alt_padma | Entries tagged with quidditch

Who's going to watch Quidditch tryouts tomorrow? Chang's been talking to just about anyone who can sit a broom, wondering if they're coming out for the Ravenclaw side.

Seamus, are you trying for one of Gryffindor's Beaters? I think they're using the pitch right after we are, so if you are, I'll stay and cheer you on.

If not, it'll be back to the books for me. In fact, I might have to bring my copy of Brandt with me, we've do much reading to do.

Oh, that reminds me: F-F, you said in our revision group that you've got a different translation of the Calidus. How different is it? Bring it along to Monday's session and we'll take a look.

as everyone else! But that doesn't mean that we can run rampant all over the school. Remember that there's a match tomorrow and the other years still have homework and revising.

But other than that, we've got every reason to have a party!

And regardless of the Quidditch outcome tomorrow, Pavs and I are inviting years 4-7 to celebrate our birthdays. We'll use the same room where we rehearsed the Revue. Just a little tea and cake and some music. Hope to see you there!

Why are so many people writing private messages to Perks lately? What, has everyone decided to pay her to do odd jobs for them?

And can you believe that Hufflepuff won despite the way Diggory was flying? Was it just me or did his broom look like it wanted to dump him out every time he tried to turn round?

Although, Samuels hasn't been back from the Hospital Wing yet, either, so I wonder if Smith didn't help that bludger along with something. Which he should know better, using magic during a match, but that's Smith for you, isn't it, always trying to play an angle. Honestly, I don't know what Diggory was thinking, letting him on the Hufflepuff side.

Has Madam Umbridge talked to either of you about her civics lessons? Because she did mention something about the first assignment to me, in passing, after exercise last time, and she asked whether I thought firsties and seconds would be bold enough to write to the right people about their questions. (Also, Seamus, she wanted to do something about Ireland for next time, maybe, and I told her to give you a warning if she could so you'd be prepared to help contribute.)

Oh, and Daphs' dance instructor's supposed to come up sometime before the next Hogsmeade weekend. I was thinking we might ask him to lead some social dancing in addition to talking about the revue. What do you think?

Still cross about not making the side? Only you've not been your usual. You were really quiet at the Prefects' meeting.

Here's something to cheer you up: Why do you suppose Cho Chang was binning a perfectly nice bouquet of flowers just after lunch today?

Three guesses.

First two don't count.

And in other news, I heard that Letchley didn't make it into first string for Slytherin, either. And Anne says she's grounded for about four weeks because of that collision with Smith and Stebbins. (She said she'd like to have hexed them both.)

So maybe it's not such a wonderful season to be playing, anyway. With your luck, Stebbins would knock you off your broom at 100 feet up.

I hope the low turnout from Saturday's YPL conditioning was just due to the excitement of seeing Quidditch for the first time in a while, for some of us.

I did want to remind everyone that this afternoon, we're meeting at 5 PM on the grounds, rain or shine.

Also, YPL Counsellors, I sent round a signup to lead the sessions and many of you have already taken up shifts. I know some are awaiting word about their Quidditch practices and whether they'll be needed but if you have heard, one way or the other, and you know your schedule, please get your choices to me and I'll get back to everyone with the final rota. I think if two people lead each time, we'll have loads of opportunities throughout the term without overtaxing anyone.

And remember, CCF, there's a special meeting at 1 PM on Sunday, before the general YPL meeting.

See you there!

to have all the visitors here!

That Goblet is well amazing, isn't it? I know at least three people who got up extra early this morning to go down and put their names in before anyone saw them.

Also, we've been getting to know the Beauxbatons students a bit. Everyone's talking about Delacour, she's the utterly gorgeous one (and don't pretend you haven't noticed, Smith!) and how everyone knew she'd be in from the first. Only then someone--sorry, I don't know everyone's name yet--but someone said she'd heard Delacour wasn't going to be allowed, on account of she's part-Veela and all. But anyway, I reckon she's one of Beauxbatons' Headmistress' favourite students so it was hard not to prove she had the proper qualifications.

Justin, it was great to finally meet you face-to-face last night. Your mate JP is well nice, too.

Malfoy, you were sitting next to Krum last night, weren't you? That was a huge surprise, when he walked off the ramp from the ship! Our whole Quidditch side are talking about it. Did anyone even know he was still at school? I dunno if we'd ever have a Quidditch star who's still at school here. It seems like it would be too distracting, doesn't it?

