Don't worry about it? But it was weird and awkward and the fact of the matter was that she wasn't even his girlfriend when she first officially met Madelyn so there was really no reason for her to act all ... ugh, how did she even act toward the blond?

Not knowing what to say really, she fixed her gaze on the competitor's screens instead, watching in terrifying horror at the runespoor. At Brent, mostly ... Although her gaze may have flickered to the other's screens just to see how they were handling their challenge, but all of sudden she had this weird link, connection, that she felt with the Ilvermorny girl next to her. And hearing her cheering on all the competitors, well, it felt sort of comforting too. And despite the abundance of concession snacks she had in her tote, she wasn't hungry like at all. Weird, definitely.

But not as comforting as when she saw the fifth year conjure the cage and all sorts of mixed emotions of relief mostly welled up inside her when he stepped through the door and appeared in the stands ......

...

She watched for a moment, but he just slumped into the first seat he came to. She could only imagine how he was feeling and suddenly she excused herself politely from next to Madelyn and found herself walking down the steps to the front row and smiling down at him with admiration. "I'm ... have I told you how proud I am of you?" And was it okay for her to sit with him? In the last challenge it was kind of given cause she was kind of a part of it ... but this.

Burkina Faso was behind him but it nearly felt like the heat from the African forest had followed him all the way to the Scottish highlands. He thought he saw Daisy and Noelle and Ava and Dora and Zoryn and Olivia and ALTHEA (!!!) holding hands with Nicholas (???) and he would have frankly waved at all of them and just about everyone else, but. That was a lot of effort. Though his eyes did linger on Professor Marchand, who was all decked in black? A fashion statement that sparkled enough curiosity in the boy for him to give the head of the house a weak nod.

On his way to join Brent Westwood, Levi quite shamelessly stole, from someone, two water bottles that appeared to be unopened and mumbled something about, 'I'll pay you later.' But Skylar Diggory had snagged the Slytherin competitor before Levi even made it so in the end he nodded at them both in acknowledgement before sitting down. Or crashing down. Same difference at this point.

Looking at the screens, Kyle Baker seemed to be just about done and Valerie appeared to be heading in that direction, too. He uncapped one of the bottles, and emptied its contents over his head, the water dripping down his head and face boosting him just a little bit. Then he opened the other one and began to drink.

Not that Levi was feeling too much school pride at the moment--exhaustion and thirst was the recurring theme in his brain, really--, but regardless of the outcome, there was some comfort knowing that Hogwarts had finished the challenge first.

That’s what happened to the dog, then. Weirdly, after everything, it made her laugh. It was ridiculous, a dog-rock hybrid but, somehow, it seemed fitting. After all, if this competition had a theme at all, surely that was it, right? Ridiculousness. That’s how it had started, even if unofficially, with the American student body crawling its way out of a cherry red Beetle, and that’s how it was going to end too.

The important thing was that it was ending.

Or the part that mattered was, any way.

Quickly, she spared a glance at the Gryffindor girls and smiled apologetically. “I’ll be back.” Possibly. Maybe not. Surely, they would understand. Without looking back to see if they were following or not --Levi was a Gryffindor, just like them, and House pride was still a thing for some people -- Daisy made her way across the stands towards her definitely exhausted, probably angry boyfriend. Narrowly avoiding the fountain of water that came crashing down on him, the seventeen-year-old took the seat next to him and extended her legs in front of her, glancing at Brent and Skylar before looking sideways at Levi.

Though she had been happy when he finished, and she was happy that he was here, there was none of that being shown on her face. Mostly, she just looked relieved, even through her small smile. And she was, to be clear, relieved. And mad that she was relieved a school competition to win a scholarship had ended without Levi, or any of the competitors, losing a limb or worse. Couldn't they have just quizzed them on Wizarding History or something? “It’s done, Levi. You can rest now.” Simple and to the point. As was the extended hand, offering him his usual post-challenge milkshake.

SPOILER!!: Sister dearest! <3

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kolyander

The fourth year Ilvermornian might have been watching the screens but she wasn't entirely seeing what was happening. It really didn't matter. Yes, she understood the competition and she knew what was happening but it not all to...important...to her. Yeah, let's just go with that.

Therefore the shouting of her name was very clearly unneeded. Sam turned her head knowing the voice without even looking, how could she not, it was the twin. Who was late. He also had food by the looks of it. Yet he was also sitting with others... he had found them before her. Well alright then. That didn't...hurt...much. Chances were Jer had just seen Aurora and Irene first that was all. There was noway her brother...HER TWIN...liked anyone more then her.

Putting on her usual smile, Sam rose to her feet and made her way around those sitting down to where her brother and Aurora and Irene were. "Hey..." she greeted kinda quietly sitting herself down beside Jeremy.

Settled between his two favourite ladies, Jer had been very content. He was more interested in the Hogwarts students and Kyle. He didn't care about Valerie and would have been quite happy if the creature had gobbled her up. The world would be better off without her, like seriously. Alas, that was not to be. No gobbling her up is what he meant.

"Come on, Kyle!'' Jer shouted. "Don't let the Hogwartians get the best of you!'' But apparently it was them who were finishing first. "Hey, Sam.'' Jer nudged his sister. "Look. Brent and Levi are done.'' Bummer. "I hope Kyle somehow scores more than them though.'' He took a nervous sip of smoothie. The boy wouldn't be able to stand it if a Hogwarts champion won.

Were there any policies with this scholarship? "I have no idea." Ava shrugged. There were no further information about prize when the headmistress announced it months ago when it started. "But I'm sure that anything happened down there was legal, the officials wouldn't take a risk to break a statute.. " Like what they had discussed in History of Magic/Muggle Studies class "... or any kind of rules." Pretty sure the ministry had been involved too, didn't their headmistress always mentioned that after the challenges were done?

