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Post by MAEVE THORNE on May 15, 2024 16:58:29 GMT -5
Julian's response was well-crafted, his emotions under control despite his challenger's verbal and magical attacks. She could see him calculating, readying himself for combat - yet at the same time exploring Burke's unveiled personality. Dueling a second-year, even a talented one, would not endanger him. His self-control was, most likely, strong enough to prevent serious harm from befalling Burke as well. The girl could benefit from this defeat, too. Although not strictly established, a pecking order did exist and had to be upheld. Complete obedience to the founding members was not required, but a certain level of deference was still expected. Learning that early on would prevent future outbursts.
The balance of the situation shifted when Meredith stepped up to side with her friend. This show of fierce loyalty did not exactly mesh with Maeve's understanding of the Ravenclaw's personality. Was there something she hoped to gain from this interaction, or was her bond with Burke strong enough for her to risk her own well-being and, should things go especially poorly, her reputation within the group? Perhaps she had misjudged Meredith - children under a certain age were difficult to read, their personalities still not fully formed.
Either way, now the situation was suddenly unpredictable. Facing two opponents, even feeble ones, was not easy. Twice the amount of spells would be coming Julian's way, while he would have to divide his attention between two targets. If he made even one error, he wouldn't just lose the duel - the two second-years' respect for him would diminish as well. However, she was still unwilling to end the conflict. Despite being the youngest of the founders, Julian was able to analyse situations and make the right choices better than most of the fifth- and sixth-years she knew. Inserting herself into this argument would be a despotic act, one that would undermine Julian's authority.
It turned out that Levi had come to the exact opposite conclusion; Maeve kept her expression neutral as she listened to him. He appeared to be uncharacteristically concerned about the safety of the group - the boy who insisted on using new dangerous spells on other students was now opposing a duel that was not likely to cause more harm than any other duel they had witnessed in the Room. Less harm, in all likelihood, since only one of the combatants could produce powerful Dark spells. If there were to be any cracks in their group's foundation, they would be caused by a lack of unity between its leaders. It was up to Julian to either take up the gauntlet or diffuse the situation; making the choice for him would only allow the other members to question his abilities. How could Levi not see that?
"Maeve, any suggestions on what we do from here?"
Her face remained unreadable, her voice light and with a tinge of humour to it. "Yes; we await Julian's decision with bated breath. However, as was already noted, such arbitrary math does not translate into dueling odds. It would still be two against one." If they were to accurately calculate a balanced matchup, simply looking into one's years of official schooling would not be enough. Most purebloods started learning magic several years before attending school, but it varied from family to family. Participation in the Dueling Club also affected one's skill level, as did countless other variables. Should Julian decide to proceed with the duel, it had to be known that nobody was fooled into perceiving it as an equal matchup. Ultimately, it was his choice. She was going to be leaving Hogwarts in seven short months; the remaining three founders had to learn how to run the group, how to exert the right amount of control... and, it now seemed, how not to step on each other's toes while doing so.
She turned away from Levi, keeping the scene between the trio in her peripheral vision as she pushed two wounded rodents to the edge of the desk. "In the meantime, I shall endeavour to conjure a different creature for Miss Burke to practice on." Conjuration was arguably the trickiest form of Transfiguration, especially if one wanted to create an animal that had accurate enough internal anatomy to bleed upon being harmed, instead of just vanishing. It would be fairly taxing to magic up even a small one, but she didn't have a choice. Nobody was to be forced into performing a spell on any given target. Maeve had specified that several times before demonstrating the curse. If they started peer-pressuring each other, this study group could lose its appeal to some members, and then their secrecy would be in danger. She couldn't point that out without making it seem like she was reprimanding Julian in some way, but she could remind them of it in a more subtle manner - by offering another target to Burke. It might have been an error on Maeve's part to teach a spell requiring live animals during the second-year's very first meeting. Most other members had been rendered cold and cruel by their family situation, while Burke seemed to have healthy relations with her parents. As a general rule, children like that did not readily torment animals.
Post by JULIAN MULCIBER on May 17, 2024 1:36:52 GMT -5
"Good, because the next spell will be aimed at you." Julian felt a stir of satisfaction at her words - the outward threat demonstrated a swift rise in confidence within the younger Slytherin, likely purely fuelled by anger and frustration. He could have smirked, had he not been aware that doing so might have given himself away: he had requested she return to him when she grew a spine -- and she had certainly done that, despite her supposed unwillingness to do so. And it had only taken an insult to unlock her potential.
