Waiting [Dee... maybe Dylan later?]

[D'rorah Philosophy]

Not ready to be so easily dismissed after all she had endured at Dylan's hands, D'rorah began to walk toward him as he turned and walked away. She sheathed her swords and moved to follow after him, hastening her steps so that she would not lose him behind the door to the room of Elemental Earth. [blue]"Stop right there, Dylan Cooper,"[/blue] she ordered quietly as she came up behind him. [blue]"We need to establish some clarity on a few issues."[/blue] She reached out and grabbed his jacket roughly, forcing him around to face her. She was alert for any sign of movement that he was going to strike out at her, and had decided she would use whatever means she needed to defend herself. However, she had no intention of cowering in fear from Dylan for the rest of her life. She heard a sloshing from the direction of his jacket pocket, but refused to divert her attention from Dylan's eyes at the moment.

[blue]"Like it or not, we are allies in this war. So however much you may have decided you hate me, we need to work out some method of co-existing peacefully."[/blue] She knew they also needed to work out a way to make him keep the secret of the relationship he had just witnessed. [blue]"I do not wish to fight you, but the outcome of this war is more important to me than you are, at the moment. I will not be caught by surprise again."[/blue] As though she needed some physical display to hammer home her words--or at least to draw Dylan's attention forth from the usual indifference he treated her with--she shoved him roughly against the stone wall and kept her hands at the lapels of his jacket. She heard the muffled sound of metal striking stone, muffled by the material of his jacket pocket. Her eyes were still dark as she faced him and she looked every inch of her height, a height that was slightly taller than the boy she faced.

She was the superior fighter. And she had fought ruthlessly many times before when faced with creatures from the Shadow Realm, those who tormented villages and innocent people. While she didn't particularly want to hurt Dylan, she would be damned if she was going to stand by and let him ignore her very existence. [blue]"You nearly killed me the other day... and if you were not an Elemental Master, I would return the favor."[/blue] Remembering she had seen his wand move inside his jacket pocket earlier, she reached inside and threw it away from them, along with the flask. There was no way she was going to leave him a hard object to strike her with. She felt moisture left behind on her hand as both clattered on the stone floor across the room. [blue]"How will it be then Mister Cooper? Can you handle having peace between us?"[/blue] A week ago, the very idea of a confrontation like this would have been impossible. But having been humiliated and then nearly beaten to death by Dylan had altered the course of possibility within her world at Hogwarts. Deep down, she didn't want to hurt Dylan. It ran counter to her every instinct as a Shadow Warrior to contemplate harming an Elemental Master, but things had to be said. [blue]"So then, shall I return to my customary role of protecting you, as I have done so many times before? Or must there be discord between us? The decision is yours."[/blue]

[Dylan Cooper]

Largely able to ignore Kerridon, D'rorah presented a mightier challenge yet. He heard the steps behind him and knew, as he had so many times before, that it was nobody but her. The faint clink and sliding of metal reached his ears and he assumed she had replaced her swords to a less threatening position, sheathed insie of her robes. Stopping but not turning as she had the nerve to demand something of him, he sighed in an impatient manner before being roughly pulled around by his jacket. Practically snarling at her because of it, he largely ignored her words, more annoyed about her continued contact with him. He felt a quick force against himself and soon his back met the cold stone of the wall, undoubtedly making a bruise around his shoulder blades. His mind was so focused on hating her that the noise of metal striking the stone went largely unnoticed; or at least, he paid no attention to it. He was so busy that his mind didn't connect one and one to create two.

His eyes had nowhere to go but directly into hers, and he knew that they were not usually that dark. Normally, they were a cool shade of grey, and this change he supposed was meant to be domineering, as well as the height she was clearly using to her advantage. She had always been tall for her age, much taller than him, but he ignored that fact regardless. Clearly, she was willing to do no more than push him around, not woman enough to do anything more. She could state it was because of his status as an Elemental Master, but if she had really wanted to, she could have. He knew she was weaker than the visage she presented to the world, and he had already used that to his advantage. As she spoke, he also felt her rummage within his jacket, withdraw his wand, and cast it aside. Recalling that he did not need a wand to hurt her, which he was likely to do if she didn't release him soon, he paid little attention, only noting where it landed. As she pulled the flask, however, his eyes quickly diverted to it. Clearly, it was a slight weakness of his at the moment.

