"Yeah sure that sounds great" Kayla said enthusiastically. "No I haven't yet, I've tried many times to get my friends to come and duel with me" she grinned slyly. "But they won't come and play...I think they're too scared that I'm going to kick their butts."

Dia cast an amused eye over to Xana. "Oh, can you now?" she smirked, standing gracefully from her seat and loping towards Xana and the Hufflepuff girl. Bowing her head respectfully to the Hufflepuff stranger, she turned to Xana. "Now, what were you presuming you could convince me to join?"

She smiled evilly. "Too scared you're going to beat them, eh? Well...for future reference, I am almost always up for a duel..."

"And so am I," Hitachi said quickly, "I'm always up for a three way duel." He looked at Dia and winked. He observed the Huffie and snickered. She think she's so good? he thought maliciously.

Kayla looked up at who she presumed was Dia and stared her straight in the eye. "I'll have to remember that" Kayla said. If she thinks because she's older that I should be scared well... "At the very least I should pick up some handy tips."

Alex grinned from a side seat at his friends, he didn't talk much to them anymore it was a shame. He turned his grin into a smile, he didnt want to seem the type to smirk alot. He absentmindedly twiddle his wand through his four fingers, it traveling from one to the next.

He said out a loud suddenly, "Hello." A showed a brief glint in his eye.

Hitachi heard someone say hello and he came to realize that Alex had spoken. He broke from his current conversation into a new one. "Sup Alex?" he asked him in a friendly tone. "Long time no talk, where you been?" he asked.

"Oh yes...I know you are." Dia winked at Hitachi, grinning. "I must say...we've have some epic duels."

She stared straight back at her. "True that...anytime anyone duels, even very experienced duelers as Xana, Hitachi and I are, they always pick up some new piece of information, be it about dueling in general or the opponents themselves."

Alex looked quite worried, he had not given a seconds thought to a cover story for his disappearance. "Umm, just studying. You know.." He indicated his head to one side and a gave a laugh combined with a sort out mischievous grin. "How have you been keeping, Hitachi?" He asked politely. He wanted to keep the subject off of where he had been.

"Then I guess we'll have to give it a go sometime" Kayla replied. "There's alot we can learn from each other" she knew that she would probably get her butt kicked but seeing how she couldn't get her friends in the Duelling Arena this would have to do. The more she thought on it the better it was, these older girls could give her the training she needed without realising they were doing it. Kayla smiled at the thought and looked back at Dia. "Drop me a note when you want to do this and I'll be there."

She nodded. "I shall."

Hitachi nodded and sighed. "I see. I can't blame you...." He took a second before he realized that he had been asked a question. "Oh I'm fine, fine. What are you studying for?"


He turned his head quickly to the Hufflepuff and said, "Oh there's more than a lot to learn." He smiled at Dia and the Hufflepuff and turned his head back to Alex. "Maybe you could join us in a three or four way duel?" he suggested.

"Exams." Alex covered up his story quick, he was nervous and hoped he would get away with this answer and smiled friendly at Hitachi. "I'm glad you're okay though!" He added. He wanted to make this perfect so no-one suspected a thing.

"Oh yeah sure, why not?" He wondered at this question if he will be beaten again by people whom magically seem to dodge every single spell, if that was the case he wasn't the one to bother with them.

Kayla nodded her head at Dia and went back to setting her pillow on fire and putting it back out again with a few flicks of her wand. Well this should make her grandmother happy, getting some training.

Kayla looked up at the Slytherin boy and smiled stiffly. "Well maybe you can help teach me too."

Xana grinned at Hitachi, Kayla and Dia. "It sounds as though we need to plan a little fun, then... I'm always up for an epic battle in the arena, just as long as the rules get established before the first hex is cast..." She grinned at Diabolica. "Like... oh, I dunno... 'no adorable wolf puppies' this time. " She laughed. "Actually, all is fair in love, war... and the duelling arena. If you all are up for it, I'd love to meet you in there tonight..?"

She picked up a bag of marshmallows and stuck one on a skewer, tossing it to Dia. "Catch!" she said, then put a marshmallow on a skewer for herself. She re-lit her pillow on fire and began to toast the marshmallow until the outer skin was golden brown, then she pulled the outer skin off and ate it, relishing the crisp outside and sweet, gooey innards. Mmmmmmmmmmm.... she toasted the remaining bit of marshmallow on her skewer, repeating the process until there was no marshmallow left.

Yummy. She skewered another marshmallow, and began to toast it as well.

Kayla looked at Xana. "Sure I'm up for it" she said grimly. "What time were you thinking?" Kayla gave a quick glance to the other Slytherins and clenched her wand tightly in her hand. This was like the lamb going to the slaughter and she was the lamb she thought with a slightly uneasy feeling in her stomach. But she couldn't back out now, she'd talked herself up now she would have to see it through.

James looked across the classroom. He had heard a very familiar voice and he scanned the room for the person. At last he found her.
James walked from his desk and walked over to Xana.
"I haven't seen you for a while!' he said happily to Xana. "How've you been?" he noticed she was with others.
"Hi, I'm James," he said to Dia, Kayla, and Hitachi.

Xana turned at the sound of a familiar voice. "James! I feel like it's been... months!" she said with a grin. "I kept keeping an eye out for you at the Ravenclaw table, but I've not seen you... how did that potion work out for you?"

She turned to her friends, remembering her manners. "I'd like you to meet my friends. This is Diabolica Black, Kayla Winters and Hitachi Suzuki. And this is my friend James Carter... We met in potions lab."

"Hi James, it's nice to meet you" Kayla said with a smile before turning her attention back to her pillow which was all black and burnt now, so there was no point in continuing with her spellwork.

"How about this evening, say 8 pm?" she asked with a sweet smile. "I'm free, if you all are..." This was going to be fun... she could use the stress relief that a good duel could provide.

"That will be fine" Kayla replied stiffly. "I'll be there" she gave Dia a quick glance before turning away. Out of the three Slytherins there, this girl scared her the most.