presents

In a shock announcement from the Montrose Magpies camp today, husband and wife chaser team, West and Alice Odessa are retiring from Quidditch. Alice Odessa has been playing for the Magpies since she graduated Hogwarts in 2083 under her maiden name Alice Fischer, while her husband West Odessa played for the Wigtown Wanderers from 2083 until Summer of 2094 before joining the Montrose Magpies to play alongside his wife.

Alice Odessa has been sitting on the bench since game ten of the 2096-2097 Season with “medical reasons” cited and has opted not to renew her contract. A spokesperson for the Montrose Magpies states however that West Odessa is required to buy out his contract or continue to play out the remainder of the season and half of the 2097-2098 season. “We have a signed contract with West Odessa that commits him to playing on our team until the middle of next season.”

There is no question that West Odessa can afford the required payout due to his standout music career. He is the frontman of wizarding world-renowned rock band The Dead Kneazles. All of the members of The Dead Kneazles are known for having dual careers, but for several years now speculation has been rife about when and if the band members will make the move to focus solely on their music.

Alice Odessa too has a dual career path, having received a doctorate degree in Astrophysical Magic in 2090 and working as an astronomer at the Royal Observatory in Edinburgh. Her husband regularly gushes about his wife’s achievements in interviews, recently stating: “There’s far more to Alice than being the premier chaser in the British and Irish Quidditch League, she’s the smartest person I know. She’s studied Astronomy, Experimental Magic, Astrophysics, Mechanical Charms, and Astrophysical Magic. She’s a fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society. She’s an amazing role model to the young woman.”

Whether the couple has chosen to retire from Quidditch due to their other career paths or for another unnamed reason has not been confirmed, though there have been long time will-they-won’t-they speculation amongst their fans regarding if the pair will ever start a family. Perhaps an unannounced pregnancy is an explanation for Alice Odessa’s “medical reason” benching?

When asked for more information, Alice’s response was only to gnash her teeth at this reporter and state that she had no comment in less polite words.

West Odessa, however, had more to say. “Alice and I are on a new path with our lives and our careers, and we appreciate the support from all our fans at this time and hope that you can all continue to respect our privacy. Also please don’t ask about the new album - it's coming.”

This reporter suspects there’s more on the way than just an album. Stay tuned.