A.N.: Here are the first classes. What do you think? I'm fresh out of ideas right now, so if anyone has any lesson plans for these classes, plz suggest them.
X - normal text
X - text where Bloom is not present
'X' - thoughts
'#$X#$' - Parseltongue
Chapter: : More than High School Pt.4
"Good mornin' everyone! As usual, it falls to me to kick off the new school year." Wizgiz was a funny professor. He seemed to have Tonk's humor, Slughorn's leniency, and McGonagall's sharpness. Oh, and Flitwick's height.
He was as tall as the desk, but he moved quickly. Like, duelist quick. I wondered if he and Flitwick shared similar backgrounds. "Now, for those of you who haven't met me yet, I am Professor Wizgiz, your Metamorphosis instructor."
He hopped onto his desk. "As it is a new year, I would like to remind everyone that it is full of new, exciting, and limitless possibilities. That is what metamorphosis is really all about. Metamorphosis is the art of changing how you appear. Or, the way you look."
"Once you master it, you can turn into anything from a rock," He grabbed a hold of his sideburns and pulled. I nearly dropped my jaw at the sight of the leprechaun's body reshaping and reforming in a bunch of sparkles, turning into...Ms. Griselda. "To a rock star."
Now my jaw dropped. His body, his clothes...even his vocal cords had changed to match her's perfectly. If I hadn't seen the transformation myself, I'd have believed him to actually be Ms. Griselda.
'Bloody hell. That's human transfiguration, a bloody NEWT-level subject! And he did it silently!' And something that I'd taken another bloody Hogwarts year to master. How the bloody buggering fuck did he expect us to master that in three years?
Guess that means I have a head start on the theory, but bloody hell, that demonstration was way more impressive than McGonagall turning her desk into a pig.
He was sitting cross-legged on the desk, with a stern, pouty look on Griselda's face, one fist under his chin. "Don't worry, I'm not really the queen of detention."
The class burst into thunderous applause and laughter. I myself snickered while exchanging amused looks with Stella, who was sitting in the seat next to me.
Wizgiz lapped up the attention before addressing us once more. "Oh, but that's not all. The beauty of magic is that you can always go back to being you." He tugged on Griselda's glasses before suddenly shrinking and turning back into himself.
Adjusting his hat, he turned to us once more, still carrying his humor, but with more seriousness than he had previously shown. "Metamorphosis is one of the main classes in your curriculum that you will need to take before you can graduate here at Alfea College. While Ms. Griselda has given out more than enough warnings, I must also warn you. Metamorphosis is a dangerous field of magic to those who are unaware of what they are doing, or to whom they are using it against."
"In this field, to do what I just did takes years of practice, concentration, and magic-focused intent. You have to focus on changing your anatomy, your clothes, your skin color, your species, and your body scent. Each aspect takes immense focus, and we will be studying various spells and anatomies during each term and year."
"Mess with this study of magic in unsavory ways, or sabotage another student who attempts a part of this process, and I will turn you away from this class and not accept you back. You have been warned."
Every single girl in class was taken aback by this. One or two looked horrified at the amount of work and aspects that went into that single transformation.
I turned and glanced behind me at the rest of the Winx. Tecna was sitting in the far corner, very back row. Musa and Flora had managed to get seats, with Musa in front of Flora two rows over.
"Now, I will begin by going over the rules of Metamorphosis, starting with Winx. Please take out something to write with and a utensil."
One of the girls raised her hand. "Ah yes, Ms. Luz?
Amaryl spoke up. "Sir, shouldn't we be learning about how to use magic?"
Wizgiz hesitated for a split second before replying, and I knew that he glanced at me. "That might have been how things were done in the past Ms. Luz, but our headmistress saw fit to have portions of their curriculum changed, and it is not our position to question her judgment."
The girl scowled, and despite myself, I couldn't help but feel slightly guilty. All she wanted to do was learn to use her powers, and because of me, she wouldn't be able to do that for another week, at least.
"Now, who can tell me what Winx is?"
All of us members of the Winx shared an amused look. I raised my hand, but another fairy with short black hair in a cute red single-strap top beat me to it. "Yes, Ms. Elektrik?"
Wirena took a breath and then answered, "Winx is the three-stage process for learning how to achieve our base fairy forms. The first part is finding our cores. The second is mastering our emotions, and releasing negative ones. The final step is transformation itself."
Wizgiz nodded. "Correct. Our headmistress and deputy's head of discipline will teach you how to master the first and second stages. I will teach you the third stage later this term, though every fairy learns at a different pace. There is no shame in learning slower than your fellow fairies, or even retaking a year."
He glanced at Stella, who'd crossed her arms. He cleared his throat. "Now, what are Arcadia's laws of Metamorphosis?"
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
After an hour and twenty-five minutes of notes & questions on various theories and explanations for spells and what they did, all of our classmates had left Wizgiz's class and made our way outside for our lesson with the headmistress.
To my surprise, in the back of the school, in a small clearing was a stone circle. It reminded me of Stonehenge in Britain somewhat, if a shrinking charm had been applied. The stone grew larger around us but didn't come close to reaching the height of that ancient site though.
All of us were sitting around an elevated stone, which had a bowl of some sort. I noticed the lack of runes, but I could feel the magic within it.
My friends and I had managed to get here early enough, to get spots in the very center of what was clearly a runic ward stone circle. Likely, this place controlled the entire school's wards. Rather risky to have it out here, exposed, if you ask me.
"Magic lives in the very fabric of nature." Headmistress Faragonda Dowling paced around the elevated stone & bowl, making eye contact with every single one of us as she lectured. "And here in our circle of stone, it is magnified. Those of you more attuned to magic can feel its presence in the air."
I certainly could. It was like I'd walked into a sauna. The air was heavy and dense, like a thick soup. My body was already in pain, but the less I moved, the less I noticed it. The more pain immunity I built up, the better.
Headmistress Dowling gestured towards the circle in the center. "The Vessel tests your ability to conjure and channel that magic."
She continued to pace. "Further down the line, in your final year(s), you may learn how to connect and use other elements. But your first two years here at Alfea--more specifically Magiphysics and later Magiphilosophy-- are dedicated to learning how to wield the elemental magic you were born with."
She looked over at some girls near the back that were giggling. When they quieted, she resumed. "Whatever your element, the emotions underlying it are the same for all fairies. We are creatures of the light. Positive emotions are derived from positive energies. They empower us and enable fairies to dedicate magic to paths such as Light, Healing, Creation, and Divinity. Many of you likely experience these kinds of emotions daily. Emotions such as happiness, love, satisfaction, amusement, interest, serenity, and even lust."
More giggling, which silenced as Faragonda looked over us all. "Negative emotions weaken us. They are derived from negative energies. Paths of magic such as Dark, Shadow, Black, Death, and even some illusionary magics. Many of you have likely felt negative emotions before. Emotions such as fear, anger, disgust, sadness, rage, grief, loneliness, melancholy, and annoyance."
Odd. Whenever I felt a strong emotion, my magic became more powerful. I knew that I was a fairy, but I couldn't help but wonder if the source of my magic--the Dragon Flame--was neutral magic. Like how the Deathly Hallows had been pure grey. That could explain why I was empowered by anger and happiness. Love and anguish. Fear and lust.