The Gryffindor couldn't agree more with Daisy that it would be unfair if only one of them get the scholarship. "Yeah, at least those who made into final should get a reward too." They had been going through many things like normal teenagers would never done, not to mention a possibility of experiencing post-traumatic stress disorders. She paid attention more to the screen, watching Brent Westwood had finished his duty and already back to their stand. Bravo! The first one who had finished was the Hogwarts champion, if Levi could finish after him it would be....

MERLIN, HE DID IT! Ava couldn't help but feel relieved that her fellow lion had finished the task and returned safely to the stand. She absent-mindedly hugged Noelle and saw Daisy left them to approach her boyfriend. "We should go there and congratulate him too, shouldn't we?" She asked the Gryffindor prefect. She didn't want to ruin the moment between Levi and Daisy buuuuut... Hey, they're his friends and probably he would appreciate their presence or so. "Come on." Grabbing Noelle's hand, she walked down to Levi and Brent.

SPOILER!!: Moxley!

Quote:

Originally Posted by TakemetotheBurrow

Polite HIs and HELLOs were given as more and more staff and students filtered into the stands and while her biscuit munching continued, her attention did turn to those around her. Like handsome young Hirsch, for example. The poor man was clearly still harboring a huge crush on her and really, who could blame him? She still looked good. It was good genes, of course. She came from a loooong line of beauties. No doubt it made the other women her age feel a bit self-conscious, but she simply couldn't help how she looked. It was a blessing and a curse!



Gaze shifting to the blonde who'd joined her, the Moxinator gave a toothy grin as the younger girl got settled. "Of course, Miss Phillips. You're just in time. It's starting to get good!" She nudged her former student and glanced at the large screens again, her heart speeding up as the students faced creatures she'd never want to come face-to-face with. Not unless there was a big old shield protecting her from them, that is.

"Fear sometimes brings out the best in us. People are capable of wonderful magic when they're pushed to their limits." Wonderful, impressive magic. ...And an occasional mental break down, but she wasn't going to mention THAT.

"Would you like a biscuit, Olivia?" The headmistress figured she couldn't hog them now that she had company, so she held one out to the Gryffindor and...wait...had that boy just....

The blonde found herself on the edge of her seat as the action continued to unfold on the large screens. The focus of this challenge seemed to be all about Runes and Liv found herself AMAZED as each competitor worked through their individual tasks. She, herself, wasn't that great at Runes, but she obviously felt nothing but amazement for anyone was. It was complex work...and....the Runespoors. The Runespoors that were actually physically attacking the competitors. Merlin's panties, please let them all be safe!

Huh....Oh, yeah. She'd forgotten about Headmistress Moxley for a moment. THERE WAS ACTION GOING ON, gosh. But also...her former Professor was speaking some real words of wisdom right here. Fear could push people to new heights and Olivia only hoped she could find a bit of that for herself sometime real soon. Especially since she'd be venturing to a different school next term. Professor Moxley's school. One could be excited and terrified at the same time, right?

Eyes wide, Liv nodded her vigorously. Always say YES to biscuits. "Of course, Professor!" The Gryffindor snagged one quickly before the older lady could change her mind, adding it to her array of fries and sauce. It was all going to the same place, right?

.....

...............

.........................

"I could never imagine doing something like this." It was mumbled, more to herself than the Mox, as she saw that Levi and Brent were joining the crowd in the stands.... Ugh, her Lion housemate had been impressive, and she grinned at him brightly. O B V I O U S L Y, he was her pick to win this entire thing, as Olivia's Gryffindor pride ran deep. But more than that, Levi was her friend and she was loyal to a fault. So, there you go. Actually, she hated being as loyal as she was. It was really burning her in the behind lately.

....Oh...and she guessed it would be okay if Brent won, too. As long as Hogwarts held the title! Sorry, Ilvermornies. "Are you proud of how your students have performed throughout the challenges?" Things were beginning to wrap up, so her focus was shifting away from the large projections..... which means she also caught sight of Healer Reed. Oh. Hello, Healer Reed....He was such a pretty man.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Suziella

Tristan watched as Rose sat with a pair of female students. He hoped things were getting better for her. "Hey, Rose!" He said with a wave, wink, and a grin. He wouldn't keep her from the students. He knew how much she loved spending time with them and getting to know them. She really was a wonderful caring Professor.

Ah, there was Tristan. Rose had wondered where he best friend had been. Now she just needed to see Kay and Gaston and she'd be truely happy. He and Kalen both got a wave and a smile from her. The thought to join them never entered her head because of course she'd rather interact with the students out in the stands.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bazinga

She bounced up and down waving her pom poms some more. It wasn't until she had stopped the last cheer that she realized not only did someone come to sit near her, but it was Brent's girlfriend and a professor from Hogwarts.
"Oh, hello" giving them both a smile before looking at the screen again and then back at them. "Yes, yes of course you can sit." Her eyes did glance around for Will or Maesi though, where was Blakeney?

Oh food...

She looked at the food for a moment before shaking her head. "No thank you, I hate loads before I had come over to the stands. With cheering there isn't much time to stop for food." She probably shuld get back to that, but she looked to the professor, "Are you having fun watching?"

With permission to sit, Rose did just that.

This was rather the exciting challenge, but then they generally had been even if the third one hadn't turned out the greatest. Still there was a lot of excitement. "I like the pom poms," she said conversationally. If she had a pair she would have gladly joined in. Oh well. "Oh, yes I am! Are you enjoying your time here at Hogwarts? Enjoying the competition?" Hopefully, because they were trying their best to be good hosts.

Quote:

Originally Posted by PhoenixRising

No sooner had Skylar taken residence next to Madelyn then did her History Professor approach and ask to join them? Well there was no written rule about Professor sitting separately from their students, but nonetheless, this was quite surprising. "Oh, hey Professor Newton. No, not at all." She rummaged through her tote of food for a moment, thinking what she could offer. "Cheeseburger?" She offered ...

