Yay. Chapter 3 is done. See if you can tell how much fun I had making up all of the new names!
Eelnode Cruise
Colleen awoke on the morning of August twenty-fifth and, after putting on her Eelnode robes, shuffled to the full-length mirror that was hanging on her bedroom door. Her eyes widened in shock and her hands rose to her head, seemingly of their own accord. "Bedhead…" she moaned, and reached frantically for the hairbrush on her dresser. Her hand fell instead on the thick book she had bought at The Golden Locus in Herishvil, Useful and Rare Spells and Charms. She flipped through the pages, distraught, until she came to a section entitled Vanity Charms. Colleen looked at the pictures until finally chosing one charm that looked simpler than others. "Crinis Oru" she whispered, her eyes squeezed tight and hand shaking as she pointed her wand to a strand of hair and twirled her fingers, as it said to do in the book. She slowly opened her eyes, and laughed out loud. Her dark brown hair was in hundreds of tiny braids! Colleen fingered her wand. She could do magic. She opened the book again, wondering how else she could use it, but was stopped short by her mother calling to her to get ready.
"I'm coming!" Colleen yelled, and tucked her wand into the small duffel bag that would also carry Fiera. Jordan Blanton entered his daughter's bedroom and hefted her trunk onto his shoulder.
"Make sure you have everything," he reminded her. "You don't come back until Thanksgiving, you know." Colleen assured him that she had packed all that she would need into the trunk. He peered at his daughter, shaking his head slightly.
"Looks good, Colleen. You're a natural." Colleen grinned. The two went downstairs, where Andrea was waiting with a Portkey ticket. With an arched eyebrow, she fingered one of Colleen's braids.
"You didn't…" Colleen nodded, trying not to smile too largely.
"Want me to show you?" she asked, reaching into her duffel for her wand. Her mother shook her head.
"Maybe it would be safer to wait until after you've had some training." The family touched the Portkey and was transported to Herishvil.
The wizard town was much more crowded today than a week ago. Students her age and older in bright blue robes hurried about, dragging trunks and greeting friends. As the Blantons exited the Herishvil Arrival, she spotted Brennan and Miela, along with their parents and Else, emerging from a small restaurant across the street. She greeted them and the whole group made their way down to Mardale Harbor, where a mass of Eelnode blue was visible from atop the hill. A large gray and blue ferry was docked there, and Colleen could see that students were already boarding. A horn blew, and more students made their way to the dock.
"Don't forget to write, Colleen, no matter how much fun you have," said Andrea, with tears in her eyes. "Learn a lot, study, so you can impress us when you get home." Colleen nodded, a lump forming in her throat.
"I will, Mom," she promised, and hugged her tightly. She turned to her father.
"Make me even prouder, my little witch," he said fondly. "Have a wonderful time."
Colleen tipped her trunk onto its wheels, and followed Brennan and Miela to the boat. They claimed an area inside with several armchairs, then went outside to the deck to wave at their parents. Soon after the boat pulled away, Westly joined the group. They waved at their families until they were not visible.
"What house do you want to be in?" Brennan asked Westly and Colleen. "Else's in Ambertail"
"I just hope we're together," said Westly, taking a seat. Colleen agreed. She had finally made friends; would they be split up? She didn't think about it much longer because Brennan and Miela began discussing Quodpot, whatever that was.
The Eelnode Cruise sailed well into the afternoon. The sky was cloudless and the water calm. Once during the boat ride, dolphins leaped in the waves just ahead of the bow. The students ate a lunch of sandwiches and chips, and some were seen napping in the sun. Colleen, however, only nibbled at her food and was too excited to even sit still for long. As the sun began to set, an island appeared on the horizon.
"Please leave all of your luggage on the Cruise. It will be brought to the island separately, along with all pets," said a voice. Colleen stroked Fiera and placed her back into the duffel bag
"First years, right here!" Colleen looked up to see Professor Judice surrounded by seven or eight students her age by the pier. Sorting will take place in the Casino." He pointed at a large circular building. "The sorting ceremony will begin."
Colleen shivered. She hoped that she would be sorted into the same house as Brennan, Miela, and Westly, or at least one of the three. Professor Judice led the first years into the Casino and in front of a crescent-moon-shaped stage. An arch, glowing with light, was in the middle of the stage.