"As you are aware, just as we are creatures of the light, there are other beings of the dark. Witches are the inverse of us. They thrive upon negative energy, but are weak in the presence of positive energies and emotions."
One by one, she began calling up fairies in alphabetical order to the Vessel. "Place your hands on the Vessel."
One by one, a set of hands grasped each side of the Vessel. "Open yourself up to the magic of the world around you."
Some of the fairies saw magic happen instantly. Others struggled to get their magic to spark. For some, nothing happened.
"Push past your doubts, leave your fears behind." the headmistress encouraged. "Search deep for the element that resides within each of you, and call it forth." From the bowl, I saw many elements come forth.
Lonina grasped the sides of the bowl. From it rose electricity. Faragonda spoke. "Air. Speed. Temperature. Sound. Altogether, their combined power forms electrical properties."
Heidi stands, moving to touch the Vessel. From its depths conjured sound. "Air. Noise, Speed. Vibrations. Whispers. All forming together to make Sound." Faragonda nodded and gestured for the next fairy to come up.
One by one, in alphabetical order, each fairy stepped up. Each girl displayed her element of magic. Moonlight. Light. Air. Earth (they call it Dirt, how insulting is that?). Electricity. Sound. Wind.
Terra, Flora's cousin (who was lighter-skinned, her hair still caramel, but was a little on the heavier side with her hair cut shorter) grasped the sides of the bowl. From it rose a mound of soil and rock, with a few crystals growing from the sides and a few small plants at the top.
"Soil, sand, rock. Crystals, and spores of nature." Faragonda smiled and gestured for Terra to return to her seat before calling up Amaryl.
About less than half of the class attempted to use the Vessel before it was time to leave for lunch. This whole week felt rushed if you ask me, but this was a 'college'. It stands to reason that the curriculum would be shorter since there are only sixteen or seventeen weeks per term.
"Remember to reach the first chapter of your textbook! We will discuss its contents next week, so do be prepared!" Faragonda called to us as we left the circle and made for the castle.
The walk back to the Great Atrium was a bit of a stretch (and Stella-belly-ached halfway there) but at least I knew that we'd all have great legs by the end of our time here.
Gratefully, I slid into my seat and looked over the menu, eventually deciding on a 'Clamburger', with a side of fries. Thank Merlin they had that at least, although I needed to give the recipe for treacle tart to the chef ASAP.
"Well, this sure has been eventful, and it's only lunch," Musa muttered.
"First day is usually the hardest," Stella reassured. "You just have to take it day by day."
"Except that, this week is only going to be theory." Musa scowled.
I ducked my head down. "Sorry."
Musa realized how I must feel. "Oh! Don't worry about it. I understand why they changed the curriculum, I'm just not a fan of notes or homework."
"Join the club," Stella said glumly, before glaring at the copy of notes Tecna had given her.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
South of a lake, on a jagged cliff surrounded by dead and decayed trees, standing out against an ever-constant storm-filled sky was a towering castle. Its architecture was enchanted, allowing it to stand tall while still being unnatural in design, bending, twisting, and openly defying physics that many had questioned how the castle still stood.
This structure was massive, rising up out of the ground like a twisted structure similar in design to the Beanstalk from Jack and the Beanstalk, and traversing higher, deep into the storm clouds that rumbled around the cliff they were on.
A single pathway on the rock elevated into the bridge of Cloud Tower, rising up with single support pillars in purple-black, twisting this way and that up the hill like a serpent's tongue, reaching the base of the tower, & its entrance.
The centerpiece of the tower rose out of the ground in a hard, unknown purple material. Blood-red windows lined many of the elongated and curved areas like sets of fish gills. Archways and spikes hung around various points only added to the castle's distorted and disfigured look.
Various branches of the tower spanned off in this way or that in curved and spindly designs that made your stomach twist. The higher you rose in the tower, the more branches you found, as well as how they were all interconnected. Some branches led to dorms for the various years of students. Others led to offices for professors, staff, and the headmistress.
Even higher rose more spires, as well as various spikes. Around the base of the rock that the school was built upon looked like something similar to a tail. Legend has it that the school used to be the great Hydra, a three-headed Great Beast that was said to have been able to fight the Great Dragon half as long as the mysterious and unknown Shadow Phoenix.
The school was full of labyrinths, twisting halls, and shifting walls. The stairs moved and spires changed positions at a moment's notice. Nothing was more dangerous than simply walking down the stairs, for they could change direction, be replaced by walls, or simply vanish. Doors, classrooms, and other areas of the school would change location and shift to different places as well, with no recurring pattern.
Nothing was ever redone or replaced, as the efforts would simply vanish with the changing rooms.
Any students who attended had to find their way around quickly, and become attuned to the school itself if they wished to get to classes on time, nevertheless, stay alive.
The school itself was full of negative energy. Not enough to harm anyone else that visited, but definitely enough to weaken say, a wandering fairy. It was a place of negative energy and some dark magic, a unique haven for young beings of the dark that existed nowhere else in the Magix Dimension.
An orb stood in the center of the tower, somewhat surrounded by the other extensions of the room. It was in this...ball of sorts, through the (shark-fin-shaped) windows that you would discover a massive amphitheater.
Rows and rows of seats in groups of three to six lined the elevated, curving walls from the circle down below to the top up above. The higher up you were related to your status among the covens, as well as your generation.
Mirta hated it. She hated this school already, and it was just the first day. You had no friends in Cloud Tower, as she'd figured out by watching older witches bully younger generations or fight each other. Covens were the only form of protection, and she had no one she could trust to watch her back.
Next to her arrived two fellow students, Lucy & Karen, joining her on seats at the bottom row (they have no coven, so they cannot rise in rank of seats), keeping their distance with a seat between them.
Lucy has an elongated face and sharp angular features. Her body is thin and skinny, partially bony from her consistent use of dark magic. She is a fourth year, but in no way weak, unlike what her frail appearance and stutter say. Mirta has seen her destroy a whole coven when they wouldn't stop picking on her, and that was just outside the front gate on the bridge.
Karen was more of a diva. She has saffron-colored hair and cinnamon-colored skin, with pouty red lips and brown-grey eyes. Like Mirta, Karen is also a first year. Unlike Mirta, Karen had a very relaxed attitude. She was always calm, except for the almost dead stares she would have in her eyes. If Mirta had to pick, she would rather have Karen at her back. Lucy was too unpredictable for her tastes, too wild and...free.
The three girls glanced at each other with neutral stares as a lone woman stepped onto a balcony that rose high above the rest.
Headmistress Griffin was one of the most powerful witches to date. Her skin was pale and sallow, slightly greenish. She wore a sleeveless, curve-hugging dark blood-red dress with a single gold ring over her breasts. Her arms were covered by blue sleeves from an undershirt, and she wore bone-colored gloves that ended at her elbows. Her vampire collar extended up to past her head. Her hair was an ugly dark purple, with her bangs colored slightly lighter. Her green eyes were dark. Malice, ambition, pride, and cunning shined within those beetle-black pools as they studied her subjects below.
