Akko barely caught a glimpse of Avery's muted expression as departed from the common room before Akko made it downstairs.
"I wish there was something I could do for her," Akko said remorsefully as the hem of Avery's clothes whipped out of sight. "It's my fault – "
"You didn't do anything, Akko-Nyan," Blair said defiantly, clinging to Akko's shoulder. "You didn't make her parents do anything. It's their fault, not yours."
"She's right, you know," said Amanda, adjusting her shoulder bag. "Her parents are the assholes here. But they'll be sorry when they find out you were right."
But that didn't console Akko much. Even if they say otherwise, Akko told herself that she was at the center of everyone's problems.
Five minutes later, Akko and her friends were walking down the halls toward the stairs headed for breakfast when Diana, Hannah, and Barbara came striding from the opposite direction.
"Hey, Diana, good mor – " Akko started, but when Diana cut her off.
"Have you seen this?!" She suddenly snapped, nearly making Akko trip backward. "I found this on the Lunar common room bulletin board this morning?!"
She thrust a purple sheet of paper under Akko's nose, which was written in crude letters and the margins were covered in familiar cartoon figures.
MAGICAL MISCHIEF MAKERS (MMM) INC.
Not enough cash to keep up with your everyday life?
Like to earn a little extra money?
000==========000==========000
Contact Garie/Sabi Manbavaran or Chinatsu Kuramoto,
Polaris and Twilight common rooms,
For simple, part-time, virtually painless jobs!
(MMM Inc. is not responsible for any injuries, diseases, loss of limbs, or
death of any applicants. All work is to be undertaken at your own risk.)
"Wow, those girls work fast," said Jasminka, impressed.
"Don't praise them!" yelled Diana. "Besides the fact that they are clearly conducting unsafe experiments of school grounds, they also snuck into the Lunar dorms without permission. We'll have to talk to them, Lotte."
Lotte looked positively alarmed.
"We will?"
"We're prefects now," said Diana firmly as they walked down the spiral staircase. "It's up to us to stop this kind of thing."
"It's funny how you think you can stop them," Sucy cackled tauntingly. "But by all means, stop them. I eagerly await to see the results."
"Anyway, what's up with you, Akko?" said Hannah, opting to change the subject before Diana could respond. "You look more depressed than normal. And you've been depressed pretty much all summer."
"Avery, one of her upperclassmen, got disowned by her parents because she stood up for Akko," Stan-Bot supplied, when Akko did not respond.
Barbara sighed heavily and said, "At least she believes you. Our dormmate, Gaëlle, thinks you're lying about Jennifer and called you an attention-seeker."
"And what did you say?" asked Amanda, her brow furrowed in anger.
"We didn't get a chance to say anything," Hannah replied. "Takamachi had already punched her in the face before we had the chance. Needless to say some literal lines have been drawn."
"Ugh, I hope things didn't get too out of hand," Lotte grimaced.
"I hope they did," Amanda scoffed. "How could they think Akko was lying?"
"Do you remember what Professor Holbrooke said at the end-of-term feast last year?" said Diana. Everyone looked at her blankly, and Diana sighed. "About Jennifer. She said, 'Jennifer's greatest strength is her understanding of people, of how they think and feel in times most dark. She will use that to her advantage. We can fight it only by showing a strong bond of friendship and trust – '"
"How do you remember stuff like that?" Sucy groaned in annoyance.
"I listen, Manbavaran," said Diana with a touch of asperity.
"We do to, but even I couldn't remember someone that far back – " said Stan-Bot.
"The point," Diana pressed on loudly, "is that this sort of thing is exactly what Holbrooke was talking about. Jennifer's only been back for two months, and we've started fighting among ourselves. And the Magic Mirror's warning was the same – stand together, be united – "
"Hard to do that when half the school buys whatever crap the council puts out," Amanda spat.
"And the other half is on our side," said Diana coolly. "We just have to convince the other half to see our side of things."
They reached the foot of the spiral staircase. A line of fourth-year Eclipse students were crossing the entrance hall; they caught sight of Akko and hurried to form a tighter group, as though frightened she might attack stragglers.
"Well, I wish you kids the best of luck," said Blair, leaping off Akko's shoulder.
"Where're you going?" asked Barbara curiously.
"I have to meet an old friend in Blytonbury," said Blair as she sauntered to the doors. "I'll be back later tonight."
Akko frowned, suspecting that Blair was keeping secrets from her again, but didn't say anything. Their group shambled into the dining hall. Akko instinctively searched for Ursula. She was chatting animatedly with the new history teacher, Professor Croft. She looked pale in comparison to two months ago, appeared healthy enough to go about her day as normal. At least was some good news, she thought….
