Spring Races Spectator Thread Hufflepuff vs Slytherin Apr 2022

Shiawase held her breath as she saw people get knocked off their brooms, yet she couldn't help but sigh a relieved sigh when she realized Simon wasn't one of them. She knew she was supposed to be rooting for her team, but she didn't want anything bad to happen to him, either. And so she whispered, softly, "Go, Simon."

But as someone approached her, she cleared her throat. "Come on, Slytherin!" she shouted. "When you fall down, you get right back up! Show these Hufflepuffs what you got!"

After all, she couldn't let there be any confusion over the fact that she was here to support her team! But then the girl spoke and Shiawase turned her attention to her with a friendly smile.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Bailey. I'm Shiawase Mamori! Thank you for coming over to say hello. It seemed like I would be stuck alone here, which, I mean, I wouldn't mind necessarily. I just think sporting events are best enjoyed with friends! I am a first year, indeed. I'm in Slytherin. What about you?" She looked over at the girl Bailey had dragged with her and offered her a friendly smile. "Oh, hi, Angel! Fancy seeing you here! How have you been? It seems like we haven't spoken in forever. Are you here to support your team, too?"

@AngelFyre McCubbin

@Bailey Glade

@ AngelFyre McCubbin
@Shiawase Mamori

As she pulled AF over to the other girl, Bailey thought I hope she is okay with me puller her over to meet someone new. I really hope she is not and will not get mad at me.
After she introduced herself and the other girl, Shiawase, introduced herself, AF and her started talking. They know each other? Bailey thought in shock. How?.. What?.. Ok…
Then she realized Shiawase had said that she was a Slytherin just like Bailey had guessed, and she had asked what house Bailey was in. Then AF joined in and said that she had not mentioned it earlier. “I am in Ravenclaw! And I am a second year, though you probably already guessed that.”
Turning to Shiawase, Bailey explained further why she, a Ravenclaw, was at a Hufflepuff and Slytherin broom race. “James Owens invited me to come. He is in Hufflepuff. He had to leave, but I’m glad I came! Now o have new friends!”
Looking into the rain, Bailey noticed that a few of the racers appeared to have been nocked off of their brooms by the waterfall. Wincing, she said “Ohh… that looks like it hurt. I hope everyone is ok and is not seriously injured.”

Word count: 212 ish

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Date: 9/Apr/2021 | Time: 11:00 | Mood: Excited | Location: Outdoor Club Area
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─────“You and me both!” Sylvie exclaimed when Zelda said she wouldn’t be able to keep her seat on a broom in this sort of weather. It was nothing short of amazing that the flyers were going up and getting ready to fly full speed through a forest while the rain and wind pelted them. “They’ll be freezing by the end of the race!” Sylvie shivered at the thought of it. They’d be soaked to the bone unless they had some sort of weather gear or water-resistant charms. “At least Hufflepuff House is warm and cozy! We have a huge hearth and the heat from the kitchens keeps it warm, too. Can’t say if the Slytherin racers will enjoy going down to their dungeon at the end of the race, though!”

Sylvie squinted at the racers, trying to tell them apart from a distance. She was just starting to memorize the members of the various sports teams. She hoped eventually she’d be on one, but she had no illusions as to her abilities as a first year. Maybe next year, if she was lucky…

She pointed at one of the younger looking guys. “That one is Simon Kincaid! He’s only a second year, but he won the last race! So everyone’s really rooting for him in this one, too.” Sylvie squinted against the rain, then pointed out an older flyer with long hair and a slightly shiny uniform. “That’s Serena Towers! She’s a fifth year—the oldest flyer in the race today. The Slytherins don’t have any racers above third year. And that one—” Sylvie pointed at one of the older racers for Hufflepuff. “—is Jack Warren. He’s a third year and kind of scary—he’s pretty strong and gets in fights and things, I think? I think he was disappointed he didn’t get further in the last race, so he’ll probably put on a good show today.”

Sylvie laughed at herself. “I sound like one of those announcers that narrates football on the telly! I don’t really know the others, even though they’re first years. One of the first years is the captain,” Sylvie said, full of awe. She couldn’t imagine having such an important position, let alone above fifth- and third-year students.

“AngelFyre—she’s a first year—made a really good sign with a cute slogan for Hufflepuff! It’s ‘badgers will huff and puff and blow your houses down’! But if that’s too much, you can just say ‘Go Hufflepuff!’ I don’t really know any house chants yet.”

Zelda couldn’t suppress a bark of laughter at Sylvie’s sharp-witted jab at the Slytherins’ dungeons. “To be fair, Sylvie, I’ve heard that their dungeons can be pretty warm and cozy too. Apparently there’s some kind of huge blazing fireplace there but this is all just hearsay so I’ve no idea how true it is,” Zelda said. She didn’t really mix around a lot with Slytherins, mainly because she hadn’t had the opportunity to, and while every House certainly had its reputation within Hogwarts, she wanted to try to give everyone a chance to be their own person rather than just someone in a House.

