The first dueling club meeting! The Gryffindor had been looking forward for this day ever since he had asked his eldest sister to sign the papers. As he entered the place where the meeting was held, he wasn't very surprised that was the Training Hall he and Hady had used to practise their Charms homework in.

Spotting the Defence professor standing in the center of the runway in the middle and wearing a very cool outfit , Yoongi waved. "Good evening Professor!" he said with a bright smile, teeth flashing but then cocked his head to the side as he saw the very serious expression. "It's not a good evening? come on Sir, you should smile... like this" he pushed the corners of his mouth up with his two index fingers. Come on..smiiiiiile~

.....Anyways, the sixth year looked around and like the other defence classes there were no chairs so he climbed on the runway and sat on the edge, his legs dangling in the air and looked at the doorway to see who else showed up.

SHE HAD BEEN WAITING FOR THIS MEETING!!!

The young lioness tried not to skip very excitedly when she headed to the dueling club meeting room. This was her first meeting in dueling club!!! Her mom already signed her permission slip so she could attend this club. It's gonna be interesting, she muttered to herself. Glad that her shoulder was getting better so it didn't need to be put on a splint anymore.

Arriving at the room, Ava realized that the DADA professor was already there along with Yoongi. "Hello, Professor Dakest." She greeted the man. "I'm very excited for this meeting and looking forward to learn." Again, she spoke enthusiastically but tried not be too excited. But she couldn't.

WOOT!

The time was here for the dueling club meeting! Count this Hufflepuff as excited! Well, extra excited. Hehe. He happily bounded (as usual) into the room, his eyes finding the awesome Professor first. "Hiya, Professor! Do you know how much I'm looking forward to this?" No, Adi. Of course the man wouldn't know. "A great, great deal, actually.'' There! That should give Dakest an idea.

Soooo, who else was here? Ah! Two lions. "Yoongi, hey!'' Adi said to the pretty boy before turning to Ava. "Lil sis. Sup?'' He stood close to his two friends, bouncing on his feet as he waited.

The first Dueling Club meeting.

She had been waiting for this since she send her brother the Dueling Club permission slip. And now its finally happening. She wondered what's they going to discuss on their first meeting. Probably rules and all the boring stuffs.

The first thing she noticed when she entered the hall was the large window and Professor Dakest who's standing in the center of the runway. "Hello, Professor." She greeted the DADA Professor with a polite nod. And looked Yoongi and Ava already here too. And Adi too apparently. She gave Yoongi and Ava a 'Hello' nod and hair flip for Adi as usual.

There were two significant things about the meeting being held this evening. One of those being that socks and shoes were mandatory. That was a word Daxton disliked, perhaps even more than he disliked wearing socks and/or shoes. But he had brought them along, his school shoes were hooked over the first two fingers of his left hand, the socks stuffed inside them. Technically he was not breaking any rules; shoes and socks were mandatory, but the Ravenclaw had seen nothing that suggested they had to wear them.

And the other significant thing? The first Duelling Club meeting was being held on Daxton's twelfth birthday, 13th December. Which was, obviously, today. Not that he had told anyone it was his birthday, and not that he had plans to tell anyone, but it was significant to him.

Upon entering the hall, Daxton took a surveying glance around at those already here, his gaze lingering on Dakest and, more specifically, Dakest's attire. He kept his eyes on him as he crossed the room and sat on one of the benches around the perimeter, back against the wall so nobody could attempt to sneak up on him. Setting his shoes down beside him, Daxton kept his eyes mostly on the professor, considering him, though occasionally letting his gaze rove about the room. And, though he had brought along his sharp senses (how could he not? They were a curse he could not seem to be rid of) the first year's earmuffs hung about his neck, as they invariably did.

Well Dante had signed up for everything and even got his Mom. He thinks to sign him up. Which was not as hard actually. Since they felt he should learn to defend himself. Since they did not trust Nigel to do anything and you wonder why he was almost never really home.

"Hey Professor Dakest. You are looking sharp."

He was looking like he was ready to kill someone. Brooding or was it very serious. Dante liked it. The very seriousness of that outfit. Dante did not really want to wear something like that because he doubted he could pull it off it Dakest could.

