CHAPTER 1
"Stop it!" screamed Elle, "Put my backpack down. All my homework is in there!"
"What are you going to do about it?" asked Eric. Eric was the school bully. He had short firebrick-red hair and was twice the size of Elle and yet ten times as stupid. You could tell his clothes didn't fit him because his round stomach was sticking out revealing his navel. His voice was real deep and solemn in what Elle called "a scary sort of way". Elle had bright blue eyes the color of the sky and a somewhat tanned complexion. Underneath her black robes she wore her house colors (light green and forest green) in stripes on her long skirt and the school logo (an alligator) on her long sleeved shirt. Her hair was a golden brown color. It glimmered from the sun coming in through the hallway window that was the size of a large theatre movie screen. She was heading to her divination class with Professor Groughty when Eric took her backpack. Elle was already late to class and so this did not help at all.
She decided to answer his snide remark with, "I don't know but you're going to hate it when you find out!" Elle kicked as hard as she could at Eric's shin and then ran down the school stairs (which were spirally and had a step missing every few steps) to the main dungeon where Madam Clarkspoon worked.
Gatorstooth was full of dungeons and classrooms where the teachers taught the students. You couldn't go into a dungeon and not find at least a hundred secret passageways if you looked real hard, which would lead you to the kitchen or the great hall or some other interesting place. The ceilings of the dungeons were all high and had windows at the top. You could see the snow coming down in the winter. It was so pretty.
Elle was still running. When she got to the office she told Madam Clarkspoon, the school secretary and nurse, that Eric was picking on her. Madam Clarkspoon was a stern looking woman with gray hair pulled up in a bun and yet she was one of the nicest professors at Gatorstooth School of Witchcraft and Wizardry that Elle had ever met.
Gatorstooth was a school located in America for young children (twelve to eighteen) who were witches and wizards. You found out you were a witch or wizard at the age of twelve and were sent a letter from Gatorstooth. Many other schools of witches and wizards in other countries started earlier or later depending on the ministry's idea of how the school runs. Witches and wizards came from all over the country to learn about spells and the Dark Arts and even the history of witches and wizards.
Elle had been sent a letter when she was twelve saying that she was a witch and that she would be attending Gatorstooth in the end of August. Now she was almost sixteen and she was in her fifth year of school. There were seven total years of witchcraft and wizardry school that you had to go through to become a full grown witch or wizard. Both of Elle's parents were magical too so she was used to magic even though she wasn't aloud to use it out of school grounds.
The secretary answered, "Again? Oh poor dear. I'll tell Crinch to get your bag and bring Eric down to my office. You can stay here while I write a note to your teacher and tell her why you were late to class."
"Thank you so much!"
"Any time dear, just doin' my job!"
Elle sat down on a chair in the front of the main office while Madam Clarkspoon called the clumsy custodian. Crinch was rude and did not like Elle. He was bald on the top of his head and had a short beard, which was a steel gray color. His eyes were black as coal and had an evil glint to them. Elle was more scared of Crinch than of Eric oddly enough though. Crinch always took her things and hid them in his office when she dropped them on the ground instead of giving them to her.
Just then, Alexa walked into the main dungeon. She was the most popular girl in all of Gatorstooth. She was so pretty and was one of the best performing witches in their school. She was a brunette whose eyes were a light spring green. They glistened from the light coming in through the window next to Madam Clarkspoon's desk. They were glowing, almost like cat's eyes. Her hair was beautiful. Today it was pulled up in a bun on the top of her head almost exactly like Madam Clarkspoon's. She was wearing a turquoise tank top and a nylon blue mini skirt underneath of her robes. Students were restricted from wearing this sort of clothing but Alexa didn't care, she wore it anyway. Students were supposed to wear their house colors like Elle was doing. Alexa's house colors were the same as Elle's since they were in the same house.
There are four houses in each wizarding school, with the names of the founders of the school. In Gatorstooth the founders were Hilda Spiritpank, Rupert Beaclonaire, Salem Witchburg (one of the greatest witches in all American time and great, great, great, great- grandmother of the current headmaster, Salem Trumblegrife), and the last founder was Joel Merlinsbeard. Elle and Alexa were both in Witchburg, probably the best house out of the four. Elle was very proud of this indeed.
Elle and Alexa were best friends all through their previous years of school but as Alexa became prettier and more popular, Elle faded out of the picture. Now that they were in their fifth year they were enemies.
Elle glanced up at Alexa and glared. Their eyes met. Staring at each other for a second, Elle thought she saw Alexa smirk and Alexa's eyes glimmered even more. Elle saw Alexa open her mouth to say something but no words came out. Alexa decided to turn this into a yawn so that it looked like she was going to say nothing at all.
Elle looked up and said, "Nice outfit Alex!" Alexa hated being called Alex because she thought it was more of a boy's name. This bugged Alexa a lot which is why Elle used it. "Your colors don't match at all I'd say and besides," Elle raised her voice so that Madame Clarkspoon would able to here, "I thought we were supposed to wear our house colors!" Elle drew breath to add another comment, "Does your nanny still pick your clothes out for you before the school year starts like she did in our first year?"
"As…as a matter of fact," replied Alexa, somewhat stuttering at the words of her own remark, "No. I made these clothes out of the fabric my great grandmother found in an old chest the other day. You know, this skirt is one hundred percent nylon cloth? Amazing how I got it so cheap…. Free. And I for one know how to match colors. This year the latest colors are turquoise and black. I get the black from my robes and the turquoise from my outfit."
"Personally I believe you bought your robes from an old thrift shop," retorted Elle surprised at her own courage to speak up to Alexa.
"Now girls, do you really think fighting is going to settle anything? Why can't we just all be friends? Tut-tut… and I thought Eric was being the school bully." said Madam Clarkspoon.
The girls just now realized that she was still there.
"Sorry Madam Clarkspoon. And I'm sure you already realized this was started by Elle?"
"Girls, please stop bickering! Now Alexa, what did you need to see me about?"
"Oh! Yes…um, Professor Shanklesine has run out of Puckletin skin for our potions."
Elle turned around and looked out the window. She saw a bird resting on a tree as Alexa left the dungeon. All of a sudden, the bird opened its mouth and Elle heard "BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP."