What doesn't kill you makes you stronger. on Mirage Chamber

Tabitha Hawthorne

October 19, 2018 10:41 PM

What doesn't kill you makes you stronger. by Tabitha Hawthorne

Tabitha was struggling with being back at Sonora more than she cared to admit. Her body hummed with energy and adrenaline that needed to be used, seeking a challenge to conquer. She could barely sit still at mealtimes and going into Labyrinth Gardens had become less and less helpful as she was starting to remember which path led where which took all the fun of discovery out of it. She needed something to do. She needed somewhere to put her energies that wouldn't require leaving the school. If she sat behind her desk without doing anything active for one more day, she felt sure that she would crack.

It was then that the Defence professor had remembered the Mirage Chamber.

She hadn't been inside it since coming to Sonora, only knowing about it from Selina who had shown her the place during the grand tour of the academy. Back then, Tabitha hadn't really thought about using it, barely even remembering its existence. Until now.

After gaining permission from Selina to use it for her own, individual purposes and with the caveat that she let someone know where she was, Tabitha spent time designing a program for the room that would hopefully cure her of her restlessness. She threw everything into it, all the creatures she'd faced, even random wizards that would duel her, set up several different natural environments and then set the whole thing to random. She wouldn't know what was coming which was a good thing. She needed to be kept on her toes. She needed to get back in touch with the side of her that lived for traveling, that lived for the unexpected. It wouldn't be exactly the same but she hoped that it would be close enough.

So, it was about an hour after lunch that Tabitha sent a letter to Mary with instructions that if she hadn't returned from the Chamber an hour before dinner, then the Potions professor was to come and find her. Then, dressed in a simple dark blue vest top, loose black pants and a pair of trainers, Tabitha entered the Chamber.

At first, stepping into the Chamber was disconcerting. Where it was still daylight on the other side of Tavarius Mims' portrait, inside the Chamber it was the middle of the night, a full moon high in the dark night sky and casting an ethereal silver glow over the forest landscape. Tabitha, prepared for the trial ahead, was already armed with her wand and muttered a quiet Lumos in order to create more light. It was a dense forest, it seemed and despite the glowing tip of her wand, she couldn't see very far into the trees that surrounded her. There were many things that could be lurking in the dark depths and Tabitha's mind was already making a list of potential creatures.

Graphorns, Thunderbirds, Acromantulas, Manticores, Quintapeds, several different types of dragon...

It wasn't lost on her that the creatures she'd thought of were some of the most dangerous creatures in existence. Plus, there was no telling if there were any 'dark wizards' lurking in the shadows, waiting to ambush her. Her tongue darted out to moisten her lips. Well, she had wanted a challenge.

She steeled herself and inhaled deeply and, after one more quick look around the clearing she was standing in, she started to walk into the surrounding forest.

20 Tabitha Hawthorne What doesn't kill you makes you stronger. 1417 Tabitha Hawthorne 1 5

Mary Brooding

October 20, 2018 1:51 AM

What makes you stronger makes you dangerous. by Mary Brooding

Mary wore black.

Her cascading hair had been braided and twisted and wrapped into the nearest approximation of a bun that it could achieve. Her regularly ruffled dresses and layers had been traded for a black riding dress, with a length of skirt in the back and cropping in at the hips to allow her legs to move freely in the front, exposed in their fitted black pants and boots. Her collared shirt was soft and slim, hugging her arms, and her vest was thick and stiff, protection for her torso. An array of simple leather pouches were strapped to her side. One was a holster for her wand, one was empty, ready to be filled with the potions she would mentally summon upon entering the Mirage Chamber, and one was full of very real health potions, just in case. And dittany. And a bezoar. And some bandages.

Better safe than sorry.

Mary was greeted by the night sky and a dark forest when she stepped into the Mirage Chamber several minutes after Tabitha entered, long enough that the Potions professor was sure the woman was not nearby. She stooped to retrieve potions from the crate at her feet, not entirely sure why that's the form her brain had provided, and then stood again, pulling out her wand to face the dangers ahead.

Although it wasn't totally fair to jump in and force changes on Tabitha's room, she thought the effort would be appreciated. The woman's restlessness was evident and there was nothing dangerous about the depths of her own mind. Mary was dangerous. If there was anything that she felt confident in, it was that she and Tabitha were equals. They completed each other in many ways and if anyone was likely to pose a real threat to either of them, it would be the other. Not to say that there weren't others who could do so-- Mary was sure that Deputy Headmistress Skies could very effectively hex her face off and Tarquin would probably beat her with a book if they got into a fight.

