates. Together they could win… as long as she kept the score high enough for Zane to catch the snitch and secure the win. Speaking of that boy, she looked over him quickly. She knew that he had learned how to fly in the past few weeks, and managed to cram all of his knowledge about Quidditch he could. Hopefully it would be enough. She didn’t smile at him from where he stood. She just looked, her eyes bright, as she thought of the celebrations that could await them if they won. That thought sent, she turned to the referee and waited for the game to begin.

[Zane Lucifer Bishop]

Nervous was a good word to describe Zee as he made his way to the quidditch pitch for the first game of the season, and not one that could often be ascribed to him. Seeing that his house's team was lacking a seeker, Zee had signed up for the position only because Keaira was on the team and any excuse to spend time with his Shadow Warrior was more than welcome. He was not however a very capable flier and had never before played. His vision was sharp and his reflexes good, but he hadn't ever really enjoyed flying. Zee enjoyed controlling his environment, and in the air he felt he had less control. Up there gravity and air currents could have their way with him, whereas on the ground he could more effectively resist both.

Thus he felt he would do fine when he'd signed up, immediately switching his primary free time activity to practicing. He had surely improved, and was highly fortunate in one regard. With his parents' full assets at his fingertips, Zee could afford the best equipment available. Soon after signing up he had acquired the highest quality gear, including a brand new Thunderbolt, which according to all the reviews was the highest rated broom, combining speed and maneuverability more efficiently than even the Nimbus 3500. Of course he had also had his name engraved in silver along either side of the shaft just above the lightning motif.

Zee was feeling very optimistic. He knew his flying had improved, he had the best equipment, and he had an unbelievable advantage that was not accounted for anywhere in the rules. His optimism faltered however when the first game was posted. Darko. He would be competing against Alessandro Darko, by all accounts a superb seeker and certainly not someone who would be remotely pleased to lose to the Master of Metal. Though it felt silly and superstitious, he was glad his broom was called a Thunderbolt instead of the moniker of a much earlier model. He would rather not be riding on anything with 'fire' in the name. To further complicate matters, Zee had been encouraged (he refused to admit that it had actually been an order) to earn the respect of the other Elemental Masters, the two of whom that would prove the most difficult being Dylan and Alessandro. Both of them would be competing against him. Wonderful.

As Zee joined his teammates on the pitch, he kept his expression casual, almost blank. He nodded to his own team, and then to the opposing players. He regarded Alessandro for a moment, trying to get a measure of the boy. It would be a tricky thing to keep the snitch out of the Ravenclaw's hands and getting it into his own. There could be little doubt that Alessandro was the better flyer and the better seeker. Dylan received a similar brief look. With both boys Zee though a smile may seem mocking, as might an apologetic look, so he stuck with neutral.

Turning to Keaira, Zee saw the celebratory promises that he could look forward to if they won and his neutral veneer faltered, a tiny smile coming to his lips. Closing off his mind for the most part to avoid being distracted from his task by Keaira's thoughts, Zee considered the girl for a moment after she had turned away from him. He would have to be careful during the game, avoiding flying into a position close behind or below her. Even without hearing her thoughts, such a view could prove . . . distracting. His smile widened involuntarily.

[Dylan Cooper]

He offered small, respective nods to both Anton and Katherine as they followed him onto the pitch. While he still only knew the former through Quidditch training, he had met Kat on more than one occasion and could call her perhaps a tentative friend, if not just an acquaintance. From what he had seen in the common room, she was very determined and could very definitely hold her own. On top of the little nod, he flashed an almost inperceptible grin to the first year.

Returning the small token from Keaira, as well as Zane, he deflected any further gazes offered to him by the Slytherin team, and supplied only one further acknowledgement to their captain - Paris. His eyes finding all the players gathered, both captains were indicated forward by the referee and he stepped toward her. Doing the customary hand shake with both the official and the opposing team captain, his eyes surveyed the sixth year Slytherin while the Professor dictated the rules of play - a formality he usually remained preoccupied throughout; preparing himself for the game ahead.

Dylan settled onto his broom with a concentrated look on his features. As the Snitch and Bludgers were released, his eyes moved to the one remaining ball for the game and as soon as it was thrown into the air, he soared directly back to his goals, awaiting the first attack from Slytherin.

The three Chasers for his own team all dived in immediately for the red ball, one catching it and soaring through the ranks of Keaira and her fellow players. As he quickly passed it on, a bit too quickly, the pass was easily able to be intercepted, and the game had begun.

((OoC: I believe we can minimise the amount of paragraphs required, just for the sake of making sure the game moves along. One big or two small paragraphs each time? And we don't need to wait for everyone to reply before posting again - just slip something in whenever you can. If there are any queries, let me know.))

[Alessandro Darko]

ALESSANDRO RETURNED THE SMILE that was cast at him from his dorm-mate and friend. As of late, he hadn't been the perfect example of a once good friend, as he found the aftermath of his conditions had nearly destroyed several relationships in his life that he held dear to him. Perhaps there was hope yet of reviving his good standing with his fellow Lightfighters. Redemption always tasted sweet to him, not revenge. Returning the smile with a little bit more enthusiasm that he had initially intended on, he took his eyes off his dorm-mate and noticed that Katherine and Anton had joined the team. He gave them an acknowledging nod, a look of determination flickering like the flames he commanded in his eyes. He hoped that his flying skills were up to snuff, but after hearing Zane took the other seeker position, he didn't feel terribly worried due to the fact that Zane apparently had been learning to fill the spot for the last several weeks, whereas he had been training since first year.

