This post was fun to write. It goes into the hoverboard more. That's all.
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Samantha returned to her chambers and switched into her sport robes. These were also midnight blue, but there was a white lightning strike running down each sleeve. A silver eagle with wings spread adorned the back. She grabbed her hoverboard and proceeded to the Great Hall.
The last of the students were piling in, probably from Hagrid's class, she thought. Caribe glided up near the enchanted ceiling as she made her way to the head table. Eyes turned to admire her robes as she passed, and she soon took a seat next to her father. Dumbledore started the feast and struck up a conversation with Samantha.
"So what is this game exactly?" he asked, gesturing to her hoverboard leaning against the table. She smiled meekly and swallowed. This talking at meals things would take some getting used to, she mused.
"It's a lot like a cross between Quidditch and rugby," she tried to put it into terms she understood. "It also has some aspects of soccer, sorry, football. The ball is round, about the size of a Quaffle. There are nine players on the field at a time: eight fielders and one goalie, or keeper. The goals are 2 yards high and four yards wide, a lot like soccer goals. The field is about 100 yards in length and 50 yards wide, so we get plenty of exercise. The ball is passed from fielder to fielder. There are three offensive front players called forwards, two mid-men, and three defensemen. Each has their area of field depending on where the ball is. The goalie has to stay in the goal box, which an area 10 yards on all sides."
"It does sound like Quidditch," exclaimed McGonagall.
"It is a bit, except the game is timed. There are three periods lasting 30 minutes each with a 15 minute break between periods. And the game is extremely rough."
"Rough how?" came Hooch's voice from across the table. Samantha then realized she had attention of the entire head table, including her father.
"Have you ever seen a game of rugby played? It's horrible. I don't think I've played a game where I haven't had to go to the Infirmary afterward."
"What position do you play?"
That depends on which league we're playing. Against Whitfall, I'm the goalie because they have awesome forwards. Against Colanus and Malachor, I'm a midman. They do a little of both offense and defense, though I'm more defensive."
Hooch again spoke up, "How maneuverable are the boards? How do they compare to brooms?"
Samantha smiled evilly, "Get your best flyers and I'll show you." She finished her meal and left the Hall. Five minutes later, Chang, Potter, and Madam Hooch were standing on the field, and a few spectators gathered in the stands. With Harry's approval, they were all going to fly on the Firebolt to battle the hoverboard.
Samantha tossed her board on the ground and held a hand over it. It slowly levitated, then hung about five inches off the ground. Chang mounted the Firebolt and kicked off the ground.
"Ready?" Samantha asked the girl. When she nodded back, Samantha jumped onto the board. "Let's go!" Chang flew off, marveling at the grace and speed of the Firebolt. She concentrated and began to fly intricate paths around the pitch. Samantha kept up without trouble, mocking her every movement. Chang saw the goals and had an idea. She flew straight at the top goal, and at the very last minute, she swerved around it. She looked back, knowing no other broom could have done that.
Samantha smiled and jumped up off her board, sending it through the goal and her body over it. She landed back on it smoothly, not even losing her balance slightly.
"Good try!" she said as they came back down. Chang dismounted and Madam Hooch got on. She kicked off hard, clearly intending to go for speed rather than style. She kept low, and when Samantha pulled up beside her, she flashed a three with her hand, indicating three laps around the pitch. The young girl nodded and waited for the professor's signal.
"Go!" Samantha took off, leaning slightly into the board, crouching low to minimize drag. By the second lap, she had caught the broom (whose rider had rather cheated on the start) and by the third, she was well ahead. They came back down, Madam Hooch out of breath but smiling.
Finally, Harry mounted his Firebolt. He knew it was only in his mind, but he thought maybe his broom recognized him. This broom knew him; knew his moves, his commands. He kicked up and flew into the air. He knew exactly what he was going to try.
Coming from the States, he hoped she hadn't seen many Quidditch matches. He flew high with her right behind him. In the small crowd below, Severus Snape actually smiled; he knew what Potter was going to try. He also had a pretty good feeling he was going to fail. Snape's don't usually challenge unless they know they can win.
Finally, at the peak of his climb, he waited for her. "Hoverboards don't care about heights Mr. Potter!" she exclaimed, coming to a stop beside him. He grinned and plunged downward, right toward the ground. She was right on his tail the whole way down; she could even reach OVER and grab the end of the broom. The ground was coming up fast, and for a second, she thought he was going to try to test the durability of the broom upon impact.
Seconds before hitting the ground, he pulled up, brushing the grass with his knees. Samantha kicked back hard on the board, grabbing the front end and pulling up. Harry smiled as he breezed along the grass back to the small crowd. He felt a little guilty that he could have possibly hurt her, and he looked back as he came to a stop. Everyone before him had their mouths open as Samantha glided up beside him.
"Good show Potter. I haven't seen the Wronski Feint in ages."
McGonagall broke in, "I have NEVER seen it perform at Hogwarts." At that moment, Ron and Hermione came charging up.
"Harry! You did it; you pulled off the Wronski Feint. No one can beat Gryffindor now!" Ron was practically jumping up and down, and Hermione just watched, amazed.
"With all the fuss, you'd think he'd just been made Head Boy," she grumbled. As everyone cleared the field, Ravenclaw filed out to start their practice. Harry decided to let Cho use his Firebolt for practice, and she hugged him. Ron's look of loathing was worth the embrace.
