Her third duel. Well technically her second duel. Char had been busy and hadn't made it to the second duel.

But this duel was different. This duel, Noelle was taking on one of her closer friends, Char. And it was giving Noelle all kinds of anxiety. Not to mention Char won last term. And from talking around, Char was good. Yes, Noelle had been scoping out her competition when she found out she was fueling against her. She regretted not watching her duel now. At least she got a few extra training sessions in before this duel.

Okay. She could do this. Noelle entered the duel and bowed per usual. Henric was already in her head telling her to banish her feelings and just stay calm cool and collected. Deep breath in Inhale! Deep breath out EXHALE! Now let's do this.

Noelle figured the best thing tondo with Char was to try and get her wand from her or keep her distracted. So she sent two spells back to back. Expelliarmus first, and then Muffliato so that she would be able to get a leg up. Hopefully one would hit.

Unlike her last duel, Char was actually looking forward to this one. It would be fun, she knew. She'd never dueled Noelle before since her roomie had only just joined in on the dueling club, and that made it exciting. Char loved sharing the things she loved with the people she cared about. So she greeted Noelle with a bright smile and a little wave of enthusiasm before taking her paces and bowing.

And Noelle was getting right into it! Just how Charlotte liked! Char cast Featherlight on herself and then a Gripping Charm, managing both spells but not having quiiiite enough time to counter the Muffliato that Noelle hit her with. She recoiled slightly as the spell hit her. She'd take care of that in a moment, but first she conjured some purple firecrackers right at Noelle, not being one to remain completely on the defensive after all.

Char was smart. Very smart. Noelle watched her. She used spells Noelle didn't normally use. Spells to help herself and duel better. Noelle was impressed.

She didn't have long to admire though before purple fireworks were being cast in her direction. Noelle yipped and jumped out of the way in the nick of time. She wasn't sure exactly what the purple fireworks did. She had a lot to learn.

Noelle was more into defense. Henric was in her head though. Telling her to breathe, watch, and listen.
And think.

Noelle went through a list of spells she was more comfortable doing, in her head. It didn't take her long. A second, perhaps. Before she settled on two she wanted to use.

Noelle pointed her wand at Char again. She would need to apologize for this after the duel. But this was all good right? Taking a deep breath, she let it out before sending another two spells back to back. One was to lock her in place. The other was to send one of Noelle's better spells at.

So Noelle sent Colloshoo first her personal favorite Bat-Boogey Hex. Bella had showed her this when she first started training last year. She was quite good at it now.

The buzzing in her ears was SUPER annoying, but Charlotte wasn't going to finite it just yet, she could still focus, and still dodge, and in the meantime stay on the offensive, even if it made it too difficult to shield anything just right now.

She sidestepped the first spell and cast Jelly Fingers back at Noelle, and then spun away from the second and cast another explosive lot of purple firecrackers toward her friend.

"Aren't they the prettiest colour, Noelle!?" She shouted cheerfully over the buzzing.

Man. The rumors were true. Char was amazing. She was dodging her spells left and right. Noelle was impressed when she dodged her bat bogey Hex. One she was proud of doing. She needed to change tactics but her head was whirling because Char was sending hexes back her way faster than she could send them to her.

Noelle eyed Char as she raised her wand again. She couldn’t keep jumping out of the way so she rasied her wand with her. ”Protego!” she said blocking the spell and trying to send it back to her. Calm, cool, collected. This duel was different than her last. Noelle kept having to clear her head. For some reason, it was getting to her. She was trying to deep breathe again when she was hit by the fireworks. Noelle stumbled backward and winced, not because of the pain, but because she was thrown off.

“Beautiful colors Char. You’re doing amazing!” Noelle really was super impressed and wanted to tell her as such. Char had skills. And she knew her friend wanted to be a top dueler. “I think youre going to be a great dueler!” But she wasn’t going to be giving up. Even though she thought Char could beat her. Noelle trained too hard to start cowering. Taking another deep breath, she shot off another Bat Bogey Hex. It was her specialty hex.

"Aww, you too!" Especially since Noelle had only just joined the club this year, she was doing great, Char thought. And it was nice to be enjoying herself unlike the last time against R... her last opponent. And Noelle had hit her with a spell already, straight away almost, so that proved that Char couldn't underestimate her friend.

And now Noelle was deflecting back the Jelly Fingers Char had sent at her moments ago. Lucky for Charlotte, she had the gripping charm in place, which usefully negated the spells effects, though she felt her grip loosen after impact, a sure sign that the gripping charm had been taken out by Noelle just now. She'd have to be careful.