The briefest of brief smiles was shot at him, courtesy of a one Keaira O'Connell as she graced the field with her presence. Alessandro felt his heartbeat speed up as his thoughts became dominated with the night of the Valentines Ball. He averted his eyes quickly and bored his sights into the ground, not feeling adequate enough to meet her gaze.

Following Dylan out into the field, mounting his broom as the two team captains shook hands, he waited with anticipation for the snitch to be released. He watched the referee's hands with a hawk's intensity, following every slight movement. As the rules that were being dictated finally came to a close, his hawk eyes darted to the case as the ref's fingers pried open the latch, and immediately, the golden flash zipped by his face.

He exploded into the air on his SonicBoom soaring after the elusive, golden orb as it breached higher and higher heights. He was hot on its trail when it jerked to the right so quickly, Alessandro nearly lost track of it. Yanking his broom handle, he jettisoned after it as it plummeted back downward toward the field. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a large, black ball barreling toward him at hyper speed; a bludger, heading straight for him. Dodging it with a barrel roll, he quickly zipped higher into the air to get out of its path of destruction. He now hung there in the air, scanning the air up, and down, and left to right, searching for that flicker of golden light.

[Keaira O'Connell]

The tension of the game was mounting as the teams had gathered at the center of the field. The captains shook hands like they always did, and the referee released the balls that started the game. She waited for the whistle to blow, and then kicked off the ground in an attempt to grab the only ball she cared about, before the other team. But she was too slow. Her kick off the ground seemed to be seconds too late, as one of the chasers from the Ravenclaw team grabbed the ball a few inches from where her fingers were reaching.

The game was just beginning, so she knew that it was not something to be worried about this early on. Her eyes focused on the girl that had swiped the ball from in front mere inches away from her. She was now her target. Keaira chased after her, swerving back and forth to avoid the flying bludgers, watching the girl to see if she would make the mistake that Keaira was hoping she would. And her watchful eyes were rewarded as the girl attempted to pass the ball to her other teammate before she was out of Keaira’s range. The other raven wasn’t quite in the right spot to catch the ball, so Keaira moved in and smoothly soared between the players to wrap her hand around the ball.

With the quaffle in her arms she dove down and took off across the field toward Dylan. As she flew gracefully zipping between the path of a bludger that was sent her way, Keaira quickly approached the line of rings with Dylan the only thing between herself and the goal. As she had practiced many times before, Keaira slowed down and fainted the throw to the left hoop, her body telegraphing the move as if it was what she had planned. But at the last possible point she pulled from the left side throw, and sent the ball soaring toward the right.

[parisnowan]

Paris waited impatiently as the referee prolonged the time she had to wait for beginning the match. Although Paris usually thrived on the suspense, now she was just wishing she could get started. Her confidence now at its peak, she merely wanted the chance to prove her own predictions correct. However, despite this irritation, she appeared calm, cool, and collected; not much more emotion showed on her face.

As soon as the game began she found herself flying toward her goal posts; where she would spend the remainder of the game. It was kind of ironic how both Captains, although very influential in the match, would never come face to face again until perhaps after the game had ended. Even then, perhaps not so. Dylan went to one end of the field, Paris to the other.

As soon as she secured her position she squinted her eyes as to scan the sights of the field. One of the Ravenclaw Chasers had the Quaffle; not a pleasing sight. But Paris reminded herself that it was merely seconds in the game, and surely it would come around...wouldn't it? She continued to watch, hoping that her Chasers would find a way to gain possession of the Quaffle before the Ravenclaw was able to take a shot at her. Of course, protecting the hoops was her specialty and she would perform to her best ability if that were to happen, but at least now, she preferred to stay on the safe side. She smiled to herself as she saw Keaira steal the Quaffle. That was more like it.

Her other two Chasers lined up besides Keaira, falling into the formation they'd practiced. The two Slytherins completed a triangle, acting as a security from opponent Chasers. Paris also watched one of her beaters make their way over to the direction of Keaira, remembering his duty to protect the team. Paris watched and took a quick breath as Keaira took a shot at the hoop, feeling helpless as she could not do anything about the outcome.

[Dylan Cooper]

Wincing at the amateur pass of his Chaser, he noted just how swiftly Keaira swooped upon the mistake, and made use of it. As she flew toward him, her fellow Chasers creating a formation he was not unfamiliar with and a Beater flying in from the side, he set himself and watched the Quaffle closely, never letting it leave his eyes. A Bludger came the way of Keaira; perilously close, but she managed to avoid it gracefully, and it clearly didn't give her many problems.

No-one managed to stop her in her tracks, and he prepared himself for a shot on goal. He flicked his gaze back for only a moment to ensure that he was hovering directly in the centre of the tallest goal, Dylan swerved back to face Keaira. His eyes focused solely on the Quaffle, he saw it drifting toward the left hoop along with the woman holding it and began to drift that way himself.

He knew Keaira was good, though; probably by far the best Chaser they had, and he knew that she was smart. He failed to commit himself fully to going left, though ensured that he could cover the far reaches if she threw that way. As the Slytherin player released the red ball, he jettisoned off toward the right, following it closely with his eyes. He was fast, but the ball was faster, soaring past his outstretched hand and into the far end of the right hoop.

Holding back a few choice swear words for the sake of appearances, he flew down to the ground quickly and picked up the ball. Rising to a normal height, he threw it to the nearest Chaser and hoped she wouldn't give it away as easily as they had before. Thankfully, her hands appeared relatively safe, and as she was approached by an opposing player, she dropped the Quaffle down to the Ravenclaw beneath her, and he sped off up the pitch. The other Chasers trailing behind him for support, they proceeded up the pitch before it was shot towards the left-hand hoop, still a decent distance away from Paris.