Details for No Magic in the Halls 1937 Round 2 - Mabel vs Ria |
Summary: | Mabel vs Ria duel |
Date: | 1937/10/25 |
Location: | Great Hall |
Related: | Plot: No Magic In the Halls - 1937 |
Characters |
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
"I know, I just can't seem to add the centipedes in at the right time. The potion ends up bubbling over and it's flammable so it gets in the fire and then a mess just happens," Ria walks into the Great Hall sometime after classes holding hands with Lucian. Judging by the topic of their conversation they've just come from dungeons. Her duel is scheduled around now and she releases his hand only to neatly fold her robes on the side of the dueling stage and loosen up her wrist. "I mean last time, I singed Victor's eyebrows and the top of his hair off. He was cross with me for days."
Eamon is still pouting and recovering from his duel earlier. Now he sits near the stage, soap bubbles rising from the tip of his wand. He pops them with his finger, sometimes as soon as they begin to float away, sometimes once he has several Pop-Pop-Pop.
Lois is actually here on purpose, this time - rather than just accidentally wandering in, as has been her wont. After all, she has a cousin to cheer on! Without asking permission, the prefect plops herself neatly down besides Eamon, digging something out of her robe sleeve. It proves to be a small tin of tea biscuits: lemon cream, specifically. "Want one?"
Mabel comes walking on in along with a small gaggle of predictably-boisterous Gryffindors as the appointed time approaches, ready with her game face, which is much like her usual faces, really. Sideways smirk, raised eyebrow, thin smile: Yep, Mabel. This time, she walks along toward the center of the duelling stage to await the Ministry man's announcement, and of course, her evening's opponent.
It might come as a surprise to those who have witnessed Tadhg O'Riley's prior appearances that he not only is dressed smartly in his professional looking black wizarding robes with some sort of silver etching at the hemline. His hair also looks utterly in order. All told the man looks absolutely put together. He's also /exactly/ on time. Something he confirms with a check to his pocketwatch. "Alright Alright, Miss Sykes and Miss Hawker, to the stage please!" He calls out, his voice seeming to effortlessly fill the entire Great Hall. He takes his place on the stage gracefully and seems far more put together and professional than normal.
Claire takes a seat on the sidelines towards the back. She's here for recon, not socialization. Her arms are crossed and her face is impassive.
Lucian laughs at the thought. "That's what happened to Victor? He told me it was a Floo accident. It sounded a bit far-fetched." He offers a hand to hold Ria's robes for her, if she wants him to. His eyes drift to Mabel, and harden a moment. He murmurs something quietly to Ria.
Lucian note Claire's arrival and gives her a firm, respectful nod.
Eamon eyes Lois and smiles wanly. "I would /love/ one, Pym. Thank you." Taking one of the lemon biscuits daintily, he nods to her. "Come to cheer on Mabel?" he asks, though he already knows the answer. Speaking of, his head turns towards the other Gryffindor girl when she enters and he gets all sappy-faced.
"Oh, what a liar," Ria pouts and folds her robes to perfection before handing it off to Lucian to hold. At his murmured words, she nods once and makes her way onto the stage, delicately rolling her sleeves up to her elbows. She did not like how her last duel went, and was rather glad there wasn't a crowd to witness it. But she's here to ensure it won't happen again and taking her place on the stage she nods to the ministry official and awaits further instruction.
Lois nods at Eamon's question, expression serene. "I'm sure she'll do splendidly." Her voice drops, enough to not be easily overheard by the small crowd gathering, and takes on a gently teasing tone. "Maybe you should give her a favor to wear into battle. A handkerchief or something." Pause. He is a boy, so she adds, as she sets the biscuit tin down between them, "A clean one, of course."
Finding he had nothing else to do for the evening, Railan makes his way in from Following Ogg around. Dressed in Robes that look a size too large for him, the young gryffindor seemed to be wandering more than anything at the moment, he looks around the hall seeming to consider something
Mabel nods to the Ministry observer, noting his state of put-togetherness, perhaps briefly, and with a slight bow, hops up onto the duelling stage with a bit of a spring, and, seeing Ria's dispensed with her robe, nods, and does the same, shedding the moves-concealing garment as well, and looking for someone to toss hers to. Fair's fair, after all. "Nice night for it, isn'tit, Ria?" she ventures amicably.