Angry, he noted some liquid fly from it as it, too, was thrown across the room, landing resolutely onto the hard stone. He struggled momentarily against her grip on him, even as she questioned whether or not he would keep peace between them. Granted, it was slightly ironic timing. Only vaguely noticing the rest of her words, he quickly kicked out, aiming an only relatively hard impact toward her knee. Pinned as he was against the wall, he couldn't really gain that much momentum, but hopefully she would be surprised enough to let him go. He didn't have high hopes, but he continued to struggle anyway, his eyes on the steadily leaking flask. "Let me go," he demanded angrily, clearly concerned about the potion now spilling onto the stone.

[Kerridon Paradox]

Kerridon stayed still as D'rorah went after Dylan, not trusting himself to stay level-headed around the boy if he followed. D'rorah was perfectly capable of dealing with him anyway... it seemed she had gotten over her previous connection with him by this point, at least. He watched warily, looking for any signs of him lashing out or drawing the wand Kerridon had failed to summon earlier due to its enclosed position in a pocket. He didn't react when Dylan was shoved against the wall, thinking the action perfectly justified given his recent treatment of her.

At least she had the presence of mind to disarm him of his wand, as well as a potion that had also been in the jacket pocket. As he saw it fall on the floor he took extra notice of it – that was the potion he had been ordered by Dark Phoenix to ensure that Dylan took. Obviously Dylan had been, but now he had to wonder... It had only been since returning from the Shadow Realm that he had suddenly discovered his hate for D'rorah... could this be the reason why? He had assumed it had been something to do with his stay, but this could be what was forcibly continuing his ill thoughts towards her now he was away from her influence. And if this was keeping the boy under her influence, then he couldn't allow him to continue taking it. It could lead to him telling Dark Phoenix about his relationship with D'rorah.

He walked towards where the potion had fallen, bringing out his wand this time. There was no need to make it completely obvious that he had wandless magic, even if the boy had enough clues already to be able to work it out. He lifted the vial so it wouldn't spill more and moved it temporarily away from the small pool of liquid on the floor. He glanced back with a scowl when he heard Dylan kick D'rorah, but trusted that she could handle him well enough. He needed to test this. [blue]"Incendio,"[/blue] he murmured softly. And, just as he had expected, a misty, dark red smoke rose from the potion as it burnt, very quickly. One of the signs of shadow magic he had been taught when younger was a dark red gas rising from it while it burnt... this potion had definitely been created using shadow magic.

Picking up the vial he made sure it was secure so no more would come out and slipped it into his pocket, planning to test it more later. The opportunity to study shadow magic directly without being attacked was too good to miss. He looked back towards Dylan and D'rorah, fully intending to destroy what was left of the potion if Dylan came at it him for it. Of course, that wouldn't be an advisable course of action, but the boy looked desperate enough to get the potion back that he might do something stupid. He would have to explain it to D'rorah later, when he was gone. Without the potion he would likely soon return to his normal temperament. Not that that excused his actions at all in Kerridon's eyes, but it might do in D'rorah's, and she deserved an explanation.

[D'rorah Philosophy]

D'rorah watched Dylan's eyes follow the flask of potion across the room. It hadn't seemed very remarkable, just an ordinary flask. She briefly wondered what might have been inside it, but not enough to care. As he brought up his knee to strike her, she reacted quickly to block the move. She had him in a good position, close enough that she could see what was coming before being blindsided. She heard Kerridon moving behind her to collect the flask that so interested Dylan, followed by an "Incendio" even as Dylan demanded his release.

