Y33 Wheelbarrow Race: The Race!

[Monty Pendleton]

It was a beautiful day for it. The sun beat down from the middle of a crystal clear sky, and a pleasant breeze rippled through the grass. Various tents had been set up with snacks and carnival games for the students to enjoy before, during, and after the race, and in the shade of one of these tents Monty stood next to Katherine, his wand in his hand. He supposed that hosting the wheelbarrow alongside the headmistress should have helped him feel more comfortable around her, but so far the whole thing felt to him like a strained mother-son bonding session. He could not have been more ill at ease.

But he was prepared to ignore that for the sake of the students. Those who were participating in the race were getting themselves ready, and Monty was pleased to see two pairs of professors among them. He had hoped there would be more interest, but two pairs were better than none.

Touching his wand to his throat, Monty said in an amplified voice, ”Hello! Hello, hello, ladies and gentlemen, boys, girls – good afternoon and welcome. How is everybody today, good? Excellent. Well, if you'd like to get into position now, the race will begin momentarily. Just before that, I would like to remind you that the last time Professor Summers competed in a wheelbarrow race, he won. So just to make sure that doesn't happen again, anybody who manages to cross the line before him will be awarded five house points. Right, is everybody ready? In that case, on your marks... get set... go!"

Out of Character:

Just a reminder that this is the type of wheelbarrow you should be RPing as. Roleplay racing, and have fun! When there is a post saying the words "Finish Line", the first team to post going over the finish line is the winner! Good luck!

 

[Professor Kahurangi Josephs]

Kahurangi had been looking forward to the wheelbarrow race since it was first announced, and she was glad the day had finally come. It would be good to get a chance to blow off some steam at work, and she hoped the amount of training she put in with her rugby team would give her the edge over her colleagues. She stood with Matt as Monty spoke, and when they were told to get into position she reached down eagerly, taking Matt's ankles and securing them to her sides once he was settled. She chuckled slightly at Monty's comment about Aeon and gave her colleague a challenging look, before at last the race started. Kahurangi set off at once, gripping Matt's ankles firmly and barrelling ahead with him.

 

[Blake van Houten]

Blake hadn't had to read further than the word 'race' before deciding to sign up for today's event. There weren't nearly enough real competitions at Hogwarts, and he was eager for the chance to prove himself. If he and Tyler could beat a teacher, that would show everyone who was the best athlete in Hogwarts. Blake really hoped his Quidditch captain was watching. He took hold of Tyler's ankles when it was time to get ready, keeping his eyes firmly on the finish line. As soon as they were told to go Blake took off running, charging forwards with Tyler with a loud, triumphant whoop.

 

[Madlyn Ateara]

Madlyn hadn't done enough school events since her return to Hogwarts. She would like to be more involved if there weren't so many happening at the same time. When she attended school here, events varied throughout the whole school year. Every week since her return, she swears there was something happening, some club hosting festivities for the students, staff, and professors to indulge in. Madlyn couldn't quite keep up with the busy calendar, there was just only one she bother to pay attention and that was the wheelbarrow race. Madlyn had expressed some interest during the Christmas party and was convinced she was too tall to join in the fun. It didn't last long before she changed her mind and linked up with Aeon, the transfiguration professor. Aeon seems to be a competitive type, as he won the race last year and Monty warns the others participants about the win. "That's foul, Monty!" Madlyn shouted in a playful manner and took hold of Aeon's ankles. "Alright, are you good?" Madlyn asks, then picked up her feet once the race was underway. It's a good thing she kept in shape after all these years. Her last post kept the fat off and so did the fresh fruits and vegetable harvest back home.

 

[Elliot Briar]

The wheelbarrow race had seemed like a fun idea right until Elliot was standing here with Kace ready to go. The fact that it was actually a competition, that he could be bad at, and have an audience for, should had been a given, but Elliot had been too busy being excited about racing with Kace that he hadn't really thought about actually dealing with those factors until they were already at the starting line. He wiped his palms on his pants a few times, giving Kace a nervous smile as Professor Pendleton gave his introductions. "Let's uh, do this thing?" He tried in what he hoped was a cheerful voice, hoping Kace's more believable brand of confidence would carry them both for this. They'd agreed Kace would be the runner, and Elliot somewhat reluctant lowered himself to the ground as they got ready to start. He tried not to squeeze his eyes closed as they finally set off, hoping he could focus on keeping them upright rather than the nerves in his stomach.

