Merlyn Academy: Book One

by Sophia Stone

  ‘Were you expelled because of magic?’

  I pause. I suppose I was expelled for magic.

  ‘Yes, but I thought it was a dream at the time in my defence.’

  ‘That bloody moron,’ Sebastian shouts as he repeatably kicks the wall.

  He lets out a final shout before storming off down the corridor.

  Once I had composed myself after witnessing Sebastian’s meltdown, I went back to class and kept my head down by finishing my notes from the lecture. I would occasionally lift my head and see someone look over in my direction, but once they realised I had seen them, they would immediately turn away.

  As soon as we were dismissed, I raced to my locker to put my notes and textbook away. The textbook felt like a cement block in my bag and I was eager to be rid of it. Luckily, the lockers were only around the corner from Professor Gideon’s classroom so by the time I had thrown everything into my locker I was able to bump into Elenore and Harry as they walked into the hall for lunch.

  ‘I didn’t think your magic was that powerful, Lizzie. Impressive considering how little training you’ve had,’ Harry said.

  ‘You know it’s dangerous to use powerful magic with little training,’ Elenore replied. ‘I hope your parents don’t have the same careless attitude you have for magic.’

  ‘No, they did-don’t. They don’t believe in restricting power but that we should learn how to master it.’

  ‘That’s not a good view to have Harry,’ Elenore said.

  ‘Mind if we join you?’ James asks with his brothers behind him.

  ‘Sorry, there isn’t enough room,’Harry said.

  ‘Of course, there is,’ Matthew withdraws his wand and uses it to extend the table by four places.

  ‘Seats?’ Zachary said, shaking his head.

  ‘Oh yeah,’ Matthew once again uses his wand to make four seats appear.

  ‘I heard grumpy guts over here,’ Zachary motions at Sebastian. ‘Had to bail you out of your fire mishap.’

  ‘What is it with you fire?’ Matthew asks.

  ‘Maybe it will be her specialty,’ James replies. ‘Although Lizzie also did very well in her first invisibility class.’

  ‘We all know some people can have more than one power,’ Matthew said. ‘Some can even have-.’

  Sebastian kicks him before he can finish.

  ‘Some people can even have what? Four powers?’ Harry asks. 'Everyone knows some families can have all four.’

  ‘Just because you can doesn’t mean you should,’ James retorts.

  ‘This is the attitude that means we have to hide our world from the ungifted. If they knew how powerful we were, they’d fear us.’

  ‘Why would you want to be feared, Harry?’ I ask him.

  I had intended to stay out of this, but the look on James and Sebastian’s faces tell me that the brothers will not take his outburst well.

  ‘Do you honestly think those bullies would have abused you if they really knew what you were capable of?’ he asks me.

  ‘No but-,’ he cuts me off.

  ‘No. That’s it. If the ungifted learnt their place, we’d have less trouble.’

  ‘Wind your neck in,’ Sebastian growls. ‘You’ve caused enough damage.’

  ‘How so,’ Harry asks innocently then smirks.

  ‘Guys let’s not start a fight. I invited Harry to lunch to show him you guys were actually nice.’

  ‘Lizzie. I know you didn’t grow up in our world,’ Sebastian pauses. 'But please be careful in the company you keep. Extreme views such as Harry’s are not tolerated easily in our world.’

  ‘Just because people aren’t open about it doesn’t mean they don’t hold my views. It isn’t extreme to think you are better than the ungifted.’

  ‘I’ve had enough of this child,’ Zachary said.

  He walks over to Harry and grabs the scruff of his shirt. In a flash of light both are gone. A second flash appears seconds later and just Zachary appears.

  ‘I’ve put a lock on his room. He can come out for dinner, but I think he needs to calm down.’

  Elenore kicks my leg under the table and I turn to look at her.

  ‘We should go study, Lizzie. Nice to see you guys again,’ Elenore grabs my hand and leads me out of the hall.

  13

  Elenore was quiet for the rest of the day. As the boys had staff meetings during the evening, it made dinner a monosyllabic event. Elenore didn’t even say good night as I turned the light off for bed. Something was bothering her.