So now the question what we they going to be learning today.

So the dueling club was finally meeting.

Ben had to admit that despite not being the best at the spells taught in defense against the dark arts class, he was looking forward to this to some extent. He had enjoyed his duels with Adi and others over the course of his years at Hogwarts...he just hadn't really gotten around to doing much in the last term or so in that regard. This activity would hopefully remedy that, no matter far he actually got along the progress of these mock battles that Professor Dakest was orchestrating.

The Gryffindor made his way through the training hall, and into the smaller room where the dueling club was supposed to meet. It certainly gave off the proper impression for the act of dueling. "Hello Professor," he greeted Dakest with the polite nod of his head. Benny then made his way over to Adi and his younger shadows. "Hello."

She was here!

Hady had made it to the club meeting on time or so she hoped she had. Making her way inside the training room her hazel eyes quickly moved over everything inside. "Hello Professor," She greeted warmly with a slight grin.

Nods went to everyone else there. Hi everyone. She was ready and she couldn't wait! It felt as if she'd been waiting forever for this moment. Just being able to go up against her fellow mates was exciting but at the same time it's what she'd learn from this that made her look forward to it.

Now she just needed to wait for the meeting to begin.

This is what he'd been waiting for. Duelling. He was determined to make this his thing. Forget Gobstones, that wasn't going to prepare him for life, THIS, is where he wanted to excel.

Entering the hall where the meeting was taking place, Zeke inhaled a deep breath and took in the sight and sounds. Seeing Sabel standing there waiting for them, Zeke couldn't help but nod his approval of the mans attire. Fierce. "Professor," he greeted as he neared the front. Content to stand. He didn't much feel like sitting just not.

His peers received nods and smiles, but words were evading him at the minute, his mind was too focused on whatever information they were about to get.

THIS WAS SO COOL. Char couldn't BE more eager to be the best at everything dueling. And there was no time to start like right now! Professor Sabel got waves from her as she skipped in, all dressed appropriately and ready to GO.

Would they be able to HEX people today???

HE WAS HERE!

The Astronomy professor immediately hung back and leaned against the wall with Pebbles resting comfortably in his right hand while he waited for Sabel to get this party started. He threw an occasional salute to any student who happened to look his general direction, but for the most part the man kept a low profile. After all, he was here to assist Sabel in whatever capacity the man needed.

Which hopefully would not be in the same manner that the former Headmistress Truebridge had requested.

Right?

Alright. Now he was feeling a bit apprehensive.

Why were there no dummies in here?

Blue eyes locked in on you, Sabel Dakest.

Sweet solstice. Déjà vu much?

A once over of the gathered students and the empty doorway was a good indication that there was no better time to start than the present. With a flick of his wand, the doors groaned closed. They would remain unlocked for any who were lagging behind, but as of this moment, the first meeting of the dueling club had begun.

All traces of smiles and friendly nature were gone as Sabel clasped his hands behind his back and turned to face the students. "Glad you could all make it. Welcome to the first official meeting of the club. I trust that you have all read over the rules and regulations of the club, so I will make things as brief as possible so as not to discourage you from your night-time activities, whatever they may be." Which, the students should most definitely be interpreting as he didn't want to know.

"Our other meetings will be more involved, but today will serve as an overview. And a chance for you all to decide if this is really something you would like to involve yourselves in."

Was he being a bit dramatic? Perhaps. But then, it was warranted dramatics, and the change in his expression to a more serious state, said as much.

"I understand all of you are excited to learn the in's and out's of dueling, and to develop your skills. I encourage it. That is what the club is for. However, I would ask that in your eagerness you maintain a healthy respect for what you are doing. This is not a game, or a set of fantastical challenges. The situations you will be involved in throughout the duration of this club may one day save your lives, and so I would ask that you treat it with some seriousness. You will only hinder yourselves if you don't."

A momentary pause to consider each and every face in the room, to make sure they were all on the same page. And then, all at once, Sabel relaxed slightly, rolling his shoulders and releasing his hold on his wrist.