"I wonder when Professor Ymir will be back," said Jasminka suddenly, snapping Akko out of her daze. She looked anxious, which noticeable by the lack of eating. "They never mentioned how long she would be gone."
"Oh yeah, you two are close, aren't you?" said Hannah. "You know, with your um…."
"Maybe," Stan-Bot piped up before Hannah could put her foot in her mouth, "they didn't want to draw attention to Professor Ymir not being here."
"What does that mean?" asked Lotte, quirking a curious brow.
Before Stan-Bot could respond, a pair of Indian twins marched up to either side of Akko.
"Hey, Rashmia. Hey Rajani," Akko greeted them.
"Hello, Akko," Rashmi (?) said briskly. "You heard about Avery?"
"You mean that she's captain?" said Akko. "Or about her parents?"
"The first one; Avery doesn't want to talk about the other thing," said Rajani (?)
"We're looking for a fifth player for the team now that Amelia's left," Rashmi (?) continued.
"Tryouts are on Friday at five and she wants the whole team there," Rajani (?) finished.
"I'll be there," said Akko. They smiled at her and departed.
"I forgot that your sister had left, O'Neill," said Diana vaguely, pulling a plate of scones toward her. "I suppose that will make quite a difference to your team?"
"I guess," said Akko, taking a huge bite of waffled. "She was good…."
"Why don't you try out, Amanda?" asked Lotte. "You're the best flier in the school."
"Nah, I don't fly competitively," Amanda waved the idea off.
With a whoosh and a clatter, dozens of students on broomsticks came soaring in through the open doors. They descended all over the dining hall, dropping letters and packages to their recipients and showering the breakfasters with droplets of water; it was clearly raining hard outside. Nothing came for Akko, but she was hardly surprised; her parents and friends back in Japan rarely wrote to her unless it was an emergency, and Akko doubted Izetta would have anything new to tell her after only twenty-four hours apart. Diana, however, had to move her tea aside quickly to make room for the sodden roll of newspaper that slapped on the table.
"What are you still getting that for?" said Akko irritably. "Those jerks in the paper have been badmouthing me all summer. At least be more considerate of your girlfriend's feelings…."
"I am," said Diana, unfurling the newspaper. "It's best to know what the enemy is saying in order to protect ourselves. Now, shush!" She disappeared behind it not emerging until they had finished eat.
"Nothing," she said simply, rolling up the newspaper and laying it down by her plate. "Nothing about you or Professor Holbrooke or anything."
The Heads of Houses were now weaving between the tables handing out schedules.
"Sweet! I get to work with most of the new teachers today!" said Akko brightly when Ursula handed her schedule. "Seventh-Year Advance History of Magic with Professor Croft. Double Pharmaceuticals with Professor Aizawa. Urara Lessons with Professor Ursula – "
"Urara – what the hell kind of language is that?" questioned Sucy strangely.
"Its an advance course in Foretelling." Wendy suddenly appeared over Akko's shoulder, startling her. "It's usually reserved for sixth and seventh years, but looks like Akko did a good job impressing the teacher. I'm in that course, too, you know."
"Oh, good, I was worried I was gonna be by myself since Jasminka's taking the normal course," said Akko, relieved.
"Bumped up to two advance courses," said Diana admirably. "Your talent for the literary subjects really shines through. I'm so proud of you."
"Ooh, don't celebrate just yet," said Wendy grimacing as she pointed to the last class of the day. "We all got self-defense classes with that Light Spinner woman."
"Crap I can't believe we got her on the first day," Hannah complained. "This year is already starting out in the toilet."
"Oh, it's only gonna get worse from here." Akko really did jump out of her seat this time when Nico seemingly popped out of thin air beside her. "We're starting our fifth year, remember? By the end, you'll be begging to be put out of your misery."
"And why would starting fifth year mean I want to be put out of my misery?" asked Diana.
"Fifth year is STAR year," said Nico.
"So?"
"So we've got exams coming up. They'll be keeping our noses so hard to the grindstone, they'll be rubbed off," said Nico with dread.
"Half the fifth years students from last year had mental breakdowns during the exams," said Wendy, grimacing. "Tears and tantrums…screaming and hysteria…it got so bad that Porlyusica called in all the healing students to help out. I had a patient that was submitted to Arkham Asylum because the exams drove her mad. Poor Harley…."
"Anyway, it's gonna be a nightmare this year," said Nico.
"Is fifth year really that bad?" Akko asked Lotte. "Because of the exams?"
"Oh, yes," said Lotte. "They're the most important exams in Luna Nova. STARs can affect the kind of jobs you can apply for when you graduate. And we have career advice with our Head of House later in the year. They help you decide with Marks of Mastery you want to do next year based on what you want to do."
