Closed A Worthy Opponent

[Phoebe Holland]

Ever since her last duel, Phoebe's mood had been pretty sour. She had had a lot of fun dueling Alistair, but then she had lost. That wasn't what she had cut her hair off for on the spot! It felt kind of unfair. But she knew the boy had won honestly, as he was a very good fighter. It just stung that he'd beaten her for the second year in a row, when Phoebe knew she was one of the best in their year. Alistair had never stood out to her much in classes. He wasn't like that annoying Kauri kid always beating her to answering questions in class, but she supposed that didn't mean he was stupid. It sometimes didn't occur to Phoebe that not everyone wanted to show off everything they knew. With that in mind, Phoebe was looking for the blond boy. She didn't particularly want to talk to him, in case he'd rub his victory in her face, but she had to ask him something. During the duel he had used a spell she didn't know, and Phoebe wanted to learn. She spotted Alistair in the student lounge and headed over, taking a seat next to him with a casual air. "Hey, you were pretty good. Teach me that Graviatus spell." She told him.

 

[Alistair Lancaster]

Ever since his last duel, Alistair's mood had been quite elated. It felt good to win, to reaffirm that he was more than just a quiet kid with a sketchy background. He was the best dueller in his year, according to the tournament, and it was a title he intended on holding on to. The teenager often questioned a lot of things about himself, and the roles thrust upon him. Certainly, it felt like he was given a lot that he hadn't asked for, nor always wanted. Prefect of his house. Presidency of the Student Defense Association. Lycanthropy. The last one had been the only thing he was for so long, and he was growing more and more comfortable knowing there was more to his identity now than a curse. To come out on top in the tournament, as close as it had been, justified some of the gifts and responsibilities he had been given. Perhaps he deserved them after all.

The Slytherin sat comfortably on a couch in the student lounge, a public spot he wouldn't have been caught dead in when he'd first come to Hogwarts. A lot had changed. He idly scrawled on a piece of parchment, making some effort to catch up on literally everything he'd put aside in preparation for the tournament, which had left him a little behind in some of his less practical subjects. A familiar voice cut through the mind-numbing haze of homework, one that sounded a little surprising since it wasn't shouting spells at him. "High praise from second best." He responded, lifting his head to face the Minister's daughter with a bemused smile. "Why? So you can try using it against me next year?"​

 

[Phoebe Holland]

Phoebe hadn't really known what to expect from Alistair Lancaster. She knew very little about him, as he was just a quiet kid who didn't really stand out in any way. Besides the dueling, of course. Somehow, she hadn't really expected him to be snarky, or boast about winning. But he did. Phoebe frowned a bit, then crossed her arms. "One duel is not the proof that I'm second best to you. I'm probably better than you at loads of things." She told him confidently. She rolled her eyes at his next question and flicked her hair back in a move that reminded her, annoyingly, of Diana. Then she crossed her arms. "No, I don't need it to win from you next year. I just want to learn it. Afraid I'll be better at it than you?" She challenged the blond boy, raising one eyebrow as she looked at him.