Oh, she was offering food. How sweet! Rosalyn smiled. Skylar was one of her favourite students though of course she wasn't going to mention that. "Thank you. I would love a cheeseburger. How are you enjoying the challenge so far?"

It seemed that the two girls had something to talk about, so of course she focused on the screen at that point. There was no way that she would listen to a private conversation. Besides there was just so much going on!

...

As Skylar left, Rosalyn waved to her and settled into eating her cheeseburger. YUM.

She nodded along with his words but didn't actually believe them. Levi was going to die - and then her parents would most likely end up in Azkaban trying to avenge their son - she didn't trust anything that had been said about the competitors' "safety." There was no guarantee for anything. "Maybe he's finally lost it?" She wouldn't be surprised; with all the stress and pressure from the competition, Althea was impressed with how well Levi seemed to be handling things.

As the challenge progressed, Althea tried her best to understand what it was that Levi - and the other competitors - were doing, but it was hard to focus on anything when that absurd snake was just there, glaring at her older brother. Thankfully, he'd managed to get the creature under control - and with great effort at that - and the fifth year finally felt like she could breathe. "Thank Helga," she whispered, feeling a little more at ease. "That was very difficult to watch." It was finally over; even if Levi didn't win, she was proud of him for making it to the final four.

She looked around for Levi and spotted him making his way through the stands to find a seat. "Come on, let's go congratulate--" she paused upon seeing Daisy flocking over to Levi - of course, it was to be expected - so Althea instead focused her attention back on Nicholas. "Uhhh, I guess we can just talk to him later. Don't need to overwhelm him right now." She flashed her friend a small smile, feeling hungry all of a sudden. "I'm starving," an exaggeration, but all her nervousness did leave her hungry, and stress-eating was her specialty as of late.

Difficult to watch? Nicholas agreed. In all seriousness, he was probably having a harder time with watching than were the champions with competing. This thing was giving him heart palpitations, which went very unappreciated at the ripe age of sixteen. Clammy palms, too. Sorry, Thea.

"I told you he would be fine," he gloated lightly, completely ignoring his utter lack of faith from the start. The Hufflepuff rose from his seat, intending to go offer congratulations, when.... hm. "Who is that?" The mystery girl now seated beside Levi did not seem to be an object of Althea's affections.

And why was she giving milkshakes to a clearly dehydrated boy? Didn't she know that sugar sucked water out of cells?

Whoever she was, Nicky was certain she was not a Ravenclaw.

"We can grab something to eat." Not that he would enjoy the concessions, but he'd not mind accompanying his friend. That was his job today.

Mel gave Kirk a kind smile as he removed the charm from his voice…she almost couldn’t hear him over the charmed muffs she had placed on her ears but still, she knew what he was saying. Maybe that was due to the fact that she had simply read his lips (stared at them…mainly) or the fact that she just knew. Even she felt more comfortable around him right now especially as they were watching the screens ahead of them. Sure, sure he was also commentating but that was only half of it. He had a calming effect on her.

”I’m happy to be here,…besides, I wanted to show my support” she grinned at him even going so far as to lean her head against his shoulder as she settled back into her seat. This was too intense, Mel’s stomach was in knots as she glanced over to Dana and gave her a wavering smile. ”please, take as much as you need,” she practically whispered to the girl – fully intent on properly introducing herself after everything was over.

It happened so quickly. One moment she was busy watching the screens and the next, the next it was over? Oh merlin…that was good she wasn’t ready to watch anyone be eaten by a venomous snake thank you very much. ”You two were wonderful commentators,” she smiled over to Dana and Kirk in turn her smile softening as she looked at Kirk. ”I’m not just saying it” she added and sighed even though she wanted to rest her head against his shoulder again she simply glanced over to Dana and smiled. ”hi! I should have introduced myself earlier but you were…well, commentating? I’m Melbourne!” her smile was bright as she glanced over to Kirk, her hand had at one point in the conversation migrated onto his shoulder where her head had previously rested. ”Kirk’s girlfriend but like…I probably would have come over to offer you guys water even if we weren’t dating I mean…it’s the nice thing to do? Right?” she shrugged and smiled to the two of them – of course her face was starting to turn a bit pink with embarrassment but it was the truth.

She would have given them water either way…besides, before everything Kirk had been her friend…he was still her friend, it was just…now they went on dates…and kissed (in public sometimes!) that…well, had changed since they had begun dating…well, that was months ago but still he was important to her even before they had dated. "You guys were brilliant...i mean, it" and yes, yes she was repeating herself but that was just what she did when she was very nervous.

Dora had been GLUED to the screens for quite some time now. Her nerves were shot as she watched her fellow champions battle the snake beast thing. Ugh. She kind of wished she had been in the thick of things still, but really... she did not know what she had done in their shoes. It was a doozie, this challenge.

Her heart had poundeD as each of them cast their spells... as they seemed to be dehydrating out there. It was as if she was there with them all. She felt like she had literally gone through this bit with them... even the ones she didn't particularly care for.

But when Levi entered the stands second she couldn't help but pump her fist in victory. YES. Way to represent Gryffindor, Levi. YOU GO GLEN COCO!! Ahem. And Brent, too. Yeah. Her eyes landed on each champion in turn as they came to the stands, her heart swelling with pride for them. They had all made it... and no one was injured. Yas.

But now... she stood up, dusted off the peanut shells from the front of her clothes, and made for the exit. She had bigger fish to fry so to speak.

Good job, everyone, but it was time for Dora to get ghost.

Byeeeeeee.

The Wampus was in a bit of a trance as she finally appeared in the stands and the moment she stepped through the door it felt as though every blow and every pain she had endured during the task had come rushing back. Add the continual exposure to the heat and humidity and Valerie understood precisely how Ryan's per rabbit must have felt in its final moments when its cage had been left out in the hot summer sun.

