[DUELLING TOURNAMENT]: Year 11 - Round 1 - Don't be Squared

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Round 1 - Don't be Squared

Welcome to the first round of the Duelling Tournament! Here's your scenario:

A - Gargoyles who shoot stunning spells
B - Bridges
C - Deep pit
D - Opponent (Dummy of 'A' level)
E - You

Your goal is to reach the dummy and defeat. The dummy has an "Amateur" level so it shouldn't be too difficult to defeat for qualified students. However, you have to reach it avoiding the stunning spells being thrown at you, and if you have a borrowed wand everything is even more difficult. Be smart, be creative and survive!

Rules:
- If you have not passed your wand exam you may RPG with a school borrowed want, but beware, borrowed wands don't work as well as your own wand
- Apparation and Animagus transfiguration are restricted only to those who passed their exams

Instructions:

- When you're done and ready to move on to another round, and if you're the first one to finish this round, go to the sign-ups thread to request the next round to be opened.

ATTENTION: Once you post your entry, you may be scored at any given time. Only post them when you're happy with it and you're ready to go to the next round.

Scores:

Minimum word count of 500 words - 12,5 pts
Spelling & Grammar - 12,5 pts
Strategic Thinking - 25 pts
Use of Magic - 25 pts
Use of the Scenario given - 25 pts

HousePoints per Round:


1st Place	1,000 HP
2nd Place	850 HP
3rd Place	750 HP
4th Place	650 HP
Competing	600 HP

Good luck everyone!

Katie clutched her Cherry and Phoenix tail wand as she entered the duelling arena. She shivered, and wasn't sure if it was her own nervousness, or just from the chilly stone dungeon room that the duel was taking place in.

Katie looked around, taking in the arena that had been designed for this round. She could see a gargoyle in each corner of the room, staring down at her menacingly. She gulped, hoping they were just there for added decoration (or intimidation) but knowing they probably had some nefarious purpose.

Looking across towards her opponents side, she could see three bridges spanning over what looked like darkness...a pit, perhaps? She could see the dummy directly on the other side of the center-most bridge, with an "A" on his chest. At least her first round wouldn't be against a difficult dummy, she might even have a chance! However, it did seem like her opponent was much closer to the bridge, meaning she had much more empty space before she could reach his side, though she supposed this also meant she had more room to move around on her side.

Running through the list of spells she’d been practicing one last time, Katie stepped further out into the arena and nodded to the dummy signaling she was ready. Simultaneously, Katie and dummy bowed to one another. There was a brief moment of hesitation while they both readied their wands; Katie’s hand was shaking slightly from her nerves. She decided to make the first move.

“Rictusempra!” Katie called, and the tickling spell blasted from her wand. In her nervousness, she hadn’t held her wand quite steadily enough, and her spell just missed the dummy, leaving a slight mark on the stone walls instead.

The dummy fired back what looked like a stinging jinx, but Katie was able to dodge it easily. Just as she dodged it, she saw a red light go streaking past her shoulder, startling her. Before she had time to turn around, she saw the same red light come streaking from one of the gargoyles behind the dummy, coming straight at her. Katie quickly rolled out of the way.

Great, looks like the gargoyles are shooting stunning spells!

The dummy shot a leg-lock curse that she easily deflected with a shield charm. Knowing she needed to reach the dummy, Katie began to creep forward, throwing some stunning spells the dummy’s way, who deflected them, and shot one back. At the same time, one of the stunning spells from the gargoyles was headed her way, trapping her from moving out of the way of both spells. Katie dropped to the ground, and felt the stunning spell graze her cheek. Katie let out a grunt of pain.

I need more cover, Katie thought. I need to get closer to the bridge.

Staying low, Katie made her way towards the bridge, hoping to get behind the pillar as a defense from which to shoot spells at. She had made it to the bridge, but didn’t quite get under cover fast enough, and got hit by a jelly-leg curse. Wobbling at the edge of the pit, Katie could only see darkness below her. Clutching the pillar of the bridge for dear life, she quickly used the counter-jinx to return her legs to normal.

The gargoyles attacks were getting more intense, red stunning spells were firing everywhere, ricocheting across the walls. Katie knew she needed to get to the other side of the bridge, and quickly. She was tempted to apparate, but with the gargoyles shooting stunning spells in every which direction, she couldn’t guarantee she wouldn’t apparate right into one of the curses.

Katie had an idea. Peeking out behind her pillar she saw the other dummy approaching the bridge to get a better angle at her. Jumping out suddenly, she yelled, “Locomotor Mortis!”

