Welcome to TB, an all levels Harry Potter roleplay with no word count. Our purpose is to go through the books with one exception: the addition of original characters and what changes that makes.
We accept all beings and creatures in the Harry Potter verse including ghosts, veela, muggles and even centaur.
We have many active events ongoing for both students and adults and many characters and locations around the world.
Come join us and discover how your character can grow and evolve in the world of Harry Potter.
Post by MAEVE THORNE on May 4, 2024 20:10:04 GMT -5
*** TRIGGER WARNING: ANIMAL CRUELTY ***
Maeve added 'skulls' to her mental list of items to procure during the Christmas break. Her last two shopping excursions had to be done during the Hogsmeade weekend trips, when she could get out of the Hogwarts grounds and Apparate to Diagon Alley. She would have much more time and freedom during the upcoming break, even if Legilimency lessons filled up her schedule.
"I imagine it was originally intended to work on skulls of living people," she responded to Levi's musings. "Though we can't risk trying it on each other. If the brain gets damaged..." She suppressed a shudder at the thought. "None of us is good enough at healing spells to reverse it. You should consider trying it out on animals, though. First the ones you conjure, then real ones. Bigger skulls might be more challenging, too."
Once the conversation turned to finding a test subject for her own spell, Maeve looked back at Levi. From their previous encounters, she had gathered that he was more than willing to try spells out on humans - including himself. Despite it being a necessary exercise in order to understand how each curse worked, she was still concerned about the level of nonchalance he displayed. What and how exactly was his father teaching him?
Julian joined them, quelling her impulse to question the Ravenclaw about his family affairs. "Great execution of that slashing curse. I think you are building up a fanbase," she teased lightly, glancing toward the pair of second-year girls. Both of them had shown signs of interest in the performance, though Burke much more noticeably than Meredith.
"At least one new spell, yes." She wasn't certain if Levi wanted to demonstrate the Transfiguration curse now, or if he preferred to try it out privately first. It was his decision to make. "It's fairly menacing, though the damage depends on the caster's power and intent." Given Julian's eagerness to try out Sectumsempra, she expected him to be interested in her curse as well. The three younger students might also be intrigued, and she saw no way of keeping them out of the practice. "This particular spell should not be tried out on other students. The bleeding might last for multiple days, and I don't have enough Blood-Replenishing Potions stocked." Not to mention the difficulty of concealing an open wound... It was far too hazardous - not necessarily for the test subject but for the secrecy of their group. "I say we use rats. There are a few caged ones that I obtained for this purpose."
She unsheathed her wand and pointed it to the corner of the room, where a fair amount of unused equipment was stored. A vaguely rectangular shape, covered in thick cloth, glided toward her and stopped a few feet away. She pulled the cloth off, revealing a large cage that held ten large rats; a Silencing Charm had rendered them mute. The sudden movement and light having unsettled the rodents, they were scrambling around the cage and over each other, searching for a way out.
Maeve spoke in a louder voice now, so everyone in the Room could hear. "Those who want to learn a new spell, gather round. A fair warning - it will involve blood. If you don't feel like performing it, nobody will judge you." She felt the need to mention it mostly for the newest member's benefit, in case the twelve-year-old was squeamish. While waiting for everyone interested to approach her, the seventh-year cast a Freezing Charm on the imprisoned creatures to immobilize them. The chaotic scampering ceased, enabling her to open the cage and take one of them out. Maeve placed it on an otherwise empty desk before turning back to her audience. "This is a curse I created in my fifth year. It is similar to Sectumsempra you've just seen Julian casting. The wound it causes is smaller, but bleeds longer. I haven't yet created a healing spell to counter it, and none that I know of work on it. It takes anywhere from a day to a week for the wound to cease bleeding and begin healing, which means Blood-Replenishing Potions are required to prevent fatal blood loss."
Partially turning to the frozen rat so as not to block anyone's line of sight, she aimed her wand at it. "Vulnus Pertinax." No visible flash came from her wand, but a red gash appeared along the unfortunate rodent's back. A stream of red was already flowing out of the wound, colouring the grey fur a vivid red. "No specific wand movement is required. Correct pronunciation is a must, but for the spell to have any effect you need to feel a clear intent of causing harm. If you cannot muster any ill will against your target, I suggest trying to bring up hatred from another source. Recall an event or a person that annoyed you, and try to bring back the anger you felt."
Raising her wand again, she used Flagrate to spell out the incantation in clear, fiery letters: Vulnus Pertinax. Her initial impression after first attempting the charm in Channing's class had been disappointing - back then, the letters lacked neatness her handwriting normally possessed, and faded within a minute. However, after practicing the charm some more, she was able to preserve her calligraphy and maintain the flaming text for up to an hour before it disappeared. The effect it created was well worth the time she had spent to achieve it.
"If you feel like trying out the curse, take a rat from the cage." Her icy eyes drifted over to the Burke girl, whose sudden pallor and wide eyes, still locked on the wounded critter, were exactly the signs Maeve had been looking out for. "Although the rats are already immobilized, I recommend stupefying them as well. I can do that for those who haven't yet learned the spell. Stupefy." She aimed the red flash at her own rat, knocking it out. "You may begin - if you want to."
Open Wound Curse Incantation: Vulnus Pertinax Year Learned: Private; Dark Arts What it Does: Cuts the targeted area of the victim's skin. The wound can bleed for several days or even weeks (depending on the caster's skill), resisting all attempts to heal or stanch it - magical or otherwise. Although not immediately life-threatening, it could lead to death if the person cannot receive blood-replenishing potions. Cannot be blocked by a basic Shield Charm.
Post by THALIA BURKE on May 4, 2024 21:03:36 GMT -5
Before she could decide on which spell to try out first, the Head Girl's invitation scattered the practice plans. Even with the warning about blood, she wasn't going to miss her very first lesson at this club. "Okay, first let's go see that spell," she decided, hoping that Meredith would be inclined to do so as well. The second-year walked over to the three older students; she didn't purposefully position herself closer to Julian than to the other two, but her path just happened to end near him - though still well outside his personal space. Careful not to look at him, Thalia glanced at the Ravenclaw boy and the book he was holding. It looked new, contrasting sharply with the shabby tomes on the shelves around them. Somehow, she didn't think the book he brought could be found at Flourish and Blotts.
