Akko didn't know what to make of Molly McIntyre as she boarded the bus and sat in the open seat beside Constanze. The girl knew more than she let on, and that was reason enough to suspect her, but there was something in her gut that told her she was trustworthy. It was like that moment when they first met on the train where Akko instinctively knew Molly despite never having met before. She couldn't make sense of this feel, which is why Akko chose not to say anything to the others as the buses started moving.
"Professor Ursula didn't show up again this year," Lotte noticed. "That's two years in a row she hasn't taken the first years on the journey through the woods. You think she's sick or something?"
"It not like she has to do it every year," said Blair offhandedly, curling up in Akko's lap. "She probably just got tired of doing it and passed it off to someone else. There doesn't need to be any conspiracy theory about it."
"I guess," Lotte murmured with uncertainty.
Akko was the only one who saw the glint of worry in Blair's gaze before she lowered her hat over her eyes. Akko absentmindedly started petting her fur, staring off into the distance and hoping that Ursula would be there when they arrived at the school and find that they had nothing to worry about.
Rattling and swaying, the buses moved in convoy up the road through Gastonbury. They reached the hill of the Glastonbury Tor in short time where the Lay Line Terminal lay hidden inside the tree-infused tower. They departed from the buses in rows and received their brooms from the goblins standing guard at the entrance. From there, they used magic to fly through the portal at the top of the tower that pulled them to an alternate plane of reality from the rest of the world. When the ethereal green light faded from Akko's eye, Luna Nova was laid out before her: a towering mass of turrets, pale in against the dark sky, here and there a window blazing fiery bright like a beacon.
They descended near the fountain, which Akko eyes immediately fell over the statue of the Great Witch Jennifer, which loomed over them like a dark angel. For years, Akko must have walked by that statue a thousand times over and it was only after meeting the real thing that she thought the artist had misinterpreted her appearance, lacking the many scars that mangled her face and the mismatched hair. She glared at the statue, wondering why such a thing was still allowed to exist on Luna Nova grounds. A part of her wanted to take the Shiny Arc to it….
"Are you coming or what?" said Nico beside her.
"Oh…yeah," said Akko quickly, and they joined the crowd hurrying up the stone steps into the castle.
The entrance hall was ablaze with torched filled with green flames and echoing with footsteps as students crossed the flagged stone floor for the double doors to the right, leading to the Assembly Hall.
Thousands of rainbow-colored spirits swam across the ceiling in slow circles above the five rows of bleachers underneath the banners that represented the five Houses. The seats were filling up with students talking eagerly to one another, exchanging summer news, shouting greets at their friends from other Houses, eyeing one another's new haircuts and clothes. Again, Akko noticed people putting their heads together to whisper as she passed; she gritted her teeth and tried to act as though she neither noticed nor cared.
Diana, Hannah, and Barbara were spirited away by their fellow Lunar classmates and left to sit with them. Nico wandered to the far end of the hall where she was hailed by the Eclipse House. And Molly drifted away from them at the Twilight benches. Akko, Lotte, Sucy, Amanda, Constanze, and Jasminka found seats together halfway up the stand next to the twins, Rashmi and Rajani, whom gave Akko airy, overly friendly greetings that made Akko quite sure they had stopped talking about her a split second before. She had more important things to worry about, however. She was looking up the raised stage where the staff was lined up.
"She's all right," she exhaled a relieved sigh.
Lotte scanned the staff too and became as equally relieved as Akko. Professor Ursula was having an animated conversation with Annabel Crème, looking no worse than when they last saw her.
"Told you there was nothing to worry about," said Blair from her perch on Akko's shoulder.
"I guess Professor Kiki is handling the first-year trips from now on," said Lotte.
"Not like it's such a big deal, anyway," said Sucy dispassionately. "You got worked up over nothing."
Akko bit her lip, stopping herself from blurting out that it wasn't over nothing. But then that would require explaining about Ursula's illness, which no one else was supposed to know. Luckily, Jasminka provided a useful distraction when she looked back and forth across the row of teachers.
"Hey, does anyone notice something different about the teachers?" she said in his usual dreamy tone, her head tilted and her brow furrowed with confusion.
"Whaddya mean?" asked Amanda.
"I think some of them are missing," said Jasminka.
