 be curious, not judgmental
The beginning of February had brought fewer snowstorms; snow had not fallen for many days, but a layer of melting snow lightly blanketed the pitch. The sun was out, the sky was mostly clear with a few clouds in the distance, but the temperature was undoubtedly chillier than many of the players and spectators would have preferred.
With multiple layers on under her officiating uniform in an attempt to combat the bitter chill that had already begun to sting at her cheeks, Professor James positioned herself purposefully in the center of the pitch, her broom in one hand, wand in the other. She surveyed the steady stream of students and adults alike as they filed into the stadium and filled the stands. A nice turn out, of course, no surprise there - both Ravenclaw and Slytherin were two teams with extremely dedicated, competitive housemates. She wouldn't be surprised if a fight or two broke out throughout the match - actually, she realized she should probably advise against that.
"Good day, everyone! Welcome to the third Quidditch match of the term!" James greeted cheerfully upon clearing her throat, her wand raised toward her neck. "Today we have quite a treat for you - the mighty Ravenclaws will be taking on the fierce Slytherins in a match that will surely be unforgettable. Such incredible players," she shook her head as if almost out of disbelief at how good they were. SHE WAS SO PROUD OF THEM. "Please show good sportsmanship out there. Let's welcome them to the pitch!"
As the players took to the field and the stadium echoed with cheers, Professor James examined the rosters that had been given to her. Hmm. Ravenclaw must have had some problems, eh? Just as she began to pocket the rosters, Milton Shacklebolt unexpectedly entered the pitch and flew over with an updated roster. Professor James eyed the boy for his tardiness, wondering what kind of stress he had put his teammates through, but gave him a nod and affirmed the changes. "Your team will suffer a penalty - minus ten points. Glad you could join us, though," she added with a small smile, an elbow nudge in his direction, and shooed him back off to warm-up with his team.
After their warm-ups, Professor James beckoned the teams over, waited for them to take their formations, and cleared her throat once more. "Clean game, remember - no poor sportsmanship, no excessive elbows, no biting," she advised, then realized neither of these teams had the biter she was worried about. Ah, well. Still solid advice. "Ready? On my whistle," she said, releasing the bludger and snitch into the skies before gripping the quaffle and preparing to release it. "Three... two... one... TWEET!"
Quaffle: Who replaced Rufus Scrimgeour as the Minister of Magic? (first and last name)
SCOREBOARD
Ravenclaw
Points Scored: -10
Snitch Captures: 0
Penalties: 1
Slytherin
Points Scored: 0
Snitch Captures: 0
Penalties: 0
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