Graduation had inflicted a crippling blow to the Pecari Quidditch team. Of the seven positions in the first string line-up, three had been seventh years. In Saul's previous five years, Pecari had never had anyone but the Cravens and Stephen as the Beaters and Keeper. Though they'd had back-up alternates and a couple of Chasers who would have preferred to be Beaters, none of them were tested in a real game. Saul suspected this year's roster would be almost unrecognizable from last year's.
He was curious to see what positions his returning teammates would sign up for now that the graduated Seventh Years had released their monopoly on two of them.
With careful effort to keep his letters legible and the words spelled correctly, Saul had written out the sign-up sheet. When he stopped by the dorm to drop off all his stuff before the feast, he took the opportunity to put the sheet up early.
PECARI TEAM QUIDDITCH SIGN-UPS
All are welcome! First years cannot be on the team, but are encouraged to join in practices for next year. Sign up below if interested.
Spots are NOT guaranteed for returning players. Equal opportunity for all! Try-out date to be announced. Watch this board for further information.
The Quidditch sign-up sheet was, naturally, one of Elly's first calling points. After a tremendous vistory in last year's game (and admittedly a rather silly injury shortly after that, which nobody need know too much about), Elly wasn't going to give up the chance to play for the team again.
On the one hand, it wouldn't be the same without the original players. The Cravens were the most gruelling captains, as was common knowledge in the school. In some ways it was a relief to know that day-long try-outs and all-weather practices might be a thing of the past, but it all been part of the Craven Quidditch Experience. Similarly, a Pecari team without Stephen or Lizzie just felt kind of peculiar. Of course things had to change, and Elly had no doubt that Saul would be a fantastic captain, so she hastily added her name to the list.
Elly Eriksson ~ 5th year ~ Seeker
Although Elly would happily play any position to be part of the team, she knew that her time spent developing Seeker-specific skills, and the consequent lack of practising any other positions made her fairly unsuitable to play anything but Seeker. Besides, she adored the position, and looked forward to proving her worth at try-outs.
Irene swiftly decended the dormitory steps, her hands busy tying her brown hair up in a messy bun. As her foot hit the bottom step, her eyes fell upon an exciting sight. Quidditch Sing-Ups! A grin burst onto her face as her hand flew to her pocket for a pen. After the success of the team last year Irene had the strong desire to do her part in continuing. Quidditch was so cool... The whole flying thing made her so happy! Some people were terrified of it, but for her it was the higher the better. It was so exhilerating to go as fast as you could, like a release of all your stress. Brett's thing was to run. Her's was to fly. To each their own.
She reached the sign, visions of the future games playing in her mind. What if they went for it again this year? That would be awesome! She trusted Saul's leadership and had complete faith that he could lead them to a championship. Last year's Crotalus game put them on top and, since they were both loosing a decent amount of seventh years, they would be on level playing field. On one hand, Crotalus had Renaye in line for Beater, along with a few others while Pecari had... Raoul. Hmm... Irene felt her confidence fall a bit, but that gave her even more dertermnation to sign her name to the list. She turned away, the blue ink behind her still drying. The words read:
Irene Liddowe, 4th year, Chaser
On the side, Irene had given her two cents.
Anyone else up for kicking some serious butt this year...?
Meredith was ready to make up for lost time. Being physically unable was the absolute only reason she wouldn't try out for Quidditch. Her arm and leg were healed now, at least for the most part, and she had been practicing every moment over the summer that wasn't given to gymnastics or to her friends. Occasionally friends and Quidditch were intertwined. Gymnastics was her own thing though.
So when Mere caught sight of the sign up sheet, she immediately took up a quill and ink to sign her name. As she reached for the parchment the yellow stone in her mother's class ring glinted for a moment and Mere smiled softly. Faye didn't like that Quidditch was her daughter's life, but she hadn't out right opposed her playing Quidditch. She knew it was what Meredith loved and allowed her to do what made her happy. When she thought of it that way, she completely forgave her for making her go to Ms. Corona's. If anything, she owed it to her mother. She broke her gaze and signed her name.