Akko looked up at the staff again and understood what she meant. Ursula may still be there, but a good number of the teachers weren't Professor Hex, the Pharmaceutics teacher, was gone, as was their Herbalism teacher, Professor Cosmo, and their History of Magic teacher, Professor Lenz. It was strange to see them gone when Akko had known them since her first year, but in their stead was a whole slew of, who Akko assumed, were the new teachers.
Professor Holbrooke's head was inclined toward a young blonde woman who looked barely older than the students wearing a witch's three times bigger than average, apparently swapping jokes by the way the headmistress snorted behind her hands. The woman next standing between Ursula and Professor Akane was decked out in silver armor embellished with blue cloth, coming off more as a hardened soldier than a teacher. Then there was the woman talking to Professor Croix, who was strangely different from the other teachers. She looked like a normal British woman, though her exposed arms were littered with tiny scars and burns. It took a moment for Akko to realize why this woman was different – she was human! A human teacher in Luna Nova!
But it was the last newcomer that threw Akko for a loop when she saw the veiled face of the pallid, gray-skinned woman with her pointed, narrowed eyes staring back.
"It's that Light Spinner woman!"
"Who?" said Lotte.
"She was at my hearing, she works for Crawford!"
"She works for Crawford?" Amanda repeated, frowning "That son of a bitch. He actually did it."
"Guess we found that replacement from the Council that Nico mentioned," said Sucy.
"Be on your guard around her," Blair warned everyone, narrowing her slitted eyes on the woman. "I've heard some rumors about Light Spinner and none of them are good. You're going to have to watch yourselves extra carefully this year."
"Well, Akko's screwed," Sucy snickered.
Akko didn't have a chance to retort – not that she could – before her attention was stolen by Professor Kiki, who had just slipped in between Professor Croix and the Human woman. That meant that the first years must have made their journey through the forest and reached the castle, and sure enough, a few seconds later, the doors to the entrance hall opened. A long line of scared-looking first years entered, led by Professor Finnelan, who levitating a large, ornate mirror, excessively dusty with innumerable scratches cutting through the glass.
The buzz of talk in the Assembly Hall faded away. The first years lined up in front of the staff facing the rest of the students, and Professor Finnelan placed the down in front of them, then stood back.
The first years' faces glowed palely in the light of the spirits above. A small girl right in the middle of the row looked as though she was trembling. Akko recalled, fleetingly, how terrified she had felt when she had stood there, waiting for the unknown test that would determine which House she belonged.
The whole school waited with bated breath. Then, the mirror turned black and a featureless face appeared, bursting into song"
"In times of old when I was new
And Luna Nova barely started
The founders of our noble school
Thought never to be parted:
United by a common goal,
They had the selfsame yearning,
To make the world's best magic school
And pass along their learning.
"Together we will build and teach!"
The Nine Olde Witches decided
And never did they dream that they
Might someday be divided.
How could it have gone so wrong?
How could such friendships fail?
Why, I was there and so can tell
The whole sad, sorry tale.
Said Salem and Rita,
"We'll Teach those who have drive."
Said Chaika and Arqchne,
"We'll teach the strongest to survive."
Said Beatrix and Zero,
"We'll teach those who wish to learn more."
Said Maria and the Time Witch,
"We'll teach those who will endure."
And then there was Woodward,
Who agreed with none.
"We'll teach those with dreams."
And all was said and done.
These differences caused little strife,
When first they came to light,
For each of the nine founders had
A House in which they might,
Take only those they wanted, so,
For instance, Eclipse
Only took those with great ambition
While Corona taught those
With a strong conditions.
And those taught in Lunar
Were of the sharpest mind,
While the patient Twilight
Would always find their kind.
And then one house remained
Who those who sought their dream.
For those of Polaris House
Were more than what they seem.
Thus the Houses and their founders
Retained friendship firm and true.
So Luna Nova worked in harmony.
For many happy years.
But then discord crept among us
Feeding on our faults and fears.
The houses that, like pillars five,
Had once held up our school,
Now turned upon each other and,
Divided, sought to rule.
And for a while it seemed like the school
Must meet an early end,
What with dueling and with fight
And the clash or friend on friend.
And at last there came a morning
When old Woodward departed
And though the fighting died out
She left us quite downhearted.
And never since the witches nine
Were whittle down to eight
Have the House been united
As was once their fate.
