Y31 Hufflepuff Quidditch Try-Outs

[Ares Jeffreys]

Ares was disappointed to be back really. He had a lot of things and future plans riding upon him ability to do well this year, whether in quidditch or classes. Additionally Damide had left and Damide had been one of the few people whom he really would miss. They hadn't done anything, he wasn't even sure if the boy had liked him back, but it didn't matter. This year would just have to have him put up with all of it. The boy was ready for the try-outs they had filled a few slots just due to others leaving, so he was hopeful of getting a full team together and moving forward. They'd come so close last year, and they could do even better this year. He did hope that April Ward would try-out again, he couldn't imagine that feeling - part of the reason he wasn't a seeker - and he just knew it would be such wasted talent if she did not come back. He could see a few familiar faces within the crowd, "Okay gang! Welcome to Y31 try-outs, those already on the team, fly around, get practicing. Those trying-out, just state your name and the position you would like to play for. If there's more than one position you could fill, that's okay, but when actually trying-out stick to one position." he told everyone, "Okay, that's everything, now let's get started,"
​

Players	Position [/td]
Ethan Mendoza	Chaser
Ares Jeffreys	Chaser (Captain)
To be Filled	Chaser
Austin Branning	Beater
Norton Gillespie	Beater
To be Filled	Keeper
Anthony Jackson	Seeker
Alternates

[th colspan="2"]Hufflepuff Quidditch Team Y31[/th] [th]

Out of Character:

Players from the previous year are guaranteed their spot without needing to try out again - as long as attendance is posted before try-outs are over. Alternates, however, will need to try out again.

First years are required to PM me for approval before attempting to try out - which will only be accepted if there is a need for more players.

 

[Norton Gillespie]

Norton arrived excited for another quidditch season. After all, quidditch was just about his favourite part of the school besides magic. Well, it was always just a rolling changing competition of what he loved most, but given that this was quidditch he was about to do, he had to admit he did love that a lot. The boy listened to the brief introduction given by the professor and then shot off into the air when he was allowed to. Oh how he was sure they would win this semester. He knew april would come back, she had to, she was the best.
​

 

[April Ward]

Even though she loved Quidditch, April still felt a bitterness in her stomach from the tremendous way they had lost last year. Partly because of her. And now here she was again, trying out for a position she had already been playing for a year and a half. A part of her had really wanted to give up, maybe at least go for a different position instead, but she hadn't. Being a seeker was the best thing in the world. It was just sometimes also really difficult.

As she arrived, she gave Ares a smile before nodding at Nortin. "April Ward, and you know what I'm trying out for." She said with a small grin. Then, just to be sure, she added, "seeker." With that, she shot into the air. Even though a part of her felt like she had proven herself enough by playing every game last year, she still wanted to do well in the tryouts. She scoured the familiar pitch for any sight of the snitch, glancing at the other players as well occasionally. Soon, the delight of flying came back to her and a smile appeared on her face. Flying around, it took her a while to spot the snitch. But when she saw it, she knew she was ready. Remembering the matches she had managed to win for the team, she flew like an arrow at the snitch, avoiding other players without any collisions. With a grin, she wrapped her hand around it and held it up for Ares to see. "Got it!" She called. A part of her was still worried he would hold her double-loss against James Cade against her, but she really hoped she would still be a part of the team.

 

[Austin Branning]

Austin was excited for the new Quidditch season, he was much more comfortable with his position on the team and was eager to see what the new year would bring for them. Austin made his way down to the Quidditch pitch with his broom and club and met up with the captain who was waiting to start tryouts.

 

[Professor Geovanna Adler-Cade]

Last year Geo had been an alternate Chaser but had managed to play in two of her first games against the other houses. This year she planned to be better than that, stronger and faster and wanted to score more goals than her previous attempts. Making her way down to the pitch with the others, she smiled at those she'd played with, and grinned at April. She'd done especially well over the last few years and with her determination to win Geo knew she would be a vital part to the team. Gryffindor may have beaten them last year but that only because of James, now that he had graduated they were free to take the lead.