"Does everyone know what they want to do when they graduate?" asked Akko as they left the dining hall and said their good byes to Wendy and Nico.
"You already know I want to be an author," said Lotte, smiling sheepishly. "In fact, Professor Crème said I could apply for an apprenticeship next year, provided I earn enough STARs."
"I headed to Paris next year to join to do ballet," said Amanda. "One day, you'll see me performing onstage at the Palais Garnier."
"I'll just end up going into the family business," said Sucy, shrugging nonchalantly.
"Me too," Jasminka added.
"I'm aspiring to be a doctor, so I'll probably end up working at the Alchemilla Hospital at first," said Diana.
"Constanze and I are planning to go into business together," said Barbara, fist bumping her diminutive counterpart; they struck up an odd friendship, Akko thought. "We wanna take techno-magic to the next level, but we don't want the council telling us how to run things."
"What about you, Hannah?" Akko asked. "What do you want to do?"
"I um…," Hannah mumbled, suddenly turning red-faced. "I…want to be a wife and mother."
"…That is surprisingly innocent," Amanda remarked.
"So precious!" Akko cooed teasingly.
"Shut up!"
Everyone went their separate ways on the staircase. Akko and Diana once again ended up in the same advance History of Magic. While most students complained that it was the most boring subject, Akko, who grew up in a non-magical household, soaked up everything with keen interest. It was even better now that their new teacher was the famed Tomb Raider, Professor Lara Croft, whose discoveries revolutionized history on many occasions. Akko and Diana quickly grabbed front row seats (which wasn't hard because nobody wanted to sit next to the teacher.) Professor Croft came striding in at the last bell, tossing her satchel on the desk, and faced the class.
"Welcome to History of Magic," Professor Croft greeted, her accent surprisingly thicker than Diana's, another British elite. "I'm sure you all have plenty of questions for the famous Tomb Raider – which is a horribly offensive name in my line of work – but we're not here about that, are we?" She held up their history book in emphasis. "We're here to learn. This month, we will be going into the Titan Wars; the bloody battle between humanity and the Titans in the early seventeen century; not to be confused with the Mad Titan Thanos – "
For an hour and half, Professor Croft covered the events the led to the Titan War. Within ten minutes, the interest that Professor Croft once held over her students waned and most had either fallen asleep or were covertly playing on their phones. Professor Croft didn't stop her lesson, though; she made marks on a clipboard that would likely affect their final grade in this class.
"How could it be," Diana said to Akko as they left the classroom for break, "that we, the underclassmen, were the only ones who were awake that whole time."
"Doesn't make sense, does it?" Akko remarked. "I mean, if they hated History of Magic so much, why would they sign up for classes. Sixth and seventh years choose their courses, right?"
"They were probably hoping Professor Croft would tell them exciting tales of her adventures," Diana scoffed, rolling her eyes as she led the way out into the damp courtyard.
A fine misty drizzle as falling, so that the people standing in huddles around the edges of the yard looked blurred. Akko and Diana chose a secluded corner under a heavily dripping balcony, pulling up their hoods against the chilly September air and talked about what to expect in their first pharmaceutical lesson now that Hex was no longer around to torment them. They had just agreed that it was likely to be a practical lesson, to see if they had kept with their studies after a two-month holiday, when someone walked around the corner toward them.
"Akko, Diana, good morning."
It was Makoto Kowata, fifth year Twilight student and Professor Akane's younger sister. Judging by how harassed she looked, Akko assumed she had just come from Charms class. Professor Akane always enjoyed teasing her baby sister in front of her students no matter how older she got.
"Hello, Kowata," Diana greeted formally while Makoto wrung her clothes. "Rough morning?"
"Onee-chan spent the first twenty minutes of class telling everyone how I got stuck in a tree during my first broom ride and the fire department had to get me down," Makoto sighed exasperatedly.
"Family can really suck at times, huh?" Diana commented.
"Mou, I wished one-chan would stop treating me like a baby!" Makoto whined. "I'm fifteen – about to turn sixteen in a couple months. I'm the best charm-maker in our class, darn it!"
"And you were a champion, too, right?" Akko popped in.
"Champion?" Makoto parroted with confusion.
"From the contest last year," said Diana.
Makoto seemed to take a few seconds to understand what they were talking about, then she said, "Oooh, oh yeah. I was a champion, wasn't I?"
"You forgot?" said Akko, staring at her strangely.
"It's not that I forgot," said Makoto, scratching her cheek sheepishly. "I just don't think I did anything that would have made it memorable."
"I would think getting chosen as a champion would be memorable enough," said Diana. "It was a big deal for everyone."
"I…guess it didn't matter that much to me," said Makoto, chuckling awkwardly.
