| Details for NMitH 1937: Week 1 - Maeve vs Est |
| Summary: | Maeve and Est square off on the dueling strip for the first round of the No Magic in the Halls Tournament…and no one expects the outcome. |
| Date: | 10 October, 1937 |
| Location: | Great Hall |
| Related: | Plot: No Magic In the Halls - 1937 |
| Characters |
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As Leander and Eamon's duel ends, Maeve takes a deep breath, and glances, nervously, over at Mabel. "I guess that means it's my turn…" Slowly, the tiny Gryffindor stands up, and makes her way towards the strip…
Gabriel claps as Maeve makes her way to the dueling stip,"You'll do great Maeve. Just remember what we learned with Mabel and Eamon! And don't take your eye off the person you're dueling with. Go Maeve, go!"
Mabel glaps the girl on the shoulder, saying, "Steady on, Maeve," she says, cheerfully enough. Then stands, herself, and says to Josie, explaining to the other girl, quietly, "Best I keep watch lest anything goes astray."
"Ye'll do great, Maeve!" says Eamon encouragingly. And then, to Mabel, he asks brightly, "You said something about costume ideas?"
"Very well, Miss O'brian and Mr Howell, would you both please join me now. Well This should be interesting. A first year versus a fourth year. Well. Just remember no unpleasantness. Keep it all quite civilized. Now if I can see your wands for a bit of inspection. Just need to make sure that they're both in good repair. No doubt they are but it doesn't hurt to check." Tadhg O'Riley says as he stands there waiting for the wands so he can check them out before the duel begins.
Josie grins to Maeve and says, "Get him!" She grins and nods quickly to Mabel, staying where she is and watching. Her open DADA textbook seems to be totally forgotten as she pays attention to the upcoming duel.
Warren settles in to watch the next bout of dueling, the boy apparently not having a lot else to do. Or not willing to do it. He does occasionally scribble a few notes on a sheet of parchment, but mostly he's interested in the magic.
Maeve nods, as she brings out her wand (10 inches, black oak, resilant, with a Dragon Heart String core, holding it out for the Ministry Official to inspect. As she does, she smiles shyly, offering her hand to Est. "Good luck t' ye…" She's still very obviously nervous…"
Accepting Maeve's wand, Tadhg examines it carefully,"Ten inches, resilient…" The wild haired young man says before making a quick wave of the wand as he says,"Avis!" And as before there's a load crack like gunfire and a flock of doves comes flying out of the wand before he hands it back to Maeve,"Excellent job caring for your wand." He looks at Est with a hand out for the lad's wand,"Ahem. Wand please. Need to inspect it."
"Yessir," Est says, patting his pockets before remember he stowed it in the back one. It's pear and abnormally long, dragon heartstring and pliable. He neatly reverses his hold to offer the wand to the official handle first.
Mabel stands by for now, just looking on as the wands are examined, also making a discreet 'scooting' gesture to some young spectators straying a little too much into the line of fire, letting them take a place nearer where she is. Maeve gets a little wink if she looks Mabel's way.
Gareth peeks again from behind the book, taking another glance at the tableware-castle-building Hufflepuff, then to Mabel as well. "This should prove curious," he mutters to no one in particular, his words heavy with his Welsh accent.
Maeve smiles nervously at Mabel's wink, and takes her wand back, waiting for instructions before she goes back to her end of the strip. She takes a deep breath, and turns, already watching Est like a hawk…
Christmas arrives from Entry Hall.
Christmas has arrived.
Josie is sitting at the Gryffindor table, by Gabriel (despite him not being a Gryffindor). She has a DADA textbook open in front of her, and her wand sitting on the table, but she's watching closely as Maeve and Est prepare for their duel.
"Thank you Mr Howell, not sure I would keep my wand there. I am quite partial to not having my wand go off in my pocket and blasting off a piece of my anatomy." Tadhg O'Riley says grinning just a little bit as he begins looking the wand over,"Ten and three quarter inches, pear… nice and supple. Fairly well maintained…" He says considering it before moving the wand in a circle as he says,"Orchideous!" And a bouquet of roses appears from the tip of the wand. "Very well. As a reminder of the rules, no illegal hexes or dangerous spells are to be used. Let's keep this polite and not do anything too risky." He says giving Est back his wand. "Alright now both of you take up your positions and bow to your opponent."
Est takes his wand back and step in to place. He's grinning, but not as widely as before. He wipes one sweaty hand on his pants and regrips his wand. With a deep breath, he bows to Maeve.
From afar, Sammie submits and crosses fingers… dont think can take another reject
"What's with this guy and blasting off bits of anatomy?" Eamon says quietly, looking quite uncertain about this whole business of blown off noses and buttcheeks.
Maeve courtseys in returns, then takes up a classic stance at her end of the strip, taking a deep breath as she does so. Her eyes are still locked on Est, but she's still aware of her friends watching…
<FS3> Opposed Roll — Est=mind + Reaction Vs Maeve=mind + Reaction
< Est: Success Maeve: Good Success
< Net Result: Maeve wins - Marginal Victory
<FS3> Opposed Roll — Maeve=DM Vs Est=dm
< Maeve: Success Est: Success
< Net Result: DRAW
Gabriel Lean over to JOsie and whispers,"Not loike any of us can cast a dangerous spell, is it?" before returning his attention to the ongoing duel.
<FS3> Maeve rolls DM -2: Failure.
Gareth's eyes sparkle behind his thick glasses, his expression showing that he eagerly anticipates something truly, spectactularly disastrous to happen. Any moment now….
