Hello! Sorry for the long absence. I feel like all I've done lately is study study study, and I apologize for neglecting the updating of this story. To be honest, this chapter has been done for awhile; however, I've revised it so many times. Plus, my editor, Princedwi (who I would like to thank AGAIN for helping me with this story), has also been swamped with work. Then, I revised it AGAIN due to the suggestion of a review to add more detail/descriptions (thanks for the tip!). I will try to also post Chapter 5 ASAP, but I've been revising that like a madwoman, and my editor hasn't even read it.

So, thanks again for your patience and continued interest in this story. This chapter is kinda filler, and contains some of the game script (which will be in BOLD) which, of course, I DO NOT take credit for. Thank Hanako Games for all the stuff in BOLD. Hope you enjoy!


CHAPTER FOUR – Reunion

Viola found the first weekend with her new roommates to be a little awkward. Both of her roommates were from magical families, and immediately knew each other. Serena Yule came from an ancient line of witches, which you could automatically assume with a name like "Yule." Rita Arias was a hybrid human (Viola didn't ask what the other half was), complete with furry ears and a tail. Apparently her older brother, Manuel Arias, was only a year ahead in Toad hall. After the introductions, Viola found she had little to discuss with the already acquainted duo. But they were cordial to her, so that was the least she could ask for. She looked forward to the start of classes.

Monday finally came, and all the freshman were herded into the gymnasium. To Viola's surprise, it was a large, "normal" looking school gym. Basketball hoops were hidden in the rafters, and bleachers extended along the walls. At the opposite end from the entrance was a stage with a single podium placed in the center. The crowd of freshmen were directed to sit on the bleachers, girl halls on one side, boy halls on the other. Viola sat next to her roommates as she barely knew anyone else who was a freshman. She wondered what they were doing there anyway. Were they here to sign up for classes? Then, a familiar face approached the center of the stage.

"Hello, my little flower buds. Welcome to Iris Academy!"

'It's her! The woman from the park...'

Around her, people start applauding.

'Oh yeah, how could I forget? She said she was headmistress...'

The room settles back to silence, as the witch onstage continued.

"My name is Professor Potsdam, and I will be one of your instructors in the ways of magic. For some of you, this is the beginning of an adventure such as you have never imagined. For others, this is the next step in a journey you have been expecting all your lives.

At Iris Academy, we teach spelling using the pentachromatic system:

Red magic is forceful, but not necessarily violent.

Blue is the color of transformation and change.

Green is the color of life, and the world of plants and animals

White magic affects the mind and spirit

and Black magic is contained within physical objects

Your palette should contain a few dabs of every magic color, but a beautiful painting doesn't need every shade. It's style that matters. You all have different strengths, different talents. Here at Iris Academy, we embrace that diversity and tailor your education to your needs. Choose your schedule to focus your personal talents..."

'Wow, choose our own schedule...pretty sweet.' Viola zoned out imagining what kind of magic SHE would end up taking a liking to, or if she'd even be any good at any of them. It's not like she had family to base her magical abilities on.

"You have been divided into Halls to help you make friends with classmates who share similar interests. For the girls we have the adventurous Horses, the charming Butterflies, and the mysterious snakes..."

"Heh...more like weirdo Snakes" Viola heard Serena whisper to her and Rita.

"How are they so weird?" Viola inquired.

"Well look at them! They're not normal. Most of them look like goths or vampires, and keep to themselves. Makes you wonder what kind of dark secrets they're all hiding..."

"Shhhhhhh" Rita pointed to a dark haired Professor who was glaring at them.

The girls ceased their conversation.

'Dark secrets...am I supposed to be a Snake? Could they have made some kind of mistake placing me in Horse Hall?' Viola pondered worriedly on this thought for the remainder of the speech.

"..Open up your diaries and begin penciling in your schedule. Once again, welcome to Iris Academy. Let's have a good year!"

The freshmen began dispersing from the gym with a lot of chatter. Some were excited to get started with classes. Others were grumbling about the dungeon exams. While Viola was also worried about these things, she couldn't stop thinking about her Hall placement. She began stepping down from the bleachers with her head down when she noticed the familiar shade of pink robes meet her at the bottom.

"Hello Miss Niemi!" Potsdam happily greeted her.

Viola tried to return the gesture. "Hello Professor."

Potsdam motioned Viola to follow her.'"Come along, dear."

I knew it...I knew they made a mistake...

Viola followed the Professor down what appeared to be the main hallway, one that spanned from the gym to a labyrinth of other tiny hallways containing classrooms. Cobblestone was a common theme throughout the hallway, each intersection marked and highlighted by portraits of various alumni from different halls. Further she and Potsdam went, the older the murals were, showing generations of the best and brightest from Iris Academy, donning the symbols of their respective Halls...

Swirled and awed by the stature of the portraits, Viola didn't even realize she'd progress so far down the hall. A final door stood in front of her. "Potsdam" was etched on the door's pane. Viola took a deep breath and slowly stepped in after the professor. After she entered, Potsdam sat down behind her desk.

"Close the door behind you dear, and take a seat."

Viola did as she was told, and sat in a simple wooden chair in front of the professor's desk.

The office smelled old. Not quite musty, but definitely more stale than the air from the hallway. Viola felt the smell reminiscent of a worn book, one whose pages have been perused through for many years. The room itself was elegantly decorated. Gold wallpaper covered the walls, with the ceiling surrounded by glass. A stunning warm glow from the afternoon sky brought an amber tone to the entire office. Potsdam's desk in the center was beautifully hand carved solid oak, depicting mythical creatures, some Viola had never seen before. Potsdam's chair was a perfect match to the desk, it's cushions were royal red with gold trim. To complete the room, a stone fireplace was present behind Potsdam, with some personal knick knacks and books stashed on the mantle.

