#qd:event

GAME III - CHUDLEY CANNONS V. PUDDLEMERE UNITED - EDINBOROUGH, SCOTLAND

In the top deck sat a definitively harassed-looking wizard. Years before, he’d been doing the same thing for much different reasons.

He was in his fourth year of Hogwarts, wishing desperately that he’d gone out for the Ravenclaw house team the year before, the year before that & then that year. Instead he sat on the highest bleacher in the tower, wind managing to nip through his moss colored jumper. His index finger rested, with intent, on the middle of a paragraph of his Transifguration book, but he’d re-read the passage four times, every time getting to the end only to look up at the Gryffindors in their crimson warm-ups cannonballing across the pitch & he’d manage to forget what he’d just read. He didn’t sit through practices to make himself sick with jealousy, but rather to focus - though occasionally, the former happened when he picked up his head too long from his studies. He tended to go unnoticed, & that was no accident either, there was a reason he didn’t attend his own house’s practices. Though most of the school knew his name anyhow, but a speck amongst the empty stands was hardly a stand-out. He supposed next year he’d be doing the same thing he was this year, only while receiving a Howler or six from home regarding his not becoming a school Prefect. Well if he couldn’t play Quidditch, he damn sure wasn’t going to become a glorified hall monitor. His nose wrinkled at no one before he looked sullenly back at his homework.

Hands folded neatly on top of one another, Edison’s forehead rested on his criss-crossing knuckles. To an observer, it might’ve looked as if he was praying but he picked up his head only to set his chin atop his interlaced fingers instead. “& to think,” Edison said wistfully. “I thought I’d be sitting up here staring at an empty pitch all by myself.” He was looking at Selena from the corner of his eyes before he finally sat back & looked at her. In a matter of hours the stadium would be a raucous sea of violent orange & navy. The chair he sat in would probably never see the ass of the wizard who purchased it. Instead, Edison imagined, the crowd would be on their feet. Inwardly he hoped it would be a reasonably timed game, but you never really could tell with Quidditch.

Chudley Dominates in Tie-Breaking Match!

It seemed that Puddlemere would take this match as they held onto a strong lead during the first half of the game, but Chudley came out swinging and obliterated their old rival in the end. Just as Puddlemere was beginning to claw their way back to the board, Rhys Rigby caught the snitch and sealed their fate. What looked like an easy game for our boys in blue turned into a bloodbath, and we have to admit that we’re a little more than embarrassed for them. 

Chudley, on the other hand, performed admirably. After their rough start, they re-calibrated and altered their strategy to better account for both the wind and Wood’s Angels. Once they’d found their rhythm, they were unstoppable. We’re not sure we’ve ever seen a team net such a startling number of points so quickly, but it was thrilling to watch. Those of you at home missed a comeback to rival their World Cup victory last season.

Unfortunately, Edinburgh didn’t learn from the mistakes made in Dublin. Rather than rushing the field this time, a few Puddlemere fans started a full-blown brawl after the final call. Though we could harp on the necessity of checking wands, we do have to admit that it was thrilling to watch the madness unfold as fans turned against the referees and anyone wearing a particular shade of orange. One of our very own reporters was hit with a color change charm that made their Cannons jersey a nice shade of Puddlemere blue. Don’t you worry, though, Chudley’s fans held their own and fought back with admirable force until aurors arrived on the scene and put an end to the chaos.

Some sort of retaliation was bound to happen, though, as this game also broke the tie established between the two teams. With an extra win in their corner, it certainly seems as if Chudley’s slated to have another cup under their belt by this time next year. If Puddlemere keeps performing the way they have been, we might not even see them in the final four. This is a far cry from the team that usually flies circles around their competition, which makes us wonder exactly what’s happened to Puddlemere United? There’s still time for them to come back from this loss, readers, but we have a feeling they’ll be licking their wounds for a while yet. 

Final Score

Chudley Cannons: 500  Puddlemere United: 305

Post-Game

This concludes our third game! You may now begin posting about the results of the game and post-match activities. Feel free to keep essential event threads going, but we ask that you wrap up or drop all of your non-essential threads.

Chudley’s victory party will take place at The World’s End in Edinburgh. Though the front of the pub is a hub for muggle activity, wizards can access a more suitable portion of the bar by way of an enchanted doorway toward the back of the establishment. For die-hard Puddlemere supporters, it’s rumored that the losing team has elected to drink themselves under the table at The Last Drop. 

