Practice Eagle vs Lion - Prefect Showdown Fin.

A small rush of excitement passed over the rather tall redhead as she rushed into the room. She'd volunteered to be the one to demonstrate the first duel of the year, and to say she was merely excited would be a huge understatement. She'd heard that she would be fighting the new prefect, Adam Harringtom, who she'd briefly met during the production of Sergei and the Beast. They hadn't gotten the chance to really get to know each other yet, but she thought he seemed like a nice enough person. Besides, she thought she heard Eris mention him a few times - and Rhea trusted her dorm mate's friend taste in friends (after all, she had chosen Rhea to be friends with. And Rhea was definitely the best of the best, no doubt about that). 

There was a platform set up in the middle of the room, which Rhea thought was where she was supposed to stand. Coming to stand in the middle of it, the redhead went through the standard greeting motions - saluting and bowing and taking the right position. Many thoughts were running through her head at this point, but at this point she only focused on one: Which spell would take him out faster?

Her spell knowledge was very limited, but she hoped she knew at least a little bit more than he did. After all, she had learned Rictusempra, and she was sure the Ravenclaws hadn't. That gave her an advantage, right? 

Plotting out what she hoped would happen during the duel, Rhea thought of the correct spell to cast as well as the right stance to take. Finally, after much thought (that was probably less than two minutes, but the Bishop liked to be dramatic, as anyone who knows her knew) Rhea took out her wand. She flipped it between her pointer and middle fingers in an attempt to show off. It took every ounce of her concentration not to drop it as she smirked, trying to intimidate her opponent into thinking she wasn't scared of what he could do, at all. Which she wasn't. She was very confident in her abilities. 

Making sure to have the correct wand movement down, and the correct pronounciation, Rhea spun her wand through the air and exclaimed in a firm, confident tone, "Incendio!" 

ACTION: Aggressive Stance - Cast Incendio

Adam tried to hide his obvious excitement and smiled at Rhea as he climbed up onto the duelists' platform next to her. He'd only met the Gryffindor prefect in passing once before, when they'd been working on Sergei and the Beast together. She seemed nice enough, and Adam made a mental note to introduce himself properly to her after their duel was over. He was pretty sure she was Eris's friend, after all, so how bad could she really be?

This is dueling, Adam, he reminded himself, shaking his head slightly in order to force some concentration. He'd been waiting the entire year for this, more if you counted all the times he'd jealously listened to Dean describe his own experience in Hogwarts' dueling circuit. This was Adam's chance to succeed in something, to do just as well as his brother, and maybe even better. No matter how nice Rhea might seem, he couldn't forget what the purpose of a duel really was: to beat out your opponent, in any way possible. Adam had seen losers forced off of the platform, disarmed and rendered helpless, and even beaten down until the point of collapse. He was pretty sure that Professor Cazarez wouldn't let things get that far in their first match of the season, and of their lives, but there was always a possibility. Adam had to be ready for anything.

Joining the Gryffindor girl in the center of the platform, Adam returned her gestures of greeting and stepped back a few paces, positioning himself like he'd seen his brother done in previous matches. He wasn't sure if this was at all the right way to stand -- he definitely shouldn't have been going off of Dean's example, who was as reckless as possible when it came to this sport. Unfortunately, Adam didn't have any experience of his own, so he knew he had to rely on whatever he could pick up from his professors, his opponents, and his brother. Mind moving frantically, shifting through the few spells he'd learned during his time at the school so far, Adam felt his heartbeat accelerate, fueled by adrenaline. He didn't have much mastered, but he could cast a solid Fire-Making Charm, and had a good handle on Periculum too. Of course, he couldn't forget the Levitation Charm, but he didn't see how that would be much help in the midst of a duel like this one. One of the other two would have to do.

Adam wasn't prepared for Rhea to draw her wand so quickly, but he tried not to let it show. If there was one thing that Dean had always forced upon him, it was to always keep up appearances. It's only half about skill, Adam, his brother had instructed as he'd blasted targets into oblivion last summer. The other half's all about making your opponent believe you know much more than you really do. Keeping those words in mind, Adam put on a determined stare and looked Rhea in the eyes, staring her down across the long platform and maintaining his solemnity while she smirked and twirled her wand around her fingers. She favored being showy, it seemed, openly showing off her proficiency from the beginning. It wasn't something that Adam would've done, but he respected the choice.

He tensed, waiting for the battle to begin. Although he knew it was just a practice, the sense of competitiveness that was always lurking just underneath the surface of his mind reared up and took over. This wasn't only for him, it was for Ravenclaw. Not wanting to break eye contact with Rhea, he stood in silence for what felt like an impossibly long time before he heard Professor Cazarez's cry to begin. The predator instinct in Adam told him to make the first move, to strike ferociously, but he denied it the satisfaction of moving too quickly and held back, assuming a defensive stance. He'd wait for Rhea to cast first. Focusing in on the girl, he watched her bring her wand up and begin to move her lips in an incantation. Looks like I won't have to wait long. Flicking his own wand upwards to aim at her, Adam made a split decision. He didn't have much time.