Many of the witches below gasped and pointed as the woman stepped in front of her elevated throne, high above their heads. Like a tyrant standing over their suppressed. Mirta hated her already.
"There's the headmistress." a witch in goth black shorts with fishnets two rows behind her whispered.
"She's so scary." another witch whimpered in fear.
Higher up, Isobel, D'arcy, and Beatrix scowled at another coven that was sending heated glares their way.
"Looks like we might have internal trouble this year again," Beatrix growled.
"Calm yourself, sister. Our goals derive from ambition that will take us beyond these walls, into the world, taking what we desire with force. Meanwhile, those little girls will still be performing school tricks and childhood pranks." D'arcy said coldly.
Isobel's face remained impassive as she looked upward, the frost on her seat the only clue as to her current state of emotional being.
How she loathed these things. Meaningless classes and lectures that didn't benefit her or her sisters. Speeches that were given by their illustrious headmistress with childish jealousy and based on an old rivalry's hatred.
Fairies with their cheerful, sickening positive vibes, glittering outfits, noisily flapping wings, and their annoying do-gooder mentality.
Princess Stella and that meddling Earth brat, who had defied them twice, and managed to escape the Trix. And then they went back to their pathetic and vomit-inducing pink-colored school where they learned how to be good little girls that smiled at everything and were heroines saved by other heroes.
It made her sick to her stomach, and she couldn't wait until she and her sisters had the power that they needed, just so she could wipe the smiles off of everyone in the Magix Dimension and cast them into eternal despair.
They were going to build their army--make no mistake. They would get the Dragon Flame, and when they did, the Trix would shatter every dream, every hope, and every desire, replacing them with pure horror, destruction, and utter chaos.
She and her sisters would make all the realms feel the pain and suffering that witches suffered a thousandfold.
But that was a destiny not yet complete--as much as it irritates her so. Until they obtained the Fire of Life, they would need to maintain the illusion of being the biggest, baddest, and meanest (the terms themselves sounded demeaning and degrading) coven in Cloud Tower. The top senior witches with the headmistress's favor.
Three other professors of Cloud Tower moved into view, standing on either side of the throne.
The first had pale skin and long black hair with white streaks on the side of her head and down the middle of her hair, forming a steep widow's peak. She has cold, almost lifeless olive eyes, a hooked nose, and black lips. Her outfit consists of a long sleeve top with a v-neck & elevated shoulder pads and pants that split around her lower legs to show off her shins. She also wore high heels, all of her attire in a dark damson color (kinda purple).
The second also had pale skin, although she had short dark teal hair. She also had dark olive, nearly lifeless eyes, but beneath her left eye was a purple mark, likely from a curse or spell that couldn't be fully cured. She also had a hooked nose, although she had teal lipstick. Her outfit consists of a dark bluish-green turtleneck sweater and loose, flowing pants in the same color. Like the first, she also wears high heels, also in the same color.
The third and final professor was not female, but male. He had an extremely crooked nose, with sallow, pale, almost yellow skin with soulless black eyes. His teeth (the ones that haven't already fallen out) are yellowing, and his hair is an ash grey, with streaks and rivets of his former black appearing here and there. He wears thin round glasses and a blood-red scarf that is worn around his neck like a collar or noose. His outfit consists of bulky robes in plum with deep purple polka dots. The robes are so big that they hide his dragonhide boots, a rarity at this time and day.
These three professors are the other staff of Cloud Tower, apart from its guardian pixie, nurse, cook, and librarian. Professors Ediltrude and Zarathrustra (twin sisters, the two a terrifying force), and Professor Bittersmoke, a bitter, haggard, yet cunning potions professor.
Griffin rose from her throne, not even sparing her colleagues a glance as she steps up to the mic at the edge of the balcony (with no barriers or walls to prevent one from falling).
Seems that their illustrious headmistress was going to give a speech. Likely the same one she made every year.
"I'd welcome our new witches, but we all know that they will learn the rules and methods of this institution before the week is up. Or they won't, and they'll be expelled, assuming that they're still alive."
This was followed by stiff silence from the first years and quiet, cruel snickers from the older years. "Now then. Once more, I must bring the terrible news that we witches have been personally snubbed and insulted."
No one spoke, all eyes were focused on the headmistress of Cloud Tower. Drawn in, almost lured. Mirta risked a glance toward Karen, but she looked just as puzzled as she felt.
"Once again, the fairies have snubbed us all by 'forgetting' to send us invitations to their back-to-school dance, along with their precious Traditional Gift Exchange Ceremony, to celebrate the arrival of their newest puppets."
Boos and angry hisses came from her audience. Some of the newbies actually looked angered or near tears when they heard that they were to be excluded.
Griffin's next words sparked fury among the students. "The exclusion is even worse this time, as not only will Alfea's fairies be inviting the students from Red Fountain's Specialist Academy, but also from Oscuria College for Sorcerers, Beta Academy for the Ambitious and Cutthroat, and Malacoy Paladion Academy for Paladins and Wizards."
This time, the hisses were not just angry, but seething jealousy. Witches found love more easily in wizards than they did in princes or Specialists for obvious reasons. There was a witch or two that had actually managed to snag a sorcerer and a Paladin too. But for them all to be present at this dance, denying the witches a chance to meet a potential mate at their age, was like a tied-up girlfriend forced to watch her boyfriend cheat on her with another girl. In blunter terms, not a slap, but a punch to the face.
Griffin smirked at the hostile reactions she got from her audience. It was so easy to manipulate these girls, like shaping and molding clay. "Yes, yes, I sympathize with you."
Griffin raised a clenched fist. "So this year we will have a little contest, to see who among us is the biggest, baddest, and cruelest witch. The objective is simple and cruel, whoever wins will carry out the task of sabotaging the precious fairies' back-to-school dance."
Cheers, and eager hisses filled her audience. "You are all invited to submit your applications. Whichever witch or coven submits the cruelest, the evilest--within the law of course--", Her sneer suggested what she thought of that.
"--plan of action will be selected by me to infiltrate Alfea and ruin those spoiled and pampered girl's nights. Remember, this is a chance to utilize your cursing skills for the greater evil! It is the duty of every witch to ruin these brat's special night, be it with mean pranks, clever ploys, time-delayed spells, or subtle curses."
She sneered as she looked over the young witches below. "Know that whatever you plan will be, it had better be worse than bad. I will not tolerate silliness or wimpy action. I want cunning and ambitious responses! However, whatever you do cannot be traced back to us witches, who were of course hosting our own little...school celebration."
The suggested alibi made many of the more cunning and older witches smirk knowingly, while the more naive and younger witches looked excited. "Now, go forth. The fairy's little party is next week's Friday, so I want all submissions on the day before, double-spaced and scroll-bound. Once all the entries are in by the end of the day, I'll select one, and the following afternoon I'll send the chosen one or ones off on a merry night of wickedness."
"May the worst witch win." She then sat down on her vile throne, a cruel, mocking cackle leaving her dark lips. Below, witches and covens began chattering and discussing the best way to ruin the fairies' night.
"So?" snarled Beatrix, sending yet another glare at the other coven that kept sending hostile looks their way.