And now the magic mirror is here
And you all know the score:
I sort you into Houses
Because that is what I'm for,
But this year I'll go further,
Listen closely to my song:
Though condemned I am to split you
Still I worry that it's wrong,
Though I must fulfill my duty
And must divide every year
Still I wonder whether sorting
May not bring the end I fear.
Oh, know the perils, read the signs,
The warning history shows,
For Luna Nova is in danger
From external, deadly foes
And we must unite inside her
Or we'll crumble from within
I have told you, I have warned you…
Let the Sorting now begin."
The face faded into the black backdrop once more; applause broke out, though it was punctured, for the first time in Akko's memory, with muttering and whispers. All across the Assembly Hall, students were exchanging remarks with their neighbors and Akko, clapping along with everyone else, know exactly what they were talking about.
"Branched out a bit this year, hasn't it?" said Sucy dryly.
"That's putting it mildly," said Stan-Bot.
The Magic Mirror usually confined itself to describing the different qualities looked for by each of the five Luna Nova Houses and its own role in sorting them; Akko could not remember it ever trying to give the school advice before.
"I wonder if it's ever given warnings before?" said Lotte, sounding slightly anxious.
"It has, indeed," Akko, Amanda, and Lotte jumped when Elma, the Keeper of the Castle, suddenly appeared beside them, looked quite serious with her arms crossed. "The mirror feels itself honor-bound to give the school due warning whenever it feels – "
But Professor Finnelan, who was waiting to read out the list of first years' names, was giving the whispering students the sort of look that scorches. Elma placed a finger to her lips and stood primly upright again as the muttering came to an abrupt end. With a last frowning look that swept the five Houses, Professor Finnelan lowered her eyes to her long list and called out:
"Blight, Amity."
And elf-like girl with moss-green hair sauntered up to the front, knocking over the terrified girl that Akko noticed earlier, and stood before the mirror. The mirror considered her for a moment, the featureless face appeared again and shouted, "ECLIPSE!"
The Eclipse House clapped loudly as Amity Blight marched to their bleachers and sat down on the end of the row next to Elfriede Coch. Though the moment she sat down and everyone attention was on the next first year, Amity visibly deflated, looking frankly relieved to be done with the sorting.
Slowly the long line of first years thinned; Akko lost interest after "Noceda, Luz" was sorted into Polaris because her stomach was rumbling so loudly. Those train sweets weren't very filling, she thought. Finally, "Yarrow, Alexandrea" was sorted into Corona, and Professor Finnelan dragged the mirror away as Professor Holbrooke climbed the small set of steps to the podium.
"To our newcomers," said Professor Holbrooke in a ringing voice, her arms stretched wide and a beaming smile on her lips, "welcome!" To our old hands – welcome back! There is a time for speech making, but this is not it! Let us all make out way to the dining room for our start-of-term feast. And do try the bouillabaisse; it's simply divine!"
There was an appreciative laugh and an outbreak of applause as Professor Holbrooke stepped down from the stage and led the procession to the double doors across the entrance hall.
The hundreds of round tables with their mismatched furniture were a welcomed sight for Akko, but none more than the lengthy row of tables filled to the brim with food from all over the world. The kitchen goblins were running in and out with more dishes as the students lined up and started piling their plates with meat, vegetables, breads, sauces, and juices; they had extra helpings for when Jasminka came back for fifths and sixths.
"Finally," said Akko, with a groan of longing, and she started piling a small stack of quesadillas on her plate. She carried it across the hall to two tables being reserved by her usual group of friends when she noticed they were joined by Wendy Marvell from Corona.
"Hello, Akko, had a good summer?" she asked when Akko sat down across from her.
"Well, it's definitely been eventful," said Akko.
"Yeah, Master Makarov – that's the master of my guild – told me the Magic Council was giving you trouble," said Wendy, scratching her cheek sheepishly. "But you're here, so that means everything turned out all right."
"For now, at least," mumbled Sucy.
A few minutes later, they were joined by Elma, who was a regular guest at their table during lunches and dinners. Like Jasminka, her plate was piled high, but with more sweets and desserts.
"Ah, I always love the start-of-term feasts!" Elma sighed happily, packing her cheeks with cupcakes. "The staff always makes the food extra tasty during special events!"
"Elma, what were you saying before the Sorting?" Blair asked the gluttonous dragon. "About the mirror giving warnings?"
