| Details for NMitH 1937: Week 1 - Idrissa vs Mabel |
| Summary: | Mabel duels Idrissa for the tournament. |
| Date: | October 11, 1937 |
| Location: | Great Hall |
| Related: | Plot: No Magic In the Halls - 1937; Takes place immediately after NMitH 1937: Week 1 - Claire and Theodore |
| Characters |
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The minister waves his hands and calls the next two duellers to the stage "Miss Mabel Hawker and Miss Idrissa Clayworth! Please present your wands for inspection!" he sqeaks.
Arian claps as Idrissa's name is called. "Go get em, Riss!" he shouts before scooting over toward some of his other housemates. "Do you think she'll be okay?" he asks, sounding a bit uncertain.
Gareth leans over the table just a bit to give his own congratulations to Claire, before turning his attention to the next duel. To Gabriel, he whispers, "But you need to help me think of a good costume. I've never done anything like this before."
Idrissa blinks as her name is called and she ums softly before clearing her throat. She hears Arian call her name and she blushes slightly while she makes her way towards where she is to go, her wand is pull free from her robes so it can be inspected an so forth. A unsure glance is sent to mabel, but she does offer her a nervous smile.
Gabriel grins at Claire,"Good Quidditch player /and/ a good duelist! Impressive." Then he turns to Gareth and says,"Don't waorry, we'll come up with a great costume." Once he realizes another Ravenclaw is about to go up to the stage he starts to cheer then falters when he realizes her opponent is Mabel. Decisions, decisions…
Warren offers a brief congratulations to the returning duelist in passing, a chime of, "Not bad, Claire." Like he knows things about shooting magic at people. Then there's another Ravenclaw called to the stage, and he makes polite applause Indrissa. "Good luck." When Arian asks he replies to his housemate in a dry whisper: "I wouldn't count on it."
"Cherry with pheonix feather, an auspicious combination!" The minister waves Idrissa's wand and a flurry of pink petals fly from the tip and evaporate in a white sparkle. "And in excellent condition," he adds handing it back.
Mabel winks to the firsties and few others gathered around, also pausing to make sure Theodore's ferret is just certain how cute ferrets are, before handing the stoat-like creature over, then striding on up. She lets the Ministry man look over Idrissa's wand, before tugging her own rowan one out from her belt, hilt-first. She says, to Idrisssa, "If you won't be offended, I'd like to give you a pass or two against some defensive forms we learn. Since I haven't seen you at the Club. Though the way this tournament's been going, I think it may be up to Fortune." She smiles again.
Idrissa chews on her lip a moment while peering up at the minister. "Yes sit.. Thank you sir.." She offers tone a bit unsure while she takes her wand back. Her gaze turns back to Mabel and she ohs before nodding. "Well.. Sure…" There is a pause and she leans a bit closer to Mabel. "What does that… Mean persay?" For one that is so book learned as Rissa seems she is a bit out of her element here, no animals wandering around save for the ferret after all.
"Oh! How unusual! You do not seem many halcyon cores any more." When the minister flourishes Mabel's wand a flock of tiny birds flies from the tip to sit in the rafers of the Great Hall. "Your wand is well cared for, miss," he says returning Mabels wand. He steps back and raises his arms above his head. "Duellers to your mark."
Gabriel starts chewing on his lip as he watches the duel, split loyalties starting to stress him out. So, instead of cheering for a particular person he finally decides to let out a piercing whistle, which could be encouragement for either duelist.
Mabel nods a little to the official: the wand does seem to have a certain look of recent decades about it: when the two take the stage, she says, "Just try and hit me with something: I'll let you know before I really counter. You'll do fine, I'm sure." She smiles to Idrissa once again, and takes her mark at the other end of the stage, bowing with a bit of extra-medieval flourish.
Gareth adjusts his thick spectacles, most of his attention focused on his fellow Ravenclaw. Under his breath, he mutters soft encouragement for Idrissa, eyes darting now and again to Mabel as well.
Idrissa does pick up on the 'halcyon' bit of Mabel's wand, a soft curious oh escapes her and a slight smile is seen once more while she nods and takes the stage. "Alright." She once again wonders why she signed up for this, so out from her comfort zone that it is close to making her sick if she would allow it. Once upon the stage she bows as well to Mabel, her wand held down at her side, and that bright green gaze of hers is unmoving from Mabel. Someone says start…right? This is the what Rissa is thinking at the moment while she swallows down a bit of unsureness.
The minister drops his hands and says "Begin!"
Idrissa takes in a slight breath once she hears the minster say begin. No time to hang back an wait, and if she has any chance of wining then she needs to hit first. At least that is the thought that crosses her mind. Her right hand lifts quickly ther is a swish of her wand that is both elegant and quick while it is pointed towards Mabel. "Ricusempra!" Her words are crisp and clear, no reason to mess up such a thing by not sounding every letter out. A slight flash is seen from her wand to show the spell has been casted and her wand is still aimed towards Mabel.
Mabel nods, settling back onto her rearmost foot, briefly, into a posture which puts her wand horizontally before her, stepping forward a little as she calls out 'Declino!' deflecting the nicely-done jinx up and off toward the low rafters. She smiles, wand folllowing through to the same side she's stepped to, "Keen! Again!"
"That's it," Gareth whispers, hands tightening into fists, as he leans forward just a bit. His eyes quickly dart from the end of Idrissa's wand, following the spell's trajectory toward Mabel. A moment later, a frown creases his brow, as the hex is easily deflected.