He knew he couldn't beat Rhea with sheer offensive force alone, so he'd resorted to a more underhanded method. Adam wasn't sure if this move was exactly legal -- hell, he wasn't even sure if it would work. He'd only ever heard of the spell being used as a distress signal before, not a blinding mechanism. But if it were successful, it would buy Adam some time and maybe help him gain the upper hand. That was what he needed. Making sure the point of his wand was aimed close enough to Rhea's eyes for his plan to work, Adam moved quickly and channeled all of his excitement into the incantation.

"Periculum!"

ACTION: Defensive Stance - Cast Periculum

A sense of pride welled up within Sebastián as he watched the two Prefects begin their duel. They seemed ready and even excited to show off in front of their peers. Rhea opened up with a harsh fire blast that was true to the Gryffindor spirit of not only shooting first but starting hot as well. Adam was not far behind with a spell of his own, but the choice honestly surprised the History Professor. Periculum wasn't a spell that really harmed someone. Maybe if he hit the eyes it would stun the opponent? That seemed at most it would really do. Not really a combative spell so much as a cry for help, literally.

All eyes seemed to watch as the two tried their first attacks. Adam tried to dodge and be defensive but it was not quite enough. He came close to avoiding it but was just short as the flames engulfed him momentarily. Luckily, the spell faded quickly and nothing truly caught fire. It likely stung quite a bit though, Professor Cazarez was certain of that. The boy could probably only handle a couple of those before he was done. Meanwhile, Rhea seemed surprised as the red flare came at her and she was unable to dodge it. It did not quite hit her eyes, more like her shoulder. The sparks caused no damage but likely scared her into thinking she would be hurt. Nothing serious happened there. Seemed she had the upper hand so far. Though it was still anyone's victory to claim.

ACTIONS: Rhea hits Adam for 258 Health. 442 remaining of his 700. Adam causes no damage to Rhea. No other effects. The duel continues without interruption from the moderator.

Not wanting to seem too show-offy, Rhea restrained herself from smirking or doing anything that would make her seem like a know-it-all. If she was to tell the truth, she was a tad bit surprised her spell had succeeded - she hadn't practiced Incendio all that much, but apparently all that thinking about practicing and doing her homework had paid off. Now, however, Rhea had to think of another spell to cast. She wanted to seem like she had variety - and anyway, it seemed the fire spell hadn't done all too much. Rhea didn't want to take a risk of doing practically nothing again, so she decided to go with another spell. 

Running mentally through her list of spells - which took approximately 2 seconds, as the girl knew almost no spells - Rhea decided on the tickling charm. Although she had gotten out during the Tickle Tag the Head of House had held, her spell had been successful. 

Quite a few thoughts ran through the young girl's head as she prepared to cast her spell. Would her parents be proud if they saw her now? Would they finally shower her with praise, accept her as their daughter, even if she wasn't like them at all? Red hair, Gryffindor - she really did not act or look like their daughter. Everything she did, everything she thought - it was all influenced by her parents. Whether she knew it or not, her parents influenced every aspect of her life. A small sigh passed through the young girl. Why did she constantly think about what her parents thought? They weren't here, yet they still consumed her mind. Not everything she did was to impress them, and that was something Rhea had trouble remembering sometimes. Scratch that - all the time. 

Finally wrenching herself from her downer thoughts, Rhea focused on preparing her next spell. She remembered the incantation from the tag game, and she thought she remembered the movement as well. She really hoped her intentions for the spell would work. If she cast the spell properly, Adam would collapse to the ground in laughter, and hopefully roll off the platform, therefore ending the duel. Although, she hoped he wouldn't be too hurt. 

"Rictusempra!" Rhea exclaimed, waving her wand in the correct manner. 

ACTION: Aggressive Stance - Cast Rictusempra

Adam silently cursed to himself as his sparks crashed into Rhea's shoulder. He knew that the spell had been a risky move, and that there had been a likely chance that it would miss. That didn't change the disappointment that he felt when his spell glanced off of the Gryffindor girl, though. Adam didn't want to embarrass himself in front of the rest of his house, after all. Luckily, he didn't have much time to think about his reputation before Rhea's spell crashed into him and washed him in flames.

Adam clasped a hand to his arm, where he'd been burned most severely. Rhea'd struck harder than he'd expected, but he was at least glad that neither of them were holding back. He hoped that they were giving Professor Cazarez enough of a show, and that something good would come out of this demonstration. Just a few more minutes, Adam.

Realizing that he needed to cast out another spell before it was too late, Adam reached for the first option he could find. He knew Rhea had just used it, but he didn't have many other options at this point -- or any other options, for that matter. Besides, wasn't it best to fight fire with fire? He hoped so.