She pursed her lips and kicked out, intending to sweep Dylan's legs from under him. [blue]"I am long overdue a moment of courtesy from you, Dylan Cooper,"[/blue] she remarked coldly. [blue]"I intend to have it. I will not let you go until I have some assurance that there will be peace between us in the future."[/blue] Even now, she could feel the emotions she had pushed back beneath the surface.

Her brain was telling her this was wrong, all wrong. This was never the way things were supposed to be between her and Dylan. How had they so quickly gone from preparing to spend the rest of their lives together to this? It had turned her whole world at Hogwarts inside out. She had lost that strong emotional foundation in her life. It had been cracked cleanly down the middle, the trust irrevocably severed. She found herself with an uncontrollable urge to beat him mercilessly, as he had beaten her only a few days previous. She wanted to force him to feel even a fraction of the pain she had endured... though her strongest pain had been emotional, she wanted to force him to feel it at least physically.

She pulled back a fist, muscles tensing to strike. She wouldn't stop if she started. It would be savage. She would have to be pulled away. She could almost picture the scene in her head and her lip twitched slightly. She was ruthless, certainly. But she wouldn't fight out of anger. She knew it would plague her for the rest of her life if she did. Her jaw clenched and she dropped her gaze, forcing a deep breath into her lungs. She could control herself, she had spent her whole life learning to master her emotions. Dylan Cooper would not be her undoing now. She would no longer give him the power to hurt her. Just like that, all of the burning rage, shame, pain, and anger was transformed into something much deeper. A calm emotion that was stronger and would stand the test of time.

She was indifferent. She was no longer invested in what happened to Dylan any further than ensuring his survival as an Elemental Master. As such, she couldn't hurt him now. Disgusted, she pushed herself away from the pathetic, faithless creature before her... a man who cared more for a metal flask than for the human being before him. [blue]"You are not worth the effort it would take to dispatch you."[/blue] Her poised fist sank slowly to her side. She was still tense, still alert as she turned to walk away from him. No attention was spared for his presence other than that necessary to ensure her own safety.

Calmly, she began to cross the room to the door etched with the symbol for wind. She had come here to train. There were plenty of things in her life demanding attention. No need to waste any more of that precious resource on someone who didn't deserve it and even went so far as to scorn it. No need at all.

[Dylan Cooper]

His attempt at a kick was quickly stifled; clearly, she had the upper hand in regards to both strength and positioning. He saw in the background a previously rather quiet Kerridon move toward the flask even as the contents continued to spill out onto the cold stone floor beneath his feet. Beginning to panic slightly, he would normally have reasoned that he could simply replace it himself - the staff at St Mungo's had told him what he was taking, of course, and if somehow it proved beyond his capabilities the school matron would certainly have a store of it, or else know how to make it. Reason suggested it could easily be replaced, but that was nowhere to be found in Dylan's mind at present. He growled angrily as Kerridon turned his back and muttered something with his wand out, clearly conducting some sort of spell onto the flask and the liquid within.

So intently focused on what Kerridon may or may not be doing with his treasured potion, he largely failed to see D'rorah kick out at him. She caught the base of his shins and he was spectacularly swept off his feet, crumbling most ungracefully to the floor. He had been so preoccupied that he had almost forgotten D'rorah was there, despite the fact that she had been pinning him to the wall, and was thoroughly surprised at the hard contact he received. As his head hit the ground below, Dylan even failed to see the irony of how often his head had been damaged or hurt, so intent on simply getting his potion back. He wasn't even angry at D'rorah anymore, except that she was keeping him from it. Somehow everything in his suddenly rather dazed mind was completely and wholeheartedly concentrated on getting that flask back, as if his life was at stake if he didn't. Of course, if D'rorah was at all likely to have her way, he could probably die anyway.

Her words flew right over him, though he did notice her raised fist. His eyes met hers briefly and before he knew it her jaw had clenched slightly and her gaze was thrown away from him. She inhaled deeply and whether it was his doing or not, Dylan was much happier for it. It wasn't at all noticeable, however, as he crept to his feet. She had begun to walk away, and he approached Kerridon lightly. "Could I have that back please, Kerridon?" he asked quietly, his voice the absolute soul of courtesy. He presented no threat whatsoever to Kerridon, unless of course he chose to withold the metal within his pocket from the younger Ravenclaw. If that was indeed going to be the case, Dylan would of course have to act. D'rorah was headed toward her own Elemental room, away from the potential fight, and in fact he was perhaps the only one to realise said potential.

