Kourt smiled now as the girl assured her that she was okay. "I'm Kourtney, by the way. Thought you should know who you're dueling."

Standing at the ready, she waved her wand quickly from side to side while saying "Protego!!" as soon as she heard the girl speak the spell.

Not good enough, apparently, for the jinx hit her within seconds. Stumbling back, the young Gryffindor fell to one knee and looked up, smiling ruefully. "Didn't go so well..." But the instructor had said that the shield charm was a difficult one. At least they had been successful in casting the jinx.

"Go again?" She asked, readying her wand.

Kurumi shut her eyes tight, half expecting to hear the same thud from earlier from Kennedy's bum making contact with the floor. But that noise never came. Instead she heard his timid voice suddenly boom as he said the incantation and her eyes flew open.

"Brillia--- EEK!" She hadn't entirely expected him to counter with the same spell. Kurumi's wand twirled between her fingers and she pivoted on her left foot, her black hair swinging around her waist. "Protego!" Phew, just in the nick of time, although she was pushed back a few inches as the spell her only partially formed shield. He was quick. "I wasn't expecting that," she laughed.

Time to give these other spells a try, right?

Looking at this as a more playful game rather then an actual duel, Kurumi found the balance in her mind that she needed to actually believe and want to attack-ish. Throw her in the middle of a battle field and she probably would crawl under a rock for a while. Kurumi flicked her wand in his direction. "Everte Statum!"

Something burst from her wand. Whether or not the spell had been performed correctly was another story. Hopefully it didn't turn him into a newt...or melt him. Kurumi was notorious for melting things when she tried new spells...

o_________________O

Katrina saw a little first year sitting by the benches watching the others practice. Well, Katrina wanted a partner too? What's fun without one? So Katrina went to the girl.
"Hey, you need a partner?" Katrina said. "I need one too. Can you be my partner?"

That was weird but at least a try.

"Don't worry, I don't bite."

Louisa listened to the little professor standing next to her partner. The next spell they were supposed to practice was a completely new one to her, she had to furrow her eyebrows as the dwarf elaborated. Once they were done with the listening Louisa turned to face the boy and nodded, "Yes, please. I think we can do the trip-jinx just once more." Awkwardly fixing her ponytail - a gesture of getting ready. "Then we can move on to the hurling hex."

She grabbed her wand tightly in her hand again and took the position. "Okay. Jinx away!" The 'protego' incantation was lingering on the tip of her tongue ready to be shouted.

Seren was rather enjoying her time observing the students learn the basics of duelling, it was bringing back a few memories from her time as a student. It seemed to help that the students had a very capable and highly trained teacher. Observing the aged and experienced man was entertaining in itself, his charisma made the session worthwhile, both for herself and the students, and it was clear that they were learning a lot.

Standing off to the side, smile in place, she watched the students practice. They were doing so well, and Seren was certainly proud of them.

Sooooo...after his question got totally ignored , Daichi could only puff his cheeks in annoyance. Something he did whenever he personally got ignored and he was now standing on the side. Maybe the old man didn't know the answer himself or maybe...

Daichi looked up as the forbidden spells were written down and HIS spell was in it. He gulped nervously and lowered his gaze to look at his shoes when the Duelist said he would bring them to Azkaban personally if anyone used one of those spells. The look that was sended to him afterwards was one he wanted to forget quickly.

But...what if he accidently used the reducto curse? He had done it a few times without meaning too! Would he really been send to Azkaban for that? The second year didn't want to think about it and looked around as students were partnering up. Maybe if he had a partner too he would succeed in not blowing things up. Yeah...

"Anyone needs a partner?!" He called over the class and flailed his arms up and down to get someones attention.

The Silencing Charm is allowed. Excellent. Now, all she needs is a partner. Aiden looks around the room for partnerless second years. Then, she sees flailing hands and realised it is Daichi that great young chaser. "Do you need a partner?" asked Aiden after she approaches him.