It was only then that she spotted the cage hovering next to Thorne. The rats contained within looked frantic, though not for long - they were soon immobilized. Thalia's stomach dropped. Oh. That's where the blood they had been warned about would come from... Feeling her hands become icy and numb, she tried to listen and comprehend the introduction to the curse. It sounded pretty bad. Would the rats be given some of that Blood-Replenishing Potion, or..?
Watching the spell being performed was sickening. Thalia couldn't wrench her gaze away from the poor creature's beady black eyes - the only thing it could still move - blinking and rolling in what she could only interpret as agony. Her thoughts went to her cousin, Dustin. He wanted a rat as a pet. This rat, now bleeding on the desk, could have been his pet - or any one of those stuck in the cage...
There was no way she could make the spell work, but she didn't want to appear weak and back out without even trying. Taking a deep breath, she finally turned away from the injured animal, stepped closer to the cage and retrieved a dark brown rat. After holding it up for Thorne to cast Stupefy, the second-year carried its limp body to a vacant table and set it down gently. Having it stupefied only made the exercise seem marginally better. At least it wouldn't feel the pain.
She couldn't stop thinking about Dustin. To her, rats used to be an acceptable but not a particularly attractive pet. However, knowing that her cousin liked them made her develop a certain fondness for the rodents. What would he think if he saw her injure one on purpose, with a dark spell? Biting her lip, Thalia took out her wand and tentatively directed it at the rat. "Vulnus Pertinax." To her relief, nothing happened. The girl swallowed with difficulty and glanced away. Should she try to retrieve some negative emotions from a memory? Could she even do that? Sure, she got angry sometimes, but the feeling went away and she never held on to it. Well, she had to at least pretend like she was trying for a while...
Post by OLIVIA MULCIBER on May 4, 2024 22:15:01 GMT -5
*** TRIGGER WARNING: ANIMAL CRUELTY ***
Hilfiger's positive response was music to Olivia's ears. Yes! A new spell! She had yet to master most of the other ones they were learning, but perhaps this one would be easier. It had to be, if it was created by a student, right? Julian's inquiry, slightly more audible than the others' conversation, only boosted her eager anticipation. If there was to be some sort of a vote now, she was secure in the knowledge that her cousin would vote for sharing this new spell with everyone.
Having stared at the bottle for a solid minute - and still blissfully ignorant of what it contained - Olivia returned it to the shelf. Thorne was calling for everyone's attention, which the first-year was willing to provide. She scurried to her cauldron and lowered the heat; the brewing could be resumed once she learned about the spell.
Olivia pranced over to the group, dark eyes trained on Thorne. Using curses on animals was a novel idea, and rats were perfect for it; although a fairly popular pet in the wizarding world, they were still only vermin. Some could be cute, if groomed properly, but most were unattractive at best. The demonstration of the spell did make her flinch a little, however. Blood was not easy to look at, though it didn't make her feel faint or anything. She could probably get used to it, eventually. Her gaze moved away from the rat and she glanced at Julian to check out his response. Had he ever used animals for spell practice?
Feeling a little less excited than she did originally, Olivia duly heard out Thorne's advice. Anger was easy to come by, so she might actually do well with this spell. She picked the ugliest rat from the cage - a dishevelled albino one with red eyes - and waited for the Head Girl to stun it before moving off to the open space in the dueling area. Squatting down, she dropped the limp rodent on the carpet. "Vulnus Pertinax." Focusing on how repulsive the creature was did not seem to help; the spell failed to produce any effect.
It would have to be Plan B, then. Rummaging in her memory, she retrieved the most recent event that had upset her. Getting stung by Billywigs in the Great Hall had seemed funny at the time, but she felt mortified after the effects ended. McEvoy and Weasley were on her hit-list now, though she wasn't bold enough to attack either of them just yet. Well, at least the Mudblood was getting jinxed every other day by some older Slytherins. It was his ugly ginger mug that she pictured now, summoning the hatred she felt for having been embarrassed in public. "Vulnus Pertinax." A thin red cut appeared on the rat's side, just deep enough to produce a few droplets of blood that dyed its pale fur scarlet. Olivia smirked with grim satisfaction, although she had to avert her eyes from her injured target. The fact that she succeeded was pleasing, but the visual proof of it was not.
Post by JULIAN MULCIBER on May 4, 2024 23:54:52 GMT -5
Julian nodded once in acknowledgement of Maeve's encouragement on his spell-work, confidence in his ability to cast curses growing. She mentioned him having a fanbase, to which Julian followed her gaze momentarily back to the two younger students mingling behind him. "I noticed," he brushed the teasing off, turning back to the two older students, having been acutely aware of the girls gazes earlier. Being slightly socially stunted meant that typical social cues went unrecognised.
As Thorne spoke of a new, menacing spell, Julian's attention sharpened. Power and intent. She then continued to tell them that the spell should not be used on other students - with its effect lasting for several days and requiring many blood replenishing potions. Fair. He nodded again, once, to let her know he understood. They couldn't exactly brew enough replenishing potions here without raiding the Hogwarts stockpile of rare ingredients - and he knew one of the ingredients used in the particular potion was unicorn horn. There was no way stealing that ingredient would go unnoticed for long.
"I say we use rats." Julian was not opposed to utilizing live animals to test new magic - they had used several different species during charms and transfiguration over the past year, although admittedly those classes did not require actual harm. He was silent as he watched Thorne conjure the floating object toward them, landing softly on the table. She uncovered the cage, causing the rats inside to begin to scurry around and over the top of one another. Julian continued to watch them scramble - full of fear and unknowing, trapped in their tiny cage with no way out. He had heard rats would gnaw off their own foot to escape certain death. Would he do the same?
Maeve called over the rest of the group, and he snapped out of his trance as he felt someone closer to him than the rest. It was the Burke girl, her red-auburn hair sitting a foot or so shorter than his own, her eyes locked on the tome in Hilfigers hand. She seemed unwilling to look at him, but that was rather usual for him and therefore not surprising - other students tended not to make eye contact very often, let alone stand near him - even if she were maintaining a polite personal distance.
His eyes went back to Thorne as she addressed the group - giving them a choice. Julian did not entirely agree with her providing an option - the fact they were here meant they should have been ready for what dark magic, by nature, entailed. Despite her telling the group that nobody would judge them - Julian was entirely prepared to make judgements should anyone decide not to participate. He would keep a close eye. Thorne then explained that the curse was similar to Sectumsempra, though caused a smaller wound that bled for far longer. Now he understood why she had mentioned blood-replenishing potions, as there was currently no healing spell to counter it. Certainly that would make for an interesting pursuit - to attempt to create such a healing charm.