"I need it for my headaches," he added lightly, indicating to his head with a small smile. He was of course referring to the bludger incident on the Quidditch Pitch a few months earlier. He hadn't really gone over it in his mind much; he hadn't entirely seen the need. He was a good Keeper, and had good reflexes, but he could be beaten. And apparantly, a bludger had done just that. He hadn't questioned the indicent at all, in fact, but rather just been grateful that someone had been nearby to report it and help him. The idea that another student might have actually swung it toward him with impeccable force or in fact charmed it to fly directly toward him had not crossed his mind; he had of course known himself to be training alone on the pitch anyway, and the student had happened on into the stadium soon after. If the potion currently within the older Ravenclaw's possession was refused to Dylan and he didn't manage to get it back, he would of course start to question just about everything that had occurred over the last few months, but why he wouldn't know.

[Kerridon Paradox]

As Kerridon stood watching D'rorah with the flask now in his pocket, he held his wand loosely in one hand, ready to use it if it was needed. She seemed very in control of the situation though, especially in contrast to Dylan who was still looking in his direction desperately, apparently still wanting that potion back. Dark Phoenix had most likely placed a charm on the potion to ensure he continued to take it – after all, Kerridon could not really be seen to suddenly become friends with the boy to make sure he took it regularly. That would have immediately raised suspicion among the lightfighters.

He didn't move when she raised her fist, fully aware that eventually he would probably have to pull her off Dylan. He saw no reason to not allow her to harm him to some of the degree he had harmed her the other day before preventing his death. At least Dylan did take note of it rather than continuing to keep all his attention on the flask. Had the boy not been an Elemental Master, Kerridon would not have worried. But he knew that D'rorah did not wish him dead so he would at least prevent that.

It seemed that it wasn't even necessary though – D'rorah pulled away before she hit him even once, then turned to walk towards the Elemental Room of Wind. Kerridon did not move, watching Dylan in case he decided to go after the older Ravenclaw. He did not intend to let the boy near her again anytime soon. Or, ever, if he had his way on the matter. Instead of going after D'rorah, though, Dylan approached him. Keeping a blank expression on his face, Kerridon's grip on his wand tightened slightly so that he could use it at a moment's notice and he raised it slightly so that Dylan was aware of it. As much as the boy was in need of being beaten, Kerridon wasn't convinced at his own ability to keep a hold on his temper, and was keen to avoid an actual fight. A lot of good it would do if he went and broke his neck after D'rorah had pointedly not harmed him. He kept his thoughts away from the events that had taken place in this room a few days ago, not wanting to test the control he had over his anger more than he already was.

He looked down on Dylan with a hint of coldness in his eyes, but other than that succeeded at keeping his face neutral. The boy had certainly recovered his politeness now he was not talking to D'rorah, and Kerridon took note of it. He showed no signs of returning the boy's smile. [blue]"No,"[/blue] he replied simply and firmly, following on fairly quickly with an explanation. [blue]"It is laced with shadow magic."[/blue] He didn't bother to point out that the basis of the potion was simple enough and he could get another from the nurse, not caring in the least about Dylan's headaches. He stood his ground, waiting for a reaction and hoping that the boy still retained some degree of rational thought.

[D'rorah Philosophy]

[blue]"Just give it the potion,"[/blue] D'rorah remarked irritably over her shoulder, her hand stopping as it grasped the handle to the room of her element. She felt the urge to hit Dylan wash over her all over again as she listened to his voice. Suddenly, he was the incarnation of politeness. Her knuckles whitened as she grasped the handle more firmly and she felt the metal press sharply into the palm of her hand. She wished he would hurry up already so she could have her time with Kerridon.

