Miss: Emily Leopard defeats you. You fail to ACHIEVE YOUR GOAL

The Tutor sweeps his wand down and the ward between you and your opponent dissolves.

⚀⚁ + 1 = 4.

When you HAVE A MAGIC DUEL, on a Miss, choose one from the Boarbristle Rules.

• Laid Up. Next: roll to GET OUT OF THE INFIRMARY.

Emily Leopard, knees bent in a crouch, throws spells at you as quickly as she had with Fay. Having watched her style, you deflect the first few and turn round to loose a STUN at her. Cat-quick, she deflects it and throws a DISARM back at you.

Your spells and deflections fly back and forth across the dueling pit, the spectators murmuring. She's fast, Emily Leopard. It's tiring to just keep up with her rain of attacks. Finally, seeing her pause, you try to slip in a CHARM, and...

There's a gap. You're sitting on the floor, the blood singing in your ears, a flood of golden sparks clearing from your vision.

"Hold," calls Preston Sharper. "Wand down, Leopard." He pauses for a breath. "Emily Leopard, you are the victor."

"Ah ha ha!" the Warden, Barbara Torch, crows from the sidelines. Leopard was her favorite, and now she'll be a Prefect.

And you?

Your head swims with dizziness and you blink. Asteria Hornbeam, Assistant Warden, sees to you. She's pleasant enough, pretty really, and why are you even thinking about such things?

"Can you stand, Morgan?" she asks.

With Asteria's help, you stagger to your feet. Sharper is saying something to Leopard about being a Prefect.

Well, you've blown your big chance to impress House Leontes. But you did make it through two rounds, two out of three, with help from Grace Winterthorn. You smile. At least Grace got her ****, through you, on Conker. Though CHARM was hardly a fierce or flashy way to end a duel.

Asteria Hornbeam searches your face, has you turn your head to left and right, and casts a spell of sensitivity to inspect you. You do feel rather the worse for wear. Disconnected, anyway.

"We'll take you to the Infirmary, Woodbine," the Assistant Warden says. "Let's make sure you're really all right."

You hope Golondrina will visit. You trust that Fay will. You wonder if Grace might.

Miss Wormwood, the Nurse, greets you.

"You again, Morgan?" she says. "Always good to see a familiar face." The green snakes atop her head, in place of hair, bow in unison to show their agreement. "Though those red and gold robes are new." She listens to the Assistant Warden and nods, taking charge of you.

You were really hoping to talk with Fay or Grace before the reckoning came, but your first visitor, the next morning, is Preston Sharper.

You have +2 Ambition, -1 Bravery, +2 Cunning, +0 Diligence.

Your FRIENDS are Fay and Grace Winterthorn.

You have 2 XP.

When you MISS attempting to ACHIEVE YOUR GOAL (winning three times in HAVE A MAGIC DUEL, in place of a single roll), choose one:

• Lose the Goal: You weasel out of it or miss the opportunity. Cross off the GOAL. Roll to GET OUT OF TROUBLE.
• Replace the Goal: You can't get it accomplished. Roll to ENCOUNTER Leontes' Tutor, Preston Sharper, at -1; he'll arrange a new GOAL regardless, perhaps a remedial task.

Choose LOSE THE GOAL and roll +AMBITION(+2) to GET OUT OF TROUBLE.
Choose REPLACE THE GOAL, and roll +BRAVERY(-2) to ENCOUNTER Preston Sharper. Take a new GOAL.

You still have to GET OUT OF THE INFIRMARY.