08 March 1886

[Daily Prophet]

MARCH 8TH 1886

A LADY DUELIST!? Maeve Connolly’s Shocking Revelation!

When Miss Maeve Connolly came into our offices yesterday afternoon saying she had quite the tale to tell, I expected it to be of her exploits as the rare lady auror. While she does indeed begin there, Miss Connolly goes on to touch upon a crucial issue in our society today: the question of women and their involvement in dueling. The following are her own words, tidied up a bit for selection of words. I was always going to end up in the law in some way. There is a joke in the family—and even in my department—that the Connolly’s are set in their ways. When I said I wanted to join my father as an auror, though, my mother and some cousins protested. I was a girl, they said. It was far too dangerous a path for me to walk. My professors said much the same, but I had the grades, and I had the temperament—I was accepted into the Auror Training Program straight out of school. The work of an auror is not easy, and is often fraught with dangers. I am happy to put my own safety at risk to protect witches, wizards, squibs, and even muggles all across our fine nation. I have trained hard, and I have worked hard, and I believe I have earned the respect of my superiors and those who I value most. But it takes a certain type of person to be an auror, and an even more specific type of witch. You cannot excel without an itch within you—that itch for adventure. It’s an itch that isn’t simply satisfied in my day-to-day life, and it is the reason I am so dismayed not only by the current status of women in the dueling world, but in Mr. Skeeter’s proposal to remove them altogether. _____________________________________________________________

As a woman who is more than proficient at combative magic, who lays her life on the line for her fellow human each day, and who yearns for an active lifestyle, I must question: why in the name of Merlin’s hairy [beard] can a woman not duel with a man, as a man?! In asking myself this question, I realized that there was no answer. So I founded my own club of women dueling combatively. That’s right, I am the proud founder of a women-only dueling ring—and I could not be more proud of the skillful, brave women who make up our number. I could not name names even if I wished to, but they are women from all backgrounds, of all professions, and all level of skills. One might be your neighbor, your employee, your employer, your best friend, your social nemesis. She might tuck you in to your bed at night, or put you through your paces in the classroom. But you have let her down. You deny her a chance to show what she is truly capable of, and she may only forgive you that for so long. Enough talk about banning women from the dueling fields. They were never in them—not really. Trust in the witches in your life to duel with skill and respect. Those with no inclination will simply abstain, and we can all go back to focusing on truly important matters. Born in 1860, Miss Connolly is the daughter of Mr. Padraig Connolly, also an auror, and his wife Caitriona Brennan Connolly. She is the second of five children, and her family resides in rural Ireland. DISCLAIMER: The editorial staff of The Daily Prophet would like to emphasize to our readers that we neither support nor condemn the above and that it is merely an interesting perspective from a member of the British magical community, which we work so diligently to serve. AUTHOR: KAYTE

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