"She said what now?" asked Diana curiously.
"Oh yes," Elma spoke through a full mouth, spraying crumbs everywhere; the girls, far too accustomed to this, moved their plates out of spittle range. Elma swallowed and wiped her mouth, saying, "Yes, I have heard the mirror give several warnings before, always at times when it detects periods of great danger for the school. Last time it gave a warning, it was during the Aradia scare. Well, before we knew the truth, that is. And always, of course, its advice is the same: Stand together, be strong from within."
"How can it l know if the school's in danger if it's a mirror?" asked Stan-Bot while Constanze slurped on some noodles.
"The mirror is capable of more than just selecting what house to sort students in," said Elma vaguely. "Let's just say that there's a reason no one has ever made a successful attack on Luna Nova."
"What about when Evelyn infected everyone a few years ago?" Barbara remarked.
"…There's a reason no one has ever made a successful attack on Luna Nova from the outside," Elma corrected embarrassingly. "Whatever the case, the Headmistress is wise to heed any advice the mirror might give. And considering the current state of affairs, you would be wise to follow it as well."
"That might be easier said than done," said Wendy, taking a sip of her tomato soup. "The Magic Council has done a good job trying to make everyone believe that Akko is a liar and that Jennifer really isn't back – "
"But you believe me, right?" Akko asked hopefully.
"Of course, I do – I know you wouldn't make up something like that," said Wendy earnestly. "Especially after how Nico almost died in the last challenge. But the Council controls the flow of information in the magical community. There are even some in the guild who think Akko is making it up. Not a lot, but still a few."
That didn't make Akko feel any better as she ate her way through the stack of quesadillas, though was grateful to know she had Wendy and several others in her corner.
When all the students had finished eating and the noise level was starting to creep upward again, Professor Holbrooke got to her feet once more. Though she was small in stature, she commanded a presence that snuffed out all the chatter and drew everyone's eyes on her. Akko was feeling pleasantly drowsy now. Her bed was waiting somewhere above, wonderfully warm and soft….
"Well, now that we are all digesting another magnificent feast, I beg for a few moments of your attention for the usual start-of-term notices," said Professor Holbrooke. "First years ought to know that the forest in the grounds is out of bounds to students – and a few of our older students ought to know that by now too. (Akko and Amanda fist bumped.)
"Miss Elma, the caretaker, has asked me, for what she tells me is the four hundred and sixty-second time, to remind you all that magic is not permitted in the corridors between classes, nor are a number of other things, all of which can be checked on the extensive list now fastened to Miss Elma's office door.
"Now, I'm sure many of you have noticed that there has been a great number of changes to our staff this year. For those who must know, Professor Ymir has chosen to take a leave of absence for personal reasons – "
"Probably for whatever mission Professor Ursula wanted to talk to her about last year," Hannah whispered.
"But on a happier note, I am proud to announced that Professor Hex and Professor Cosmos have engaged in holy matrimony over the summer and have mutually decided to settle down somewhere abroad to start a family."
"Way to go, Hex," said Amanda proudly.
"I thought they would never get together," said Wendy.
"With that being said, I am pleased to announced four new teachers to our staff," Professor Holbrooke announced. "First, I am proud to present the famous Witch of the Highlands, Azusa Aizama, who has delightfully agreed to fill in for Professor Hex as our Magical Pharmaceuticals teacher. Next, we have Miss Charlotte Roselei, who previously served in the Magic Knights, will be taking over Herbalism and overseeing the Twilight House. Over there, we have Dr. Lara Croft, who will be upholding Professor Ymir's class until her return. And finally, we are delighted to introduce Professor Light Spinner, our new Self-Defense teacher."
There was a round of enthusiastic applause, particularly when Professor Azusa and Professor Charlotte were mentioned, but there was a hint of nervous tension shared between Akko and her friends when Holbrooke announced Light Spinner would be teaching them self-defense.
Holbrooke continued, "Tryouts for the House Chariot Racing teams will take place on the – "
She broke off, looking inquiringly at Professor Light Spinner. There was a moment when nobody understood why Professor Holbrooke had stopped talking, but then Professor Light Spinner said, "Hem, hem," before rising to her feet and was intending to make a speech.