"Geo Volt. Trying out for Chaser." With Tesla gone, she hoped she'd done enough last year to prove she had what it took to replace the older girl. She'd only spoken to her once before Christmas, and while it was sad that she'd left Geo still wanted to do her best for the role. Ready to go, Geo wasted no time in heading out into the skies, receiving the Quaffle and preparing herself to show Ares what she could do.

She may not have had the best broom but Quidditch was what she did for fun, and it took her mind away from her studies. With the Quaffle under her arm, she flew wide around the pitch, heading through the air towards the hoops that were set up for them. It was always a little different during practise than in a real game but Geo had no intention of letting her guard down. As she flew close to the white rings, she leant up on her broom, her legs gripped tighly to allow her the most movement possible from the waist up, and putting her force into her arms she threw the red ball neatly through the goal. Not even pausing to smile, she remained focused and taking the Quaffle once again she flew back through the air, glancing at other players as they too tried to secure their position. She missed her second shot, the keeper catching the ball at the last second. No matter though, she just needed to be a little faster. After scoring two additional goals in the time frame allowed, the fourth year finally relaxed, gliding back down to the ground to complete her try out. "Thanks," she smiled at the Captain, throwing him the Quaffle and taking a seat on the benches, curious to see who else she'd be up against.
​

 

[Therese Fergusson]

Therese was happy for today. She enjoyed watching Quidditch as an alternate, but would love to play too. It was nice being an alternate last year and the spirit of the team was really lovely the brunette thought. Her boyfriend Rory also played and she figured he had to score with her if she could make the team as a keeper. But that were things for if she even made the team again. The swedish brunette entered the pitch and looked around as she saw some few people already. She waved at April and Geo as she saw that the girl were trying out again. She thought April did a goob job as seeker in a few games and thought the girl earned the position. She smiled at Ares as she listened to their team captain.

When it was her turn she stepped forward with her broom inside of her hand. '' Hi! I'm Therese. And I'm trying out for keeper again!'' the brunette said happy with a smile on her face. She went of kicking from the ground an shot into the air. Her area would be the three rings and that was what she needed to defend. The players came at her quickly so she had to focus and that was what she did. The first shot she tried to defend she missed. She didn't let her spirit down by just one failure. Therese was quite positive and wanted to keep that into the team. The next shots she could stop and it made a smile appear on her face. Therese tried to stop more quaffles but sometimes missed. Some people trying out for chaser like Geo were doing their best and she was happy that they had managed to score too, but was also glad she could stop a few. When she was done she went back to the ground again and thanked the captain for his time. She decided to watch her friends play too and enjoyed watching it.

 

[Lavinia Benivieni]

Lavinia had been waiting for this moment for so long. Ever since she stepped foot in Hogwarts for the first time, which was admittedly only a year ago but felt like a lifetime. Lavinia had practiced all summer with Sara and Leo and annoyingly enough they even explained all the rules and the positions, which Lavinia already knew about because she'd read her book about Quidditch. She was a fan, and by the end of tryouts, hopefully even a player. She guessed that it wouldn't be as easy to get a spot on the team with many older members, but she did have enough confidence that she could do this. She might not have as much experience as others but that came with time, surely. Lavinia was feeling too optimistic today to let anything bring her mood down. Besides, she needed this positive energy today, and since Quidditch was a sport it was what she was good at - being sporty, that was. Being good at Quidditch...that she was going to find out soon enough. She grinned and headed down to the pitch.

Lavinia almost couldn't keep her excitement to herself as she walked to where other players, and presumably the captain were. She arrived just in time to hear the captain's speech and she nodded at his words, she couldn't wait to try it out and see how she was going to do! Of course, there was still a little nervousness within her but the young puff would not allow that to overtake her ability to play well. She had one chance, if she didn't want to wait until next year she had to show the captain what she was capable of now. She lined up and when it was her turn, she grabbed a beater's bat and cleared her throat. "Hello cap! I'm Lavinia and I'll be trying out for beater!" she announced. She didn't hesitate in mounting the broom and kicking off the ground, hoping all of her practice - including flying lessons - would aid her today. She could totally ace this.