Taking a small step forward, her grey eyes searched for a certain familiar face but mostly remained unfocused. She knew she had not made many friends (if any) since arriving but that had not been her purpose to begin with. The lure of scholarship funds, of no longer being a financial burden to her uncle and aunt, the opportunity to attend university had.

Although none of that seemed to matter right now and Valerie hardly even felt a sense of accomplishment as her body began to register the significantly cooler Scotland temperature. Fresh not sticky air filled her lungs and then suddenly everything was a blur.

Then spinning.

And then her eyes rolled back in her head and while the difficult part of her brain was screaming at her to suck it up and not let them the satisfaction of seeing her this weak, she was spent and had been for a while. So it was that Valerie Gray's body gave an eerie sway and then began to crumble like a rag doll to the ground.

It about seemed magical the way things progressed with the two since their first meeting before his second year.. That head on his shoulder, very much accepted and partically reciprocated until he could speak again. Kirk had many words to return from Mel expressing her support for him and he would then have time to show his appreciation once it was all over ..and after again.

From what Kirk could see of this match on screen it was all down to who could tame that beast of a Runespoor first. Very cool. Was the match near over yet? It was really all down to getting rid of that as he started back up again. "That is interesting Dana, that charm right there folks is meant to make creatures more trusting of the caster. Uh-oh, looks pretty difficult since it's still coming after Kyle Baker! Ohh now he's making use of a rune and a freezing charm at it, we'll see how that goes.." Next was, "Ah Brent Westwood and are also making use of the runes against it.. It's getting CLOSER to him and Levi Kenning! Meanwhile Valerie Grey's use on the runes didn't seem to pan out but she has another trick up her sleeves with that Orbis Jinx, a nice hit! It looks to be one more shot needed at them..Whoa!" The screen said it all.

---

So it was over. The charm could be removed from his voice now as the screen portrayed the remainder, "That was a sweet gig. You're pretty good at this." He said to Dana. Aw, he couldn't resist giving Mel a little extra side-hug squeeze from her sweetness. "Thanks Mel, I don't think I could've gone through half of this without them." Even when magnifying his volume it was a bit exhausting with the rapid speech.

Anyways, so it looked like Mel was reaching out to Dana as well. He had a small smile before his blue eyes fell onto the guy right next to Dana. Hmm.. were they in the same boat as him and Mely? The hands seem to say yes. So with that Kirk gave the guy a 'sup' nod. Yeah, he had to be cool as well.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jesus Rodriguez

Looking around, Jesús spotted several familiar and friendly faces (he waved and smiled at a few Hogwarts professors, and fellow Ilvermorny students (namely Louise and Irene.)) "This is why I keep you around," he said gleefully, popping a piece of caramel candy into his mouth and, remembering his manners, he extended a wrapped piece of candy Lachlan's way. As he savored the sweetness of the candy, he nodded (a few times) at Lachlan's words. "Kyle and Valerie will definitely dominate this challenge, I feel it." At least, he hoped they would. They'd probably throw them in some jungle somewhere just to be funny since they froze the competitors in the previous challenge.

Jesús made himself more comfortable and glanced over at the screens. He was nervous; it was strange being on the other side of things, but he supposed it was way better than actually going through the challenge. The Thunderbird really didn't know how much more anxiety and panic attacks he could take. "Yeah," he drawled, watching the screens almost lazily, "a party seems like the best course of action. Something big and loud."

Lachlan, still afflicted with his false euphoria, giggled at Jesús before accepting the sweet. "Please." Nothing more was said in the moment, as the southerner clumsily peeled open the candy wrapper. Depth perception was important to motor functions, and his were decidedly warped at the moment. Eventually, however, the piece of caramel found it's way into his mouth. There was a moment of simple enjoyment as he sucked on the candy and glanced around at the rest of the viewing area. Colors were especially bright today, weren't they? Perhaps that's what drew his attention back to Irene Avery. Her cheeks were a vivid shade of red, and he smirked in her direction, the audacity tiptoeing the line between gentlemanly and appalling. No harm meant, of course. She was simply a cute girl, who was blushing in an adorable way. And Lachlan approved of it.

"Valerie won't like that." His attention was pulled back to Jesús, as he laced his fingers together, resting them on top of his stomach. "I predict she'll want a more private setting. Kyle, too." These tasks took their toll. The First one had on him during and immediately after, and the following two hadn't been any kinder to those still in the game. "We'll see what they want to do." He nodded, eyes flicking up towards the one screen that was suddenly filled with the image of the girl they'd just been speaking of. Even chemically altered, Lach found himself...nervous. For her and Kyle. They both had this sorted, there was little doubt in his mind, and would do what was necessary, but at what cost? She'd not come out of the last one quite the same. What would this one take?

Shifting his attention between the different screens, the Wampus found himself laughing as each of those competing progressed. Laughing hilariously, to be frank. Runes. Why couldn't this task have been first? Runes were his strongest subject. Not that he envied anyone currently participating. Newly interested, Lachlan found himself sitting up a bit straighter. "Come on, Val."....Her frustration was evident, but he knew she wouldn't give up. Valerie Gray was every bit a warrior. And Kyle...was artfully layering charms on himself and the surrounding area. Lach clenched his hand into a fist, gnawing at his thumb nail.....What?

He jumped, thanks to Dana's screechy commentating and actually seeing a physical three-headed snake appearing on the different screens. "Oh, look. It's my patronus!" It was said in an excited sort of whisper, but then he froze; his pupils dilating further. No, a living, breathing runespoor was not great...His leg jumping from the stress of the moment, Lach nervously looked to Jesús. In theory, runespoors were the embodiment of the writer, but this was not a theoretical classroom discussion and that creature was huge. His paranoia was accelerated and could not be alleviated....but within the span of a several heart-stopping moments, both his schoolmates had somehow found themselves on the other side of the large beast; standing before government officials. And since his plan had backfired spectacularly, Lachlan was a few degrees below a nervous wreck.....

