Y43 Slytherin Quidditch Try-Outs

[Celia Vu]

It was a terrible day for flying. The temperature outside was unusually low, and rain was falling sideways thanks to heavy gusts of wind. Someone more superstitious might consider this a bad omen, but Celia had deliberately chosen the worst day of the week for tryouts. She wanted to see how potential team members handled difficult flying conditions, and she wanted to see commitment. It was 7:30 in the morning, and she was sure most people would rather be sleeping in or sheltering inside the warm castle. But those people were weak, and there was no room for weakness on the Slytherin team.

Celia tapped her wand against her throat, casting a sonorous charm. "Welcome to Slytherin Quidditch tryouts!" Her voice boomed over the pitch, loud enough to be heard over the howling winds. "I am Celia Vuong, the captain of the team." Her lips curled up into a brief smile. Oh, how she loved saying those words. "If you are a returning member of the team, then I want you to treat this as our first practice. You are expected to stay the entire time. If I see you slacking off, you will lose your spot." It was an empty threat, but the team didn't need to know that. "You may get started." Celia tossed the quaffle to the nearest chaser and released the rest of the Quidditch balls. Since she wouldn't be playing, she'd added a couple extra bludgers to wreak havoc in her stead.

Once her teammates were off, Celia turned to the rest of the crowd. "Slytherin has the best Quidditch team at Hogwarts. To join us, you must meet a certain standard. Want to know what that standard is? Look above you." She gestured to the team members who were already flying overhead. "If you can keep up with them, or better yet, surpass them, you will make the team," she promised. "Now, line up and tell me your name and what position you are trying out for." Celia moved to the first person in line, her enchanted (and waterproof) quill and clipboard hovering next to her, ready to take notes.

Position	Player
Seeker	Ivelisse Burleigh
Keeper	Lucie Vernier
Beater	Celia Vuong (captain)
Beater	Available
Chaser	Indira Khatri
Chaser	Natalia Novak
Chaser	Available
Alternates	Available

Out of Character:

Welcome to tryouts! Only second years and up may try out. If you have a first year who wishes to try out, please PM me first.

Returning team members must post attendance to keep their spots. Everyone else should state their name and desired position before RPing out their tryout.

PM me if you have any questions!

 

[Seamus Reid]

Seamus was determined to get on to the team. Ares had left and Celia was captain. He knew that mean that there was at least one beater spot open and he had work with Celia before. he liked to think that he was good enough by her standard. No where near as good as she was, but good enough. Though he also worried that the fact he'd actually hit her with bludgers in the past would affect her opinion of him. But it didn't matter. He arrived at the pitch with others, standing amongst the other people trying out, looking jealously on at the team, all of whom he knew well and watched them get into the air. he glanced above him to the team in the air, determined that he would finish this try-out finally one of them. He pushed his way to the front. "Seamus Reid, beater," he was quick and to the point.

Seamus didn't waste any time. He got on to his emerald streak and shot up into the air. His beater's bat had been recently polished and he just began flying around the pitch for bludgers. He was sure if anyone would understand how difficult it was to be a beater at times it was Celia, but he had limited success finding bludgers to begin with. He hit a few towards players, missing them by inches and missed completely a few times. Seamus did find a rhythm to it, eventually managing more hits to bludgers than misses, and managed to hit a number of the other players who were trying out. He was making sure that he was on target, angling it right and Seamus was pretty pleased by the end of the try-out that he had done well. His skills had improved over the years, even if he never got to play in the games, he was fast, agile. Knew what to look out for.

Just hopefully it was finally, finally enough for him to get that beater spot. ​

 

[Mischa Falter-Butera]

Mish had failed to make the team the last time he had tried out, but this time was going to be different he was absolutely sure of it. Sure, the weather was absolute garbage and it was way too early in the morning for anyone sane to be awake, but Mischa dragged himself down to the pitch all the same. He wanted to make the team this time and absolutely nothing was going to get in his way of doing that. Not some younger students and not some older ones, either. He knew he was good enough and he was going to prove it then and there.