Her attention the entire time was on any incoming bludgers, from any direction. She would hate to be hit by one, and hitting other people trying out didn't seem so professional, so she aimed at some older looking students whom she prayed were on the team. They were used to it after all, right? Seeing as a bludger was coming her way Lavinia swung her arm back, above her shoulder and her hands gripping the bat tightly in her hand she made a go for it. She grinned when a satisfying sound of the bat meeting the bludger was heard, and she watched as it soared across the pitch and hit one of the chasers. Lavinia winced, but man, that was awesome! Another bludger came, and although the girl hit it it did not hit her intended target. She shrugged that off and tried another couple of times, Shen hit both but missed a target. She tried one last time. When a bludger was flying in her direction instead of ducking by instinct she swung back the bat and hit the bludger as hard as she could, and watched as it hit a different player this time. The tryouts were over before she knew it. Lavinia flew back down and returned the bat before she thanked the captain and headed back to the castle. She wondered whether she would get to experience the beautiful sensation of being in the air and hitting bludgers again.

 

[Analei Westwick]

This was the day Analei had been waiting for. It was all she could think about, and after getting some help and tips from Austin, she was sure she would make the team. Still, she was nervous, and so had managed to convince her friend, Arvel, to try out with her. Analei was grateful to have him there, as she linked her arm with him, the other one holding her broom over her shoulder, as they walked together down to the pitch. Analei couldn't stop talking. She was probably driving Arvel insane, and she didn't know whether this was from nerves or excitement. As soon as they got to the pitch though, Analei grew quiet, looking at the number of people there that were trying out. She wasn't going to let this stop her though. No way - she was definitely going to get a spot on the team. She stepped confidently up to the captain, giving him her best smile. "Analei Louw, trying out for beater." She had thought about trying out for seeker as well, but there was already an alternate, and she was great. Besides, beater was definitely a better fit for Analei. On the call, Analei kicked off into the air, immediately feeling the rush of being on the broom. Analei loved flying. She quickly zoomed around, showing off her confidence on the broom (and fastness, thanks to her new streak), before focusing on the task at hand. Analei saw a bludger heading towards another teammate, so she shot in front of it, whacking it with all her might. They were a lot stronger than she had anticipated, but it still flew off her bat and into the opposite direction. She was going to have to start working out! Analei continued to fly around the pitch, watching for bludgers, a couple of the ones she hit had gone in the direction she was aiming for, which was fantastic, but a few of them went wide, or spun in the wrong direction. It made her angry, that they weren't going where she wanted them to go, but she channeled the anger into hitting bludgers, her arm feeling exhausted by the time they were called back. Analei also decided that she was going to have to be careful that she didn't get lopsided, and that her left arm was going to need as much work as her right arm. Exhausted, Analei sat on the ground, out of the way, and watched the rest of the try outs, with a grin on her face. She couldn't wait to see her and Arvel's names on the list.
​

 

[Arvel Ayers]

Quidditch wasn't something Arvel would have considered participating in by himself, but when Analei started dragging him toward the pitch, he only protested a little bit, and only because he didn't want to seem too enthusiastic. Really, he was thrilled by the idea of playing with her, and even more thrilled that she wanted him to play with her. He'd never experienced this kind of friendship before - or any kind of friendship, for that matter. Unfortunately, this also put an enormous amount of pressure on him to do well, lest Analei regret ever being seen around him. He swallowed back the lump in his throat as they arrived at the pitch, and extricated himself from Analei's arm. Being that close to her made him even more nervous than he needed to be.