...."Jesús.......Valerie." The gentle Mississippi boy was already out of his seat, though, racing down towards his housemate, whom he reached within a matter of moments. He didn't quite grab her in time, but...he was there, crumbling to the ground in order to cushion her fall. "Talk to me."

River slowly exhaled and relaxed further in his seat as Brent finished his challenge, and watched Levi next as he too completed his task. The Hogwartians were done, and he couldn't be more happy for them. He was proud of them. The Healer sat straighter in his seat as Brent walked past him, and offered the boy a grin and a quick, "Well done, Mr Westwood." Ilvermorny should be proud of him too, considering that he's technically representing the two institutions. The Healer procured an ice pack from his satchel, applied a freezing charm on it and placed it on the boy's nape. "Keep it on to help you cool down. Call me if you need anything else," he said giving the Slytherin a quick squeeze on the shoulder and left him with his friends.

Levi came next, and River was quiet as he followed him with his eyes, and watch him snatch two water bottles from an unsuspecting supporter. The man approached the dumbfounded first year, gave away his unopened drink to the poor student and followed Levi to where he sat. "Deep breaths, Levi." he said, procuring another ice-pack, freezing it with a charm, and gently placed it on the boy's nape. "We're proud of you," River would've corrected himself to tell the young man that he was proud of him. What stopped him from doing so was the feeling that the kid didn't want him around...or hear anything from him aside from instructions and orders from a Healer. River took a step back to let the Gryffindor spend some alone time with Daisy-- another student who he thought has issues with him, and looked around to see if any of the American participants were done too.

By doing so, he caught Olivia looking at him, and the Healer returned her gaze with a grin and a nod. He too, gave the same to her company, the Headmistress of Ilvermorny. Was she the one that Jace accidentally stunned during his first year?

...

Tough kid.

The noise around him brought him back to the present, but a few moments late to see Valerie Gray drop to the ground. One doesn't have to be a Healer to know what was going on, so in a heartbeat, River was on his feet and quickly got to where the female competitor had fainted. The Healer knelt beside her with his black robe pooling around him and started to loosen up her clothing, allowing more air to circulate. A piercing whistle was heard, and a black Newfoundland found his way to his master's side waiting for his command. A snap and point to Valerie's knees were all it took for the furry first-aider to lift her leg joints with its snout and wiggled his way underneath her legs. It would've been easier to procure a pillow for the job, but Roscoe was stuffier. "Put her down, flat on the ground." River's voice was gentle, but his tone was of strong command as he addressed Lachlan. "Give her space to breathe and get me two bottles of water. Quickly." A white face towel was conjured, doused in cold water, and River started wiping the girl's face with it, then her arms and hands next.

People of Hogwarts would know that during emergencies, River tends to hyperfocus on the situation, and completely ignore everything else. They could do introductions later if the boy feels like it.

Dana occasionally squeezed Sam's hand whenever the competitor's runespoors made a move, or when one of them decided to lunge towards them. Gosh, did they really make these challenges scary? Well, the first few really weren't that terrible, but the challenge prior to this one was emotionally draining... and now, this. It scared Dana how the organizers of this event thought it would be okay to let a runespoor wild on students. "I'm sorry...." She'd let his hand go if he was disturbed by her hand squeezes. And... oh? Dana smiled at him. "No, that's okay. I understand," she said, nodding as well. "But I like that. Food after this challenge, it is." It's a date? Maybe? Sort of. The blonde liked the idea of simply being with him, so she didn't really mind.

The girl's kind gesture was not going to pass too quickly for this blonde, and Dana smiled at her. She was nice, and it made a good impression on the sixth year. "The offer is greatly appreciated," Dana said. "I'll... uh... get into it in a while." She had some commentating duties to finish up. When Kirk finished off his part, Dana placed the Sonorus charm again on herself and her blue eyes looked back up at the screen. "Things are getting even messier for our competitors since most of their first spells didn't work as planned. Kyle Baker's Animal Fidelis only hit his runespoor's middle head, but the two others are still hissing viciously at him. But... oh, that grass cage worked! Well done!" Yaaaay! At least one of her school mates wouldn't be turning into the runespoor's meal. "Brent Westwood quickly uses Incarcifors on the grass around his runespoor, which worked for him as well." Subdue in nature. Very witty, event organizers, very witty. "Same goes for Levi Kenning, who seems to have used the Take Root spell to trap his beast." Dana was internally glad that they all looked like they were coming out of this successfully. After all, it was the last challenge, and the blonde was secretly glad she didn't have to watch any other student go through this type of stuff. "Valerie Gray has also subdued her creature with the Caught spell. Interesting how all of our competitors used different methods to finish up this task." It didn't matter, though. The only good thing about all this was that they were DONE. DONE WITH THIS CHALLENGE.

And did Lachlan just mention that his patronus was a Runespoor? Cool. Dana still didn't know what animal form her patronus would be, but she smiled at him anyway. "Maybe your patronus isn't as terrifying as those runespoors down there." Oh... she had forgotten that she still had her Sonorus charm on. The blonde turned a little pink before looking back at the screen. Also... was it just Dana, or did Lachlan and Sam look alike in a way? Weeeeird.

Then all four finalists began popping back at the stands, and Dana sighed in relief at the sight of this. Her commentating duty was done now, right? "Looks like all our competitors are back, so well done to all four of you. The results will be in soon, so I say let's all sit back and wait for them." No leaving yet! The winner will soon be revealed. Congrats to him/her! "That's it for our final challenge, intense as expected. The concessions are still available for those who want to grab a snack while waiting for the results... but nevertheless, congratulations to the competitors! Thank you for sticking around! This is Dana Maxwell, one of your commentators for today, now signing off." Dana sent a Finite charm to turn her Sonorus charm off, and gave Kirk a nod if ever he wanted to sign off from commentating duties, too. "Nice work, fellow commentator. You did good as well." He received a smile because they both deserved it.