Shivering just a little in the chill, using one hand to push his hair out of his eyes, he tried to look confident as he stood there, listening to what the new captain had to say for herself. And then, he quickly stepped forward. "I'm Mischa Falter-Butera and I play beater." With an eager grin still on his lips despite the weather and time of day. Mish quickly hopped on his broom and kicked off, giving the bat in his right hand a couple of practice swings as he rose higher to try and warm it up for the upcoming workout.

He was confident as he zipped around, quickly honing in on the first bludger he could spot through the rain and giving it a good whack across the pitch. Though it took him a couple of tries before he really got his eye in, particularly trying to aim for the seekers just because he knew that was the most important. If he could prove he could hit a seeker, then he would be pretty valuable in an actual game. And he knew full well he was a valuable player and hopefully the captain wouldn't be stupid enough not to notice that.

Once he had landed again, Mish was sure he had given a good performance. He'd really smacked the bludgers around and even shown he had the aim to back it up. Now all he could do was stand there and wait and see if he had done it this time around.

 

[Natalia Novak]

Natalia had been slightly disappointed not to get the Slytherin captain badge after Liusaidh, but she also hadn’t exactly expected it. Celia was a good choice, definitely more of a leader. Natalia just hoped she wasn’t going to be too bossy. That hope was soon gone. She raised her eyebrows a little as Celia threatened to kick people off the team for not participating enough. She wondered if she would really do that. She took to the air, grabbing the quaffle from Liusaidh. She flew around, wondering who the new members of the team would be.

 

[Lucie Vernier]

When Lucie found out it was Celia who received the captains badge she couldn't help but roll her eyes a little. What a way to make her head even bigger. But Lucie wasn't exactly surprised either as the options were quite slim. At least it was Lucie's last year.

As Lucie headed down to the Quidditch pitch in the rain, she covered her head with her hood, then sighed as she gathered around with everyone to listen to the drama queen herself. The current members of the team were told to start, so Lucie did as told and mounted her broom to fly up into the air. She made her way over to the hoops, ready to block the shots that came her way from the people trying out. Some people were quite good at it, but Lucie managed to block the majority of them. The extra beaters flying around really didn't help at all though, and for the first time ever this was really the worst tryouts she had ever been to.

 

[Terror Zhefarovich]

Terror Zhefarovich was not really bothered much by the rain, or the weather. It might have been bad for some, but definitely not for him. He decided that he would try out for the team, even if he was decent at flying, and had no position in mind. He knew his dad was once a beater, but was that really for him? Maybe, maybe not. He got his scarlet streak ready and made sure it had the anti-jinx varnish on it before he left for the pitch. He made his way down to the Slytherin pitch to give it a go. If he made the team, great. If he didn't, oh well. He just needed something more to do than just classwork and homework. It was either this or dueling, or maybe both. He will just have to see. Terror did not really plan for long term things after all. He eventually made it to the pitch and listened to the captain speak. Rain already had him soaked, but he didn't care, and it showed.

His eyes looked up to see the other team members already playing, and then, when it was his turn, he walked up to the captain and spoke clearly, "Terror Zhefarovich, and I'll try out for chaser." Terror wondered if he would regret this because it was not nearly as chaotic as beaters, but then again, all the action rested with the chasers. The other positions, eh, not for him. He mounted his broom and took off into the air. He slipped his gloves on to help not slip with the weather, so he was prepared. He took off after some of the other chasers, and managed to catch the quaffle. When he was near a set of goals, he hurled it toward the hoop. Narrowly making it, but he managed regardless. Terror didn't show any sort of triumph since that could be just luck. He dodged a couple of the extra bludgers, since that seemed to be the most danger right now. The rest of the practice was smooth, ish. He only made three shots total, and he tried at least twice that. But the keeper was good, what could he say? He landed and wiped his forehead with the back of his hand. Not bad overall.​

 

[Ivelisse Burleigh]

Ivelisse could not believe Celia had been made the team's new captain. It almost felt as if Liusaidh had decided to play one more prank on them before graduating. Show them a final time that she didn't really care about the team at all. If anything, Ive felt like she had somehow lost. To Celia of all people. She had won them the cup multiple times now and yet here she was, completely looked over for the captaincy. On top of that she was sure their new captain would be hellbent on making her life as terrible as she could. Perhaps she'd show no restraint now, would knock her straight towards the hospital wing. Or maybe if she really hated her she would act on her views that Ive was the lesser seeker and just put in their alternate for every game. If she could even do that. Could she do that?