Regardless, Mary knew that if she and Tabitha were going to work long-term, a goal she was sure they shared, then Mary needed to be interesting. Not because Tabitha was shallow, but because Tabitha was exciting. They were a match and a proper duel would make that quite clear.

There was, of course, the risk of actually being hurt herself in this case. While she wouldn't aim to do real damage to Tabitha whilst dueling, and doubted the room would allow it anyway, there was always the chance that Tabitha might not be so hesitant to cause real harm to a seemingly imaginary opponent. Beyond that, there was only one way to actually prove that Mary was not a figment of the room's imagination.

The thought brought a deadly smile to Mary's face. It was the one area she actually had the edge in a duel, as she certainly wasn't as quick on her feet or knowledgeable about these things as Tabitha was. The competitive edge that wanted a challenge and some excitement just as bad as Tabitha did was only brought out by the Defense professor's contagious attitude and Mary was eager to begin.

She stepped forward, embracing the night air with a gentle breath, and forcing herself to think like a fighter. Dressed in black, Mary was obscured by the inky shadows that wrapped around her when the first brushes of forest licked at her arms and legs.

When she heard the rustles of various hidden creatures in the night, Mary was once again grateful that this wasn't real. Tabitha would likely be able to identify these creatures by the sounds they were making but Mary was only sure of which ones had hooves, claws, or something else by the sounds she heard. She only hoped that the room recognized their goals: if Tabitha was aiming to fight off creatures, they would attack her, not Mary.

She wasn't exactly quiet. As much as she might blend visually into the environment, she was unused to any such activities where silence might be important. However, she was fairly stealthy. Small as she was and used to the limits of much wider garments, Mary felt positively lithe as she crept through the woods. Her eyes were adjusting well, although she kept her hands in front of her to ensure she didn't run into anything directly, whether it be a tree or an acromantula (she shuddered at the thought and tried desperately not to think it), and was surprised to find a light ahead of her in the woods.

It wasn't particularly bright, which made her more confident that it wasn't a hinkypunk or something equally dangerous to her directly, and she smiled again. Tabitha wasn't expecting an actual person and had lit a light for herself. Mary crept forward until she was sure she wouldn't be able to get any closer without giving away her position directly.

For a moment, she simply considered. Tabitha was walking in the woods just as dense as anywhere, providing adequate cover. As a result, more pointed spells would probably be an effective way to start an engagement without actually hitting their mark. Anything that would catch the forest on fire was a bad idea for a number of reasons, although the fact that it would destroy the advantage Mary had by wearing black was not the primary concern in that case. It would also be unfair to use a binding spell or something that would immobilize Tabitha when she didn't expect an attack.

But she does expect an attack.

Mary remembered then how dangerous Tabitha was.

This was a dueling master, entering the woods in anticipation of fighting a creature or imaginary wizard. Whatever Tabitha was at that moment, including surprised or caught-off-guard, she was not unprepared. Mary hardened her expression and allowed herself to sink into the adrenaline that made her heart beat faster. Even if something went awry and one of them did end up injured, the room could be dissipated at a moment's notice. Even if something went awry and one of them did end up injured, this was for Tabitha. Tabitha would certainly be excited (she hoped) to face some real danger and that it was from her partner. Hopefully she'd also be a little excited later on that evening all because of it.

Mary raised her wand and focused her mind at the same time, prepared to lunge with both.

"Expulso," Mary shouted, aiming at the branches and leaves above Tabitha, showering the woman with natural projectiles and the satisfaction of a very loud sound. She hadn't put enough force into it to be concerned that anything larger than a few small sticks would land on Tabitha and didn't waste time with concern for this before lunging forward with her mind.

"Legilimens," she muttered through gritted teeth, forcing her thoughts to move like an arrow before reaching for Tabitha's mind. She grasped at the woman's thoughts, allowing enough of herself to leak through that it was clear who was attacking and that it was benign.

Then, she screamed. Her voice lurched from her throat and she felt like her mind's work might've looked like large stone shattering the surface of otherwise still waters as it erupted with her thoughts, her personality, and her warning.

"On guard!" she screamed.

Then, she ran.