And they also both deserved a drink, too. Dana took another gulp from her cup, and then looked at the girl beside Kirk. "Thank you," the blonde beamed at her. Yeah, she could say she did well for her first (and last) time. Public speaking was never her thing, so this was all new to Dana. But still, the adrenaline was running in her veins. "Nice to meet you, Melbourne. I'm Dana... but I guess you figured that out?" A sheepish grin formed on her lips. She had said her name out loud to the general public twice.

Oh... and, well, Dana didn't forget that Sam was still beside her. She still had her hand on his, perhaps the entire time she had commentated. "Th-this is Sam," the sixth year introduced him to the two others. He had been a little quiet the entire time, but she didn't want to push him far more than what his introversion could handle. Dana left the title part off purposely. What were they, anyway? Whatever their relationship was, Dana didn't know but one thing was for sure: she really liked him. Nevertheless, she smiled at both Hogwartians and at Sam, who got a gentle and encouraging squeeze from Dana. She quite liked him being here, so there's that.

Dana's attention was immediately caught by Valerie Gray... who FAINTED. The blonde gasped, but wasn't surprised. She would have fainted after facing a runespoor, too. Or if she would ever face one, to point out. Just the sight of it slithering near her would have caused her to fall to the ground in a blink of an eye. Dana wouldn't have been able to handle all that, honestly. However, she was glad that the Hogwarts healer had it covered... but she couldn't help but bite her lower lip. "Is... is she going to be okay?" Please.

Kyle couldn't be sure whether his nausea was a residual effect from the intense heat combined with the exertion of the challenge, his body's natural reaction to the unsettling pain in his arm, or something else entirely. He only knew that, once he stepped through the doorway and back into the stands, it seemed to increase tenfold. Well... that, and he knew that he had no intentions of succumbing to it.

"Accio Water," he rasped, mirroring his actions in the first challenge and not particularly caring where, or who, the bottle of water came from. Catching it somewhat clumsily in the hand that already held his wand (and the rune, though he sacrificed that and let it fall to the ground instead), Kyle took a moment to assess his surroundings.

Everyone was out. Brent and Levi both had crowds growing around them - friends and admirers. Valerie did, too, but differed in that she was unconscious (made sense... she and the heat were not a good mix) and had the healer kneeling beside her. Kyle had no desire to join any one of these groups just yet, preferring to settle his stomach before he tried to talk to anyone - luckily, he didn't think it likely that his own crowd would form. He took up an empty seat in the stands, and held the bottle of water between his knees for a moment. Naturally, he felt concern for Valerie, but she was being seen to and there was nothing Kyle could provide for her that wasn't already being dealt with; he would only add to the crowd that she probably wanted like a hole in the head, and only get in the way. Even if he went over there, he knew he'd only end up hovering near her in silence.

"Ferula," Kyle muttered, pointing his wand at his arm, conjuring up a splint and bandage for his arm just in case it was broken, as it was feeling more and more likely. There, that felt better already. He'd need to see a healer eventually, but the Hogwarts one was busy, and Kyle preferred to wait and seek out the Ilvermorny healer later instead anyway.

After stowing his wand away again, Kyle uncapped the bottle of water, raised it to his lips and started taking slow, steady sips.

He felt completely wiped out, totally fatigued. That was to be expected, but what surprised Kyle most was that he was in much better spirits than he usually was at the end of these challenges. The Runespoor had started to frustrate him towards the end, what with its resistance to almost everything, but now that everything was over Kyle felt... fine. Physical pain and exhaustion and feeling half-dead aside.

As he started to get his bearings, Kyle got a better look at those in the stands around him. There were a lot of Brent and Levi supporters, naturally. Kyle expected nothing less while from the host school. What was surprising was the sight of many Ilvermorny students... still cheering for the Ilvermorny champions - even Aurora Chae was up there, apparently cheering for him.

It made sense, in a way. Of course it did. He and Valerie, while neither popular nor particularly well liked, were the last two Ilvermorny students left in the competition. But... well... Kyle had fully expected members of his school to pick the Hogwarts champion they liked best themselves (Levi seemed particularly popular, not to mention capable, and most people knew Brent from back when he had attended Ilvermorny). This, though? Unexpected, but not unwelcome, even when Kyle reminded himself that it was more likely they were rooting for their school, rather than for him personally. That was fine too. He raised his bottle of water to the Ilvermorny supporters out in the stands, in silent acknowledgement.

Jesús and Lachlan, though... their presence made more sense; no doubt they were rooting more for Valerie, being closer to her, but Kyle was fairly certain he was included in their intended support too. If it weren't for the general chaos in the stands and the whole fainting Valerie thing, Kyle would have headed their way and lingered near them until the scores were announced. As it was, he stayed sat in his seat and let everyone else deal with everyone else, watching the highlights on the screens for some clue as to how the challenge had gone for the rest of the competitors.

Huh? Any funny business? Did this younger girl not realize that she was Louise Hamilton? While adept with her wand, she did not just go around randomly attacking people. She was older and wiser than most of the students here, which meant she knew about using magic for defense purposes, not practical jokes. Also, she had to crack a smile when the girl said all confidently that she knew she was adorable.

"Louise Hamilton, by the way," she said just to show more friendliness and that she wasn't going to outright randomly throw spells at her, even though the girl if paying attention knew who she was anyway. She had been a competitor for 75% of the competition. "And you are?"

Ah, so she was a Levi supporter? Louise didn't know much about the Hogwartians champions, except a little about Brent from his first three years at Ilvermorny, but she got the sense that the Hogwarts champions in general were more popular than the Ilvermorny ones. ALSO, she minded a little about Evan joining them? Why? Oh, cause she was surrounded by Ilvermorny students, probably and Louise suddenly felt guilty for sitting with her, because she hadn't expected her fellow classmates to readily join her so easily.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Louise muttered, apologetically. Really, she hadn't meant to offend, but she was just being nice. Like always. Curse her friendly demeanor.