"But what about the photo – "
Diana words were cut off when the first bell for the next classes rang out and everyone started herding back inside.
"We should be heading to classes now," said Makoto. "I have pharmaceuticals with Professor Azusa next."
"Same with us," said Akko. "We'll walk with you."
They talked more on the subject of last year's contest as they walked together down to the school basement level. Akko found it strange how they were all able to recount the events of the other champions with great clarity, but when it came to Makoto's participation, there was a lot of hesitation and temporary confusion. It was almost as if those specific moments were purposely blurred. Come to think of it, Akko told herself, it felt very similar to someone else….
Akko did not dwell on the thought for much longer as they joined their friends queuing in front of the door to Pharmaceuticals. Amanda immediately started complaining about her new classes and Sucy was lurking near the door trying to catch a whiff of potion fumes; so business as usual. They only had to wait before Professor Azusa opened the doors for them and Akko followed Lotte and Sucy to their usual table on the right-hand side next to Diana's group.
"Settle down, class!" Professor Azusa called over the ruckus the students were making, shutting the door behind them. If it had been Hex, everyone would've been frightened into silence. But Professor Azusa generated a friendly aura that made people listen out of respect.
"Before we begin today's lesson," said Professor Azusa, sweeping over to her desk and staring around at them all. "I feel I should remind all of you that next June, you will be taking a very important examination, during which you will prove how much you have learned about the composition and use of magical chemistry. I sympathize with most of you – I remember taking my STARs back when I was a student three hundred years – "
The students looked at each other wildly. Did she say "three hundred years?"
"Anyway," Professor Azusa coughed embarrassingly. "After this year, I imagine most of you will drop this course. Typically, only students interested the medical profession continue their Mark of Mastery classes. But we have another year to go before you have to decide what you want to do. So whether your interested in advancing to your Mark of Mastery courses or not, I advise all of you to concentrate your efforts on maintaining the high-pass level I would expect from STAR students. Today, I want to go over a review of what you have learned from your old professor…."
Just as Akko and Diana had predicted, Professor Azusa set them out of mixing multiple potions that they would have learned last year before the summer break. For geniuses like Diana and Sucy, this was nothing short of a cakewalk. But the rest of the students weren't so skilled. Most of them forgot to add one or two ingredients and ended up with something completely different (Jasminka's potion came alive and slithered out of the room through the drainage pipe), or completely missed a couple steps and ended up blowing up in their faces. Even with Professor Hex gone, they could still imagine him breathing down their necks with scathing commentary. This must be what PTSD is like, Akko thought dryly.
It was fortunate that Professor Azusa was so patient. She swept around the classroom much in a similar manner tox Professor Hex, but instead of criticizing them, she gently told them what they did wrong and how to correct their mistakes until everyone had made a successful potion. By the time the bell rang, most of the students were crying tears of happiness, so unaccustomed to such kindness in pharmaceuticals class.
"Do you think she would adopt me if I asked?" said Amanda.
"I heard she already has two kids – I doubt she needs a bad influence like you corrupting them," Barbara retorted.
"What're you talking about; I'm a great influence!" Amanda proclaimed.
"You stole an illegal broom during our first flight class and nearly got yourself and Akko killed," said Barbara, counting off with her fingers, "started no less than thirty-six food fights in our third year – a record, by the way – not to mention all the times you've been sneaking into the kitchen and leaving school grounds in the middle of the night."
"See, those kids could learn a lot from me," said Amanda proudly.
"I pity the person who ever has children with you," Sucy commented.
Hannah sneezed loudly right there.
After a quick lunch, Akko climbed the spiraling staircase alone to the north tower headed for her new Urara class. Despite going to classes there before, Akko still found herself getting turned around. She had never committed the route to memory; last year she had just trailed behind Jasminka, and Diana the year before that. Her laziness was coming back to bite her – again. She had only just made it in time for the trapdoor to open and the ladder to descend, allowing the students to climb up to the classroom.
Akko had a love-hate relationship with foretelling classes. The class was taught by her favorite teacher in the whole world, Ursula Callistis, and she was actually good at the subject – good enough to be bumped up to the advance class. But every year, there always seemed to be some kind of prediction or prophecy that turned Akko's year into crap. Almost like a jinx.
Ursula was busy putting copies of battered, leather-bound books on each spindly little table that her room was littered with, but the room was so dim with its curtains pulled shut and starry constellations marking the ceiling, it was next to impossible to see where anyone was going. Most had to feel their way around the tables and plopped themselves into the fast, squashy beanbag chairs. Akko knocked her shin against two tables before joining Wendy Marvell at the front of the class, slumping across the table exhausted.
"Nice of you to join us," said Wendy teasingly.