22 Mary Brooding What makes you stronger makes you dangerous. 1424 Mary Brooding 0 5

Tabitha Hawthorne

October 20, 2018 8:32 AM

You're about to see just how dangerous... by Tabitha Hawthorne

Tabitha was surprised, automatically dropping into a crouch and pulling all her long limbs inwards and dropping her head down in order to shield it from the assault - it wouldn't do to get knocked out. When the rain of sticks and leaves had finished, only a few bouncing harmlessly off her, Tabitha was about to stand up again when she felt a sharp piercing presence in her mind. Despite the intrusion, it was warm and familiar and Tabitha recognised it with both shock and confusion before forcefully throwing Mary out.

She stood up this time, wand pointed in what she thought was the right direction but without Lumos still lighting her way, everything was much too dark and Tabitha had to squint to even attempt to make anything out. Then, Mary's scream ripped through the silence of the forest. For a moment, a shot of panic went through her, wondering if Mary was in any kind of danger. Well, as much as one could be in when in the Mirage Chamber. Except the scream had been a powerful battle cry and had come from directly in front of her and then, suddenly, Tabitha was forced onto her weaker foot and into a defensive position as she protected herself from the spells that were coming her way.

For a moment, Tabitha's confusion overrode any thoughts to return the attacks that she was coming under as she tried to process exactly what was happening. She had briefly considered that Mary might be of the Chamber's creation but that was impossible as she hadn't been included in the creation of the room which, Tabitha thought in hindsight, was perhaps a bit foolish. Anybody could turn on you, anybody could attack. Even the people that you loved most and were supposed to love you in return. The point was, the Mary currently keeping Tabitha under fire was not a simulation. A simulation wouldn't force Tabitha to duck behind a particularly sturdy tree to buy a few moments of time to process.

That made her real.

Which only confused Tabitha further. What on earth had gripped Mary to come after Tabitha only a short while after the Defence professor had entered the Chamber? She didn't look like Mary. Not how Tabitha had come to recognise Mary, which was normally surrounded by large skirts and ruffles. No, this Mary was... Well... It was an unavoidable thought, really and Tabitha emerged from behind the tree to look again.

This Mary was sexy.

Also, apparently, very dangerous.

And very, very appealing.

And, as another spell just narrowly missed the side of Tabitha's face, currently attacking her, inciting her, forcing her into a wizard's duel.

Tabitha didn't know why but, by the same token, she wasn't going to let the many question nor Mary's delicious appearance distract her so thoroughly that she lost whatever challenge that it seemed the Potions mistress had taken upon herself to set. There was also the very exciting thrill that because Mary wasn't a creation of the Chamber that the risks were very much higher in that getting hurt was a very big factor. Though, instead of frightening Tabitha, this only served to stir up the adrenaline that was humming through her body. She had one final thought before she began to return the assault.

She just hoped Mary knew what she was letting herself in for.

Her features changed and arranged into a determined expression, though her lips twitched upwards in an excited but dangerous smirk. She defended herself expertly against Mary's next few spells by ducking, moving and casting protego before she saw an opening and took it, shooting off three offensive spells in return. If it was a duel Mary wanted, it was a duel Mary would get.

20 Tabitha Hawthorne You're about to see just how dangerous... 1417 Tabitha Hawthorne 0 5

Mary Brooding

October 20, 2018 11:15 AM

Finally! by Mary Brooding

Mary laughed, a wild sound that bubbled from her lips as she dodged the first of Tabitha's responding spells and cast a few of her own back. She was excited for the opportunity to play with Tabitha and she was excited that the woman was taking her bait.

She ducked behind a particularly wide evergreen and gathered her thoughts for a moment. Tabitha was certainly dangerous and her mental defenses even when surprised were proof enough of that. Mary knew she couldn't fight easy because she wouldn't stand a chance if she did. While she didn't necessarily expect to "win", she knew she could do pretty alright.

Shoving her free hand into her potions pouch with the Mirage Chamber potions, she reached for a bottle of Dizziness Draft. While it wouldn't be as effective since Tabitha wouldn't be directly drinking it, the fumes and whatever managed to splash onto Tabitha would certainly produce some lightheadedness. Probably. Hopefully. She hadn't actually experimented much with dueling with potions this way but had high hopes that they would, theoretically, work. Certainly it was dangerous to brew such things while breathing the fumes that came off them then.

She took a breath and peaked around the trunk of the tree, aiming carefully for Tabitha as the woman snuck through the woods, and throwing the bottle of potion at the woman's feet, shattering the glass and releasing the Dizziness Draft.

"Stupefy!" she added, hoping to knock Tabitha back more efficiently that way.