ACTION: Aggressive Stance -- Cast Incendio

More fire erupted on the stage but this time it seemed to be revenge. Was it too little too late for the Ravenclaw? Maybe. First-years often won with a single spell, maybe two. Being behind from the start at such a fragile dueling age was tough. Though these two had spunk and would do well if they put in the effort. It seemed the flames towards Rhea were more successful than her own. They engulfed her and set her robes on fire as well as singeing the hair slightly.  She would have to either fight through the flames or put them out and risk being idle for a round. Something Sebastián doubted either could afford.

Adam's effects were more subtle. The Gryffindor's tickling charm was sent his way with mild success of yellow sparks. He curled over slightly about the same time she was hit by the flames. The pair had essentially thrown caution to the wind for this fight so effects were full. Luckily, he regained himself about the same time Rhea did so the pair were able to continue their duel. Professor Cazarez grimaced a bit at the condition of a fatigued Adam and a literally burning Gryffindor Prefect. They seemed willing and able to keep going so he let it go. One more round and he would likely stop the duel. Unless they somehow both missed it was likely over soon.


ACTION: Rhea gets her spell successfully to launch and hits Adam who manages to avoid being stunned. Adam hits Rhea and she is now on fire for the next two rounds.

Her eyes blazed (as did she, but that wasn't important) with anger as she glared at the Ravenclaw prefect. How dare he try to best her in this duel? Did he know who she was? Throwing aside all manners and not paying attention to the fire that was slowly taking over her entire robe, Rhea prepared to cast another spell. Taking comfort in the fact that her robes were thick and it would take a while for the fire to reach her skin, Rhea prepared herself for the next round.

She probably would need to go to the nurse after this, would she not? Or perhaps, if she was lucky, the injuries she'd suffer were nothing too drastic and she could simply plaster a band aid over it or walk it off. Although, she'd heard what fire could do to skin... Making sure to tie her hair up so it wouldn't get burned off by the fire that was still continuously spreading, Rhea bit her lip in anticipation. She really should've done more homework - maybe then, her knowledge of spells would've widened and she wouldn't stick to just using the same spell over and over again. Deciding to use the fire spell again--maybe then she'd be able to pay the blonde back?--Rhea performed the correct wand movement again and attacked once more, her hand aching just a bit.

"Incendio!" she exclaimed, and as soon as she was done, her arm collapsed. She could feel the heat starting to spread but she ignored it, surging on with the duel. She knew that if she tried to put it out she would lose valuable time, time that she could've spent defeating her opponent.

ACTION: Aggressive Stance - Cast Incendio

Surprisingly, setting the Gryffindor prefect ablaze didn't feel as good as Adam had thought that it might. He was glad that his spell had been cast successfully, of course, and that he'd managed to keep a steady aim and concentration while under the effects of the Tickling Charm. There was a difference between making someone laugh and making someone burn -- he'd known that, but he hadn't really realized it in full until this duel. He'd have to check on her after they were finished, see if she was badly hurt. Surely Professor Cazarez wouldn't let anything too bad happen, right?

He could tell that this duel was coming to a close. They were both starting to get tired, and the range of spells known by the first-years was severely limited. Adam had thought about trying to get creative with his next move, maybe use the Levitation Charm to try to whip the girl's burning robes up around her face and hopefully get her to stumble off of the dueling platform. He thought better of it when he saw the look in Rhea's eyes, though. She was out for blood, and determined to win. Little tricks like that wouldn't work anymore, and though he hated to make the duel boring, it seemed like his best option was just to fire back with the Fire-Making Spell again. Sure, it would make for kind of a lame battle, but it had worked earlier, hadn't it? Plus, it was the only useful thing he knew right now. Taking a quick breath and drawing his wand through the motions again, he shouted the incantation and heard his voice combine with the Gryffindor's. Apparently, they'd had similar ideas. They'd just have to see who would come out on top.

It was all or nothing now.

ACTION: Aggressive Stance -- Cast Incendio (again)

Flames danced on stage a few times already, but nothing would compare to absolute inferno about to erupt from synchronized incendios being cast into each other. Luckily the platform was raised and the height of both students kept the fireball from searing the audience. Sebastián took a large step back as he saw what was about to happen. Two aggressive fireballs launched into each other, sending both duelists flying backwards. Rhea landed with a crispy thud on the end of her side while Adam flung entirely off the platform onto the cold, stone floor. It was a bit painful to watch as the Ravenclaw Prefect slowly twitched from pain. The Gryffindor Prefect was not doing much better. Her burning robes were miraculously doused by the impact but she was still smoldering as she lay in a broken pile on the platform's edge. Had Adam landed on the platform is may have been called a draw, but Rhea held on by a thread. Whatever threads she had left.

"...Hold!" The Professor shouted halfheartedly to end the duel officially. "Winner, Rhea Bishop."

A few hesitant rounds of applause broke out before more finally cheered on the winner. A few ran to Adam who slowly was able to get up, but he'd be feeling that the next day. Rhea was somehow able to stay conscious and would slowly be able to stand as well. Sebas had not killed a student yet and he hoped to keep it that way.

ACTION: Rhea Bishop wins the duel by technical knockout and platform knockout