Alumni Quidditch Spectators errand

While Jo generally fancied herself quite a Quidditch fan, it was only with dampened enthusiasm that she made her way to the stands. There was something just a little bit disappointing about getting to watch a Quidditch match where none of the players were guaranteed to be any good. Sure, they might've played Quidditch back when they were in school, but the mere fact that they had graduated into boring, normal jobs seemed like the only indictment necessary on their Quidditch skills. It would've been better if they simply let the campers play (Jo didn't yet know how to fly very well, but she wasn't going let that stop her from trying to claim a beater's bat).

Still, bad Quidditch was better than no Quidditch, and there didn't seem to be anything more interesting to do, so she found herself climbing the stands, scanning around for someone she knew or a good place to watch from. It didn't take long before her gaze fell on a head of dark curls wearing a familiar green jumper, only a few rows below where she was standing. It seemed Alfie had come to watch the game. It made perfect sense, given he'd been so keen to appear as if he just loved Quidditch. It was strange, and deeply irritating.

Jo could've ignored him and just found somewhere else to sit, but she knew she'd be distracted trying to find him in the crowd whenever anything interesting happened, trying to see his reaction and gauge how far the farce would go. She might as well save her herself the trouble. Bracing herself with a sigh, she took the steps back down to his level and walked up to the seat next to him.

"Alfie," She acknowledged him with a nod and a too wide smile. "You don't mind, yeah?" She didn't wait for him to respond before pulling herself into the seat to his left. She took a second to take in the pitch and the assembled players. As expected, she didn't recognise any of them. She drummed her fingers on her legs, expectant, as she waited for snitch and the bludgers to be released. She glanced back at Alfie. She didn't know yet whether she wanted to directly confront him, or just ask him Quidditch questions he wouldn't know the answer to until he gave up his charade, so she went for some small talk instead. "Who do you think will win?" She had decided on the spot that she would root for the Battling Abraxans. They had the better name.

(@Alfie Owen)

Entertaining.

That was what the Quidditch match was feeling like. Now that Penelope was here, it would be more fun.

Over the past month, they did meet a couple of times, but didn't have much conversation. They did decide that they'd watch the match together. That's what led to right now.

Just as she joined him, Aaron saw one of the players being beaten off their broom. "Ooh, that's got to hurt." he thought.

As Penelope asked for butterbeer, Aaron gave her a recently passed on glass, thanks to Prof. Katherine. He was still hoping to be able to catch an interaction with her during or after the match.

As Penelope asked Aaron the team he was supporting, he replied

"Neither for now. I'm just here to learn more about the game to play it later on."

Penelope then commented on the name of the second team, which he later learned renamed themselves to the Battling Abraxans.

So, how found of Quidditch are you in general?"

he asked, hoping to learn more about her and getting to know her better.

He knew there was still time at Hogwarts to get to know her, but he felt they wouldn't get much time together like they had now.

Soon later they were joined by another friendly face, namely Diana Roberts. Even though they shared a cabin, Aaron wasn't able to get much time to talk with her apart from when they moved in and maybe a couple times after that.

She was a fun person to hang out with. That's why he didn't mind when she joined them.

He was about to introduce them to each other when he realised that they Diana already knew Penelope.

As she shared her interest about the sport, Aaron wondered about the opportunities available at Hogwarts for the same for novices like himself.

"While I am interested in Quidditch, I have not played it yet sadly. In a way, this is the first official match I've watched in a while since my dad can't handle the magic as you remember from our time in the Leaky Cauldron."

Aaron answered.

"I didn't know Hogwarts offered Broom Racing as a sport. I might join it if I can. I don't want to join Dueling right now as I don't know much, but maybe later in my first year, definitely by the time I'm in my second year."

Aaron said.

Broom racing did sound like an interesting sport. He would want to watch a match or two for the same before signing up himself, but if allowed, he might sign up around Easter.

When asked for who he was supporting, Aaron said,

"None right now. I'm just here to enjoy the match and get to know people. The weather is also pleasant to be outside! So, just going to enjoy all of this and then focus on packing and preparing for Hogwarts!"