Ira saw a girl come up "Sure, why not? By the way, I'm Ira, first year...So I don't know many around here..So shall we start practicing? What say?" Ira was happy that she had finally found a partner to pair up with for practicing dueling spells.
"So do you know shielding charm? How should we start?"

Daichi beamed when he saw a girl his age walking up to him. He nodded his head vigorously at her question and grabbed his wand out of the wristholster. "Let's go over there first" he pointed to where an open space was so that they couldn't bump into others. "You're Aiden right? I think i've seen you at Try outs.." he stopped walking and turned around. "Sorry if i'm wrong" he chuckled stupidly and scratched the back of his head.

Right, practising. The only time he had practised spells was with Evan, the Prefect from last year and it hadn't been going so..well.. It only resulted in him blowing up half of the room on the seventh floor so he hoped, no prayed to Merlin that it wouldn't happen this time. He REALLY didn't want to go to Azkaban."Shall we practise the shield charm first?" he suggested and waited for her opinion.

Aiden follows the boy to the open space of the classroom. She already has her wand in her hand. Daichi seems very energetic. No wonder he made the team even in his first year. "Yup. I went for the try-outs," she smiles faintly. And it felt like she was having goosebumps watching excellent players like himself split the wind.

Daichi seems nervous and as much as she could remember, he didn't perform well in Charms either. But he doesn't give up which is great! "Sure. I'll be be on the offence then," an innocent smile spreads across Aiden's lips as she takes her position and forms a stance.

Wow, some students were practicing the charms! Sounds exciting, but actually Raven didn't have a partner.

"Anybody needs a partner?" asked her.




ooc: VM me if you reply it

So she had tried out of the team. But he hadn't seen her name on the notice board when the players were announced. This only meant that she hadn't made it. Shame... Daichi had seen her play and honestly, she was good but a little too slow. "Don't worry" he smiled at her when he saw her faint smile , maybe it was embarrassment? Daichi couldn't tell. "There's always next year, don't give up!" He nodded his head and watched as Aiden also grabbed her wand.

He grinned as she took a stance and held his own wand up. But then he stopped. "Wait!" he shouted and flailed his arms up and down again. "Does that mean you are trying to attack me and i try to use the protego charm..or are we both trying the shield time at the same time?" He was confused. "Sorry..." he mumbled as he bit his lower lip. "It's just, i couldn't concentrate on what to do when that old man glared at me as though he wanted to send me to Azkaban..honestly! It's just a reducto curse!" He flailed his arms some more..oh yeah, he was rambling again. Stuttering or rambling were two facts he did whenever he was nervous.

Wow.
This was a strange experience, being around people of all ages. 4th, 6th and even 7th years were there!

He was about to introduce himself but then she said an incantation, and all his thought was on blocking that spell.
"Protego!" he exclaimed, trying as hard as he could to make the shield.

A blue pulse came from his wand and the shield shape was starting to build for a few milliseconds. Then it faded away.
He had once again stumbled, but not fallen.
"I'm Scott, by the way" he said as he got back up.

Still too frightend Ness kept her eyes closed, she didn't hear a thing that was going on. She must have been standing with her eyes closed for some time now. Slowly she opened her eye lid and saw a few people practising some sort of spell. She had missed out out on quite a lot, not that she knew what she had missed. She still had no idea what she was doing at the dueling meeting..this dueling would just traumatize her.

Slowly Ness walked over to the side, not wanting to be in anyone's way as she watched them all practise. She didn't really know what was going on. All she knew was that everyone had put themselves into partners and she could see why...they were obviously going to duel in pairs. "PARTNERS ANYONE?" She didn't know what made her stay in this class, but for some reason she did.

Ah! Next year! That reminds her... Aiden shows no response. And the boy suddenly panicks. What a dual personality! "I'll be attacking, you'll be defending. I think it's the quickest way to learn," she says after lowering her wand. And since Simon Bennett taught them Defence Against the Dark Arts last term, Aiden doesn't have much problems with the Shield and Disarming Charms.

