Seeker tryouts. Dawn of the one armed bandit. (Slytherins)

Guest

After a whole hour just psyching herself up and putting on and taking off her Quidditch gear Louise kicked herself in the rear and made her way down to Quidditch tryouts. She'd done everything possible and within the rules, or found loopholes in the rules to allow her extra piece of equipment. She had practiced before on her own, but there was only so much you could do alone, even with some kind strangers helping out for a few minutes. But with the determination worthy of a gryffindor (she was still convinced she may be in the wrong house) she strode onto the pitch, surprised to find she was the first out here.

With her few minutes alone Louise got on her old, beaten but well loved firebolt and clipped herself onto it with her safety harness, and tucked her left sleeve into the collar of her shirt so it wouldn't be in the way. She then kicked off to get in a few practice laps of the pitch and chased an imaginary snitch, grasping at thin air and taking hold of the handle of her broom again, just to make sure she could hold her balance after a lunge. She'd gotten better at it of late, even diving, though she was still a bit wobbly she could stay on.

Guest

It was the time of year where a number of relatively idiotic Slytherins believed they had the capabilities of making the Quidditch team. More than half of them would waste Josh's time (which was never good for their physical wellbeing) a further third of the people trying out would be no where near the standard he needed for the team, and the rest... Well, the rest were passable, at best.

Josh didn't have any high hopes for this afternoon either.

Shouldering his Firebolt Three that his parents had so wanted to buy him around with in the potential of picking a future wife. It was obviously never going to work, because Josh did not play to the whims of his parents, but he'd taken the new broom anyway, telling them that it was not nearly enough to win him over, but at least they'd tried.

On finally getting to the grounds, Josh noted there was already one person in the air. Others would be here a little bit later, he guessed, so he watched the kid on the broom for a bit, first. Not too bad a flier, all in all, but... was... Ah, Grey.

It would explain why everything wasn't quite so fluid, what with the witch being handicapped, but it wasn't bad. "Grey, get down here." Josh called up to the witch, as she flew past. "Are you trying to waste my time?" Josh asked once she'd finally landed, motioning to the harness and then her left side.

Guest

The sudden call out snapped Louise out of her imaginary victory and she spiraled down, righting herself and hopping onto the ground with minimal stumbling. "Clearly not, since I was out here first and actually practiced over the summer. I checked all the rules too there's nothing in them whatsoever that says anything about me not being able to play, even the international rules have nothing on this. so don't try that shtick with me. I'm here and I'm trying out." Merlin's balls where had that all come from? Must be the adrenaline from flying. She shook it off and unclipped the harness from her firebolt and tucked the broom under her arm. "So where's the rest of the team?" She asked, hoping to dodge over her back talk and focus on the whole point of the session. "Got anyone in mind for the other positions?"

Guest

The information that the Grey kid gave him in quite a fluid motion made Josh nod along. He hadn't meant the harness. He'd meant her handicap. But, if she really believed she had the talent, well, he could at least watch and laugh if it was pitiful. "Alright Grey, but just because it's legal, doesn't mean that you're any good." Josh fired back.

"I don't need the rest of the team here to make decisions." Josh told her, because he really didn't need people getting in his way. "So it's only those who are trying out that will be joining us." He added, though that was highly obvious.

"The players from last year will be keeping their positions unless I see anyone with talent." Josh added. "But that's not your business. Do you think you can actually catch the Snitch?" Josh asked, kicking the Quidditch box open and taking out the little golden ball. His eyes finally met the witch's, the icy blue depth boring in to the witch, somewhat in wonder if she could actually do this in her condition.

Josh wasn't hopeful.

Guest

Ohhh if that didn't make her bristle up nothing would. No wonder she never saw many people with him, the only reason she bit her tongue this time was because she wanted a place on the team more than anything. Thought something came to mind, she hadn't said what position she wanted and yet he suggested catching the snitch straight off the bat. She wasn't sure what to make of it and shrugged it off to think about later.

She then smirked and in two moves remounted her broom and clipped herself into place. "Inside of five minutes, plus a thirty second head start for the snitch." Alright maybe that was a stretch but be damned if she didn't try. Sure she didn't have years of experience but she wasn't running on experience at the moment, this was something new and exciting and all her energy would be focused on her one single goal. This would be her year, she could feel it. "Ready captain." She saluted and took hold of her broom handle again, positively itching to fly after the little golden ball, after it's head start of course.

Guest

Josh had made an... informed decision on where the Grey child would play. it most certainly wasn't going to be a Beater because one, she had one arm, two, she was way too small, and three, he most certainly wouldn't put her there because she'd be a liability. The Keeper position was also not likely with her handicap, so that had been crossed off.

And being a Chaser, she wasn't built for that either.

Seeker worked because the Grey kid was small, which usually meant relatively agile. The only trouble would be the confidence of letting go of the broom to catch the Snitch in the end. Josh wasn't completely sure on that matter.

But it seemed Louise was, for not a moment later she was insisting she could do it within five minutes, with the Snitch having a head start. "If you really think so, go for it." Josh encouraged, though he still wasn't very hopeful she'd manage it. Letting the golden ball go, Josh looked down at his watch, waiting for the thirty seconds to go. "Go, Grey." Josh drawled, not really looking at her. She had five minutes to catch the thing, or he'd simply cast her aside.