"Diana, how are the teachers at Hogwarts? I am planning to meet Prof. Katherine after the match ends and maybe get to know a bit about her subject and how to be better prepared for it. What are your thoughts for the same?"

He then thought about something he was asked to answer back when he was 10 years old for all the people turning 9: "What would you want to tell your younger self?" "No harm in asking it myself" he thought and asked Diana for any tips and key points to have in mind when coming on the 1st, the first few weeks and so on.

Just as he completed asking the question, he saw that the Professor in-charge of the match had just issued a penalty lap for one of the players. Apparently they had knocked off someone from their broom, which is a foul. Hopefully that doesn't happen to him.

Illowy had never had the proclivity really to ever attempt to join a Quidditch team, or even play a pickup match (spending most of your childhood deathly afraid of falling, and thus broom riding tended to dampen those sorts of prospects), but by Merlin did she love to watch the game being played! It was so odd and nostalgic to be back at the pitch, even if it was only for a few hours to watch her old classmates. It was still exciting, nevertheless.

Just as well, being back on the grounds of Hogwarts restoked the memory of why she was joining the Aurors. She'd wanted to make herself stronger, and she wanted to protect the people she loved and the people who weren't able to protect themselves. Illowy had just received her acceptance into the program the week prior after having spent the last year with the wind in her wings; traveling the world with Ruby, learning and collecting and taking in everything the world at large could possibly have to offer her. It had been the most magical year of her life, and it would have never happened if it weren't for Ruby. She'd have likely spend the last year doing nothing but shutting herself up at home other than for training if it weren't for Ruby pulling her into the light.

The world had become a much more promising place after graduation.

From her place in the stands, it wasn't hard to spy her girlfriend aloft. Towards the other side of the pitch, she was fairly certain she could spy Bridget, her best friend, on the opposite team. It was a healthy mix between people she knew or recognized, and those she didn't. And aside from the absolutely suffocating weather, she thought it would prove to be a good match as long as no one got overheated.

WC: 438/400
Mentions: @Angel Dayes
OPEN TO INTERACTIONS

Bella definitely was not expecting to see groups of students rushing through the Hogwarts school hallways that August day. She was even more surprised when she saw that everybody was running outside!

It's so hot...so humid...why is everyone so excited?

Bella followed the rest of the crowd outside, where she gasped and finally understood. She had completely forgotten that the Second Annual Alumni Quidditch Event was being hosted today! Rushing to grab a seat, she saw several professors rushing around, trying to keep order.

She recognized one of the alumni as a professional quidditch player that she had once saw in-person, but the others seemed to be from other careers who simply came for experience and FUN!

Bella clapped her hands excitedly and turned to a girl sitting next to her. Her name was Angel, if she remembered correctly. Angel was in the same Hogwarts house as Bella.

"Hi! Angel, right? I'm Bella. I'm also a Slytherin, as you can tell by my clothing! Nice to meet you! Who do you think will win, Nebula Drift or Battling Abraxans? I mean, honestly, I don't know a lot about Quidditch yet, but I do hope I can learn about it more as time goes on! What about you?"

Bella turned back to the quidditch field, where many of the alumni were greeting each other, hugging and talking loudly. She supposed that it was likely they haven't met since graduation, brought together only by a school event. They probably missed each other a lot and had a lot of things to catch up on!

Suddenly, a male voice made an announcement about the fact that they are playing quidditch, which Bella already knew. However, hearing it in real life made it all more exciting for Bella. She was sure that no matter which team won, she would still have a lot of fun! Just watching the game and making new friends themselves is enough reason to spend that hot summer day outdoors.

Turning back to Angel, Bella continued talking.
"Are you excited for the match? I heard that some people were betting on who would win, placing money and sweets on the line, though I don't know either team or the game rules enough to pick a side! And, oh! I'm sorry if I'm talking too much! I'm just really really really excited for this quidditch game! And oh, where are my manners? How are you, Angel? How's school life been? Are you having fun?"