D'arcy purred, "I think that this will be the best chance to steal the Scepter of Solaria."
"I agree." Icy's smirk was colder than negative zero.
"The point of entering this contest is to sabotage the pixies' party." Beatrix pointed out. "Such things are beneath us."
"It will be fun, and we come a step closer to dimensional domination." Isobel reminded quietly, her eyes scanning for any eavesdroppers.
"Plus. This way, we kill two birds with one stone." D'arcy added, using a phrase she'd heard the redhead use and liked.
After the confrontation, D'arcy had taken it upon herself to scry for the girl named Bloom. It was rather boring, as most of the time she'd been unconscious in the hospital wing of Alfea.
D'arcy was intrigued to discover that the girl's body hadn't been able to handle exposure to ambient magic without giving out before long.
Knowledge was power, and to a witch such as herself, it was a weakness that she could leverage against 'Bloom' the next time she got in their way. Although she had to admit, that girl knew how to physically fight. And she could dodge well and likely would get better at dodging once she unlocked her base fairy form.
Still, the girl's origins were quite a surprise to the Witch of Darkness, Illusions, and Dark Magic. Bloom was an actual Earth Fairy, with a mother and a sister. Earth fairies were believed to have died out some time ago, well before she or her sisters were born. And for her to be able to wield Princess Stella Soleil's heirloom...
Oh yes. This girl was an unknown piece on the chessboard, one that required further investigation.
'What secrets do you hide, Bloom Peterson?'
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
After crossing the school courtyard again, and up two flights of stairs to the third floor, we find ourselves outside of the Good Manners classroom.
We enter, and I find that it is set up with plush chairs, some high tables, and a whiteboard at the back of the room. There are lamps, and the shades are drawn. The wooden floor in this room is replaced with a black carpet.
A few round tables line the back wall, along with a few makeup stands. A lectern stands next to the door. Just what kind of class is this?
The Winx gravitate towards seats right by the door, and I join them. Our other classmates settle in, all sixty of them. Funny, seems that all of these rooms have enchantments on them to make them appear bigger on the inside while looking normal on the outside.
I glanced around, but couldn't spot the Vampiress, though I did feel her aura. As the rest of my peers settled in, the door slammed shut, as though done by an invisible hand.
The blinds on the windows raised, casting light into the room, and to a table that had been shrouded in darkness. And sitting behind it with a cup of something (I was about to say tea, but does Magix even have tea?) was the Vampiress.
Her fair flawless skin was mostly covered by a pure red sleeve dress, the kind you'd see at a nightclub (or dare the dirty part of my brain to suggest a conservative dress for a strip club). Her silver hair contrasted beautifully with her youthful appearance. She looked not a day older than twenty-three, although I wouldn't be surprised if her age was in the centuries.
She wore gold earrings and her pouty lips were done with red lipstick. Light blush on her aristocratic cheeks, and a slight allure, drawing me in, like the Veela's allure, or the Siren's call. I did question her rather large hat, but her 'fit choices were her own.
"Welcome young fairies." She uncrossed her legs and rose to her feet with grace and such swiftness that I was honestly a bit jealous. She walked to the front of the classroom and settled in the largest plush chair. "Welcome, to Good Manners. I am your professor, Professor DuFour."
Her eyes swept over each of us, and though her posture was relaxed, welcoming, and non-threatening, I couldn't help but be on my guard. I couldn't help it, Harry's memories were like warning bells in the back of my mind.
"In this class, you will learn proper feminine etiquette. Pardon me for being blunt, but in this class, you will learn to be a young woman of your station. Some of you will become Guardian Fairies. Others are princesses studying and preparing for the day that they take over the mantle and accept the crown of their realm and kingdom. Others are prepared to settle down with a loved one in a traditional marriage. Others will never settle for love, but find themselves working in prominent positions."
Her eyes moved over the class again. "It is my job to prepare you for all sorts of situations, and interactions with the various classes of common folk, nobility, and royalty, as well as other things that your upbringing may or may not have left out."
She rose, and walked over to a cabinet, pulling down a teacup. "Many of you here already have some form of training, either taught or self-taught. Some things--such as crossing our legs or discreetly adjusting our outfits--come as a natural instinct. Others--such as choosing outfits to wear on specific occasions or what utensils to use when dining--take a little longer to learn. Rest assured, that by the time you leave my class, you would all be mistaken for or will be true elites."
I glanced at Stella--an elite--who looked utterly bored to death. I'm guessing that most of this stuff she already learned--drilled into her head--and was simply just not choosing to use those skills now.
"Bear in mind that very little of this class will ever require the use of magic." Professor DuFour said seriously, her eyes sweeping over my table, resting on Stella most particularly, "And while I am more lenient than other professors of this institution, unless I have given expressed permission, assume that magic is forbidden from use, especially on exams."
Stella gulped. DuFour's gaze swept over me, and I forced myself to not meet her eyes. She raised her hand, a teapot flying into it. She poured more of the steaming liquid and then set it down on the table to her left.
"So, today we will start with the basics of manners. Table manners." From Stella' quiet groan, she'd likely heard this more times than she cared to remember. DuFour's sharp gaze turned to Stella. "Since Ms. Stella has so graciously offered to be the first to list, I'll allow the rest to be volunteers. List as many items as you can."
Stella grumbled under her breath as she got to her feet, then moved with extra grace, sending the professor a subtle glare (actually looked like she was trying to set her on fire with that look, that's my gimmick!) before picking up a marker and writing on the board.
Other girls started to get up and write on the board as well, including Tecna (who'd hidden a mini-computer beneath the table, most likely to do a search).
Once about eleven other girls had gone up, Dufour returned to the board, reading off the various topics.
"Phrases for excusal, grateful phrases, appearances, public speaking, politics, and emotional masks." she highlighted several from the list that was written, as well as listed two others as she turned to face the class. "These are topics that we will cover sometime in this term, and focus more on next term."
"And now," she clapped her hands. "We shall play a little game of gossip." Professor Fufour made her way to the table nearest the opposite corner of the room from the exit door. "I will give a statement to Ms. Elenor. From there, we will make our way around the room, with one table member sharing it with the rest. The last person that the little secret is shared with will stand, and go to speak quietly to another at a different table. Does everyone understand? Excellent!"
Professor DuFour then whispers something into Elenor's ear. The girl's eyes widen, then she whispers it to a blonde sitting next to her. The blonde speaks to a brunette, the brunette to another brunette, then a ravenette...you get the idea.
Then a girl with pale blue hair gets up, walks over to the next table, and the cycle starts again. Us Winx watches with eagerness and amusement as the gossip is passed around.
Finally, a girl with orangish-ginger hair stands from her table and walks over to me. She whispers, "Ms. Griselda likes old men for dinner."
I raised my brows. Musa and Stella lean in. I whisper to the right, repeating the phrase. Musa looks gobsmacked, before turning to Flora and whispering. Then Flora to Tecna, who looked offended by the fact, and wanted to disprove it right away. She then whispers to Stella, who lets out a shout. "HA!"
"Would you be so kind as to share with the class, Ms. Sol?" Professor DuFour asked with a hand on her hip, standing right behind me. I forced myself not to flinch. She crept up so silently! And I couldn't sense her aura.
