Hufflepuff Quidditch Tryouts Y51

[Susie Lagowski]

Susie puffed out her cheeks as she exhaled. Quidditch Captain. Nobody had ever given her this sort of responsibility before, and standing alone on the pitch, she was already feeling the pressure not to screw it up. Did she have enough brooms? Were the bludgers clean? Would anyone show up? Maybe the rumour that Susie was leading the team was enough to scare everybody away. Could you play a game of Quidditch with one person? Merlin, she didn't want to think about that.

Thankfully, it wasn't long before familiar and unfamiliar faces began to arrive. Susie offered each of them her best smile, standing a little straighter, chin up. A good captain had to look like she knew what she was doing, even if she didn't have a clue. "Well hey, guys," she said. "You ready to try out for the team? Oh, yeah - guess I'm captain, now." She flashed her badge at everybody, in case they doubted her. She wouldn't have blamed them if they did. "If you're already on the team, you're pretty much safe. Alternates, sorry - you gotta try out again. Not my rules. And if you're new, then hi! Get up there, and... show me what you can do!" She cringed. 'Show me what you can do'? Ugh. Before everybody scattered, she quickly added: "Oh, I'm gonna need your name, and the position you're trying out for. 'Kay?"
​

POSITION	PLAYERS
Beater & Captain	Susie Lagowski
Beater	OPEN
Chaser	OPEN
Chaser	@Henri Fontaine
Chaser	OPEN
Seeker	@Sofi Ayre
Keeper	OPEN
Alternate	OPEN
Alternate	OPEN
Alternate	OPEN

Out of Character:

Welcome to Hufflepuff Quidditch tryouts!

Returning players only need to post if they want to keep their spots. Alternates and new players will need to tryout.

Tryouts are open to second years and above. If any first years are interested in trying out, please PM me first.

Have fun!!

 

[Sofi Ayre]

Sofi had been suffering with imposter syndrome regarding her place on the team, and played over and over that she was not good enough for seeker, that she nearly hadn't turned up for tryouts. If there hadn't been so many open spots then she might not have done. "Hey" she said quietly to Susie before getting on her broom. Once she was up in the air she looked around for the snitch but when that didn't materialise, she kept herself busy by helping out the students who were trying out. Hopefully Susie wouldn't mind that she hadn't caught the snitch this time.

 

[Mary Paige Triss]

Mary Paige had been hesitant to try out for the team again after barely catching the snitch during her tryout last year. But the Hufflepuff was persistent and wanted to give it another shot, hoping that this time, she might at least make it as an alternate. She didn't want to take somebody's spot who deserved it, but Mary Paige had also been practicing and felt like she at least deserved a shot.

She listened as the new captain told them what to do and then stepped forward. "I'm Mary Paige Triss. I'm trying out for seeker," she said. The fourth year kicked off the ground, gripping tightly to her broom and trying to not let her nerves get the better of her. She spent a while in the air, circling around as others flew below her, tossing the quaffle and dodging bludgers. She had thankfully avoided a bludger so far, but as soon as she thought about it, she saw one coming her way. Mary Paige let her broom drop so she would be out of the trajectory of the bludger, and then, she saw it. The snitch was flying in the distance, flittering about near the edge of the keeper's hoops. Mary Paige sped up on her broom, beginning a dance with the snitch as it weaved around the Quidditch stands. After a minute or two, she finally got close enough to grasp her fingers around it tightly, this time not losing her grip. Smiling, she held it up so the captain could see. She could feel the snitch fighting to get away against her palm, and Mary Paige let it go once she was sure Susie saw her. Unfortunately, she only caught the snitch once during the tryouts, but once was good enough for her this time. It showcased that she had the ability to at least grab it once, which was all you really needed in a game.

 

[Henri Fontaine]

Henri's interest in quidditch had somewhat dwindled, but not really enough to stop him from continuing with it. He just wasn't reading as much, he was still reading about flying, but it wasn't about broom travel. he got to the pitch and greeted the new captain before getting on his broom and heading into the air.

 

[Doyle Mooney]

Doyle was eager to get back to the quidditch pitch after two years on the bench he was feeling pretty confident in his abilities, and knowing that with Callie graduated he'd be the next logical pick for starting keeper. But no matter how confident he felt his palms were still a little sweaty as she approached their new captain. "Doyle Mooney, trying out for keeper." he said and gave a quick nod of his head before taking to the air. He found his way to his usual spot and kept his eyes peeled for quaffles. He quickly got into the swing of things and managed to block most of the shots that came his way. There were still a few that slipped by, but nobody was perfect.

 

[Nox Walden-Cade]

Nox had been on the team as an alternate for two years and there was finally an opening in his position. He was excited and surely with a good tryout, the position would be his? He made onto the pitch and headed over to the new captain Susie. He was a little surprised that she had been picked for captain instead of Jonah, he seemed to make more sense. But he went up to the new captain and nodded in greeting to her, "Nox Walden-Cade, trying out for beater,"

After a couple of seasons of doing exactly this, Nox had a better idea of what do during a tryout. He held his club in hand and got to work beating bludgers away from his teammates. He paid particular attention to Sofi and Mary the girl trying out for be an alternate seeker. He did his best to protect the chasers too, there were a lot of hopefuls to take those spots but as it was during a game, protecting the seeker was his priority. Once the tryout came to an end, Nox returned to the ground and thanked the captain on his way off the pitch.