She then focused her attention at the immobilised rat, performing the curse with an air of tenacity. Julian watched the rodent's back split, and the blood flow forth, its black eyes the only window that reflected the pain and fear the rat was currently experiencing. He had caught sight in his peripherals of someone flinching, and his eyes darted over to its source: Olivia. He watched her for a moment as she observed the wounded rat - wondering at her thoughts. Was this the first time she had witnessed such violence against a helpless creature? Would she be alright performing a dark curse? His instinct was to protect her from harm - he had felt that almost possessive need from the moment he knew who she was and likened her to his own sister. They were similar in so very many ways, though Olivia was much more outspoken and independent. Julian tore his gaze from her as Throne provided instructions, knowing that demonstrating any sort of favouritism towards his cousin could impact them both negatively. If he expected the group to perform the curse - he would expect Olivia to as well.
Repeating the incantation in his head several times to ensure he had the pronunciation memorised, Julian focused on the anger. It would not take much concentration to bring forth the emotion - as it was always there, bubbling near to the surface.
Thorne cast Flagrate then, writing the incantation in cursive above the bleeding rat, its sudden, fiery glow giving the blood on the rat a slick, oily appearance as it trickled continuously from the wound - now dripping onto the tabletop below it. Julian allowed his eyes to roam around the group momentarily, searching the other faces for any kind of apprehension as they began to dutifully take their respective rats from the cage. He watched Burke carefully retrieve a brown rat from its prison, holding it in her palms tenderly as though afraid she would hurt it. Shooting Thorne an apprehensive glance, Julian pulled a rat from the cage for himself, casting a stupefy on the rodent and feeling it go limp in his hand before silently following Burke to the table of her choosing, curious. He did not know the extent of Burke's interest in the Dark Arts - and as a new addition to the group he had yet to make judgements on her ability. The gentleness in which she was treating what was essentially a lab-rat caused him concern, however. To practice dark magic properly - one could not pick and choose what suited them when it came to performing curses; every curse was dangerous and every curse required resolve.
Burke drew her wand, and Julian observed the way in which she held it toward the rat with uncertainty, casting the curse a moment later - though produced no effect. He breathed out in silent disappointment, "you do not mean it," he spoke quietly but darkly so that he was not overheard, unwilling to bring this to the attention of the others. He stepped beside Thalia, looking down at her briefly to read her expression before turning his attention to observe her dark brown rat, seeing no cut and no blood. "My mother taught me that a curse will only bear fruit when you want to cause harm." He lay his own rat - a matted black male - beside hers, pointing his wand at the rodent before commanding, "Vulnus Pertinax." The anger was there, constantly kept in his heart - and the intent was clear. Julian had never used live animals for practicing curses before - though the pure radical ideology he had been raised with superseded any doubt when utilizing dark magic. His rat tore open at the hind leg. Julian turned his attention back to Burke, who clearly had an issue wanting to harm her rat. "Is it the rat?" He questioned her, wondering if it were simply the live rodent that explained her poor performance with the curse. Perhaps she required a less bloody introduction.
Post by MEREDITH MORGAN FAY on May 5, 2024 21:47:47 GMT -5
Meredith smiled at Thalia’s first impressions of the space, seeing her own original reaction reflected on her friend’s face. “Yeah, I guess it is pretty amazing, isn’t it?” She responded as if she had never even thought about it, acting as if the large room filled with dark arts resources was just a common everyday thing to her. It wasn’t her first meeting after all, so she had gotten used to the impressive room thus far, although it had yet to lose its appeal.
As Thalia mentioned a few spells she wanted to try out, Meredith waved her hand nonchalantly in response, as if they were common knowledge to her. “Oh yeah, dozens of times.” That was a lie. She had tried out the two spells a few times in prior meetings, but had yet to cast them correctly. Not that she would admit that. To Thalia, she was the expert, having joined the club first. Meredith did not want to lose that sense of superiority.
Before the pair were able to attempt either of the spells Thalia had mentioned, the group was summoned to join the older students who would be demonstrating a new spell. The warning of blood caused a small smile to stretch on Meredith’s lips, although she quickly tried to hide it. She had been looking forward to learning some more… advanced spells. She watched with rapt attention as Maeve cast the spell on the rat, watching its beady eyes dart around in panic as the gash formed on its body, the creature unable to escape its fate. Such a subtle yet powerful spell. Meredith was fascinated and could barely contain her excitement as they were ushered forward to grab their own rat to practice.
She had no particular grudge against rats themselves, if anything she appreciated them as misunderstood creatures who would do whatever it took to survive. However, if harming one allowed her to properly practice such dark spells, so be it. Grabbing a black rat from the cage, she allowed Thorne to stupefy the creature before she joined Thalia and Julian Mulciber at a table. She gave Julian a curious look, wondering why he chose to join their table for the practice, but decided not to comment, instead focusing on her own spellcasting. That is until he began commenting on Thalia’s failed attempt at the spell. She glanced up at him with a cock of her eyebrow, wondering why he seemed to be taking such an interest in the new recruit. Was it a house allegiance thing? It was not lost on her that a fair few of the club members were Slytherins. There were a few other Ravenclaws as well, which helped, but she did wonder if the club leaders had a preference for their own housemates.
Mulciber’s attempt at the spell was definitely more successful than Thalia’s, and Meredith once again suppressed a smile at the sight of such a powerful spell. Seeing his success spurred her into action, turning her attention back to her own rat. She knew she could not muster enough anger towards the creature to cause it any true harm. After all, it hadn’t done anything to her. Her family, on the other hand, were the perfect source of such emotions. Closing her eyes, she pictured her parents doting on their “precious” son, her older sisters flaunting their accomplishments, her family ignoring her and her unique ability. They never appreciated her or her skills. She was special. She was one of a kind. Yet she was never enough.