Guest

Louise watched the little ball fly off and never took her eyes off it, following it's path through the air, even trying to focus on it as it passed over the sun. On command she kicked off and shot into the air, pulling herself flat against her broom, tracking the snitch and following it, trying to cut it off to close the distance between them. This was it, this was no place for nerves and her only shot at joining the team. She ignored Josh for the most part, and anyone else who would enter the pitch.

The snitch ducked and weaved and the one armed Slytherin followed, pulling out of dives and taking turns at hairpin bends and breakneck speeds. She kept herself flat, more confident she wouldn't fall off with more contact against the broom, that and when reaching out she could roll around without flailing about helplessly (she learned that after attempting the move over the summer )

The golden ball suddenly rocketed backwards and Louise had to abandon her technique and sat bolt upright and snatched into the air, her hand closed around the ball and her broom looped over her head, had her legs not wrapped around her broom she would have fallen, instead she completed the loop and spiralled down towards the pitch with her heart in her throat and thoroughly pleased with her catch. She had no idea if she'd made it in those five minutes and was severely hoping she had it in time. "Well? How did I do?"

Guest

As soon as he'd called the time for the witch, she'd been in the air. Most people might have watched, but not Joshua Murray. Instead, Josh looked to the box beside him, and thought about letting out the Bludgers to go after the younger Slytherin. But Josh changed his mind a moment later. Perhaps next time.

Josh had looked back to the sky a moment later, watching the witch working. For a handicapped individual, she wasn't bad at what she did, Josh had to admit that, but she wasn't... well, she wasn't as good as someone with two hands. Which came more apparent when the broom looped over and she only just managed to stay on the broom.

Looking down at his watch, Josh noted the four and a half minutes. Well, at least she'd gotten that much.

"Well? How did I do?"

"Four and a half minutes." Josh replied to the witch, nothing being given away by the older Slytherin apart from his open disinterest. "Go back up, you weren't under any pressure." Josh told her, taking the Snitch from her grasp and setting it free once more. He didn't count her in she could go when she was ready, but the moment she left the ground, the Bludgers would be in quick pursuit of her.

Guest

She didn't think it'd be that easy, she was joining in quite late in the game and needed to work through her disadvantage, she nodded and got back on the broom, letting him take the snitch then waiting while it got a few seconds head start before zooming off after it. She could hear the whistling air behind her as the bludgers were released. Time to really fly! She flattened herself out on her firebolt, wrapping herself onto it and taking off like a bullet, taking gradually tighter turns in order to keep the snitch in her sights.

The little ball was giving her the run around, probably annoyed at her boasting earlier and being caught within her time limit. Oh well if it'd been easy it wouldn't have been half as fun, besides she enjoyed flying far too much to not give it her best.

Her broom jolted as a bludger got her tail, thinking the other wouldn't be too far behind she dived and pulled up, twisting around sending her spinning and giving her a little speed boost to outrun the flying bludgers.

The snitch was putting some distance between them now that the bludgers were seeming to orbit her. She got many narrow escapes and was getting frustrated with their tenacity. She was far too high up and she could see a flicker of gold further down. She'd never reach it in time, the bludgers were closing in from both sides. She looked at each ball in turn then let go of her broom, unclipped herself and free fell, her broom followed, pacing even with her while the bludgers collided above her. She pointed her head down, as a flash of gold passed her sight she snatched at it then spread her limbs wide, she slowed just enough and with just enough air left to hook her legs around her broom again and right herself. Her knees scraped over the ground, thankful that she wore leg guards and tumbled off at Josh's feet.

It took a few minutes to breathe normally again but she held up her hand to show the little ball, caught by it's wings between her fingers, looking otherwise thoroughly exhausted and slightly in shock from her freefall. She wondered if she'd feel her legs soon, at the moment both her spine and legs felt like mush. "Well captain?"

Guest

Once the Snitch, Louise and the Bludgers were gone, Josh took a seat on the Quidditch box, not in any hurry to watch. He knew the Bludgers almost like the back of his hand and he was looking forward to this. They would hunt the disabled witch down without too much hassle, of that much he was quite sure. It would be amusing to him too, when they did. After all, there was nothing better than someone else's dreams being crushed through their own stupidity.

After a couple of minutes, Josh pulled out of his own reverie, looking to the skies for the witch and the Bludgers. They were closing in by this point, and a very small hint of amusement touched Josh's lips. Sickening amusement, that is, never the type of amusement a normal person would possess.

The move that the witch pulled, however, was bordering on suicidal. Josh wasn't sure whether it had been stupidity that had compelled the witch to do such a thing, or bravery. It was such a Gryffindor move to pull... and yet it had worked, to an extent.

As the witch tumbled to the ground at his feet, the Slytherin prefect simply cocked an eyebrow in response to her actions and stood from the box, moving to stand at her side just in time to catch the Bludger that had managed to remain in tact after smashing it's brother. A small grunt left Josh on impact, but with ease he pushed it back in to the box.

"Well captain?"

"Wednesday and Friday evenings. Seven o'clock. Don't be late." Was all Josh replied to her question, closing the box and lifting it up, heading back towards the store room to put them away. Josh Murray had never been a man of many words and this evening would prove to be no different either.

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