Gryffindor Pride First Practice

Andy laughed, she hadn't felt so relaxed and at ease in a while. There was still alot to be said and put to rights between herself and Bruin but now was not the time. As she kicked off after Kat and climbed steadily she called back to Kiera.
"Come on Kiera and grab a quaffle" turning back again her hand momentarily strayed to the pendant tucked inside Gryffindor sweater.

"Ok old timer" she teased Kat once up near her, "lets do some damage to Mike then".
Turning around to see if Kiera was following, Andy hovered at a respectable height watching Mike doing loops in and out of the hoops. She had enjoyed her time as keeper of the team but now it was a new chapter in her life and being a chaser was a challenge she thought she was ready for.
 
Kiera grinned as the positions were announce. She bit her lip in an attempt not to laugh at Andromeda teasing Mike. Kiera thought it would be great to play chaser along side Andy and Kat. They were all good friends already so she believed they should be able to fly together with ease. She saw her two roomies take to the air as she ran over to the box to get the Quaffle. Kiera tucked in under her arm as she leapt into the air. She followed up to where Andromeda was. She grinned widely. "You think you can keep up with us lil sis?" she teased with a wink to Kat. Kiera had no doubt this year would be a great one for Quidditch.
 
Bruin listened to Andy's joke about needing a Quaffle and managed a weak smile, although he was still smarting from their last encounter in the Dueling Chamber. She seemed to be in good spirits so he assumed that she was alright with how things had ended up or at least better than he was at hiding emotions. Bruin couldn't help feeling more positive though as the team began sorting themselves into pairs or groups just as he had requested. He didn't know what he had done to deserve such an awesome group of teammates, but he wasn't going to question it. This would be a year to enjoy the company of this group and to beat the stuffing out of the other houses.

Bruin nodded approvingly as he released the bludger and snitch and then grabbed his own broom and bat, deciding he'd start with Cyndi and Kida at the position he was most comfortable with.
 
Kida kicked off her broom and followed Cyndi to the north of the pitch, her Moontrimmer wasn't the fastest broom, but it was a great broom anyway. Kida watched Cyndi do a loop around the ring. Kida smiled as she let go of her broom and stretched her arms while holding the bat. Kida cracked her fingers and smiled "so whats the plan" she smiled
 
Cyndi wasn't sure whether Kida had much experience playing Quidditch at all or if she knew anything about the Beater position. She figured that she had better ask because if Kida didn't know much, she would be in for a big surprise when the bludger arrived. "Have you ever played Beater before?" she asked.

Cyndi looked toward the ground and saw that Bruin had just released the bludger. "That bludger will probably be here in no time" Cyndi began quickly, "so when it comes, try to hit it. What I usually try to do is pick someone from the other team as a target when I hit the bludger. I find that it's easier to do that then to just hit it in some random direction...when it comes try to hit it towards me. I'll try to dodge it and then hit it back to you, ok?"
 
Kida had played quidditch a bit before she actually tried out for the team. "just a bit" she smiled as she looked around. Kida's attention was on a ball flying around like a cat gone mad. Kida heard Cyndi tell her what to do when the bludger came and she nodded "got it" she said as she watched the ball of fury come towards her. Kida swung her bat in her hand and waited for it to get close enough before she hit it with a strong thwack, directing the bludger in Cyndi's general direction. Kida turned her broom around with her.
 
Taylor listened to the plan that Bruin had set out and nodded, glancing over in Hilary's direction. She had been the seeker that had played for the team last year, so it only made sense. Taylor didnt mind being a fill in at all though. She was still happy she made the team.

After everything had been set out, Taylor stepped over to Hilary and gave her a smile. "Hi, Im Taylor." She said, not sure what else she could add at that moment.
 
Cyndi nodded as Kida said she had played a bit before. When the bludger came though, the young Gryffindor's accuracy was excellent. Cyndi watched as the bludger came barreling toward her from Kida's hit, but she easily whacked it away and back toward Kida.