Sylvie began pointing out the various Hufflepuff players to Zelda although it was admittedly a little difficult to tell them apart in this weather. The fact that the Hufflepuff racers Sylvie was pointing out were not in the first year also meant that Zelda had even less reason to recognise them since they would not have been in the same classes. To tell the truth, Zelda wasn’t sure if she might be able to name her own Ravenclaw racers for the later match and was almost a little put to shame that Sylvie seemed to know her own team so well. Zelda made a little mental note to do some quick research into the Ravenclaw team playing later before she met Sylvie for the next race.

“No way, a first year is the captain of the Hufflepuff team?” Zelda’s jaw dropped in awe. Some people never failed to impress her with how overachieving they were. She was just barely getting her bearings proper in Hogwarts nearing the end of her first year but there were these people already making waves in the school’s sports teams on top of their schoolwork. She wondered if they had thirty hours a day or some other kind of superpower to help them deal with everything.

Zelda laughed when Sylvie recited the Hufflepuff chant – it was a pretty good one and Zelda appreciated the wordplay in it. “No, it’s not too complex, I love it! I’ll say the full thing!” Zelda enthused. Once again, she made a mental note to check out what the Ravenclaw house chant was going to be for the match later today.

“Oh! There they go!” Zelda exclaimed as the races started. The players zoomed off so fast that she couldn’t make out who was who anymore, and only identified which team was which by the colours of their robes. Having had her own poor experiences with flying in general, it was ridiculous to her how fast these people were flying, what more in this horrible weather. She gasped and yelled in disappointment along with the crowd as two of the Hufflepuff racers were outed early on in the races. “This is certainly a lot more adrenaline-pumping than I expected, Sylvie!”

interacting with: @Sylvie Hawthorne

"Oh, that's right! You do prefer AF. I'm sorry I forgot that," Shiawase said. It had been so long since she saw her . . . she remembered her name was AngelFyre and remembered there was a specific nickname she liked and one she didn't. Shiawase must have flipped them in her head. Easy mistake to make, but Shiawase hated making mistakes. "Oh? Which badger in particular are you supporting?"

When AngelFyre said she wouldn't hold Shiawase being in the enemy camp against her, Shiawase laughed and then winked. "Why, that is most gracious of you! I won't hold the fact that you're rooting for the opposing side of my team against you, either. I promise to be a good sport. Let the best team win. And the best team is SLYTHERIN!!! GO SLYTHERIN! Race . . . those . . . brooms? I . . . have no idea what I'm doing."

She nodded as Bailey said she was a Ravenclaw. A second year, at that. "I suppose we do make a curious trio, then." Before she could even ask why Bailey was out here in this miserable weather, Bailey answered the question on her mind. She nodded with a smile. "It is an honor to be your friend."

Shiawase then adopted a reassuring tone to her voice. "This is a school sport. I'm sure no one got seriously injured, even if it looks bad. There must surely be some sort of safety precaution in place."

@AngelFyre McCubbin

@Bailey Glade

@AngelFyre McCubbin
@Shiawase Mamori

does everyone really think I’m a first year? Bailey wondered in response to AF saying that she was proud to have a friend that was a second year.
“Yep! Most people either think I’m older or younger. They rarely guess my real age. And that’s cool that y’all met before now!”
When AF got a goofy smile when talking about Simon, Bailey knew how much she cared about the second year.
aww they are so cute! Bailey thought.
As AF retold the story of Simon getting beat up in the last match against Ravenclaw. It was clear how much concern she had felt- it was written across her face.
As AF and Shiawase talked and laughed about “forgiving” the other for being an “enemy” Bailey smiled to herself.
“I know!” Bailey said in response to Shiawase saying that she had no idea what she was doing after an attempt at cheering her team on.
“I never want to offend anyone by cheering for the others, so I usually cheer for everyone or no one. And that is a reason I very rarely come to a duel, quidditch match or a broom race. I just feel…. Awkward. You know?”

Word count: 205 ish

Graphic by Kim Sato

Outfit (Outfit Graphic by Bailey Glade)

Even with all the rain, AngelFyre was enjoying the time she was spending with Bailey and Shiawase. "So, Bailey, since I know little to nothing about you, paint me a picture of who Bailey is? How has your 2nd year been? What are you most looking forward to in your 3rd year? Will you be attending Hogwarts summer camp? What is your favorite thing about Hogwarts? What is your least favorite thing or Hogwarts experience? What was the most surprising thing to you about magic or Hogwarts? Did you grow up with magic?"

Then she chuckled to herself. "I apologize. That is a lot, but most of it is pretty standard getting to know you questions. If you choose to bypass any of them, that is fine. Heck, if there is anything you want to add to my list, feel free."

Glancing at Shiawase, she invited her to answer a few too, such as what had been her favorite memory of the year and what she liked and what surprised her the most?

