Gnaeus took the first girl’s wand and began to examine it. ”Soft, but not fragile… ” He returned the wand to the girl. “Approved.”

He took the second girl’s wand and ran his fingers through it for a moment. “Hmmm, new wand… You must build a stronger bond with your wand.” It was too new. “Thestral core wands are usually a little stubborn, and require an immense amount of experience to wield properly. It wouldn’t have chosen you if it didn’t think you were capable.” Plus, only a few practice sessions and it would be in better shape. ”Perfect condition.” He returned the wand.
 
Gnaeus reached for the boy’s wand and yanked it out of his hand. The boy didn’t seem like he wanted to share it, and Gnaeus didn’t blame him. He spoke as he inspected the wand, by running his fingers from the tip to the handle. ”This is a very study and durable wand. It will take quite a few blows to disarm you.” He returned the wand to the young wizard. ”Approved.”


Gnaeus took the student’s wand and analyzed it as the student asked if he could ask a question. Gnaeus chuckled then nodded, of course he could. It was a peculiar wand, the first phoenix feather core so far, but… bendy. ”Good for charms, but tricky. Your wand movement must be very precise. Approved.” He returned the wand.

“Impeccable condition!” Gnaeus said after examining it for a few moments. It was the first wand that looked well cared for and polished. It was spotless and very shiny. “This wand is also good for charm work.” He smiled at the girl and returned her wand.

Gnaeus took the next girl’s wand with his right hand, and after inspecting with for a few seconds he began to tap his left hand with it. ”Good for Transfiguration, which is not very useful for duels…” He was still concentrating on the wand, but no longer tapping it. ”The bond with its owner is… exceptionally and unusually strong.” He returned the wand. ”Approved.”
 
Gnaeus had to bend a little lower to take the wand from the next girl’s hand. “Oho, supple! Very good for duels, and jinxes.” He said the next part low enough so only she could hear it. “Like Mister Salander’s it won’t be easy to separate it from its owner.” He gave back the wand to the girl. ”Approved.”

Gnaeus took the young Ravenclaw’s and began to examine it. He took longer inspecting her wand than he did the rest, but he couldn’t quite figure it out. “A diverse wand… It will excel in whatever you choose. It seems to be entirely submissive to your commands and desires.” Gnaeus had never seen a more perfect match. The girl seemed stubborn, so a wand like this was perfect for her. He returned it. “Good condition.”

The first thing Gnaeus noticed when he held the Gryffindor’s wand was the repulsive markings it had on it. He cringed as he examined it. Oh, great, salamander scale core. Was there anything about this boy that wasn’t fiery and explosive? ”Unique wand. Very useful for fire related magic.” He had a feeling h was going to regret telling him that. ”Use it with caution.” He eyed him. ”Approved.” Just barely.


Gnaeus answered the question as he inspected the young Hufflepuff’s wand. “Yes, it is possible for the duelists to agree on a set of rules in addition to the standard ones, but it can still be considered a formal duel if the new set of rules don’t contradict the standard ones.” He hoped that clarified it. “Your wand is good offensive spells. Stunning Spells should be quite easy for you to cast.” He returned the wand to its rightful owner. “Approved.”

”Good condition.” He said as soon as the wand touched his fingers. ”Hmm, some wands tend to have difficulty performing different types of spells too suddenly, but this isn’t one of them. In fact, it should be very easy for you to cast a hex immediately after casting a charm.” He returned the wand to the boy and waited for the next peron.

Gnaeus took a few seconds to analyze the next girl’s wand then returned it to her. ”Approved. Good for charm work.”

Oi. This was the third unicorn hair core wand in a row. Sheesh. He inspected it then handed it back to the boy. “Perfect condition, good for conjuration, mind you.” That was a little unusual, but very useful.

Gnaeus took the Gryffindor’s wand and spoke soon after he began to inspect it. ”Unbalanced. Ideal for hexes and curses, but you will have to practice your charms twice as much.” He handed her the wand, but pulled it back before she retrieved it. ”Could use a polish, too.” He returned it to her.

Next was the Head Girl. Gnaeus held her wand carefully and began to inspect it. ”Strange wand…” Basilisk fang? Dangerous wand. He looked at her and took more time inspecting the girl than the did he wand. He began stroking his beard, full aware that he was making her uncomfortable. ”Exceptional for curses, and very powerful. Too powerful. Your wand is more powerful than you, and if you don’t improve soon it will have mastery over you.” With that he handed it back to her. ”Approve.” Just make sure whatever you cast doesn’t end up rebounding and hitting you.