"Alright ladies let's have a good clean duel here. So if you ladies will do me the honor. Allow me to check your wands before we begin. Have to make sure that they are nice and prepared." Tadhg says holding out his hands so that he can check out the wands as he usually does. His eyes watch Ria and Mabel, sizing them up for the time being, but keeping a jovial smile upon his lips.
Ria nods and answers just as amicably, "Indeed." And finally finishing the rolling up of her sleeves, she heads over to the rather well dressed Tadhag, to hand over her elm wand for inspection. She continues grooming herself - straightening her sweater, checking if her laces are ties (and they always are) - while she waits. And once, he's through with her, she'll take her wand back and return to her position. But not before offering a polite, "Best of luck" to Mabel.
Mistrusting eyes turn on Lois and Eamon says sulkily, "Are you trying to get me laughed at? She doesn't even like me like that, anyway." Favors! "Though…" He flicks his wand in a circle, repeating the spell the ministry witch said earlier, "Orchideous." A bouquet of flowers sprouts, much to his surprise. "Hah! It worked. Fancy that. There. Now I can give her flowers if she wins or flowers if she loses. Appropriate both ways!" Eamon beams at his fellow prefect.
Lucian stands by, holding his girlfriend's robe and watching her with pride. He has often commented on Mabel's talent as a duelist, and can even find some respect for the Gryffindor's abilities. But his eyes are saying, Wipe her out, Ria.
Claire flicks a glance to Lucian, but doesn't react to his presence otherwise. She's not here for his approval. She's here so if she ever faces one of these girls, she'll know what she's up against.
Mabel nods to Ria, slipping her rowan wand out of her belt hilt-first to persent to the official in due turn. She says, conversationally, "I hope you'll not mind that bit of awkwardness in town," she says, looking over. "Rather close to home for some of our friends, you see."
"There," Lois tells Eamon, indulgently, with an approving nod to the flowers. "That's why you should always take my advice, MacCaille. I'm always right." Taking a biscuit, delicately, the teenager turns her attention to the Ministry official and the two duelers. "Good luck" is mouthed at Mabel, with a wide smile.
Gabriel comes trotting in and after taking a quick look around the room takes position next to Claire. "Am I late? Did Mabel win already? How'd she do it?" His face is a little red, but maybe that's just the excitment of the duel.
Since Ria hands him the wand first, "Elm, ten inches, unyielding. Hmmm… Interesting." Tadhg says making a gesture with his wand and a burst of water comes flying out the end into the gathered crowd fading to a light mist before it hits anyone as he says,"Aguamenti." The mist refracts the light forming a rainbow over the students heads."Nicely maintained Miss Sykes." He says as he hands back her wand, before taking Mabel's wand."Eleven inches rowan, resilient, and nicely maintained. Good job Miss Hawker." He says before he moves the wand,"Avis!" He says firmly causing several ravens to issue forth before they fly off. Handing back Mabel's wand as well, Tadhg says,"Alright. Take up your positions and salute. Remember no spells designed to inflict serious bodily harm."
Watching the combatants on the stage for a moment, Railan smiles Waving happily to Mabel before he realizes she may not see him due to the fact that…well she's in a duel isn't she?" and so the second year makes his way to a seat, humming happily to himself.
Lucian narrows his eyes suspiciously at Mabel. "Hey, Hawker. It's a duel, not gossip time. How about you just focus on the tournament?"
Ria shrugs at Mabel apathetically, "It's no matter. You're entitled to your own opinions, Mabel." She's rather passive for a purist, ain't she? "Thank you," she offers politely, seemingly pleased with the pleasant rainbow before accepting it back. And then back to her side of the stage it is! Unlike her opponent, no one but Luc is here to support her. Because no one likes Ria. Wahh.
Eamon givves Lois a slightly stupid look. Wait, what advice. He looks at the flowers, which certainly don't look like a hankie, and then shrugs and sneaks another biscuit from the tin. He sticks it in his mouth and waves enthusiastically to Mabel if she happens to look their way.
