I awake bright and early the next morning feeling great. In fact, I am feeling so great that, as I float around the kitchen preparing my breakfast and brewing espresso for Darcy and me, I am singing an Italian ballad about the joys of finding one's true love.

Darcy looks askance at me as I flit around the kitchen. "You are in a joyful mood for someone who is going off to work," she says almost sarcastically, "and you haven't even had your first cup of espresso yet to get you going this morning."

"Yes, I guess I am," I tell her. "I'm actually looking forward to this first day back. Now that things are somewhat back to normal and manageable, I find myself feeling a bit furloughed out. It will be good to get back to teaching again."

"Ugh!" says Darcy, making a face. "I can imagine the work that has piled up on my desk. I'm getting a headache just thinking about it."

"It can't be that bad," I tell her while handing her a demitasse of espresso and taking my place in front of her and Stormy who is happily devouring a stack of pancakes with blueberry velvet topping.

"Shoot!" I'm thinking to myself as I get up and go to the comm unit and punch in Ælfscine's calling sequence.

"Top o' th' mornin' ta'ee, Professor," greets Ælfscine's lilting voice as Darcy giggles behind me.

"Good morning to you," I greet her. "I hope you are nearly ready. Darcy and I are leaving in twenty. I want you here in ten."

"I'll be there," replies Ælfscine and then the connection clicks off.

I arrive at Professor Zarathustra's office before anyone else and go to my desk to find it covered and surrounded with stacks of papers and books and stuff stacked on and under the chair. I remember Darcy's remarks over the breakfast table and begin feel sorry for her thinking about what must be awaiting her. I pull out the chair and clear off the stuff so I can at least sit down. I am shuffling through the papers trying to find where to start when Zarathustra beams in.

"Hello, Icy! Glad to have you back," she greets me. "I missed you sorely."

"Nice to be back," I tell her. "I see you have saved up all this work for me."

"Oh, no!" exclaims Zarathustra. "That's not for you. That is my research that I am hoping to get back to in earnest now that you have returned. I want you to start teaching classes. Here is material for the Introduction to Arcane Magic class at ten hour. I'll start you on the advanced classes once you have settled back in."

I am making my way to the lecture hall when I start thinking about if I am going to run into any of the thirty Withes who fought against me during the Alfea College War. Then I realize that was almost three years ago and all those Witches have gone through the system and graduated except for perhaps one or two who might be taking postgraduate courses which, thankfully, are held in one of the other towers. I enter the lecture hall and thirty some eager and excited new faces turn to look at me.

"Good morning, class," I greet them. "I am Professor Icy and I will your instructor for this Introduction to Arcane Magic class. This year you will be learning about your unique powers and potentials through a study of the past. Remember though, as you gain skill and your powers grow that witchcraft should only be used to benefit all and to harm none. Now we will start by..."