Professor Holbrooke only looked taken aback for a moment, then she sat back down smartly and looked alertly at Professor Light Spinner as though she desired nothing better than to listen to her talk. Other members of the staff were not as adept at hiding their surprise. Professor Akane's eyebrows disappeared into her flyaway hair, and Professor Finnelan's mouth was as thin as Akko had ever seen it before. No new teacher had ever interrupted Holbrooke before. Many of the students were smirking; this woman obviously did not know how things were done at Luna Nova.
"Thank you, Headmistress," said Light Spinner smoothly, "for those kind words of welcome."
Her voice was low, crisp, but it carried with it an air of authority not unlike Professor Finnelan. But where as Professor Finnelan was strict but fair, this woman seemed…dangerous. The way her narrow eyes traveled across the dining hall made Akko think of a snake lurking in the grass, ready to bury its fangs into its next victim. She gave another little throat clearing cough ("Hem, hem") and continued: "Well it is lovely to be back at Luna Nova, I must say. And to see so many happy faces looking back at me."
Akko glanced around. None of the faces she could see looked happy; on the contrary, they all looked like they had the same sensation of wariness toward the veiled woman as Akko did.
"The Magic Council has always considered the education of young Demi-Humans to be of vital importance. The rare gifts with which you were born with may come to nothing if not nurtured and honed by careful instruction. The ancient skill unique to the magical community must be passed down through the generations lest we lose them forever and become no better than…other kinds." She seemed to glance toward Professor Croft when she said that. Great, Akko though drearily, she's a racist, too. "The treasure trove of magical knowledge amassed by our ancestors must be guarded, replenished, and polished by those who have been called to the noble profession of teaching."
Light Spinner paused here and made a little bow to her fellow staff members, none of whom bowed back. Croix's eyebrows had contracted so that she looked positively hawklike, and Akko distinctly saw her exchange a significant glance with Ursula as Light Spinner went on with her speech.
"Every headmistress of Luna Nova has brought something new to the weighty task of governing this historic school, and that is as it should be, for without progress there will be stagnation and decay. There again, progress for progress's sake must be discouraged, for our tried and tested traditions often require no tinkering. A balance, then, between old and new between permanence and change, between tradition and innovation…."
Akko found her attentiveness ebbing, as though her brain was slipping in and out of tune. The quiet that always filled the hall Holbrooke was speaking was breaking up as the students put their heads together, whispering and giggling. A few tables away, Nico was making some sarcastic remark that caused her friends to snicker. To their left, Garie and Sabi were whispering something to their co-conspirator, Chinatsu. Meanwhile, Makoto Kowata was one of the few still staring at Light Spinner, but she was glassy-eyed and Akko was sure she was only pretending to listen in an attempt to live up to the new prefect's badge gleaming on her chest.
Light Spinner did not seem to notice the restlessness of her audience. Akko had the impression that a full-scale riot could have broken out under her nose and she would have plowed on with her speech. The teachers, however, were still listening very attentively, and Diana seemed to be drinking in every word Light Spinner spoke, though judging by her expression, they were not at all to her taste.
"…because some changes will be for the better, while others will come, in the fullness of time, to be reorganized as errors of judgment. Meanwhile, some old habits will be retained, and rightly so, whereas others, outmoded and outworn, must be abandoned. Let us move forward, then, into a new era of openness, effectiveness, and accountability. Intent on preserving what ought to be preserved, perfecting what needs to be perfected, and pruning wherever we find practices that ought to be prohibited."
She sat down. Holbrooke clapped. The staff followed her lead, though Akko noticed that several of them brought their hands together only once or twice before stopping. A few students joined in, but most had been taken unawares by the end of the speech, not having listened to more than a few words of it, and before they could start applauding properly, Professor Holbrooke had stood up again.
"Thank you very much, Professor Light Spinner, that was most illuminating," she said, bowing to her. "Now – as I was saying, Chariot Racing tryouts will be held…"
"Yes, it certainly was illuminating," said Diana in a low voice.
"You're not telling me you enjoyed it?" Amanda said quietly, turning a glazed face upon Diana. "That was about the dullest speech I've ever heard, and mom works in the Magic Council."
"I said illuminating, not enjoyable," said Diana. "It explained a lot."
"It did?" said Hannah in surprise. "I kinda zoned out almost from the start."
"Let me put it in a way that you numbskulls can understand," said Diana exasperatedly. "The Magic Council is interfering at Luna nova."
"Which we already knew," said Sucy. "You know why they're doing it, right?"