You’re free to have your characters involved in the brawl mentioned above. Autograph signings and press events will also be taking place after the game. 

“Is it freezing in here?“ Edison Beaumont asks. We’re in the lobby of the Chudley Cannons offices. I tell him I’m okay, but the withering look on his face catches my lie & I correct myself, it is a little chilly. He replies, “Should’ve worn a Beaumont.“ Moment’s like these continually happen when in the vicinity of the Cannons owner, you step so willingly into a set-up. I’ve had the opportunity to interview the mogul wizard twice & he appears to remember everything I rattled off the last time we met, even asking me how my owl recovered from a lightning strike last June. (He’s fine.) But cloaks & owls aside, sitting down Beaumont stands to offer a plethora about the man’s life of which only limited amounts is known. Edison sits on the Board of Governors at Hogwarts, is acting Chief Operating Officer & designer at Beaumont Cloaks, & happens to own his favorite Quidditch team. Somehow, we at Quidditch Daily have managed to secure a block of his time to conduct an interview.

WW: We know you’re a lifelong Chudley fan, but when did you know they were the only team for you & how did your family start following the Cannons?

Edison Beaumont: To tell you the truth, it’s a bit of a mystery. If we’re going by geographical location, & this was long before we had national teams, we should’ve been throwing our support behind Holyhead. As luck would have it though, we Beaumonts have been long suffering Cannons fans. Some ancestor of mine must’ve been a bit of a masochist. It’s a much better time to be a Cannons fan. How did I know they were the only team for me? It sounds cliche to say it’s in my blood but it’s Merlin’s honest truth. I can’t imagine even thinking about wearing another teams robes growing up. I’d attended more Cannons matches than steps I’d taken by the time I was two. It’s a lifelong affliction & I wouldn’t have it any other way.

WW: What made the Cannons season last year so explosive?

Edison Beaumont: I think we got it all right. It’s a simple as that. We made a lot of changes in staff, coaching & players & we came out the other side with a perfect storm.

WW: You’ve been criticized in the past for coming in & buying a winning team.

Edison Beaumont: That’s a qualm I never fully understood. There’s never been a problem before with teams spending a bit of money on players. To win matches, you need the best team. Plain & simple. Last season, I got a fair amount of grief because Merlin forbid I made upgrades. The Cannons spent the better part of two centuries stumbling through budgetary woes that were abundantly clear on the pitch. I was able to alleviate some of that, but money isn’t what wins games it’s the players & coaches & we’ve got some of the best.

WW: You come from a wealthy background, obviously, but it has been estimated that your net-worth is somewhere north of 1.5 billion after purchasing the Chudley Cannons.

Edison Beaumont: It’s possible.

WW: Another source of contention amongst fans was the installment of your daughter, Gemma Beaumont, onto the team.

Edison Beaumont: She’s more than proven herself, I think. If she wasn’t on the Cannons, she’d be on another top-tier team causing us problems in the offense department.

WW: In your mind, who are the most influential owners in the game? Who is getting it right out there?

Edison Beaumont: I think Samuel Bagshot is making all the right changes with the Bats. They’ve always had a bit of a reputation & I think Bagshot is doing a great job reigning in the disposition of his team & re-branding them as a formidable challenger. Of course, Selena Newf as well has caught her fair share of backlash for losing the Cup, but there’s no mistaking how well led that organization is. Puddlemere has been in the championships or right near it for the better part of ten years & Selena’s certainly heralded the team into the new century & maintained them as the team to beat.

WW: You’ve long since been divorced from your ex-wife, Lorelai Cadogan, but your name comes up several times in her new autobiography. What kind of relationship do you maintain with her today?

Edison Beaumont: News to me. We’re friendly. We raised a daughter together & I think that outweighs our short-lived union. Gemma’s fully grown now though so there’s no trying to organize floo visits or coordinating school shopping so we don’t have an excuse to see on another anymore, but how charming to know I’m still being thought about. You’ll have to tell me if it’s in a positive light after you read it. 

WW: You were seen out & about six months ago with Evanna Lynch, daughter of legendary Irish seeker, Aidan Lynch. Any chance of wedding bells ringing anytime soon?