“Oh, I’m not worried about my magic failing, ma’am.” Harriett said.

“You aren’t?” Professor Weatherwell replied back.

Harriett nodded. “No, I’m afraid that I’ll be… too successful at it…”

“Too successful? That sounds like quite a good thing, child,” Professor Weatherwell said with a laugh. “I do not believe anyone has ever been upset when their efforts have led to the good thing happening that they wanted to happen.”

“Well, it’s hard to understand without seeing it first hand, ma’am,” Harriett timidly stated back.

“I am present before you and ready to see this for myself, Harriett. Don’t be shy. I promise that whatever happens, we’ll be able to manage it together.”

Professor Weatherwell’s words actually calmed Harriett’s nerves greatly. It felt like any doubt and despair had been burned away in her heart only to be replaced by a confidence Harriett never knew she could feel. With a fire burning inside of her that spurred her on, Harriett nodded towards Professor Weatherwell. “Alright, I’ll give it a try!” she exclaimed.

“That’s the spirit!” Professor Weatherwell exclaimed with a clap.

Though Harriett hadn’t noticed until now, a crowd had begun to gather around her, Feron and Professor Weatherwell since it appeared as though everyone else had finished germinating their plants about the classroom. Harriett took one quick glance about the room to take in everyone’s success. Various plants of all types could be seen, each one grown through the magical energy of a student. Harriett knew she could do it too. She felt it deep within her bones.

“Feron, you ready?” Harriett asked.

“On standby and waiting,” Feron replied from over her left shoulder.

“Alright, I’ll give it a try!” Harriett rubbed her hands together before herself and began to gather her magical energy into them. As she concentrated, she began to mentally measure the amount of magic that she could feel pouring into her hands. After about thirty seconds, she halted the flow of the magic into her hands and steadily held the remaining magic in her hands at bay. It felt like an adequate amount for the germination.

Looking down at the pot next, Harriett placed her hands over the pot and released her energy carefully and slowly while whispering the word ‘Grow’ to the plant. After a moment or two, she felt all the energy she had gathered fully transfer from her hands and into the pot.

A minute passed, then two, but nothing happened. After thirty more seconds, Professor Weatherwell moved her head a bit closer to the pot and inspected the dirt with a poke of her finger.

“Did you put enough energy into it, child?” Professor Weatherwell asked as her concentration moved from the pot to Harriett.

Harriett nervously nodded back. “Yes, ma’am. I felt all of my magic enter the pot.”

“Your concentration was held throughout the transfer?”

Harriett nodded.

“And your intent was pure?”

Harriett nodded again.

“Then I’m curious as to why nothing is happening. Perhaps the seed truly was bad.”

“I could run out and get some fertilizer still,” Feron added.

“Not now, Feron,” Harriett irritably shot his way before looking back at the pot. “Come on, little guy, please work for me. Just this once.” For the first time ever, Harriett felt her magic would actually fail, which strangely brought a note of comfort to her heart. But then, as if listening to her thoughts, the first leaf of the germinating apple seed appeared, drawing a gasp of exhilaration from the entire room.

“Splendid!” Professor Weatherwell exclaimed with another vibrant clap. “You see, young lady, I knew you could do it. And your magic, although I do not doubt your mentioning of its power, appears to have been well focused. Almost too well focused based on the germination of a single leaf.”

“Tha--- thank you!” Harriett didn’t know what else to say besides that for being praised for her magic performing well for once was something she was most definitely not used to. After sharing a smile with Professor Weatherwell and then with Feron, Harriett then looked back to see her handiwork. But as her vision descended back upon the pot, she found that the leaf from before had now been followed by a green stem. After a few more seconds, another leaf appeared, and another, until the stem had grown to about five feet.

“Well,” Professor Weatherwell began, “It seems as though your plant’s germination was not done yet. But I don’t believe it should get any bigger. In fact, I---.”

Professor Weatherwell’s words were cut off as a vibrant shake was emitted from Harriett’s pot that radiated out through the table, the floor, and into the walls of the room.

“Oh no,” Harriett whispered under her breath.

“Oh yes!” Feron joyfully cheered.

“Feron!” Harriett shouted his way with growing concern etched into her words.

Feron’s face grew somber as he looked upon his worried best friend. “Right right, I’m on it!”

“Feron, Harriett, what is happening here?” Professor Weatherwell asked with concern also growing in her voice as well.

“No time to explain, Professor. It’s time for the show to start!” Feron replied.

“The show? What do you m---ahhh!” Professor Weatherwell began to shout as herself, and every student in the lecture room besides Harriett and Feron, was suddenly whisked off their feet into the air as Feron’s telekinesis gently wrapped around all of them with a flick of his finger. Then, with a wave of his hand, each and every person besides Harriett and Feron was gently floated down until they were all next to the podium.