 

[Aiden Briggs]

Aiden was always the competitive type and always wanted to participate in as much events and activities as possible and this would be no different - he loved the idea of any kind of race. Going to the lawn for the race, he was smiling. It was a competition where he could earn his house some points and also stand out in the crowd, if he and Jasper would win. He knew that Jasper was probably the right choice for this race as he seemed pretty much as Aiden. Aiden listened to professor Pendleton very carefully, standing at the starting line. - Let's do this, I'm down? He looked at Jasper, as they agreed that Jasper would be running and Aiden would be the "wheelbarrow". Aiden got down and put his feet up, ready for Jasper to grab his foot and ready to start crawling forward.

 

[Aeon Summers]

As usual, Aeon was on the bottom in his partnership. Not that the man could complain, he loved that role, and certainly preferred it than to being the one to hold up Ateara, who dwarfed him by comparison. The woman was almost two feet taller than the Transfiguration professor, and no doubt twice as strong, so for him to act as the wheelbarrow in their case made the most sense. He had hopes that her long legs alone would be enough to win the race without any effort, though with a win already under his belt in the past, he felt confident they'd show up these kids with no trouble at all. Summers made a show of stretching at the starting line, before dropping to his hands and knees in the grass, his eyes squinting against the sunlight until his partner's shadow fell over him, blotting out the bright light with her domineering form. "I'm great. It's everyone else who has to watch out." Aeon responded to Ateara, using one of his hands to bring two fingers to his own eyes, before jabbing them in the direction of the nearest student. "No one listen to Monty. Anyone who beats me will spend the rest of the semester in the shed as an actual wheelbarrow." The animagus gave a wry smile as his eyes turned back to the front, leaving the seriousness of the comment to question, and they set off, his arms scrambling to keep his body above the ground. Merlin, it had been a while since he'd needed to be this active, but he'd already won this once, and he was prepared to do it again.​

 

[Professor Matt Alcott-Ward]

Matt wondered how Kahurangi had talked him into participating in this, and was regretting it slightly as they waited for the race to begin. There was no discussion in who would be carrying the other, as Kahurangi was doubtlessly the stronger oft he two of them. Matt sighed a bit as he lowered himself to the ground and let her grab his ankles. Remembering at the last moment to stuff his glasses in his pocket before they slid off his nose. Monty's comment made him chuckle a bit, but he wasn't really expecting to win. All he wanted was not to fall on his face, that would be victory enough for him. When the race started, Matt realized quickly that he had to work hard to keep up with Kahurangi. He put one hand in front of the other as fast as he could, quickly losing track of the other people competing.

 

[Tyler Lee]

When Tyler had agreed to sign up with Blake, he had immediately known that he would end up being the wheelbarrow between them. But he had pushed down his bitterness about that quickly, glad that Blake had chosen him to participate with. Tyler was determined to do well, and started moving forward as fast as he could once the race began. Blake started to run, which meant he had to keep up. He wanted to win as badly as Blake did, so he certainly tried his best.

 

[Jasper Night]

Jasper was pleased that Aiden had been willing to do the race with him, as he wasn't sure who else would be good to pair up with. The younger boy seemed to be fun, and as competitive as Jasper was. That made them a good pair, and he was eager to beat Blake and Tyler with his new friend. It was good that Aiden had agreed to be the wheelbarrow, and Jasper gripped his ankles tightly. When the race began, Jasper started to run, hoping Aiden would be able to keep up.

 

[Kace Corelli]

Kace bounces around near the starting line so full of energy, as usual, then he bends over to see how far away the finish line was at this point. "I think we got this!" Kace hyped up, glancing over at Elliot. Kace could see that he was nervous, and probably second-guessing himself. Kace casually patted the boy on his back, "You alright man, don't worry. It's cool, it's just a game, remember that!" Kace tells the boy, he would like to win the game. He would like to write to his dad and Jenny about the race and all the other stuff he been getting into so far in his second year at Hogwarts. If they didn't win, Kace would still write to them and recall the race in the letter. Kace secured his hands around the boy's ankles, he moves them a bit further down to have a better balance of Elliot. Then they were off and Kace picked up his feet attempting to cycle along with Elliot's arms. "Ellio! Keep focus, and keep going!"

 

[Jarica Ashley]

Jarica was delighted when Sully had agreed to be paired with him in the competition. Of course she felt a bit of excitement, she could feel a lot of tension in herself. Returning from home, Jarica skin had remained golden brown. Sully was the best friend in Gryffindor, and they always did everything together, but would this time thec ompetition succeed? She didn't know, and she didn't want to let her friend down, sir, they both agreed that Sully would start first. She clutched his ankles. Are you ready? I think we got this, and i hope, i don't let you down! She saiyed to Sully.