Mabel seems to catch on to Idrissa's next move in a moment of hesitation, and slings her wand forward in a motion that, with an intonation of 'Ventus,' blows Idrissa's wand-hand off to the side with a gust of wind, returning, herself, to that wand-held-horizontally-before her pose. "Ready, then?" she says.
Idrissa is about to swing and flick her hand forward to do another 'attack' so to speak. The gust of wind catches her hand and pulls it to the side and luckly she didn't say anything or some of the ones watching could have been in for a surprize! She swallows and nods to the question. "Of course." Is said rather quickly.
Idrissa she is now a bit more determined now that her hand was so easily cast aside, and thus doesn't hang back in surprise for long. Another swish and flick of her wand is seen. "Tarantallegra!" If she could only get a hit in, as she is doing everything else perfectly, other than perhaps going up against a girl that is older than her and thus has more spells up her sleeves that Rissa could hope for. Her wand is once more aimed at Mabel as she attempts to get an attack in it would seem.
Gareth's fingers are twitching near the inner pocket of his robe, where his white holly wand is kept. He manages to keep himself from drawing it though, as it would be utterly unfair to interfere. Instead, he curls his fingers into a fist again, holding his breath as he watches the duel.
Mabel just barely seems to catch Idrissa's jinx off of her deflection shield, stepping aside as she does. With a very enthusiastic smile. "Brilliant! Have you considered joining our club? Defend yourself!'
Maeve grins, and claps at two excellent defenses by her Housemate. "Ye're doin' brilliantly, Mabel. Keep it up, and ye'll have her!"
Mabel seems to take a half-hitch in her step after another little classic duelling form, seems to notice something for a half-beat and makes a little slinging motion, 'Incarcerous!' And a few lines of weighted hemp rope come slinging forth at about Idrissa's torso level.
Idrissa eyes widen as she watches Mabel move forward, so the other is on the attack now! Her wand swishes before her. "Declino!" No reason to not attempt it at this point in time. At first it seems to work and then the rope is fast and is around her, arms to her sides and her wand is still tightly gripped within her hand. There is a slight glowering glare sent towards Mabel now that she is well, tied up so to speak. "Nice one…" Though she isn't down and out just yet, her hand can still move even if her arm can't. She is will to keep trying it seems.
From the Ravenclaw table, Claire yells, "Just /attack/ already!" It's unclear who she's talking to. Anyone, at this point. "It's a duel not a tea party!"
Gareth's hand quickly comes up to clap over his mouth, stifling giggles at Claire's sudden outburst.
Mabel nods. It's hard to tell quite if Mabel's competing or coaching: she turns her wand defensive again after a little poke forward. "Think it through…"
Following Claire's lead, Arian stands up at the table. "Yeah, come on, Rissa!" he shouts, clapping loudly. "You've got her right where you want her!"
Maeve lets out an excited yell as Mabel takes a definite advantage in the duel. This is HER mentor, after all, and she really wants the Gryffindor to go on, even if it means she'll have to face her in the second round.
Idrissa does indeed think it through, she either attacks, or give up seeing how her arms are bound at the moment. Though she isn't that willing to get give up it seems. Perhaps she should have come up with a different spell though. Her right hand swishes, and flicks and she thinks she is able to point her wand towards Mabel but misses. "Trinus sursum!" She misses /big/ time at that as she manages to hit herself. Well this is a rather new experience; she's never done this before. An thanks to her arms being constricted to her sides she yelps out and falls forward, and face plants upon the stage. Cue the laughter to make her feel worse about now.
Gareth is suddenly on his feet when Idrissa goes splat, eyes wide behind his thick glasses. "Oh no," he moans, sinking back to his seat and shaking his head.
Mabel points her wand, then, saying, rather gently. "Impedimenta," to pick up the erstwhile Ravenclaw, to remove her from the regulation stage, if not let her draw another bead on herself, or not easily, at least. She waits a moment before further comment.
"Winner, Miss Hawker!" The ministry official says. "That was a very kind duel, but I do not know if your next opponent will be as accomidating!" The little wizard brims over with mirth.
Idrissa wasn't expecting to get picked up, at least not by a spell, better then getting yanked off the stage she images. "Done, over.. She wins." She really isn't about to even try and save this, and there is sort of a reason why, the smack she took to the stage has caused a bloody nose for the girl. Anyone that knows Rissa, which well isn't that many, know she is injury prone so thus this isn't a real surprize to her. "Can… You undo my arms now?" She would really like to tend to her nose.
Gareth lets out a small sigh, his eyes moving between the other Ravenclaws at the table. "We're the smartest House in the school," he says, disappointment clear in his voice. "No one studies harder or longer than we do. So how is it we're not the best when it comes to these duels?"
The ministry official bustles forward, casting Finite Incantum on the dueling stage as he goes. The ropes shimmer away (and above, the few birds left from the wand inspection do as well). He has to reach up to touch Idrissa's nose to heal it. "Episky! You should still see the nurse, my girl, healing is above my pay grade, I'm sure you understand."
Maeve hops up, and goes up to congratulate the winner. "Tha' was absolutely top notch, Mabel. Ye're brilliant!" Suddenly, a thought strikes her. "Oh… What if I have t' duel ye next round?" This is a sobering realization to the littlest Gryffindor.
Mabel dips into something like a curtsey, after Idrissa's set down. "Finite," she murmurs, as the ropes fall away. "Really, really well-done!" she says, trying to lead some clapping before she steps down. Puts an arm around Maeve. "Well, don't worry about that, shall we?" she steers herself as well as Maeve toward Idrissa.