Crowman?
I didn't have my bookbag, which meant that I didn't have my spell journals, which means that I don't have my wand! I don't have my wand. Good Satan, this was bad.
Now then where were we? Oh right, I'm being chased by my allergies.
I was dashing through the corridors, all of them looked the same. I had lost Grimm for a second but I could hear him crackling just down the hall, there was a door in front of me.
(My brother rolled a fucking 13.) I slid through the door, it creaked a bit, I just hoped Grimm didn’t hear it over his fire. I barely computed that I had gone into a classroom before zeroing in on an open window. I didn’t hesitate diving through, lucky I had somehow made it to the ground floor in the chase.
I was in a courtyard, ivy climbed the pillars of the hall to my right, to my left was a cobblestone path leading around the smallish area. Directly in front of me was a well and an old, old apple tree. I then realised that the moon hung near its peak, stars glittering along the inky blackness of the sky. A light in the highest tower of the building stood in stark contrast to the cool night, for a split second I could have sworn to have seen someone. They were gone in an instant and I remember just why I was in the courtyard again.
I looked around quickly, there was another open window. It was higher up than the other, so I took a running start. I didn’t struggle, which was surprising, I honestly think it was just adrenaline. My fall would leave a bruise but that was alright with me.
Looking up from my place on the floor I saw books, books flying - floating - on shelves - and on the floor. I got up and wandered a bit, everything was so colourful in the dimness. I could only imagine how it looked in the daylight. Eventually I found a table in the maze, I took off the pretty top robe so I could get out of the bloody button-down.
It was as I made the attempt at taking off the second pair of slacks that blue flames surrounded me. They blocked me into a small area, nowhere to run, smart cat. Speaking of that cat, where is he?
“Ha ha ha~ Did you really think you could get away from my nose?” There he is. “Silly human.”
I turned back to the table, the tanuki sat on my sullied formal robe. “Not really, I just didn’t want to get burnt. By the way, if you burn down the library I will kill you and your ancestors will be extremely disappointed in you.” I could’ve sworn I heard a snort above us.
“Jokes on you, I don’t have ancestors! I’m one of a kind!” He looked rather smug for a cat-demon.”Unlike you stupid humans, I came right from the earth. Popped outta straight air!”
“Uh-huh.” The flames died down quite a bit now. There was shifting above us, the flutter of a tailcoat.
I got the slacks off, folded and put them on the table, there was someone else in the room I couldn’t pinpoint their location. Somewhere on the balconies or lofts? I was looking up while taking off the dratty, tarnished leftovers of my school robe.
“What cha’ lookin’ for?” Grimm asked, I glanced at him. He was staring straight up at the rafters, looking through the eaves.
“There’s someone else here, up on the balcony.” The fluttering tailcoat stopped, it was then that I noticed the rhythmic tapping of heels had also stopped, leaving only the crackling of Grimm’s ears. The noise echoed through the library, the acusticks had hidden where the person was, there must have been a second entry. Unless they too, came through the window.
Grimm looked at me, looked up, then looked at me again with a rather disgruntled expression. Like he had the right to do that. “What?”
“Are you giving up your uniform or not?” Ah, that’s the issue. I couldn’t say no to clothes that at least looked nice, and I had already bled on them.
“I was actually thinking of changing into it. I prefer mostly clean clothes, besides I’m practically wearing rags at this point.” Which was an exaggeration, of course. My pants were shredded, but covered everything and my shirt was only a bit torn. I could fix both in time, but not right now, not without my wand or books, not getting light headed from blood loss. Oh, that was a thing now. Yay.. .
Grimm was gearing up to fireball me, he shot, I dived for a chair and blocked it. This was nothing compared to a dragon.
Crack!
Siiiiiing.
A whip? "Me-yow! That hurts!"
Ah, I suppose it would? “Consider it tough love.” A man? Well that’s refreshing, is he a teacher? “It seems I have finally found you. Please put the chair down, child.”
I lowered the chair slowly, in case Grimm decided to use his fire again. “Hello, are you a teacher?” The man laughed aloud, obviously not then.
“I am not a teacher, no. I am the gracious headmaster of this wondrous academy!” He was wearing a mask, why did he feel the need to do that? His clothes had more otherness than Dumbledor’s, I don’t know if I should be impressed or concerned, then again I'm probably older than him. “Now then, we should be getting you back to the Mirror Chamber. Still, those clothes just won’t do.”
He snapped and I was in the formal robes again, but not my school ones. The formal robes were actually quite comfortable, my head felt lighter? No, that can’t be right. I looked at the table and there, on top of my clothes, was my wreath. I simply grabbed and put it back on, a small familiarity in this strange place.