She let those emotions fester inside of her, letting them build, until she finally opened them back up, focusing all that rage on the rat in front of her. Without realizing it, the swell of anger caused her hair to turn to a vibrant magenta, her eye colour now black. She pointed her wand at the frozen creature and cast, “Vulnus Pertinax.” A small gash appeared along its side, a small amount of blood seeping out. She smiled in pride as the emotions waned, her hair colour fading to a mix of white and magenta, her eyes changing back to their typical soft green. As much as she liked Thalia, she felt a bit smug at the fact that she had been successful where her friend had not. Maybe this would prove to Julian, and to the other Slytherins, that one’s house was no indication of one’s abilities, and she was just as worthy of attention and mentoring as Thalia.
Post by THALIA BURKE on May 6, 2024 18:15:22 GMT -5
Having assumed that it was Meredith who followed her to the table, Thalia didn't fret about the failed spell - the Ravenclaw wasn't mean or judgemental, even though Ella seemed to think that she was. But as she averted her gaze from the stunned rat, the familiar white-magenta mane registered in her peripheral vision - on the opposite side than she'd expected it to be. So who--?
"You do not mean it."
Stricken with horror, she turned to face Julian. Only a few minutes ago, she didn't mind positioning herself next to him; right now the urge to dash across the room and out through the door was overwhelming. Why did he have to witness her fail this spell? She was so, so good at most offensive spells, and even at Transfiguration. But the older boy wasn't a part of the Dueling Club, and did not attend any classes with her. This was his first impression of her magical ability, and it was clearly negative. Cheeks burning with shame, she listened to his advice. The analytical part of her mind, currently subdued by embarrassment, noted the mention of his mother teaching him about curses and wondered how many other club members had been previously taught Dark Arts by their parents. All the other parts of her mind were unified in an internal scream. He would think she was hopeless now, wouldn't he?
As he cast the spell, she had to look down at the scruffy black rat. The wound was unsettling to observe, though it wasn't as bad as Thorne's demonstration had been - the stunned animal wasn't showing any signs of pain. The second-year was too preoccupied with her own failure to be properly awed at how easily her housemate learned the spell. Trying to cast again wasn't an option - she knew she wouldn't succeed. Even if hurting the rat could impress someone she inexplicably wished to impress, it was simply impossible to get over the hurdle her brain had conjured. Explaining her issue was the only viable solution. She turned back to Julian, not quite able to meet his eyes.
"Yes, casting at a rat is not-- I mean, I don't think I can. All I can think of when I look at it is how much my cousin likes rats, and how he wants one as a pet, and how he would feel upset if he knew I'm hurting one..." She trailed off as her brain caught up with her mouth. The explanation, once vocalised, did not make nearly as much sense as it had done in her mind. Thalia had trouble articulating what created this impassable obstacle in her head, mostly because she knew it would sound even more unreasonable than what she had already said. Dustin wasn't here, he couldn't see these rodents and he would never find out - unless something went very wrong for the club. Casting the curse would not harm her cousin, but it would feel like a betrayal nonetheless - he was still pining for a pet rat, and she would be wounding or even killing one simply for spell practice.
She looked to Meredith for comfort and support, and realised her friend had successfully performed the curse. The dark rat she had picked was bleeding out drop by drop. Since both of them were second-years, this made Thalia look even worse - the curse was demonstrated to be within her peers' skill level. "Oh, did you do that on your first try? You're really good at this..." It was, for the most part, an attempt to redirect the attention to Meredith. The Ravenclaw deserved praise for her achievement, and Thalia needed some time to disperse the redness that was creeping into her face.
Post by JULIAN MULCIBER on May 11, 2024 20:02:43 GMT -5
He felt another presence at Burke's chosen table as he lingered just slightly behind Thalia, watching her attempt at a curse from over her shoulder, his focus absolute. She was the new recruit - and one that all founders had been required to accept into the fray before an invitation was extended. Fay had suggested Burke and had made a compelling argument for her friend so her reputation was, too, linked to Burke's performance. They simply could not risk recruiting members whose heart was not in it. Although Thorne had successfully implemented security measures to ensure new members could not discuss - or even write about the group and their meetings - outside the room, what transpired within the room was an entirely different story.
Thus far Julian had not really approached any recruits, aside from the one he exclusively suggested: his cousin, Olivia. He did not truly know why Burke had caught his interest - perhaps it was the fact she had decided (quite possibly unknowingly) to place herself beside him during the introduction of Thorne's new curse - and this boldness had intrigued him.
Clearly, his presence surprised her, as she turned to face him. Julian ignored the look of absolute horror etched onto her face, eyes still observing her unharmed rat. It was true that Julian had never witnessed Burke's magic - being in the same house had not equated to personal knowledge as Julian rarely spent time with anyone outside of classes, and being two years his junior meant that they shared no lessons. He spoke to her briefly on curses, sharing only a mild hint at what was necessary to cast them. A curse required intent: a burning desire to cause harm. Casting curses without that desire were pointless; this was much more advanced dark magic than a simple hex that one could perform without true resolve. He performed another demonstration for her, watching her reaction closely to the small gash on his rats hind leg. If she flinched or looked away, he would tread cautiously. If one could not harm a rat, what chance did they have against other, bigger prey? With relief, however, Thalia did not flinch at the sight, but merely stared at his rat for a few moments. That was good.
On the other side of Burke, a flash of sudden colour distracted him, and his eyes darted from Burke's face, flushed in pink, to Fay - her metamorphmagi ability twisting her appearance into something almost demonic. With her black eyes focused on her own rat, Julian felt a sudden electric thrill as she pointed her wand at the creature - somehow anticipating a successful curse cast. He heard the force of the command, eyes tearing from Fays morphed appearance down to the table, catching sight of blood as it began to slowly bleed from the sudden wound. Julian looked back up, watching her eyes return to a mosey green, reminding him of freshly bloomed leaves flickering in the morning sunlight. "Formidable," he praised very minutely, watching the smile creep onto her face at her success, pride emanating from her. This was the first successful spell she had cast in the club, the previous two she had attempted leaving a little to be desired. He kept his eyes on her for a brief moment longer, entranced by the colour changing in her hair. He had never met a metamorphmagus prior to Meredith - and had not yet witnessed her ability first-hand. How very interesting. Changing one's appearance at will - or in this case, unwillingly due to strong emotion - could be a strong talent for anyone interested in the dark arts. Looking one way when purchasing or perusing dark items publicly, then morphing into another whilst in a crowd was the kind of undercover anonymity some could only dream of.