"Because of Akko?" said Diana.
"Because of Akko," Sucy nodded solemnly. "They're trying to take down the Star-Born Child to save their own asses."
There was a great clattering and banging all around them; Professor Holbrooke had obviously dismissed the school, because everyone was standing up ready to leave the dining hall. The Heads of House were calling the first years to lead them to their dormitories, which meant Akko wouldn't have a chance to talk to Ursula. Well, Akko supposed it could wait one more day. She didn't look very sick; maybe she got better, Akko thought optimistically.
"I suppose we should get going," said Diana, rising from her seat. "We'll talk more tomorrow."
"See you in class," said Wendy, also getting to her feet.
A group of new students walked shyly between the tables, all of them trying hard not to lead the group. They seemed very small in Akko's eye; Akko was sure she had appeared that young when she had arrived here. She grinned at them. A girl with three eyes next to Amity Blight looked petrified, nudging Amity, and whispered something into her ear. Amity Blight looked equally frightened and stole a horrified look at Akko, who felt the grin slide off her face.
"Let's head on upstairs," said Blair cooling, turning Akko's head away with her tail.
Akko was glad Blair had said something; Akko might have done something that would only damage her already abysmal reputation further. She, Blair, Lotte, Sucy, Amanda, Constanze, and Jasminka made their way out of the dining hall, doing everything they could to ignore more whispering, staring, and pointing as they passed. Akko kept her eyes fixed ahead as they wove their way through the crowd in the entrance hall, then hurried up the spiraling staircase, took a couple of concealed shortcuts, and had soon left most of the crowds behind.
Akko had been stupid not to expect, she thought angrily, as they walked through much emptier corridors. Of course everyone was staring at her: She had emerged from the Contest two month ago clutching Nico, who was bleeding profusely from the throat, and claimed that an ancient hero to magic kind had returned to erase free will. There had not been time last term to explain herself before everyone went home, even if she had felt up to giving the whole school a detailed account of the terrible events on that hill.
They had reached the end of the corridor to the Polaris common room and had come to a halt in front of the marble-studded wall before she realized something:
"Does anyone know the passcode?" Jasminka hummed cluelessly.
"Lotte, you're a prefect," Blair reminded the bespectacled girl, who jumped skittishly at being called out. "Shouldn't the older prefects have told you the code beforehand."
"O-Oh yeah," Lotte stammered, fumbling to the front. "They showed it to me on a diagram…I think this is it…?"
Each dormitory had its own unique way of getting inside their House dormitory. The Lunar House, Akko learned in their second year, had to located a specific point on 3D portrait of the moon using only a set of coordinates, while Polaris, on the other hand, had to make constellations out of specific marbles on the wall. Luckily, Lotte guessed the code correctly and the wall parted down the middle, moving sideways to reveal a wrought-iron archway, through which they walked.
The Polaris common room looked as welcoming as ever, a cozy circular tower full of dilapidated squashy armchairs and a ceiling enchanted to look like the twinkling night sky. A fire was crackling merrily in the grate and a few people were warming their hands before going up to their rooms; on the other side of the room, Garie and Sabi were pinning something on the noticed board; Sucy immediately moved to intercept, muttering about "avoiding trouble with Ina." Amanda, Constanze, and Jasminka broke off and joined the procession warming up by the fire. That left Akko, Blair, and Lotte alone.
Akko was considering going up to their room just to end the day when she caught a strange sight of her Chariot Racing teammate, Avery Buckland, slumped in her chair laying flat across the table. She looked to be holding a badge between her hands, but Akko knew she wasn't a prefect like Lotte. It was odd seeing Avery, who rarely showed any sort of emotion other than determination, looking so downcast. Against her better judgment, Akko walked over to join her. Lotte followed.
"Hey, Avery," said Akko gently, not wanting to startle her senior.
"Huh?" Avery mumbled, blinking like she was coming out of a daze. She gave Akko a sideways glance and muttered, "Oh, hey, Akko? You have a good summer?"
"It was…eventful," said Akko, taking the seat across from her; Blair hopped down onto the table. "You?"
"Well, it started out great," Avery muttered. She flipped the badge around for Akko to see. She bore the emblem of the Polaris house with the words "CAPTAIN" printed diagonally across the face. "I got this in the mail along with my school stuff. I've been promoted to captain of the Chariot Racing team."