"Good hit!" Cyndi told the girl after she had whacked the bludger back in her direction, "just be careful cus the bludgers change direction quickly. They don't always like to go where we direct them." She flew a little higher and looked down at the young Gryffindor, then said "And the other team won't be as still as I just was...they'll be avoiding the bludger like the plague... I'll fly around now to go you a moving target." Cyndi knew it must be hard to listen to instructions and avoid the bludger, but it was how she had learned
 
Hilary smiled around at her team mates as Bruin announced positions. When he told Hilary that she would be working with Taylor she turned to her and waited for the insane crowd around her subsided. "Hey Taylor, I'm Hilary" she said giving her a warm smile "so I think the best place to start will be tossing some golf balls around so that we you can get used to catching something as small as a snitch before we add in the problem of its invisibility". She lent down and grabbed a couple hand fulls of golf balls from in her bag. "So do you have any questions before we get into the air?"
 
Kida smiled as it went to Cyndi, she watched it come back and she kept her focus while still listening to Cyndi talk. Kida didn't want to hit it hard incase something went wrong.
Kida nodded to what Cyndi said before she swung at the furious ball, the bat hit the bludger brilliantly, but the bludger had different ideas. it wanted to go in a different direction, Kida turned her moontrimmer around and went after it. Kida kept close to her broom to speed up a bit more, she turned around and let go of her broom holding onto beaters bat with two hands Kida swung at the bludger hitting it with a thwack and directioned it back to Cyndi.
Kida turned her broom back and sped back over to where she was before "i see what you mean" she said as she watched Cyndi fly around a bit, but still kept her eye on the bludger.
 
Cyndi watched Kida continue to handle the bludger brilliantly. She seemed to be a natural at this postion and it was no wonder that Bruin had selected her for this position. She didn't allow the bludger time to do what it wanted to, but instead forced it to do her bidding. Cyndi flew even higher still and the bludger flew right under her and then turned and went for her again. Cyndi swatted it away like a fly, and attempted to turn back to Kida.

"You're doing pretty well...Do you have any questions so far?" Cyndi asked the young trainee.
 
Kida saw the Bludger being swat away like a fly she watched it shoot off in a opposite direction it would be back soon. "uhmm, not that i can think of" she said a she watched the bludger curve around and shoot back to her. Kida let go of her broom and gripped her bat tightly with both hands and swung the bat hitting the bludger with a loud thwack it shot off in another in another direction.
"uhmmm i can't think of anything" she said as she chuckeled slightly.
 
Taylor nodded when Hilary told her of the plan. It made sense. She watched as the girl pulled out some golf balls. She was asked if she had any questions and Taylor thought for a second, but realised she had nothing to say. "Not really." She smiled slightly, noticing the slight awkwardness of talking to an older student, but deciding to ignore it.
 
Andy laughed and nodded at Kiera.
"Of course I can keep up with you two old crones, now toss that quaffle and lets put Goulding through his paces. Any tactics you'd like to share?" she smiled at Kat and Kiera, hovering on her scarlet streak. Her gaze drifted momentarily down to where Bruin was before turning back again to the girls. She needed to keep herself focused here at all times.
 
"Old? Us? Maybe Kiera, but I'm practically a Spring chicken," Kat joked. "Hmm, let's see. Just know where one or both of us is at all times...oh and don't try anything that Kiera does. It'll most likely get you killed," she said with a goofy grin as she looked at her older friend, who's fancy flying moves were what she was known for on the pitch. "So you guys ready to show 'em how it's really done?"
 
"Nope I dont see anyone old around here." Kiera said grinning. She laughed as Kat told Andy not to try anything that she did. Kiera rolled her eyes. "It wont get you killed. Maybe a broken bone or two." she joked back. "Just keep an eye open for Kat or me. Don't let yourself get cornered where you cant pass the quaffle." Kiera said giving Andromeda serious advice.

"Let's do this." she said in reply to Kat's question. She tossed the Quaffle up in the air waiting to see which of the other girls would get it first.
 
Cyndi watched as Kida hit the bludger away again. She couldn't believe how well Kida was doing and told her so. " You are doing so great" she said enthusiastically. "Hold on a sec" Cyndi said as she noticed that the bludger was attempting to leave the North area in pursuit of some new targets. Cyndi quickly flew over to it and smacked it with a backhand toward Kida again. She didn't want the bludger interfering with the other groups that were practicing.
 