22 Mary Brooding Finally! 1424 Mary Brooding 0 5

Tabitha Hawthorne

October 20, 2018 11:51 AM

Are you playing tricks on me? by Tabitha Hawthorne

It wasn't the potion that affected Tabitha first but rather, the spell. It hit in her in the stomach while she'd been distracted with guarding her nose and mouth against the potion fumes. This, in turn, caused her to stumble back, her free left hand coming to rest briefly on her stomach where the spell had hit it. It was then that she took a breath of the fumes and blinked blearily as, after a moment, the world seemed to tilt and spin a little.

Oh, that's clever...

Her back hit a tree as the effects of the potion caused her to wobble precariously on her own feet. She shot off a random spell, unsure of which one her subconscious had selected and was almost certain that it had missed. She gritted her teeth and tried to force her mind to clear.

Come on, Hawthorne. Now's not the time to go embarrassing yourself.

She certainly didn't have anything as helpful up her sleeve like Mary's potions but there were many spells and hexes and jinxes in her arsenal, including, she was a bit reluctant to admit, many dark magic spells. Not that she was considering using them in this duel. This was a fun, exciting challenge and not one to be taken too seriously with an intent to injure her opponent. The key here, Tabitha had worked out, was distraction. If she could distract Mary long enough, that'd give her a good advantage.

She shook her head to clear the last remaining effects of Mary's potion and focused her eyes on the tree the woman was near.

"Reducto!"

Her spell shot straight for the trunk, hit it and it exploded, reducing the tree to nothing more than a thick cloud of ash. That was intended to obscure Mary's vision momentarily as Tabitha moved away from where she'd been standing to move and duck further into the forest. It was time to be a bit more cunning, to create disorientation and confusion and, Tabitha thought with a smirk, incite Mary to chase her. The darkness of the forest was oppressive and Mary would be forced to rely on her senses to pick out where Tabitha lay in wait.

Just before she disappeared further into the trees, she passed Mary and, taking the opportunity to be cheeky, shot a tickling jinx at the woman, letting out a bark of laughter before being enveloped by the darkness.

20 Tabitha Hawthorne Are you playing tricks on me? 1417 Tabitha Hawthorne 0 5

Mary Brooding

October 24, 2018 11:49 PM

Me? Never! by Mary Brooding

For a moment, Mary felt pretty clever. Her narrowed garments meant ducking out of the way of the first spell that Tabitha shot off at her fairly straightforward, particularly considering that Tabitha was dazed and her aim was off. The next spell destroyed the tree closest and Mary just managed to get out of the way. She grimaced a bit at the explosion, grateful that any splinters she might receive were simply mirages.

She prepared to launch a response but saw that Tabitha was already ready to run before Mary had oriented herself. The Defense professor managed another spell in Mary's direction and she half-managed to dodge it. She was small, and getting around was usually an advantage in the world. However, Tabitha knew that and the spell was aimed lower than Mary expected, catching her in the arm as she moved. She was glad it wasn't her wand arm, although the spasms of tickling sensations traveled through her arm and into her torso anyway, so it might not have made much of a difference.

The effort it took to quiet her laughter was immense and beads of sweat burst onto her forehead before the spell subsided and she was ready to continue. Chuckles danced on her lips as she ran through the woods, taking a trajectory parallel to where she'd last seen Tabitha running. It seemed terribly unfair to be so giggly when she was trying so hard to be serious, but she supposed that was the risk one took when dueling a dueling master. Besides, she'd brought potions and she knew that wasn't entirely fair either.

However, while Tabitha certainly had the general dueling advantage, there were an assortment of potions-related charms she'd gotten good at and could use without much work. She took advantage of the first two that came to mind.

"Colloshoo," she muttered, casting a wide berth through a swatch of the forest. If it worked, Tabitha would find herself quite stuck there when she ran through, her shoes bound to the forest floor by the charm. Then, her trap set, Mary stopped running and took a deep breath, concentrating on her goal. She hadn't done the next charm she planned to use for more than a few gallons of water in a long time. She was confident though, and her eyes were hard when she opened them, concentrated. "Aguamenti," she said in a low voice, pouring her energy into it.

A swell of water erupted from her wand, steadily pushing through the forest until she had managed a significant flood. It was no Mississippi, but she certainly wouldn't want to take a swim in it. Mary held the spell for just a minute before ending the flow of magic and ducking beside a tree to watch and listen for any activity that would betray Tabitha's activities.

