‘One more rule,’ Fletcher announced as they crossed under a staircase, ‘teachers are to be addressed as either, Sir, Miss, Mister, or Professor, unless otherwise stated.’ Professor Fletcher came to a sudden halt in front of a wall, knocked twice, and then walked through it. James and Elizabeth tried to follow but only smashed their faces hard into the stone wall.

‘How did he do that?’ James asked rubbing his nose tenderly.

‘I think it’s the knock,’ Elizabeth replied, rapping on the wall twice and walking swiftly through it. James abandoned his nose and also knocked; then stepped through. The sensation was very strange as he passed through the wall; he could feel the stone in and around his skin, cool and inviting, almost caressing. A moment more and he was on the other side. 

James smiled as he reached Fletcher and Elizabeth. They turned another corner and walked through two huge wooden doors and into a large hall, roughly the size of a football pitch. The hall was empty, except for a small stool in the centre, and a comfortable-looking chair – both of which sat at opposite ends of a rectangular table. Professor Fletcher made his way to the soft chair and sat down.

‘As I understand it, it is custom for ladies to be first, therefore, Miss Hartwell, if you would please sit down, we can begin,’ he said brightly, drawing his wand out from inside his long robes and flicking it once. James saw a small chest, about a half a meter long and thirty centimeters tall, appear on the table in front of Elizabeth as she sat down on the stool apprehensively.

‘In the chest you will find an assortment of wands in different shapes and types of wood; please open the chest and select one,’ Fletcher told Elizabeth. 

James walked to one side of the table, close to Elizabeth, but still a few paces removed. He saw her carefully scanning over the wide selection of wands that were laid out on a soft bed of velvet.

‘Feel free to pick a few up; you will notice if it feels right, or if it feels wrong,’ came the voice from the other end of the table.

James saw his friend’s hand hovering over a single wand, and she slowly picked it up, smiling.

‘I think this is the one for me,’ she said.

‘Good,' Fletcher said with another flick of his wand. There was a slight tremor, and the chest vanished. ‘Now, this is important, so I would like you to listen closely.’ 

Elizabeth looked up from her wand to Fletcher, who sat close to her at the other end of the table. 

‘You will recite the incantation and a ghostly figure will appear out of the end of your chosen wand. The figure will be an animal which coincides with that of your new house, home, and section of the facility.’ 

James could see Elizabeth about to ask a question, but it was answered before she could.

‘There are six sections, six coat of arms, six animals; House of the Falcon; the Cunning,’ he flicked his wand and a Smokey visage of a falcon flew around his wand twice and then disappeared. ‘House of the Centaur; the Gifted,’ and a Centaur galloped from the wand and into nothingness. ‘House of the Panther; the Strong,’ the panther leapt out of the end of his wand and vanished before it touched down on the table. ‘House of the Wolf; the Relentless,’ the wolf growled viciously. ‘House of the Chameleon; the Deceiver,’ a void form that changed into several things faded from the wand and then disappeared. ‘And finally, House of the Owl: the Wise,’ an owl spread its wings and hooted. 

The headmaster looked over his square glasses. ‘Now, the incantation; repeat after me: Hwæ beon min nama, Hwæ beon min sele.’

Elizabeth stumbled over the incantation the first time and nothing happened.

‘Be sure to pronounce and articulate the incantation,’ Fletcher directed kindly.

‘Hwæ beon min nama, Hwæ beon min sele,’ she said with authority. A large panther burst out of Elizabeth’s wand, ran down the length of the table, and then disappeared.

‘Cool,’ Elizabeth commented.

‘Yes indeed,’ the Headmaster smiled. ‘Dormitories are in the east wing. If you have trouble finding it just say “min sele” and your panther will lead you there.’

Elizabeth got up, and flicked her wand saying, ‘Min sele,’ and the panther jumped into existence and trotted out of the room, with Elizabeth not far behind.

James tried his best to control his excitement as he sat down on the wooden stool.

‘Well, James Newt,’ Fletcher said; then with a flick of his wand the chest appeared again on the table, ‘choose your wand.’ 

James slowly lifted his hand to hover over a short thin wand inside the box; he felt nothing; he moved to the next one, a slight tingle, and then a sinking feeling, a painful depressing feeling. He moved his hand over the next in line; a blissful feeling, and then the sinking feeling again. He moved his hand over another and another; still not right. Finally, he reached the last in the line, his hand slowly glided over it, and he felt a charge, like he had been given a shot of adrenalin – or at least how he thought that would feel. He picked up the wand, and the feeling surged through him again! He waited for a sinking feeling but it didn’t come.

‘Okay sir, this is it,’ he said smiling.

Flick; the chest disappeared,

‘The incantation,’ were the only words spoken by Professor Fletcher. 

James focused, trying hard to think of a panther. ‘Hwæ beon min nama, Hwæ beon min sele,’ he said, but no panther leapt from the end of his wand, instead a Centaur galloped out and turned to face him, bowing low. James’ heart sank; he would not be in the same section as Elizabeth.

‘A Centaur, eh?’ Fletcher smiled. ‘I am sure that it is the proper Section for you. Oh goodness, look at the time,’ he said, glancing up at a large old clock on the wall. ‘I’m sorry James but I must leave you now; dreadfully important business you see. I trust you can find your way to your dormitory?  It’s in the northeast end.’

‘Yeah, sure,’ James said; then stood up and walked to the entrance of the hall; he opened the door and walked out. Peeking back he thought he saw the Headmaster walking through a door that was standing in the middle of the room, but when he looked again, the hall was empty.

With a sigh, James left, and called upon his ghostly Centaur to lead him to his Section. He was feeling dizzy, and tired, and really wanted to sleep. He barely noticed anything in the dim hallways of the Orphanage, and before long found himself walking through an empty common room – which was dark – then through a doorway into his dormitory. There were several beds, filled with sleeping students. 

James was led to an empty bed, where travel bags and chests were marked with his name, in black, on golden placards. A note sat on the top of the little pile, and James grabbed it up, reading the beautiful, curling, handwriting. 

James set the note down and quietly dug into the luggage, finding his meagre belongings. He found his old walkman on top of his things in the biggest chest. Putting in the ear-buds, and flipping the tape over, James flopped down into his bed, listening to the soft, kind, loving, voices of his long dead parents. 

In that moment, Shadow Mountain Orphanage, felt like home.