1 Oct 2024, 18:16
Preliminary Keeper Tryout
The new school year brought a host of fresh, eager faces to Hogwarts. Some were loud an obnoxious, most were nervous, a few others were downright shy. While he helped some new Gryffindors find their dorms and classes, he kept his eyes peeled for anyone that seemed aerodynamic, someone with a ball at their feet or a tennis racket slung over their shoulder. Heck, a track runner or a hockey player, maybe even a polo player would do in a pinch.
And what a pinch they were in. For two years now he had played on the Quidditch team, but what did Gryffindor have to show for it? Nothing. No cup, no 2nd place, no honorable mention. Whoever had written the hitpiece on the Slyhterin Broom Racing team's woeful performance was surely going to turn their attention to the Gryffindor Quidditch team next. One game in two year's time, one measly victory, that was all they had achieved.
If history was any precedent, then the Hogwarts Headliner would likely direct the blame to the Gryffindor team's leadership: Zhang @Pax Zhang and Smith @Ethan Smith, and it'd be utterly wrong in doing so. Zhang and Smith were in fact the very bedrock of the team, two of very few players who had stuck around all this time. The issue was not with the tenured players, but with the frequent rotation of players who just weren't up to it. In that regard, the positions of Keeper and Chasers had been particularly hard-hit. How were they supposed to refine their attacking play when the other two Chasers kept changing names and faces? Ever since Hannah Blossom and Haley Rose had been taken off the roster it had been a cycle of training new hopeful chasers, only to see them leave after or even before a single game had been played. Granted, neither Blossom or Rose had ever really managed to impress on the pitch. @Asleigh Hazelwood was a far more serious recent loss in that regard, the little Keeper had punched well above her weight in the games she'd played.
Leave it to @Evelynn Decipio to add another betrayal of trust to her long list of betrayals. The Fifth, now Sixth year had rejoined for a few practice sessions and after just one game, she had left again. Could he really blame her? Their performance had been woeful. He supposed he should be glad that the team no longer had a serial killer on the bench, but bonkers or not, when she had been Seeker the Gryffindor Quidditch team had flourished, or so the record showed. @Elsian Cox was doing his best to fill her shoes, in so far as the lousy boy was capable of 'doing his best' at anything that didn't involve frequent naps, but it just wasn't enough.
Every year a significant group of first-years would sign up, thinking that just because they'd zoomed around on toy broom for half a weekend, they were going to make the difference. Half of them didn't play any sports yet, in their infinite arrogance, they still applied.
With a sharp pull, Finnegan tightened the straps on his leather gauntlets and glanced at the clipboard he'd been given. Yet another sign of the team's desparation, handing him a clipboard to separate the wheat from the chaff after the latest flurry of applications had rolled in. There was some sense to it, he supposed, letting a Chaser decide who among the hopeful Keepers wasn't utterly inadequate.
He picked up the clipboard and scanned the list.
His eyes fell on the final row in the table, and he was shocked to see it wasn't another first year.
----
In just under half an hour he had scared off two of the first-years, sent one to the nurse with a severe nose-bleed and the last one, Harrow, had managed to keep exactly one Quaffle out of the hoops. "Alright, well done you," he said. "I think I've seen enough for now, I'll let you know this week if you're through." He gained no pleasure from giving the young, shaggy-haired boy false hope, but crushing his dreams with the truth would be just as cruel.
"Right then, that leaves just you, Ms. Quinn" He'd been looking forward to testing her the most and in a way, he had already started his test by making her wait. Considering discipline might become an issue with her, it was helpful to see how much patience Ms. Quinn could muster — a way of measuring how eager she really was to get on the team.
"We'll start on the ground, no broom necessary, let's see about your reflexes." He'd brought out a football specially for his first test. While he could throw a ball just as accurately as he could kick it, he could put a bit more power behind a kick. If she was serious about becoming a Keeper she wouldn't flinch or duck like the last kid had.
He stood back about 20 yards to line up his shot. "I'll be shooting straight at you at first. Catching it is best, but blocking or deflecting is good too. Just don't let it the ball get past you. Then I'll do some swerve shots. Ready?"
She had better be ready, because the first shot flew right at her face!
@Niamh Quinn
OOC note: I'll prettify this post later (and add a date). Gotta run now!
And what a pinch they were in. For two years now he had played on the Quidditch team, but what did Gryffindor have to show for it? Nothing. No cup, no 2nd place, no honorable mention. Whoever had written the hitpiece on the Slyhterin Broom Racing team's woeful performance was surely going to turn their attention to the Gryffindor Quidditch team next. One game in two year's time, one measly victory, that was all they had achieved.