Stella nodded with a smirk. "Ms. Griselda likes old men for dinner." It was made worse when she cocked her hip, tossing back her hair, speaking in a superior tone.
The whole class burst into snickers and peals of laughter. Even DuFour looked amused. "Yes, well, lack of practical decorum aside, it would appear that the statement was changed quite a bit."
Every girl looked at her, eager to know what the original words were. "Ms. Elenor, would you like to share?"
All eyes turned toward the blue-haired, cinnamon-skinned girl, who shifted, looking rather nervous at all the attention. "Uh, well. Um. It was 'Ms. Griselda dislikes an old specialist'."
Many of the girls in class had to pick up their jaws, Stella included. Professor DuFour smiled at the looks she garnered. "Yes, quite amazing, isn't it?"
She made her way back to the front of the class, and I forced my shoulder to untense. "One of the greatest magics in the Magix Dimension is conversation. Words crafted from truths and lies can easily be twisted into rumors. In this class, I will teach you how to recognize when a rumor is started, and how to tell if it originals from truth, lie, or both. Rumor is often the easiest to identify, although finding the root is a bit more difficult. And one of the best places for rumor to spread is when dining with others."
I nodded understandingly, many others bobbing their heads as well. DuFour claps her hands, and tableware and cutlery appear in front of every single girl. I realized that this looked similar to the setup that Stella was talking about back in Gardenia.
"You see the setup in front of you all." Professor DuFour started to pace in between the tables, lecturing as she spoke. "The fish, dinner, and salad forks, from left to right, rest on the left side of the dinner plate. The salad fork is the shortest, with the dinner fork being the longest. On top of the dinner plate rests the soup bowl."
I winced as I looked over everything in front of me. Stella was quietly humming. Tecna looked bored. Flora and Musa looked as lost as I felt, which was reassuring to me that I wasn't as behind my peers as I thought, even with my handicap.
"On the right side of the dinner plate from left to right: the dinner knife, fish knife, and soup spoon. Above the dinner plate is the dessert plate. The dessert fork rests on the dessert plate, the handle facing to the left. The dessert spoon rests above the dessert fork, its handle facing the right. Both are shorter in length than their counterparts on either side of the dinner plate."
'So many utensils. Haven't they heard of the term multifunctional?', I internally groan. Why do beings of wealth love to make things more complicated than they need to be?
"To the left of the dessert plate is the bread plate. On the bread plate, tilted at a hundred-thirty-degree angle is a butter knife. On the right side of the dessert plate are the drinking glasses. The water glass is on the left, the red wine glass is in the middle, and the white wine glass is on the far right."
The water glass just looked like the cup you'd get when you were served at a restaurant. The red wine glass (to me) looked like a short & wide champagne glass. The white wine glass looked like a tall & narrow champagne wine glass.
I pulled out my sketchbook and flipped to a new page, drawing in everything before adding labels so I'd remember.
"I implore you all to remember this, as we will have our quiz in two weeks on this very topic." Professor DuFour said sternly. "Now, please open your textbooks to the first chapter. Once you have read it, turn to your tablemates and discuss."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tuesday morning saw us outside of the classroom for Magic Invocation. Honestly, I was looking forward to this class almost as much as Defense. Professor Palladium was also a High Elf and a creature that I was looking forward to studying closer.
Plus, it helped that he was tall, broad, and had the body of an Adonis. Not in the bad-boy hot, but, handsome, pretty-boy hot. I wouldn't sleep with him, though the naughty part of my brain wondered if he'd ever considered or had classroom kinks.
He arrived after we'd all gathered around the door. "Ah, good morning class! I do apologize for being late, I had a slight detour first." He waved his hand, and a shimmer of sparkles flew from his fingertips to the door, which sprang open.
We filed inside and took to our seats. Models of various biomes rested on shelves. There was a globe sitting on his desk, though I doubted that it was of Earth.
We took our seats, then waited until the professor stood behind his desk. "As you may or may not know, I am Professor Palladium."
He adjusted his vest before speaking, "You are all in Magic Invocation, the class where you will be prepared to learn how to use your magic collaboratively, face biomes, environments, and outdoor situations with and without the use of magic."
He began to pace. "While Ms. Griselda will teach you to synchronize your magic and convergence spells, in addition to educating you on the more dangerous creatures in Defense, I will be doing differently. In this class, we will cover a variety of geographical landscapes. Most of our work in class will be practical, which will require several field trips. We will also identify many creatures from different realms and planets that you may encounter. There will be a total of two midterms this term, along with five exams. Each exam is based on what will be discussed in class, and from the textbook."
I was writing this down, as this seemed like very important information to remember later down the line. "The midterms will be worth twice as much as the first four exams. Our last exam will be a cumulative final--", many in the class including Stella groaned, "--but I promise, the reward once the term is over will be worth it."
Palladium turned and looked over everyone. "As I mentioned, there will be field trips in this class. Our first trip will be in a month, where you will be tasked to explore an environment without the use of magic."
He turned and opened his textbook before a piece of chalk floated up and began to write on the board by itself. "Please read chapter one, and prepare a summary for me. Once everyone is finished, we will discuss its contents."
I raised my brows before pulling out my textbook from my bookbag. Seriously, whoever invented that should be given a raise, it was much more useful than a bloody backpack for lugging around heavy books thicker than my biceps.
I opened the book to the first chapter, 'Chapter One: The Geography of Magix'. I began to read:
'Magix is commonly described as the soul of the Magix Dimension. Not only is this realm the largest, but it is also the waypoint for the Infinite Ocean to connect to other realms. In addition to the schools, main city, and large shopping center, there is also a variety of biomes and creatures that call this realm home.'
It then went on to dedicate whole sections to many of the biomes. The Black-Mud Swamp, Wildling, Gloomy Wood, Crystal Lake, Barrier Mountains, Stone Forest, the Lily Glades, and Lace Roccalace, were the most prominent ones.
I read through each section, taking note of things. The Lily Glades had unicorns and unicorn foals. The Gloomy Wood was barren of much life since it was what surrounded the schools, mostly there to keep a barrier between their students.
The Black Mud Swamp was full of hostile and mud-related plant life. From what I read, it seemed that the flora and fauna there had a neutral outlook, but once their environment was disturbed by outsiders, the swamp as a whole would turn against them.
What I was most interested in, was Lake Roccalace. It existed between the three schools, and there were images to document its proof. However, when one tried to find this lake, it would vanish. Rumors also had it that the seven nymphs guarded the lake, and one had even been spotted, golden and pure. What I was more interested in was the rumors that it wore the mask of Domino.
Anything related to Domino seemed to have been hushed up, buried, or lost. To be quite frank, I was not surprised. It was a bunch of old fucks who lost hope and hid the shame of failure in an attempt to erase history.
My fingers clenched tightly around my pencil. You couldn't erase what was done to my home. If I have to, I will drag all their skeletons, corpses, and bloody secrets--including Domino's fall--out of the closet and into the goddam light. Don't think I won't.