"I would like to train you all the way which I was trained at the Ministry, however school protocol forbids me from employing certain methods and requires me to employ others. So, we'll have to make do. And this armour is part of that." Rapping on the leather on his chest, Sabel made a motion with his free hand to the pile of uniforms off to his side. "At the end of the meeting, you will all collect your own dueling attire. You are required to wear the full outfit during every duel, practice or tournament. The outfit is charmed to protect you from serious physical injury, while tracking the loss of your health points, and so allows us to use some more...dangerous spells. Do keep in mind, however, that you will not be invincible in this armor. A bombarda will still hurt, and throw you, like a hit from a giant's club, and you will have the bruises to show for it. So be mindful. Both in your defense and in your attack."

And here, his expression darkened slightly again. "Keep in mind that while the point of this club is to encourage each and every one of you to develop dueling skills that you could use in the real world, the aim is not to maim your opponent. That is, your fellow classmates. All manner of respect and sportsmanship are required in this club, and if anything to the contrary is observed immediate consequences will follow."

Simple enough rule. And the main rule. Don't try to kill one another. Flicking his hand towards the back of the room and the lurking Flamsteed, Sabel nodded in the Professor's direction. "Both myself and Professor Flamsteed will be referring your duels in the tournament, and we will be providing supervision during your practices. If you have concerns, I expect to hear of them before they become an unmanageable problem."

They were all reasonable heads here, right? Didn't seem too hard to comprehend or to ask of them.

"Now, normally when you encounter a duel situation, it won't be standing on accord or ceremony. It will be brutal, fast paced and confusing. Up will be down, down will be up and you'll be all manner of disorientated. The important thing in those moments, is to keep your head. And that is what we will be practicing in this club. Find ways, methods of keeping your head, of thinking on your toes and using your environment to your advantage. There is no proper way to duel, but to keep yourself and your humanity alive."

Tucking his wand into the holster on his sleeve, Sabel turned to the kid at the front of the class, Zeke. "Now, in this club, to mark the start of a duel, we will be standing on accord. A bow is required before either side can cast a spell. Each dueler must be straightened before any spell can be cast, otherwise penalties will be given. Now, Mr. Brown will demonstrate the proper bow with me."

Because if a student stood at the front of the class, they were asking to be a volunteer. And so, Sabel bowed to the kid across from him, bending at the waist halfway, but keeping his head up and his eyes on the fourth year.

"Any questions?"


---------------------------------------------
OOC: Hiya all! Sorry, what a massive post!! There's gonna be a few of these to make sure we get through everything in the next two days >.O

Please, please, please bring forth all your questions if you have them :-) This meeting will go quick, so don't be shy! That's all the instructions for now If you want to have your students practice a bow to one another, feel free to have them do so as well :-)

Again, any OOC questions, just ask :-) I'll try to move us forward/answer questions in about 8 hours and 22 hours.[/i]

The way in which Sabel was watching him, was interesting, though not at all disconcerting. Did the man think he wouldn't be here? Was he surprised that he wasn't socialising in the back? Because if there was one thing that he learnt about life and duelling as an adopted son of a former Head Auror, was that duelling was no joke, and it was a life preserving skill. Maintaining eye contact with Sabel, Zeke returned the Professor's calculating gaze with one of his own. Was this one of those instances where there were expectations on him that he didn't know about? He'd have protested that it was hardly fair, but he knew better than that now. Life wasn't fair.

Standing straight and to attention, Zeke listened as Sabel outlined the purpose of the meeting and established ground rules. Meaning... don't be stupid. No trying to kill each other. Yeah, he knew. The armoured uniforms got a quick glance of interest before his hazel eyes locked back on the Defence Professor. It wasn't a bad look, so he was only too happy to comply with the dress code, there was something about uniforms that appealed to him - though he couldn't really say that for the SCHOOL uniform, that was just boring.

Brutal, fast paced, up and down and down and up, he understood all that. It wasn't something he'd had direct experience in, but he'd seen enough over the years to recognise how truly alarming and disorienting it could be. He was mentally prepared for that, at least.