Meredith Lail, 5th year, Beater
She grinned being able to write beater down as a forethought rather than as a possible substitute and settling for chaser. She may not have played last year, but she was determined to follow the team and give her full support so she watched her friends endure the Cravens's practices. It would still be a different feeling for her as well to see how Saul ran the team, but she was confident that he could bring them to glory. He would have an amazing team backing him and Mere hoped she would be part of it.
She laughed when she saw a little note on the side beside Irene's name. Mere dipped the quill again and added,
This was the year. It was finally the year. The two beaters were gone. Good and gone. They had both graduated, and now with them the spots of beaters were open. Wide open and ready for the taking. There were plenty of chasers ready and willing to take up the spot left open by her departure.
Quill in hand, Caedence stared at the sheet. She couldn’t bring herself to scratch even her name and year onto the paper. It felt… well it felt like a betrayal to her former captains. They had been beaters their whole time here. They were the ones who pushed her to the limit. Over her limits. And the Cravens kept showing her just how little she knew of her limits and how far she could be pushed before she snapped. They had taught her about how good she could get. And Caedence hoped that in her time on the team she had made them even a little proud. Her last game, which was injury free, must have given them a little bit of pride.
Of course, she could hear her team members laughing at her. She knew the nicknames she had acquired. Some of them had to do with her temper, but most had to do with her history with bludgers. At first, these nicknames were embarrassing, even humiliating, but now she didn’t mind them. Caedence knew that she deserved them. In fact, the young blonde girl found a few of the newer ones quite funny. One time she heard a kid, someone she didn’t even know, tell her Wolfe had a special medic bed reserved for her special. Caedence simply smiled and said, “That’s sweet, isn’t it?”
Taking a deep breath, and resisting a formally written apology to her former captains, she signed her name.
Caedence “Bludger Magnet” RedoakGrafton -------- Year 5------- Beater
Caedence frowned at the scratched out “Redoak” and “Grafton”. Shaking her head she scribbled over the two last names until neither could be seen, she wrote over the scribbly line Redoak-Grafton. There. Now the Chuck could be at least a little happy about it. After all, the freak was going through the papers to adopt her right?
“Ta-Daa!” she said smiling. With a bit less enthusiasm she added:
Willing, but not wanting, to take my old spot back
0CaedenceSwitching my positions FINALLY!!!!!!!94Caedence05
Raoul was ready for this. He had trained as keeper last year, and he knew he could do it. His English had improved so much, and he had lost all but the slightest trace of his accent. He was ready to try out for a permanent spot. He was all but bouncing off the walls with excitement.
He stole a quill off of a nearby table, scribbling a small bit on the corner of the paper to check if it was self inking. Pleased that it was, Raoul read over the list of names. Both beater spots were being battled over so far. Two chasers, and one was the coach himself. Perhaps he could be a chaser, even? Seeker was taken, and it had been since before he was here.
“Hmm…” he said softly to himself. “Perhaps I’ll be flexible, no?”
He wrote down Raoul Delachenne----- Year 3 ------ Keeper 1st, Chaser 2nd option
Raoul laughed at his teammates comment on the side of the paper. He wrote next to it “But of course! Pecari is the champions!
52RaoulKeeping my spot. Get it? keeping?125Raoul05
Aeon hopped down from the last few steps of his dorm room. He walked/jogged over to the bulletin boards and looked over all the notices. There were quite a few but when he looked over one of the last ones he saw, his gut wrenched and he inhaled sharply. There was the quidditch team sign-up. He could play! He read over the notice and his smiled dropped. First years weren’t allowed to play. But he was confused on the practices. Were they allowed to play next year in practice or this year?
Aeon stood there, feeling like a complete idiot, too afraid to ask someone what it meant and have them laugh at him. He stared at the notice for a few more seconds and turned to leave before sharply turning back around and looking at the notice for a few more seconds before lifting his hand up to the notice and scrawling in barely readable, very small writing,