The dummies legs locked in place, he was unable to move. Running across the bridge, she ducked as a stunning jinx went right over her head, hitting the dummy squarely in the chest. Katie made it to the other side of the bridge and yelled, “Expelliarmus!”

With her opponent still staggering from the stunning spell and locked in place from her jinx, Katie had easily disarmed him. The dummy’s wand flew into the air and Katie caught it triumphantly, heart rate still beating from the exertion.

“Yes!” she yelled, pumping the air with her fist. Her first duel had been a success.

"You'll be okay Nat, No worries!" I chanted to myself before I opened the door to the dungeon. After years of peer pressure and wonder, I had finally capitulated and entered in to the Dueling tournament. And so there I stood. The lighting was awful, but I could see enough as I surveyed the room.

Gargoyles in each corner...great! I wondered what spell they would be spitting out at me. The dummy mobilized, held one of its hands up at the other side of the room and caught my attention. I shook my head at it signalling I wasn't ready yet and it placed its hands in front of itself and waited. I had been told by the teacher outside the room that it was an armature dummy so I wasn't really worried, but looking at its wooden frame unnerved me somewhat.

My attention was then drawn to the three small bridges that covered a parting in the floor in front of the dummy. I deduced that the aim of the duel was not only to disarm my opponent, but to get across to the other side with relative safety. "Yeh, I can do this! No sweat!" I encouraged myself, although my face depicted a look of terror. I nodded at the dummy to let it know I was ready and pulled out my Redwood, Dragon Heartstring wand. A light appeared at the end of the dummy's wand which meant the duel had begun. I bowed low as per courtesy and the dummy did the same.

Out of sheer nervousness, and stupidity, I shot a stunning spell as soon as I was out of the bow. Not looking where I was aiming it of course, it ricocheted off one of the bridges right back towards me. I dropped to the floor in fear, reeling in my own embarrassment. I heard it hit the floor just behind where I was crouched and suddenly the room was ablaze with red sparks. It spooked me back to a standing position just as a red stream of light caught the hem of my robes. I wheeled round to see it had come from the gargoyle behind me.

The dummy was poised for action and promptly shot a disarming charm at me. "Protego" I screamed quick enough for the charm to be absorbed.
"Expelliarmus" I shot back now making sure I was aiming for the dummy, but it wheeled out of the way. Red streams of light were coming from all corners of the room so I had to think fast as I was flying this way and that avoiding them. Not to mention the myriad of coloured lights coming at me from the dummy. One of them came at me just as I flung myself out of another from the gargoyle behind him, it hit me in the side and slashed my robes and skin. Blood started to drip from the linear graze created. I looked at it annoyed and felt a surge of anger.

Suddenly I had a brilliant idea.
"Fumos" I yelled with a hint of delight as I moved my wand from side to side letting the smokescreen cover me. The spells momentarily stopped, I am guessing because I could not be seen. I darted for the middle bridge and thew myself on to the floor, wand at the ready.
"Everte Statum" I shrieked aiming for the dummy and an orange stream of light hit him in the head. He flew back a few feet as I began to army crawl over the bridge. Stopping in the middle of the bridge as my side twinged, I grabbed it and let out a cry of pain.

The smoke was starting to clear and the dummy obviously spotted me again. It shot a jelly finger jinx my way and forgetting I was on the bridge, I rolled sideways out of the way. I stretched out my arm as I plummeted in to darkness.

Hanging helplessly by one arm, the other clutching my wand and my wounded side, I contemplated defeat.
"No" I cried in desperation, and pointed my wand upwards.
"Ascendio" I huffed through sharp breaths of pain. I shot upwards and the dummy came in to view. I aimed my landing fantastically on his side and rolled on to my knees. Quick as a flash I whipped my wand in the dummies direction.
"Expelliarmus" I screamed and the red beam flew strait at its hand. The dummy spun as its wand flew out of its charred wooden hand and landed on the floor near the exit door. I ran and grabbed it just in time for the gargoyle to fire a stunning spell at it.

Exhausted, I lent against the door and let out a sigh of relief. Blood was now seeping through the graze and on to my robes. I shook my head and laughed as the door opened.

Your score is below:

amortentia 773 - 80 points

NatalieSS - 78 points

You can check your overall standings HERE.

» Duelling Tournament: Round One Instructions
» Duelling Tournament: Round Two Instructions
» Duelling Tournament: Round Two Instructions
» Duelling Tournament: Final Round
» Duelling Tournament: Final Round Instructions