While I doubted that nymphs came and went like spirits, I also couldn't disbelieve that they might exist either. After all, ghosts had been a haunted fantasy until I went to Hogwarts and met Peeves, Nearly-Headless Nick, the Grey Lady, and the Bloody Baron, proving my beliefs otherwise.
I pulled out a pencil and paper and began to write up summaries of each section, one to three sentences from the six-paragraph sections. Once done, I leaned back, hiding my smirk as I could see my classmates (bar Tecna and two others) all struggling to figure out what to write.
Seems that Hogwarts prepared me for this school (and life) in more ways than one.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Magic & Nonmagic Self-Defense was the one class that I was most certainly looking forward to. I always thrived magically whenever I was in action, and now that I was starting to build up immunity to pain and magic, I could practice my magic going forward.
I was still going to take it easy--I had no desire to end up back in the hospital wing--but I most certainly didn't plan on barely studying and relying on a bookworm to get by for three years. Oh no, I was going to go all out: research, studying, planning, and preparing.
"Attention, young ladies." Ms. Griselda stood in front of us on what could only be a dueling stage, except with extra space behind her (likely since fairies could fly). "This class will prepare you for dangers beyond these walls. Monsters, dark creatures, Necromantic hordes, witches, and even summoned demons. Each of these creatures is dangerous, and each has threatens our realms at one point in history, recent or past."
"We, unfortunately, have no shortage of criminals either. While some were locked away for small things, others rose to become great evils that needed to be put down. Criminals whose deeds were so heinous, using their powers for evils that threatened or destroyed realms, many times just for the sake of obtaining some greater power."
I was sitting next to Flora, while Stella was stuck in the front. Musa and Tecna were somewhere in the middle of the class seats. "You will not only learn about defending yourself and others, but you will learn how to work with others. I do not expect any of you to know how to fight, but by the end of this year, you will know how to tap into your magic cores, shield yourselves, counter magic attacks, research to find counterspells, develop countercurses, unite in convergence spells, and in your final year or years, learn how to enchant relics."
Many of the girls looked like they were itching to whisper and speak their minds, but due to Ms. Griselda's presence, they said nothing. She was similar to Snape in more ways than I'd realized. While she wasn't sneering and taking points off for 'breathing too loudly', she always had her lips pursed, would lurk around, and had this aura that demanded silence when she spoke.
"I will teach you how to identify dark creatures, detect unsavory beings, study auras, and later on, learn the proper creative uses of potions." Here she threw Stella a nasty look, one that I knew my friend was just yearning to return but didn't.
"Now then. Open to chapter one. Read through it, then compile a list of creatures that you believe are dangerous, and explain why. Do not directly quote the book."
Tecna looked annoyed, but her expression shifted to resigned. The classroom was suddenly filled with the thump of textbooks, the turning of pages, and the scratches of utensils writing on paper.
I began my own list, thinking of how they might be negatively used. After all, Wingdardium Leviosa could lift a feather just as easily as it could levitate someone--who was sleeping--off Astronomy tower so they'd fall to their death.
As I read through the book, I could easily see Light propaganda written into its pages. How things could be redeemed and all that. An actual surge of anger rippled through me, some of which I knew belonged to the power inside of me. 'I know buddy'.
I began to write out the potential hostilities of fairies, Trolls, Ogre, Ghouls, and witches. Then dragons, unicorns, and nymphs (hey, if they existed as spirits that could vanish and reappear, they might be able to possess others or scare them into cardiac arrest).
I also emphasized that when fairies were weak or under the influence of darkness, they could do bad things. I used Stella's spells for example. Her spells had the side effect of being bright and flashy. But, it could also be altered to blind someone.
From the troll, I used what I knew of them, as well as my experiences. The Ogre too. Witches, well, I think there was enough said.
At the end of the allotted time given, Grisela held out her hand, and all our papers flew from our desks into her waiting palm.
"Ah, yes, hm...I see." She murmured as she leafed through them. She raises a brow in either interest or surprise, her eyes shooting up toward me. I shifted nervously--did I answer something wrong? Were my thoughts too dark?--before she looked back down.
She finished rifling through the lists and set them on her desk. "Now then. Who can tell me what the first step of Winx is?"
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Finally. It was Friday.
I groaned, feeling my shoulders pop as I stretched. Yawning, I pulled the covers off my bare legs, arching my back. In the process, my boobs bounced. I flushed, seems I forgot to pull on my nightie, leaving me in just panties.
I heard a gasp forward and to my right, triggering my goddam blush while inside my head I was cursing. I forgot that I was sharing an apartment with another girl, and I couldn't prance around in whatever state of dress I felt like when I was in my room.
I slowly turned and made eye contact with Flora (because who else is going to peek in at six in the bloody morning), who was trying not to look at me, her cheeks as rosy and heated as mine felt. My mind registered that she'd come from the exit to our shared bedroom, a white fluffy towel wrapped around the top of her breasts, cutting off mere inches below her butt.
Our little stare-of-shock contest was interrupted by Kiko, who managed to get himself flung away by Flora's talking plant. Snapping out of our stupors, we both rushed to dress, backs turned to each other. I wasn't sure about her, but I knew that I was blushing tomato red.
I fastened a strapless bra around my torso, then rolled up my pale blue leggings. I pulled my striped blue & white shirt with pink hearts over my head and a navy blue skirt that rippled whenever I would twirl. Cute, and simplistic.
I turned back to see Flora pulling a (Magix-designed) blouse in lime green, pink skirt with darker pink flowers lining the hem, and a flower-pattern vine keeping her hair in a ponytail.
Flora made eye contact with me and blushed before moving towards the exit. I could already tell that this was going to create a divide if it wasn't discussed. Now.
I swallowed down my fears. "Flora, wait." To my relief, she did, as I tossed my stuff into my bag. I patted the bed beside me.
"So," she said awkwardly, looking down at the floor.
I huffed, rolling my eyes--this was ridiculous. "Flora, look at me."
She did, but I noticed that she struggled to keep them on my face, and not dip lower. Merlin, Stella wasn't kidding when she said that people from Linphea were shy.
I stared into her green eyes, the color of nature, grass in the spring. I cleared my thoughts and focused. "Look, we're both girls here. We'll probably end up seeing a lot of each other at some point during our stay at Alfea."
Flora blushed red at my reference to 'what was seen'.
"Flora, we're both girls. We both have boobs." I said bluntly, ignoring how her face turned redder. "I can't help what I have any more than you can. I'm not going to judge you for your body or interests, and I hope that you'll extend me the same courtesy."
The fairy from Linphea's blush seemed to be permanently stuck to her face. "Bloom, I--I shouldn't have looked."
I snorted, waving off her apology. "We're fairies. We're humanoids with human traits. We're allowed to look and compare. Or stare." I amended, catching her eye when she glanced down at my top before refocusing on my face. My knowing look ignited her blush again, which was honestly adorable.
"I won't make it a habit if it makes you uncomfortable." I offered.
Flora shook her head, her cheeks still dark. "Oh no, Bloom. You shouldn't have to change just because of how I react."
'Oh Flora, you sweet, selfless, adorable girl'. "Are you sure?" I asked, not wanting to alienate my roommate over something as silly as this.