  When I got up to get ready for class, Elenore had already gone. She hadn’t left a note but as her school bag was gone, I knew she wouldn’t be back for us to walk to class as normal. I washed and got ready with plenty of time to take a quick detour to my locker to grab my textbooks for my next class; teleporting.

  Someone had put thought into the location of the lockers at Merlyn Academy as they were only a few minutes’ walk from all the classrooms. Not like at my previous school where it required you to break the world record for sprinting to get to your locker and still be on time to class.

  Using my wand, I touched the lock which disappeared before my eyes. I rifled through my bag to make space for my textbook and once I had made a big enough gap; I opened my locker. Cool blue fire water fell out of my locker on to the floor, pooling at my feet. The cold liquid slowly rose up my legs and engulfed me in blue flame. I jumped out the pool and hastily removed my jacket and threw it on the floor before throwing myself down to the floor and went through stop, drop and roll technique from first aid class.

  ‘Err- do I want to know what you are doing on the floor?’ Zach said.

  I got myself into a sitting position and looked up at him.

  ‘There was a blue fire in my locker. I was trying to put it out,’ I said so quickly, I doubted he heard much.

  He gave me a quizzical look and then held his hand out to pull me up.

  ‘Am I burnt?’

  As Zachary did a look once over on me, I noticed how wet I was.

  ‘Why am I wet? I was on fire.’

  ‘Wet Fire. Common novice spell that never ends as planned,’ he concluded. ‘Did you try to practise again?’

  ‘No. I opened my locker, to get a textbook, and blue flames just came out of it. I didn’t do anything.’

  ‘Hmm. Who have you annoyed then?’

  ‘No one. No one enough to set me on fire, I would hope.’

  ‘It wouldn’t have burnt you. You just end up soaked. It’s a common prank.’

  ‘How did someone get into my locker?’

  ‘They didn’t. You set the spell in front of the locker. Have you ever seen those bucket tricks people do? The ones that fall over someone when they open the door?’

  ‘Yeah.’

  ‘It’s a more complex version of that.’

  ‘Right,’ I huffed. 'So, someone just wanted to give me a nervous breakdown but not quite kill me. Great.’

  ‘It’s-,’ Zachary pulled his sleeve up and glanced at his watch. ‘Eight fifty. You’ve got some time if you want to change.’

  ‘I take fifteen minutes to navigate myself back to my room. I won’t have time.’

  ‘That’s because you have to use the stairs,’ he reached forward and grabbed my hand. Instantly, we were in my room, sitting on my bed.

  ‘I thought we aren’t meant to do magic in our rooms?’

  ‘No, first years aren’t allowed to. I am,’ he grinned. ‘This bed is comfy,’ he winked at me several times.

  ‘In your dreams,’ I shake my head at him as I climb off the bed. ‘You look like you are having a stroke when you do that.’

  He holds his hands to his heart in mock distress.

  ‘Rejected by a first year. How will I go on?’ He falls backwards and becomes still. I roll my eyes and grab some clothes to get changed in the bathroom.

  He is handsome. You can’t deny that.

  I shake my head. I had no time to think about boys right now. Least of all the one pretending
to be dead on my bed. I ripped the wet clothes off and dried myself as much as I could. My hair was still wet which made me look like a drowned rat but I didn’t have time to dry my hair.

  ‘You didn’t take long,’ Zachary said.

  ‘Oh, you’ve recovered then? That was quick Zachary.’

  ‘I don’t think I’ll ever really recover,’ his bottom lip wobbled, and he batted his lashes as if trying to hold back fake tears. ‘Still. What can you do?’ He was then back to his usual cocky self.

  ‘Ready?’

  ‘Yep,’ he grabbed my hand, and I waited to be transported. ‘You know you can use our nicknames, right? None of my friends calls me Zachary.’

  ‘Okay. I’ll call you Zach from now on. Zach?’

  ‘Yes?’

  ‘We are late.’

  ‘Oh yeah. Forgot about that.’

  In a flash, we were outside the classroom. Zach didn’t bother to knock and opened the door so I could walk in. The professor was in the middle of their lecture as we both walked in.

