Chapter Nine

October 31st

James hadn’t been able to stop thinking about the meeting in the main hall the night before. He was sure he must have suffered a head injury when he had been attacked in the cave. Only that could explain his desire to learn impossibly complex magic from an insane teacher who could very well be a homicidal maniac. Despite his efforts, it was hard to settle on the idea. This was made more difficult whenever Tyre would chatter his teeth loudly and proclaim, ‘Yem shad nae haf dun et. Yem shud haf sed nae!’ 

By the time the bell chimed for the end of his third block, James was starting to worry about his decision. The last block of the day was free for James, and, after packing up his textbooks, he hurried out of the room and made his way down one of the long, winding, hallways. James was passing by the portrait of the portly knight when an arm shot out of the painting and pulled him through into the dim passageway that lay behind it.

‘Ge’off me!’ James bellowed, not knowing who had grabbed him. As he spun around he came face to face with Elizabeth, who was still holding his arm and smirking in amusement.

‘Come on,’ she said starting down the twisting passageway, ‘there’s something you have to see!’ Without another word she moved into a full out run, turning sharply to access nearly invisible passages. Aged wood and stone flashed by James as he tried to keep track of all the twists and turns Elizabeth was making just ahead of him.

Before too much time had passed, Elizabeth slowed and stopped as they reached a dead end. Elizabeth leaned in towards the wall and whispered quietly, ‘Let me in.’ 

The stone wall slid noisily to the side, revealing the hidden study Tyre had shown them. James noted that it was much brighter than the last time he had been there. Curtains that had been drawn across window were now opened, letting in the bright afternoon light. The bookshelves that were stuffed to the brim with magic books – authored by famed Wizards or penned entirely by Horace – were sparkling clean and devoid of any dust. Lamps on the desk were spewing golden light across its surface. James walked up to the desk to see a small piece of silver paper sitting on it; neat handwriting graced its matted face.

Dear Elizabeth, James, and Tyre (if you are there),

I hope that you find this office to be to your liking, as I would like for you to use it when studying your lessons from Horace. Feel free to use this place as a lounge or a getaway from the stresses of your work. 

We cannot express the gratitude we have for your help in this matter. Know that you are doing a great service to your fellow students, and the magical world at large.

Post Script,

Please tell Mister Carrington of your new class as he has been bothering many staff with his insistent questioning.

Signed,

Tobias L. R. Fletcher

Barabius B. Bloodstone

Xavier P. Allum

Golda M. Featherlox

 

James smiled at the text on the silver paper; then took a second look around the room. The study looked much more inviting now, and despite his concerns earlier in the day, James was starting to feel excited again.

‘This is seriously wicked,’ he remarked, continuing to gaze about the study.

‘This isn’t even the half of it,’ Elizabeth smiled, grabbing James by the hand and pulling him after her as she made her way behind the desk. ‘There,’ Elizabeth said pointing at a small sliver of light filtering through a crack between the edge of the wall and one of the towering bookcases.

James shrugged and shook his head. ‘So, what’s so incredible about that?’ he asked, unimpressed. 

Elizabeth gave him a sideways smile. ‘Follow me,’ she said, and pulled out her wand. She tapped the side of the bookcase, which begrudgingly swung inward, like a huge door, revealing an enormous library. There were shelves of books that ascended upward, level after level. James presumed that they must reach up to one of the tallest points of the Orphanage. The room was decorated with deep, polished woods and dark blue carpets and curtains.

The whole room could have easily fit the adjoining study in its walls several times. He had no idea how such a space fit inside the orphanage, but then, it didn’t really matter. The large space belonged, and James didn’t doubt it.

James laughed out loud, ‘Okay Elizabeth, this is impressive!’

Elizabeth laughed too as they made their way to a pair of soft study chairs beside a large window that looked down over the lush Orphanage property, and even allowed a good view of the mountain.

James sighed contentedly as he sat down. 

‘Any idea when the first lesson will be?’ he asked.

‘Yeah, actually, I know exactly when it is,’ Elizabeth said, smirking at James.

‘You do? When is it?’ 

Elizabeth only laughed, sinking into the chair across from him.

‘You were joking weren’t you?’ he asked, frowning. 

Elizabeth shook her head, bright and breezily. ‘No, I do know when it is. I walked into Mister Allum in the hallway this morning after first period.’ She reached into a deep pocket of her uniform coat and pulled out two apples. After tossing one to James, she took a bite of hers. ‘Apparently, we’ll be escorted to and from the classes by a teacher,’ she explained.

James turned the apple over in his hands a few times. Looking out the window, he could see the tapestry of leaves changing colour as fall grew deeper. His eyes drifted to the mountain, its dark rocky, form jutting up into the sky, a patchwork of colourful trees seemingly flowing down its sides.

‘So, when is it?’ he asked after a moment, not taking his eyes off of the scene that lay before him.

‘Whem’s whut?’ Elizabeth asked, through a mouthful of apple. 

James gave her a sideways smile before answering, with a chuckle, ‘The lesson.’

‘Oh!’ Elizabeth exclaimed. ‘You’ll love this,’ she smirked, digging in one of her pockets and, pulling out a small piece of silver paper, handed it to James. 

James took the paper and flipped it over reading the orange lettering. October 31st was all that was written on the paper.

‘That is really dramatic,’ James laughed, opening his shoulder bag and nudging Tyre from his sleep. It took a few moments for Tyre to stir, but he was soon, lazily, climbing out of the bag and onto the shiny marble floor.

‘Whut der yem went?’ he asked, stumbling dizzily for a moment.

‘Split an apple?’ James asked, smiling at the Stone-Hound. 

Tyre blinked for a moment; then his face split into a smile. ‘Aye, tae sunds lyke a deal!’ he exclaimed, grabbing the apple from James. He held it in his little hands, and pulled on each side, his face contorted in effort. ‘Et’s am krispi wun,’ he grunted. 

James smiled at Tyre; then turned back to face Elizabeth. ‘So what do you think it’s going to be like?’ he asked. ‘I don’t know what to expect.’

‘I don’t know,’ she admitted. ‘I don’t think anything can prepare us for it, though.’

James nodded in agreement; he was just about to say something else, when Tyre exclaimed loudly that the apple had been halved. The small animal hopped up onto the arm of the chair and handed a ragged half of an apple to James, as he smiled brightly and took a bite of his own half.

‘You seem much more cheery,’ Elizabeth noted to the Stone-Hound.

James had told her of Tyre’s odd behaviour since the 11:30 meeting with the heads of the Orphanage, and she had even witnessed it at lunch when Tyre had refused to eat anything.

‘Eye hed an gud sleep,’ Tyre shrugged, taking another bite of his apple.

‘So, are you okay with us taking these lessons then?’ James asked, between mouthfuls of apple. 

Tyre glanced from James to Elizabeth; then back to his apple. ‘Due eye haf ter go?’ he asked fearfully. 

James smiled. ‘No, I suppose not,’ he offered.

Tyre leaned back into a relaxed seated position and sighed in relief. His face then broke into a bright grin as he proclaimed, ‘Aye. Eym fyne weth et.’

James and Elizabeth laughed.