Fall Spectators 2021 Gryffindor v Hufflepuff

[font=Century Gothic]Screaming, he was surprised. He was taken to the Quidditch game. The first game the part goblin male has been to in a- well, forever. Was that truly going to be his new favorite? He saw an outstanding broom that stuck out in his head. A Silver Arrow! For that, he unconsiously took out a galleon and a couple of sickles, as well as a handful of knuts, and threw it into the sky. If he saw another Silver Arrow, he was going to squeal with delight.

Sitting in his seat, he grabbed the little poster board he made for the Hufflepuff Quidditch team. "GO HUFFLEPUFF! BEAT THE HORRIBLE LIONS! LETS GO PUFFS, LETS GO!" Truly, the part goblin was immersed. A hope that the team would win was all he ever wanted. Hufflepuff deserved this. They didn't need to be looked down upon because of many perspectives that the Puffs were kind.

"COME ON PUFFS! WIN! IF YOU WIN, ILL BUY THE TEAM A FEW CHOCOLATE FROGS. FROG HOGSMEADE." Quickly the boy looked around, covering his mouth. Hopefully the prefects or professors didn't hear him, or know that it was him. Even if he had a fake permission slip to go to Hogsmeade, he still hid. But to get detention, yet again, was devastating.

"PUFFS. PUFFS. LISTEN TO THIS!" The part goblin started, then proceeded with his chant.[/font]

[font=Comic Sans MS]"We're Yellow, we're Black! But we're so much more than that. We're the Badgers, yes we are! Go Hufflepuff! Reach that star!"[/font]

The Hufflepuff quidditch team were no longer her teammates, they had not been in a year now, but that did not stop her from coming to the stands to cheer for them. With her rat in hand, Serena rushed to the front of the stadium, leaning against the railings, "GO KICK BUTT, HUFFLEPUFF!" She screamed at the top of her lungs in excitement before pulling back a little to exhale as she looked over the skies.

@Ethen Emrys, the boy they feared they'd lose almost two months prior was probably alive and kicking on his broom. @Atlas Reid was defending their goals. They both had a very important task for the day. "Make Pizza Rat proud, Emrys, Reid!" She cheered as she placed two fingers to her forehead before saluting to the side. As she moved her arm, her fingers spread to become a peace sign. Pizza was a champion Olympian rat (well, at least, according to the obstacle course they had made for him)! He stood alone at the pinnacle of the sports world, and Ethen and Atlas were going to join him.

She noticed her captain - he would always be her captain. With a grin, she would nod to both @Quinn Healy and @Ami Procoppio if either of them noticed her. She had full faith in the pair of them. Both captains, both beaters and both extremely skilled in what they do. They weren't just there to be wrecking balls in the opponents' plans, they were also the wall that protected the rest of the team.

If @Serena Bowen looked over, she would see Serena giving her a thumbs up. Serena owed the other (Bowen) thanks for saving her quite a few times in the past. She did not know @Lily Cawthi well but she would cheer for her nonetheless. Whilst she supported @Howard White and wanted him to do well, she would probably awkwardly look away if he looked anywhere near her direction - even if he was not looking at her. She would just look anywhere else. Anywhere else was fine. Because she totally was not looking at him. Of course, she was not! She was uh, looking at uh, the random spec of dust in the air near her. Obviously. It was uh, blocking her view anyway. But... A part of her was really pleased to see him... Not because he was cute but rather, because this was probably good for him.

When she stepped down from being a seeker, she always wondered if she should join the team as a chaser. She could then turn her attention to actually helping the team by saving them instead of being the one who always needed saving. Right now, she was pretty glad she never tried out for the team again. Having to work alongside Howard would just be awkward. At least, for her. But she had to admit, she was pleased to see him as a chaser and not as a beater. He had been one of the chasers for a while. But after the conversation they had, after he shared how he liked the violence sometimes... She saw how incredibly glad she was that Quidditch might actually help him, instead of hurting him. For that, she was grateful.

"LET'S DO THIS THING!" She cheered to the whole team, including the second strings. Whilst they might be benched for now, each and every single one of them was capable and they needed to be ready. If they were needed, they would need to go in with their bats swinging, their hands ready, their eyes on the balls - whether that was the quaffle or snitch or bludgers.

Shyla was a big fan of Quidditch so for her house to be playing made her super excited then ever before: even more excited then getting her Hogwarts letter and she was pretty excited for that! She got to the stands quite early to make sure she got a good spot in the stands so she could watch the Quidditch game with a good view!