He did not want to duel Thalia - for Julian was many things: stubborn, calculating, prickly... but he was not dishonourable. A duel against a second year who had not been exposed to the magic that he had was entirely unbalanced and would not solve anything. If he were to win, yes - she would be humbled and unlikely to speak out against him again - but that was not what he wanted, nor was it any way to nurture or encourage Thalia to continue to pursue her interest in the dark arts - which was his ultimate goal. He didn't need to pummel the younger students into submission - that was not what this club was about, nor was it what he would prefer. He liked spunk, and Burke was demonstrating it in droves. He knew, however, that he was a harsher critique than the other founders, and his methodology for teaching and encouraging was less...friendly...But that did not mean he did not see promise.
"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?" Julians grip on his wand tightened fractionally as she mentioned his nerve before he mentally reminded himself to relax, feeling his fingers slowly comply. "Hardly," he responded brusquely, pain being an afterthought for him. Harming her was not entirely a concern either - a little was often necessary to forge character. Moreover, he would be limited to the appropriately sanctioned spells that were less dangerous than their dark counterparts.... Less dangerous did not entirely mean not dangerous at all, however.
As he was thinking on it, Burke suggested he not utilize any curses that could not be reversed by a student. Julian watched her eyes dart to the two older students behind him, knowing she was silently seeking approval. It was a sufficient suggestion, and one that would disallow him many spells that would have easily given him an advantage. So she was not entirely an idiot for challenging someone older than herself. Burke continued on then, attempting to persuade him by dangling other magics of which he could utilize. It was a pointless show of overconfidence, he was already listing them in his mind as she spoke.
"I, on the other hand, will have to limit myself to puny spells the Duelling Club allows... And I can even narrow it down to dark spells only, if you prefer." He had known she was a part of the Duelling club only because when Burke had been suggested to the group and a discussion entailed, Thorne and Hilfiger had mentioned her prowess. The other founders, therefore, had been much more familiar with Thalia than Julian had - even though they shared the same house, and he had mostly deferred to their knowledge of the girl. Ironically enough he was the one about to suddenly get to know Burke better - one could perceive a lot about a person in the way that they duelled.
He had pointed out that she had not aimed at him with her Reducto curse, as a means to remind her of what was to be expected should she attempt to duel him: that narrowly missing him was not going to be accepted - and that she may actually have to hurt him. It was meant as a final warning - though clearly Burke had understood it as adding further insult to injury. Her anger seemed to be peaking, Julian could feel her impatience - it was not long before she fired at him - he was certain. His legs tensed, and he could feel the muscles in them ripple. He titled his body ever so slightly to the left to make himself a smaller target, one foot sliding back to provide himself with more balance --
-- Fay stepped forward and Julian heard a noise of dissatisfaction come from somewhere behind him. His eyes darted from Burke to the Ravenclaw as she intervened, head held high, narrowing at the sight and listening half-heartedly as she spoke. "Quite the opposite, actually," he answered her through his teeth, having been trying the entire time to get Burke to back off. He had not intended to duel her, though her anger had made it hard to diffuse her. She was a woman on a mission - and that mission was to tear him down. He would not allow it.
"...two plus two equals four..." He understood her implication perfectly fine - she was attempting to even the odds against Burke by joining her friend. Such a demonstration of loyalty may have moved him at any other time, now, however, he was irritated. This lesson was not meant for Fay, but as she had placed herself squarely in his firing line Julian would not argue. He weighed Fay up briefly, eyes darting over her to analyse her build and height, "if you do not place value in your friends ability to duel me alone, so be it." The remark was intended for Burke to hear more than anything - he was aware she was already angry at him, and now she had a friend who didn't trust her capability. Hopefully it would create some tension in their ability to work as a team. He shifted again in his stance as he deliberated his defence, accounting for the direction of his new opponent as Burke questioned whether the proposal was too much of a challenge.
"...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." He heard his cousin add to the argument, and he felt a certain swelling of something in his chest - the feeling unfamiliar and quite startling. Julian almost flinched at it, had he not been so focused on the two standing across the room from him. Had it been pride? Appreciation? Endearment? His protectiveness of his cousin had not yet been demonstrated publicly, nor had he ever shown her any favouritism - but this had been intentional. He simply did not know how to act around her and kindness did not come easily to him, nor did he believe that she would appreciate it. She was strong-willed, like himself, and babying her would feel almost condescending. Nevertheless, hearing her speak for him in such a tense moment chipped his armour and Julian turned his head to where the voice had called out from, eyes softening somewhat as he shot her perhaps the first slight smile that had crossed his face in years to let her know that he was okay.