Surprisingly, the next wand was the entire opposite. ”You should have no problems wielding it.” He said after inspecting the wand and giving it back to the girl. ”Approved.”

Gnaeus took the next girl’s wand and returned it to her after only a few moments. ”Good condition, perfect for transfiguration and good for hexes.”

The old man took the young Gryffindor’s wand and inspected it carefully. It had an usual core. ”Strong but easy to wield.” Gnaeus said before returning the wand. ”Approved.”

Gnaeus took the girl, very impressive with how well it was taken care of. ”Impeccable condition!” He handed it back to her. ”Good for offensive spells, mind you.” He added and winked before she walked away.

”Ideal for charm work.” Was the first thing Gnaeus said, after inspecting the girl’s wand. ”Perfect for Shield Charms.” He paused again for several seconds. ”Very obedient.” Clearly an approve wand. He handed it back to her and nodded.

Gnaeus took the next wand and began to analyze. ”Hmmm, good for jinxes, I see. Good condition.” It was very well polished, too.

The man took the young witch’s wand and examined it closed. ”Hmm, hippogriff feather… Very light.” He said swishing it around. ”Extremely easy to wield, and durable, too.” He returned the wand. ”Approved.”

”Ideal for hexes.” The old man told the Slytherin girl, after examining her wand, knowing that that would surely put a smile on her face. ”Not the easiest to wield, but you will manage. Approved.” He returned the wand.

He took the girl’s wand and inspected it. ”Like Mister Carter’s it is good for fire spells and charms. In fact, controlling already existing flames should be quite easy too, which means your opponents would be very silly to using that against you.” He gave it back to her. ”Which means you should provoke them.” He winked.


Gnaeus took the boy’s wand and began to examined it. Yes, it was in good condition. He looked at the boy and nodded. ”Very smooth, not the easiest wand to wield, but a good combination of wood and core.” He gave it back.

”Hmmm, unicorn…” Gnaeus began as soon as he touched the wand. ”But not it’s hair… It’s made of a unicorn’s horn.” That must have been expensive, not to mention dangerous. ”It’s a very disobedient wand.” This could be because unicorns favor women and not men, but it did choose him. ”Nonetheless, it is a good wand and it’s in good condition.” He returned the wand to the boy.

Next was another Ravenclaw. ”This is a very smooth wand, easy to use, and strong. The Kelpie core will become very useful once you start practicing nonverbal spells.” He handed it to her and nodded. Another wand in perfect condition.

Gnaeus raised an eyebrow. ”If you don’t want to duel you can’t stay. This is the dueling club, the purpose is to learn how to duel and that requires practice. You are free to leave at any time if you’re not comfortable.” He said and did not examine her wand, not until she made up her mind, anyway.

Onto the next one. ”What a magnificent wand!” Gnaeus exclaimed after a few moments examining it. ”Manticore hair. Very powerful, but tame. It isn’t very sturdy, though. Be sure to learn how to counter Disarming Charms, that is going to be your biggest challenge.” That really was an impressive wand, and in very good condition to. ”Approved.” He nodded and returned it.

Was the line getting any shorter? My Merlin, this was tiresome. He took the next wand. ”Excellent combination for dueling. This wood, core, and rigidity almost make for a perfect dueling wand. Could be a little, eh, swishier, and the length makes it a bigger target. Still a great wand.” He returned it. ”Good condition, too.”

Oh goodness, is this the last one? He took his wand and began to examine it, his short little arms were beginning to ache. ”Very good core.” Gnaeus began. ”Good for charms, even if you want to charm the wand itself.” Rules didn’t say anything against gluing the wand to your own hands right? Not every wand could do that, this was a rare one. The boy was very lucky it chose him. ”Strong too and good for most offensive spells.” He returned the wand.

Phew, now that that was over, Gnaeus returned to the center of the stage and addressed all of the students. ”All of your wands are in good condition, some better than others, but none are in need of replacement or repair.” That was good, repairing wands was easy, but replacing was tedious work, and a little embarrassing, too.

”In a moment you will be able to hex each other and set each other's hair on fire, but before we begin, let's discuss spells. I want each one of you to suggest one spell you think it’s useful and how it is useful. Remember, no dark spells. One answer per student, one student at the time, and try not to repeat answers.” Gnaeus stood back and let the students do the talking for a little while.

