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Post by Godric Emerindyl on Feb 22, 2007 7:05:22 GMT 10
Godric stepped out onto the pitch breathing deeply as he did and smiling as he looked around. It was a perfect day for Quidditch training, there would be nothing inhibiting the skills of his fellow housemates and he could truly see what they were capable of. Though he also knew that ideal conditions like this were rare in the wintertime, he also knew that either way, if someone couldn’t fly on a nice day. Chances are they could not fly at all.
Godric stepped out onto the pitch with his broomstick over his shoulder and looked around. The first trial this morning was for a student in the fourth year called Bailey Sable. Godric hoped she would be a new find of pure talent, as indeed the bulk of his team graduated the previous year, and he had a whole team to replace.
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Post by Bailey Sable on Feb 22, 2007 13:04:43 GMT 10
"Godric! Godric!" Bailey yelled across the pitch, running towards him with broom in hand, the other waving. She was late of course, but didn't think Godric would mind so much, considering he was an Emerindyl too.
"So sorry I'm late," she puffed as she came to a halt in front of him "I had to hand in some homework before I came and the Professor kept me," she shut her mouth, annoyed at how much she'd said. Surely Godric wouldn't care about her reasons. Her mouth was soon open again though as she panted for air. She'd run here all the way from the office of said Professor.
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Post by Godric Emerindyl on Feb 22, 2007 15:50:59 GMT 10
"Bailey Sable?” Godric asked her as he watched her running across the pitch towards him, he could see her broom carelessly bouncing around I her hand and wondered if that was how much she thought of the device that was going to aid her (if she made it on the team) to win the Quidditch Shield.
"I don’t mind you being late, so long as it doesn’t happen when we have a match,” he listened to her excuse and added, “Also, it is very important that your school work does not get in the way of the team, also that the team doesn’t get in the way of your school work, if your work is affected Professor Emerindyl will insist you relinquish your position on the team, if your ability on the team suffers, well…” it did seem a little harsh, but what more could he say, it was all true.
He smiled then and said, “So lets get started, firstly, we will see how you handle your broomstick, I would like you to fly to the bottom of the pitch as fast as you can, weave back and forth through the goals at the end and fly back as quickly as possible, you will be timed,” he said to her holding up a small hour glass which turned over on its own and recorded how many times it had to do this, “Ready?” he said, “Go!”
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Post by Bailey Sable on Feb 22, 2007 16:12:25 GMT 10
Bailey nodded grimly at Godric's words. He had been understanding of course, but reiterated the fact that Quidditch was a big commitment. She was excited and so took his words to heart and promised herself never to be late to Quidditch if she got on the team.
Bailey nodded again at his instructions. She seemed to be doing a lot of nodding, but she was going to keep her mouth shut if at all possible. Speak only when spoken to was her motto for the day.
She mounted her broomstick and kicked off, zooming towards the goalposts. Her broom was not the newest of models, and had been her cousin's before she owned it, but she took very good care of it and so it went much faster than one would expect. She reached the end of the pitch and weaved the goalposts like Godric asked and zoomed back, landing neatly. She wondered how fast she'd been, it had certainly felt good with the wind in her hair like that. Her stomach tingled with anxiety.
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Post by Godric Emerindyl on Feb 22, 2007 16:52:48 GMT 10
“Not bad,” Godric grimaced as he checked out how long it had taken her, “You might wand to lean in more when you are trying to go faster, though, your broom might not be the latest thing on the market but it is still very capable of a little bit better,” he promptly raised his Firebolt and mounted it to show her exactly what he meant.
He liked that she seemed so interested in what he had to tell her and only hoped this sort of reaction to his coaching methods continued to be so throughout her time on the team, if she was to be successful.