Hilfiger spoke then, and Julians expression returned to his usual scowl, his attention moving back to Burke and Fay, motion to his left letting him know that Levi had stepped forward, attempting to compose the situation. Julian felt his gaze upon him as Hilfiger mentioned one being stronger than the other... which seemed a fair conclusion - however there were two opponents standing across from him, so his odds of emerging victorious had dropped. Julian focused on Fay for a moment, "seems an even duel to me," answering her earlier challenge while simultaneously dissuading Hilfiger from attempting to stop this. If Levi were successful in breaking up this fight, Julian would lose. He had no choice but to duel to retain the respect he commanded within this club.
Hilfiger then deferred to Thorne, and though Julian was growing weary of the argument, he hesitated out of regard for Maeve. If she did not want this duel to occur, it would be two founders against him and therefore a majority vote. Thus, she could speak now or he would act. He did not look at her while she spoke, essentially handing him the reigns. He listened to little else, blood beginning to pump through his extremities at the sudden adrenaline. He did not hesitate any longer: "Relashio!" Julian brandished his wand swiftly towards Meredith to force her backwards, feeling the Rougarou core pulse beneath his palm in excitement, his attention immediately switching to Burke to perform another wand movement, "incarcerous!" His wand produced several ropes and they shot towards the Slytherin with intent to bind her. He was utilizing fifth year spells that technically he shouldn't have access to - however his lessons with Hilfiger had extended his knowledge of offensive magic, so his repertoire was larger than perhaps the two younger students realised.
Post by OLIVIA MULCIBER on May 17, 2024 6:30:46 GMT -5
Almost every member seemed desirous of getting involved in the altercation - either by joining the imminent duel or by attempting to prevent it. Knowing her cousin, Olivia wondered if he was getting irritated by these intrusions. However, her own comment elicited a faint smile from him; it wasn't an expression she could remember ever seeing on his face. Having half-expected him to snap and tell everyone to stay out of this, the first-year was somewhat delighted to witness him react this way to something she had said. She took it as an assurance that the situation was under control, and facing two opponents did not daunt him. That eased some of the apprehension she was feeling.
Hilfiger then ventured to block the duel from taking place. It felt somehow wrong; Olivia couldn't pinpoint what precisely bothered her about it, but she didn't like it. Julian was the one being challenged, and an older member stepping forth to make the decision for him didn't seem appropriate. Her eyes darted to the Ravenclaw boy, then to Thorne. If Hilfiger had expected her to agree with him, the response he received must have been disappointing.
Suddenly unwilling to stand so close to these two Prefects who were currently in disagreement, Olivia retreated further into the room - back to the potioneering station with her ongoing project. The discussion was bound to go on for a while still, so she might as well be responsible and check how the brew was doing. She found the liquid in her cauldron steaming heavily, emitting a nasty odour that made her wrinkle her nose. For some reason, the cauldron itself looked misshapen at the bottom, too - had the heat done that? Leaning back and holding her breath, she turned the flame off fully. She would clean up later, after the--
"Relashio!"
The girl spun around towards the familiar voice so quickly that she almost lost her balance. Putting one hand on the table to steady herself, she watched her cousin shoot off spells at the second-years. She hadn't expected him to jump into action so soon, but perhaps he simply wanted to start the combat before anyone else could try to avert it. Or maybe it was an attempt to catch the two girls off-guard - they must have been following the older students' conversation, and the attack came without a warning. Either way, this was a promising start.
Post by LEVI HILFIGER on May 18, 2024 4:58:03 GMT -5
Levi had just watched as the two seemed to verbalise their thoughts out loud. At first, Levi was quite against unfair matches either it be in strength, numbers or magical prowess but as he listened to what Maeve had to say, he could only nod and agree with her. Maeve had made a valid point. He watched as Maeve walked away from the scene continuing on with her own study before he glanced back over at Julian and Thalia. Both had fair statements to make and Levi knew his place and was best to avoid any further interactions. At least not until it was absolutely necessary or he was dragged in.
He had just started to follow behind Maeve when he heard Julian calling out a spell or two. " Well then. " He whispered as he paused for a split second to watch the duel unfold between them. It had been sometime since he had seen Julian in a duel. Even in their private sessions, Levi avoided duelling Julian but gave more insight on tactics to duelling rather than facing him one on one. The scar from the cut still lingered on his thigh as did the stinging smell of dried up blood under his nose.
He watched for a few more seconds to see what would occur between the two of them. Was Thalia to attack back as well as Meredith or was Julian just going to test himself with his duel. Regardless, he gave a slight nod toward Julian before following behind Maeve. A suggestion came to mind if it were to help Maeve in any manner.