When everyone started heading into the stands, she made sure to stay in her place so no one pushed her or moved her out of the way so she couldn't watch the game. She saw a couple of people she knew from her house or people she recognised. She saw a boy that she recognised as @Cody Stevenson hold up a banner for the Hufflepuff team. She smiled and heard him chant, causing her to giggle and quickly move over to him and helps him hold up the banner so the team can see.

She started chanting with him before stopping and looks at him "thought we could show our support together if you would like that? By the way.." She decided to put her hand out politely for him to shake "my name is Shyla Bartlett. Fellow first year and Hufflepuff"

open to interactions

Della made her way to the Gryffindor stands. She was adorned with Gryffindor items to show her school spirit: a comfy red and yellow sweater with a large lion on it and a warm striped scarf. She scanned for an open seat and found one near the back of the stands.

The common room had been abuzz with talk about this quidditch match. Della had surmised that Hufflepuff and Gryffindor had done well last year, and this match was going to say a lot about the trajectory of this year's Quidditch cup. Della wasn't sure how exactly quidditch worked—only that people flew very high in the air and tried to score points. In her flying lessons, they were just learning how to get off the ground and navigate safely and hadn't yet touched on the finer points of the wizarding world's most popular game. She had actually had quite an easy time getting used to flying, and enjoyed the wind through her hair. She didn't enjoy any muggle sports, but there was something remarkably different about flying. Della wasn't ready for to try out for quidditch and had opted to sign up for broom racing instead. She was excited to learn more about the beloved sport today through the match in case it would be something she could aspire to do during her seven years at Hogwarts.

Open to Interactions

The first game of the year was about to begin. Students began to crowd the stands, flashes of crimson and yellow in abundance as the two teams that were warming up on the field were Gryffindor and Hufflepuff. Packed in her bag was the omnioculars that Bridget had given her as part of the Dorea Potter winter dorm exchange.

There was not too many familiar faces in the crowd around where she was seated, at least not yet. Perhaps someone would join later that she could chat with as she watched the game. Gryffindor had managed to steal the cup from their hands last year, and this year would be different. This was the second time that the cup had been stolen from Slytherin's fingers and their team was getting frustrated. With these two teams who had won the Hogwarts cups for the past two years playing against each other, it was a good match to watch. There had been roster changes as expected, but would they be for better or for worse? That was her goal today. Find their weaknesses. "Go Hufflepuff! Show the Lions who is boss!" She screamed to no one, knowing that when in the pitch and in the moment, it was near impossible to hear anyone from the crowds, but she still felt it was important to project that energy to the team, hoping to lift their spirits.

From her bag, she pulled out the omnioculars, as well as her notebook and quill that she used for observations during games. This book had been invaluable in the past when Slytherin was sitting down to discuss future gameplay. Within a few moments, the game had begun and players took off around the pitch focused on their respective duties. As is common place in these games, the seeker was essentially a large target flying around. Fortunately, or unfortunately depending on how one viewed it, Evelynn appeared to be left in peace. Rather, it was the poor Badger seeker, Ethen, who would be left in pieces. He avoided attacks, nimbly flying while looking for a glint of gold in the air, but still the new beater for the Lions found his target, knocking Ethen to the ground. "Oof. I better look more into their new beater," the young captain muttered under her breath. He did not fall long however, as Serena was there to catch their most prized asset. Mere seconds later Gris sent another bludger towards the rival Seeker, taking out Serena and Ethen both. Noted. Despite having a new beater, they are still tag-teaming other players often. This was a tactic used many times last year, and one that had frightening results. This was certainly going to be an interesting game to watch. She only hoped after it ended she would have enough time to prepare and dress for Slytherins match against Ravenclaw. It would be awfully unfortunate to have to leave the game early right as the end approached.

@Tyranni Whitethorn

It was time to do his due-diligence. Find a 'nice girl' and take her to the fall dance. In a school rife with attractive young women and a seeming deficit of eligible young men, it did not appear that he would have any difficulty emulating the family tradition of appearing 'normal.' He had one young woman in mind, not that he would admit to the fact that he had been staring - Tyranni Whitethorn. She was the Slytherin Seeker, a year younger than himself. A well-known fact regarding his family is the fact that most of his family were avid Quidditch Fans.

He had followed Whitethorn's career for some time. It did not hurt that she was pretty, although it was perhaps a bit creepy that he often stared. Today would be different from all of those other times where he approached her in his head. His imagination resulted in rejection numerous times, increasingly more creative each passing time. Once she turned into a dragon and set him on fire. Another time the ground broke from under his feet and he fell into a bottomless abyss.

