Knowledge from Above PV - Aly S. & Avery G.

Interacting with: @Skylar Blue and @Aly Salinger Mentioning: N/A Date: N/A

Word Count: 286

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The day was peaceful. Bright sunlight streamed across the grounds as a light breeze blew past. Avery gripped her Silver Arrow in her hand. She was hoping to get in some last minute practice before the end of the year. Yes, it was her off season now that Quidditch had ended for the year, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t sharpen her skills. Everyone always said that practice always made perfect, and Avery knew that to be true. She had seen it. Especially with the other house Quidditch teams. Each team put in an effort unparalleled to other houses. That was the way things were. Passion was always a major factor. Suddenly, bright red sparks flew through the air. A warning. Something was wrong. It was a cry for help, and Avery knew she had to find out what had happened. Without thinking, Avery jumped on her broom and soared across the grounds until she had come upon the source of the red sparks. A girl in Gryffindor robes was wedged between the branches of a tree. Avery winced. The position the girl was in looked be try uncomfortable. She had to get her out. That was what mattered now. “Hold on! I’m going to try and figure out how to get you out!” Avery called out to the girl and she hoped the other girl heard. Avery ran a hand through her loose waves. What was she going to do? There was no way she could safely get the girl out alone. How had the girl gotten up there anyway? What had happened to cause this? Avery made a mental note to ask after she had safely helped the girl get back to the ground.

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Since her last Quidditch match, the absolute insanity against Hufflepuff, had ended nearly three weeks before, it had begun to slowly dawn upon the graduating Ravenclaw seventh-year that she may never truly play Quidditch again. Sure, she had a job offer for July - when she'd leave Hogwarts and embark out on her own, a true adult at last with freedom in her veins for the first time in her short life - and since it was on a ship, said job would probably involve a lot of the "wind in her hair" and "fresh air" that she had always said she so loved about flying. And Aly was an Animagus now, had been for nearly a year, since that fateful evening on the top of the London Quidditch Stadium - she could fly just as easily as a bird, or perhaps a butterfly, since that was her animal form. She no longer needed a broomstick (or a Floating Potion) in order to get herself in the air.

So why was she so sad about leaving the Quidditch team? It was the comradery, the sense of being in a team, the excitement that sparked down her spine at the beginning of every match, the fun and routine of going to (and, recently, leading) practices twice a week. None of that could be found by going for a solo fly on a Saturday afternoon, her beloved Oakshaft gripped tightly in her hands, but yet the seventh-year Ravenclaw found herself doing so anyway, zooming around the spires of Ravenclaw Tower before doing a somewhat dangerous dive underneath the aqueduct and a loop-de-loop around one of the statues near the courtyard. She was just nearing the Quidditch pitch, a site she'd categorically avoided since her final match since she was liable to burst into tears if she stepped foot on it again, when all of a sudden a burst of red sparks from a tree nearby caught her attention. Aly squinted, trying to see what was the matter, but when another broom-riding figure zipped to the rescue of whosoever had sent up the sparks, the Ravenclaw sighed and dove down to help. Probably another first-year had gotten their cat stuck up a tree again and hadn't yet learned the Summoning Charm.

Instead of a cat up a tree, however, it was a first-year up a tree that Aly found when she came to hover by some of the leafy branches. A young girl who looked vaguely familiar, with a shock of bright blue hair, was all tangled in the tree, a broom hovering near the ground nearby; she'd clearly been the victim of an accident. This is what happens when firsties are given unprecedented solo access to brooms, said a little voice in the back of Aly's head before she firmly reminded herself that she had once been eleven on a broomstick that was far too big for her to control. Aly cocked her head to the side, eyeing the girl for a moment before familiarity swatted her in the face like she was a Billywig. "Ah! You're the one from the ball," she said, remembering how she had ordered a similarly blue-haired child out of the way before hosing down a fire with a powerful jet of water from her wand. "Gotten yourself into another spot of trouble, it seems."