The Headmaster, satisfied with my appearance, took the clothes I had been wearing and put them into the pouch on his side. Most have some kind of extension charm. “Let’s go now, no dilly dallying.” He put his hand on my back, urging me towards the library doors. His hand was gloved and clawed with metal nails, it was a light and firm pressure. “Honestly, I understand the need to make a splash with your entrance but opening your own gate and bringing an untrained familiar is just irresponsible. A first-year student such as yourself has no need to be doing that.”
Hold up, gate? I was in a gate? It certainly felt like I was in a coffin, not a gate. “So the coffins are gates to the school?” Wait, did he call Grimm my familiar? Oh fuck no.
“Yes.” He paused a second, we were in the courtyard now. “How ever did you get out of the gate? If you don’t mind me asking.” His eyes were yellowy gold and reflected the moonlight.
“It was the tanuki, he blasted the lid off from the outside then tried to steal my clothes.” His pace slowed.
“Pardon?” Ah, so that wasn’t normal. Whatever, I’m not in a very normal situation.
“You said you’re the Headmaster, right?” He nodded, looking a bit like a bird caught off guard by a cat. That's a funky image. “What do you guys teach at this academy? Also what’s it called, my brain is a bit foggy right now. Adrenaline crash.”
“Ah, teleportation might have also mussed your memories. Well, I will give you a run-down on the school as we walk. Come along.” I hadn’t even noticed we stopped, his hand rested on my back again. “Now then, this is Night Raven College and I am the gracious Headmaster, Dire Crowley.”
Crowley? Where have I heard that name before?
“We are a prestigious institution founded on certain traits of the Great Seven, amazing people they were.” He speaks as if they were old friends long past, interesting. “The four year curriculum here focuses on magical application and theory, and for the duration of your schooling here you will be staying in one of the seven dorms. Each was founded by one of the Great Seven. They are Heartslabyul, Savanahclaw, Octavinelle, Scarabia, Pomefiore, Ignihyde, and Diasomnia. Dorm hopping is also acceptable, but only for fourth and third year students so there’s no need for you to worry about that.”
Four years and seven dorms, huh? Sounds like a backwards Hogwarts, also sounds way more advanced. “Any questions?” He did say magical application and theory, right?
“Do you guys use wands or something else? What’s the magic like here? Why only four years? Do you count yourselves as wizards or something else? Why are your eyes yellow? Why are the gates coffin-shaped? What-” He covered my mouth quickly with the hand that had been on my back in some sort of distress, but his eyes were shimmering.
“Too many questions with not enough answers, child. But I will answer a few.” He smiled at me as continued walking. “We don’t use wands, no, they are actually quite outdated and only extremely old mages use them anymore. Instead we use what’s called a Magic Pen, it has a Mage Stone attached to it and can still be used as a writing utensil. They work like wands, but they are more than simply magical focus, you’ll learn of their protective properties in class.”
Alrighty then, so I’m old-fashioned as shit, got it. “Now then, most of us call ourselves mages rather than wizards but the terms are used interchangeably in this day and age, so it really doesn’t matter. ‘Mage’ is a gender-neutral term, it was to unite male and female mages as well include those on the spectrum and outside of it.”
“That’s a nice thing to do.” He nodded then continued.
“As for the gates-” Ah, yes the coffin-gate things. I was wondering when we’d get to that madness, not to judge. Of course, it’s just confusing. “-they represent leaving behind your old life and stepping into the light or dark of a new exciting one. A dear friend of mine came up with the idea as a nod to one of his employees, it was very sweet. I wonder how he and his wife are doing? She’s visiting him this time of year.. .” He trailed off into thought, I wonder who his friend is.
Crowley shook out of his thoughts faster than he entered them, as ruffling feathers. “An Ebony Carriage carrying one such gate should have met you during your journey after receiving your letter, a well time honoured tradition. Only used on special occasions.” A carriage?
Now that I think about it, how the fuck am I alive? I slowly, so very carefully touched my face, then very quickly checked that I had every part of my body. Made sure that I wasn’t crushed to hell and back, that I was intact, that my systems were still all running properly.
Crowley and, more surprisingly, Grimm were looking at me with concern. “Is everything okay, child?” I looked at him sharply, was there a carriage? I couldn’t remember, had someone summoned me? That has to be it, I fucking died and someone summoned me.
“Yeah, yeah.” No, no it wasn’t. Nothing is ‘okay’ about this, how did I just realise this. “Let’s get to the Mirror Chamber or whatever.”
The ache in my side had dulled, but when I stepped forward it flared. It was all I could do to just be quiet. Crowley’s hand was on my back again, this time it stayed there.