It had, as Thomas freely admitted, been disappointing when Gray was named prefect, but the Quidditch captainacy was a decent consolation prize. Geoffrey Layne, the only more or less stable person Thomas could remember holding the spot, had gone on to become Head Boy.
Even if he didn't eventually secure that position, though, it would look good in the long run to have run two successful teams after he'd been assistant captain on one. Thomas had spent most of his summer reading books on team dynamics and how to be an effective manager and integrating them with all of their usual strategies, and was confident that Aladren could make this work well. Now the trick was just to get a team to make it work with.
That, he admitted, might be more of a trick than figuring out management theory. He'd really rather not have to resort to blackmail.
Aladren Quidditch Sign-Ups
Those interested in joining this year's Aladren Quidditch team should sign their names, years, and preferred positions below. Tryouts will be held next Saturday. All years and experience levels are welcome to attend. It's going to be a great year, guys!
- Thomas Fitzgerald, Year 6, Captain and Chaser
Subthreads:
Putting my name in by Daniel Nash II
Suppose I'm a keeper by Grayson Wright
Better late than never by Jera Valson
Yes, yes, I'm here now... by Edmond Carey
I suppose I will do so. by Caleb Nichols
0Quidditch Captain Thomas FitzgeraldQuidditch Sign-Ups0Quidditch Captain Thomas Fitzgerald15
On his way out for breakfast on his second day back at Sonora, Daniel stopped at the bulletin board when he noticed the Quidditch sheet had gone up. He saw no need to put off signing up, so he fished out a quill from his book bag and put his name on the topmost blank line.
Daniel Nash, Year 4, Chaser
He'd played for Aladren for three years already. There was little reason to think he wouldn't make the team again, and he'd pretty much begun to think of himself as a Quidditch player. Sonora wouldn't really be quite the same without regular practices and competing against the other Houses at the games. Daniel liked his routines and Quidditch had become part of his. Not signing up never even occurred to him.
1Daniel Nash IIPutting my name in130Daniel Nash II05
Gray had been playing Quidditch for two years, and he was still very much not in favor of doing so. It meant doing a lot of things that Gray simply didn't like to do, like going outside and risking his glasses when he'd finally gone more than six months without his vision getting worse and, more vitally still, risking getting his head knocked off and eliminating the need for glasses altogether. There was no logical reason to do it at all, and every logical reason to stay indoors and curse himself for deciding to carry on with Charms.
Unfortunately, though, most Aladrens seemed to agree with him; there had been a few years when they had been quick to collect a team and successful with it, but usually, one of the worst parts of being the Aladren captain seemed to be the struggle for players. It was one reason Gray had never even thought of wanting the job - that, and the problem of Anne having once held the position and still feeling some connection to it. That was why he was stuck signing up for the team despite his better sense telling him what a dumb idea it was. She didn't come out and say it, but he got the feeling his cousin felt he had a moral obligation to help out.
And it wasn't just that Anne was a little weird about her allegiances. It was just what Wrights did. Organizational loyalty was practically in the blood; Gray took enough after his mother to see that it was stupid and pointless and frequently detrimental to his own well-being to be that way, but felt too bad about it to not chip in anyway. Hence his third year of Quidditch.
Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad. He had survived last year, and he’d had CATS looming ahead of him then. Professorial protestations aside, he knew he was smart enough that he didn’t have to start worrying about RATS until next year.
Grayson Wright, 6th Year, Keeper
16Grayson WrightSuppose I'm a keeper113Grayson Wright05
She had been excited at the end of last year to learn to had been appointed assistant captain, but at the same time she had been nervous about what that meant - that she would actually have to captain the team one day. Jera wasn't sure she was really up to that. She had never been an especially confident person, and her pre-game speeches would likely be as coherent as Paul's. Then, unexpectedly, she had found herself in sixth year, and consequently in the same year as current captain Thomas. This meant that although Jera would be more than willing to assist Thomas with his duties, she would never have to take on full responsibility herself. It was the best of both worlds!
So when the sign-up sheet went up, Jera could happily sign her name. She added her details - Jera Valson, sixth year, Seeker - and took a quick look at who else had signed up already. They were far from having a full team, but maybe their win last year would encourage new members to sign up in the next few days.
It was odd, Jera considered, that she had been on the team so many years. originally she had only signed up to appease her roomate (who no longer attened the school), and perhaps a little bit to support her House. By this stage, signing up was practically a given; Quidditch had intergrated itself into her life without her really being aware of it. probably for the better; it was about the only time she spoke to other students outside of classes.
0Jera ValsonBetter late than never112Jera Valson05
When school Quidditch became a political issue for a wizard normal in all of the important ways, and the cause of those politics arose from his own family, Edmond thought that the world had officially become too political.
The family had been perfectly clear in its position on his feelings about his eldest sister's untimely demise: he was not to have any. Edmond didn't find that as difficult as a less logical part of his brain told him was really healthy because he hadn't known her; while he'd wished her no harm and would have been pleased to discover that she was still alive, it was nothing personal. Where his surviving sister stood on the issue, though, was more complicated; a few comments had proved she knew Gwenhwyfar was a scandal, but he had the oddest feeling that she was perhaps the one member of the family who'd actually have their sister back if she was given the chance. It was her ambiguity that put the problem into Quidditch, because he wasn't sure if Mora would see it as disrespectful or not.
Normally, Morgaine was logical. Contrary for the fun of it, maybe, but logical. She could be reasoned with. When it was a matter of their father, mother, or sister, though, it was like dealing with another person. She could become outright aggressive at times, and never mind that it wasn't ladylike or dignified. He didn't think Morgaine had the nerve to take his head off in public over an issue that worked in with family opinion and wasn't that large anyway, but she'd most likely have no problem with cutting him out.
Edmond had been raised never to take unnecessary chances. He wrote to her in Illinois to ask if she thought that it would be terribly disrespectful to their scandalous older sister's memory for him to continue on the Quidditch team this year. The reply had been far too short to justify it taking as long to send as it did, but he managed to write his name on the board before tryouts.
Edmond Carey, Year 3, Chaser
0Edmond CareyYes, yes, I'm here now...143Edmond Carey05
Caleb had just returned from the first flying lesson. When he had first saw the sign-up sheet he hadn't wanted to sign up. But after flying for a little while, he was really excited to. He knew he wouldn't be good at trying to fly around really fast and keeping track of not getting hit by other players, so he thought it would be best for him to be a Keeper. He was after all a great goalie back home for soccer. And Quidditch was like soccer, just on a broom.
He took out a quill from his knapsack that he had taken with him to the Pitch; he had brought an extra pair of clothes that he could change into afterwards because he thought it was going to be a little bit of a workout, which it wasn't really, but he still had brought them just in case. He looked at the names of the people already on the list and sighed. There was a 6th year who was signed up to be Keeper as well. There probably wasn't a good chance that he would get to play, if he was good anyways. But, he didn't care, being a reserve would be pretty cool too. He could tell Cooper and Hayden that he was on the Quidditch Team.
He smiled to himself and decided to just get it over with.
Caleb Nichols, Year 1, Keeper.
He smiled as he put his quill away and walked back up to his dorm room. There was no turning back now.
0Caleb NicholsI suppose I will do so.0Caleb Nichols05