Another girl was nearby, too, and this one Aly also recognised as one of Gryffindor's second-string players; she had just commentated on the Slytherin vs. Gryffindor match a few weeks before, the same day as her own final time upon the pitch. "Gray, was it? From Gryffindor?" she said, trying to remember if she'd gotten the girl's name right. "Very noble of you to come over and help. Here, I think if you catch her on your broom, I can charm her out by severing this branch here. Ready? Consider it good practice for saving others on the pitch."

She readied her wand at the biggest branch that seemed to have snagged the first-year girl, then made a V-shape with a wavy end with the tip. "Diffindo!" Sure enough, the branch easily broke in two, giving way for the younger girl to fall and (hopefully) be caught by the other younger girl. (The Ravenclaw had been practicing for her N.E.W.T.s, that much was clear at least by the ease with which she cast the spell and its excellent success.) See Reducio below for roll. If not, Aly was prepared to swoop in and try to catch the first-year herself, but she hoped that wouldn't really be necessary.

May 23, 2026 | outfit in banner (Ravenclaw sweater, trousers) | @Skylar Blue, @Avery Gray | #C47DDB
lovely & charmer affect everyone | sta 10, eva 14, str 5, wis 19, arc 7, acc 18

Reducio

Spell check:

Interacting with: @Skylar Blue and @Aly Salinger Mentioning: N/A Date: N/A

Word Count: 439

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Avery was relieved when an older Ravenclaw girl showed up out of nowhere. She remembered the girl from past Quidditch games and believed she was the Captain of the Ravenclaw Quidditch Team as well as their first string Seeker. She was a good player and Avery vaguely remembered her name being Aly Salinger? Was that it? Avery shook her head as she listened to the older girl. Catching a first year on her broom? Why not? Seemed easy enough considering she had done much more dangerous maneuvers being a Quidditch player. She had to focus otherwise things would end badly. Avery nodded when Aly asked about her name. "Yes. And you're Salinger from Ravenclaw?" She questioned. With her luck her memory had failed her again and she'd caused herself yet another embarrassing moment in front of her older peers. "Seems easy enough to catch her. I've done worse out on the pitch. Don't worry. You're in god hands. I'll make sure you don't fall." Avery commented to the younger girl who was stuck in the tree. Avery prepared herself for the impact of the girl's weight upon her broom. She knew it would throw the two of them off balance, but Avery had trained enough in scenarios where she had to quickly adjust that something simple like someone landing atop her broom seemed like a walk in the park. She had seen it done enough times and needed the practice anyway just in case it came down to her saving one of her teammates in a match. Avery watched as Aly expertly maneuvered her wand and cast a beautiful Diffindo. It sliced through the branch easily and Avery was ready for the girl to fall upon her broom. At the last second, Avery moved slightly. Just enough that the girl could safely fall upon her broom and hopefully not be as hurt. Landing hard on a broom even with the protection spells on it didn't mean it still didn't hurt. Avery winced as the girl landed atop her broom. It was a hard impact, but at least the girl was safely down from the tree. "See? Safe landing, eh? Good work team." Avery smiled. The three girls may not be on the same team together, but when it came down to the wire, they had worked together and made it. "Well, I better get you to the ground. Don't want you falling again." Avery smiled as she gently lowered her broom to the ground in order to let the girl safely get off. "Now, how exactly did you get up there? I don't see a broom nearby." Avery questioned.

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꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱ ☾☼☽ +:｡.｡　 ༺❀༻　｡.｡:+☾☼☽ ꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱

Mentions: @Aly Salinger, @Avery Gray

WC: 254

Hex code: #0050b4

꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱ ☾☼☽ +:｡.｡　 ༺❀༻　｡.｡:+☾☼☽ ꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

x

"Now, how exactly did you get up there? I don't see a broom nearby." Skylar feels herself flush with embarrassment as she faces the older Gryffindor. She had seen the girl in one of their unofficial broom races, and Skylar is positive that she is also a Quidditch player. In front of her was another student as well, whom she thinks she had a run-in with at the Spring Ball. She remembers the seventh-year casting an advanced spell to extinguish the fire. Oh, and she was the Ravenclaw's Quidditch captain. Skylar wants to sink into the floor just about now. Not only was she found by two older students, they were both in the sport she dreams of playing. She cannot help but feel like a scolded child as the two older years look at her expectantly. "Well... I did have a broom. It just flew somewhere else when I lost control, I suppose." The first year mutters, slightly embarrassed. "Thank you both for helping me from... that." She gestures towards the tree, the split branch acting as evidence of her rescue. "I wanted to try a new evasive maneuver that I see many of the Quidditch players to. Like they would be flying, but then flip upside-down the last second and evade the other team. It seemed so cool and I was foolish enough to think I could do it..." With a flustered laugh, the little Gryffindor scratches the back of her neck. "And, uh, that did not really go so well..."

