Tibi nodded slowly as Professor Lawson spoke. He certainly knew the benefit of 'hitting the ground,' so to speak. But all the same, learning to produce a shield could really come in handy. "Well, I'll try," he said softly as Lawson said his bit about focus. Protego he repeated in his head as he watched the wand movement closely, his eyes squinting in focus a little.

"Walk toward you?" Tibi asked hesitatingly, looking up from the wand to Lawson's face. Shrugging and not waiting for a response, he took a few steps and then found himself unable to go further. Raising his non-wand hand, he poked at the air in front of him, head tilted, with a puzzled look on his face.

"Well, that's cool," he said, to no one in particular.

"You transfigured my ropes into roots," Copernicus mused. "Used my own favorite spell against me. I'm going to have nightmares about the roots too, you know?"

He tapped his fingers on the holster. "But you used a different spell to get them to grow. Two spells. One to transfigure and one to grow. Does the second spell work on actual plants as well?"

"Right." Ethan answered, pleased that Copernicus had cottoned on. "And yes the second spell works on actual plants. It is actually a fairly simple charm. Herbivicus. With a simple flick of your wand at the target plant. As for the transfiguration spell..."

"The transfiguration spell?" Copernicus tilted his head. What about it? "You'll teach it to me?"

Marcus nodded in encouragement as he held his shield in place. "Yeah it is pretty cool and when you get more experience, you can do this." Gently, gently he pushed his shield back against Tiberius, causing the boy to move back a few steps.

"Not only can you use a shield as a defensive move to protect yourself but you can also use it offensively by pushing it back against your opponent." He lowered his wand and dropped the shield.

"Now of course you know that using a shield is very effective but if you are not focused in keeping it in place, even a simple spell can shatter it." Marcus moved away from Tiberius to give him some room to move. "Now practice the wand movements and saying the incantation and then when you think you are ready I will cast a simple spell at you and I want you to block it."

"I will, of course. We'd better do it outside however, since it tends to make a mess." And Ethan eyed the broken stonework for a moment before fixing it right back up with the cherry wand.

"Would you like to learn now? Should we head outside?" Truebridge offered.

Copernicus nodded before rising. "Have you used that spell for anything other than dueling? What is its original purpose?"

"I tend to use it as a protective measure. My gallery and my... Borr's office have the same sort of vine-like roots under the floor." Ethan answered, "I am sure there are other uses, but I haven't ever considered what else they might be."

He headed toward the door, nodding at Copernicus to follow him.

Then another student blasted into the arena, a shy one. Cedric guessed that he is a new student. He scrutinized the boy for a moment; shy, well-reserved, nice person (he guessed). That is the boy's distinguishing features that Cedric had recognized at he gazed at him.

"Hey! you're here for you private dueling session too? I see. Nice!" Cedric greeted him.

Cedric sighed. He'd failed, ugh. But it was okay. His failures motivates him a lot. He can do it, he knows he can. He can't beat Cela, for sure, cause she's a fifth year but he knew that he can always give his very best on every fight he'd faced. "Oh yeah. Sorry Marcus. I'll do better this time." He said coolly as he turned to Cela.
Using a Finite spell at those offensive spells are utterly wrong. That was Cedric had realized. It was like a wizard faux pas. Cedric smiled as Cela encouraged him, "Thanks Cela! It helps." That was very nice of her; well, she's nice to everyone. Cedric focused his wand at Cela. "Ready?" he'd asked her but it seems that she's ready. So yeah, fight! "Rictusempra!"

Cela flicked her shield up long enough to block the tickling charm and let it drop again a moment later.

"Cedric? Ummm can I ask you a question? Do you have like, a dueling strategy? Maybe you can tell me like, what spells you know and I can help you figure out a few combinations that might be effective for you?"

Tibi turned away from Lawson, repeating the incantation to himself.