"When Professor Fisher calls your name, enter the arch. This is our sorting ceremony, devised by Eelnode's founders two hundred years ago. The houses are Ambertail, Ivywood, Dappleburn, and Mantawhip. The arch will determine which house you will be placed in. This is important because, for the next seven years, you will grow very close to others in your house," said Judice formally. Colleen's heart was beating wildly. What was behind the arch? Would she be separated from her new friends? Would she be chosen at all?
"Blake Alvers." A stocky boy walked nervously to the arch, which was glowing even more brightly. He stepped into the radiance, and then disappeared completely. Colleen gasped. A few moments later, he emerged through the light, his face pale and eyes slightly dazed.
"Dappleburn" he said shakily, then sat down at the Dappleburn table, which was applauding and cheering.
"Colleen Blanton." Colleen suddenly could not move. Miela gave her a little shove and a reassuring smile, and Colleen forced her legs to move. She hoped she was not trembling too visibly. As she stepped through the arch, she relaxed; it felt as if she had entered a warm bath.
The light dimmed suddenly. Colleen was in the Casino, but it was empty. Four figures appeared. Three wizards and a witch, dressed in gray robes like the Eelnode teachers, approached Colleen.
"I am Marion Ivywood."
"I am Jacob Mantawhip."
"I am Phillip Dappleburn."
"I am Randolph Ambertail."
"Um, my name is Colleen Blanton," said Colleen, taking a deep breath. The bald man, Randolph Ambertail, smiled and nodded.
"Yes. Welcome to Eelnode," he said. "Your magical education is very important, and you are expected to study hard, be honest, and use magic for what it is meant while you are here."
"You will make new friends and learn valuable lessons here at Eelnode," said Marion Ivywood.
"Eelnode is one of many schools in the world that believes and teaches magic as a defense and as a way of life," said Jacob Mantawhip, a heavy-set man with snow-white hair.
"We founded it first as a refuge from those afraid of us, but today, as relations are better, Eelnode is a school that educates young witches and wizards how to use magic wisely," finished the man in glasses, Phillip Dappleburn. "Do you have any questions, Colleen Blanton?" She shook her head no. Marion Ivywood came close to Colleen and placed her hands on Colleen's shoulders. She smiled and stepped back. The three wizards did the same thing. They then exchanged glances. Marion Ivywood smiled again.
"You are most assuredly an Ivywood. Announce this to the school, Colleen. Welcome to Eelnode." As suddenly as they had appeared, the four people were abruptly not there. Colleen turned and saw the glowing arch. She stepped through it, and saw the Casino reappear through the light.
"Ivywood," she said to the school. The table to the far right clapped and cheered, and Colleen sat down there and breathed for what seemed the first time in minutes. She couldn't have been in the arch for less than five minutes, but everyone else seemed to be spending only a matter of seconds. Maybe the arch was a time warp? Colleen pushed this out of her thoughts as "Chee, Rachel" became a Mantawhip and "Corbell, Libby" a Dappleburn. Then "Dellson, Brennan" was called. He walked toward the arch in his self-assured gait. He stepped out a moment later.
"Ambertail," he said. He headed to the table on the opposite side of the Casino. He glanced at Colleen and shrugged his shoulders, smiling sadly. Miela was next. She too strolled to the arch, but Colleen could see that her face was worried. When she appeared from the light, her expression was a mixture of relief and guilt.
"Ambertail." Colleen's heart sunk to her stomach. Miela sat next to her brother. She made a reaching motion towards Colleen with her hand but then turned around to watch "Gates, Kevin" be sorted into Mantawhip.
After "Hamden, Jeanne" was sorted into Dappleburn, there was finally another new Ivywood. "Neelie, Colby" was a spiky-haired boy who smiled at Colleen but didn't say anything as he sat down next to her. "Noreldon, Mohammed" was also placed into Ivywood. Colby and Mohammed were obviously friends because they started whispering away as soon as Mohammed reached the table.
Right after "Opra, Matthew" was placed into Ambertail, yet another Ivywood was sorted. It was "Runic, Erin", a very tall girl with sandy hair. She sat down on the other side of Colleen, grinning brightly.
"Hi, I'm Erin… I guess you heard. I'm so glad I got into Ivywood…My brother, Mark over there?" She pointed at an older boy farther down the Ivywood table. "He's a third year, and my sister up there at the front, Janna—she's the Head Girl, she's in Ivywood too." Erin said all this very fast, then took a deep breath and said, "And you're Colleen."
Colleen had to laugh. "Yes, I am. So are your parents wizards too?"
"Yep. Yours?"
"No, they're both Muggles. My aunt and uncle are though. "
"Oh. You don't want to tell the Mantawhips that—I heard they look down on Muggle-borns…oh! Don't you know him?"
