Page 3 | Express Issue 86

Quidditch Corner

The

Adding flavor to the competitive game of Quidditch that has surely been deemed irreplaceable on site, the Quidditch season of Year 66 came around the corner in a different version. Thoroughly revised and implemented by the Quidditch experts of the site, under the careful inspection of our dear Quidditch lady, Madam Hooch, the changes seemed to be an unexpected shift to the flow. Predicted or not, the changes hinted at something all the Alumni members were looking forward to: The standard Quidditch Cup was reformed into a Student-Alumni mixed Quidditch Tournament and even at first glance, it proved to be something equally interesting and exciting for both parties involved. Locker Rooms for the joint-house Quidditch teams were shut down, and two teams - bearing their own chaotic names - came forth for the show! Presenting the two Quidditch teams that will face each other on the Quidditch battlefield, we are here to welcome the Lakeside Lightnings and Woodland Wonders!

With Rowena Riddle and Maddy Rose, two Alumni Quidditch enthusiasts, as the Quidditch Captains for the season, the first match began at the start of Week Three, a new week for both students trying their hand at different types of magic and Alumni figuring things out while switching between jobs. The lineups for both teams seemed to be quite strong, and the players' chatter carried all their excitement as they got on their broomsticks and flew around in the air.

The first match started off strong, with Lissa from Lakeside Lightnings grabbing the quaffle that was just released and passing it to Arielle. With her competent Quidditch skills demonstrated to the spectators, Arielle managed to keep the quaffle and send it towards the hoops. After a tough battle between Reyna Walles, the keeper, and Arielle, the quaffle smoothly flew into the hoops, marking the first goal of the match! Encouraged by the score, Woodland Wonders chaser Omer and Lakeside Lightnings chaser Lissa both rushed to get the quaffle, which caused them to collide and the quaffle to be grabbed by Elara Lufkin, just as the first mid-match snitch appeared. Lakeside Lightning chaser Reiluna gained possession of the quaffle and sent it towards the hoops right after. With different techniques and tactics coming into play, another goal was scored by the Lakeside Lightnings along with the celebration of the first mid-match snitch, first spotted by Maddy Rose and then by Rowena Riddle. With more quaffle-fighting between Elara, LIssa and Arielle, the ball was swiftly tossed into the hoops again, granting Lakeside Lightnings another goal! Arielle, with her chasing skills, appeared once again, caught the quaffle and sent it towards the hoops. After a fierce confrontation between the chaser and the keeper, another goal was scored by the Lakeside Lightnings! What a match! No rest was needed for the players as Lissa quickly grabbed the quaffle next and passed it to Reiluna. Another goal was scored by the Lakeside Lightnings and it was right after that the last mid-match snitch appeared, which rolled into Maddy’s hands first, with Rowena following right behind her. The adrenaline was reaching its peak as the final snitch was released by the referee. The eyes of the spectators staring at the sky started to sparkle as Maddy Rose, the up-and-away seeker of the Lakeside Lightnings, appeared with the golden snitch clasped in her hand. Lakeside Lightnings won the match!

The second match happened to take place right as all the players had returned after a break during Interim and the skies remained crystal clear as always. Reiluna, showing off her rapid movements in the air, gained possession of the quaffle and easily took it towards the hoops, which were guarded by Reyna Walles, keeper of the Woodland Wonders. As the keeper hesitated while the quaffle was flying towards her as fast as an arrow shot by a skilled hunter, the Lakeside Lightnings scored their first goal very early in the match. Encouraged by that, Reiluna and Elara both collided as they were fighting for the quaffle, which was instead grabbed by Omer and taken towards the hoops. Fortunately, the keeper of the Lakeside Lightnings, Asphodel, blocked the quaffle in light of her well-enjoyed rest through the previous portion of the match. With more intense moments unfolding in the air, Omer just managed to gain possession of the quaffle once more (along with a hit by a bludger that seemed to slow him down) and took a shot at the hoops. Asphodel was right there to help her team as the ball flew towards her, but the quaffle went into the hoops, granting Woodland Wonders their first goal of the match! Giving them even more reason to celebrate, the first mid-match snitch appearance saw Rowena Riddle returning first, with Maddy coming not far behind.

As the match continued, Lissarose was the one to grab the quaffle, which was then passed to Reiluna, who took it all the way to the hoops. Soon enough, another goal was scored with Reiluna's excellent tactics, giving her team an advantage and a reason to celebrate. It was again Reiluna who grabbed the quaffle from the centre and passed it to Lissa, who sent it towards the hoops. Pausing the quaffle chaos for a bit, the second mid-match snitch appearance attracted the spectators' eyes, and of course, the sharp eyes of the seekers. Closely followed by Rowena, Maddy arrived first, only to enjoy the surprise of another mid-match snitch that appeared right after. The match went on smoothly, with another goal for the Lakeside Lightnings as Maddy returned first with the snitch once more. Approaching the last moments of the match, Reiluna gained possession of the quaffle from her teammate and sent it towards the hoops. Reyna Walles remained prepared and blocked the quaffle as it came, but did not have time to pass it to her teammates. The shiny snitch had appeared again, clasped tightly within Maddy's hand. That only meant one thing amidst the chaos on the pitch, Lakeside Lightnings won the match!

With a few changes to the lineup for the Woodland Wonders, Match Three started in Week Three of Term Two and all the players took to the skies, letting the craziness begin. Upon seeing the quaffle being released, both Lissa and Elara fought for it, colliding in mid-air as Reiluna came out of nowhere and grabbed the quaffle instead. The next few minutes were eventful, as Reiluna sailed towards the hoops with the quaffle and Pelagia, who was guarding them, barely managed to block it and send it back towards the Woodland Wonders chaser team. Elara then gained possession of the quaffle, and as predicted by Madam Hooch, she and Reiluna collided shortly after and the quaffle was then grabbed by Anthony Williams. Due to an unfortunate hit by a bludger, Anthony missed his chance to score and headed off to the Medic Tent instead. With another collision between the two Head Students, Elara waited patiently and caught the ball that was later taken away by Reiluna and passed on to Arielle. What a series of events! It is Omer that zipped forth and blocked the quaffle without letting it reach the hoops, while the first mid-match snitch soon appeared. It was first spotted by Rowena, while Maddy followed her. With cheers from both sides, Reiluna gained possession of the quaffle after some quick passes and she sent it towards the hoops. Being such a skilled keeper, Pelagia managed to make the save and sent the ball towards her teammates.

What’s up? The eager chasers, of course! Elara grabbed the quaffle and started flying towards the hoops. The seekers, on the other hand, returned with the second mid-match snitch, which was first discovered by Rowena and then by Maddy. Asphodel with a little grin on her face stopped the quaffle Elara sent her way and passed it to the members of her team. Reiluna was the one to grab it but failed to keep it as Elara appeared and collided with her, leaving Omer to grab the ball. Omer stepped forward and battled with Asphodel for the quaffle to soar through the hoops, but alas! Asphodel made the save quite spectacularly and the quaffle was grabbed by Lissa. As Lissa flew towards the hoops with the quaffle at hand, the seekers returned with news of the final snitch and can you guess who got it first? It was Maddy Rose, making Lakeside Lightnings the winners of the match!

What an eventful Quidditch season it has been! Next year will be even more fun with the joint-house teams brought back - and all we can do is sit back, enjoy the summer and stay tuned for another entertaining season of Quidditch next year!