If history was any precedent, then the Hogwarts Headliner would likely direct the blame to the Gryffindor team's leadership: Zhang @Pax Zhang and Smith @Ethan Smith, and it'd be utterly wrong in doing so. Zhang and Smith were in fact the very bedrock of the team, two of very few players who had stuck around all this time. The issue was not with the tenured players, but with the frequent rotation of players who just weren't up to it. In that regard, the positions of Keeper and Chasers had been particularly hard-hit. How were they supposed to refine their attacking play when the other two Chasers kept changing names and faces? Ever since Hannah Blossom and Haley Rose had been taken off the roster it had been a cycle of training new hopeful chasers, only to see them leave after or even before a single game had been played. Granted, neither Blossom or Rose had ever really managed to impress on the pitch. @Asleigh Hazelwood was a far more serious recent loss in that regard, the little Keeper had punched well above her weight in the games she'd played.
Leave it to @Evelynn Decipio to add another betrayal of trust to her long list of betrayals. The Fifth, now Sixth year had rejoined for a few practice sessions and after just one game, she had left again. Could he really blame her? Their performance had been woeful. He supposed he should be glad that the team no longer had a serial killer on the bench, but bonkers or not, when she had been Seeker the Gryffindor Quidditch team had flourished, or so the record showed. @Elsian Cox was doing his best to fill her shoes, in so far as the lousy boy was capable of 'doing his best' at anything that didn't involve frequent naps, but it just wasn't enough.
Every year a significant group of first-years would sign up, thinking that just because they'd zoomed around on toy broom for half a weekend, they were going to make the difference. Half of them didn't play any sports yet, in their infinite arrogance, they still applied.
With a sharp pull, Finnegan tightened the straps on his leather gauntlets and glanced at the clipboard he'd been given. Yet another sign of the team's desparation, handing him a clipboard to separate the wheat from the chaff after the latest flurry of applications had rolled in. There was some sense to it, he supposed, letting a Chaser decide who among the hopeful Keepers wasn't utterly inadequate.
He picked up the clipboard and scanned the list.
At this rate he might just as well ring his old kindergarten and ask if they had someone available. What were any of these kids thinking? When having played hide-and-seek made you seem the most suitable candidate for a highly competitive sport, something was awfully wrong.Aiden Flint - First year. Applying for: keeper. 4"11, skinny. No previous sport experience.
Theo Vance - First year. Applying for: keeper. 4"9, rotund. Cited playing hide and seek as relevant experience.
Poppy Lockley - First year. Applying for: keeper. 5"0, slender. Seems to be afraid of getting hit by the ball.
Jasper Harrow - First year. Applying for: keeper. 4"10, average build. Near-sighted and a bit deaf in one ear.
His eyes fell on the final row in the table, and he was shocked to see it wasn't another first year.
Fucking finally, he thought. Quinn could be morbidly obese, deaf, have a crippling fear of heights and still be a more suitable candidate than Flint or Vance. He read on.Niamh Quinn - Third year.
The preliminary assessment seemed right to him. He'd seen Quinn in class often enough to know that she was fiery - and somewhat inflammable - personality. That could indeed well prove an issue when it came to following leadership, but it beat training up another doe-eyed first-year by a mile. Please don't be shite, he thought as he stood up. With clipboard and quaffle in one hand and his broom in the other, Finnegan stepped out onto the training pitch and waited for the hopeful keepers to arrive.Niamh Quinn - Third year.
Applying for: Keeper
Build: average stature and build (5"1, 96lbs)
Note: Very energetic, but struggles with authority. Makes up her own mind. Might struggle to stick to strategy if she disagrees.
----
In just under half an hour he had scared off two of the first-years, sent one to the nurse with a severe nose-bleed and the last one, Harrow, had managed to keep exactly one Quaffle out of the hoops. "Alright, well done you," he said. "I think I've seen enough for now, I'll let you know this week if you're through." He gained no pleasure from giving the young, shaggy-haired boy false hope, but crushing his dreams with the truth would be just as cruel.
"Right then, that leaves just you, Ms. Quinn" He'd been looking forward to testing her the most and in a way, he had already started his test by making her wait. Considering discipline might become an issue with her, it was helpful to see how much patience Ms. Quinn could muster — a way of measuring how eager she really was to get on the team.
"We'll start on the ground, no broom necessary, let's see about your reflexes." He'd brought out a football specially for his first test. While he could throw a ball just as accurately as he could kick it, he could put a bit more power behind a kick. If she was serious about becoming a Keeper she wouldn't flinch or duck like the last kid had.
He stood back about 20 yards to line up his shot. "I'll be shooting straight at you at first. Catching it is best, but blocking or deflecting is good too. Just don't let it the ball get past you. Then I'll do some swerve shots. Ready?"
She had better be ready, because the first shot flew right at her face!
@Niamh Quinn
OOC note: I'll prettify this post later (and add a date). Gotta run now!
"He's a dweeby chocolate bar lip smacking nerd" - Evelynn Decipio