 

[Ruby Beese]

Ruby had been training for tryouts all holiday. She hadn’t been able to practice flying as not exactly something you could casually do in a garden looked on by muggles, but she had spent many an hour with a bat, whacking a ball against a wall, and that was enough to give her the confidence to join the Hufflepuffs gathering on the pitch.

When it was her turn she said “Ruby Beese,” to Susie. “i think you know my brother Jasper, he said you play Gobstones together. Anyway I’m trying out for beater.” Ruby mounted her broom, kicked off and immediately felt wobbly. The mistake was looking down and noticing how high she was. “Uh” she muttered, looking up now for bludgers next. When she spotted one, it was flying off somewhere else and Ruby realised she was supposed to chase it. She lent forward and the broom moved forward slowly. Had it not been for the other bludger that came hurtling towards her, Ruby might have ended up looking quite silly. Shs swung hard and enthusiastically, connecting and sending that bludger flying straight in the direction of the seeker. Ruby decided that was enough and drifted back down toward the ground.

 

[Juniper Veritas]

Merlin Juniper was not sure about this at all. She was SO NOT SURE about it. Walking towards the pitch the third year felt her palms getting clammier by the second and she kept glancing behind her, considering just leaving. She was still staring over her shoulder when she felt her body colliding with something with an audible bonk. Turning around with alarm she realized she'd walked into one of the posts keeping the stands up. Her face heated up as she hurried over to where she saw rest of the people already gathered, hoping nobody had seen that and if they had she just had to pretend like it hadn't happened.

It was too late to back out now. Susie had given instructions how to go about this whole tryout situation and Juniper thought backing out now would make her looks even more stupid. Merlin why had she come here. "Um... my name is Juniper Veritas.... I'd like to try out forrr...." She glanced at the positions. Beater sounded violent, keeper sounded like keeping track of something and Juniper wasn't good at that really. Seekers she knew were the main target, or at least so she thought so that left Chaser. It didn't sound any more comforting than the others before but she couldn't back out now. "Chaser. I'd like to try out for chaser." She said, trying her best to mask the raising panic in her voice. WHAT DID CHASERS EVEN DO? THEY THREW THAT THING AROUND AND CHASED IT DOWN AND SCORED? Right. With one last gulp Juniper took her broom and got onto it without too much of a hassle.

Up in the air Juniper watched what the other people trying out for chaser were doing and followed in suit. She managed to get a hold of the quaffle and made her way towards the hoops with surprising ease. Maybe having practiced flying and her balance had paid off after all. Throwing the quaffle at the hoops wasn't as easy as it looked though and Juniper watched in shame as it missed the hoops completely and instead just fell flat. Okay that had been her first try. She'd do better next.... Surely. It took a bit until Juniper managed to chase down another bludger, she was a little too shy to go and try stealing it for now, but as she held it under her arm she made for the hoops again. This time as she aimed it towards the hoops she willed her strength to be enough to carry it through them. To her utter joy it did and the quaffle sailed cleanly through. Juniper was stunned into silence, just staring with wide eyes. She'd made a goal. SHE'D DONE IT. Hearing a whizzing next to her the third year was brought back into the reality by a bludger that just about missed her. Getting back into action Juni was keen on not getting hit.

By the end of the tryouts she'd managed two more goals by pure luck because let's be honest, it wasn't skill, but Juniper was happy with herself. Even if she didn't make the team she'd tried out and faced her own fears. On her way out Juniper gave a quick thank you to Susie for letting her try out, after which she quickly escaped back into the castle.

 

[Susie Lagowski]

Out of Character:

First years can now try out if they'd like to!

 

[Leena Ilves]

Leena had been keen to play Quidditch for Hufflepuff after hearing her sisters matches. Prehaps Seeker would be too much of a pressure, the whole house relying on her, however the idea of playing Chaser, working with the others to score goals? She felt as though that was more up her street.

Nervously she approached Susie, hoping the older girl didn't think she was silly for wanting to join. "I'm Leena Ilves, please can I try out for Chaser?" She asked, before wasting no time jumping on her broom. She'd played a little of the sport with her family but it was nothing compared to the full sized pitch. She tried to keep an eye on where her teammates were, surprising even herself when she managed not to drop the Quaffle mid flight. Leena was glad she'd chosen to tie her hair back, as when it came to score she had a clean view of the hoops, and her first goal. She grinned, mostly to herself. Throughout the rest of the tryout she only assisted the others trying out for Chaser, not scoring her own goals, but as long as she was involved team working towards their victory, she was happy just to play the part.

Once she was finished she thanked Susie, heading to the benches to watch the other students trying out for the other positions.

 

[Tarquin Argentum]

Tarquin had done a great job blending in - so great in fact he had not done anything to stand out. It was hardly worthy of the name Lady Claudia had given him. He was just biding his time, he insisted...but it was high time he made the most of his opportunities. And what better way than by playing Quidditch? He had helped Hortense with learning to fly, a task he felt he should be given a medal for, and he rather liked the idea of letting off steam.

"Hello," he greeted, bowing his head at the captain stiffly. "My name is Tarquin," the name still felt so foreign on his tongue. "Argentum. I would like to try out for beater, if you please." All politeness and formality. Which seemed to disappear the second he had bat in hand, for he swung like a madman and at first sent the bludgers flying with far more force than finesse, doing the job of avoiding players at least. He did also manage to get some to target players as well, but mostly he gave off the vibe that he was letting off great frustrations with the world in his swings. He calmed right down to thank the captain as though that display hadn't happened at all, and went on his merry way.

 

[Susie Lagowski]

Out of Character:

Tryouts will close at the weekend, last call!