As Sabel locked eyes on him again, Zeke grew curious, the look was meant for him, specifically. What had he done? But as his discussion turned to the act of standing on accord, Zeke nod in acknowledgement. He had this. It was something he'd practiced with Elijah more times than he could count on his fingers, and even Emily had indulged him in tutoring stances a couple of years ago. Those lessons weren't forgotten. Mimicking Sabel's movement, Zeke maintained eye contact, bending at the waist and holding Sabel's gaze for a moment before returning to a natural standing posture. He was tempted to thrust his wand out in front of him, ready to defend - or attack... but he didn't.

"No questions, Sir," he replied, because he could.

So did anyone else want to bow with him?

Taking notice to the faint smile she had received from the Professor was enough for her. There wasn't a nod in anything more this wasn't an average lesson or a stroll through the park. Everyone was here for a reason. She was here for a reason.

While more people wandered in after her Hady made her way closer to the front so she'd be able to both hear and see everything better. Didn't need anyone to tall standing in her way. It was then as she got to the front she spotted Zeke and moved to stand silently at his side. No need to say anything, he'd know she was there. What was with the looks going on between him and the Professor though?

Standing up straight, her hands clasped lightly behind her back Hady listened to every word that was said. Yes she saw the dueling uniforms. Yes she would wear them without question. No purposely harming anyone. Spells would still hurt. Yup she got that all, knew that all.

The bowing thing was somewhat new but understandable. Simple enough too. Did she have to give it a go? Surely it wasn't difficult to do.

"Heya, Candice!'' In amusement, Adi watched the hair flip. "Yes, I know you can do those but it's getting old,'' he teased. Annnd there was the Dragon. "Hallo. You're late.'' LOL. Not really, no. Or maybe he would have been so a few minutes later since Dakest was getting started.

Gosh, he was being so serious, wasn't he? Adi was curious about those methods the man was referring about that could not be used. Hmmm. Maybe he could find out about that later. The armour thingy was cool though.

One could tell that Dakest had been in more than a few duels from the way he talked about keeping one's self alive. Anyway... bowing. That was the easiest thing in a duel though in a real one no one would actually do that. As for questions, Adi had none. It was all straight forward stuff so far.

While I do not usually enforce a dress code in my classes, I would ask that all of you adhere to a full standard in this hall.

Daxton furrowed his brow in mild confusion. Who was that addressed to? He might have thought it was him, as the statement seemed to follow a lengthy look in his direction, but Dakest had not actually been looking at him as he spoke. The Ravenclaw followed his gaze, glancing at everyone else, then looked back at Dakest.

Of course, in Daxton's mind, he had followed to dress code, in a roundabout way, had brought along the mandatory shoes and socks and everything. So, seeing no reason that it might have been directed at him, Daxton shrugged off the statement as just one of those redundant things people said sometimes, and continued simply sitting and waiting for the meeting to start, shoes still beside him.

And it was not a long wait at all. As soon as Dakest magicked the doors closed and started the meeting, Daxton started paying even closer attention, if that were possible, committing everything to memory. The impassive, almost bored expression did not leave his face, despite the fact that he was now the very opposite of bored.

He looked briefly over at the armour, the duelling attire, and at last Daxton's expression did changed. Though the idea of looking the part was all very well and good, that armour looked like it would make him overheat, and overheat badly. It looked heavy. It looked much more cumbersome than his shoes. Could he find a way to not wear it, seeing as how he would not be taking part in the tournament? Probably not. Daxton needed to find a way to work out how to cast cooling charms, and fast. He would, at the very least, now own some attire - even on loan - that would fit him much better than the majority of his other clothing, but what good would that be if wearing it potentially made it impossible for him to function.

His gaze lingered on the armour a little longer, and when Daxton looked back at Dakest, he was already on the topic of duels.

Up will be down, down will be up...

What? What? What the heck was Dakest going on about? Was he insinuating that duels were regularly fought in a situation were both combatants were somehow completely inverted? Hanging upside down? At once, Daxton got a mental image, so ridiculous and bizarre he thought that that could not possibly be right, but he had no time to ruminate in it because the topic had quickly moved on to bowing. Daxton had read about this, but had been hoping they would not be bowing in the club. It served no real purpose, considering Duelling Club was basically learning to duel and learning to stay alive, in the long term goals, and what did bowing have anything to do with that? Daxton did not want to bow to anyone, and he wanted to know why they apparently had to.