Louise turned around to look at Irene when the younger girl agreed with her about Team Everyone Lives. "Aw, thanks. I doubt they'd let any of us die, but I guess things do happen that go wrong." Example: Triwizard Tournament from nearly a century ago. But who knows? The championship was brutal and as her gaze flickered casually to the competitor's screens, she watched in horror as each of them tried differing tactics to defend themselves against the runespoor. And maybe it was because she had been a champion until the last challenge, but she also found herself simultaneously wondering what she might do under the circumstances.

Other than panic. She didn't mind the heat terribly, as she'd grown accustomed to the southern heat in New Orleans and Atlanta, but the three-headed snake, combined with the runic translation. Although, the rune translation might not be that bad as she was okay with cryptic messages. And Transfiguration was definitely a strong point for her.

Her attention was brought back to the stands as she heard Irene babbling on about how Brent Westwood was Team Hogwarts too and she smiled, wondering how much of the fifth year Irene even remembered? Sure they were in the same year, but they were different houses and they both young when he moved across the pond. But maybe she associated with all her yearmates? She was a pukwudgie, which suited Irene's cheerful disposition well, if Louise was being honest, which also meant she probably did get along with everyone. Even the 'warrior house'.

"They're all brilliant. All four of them." She chimed in. They wouldn't have made it to the final four, if they hadn't been.

Ah, see, he was joining behind them! So not too bad, young Hogswartian! It wouldn't infringe too much on your space, hopefully, being behind them. She smiled at him, when he said he was asking his friends, not her. Actually, that was kind of rude of him to say. "Evan." Louise said cooly, in a warning tone. She promised her new young Hogswarts friend she would look after her and she didn't need any remarks to set her off.

And back to the screens, just in time to see Brent slumping into a chair in the front row, with Levi right behind him. For Ilvermorny champions lasting longer than Hogswarts, the two remaining Hogswarts champions had proved themselves to be quite adept and Louise couldn't help but admire and feel proud of them.

Sitting forward in her seat to observe them, she noticed the Hogswarts healer was by them in no time. And then Valerie and Kyle had made their way through and Louise couldn't help but glance at the time to notice that all four had finished in just under an hour. Brilliant of them, really. Only.... Valerie.

Sure the Wampus didn't really care much for her, but it was Louise's nature to care for just about everyone. So when the sixth year collapsed, the Thunderbird ALMOST found herself out of her seat, but stopped herself when the healer was there. It was his territory, after all. So instead she sat back down and just watched. The girl was brilliant, but she didn't stand for the heat as much as some of her fellow Ilvermorny students, so perhaps it was just heat stroke. She was tough; she would be okay, wouldn't she? And despite her being 'Team Everyone Lives', suddenly, she found herself hoping Valerie would pull out the win.

The challenge was over.
The competition was over.
Everyone was out.
In one piece.... mostly.

Noelle didn't blame Daisy for leaving her and Ava to go to Levi. If it had been Noah out there, she'd have done the same thing. She watched as each competitor sat down in the stands. Each looking frazzled and drained. Some hurt worse than others. And Valerie fainted. "Oh!" Noelle exclaimed quietly watching the scene.

And her wifey wanted to go into the crowd that surrounded them??

"Hold on. Maybe we should give him a bit of space. Don't overwhelm him. We can say our congrats and make sure he's okay later?" She could only imagine what she'd be like in that predicament. Probably a whole mixture of emotions. She wouldn't want to be crowded.

One thing she definitely knew. She was incredibly proud of all the competitors. Ilvermorny and Hogwarts alike. But she was DEFINITELY and baisedly proud of her Gryffindor friend, Levi.

"Imma stay here. You go over." She said to Ava and took a seat down at the stands she was perched at. She wanted to know the results.

Moxley was a cheerleader by nature. Her excitable personality and generally loud demeanor meant she was perfect for such things, so it was no surprise that she was cheering just as loud, if not louder than the kiddos surrounding her in the stands. Yes, a biscuit or two might have been lost in the process, but it was well worth it as the four students competing were showcasing incredible skill and creativity as they were completing the last task, all of them, which was exciting and nerve wracking all in one.

As the competitors turned up in the stands, Meredith gave Regina a smile and nod of acknowledgement. The whole ordeal had been a success in her eyes and her pride in her current school, and the students she'd been able to teach in her former one, was swelling up in her like a great wave. Merlin, she was going to TEAR UP right now. Was she proud of her students, Olivia? "Immeasurably. Actually, if you'll excuse me for a moment, I'm going to go see-" ....one of her students fainting. "It couldn't have been a Hogwartian..."

Up and out of her seat in a flash, the last two biscuits hastily shoved at the blonde in hopes they wouldn't go to waste, Moxley was moving towards Valerie Gray and Healer Reed.

"I got crowd control, Reed. Take care of my girl." She announced to the younger man as he worked, eyes on the fair-haired student he was caring for. She'd worked hard in a strenuous situation and surely this was the result of mental and magical exhaustion.

"Let's give her some room, everyone. She'll be okay." The Moxinator's voice was comforting but commanding, her gaze shifting to those who were close to Valerie. She would be okay.

Having been laser focused on rushing down so that his friend didn't hurt herself, as the ground was solid, Lachlan hadn't even noticed the Hogwartian Healer doing the same. And now that the man was speaking, he couldn't help the way his blue eyes narrowed up into said Healer's face. The situation was a sobering one and Lach felt unreasonably aggressive towards this gentleman, affixing him with a look of pure incredulity before carefully sliding himself out from beneath his fellow Wampus.