" We could always give her a worm? Or something that produced no sound?" He suggested as he walked just behind her. " Better yet, we could always ask what she would like to practise on?" Perhaps animals weren't exactly Thalia's first choice of test animal. " Or...." He paused for a second as a flashback of the time Maeve and Levi had their own private session came to mind. " Do we have anyone that's particularly gifted in healing?" He asked before pausing to see what Maeve would say.
Post by MAEVE THORNE on May 19, 2024 18:52:57 GMT -5
She had barely finished speaking before the duel finally commenced. Julian had decided to deal with it through a show of strength, and she hoped the method would work in his favour. If not, if he somehow lost or the result was inconclusive, the two girls could become full of themselves. In that case, they might need to be shown that one victory may simply be a fluke...
Although she naturally wanted to follow the duel, this was a good opportunity to hone her focus. If she was to fulfill Father's wish and become an Auror, being able to perform complex magic with such distractions present would be a necessary skill. "A worm might be too soft, and too small..." she trailed off, considering the idea. Something as squishy as an earthworm would probably be cut in half by the curse, and give the caster a false sense of strength. There was merit to Levi's suggestion, though. Something that few people kept as a pet would be a better target. And, if she needed to conjure something living, a tube-shaped animal would be relatively simple to produce. "That does give me an idea. Serpensortia." A sleek black snake, shot out of her wand, landing on the table. It was one of the easiest creatures to replicate with magic - along with birds. "Stupefy." Having slithered to the edge of the table, the serpent now slumped down as the spell hit it. Maeve pulled its limp body closer. She still needed to check if the conjuration was accurate enough to leak blood upon being injured. "Diffindo." She had cast the spell as gently as she could, aiming for a small wound; a shallow slit opened along the snake's back, producing a few droplets of blood. This would have to suffice.
"Do we have anyone that's particularly gifted in healing?"
She looked up from the injured snake. That was an odd query. Most members of this group were only interested in causing harm, not undoing it. "I can perform most basic healing spells, and I believe Julian could, too. But that isn't going to help for this curse - I still need to design a specific counter for it."
Post by LEVI HILFIGER on May 19, 2024 21:29:59 GMT -5
Now that the anticipation of the duel between Julian and Thalia were over, Levi began to focus his mind on other things. Whilst entertaining to watch, the duel between Julian and Thalia were just that. A duel between them. He was too heavily invested in other things to continue entertaining himself with the back and forth of the two. His mind now focused purely on the conversation he was having with Maeve.
Maeve's ability to conjure a snake was not unnoticed. Whilst Levi didn't verbalise his appreciation this time around, he did manage to give a small smirk. The droplets of snake blood had a certain stench to it. Rather penetrating. It was curious how a small amount of blood could actually make such a smell. " Then perhaps a cockroach? " His eyes scanned the room for a split second. Whilst Hogwarts was a relatively clean establishment, the occasional cockroach would wander in here and there.
"There." He said finally managing to narrow his sight down to one particular cockroach climbing the ceiling. "Accio Cockroach." He called out summoning the incest to his hand. "Engorgio." He whispered causing the cockroach to grow 4 times it's original size before placing it on the floor. "I suppose it's my turn to try this out. " He pointed his wand at the creature that kept moving side to side as his wand travelled just behind it.
"Vulnus Pertinax!" He called out as a he slashed his wand toward the large insectoid quite successfully. " Wow." He replied before looking over to Maeve. " That does quite the amount of damage doesn't it?" Though it was only a narrow wound, and nothing compared to what others could do in the classroom, it was just a start.
" The reason I ask about healing is maybe we could get Thalia to try the spell out on my arm or something?" He suggested as he kicked away softly the wounded bug. Levi was no weakling he had volunteered to be cursed by Maeve, tortured by his father and to add to that, a large scar on his thigh from his encounter with Julian.
Post by MEREDITH MORGAN FAY on May 21, 2024 20:10:12 GMT -5
It seemed everyone had an opinion regarding the possible duel, many obviously trying to stop the inevitable. Meredith didn’t understand why some of the club members were against practicing their skills in actual combat. She understood the rules about matching skill levels, but that was exactly what she was doing, no? If Julian was truly a capable duelist he should have no issues with the challenge. After all, she doubted he saw either of them as a threat. That was exactly what Meredith was intending.
She had only been to a handful of meetings thus far, and hadn’t been quite as successful as she would have liked. Therefore, nobody in the room had truly seen her skills, nor did they know of her extensive training. After all, she grew up with a professional duelist for a father, a skill he drilled into his children as early as possible. Meredith may have only been able to perform magic for the past two years of her life, but she had been watching duels for much longer, and she was prepared to finally show her skills. The image of being a good friend to Thalia was merely an accidental bonus.