He thought on this momentarily before hearing Burkes explanation for her lack of intent. Julian turned his attention back to Thalia, noting her avoidance of his gaze. "...I don't think I can." He was not, by nature, an understanding person when it came to weakness - most of his sympathy had been drilled out of him over years of experiencing a severe absence of his parents own. "Do you always allow other peoples feelings to impede your abilities?" He questioned, eyebrows knitting in a slight frown, "you are going to hurt people. I thought you would have known that, accepting our invitation." Whether it be by a curse, a word, or by lying to her friends about her involvement in this club, Burke was eventually going to face consequences. It may have sounded harsh, but this was the reality of this kind of magic. He had accepted it a long time ago, but not everyone had the same upbringing, nor the same bleak outlook on his own future. Regardless, he would do his best to nurture an interest in the dark arts with anyone currently present in the room, but it was their own prerogative to stay. Naturally, he would be silently disappointed if Thalia were to leave, but he wouldn't stop her.
Burke commented then on Fays success, and Julian broke his thoughtful watching of her and the colour gradually creeping up her neck to glance back at the bleeding rat before Meredith, "bien, clean cut," he then looked back at Burke, "come back to me when you grow a spine." He left them at the table, stalking back to the older students to observe the others' progress.
Post by THALIA BURKE on May 12, 2024 8:25:44 GMT -5
As the older boy proceeded to castigate her for unwillingness to hurt others, Thalia froze. The embarrassment was overwhelming, both about having failed the spell and about being berated for it where others could see and hear. It was as though the worst fears she'd had before arriving at the Room of Requirement today were becoming a reality - mean older kids taunting her for lack of skill, implying she was not a good fit for this group. Luckily, she was too aghast to start crying now. She listened to his words, which weren't particularly offensive by themselves, yet cut her deep nonetheless - having received nothing but praise in childhood, she found the sudden bashing shockingly painful.
With the pain came anger. The blush slowly faded, giving way to paleness once more. Mulciber had no right to berate her; this was her first time trying a new spell, and she was forced to use a creature she was oddly fond of. Anyone could fail in that situation... unless they were utterly heartless. The second-year clutched her wand so hard her knuckles whitened, suddenly desirous of using it to let out some of her frustration. She looked back to her own rat, still unharmed. Despite the negative emotions now roiling within her, she still didn't want to hurt the creature just to prove herself to someone - especially if that someone was the main cause of her negative emotions.
She would have remained quiet and moved on to practicing other spells... had her housemate refrained from throwing one final insult at her. Come back to me when you grow a spine. Thalia felt something inside her snap violently. Her fear had come true - she had been mocked and affronted by an older student. Now that it had already happened, terrible though it was, she found that the fear had been smashed into a million insignificant pieces. Her expression hardened, grey-green eyes shooting proverbial sparks as she turned to glare at the fourth-year's retreating back.
"I see no reason to come back to you, Mulciber," she declared, louder than intended. "I've been learning spells on my own for two years, and I don't need the guidance of some surly git." Casting a curse at him was an unfathomably tempting idea, but Thalia had just enough self-control left not to do that. Instead, she aimed her wand at a vacant table some five feet away from the boy. "Reducto!" The blast hit at the junction of the table's frame and one of its legs, sending splinters flying in all directions. She had not expected such dramatic effect - the Reductor Curse was one of the most advanced spells she had ever tried mastering; although she usually had some small success with it by noticeably damaging dummies, she had never actually caused a proper explosion... until now. The table leg clattered to the floor, and the rest of the wooden structure tipped to the side unstably. Was it the anger giving her this power? Offensive magic was her forte, so much so that some adults were starting to say she possessed a prodigious knack for dueling. Nonetheless, she had never managed to use an advanced spell so effectively before.
The success did not diminish her outrage. Thalia returned her gaze to Mulciber, no longer avoiding eye contact. "I will not be bullied into torturing creatures I do not want to torture. The feelings of my family and friends do affect me, and I see no issue with that. I might not be able to hurt a rat, but I can hurt a prat." The pun, though completely unplanned, brought a disdainful smirk to her face. Challenging someone several years older was reckless and stupid, and she was likely to lose even with this new-found vigor that was currently electrifying her whole body. However, a silly thing like common sense wasn't going to stop her at this point. "So how about it? Would you like to try casting at someone who can fight back, or do you lack the spine?"
Post by MAEVE THORNE on May 12, 2024 11:32:24 GMT -5
Watching others perform the spell she had created was more pleasing than Maeve had anticipated. Even the younger students were able to use it, which meant she'd designed it well. Only Burke was failing - a disappointing start of her membership. Having witnessed the second-year's execution of various offensive spells at the dueling club, Maeve had expected more. Was it simply the chosen target that caused this difficulty, or was Burke incapable of using Dark Arts? There were people like that, too weak and timid to perform anything more damaging than a mild jinx. But, surely, such a person wouldn't have wanted to join their group.
Julian's choice to join the newbie was commendable. Until now, he had not embraced his leadership role as openly as the other founders. Although he did occasionally help his cousin, he didn't do it nearly as often as Maeve had expected him to. She observed his interaction with the two second-years, feeling curious and somewhat uneasy. The Beauxbatons transfer was not as civil as the other founding members; someone like Meredith wouldn't be intimidated by his bluntness, but she wasn't so certain about Burke.
The interaction went awry quickly. She saw Julian say something that might have been an advice, then heard Burke stutter out an excuse that only seemed to annoy the fourth-year. He poured out some more criticism, visibly upsetting the girl. Maeve expected the child to sob or flee; the angry outburst came as a surprise, and the aggressive stance set off alarm bells in her head. Seeing the twelve-year-old brandish her wand, she drew in a breath to call out a warning-- but the offending wand was not being aimed at Julian. The Reductor Curse was loosed at a piece of furniture - Burke at least had the presence of mind to cast it at an object further away from other members.
A little less tense now, the seventh-year decided to let Julian handle the situation. It was intriguing to see whether he would accept the challenge, and if so, how punishing his spells would be. Burke might be a formidable duelist to those within her age group, but Julian had been practicing spells not even the most capable second-year could handle. Though a harsh welcome, this could still be an educational experience for the new member. Maeve was willing to allow it, as long as the altercation took place in the area designated for dueling.