OOC NOTES: Angel, thanks for letting me mention you in my thread! I hope you don't mind!

WC: 884/400
Mentions: @Josephine Byrne
Reacted up to first moderation post.

Alfie still knew very little about what quidditch actually was. Obviously it was their sport, and the enthusiasm with which he’d heard people speak of it was on par with football or rugby. In fact everything about it from the memorabilia to the trash talk reminded him so much of football and rugby that he had to keep telling himself as he set out for the event that this was going to be something entirely different. Unless he was very much mistaken, this was going to be played with flying brooms. The stadium appeared to confirm his hunch as the spectator stands were elevated far above the field. Alfie’s excitement rose as he climbed the stairs. Ever since he’d heard that flying was possible he’d been itching to see it, and someday to try it out himself.

He had just found a seat when the first flyer sped by. Alfie immediately rose to his feet to get a better look and only sat down again when he realized that he was the only one to do so. He was struck then by how high up they were. Alfie wasn’t especially frightened of heights, but he wasn’t blind to the danger either and the brooms were moving much faster than he had expected. He had not seen nearly enough magic up to this point to have become jaded and he found himself fascinated by everything. The game had not started and the players had barely taken their places but Alfie was already on the edge of his seat craning his neck to try to take it all in. He didn’t notice he had company until Jo was already taking a seat beside him. He belatedly registered her question.

“Please! Help yourself,” he said, trying to ignore the fact that she already had. His expression was also a bit tight, though perhaps his fake smile was a bit more practiced than Jo’s. Though Alfie valued Jo as a potential ally, he wasn’t pleased by her presence. He had regarded the game as an enjoyable fact finding expedition. Jo’s presence had turned it into a performance, with the necessity of resuming his confident persona and faking a familiarity with the magical world that he didn’t have.

His attention was now divided between the pitch and his own performance, and what was happening in the air was very distracting. It might even have been enough to make him forget Jo’s presence if she hadn’t addressed him again

"Who do you think will win?"

“Oh, um...” Alfie was somewhat prepared with his answer as the question had already occurred to him. “Him– I mean them,” he said, and he pointed in the direction of Arjan Oberoi and the other Abraxans. “I mean, I don’t know these particular players–” Alfie thought it was safe to admit that much– “but–” he wanted to say 'look at the size of him', but settled for– “they seem to have the better line up.”

Obviously, Alfie was talking shite, but if his amateur boxing experience had taught him anything it was that blokes with arms like that gorilla (Arjan) would beat blokes with arms like Alfie’s any day of the week. Not that all of the opposing team looked weak, by any standard. There was a man with a bat on the other team (Howard White) that Alfie had almost selected, but Arjan Oberoi had looked scarier somehow. Alfie was a bit concerned about some of the other flyers though. Some of them were quite small. Of course, at this point Alfie still had no idea what the objective of this game was.

A moment later Alfie realized he was right to be concerned. He jumped to his feet as a player (Ruby Cazares) was knocked from her broom. “Iesu Mawr!¹ Did you see? That poor woman!”

“Duw, duw, duw,”² Alfie muttered, still standing and craning to see what a wizard ambulance might look like. His face was unnaturally ashen as the color completely drained out of him, even his hair had paled. He expected the game to be called and was not at all prepared for what was to come.

“Iesu Grist!”³ Alfie shouted as his ‘favorite’ player intentionally hit a ball at a woman (Evelynn Decipio) on the opposite team, knocking her off her broom. “IESU! Ffyc uffern i!⁴ That was intentional, that was! Red card! Red card, ya cachgi!⁵” In his anger, Alfie’s color shifted again, this time red as if to match the penalty he was calling for.

But before a ref could react, the opposing big-armed bloke(Howard White) had sent another of the crazy large balls crashing into the first big-armed bloke (Arjan Oberoi). “Serves you right you, coc oen!⁶” Alfie shouted. He blushed, or rather he thought he blushed when actually the opposite was true. He’d missed the miraculous save by the coc oen’s fellow team member, so for all he knew he’d just cursed a dead man. It was enough to neutralize the red he’d been seeing earlier. His complexion returned to a more natural color. “I– I can’t believe he did that!” he said, by way of explanation. “He meant to kill that girl! Madness! That’s three people down!” (Actually it was four, but Alfie had lost count.) “Do you think any of them survived?”