Not this time...

In fact this time he was going to approach her for real.

A tall youth, much like his cousins, wearing a simple black button down and a red, fitted wool jacket and simply black slacks. He did not dress to impress, but he dressed better than most. The mop of dark, messy hair that almost reaches his eyes added a few inches from the peak of his crown, making the boy appear to be nearly six feet in height but in truth he was two-inches shorter. He was one of the few wizards with amber-colored eyes that actually required glasses, or at the very least he elected to wear glasses for fashionable reasons.

"Miss Whitethorn?" Hess would announce somewhat awkwardly as he extended his hand towards the girl. Yes, he actually said her name, it sounded like he was talking to a Professor or some adult that might scold him. Oh god, it is that nightmare sequence this time! "Hi, I uh mean Ma'am... No Tyranni?" He pronounced it "tyranny". Merlin, he hoped that was correct! "Sorry. I am fan, I am a big Jürgen."

He did not even realize that he made a mistake with that one. He had started with this momentum and he was not about to stop yet. "AndbeforeIloosemynerveIwantedtoaskyoutotheball," he said the entire phrase in a single word. "It is okay if you say no," he immediately continued before she could answer or perhaps register what he had asked her. "I mean you probably will and that is fine too," he assured her but there would be a pause after that statement, the poor boy needed to take a moment to breathe.

Interacting with: @Della Barfield

Mentioning: @Vivian Fletcher

A few minutes before the game started Samantha walked in, looking for a place to sit. Even though she was on time, many had come before her and most of the spots were already taken. Sam noticed that there was a free seat next to a girl who clearly was rooting for Gryffindor.

In comparison to the red and yellow sweater with a large lion and the scarf, Samantha's outfit was really boring. The only thing that showed who she was rooting for was her yellow jacket. She never really thought about what she was going to wear, today was no exception. Just before she left she had though of the fact that she should probably wear something yellow to show her support for Hufflepuff, so she had quickly grabbed her jacket.

Last year she had only gone to the quidditch games from her own house, but this year was going to be different. Her best friend, Vivian Fletcher, was now part of the Hufflepuff quidditch team. She was a second string, but Samantha still was really proud of her friends and wanted to show her support. There was no better way to show her support then going to the quidditch games, so that is what she did.

Samantha made her way to the silver haired girl once she had spotted the empty seat. "Hi," she smiled, "Is it okay if I sit next to you?" Samantha looked at the other girl and wondered what year she was in. She didn't recognize her, so maybe she was a first year? She also looked quite young, but you could never know. Samantha herself also looked younger then she really was. "My name is Samantha. I'm a second year Ravenclaw." She introduced herself, hoping the other girl would tell her in what year she is.

During the game Samantha secretly hoped that one of the Hufflepuff beaters would be hurt, so that they wouldn't be able to continue the game and Vivian could play. She knew it wasn't nice to hope somebody would be harmed, so she didn't share her thought.

The young girl had decided to focus on the Quaffle, instead of trying to see what everybody was doing. Samantha found it to confusing to watch so many players at the same time, so she would just watched who first scored with the Quaffle. She cheered when Hufflepuff scored with the Quaffle, not one, not two, but three times! She was really happy, even though it wasn't her own house.

Reducio

Outfit:

Mentioning: @Jürgen Hess

There was a commotion next to her that broke her focus on the game ahead of her. The girl looked towards a fellow student who was standing with his hand outstretched towards her. "Hi, I uh mean Ma'am... No Tyranni? Sorry. I am fan, I am a big Jürgen." She chuckled, amused by his bit of an awkward introduction. He seemed flustered, but for what reason she had no idea. It's not like she was super well known or popular on campus, at least she didn't think she was. She was about to greet him back when in a rush of words he managed to....ask her to the ball? Yes, that was what she heard.

"Jürgen was it?" Tyranni reached out her hand, grasping the boys in her own and giving it a firm shake. Was that what his intention was with the hand? She wasn't sure, but certainly a handshake would be less awkward that his nervous rattling on. "Nice to meet you. Please, take a seat if you would like." She moved her bag down to the floor of the stands, hiding it behind her feet to give the boy room to sit. "I'm afraid that, while you seem to know who I am, I am not certain I recognize you. I don't have many friends and don't go out around campus to events often, so I just might not have met you before." The boy seemed nice enough. He was well dressed, and the red was a lovely color on him. "To be honest, I had not yet decided if I was going to go to the Fall Ball. The last one I went to ended up.....well fairly traumatic for me." She had a momentary flashback to the previous Fall Ball where she ended up kissing Thomas Lestrange in a moment of panic, trying to detract his attention from Vlad. She couldn't look him in the face for months after that. Realizing she was leaving the young boy without an answer, she turned towards him. "You know what? Why not. I would love to go with you. It would do me well to get out and involved in campus events again. You are welcome to stay here and watch the game with me as well." She smiled at the boy, and waited for his response.