Post by LEVI HILFIGER on May 12, 2024 23:05:43 GMT -5
It was quite a shame really that they weren't able to try out the spell on each other, a living being. " It would of been a nice little initiation to our new friends here." He replied letting off a small smirk before looking at some of the younger students already present. It was rather interesting to see such variety here. He shrugged his shoulders at Maeve's response to trying the spell on animals. " Well, that didn't stop father from trying some spells on me." He leaked not really sharing the full scope of how things were going at home before facing his attention over to Julian.
He had grown so much recently with his wand work and it was exceptional at how well he had managed to use the slashing curse. He nodded in agreement with Maeve with a smile on his face feeling proud of his so called brother, family, friend and best friend or whatever they called themselves. Regardless of title, he had a feeling Julian would only ever admit to being his acquaintance.
He watched as Maeve gathered the others around. An impromptu lesson of sorts. He knew not to try out the Transfiguration spell until he was sure of the effects of the spell and this was something he would do in private or until he feels confident enough to share it with the others in the room. Being one of the founders, he knew he had a certain expectation to live up to. He didn't want to fail on his first attempt at teaching a new spell.
Watching the others attempt the spell had caught his attention. Some were successful and some were struggling. Some didn't seem to have the heart for it at all. He was about to say his piece when Julian had beat him too it. The interaction between Julian and Thalia started to make him question if Thalia was the right fit for this cause. Eventually they were to practise on each other under the right conditions however, if Thalia was unable to do simple things like this, it created the thought of her leaving their cause and telling others.
He offered up a warm smile toward Meredith and her ability to overcome her intrusive thoughts and look past the thin barrier between life and death of an animal. She seemed to have the nature of things down pat. Being a Ravenclaw student also made him proud to know that there were others capable of such difficult feats. Olivia too was exceptional with his resilience to cast the spell.
Things got interesting as the interaction between Thalia and Julian grew more tense and alas, spells were being thrown. He glanced over to Maeve before rolling his own eyes knowing this almost felt childish. A display of strengths of sorts. Levi had personally worked with Julian over the last few weeks and months mentoring him in duelling and how to hone his skill in this ability. Seeing Thalia fire off a spell toward the tables in close proximity to Julian made him wonder if this was what was needed for Thalia to breakdown that confidence barrier.
A duel seemed to occur and Thalia was very vocal about her thoughts which he found impeccable. She must of had a lot of confidence to speak up boldly toward Julian. Now, If anyone was going to teach a lesson on duelling it would be Levi. Although it seemed that Maeve was allowing the duel to occur, For now, he chose to remain quiet and observe how both Julian and Thalia would react to the situation,
Post by JULIAN MULCIBER on May 13, 2024 9:39:08 GMT -5
"I see no reason to come back to you, Mulciber," a voice rang out and up into the vaulted ceilings, though Julian had no initial inclination of who it belonged to -- certainly not the shy second year he had just witnessed fail to perform Thorne's new curse. No... the timid red-head had not had a whisper of the confidence and anger ringing in this girls tone. He did not turn, then, due to his disbelief that the words had been directed at himself - only when she spoke again did he cease walking in steady apprehension - coming to a slow halt beside an antique-looking table, listening to her words and drinking them in.
"I don't need the guidance of some surly git." What in Merlin was a git? Unfamiliar with British slang, Julian ignored the word, understanding only that it was meant as an insult from her tone. He was unbothered entirely by her outburst - years of others' cruelty toward him meant slander bounced right off his skin as though it were dragon-hide. Julian looked ahead for a moment - catching both Thorne and Hilfiger watching the unfolding scene. They appeared only slightly tensed, clearly waiting for any signs that might equate to danger. Julian felt a sneer creeping across his face as he realised he must have hit a nerve with the younger Slytherin - so much so that she had chosen to call him out.
"Reducto!" He did not flinch at the cast, only because Julian was certain had the spell been directed at him - one of the two accomplished duellists standing before him - who were clearly paying attention to what was unfolding - would have reacted. He had been training enough with Hilfiger to know his reflexes were phenomenal, while Thorne's instinct and ability to read a room were unmatched. As they had not moved, however, Julian was confident that he did not need to protect himself - even as the explosion blew the table next to him apart, sending splinters and dust across the room. The sound rang in his right ear, the sneer having fallen from his face, replaced by a scowl.
He turned his head slowly then to observe the debris - the wooden leg closest to him still rolling a little on the hard floor from where it had clattered, the table itself leaning dangerously off-balance. He took his time to study the damage her spell had done, silently impressed by the sudden appearance of her backbone, but livid at the fact she had chosen such a cowardly time to cast. He followed suit with his body once he was satisfied he understood the power she was working with - turning toward Burke until he was facing her, finding her blazing gaze. She was burning there, the fire in her hair reflected in her eyes as she stared daggers at him. There you are. He was encouraged by the sight of her anger and the eye contact spurred him - not many students met his gaze, let alone pointed a wand in his direction - yet here she was, shedding the facade of friendly Thalia Burke, all emotion -- all rage.
Beautiful.
She was speaking to him - or more rather at him about her feelings. Julian could have cared less about weaknesses, though he supposed knowing what hers were was useful. Clearly, utilizing a rat to perform a curse overstepped a line for Burke - though those lines would ever become more and more hazy as one continued to dip into the waters of dark magic. Too, her friends and family made her weak. She cared what they thought - which would always mean she would be late to the uptake. Taking others' feelings into consideration would make her hesitate - and hesitation in jeopardy could be a fatal mistake. Julian's eyes narrowed and flashed darkly as she threatened him - for despite being rather unmoved by general insults - he was not accustomed to being challenged. He felt the hair on the back of his neck raise, and an almost predatory shiver run down his spine, anticipation. He tried to ignore it: the tingling in his fingers at the desire to brandish his wand, the screaming silence in which the room seemed to have been enveloped by - his focus narrowing in on the redhead across the room - eyes trained on her for any inclination she was about to cast at him again: a slight twitch, an intake of breath.
" "So how about it? Would you like to try casting at someone who can fight back, or do you lack the spine?"