In fact, when Dakest asked if they had any questions, Daxton found his brain was positively teeming with them. So many questions that even if he could verbalise them, he would never know which to ask first. The Ravenclaw frowned slightly, screwing up his face a minuscule amount as he took this gap in the lecture to concentrate on going over all the information he had memorised, to answer his own questions. He said nothing.

“I guess…….” He answered after the Professor had spoken. “But Sir, we’re not opponents? And laughter can be a form of confusing right? I mean, what if I start laughing before a fight? My opponent will think two things. 1 I’m really confident or 2 I’m a complete nutter and both are dangerous so I’m actually really dangerous hahaha” If he could he would have RAAAWRED like a lion but he couldn’t so siiiigh.

Oooh there were the others. They all got a “hi” from him and when the Professor started the meeting he turned back to face him. Listening carefully, Yoongi tried to absorb all the knowledge and when the part came where he showed the armor they would be using he frowned. “No helmet?!” BUT HIS FACE!?! Could he tell opponents to NOT touch his face?

Professor Flamsteed? What? He turned his head to see where the professor was pointing and saw that his Head Of House was leaning against the wall in the back. As long as he wasn’t HOVERING PEOPLE IN THE AIR he was cool with it…he guessed.

Bowing. He knew that bowing was a form of respect to an opponent. He watched as Zeke mimicked the Professor's movements but he still had a question though. “Professor , do people in a duel to the death bow to each other as well or do they attack right away?”

Honestly if it wasn't for the fact that she felt duelling club would be helpful for her NEWTs Paulina wasn't sure if she would even be here. She liked Professor Dakest and thought the club sounded pretty cool, but fighting made her a little nervous. What if she hurt someone? What if she got hurt?

The armour was pretty cool though.

Watching the boy named Zeke demonstrate a bow, Paulina felt she wouldn't have any trouble with that aspect of duelling. So long as she remembered to always do that at the start - which shouldn't be an issue - she might not have any problems with this. Okay, that was wishful thinking. At least they were being taught by a man who appeared to have experienced a fair number of duels in his lifetime; that was a definite plus in her eyes because it meant that she would be learning the proper method.

And no, she didn't have any questions.

Benzi was at the back. If there are any shadows in this place then he was just outside of them, preferring to listen and not be distracted by people who happened to be talking. For the seventeen year old, this was basically a first course in auror training and he was going to take it as seriously as he possibly could.

This was why his senses were on high alert for anything that might pop out of the walls, jump at him from the floor or just generally disrupt the quiet around him. He'd also noticed that apart from the students, Professor Flamsteed had joined them. Did that mean they were going to get a preview today? Because just an overview was a bit... well, lame. No offense Professor, sir.

He listened intently to Dakest as he talked, his eyes looking over the dueling outfits curiously. The Professor had touched slightly on what they could do but Benzi wanted to know more. So they could use bombarda against someone else and they wouldn't blow up. Great. What else could they use? But these were the sort of questions the Ravenclaw felt would be addressed later on.

So, he shaked his head. No questions from him.

While Sabel was more than fine with his decision not to duel any of the students, there was a faint disappointment in such a decision. Especially when he was greeted with such a response as Browne gave him. Some of the students, he was sure, would be incredibly interesting to duel. And he had no illusions that he could learn a thing or two from them.

As it was, the boy's whole demeanour and relation to both his look and the demonstration of the bow had the slightest of smiles touching the corner of his lips. Straightening, Sabel nodded to the kid. "Thank you, Mr. Browne."

And yes, he would most certainly be writing to Emily about this.



His attention flicked from the Gryffindor to the Snake that had taken place beside him. And the smile he had? It faded, but only from his lips. His eyes still held it as he took note of the young girl's stance and determination.

There was no doubt about it. The tournament would be an interesting one.

The pair standing side-by-side ticked off a reminder in his mind. "One thing I should note now, is that of partners and challenges. While the duel will be assigned, and you will have no further choice as to who you duel than how you do with your points, this room is available for your practice as you see fit. During the tournament, you will be matched by grades. During your own time, you may challenge who you like."