She turned quickly when she heard Kerridon's voice say that the potion was laced with Shadow Magic. Why would a headache potion have anything to do with the Shadow Realm? She regarded the scene before her and tensed slightly. Dylan was nice enough now, but she'd seen his mood switch rapidly before. If he even menaced Kerridon, she was ready to step in and assist with the situation. The last thing she felt like having to endure was seeing Kerridon sent off to the infirmary where she wouldn't be able to see him again for some indefinite amount of time.

Of course, she had little doubt that Kerridon could defend himself... but being protective was a habit she'd picked up in her time with Dylan. He never had been very good at defending himself in her experience. Her hands moved to the hilts of her swords and she took a few slow steps in the direction of the two men facing one another. She felt in an odd position indeed--faced with the only two people she had ever been romantically involved with in her life. Not too long ago, she had the impression that this scene would have been reversed. She would have been more likely to have been protecting Dylan from Kerridon. It was an odd shift, to say the least.

[Dylan Cooper]

It was hard to miss the wand raised toward him as he spoke to Kerridon politely; it was also rather difficult to avoid the completely blank expression Kerridon held. He supposed the older Ravenclaw wanted to do him some damage, perhaps a little hex or punch to the face, but until that happened he would maintain his supremely pleasant tone of voice. As he promptly denied his request, however, he gave a small nod, as if in acceptance. Of course, that would not do at all. He simply had to have that potion back, whatever the means necessary to acquire it. "Shadow magic?" he questioned, taking on only a slightly curious expression. It was as if the notion that his potion was laced was of no moment; no matter what might be wrong with it, he needed it more than anything in the world right now.

"There's nothing wrong with it," he said quietly, just a after before D'rorah spoke up from in front of her elemental door. He thoroughly agreed with her sentiment, it had to be said; he didn't even notice that she referred to him as 'it', and all things considered, he wasn't likely to have cared anyway. He did happen to note that the other Prefect had turned when Kerridon had stated this nonsense about Shadow magic, but he didn't wonder behind the reasoning. All he cared about was getting that flask back, though he most certainly noted D'rorah's few steps toward them and that she reached within her robes, supposedly to grab the hilts of her swords once more.

With Philosophy menacing about with her swords and Kerridon having his wand pointed directly at him, Dylan reconsidered the situation. He needed to get it back... But how? Certainly he couldn't win this fight, no matter how much his strength might be bolstered by his desire to re-acquire the container within Kerridon's possession. He was intelligent enough to know he should wait, but his mind simply drove him toward regaining the potion; perhaps he could wait until they had finished training and split up... take the older boy by surprise with an immobilising spell and steal it back, kicking him almost as an afterthought just for withholding it from him in the first place. But how long would that take? What if they left together, ate lunch and went to the library together? No, that would not do at all. This situation could only be worse if they were surrounded by people.

Knowing it was worth more than his life to get that flask back, he nodded softly once or twice and began to turn away from Kerridon. Taking a few steps toward the Elemental Room of Earth, it was a moment before he bent and picked up his wand, straightened, and took a few more steps. Before perhaps even he knew what he was doing, he flicked his wand beneath the crook of his arm, his back still to the others in an attempt to disguise his actions, and sent the expelliarmus curse toward Kerridon with a sharp, fast word.

[Kerridon Paradox]

Kerridon paid little attention to D'rorah's instruction, noting her address of Dylan but keeping his eyes fixated on the boy. Out of the corner of his eye he saw her move closer but still watched the younger Ravenclaw for some reaction. He nodded, as if in acceptance, but the tone of voice in which he questioned the shadow magic made Kerridon warier. He didn't seem at all worried that he had been subjected to such magic over the last month or so, which put Kerridon on edge slightly. [blue]"There is certainly something wrong with it, and if you insist on thinking otherwise you still will not be getting it back,"[/blue] he stated.

Finally Dylan turned, but Kerridon continued to watch him, especially when he knelt down to retrieve his wand. Perhaps it might have been better to let it burn along with that sample of potion that had spilt on the floor... then he would not have to worry about being attacked with magic, just physical force. His wand remained raised and pointed out the boy with his back turned – but that only made it that much easier for the expelliarmus to work when Dylan sent it. Unable to react quite in time, his wand went rattling across the floor.