Of course Julian would see her act as some form of weakness, completely missing her true motivation. Meredith simply rolled her eyes at the not-so-subtle jab, probably intended to sow doubt in Thalia’s mind. If he were the slightest bit successful in his attempt, so be it. She was sure she could find a way to convince Thalia later on of her “pure” intentions.
Luckily, Julian did not seem entirely convinced by the other members trying to dissuade the events that were about to transpire. Meredith felt itchy with anticipation. Would he bite? He seemed poised to attack, yet paused to listen to the eldest leader’s response. He seemed to value Maeve’s opinion the most, as did the other students. While the group claimed it was an equal partnership, it was quite clear who was the true leader of the pack. Her decision would outrank all others, Meredith was sure, as she listened with bated breath.
No sooner had the older Slytherin finished speaking, not really providing much of an opinion on the topic if Meredith were honest, did Julian launch his attack, surprising Meredith who was pushed back away from the duel by the spell’s blast. She huffed in indignation as she landed square on her butt from the force of the spell. She was just as much a part of this as well, how dare he shove her away like that? Well, two can play at that game, she thought as she stood back up. “Pulsus!” She hissed, wand pointed at Julian, hoping he would be too distracted by Thalia to notice her return. She then proceeded with casting, "Descendo," on the ropes headed towards Thalia, hoping to knock them down before they reached their target.
Post by THALIA BURKE on May 22, 2024 4:44:57 GMT -5
In an obvious attempt to sow discord, the fourth-year questioned Meredith's trust in her friend's ability. That only served to further inflame Thalia's anger. He was trying to make it look as though Meredith's act of companionship had a negative value, but the trick was too simple even for a twelve-year-old to be fooled. She held on to the indignation his jibe had provoked, fully intending to use it against him momentarily.
The first-year's remark caused another surge of frustration in Thalia's chest. Why couldn't the child just stay quiet for once? The interjection seemed to please the Slytherin boy, athough - luckily - he also dismissed the comment at the same time. Overconfident, just as she had hoped he would be.
Then others offered their opinions. It was beginning to look like the duel would not happen; the Ravenclaw Prefect was vocalising his views on the matter in a way that sounded definitive. That was disappointing, but at least she could taunt Mulciber about his co-leaders' lack of faith in him. Hilfiger's not-so-subtle glance at the fourth-year when speaking of someone 'naturally stronger' was noted, but it meant little. He was stepping in and taking control from his subordinate, that's all Thalia saw... But Thorne, instead of forbidding combat, simply passed the ball back to Mulciber. Interesting.
Briefly distracted by the mention of another target for her practice, Thalia missed the chance to cast the first spell. Since the initial offence was not aimed at her, she swiftly sent an attack of her own in the teen's direction. "Locomotor Mortis!"
Somewhere to her side, she heard Meredith fall but couldn't check if she was alright - the ropes hurled at Thalia required her immediate attention. At the Dueling Club, she had seen older duelists deal with such an assault by slicing the ropes with a Severing Charm, but she hadn't ever tried that for herself and now wasn't the time to experiment. She dodged to the side, though the ropes were spread so wide that one end still threatened to catch at least one of her limbs. Meredith's spell came just in time, pushing the threat down to the floor. Later, once the fight was over, she would have to tell the Ravenclaw just how splendid that save had been; now, however, Thalia could not spare so much as a glance in her direction.
She continued moving to the side, further away from Meredith. Standing next to each other would only make offence easier for Mulciber. Now he would have to move his wand quite a bit to switch between targets, or keep casting at one and ignore the other. While still in motion, she cast a jinx. "Recumbus!" Hindering an opponent's mobility was one of the surest ways to win, as she had witnessed multiple times. If she and Meredith could keep casting in turns, one of their spells was bound to break through the fourth-year's defence eventually.
Post by JULIAN MULCIBER on May 23, 2024 8:56:13 GMT -5
There had been no courteous bows or niceties as would be expected in a duel. As Julian was not classically trained, he had no interest in making this a performance. His opening salvo was calculated to separate the two duellists so that they could not cast in unison against him. If he could divide, he could conquer. Easier thought than done, however.
Acutely aware of any movement before him: a twitch of a hand...swish of a wand...slight side-step -- he was required to note. Being outnumbered was certainly a disadvantage and as he had not yet duelled either of his current opponents, he was not fully aware of their prowess in combat. But then again, neither of the two had faced him either - only Fay had been in the Dark Arts club long enough to have perhaps witnessed him take on several of the older students in a sparring match.