His gaze shifted, roaming across the gathered students. "There is an rule to this. You may only challenge students in your year, or one year above or below you. An exception exists here, in that younger students are allowed to challenge older students, regardless of separation in age." A half-smirk touched his lips. "Do so at your own risk."



His gaze snagged on Rehman, and held there for a few moments. Truth was, he was surely expecting a question or comment from the energetic Hufflepuff. That there was none after a few minutes of scrutinizing was a bit surprising.

So much so, that Sabel quickly ran through the list of things to tackle in his mind. He supposed he could tag on a bit more information. "At the end of the tournament, the winners will have the opportunity to duel an intriguing opponent. I will not tell you who that will be for each grade, but you can rest assured that said opponent will be a well earned challenge. There will also be an award of points."

Here his expression changed once again, to that serious tone that allowed for no foolishness. "The greatest reward of participating, however, will be the skills you learn. Life long and lasting skills, that might one day save your life, or the life of someone else. What you put into this club, ladies and gentlemen, is what you will get out of it."



And speaking of input versus output, Sabel's gaze landed on the still shoeless and sockless Prince. Perhaps he had not made himself clear enough by being gracious to not individualize the kid. A breath left him as he continued. "All rules are to be followed and adhered to without deviation. Due to the dangerous nature of this club, ignorance of those rules will not be tolerated. Keep yourself safe and your classmates safe by following them."

Really, common sense. But he was all too aware of where common sense went in the heat of a duel. Even a duel among friends. A disturbing memory flashed through him, sending a cold shiver through his spine. One he shook off before he could think on it much longer.

"Prince. If you could please put your shoes and socks on. It should be habit in this room, as I expect to see a good deal of debris and uneven footing in the upcoming weeks."

Which brought him to his next point. A fun one. His gaze took in all the duelers gathered. "Which means that you have permission to use your environment as needed. There is sometimes no greater ally than the rock beneath your feet or the sky above your head. Don't worry about any destruction you will cause. The castle is easy enough to repair. Just......don't bring the roof down or eradicate the floor." Just a small request. "Duels should be confined to this room, though I am very aware that is rarely the case in real circumstances."



"Are we not?" The kid got quite the raised eyebrow. "First lesson. Never assume you know." And then there was the hint of a small smile. "If I didn't have so much to go over, I might take such a sentiment as an invitation to become your opponent."

Hopefully, the kid would understand the meaning and the lesson behind those words.

Straightening his expression, Sabel considered the boy. "True enough, but you've forgotten a third option. Laughter is commonly an expression of nervousness." His words turned to the rest of the club. "If you are going to use your expressions and your words to throw off your opponent, as is a good tactic, make sure that you are convincing in every other way. The slightest deviation can be noticed in as small a thing as how you hold your wand. And it can mean death, or life. So if you aim to deceive, do it as if it is a truth your life counts on."

As for the exclamation about the lack of helmets, that had Sabel smiling. "Can't distract you too much from the game of reality. You wouldn't wear a helmet everyday. You would wear clothes. It is best to practice without it, as you'll learn to guard it very quickly. A limb you can do without. A head, you cannot."

And perhaps, that was a bit of unconventional teaching right there.

His gaze went back to Hyland, and he shook his head slightly, though he spoke to the whole room. He was sure everyone had the same question about the purpose of the bowing. "If and when you enter a situation where it is a death duel, you will be very fortunate if you know so beforehand. Most times such circumstances come without warning, comment or indication. So always be on your guard. The bow here is to remind ourselves that we are not in such a duel, though we practice for it, and to remind ourselves that we are dueling friends, not enemies."

Turning his wand between his fingers, Sabel hesitated a long moment before speaking again. "I am asking you to train with the mindset that your life will matter in the tournament, but it is important that we know, and acknowledge that is not the case. While you may not understand it now, and I hope you never have to, there is a very significant difference between having that glimmer of understanding, and not. Regardless of if you are dueling friends, or enemies."