--------------------------------

Welsh Glossary:

Reducio

1Iesu Mawr	Welsh interj.(YEH-si MAH-oor)
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx	An expression of surprise. Literally "Great Jesus" but used similarly to Good God! or Jesus Christ!
x	x
2Duw, duw, duw	Welsh interj.(DEE-oo, DEE-oo, DEE-oo)
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx	Literally "God, God, God!" but depending on the inflection it can be used to express mild shock, surprise, disbelief, dismay, frustration, or sympathy.
x	x
3Iesu Grist!	Welsh p.n./interj.(YEH-si greest)
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx	Jesus Christ
x	x
4Ffyc uffern i	Welsh interj(fook EE-farn ee)
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx	Effing Hell.
x	x
5cachgi	Welsh, n.(KHACH-gee)
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx	Literal meaning is dog excrement, but it has come to mean coward.
x	x
6coc oen	Welsh, n.(kok oy-n)
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx	Lamb's willy
x	x

Word Count:535

Date: August 21st, 2026
Time: Morning
Location: Quidditch Stadiums, Hogwarts

Xio was nearing the top of the stands during the initial beginning of the Quidditch game as they quickly filled in with a variety of alumni and students. She had noticed earlier that something was being prepared at the stadiums and without really understanding what was happening or why, took a seat and just observed with unguided intent.

The weather was insufferable.

It seemed like the only thing the sun was doing was finding the best way to beam down onto Hogwarts grounds. There is no why they did not charm the weather for this activity, someone is lyyyiing. Xio hissed to herself as she placed a hand over her eyes in a weak attempt to block the suns rays from her vulnerable pupils. As she scanned the crowd she immediately noticed her friend @Bella Light trying to get a better view of the field.

"Bellllllaa!"

Xio yelled as she quickly began making her way down the stands towards her, she didn't realize on her way up just how steep the stands were, she stumbled and slid down a few but graciously recovered by balancing on her heels and leaning as far back as she could. Before she could further embarrass herself, she quickly hopped the last few steps, brushing past a few students who were too occupied by the excitement happening down on the field, and ending up beside Bella with a final huff.

"I'm alive! Woah-hey Bella! What terrible weather for us to be out in for such a spectacle, right?!"

Xio started with a smile as she rebalanced with a nearby banister, trying to not crowd the area as she sat, which was nearly impossible to do since most were touching shoulder-to-shoulder. She placed her hand back over her eyes as she tried to focus in on who was on the field.

"Who are you rooting for? I can't really read the names from here, and I wasn't paying attention to the guy talking earlier, but all I'm hoping for is someone gets hurt! Zev says that a real game of Quidditch isn't experienced if you aren't holding your breath at least a few times through out a game!"

Xio was clapping and cheering, although it was mainly because so was everyone else as the players zoomed into the field, it was then she caught a better glimpse at who was on the teams and gasped in delight.

"Is that Arjan?! AND the Headmaster for Ilvermorny?! Woah they pulled some strings for this event! Zev has told me about him, but I didn't think I'd encounter a celebrity no less two of them, he'd be so jealous! I wonder if we get to ask them for autographs after the event!"

Xio said in excitement, glancing over at Bella, as the Quidditch game began at once.

"This your first Quidditch game? I have been to a few with Zev, they are so exciting! You gotta' keep a very careful eye on the different type of ba--"

Xio was interrupted as one of the players crashed from her broom, the thump and gasp from the crowd happening simultaneously.

"Yep...called it...."

Xio said sheepishly as the medics rushed the field, but the game continues!

Reducio

OOC Notes: finally DX

WC: 406
Mentions: @Xio Arcana, @Angel Dayes

Bella was excitedly talking with Angel when she heard a familiar voice yelling her name. She turned around and saw her friend half sliding, half slipping, half walking (though that adds up to be one and a half) down the stairs. She waved and patted the seat next to her, motioning for her friend to sit down.