"Avery, that's wonderful!" Lotte cheered.
"Yeah, it totally makes sense," said Akko, grinning proudly at her new captain. "Next to Amelia, you were the best player on the whole team. Professor Ursula had to make you captain."
"Yeah, I was over the moon when I found out," said Avery, though her smile didn't meet her eyes.
"You said it started out great," Blair noted, licking her paw while her beady eyes were locked on Avery. "I imagine things didn't stay great."
Avery did not answer immediately, she was turning the badge in her hand slowly tracing her thumb like she was trying to memorize the shape. Then she said, with a thousand-yard stare, "My parents disowned me."
"WHAT?!" Akko yelled, drawing the attention of nearly everyone in the common room.
"That took an uncomfortable turn," Blair commented.
"But – why?" said Lotte, astonished.
Avery did not answer until she set the badge on the table and rested her chin on her folded arms.
"It's…well…," she said in a measured voice, glancing across to Akko. "It's because of you."
"What do you mean?" asked Akko, confused. She couldn't comprehend how she could be the reason why Avery can no longer go back to her family.
"It…well, my parents didn't want me coming back to Luna Nova," said Avery again, avoiding Akko's eye. "Not just because of you…but because of Holbrooke, too…."
"They believe the news?" said Akko. "They think I'm a crazy liar and Professor Holbrooke is an old fool?"
Avery let out a humorless chuckle and said, "Yeah, something like that."
"And I'm guess you didn't share your parent's opinion," said Blair.
"I'm smart enough to form my own opinions, thank you very much," said Avery. "I told them that I believed Akko; I've known her long enough to know she's not a liar and that she would never make up something as big as the Great Witch Jennifer coming back as a big bad. Honestly, it's too wild not to believe, considering all the crazy shit this school has seen since Akko got here."
"And your parents didn't like that," said Lotte, frown.
"That would be understating it," said Avery. "My father physically threatened me, though the great lump wouldn't dare lay a finger on me; he's a human, unlike my mom and I. They kept screaming at me that I wasn't allowed to come back to Luna Nova, but I reminded them that I'm of age and that I don't have to listen to a damn thing they say. Eventually, it came down to an ultimatum: if I went back to Luna Nova, then I was no longer their daughter and that I would cast out from the family. Guess you know which one I chose…."
"I'm…I'm sorry, Avery," Akko stammered, guilt bubbling in her stomach. This was just like what Lotte and the others were talking about when she first arrived at the Cavendish Manor. Everyone was getting hurt because of her….
"You have nothing to be sorry for, Kagari," said Avery, waving the sentiment away like an annoying fly. "I made my choice and I don't regret it. Besides, what kind of captain would I be if I abandon my team?"
"Where're you going to live now?" asked Lotte worriedly. "You graduate from Luna Nova this year, right?"
"I've got a few mates in Canada that will let me shack up with them until I can get on my feet," said Avery, rising from the chair. "Really, it's nothing for you to worry about. I'll be fine. You girls should get up to bed, especially you, Kagari. You're not getting off easy just because Amelia isn't here to push you anymore. If anything, I'm going to work you twice as hard."
And then Avery climbed the stairs to her shared room before Akko had a chance to say anything.
Akko, Lotte, and Blair went up to their room minutes later, not feeling up to chatting with anymore people. Sucy was already in bed when they arrived, giving her best impression of a corpse. Akko set her wand on the bedside table, the Shiny Rod propped against the wall, a changed into her sleep clothes. She was sick of it, Akko thought viciously. She was sick of being the person who was stared at and talked about all the time. But even worse, she was sick of being the person for causing everyone around her to suffer.
She got into bed, all but slamming her face into the pillow. She felt Blair curl up next to her, which for many years had been a source of comfort for Akko, but not tonight.
She felt shaken by Avery's story, whom Akko always looked up to as an amazing witch and broom rider. How many more people were going to suggest that she was lying or unhinged? How many of her friends were going to be hurt simply by association. Akko lay miserably on her side, staring out the moonlit window as Lotte got into bed and exstinguished the last candle in the room. But she wondered how many more lives would be destroyed before everyone realized that Akko was telling the truth.
Maybe you should have been kicked out, a sneering voice in the back of her head told her. Then you wouldn't hurt anyone else.
Next chapter: Light Spinner