When Taylor said she didn't have any questions Hilary grabbed her broom and then paused for a second. Turning back to the second year behind her she said "Just stay cool, once you start freaking out seeking becomes that much harder which is something you really don't want to do, trust me". She gave a friendly smile to her teammate and then finished "Let's get flying" before tossing most of the balls into her bunnyhug pocket and taking off.
 
Taylor gave a firm nod at Hilary's advice, it made perfect sense, so Taylor made sure to commit it to her memory. She smiled when the concept of flying came into play and she noticed her grip on her broom had increased. She swung her leg over her Nimbus 2001 and kicked off the ground, only hovering for a while, waiting for her older teammate to make the first move.
 
Andy laughed.
"Kiera it nearly did get me killed once remember but you managed to bring your broom around for me, what was that two years ago now?" she nodded when Kiera mentioned about keeping an eye out for herself and Kat and how she shouldn't let herself get cornered. That really was good advice. Kiera then tossed the quaffle into the air and giving a quick wink to Kat, Andy flew directly beneath it and caught if effortlessly.
"Do either of you have a set place for like starting position in a game? Like left of the field, center, right... that sort of thing?" she asked them as she tucked the quaffle under her arm.
 
Kida smiled "Thanks" she said "its like soft ball" she smiled "kind of, apart from your a couple of feet off the ground, on a broom, there are rings, more balls, and your not ment to catch 2 of them" she laughed slightly as she watched the bludger come back in her direction. "do these things ever get tired" she laughed as she watched the bludger get close, Kida dropped on her broom but still held on doing a sloth grip roll. as the bludger flew right over her Kida shot forward and swung herself up onto the broom "i think i have a question" Kida said as she turned her broom around "are there any broom tricks that you can't do?" she asked curiously
 
Hilary saw Taylor get on her broom and she pointed hers slightly upwards stopping a few feet above where the second year was to the right. Let's see how she does with the element of surprise "Catch!" Hilary cried grabbing four golf balls in her hand and tossed them all at once towards the younger student. They split a bit as they flew and Hilary held her breath wondering how the younger student would do.
 
Taylor snapped her head around when Hilary yelled catch. She noticed four balls coming towards her. Her reflexes instantly kicked in and she stuck her hand out to catch one to the right. With her left she had to lean back and catch one that had gone slightly passed her, but she managed. She blinked as the other two balls fell to the ground.
 
Bruin watched as the rest of the team quickly split off into their groups and got to work on refining their skills. Kida seemed to be doing famously as a Beater and he knew that anything she didn't know already that Cyndi would gladly teach her. Bruin had been concerned that the rest of the team might be in trouble next year when he and Cyndi left, but felt confident that with Kida, Mike and Andy willing to employ their talents at Beater should they be needed that the Chasers and Seekers could rest easy for years to come.

Bruin flew up into the north end and pummeled the bludger once with satisfaction, turned and watched as Hilary launched a handful of golf balls in Taylor's direction, smiling as he realized that he had done something similar to her a few years back, and then turned his attention to the Chasers who were now bearing down on Mike. The Quaffle was a blur as the three of them weaved and twirled through the air in complete harmony. This was going to be a spectacular season.

Bruin flew back down and landed on the soft turf at the centre of the pitch. He tossed his bat and broom aside and simply watched as the rest went through their drills. He'd give them a few more minutes and then call them together for a little meeting before deciding how to end their first practice together as the new and improved Pride.
 
Cyndi nodded at Kida's analogy. She didn't know too much about softball so she didn't know how similar the two were. When she asked if the bludgers ever grew tired, Cyndi merely laughed. "You wish" she replied as she watched the ball whiz away after missing Kida who displayed an impressive sloth grip roll. Cyndi shrugged her shoulders when Kida asked if there were any broom tricks she couldn't do. "I still haven't been able to pull of this backhand move where the bludger ends up behind me instead of in front of me...I always forget what it's called" she tried to think about the name of the play she was describing, "Oh...it's called the Bludger Backbeat."

As Cyndi turned to see where the bludger was, she saw Bruin go up to it and give it a good whack in their direction. Cyndi wound up to swing, but at the last second the ball turned and went away from her. Cyndi's swing hit nothing but air. Swing and a miss, Cyndi thought to herself and giggled.
 
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