gooseberryhigh | QUIDDITCH: Apr 22, Match #10

EBONHIDE

AZURCREST

The players line up in the center, three Chasers facing three. Coach Thorn throws the Quaffle into the fray, and there's a mid-air scuffle between Chasers Key and Webb, but the bigger Chaser emerges victorious with the Quaffle under his arm. Both Keepers are caught off-guard by the speed of this game, as each team knocks out two goals before the clock hits eight minutes. Wilde gets his bearings first, quickly blocking the next three attempts by Azurcrest, while Flowers only blocks one.

Both teams make a strong showing in the opening half-hour, 40–40, but Ebonhide soon pushes ahead, lead in scoring by Chaser Quayle. He's the obvious target for Azurcrest's Beaters, who get a clear shot after Ebonhide grabs two more goals. Beater Kim dives in to protect him from Beater Delgado's aim, but his bat only skims the iron ball, sending it a couple of inches off-course. Enough to avoid slamming Quayle's skull, but not the back of his neck. The surprise impact sends him tumbling unconscious off his broom, and Decourt is forced to sub in Reserve Chan, as her co-captain is carried off the pitch.

Competition amps up between the Beaters as they fight for control of the field. Delgado and Hobbs are the more experienced, but Bailey and Kim are out to prove they're the more aggressive. Bludgers fly left and right; Chaser Chan almost gets hit when she's too slow to dodge, but Kim doesn't miss protecting his teammate this time. Bailey aims a powerful downward swing at Chaser Morales-Tran, but she veers out of the way. Unfortunately, the Bludger keeps going, right at the cluster of Captain Ignacz's squad putting up a pyramid. The pyramid breaks apart as cheerleaders scramble out of the way of the Bludger, and while no one gets hit, London Holloway does take a tumble and twists their ankle trying to run away. Their teammates have a take a break to carry them over to the Healer.

Ebonhide's lead is short-lived, as Azurcrest ties and pulls ahead not ten minutes after Quayle goes down, the score now 70-60 for Azurcrest. Azurcrest flies with near-flawless coordination, only slowed down by Keeper Wilde's focused defense. Ebonhide has been slowed down, but they're disciplined and determined. Aided by a good shot from Beater Bailey that scatters enemy Chasers, Decourt rockets down the field with the Quaffle under her arm, with teammate Webb right on her tail. She tosses to Webb at the last second, and he sends sailing past a surprised Keeper Flowers. Decourt doesn't even get a second to celebrate before a Bludger hits her in the upper arm, cracking the bone—from an apologetic Hobbs, who hit the Bludger at them just before Webb scored. Decourt is forced to sit out so Healer Mufferaw can fix her up, and Ebonhide's Chasers are now two reserves lead by Webb.

Even with the rest of the team doing their best to stay on top of their game, Ebonhide's new Chaser lineup is no match for Azurcrest's team. It becomes a slaughter as Castillo, Key and Morales-Tran rack up the goals, sending Quaffle after Quaffle through the hoops of an apparently flustered Keeper Wilde. Encouraged by his teammates' performance, Keeper Flowers blocks four shots in a row from Ebonhide, misses one skillful throw from Webb that sails over his shoulder, then blocks two more. Every time Ebonhide fails to get past Flowers, the cheers from the Azurcrest side of the audience only get louder.

On the Ebonhide side, Beaters Bailey and Kim struggle to not let themselves lose focus. Delgado lines up a shot meant to take out the zippy figure of Ebonhide's Seeker; Kim moves in to intercept her Bludger and volley it over to Bailey, who swings her bat hard and sends it flying at Chaser Key, hitting him right in the back. He manages to stay on his broom, but the impact drops him out of formation. It takes a minute for Azurcrest to reorient themselves, and the opening allows Chan to score a goal, but it may be too little, too late...

...because Seeker St. Clair spots the Golden Snitch! It shines brilliantly under the midday sun, and obvious target for anyone else on the field. With the score 140–80 for Azurcrest, Ebonhide knows they have to keep the Snitch away from him at any cost. Seeker North chases after St. Clair as the Snitch zips around the other players. Beater Hobbs sends a Bludger at North, which she dodges without slowing down at all; while Kim hits the other Bludger at Castillo, who fumbles a pass from Morales-Tran and lets the Quaffle fall into Rose's hands. Rose speeds down the length of the pitch; no one else can catch him. North comes alongside St. Clair; they're shoulder to shoulder as she tries to push him off-course, but St. Clair holds on. Keeper Flowers readies himself to block Rose's shot, but he passes it to Webb at the last second, who gets it in. North hears the score—140–90—and makes a decision. She rises up, both hands free, and stretches forward on her too-fast broom. Two balanced feet on her broomstick, then just one. It's enough to put her ahead.

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EBONHIDE GETS THE SNITCH
140–140

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