Practice Makes Perfect (Closed RP)

[Barry Goldwater]

Having finished his classes for the day, Cecil had headed back into the room where he had had an unfortunate accident last year, fully intent on honing his skills and making up for last year's disastrous failure. Given the width of the room and the abundance of easily repaired, stationary targets in the vases scattered here, he figured this would be a good place to refine his hexes and charms alike. After closing the door behind him, he rolled up his sleeves and whipped out his wand, aiming down at the same vase he had attempted to strike last year.

"Incarnum Inflamarae!"

Cecil grinned as a fireball erupted from his wand and struck the vase down. At last, he had made up for his failure last year. With a quick "Reparo", he mended the vase and reset it, then practiced his wand flourish some more in preparation for his next spells. What should I go for next, I wonder...?

OOC: Hope casting those two spells were OK, they both fall under my proficiencies after all (17 Charms). If I did still need a mod roll, shoot me a heads up and I'll edit this

[Kip]

Weatherby found himself looking at the door that Cecil had directed him to. He glanced both ways to ensure nobody was watching, and then rapped on the door with his knuckles, beating out a rhythm - the code they had agreed on back in the Common Room. He waited for Cecil to unlock the door and give him entrance, so their work could begin...

[Barry Goldwater]

Cecil opened the door, having just restored and replaced the vase he'd smashed seconds ago. "I see you're here, Weatherby. What d'you think of this place? Pretty good as a practice range, eh?" He gestured across the wide, open room and the many targets presented in the vases set here and there.

[Kip]

Weatherby took a few steps down the lengthy room, flashing his head left and right and taking in the sights. "It's brilliant. How did you find stumble across this place?" Weatherby pulled out his wand and aimed it towards the vases on the opposite end, squinting his eyes and getting a feel for their new practice range.

[Barry Goldwater]

"Ehh, that's a long story. And I don't think we have the time to discuss it here." Cecil's eyes shifted to the wall where he'd fallen after his wand backfired. The story as to how he found this place in the first place - and the accident that had befallen him here - could wait for another day. Or year. Or ten, as far as he was concerned.

[Kip]

"Right, we have more pressing matters to attend to anyways." Weatherby wandered around the room slowly, inspecting every corner with an observant eye. "This is a great space. Half of this junk is covered in dust - looks like even Filch ignores it. That's good. That's very good."

He finally circled back to Cecil. "What shall we start with?"

[Barry Goldwater]

"Whatever you want," Cecil shrugged, secretly relieved that Weatherby had not pressed the point. "I'd recommend some nice little hexes, teach those snakes a lesson when they try to mess with us again without leaving too much of a mark, heh. Any suggestions, man?"

[Kip]

Weatherby tapped his chin for a moment. "Well, theres a Stinging Hex I've seen in a book. It's a bit beyond our level - but what's the point of practicing things we already know how to do, anyways? A Stinging Hex certainly would do a number on them."

[Barry Goldwater]

"Sounds good. There's also the Stunning Hex, the one Professor Petunia had us do in Herbology. Like the Stinger it's a bit above us right now, but there's no better time to start practicing it than now anyway. One good hit and whoever we aimed it at will be down for the count, after that we can run or kick 'em in the teeth while they're down. Besides, imagine the look on that snake's face when a second-year Stuns him." Cecil laughed grimly. "Shall we practice, then? You can start with the Stinging Hex while I launch a Stunner, then we can switch spells."

[Kip]

"Right. Seems like a good plan."

Weatherby angled himself towards one of the vases along the far wall and raised his wand, calling out the incantation to the Stinging Hex and hoping for the best.

[Barry Goldwater]

Cecil lined up his shot carefully, and concentrated heavily on the task at hand. He pictured that perfect, thin red beam soaring from his wand and knocking the vase down, just as he hoped it would the next Slytherin to pick a fight with the two of them. That done, as he exhaled he cried, "Stupefy!"

[Kip]

OOC: Since there's nothing in terms of conflict of interest riding on this, I'll just go ahead and roll it to keep the RP moving.

"Right. Seems like a good plan."

Weatherby angled himself towards one of the vases along the far wall and raised his wand, calling out the incantation to the Stinging Hex and hoping for the best.

fail

Cecil lined up his shot carefully, and concentrated heavily on the task at hand. He pictured that perfect, thin red beam soaring from his wand and knocking the vase down, just as he hoped it would the next Slytherin to pick a fight with the two of them. That done, as he exhaled he cried, "Stupefy!"

success


Weatherby's wand made a hissing noise, and he actually felt a piercing sting on his own thumb from his misfire. "Ow!" he muttered, rubbing the sting with his off-hand. "Well, at least now we know it hurts."

[Barry Goldwater]

Cecil whooped as a thin red bolt flew from his wand and smote the targeted vase down, breaking it against the floor. After muttering a quick 'Reparo' and while resetting the vase, he laughed "Heh, brilliant! It actually worked! Did you see that, Weatherby - oh." He stopped when he saw that Weatherby's spell had backfired. "You alright? Hmm...well, you don't look that bad to me, and at least we know that particular hex actually works. You wanna switch spells or keep practicing that one?"

[Kip]

Weatherby smiled sheepishly, still grasping his hand. "Yeah, it certainly works. I have to say I do enjoy the thought of old snake-lips' face swollen like a melon, so I'll stick with it for now. I'll take some pointers on the stunning hex though, later. Looks like you've got it figured out."