The surprise in Fay's eyes as she was forced backward was not lost on him, though Julian had barely enough time to relish the small victory in a successful cast before switching focus as Burke required his immediate attention. With an expeditious cutting swish, Julian cast a Protego, deflecting her spell into the practice dummies several feet to his right, hearing the clutter as several collapsed over.
Another spell came his way then, quicker than he had anticipated. Despite fast reflexes, he was caught on the left shoulder and his upper torso snapped to the side - her pulsus impacting him with surprising velocity. Julian would have spun around several times he was certain - had his feet not been sufficiently planted. He growled at the contact, frustrated at himself for having overestimated how many breaths it would take for Fay to recollect herself.
Do not underestimate her.
She was distracted in assisting her friend, who he had snared in one of his ropes. Julian did not hesitate to take advantage at this demonstration of weakness. Disabling one of his opponents would be the ideal first step in ending this duel. "Aculeum," he twirled his wand against Fay, targeting her outstretched arm as he rolled his left shoulder, feeling it for any injury. There was none of note, though he supposed it would be sore later. In his peripherals, Julian caught Burke moving more to his left than he would have liked... She was trying to circle him. He retracted a step, sliding his foot back silently and turning several degrees to account for this movement, eyes narrowing before --
-- "Recumbus!" Julian snapped his attention to the oncoming spell, his own wand slicing through the air before him to re-cast a protective shield - however, this one was weak, and he felt the hex collide with his thigh. Julian blinked. His defensive work required attention, it seemed. Leg suddenly off-balance, Julian staggered slightly, steadying himself enough with practiced balance. Enough. Angered at the audacity to attempt to bring him down, Julian glowered at Burke, eyes blazing, heart beginning to thrum in abnegation. "Impedimenta!" He cast upwards at her with a snarl, going on the offense, playing to his strengths.
Post by MAEVE THORNE on May 23, 2024 9:57:37 GMT -5
The duel raged on, although Maeve only followed it with her ears while keeping her eyes on Levi. She heard someone fall, but all three voices were still calling out incantations - nobody had been removed from the fight yet.
"Cockroaches certainly are repulsive enough, and I doubt anyone she knows keeps them as a pet." The insects were a potion ingredient, one second-years must have handled numerous times by now. She watched the Ravenclaw boy retrieve one and once again felt pleased to observe her curse being used by another person.
"That does quite the amount of damage doesn't it?"
"Indeed. I intended it as a way to weaken an enemy over time without actually killing them. Might be useful in certain scenarios." In her imagination, one scenario was an interrogation. Having the victim bleed endlessly could properly terrify them; even better if someone they were attached to bled in front of them instead.
"The reason I ask about healing is maybe we could get Thalia to try the spell out on my arm or something?"
The redhead studied Levi's face, seeing no signs of hesitation at the offer. He had previously mentioned his father trying out some Dark spells on him, which explained a whole lot about the boy's inclinations. Although she knew the Hilfiger patriarch's views were traditional, she could not help harbouring resentment toward him. Torturing his own son with curses that required malicious intent... that was not something she would suffer from her own father, but Levi didn't seem to feel bothered about such cruelty. "If she can make the spell work, you will bleed for at least a day," she warned. The cuts produced by the two other youngsters were small and shallow, so Thalia probably wouldn't outperform them by a lot. A Blood-Replenishing Potion might not even be needed. Still, it would be a nuisance to try hiding that cut and to change bandages several times.
Post by LEVI HILFIGER on May 24, 2024 11:12:11 GMT -5
A small frustrated pout appeared on his face as the echoing incantations reverbed in the background as his eyes scanned the duelling stand. He would of much rather preferred them use the duelling stand rather than it collect dust but he knew not to argue with their duel off mid way in occurrence. For a split second, he observed the duel once more before finally focusing all his attention back over to Maeve.
The aftermath of using Maeve's curse was rather welcoming to his intrinsic mind. He examined the enlarged cockroach once more noticing the wounds however the insect was still moving. It was then he listened to what Maeve had said. " A curse designed to harm but not kill. " He locked eyes with Maeve as a smile appeared on his face. " Honestly, father would love you. " At the same time, he had hoped that Maeve and his father would never meet knowing that his father would use this spell on him as part of his training.
" It seems apparent that Thalia has no hesitation to attack another wizard. " He pointed his wand over to the duel as a reference. " What difference would it really be? I could easily say that I was harmed falling into some kind of thorn bush of some sort or fallen off my broom. " While the complexities of conjuring a cover story were starting to become more difficult than mastering transfiguration, he believed that it was worth an attempt at any point.