"They're just starting," Claire says to Gabriel. "They'll be evenly matched, but I think I'd give the edge to Mabel."
Mabel nods to the official, when her wand's inspected, and smiles, "As well as others, plentiful enough as they are, given freely, don'tyouknow," she smiles, …for a walking child of 'blood-treason,' she can be damnably aristocratic, herself. Steps toward her mark, swinging her arms a bit to loosen up. Bows, and takes a rather demure stance, wand up close to her head, and left foot forward.
Mabel hrms, and in an interesting repeat of the last spell cast with her wand, points forward while shifting her stance, and calls out, "Avis!" And a flight of seagulls come forth headed toward Ria, whose Protego charm deflects them from getting into her way….
After bowing, Ria assumed her own dueling side stance as well. Back hand up while the other arm extends forward her wand. And the duel begins, but she's not hasty! "Protego." And out comes a solid shield that blocks out the birds. Thank god. No bird poop for her, at least not this round.
Mabel catches on to Ria's general defensive posture, and seeing a brief opening, reaches out with a half-lunge and a calling-out of, "Expelliarmus!" which Ria nearly reflects directly back at her: but apparently what she'd been impressing on the firsties about footwork serve her well-enough that the reflection of the spell comes back to a spot she's no longer quite standing in. "Hurrah, Ria! Very nearly!"
"Protego." The word barely comes out of Ria's mouth in time to produce another good shield. Frowning slightly, she gives herself a mental note to get her in head the game. Don't be too leisurely. She also seems rather dissatisfied when the ricochet doesn't hit. Though she takes it to simply mean she should've casted a better protego.
Eamon leans forward and crosses his fingers, whispering, "Come on, Mabel, get 'er."
Lucian watches like a hawk, noting Mabel's technique. After all, if she wins this, he may have to face her in the next round. He makes sure he is out of Ria's field of vision. She doesn't need any distraction, and he is awfully nice to look at. Wither, ladies. Wither.
Lois gnaws idly on a biscuit, watching the duel. Truthfully, she looks pretty much the same as she always does at Quidditch matches: dutifully observant, but very slightly bored. Gnaw, gnaw.
Mabel seems to have been ready to flow directly into some defense, and seems to just break her own tempo as Ria repeats her shield charm, changing the motion to something a little more offendive, "Oh, do cheer up, ….Rictusempra!"
The way she's going, Ria doesn't sense a speed advantage just yet. So just to be safe she swishes another magical shield into being, "Protego." And she was right, since Mabel's tickling charm bounces off right into the gathering of students. Ria never cheers up! Ria doesn't believe in laughter!
Despite herself, Claire finds herself getting sucked in. She can see Lucian's influence in Ria's dueling style. If Mabel wins, that's a little bit of vindication for Claire. She finds herself tensing and twitching along with the tempo of the duel.
Mabel just hrmms, as Ria stays on the defensive, this time, in a broad motion, slings ropes out of her wand to spin toward Ria and her shield, "Incarcerous," she says, tossing the spell off almost casually, for the slinging ropes to once again meet Ria's shield. She actually lets the motion carry her so that her back turns most of the way, while she takes a couple of paces back behind her mark, as the ropes go bouncing and sliding off Ria's shielding charm…
Come on, Ria. Find an opening somewhere in all of this. That's what the Slytherin tells herself. "Protego," she casts again, taking a more aggressive stance with her defense. The result is evident, seeing as her shield is much more resilient this time around. Taking one's time is fine and all, but she really gets bored being on the defensive.
A stray feather sets Lois giggling (then sneezing) until she manages to catch it. "I'm not much for these things," the teenager observes, with a bemused quirk of her mouth, "but I'm gathering that either Mabel needs to be slower or Ria needs to be weaker if we're not to be here all night."
Eamon groans at the way the duel is going and says to Lois, "Least exciting duel ever. What the heck is Sykes doing?" He nods to Lois and sighs. "Unless Ria attacks or Mabel gets through her shield charm, neither of them are going to get anywhere."