He finally relinquished his stung hand and pointed his wand back at the vase. "How soon do you reckon we should bring others in on this, Cec? I don't want the whole bloody school to know, but even if we become master duelists the Slytherins will still outnumber us. We're going to need more wands." To emphasize his point, he attempted to send another stinging hex downrange.

[Barry Goldwater]

"Right," Cecil frowned. "We should bide our time, not spill too much to too many people too quickly. I think we can count on that Ravenclaw Abbott, he seemed an alright sort and he's not in with those snakes. Same with Ashley..." He trailed off momentarily. "Though there's the matter that her cousin's in pretty deep with the snakes, feh. Think she can keep secrets? Oh, and Wa - " Cecil paused. Now that he thought about it more seriously, he believed Weatherby would not want to allow his little sister into the fight - she was too young and inexperienced, this wasn't her fight to begin with, and in any case he himself wouldn't, either.

With nothing left to say, Cecil returned to his original position and decided to further hone his Stunners. Once more he aimed at the vase, picturing that surge of power through his wand and the red light emitting from it to smite the vase down a second time, and spoke the incantation. "Stupefy."

[Kip]

he attempted to send another stinging hex downrange.

success

"Stupefy."

success

Weatherby watched with a grin as the pot downrange was peppered with pock marks where the Hex stung it. His satisfaction was half due to his success, and half due to the preservation of his hand from further stings.

"Abbot's a good sort. Forbes is in Rinok's back-pocket, though. He's being used, real pity he doesn't see that. Abbot's trustworthy so long as he doesn't speak to Forbes, because we both well know that eel Sidious will be the first to hear of it."

He paused to pat Cecil on the shoulder when his Stunning Hex exploded the vase down-range. "Ashley - I don't know Cec, she and her cousin are awfully close. Violeta's helped me out with a few things lately, its not that I don't trust her - but she's loyal to Slytherin. Ash wouldn't tell Violeta to betray us, but to protect Violeta. We should talk to Fritz first - I'm sure he'd be in, and we could use him to see where Ash's loyalties lie, him being a Hufflepuff too and all."

Weatherby raised his arm to fire off another spell, but hesitated and dropped his wand back to his side. He needed to address the issue of his sister - while he was thankful of Cecil for not pushing the issue, it had to be done."Waverly's young... I wouldn't want to get her involved in something that will get her hurt. But the way things are going - I'd rather her know how to take care of her self when I can't be around to take care of her. I won't bring her along on anything we plan in here, but I want to teach her how to defend herself."

[Barry Goldwater]

"You're right." Cecil clucked his tongue. "I...trust Ash, let's say, but you raise a pretty good point there. She won't like it much if we try anything around her cousin, I suspect. Fritz, though - that's a good idea. I've forgotten about him, to be honest, but he seems to be a guy we can trust, at least we know he doesn't see eye to eye with Rinok." He paused again to consider their other potential allies. "And Abbott...yeah, as long as we can make sure that snake Rinok isn't playing him through Forbes, he's in the clear. He seems an alright sort, anyway."

"And no problem." Cecil nodded fervently at Weatherby's last suggestion, the same idea had occured to him once his youngest sister too enrolled in Hogwarts in two years. "She could learn a thing or two here, cast spells above her level like we're doing right now and surprise any snakes who try to jump her like we will."

He cast 'Reparo' and reset the vase, then cast "Stupefy!" a third time, intent on establishing mastery over the spell.

[Kip]

"You're right." Cecil clucked his tongue. "I...trust Ash, let's say, but you raise a pretty good point there. She won't like it much if we try anything around her cousin, I suspect. Fritz, though - that's a good idea. I've forgotten about him, to be honest, but he seems to be a guy we can trust, at least we know he doesn't see eye to eye with Rinok." He paused again to consider their other potential allies. "And Abbott...yeah, as long as we can make sure that snake Rinok isn't playing him through Forbes, he's in the clear. He seems an alright sort, anyway."

"And no problem." Cecil nodded fervently at Weatherby's last suggestion, the same idea had occured to him once his youngest sister too enrolled in Hogwarts in two years. "She could learn a thing or two here, cast spells above her level like we're doing right now and surprise any snakes who try to jump her like we will."

He cast 'Reparo' and reset the vase, then cast "Stupefy!" a third time, intent on establishing mastery over the spell.

success

Weatherby nodded appreciatively. "Looks like you've got the Stunning Hex figured out. Gimme some pointers, will you? I can manage a few stings, but I don't fancy a backfire from the Stunning Hex."

[Barry Goldwater]

"Hmm...it was pretty straightforward, at least for me. Level the wand at your target, picture a nice thin red beam flying from the tip of your wand to fry the other guy, and say the incantation. Presto, you should have it then and there." Cecil took a break, leaning against the wall after again repairing and resetting his target. "Any pointers for the Stinging Hex, besides not having it backfire and sting ya?" He asked with a joking grin on his face.

[Kip]

"About the same, really," Weatherby said, glancing down to his thumb, where a red lump was quickly swelling in an egg-shape. "...and yes - make sure not to backfire!" Weatherby chuckled through clenched teeth, the pain from his hand starting to throb fiercely.