What Goes Up Must Come Down Abandoned

Illowy was right on all accounts. Gryffindor had already lost against Ravenclaw in their very first game, and there was no doubt they were trying even harder to make up for their loss in the latest game in Hufflepuff. It was a common belief for people to think that Hufflepuff's victory with Slytherin was a fluke, and considering Gryffindor's reputation in Quidditch, they must have thought the winner had already been set in stone even before the match had started. To them, their game against Hufflepuff should have been an easy win. All they had to do was rip the Quaffle from their grasp, or otherwise yank the Snitch away. Nothing could stand in the way of the mighty Lions, right? Wrong.

They still lost, and that was what really got them angry. If Hufflepuff had lost, they would have thought nothing of it. It was another day for Gryffindor to wipe out the competition and stand on top. Hufflepuffs were the ones who were supposed to bend their back over for other people, even if it meant losing their personal pride. So when Hufflepuff won that second game, Saskia knew what was coming. Slytherins wouldn’t shut up about how their team won solely out of luck. Gryffindor would have done the same. All just to patch up their pride. Their reputation.

"Yeah. They really should have known that beating me up until I get escorted to the Hospital Wing wasn’t going to change that they still lost. They were just being a bunch of sore losers.” She laughed. It was easier to laugh about it now that the situation was done and dealt with. Any remaining anger she had for the bullies dissipated as she distracted herself with the conversation she had with the girl in front of her. It was probably for the best.

Saskia’s eyes widened with admiration. "Wow, that’s amazing," she said, genuinely impressed. Being Quidditch Captain had already provided some challenges for the Badger to overcome. She could only imagine how much talent and effort it took for her mother to have that honour of being a Duelling Captain. “Well, if what happened here is of any indication, I think you’d be a great duellist. You already won one duel so far, so I'd say you're on the right track.” And with that icy glare she gave the Gryffindors, her opponents would have enough of a reason to be scared.

"I remember the last time I was in a duel. I barely managed to win, but I ended up passing out from a nasty cold. It was quite the experience. But hopefully things go better for you than they had for me." She smiled, chuckling nervously as she relieved the experience in her head. It was still one of those moments where she wasn't sure whether to be proud of winning or be embarrassed for passing out in a pool of snot in front of an audience.

Illowy would be damned to admit it, but the praise made her blush a little. Little of what the girl did was in the name of prove to other's that she was the best, but to prove that she could become the best. She wanted to be a great witch, a great caster; then again, who didn't? She felt she deserved at least the chance to show she could be something great, "I hope so. As long as keep up with my studies, I think I at least have a fighting chance."

As Saskia told her about her experience in her own first duel, the snake felt a bit of kinship, "That happened to me two. I probably had one round left in me before we managed to knock the last opponent out. All I wanted was to leave my first duel on my feet." that duel certainly wasn't her best moment of poise and grace as she recalled getting hit early on with the Bogies Curse, only to then be lifted off her feet with the levitation charm the very next round, "I was hit with it right in the first round though, and then in the next they had me floating around in the air like a feather in Charms Class!" she chortled a little, though it was only now she could really laugh about it, "Not my most glorious moment. I don't do levitation. I don't fly, I don't levitate, I like my feet firmly on the ground where they belong." she had the same view in Flying Class (her worst class to date). In theory, she knew exactly how to fly perfectly from her studies... in practice, it was a different story. Illowy had a terrible fear of falling. Not of heights, but of falling from them, which crippled her broom skills immensely.