Mabel hrms, then, …Duelling club members might know not to be fooled, but she patiently paces a U-turn back toward just astride the centerline, while Ria raises a shielding charm for a spell that just doesn't come. "I can't promise not to muss your hair, but there shan't be any flying dirt, I promise, Ria." If the intention is to wear Mabel down, she can talk, the while. She takes a fairly-basic stance. "Ready?"
"Nooo, don't turn your back, what are you doing?" Claire leans forward, elbows on her knees. She furrows her brow. Hawker is… talking? It's effective enough, or at least not harmful, but what kind of strategy is that?
"Protego," Ria conjures another one just in case. But nothing comes to meet it, and so she peers curiously at her opponent. Mabel's words bring a sweet, snaky smile from the girl. "How gracious of you," she offers back politely. And then she reassumes her stance as well, "Ready."
And there it is! The opening! With an arm bend behind her back and her wand forward. Ria gives a definitive jab forward while she casts, "Silencio." But her brows furrow deeply when it fails against Mabel's hex deflection.
Lois pauses midway through a bite of biscuit. "Oh," she says, sounding disappointed. "So now the shoe's on the other foot, only it's the same shoe still. So we're still stuck." In a manner of speaking - she could get up and leave at any point.
Mabel swings her rowan wand in a saber-parry-like move, the jinx sparking out somewhere along its arc, "There we are!" Her arm extends forward again…
"Not even a shoe. A big, muddy boot," sighs Eamon, taking a third biscuit.
Ria doesn't take her time this round again. As soon as the previous spell dissipates, she follows through with another, more aggressive, "Silencio!" And the spell shoots through the shield like a bullet. With a sigh, Ria rolls her eyes. "Thank merlin. I was getting so tired of those little ditties."
Mabel is a little slow, raising a 'Protego!' perhaps a little too far up the duelling stage to catch Ria's jinx, which crosses her own spell and catches her somewhere in the torso. Mabel tries clearing her throat, and with a little smile like it's just abother day at Dueling Club, draws her left foot back in a bit of a motion like conceding a point at Muggle fencing. *Definitely* having fun, now…
Fun, indeed, ….very-nearly *not* quite so much fun, as Mabel, despite a playful flourish of the wand, actually finds herself diving for the stage floor as a rather spectacularly-direct Stunning spell deprives her of standing room… Nonetheless, before she contacts the duelling stage in an unexpected manner, there's just the right flick of her wand toward Ria's own wand-arm. *Thud!*
Now that Ria's shut the girl up, she decides to end this once and for all. "Stupefy!" With a quick definitive slice, the directs the stunning charm toward Mabel. But does it hit? Does it hit? She's far too distracted to dodge the incoming attack to her in time, and the spell hits her hand with a zing. "Argh!" she groans as her wand goes flying out of her hand into the audience. And she clasps her fingers, grimacing at the familiar sting of an expelliarmus.
Lucian inhales sharply through his nose. He'll give an obligatory clap, but his face remains neutral as he goes to collect Ria's wand for her.
"Alright! Excellent match ladies." Tadhg says as he undoes the Silencing Charm on poor Mabel so that she's able to speak. He does it very quickly. "Alright. That being said I have another appointment to make. Do enjoy your after duel events. No doubt the gentleman who took your robes will wish to console you, and the others will congratulate you." He says looking first to Ria and then to Mabel before he strides purposefully out of the Great Hall, radiating an air of self-confidence.
Eamon lets out a whoop when Mabel casts a silent charm, applauding with gusto. That's right. His woman won! Er. Did he say that? His house! Right. Ahem. He scoops up the flowers he conjured earlier, coming forward with a big grin.
Having ducked when a Wand came flying at himm, Railan politely offers it to Lucian as he comes to retrieve it. "I think it's ok."
Claire stands up when Ria is disarmed. "Yesss," she hisses, punching the air. Her excitement has nothing to do with the fact it's Lucian's girlfriend that was defeated. Nothing at all, it was just a really exciting duel.
Mabel shakes her head, quickly, as the silence charm comes off, gathering herself up with a slight bit of not-terribly-assiduous fussing about her sudden state of dishevelment. Once on her feet, bounces a bit on her shoes toward Ria, before pausing to execute a courtly sort of bow toward Ria and grin, "That was brilliant," she beams. Apparently near-misses with stunning spells are the sort of thing that Mabel finds cause for celebration, under these circumstances.