"Schulze, Westly" had just been summoned to the arch. When he came out, he wore an expression of utter relief.
"Ivywood," he announced. Colleen and Erin cheered loudly. Westly sat down near Erin. There were only a few left to be sorted.
Colleen paid close attention to the names of the remaining first years. There was "Stoma, Michael", a Dappleburn, "Taxon, Alysa", a red-haired girl who went to sit next to Miela, "Tor, Lena", a Mantawhip, and "Welbis, Asher", who joined Colleen and the others at the Ivywood table.
Colleen stretched her legs as "Keith, White" was sorted into Mantawhip. She was tired and hungry, but at least the Sorting was almost finished. The last two girls, "Yarafat, Delia" and "Zenith, Jade" were placed into Ivywood. As Jade, with brown hair and pale green eyes sat down next to Delia a very short girl with red-gold hair, Professor Fisher rose from her chair and began to speak.
"Another year at Eelnode has begun!" she said. Several older students groaned and heaved sighs. It took Colleen a few seconds before she realized that they were all joking. "First off, as a reminder to everyone, everything beyond Perimeter Road is off limits, and by no means should you find a reason to venture beyond without a teacher. There is plenty to do here on campus. Schedules will be handed out tomorrow morning. Have another great year at Eelnode!" As she said her last words, four huge dogs carried large gleaming bronze trays of food into to the Casino.
"Hey, Ampersand, buddy, how's the pup?" Mark, Erin's brother, greeted the huge red-brown dog that looked like a cross between a mastiff and a boxer. The "pup" thumped his arm-thick, forked tail against a bench, then gently placed the tray on the table. Colleen realized that her mouth had dropped open, and shut it as the quartet of canines exited the Casino. She resolved to not let anything surprise her again, as she had seen everything now.
"What type of dogs are they?" Colleen asked when Ampersand whacked her sharply in the posterior region with his tail as he passed.
"Dogs?" asked Jade through a mouthful of corn. "They're Crups."
"No they're not," Erin replied. "Crups look like those yippy fierce dogs… Jack Russels."
"What are they talking about?" Delia said quietly to Colleen. Erin was asking Mark about the animals, who explained that they were dogs but had a fraction of Crup in their blood.
"Not an idea…What is this stuff?" replied Colleen as she peered into a large pitcher filled with an orange liquid.
"Don't drink it!" interjected Mohammed from the other side of the table. "It's nasty stuff, pumpkin juice."
"It's fine," retorted Colby. He poured the pumpkin juice into his glass and drank it all in one gulp.
Erin and Jade were now discussing about the breeding habits of Crups. Colleen did her best to ignore them and watched as Westly, Asher, Mohammed, and Colby raced to see who could drink a glass of pumpkin juice fastest.
Colleen did manage to obtain some pumpkin juice, later during dinner. Its taste was not bad, just interesting—and orange.
After dinner and a huge slice of cheesecake for dessert, Colleen was so tired that she could hardly keep her eyes open. Janna and a prefect called Casper escorted them from the Casino to Ivywood House.
"I hope you all help Ivywood win the Cup this year. It's been…how long?" she said to an Ivywood prefect.
"Three years," he replied. "I saw you boys with the pumpkin juice," he admonished with mock-sternness. "You'd better not keep that up," he laughed. "At least we have respectable girls." For some reason Janna found this funny. She doubled over, laughing, and didn't stop until they had reached Ivywood House. An indignant expression came over Erin's face.
As much as she tried not to be, Colleen was shocked at the appearance of the Ivywood common room. The walls seemed to swarm. At closer inspection, Colleen realized that is was plastered with overlapping photos, drawings, and newspaper clippings that were all moving. A green and purple banner was strung across two identical staircases. On it, a family of deer grazed behind silvery lettering that read Ivywood. Janna led the girls up to the staircase to the right and into their dorm. In it were four identical canopied beds that were slightly raised off of the floor. The girls drew straws (conjured up by Janna) to decide on who got what bed. Colleen got the one next to a large window that overlooked the pier and part of the beach, as well as a section of dense forest.
After dragging their trunks and collecting their pets from the top of the stairs, the girls took turns changing into their pajamas and brushing their teeth. Colleen lay silently in bed, listening to Jade's owl, Falco hoot softly and the waves lapping at the shore. As she rolled over and shut her eyes, the sensation that she was still on the Eelnode Cruise, rocking gently on the ocean, followed her into her dreams.