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The convoluted plan seemed to go off without a hitch, as not only did Aly properly remember the young Gryffindor second-string's name (it was odd to be addressed as her surname outside of the pitch, but she supposed that, like herself, the other girl hadn't had an opportunity to learn her first name, only that which was shouted upon their entrance to each match), but both of the other girls also pulled off their parts successfully. The first-year (at least, Aly was assuming as such because of her size, but then again, Aly herself had been mistaken for a firstie several times in the last month alone due to her petite height) seemed to be thoroughly embarrassed as she was lowered to the ground on the back of Gray's broom. "Nice job," Aly called out to the older girl for her catch, and then she swept herself on her Oakshaft around to the back of the tree to nab the floating stick that she presumed the littlest one of their group had been on before she had crashed. It looked to be a Nimbus of some sort, though Aly couldn't remember exactly what model - not a bad broom for a child so young.

She circled round to the front of the tree again, letting the tips of her boot-clad feet drag lightly along the dewy grass before skidding to a practiced stop in front of the others. What good was six years of Quidditch experience if you didn't use it to show off every so often? "I presume this is yours, then," she said with a light tease in her tone, handing the Nimbus back over to the younger lass. "Sorry, I dunno your name? But don't worry, we've all fallen off brooms before. Better that you had a tree to catch you, though - I've seen people do tumbles off the top of the Divination Tower because they tried a Spiral Dive and lost control of their broom." She neglected to mention that the "people" in question had been her herself, of course, and instead added to the younger pair, "I'm Aly, by the way."

Finally, she smiled at the younger girl's admission of what she had been trying to do. "The Sloth Grip Roll," the seventh-year said, nodding sagely; she'd fallen off her broom many a time trying to perfect that just earlier this year. "That's a N.E.W.T.-level Flying move, you know! Definitely doable as a younger player, but... hard." She nodded towards the Nimbus. "Why don't you try it again, just... hovering above the ground so you don't fall too far if you accidentally let go? I'll see what I can do to help."

May 23, 2026 | outfit in banner (Ravenclaw sweater, trousers) | @Skylar Blue, @Avery Gray | #C47DDB
lovely & charmer affect everyone | sta 10, eva 14, str 5, wis 19, arc 7, acc 18

꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱ ☾☼☽ +:｡.｡　 ༺❀༻　｡.｡:+☾☼☽ ꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱

Mentions: @Aly Salinger, @Avery Gray

WC: 247

Hex code: #0050b4

꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱ ☾☼☽ +:｡.｡　 ༺❀༻　｡.｡:+☾☼☽ ꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

x

Skylar's eyes widen as the seventh-year slows to a smooth stop before her. The confidence and grace she carries herself with is so incredibly certain, making the little first-year look up in admiration. "I'm Aly, by the way." "Skylar. Skylar Blue." The blue-haired girl responds, still feeling slightly giddy at the prospect of meeting someone so impressive. She turns to the Gryffindor next to her as well and offers a little smile. She feels like a nervous fan surrounded by her dream idols, but who can blame her? These were real, actual Quidditch players! She would be damned if she did not use this opportunity to learn something new. Thanking Aly as she retrieves her broom, Skylar listens intently as the Quidditch captain tells her about the "Sloth Grip Roll." N.E.W.T level flying move? That explains why it was harder than she had imagined. "Why don't you try it again, just... hovering above the ground so you don't fall too far if you accidentally let go? I'll see what I can do to help." Nodding enthusiastically, Skylar mounts her broom and levitates a few feet off the ground. With a swift motion, the girl flips herself upside-down, her hair barely brushing the grass below. It takes a while for her to get her bearings, given that everything is now flipped. "How is this? I think I have the flipping part down. Just not the whole flying while upside-down." She says, looking over at the two older students.