[OOC - I try not to assume what other authors do or don't know and since I know Tabitha's author is not from the United States, I wanted to say that the "Mississippi" is the largest river in the United States, measuring about 20-30 feet wide at its narrowest and over 11 miles (17.8 km) at its widest.]

22 Mary Brooding Me? Never! 1424 Mary Brooding 0 5

Tabitha Hawthorne

October 28, 2018 6:10 PM

You'll tell me anything. by Tabitha Hawthorne

Tabitha had made a mistake.

The mistake being that she was becoming complacent and wasn't taking the duel too seriously. It was one thing to duel in the real world, when it was a matter of life or death (or, at least, very serious injury). It was another to duel against Mary, the woman she loved. It was hard to separate her own emotions of love and care from the duel. She loved Mary and therefore, there was a certain degree of restraint holding her back from truly exploring the directions that a duel could take.

They were merely playing with each other and Tabitha felt that their current duel could be somewhat compared with the ones she had in school - simple jinxes and hexes meant to embarrass or hinder but no injury. While Mary had added an interesting method of attack, what with throwing her potions, they were still dancing around one another. Tabitha could dance but she preferred to be direct.

Her mistake caused her to become a victim to Mary's cleverly and widely cast Stickfast Hex and Tabitha couldn't help but let out a growl of annoyance, more at herself than anything else. With a quickly cast Finite Incantatum, she freed herself with the intention to carry on in the direction she'd be running.

Only to find herself abruptly cut off by rushing water.

She blinked, confused and looked upstream, to try and discover the source. She wondered for a moment if the Chamber was flooding, given that the rushing water was cutting a course over the forest floor. However, given the sudden appearance and sound of the water, indicated that it was more unnatural and was more likely Mary's doing.

It hadn't been aimed at her, which indicated that she didn't want to drown her or douse her. It was running too quickly for her to swim across. So, it tended to suggest that she was trying to cut her off and therefore confine her to that particular section of the forest. It was clever, that was sure, attempting not to give her unrestricted freedom. However, Tabitha didn't like to be trapped.

Enough was enough.

She had two options. She could go back the way she came and quickly reach Mary who, Tabitha predicted, would've used the temporary distraction the river brought to her advantage and gain on her. Or, she could follow the river up to its source. She guessed that Mary would be nearby and, just in case, she cast Ventus which caused a burst of wind to shoot from the end of her wand and whip through the forest, creating enough noise by rustling trees to conceal Tabitha's footsteps.

She ran back the way she came. She kept herself hidden under the cover of the trees and after a few moments, she caught sight of Mary. The corners of her lips twitched upwards involuntarily, as they always did when she saw the woman before she schooled her expression and forced herself to concentrate. It was time to up the stakes. It was time to stop playing games and see just how far Miss Mary Brooding would go.

Quickly, she shot off several arrows from the tips of her wand. If Mary was aware of her surroundings and sufficiently alert, there'd be enough time to dodge. If she wasn't, they'd nick her. Tabitha wasn't going to play games but she still didn't intend to kill. However, a duel wasn't a duel if the participants came away without some kind of mark.

20 Tabitha Hawthorne You'll tell me anything. 1417 Tabitha Hawthorne 0 5

Mary Brooding

November 04, 2018 9:03 PM

Oh, you think so? by Mary Brooding

Mary gasped as the very real sharp of an arrow nicked her bicep. She'd done well to avoid the others but her stomach knotted when she heard her sleeve tear and looked down to find hot blood on her arm. It was a brutal reminder that while the room itself was designed to not directly hurt them, there were no promises about what she and Tabitha might do to each other. She let out a low growl, the animalistic sound biting at her throat and crawling through the air. Towards Tabitha. Towards her opponent. The idea made her heart warm but her brain was clear.

There was no chance of beating this woman at her own game, and Mary's attempt to write the rules hadn't been enough. She simply wasn't as skilled at the game. So she would play a different one. There were, of course, some unspoken rules she assumed they were both playing by. The fact that they each knew the other's deepest fears, regrets, etc meant they could truly torment each other, but that seemed unfair. Also, it would be cruel. However, the fact that they knew each other well had to be used to some degree. That balance was important.

Tabitha, Mary knew, was a strategist. She was a planner, careful and observant. She would want to see everything before she made a move. She was also prone to a possibly unhealthy lack of self-preservative instinct, which meant that a surprise attack that risked bodily harm would not be a surprise. Mary, however, was not the sort of witch that Tabitha would have dueled often. She certainly wasn't Darius. Unpredictability alone wouldn't be enough, as creatures could be unpredictable too. No, she needed more than that.