Flora hesitated, then nodded, giving me a small smile. "We're both girls here. We both have boobs."
Her blush darkened even more as she repeated what I said, though it sounded like she was trying more to convince herself than me. I wondered if she liked girls. I had a preference for both.
"It was an accident, nothing harmful," I reassured her. "Besides, boys will do more than just look when they see your puppies."
Flora's squeak of 'Bloom!' was so adorable that I couldn't help but giggle. Maybe she's bisexual too, and she's still in the closet on the part about having an attraction to women.
Kiko ran up to us, squeaking and twitching his nose.
Flora grabbed the pot she'd been using to grow carrots in and cast her nonverbal spell. Sparkles flew from her hands into the soil, where carrots would then erupt from, growing out of the pot. Kiko squeaked excitedly and hugged Flora's ankle.
We both giggled and cooed as the little bugger started snacking. "We'll be back later Kiko. Don't get into any trouble, and leave Flora's plant alone, ok?" Seriously, those two had a friendly rivalry of sorts, where Kiko would either attempt to bite one of the plant's vines or stand on its head, and Flora's plant (still waiting on her to give it a name) would retaliate with more vines.
Kiko raised a thumb, his cheeks bulging like a chipmunk's as he nibbled one of the six carrots. I rolled my eyes at his antics and grabbed my bookbag. Flora grabbed her purse, slinging it over her shoulder and picking up her books in the other.
We made our way out, only to glance at the clock and realize that we had five minutes to get to the Great Atrium for breakfast. Shit!
We took off at a run, Flora panting behind me. I had better endurance from all the running I did at the park & during my Gymnastics and PE classes, so I was pulling slightly ahead of her.
"Too slow Flora?" I cat-called. "Sure would be easier to just fly across, don't you think?"
Rules stated that you weren't allowed to use your fairy form on campus unless you were given explicit permission to do so by a professor or unless your life was in danger.
She scowled at me, and pushed herself faster, starting to catch up. I raced her to the other side of the school, moving through the halls towards the Great Atrium.
She caught up to me just outside. Panting, we slipped in and moved towards our table, feeling Griselda's eyes on us the whole way.
Musa had just crammed a piece of jam toast in her mouth and Tecna was drinking something from a bowl. "Where were you, girls?" Stella hissed at us as we chose our seats and picked our breakfasts.
We both blushed and shook our heads. The other three girls exchanged confused looks but let it slide. I ate quietly when I noticed something. The professors seemed to be in a heated conversation, and their eyes drifted toward our group, mainly me.
'Saint Potty. Can't even go into a bookstore without drawing attention.'
I blinked at the memory, before shaking my head and sighing. Maybe Malfoy had a point.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Concentrate on your element. Feel the rush of power that it comes with, but do not get swept up by it. Nudge it, guide it where you want it to go."
I could hear the Headmistress encourage me as I walked forward to the Vessel, biting my lip nervously. This was it. Fire fairies died out with Domino. When I revealed my element, people would talk. Eventually, some (I suspected Faragonda) would start to connect the dots.
I could feel the Dragon inside me rumble reassuringly, and I basked in its warmth for a moment. I closed my eyes, taking a moment to center myself, using Augomency--the art of finding your magic core & touching it, over time this will help enhance its growth--to find the heart of my power. My magic core, and the Dragon Flame orbiting it.
I opened my eyes, and many of the girls gasped at the color change. I heard many whispers,
"Her eyes are glowing!" Girl #1 said.
"What does this mean?" Girl #2 asked.
"Ah yes, glowing eyes are a sign of power" Tecna whispered.
"Is she powerful?" Girl #1 asked.
"Is she dangerous?" Girl #2 asked (I don't know their names).
"What's her element?" I heard Musa whisper to Stella.
"You'll see in a moment," Stella whispered back.
"Shush, can't you see she's trying to focus?" Flora hissed at them both.
Blocking out the whispers from my peers and friends, I grasped the sides of the Vessel, pouring the tiniest spark of my power into it. The Vessel grew hot under my touch, fire grew from within its depths, becoming visible to everyone else in the form of red, yellow, and orange flames with white centers.
"Heat. Energy. Passion. Light. Destruction. All formed to make fire." Dowling nodded at me with a soft smile, also ignoring the whispers, which had become audible murmurs.
I released hold of the Vessel, which immediately cooled, the flames vanishing. I moved back, feeling over fifty eyes on me. "Good job," Flora said with a warm smile.
I smiled weakly, ignoring the bad feeling stirring in my gut; the feeling of being watched. Probably just my nerves and the people's stares, nothing sinister.
I hope.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Potions is a delicate craft." Professor Harvey, Flora's uncle walked between the rows.
Since the laboratory was still out (cough, Stella, cough), we were relocated to a different classroom on the first floor. We wouldn't be able to do anything potions-related until next term (I'm starting to wonder if the school knows what a vanishing spell and cleaning charms are), so we were left to do theoretical work.
It wasn't all bad, we just weren't doing anything practical. Fine by me.
"It is the art of combining the essence of magical flora and fauna, a blending art similar to cooking, but with an entirely different result."
Hmph. I was unimpressed with his speech. There was just something about Snape's opening lecture that really drew you in, especially that one part of his dramatic speech, 'I can teach you to bewitch the mind, ensnare the senses...I can tell you how to bottle fame, brew glory...and even put a stopper...in death itself.'
I am really going down a trip down memory lane today. I cleared my head of irrelevant thoughts to focus.
"While the laboratory is out of commission for the first term--", everyone bars the Winx glances at an irritated Stella, "--we shall be focusing on the aspect of potions that is normally reserved for the second term."
He waved his hand, and a vine began to write on the board. 'What ingredients go into potions?'
He turned to the class, the light shining off of his baldness. "Who can tell me some ingredients for potions--without technology or opening your textbooks?"
Tecna closed her device with--a pout? Two girls who'd been leafing through their books snapped them shut with embarrassed blushes.
Hesitantly, I raised my hand. "Yes, Ms. Peterson?"
"Uh, is fairy dust an ingredient?" From what I'd learned by eavesdropping, the Enchantix form caused your wings to drop the stuff like no tomorrow. And there was a bottle of the stuff they could access to reverse and undo dark enchantments. Hence the name of the form.
He blinked in surprise, as did many of my peers. "Why yes. Most never guess that one though."
On the board, the vine wrote 'Fairy Dust'.
Emboldened by my success, the others began to suggest ideas, or if they knew, listed some. The correct ones were added below fairy dust.
A bone of a Burned One. (what are they? those things can be killed?)
Dragon Scales.
Hair.
Witches's Blood.
Fairy Blood. (I'm a little leery about letting anyone have access to my blood, no matter my magic origins)
Fae Blood. (wait, they exist?)
Raw Magic. (huh?)
Heat. (well duh)
I didn't see 'Acromantula fur', 'Hippogriff feathers', or even 'Basilisk scales' among the growing list, some of which had ingredients from other potions I'd made & knew of as Harry Potter. I wondered if those things even existed.
This went on for another two minutes until the first board (one of three, middle) was full of names of potion ingredients. Various creature blood, organs, furs, skins, and dust.