"Hey, Xio!" Bella chuckled, listening as her excited friend talked Bella's ear off. "Yes, exactly! It is SO HOT and humid today. Like wow, if it wasn't for today being a quidditch match, I wouldn't have even stepped outside for a minute, let alone sit down for a long time!"

Bella shrugged with Xio asked her what team she was rooting for.

"To be honest, I'm not sure. I guess I'll pick my team when the game goes on," she said sheepishly, "my parents, although they were quidditch players during their time at Hogwarts, wanted me to learn it by myself and experience my first quidditch game with a friend. They said that they wanted to give me the most 'authentic' experience! And I'm so happy you're here! Do you know the rules of quidditch? Because honestly, I don't know a lot about it, seeing that my parents never let me learn this sort of stuff early. So yeah, this is my first quidditch match! Is it yours?"

Bella leaned in to listen to her friend’s eager response.

“Ohh yes! I want an autograph or two, too! Who knows if it may be useful in the future, and even if it’s not, it’s a cool thing to have! Want to go check it out together after the match?”

Xio’s attention was split between the game and her friend, and Bella peered at the game below them, trying to figure out what everyone was doing. She squinted as everybody flew around, seemingly on task and focused on the ball.

“Ohhh that must have hurt,” Bella winced as she watched the player fall. “I hope the player is okay! But the game continues!”

She leaned back, enjoying the view and the game, but she couldn’t help but feel slightly uncomfortable about how hot it was.

“Xio, do you know if they are selling any drinks or food or stuff like that? I would love to drink a cup of cold…anything! Even that weird pink drink I had the first day! Just to refresh, you know?”

Octavian sat in the stands quietly watching the Quidditch match below.
He had never watch a Quidditch match before obviously, but mostly from books and from hearing people talk about it. Watching an actual match was different.
There was a lot more happening than he had expected.
His eyes followed one of the players as they flew across the pitch only to quickly lose sight of them when another player crossed their path.
Wonderful.
He looked down at the small notes he'd made about the positions before looking back at the match.
Keeper.
Chasers.
Beaters.
Seeker.
It all seemed simple enough when written down.
Actually watching everyone move around was another matter entirely.
Octavian leaned forward slightly, resting his arms against the railing as he tried to follow the Quaffle.
He found himself watching the Chasers more than anything else. They moved quickly, passing the Quaffle between them while trying to get past the opposing team.
One of them threw the Quaffle towards the hoops.
Octavian followed it.
The Keeper blocked it.
"That was close.
He said it quietly, mostly to himself.
His attention shifted when a Bludger came flying across the pitch.
Octavian watched it disappear towards one of the players.
And apparently people willingly do this.
He glanced around at the other spectators. Some were cheering loudly, while others seemed to know exactly what was happening and shouted whenever someone made a good move.
Octavian wasn't quite at that level.
Yet.
He looked back towards the pitch.
A Seeker suddenly changed direction.
Octavian's eyes followed them.
For a moment, he wondered if they'd spotted the Snitch.
Then they stopped.
Apparently not.
He leaned back again.
The weather wasn't helping.
It was hot, humid and generally unpleasant but at least there was some shade over part of the stands. Octavian took another drink and continued watching.
He was starting to understand why people liked the sport.
There was something interesting about having to watch everything at once. You couldn't just focus on one player because something could happen somewhere else at any moment.He found himself trying to predict what the players were going to do before they did it.
Sometimes he was right.Usually he wasn't.
Still, it was better than sitting there doing nothing.
Octavian glanced towards the pitch again as another player narrowly avoided a Bludger.
"That seems unnecessarily dangerous."
He paused.
"But I suppose that's the point."
He settled back into his seat, eyes returning to the game.
For once, he wasn't thinking about homework, his parents, or everything he still had to figure out about Hogwarts.
He was just watching.
And trying very hard to understand why anyone thought flying directly towards a ball that wanted to knock them unconscious was a good idea.