These thoughts rushed through her mind as if she were reading them from someone else's notes as she ran after Tabitha, moving as quickly and silently as possible. The distance wasn't great and Mary could certainly tell where Tabitha had last been based on the features of the environment as they'd been setup by her water and by the direction the arrows had come from. She also caught occasional glimpses of auburn hair in the moonlight that freckled through the trees.

Mary leaned into her run, getting to the point that she was just parallel with Tabitha's trajectory. She was not as physically prepared for these things and knew she needed to act quickly. Aiming at the rocks and pinecones that lettered the forest floor, she transformed as many of them as she could into buttons. She aimed at other objects in the environment, rocks, logs, leaves, etc., and transfigured those into whatever came to mind. Other plants, small animals, cups, and other oddities were suddenly lettered across the ground. It was a relief that the animals weren't real and hadn't even been transfigured from real items, because the odds of being stepped on in the dark woods were pretty high.

Mary then focused on Tabitha herself. Shooting out a few spells as quickly as possible, Mary erupted birds from her wand, and then flowers and mice. Then, she ended with a silencing charm.

"Muffliato!" The effect must've been fairly crippling. Or at least, she hoped it would be. In a dark forest, surrounded by things that shouldn't be there, some of which were small moving creatures that were all transfigured or conjured for the sole purpose of licking and snuggling whatever parts of Tabitha they could reach, and without the ability to hear what was happening or where Mary was, Tabitha would be lost.

Mary stopped and waited.

"Petrfcus Totalus," she murmured, aiming at Tabitha. She wasn't sure whether she hoped her spell made it or not, and closed her eyes.

22 Mary Brooding Oh, you think so? 1424 Mary Brooding 0 5

Tabitha Hawthorne

November 04, 2018 9:36 PM

Oh, absolutely. Or I can always make you tell me. by Tabitha Hawthorne

Tabitha was both confused and alarmed at the sudden appearance of a lot of things that definitely hadn’t been programmed into the room - including the small rabbit that seemed intent on hopping around her feet. She’d nearly tripped over the blasted creature twice, losing sight of it in the dark forest. She knew it was Mary’s doing and it was clearly meant to serve as a distraction. While Tabitha knew this, She tried to make an effort not to step on any other woodland creatures that seemed to be multiplying by the second (and had she just spotted a teacup?). This, in turn, slowed her down and made her a very big target.

Then, it was like she’d gone deaf.

All noise in the forest had simply stopped. The rustle of the leaves in the trees, the crack of twigs underfoot, even the sound of Mary’s flowing river had all faded. To Tabitha, who had become accustomed to noise - both within the school and of her many times spent outdoors - this was an uncomfortable feeling. She relied on every single one of her sense and to lose one felt rather like losing a limb.

Which was why she was almost hit by Mary’s hex. She’d only just spotted the travelling light out the corner of her eye and managed to abruptly cast the Shield Charm. The spell collided and disappeared.

Tabitha was shocked, her eyes wide. If the spell had hit she would’ve, according to the traditional rules of a duel, lost. Mary would’ve beaten her.

She was breathing heavily, beads of sweat trailing over her face and several strands of her hair were stuck to her cheeks. She was pretty sure that various parts of her skin were smudged with dirt, marks of their duel. Her eyes roamed the area for a moment before zoning in on Mary.

Her lips, then, twitched upwards. Beautiful, wonderful Mary. Mary, who wasn’t afraid of a challenge nor of challenging Tabitha in return. While there was a part of Tabitha who felt disappointed that she could’ve and would’ve lost, there was another part of her who was proud of Mary. She didn’t back down. There was nothing Tabitha admired and respected more. If nothing else, their duel had made Tabitha love Mary all the more.

In official terms, Tabitha conceded the duel. She’d come into the Mirage Chamber looking to get rid of her pent up energy. Not only had that happened, she’d also been forced to think and use her mind. Both the Chamber and Mary had delivered.

Her eyes took in Mary’s face for a moment before falling to the cut on the woman’s arm. Tabitha didn’t apologise - she would never apologise for her actions in a duel. However, she did raise her wand and shot a small healing spell at the wound. Then, as was traditional at the end of a duel, she bowed to Mary, a smile dancing on her lips.

“Thank you.”

20 Tabitha Hawthorne Oh, absolutely. Or I can always make you tell me. 1417 Tabitha Hawthorne 0 5