That was enough. She had played her games. It was time for his. "The spine?" He repeated indignantly, voice low, "I am not the one who cast a curse when their opponents back was turned... But I am not walking away now, Burke." He let her know he was not going to back down from a challenge, though he would not be the one who instigated a duel. His wand was still in-hand from when he had performed Thorne's curse on his rat, though it hung by his side, almost reverberating in excitement. Julian had been duelling with a fifth year for over a year now, and had occasionally sparred with Thorne in the early days of their club, willing to perform even the most draining of magic. He was not afraid, perhaps most worryingly, of pain; anything to distract him from the emptiness in his heart was a welcome feeling. As such, the fire in Burke did not scare him and he was not about to shy away from a duel - if it were to come to that. Julian would not choose to duel a second year - lest she cast at him again - because it simply seemed unfair, and despite the obvious heated argument they were currently engaged in - his respect for Burke was only growing. He was thus far impressed by her rage, and how quickly it had come to fruition. Had this Thalia been simmering underneath her coy exterior all along? Had she even been aware of how powerful emotion was when one could wield it? This was the type of person Julian had wanted to teach.
"You think I am stupid enough to be baited into harming you?" Her insults told him as much, whereas his earlier words may have been harsh - they had not been unwarranted. He expected more from the people present in this room. "You do not suppose that if either of us were to successfully land a curse, that it would risk this entire operation?" There was a reason the older students did not spar with the younger without strict rules. "That was a strong reducto," He eulogized truthfully, though Julian did not take his eyes of her to glance back at the table, for that was far too risky while she was still hot-tempered, "but you missed." He knew she did not mean to hit him - but he was presenting the reality of her challenge: to duel him would mean she would actually be required to attempt to harm him. Was she prepared to do that?
Julians fingers twisted around his wand, tension throughout his entire body in preparation for whatever action she chose to take.
Post by MEREDITH MORGAN FAY on May 13, 2024 22:48:28 GMT -5
Meredith couldn’t help but feel a sick sense of glee at her success, particularly when mirrored against Thalia’s failure. It was not necessarily that she wanted her friend to fail… but if it made her look better, well, she wasn’t one to shy away from the positive attention. She smiled in response to Thalia’s compliment. “Yep! I guess it just comes naturally.” She acted coy, shrugging as if it was no big deal, while inside she was practically giddy. The feeling only intensified when Julian added on to the complimentary notes, after a thorough reaming of Thalia for her lame excuses.
She flashed him a small appreciative smile as he left, turning her attention back to her friend. This was Thalia’s first meeting and already she was being berated for her poor performance. Meredith began to wonder if it had been a mistake suggesting Thalia as a possible member. She had potential, after all Meredith would never waste her time with someone if they didn’t, but maybe those friends of hers had made her too weak to handle such a club. After all, Julian was right. The Dark Arts was no lighthearted subject. If she didn’t want to harm animals, that was fine, but she would hurt somebody eventually, one way or another. Best to start now with a rat, particularly one her sensitive cousin would never find out about.
Before Meredith could even think of what to say to Thalia, the fellow second year followed Julian to confront him, demonstrating the strength of her abilities with the destruction of a nearby table leg. Meredith smiled at the sight of such power. She knew Thalia would be a good addition to this group. Rat be damned. Causing a small cut to appear on an animal was nothing compared to such an explosive spell. Of course, with such an outburst, everyone had turned to watch the events unfold. Would a duel actually break out? Surely that would not be allowed, although Meredith would have loved to see it.
She watched with bated breath as Julian responded, calculated and restrained as always. He reminded her of her Tarantula, Penelope, when she would stalk her prey. Slow, methodical, every step and every word carefully chosen as he evaluated his next move. He was captivating, and she wanted that. She wanted that power, that confidence. The ability to make everyone stop and pay attention. The tension in the air was palpable as Julian strode closer to Thalia, wand in hand. She shouldn’t have been surprised when his next reply came out of his mouth. Meredith knew the club rules, and surely one of its leaders wouldn’t disobey them so quickly. Yet, he was still taunting her, as if challenging her to actually do it.
Meredith strode forward to stand next to Thalia in a show of support. Partially she just wanted to be involved if a duel did break out, but she also didn’t like the idea of her friend being on her own to fight a fourth year student. Plus, she couldn’t let Thalia have all the spotlight. She wanted a bit of that attention for herself. “Surely you wouldn’t be trying to goad a second year into attacking you first, would you?” Meredith asked in a mock innocent act, although the smirk on her lips negated its full effect. “After all, that wouldn’t be responsible, as an older student, and one of the group founders. Although…” She paused for dramatic effect, tapping a finger on her lower lip as if she was pondering something. “If my math is correct, two plus two equals four, and we have two second years here… and one fourth year.” She raised her eyebrows and gave him a look, knowing he would understand her implication. After all, if they wanted a duel, might as well make it a fair fight, and perhaps it would give Thalia the chance to truly show off her skills and make a better first impression - and help Meredith’s reputation in association.
Post by THALIA BURKE on May 14, 2024 6:00:41 GMT -5
Despite her spell causing quite a bang, the older boy did not even recoil. Thalia didn't have the space in her mind to ponder about the possible reasons; she felt vaguely impressed by his nonchalant stance, and intensely desirous of doing something to break it.
"I am not the one who cast a curse when their opponent's back was turned... But I am not walking away now, Burke."
Little else could be expected from a Slytherin. Everyone saw that her curse was not aimed at his back, yet he was trying to make it look as though she attacked him. All she did was get his attention; an angry speech by a twelve-year-old wouldn't have had nearly as much effect if it hadn't been accompanied by evidence of her prowess. "Good, because the next spell will be aimed at you."
Would she be allowed to duel him? There was something against it in the rules, she seemed to remember. Something about age difference, or even about lashing out in anger. Nevertheless, none of the three currently present founders had thwarted her challenge. Why? A suspicion threw new fuel into her internal flames. They all thought she would either back down out of fear, or be taken down by the first spell Mulciber launched at her. A lesson in humility, that's what they expected to come out of this. Thalia resolved to cause them immense disappointment in this regard.
"You think I am stupid enough to be baited into harming you?"
So that's what his game was. Trying to intimidate her, weaken her resolve to combat him. It wasn't going to work; she was fully aware that she would lose a duel against him, unless something miraculous happened. That forecast did not deter Thalia - her goal was simply to hurt him, even if he could hurt her worse in the process. "I cannot make claims about your intelligence, but I am starting to question your nerve. Are you worried about harming me, or about getting harmed yourself?"
"You do not suppose that if either of us were to successfully land a curse, that it would risk this entire operation?"