Jesifur raised her arm up high. When called upon she took a step forward, "Sir, Expelliarmus, it is the disarming spell."
Jesifur stepped back into line almost immediately.

'Very good core'. Treyen almost smirked, or maybe he did. He knew the Demiguise core will come in handy eventually...but then...'Good for charms'?! You HAVE GOT to be kidding. The smirk vanished instantly, and he eyed the wand curiously. It was never good for charms, maybe he was, but the wand was NOT. Tsk, tsk.

And what did he mean by charming the wand itself? Was that even possible? Why was he not getting answers? Oh, right, he wasn't voicing out his questions. Nor he would be, at least not now.

These could be questions for Magnus, though.

Treyen was back in an easy mood once he had his wand back, and even more when the dwarf man said that it was a strong wand.

Okay, now...spells? "Langlock could be useful as it prevents the other dueler from saying anything...unless they're great at non-verbals, of course," with was something he wanted to be. Great at non-verbals.

Strange wand...

Well, was that good or bad? She didn't find anything wrong with it. Much.

Yet she was becoming a tad uncomfortable with the way he was staring at HER instead of the wand. He was supposed to be inspecting the wand, right? Not inspecting it's wielder? And that beard stroking he was doing...

Just about having enough of the staring, she mentally sighed when he continued speaking. Curses, powerful...too powerful...more powerful then her...wait, what? What was that supposed to mean? If she didn't improve soon?! Taking the wand, she frowned and opened her mouth to ask, but...being 'approved' and whatnot, she went to stand where she previously stood when the lesson started.

WHAT!?!?

Still thinking over what Mr. Short said, the Slytherin re-holstered her wand and crossed her arms as she slumped against the wall, waiting for the rest of the students to get their wands inspected. Improve...pffft. SHE needed to improve? Everyone ELSE needed to improve. She was fine.

And now extremely self-conscious.

Looking towards the shorty sir, she may have smirked a little at the mention of 'hex each other' and 'set each other's hair on fire', but other than that, she went through the list of spells she'd learned in the past. "Perhaps the Histedius spell." she said, right after raising her hand. Were they supposed to raise their hands in here? This wasn't really a 'class' per-say. "Unlike the original knockback jinx, the spell can be controlled on where it goes which I find would be rather effective with dueling. Not to mention the added stinging would be useful with distracting your opponent so you could disarm them if...they haven't given up already."

Totally.

Gideon listened to the man as he inspected each and every wand he and his fellow students presented to him, paying attention to the description of his own when it was his term. He nodded in understanding of his words, smiling ever so softly as it was approved and accepting it back until it would be needed to do whatever would be done in today's meeting.

Stepping back from line to where he had been before, Gideon listened as the elder man continued. At the question of spells, he thought on what to answer, debating on using an obvious one or something different. "Perhaps a confundus charm to confuse your opponent..." he suggested.

Ideal for charm work? Hmm... Vashti neither agreed nor disagreed with that - she felt she was pretty average with charms and it wasn't her favorite subject - but that was good to know. And perfect for Shield Charms? She grinned at that. She had used a few Shield Charms every now and then, and they usually seemed to work. This was clearly why. Plus he said it was very obedient. Which she could also agree with. Excellent. She smiled at him as he gave her back her wand then went back to her previous spot.

One useful spell? Her hand shot up. "The Shield Charm is useful," she answered. "It can block many spells and sometimes even causes the spells to rebound back at your opponent."

Before this question:
Isabelle sighed. Joy introductions. Isabelle just loved introductions. "I am Isabelle Dupomt, 6th year Slytherin. I joined the Duelling Club because I always enjoyed dueling. My strengths overalll are Potions and Herbology. Spell related though I like charms and Transfiguration. I am not the best at defensive spells." Really why did they have to say their strengths and weaknesses? So people would know what to expect of her.

Now:
Isabelle raised her hand. "Perhaps Impedimenta. Its the charm thatslows your opponent down. It would be good because you could freeze or slow your opponents reaction and potentially win."

Kennedy's eyes grew wide. His wand was magnificent. Well, hehe, that made him feel great. The disarming part didn't bother him as much as it should, he was still gloating about how magnificent his wand was.

The fourteen year old raised his hand and said, "Stupefy...it stuns your opponent." Yep, and the whole lot of pixies that had attacked him at Herbology class.

