Vanishing Act (Anastasia)

[anastasia marie karkaroff]

maybe i'm too obsessed
with retribution

somebody has to pay

March 2027
parvati patil macmillan

Quickly, Ana realized that Parvati would not block the spell. A person needed to act decisively with such things. After all these years of training, along with training others, Ana liked to think she had a quick eye for such things. Not much got past her these days as one of the fastest draws in Interpol. Parvati landed on the mat with a loud thud, and Ana stepped forward while kneeling. With a quick wave of her wand, the dummies resumed their idle posts as they waited to be summoned again.

”Rennervate.” Ana pointed her wand at her friend but didn’t move. Stunning spells felt simple, taught so early in magical education, and yet the simplicity made it so powerfully effective. And Merlin knew anyone who took one and said it didn’t hurt was a liar. ”Parvati?” Ana waited for any kind of response. ”Are you alright?” Perhaps she should have waited to throw such maneuvers in or at least given a warning. But it wasn’t a bad thing. Even the most advanced could be caught off guard. Ana often thought the least and the most experienced were the most likely to get injured in the field.

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[parvati patil macmillan]

March 2027

As they were only practicing, Parvati was brought back to a conscious state by Anastasia. An actual duelling opponent might have taken the opportunity to leave her lying there, unconscious, but this was a bit different. The first thing that Parvati heard upon regaining consciousness was Ana's voice calling her name, though it took her another moment or two to regain her mental faculties. She hadn't lost her memory in the process of anything that severe, so it was simply a matter of getting back up from the mat beneath her.

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah," Parvati confirmed to Anastasia, still a bit dazed. I'm alright. Thanks." She'd taken worse blows in the past, but she also knew better than to try to get up from the floor too quickly. That was another benefit of not being in a true combat situation; she could take her time without being injured more severely or even killed. Parvati sat up slowly, leaning on her elbows.

anastasia marie karkaroff

[anastasia marie karkaroff]

maybe i'm too obsessed
with retribution

somebody has to pay

March 2027
parvati patil macmillan

With trainees, Ana might have immediately gone into a list of things they had gotten wrong. Their stance, their timing, their focus, or any other matter of things. However, Parvati was not a trainee, so Ana kept quiet for a moment. ”Did you want to keep going or call it a day?” Ana offered, still kneeling from before. Many thought of Quidditch as the primary magical sport. However, many forgot Dueling. Since it was regulated to such careers as Law Enforcement, it wasn’t often categorized as the rest.

And despite her years and experience, even Ana found herself exhausted after training. But it was vital for her to stay sharp. Her life depended on it while she worked. Standing up, Ana stuck out a hand for Parvati to grab. ”You’re welcome to train here anytime. I’m sure Rivera wouldn’t mind.” Not that Ana could see Bianca turning Parvati away, but their experience in the Order together perhaps made those little bonds that much stronger. As it were, she was the only one Ana could talk to about the fire these days. But in general, they kept out of each other’s way.

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[parvati patil macmillan]

March 2027

"Did you want to keep going or call it a day?"

Parvati appreciated that Anastasia had given her the choice to keep going or not, but she was torn between her two options. While she didn't want to risk injuring herself enough that she would have to go to St. Mungo's for treatment, she didn't want to seem as though she would be giving up by choosing not to continue. She was still young enough that she could be knocked down and get back up again. She wasn't ready to throw in the towel.

Still undecided on her next steps, Parvati took Anastasia's hand when she offered it and got back on her feet, giving the younger woman a small smile. "You're welcome to train here anytime," Anastasia told her. "I'm sure Rivera wouldn't mind," she added, clearly referring to Bianca Rivera, the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement there at the Ministry.

"Perks of having been in Dumbledore's Army, I suppose," Parvati commented with a laugh. Though their involvement in the Order of the Phoenix wasn't known to those who hadn't been part of the organization themselves, it was publicly known that Parvati had been a member of Dumbledore's Army back in the day. The interest that she received from others because of the DA had died down somewhat over time, but it was still relevant enough that it could be used as a cover.

"And yeah," she nodded. "I think I should call it a day." It was probably the wise thing to do, even though Parvati did feel a bit bad for having come to that decision. "I wouldn't mind training more regularly, though," she added. She thought that it might be of benefit to her, just for the sake of remaining mentally and physically sharp.

anastasia marie karkaroff

[anastasia marie karkaroff]

maybe i'm too obsessed
with retribution

somebody has to pay

March 2027
parvati patil macmillan

Many of Ana’s generation viewed Parvati and her peers with respectful regard. And that respect was universal. Regardless of where your allegiance lay and personal feelings aside, you respected and admired your enemies as much as your friends. Such a fact was a hard-learned lesson by many, such as Ana’s father. Casimir had always ensured that no one followed his path of shame and dishonor into a cell. Ana helped Parvati to her feet, waving her wand to return the training materials to their original places.

She nodded, absentmindedly crossing her arms once more. ”If I’m unavailable, you may also contact James. I’m sure he won’t mind helping.” Ana would have called it a hunch if the eldest Potter wasn’t so easy to read. Plus, the dummies were charmed in case Parvati did not feel like company. Ana had lost count of how many hours she had spent thrashing the dummies and other equipment after difficult days. But it was preferred to target practice with a trainee, or so she was told.

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[parvati patil macmillan]

March 2027

With their duelling practice over, Anastasia put away the supplies they had been using. As she did that, Parvati put her shoes back on. There wasn't any reason not to wear them at that point, save for the fact that the added bit of height made her that much taller than Anastasia. Though they hadn't done much that time, Parvati remained appreciative of Anastasia's willingness to work with her. The younger woman's suggestion that she contact James—James Potter, that was—in the event that she wasn't available was a good one. At the same time, Parvati knew to tread lightly there. Roping James into anything for which he hadn't volunteered himself could burn bridges with Harry and Ginny, and Parvati didn't want that to happen.

Given that they were at the Ministry and no longer had the Order's safehouses available to them, there was only so much that Parvati could say aloud. Obviously, both she and Anastasia would have known James separately if not for the revival of the Order of the Phoenix, but Parvati took care not to say anything that might raise eyebrows. Even after so much upheaval in her own youth, there were still people within the Ministry who would happily use and abuse that information. "I'll write him," Parvati agreed, though. If James was happy to do it, then she wouldn't be concerned.

"And thank you again," added Parvati. "I'm sure this wasn't the most exciting duel you've had in your life," she acknowledged with a smile, "but it means a lot." Little by little, Parvati had begun to feel more like herself, and knowing that she could duel again in an environment where she wouldn't be at any real risk increased her self-confidence.

anastasia marie karkaroff