"Protego." Pace. "Protego." Frown. The word felt funny in his mouth. "Protego." Stopping with the incantation for a moment, Tibi practiced just the wand movement. His wand felt clumsy again. Too long to do something precise. Pacing and flicking his wand repeatedly, Tibi figured it wasn't going to get any better and tried them together, his back still to Lawson.

"Protego," he said softly while flicking his wand. He felt something, but didn't see anything and wasn't really sure how he was supposed to know if it had worked. Pursing his lips, he turned back to Lawson.

"I think I 'll give it a try now," he called out.

While Tibi was off practicing his wand movement and what not, Marcus produced little balls of fire in his hand and then began to juggle them. His eyes flicked over to Tiberius every now and then to see how he was doing before concentrating on his juggling act. He so should have been a kids entertainer.

When Tibi, called out that he was ready, Marcus vanished the little balls of fire and raised his wand at the young boy. "Okay then, I promise to only only attack with simple spells." He grinned at Tibi and gave him a wink, he hoped the kid didn't mind getting a little wet.

"Aguamenti!"

If only Tibi had seen the juggling fire balls, it would have been a great picture. As it was, he was too focused on making sure he could do this spell.

Tibi stopped shuffling his feet and planted them firmly. I can do this. I can do this. He looked to Lawson and waited. Simple spells were good.

As soon as Lawson spoke, Tibi yelled "Protego" rather frantically and flicked his wand up. Time seemed to slow and he could see the water coming. Instead of watching, he shut his eyes tight and focused all his might on keeping up the shield that may or may not have actually appeared. For a moment, he didn't feel anything and he wondered if it had actually worked.

He released the tension in his shoulders and opened his eyes. That brief blip was enough. Tibi took a face-full of spray, like when a car speeds through a puddle, but it wasn't the full force.

So it had... sorta worked?

Cedric sighed, looking a bit simultaneously disgruntled and disappointed; he failed again, his spells have holes as it can easily blocked by Cela. He must perform a better spell and he need a lot of practice if he want to be a great dueler someday. And he's sure that he can fulfill his dream with the help of his teachers and friends.

He turned to Cela who had asked him a few necessary questions. "Err. No, I dun have any duel strategy but here's the spells I knew: Expelliarmus, Pertrificus Totalus, Locomotor Mortis, Tarantellgra, Rictusempra, Protego and Incarcerous." He recited cheerfully.

Cedric headed to Cela. "Err. Can I use your camera again I-I forgot to bring mine." He confided. Once he'd got Cela's cam, he took a picture of Marcus dueling with a student probably younger than him. Nice shot! He now only need two snapshots.

"Okay." Cela answered, "Well, why not try the disarming spell first and then Incarcerous straight afterward, and then get ready to shield straight away because I'll counter it." She suggested.

"So instead of just casting one spell, you cast two, one after the other. Just gotta make sure that your intent doesn't get muddled between the two of them." Cela explained, "Try now?"

She got ready and gave Cedric a look.

"And you shouldn't stop and do other things in the middle of a duel or you might get hurt."

Cedric gave back Cela's cam as she'd gave him a warning that he should stop doing other stuffs in the middle of a duel, it mesmerizes him.

He gave him a glinting grin as she instructed some duel strategies for him to use. "That's great. I'll do it. Okay. One spell after the other," he recited it so it would get stuck to his head.

He focused his wand at Cela, "Expelliarmus!" A light came out of his wand. "Incarcerous." and another one, it was not a light but a rope. He was ready for Cela's counter attack and he would use Protego to block it as Cela had instructed.

Oh yay he had done it!! Oh. Correction he'd almost done it. "You okay Tibi?" Marcus looked at the young lad and his lips twitched ever so slightly. "Remember you need to keep your concentration and focus to keep your shield in place. Don't stop until you have successfully deflected the attacking spell."

He raised his wand once more and tilted his head to the side. "You ready to try again?"

Celandine threw up her shield and the disarming spell was strong enough that it knocked her shield down, she had to dodge the rope, which was a little more sluggish.

"Stupefy!" Celandine countered, just using one spell so that Cedric didn't get too overwhelmed.