"I got lost somewhere on the fifth floor," Akko groaned.
"Shouldn't you have the route memorized by now?" asked Wendy. "We've been taking classes for three years."
"It's not my fault this school has a terrible floor plan," said Akko, grimacing. "They should really get one of those 'You are here' signs, or at least put it up on Noodle Maps."
"Or you could memorize it like a normal student," said Wendy, sweatdropping.
"Good day, everyone," said Ursula while accidentally bumping her knees into a table, crouching with a childish whimper. Akko felt somewhat relieved; at least her disease didn't affect Ursula's clumsy personality. She took a moment to compose herself and pretend nothing happened. "Ahem – as I was saying, welcome to Urara, a specialized course in Foretelling for advanced students.
"You will find on the tables before you copies of Channeling the Divine. This year, we will be going over a number of different divination methods – from pendulums and doll divination, to spirit channeling and dream interpretation – until we find one that is right for you and hone it. Your will be tested on your STARS and Marks of Mastery by how well you can perform your particular crafts. I must warn you, there will be professional Seers hosting this portion of the exams, so don't think you can just make up stories and get away with it."
She seemed to be eyeing a few individuals in the back row that were trying to make themselves as small as possible. Guess they took this class because they thought it would be easy, Akko thought.
"Please open your books to the introduction and read the general premise of Urara as well and the important rules that are involved. Believe me, you do not want to break these rules – under any circumstance. We will move on to our first practical lesson next class: shooting star divination. So be sure to read the next chapter before class starts. Carry on."
The introduction was practically a novel itself. It went over nearly a hundred rules – don't divine the unseen gods, don't divine into people's personal lives, don't divine the power ball number. When it reached the part on the consequences of these actions, the words were strangely blurred, which did not sit well with Akko. By the time she had finished reading, the bell had already rung for the end of class. Most of their classmates slumped in relief, until Professor Ursula assigned them a three-page essay on the pro and cons of Urara as well as the mortal legality of predicting the future.
"Do you realize how much homework I've got already?" Akko complained to Wendy as they walked down the ladder. "Professor Croft set us with a four-page essay on the Titan Wars. Professor Azusa wants three pages on the use of moonstones, and now Professor Ursula wants an essay, too! Nico want' kidding about STAR year, was she?"
"It's only gonna get worse," said Wendy, grimacing. "You've still got class with that Light Spinner woman. Thank the nine I don't have her until Thursday."
When Akko entered the Self- Defense classroom, she found Professor Light Spinner already seated at the teacher's desk, hands folded patiently. Akko could feel Light Spinner's eyes on her as she seated herself between Lotte and Sucy in the middle row, making the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. She felt like a large fly in the maw of a Venus flytrap.
The class was quiet as it entered the room; Light Spinner was, as yet, an unknown quantity and nobody knew yet how strict a disciplinarian she was likely to be.
"Well, good afternoon," she said when the whole class sat down.
A few people mumbled "Good afternoon," in reply.
"Tut, tut," said Light Spinner. "That won't do now, will it? I would like you, please, to reply 'Good afternoon, Professor Light Spinner.' One more time, then. Good afternoon, class."
"Good afternoon, Professor Light Spinner," they chanted back at her.
"There, now," said Light Spinner self-pleasingly. "That wasn't too difficult, was it? Wands away and notebooks out."
Many of the class exchanged gloomy looks; the order "wands away" had never yet been followed by a lesson they had found interesting. Akko shoved her wand back into her pocket and pulled out her pen and notebook. Light Spinner rose from her desk, gliding across the classroom to the blackboard, and snapped her fingers intimidatingly; words appeared on the board at once:
Magical Self-Defense
A Return to Basic Principles
"Well now, you teaching in this subject has been rather disrupted and fragmented, hasn't it?" stated Light Spinner, turning to face the class with her hands clasped neatly in front of her. "It is to my understanding that most of you have only had two years' worth of lessons spaced far apart from one another instead of being done regularly like they are supposed to be. The teachers in question, who do not seem to have followed any Council-approved curriculum, haver unfortunately resulted your being far below the standard we would expect to see in your STAR year.
"You will be pleased to know, however, that these problems are now to be rectified. We will be following a carefully structured, theory-centered, Council-approved course of defensive magic this year. Copy down the following."
She snapped her fingers again; the first message on the board vanished and was replaced by:
Course aims:
1. Understanding the principles underlying defensive magic.
2. Learning to recognize situations in which defensive magic can legally be used.
3. Placing the use of defensive magic in a context for practical use.
For a couple of minutes, the room was full of the sound of scratching pens on paper. When everyone had copied down Light Spinner's three course aims, she said, "Has everybody got a copy of Defensive Magical Theory by William Borrin?"