"Excellent, excellent." Professor Harvey wiped his brow with a handkerchief. "Now you may open your textbooks. Turn to page eighteen, and look at the list."
We did, and I gaped at the list of ingredients, half of which I hadn't even heard of. Pixie dust? Platypus bear rib? What in the bloody hell were they?
"If you will notice, the highlighted column is the list of ingredients that we will be working with this year." Bloody hell, there had to be at least fifty to a hundred! "Our first quiz will also be on this, so jot yourself a note."
I pulled out my planner (already full of due dates) and wrote it in, some other girls copying.
Professor Harvey walked over to where a dozen glass vials were, and another dozen made out of a different material. "Bear in mind that most potions have a time frame for added ingredients. Some ingredients will react volatilely with one another, either on their own or depending on the time that they were added. This is why any sort of experimentation should be done with a professional's supervision."
He glared at Stella. To her credit, she didn't wilt or shrink, though I could see her nibbling her bottom lip nervously.
Seeing that she wouldn't be shaken, he moved on to discuss the textbook, and I saw her sigh in relief. Seems that she's ruffled more than a few feathers here at Alfea. I just hope that we don't have to deal with whiny brats of rich folk. Stella is ok, but Amaryl is...well, I'm just going to say that she's an interesting person and leave it at that.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I followed the rest of the girls into an auditorium. A ring of seats descended towards a stage at the bottom with a lectern and a large black screen, as big as a movie theater. From a door leading to the raised stage emerged Ms. Barbatea, with the same unflattering clothes, big glasses, and pink hair.
Seriously, she looked like a plain schoolgirl in her late twenties. "Welcome to History of Magix," she said warmly. "I am Alfea's resident librarian, and your professor for this single-year course."
We were allowed to choose where to sit (magic signatures took care of attendance, take that alphabetical order!) so we Winx girls all chose the same row, starting on one end and then moving inward (Stella, then Tecna, Musa, Flora, and lastly, me).
"Over the next few weeks, I will be teaching you about Magix's history, important figures, and a brief highlight of each realm. There will be wars, politics, the school's personal history, and even some of the earliest legends." Her head turned to take in her audience.
"You will have three exams over the course of each term, none of which are cumulative." There was a collective sigh of relief following that announcement.
"If you end up liking this class and wish to learn more about our past, I also teach A History of Magix Two, and History of the Realms. The former is a continuation of this class, and the latter focuses more on the histories of the main realms. Both courses will be available to you after you complete this one."
Her gaze swept over her audience. "I would also like to inform you all that I will be taking you in groups to the Alfean Library over the next four sessions so you will all know how to find it, and how to use it. A library is a student's best friend after all."
Many whispers arose in the audience. I could overhear comments that ranged from bored and annoyed to scathing and snarky. Wow, seems that everyone in this world my age hated the library.
Then again, if I grew up with magic, I'd probably have taken it for granted too. Instead, I was forced to painfully relive the events of my last life, not in the same order, nor with the same people.
But the situation was the same, the events were...similar, but the one thing that made this life different from the last was that I remembered. I knew what had happened--I wasn't in the dark, though I'm certain many would want me to be--and I was playing the waiting game.
I pulled myself from my thoughts when the screen began to glow. A title card appeared with the black screen, now illuminated, but with white letters.
'The Creation of the Magix Dimension - Legends'
The screen then switched to a gif of a star going supernova.
"In the beginning, there was a star. There is a theory from the Magicless Realm, Earth, that calls this the 'Big-Bang' Theory." Barbatea began her lecture. "They say that there was a massive star, one full of power. Here in Magix, we believed that this star held all the powers of the elements and magic."
I blinked in surprise. Did not expect anyone at Alfea to reference my second home planet. Or to tie it to the Magix Dimension's history. "That star exploded, and from its wave of solar radiation and magic outburst emerged a burst of light, which formed into the shape of a single being, believed by many historians to be the first sign of life in the universe."
An image of a massive dragon, purely comprised of flames appeared against the background of a starry galaxy.
Many leaned forward in their seats, captivated by the tale. "The legends called him the Great Dragon." Ms. Barbatea's voice held traces of awe, as though she too was captivated by her own lecture. "The Great Dragon was cosmic a being as large as a planet, and the most powerful being in existence, formed of cosmic fire."
"He traveled the universe, creating solar systems and a multitude of worlds. His fire breathed life into every planet, turning barren rocks into thriving landscapes with various flora and fauna. He spread life, light, and heat across the universe, wherever he went."
Images of a dragon (clearly done in art styles that looked ancient) depicted a dragon breathing fire and creating a planet.
She cleared her throat, then continued, "It was he who created the Magix Dimension with his own fire breath in an act called the Joy of Creation, but forever known and celebrated as the Day of the Dragon."
Wait...the Great Dragon? I thought...
The magic inside me rumbled, as though laughing. I fought hard not to gape. Seriously? The Dragon Flame was the soul and power of the Great Dragon? What the actual fuck?
'You little cheeky bugger!'
I thought that all this time the Dragon Flame was just a sentient magic trapped in a bloodline of fairies, but no. It, no, he was the spirit of his former self, preserved in a bloodline of fairies.
'You've got to be kidding me!'
The Dragon Flame inside me gave off the feeling that it was smirking and laughing at me.
'Yeah, yeah, laugh it up'. I mentally pouted, how was I supposed to know that the great power inside my bloodline was once the power of a comic entity of fire?
"The Great Dragon then breathed life into the Magix Dimension, just as he had across the galaxy, but this time the Great Beast tried something new. After he created a planet, he linked them to one another with the Infinite Oceans of Andros." The woman's voice was breathy, excitement clear in her tone as she discussed this legend.
Well, it clearly wasn't a legend, methinks the flame inside my breast has proven. "For years the Great Dragon roamed Magix, creating various species of flora and fauna, mammal and creature, just like he had in the universe. Centuries after it created Magix, it grew weary. Its size had shrunk as it expended its great power--still great for any mortal--but for itself, it could not sustain its existence much longer."
Her screen switched to another image of a carved art piece, depicting a dragon resting on a dead world, which was transforming and growing life.
"The Great Dragon chose an uninhabited planet as its final resting place, and many claims have been made that suggest the mountains that exist on this unknown world are actually the shoulders and wings of the Great Beast."
She paused as she saw more than half the class raise their hands. "Ms. Luve?" she picked Luna.
"Professor, what world did the Great Dragon land on?" she asked in an innocent voice that hinted at knowing much more than she let on. It was the same tone that my Luna would use. The similarities were startling--no seriously.
Professor Barbatea seemed flustered by the blonde's question. "Erm, well my dear, the legends don't say."
Liar.
My eyes narrowed. So, they wanted to cover up any trace of my kingdom's fall, my planet, my culture, and my family's history, did they?
Anger rippled through me again, my irises gaining orange flecks. If they want to play with fire, they're going to get burned.
My eyes settle on her figure.
Timid.
Weak.
Nervous.
The Dragon Flame growled within my breast.
Make no mistake, I will find out just how deep this conspiracy goes, and I will find out what happened to Domino, to my parents, and to my sister.
As Optimus Prime once said, "No matter the cost."