Lucian takes the wand from Railan, giving it a look-over, as if the young Gryffindor might have done something to it. Without a word to the boy, he turns and walks back toward the stage, offering a hand to Ria to help her down.
Gabriel cheers and claps for Mabel and then calls out,"And a job well done too, Ms. Princess Ria!"
Eamon waits patiently at the edge of the stage with the flowers for Mabel, looking after Ria. "That was brilliant!" he gushes then at the older girl. "I take it back, it started off really very dull, I have to admit, but at the end there, when ye disarmed her even though she'd silenced ye, it was fantastic, Hawker!"
Ria continues to wince as she grips her hand while she waits for the stinging to subside. She can hardly believe what just happened. "Did you do that silently? Bloody hell, it was strong," she wiggles her fingers around a bit with some pain. "That was a good duel. Impressive, Mabel." And she offers her other hand for a polite shake, "Don't touch the other one, please." Turning around, she watches Lucian fetch her stick like a good little lap dog and nods over to him in an 'I'm coming.' "We'll do it again soon then." And she turns to be helped off stage by Luc like a true monarch. That's Ms. Queen Empress Ria to you Gabriel!!!
Mabel smiles, despite the bit of a schoolgirl bounce about it, clasping Ria's hand with both hands. "We'll just have to. That was a near thing." Eamon, and his flowers, get a smirk, and a little gesture of thumb and forefinger held very close together. Very near thing. Very.
"Uhh…thanks," Ria raises an awkward brow to Gabriel when she's called 'princess.'
The way Lucian's eyes worship Ria as she steps down surely does nothing to deflate her ego. "You were fantastic," he says, offering her wand back to her as he moves to lead her from the Great Hall.
Eamon, pathetic puppy dog that he is, just grins at Mabel, tail practically wagging. "Well, it's a good thing I lost to Seamus, I'd hate to have to square off against ye." His smile widens, flowers extending more. Eh? Eh? Flowers for the pretty girl. "See, look, I conjured these just for ye, Mabel. Lois thought I should give ye a 'favor' to wear, but I thought ye might like these better."
Mabel just smiles to Eamon, …for all she plays things distant, Mabel's not used to getting flowers. She's a bit unsure what to say about them, but it's clear she takes them with a big smile. "Favors. Now that would be chivalric."
"I know," Ria says casually, replaying the events over in her head when she accepts her wand and robes back. "I just wasn't brilliant. I need to learn how to silently cast…or dodge better. Either." And she makes her way out with Lucian.
"I wasn't sure we were to the… favors part of our relationship yet, Hawker." Especially since it isn't actually even a relationship yet! Eamon returns her grin when she finally takes the flowers. "But I'll be sure to bring a hanky to your next duel."
Mabel seems to narrow her eyes to look for her beloved cousin, over whatever she's been telling Eamon, lips stil pressed into a mirthful smirk. "There's different sorts of favors, you know. As for hankies," she says, pausing to take up her school robe and slip into it, "well, hopefully the next round will be no cause for tears," she jests.
Eamon just grins cheekily at Mabel. "If there are, I promise to kiss them away for you." And then he takes a few steps backwards in case she wants to break his nose.
Mabel smiles. cradling her ribcage a little where she landed after flinging herself flat out, and says wryly, as she starts to follow the thinning crowds out, "In this case, we're *definitely* not at quite that point of chivalry." She does offer to take Eamon by the arm, though.
Eamon grins at Mabel and eyes her tenderfooting around her ribcage. "Are ye alright?" he asks, suddenly full of concern as she takes his arm. "Maybe we should go up to the infirmary and let Madame Spleen look ye over."
Mabel ahs, and shakes her head, "Not to worry, just a bit of a sudden hard-about, no fuss." she says, in this case the nautical reference about what one does on deck to avoid a swinging boom. "Nothing you'd interrupt Quidditch over," she nods.
Eamon smiles and pats Mabel's hand atop his arm gently. "Yer a very brave girl, Hawker. And a fine lass to boot." And then he leads her wherever she wants to go!