It would be a good change for her, as she felt so alone here at Hogwarts. With only a few friends that she only rarely was able to hang out with now, she felt very alone. It was her driving factor behind buying Kiara. It was just hard for her to make friends when you never quite felt as if you belonged.

"Nice to meet you. Please, take a seat if you would like."

She accepted his hand and offered him a seat which he quickly took before she changed her mind. Silently grateful that thus far this was going better than his last attempt at a date (Aurora) or that last time she spent more than a few minutes on a girl (Erin). Of course that in and of itself was terribly suspicious, things don't generally work out for him or his family from personal experience. He should be more cautious about who he speaks to, a bit less trusting especially since he was made aware of the dark circumstances surrounding this student body. Albeit, a bit too late for his liking he did enjoy a modicum of peace his first few years that was wholly terminated with the end of the summertide season.

"I'm afraid that, while you seem to know who I am, I am not certain I recognize you. I don't have many friends and don't go out around campus to events often, so I just might not have met you before."

"I am--" he paused a moment as if he was trying to remember his name. He did have one and it was a fine name at that even. Crap he mouthed, oh that's right-- "Jurgen!" He proclaimed triumphantly, "Jurgen Hess" he clarified. The surname was relatively well known among purebloods because they were purebloods but they were reclusive in terms of social gatherings. His parents owned a book store cafe that was frequented by wizards but in truth people were rarely there for the rare or restored works that their shelves housed. but rather for the skillset his parents and extended family boasted. They were Seers and they specialized in 'divination magic' and for that reason they attracted a host of interested wizards that wanted to glean something of the days to come.

"I am a--" think man think! "A fourth year Gryffindor, not one for sports in the physical sense and all but I am a fan of you, erm I mean Quidditch!" He squeaked a bit at the end, a bit more nervous than he had any right to be. At least he was saying words, remembered his own name. Yes, he was embarrassing the hell out of himself but there was a laundry list of reasons for his overwhelming nerves. He did in fact have an interest, he liked both girls and quidditch players, both of which he alleged Tyranni was. He was not much for doing out on dates with girls, that really was not in the cards for a boy of his breeding so he was inexperienced in that regard. Most importantly, he was traumatized by his experiences with girls over the summer -- Aurora might have ruined him for other women. Their ability to emit shrill ear-piercing cries left him ready to forfeit the entirety of female companionship.

"To be honest, I had not yet decided if I was going to go to the Fall Ball. The last one I went to ended up.....well fairly traumatic for me."

Doubtful that this one would be an exception considering his failure to manage Erin those weeks ago. He was unaware that the circumstances were increasingly dire since his failure as other mettlesome youths had made an already bad situation devastating. Admitt4edly, even when the balls went down in flames, he really avoided the worst of it, as did a majority of the student body. There was a few noise-makers, people who seemed to attract or actively seek disaster, but for those that sought to avoid it, it would prove to be a non-issue. "The ball will likely be very traumatic," he agreed, realizing half way through that it was not a good thing. Too late, the truth had been said.

"You know what? Why not. I would love to go with you. It would do me well to get out and involved in campus events again. You are welcome to stay here and watch the game with me as well."

He had no intention of leaving when a seat was offered so it was a good thing he was welcome. "I would love both," he admitted but he did have some questions for the girl. A sort of assessment brought on by paranoia and curiosity. The only issue being, he had no idea how to broach the subject, the matters of concern in the back of his head. She seemed saine, hygienic, and spoke in full sentences. She was probably not a hag, unlike Erin and Aurora. A conclusion he came to after he learned about the changeling condition that affected Erin just prior to the first day of the school year. Probably he was not entirely certain.

"As long as you avoid Erin Ryan, I don't anticipate any drama," he admitted. Just wear something pretty, enjoy the punch and snacks and dance the night away. Managing the crazed hag to be would hopefully take only a few minutes, once she transformed the aggregate sum of the faculty would likely converge on her and if he had the good fortune of managing her prior with the assistance of his cousins, then she would be a non-issue.

@Tyranni Whitethorn