The buzzing in her ears was SO annoying. How was anyone supposed to shield against an offensive with that going on, Char didn't know. But could she spare the time it would take to get rid of it? Maybe, if she had Noelle on the backfoot first. She shot a burst of ultra heated air - the hot-air charm- in her friend's direction and then Rictusempra directly after in a one-two that she hoped would catch Noelle out.

She side stepped Noelle's Bat-Bogey hex and kept her wand up ready to attack some more.

Man. Char blocked another of her bat bogey hexes. Noelle grinned because this duel was fun. They were keeping each other on their toes. This was fun! She was about to tell that to Char when she felt heat. Noelle yelped but then.... She was laughing!! She'd been hit by the tickling charm!

Noelle was doubled over in laughter but luckily, it only lasted a few moments. She had kept her wand up best she could. Boy.. That had thrown her off. She took a quick look at the stands and saw NoahBear. Okay. She could do this.

Noelle kept her wand up and smiled at Char. "Wow Char! You're amazing!" Encouragement because she was. Now back to business. A little idea had formed into her head. Let's see if she could roll out with it.

Noelle saw Char ready. She needed to catch her off guard. The best way to do that.... Was something she didn't want to do. "how's....." Nope. She couldn't do it. Bringing up Rooney was a low blow and one she wouldn't do. Noelle wasn't mean. So instead, she fired off two spells. The Conjunctivitis Curse and Jelly-Fingers Curse. Hopefully if one didn't work... The other would.

Now was her chance, Charlotte cast finite on the Muffliato charm that was causing the horrible buzzing in her ears, and almost sighed in relief when it was suddenly blessedly silent. Aside from normal sounds anyways. She would be able to concentrate again which was lucky because she had to shield right away, Char rebounded the conjunctivitus curse with a swift and intent flick of her wand, but the second one off the back of it hit her - Jelly Fingers! Again! This time she had no gripping charm to protect her grip.

She took a step back with the impact and deftly switched hands. Useful being ambidextrous sometimes, especially in dueling. Another hot air charm at Noelle and Char managed to take a breath. This was okay. This was fine. She could do this!

Impressive. Noelles plan wasn't going like she had hoped but that wouldn't mean she wouldn't stop trying. She saw her spell going back to her and wasn't about to have that. She was good at the Protego spell due to it being the first spell Henric taught her. So she shielded herself from that spell.

But she had to be quick.

Noelle was still trying to stay on track with her plan. The heat that suddenly surrounded her again made her grit her teeth but she boar through it long enough to send two spells back to back at Char. One Incarceous spell and then another Muffliato spell.

Come
On.
You can do this Noelle She spoke to herself.

This was so tough. Char couldn't spare focus for chatting anymore, she was too intent on the duel itself. She used a cushioning charm and there was a THWACK as the ropes Noelle conjured hit the invisible cushion and fell harmlessly to the ground. Char's wand kept moving.

"Protego!" She yelled, sending the Muffliato-she didn't want to deal with THAT again- back to Noelle to deal with.

She darted to one side and cast a trip jinx at Noelle. She was starting to sweat, this was hard work!

Grrrrrr. Noelle's hair was started to come from her ponytail because of all the moving that was going on. She could tell Char was getting tired too. Maybe this was a good time to send her specialty again. But first...

Char was sending her own spell back at her. Again. Noelle narrowly dodged it by jumping out of the way. And she didn't have time to waste because she knew Char would be sending another spell. Noelle held her wand up and shielded it, sending the tripping jinx back at the one that cast it. It was weak but it did the trick.

Breathing hard, Noelle's wand never went down before sending two more spells at her. Bat Bogey Hex and Incarceous spell. This duel was way different than her last one. She felt like she was barely 'keeping her head above water'. Char was one not to play with.

With a small grunt that gave away how much effort it took, Char cast an Anti-Jinx around herself, dissipating the returned Trip Jinx and giving her a moment to mentally bounce back. This was hard work!

Since her cushioning charm had worked well against the conjured ropes before, Char cast that again, and sure enough the ropes impacted the invisible cushion and fell aside, though it did nothing at all for the Bat Bogey Hex and next thing Charlotte knew, gross winged things were attacking her! She thwacked at them with her free hand (the one which had been Jelly Fingered earlier) and eventually they disappeared, but not before she'd been scratched by their wings. Ouch!

She was really sweating now, but kind of thriving on it. All sorts of adrenaline pounding through her body.

"Furnunculus!" Charlotte yelled, sending a Pimple Jinx at her friend.