Anyway, after hearing them all talk about the Tournament, I guess there's less chance than ever that one of us 4th-years will make it (and with Krum, obviously, that's going to be hard to beat!) but I still think I'm going to put my name in. No harm, right?

I've been talking with some of the Ravenclaw Corner lot about possible charms to help set up that orienteering course this weekend. Not that I've decided what we'll do! (Since I think some of the older Ravenclaws are thinking of teaming up with older Beauxbatons students to help.) But it's given me some ideas. I suppose we'll learn more after Professor Sinistra gets back from her meeting.

Also, I reckon that some of us better sign up for setup shifts on Friday night, because Saturday morning we'll be busy. Su Li and I are working together, definitely, and--Moon, Finnigan, want to help on our setup?

Oh, and Lav, still no news about you-know-what. I'll keep you posted!

I've been thinking that we could make History Club into more of a Charms and Duel Revising night, if we wanted to do, but that maybe we ought to wait until we know more about the Tournament and who the Hogwarts Champion will be. Does that make sense? Or should we keep on even though we haven't had much in the way of new people so far this year? I think more people are going to be interested in exchanging spellbooks than history books, though.

But. I wanted to ask you about something else, too. Not in the Great Hall, there're too many people about.

The thing is...I was in the library last night with Tamblyn, the Moons, Capper and some of the others, and I went to get a copy of the Anthology of Eighteenth Century Charms and I saw Cox, Samuels and Page. I hung back a bit, you know, so I wouldn't bump right into ~~Grant~~ them all. They were talking and sort of chuckling about various people this year, especially people getting all hopeful about the visiting students. Well, a little bit later, Sloper and Ken Towler joined them. And Sloper said--something about Hooper. Geoff Hooper, I mean, not either of his brothers. I don't know if you want to know what it was they said, though.

Well, it wasn't long before Johnson came along and told them all to shut it. But they were all sort of sniggering about it.

It's just--if it's not true, what they said, then Hooper ought to know they're saying it. And if it is true (and Towler would know, wouldn't he, or the Weasley twins, they're all in the same dormitory), then I think you ought to know. Because you spend so much time with him.

So. Do you want me to tell you? Or do you want to talk to him first and see what he says?

Lana,

How is your grandmother doing? I hope she's all right. Haruman said he'd call to check on her if you like.

I've been thinking more about everything that happened Monday night and, well, it was all very frightening, but honestly it was also kinda cool to be able to pitch in and help. And I hope I did. Help you, I mean. Setting up the checkpoints and the relay stations. You were amazing, I hope someone's told you!

I'm already incredibly busy being back at Hogwarts, and lessons haven't even started yet! Finnigan and I are continuing History Club, of course, and then we've been talking about some other ideas for the CCF, based on everything coming out of Monday. We got to talking about the IMA and some of the other terrorist groups, and of course, the false Black post and so on, and we came up with a proposal we're working on for Professor Sinistra. (And Professor Raz, really.) It's to do with learning more about the ways one can help decode things in the journals - you know, how some people say that all those posts from the Crimson Company are nothing but encrypted messages to their followers? We want to start a cryptography workshop. I thought perhaps someone from MLE might come and give us pointers. I just think...it's hard when we're reading things in the journals, sorting out what's real from what's just a load of stuff, and no one really tells us much here, they like to just tell us that everything's perfect.

Well, we know that's not true, but the whole point of YPL and CCF is to make it more perfect. And it seems to me that knowing what might be going on below the surface is a good way to do that.

And the Corner is really going strong already. We've been putting together timetables for when to revise what. There's hardly going to be a free night, at this rate!

Now, don't fret at me, but Lares Tamblyn actually told me yesterday that he thought Page acted horribly last year and that if I'd like to sit with him and his brother and the other Prefects at meals and such, that'd be all right. And then he said - well, he said Davies even told Page he'd been beastly, 'and especially to someone as fit as Patil,' was what he told him. Cox and Samuels overheard him in the locker rooms, I guess, after one of their matches. Tamblyn said he figures Davies might like to ask me out but he doesn't want anyone to make a meal of it like they did with Page last year. So he suggested that sitting up with the Prefects would put me close to the Quidditchers but not right in among them, because obviously that would look like I'm just trying to catch Page's eye again. As if I'd give him a second chance to be a gentleman!