Shaking off every thought she had Ivelisse was determined not to show her disdain at the decision to have Celia take over as captain. Instead, she walked onto the pitch with her head held high. Like nothing was worrying her. At least that was what she had gotten somewhat good at over the years. Pretending like everything was fine. Ive didn't even try to listen to what Celia had to say when she started her probably very de-motivating speech. Instead, she just waited untill the rest of the team made their way up into the air and followed suit. She spend try-outs flying around in search of the snitch, dodging bludgers and other players in her way. The weather was terrible and she could have done with an hour of extra sleep but she wasn't going to just surrender to Celia's horrible ways. So, Ive did exactly what she was supposed to be. Catch the snitch. And again. And again. Ignoring everything else around her that didn't sound like a bludger heading her way. In that case, she'd dodge. Once time was up she had easily caught the snitch a number of times and yet she was sure that in the captain's eyes it still wasn't good enough. Because how could she ever be?

 

[Avery Lancaster]

There was a definite tonal shift to the team, now that Liusaidh was gone and Celia was captain, and it seemed that the weather reflected that. For someone like Avery, it was hard to tell whether Celia had deliberately chosen this day to practice ahead of time, or if the atmosphere had simply shifted in response to her. When he'd divined the weather earlier in the week, the results he'd seen had not been this bad, so he was more inclined to believe, as he usually did, that Fate had more of a hand in it.

Stepping up when it was his turn, Avery opened his mouth to speak. "Ave-" He started, though his voice was quickly drowned out by the howling wind. "Avery Lancaster. Seeker." He shouted above it. He pulled down the imperviused goggles on his head to cover his eyes, and quickly took to the skies. There was no denying how much more difficult this was going to be, even with the rain deflected from his eyes. He could barely make out the players on the other side of the pitch, behind the wall of rain, and he didn't like his chances of finding the small, golden snitch amongst them. That was, until it quite literally popped up in front of him, pausing in its flight as if deciding where else to go. Or had it paused to let him catch it? Was this Fate again? He reached forward to pluck it from the air, holding it aloft with a small smile despite himself, before releasing it again. He had a renewed sense of motivation about the practice, and flew off in search once more.

By the end of it, Avery had managed to catch the snitch a few more times, though he'd also been struck a few times by the increased number of bludgers. Once by Seamus, it had looked like, who seemed to take to the practice with his own renewed motivation. Despite the ache in his shoulder, Avie had silently wished him luck, though the benches would have been a little lonelier without him. Assuming they both made it.​

 

[Indira Khatri]

Indi would be lying if she had said being past over for quidditch captain hadn't felt like a veiled insult. First she had been past up and instead Liusaidh had chosen someone who couldn't even bother to show up for practice half the time to be her co-captain. Yes she had been on the young side but she had also been on the team longer than anyone else at the time. And now? What was the excuse? She knew Celia was capable, there was no doubt about that. And it wasn't a good look to be jealous. Not when she was so close to being free from school altogether. But it still stung as she arrived to the pitch with her broom in hand. It was physically impossible for her not to roll her eyes a few times. Finally it was time to get in the air and Indi reflexively got on her broom and grabbed hold of the quaffle the first chance she got. At least with Liusaidh gone it was her time to shine. Natalia wasn't horrible but she could hardly compare. Lucie hardly seemed like she was awake as she scored on her before the new quidditch hopefuls were in the air. She wasn't sure why Celia was so insistent they stay the whole time and she found herself yawning before it was over. Not because she was tired but because she was getting a bit bored. But she stayed all the same, hoping to see if any of the new kids got knocked off their brooms.