Post by MEREDITH MORGAN FAY on May 26, 2024 21:32:30 GMT -5
Meredith smirked slightly as she clipped his shoulder, glad to have been the one with the upper hand this time. He managed to mostly dodge, but at least she made enough of an impact to show him she was not one to be underestimated. As she helped Thalia defeat the ropes close to entrapping her, she heard Julian cast another spell. She managed to turn just in time to see a flash of white heading towards her. She attempted to move out of the way, but was a bit too late, the stinging hex catching the edge of her arm. She hissed and cradled her injury, the sudden pain causing tears to spring to her eyes.
Her arm was now sporting a red welt, almost like she had been burned, her hair flashing various colours along with her emotions. Pain, frustration, embarrassment, but most of all, anger. She would get him back for that one. She would not be the only one leaving this duel with an injury. Turning her full attention back to Julian, she noticed his attention had returned to Thalia, who was moving further away from her. In doing so, Thalia was causing him to turn a bit further away from her.
Meredith smiled at the strategy. It was smart. Divide and conquer. It would be much harder to fight against both of them if he had to keep turning to face each of them. Thalia even managed to catch him off guard, causing him to become off balance. Meredith was impressed, although she would not let herself get outshone. Targeting his other leg, hoping to knock him down, she cast “Flipendo,” while he was otherwise distracted trying to hit Thalia with an Impediment Curse. Hoping to take advantage of his momentary distraction in the form of her friend, she quickly followed it up with, "Rictusempra!" She had a feeling that spell, more so than any others, would infuriate the Slytherin if he were to get hit, and at that moment that was exactly what Meredith was hoping to accomplish.
Post by THALIA BURKE on May 27, 2024 10:19:18 GMT -5
As long as Mulciber kept evenly dividing his attention and attacks between the two of them, he was at a notable disadvantage. In the time it took him to send a spell at both of his opponents, four spells came his way and had to be either blocked or evaded. It might have been easier for him, had the three of them been standing on a narrow dueling platform where falling off equaled losing. Both girls would need to stay side by side, and just sending an attack in their general direction could end up in a successful hit. However, open as the space was, Thalia had no qualms about making it difficult for him. Unfair, some would call it, but he was not being fair when he accused her of weakness. Now Thalia could see her ally from a more convenient angle, too - she barely needed to turn her head, so her focus could remain on Mulciber. This enabled her and Meredith to alternate their attacks.
She saw her friend get hit with a Stinging Hex, which looked painful and immediately produced physical effects. Mulciber was trying to cause pain and discomfort; she would do so as well. Before she could cast, however, another spell came her way. She did not want to risk using a shield - strong spells could shatter it, and she wasn't as good with defensive magic as she was with offensive. Dodging the Impediment Jinx, she stepped even further around the fourth-year. Now if he was to fully face one of the girls, the other one would be outside his field of vision.
There was a wooden stool on the floor between her and Mulciber; she lowered her wand to aim at it, while keeping it lined up with her opponent. Thalia timed her attack to not coincide with Meredith's, so a single shield could not be used to fend against both. "Depulso!" Her spell hurled the seat at the older boy. Its velocity wasn't sufficient to cause serious bodily harm, though not for the lack of trying - it was simply too advanced a spell for a second-year to execute it forcefully enough. Still, collision with that piece of solid wood could leave a bruise or cause one to stumble if not deflected. Her next attack came a few beats after Meredith's sly attempt to tickle Mulciber. "Balkem Faciam!" He was not the only one here capable of inducing pain.
Post by JULIAN MULCIBER on May 29, 2024 9:57:19 GMT -5
Julian did not celebrate small victories - acutely aware that even a fraction of misdirected attention could mean his end. This duel was meant as a lesson - and although it had mutated into something else entirely, given Fays joining, he was required to win. A loss would not be tolerated - for Burke it would be but a smear on her pride, but for him - he would lose the respect of the other Founders, as well as the respect of the group. He slid another foot back slowly, purposefully. The distance provided more advantage to those that could aim their spells well, but also allowed him a wider periphery of the field at play. The two girls were further separated now, circling him like they were hunting prey...
...He would not be easy prey.
Julian took short, concentrated breaths, filtering the oxygen through his lungs and into his blood stream, feeling it energize his working limbs. His shoulder ached, the dull pain an echo of Fays contact. It caused a wave of frustration to course through him, ire mounting - only minimally stemmed as his hex found its prey. His ears registered the hiss of pain - attesting to the strength of his spell - though he did not dare for an ego glance her way, his eyes darting instead toward his other target, who had increased the distance between herself and the Ravenclaw. He could not afford to have them separate too far, should he be required to take his eyes completely off one altogether -- and suddenly Burke's spell hit him before he had completely zoned in on her, causing him to stumble - yet he just managed to keep his footing, eyes finding the red-head as he cast in her direction instantly.