  ‘Sorry Professor Song,’ Zach said.

  Professor Song gives Zach a warm smile.

  ‘Try to be on time for the next class, Zachary.’

  I found a seat next to Elenore and Zach joined me. Olivia and Hannah were sitting immediately in front of us.

  ‘I wish I had time to change my outfit between classes,’ Olivia whispered to Hannah. ‘I wouldn’t dream of being late for a class- I’d rather come covered in wet fire than be late,’ Olivia smirked.

  ‘Teleporting is one of the harder spells to master, as you must both think of leaving and also of where you want to go,’ Professor Song said as she floated around the classroom. She was smaller than the other professors and sparkled in the light.

  ‘Is she an angel?’ I ask Zach who laughs.

  ‘No. A pixie,’ he whispered back. ‘We are inclusive here.’

  ‘Zachary,’ Professor Song said. ‘You excel at teleporting. Can you please tell the class the spell you must use?’ Zach cleared his throat.

  ‘Teleporta, Professor Song.’

  ‘Well done, Zachary. In case those at the back did not hear, the spell is Teleporta.’

  The words instantly appeared on her blackboard.

  ‘As with your other classes, you will build up to producing complex spells by the end of term in time for your exams. However, unlike other classes, I like to have my students build up a portfolio of their work. I appreciate not everyone copes well in exams, so I feel this is the fairest way. Fifty percent of your marks will be from your exam and fifty percent from this portfolio.’

  With her wand Professor Song produced a scroll to each table.

  ‘These scrolls contain the places you must teleport to and also the objects you must teleport to you. These scrolls are magic. For those of you who are not aware, these scrolls will fill themselves in once you have completed a task successfully. Do not be tempted to cheat. I am sure Zachary remembers the last student who cheated, don’t you Zachary?’

  ‘Yes, Professor Song. Meghan Sparkle. Her whole scroll erased itself and then added ten more new projects. Bit silly really. She was due to hand in her scroll the next morning,’ he shakes his head for added effect.

  ‘Thank you, Zachary. Now, I want you to take some time to familiarise yourself with the tasks.’

  I look over the list of tasks. Some seem simple enough. Retrieving a book or animal.

  That sounds fairly easy.

  Teleporting to the formal gardens or headmaster's office also sound simple enough. It's only when I go through the list further that I see the tasks suddenly get harder. Teleporting the Royal family’s crown jewels out of the glass display case or teleporting into the Prime Minister’s bath don’t seem as achievable.

  ‘She does this every year,’ Zach said. ‘Every year the other teachers beg her not to do the impossible ones, but she’s just so charming. I’m sure she uses spells to get her own way.’

  ‘Why do the other staff not want to do these,’ I point to the seemingly impossible ones. ‘Because they know students try them before they are ready and then someone, usually the staff or head boys have to go bail them out least our world is discovered.’

  ‘Is there a reason she adds them?’

  ‘Yes. She likes to find out who will specialise in teleporting. The ones that don’t get caught doing things like walking on the top of Big Ben tend to have a talent.’

  ‘I would suggest you practise before attempting any of the items on your list. Around the classroom is usually a good place to start,’ Professor Song said.

  While the rest of the class are content to practise moving around the classroom, Olivia shows off.

  ‘Look, Professor Song,’ Oliva waves a book she has retrieved from the restricted section.

  ‘Did you teleport into the library, Miss Hawkes?’

  ‘Yes,’ Olivia said proudly.

  ‘I see. And who’s permission did you gain before leaving this classroom and taking a book from the restricted section?’

  ‘N-No one’s but I was-.’

  ‘In my class, Miss Hawkes, we ask permission before we undertake tasks. What if you had gone further afield? I would have no way of knowing where you are.’

  ‘I didn’t think of that,’ Olivia lowered her head.

  ‘No. it appears not. Taking books out from the restricted section is also against school rules. I suggest you walk and take the book back. I would also apologies to Professor Spellwood for the inconvenience you have caused.’

  ‘Yes, Professor Song.’

  ‘No one likes a showoff, Miss Hawkes. I think the message might sink in after you’ve completed an hour of detention this lunch time. Now take the book back.’