That was a valid point, but Thalia was well past being convinced by something as feeble as caution. "Then don't use curses that could not be reversed by a student," she suggested, allowing her eyes to briefly dart to Hilfiger and Thorne. If there was combat, they would probably be on standby to patch up the loser. She had been told that only the spells they could heal without an adult's help were allowed in duels. Of course, that ruled out the curse they were currently learning - a pity, because it would have been so fitting if Thalia could use it against the fourth-year. With the way she was feeling at the moment, she had little doubt about its success. "That still leaves you a whole list of jinxes, hexes and curses to use." Without taking her eyes off the boy now, she pointed toward the blackboards with her wand. Most incantations there were unfamiliar to her, which meant she wasn't even allowed to use them on another club member - not until she got them to work on a dummy or a test animal. "I, on the other hand, will have to limit myself to puny spells the Dueling Club allows... And I can even narrow it down to dark spells only, if you prefer," she offered with mock generosity. Most Hogwarts-sanctioned offensive magic was mild and easily reversed, but certain curses allowed in duels were still nasty. If Mulciber valued outright harmful Dark magics above other types of magic, he might think this was giving him even more of an edge. A single successful Bat-Bogey Hex would change that misconception.
"That was a strong Reducto, but you missed."
Again with the accusation! Was he hoping to wait out her determination by talking? Well, it wouldn't work - Thalia was only getting more annoyed, more resolved to show just how capable she was. One failed spell meant nothing, not when she could cast so many others. "I hit exactly where I aimed. Had you been my target, you would know it." The bold words were coming straight from her anger and jumping into her mouth without being filtered by the brain. Knowing she was not going to emerge victorious, it would have been wise to refrain from overconfident speech...
The scales were promptly tipped in her favour with Meredith's approach. Thalia hadn't expected open support from her friend - quietly rooting for her was the most she would have asked for. This clear declaration of companionship was a yet another proof that Ella was wrong in mistrusting Meredith. Ignoring the urge to show gratitude, the second-year kept a steady gaze on Mulciber and clung to her rage. Now, if he gave in to the provocation, she might not even end up losing. The math of 'two plus two equals four' was correct at first glance; an experienced fourth-year could defeat two rookie second-years, yes... but these two second-years were both active participants in the Dueling Club. Not that Mulciber had observed their skills. Admittedly, he probably had seen Meredith in action here in the Room of Requirement. With any luck, he would still underestimate the pair. This was almost unfair, and Thalia's frustration was starting to fade now that the tide turned. She had to make this duel happen before she started feeling guilty about the unbalanced matchup. "Is that too much of a challenge?" she inquired tauntingly, applying just a little bit more pressure.
Post by OLIVIA MULCIBER on May 14, 2024 8:38:11 GMT -5
Disappointingly, her competence at casting the curse went unremarked upon. Olivia glanced over her shoulder to check where Julian was and if he had observed her performance. For some reason, he had gone with the two second-years and was lecturing Burke about something. How very... kind of him. She might have felt upset that her cousin chose to mentor someone else, but the scene quickly gained enough entertainment value to offset her selfish emotions.
Whatever her cousin had said to the second-year girl was clearly offensive. Most things he said to people were, after all. There was a simple trick to handling it - one had to avoid taking any of his remarks personally, no matter how personal he intended them to be. At least that worked for her; the Burke girl, on the other hand, was allowing harsh words to provoke her. What, had she never been criticized before? Well, at least anger was better than tears. More interesting, too, and less irksome to watch.
The Reductor Curse made Olivia jump to her feet, momentarily anxious about Julian. To her relief, he was unscathed and unperturbed. Fantastic. If the two really dueled, she was looking forward to seeing Burke's arse get kicked. She might be adequate for the Dueling Club, where getting hit was more of an embarrassing inconvenience than a guaranteed loss, but she had no idea what kind of combat went on in this clandestine group. This would be an exciting spectacle.
Picking up her unconscious and still-bleeding rat off the carpet, Olivia vacated the dueling area in case it ended up being used. She dropped the rodent on the desk next to Thorne's much more mangled one and joined the two older students in observing the confrontation from a safe distance. A lot of brave words and veiled insults were being exchanged. Oh, this would be so deliciously shameful for Burke afterward!
Something almost like a hiss escaped her throat when the Ravenclaw girl joined the fray. This improved Burke's chances too much, and made Olivia feel uneasy about her cousin. He could still win, his magic was more powerful than that of the second-years' and he knew plenty of potent curses... but now the odds were too even. Unpredictably so. She didn't like that - a Mulciber should not be seen losing, especially not to a pair of younger girls.
She had to say something to help his case. "That math is only correct on paper. Two against one is not a fair match. You two can just keep casting your weak spells in turns and Julian will have to focus on deflecting them all the time." She knew defensive magic wasn't his strength, though she wasn't about to point that out to his potential opponents.
Post by LEVI HILFIGER on May 14, 2024 20:49:06 GMT -5
Things seemed to only get more interesting as the tension built up in the room while the back and forth vocal tennis between Julian and Thalia seemed to turn into a doubles match. He stood like a statue as his eyes bounced back and forth between them as the singles vocal tennis match turned into doubles. He had no doubt that Julian had the upper hand being more experienced, older and wiser than Thalia and now, Meredith.
He finally broke his stoic statue as he turned his head over to Maeve. He raised an eyebrow once he managed to lock eyes with her as he leaned in. “ If we keep this going, either someone is going to leave with blood or there’s going to be a crack in our foundation of what we do. “ It was already a risk having Thalia display a sense of anarchy. Who knew if she would be the one to expose them all.
The thought made him want to obliviate her and her actions with their group. Naturally, he wasn’t as skilled as some of the others to handle such a memory charm. Instead, he decided to clear his throat and speak up a little. Mainly to end the tension and continue what they were meant to do, which was to focus on the learning environment of studying Dark Magic.
“ If I may. “ He intercepted between the voices calling out to each other as he walked forward. “ It’s agreed that we can all. Do maths and we’ve established we can count. “ He said as he looked at everyone involved. “ However, duelling each other isn’t going to establish anything. One of you may be naturally stronger than the other. “ He responded glancing over to Julian once more before the others.
“ Maeve, any suggestions on what we do from here?” If it were up. To Levi, ,he would have rather had Thalia and Julian just work things out with words. Whilst a proud advocate for anything duelling related, he believed that something like this could easily be resolved with words rather than spells. Olivia seemed to also make a valid point. The younger two would have gone full offensive while Julian would have had to just focus on defensive magic.