 

[Lennox Addison]

Lennox was less than impressed to have to return to Hogwarts again. She had fought and thrown so many tantrums over break in hopes that her parents would cave and send her to a more appropriate school. This school was beyond barbaric. But she did want to be a part of something. Since there was no ballet assembly, she decided that Quidditch was one of the few decent things here at Hogwarts. She had been surprised that she had enjoyed flying in her first year, although that felt like ages past. It was sort of graceful, even if Quidditch did have some violence that Lennox knew would be never shown in a beautiful dance. It was kind of like a dance, or at least as close as she would get.

Lennox woke up early to prepare. She brushed her hair to perfection, tying it up into a beautiful braid. As she stepped outside the castle and headed to the Quidditch Pitch, the rain instantly ruined it. The look of distaste was sown into her face as she joined the others. She hated this weather. She had put so much effort into her hair. The least the captain could do now was make her a part of the team. She knew she would be perfect at try outs. She listened to the older girl speak. She had a sharp tongue. Lennox could appreciate that. She reminded her of some of the girls she used to hang out with in boarding school. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all.

Lennox waited in the line impatiently until it was her turn to speak. The rain still falling down. "Lennox Addison. I'm trying out for a chaser position" She said shortly. She did not owe anyone an explanation as to why, but the chaser was clearly the most graceful position. Lennox swung her leg over her broom, not bothering with the annoying Up command she had learned in class the years prior. She kicked off the ground and leaned forward to begin.

It took a few seconds to gain her balance. She tried to imagine this as all one dance, a graceful movement about the field. She flew towards the individual that had the quaffle, catching it as it was passed to her. Of course, it was passed to her. She was obviously the best one here. Lennox tucked the quaffle under her arm and flew as fast as she could towards the hoop. She aimed carefully as she watched it soar through. A smug smile on her face. Lennox continued to fly about, dodging the bludgers. This was why this game was so barbaric. If something was thrown at you during a ballet performance, the person would be kicked out. Apparently, this was just another part of quidditch. She easily dodged them though.

Lennox had only four other chances to aim for the hoops after this. She missed twice, but managed to get three goals in total, including her first shot. She was a little annoyed that she had missed any at all, but she only had the annoying keepers to blame for that. It wasn't her fault obviously. Overall, Lennox knew she performed amazing, as always. She landed back on the ground, soaking wet from the rain. This had better been worth it.

 

[Atlas James-Cade]

Atlas knew there was an open spot at chaser and as far as she was concerned it had her name written all over it. She had spent her time during the previous year as an alternate and really one year as an understudy was more than enough for her, she was after all a Cade (hyphen notwithstanding) and Quidditch was in her blood, she be damned if she missed on her spot to another jumped up hopeful. Atlas waited patiently, if not a little fidgety for her turn to take shots at a poor keeper. When it was finally her turn she grabbed her broom and flew up with a quaffle in hand.

"Atlas James-Cade, trying out for chaser," She climbed onto her shiny new broom and flew up into the air with a quaffle in hand. She took turns attempting to shoot goals at the keeper. She missed her first attempt which frustrated her but she knew she was a far better chaser than the year before and there was a very good chance she'd make the rest, she just needed to relax. She was successful with the remainder of her shots which made Atlas feel a lot better about her chances of making the team. She returned to the ground and once the tryouts were complete she left the pitch with the rest of the trialists.

 

[Celia Vu]

Out of Character:

Last call for tryouts! They will be closing in roughly 24 hours!

 

[Celia Vu]

Out of Character:

Thank you to everyone who tried out! Here's this year's team:

Position	Player
Seeker	Ivelisse Burleigh
Keeper	Lucie Vernier
Beater	Celia Vuong (captain)
Beater	Seamus Reid
Chaser	Indira Khatri
Chaser	Natalia Novak
Chaser	Atlas James-Cade
Alternate Seeker	Avery Lancaster
Alternate Beater	Mischa Falter-Butera
Alternate Chaser	Lennox Addison