There was a dull murmur of assent throughout the class.
"I think we'll try that again," said Light Spinner. "When I ask you a question, you will respond 'Yes, Professor Light Spinner,' or 'No, Professor Light Spinner.' So, has everyone got a copy of Defensive Magical Theory by William Borrin?"
"Yes, Professor Light Spinner," rang through the room.
"Good," said Light Spinner. "You will turn to page five a read chapter one, 'Basics for Beginners.' There will be no need for talking."
Light Spinner left the blackboard and settled herself in the chair behind the teacher's desk, observing them all closely with those hollowed narrow eye. Akko turned to page five of her copy of Defensive Magical Theory and started to read.
It was desperately dull, even worse than listening to her father talk about work over dinner. She felt her concentration slipping away from her; she had read the same line half a dozen times without taking in more than the first few words. Several silent minutes passed. Next to her, Lotte was absentmindedly turning her pen over and over in her fingers, staring at the same spot on her page. Sucy made no effort to conceal herself as she blatantly fell asleep with her face in the book. Akko looked forward and received a surprise to shake her out of her drowsiness. Diana had not even opened her copy of Defensive Magical Theory. She was staring fixedly at Light Spinner with her hand in the air.
Akko could not remember Diana ever neglecting to read when instructed to, or indeed resisting the temptation to open any book that came under her nose. She looked at her questionably, but Diana stared firmly ahead at Light Spinner, who was looking just as resolutely in another direction.
After several more minutes had passed, however, Akko was not the only one watching Diana. The chapter they had been instructed to read was so tedious that more and more people were choosing to watch Diana's mute attempt to catch Light Spinner's eye than to struggle with "Basics for Beginners."
When more than half the class was staring at Diana rather than their books, Light Spinner seemed to decide that she could ignore the situation no longer.
"Did you want to ask something about the chapter, Miss Cavendish?" she asked Diana, as though she had only just noticed her.
"Not about the chapter, no," said Diana.
"Well, we're reading just now," said Light Spinner. "If you have any other queries, we can deal with them at the end of class."
"I have a question about your course aims," said Diana.
Light Spinner raised her eyebrows.
"Well, Miss Cavendish, I think the course arms are perfectly clear if you read them through carefully," said Light Spinner in a voice of rigid firmness.
"Well, I don't," said Diana bluntly. "There's nothing written up there about using defensive spells."
There was a short silence in which many members of the class turned their heads to frown at the three course aims still written on the blackboard.
"Using defensive spells?" Light Spinner repeated with a little laugh. "Why, I can't imagine any situation arising in my classroom that would require you to use a defensive spell, Miss Cavendish. You surely aren't expecting to be attacked during class?"
"We're not going to use magic?" Amanda cried.
"Students raise their hands when they want to speak in my class, Miss - ?"
"O'Neill," said Amanda, thrusting her hand into the air. "You know, your superior's daughter?"
Light Spinner narrowed her eyes, but didn't comment as she turned her back on Amanda. Diana and, surprisingly, Lotte immediately raised their hands too. Light Spinner's eyes lingered on Diana for a moment before she addressed Lotte."
"Can I help you with something Miss - ?"
"Jannson," said Lotte. "Shouldn't the whole point of a self-defense class be to practice protective magic?"
"Are you a Council-trained educational expert, Miss. Jannson," asked Light Spinner.
"No, but – "
"Well then, I'm afraid you are not qualified to decide what the 'whole point' of any class is. Men and women much older and wiser than you have devised our new program of study. You will be learning about defensive spells in a secure, risk-free way – "
"What's the point of that?" said Amanda loudly. "If we're going to be attacked, it won't be in a – "
"Hand, Miss. O'Neill!" shouted Light Spinner.
Amanda thrust her fist in the air. Light Spinner promptly turned away from her again, but now several people had their hands up too.
"And your name is?" Light Spinner said to Nanoha.
"Takamachi Nanoha."
"Well, Miss Takamachi?"
"It's like Akko-chan said," said Nanoha. "If we're going to be attacked, it won't be risk-free – "
"I repeat," said Light Spinner in a very irritating fashion to Nanoha, "do you expect to be attacked during my class?"
"No, but – "
Light Spinner talked over her.
"I do not wish to criticize the way things have been run in this school," she said, "but you have been exposed to some very irresponsible teachers, very irresponsible indeed. Condemned criminals, children younger than the students, humans who are clearly unqualified to teach magical subjects – not to mention, "she gave a nasty little laugh, "extremely dangerous monsters posing as people."
"If you mean Professor Ymir," Jasminka piped up angrily, "she's a better person than – "
"Raise your hand before speaking! As I was saying – you have been introduced to magic that have been complex, inappropriate to your age group, and potentially lethal. You have been frightened into believing that you are likely to meet attack every other day – "
"No, we haven't," said Diana, "we just – "
"Your hand is not up, Miss Cavendish!"