A flash of irritation crossed Kerridon's face and with his hand already up it was hardly surprising that his response came out so quickly. One annoyance too many from this boy meant that the spell coming out to disable him was hardly of the pleasant variety. [blue]"Crucio,"[/blue] he muttered, loud enough for Dylan – and probably D'rorah as well – to be able to hear what spell it was before it hit. Unfortunately it meant revealing his wandless magic to him, but that could not be helped. He hardly wanted an Unforgivable traceable on his wand anyway. The anger at his actions towards D'rorah fuelled the spell, gradually increasing its power. His face just about kept the neutral expression, but there was a definite unpleasant twist to it as the dark magic flowed from his wand.

[D'rorah Philosophy]

D'rorah's eyes followed Dylan as he retrieved his wand and turned to head towards the Elemental Room of Earth. He was at an angle where she could not see the wand pointed underneath the crook of his arm. When it seemed Dylan would simply leave without a fight, she removed her hands from the hilts of her swords. Perhaps this encounter would just end. She had several questions to ask, the most prominent of which was exactly how a potion from the Shadow Realm had found its way into a flask at Dylan Cooper's side. Certainly, that had been an unexpected shock for her.

She heard Dylan's muttered "expelliarmus" and saw Kerridon's wand go skittering across the floor. She was reaching for her own wand, safely tucked away inside her sleeve pocket, when she saw Kerridon's hand go up and heard a "crucio" on his lips. She gasped as the spell hit Dylan, and saw the unpleasant twist to Kerridon's features. She paused a moment, torn between having wanted to harm Dylan earlier and wanting to protect him. It was hard to see him attacked and do nothing, but after everything she had been through lately, she almost wished she had been the one to deliver the blow. After all, Dylan had sent the first blow... with her and with Kerridon.

However, she found she couldn't simply sit by idly while he suffered. It ran too counter to her instincts. Finally, after having watched him writhe in the agony of the cruciatus, she reacted. She left her wand tucked inside her sleeve and raised her voice in a series of high, crystal notes.

[blue]"L'shamirah"[/blue] the word was chanted in a haunting melody that reverberated in the stone room. After a moment, the spell gathered enough strength to place a protective shield around Dylan, absorbing the energy of the cruciatus that Kerridon had cast. Every time she breathed in to continue the chant, the spheroid shell around Dylan pulsed slightly, moving in toward him. It renewed and expanded itself as she began the notes again. She had never attempted to hold the spell for any length of time, but her protective instincts were too strong to simply stand idly by while Dylan was tortured. She hadn't intended to reveal the existence of the protective spells to anyone. They were best kept a secret shared only by her and the professor who had guided her in the research at Falstaff's. They had gone through several iterations of blocking the Unforgivable Curses and then finding ways to strengthen them more and more. It had taken years of painstaking--and painful--trial and error to perfect the casting of these curses. Combining music with magic had been the key to unlocking the mysteries of Unforgivables. It was the first time anyone had ever successfully blocked a cruciatus or an avada kedavra.

The discovery had caused elation. And now, as she found a way to put the knowledge to use, she felt a sense of justification for all the years of ostracism she had endured at Falstaff's... a student of her age indulging in Dark Arts studies was rare and odd. And certainly, suspicious and uncomely as well.

[Dylan Cooper]

He hadn't entirely paid all that much attention to Kerridon's words; a mistake, perhaps, in some people's eyes. Certainly, Dylan didn't see it as that, far too concerned for the potion so nearly within his grasp and yet so far away. Of course, as the other boy's wand went flying across the floor, Dylan had also failed to pick up or remember that he suspected Kerridon of magical abilities beyond the use of wands. That had been an interesting fact, but very stupidly the last thing on his mind despite it being perhaps the most relevant. He had turned quickly after casting the spell, having of course been prepared for the situation. He had not been prepared for the excruciating pain that hit every nerve he possessed, however. The surprise alone might have shocked him to the core, if he hadn't been entirely preoccupied with a Unforgivable Curse being placed upon him. Surely it was wrong that he would use it on a fellow student, nevertheless one on his side, and though this was far from Dylan's thoughts at the current moment, it would certainly be reviewed later.