Est slides into the duelling stance when Maeve does. His eyes flick to the ministry official, and out to the Great Hall. He chews the inside corner of his cheek. Suddenly he steps back and raises both hands above his head. "Wait! Wait, I yield." Slowly he lowers his arms to his sides, going to stow his wand in his back pocket again. Gold sparks fly from the end and he murmurs, "Ow!" and holds it pointing down at his side.
Josie shrugs to Gabriel and says back softly, "I dunno, my 'Flipendio' yesterday was pretty dangerous," specifically referring to her mispronunciation. She looks to the duel again and wrinkles her nose as Est yields, "Well, that wasn't fun. At least Maeve wins." Then she's looking around, to see if her opponent is here yet.
Maeve is already moving into a defensive stance even as Est yields, all ready too late to stop. "Protego!" she says, trying to cast the spell. Unfortunately, all that happens is a shower of sparks. However, as she finishes the mis-cast spell, she frowns. "Wait. Ye're a third year. Surely ye
Est gives you a cookie.
Maeve is already moving into a defensive stance even as Est yields, all ready too late to stop. "Protego!" she says, trying to cast the spell. Unfortunately, all that happens is a shower of sparks. However, as she finishes the mis-cast spell, she frowns. "Wait. Ye're a third year. Surely ye could beat me.."
You have already given est a cookie this week.
Well that was a shame and he came all the way to Hogwarts and both of his duels today ended rather abruptly. If Tadhg was a suspicious man, he might think that's why he was given the pairings he was given. Ah well. Nothing he can do but say,"It looks like Miss O'Brian has won by default since Mr Howell has yielded. Congratulations Miss O'Brian, Mr Howell, splendid job on being a gentleman." Yes. he's assigning that to why Est has yielded this particular duel. Of course then Est goes and sends gold sparks flying,"I would go to the infirmary. Now you see why it's not recommended that one actually stow your wand in your back pocket." He says casually to Est,"Well lads and lassies, I must be going now. Perhaps I will see you all again soon."
Christmas walks through the door, a bit flustered he stops short of the group and begins to blush slightly. Chris takes a soothing breath and smiles softly as he begins to walk slower towards the group.
Josie, spotting Christmas, calls to the ministry official, "Wait!" She hops to her feet, picking up her wand and says, "We're supposed to duel tonight too. Or is someone else coming to judge that?" She indicates Christmas with her free hand.
Gareth's shoulders sag, his expression falling just as quickly. Where's the ka-boom? There was supposed to be an Earth-shattering ka-boom. With a disappointed harumph, he ducks behind his book again, though his voice is a wee bit louder this time, as he mumbles something about true Welshmen versus English pretenders.
Gabriel blinks a couple of time before his jaw just drops open. This expression of surprise lasts until Est almost blows off a buttcheek as he was warned, which makes him giggle for a moment before leaning back to Josie to whisper,"You got better though. Did he really yield? Why did he do that? All the work we did and he's not even going to let Maeve try? That's SO not fair! She could have won fair and square!" His volume starts going up as his indignation does until he's talking loud enough to be audible to those around and on the stage.
Mabel hrms, pausing as the duel's something of a non-starter, clapping a little, saying out, "Chivalrously-done, Howell. And bravely-stood, Maeve." Of course this only stretches matters out for Maeve, but it's a bit of a relief, nonetheless, that it won't be against the one who seems to have difficulty controllng a wand in his pocket.
Maeve shrugs, and steps down from the strip, relaxing noticably as she goes over to, once again shake Est's hand. "Good duel," she says, trying her best to smile warmly (and actually succeeding quite well,) before settling down in an empty spot among the Gryffindors.
Seamus has left.
Est runs a hand through his hair. "Yah, well, I'm not really that great at this wand waving stuff," Est grins. "I can't garuntee I wouldn't really hurt you, and I don't know if you could protect yourself. Not meaning any insult to yourself, of course, but…" He shrugs.
Eamon is not quite so polite as Mabel. He groans in disappointment and adds as an aside to her, "It's probably a good thing, before he blew the whole place up."
The doors of the Great Hall open right before Minister O'Reilly walks out to let in a tall, dour man in crisp black robes stretched over a truly marvelously round stomach,"O'Reilly, hope it all went well." He says as the two men cross then moves up to the dueling stage,"Very well. My name is Minister Rags and I have been forced to find some time to run a duel for you. My time is precious so if… " He stops he to consult a scroll that he pulls out of his pocket, "Mr. Jones and Miss Davies will promptly step iup and show me their wands?"
Christmas adjusts his tie, and takes out his 15 " English Oak wand. He walks over to Minister Rags and nods his head to the man in respect. He extends his wand for him to take the hilt of his wand for him to examine as he sees fit looking over to Josie, "Good Luck today Josie." He extends his free hand to the young boy to show his sincerity in his words and shake his hand if he takes it.
Christmas adjusts his tie, and takes out his 15 " English Oak wand. He walks over to Minister Rags and nods his head to the man in respect. He extends his wand for him to take the hilt of his wand for him to examine as he sees fit looking over to Josie, "Good Luck today Josie." He extends his free hand to the young girl to show his sincerity in his words and shake her hand if she takes it.
Mabel nods, commenting to Eamon and the firsties gathered around, saying quietly. "Actually, that's why it's all right, Eamon. I suspect he thought he'd be taking his chances against better duellers. If he doesn't think he's safe to duel with novices, then that's the right thing for him to have done." Josie gets a pat on the shoulder as Christmas and she are called. "All right, then, Davies, here's your turn. Just remember what you learned."