"Um... Arvel Ayers, trying out for Chaser," he told Ares, when the captain had a free moment. Then he picked up a school broom, mounted it, and with one final glance at Analei, pushed away into the air. He'd not flown a great deal since his lessons last year, but he'd had experience before that, and none of it had been lost. Catching a quaffle that came his way, Arvel tucked it under his arm and made for the hoops, swerving and ducking a little in the hopes of demonstrating what he could do. He was self-conscious at first, feeling the captain's eyes on him as he missed his first goal, but after five or ten minutes of flying around, the joy of it entirely dispelled his worries, and he played without inhibition. At one point, he was sure Analei saved him from an oncoming bludger, but he was too intent on scoring to be sure. He grinned as the quaffle sailed through the hoops. Deciding he should end on a high, Arvel came back down to the ground, running over to see Analei and ask if it was her who'd knocked that bludger out of his path.

 

[Chante Harvelle-Ateara]

A very growing Chante, emerged from out of the school with a broom in hand. She headed for the pitch with the idea of trying out for the team. An idea she thought about during the winter break, here in New Zealand. She brought it up with her parents, and they both didn't oppose. However, with her growth that could end quickly if she made the team. Madlyn thought she would be too tall and her father worried about her back and posture and how uncomfortable she would be if she reached grand height. Chante thought about it and left it that. She made her decision clear by coming here today.

As she reached the pitch, it suddenly drawn on her that she didn't know all that much about quidditch. Except from her aunty Briar, who played and explained the sport when Chante was a lot smaller. She kinda forgot some of the details to her stories. It happens when her mom and aunt had so many to share. Chante looked over at the bats and pointed. "Hey, I'm Chante, and I'm going for beater." Chante announced to Hufflepuff's captain. She mounted one of the school's brooms and flew off. She went for the opposite side of the pitch, and then went back round again when realized she forgot the bat.

"Oops, forgot this!" Chante swipe the object from the ground and off she went again. A loud crack in the air is echoed, but it's not by her bat. It was the latches in which the bludgers were tied down to. They were released, which meant it was her time to bat them off? She was beginning to recall aunty's stories again. Bludger? Isn't that what she was hit once or twice? Chante wield her bat back and hit the bludger flying in her direction. The hit wasn't loud, it was only a warm up. Chante flew some more and again, she hit the bludger sending it deep into the pitch this time. Very far away. "Oh, this is easy." Chante puffed out her chest with confidence. Another bludger came flying from behind and that confidence almost nearly knocked her down. Chante dodge, "Okay, not that easy! How are we supposed to know when they're coming from behind?!" Chante grumbled. She hit bludgers a few more times and then ended her tryout there.​

 

[Lauryn Woodlock]

Her summer holidays in the UK was a phenomenal one. The heat and the grandeur celebration that is the wedding of a relative was her highlight. She couldn't be happier that her family was there but it was also disappointing that her dad can't be there with them. Despite lounging in the heat of summer, Lauryn never forget to come back to her flying lessons with her uncle. She was getting better at her balance. Her movements were precise now and her blocking was consistent. Lauryn asked her uncle what position was best to play in Quidditch, they were all good but he told her that keeping was for her. Lauryn kept that in mind, practicing her blocks over and over until she gets the hang of it.

And as the day came for try outs, she was ready. Her dark brown hair tied in a bun. Lauryn didn't think to bring her wand because it was useless, although, she had heard that even professional quidditch players uses their wands to cheat but she's not like that. Lauryn has more control over her anger. A little bit nervous but confident, she went to get a school broom, a temporary solution before she gets her new one. Quiet as always, she stayed at the back of the crowd, waiting for her turn. The Hufflepuff second year watched as one by one, aspiring players did their job to impress the captain.