He looked to make sure she was watching and flicked his wand at the hour glass, it turned over and he shot off towards the goal posts, he slowed down a little coming to the goal posts, weaved in and out of them and then shot back to where he had started. Flicking his wand at the timer again he was able to show her he had done it in half the time. “I know the Ruberagon team all have Fire bolts too, that’s the problem with having a wealthy team captain who is not afraid to tilt the scale in his favour,”
“You will never make the time I just showed you, but if you sink in closer to your broom handle like I showed you, you should be able to move a little faster then you did, be sure to back off around the posts, you will get around them faster by moving slower, yes I know,” he said before bothering to look at any facial expression she might have at this statement, “Sound odd, but it is true,”
“Now,” he chucked her a quaffle, “hrow through the hoops, fly around them and catch it on the other side, then do it again five times,”
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Post by Bailey Sable on Feb 22, 2007 16:58:26 GMT 10
"It does sound odd," Bailey agreed, "But it makes sense, you're right." She smiled. Godric really seemed to know what he was doing, she could look forward to having him as a captain if she was successful.
The next little challenge was slightly harder, but nothing she hadn't done in practice with Belle. Taking the Quaffle from Godric, she kicked off once more and flew towards the hoops. She threw it through and raced to the other side, only just catching the ball.
Remembering what Godric had just told her, she threw it again, only this time when she reached the other side, she slowed as she turned around and caught the Quaffle perfectly at chest level.
Pleased, and slightly more appreciative of Godrics skills, she repeated the movement another three times and flew back to the ground where the Emerindyl captain stood watching her.
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Post by Godric Emerindyl on Feb 22, 2007 17:22:47 GMT 10
“Well done,” Godric was saying to himself, knowing full and well she could not hear him, while she did what he asked her, he made notes in a notebook he had brought down with him, she was quite skilful and he was fast making a decision.
”Very well done,” he said when she returned ot where he was, he was still making notes but he was pleased with her all the same, “I have to admit I didn’t expect you to get all five, people rarely do, but I can tell you have been practicing,” he said and thought he might put the question to her instead of assuming, “Have you been practicing?”
”You were quite good at adapting to the instructions I gave you, again I did not expect you to pick them up so quickly but you did and that is a good quality in a Quidditch team member, at times you will have to alter your style at the drop of a hat to beat your opponent, so well done,”
Very pleased with the way things were going Godric mounted his broom again and fle wup holding his wand in his hand, “Ok, so now I am going to cast minimum stunner spells at you while you fly around the pitch, I want you to do eight lengths, all the while I will be firing stunners off at you, don’t worry that will only give you a slight tingle, but if you manage to get hit by all eight, you will be ready for the hospital wing, so try not to get hit, ok?”
He aimed his wand, “Begin,” he said to her and began to fire off his stunners in rapid and then not so rapid succession.
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Post by Bailey Sable on Feb 22, 2007 17:52:12 GMT 10
So they're like bludgers Bailey thought to herself as she kicked off the ground. The thought of being stunned scared her a little, until she remembered the bludgers her friend Belle had been aiming at her the day before.
Bailey refrained from squealing at the first stunner spell hit her. She had been too slow to kick off and not ready for Godric. But she would learn from this as she had with his advice before. She had been pleased with his words, and told him that she practiced quite a lot.
She doged the red laser-like spells and weaved across the pitch. She avoided almost all of them on her broom, still remembering to slow down as she turned. When she landed she was pleased that only three of the spells had hit her, but wasn't sure if that was a good thing and waited for Godric's opinion.
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Post by Godric Emerindyl on Feb 23, 2007 6:52:25 GMT 10
“Three is not that bad, you should be happy with the result,” he said writing on his ledger. It had been a very short trial, but he had learned all he needed to learn to make a decision. He landed back on the ground and stepped from his broomstick.
”You may go now,” he told her not unkindly, “The Quidditch team will be posted in the common room in a couple of days, keep an eyes out, and well done on your performance today, you did well for someone who has never been on the team before, as you know there are a couple of positions open so… good luck,”
He smiled at her when he said this and walked off towards the Quidditch gear he had laid out for the trials, the next trial would be for a beater, he thought he name was Belle. Checking his list this was confirmed and he looked skywards, he had a very interesting day ahead of him, by the end of which he hoped to have a qualified Quidditch team.
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Post by Bailey Sable on Feb 23, 2007 11:17:27 GMT 10
"Thanks Godric" Bailey said as she dismounted her broom. She gathered that was all there was for today and knew Belle was next in line for a trial. The older boys words seemed very positive and she was excited about the prospect of being on the team.
"Okay I will," she grinned and walked away, preparing to go back to the Emerindyl commonrooms and hopefully spot Belle along the way to wish her good luck.
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