Forming her stance back, "You're ready?" she asks the sort of shy boy. Her eyes gleaming with thirst for victory. The burning passion for duelling causes her to look, in a sort of way, ... Evil.

While Raven looked for a partner, she saw a hufflepuff student was also looking for partner. Then she asked her. "Mind if I will be your partner?"

Nora giggled when she noticed that his shield has improved, even though it was not perfect yet. Eh, hers was not perfect either. Yet.

She wanted to walk over and help him up, but he was standing up straight before she could do anything. Oh, names. He must think that she was extremely rude. "It's nice to meet you," she said, smiling. "I'm Nora." There. Now they finally knew each other's names.

"Do you want to try the spell?"

Not sure if she was good enough to duel, Gwendolyn decided to start practicing the Shield Charm... for a while. Listening carefully to what the Professor was saying, she tried to keep in mind as many things as possible. Axis of rotation is the elbow..., she kept repeating in her mind, and, after a while, she grabbed her wand and decided to begin. 'Protego!', she said curtly, rally expecting nothing to happen. Duh... it was obvious I couldn't have done it from the first time. 'Protego!', she said once more loud and clear. Noticing a tiny hint of a blue light, the young Ravenclaw looked puzzled. Is that what its supposed to happen? I am actually starting to get this right?, she asked herself. Probably not....

Looking around, she decided to give up the idea of practicing that spell for now, and find a partner. Gah, partner work..., she thought, trying not to roll her eys. 'Anyone still need a partner?', she asked, hoping someone wuld indeed be in that situation. Anyone...?

Harlow gave her partner a little curtsy, "Pleased to meet you Kourtney I'm Harlow." There now they were properly introduced.

Harlow winced when her jinx hit the girl and she fell over. "Oh Merlin I'm sorry." she wasn't trying to hurt her. This wasn't good. "Are you ok?" she asked with a concerned voice.

She nodded, "Ok." she took a deep breath and readied herself. "I'm ready." she repeated the incantation again realizing that she had said it wrong the first time.

Harlow...that was a unique name. Kourt flashed another smile towards the girl. Better know your partner's name; made things a bit more real.

"Just fine." She replied as she stood back up. "I've had worse while practicing dance, but at least we know we can cast the jinx." And that was the exciting part, that they were being successful in magic.

Kourt moved her wand in the squiggly motion. "Flipendo!" She cast.

''Pro-te-go!'' Luna whispered ''Pro-te-go'' she practised again Okay real thing,

''Protego!'' it barely came up normel wasn't it? Some people had a thing with spells... She eyed the firsties that did it on there first go and rolled her eyes a bit Great they can do somthing... she never meant it well not all the time ''Protego!'' nothing happened,

Right.. Partners she turned around ''Gwen do you mind?'' she asked hopfully

Looking around, the young Ravenclaw started to think it was useless to wait up for a partner, so she grabbed her wand, and decided to continue practicing the spell. Meh, the least I can do..., she thought, trying not to give a sigh. Don't be so dramatic!, she told herself.

'Of course not', the second year replied curtly, but really trying to sound nice. Meh... 'Shall we start?', she asked her friend, preparing to use the other spell, the one she hadn't practiced before. Let's see...

She smilied ''Great...'' she replied,

She nodded ''Flipendo'' she said sharply she didn't want to hurt Gwen so why they partnered up she didn't know but she sincerly doubted she'd hurt Gwen because Gwen was brillliant at spells

The shield charm was seriously hard.
Even he, a Ravenclaw with good insight underestimated just how hard it was.

"It's nice to meet you too Nora" he said, flashing her a quick smile before drawing his wand again.
"Yes" he said simply.

He leaned back (why did he keep doing this?) and pointed his wand towards her, careful not to hit somone else he said the incantation.
"Flipendo!"

Sooo... they were allowed to start now. And Carter was left with the choice of picking a partner.

Now, who did Carter trust enough to allow them to jinx him?

Err... Josh would do.

"Josh. Want to be partners?" he asked spotting his mate.