Then training her eyes down the track, she saw that things were picking back up and a new grouping of racers had reached that same waterfall. "Dang it!" AngelFyre shot up out of her seat and fully turned her back to Bailey and Shiawase, looking down the course.

"Simon is one of those racers knocked off their broom at the waterfall." She was unaware that her voice was higher in that moment, but she was very aware that her heart was racing and her legs felt like jelly. A few seconds later she breathed a huge sigh of relief when she saw Simon pop up out of the water he had been submerged under and hurriedly splash walk his way over to his broom. He was okay, and that was all that mattered to her.

She knew her fellow well enough to know that the race was all that mattered to him in that moment and he was going to give it everything he still had to make certain it was a Hufflepuff crossing that FINISH LINE. And if he was that Hufflepuff, well all the better.

Have fun, Handsome, but please stay safe.

"Definitely a good decision! It's nice to see you again!" Shiawase said. Then AF said the particular badger she was supporting was Simon Kincaid, a name Shiawase recognized. Good, at least there was something she could say.

"Oh, Simon? I know him! We met a while back! He was kind to me."

AF then talked about how she could give Shiawase a pin in support of . . . Serena Towers? That was someone she hadn't met. She laughed.

"I'm afraid I'm already supporting the best team! It's on! Come on, Snakes! Scare those Badgers right off their brooms!"

Shiawase had missed the playful banter she used to have back home. And so she smiled widely. But then, AF talked about Simon getting knocked off his broom before. And oof. That was . . . rough. There should definitely be more safety measures in place . . . That sounds like he could have been killed! She bit her lip, trying not to panic in front of AF. She wanted to be up there now more than anything, so she could catch someone if they fell, at least. But she couldn't ride a broom . . . at least, not well enough to race on one. All she could do was watch, she guessed.

"Well, um. That . . . sounds . . . yeah, dangerous is the right word. Um. At least he recovered okay." She decided it was best for now to try to brush off her concern for the racers as she watched. She couldn't well enjoy the sport if she thought of all the horrible ways they could be injured. Fortunately, they then started talking about the awkwardness of all of this, and that let her focus on that topic instead.

She smiled at Bailey. "Well, I'll make you a deal! You can come with me to those things, and we can be awkward together! How does that sound?" She winked.

And then AngelFyre did the thing she did when she first met Shiawase - asked a bunch of questions. Shiawase couldn't help but chuckle, as she remembered how they asked each other so many questions and joked around together.

"You know, I think I should really like to come back for summer camp! It sounds delightful! Favorite memory . . .? Hmmmm! I have so many good ones, but I still think my favorite was being on the train, and particularly seeing Hogwarts for the first time. But, well, there are so many others I've made since then that are so good, it's hard to choose a favorite! That one's just so special to me. My favorite class, I think, would have to be Potions, but I really enjoy all of them! History of Magic is so fascinating, but also so angering! I didn't realize how much history there was going into Hogwarts, of course. But yeah, I like the classes, and the library, and you know, this whole place is so large and so pretty! Granted, I'd enjoy it more if the stairs didn't move so much but it's fine! There are few things I don't like about this place! Although, admittedly, I do feel a bit homesick. What surprised me the most . . . would definitely have to be learning more about this world, and how . . . backwards some things are? I mean, do you know about house elves? It's so. Ugh! The more I learn, the more I want to change! But another thing that has surprised me is how much people buy into these houses defining others, and the rivalries between them, like. We're all just students trying to learn, aren't we? Like, I know some people who want to make trouble for others based solely on what their house is. Why? It makes no sense!"

Shiawase sighed deeply. And then, the unthinkable happened. Simon was knocked off his broom. AngelFyre was on her feet immediately. Shiawase did the only thing she could think to do in this situation. She reached up for AngelFyre, trying to grab her hand.

"I'm so sorry, AF." She wasn't really sure what else to say, but she had to say something else, right? Something that would help . . . only trouble was, she wasn't sure if this was a situation where he was seriously hurt yet. Ordinarily, she'd wheel over and see for herself, but she couldn't do that here. "We're here for you, whatever happens. But I'm sure he'll be okay. He's strong, and so are you!"

She wasn't sure she believed he'd be okay, but she did absolutely believe that he and AngelFyre were both strong. And even though the story AngelFyre told of what happened to Simon when he crossed the finish line had set Shiawase into an internal panic, it also meant that Simon had definitely been through worse. He would pull through.

Shiawase released a breath she'd been holding since she told AngelFyre it would be okay once she saw Simon splash walk toward his broom.

"There we go. Looks like he's okay." They could definitely use a distraction. That was quite nerve-wracking. So, she smiled and asked AngelFyre, "So what about you? Do you have any favorite memories for this year? Are you thinking of coming to the summer camp, too? Any favorite classes? What's your favorite thing about Hogwarts? Your least favorite? I know this whole experience was very overwhelming and surprising at first . . . what is something you adjusted to here that really surprised you, that you thought for sure you'd never get accustomed to when the year started?"

@Bailey Glade

@AngelFyre McCubbin