Diana put her hand up; Light Spinner turned away from her.
"It is my understanding that my predecessor not only performed illegal curses in front of you, he actually performed them on you – "
"We still learned more from him than we expect to from you – " said Nanoha hotly.
"Your hand is not up, Miss Takamachi!" trilled Light Spinner. "Now, it is the view of the council that a theoretical knowledge will be more sufficient to get you through your examination, which, after all, is what school is all about. And your name is?" she added, staring at Gaëlle, whose hand had just shot up.
"Gaëlle Müller, and isn't there a practical portion of the exam? Are we not supposed to show that we can perform countercurses and the like?"
"As long as you have studied the theory hard enough, there is no reason why you should not be able to perform the spell under carefully controlled examination conditions," said Light Spinner dismissively.
"Without practicing beforehand?" said Gaëlle incredulously. "Are you telling us that the first time we will be able to perform spells will be during our exams?"
"I repeat, as long as you have studied the theory hard enough – "
"And what good is theory going to do us in the real world?" said Amanda loudly, his fist in the air again.
Light Spinner looked up.
"This is school, Miss O'Neill, not the real world," she said softly.
"So we're not supposed to be prepared for what's waiting out there?"
"There is nothing waiting out there, Miss O'Neill."
"Are you serious?" said Amanda scathingly. Her temper was reaching a boiling point, and Akko couldn't blame her. Akko had stayed silent the whole time, forced to listen to this ignorant woman with her fists balled up in her lap, shaking irately.
"What do you imagine wants to attack children like yourselves?" inquired Light Spinner.
"How about Amon?" Akko snapped, finally having enough. "What about Ruvik? Acnologia? The Purifiers? Evelyn? You know what they all have in common? They work for Jennifer, you stupid witch!"
The entire classroom turned in unison on Akko. Some like Amanda looked impressed; Dana face-palmed and groaned; Lotte gulped nervously and tried to hide under her desk. Light Spinner, however, did not flinch. She was staring at Akko with a grimly satisfied expression.
"Ten points from Polaris, Miss Kagari."
The classroom was silent and still. Everyone was staring either at Light Spinner or Akko.
"Now, let me make a few things clear."
Light Spinner stood up and leaned toward them, her bone-thin fingers splayed on her desk.
"You have been told that a historical hero has returned from the dead – "
"She wasn't dead," said Akko angrily. "She traveled through time!"
"Miss. Kagari, you have already lost your House ten points," Light Spinner hissed coldly. "Do not make matters worse for yourself. As I was saying, you have been informed that our kind's greatest hero has returned. And as a villain, no less. This is a lie."
"It's NOT a lie!" said Akko. "I saw her, I fought her!"
Akko felt a hand settle on her shoulder and suddenly her whole body felt numb. Before anyone had realized it, Light Spinner had crossed the room and was looming over Akko like a lion preparing to feast on a wounded antelope.
"I believe" Light Spinner spoke in a low, hauntingly-cold tone, "that an example must be made. You will join me in my office tomorrow evening at five o'clock for detention. I repeat, this is a lie. The Magic Council guarantees that you are not in danger from anyone. If you are still worried, by all means, come and see me outside of class hours. If someone is alarming you with tall tales about reborn witches, I would to hear about it I am here to help. I am your friend. And now, you will kindly continue your reading. Page five, 'Basics for Beginners.'"
Light Spinner removed her hands and Akko slumped across her desk, finally regaining movement. Light Spinner swept back to her desk, but Akko, however, stood up. Everyone stared at her half-scared, half-amazed.
"Akko, no!" Lotte whispered in a warning voice, tugging at her sleeve, but Akko jerked her hand out of her reach.
"So, according to you, Nico cut her throat open and died for several minutes on her own?" asked Akko, her voice shaking.
There was a collective intake of breath from the class; no one had talked about the incident where Nico had temporarily died since that day, not wanting to dredge up traumatic memories. They stared avidly from Akko to Light Spinner, who as staring at her without a trace sympathy.
"Miss Minoru's brush was a tragic accident thankfully avoided," she said coldly.
"It was attempted murder," said Akko. She could feel herself shaking. She had hardly talked to anyone about what happened that night. Even Lotte and Diana only know bits and piece because Akko couldn't bring herself to relive everything again and again. "Jennifer attacked us, and we almost died. Not that the council would care. Too afraid of losing face."
Light Spinner's face was blank. For a moment, Akko thought she was going to scream at her. Then she said, in her softest, most chilling voice yet, "Come here, Miss Kagari."