 

[Solomon Tofilau]

Sully bounced a few times at the starting line before twisting to stretch a bit as everyone prepped for the race. He and Jarica were in it to win it and we ready to get moving. "You're going down, Professor!" He called in response to Professor Carter's taunting. Either the professor was joking, or Sully would get to skip classes for a few days while he was busy being a wheelbarrow, and honestly both outcomes were okay with him. "So ready," He said happily to Jarica, offering her a quick fist bump before hopping down so she could grab his ankles. He'd remembered how athletic Jarica had been when they'd first met and was sure as a team they'd smoke everyone else. He braced against the grass and let out a cheer as the race started, pushing off with as much energy as he could without over balancing Jarica.

 

[Jarica Ashley]

She was intrigued by something in this spirit of competition today, and certainly not by racing, but by this kind of running on the ground, it seemed embarrassing, but if he liked Sully, Jarica was pleased too. Such a company warmed her soul with pleasure. Perhaps because it hadn't been accepted, and that audacious feeling heated her blood and shewas ready to fight with her friend.His enthusiasm was amazing, if Sully was ready, then Jarica was ready to. She was smiling to the Sully.

 

[Madlyn Ateara]

Madlyn laughed at the professor's competitive spirit, it reminded her of Briar the way she had been with quidditch. Always wanting to win, and the friendly banter. Madlyn does her best to support the professor's weight, which wasn't a problem at all. She could lift him up her shoulders and win the race for both of them without breaking a sweat. It would be an easy win, howbeit, it would be against the rules and no fun. "Aeon, you're something else!" Madlyn tease as she continued onward with the race.

 

[Katherine Alicastell]

Katherine stood beside Montgomery beneath the shade of one of the many tents scattering the lawn, her hands clasped together in front of her, right fingers curled around her wand in preparation for the day's event. Both in order to progress the race, and as a precaution in case anything went wrong, given how reckless particular members of the student body could be, though given how many adults were present, the woman doubted anyone would take any risks by meddling with the race. As her deputy spoke up to initiate the race, on top of goading the students into competing with her son in particular, Katherine quirked a quiet eyebrow at the man, though the ghost of a smile played on her lips. For a man of many fears, he was doing a surprisingly good job of hosting - pleasantly so, given recent circumstances.

Her attention back on the race, Katherine watched its participants crawl across the length of the lawn for a moment, before her eyes trailed further still, landing on a strip littered with what appeared to the casual observer to be loose clumps of earth. These "gnomeholes" weren't a usual sight on the grounds of Hogwarts, given the diligence in maintaining the land and flora by both staff and members of the Wild Patch, but for today, the creatures that often created them were placed specifically in the area.

As the students and staff neared the first hurdle of the race, Katherine raised her wand and conjured a jet of sparks, which whizzed overhead to illuminate the burrows. Almost immediately, their potato-headed inhabitants leapt out of the damp earth with shrill laughter and ran straight for the racers, their tiny hands eager to start tripping up the wheelbarrows headed their way.

---

Harmless, though highly inconvenient gnomes have come into play. The creatures will attempt to get in the way of, or trip over anyone competing as an added layer of difficulty! Use as you will

 

[Leda Layton]

Leda wasn’t one to lose a competition and with so many participants, she was getting nervous that would happen. Mervyn hadn’t wanted to play, so she’d managed to drag her second favourite Gryffindor to be her racing partner. “Come on, we can’t let those guys win.” For once she’d chosen not to wear her usual skirts, instead opting for a baggy pair of jeans she saved for gardening at Olives with a dark red vest. She hated being on the bottom but she didn’t trust herself to carry the older boy. She had yet to win the wheelbarrow race but she hoped between them they’d have enough energy to over take everyone else. Not caring about getting her hands dirty, she face planted the grass, propping her shoulders up on her elbows as she waited for her partner to take hold. ​

 

[Jasper Night]

Jasper was holding onto Aiden's ankles firmly as they went on. It took Jasper a moment to notice the clumps of earth in the distance, but he figured that it was simply some new bushes being planted for some reason. Easily distracted, Jasper looked up when sparks appeared above, and it took him a few seconds to notice the gnomes popping up from the earth. He yelped and tried his best to steer Aiden past one without running into it. "Watch out!" He called to his Ravenclaw friend. He was glad he wasn't the one on the ground.

 

[Professor Kahurangi Josephs]

Kahurangi was surprised by how light Matt was, relieved that at least her rugby training was paying off. She pressed onwards with her partner, running as fast as they could, paying no attention to anything but the finish line. That changed though, when Kahurangi saw the gnomes emerging from the ground just ahead of them. She yelped in shock, gripping Matt's ankles tightly, and leaned forward a little. "Picking up speed, Matt, we've gotta barrel through them!" She called out, pushing him on faster as they tried to charge through the gnomes as quickly as possible.