Every once in awhile, her gaze would caught the bleachers, hoping that none of her uncles would be watching. As the last person to try out came down, finishing her routine. Lauryn stepped out from the crowd and stated her name and the position she will be trying out. "Hi, I'm Lauryn Woodlock and I'm trying out for the position of keeper." After a quick announcement, the brunette mounted her broom and kicked off strong from the ground. Lauryn's gripped on the broom handle was relaxed, as if all her nervousness were gone. She settled in the middle hoop, looking on the ground to make sure she was in fair play. Once it was affirmative, Lauryn focused her eyes and mind on the players.

It started with them passing the quaffle, she counted how many times they would pass it. Lauryn's gut instinct that it will land on her right side. They were planning it, and she knew it. The Hufflepuff kept her eyes on the ball until her gut feeling was wrong but end up saving the quaffle that went to the center. It was a close call and yet, she got it. Her reflex were fast and smart. Lauryn tossed the quaffle back to the chasers. They did a few laps before doing it again. The chasers were flying around. Taking turns with the quaffle. Lauryn could feel her heart beat so strong, she wanted to get to the team pretty badly. It was the only thing her dad could be with her.

Lauryn ready herself for the second blow and one did a mistake, she was too fast and caught the quaffle on time that was going to the middle hoop. She tried to make the broom faster with much angle of her body and it worked. She blocked more attempts after but some other time she wasn't just there. It would touch the tip of her fingers, it frustrates her that sometimes she was slow. After the last block was a success, Lauryn went down to the ground gracefully. She started and finished her try outs with confidence.​

 

[Patrick Vernier]

Patrick had quite a lot of fun playing quidditch the past couple of years. He wanted to do it again for another year but knew that unfortunately he had to try out again. Feeling a bit more confident than what he usually felt during tryouts, Patrick made his way onto the quidditch pitch and smiled at the captain. He knew it would be the captain's last year at the school and it made the third year wonder who was going to be the new captain afterwards and if they were going to be nice enough to let Patrick be an alternate every year too.

When they were told to start tryouts, Patrick told the captain that he'd be trying out for beater before picking up his broom and bat and lining up with everyone else. As everyone began to mount their broom, Patrick did so too, kicking up from the ground and just smiling around at the others as they started to fly around, some looking nervous. Patrick was just happy to be up in the air again and he was hoping that the tryout would go good for him. He flew around in search for bludgers, seeing a lot of other people trying out for the same position as him. Suddenly he did feel nervous knowing that these people could potentially take his position as an alternate and he did not want that. Determined, when Patrick found a bludger coming his way, he swung his bat hard and hit it with all of his might, watching as it flew across to the other side of the pitch, hitting one of the people trying out for chaser. He beamed before checking to see if the person was okay. When they were, Patrick continued looking for more bludgers, hitting them quite well and knowing how much he had really improved since his first year, which he hoped his captain would see.

 

[Ares Jeffreys]

Out of Character:

Try-outs will close tomorrow or the next day, so get in quick

 

[Ethan Mendoza]

Ethan ran quickly up to the Quidditch pitch to make it in time for the Hufflepuff tryouts. Since he was already on the team he didn't have to try out again but he did enjoy watching all the new potential teammates and he didn't want to miss that. He walked up to his current teammates, giving them a wave, before taking a few laps around the pitch just to get warmed up after the break. He was hopeful that this year April wouldn't just be an alternate and would be their permanent Seeker and was enjoying watching the others try out, curious if they would make it on the team, especially since one of them would be their new Chaser and Ethan would have to work closely with them, so he hoped they were a good fit for the team.
​

 

[Ares Jeffreys]

Players	Position [/td]
Ethan Mendoza	Chaser
Ares Jeffreys	Chaser (Captain)
Geo Volt	Chaser
Austin Branning	Beater
Norton Gillespie	Beater
Therese Rosenberg	Keeper
April Ward	Seeker
Patrick Vernier	Alternate beater
Arvel Ayers	Alternate Chaser
Lauryn Woodlock	Alternate Keeper
Lavinia Benivieni	Alternate Beater

[th colspan="2"]Hufflepuff Quidditch Team Y31[/th] [th]