[img align=left]http://i1382.photobucket.com/albums/ah279/AderynJones/Aderyn%20HAs/AderynDuelling_zpsas6xvkyf.png[/img]

Aderyn stepped up as Beth () called on her and she nodded, satisfied that she knew what she was doing. She just crossed her fingers and hoped that her aim stayed true. Holding up her wand and facing Beth, she smiled.

"Ready."

[img align=left]http://i.imgur.com/ewypPQR.png?1[/img]Beth gets into dueling position."I'm ready. Come at me with the Stunning spelll," she said as she tightened her grip on her wand.

()

[img align=left]http://i1382.photobucket.com/albums/ah279/AderynJones/Aderyn%20HAs/AderynDuelling_zpsas6xvkyf.png[/img]

Aderyn nodded and gave Beth () a moment to ready herself before raising her wand and carrying out the wand motion.

"Stupefy!"

Her shout this time was confident and her aim was not too bad - a jet of red light shot from her wand and toward Beth at neck-level. Aderyn bit her lip nervously in the split second it took the light to travel, hoping she hadn't attacked too quickly.

[img align=left]http://i.imgur.com/ewypPQR.png?1[/img] "Protego!"

Beth shouted quickly and with a sharp swift movement of her wand a shield appeared, protecting her from the Stunning Spell. The flash of red light rebounded from her shield back into the empty air.

"You were amazing! Great job!" she happily told Aderyn ().

[img align=left]http://i1382.photobucket.com/albums/ah279/AderynJones/Aderyn%20HAs/AderynDuelling_zpsas6xvkyf.png[/img]

Aderyn clapped excitedly as Beth () put up an impressive shield, watching her own stunning spell bounce harmlessly off of the barrier and dissipate in midair.

"Thanks!" She said happily. "That was a really good shield, too!"

[img align=left]http://i.imgur.com/ewypPQR.png?1[/img]Beth turned to everyone. "Practice wand movements and reciting the incantation for now. Once you're ready, pair up and take turns conjuring a shield."

[img align=left]http://i1382.photobucket.com/albums/ah279/AderynJones/Aderyn%20HAs/AderynDuelling_zpsas6xvkyf.png[/img]

Once Beth had dismissed them, Aderyn stepped off to the side to practice the wand movement that went with the shield charm. Her success with the stunning spell gave her some measure of confidence in her skills and she felt like she would have a much easier time with the shield charm. As she put her wand through the motions, she glanced around for an empty spot on the floor in which to practice the charm in a few minutes time.

[img align=left]http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b174/theatticbox/harper4.png[/img]Harper gulped, a little nervous about pairing up for this spell. What if my shield doesn't work? What if theirs doesn't work?

She took a deep breath to calm herself. She practiced the sharp wand motion a few times, then shouted the incantation a few times. "Protego! Protego! Protego!" Once she got the hang of saying the incantation and the wand movement, she tried them both together.

"Protego!" she shouted, moving her wand like Beth had. Harper let out a squeak of delight when the shield appeared--not feebly like she anticipated, but bright and a good size.

Demeogo and Hannah practiced wand movements for a while before they were going to try to do the spell all together.

[img align=left]http://i.imgur.com/ewypPQR.png?1[/img]"I think you four are ready to practice conjuring the shield with each other."

She turned to Demeogo and Hannah and told them, "You two can practice over there!". Beth points to the left side of the platform.

"And you two can practice over there!", she tells Harper and Aderyn while pointing to the right side of the platform.

() () ()

Rowan starts carefully practicing her wand movements while waiting for someone to pick her as a partner. As always, testing spells makes her nervous, but she only drops her wand once.

Paddy watched everyone else for a while, before having a go with the wand movement herself - much to her surprise, once she said the incantation, a small shield appeared. It wasn't anywhere near as good as Beth's, but it was a start. Concentrating on the wand movement, she gave it another go, trying to get the shield looking more like Beth's had.

and Magnus were waiting nearby for Beth ()'s go ahead to practice. Of course neither one of them had remembered to ask Beth...oops. Rowan () and Paddy () were already practising their wand movements. Maybe he should have too? Blushing a little at his own oversights he got his wand out and started practising.

((OOC: got an awful migraine been going since Sunday, so I'm a little on the spacey side))

[img align=left]http://i.imgur.com/ewypPQR.png?1[/img]"It seems like you all are ready to practice conjuring shields with each other. Please partner up. One of you can partner up with me.”

((OOC: , I hope your migraine goes away. I suffer from migraines myself. Having one is the worst feeling ever.))

[img align=left]http://i.imgur.com/S8ReoUj.png[/img] Poppy practiced alone by saying, "Protego," and brandishing her wand. Her shield was more faint than she would have liked. "Maybe they get stronger with more conviction," she thought. Everyone else had already paired up to test out their Shield Charms except for herself, Lyn (), and Charlotte ().

[img align=left]http://i909.photobucket.com/albums/ac299/blissfuldaisies/Random/Dueling_zpsy1yj9od9.png[/img]Gaia was confused () "What about me? I am right here." Blushing a little she wondered if she was so focused on practicing wand movements that she complete ignored everything that happened.

[img align=left]http://i.imgur.com/S8ReoUj.png[/img] "Would you like to be my partner? My shield isn't very strong and I think it's because I'm protecting myself from nothing. I can't help from feeling a little silly just waving my wand into thin air."

() Gaia snapped out of her focused thinking and smiled "Of course! Would you like me to attack you so you can practice?"

[img align=left]http://i.imgur.com/S8ReoUj.png[/img] "Yes please. I'm ready when you are." Poppy planted her feet firmly, braced herself mentally, and pointed her wand in Gaia's direction.

()

"Great!" grinning Gaia took her place and pointed her wand. "Stupefy!" a red light leaving the tip of her wand.