She dodged it, rather than deflecting it, her feet working fast to avoid the jet of light - her choice to avoid, rather than meet head-on may have hinted at a weakness in her defensive capability - though it was far too early to make the assumption and he could not afford the time to ponder. "Flipendo," came a follow-up spell - and Julian then became aware of Fay's attempt to finish what Burke had started - she was attempting to swipe his legs from underneath him. He swiftly mirrored Burke's movement to dodge, mimicking her footwork as he soaked up each and every learning opportunity put into play. The fast footwork allowed him to spin out of the way of her spell - moving him closer to Fay just as she cast again: Rictumsempra.
No.
Julian growled in infuriation at the sound of her cast, mind flashing to Hilfigers use of the spell against him while his guard was severely impaired - several weeks ago now - the effect of which had been devastating to him. Julian's right arm quivered, tension in his muscles rippling as he performed a counter-move in tandem with Meredith, slicing through the air with reckless abandon to parry that particular spell with an almost instinctual "finite!". He would rather be cursed indefinitely than fall victim to that spell again. He watched as his incantation collided with hers inches away from his body, sparks like tiny fireworks bursting on impact. His lip curled, eyes alight with satisfaction.
But there was no time to focus on Fay.
Another movement - this time from the other side of his vision - Burke's voice cut right through his sudden attention on Meredith - wanting to punish her for such a foolish cast against him. It was a mistake that would cost him - and one that definitely could have been fatal if the stakes had been higher. Now, however, it was just a chair - though solid wood - shooting through the air in his direction. Julian flicked his wand, eyes honing in on the piece of furniture as it streaked toward him, eyes widening, "reducto," spoken in a barely-there whisper due to his shock - the blast exploded the wooden chair mid-air - shattering it with the deafening groan of breaking timber. Splinters like daggers sped at him, collecting across his torso and arms, slicing over skin, tearing through cloth and embedding into flesh like little wooden bullets. Residual pieces scattered across the floor behind him, pegs of wood clattering like fallen chess pieces. Julian barely flinched, arm still outstretched before him, frozen there momentarily as his brain scrambled to analyse the damage, but failed to calculate. Wounds did not matter so long as he was still standing. He quietened the internal screams.
"Protego!" Julian breathed, lurching his arm downward in response to Burke's next hex, his second attempt at conjuring a protective charm more successful. The movement caused sharp pain to shoot up the entire length of his bicep and across his chest, flooding him with warmth where the small stakes of wood had found their mark. The feeling was oddly comforting... like a warm embrace, only with no physical contact. Julian welcomed the pain, mouth twitching upwards in admiration of Burke's Bat-Bogey Hex. She was trying to hurt him. He liked that.
Post by OLIVIA MULCIBER on May 29, 2024 10:07:27 GMT -5
Olivia had seen the older students combat each other here in the Room, but two against one wasn't something she had witnessed. With the calibre of spells they were learning, expanding the definition of 'duel' to include three people could be outright dangerous. Luckily, the two second-years couldn't use most of the curses - and Julian could. He was holding his own, despite having to defend himself from twice as many attacks as in a normal duel. Some spells did hit him, however, causing the first-year to flinch. The agitation made her heart pound at twice its normal rate, reverberating in her chest almost painfully.
The fight was moving so quickly, with so many colourful flashes, that Olivia was soon struggling to follow it. She saw Burke circling Julian, like a hyena would a lion, but the second-year's fast pace made her motions seem all blurry. Wait, that couldn't be right... She looked at Meredith and found the Ravenclaw was also surrounded by an odd haze. Julian was, too - she could barely make out his face now. The incantations sounded as if she was hearing them while underwater - distant and distorted. It made her feel nauseous.
The pain in her chest persisted and seemed to be expanding to the rest of her body. Odd tingling travelled to her shoulders and all the way down to her fingertips. Disoriented, she glanced at her hand that was still gripping the table edge for support. A scream escaped from her throat.
Black vein-like lines were snaking along her pale skin, spreading even as she watched in horror. She turned to look at her reflection in a nearby glass cupboard and screamed again. Those same lines were marring her face, even darkening the whites of her eyes. Now that she saw what was happening, the pain suddenly increased tenfold. Stumbling back from the terrible image, she lost her grip on the table and collapsed on the carpet. Breathing hurt; it felt as though her lungs were on fire. Despite the agony every physical action was causing, Olivia tried to crawl toward Julian. She only made it a few feet before her vision dimmed further, and consciousness slipped away.