His gaze returned to Hyland. "We bow, here in this club, to show respect to one another, and a respect for the laws and rules of the club. In the world out there, your bow is the moment you draw your wand."



Letting that final statement ring through the air, Sabel took the moment of silence to look around at the faces at the club. A lot of the early evening energy had worn off, and there was a solemn commitment and attentiveness he had only hoped for before now. They were listening. Good.

"After the bow, as long as you respect the rules, you are free to use spells to your need and imagination. Do not be afraid to combine spells, or use them in new and interesting ways. While I do not want you taking these duels down the hallways, do not remain stagnant. Practice moving your feet. Practice using your environment. Practice doing the unexpected, and practice being expected. How you learn to duel here, will stick with you and reflect in your duels in the future. Here it is safe to learn and experiment. Here, you should learn how to adapt."



Looking around the rest of the room, Sabel's gaze hinged on Rider. For a long moment, he watched the kid hanging back in the shadows. Finally, he nodded to himself. "Rider, a word with you after the meeting."

There really wasn't a better way to ask, and it was always a question of when he might run into the kid again. The castle had got surprisingly big.

His attention returned to the rest of the students. "As for what spells you may and may not use, there will be a list up before your first duel. Obviously, unforgivable curses are excluded, as are some of the dark art spells that opponents in your real life will likely use. This, is for your own safety. If you have questions about these spells, about how to defend against them, I will do my best to answer them. But they are not to be experimented with in these walls."

Shifting his stance, Sabel clasped his hands behind his back. "There will be Spell Assignments and Challenges for you to accomplish as you see fit during your practice time. The Spell Assignments will allow you to use new spells in your duels. The Challenges will encourage you to develop your dueling skills, thoughts and regulation of your emotions and there may be bonuses afforded with the completion of these."

Simple enough, right?

"You will not have a Spell Assignment this meeting. I would like you all to go into your first duel without extra spells crowding your heads. Learn how to think, learn how to move, learn how to adapt. To assist you with this, there will be a Challenge posted on the board at the end of the hall," he made a motion there, "at the end of this meeting. Once you pick up your uniforms when I dismiss you, you may go there and check it out."

And they could start tonight if they were super stoked. He had no doubt some would.

Returning his hands behind his back, Sabel rocked on his heels, letting all the information soak in. Were there more questions?

------------------------------------
OOC: Howdy all! Thought I'd tackle some of the responses that came up now, and gradually move us along. We are still taking questions and comments! (Again that's the main purpose of this meeting, so please ask away :3)

Meeting will close tomorrow at around midnight GMT-6. Sorry this one is so short >.O

And I will have that spell list up for you before your first duel.

Text Cut: Benziboy

Quote:

Originally Posted by fire_faerie

Benzi was at the back. If there are any shadows in this place then he was just outside of them, preferring to listen and not be distracted by people who happened to be talking. For the seventeen year old, this was basically a first course in auror training and he was going to take it as seriously as he possibly could.

This was why his senses were on high alert for anything that might pop out of the walls, jump at him from the floor or just generally disrupt the quiet around him. He'd also noticed that apart from the students, Professor Flamsteed had joined them. Did that mean they were going to get a preview today? Because just an overview was a bit... well, lame. No offense Professor, sir.

He listened intently to Dakest as he talked, his eyes looking over the dueling outfits curiously. The Professor had touched slightly on what they could do but Benzi wanted to know more. So they could use bombarda against someone else and they wouldn't blow up. Great. What else could they use? But these were the sort of questions the Ravenclaw felt would be addressed later on.

So, he shaked his head. No questions from him.

Evie had slipped in the back just as the meeting started and snuck her hand in to hold Benzi's at the start of the meeting. She was listening intently to everything Professor Dakest was saying. First of all, the uniforms were absolutely COOL. But that was less important than everything else. The biggest thing that piqued her curiosity was when he said he wasn't allowed to use the skills he learned in Auror training for them at Hogwarts. Evie was smart and understood why. She didn't know what his training had involved... but she wanted to know and she wanted to learn. Evie was going to be an Auror one day; sooner than later, she hoped and she wanted to be the absolute best when she joined the YATI next year. She wanted to know everything Dakest knew.