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Samantha returned to her chambers and switched into her sport robes. These were also midnight blue, but there was a white lightning strike running down each sleeve. A silver eagle with wings spread adorned the back. She grabbed her hoverboard and proceeded to the Great Hall.
The last of the students were piling in, probably from Hagrid's class, she thought. Caribe glided up near the enchanted ceiling as she made her way to the head table. Eyes turned to admire her robes as she passed, and she soon took a seat next to her father. Dumbledore started the feast and struck up a conversation with Samantha.
"So what is this game exactly?" he asked, gesturing to her hoverboard leaning against the table. She smiled meekly and swallowed. This talking at meals things would take some getting used to, she mused.
"It's a lot like a cross between Quidditch and rugby," she tried to put it into terms she understood. "It also has some aspects of soccer, sorry, football. The ball is round, about the size of a Quaffle. There are nine players on the field at a time: eight fielders and one goalie, or keeper. The goals are 2 yards high and four yards wide, a lot like soccer goals. The field is about 100 yards in length and 50 yards wide, so we get plenty of exercise. The ball is passed from fielder to fielder. There are three offensive front players called forwards, two mid-men, and three defensemen. Each has their area of field depending on where the ball is. The goalie has to stay in the goal box, which an area 10 yards on all sides."
"It does sound like Quidditch," exclaimed McGonagall.
"It is a bit, except the game is timed. There are three periods lasting 30 minutes each with a 15 minute break between periods. And the game is extremely rough."
"Rough how?" came Hooch's voice from across the table. Samantha then realized she had attention of the entire head table, including her father.
"Have you ever seen a game of rugby played? It's horrible. I don't think I've played a game where I haven't had to go to the Infirmary afterward."
"What position do you play?"
That depends on which league we're playing. Against Whitfall, I'm the goalie because they have awesome forwards. Against Colanus and Malachor, I'm a midman. They do a little of both offense and defense, though I'm more defensive."
Hooch again spoke up, "How maneuverable are the boards? How do they compare to brooms?"
Samantha smiled evilly, "Get your best flyers and I'll show you." She finished her meal and left the Hall. Five minutes later, Chang, Potter, and Madam Hooch were standing on the field, and a few spectators gathered in the stands. With Harry's approval, they were all going to fly on the Firebolt to battle the hoverboard.
Samantha tossed her board on the ground and held a hand over it. It slowly levitated, then hung about five inches off the ground. Chang mounted the Firebolt and kicked off the ground.
"Ready?" Samantha asked the girl. When she nodded back, Samantha jumped onto the board. "Let's go!" Chang flew off, marveling at the grace and speed of the Firebolt. She concentrated and began to fly intricate paths around the pitch. Samantha kept up without trouble, mocking her every movement. Chang saw the goals and had an idea. She flew straight at the top goal, and at the very last minute, she swerved around it. She looked back, knowing no other broom could have done that.
Samantha smiled and jumped up off her board, sending it through the goal and her body over it. She landed back on it smoothly, not even losing her balance slightly.
"Good try!" she said as they came back down. Chang dismounted and Madam Hooch got on. She kicked off hard, clearly intending to go for speed rather than style. She kept low, and when Samantha pulled up beside her, she flashed a three with her hand, indicating three laps around the pitch. The young girl nodded and waited for the professor's signal.
"Go!" Samantha took off, leaning slightly into the board, crouching low to minimize drag. By the second lap, she had caught the broom (whose rider had rather cheated on the start) and by the third, she was well ahead. They came back down, Madam Hooch out of breath but smiling.
Finally, Harry mounted his Firebolt. He knew it was only in his mind, but he thought maybe his broom recognized him. This broom knew him; knew his moves, his commands. He kicked up and flew into the air. He knew exactly what he was going to try.
Coming from the States, he hoped she hadn't seen many Quidditch matches. He flew high with her right behind him. In the small crowd below, Severus Snape actually smiled; he knew what Potter was going to try. He also had a pretty good feeling he was going to fail. Snape's don't usually challenge unless they know they can win.
Finally, at the peak of his climb, he waited for her. "Hoverboards don't care about heights Mr. Potter!" she exclaimed, coming to a stop beside him. He grinned and plunged downward, right toward the ground. She was right on his tail the whole way down; she could even reach OVER and grab the end of the broom. The ground was coming up fast, and for a second, she thought he was going to try to test the durability of the broom upon impact.
Seconds before hitting the ground, he pulled up, brushing the grass with his knees. Samantha kicked back hard on the board, grabbing the front end and pulling up. Harry smiled as he breezed along the grass back to the small crowd. He felt a little guilty that he could have possibly hurt her, and he looked back as he came to a stop. Everyone before him had their mouths open as Samantha glided up beside him.
"Good show Potter. I haven't seen the Wronski Feint in ages."
McGonagall broke in, "I have NEVER seen it perform at Hogwarts." At that moment, Ron and Hermione came charging up.
"Harry! You did it; you pulled off the Wronski Feint. No one can beat Gryffindor now!" Ron was practically jumping up and down, and Hermione just watched, amazed.
"With all the fuss, you'd think he'd just been made Head Boy," she grumbled. As everyone cleared the field, Ravenclaw filed out to start their practice. Harry decided to let Cho use his Firebolt for practice, and she hugged him. Ron's look of loathing was worth the embrace.