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✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

Interacting with: @Skylar Blue and @Aly Salinger Mentioning: N/A Date: N/A

Word Count: 366

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Avery listened carefully as the younger girl explained what had happened. Of course, it had come down to the broom trick throwing her off balance and into a tree. Avery many times herself had attempted a trick she knew was above her skill level and landed far too many times in unpleasant positions. Avery winced at the memory of the many times she had fallen off her old school broom as a young first year before she had had the chance to join the Gryffindor Quidditch team. Those were not memories Avery was fond of. "Ah, yes. Good old broom tricks. They always get the best of us. You were lucky to be thrown into a tree unscathed." Avery laughed lightly. Avery listened as Aly spoke. Wow. A Newt flying level skill? That was an impressive broom trick for a first year to be trying. Even Avery as a second year didn't dare try the seventh-year trick just yet. Crashing a Newt level skill didn't sound pleasant. "Nice to meet you both. I'm Avery." Avery smiled. Then it came down to watching carefully. There was no way Avery was going to try the skill out yet, but that didn't mean she wouldn't learn from an older student offering to show how to do it. Avery never backed down from learning something new. She never knew when that trick or thing she had learned in the past may actually come in handy. Avery was in awe as she watched the young first year she now knew as Skylar flip her broom upside down. It was impressive that the girl was able to hold on. Avery shivered at the feeling she remembered from flying a short distance upside down and feeling all the blood rush t her head. She had nearly passed out many times from the exertion. "Impressive! It takes time getting used to flying upside down. Especially when the feeling of blood rushing into your head comes. Just keep breathing." Avery smiled at the younger girl. So far, so good. She just hoped things wouldn't escalate and turn downhill quickly. That always seemed to happen if something went wrong when it came to flying with brooms.

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The girls were named Skylar and Avery, respectively; Aly filed those names away in her mind, though she doubted she'd likely ever see either of them again after this afternoon. Graduation was looming in just over a month, and while the seventh-year was definitely planning on keeping in touch with many of her fellow seniors and several of her friends a year or two younger, there were so many first- and second-years here at Hogwarts whose names would likely never even cross her path for the remainder of their lives. Still, in case she did see one of these two in the corridors over the next few weeks, it was good to know to whom she would be speaking. Aly chuckled with a nod at the youngest girl's hair. "So clearly the surname came first, and the dye followed?"

Skylar was actually quite adept at hanging upside down off her broom, though Aly of course knew from experience that it was much easier when one was lower to the ground and not moving at high speeds. She shrugged, crouching in the grass near the first-year's head and tilting her own cranium to one side so as to sort of, at least, not seem completely upside-down to the younger girl.

"Yeah, that's it," she encouraged gently, nodding in the other, older girl's direction. "And that's good advice, Avery. So many of my players forget to breathe when trying new maneouvres - you'd be shocked at the amount of them I've had to cart off to the Hospital Wing looking all blue in the face after rehearsal." A smile crossed the teen's freckled face. "Ah, I keep calling them 'my players' as if I've not played my last match here. Sorry. Old habits."

Aly stood, brushing slight grass stains off her trousers. "Honestly, Skylar, you're doing quite well. I wouldn't recommend trying to fly high or at fast speeds yet, but just practice that a time or two a day and you'll be able to do it more quickly and in difficult situations in no time." She pointed a finger at Avery. "Now, I know you're on the Gryffindor Quidditch team - I've definitely seen you around - but what about you, kid?" The seventh-year glanced back down at Skylar. "Likely not aiming for a Beater role with a move like that. Or are you hoping for a spot on your House's Broom Racing team someday?"

May 23, 2026 | outfit in banner (Ravenclaw sweater, trousers) | @Skylar Blue, @Avery Gray | #C47DDB
lovely & charmer affect everyone | sta 10, eva 14, str 5, wis 19, arc 7, acc 18