Rose Benoit and the School of Magic

The Hidden Classroom

       "The Strength Test will determine how strong your aura really is. If it is too weak to last through your first year at Mitoam, then we will send you home now so that you have some chance at a magical life. Follow me please."

       Mrs. Magistra lifted the Calix Acceptus off of the marble slab and put her finger in a hole that it had been hiding. The next thing the students knew, the marble had slid away to reveal another staircase, also lit with purple torches. How much further underground could they go?

       As the students descended single file again, a girl in front of Rose asked, "How long have these underground rooms been here Mrs. Magistra?"

       "Longer than you've been alive!" the Head of School responded. This response was met with some astonished "woahs".

       The girl turned around briefly to face Rose, "Did you know this was down here?" Rose shook her head. "Me neither." The girl said.

       As they continued to descend, the stairwell got gradually brighter until the students stepped out into what looked like an oversized school classroom. It had a white board , desks, and a teachers desk, but no other door than the one they had come through. The room was so brightly lit that Rose had to squint until her eyes adjusted.

       "Everyone, please take a seat. I am now going to step into Aura-Testing room to prepare the machine. Please wait out here and don't bug me. Your names will appear on the board when your turn has come. You may talk as long as you whisper." With that, she walked through the white-board.

       The students gasped and began to talk excitedly, remembering to keep their voices low. Rose sat alone in a back corner, contemplating the day's events in her mind. She had seen more magic today than any other day in her life! Well, maybe except for her tenth birthday. All of the hidden doorways, purple torches, the goblet and its mist, Mrs. Magistra's few moments of magic, all of it was unusual to Rose. Even though her city was a magical one, the magic was kept on the down-low because there was a school and because their magic was weak. Except for Mrs. Magistra's. Minutes passed before the first student's name appeared on the board.

                                                                                       Zachary Ace

       Zachary walked up to the white board and froze.

      "Am I supposed to just walk through it?" He asked the students behind him.

       "Walk through the wall right under your name, it's a Faux-wall." Mrs. Magistra's muffled voice answered.

       Zachary took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and walked through the wall. Again, the students gasped and talked about this phenomena. After a few minutes, he came back out.

       "She says only us kids with magic are able to walk through Faux-walls." He was beaming.

       "Well, did you pass?" A boy name Oliver asked.

       "Yep! Mine is strong enough to continue!" he sat back down in the desk he had vacated only minutes ago.

       Hardly ten seconds had passed before the next name appeared on the board.

                                                                                          Brock Adams

       Brock walked through the wall without hesitation and came back a few minutes later with a frown. Before anyone could ask he said, "Mine is so weak it may not last through the rest of my years here at Westmist. Mrs. Magistra recommends I drop my magical classes." He sniffed and sat back down.