His entire body convulsed with the pain and he was far from able to supress the loud and continuous yell emitted from within his mouth. Falling to the floor quickly after he was hit with the wandless magic, he felt, if possible, that perhaps it increased in intensity. Unable to explain it or do anything other than writhe helplessly on the cold stone floor and scream from the depths of his lungs, his head smacked the hard floor more than once. He was only dully aware of D'rorah's words, but he certainly noticed when the pain subsided. His nerves tingled uncomfortably and he remained still, lying upon the floor for a moment. Eventually he noticed the orb surrounding him, supposedly the reason he was no longer in agony, and recognised the source as being D'rorah.

Putting one hand to the ground and pushing himself up gingerly, he cast a mutinous look toward Kerridon and then a slightly confused one to Dee. She had defended him... from an Unforgivable, that was true, but she had helped him nonetheless after all he had done to her. Shaking the thought away, his now familiar anger was beginning to well up but the memory of that pain was still too raw for him to even begin to attempt to get that potion back. He would simply have to wait until Kerridon was alone and retrieve it... but even that, all that did was ensure that the other Ravenclaw prefect was not there to help him should he fall victim to the very-same spell. At any rate, he would need to reconsider his plan of action, and as it was he retrieved his wand slowly from the floor, within full view of the both of them, and backed quickly toward the door. He would not train now, not here, while they still resided within this room. He could come back later, when he had recovered a bit more from the recent shock his system had sustained.

[Kerridon Paradox]

Kerridon watched as the spell contorted Dylan's features, making him shout out and convulse from the pain it brought. He continued to strengthen the spell, wanting to make the boy suffer for the way he had treated D'rorah, not to mention sending his wand scattering across the floor. He was paying little attention to D'rorah except as a source of anger to fuel the spell. He just focussed on keeping his hand steady and causing Dylan as much pain as possible.

As such, he was not at all prepared for her to intervene; the idea that she might protect him had not occurred to him at all. Not that she could defend him even if she wanted to – there was no magical defence against the unforgivable. That was their biggest advantage. When he heard her chant out the word the spell lessened for a moment at the distraction but then he intensified it again, not taking his eyes off Dylan despite wanting to know what D'rorah was doing. His answer came a moment later when the shield appeared before Dylan. Kerridon was at first inclined to dismiss it with the knowledge that nothing could block the spell... however, a moment later his eyes widened as he realised that the shield was doing just that. Somehow, she was blocking it. He tried intensifying the spell even more but, although he thought it was wavering for a moment, it didn't break through.

It didn't take him long to realise that his efforts were just exerting energy pointlessly and he released the spell with a certain amount of frustration. He glared straight back at Dylan when a mutinous expression was sent his way, ready to send another spell if he looked as though he was going to come at him again. His body finally relaxed a little when the boy backed out of the room, although he was still visibly tense.

He didn't understand why D'rorah had helped Dylan, and could not get his head around the reasoning as he walked over to where his wand hand fallen. He examined it carefully, making sure there were no scratches or other damage before placing it back in his pocket, turning towards D'rorah with a more neutral expression. [blue]"What was that spell?"[/blue] he asked immediately. Something to defend against the unforgivables... he had never heard of such a thing, but apparently it did exist.

[D'rorah Philosophy]

D'rorah held her chant, strengthening it as she felt Kerridon increasing the strength of the Cruciatus he cast. The mutinous glances that passed between the two was not lost on her as well, though the confused glance that was sent her way from Dylan irritated her. They were allies! They had been planning to marry, and he couldn't understand how seeing him writhe in agony might have been a bit much for her? Even without all of that, she couldn't sit here and watch a Lightfighter be tortured and not react. The others would never forgive something like that.