“Hurry, Feron!” Harriett exclaimed.

“I’m trying, I’m trying. Don’t rush perfection,” Feron replied as he released his telekinesis as the last student’s feet touched the ground. Then, by connecting his hands together and cupping them, a dome of his star energy formed around Professor Weatherwell and the other students.

“That should do it,” Feron replied with a calm nod towards Harriett. “Now, we can sit back and enjoy the show!” A large smile crossed Feron’s face, but Harriett felt no such joy in what was to come next.

“Uh, did you forget something?” Harriett distantly asked her best friend.

Feron put a finger to his chin in contemplation. “I don’t think so… did I?”

Harriett pointed to herself, but said nothing.

It took Feron another five seconds and another emitting of vibration from the pot before he realized his error. “Oh right, you’re human…”

“I’m human!” Harriett replied quickly and without hesitation.

“So that means…”

“I could probably die from what’s about to happen.”

“And that’s… bad?”

“Yes that’s bad!” Harriett exclaimed loudly enough to make Feron cover his ears for a split second.

“Okay, okay! You don’t have to shout. I’m on it again!” Feron quickly darted over to Harriett and took her into his arms. Then, through quick concentration, he erected a shield about them just as the pot burst and Harriett’s magic truly began to take root within the seed’s germination process.

As the stem of the plant thickened and grew into a formidable tree trunk, its growth pushed Harriett, Feron and the shield they were encased in back against the classroom wall. Luckily, the shield absorbed most of the impact. But all Harriett and Feron could focus on was the apple tree that was now ripping through the ceiling of the classroom and still continuing to grow. As it grew, they could also hear the roots of the apple tree descending downward and taking root deep within the school grounds.

Eventually, the tree trunk’s thickness stopped widening at around a diameter of 18 feet. However, after Feron dropped the shield around both themselves, the students, and Professor Weatherwell, Harriett carefully made her way over to where the pot had just been. However, in its place was now a tree trunk the thickness of a tree that would be found in the deep parts of the rainforest. After looking down at where the roots entered the floorboards of the lecture room, Harriett then looked up. Through squinting, she could make out that the apple tree was in fact still growing.

Feron made his way to Harriett’s side. Upon also looking up, he gave off a high-pitched whistle before speaking. “Well,” he began, “Should I say it or would you prefer I stay quiet for once?”

Harriett begrudgingly took her attention off of the still growing tree and set it on Feron.

“What do you think?” she asked.

Feron looked at her for a second longer before looking back up at the punctured ceiling. Then, he looked back at her, then back at the ceiling one more time.

“Feron!” Harriett shouted at him after he had performed the same cycle three more times.

“Alright, alright, I’ll be quiet! Sheesh, you’re no fun,” Feron pouted before pulling his legs off the ground and crossing them while he levitated in the air.

“Children, children!” Professor Weatherwell exclaimed as she stumbled her way up the safe sections of the stairs that hadn’t been destroyed by the spreading roots of the apple tree. “Are you alright?” she asked them upon reaching their location.

“We’re fine, Professor,” Feron calmly replied to her.

“Harriett?” Professor Weatherwell asked Harriett’s way.

“I’m… I’m fine, Professor,” Harriett shyly replied. “I’m sorry about the mess.”

“Don’t be sorry, dear,” Professor Weatherwell gently stated. “I should have taken your comment about how powerful your magic is under more, careful consideration.” At this, all three of them looked up at the ceiling in unison. “Not to worry. I’m sure the school will be able to fix the lecture hall within a day’s time. And if anything, you have given your fellow students quite the first-year experience. I’d say that this situation warrants celebration!”

“You… you aren’t serious…,” Harriett muttered.

“Oh, I’ve never been more serious!” Professor Weatherwell gleefully replied. “Think of what you might be able to do with your magical abilities when they are directed properly. Oh, your father must hear of this.”

“I, uh, I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Harriett stated.

“Oh, I definitely do,” Feron added, though Harriett was so worried about everything that had happened and was still happening that she did not hear him.

“But first,” Professor Weatherwell continued, “I had better call the staff. Because unfortunately, the tree does in fact appear to still be growing. Tell me, Harriett, when do you think it will stop?”

“It won’t,” Harriett replied.

“Come again?” Professor Weatherwell asked.

“Trust me, Professor, this classroom belongs to the apple tree now.”

“I’m sure you are just exaggerating.” Professor Weatherwell looked towards Feron next. “She is exaggerating, right?”

Feron just lifted his arms up in defeat, but said nothing. Harriett, on the other hand, could only look upon the ceiling and sigh. Once again, she had done the impossible, much to her dismay. She wondered if her life would ever be normal, if she would ever be just a normal, magic using human girl. But somewhere, deep down inside, she knew that this would always be her life. So, once again, she reluctantly accepted it. Somewhere, deep in her mind, she heard another laugh.