"Butterscotch?" Potsdam offered Viola. A glass bowl off to the side of her desk displayed various candies, giving off a golden glow as the light shone upon them. Potsdam's insistence gave Viola a bit of hesitance proceeding with their conversation.

"Um...no thank you." Viola replied.

Potsdam continued to smile intently at Viola as she leaned back in her chair. A light creak filled the silence of the tiny office. Viola looked down at her hands in anticipation.

"I'm glad to see you again, dear Viola. I had a feeling that you would not let down on the promise we made."

"Yes, well... it was a promise...a pretty big one."

"Indeed, child."

Slight tension came about as silence filled the air once again.

"Was there something troubling you during the speech, dear? I noticed about halfway through you seemed to have stopped paying attention."

Viola kept her head down and started fidgeting with her robes.

Potsdam continued to present a natural smile. "You can tell me anything Viola. There is nothing to hide, and I will not judge you. Please, tell me what's bothering you."

Viola looked up at the professor. "Well, ma'am, I thought you had brought me to your office because you had made a mistake."

Potsdam's grin shifted as she looked at Viola with an inquisitive look. "A mistake?"

Viola continued. "Yes ma'am. Not about me being here, but...about my Hall."

"Is something wrong with your Hall-mates?"

"Oh no ma'am, they're wonderful! Two sophomore students have been nothing but hospitable to me, and my roommates seem nice enough...but..."

Viola paused.

"Am I really a match for Horse Hall?"

Potsdam immediately replied, "Certainly! There's no doubt in any of the minds of myself or the staff of the placements we have delegated to each of our students. You are a Horse."

"But...Serena said that Snake Hall was where girls with dark secrets resided..."

Viola paused and lowered her voice with a melancholy tone. "I'm pretty sure I qualify to be under that category."

Potsdam's smile faded a bit.

"Viola, when you first blossomed, we were sure something had gone wrong. We had a greatest feeling that you would end up a Snake for sure."

Potsdam stood up from her chair and moved to lean against the front of her desk to be closer to Viola.

"But...I also felt other vibes from you. That's why I had to go see you for myself."

Potsdam resumed a gentle smile. "And when I saw you, I couldn't believe it. Yes, your power was great and had blossomed like a dark secret, but you...you looked delicate. Like a Butterfly. I could see that you definitely had charm and grace. Even if in that moment you weren't exhibiting it, it was there. Right now, I see it. I'm sure any boy in their three halls would agree." Potsdam winked at her. Viola blushed at the thought.

"So, there I was, not only contemplating how to give you the Choice, but also what Hall you would be placed in if you did agree. On one hand, your secret would definitely place you as a Snake, but you had potential to be a Butterfly, depending on the next few events. So, I beckoned you over. That conversation decided it all."

Viola finally gazed up at her professor. She was curious to know what she had said or done to make that final decision.

"Viola, if you had been any other girl I know, you would have given up. You would have let go of your magic with a snap of your fingers, because you would have been too frightened to continue. Yes, you were scared at first, but then I mentioned something: justice, I believe. At that moment, I no longer felt fear in you. I no longer felt darkness. I felt...strength and courage. You were ready to face your demons head on. To embark on an adventure that would hopefully lead you to redemption. And those are qualities...of our Horse Hall girls."

Viola felt tears well up behind her eyes. Viola never thought she was any of that, nor was she was ever known to be any of that. She was afraid of spiders, and things in the dark. She had taken up sports to give her some confidence, but she was mediocre at best. For sure, she definitely wasn't known to be "strong." Carrying her secret around like heavy baggage didn't help either. But here she was, hearing a woman she just met, call her strong, and courageous. They were touching compliments. She began to smile.

Potsdam's smile immediately widened as she saw Viola's mood brighten. "Of course, since you do exhibit the qualities of other Halls, it might be possible for you to get transferred, but that's a very rare thing, and happens with growth."

She paused to clear her throat.

"But enough of that. You are very special, Viola. We haven't had a wildseed, or even a student for that matter, with your kind of potential in years. We, and I especially, are excited to see what the future holds for you here at Iris."

The professor made eye contact with Viola

"Anything else bothering you dear?"

Viola sat in thought for a moment, and finally decided that she did have one more question.

"Um, about my roommates..."

"Oh? I thought you said there were no problems?"

"Well, not really. I know that we're supposed to be paired with people to help make friends... but my roommates seem to already know each other, and although they're nice to me, I kind of feel like an awkward third wheel. They're both from magical families, and being a wildseed, I don't feel like I can relate to some of their discussions."

Potsdam let out a chuckle and crossed her arms. "Of course dear. All intentional. If I paired you with other wildseeds they would probably be curious to how your powers came to be. It's a very common subject to be brought up by wildseeds. Pure bloods, on the other hand, don't quite care about things like that. They've known about magic forever, and would prefer to discuss other subjects. I'm sure you three will find some common ground eventually."

Viola never thought of it that way. Potsdam really was looking out for her.

Potsdam then motioned to the door. "Now get going, Miss Niemi. Hurry and determine your schedule before you miss the start of classes today."

Viola nodded and gracefully got up from the chair. With a bright attitude and a new outlook on her new life, she rushed out Professor Potsdam's office.