Kurumi's heart pounded in her chest as he examined her wand. What if he said that her wand hated her? What if it was broken and she hadn't noticed? What if he said it was rubbish for dueling? Well, the last of those three wasn't really too much of a concern for her considering that she herself wouldn't be the strongest when it came to dueling, but the others were certainly a concern.

Thankfully, he didn't say any of those things - outside of her wand being better equipped for Transfiguration. She could accept that. Smiling, took her wand back. "Thank you, sir."

And now back to her spot.
Hex each other? Set each other's hair on fire? Why was he playing to Cookie Hater's strengths? Kurumi's body posture sunk a bit and she veered away from any nearby Slytherins, taking up a new standing place among Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs.

Spells? Kurumi scratched the back of her head as she thought about what sort of spells could be used. The possibilities were endless really. "Perhaps you could use Locomotor Mortis," Kurumi said with her hand in the air. "It sticks a person's legs together, making it difficult for them to move around and therefore off balance."

"Yeah, I easily use it. Thanks sir." said Raven. Then the duelling expert asked them about the spell that usually used it duel. Raven raised her hand up and answer.

"We can use expelliarmus for disarm, protego to protect from a spell, stupefy for stunning our opponents, etc."

Ah, he already knew his wand was stubborn at times, but with the right coaxing it could do practically anything for him.

"Sir? What about the knock-back jinx, Flipendo? That would be a great way to give yourself a little extra time to plan your next move while your opponent is recovering!"

Cael smiled hopefully wanting to impress the Professor.

Louisa beamed at this, she didn't really know what to expect from weilding it so fast when her heart would be hammering against her chest and her mind stopped dead if someone dueled her, but she beamed anyway.

Hearing her classmates answers Louisa's mind raced for something different. Slowly she raised her hand, "We can use Glisseo to make the opponent trapped or make him fall?" That made sense, no?

Jonathan beamed when the professor told him his wand was in great condition and his smiled grew wider when more compliments were said. His father did say his wand was in good condition before he left home. "Thank you professor" he said as he took his wand back.

Well, at least that went well. PHEW!

Hex each others hair? Jonathan laughed softly to himself. Were they really going to do that in here? More action around Hogwarts, eh? Jonathan then turned his attention to the professor back again as he questioned them about useful spells.

Well, being not to quick to answer, people were already answering the easy one. So Jonathan thought more... "ACCIO" he answered. Well, it's one of the useful spells right? It's quite a helpful one too. "We all know it as the Summoning charm. Casting it will summon a certain object you want." he put his hand down after answering.

Alyssa still felt unsure about dueling but after the Professor had told her that she had to leave the class if she wasn't prepared to duel, she handed her wand over."I'm staying!!"she told the Professor. "I may end up killing myself but I can't let down the family and especially Great Grand-dad."Alyssa thought to herself.

While she let the Professor examine her wand, she thought of a spell that would be useful during dueling. Someone had already answered Expelliarmus, which she was going to be using a lot of!!...so she thought of others. "I know," Alyssa thought to herself. She raised her hand and said "Accio Wand!!". She figured that if she took her opponent's wand they wouldn't be able to cast a spell.

But then heard someone else mention the same spell as her and so suggested another one. "What about OBLIVIATE? If we remove the person's memory, they would not be able to remember what or why there were doing there".

Harlow looked up at the gnome and smiled as he looked at her wand. She loved her wand more than anything. "Thank you sir," she reclaimed her wand and looked at it in a new light. She felt a renewed relationship with her wand and indeed it was going to be hard to separate her from it.


Harlow raised her hand, "Could you use Avis Oppugno." She offered. She was a bit scared to actually start hexing and dueling someone, but she was strangely excited at the same time.

Selina took back her wand as Spenser spoke. He mentioned that her wand was unbalanced. She could see that, after all Selina worked more with defense spells than charms. But maybe it wouldn't hurt to work on her Charms more often. She could always ask Violet, the Hufflepuff was brilliant at Charms. In fact, she would have to remember to do that for certain. Maybe it would help.

She nodded at Spenser and said, "Thank you, sir." With that she fell back into the crowd and waited for him to speak again. When he did he asked the class about which spells would be useful in this type of situation. She rose her hand in a shot and answered, "One spell you could use would be bombarda. It makes a small explosion which could distract an opponent."

A yelp caught in his throat as the Duel Master yanked his wand away, hardly breathing and just staaaaaaarring althoughout the examination. Very durable? Uh sure it is, thats why he liked it so much, its the only wand thats lasted this far with all his casting mishaps. He snatched it up quickly when it was returned, nodding hastily at the old man's findings "Thanks." he mumbled walking back to his spot, holding his priced possession lovingly in his hands, the old man's words echoing in his head.....


He watched the others get their wands inspected, looking curiously at little Harlow's, then Evelyn's and a few others. Then a question was asked.... spells. Nothing dark. Hmm, that gets tricky for Salander, who only knew of the 3 Unforgivables as the dark curses. Everything else to him was fair game. But his time in Hogwarts has taught him that some spells he knew may not be so cool in polite Wizarding society. So what to suggest?


......
....
..

"How about the Jelly Fingers spell Sir? Makes it difficult for the other guy to hold onto anything..... like a wand."

 
The moment he mentioned that her wand was new, Nora's eyes instantly went as wide as they could. How did he know?! Magic, yes, but it was still... curious. She nodded when he told her about the stronger bond, because she kind of figured that by herself.

And... was that a good thing? When he said that the wand wouldn't have chosen her if it didn't think she was capable of handling it? Eeeep. She smiled when he returned her wand, and she walked back to where she was standing before.

Once he finished examining all the wands, Nora's hand raised up in the air at the next question. "We can use Incarcerous. It ties someone up with ropes." At then the fun could begin, once the opponent is tied up.

Luna grinned took her wand and walked back

Luna raised her hand ''Protegro'' she said randomly

Aiden smirks upon hearing Mr. Spencer's description of her wand. Almost a perfect wand for duelling, eh? Maybe that's why it is difficult to cast new spells with it.

As the Duelling Champion addresses all the students and asks a question on useful spells, Aiden's hand shoots up immediately. "The Silencing Charm, sir," she pauses to clear her throat. "I find it pretty useful because a spell will be weaker when casted non-verbally. Therefore, the Silencing Charm could be used to mute our opponents in order to prevent them casting spells verbally. This means it is easier to block their spells aimed at us."

Janice's hand rocketed upwards.
"How 'bout Petrificus Totalus?" she suggested. Man, she love that spell.

Katrina raised her hand again.
"One rule is that you should not have physical contact between the duellists." she somehow knew it was correct, she thought. But she had a question too.
"Professor, is the rule I just said needed to be followed in both the informal and formal duels?"


Merlin's beard, Katrina thought. Wand weighing? Who needed that? But, hey, who wants to know if their wand is safe and not damaged?
Katrina went to the back of the line and waited for her turn.
She waited for 5 - 10 minutes until her turn.
"My name's Katrina Marie Hudson, a First Year Slytherin," the girl said. "My wand is 10" ebony with a dragon heartstring core and a spinnable quality."

Scott raised his hand after everyone had spoken "Finite Incantatem?" he smiled then continued "It stops most generic spells in their tracks"

Why was he chuckling? Daichi didn't get it! Had he said something funny? The second year frowned slightly as he tried to remember what he had said. He only asked if he could ask a que...oooh!

Okay, NOW he got it! It was still embarrassing though... But when the man nodded his head he sighed. Taking his wand back with a thank you , he looked at it and wondered about his words. It was good for charms....

SO WHY WAS HE SO BAD AT IT?!

Maybe it was because he was still young? But he wanted to be good at it NOW! Daichi puffed his cheeks and turned around to walk away when he remembered he still had his question. Whoops~ "Sorry if it is a stupid question.." he began as he turned back around. "But one of the rules is bowing. My father taught me his culture and ..bowing is a form of respect where he comes from and...i ...actually bow too when i meet someone" He holstered his wand back in his wristholster. "I-i didn't bow now because i was scared you would hex me or something..." he chuckled slightly before continueing. "So..does this mean that i can't bow anymore without people thinking i want a duel or something?" This was going to be a real problem! He was used to bowing O_o

As he waited for an answer, Daichi decided to think about the next question. "Reducto!~" he shouted all of the sudden and his eyes twinkled. "It's the only spell i'm good at! Actually i can do it without even meaning to!" Hmmhmm... he had not so proudly blown up the room of requirement, the desk in the charms classroom last year, his dormitory aaaaaaand the ground of the swimming pond. He was rather fond of that spell now hehe. He didn't even KNOW that that spell was actually a curse but whatever...

Good for hexes, INDEED!

"Impedimenta, sir?" Marilyn coughed, trying to work her nerves out about him having handled her wand. "It literally slows down something coming at you...Could this include spells?"