So, yes, she did have one question. But she would ask him later, in private.

Listening to Dakest answer all the questions, her ears seemed to perk up when the professor asked to see Benzi after the meeting. Evie exchanged glances between her boyfriend and the professor, curious and jealous and wondering what in the world he would speak to Benzi about and if she could get away with eavesdropping.

"What's that for?" she whispered almost silently to Benzi. Had he any idea? Was HE going to get special training? What about her?

Listening intently at everything that was being said, Yoongi thought that the whole idea of an tournament was pretty awesome. Though he doubted he would get very far. Maybe it was time to practise his spells nonverbally more often. Because everyone knew that people who could do nonverbal spells had an advantaged. That was why the Gryffindor looked next to him at Adi. The Prefect was pretty good at nonverbal spells, he would be an interesting opponent.

With a grin, Yoongi faced the Professor again when he was being talked to and that grin dissapeared in a second. "Opponent?" he said in a way more higher voice than usual."uhm no need to think that Sir haha!".......wait...the man was right. People did laugh when they got nervous. The Gryffindor stopped laughing and cleared his throat.

Yeah he knew they didnt wear helmets everyday. That would be really weird fashion trend... but he had seen muggle fights on tv and sometimes they wore helmets. Maybe it was better to not have though. He would learn so many spells to protect his precious face.

As the Professor went back to holding his hands behind his back and rocking on his heels, which seemed to be a signature move of him, Yoongi's hand shot up in the air again and waved it around a bit. "Ooooh Sir! Another question...sorry if they're annoying... but that ministry training you mentioned earlier? I'm really curious to know what happens at a training like that that the school forbids to teach...is it like, practising under an unforgivable curse or something?" He leaned a bit closer to the person nearest him and muttered silently "a candy bet saying he's going to say that information is classified" But he was curious and he would bet his hairspray that he wasnt the only one. "Also!" also also! "Will we be learning to defend ourselves like muggles as well?" though he wouldnt know how one could block a spell without a wand....wandless magic? Merlins Beard that would be so cool!

Oh. So did that mean that the initial comment had been addressed to Daxton after all? He still was not entirely sure, but the now direct instruction was impossible to miss. Not that that made it any easier to accept, of course.

For a moment, Daxton did nothing, only cast his eyes about the room, or more specifically at the feet of everyone else assembled. But then he did as had been requested, reluctantly pulling on first his socks, then his shoes, all the while listening to the ongoing lecture. He took his sweet time, too, because they just felt wrong, and then they felt even, and then even more wrong and uncomfortable, and several times Daxton felt the urge to untie and retie the laces. More reasons to never wear shoes.

Dakest had a lot to say, it seemed, and by the time Daxton looked back up, shifting his feet inside his shoes in an attempt to make them more comfortable, he was still going strong with the information. Luckily, the Ravenclaw's memory was basically perfect, and though it did not look as though he had been very focused throughout the shoe debacle, he absolutely had been. It was all holding his attention very well.

He considered everything, watching Dakest closely very closely, scrutinising him as his expression morphed into a thoughtful frown. Daxton likely would not have looked away at all were it not for the fact that one of the older students, Hyland, his name was, asked a question that caught Daxton's interest: the question regarding non-magical methods of defence.

The first year looked across at the Gryffindor student for a moment, before his gaze invariably found Daxton again, and he waited for an answer. He had still not managed to cast a single official spell whilst at school, thanks to his limited (or, at the moment, non-existent) verbal capabilities, but normal methods of defence would not require that at all. Normal methods of defence would be quite beneficial, at least until Daxton could cast spells of his own, verbally or non-verbally. And he had been trying.

Did he even dare to hope that the Duelling Club would allow for something like that?

Well, no. Daxton Prince did not 'hope'. But he could be curious.

The first dueling club meeting...ought to be interesting. Henric just got himself settled in between some of the members in the club but professor Dakest already had them reeling with an overwhelming wealth of information for them to process. Okay...maybe it was just him. So there were provided with their very own dueling outfits as well. Neat! He wondered what sort of activity challenges they had to do too. One thing for sure, Henric couldn't wait to start!