Char was clever and had Noelle tried and literally searching her mind for spells she didn't do that often to try and win. Her plan was completely thrown off. She was now trying to just keep going.

So while Noelle was trying to search her mind, she was somewhat distracted and was hit wth a spell. Boils and pimples spread all over her body. Noelle gasped and let out a shriek. "EW!!!" Because no girl EVER wanted to be covered in these things!!

That didn't stop her though.

Noelle gripped her wand breathlessly, avoiding looking at her hands. She pointed her wand at Char and sent two spells back to back. Tarantallegra and Melofors. She needed one of them to work. If not both. She wasn't sure with the anti-jinx spell if it would, but she had another spell handy if it didn't. One she would hope would. But she would wait to see first. And see what Char would pull out next.

Okay Char felt kind of bad about the pimples for a second there, it was gross! But this WAS a duel, so all she had time for was a quick, "Sorry!" Before Noelle was reacting and on the attack again.

"Protego!" Ack! Char managed to shield against the onslaught, her protego catching the Tarantallegra and hefting it back, while the anti-jinx spell she'd cast a moment ago saw the Melofors Jinx fizzle out, making the air around her like static and setting the long ends of her hair dancing.

It was time to make a last stand, put her effort in, something big.

"Flipendo!" Charlotte cast the knockback jinx, maybe it would be enough! Maybe?!

Nooooo!!!!
Just what Noelle was hoping wouldn't happen did. Char deflected her Tarantallegra spell and then the Anti-Jinx spell had disapated her Melofors spell. Noelle had raised her wand again but needed to get out of the way from the Tarantallegra spell that was backfiring. She managed to by tumbling aside.

Only....
Noelle didn't have time to shield from the Flipendo spell.

Noelle was flipped backward and sprawled out in a tangled mess of limbs, boils, and pimples. Her wand was still tightly in her hand somehow, but she was out... Ice cold. No other spells fired.

!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


It actually took a few seconds for Char to register the duel was over, but seeing her friend all sprawled and covered in gross pimples still and not moving, well that did it.

Char ran over, of course, and used Finite on the pimple jinx and watched anxiously for them to bubble away from her friend.

"Noelle?" Pause. "Rennervate!" She pointed her wand at Noelle's chest, casting the reviving spell.

Noelle of course was blacked out and no idea what she looked like. And glad for it. Last time she had been knocked out like that, she had woken up in a dungeon.

So...

Noelle was revived (so to speak) and gasped as she sat up. Eyes wide. Disoriented a bit. And ..... Forgetting where she was, she scrambled back. "Get away from me!" She yelled at whoever was around her. Of course, it wasn't registering in her mind that it was Char. But for some reason, she was back in the dungeon.

Her breathing was heavy for a few moments and she knelt, cowered and protective of her own body before she realized where she was and who she just yelled at. Noelle's mind cleared and she shook her head a bit, clearing it. "I-I'm sorry Char. I... " Well she was just sorry. She slowly stood and rubbed her arm before realizing that the boils and pimples were gone. Thank Merlin.

O_O.

Get away from her? But she was helping! She wasn't attacking anymore, the duel was o--- oh. Oh.

Right.


"Um....Its okay." Char said reassuringly, and offered her hand to help Noelle up. "I think you need some chocolate or something."

Yes? Did Hirsch have anything on hand? She looked around for the professor.

Now this was one of the duels that Hirach was looking forward to the most.

Why? Because Charlotte Kettleburn was brilliant at duelling but a year of teaching Noelle Summers extra defence classes taught the man that she wasn't to be underestimated. So, he had every reason to look forward to this duel.

A smile was set in place as he watched spells fly past and shield charms put up and dodges being made. He even noted the frustration that was being let out by the duellers as the duel went on and on without a hint of stopping, a fact that only made him smile more. This was a good pairing. A pairing that allowed Miss Kettleburn to be challenged. Which, let's face it, had been something she requested earlier on, hadnt it?

And then it all went downhill from there.

He watched, almost as if in slow motion, as Noelle was flipped backwards and........ didn't seem to move?! Oh no. Oh no oh NO! He hurried forwards and towards the knocked out girl, who was now being awoken by Charlotte herself and was yelling at the latter to get away from her.

............ Er.

"It's okay, Noelle, you're okay," he said softly, "Come on, we'll get you to my office and you can have some tea or pumpkin juice," Because something told him that coffee wouldn't be the right answer here. "and some Honeydukes chocolate."

Pause. "Thank you, Miss Kettleburn." Small smile.


Stats:
Noelle Summers: 26.5%
Charlotte Kettleburn: 61.67%