Wiping the water from his eyes and shaking his hair a little like a hairy puppy, Tibi sprayed water everywhere. His clothes weren't very wet, but his head certainly was. Satisfied that his head was at least now only damp instead of sopping, Tibi stopped his puppy-shake and needed to take a moment to stop his head from spinning.

Blinking rapidly, Tibi took a deep breath to try to keep the room from moving. Looking back at Lawson, he called back, "Almost. I think I know what I did wrong." Closing his eyes had been a bad idea; he hadn't known when the spell had hit to keep his shield up long enough. He was determined to keep them open no matter what, this time.

Adjusting his stance a little, Tibi looked at his shoes, closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Raising his head, he opened his eyes and looked at Lawson.

"Ready!"

Poor kid. He looked like he had just gone through one of those muggle car washes. Not wanting to make fun of the boy and lower his confidence, Marcus refrained from laughing but only just.

He nodded while Tibi got himself together and he twirled his wand between his fingers as he waited. "Okay then" he said and raised his wand once again but before he cast, Marcus looked at Tiberius. "I tell you what. You successfully cast a shield and deflect my spell and I'll allow myself to get wet."

The things he did in the name of education. With a slight flick of the wrist he cast once more, "Aguamenti!"

Tibi refrained from chuckling at Lawson's wand twirling. It was kinda... goofy looking, but he didn't want to get in trouble or upset the professor.

Focusing on Lawson so that he could be ready to cast immediately, Tibi silently reminded himself that water was nothing to be afraid of. Forcing his eyes to remain open, Tibi held his wand up. Resisting the urge to shake the remaining drops of water from his hair, he instead let them roll down the side of his face. He could do this. He knew he could do this. He'd already done it... sorta.

Tightening his grip on his wand, he heart raced as Lawson cast. "Protego!" Tibi flicked his wand determinedly and squinted at the spell. He would hold this shield. He would. Or at least, he kept telling himself that. As Lawson's spell raced closer, Tibi's heart pounded. Closer.

Closer.

Closer.

*Bounce*

Tibi watched as the spell deflected. He was dry! Or at least as dry as he had been before the second spell.

Lowering his wand and allowing the shield to drop, Tibi grinned broadly across the room. He'd done it!

The boy certainly was determined and that was a good thing especially for a first year. It meant he was serious about learning and although Marcus, could be an absolute dufus at times he wanted nothing more than to see these kids excel. It was why he had become a teacher in the first place.

And so he watched as the water left his wand and headed for Tibi. He watched the wand movement, heard the incantation, saw the water hit the shield and then he was...

....

Wet!!!


Marcus, spat the water out of his mouth and wiped the droplets off his face. "Well done Tiberius." He made his way back over to the boy and waved his wand over himself as he did so, drying his robes. "Would you like to practice shielding some more?"

Tibi's eyes got a little wider when he saw Lawson dry himself off. Reaching a hand up to his hair, he noticed he was still wet and, well, he was getting a little cold still being wet.

"I'd like to, yes, Professor," he said, a small chatter of his teeth interrupting his sentence as he shivered, pulling his robe tighter as if it would warm him up. "But, um, could you?" He gestured to Lawson's wand and then to his own wet head.

"Oh I'm sorry Tiberius. Of course." Marcus, waved his wand over the Ravenclaw boy and dried him from head to toe. "Better?"

Okay so what to use instead on water and something that would be soft so as to not cause the young lad any harm? Marcus, stared at one of the far walls deep in thought. He tried to think back to when he had been a teenager and what his Professor had used when teaching them the shield charm.

Returning his gaze back to Tiberius, Marcus grinned at him. "Okay I think we can practice with something other than water. I promise you what I have in mind is not going to hurt you."

"Protego!" Cedric countered in defense. Cela's spell nearly stupefied him. He pondered on what spell would be best to use; He decided to use the tickling spell and the body-binding spell.

"Rictusempra! Petrificus Totalus!" One spell after the other. He hope it works.