  ‘Yes, Professor Song,’ Olivia said. She still had her head lowered as she walked out the classroom to return the book.

  ‘Class, you are now dismissed. Goodbye,’ Professor Song sits at her desk and starts marking a large pile of books.

  ‘I’ll see you at dinner,’ Zach said.

  ‘That’s’ fine, I’ll have lunch with Elenore,’ I turn to look for her, but she has already left.

  Elenore wasn’t in the lunch hall nor in the library. Rather than see if she was in our room, I got on with some work in the common room. The boys were right in that most people don’t go there to work. As I didn’t enter into conversations, I was largely ignored and left to get on with what I needed to do.

  I was pleased I was able to get a few hours of studying done before dinner. As I walked towards the dining hall, I heard a familiar voice call out my name.

  ‘Lizzie,’ Harry said.

  ‘Oh, Hi Harry, I haven’t seen you all day. How’s things?’

  ‘How’s things? How come you didn’t defend me yesterday?’

  ‘Harry, you were going off a bit. It was uncomfortable,’

  ‘After all, I have done for you? I should have known you’d defend them. I suppose the rumours are right then.’

  ‘What rumours?’ I ask.

  ‘Don’t give me that. Everyone knows you had Zach in your room this morning. That’s why you had were so late to class.’

  ‘Don’t be so silly!’

  ‘So, he wasn’t in your room?’

  ‘No, he was but not because of anything like that.’

  ‘I’m not stupid. You are making me look ridiculous.’

  ‘How? You aren’t even interested in me.’ I snapped

  ‘I can’t be friends with someone who can so easily lose their self-respect over a boy. Or should I say boys.’

  I felt a gush of wind rush past me as Harry walked away. Although there seemed nothing in Harry’s way, he tripped up and smacked himself into the wall. Wiping the trickle of blood off his lip, he turned around and shot me a look.

  The gush of wind rushed past me again and straight into the hall. I raced down the hall to follow it in but couldn’t see which path it had taken.

  Someone was listening.

  ‘Lizzie. Over here,’ Mat
thew called. The brothers and Elenore were sitting at a table.

  ‘Zach was just telling us about the locker incident.’

  ‘Is everything okay, Lizzie?’ I felt close to tears as Elenore asked me.

  ‘Yes. I’ve just had a fight with Harry. He accused me of messing around with Zach this morning.’

  ‘Messing around?’ Matthew asked.

  ‘I assume if they are the same rumours I’ve heard, someone thinks you and Zach have been sleeping with each other,’ James said.

  ‘But we didn’t,’ I protest.

  ‘Way to rub it in,’ Zach said.

  ‘I don’t know why you worry about rumours or Harry, both are not worth your time,’ Elenore said.

  So, she is still talking to me.

  ‘Do you know who did the spell?’ James asked.

  ‘No, I am not sure. But I think it might have been Olivia.’

  ‘Why?’ James asked.

  ‘She made a comment about wet fire earlier in class,’ I said.

  ‘Harmless fun. I’m sure someone will do it back to her,’ Matthew grinned.

  ‘So, what places have you got to teleport to?’ Sebastian asked.

  ‘I’ve got to sit in the PM’s bath and take the crown jewels from their display case.’

  ‘She really likes to push things, doesn’t she?’ Matthew said.

  ‘I suppose it's tame compared to last year,’ James said.

  ‘What happened last year?’ Elenore asked.

  ‘Some students got into trouble when they tried to get into the President’s bed,’ Sebastian said.

  ‘Easy error,’ Matthew said.

  ‘Maybe you should have waited until you knew the President and the First Lady wouldn’t still be in bed?’ Sebastian said.

  ‘How did I know they’d still be in bed at lunchtime?’

  ‘You know there is a time difference between here and America, right?’ Sebastian said.

  ‘Oh yeah. Makes sense. I thought they were just lazy,’

  James and Zach rolled their eyes.

  ‘Taking a selfie probably didn’t help things,’ Zach said.

  ‘You’d think he’d be more of a people person, wouldn’t you?’