Well, I'm not sure what I'll do about it. I don't think Tamblyn's the type to wind one up; if Chambers had told me then I'd be sure she'd just putting a kneazle among the occamies! But I always thought Davies fancied Chang, so I don't know quite whether Tamblyn's really drawing the right conclusions. I mean, it could just be that Davies is too decent to let the side's reputation get tarnished by one player's foolishness. Couldn't it?

But anyway. I thought you'd be interested to hear. What else? Well, you probably already know that Karoline Moon's already quite the mope since Baddock's gone. (Clearwater, too, but she does a better job, at least, of not letting it rule her every conversation. Though, honestly, I think I'd be sick if she did go on and on about Weasley, of all people. By the way, what do you think of them choosing her for Head Girl? You probably don't want to say but personally I think, as much as I'd like to see a Ravenclaw with the job, the Headmistress is rather scraping if Clearwater was her best choice. She's not at all a leader like you were. At least, not so far.) But anyway, Dames says Moon and Baddock wanted to get engaged over the summer, but Baddock's father wouldn't allow it! She's been a mope about that, too. Dames thinks it's not that Mr Baddock objects, really, it's just that he thinks they're too young. I thought perhaps he wasn't happy about the play, from last year, you know, how Ptolemy let Karo put in all the stuff about his parents. But Dames doesn't think so, not really. She says Mr Baddock's far too sensible to hold something like that against someone our age. Well, Karo's age. I asked Lines what he thought about his sister getting engaged to Baddock but he just shrugged. Boys.

Oh, and can you believe there were actually no new Bobolis cousins in this year's firsties? But there are some promising ones. Persephone Sanditon's supposedly got a lovely voice and Orla Quirke dances, I hear. And my own cousin, Darshana, she got sorted into Ravenclaw as well! ~~I'm sure Sanji would have been Sorted~~

Well, I've really gone on and on, haven't I? I'm sure you've loads of important things you're learning at the Ministry and I haven't even asked what you're specialising in now. Of course, Monday was far from the time to catch up but I hope you'll write back and tell me all the exciting parts of your training nowadays!

Katie Bell?

KATIE BELL?!

I suppose I should have known given how he went on and on about her chasing in the match last month.

Boys are so stupid! No offence, Finnigan.

I can't believe how quick some things happen. I got that care package from mum and now people are asking me about the animals--if I have more. Which I don't, I already told you, Daphne!

And then the Ravenclaw match! I was so worried for a while that Dames was gong to get blown off his broom--or nocked off by a bludger, hes that scrawny. Belinda and I must of squeezed each others hands till we couldn't feel our fingers. For a while it looked like Gryffindor would take so much of a leed we'd never catch up. Davies was so brilliant, really!

And Chang!!! She was amazing. Even if I liked flying, I dont think I could've ever made that catch, not in a million years. And if she hadn't done it right then, I'm sure Gryffindor would of scored again, too, and then we'd've tied or something. I wonder if we'd tied--d'you imagine Madam Hooch would've made them play again?

But anyway, we won. Amazing! If Quidditch was like that all the time, I might watch more. And more people wanted to know about the raven on my robes in the common room after. It's doing very well, even though Moon's little puppy is getting kind of squidgy already. I think its because Moon didnt pay any attention to his. I petted mine every night and its still looking chipper.

Well, then things didnt go so well. Well, they didn't for some people. They got really interesting for some of us, though! We were still celebrating when Stretton got back. I guess the Headmistress questioned him pretty hard, he didn't look happy at all. He was sort of limping, too. Anderson wants to be his girlfriend, I think. She went running up to him asking if he was okay and he was sort of sharp with her. A few other people wanted to ask him questions, mostly about what happened and if he was expelled and whether he told Professor McGonagall any other names. Bobolis (Leander, I mean) looked like he was either about to vom or do his nut, I dunno. Then Peakes, Xi Chang and Sandoval (the brother, not the sister) told everyone to shut up and then they took him up to the dormitories. I think they all went to see Frobisher and Calderwood--I guess they were up there all day--and that sort of left everyone else looking round at one another. Then the NEWT students kicked us all out, saying they ought to study a little because they start their examinations on Monday.

Which is my birthday!!! Mine and Parvati's, of course. I cant think of anything more nift than the Robe Pets, but I'm sure Mum and Dad will think of something. I wonder what Haruman will give us?