 

[Blake van Houten]

Even though they were racing against professors, Blake felt great about his and Tyler's chances. They were tough and unstoppable, and they were gonna win this race. He ran forward as quickly as he could, pushing Tyler onwards, but a sudden change in the pitch almost brought Blake to a full stop. They had dealt with gnome problems for years at his home, and he knew how much their bites could hurt. "Oh, ew!" Blake called out instinctively, fighting the impulse to just turn and run. "Watch out for their teeth!" He warned Tyler before relenting and pressing forward again, running into the gnomes. Blake couldn't help an undignified shriek as one of them grabbed his ankle, pausing to kick it off. "Ewwwwww!"

 

[Tyler Lee]

Things were going alright, and Tyler grinned as he and Blake moved past another pair. Clearly, they were going to win this. But just as Tyler started to feel confident about their chances, he heard someone yell. Then, he herad Blake yell too. Only then did Tyler notice the gnomes. He'd never seen them up close before, at home they had always been removed by the gardener. He yelped in surprise and fear, only amplified by Blake's warning about their teeth. No longer caring as much about staying ahead, Tyler moved abruptly in a diagonal line away from the gnomes. They were still pressing forward, but no longer in a straight line tot he finish. He didn't care, he wasn't going to let a gnome bite him in the face. He yelled at Blake when he stopped. "Keep running! We can get past them!" He yelled as another one neared and made a move to the left to avoid it.

 

[Aiden Briggs]

Aiden was a little bit worried that he could run out of energy in the middle of the race and just say that he's tired, although he really wanted to win this race with Jasper. After all, he was a cool guy and he couldn't imagine anyone better to participate in this race with. As they were trying to go as fast as possible, he was crawling forward as fast as he could, smiling as they moved past another pair. As they were going forward, he wasn't even looking at Jasper, knowing that that would take some seconds away from their time and slow them down. - Doing the best I can, bro! Aiden yelled, moving past the gnomes and doing everything he possibly could to not get in the way, seeing that Jasper was also doing the best he possibly could. Aiden was getting the thrill of it.

 

[Elliot Briar]

It had taken Elliot a little bit to get into rhythm with running on his hands, but he was starting to feel a bit more stable and bit less like he was going to end up with his face in the dirt. He was trying to take Kace's advice to heart and just let himself enjoy the race bit, but that strategy was quickly shattered by the emergence of gnomes on the field. "Uhhh, Kace?!" Elliot called as the gnomes began approaching, decidedly unhappy about their new proximity to his face. Afraid he'd stop all together if he let himself panic about the gnomes, Elliot decided to put all his faith in his partner, squeezing his eyes shut and hoping Kace would steer them for the most gnome free path he could.

 

[Solomon Tofilau]

Sully was finding it hard not to laugh the entire time as they ran, the whole race being just sigh of totally ridiculous, which was perfect. He blinked a few times when a bunch of sparks fired off ahead, wondering if something had gone wrong. The site of a bunch of tiny creatures crawling out of the ground ahead was a bit unsettling, but when the other runners didn't seem too bothered by them, Sully figured they were probably mostly harmless, if a bit ugly. He wondered if he could still stay upright while sacrificing one hand for monster slapping. He only managed to smack away one of the gnomes before he overbalanced, feeling his shoulder hit the ground and hoping he didn't pull Jarica down with him. "Woops, dang," He laughed, quickly trying to get back on the move before they fell too far behind or were swarmed by gnomes. "Full steam ahead!" He called to Jarica once they were righted again, they had some ground to make up.

 

[Aeon Summers]

Aeon felt as if he were putting more effort into staying above the ground than actually moving forward. Madlyn was doing enough of that herself, with her long strides carrying them both of them easily enough. Blades of grass practically skimmed by his palms with each "step" that his hands took, one after the other his hands glided over the lawn, touching down on the earth for the briefest of moments before they were airborne again. At this rate, he was confident they would win.

The sparks soaring overhead alerted Aeon to the mounds of earth ahead, having been so focused on what was directly in front of him and the competitors beside them or behind, that he hadn't paid any attention to what waited further down the lawn. He might have mistaken them for loose clumps of earth the Wild Patch had dug up to plant new flowers in, if not for how many times he'd had his children go out to de-gnome the garden at home. The pesky creatures were constantly trying to tear up his herbs. "This is new." The wizard called back to Ateara. The previous races had always been so straightforward. Well, they certainly weren't about to let some common pests ruin their chances.

The gnome that had headed for the professors appeared to slow down, as if reconsidering going after a human almost eight times its size, and that second of hesitation was all Aeon needed. The animagus elbowed the creature as he approached, sending it stumbling towards the closest racers to himself and Madlyn. "Sorry kids!" He called, going back to focusing on the race and defending himself from any other oncoming gnomes.​