Akko kicked her chair aside, strode around Lotta and the still snoozing Sucy and up to the teacher's desk. She could feel the rest of the class holding its collective breath. She felt so angry she did not care what happened next.
Light Spinner pulled a slip of paper out of her desk and started scribbling, hunched over so that Akko could not see what she was writing. Nobody spoke. After a minute or so, she folded the paper and held out the note to Akko.
"Take this to Professor Callistis," said Light Spinner.
Akko took it from her without saying a word, turned on her heels, and left the room, not even looking back at Lotte or Diana, and slammed the classroom door shut behind her. She walked very vast along the corridor, the note for Ursula clutched tightly in her hand, and climbed the stairs to the observation tower where Ursula resided. Once reaching the top, she banged the door with her fist as if she were trying to break it off its hinges. In a few moments, Ursula threw the door open, dressed in her dowdy track suit looking harassed.
"What happened? What's going on? Who caught on fire this time?" Ursula shouted wildly until she noticed Akko. "Oh, it's you, Akko. Why aren't you in class?"
"I've been sent to see you?" said Akko stiffly.
"Sent? What do you mean, sent?"
Akko held out the note from Light Spinner. Ursula took it from her, frowning, unfolded the slip, and began to read. Her eyes zoomed from side to side behind their round spectacles as she read what Light Spinner had written, and with each line they became narrower.
"Inside, Akko. Now."
There was an unfamiliar tone of harshness in her voice. Akko followed her into her room. The door closed automatically behind them.
"Well?" said Ursula, rounding on her. "Is this true?"
"Is what true?" Akko asked, more aggressively than she had intended. "Professor?" she added in an attempt to sound more polite.
"Is it true that you shouted at Professor Light Spinner?"
"Yes," said Akko.
"You called her a liar?"
"Not directly, but yes."
"You told her Jennifer is back?"
"Yes."
Ursula sat down on one side of the table, watching Akko closely. Then she said, "Have some cookies, Akko."
"Have – what?"
"Have some cookies," she repeated impatiently, indicating to a tartan bin of cookies on the right-hand side of the table. "And sit down."
Akko sank into the chair opposite of her and helped herself to a hazelnut madeleine, feeling confused and wrongfooted for the occasion.
Ursula set down Light Spinner's note and looked very seriously at Akko.
"Akko, you need to be careful."
Akko swallowed her mouthful of madeleine and stared at her. Ursula's tone was low and anxious, but not in the normal sense where she was afraid of making a fool of herself. This was much more serious, more fearful.
"Misbehavior in Light Spinner's class could cost you more than House points and a detention.
"What do you - ?"
"Use your common sense, Akko!" snapped Ursula. "You know where she comes from, you must know who she is reporting to! You have to be – "
Her tirade was broken by an erratic fit of coughing. Ursula doubled over, covering her mouth looking like she was in a great deal of pain.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, Professor! I didn't mean – "
But Ursula raised a hand to quiet her as the coughing fits stopped. She took a moment to collect herself, wiping her mouth on her sleeve. It as difficult to tell over the redness of her track suit, but Akko feared there might be blood splatters on it.
"…It says that she has given you detention every evening this week starting tomorrow," Ursula said in a raspy voice, looking down at Light Spinner's note again.
"Every evening this week?" Akko repeated, horrified. "But, Professor, can't you –"
"No, I can't," said Ursula flatly.
"But – "
"She is your teacher and has every right to give you detention. You will go to her room at five o'clock tomorrow for the first one. Just remember: Tread carefully around Light Spinner."
"But I was telling the truth!" Akko cried. "Jennifer's back, you know she is – "
"For the nine's sake, Akko!" said Ursula angrily. She clutched her chest with a momentary grimaced, and exhaled a deep breath. Akko immediately felt her stomach churn with guilt. "Do you really think this is about truth or lies? It's about keeping your head down and your temper under control. Light Spinner is on the council, which means she knows who you are. And you can be sure that she'll look for any reason – any reason at all – to remove the Star-Born Child out from under the Magic Council's foot."
Ursula stood up, using the back of the chair to support herself, and Akko stood too.
"Have another cookie," said Ursula, thrusting the tin at her.
"No, thanks," Akko mumbled.
"I insist," said Ursula forcefully.
"Thanks," said Akko grudgingly.
"Did you listen to Light Spinner's speech at the start-of-term feast, Akko?"
"Yeah," said Akko. "Yeah…she said…progress will be prohibited or…well, it meant that…that the Magic Council is trying to interfere at Luna Nova."
Ursula eyed her closely for a moment, then sighed, walked around the table, and held open the door for her.
"Well, I'm glad you listen to Diana at any rate," she said, pointing her out the office.
Next chapter: Detention and the Deal