There was some internal struggle as he gently laid her out on the ground. On the one hand, Lachlan didn't know or trust this foreign Healer. He was an outsider, but the conditions of the challenge had been unforgiving. And it didn't take a genius to guess that dehydration was a main concern. On top of the noticeable fatigue. Stumbling to get to his feet quickly, he raced off to grab the requested water bottles; roughly pushing past those cluttering the area (Dana). He'd apologize later, but people should see that they needed to be out of the way. And in truth, his housemate wasn't something to gawk at. If Lachlan knew her, Valerie would loathe this level of attention.

"Here." It was said quietly as he handed over the bottles. And before the older gentleman got the idea to dismiss him, Lach hastily added in his thick southern drawl, "Is there anything else you need? Are you going to move her?" Even as his Headmistress appeared, the Wampus found himself pulling a face. Moxley trusted the man...? "Do you need help clearing the way?" He was backing away as he made the offer.

The cheer continued even as her eyes looked at the screen. The competitors had to know they were worthy or they wouldn't have made it this far. They could do it. It was all a bit of a blur, but hearing the professor she turned and smiled, "Thank you.
A cheerleader always has good pom poms." She had been on her second ones this term though since she had got upset after the first match and threw them out.

What was that? All of the sudden Brent was back in the stands and not looking good and Skylar went off to be with him. That was the best and she would just hang back and watch the rest.


"YAY!! GO COMPETITORS!"


She jumped up and down cheering for them as they came in but soon a scream left her mouth and her pom pom was up to her lips as Valerie passed out. "Is she okay?" Her feet stayed where she was standing though, she knew Valarie didn't like her and she didn't want to cause any issues. So she just stood watching and hoping that her housemate was alright.

With his face still buried in the palms of his hands, Brent managed a smile. No matter how exhausted he felt, his girl was here, and that always made him feel much better. He stood and reached over for her hands...both of them. "Thank you. That means a lot," he said. He'd literally risked his life four times in one school year, but yet he still couldn't get the sight of her shivering body slowly dying for him out in that arctic. In the end, she had done it for him, because she'd been asked about it and signed off on it, and she'd been a part of everything he'd done to pass that round of the challenge. "I'm proud of you, too. You risked your life for me, and yet here you are, still supporting me." He'd honestly thought their relationship would be a goner after that third challenge.

He sighed and closed his eyes. "I need some water," he mumbled. He hated to break up their conversation for one of his personal needs, but he just couldn't help it. The heat of the African forest alone had nearly done him in, never mind the addition of a runespoor. He caught glances from people like Levi, Daisy, and a few others, and he nodded at them in return. They were all schoolmates, but everybody seemed to be huddled around their own little group of friends. A few seconds later, the Healer had appeared, offering his congratulations and an ice pack. "Thanks, Healer," he said, happily accepting the ice pack and plastering it to the back of his neck. He wondered how cold the lake was right now, because if it was freezing, he was definitely up for a swim later on.

He missed Kyle joining them, because a commotion erupted a little ways down, and he looked over to see Valerie collapse. "Valerie!" he exclaimed, and no matter how tired he was, he rushed down to check on her. They weren't the greatest of friends, but he'd be an absolute horrible example of a guy if he ignored the fact that she was in trouble. He didn't offer his help, though, because the Healer had also arrived, and it was probably best he tend to her anyway.

His appreciation was always welcome – heck, appreciation was always welcome no matter the situation…well, maybe there were some situations that appreciation was a little bit…awkward? Mel had been engorged in the screens and the commentating that when it ended, she just sat there stunned for a moment. ”I’m so glad I wasn’t chosen as a competitor” she blurted out moments after Kirk and Dana’s spells were both removed.

”h-he’s right Dana, you were great.” Melbourne smiled softly, ”you can call me Mel…if its easier?” it was the little side-hug that Kirk gave her that made Mel nearly squeal with happiness. ”Kiiiirk, thank you,” she grinned up at him because even sitting down she was still quite a bit shorter than he was.

Mel glanced over at Sam and gave him a kind smile, trying not to be…too exuberantly animated for the seemingly shy boy. ”Hi…nice bubblehead charm,” Mel gave him a small smile before noticing just how red his face seemed to be…oh…maybe it would be best if she gave him space? Mel smiled back at Dana when she seemed to appreciate the offer of food and water…really, Mel knew how nerve wracking things could be but if she were being honest she had simply wanted to be there next to Kirk. ”nice to meet you Sam,” Mel grinned at him before turning to look at Valerie…did she need water? She assumed of course that Healer Reed would be on the way to her side shortly.

Right…Mel stood there for a moment before glancing around nervously. When were they going to learn about the competition results? Sure, now after how deadly each one had been Mel was convinced that every competitor should have won something.

Kyle Baker would've been attended to, simultaneously with Valerie Gray if the boy had made his presence known to him. As much as he wanted to help the boy with his arm, it was just impossible for River to be aware of it without knowing that he needed medical attention. He will of course, see to him once he's visible enough-- and perhaps when Valerie decides to get up to hear the results.

River continued to work like a well-oiled machine, going from one medical step to another to ensure that the Ilvermorny Champion would do a proper reset. The Healer did a double take at the female adult voice, and nodded his thanks to the American Headmistress. "Thank you, ma'am." You heard the woman, boys and girls. "She'll be fine, Mr Westwood. Now if you could please take a step back and let the cool air pass around Valerie, she'd be very grateful." he continued without looking up, directing his attention to the young man from earlier.

"Thank you, and no need to move her-- that'll only induce unnecessary circulation of the blood. We have enough of that." he said gesturing his head towards the now sleeping black Newfoundland underneath Valerie's legs. "Could you please remove her shoes and socks for me, Mister...?" River trailed off as he got one of the water bottles off the ground and applied a freezing charm on it. The frozen water bottle was wrapped with another clean face towel and slipped it underneath Valerie's nape.

That heat, and this young lady's pale complexion was a very bad mix. Melanin doesn't seem to exist in this child, and that raised so many health concerns.