She watched as Dylan backed out of the room, not offering to help or assist him in any way. She had protected him, but her concern went no further than that. She watched without speaking as Kerridon retrieved his wand, waiting to hear what he would say. It seemed as though he took forever to examine the wand for damage before placing it in his pocket.

She watched his neutral expression as he turned back to her, not entirely surprised when his first question was about the spell itself. [blue]"It is a spell that does not exist,"[/blue] she remarked quietly. A frown tugged at her lips as she considered the question itself. [blue]"I did not develop with a professor at Falstaff's... along with a set of strengthened spells... I also did not develop those."[/blue] She pursed her lips and turned to head back to the room of Wind, not waiting to see if he followed. She had hesistated to protect and Elemental Master... even though she had trained for years to defend them without hesitation and without holding back any bit of her abilities. She had stood there and watched Dylan Cooper writhe in agony for several moments. She felt incriminated by her actions and knew that Master Xiu would never have approved. Stepping into the room of cool breezes, she pursed her lips and headed for her willow tree, jumping up lightly and changing into her sparrow animagus so that she might sit among the slender branches at the top.

[Kerridon Paradox]

Kerridon raised an eyebrow slightly as she replied that the spell did not exist, listening as she mentioned Falstaff's and some other strengthened spells she had apparently... not developed. Not exactly impressed with her answer, he opened his mouth to question her some more but found her back was already turned as she headed to the Elemental Room of Wind. Not wanting her to disappear and be unable to inquire further, he headed after her quickly, glad to see she had left the door ajar and entering after her. He closed the door behind him, not wanting anyone else to intrude, and took a moment to glance around at the room. It was the first time he had been inside one of these Elemental Rooms, and there was certainly a steady breeze going. He wondered for a moment what the others were like in comparison but pushed the thought aside for the moment as he glanced about to see where D'rorah had disappeared to.

After a few moments he noticed a sparrow in a nearby, rather large willow tree and took a step towards her, transforming as he did so into his own animagus form of a moth and flying up to rest on some of the lower branches that would support his human weight – he wanted to actually speak to her, even if she apparently did not want to talk right now. Transforming back relatively slowly to make sure the branch would indeed hold his weight, he glanced up to look at the small bird just a few branches above him.

[blue]"D'rorah?"[/blue] He paused for a few moments before continuing, wanting to make sure he had her attention before continuing. [blue]"Why have you not mentioned that spell before? Surely it could be useful in protecting the other lightfighters."[/blue] He wondered just how much she trusted him for a second before dismissing the thought. He was in contact with Dark Phoenix; the more he didn't know, the better.

[D'rorah Philosophy]

D'rorah saw Kerridon approaching and realized she hadn't closed the door behind her. As he made his way to her tree, she would have pursed her lips if she'd had lips to purse. She dropped several branches lower before making her way to the ground, changing back into human form so she could speak again. [blue]"You are stressing my tree, Kerridon Paradox,"[/blue] she remarked as she leaned back against the trunk of the willow.

[blue]"We elected to keep the existence of the spells a secret at the behest of our contributor from the International Ministry. We did not wish them to lose their efficiency."[/blue] She paused, a scowl coming to her features. [blue]"And I have never before had an opportunity to use them to protect an ally."[/blue] She turned her eyes to him. [blue]"Your ally too, I am inclined to remind you."[/blue]

She ran a hand absently through the grass beneath her and leaned her head back until it rested against the trunk, still annoyed with her hesitation earlier. A cool breeze carressed her cheek and she closed her eyes, inhaling slowly. She was still struggling with anger at Dylan, disappointment in herself, and a general feeling that things this year were simply going poorly. [blue]"How did you know the potion in the flask was tained with Shadow Magic? And how did such a thing find its way to Mister Cooper's side?"[/blue] she asked, thinking they had more than one problem with that scenario, the least of which was that she was fairly certain Dylan had caught the two of them locked in an embrace that certainly looked to go far beyond friendship or greetings between two allies in a cause. It was another person who knew about their relationship... and it made it that much more dangerous.