Grounds: Stands

[Wilber Winterbottom]

Surrounding the Quidditch pitch itself is a stadium of stands for those who wish to spectate the activities going on there at the time. More often than not, the wooden frame of the stands is exposed and therefore makes it very easy to see if the pitch is in use. The sight of decorations on the stands, however, is a clear indication that a match will soon be taking place. Depending on who is scheduled to play that day, every alternating section of the stands is decorated with the colours of the two competing House teams.

The main viewing level of the stands is where most of the student body watch the action as it unfolds right at eye-level. Those willing to make the trek up the stairs of the sixteen towers scattered around the pitch though can view the action from a higher and arguably safer vantage point. No matter where you decide to sit, there is not a single bad seat in the stands. Whether you are have your fingers crossed for a friend while they tryout for the team, trying to sneak a peek while an opposing team is practicing, rooting for your House team during what is sure to be an entertaining match, or just want to sit down to enjoy the scenery in peace while no one is around, the pitch is the perfect place to be.

A word of caution: keep your eyes peeled for any rogue Bludgers or one of the players heading your way. While Quidditch can be fun to watch, the possibility that the action might literally get up in your face is always there.


ooc: please do not play for the flying professor: PhoenixRising

[Freyr]

“Go, Calliope! You’ve got this!” Alaric called out, his voice carrying over the light buzz of chatter from the other students gathered in the stands. He waved enthusiastically, standing on the tips of his toes to make sure she could spot him through the crowd. His gray eyes sparkled with excitement as he cupped his hands around his mouth to amplify his cheers.

“Show them what you’re made of!” he added with a grin, his usual air of confidence lending a bold edge to his words. Settling back into his seat, he leaned forward slightly, elbows resting on his knees as he kept his focus on the pitch, ready to cheer again at the first sign of her taking flight.

[NiallNIP]

A snowstorm? Really? It was already chilly outside but now it was freezing. Luckily Maddox had worn his scarf and a jumper, but he would've worn mittens and a jacket, too, if he'd known this was going to happen. He sat huddled into himself in the stands, his scarf covering half his face and hands tucked firmly under his arms.

"She probably can't hear you, you know," he said matter-of-factly to Alaric, his voice muffled a bit. He stared intensely out onto the field, doing his best to catch glimpses of Calliope through the storm. He came out because he wanted to make sure nothing too terrible happened, but he also didn't want to be pinpointed as the cause for any tragedy, either. So he definitely didn't want her to have any unnecessary distractions that could even remotely be traced back to him. Case in point, Alaric bouncing up and down and screaming. And, you know, maybe he also wanted to show some support—he owed Calliope that much, even though that reading was not his fault, just to be clear.

[sweetpinkpixie]

Iris approached the quidditch stands with a bounce in her step, clutching a weathered tome on ancient magical wards under one arm, with The Complete Works of H.P. Lovecraft and her notebook filled with sketches sandwiched neatly on either side of it. Her eyes sparkled with excitement in spite of having no real vested interest in the game itself, she was nonetheless not-so-secretly delighted at the thought of seeing her friend try out for chaser. The Ravenclaw slipped through the rows of benches, searching for an empty spot with optimal view, and found herself sitting next to two first-year Slytherins and their huddled shoulders as they cheered - one of them anyway - on who Iris assumed to be a mutual friend.

She gave them a polite nod and smiled as she settled down, pushing her glasses up a bit. "Hi," she said, voice bright despite the snowflakes drifting into the stands from the pitch and creating the sublest of winter chills despite it still being peak autumn. She turned her attention to the pitch, squinting to make out JT silhouette but it was like watching a match through a frosted window, and Iris sighed. "Can't see a thing," she muttered, squinting through the swirling snowstorm that had completely obscured the pitch. The muffled sounds of the players shouting instructions were drowned out by the wind and the magical flurry, leaving the atmosphere more chaotic than anything else. Iris shifted uncomfortably in her seat, trying to peer through the snowflakes, but it was hopeless. The quidditch tryouts had become an abstract blur of white.

She glanced down at her tome, Ancient Rune Castings and Their Practical Applications and, with a sigh, she flipped it open to a new chapter on rune binding, knowing full well it would be easier to read than squinting into the storm. She could still hear the sounds from the pitch and did look up suddenly once she was certain she had heard JT's voice, but it was only her sense of sound being tickled - unfortunately. Her eyes returned to the tome, fingers tracing over the ancient symbols on the page, absorbing the language of the ancients. She could almost feel the hum of magic beneath her fingertips and she was tempted to crack open her notebook to transcribe a couple symbols she found particularly interesting. Her mind wandered back to JT - Jera was included in the bindrune beneath her finger so it was an obvious connection - and her bright blue eyes glanced back at the pitch in hopes of seeing something, anything, through the flurry.

[NiallNIP]

Maddox glanced over at the girl who sat next to him. He blinked, not saying anything by way of greeting. But he did notice the books she had with her. H.P. Lovecraft? Not a lot of kids cared for his stories—a bit scary. But Maddox liked them. So that was intriguing. And then he studied the book of Ancient Runes she had open on her lap. He had been interested in Ancient Runes, more so for their connection to analog magic than anything. Old forms of magic were something he was deeply interested in. "Hm."

he looked back to the pitch when he thought he heard Calliope shouting—but he couldn't quite be sure. He stood up and leaned into the pitch, trying to catch a glimpse of whatever was going on. But it was really, really hard. He couldn't make out one shape from another through the snow. No way to tell what was actually going on. He sat back down, tapping his foot as he continued to be laser focused out onto the pitch.

[littledhampir]

Elena was curious about quidditch. Not necessarily to try out herself. Well, maybe. Not this year anyway. She didn't think she was ready for that. She didn't have much experience playing the sport herself. But she had a baseline appreciation for it. She'd watched it, and she knew quidditch players. Well, one in particular. So maybe someday. But for today, she was mostly just curious about who was trying out, what they could do, and what tryouts were like. So she made her way to the stands with a buttered roll from breakfast to munch on.

When Elena arrived she was surprised to find that there was a snowstorm happening. That was strange. She hadn't thought it was the right time of year for that weather. Plus it wasn't happening anywhere but on the quidditch pitch. Weird. Elena shrugged and pulled her coat tighter around her as she made her way down a row toward where a group of people had gathered. "Hello!" She greeted cheerfully. "Bit cold, isn't it?"