Chapter Thirteen - Novus Vita

"Where's have you three been?" Steven Williams quizzed Roger, Felicity and Sarah as they came into the courtyard.

"Out for a walk," Roger shot back at his brother.

"Well, stick around, will you? Dr. Foymal says that he wants everyone on campus. He's called a schoolwide meeting for this evening," Steven instructed

"He sounded so serious," Felicity said, to Roger as Steven walk away.

"Yes he did," Roger said, watching his brother.

"You don't suppose this has something to do with us, do you?" Sarah had on her worried look.

Felicity thought it very well could but decided that it was better not to mention it to Sarah. If they were in trouble, they would find out soon enough.

Felicity and Sarah took their usual seats in the Assemble Hall. As members of the Entered Class they sat on the back row lefthand side. They could see Roger one row down on the righthand side. They watched as the rest of the student body filed into the old room.

The paintings of past headmasters looking down on the assembly seemed particularly fierce this evening. As is the case when any group is assembled without explanation. The room was alive with conversation and speculation as the cause of the unexpected meeting.

Finally, the faculty came in from the side doors at the front of the room. Peter How leaned over to Sarah and Felicity and whispered, "It must be serious, look at them."

The faculty did, indeed, have a serious look to them. Just then, Sarah poked Felicity in the ribs. "Look!" she said pointing to the front row of faculty. There, seated next to Dr. Foymal was a short older woman dressed in black. It was Miss Brattle.

Dr. Foymal stood up at the rostrum. The room settled down.

"Thank you," he said in a formal tone. "We have some sad news for you today. Your headmaster, Dr. Mather, has suffered a tragic accident and, as a result, is unable to continue his duties."

A murmur went up from the assembly at this announcement. "An accident?" thought Felicity, but he had been at the graveyard only this morning. What could have happened to him, she wondered.

"The school's Board of Visitors has asked the former headmistress, Miss Brattle, to assume her previous responsibilities until a new headmaster can be appointed." Foymal continued. Miss Brattle stood up next to Dr. Foymal. "Miss Brattle,"

Miss Brattle took the rostrum, which she was all too familiar with. "I realize that this must come as a shock to you all. Let me assure you your classes and activities will continue as normal. I was the headmistress here for many years and I am confident Salem Academy can overcome this current difficulty."

Miss Brattle's confidence seemed to settle the mood in the room soom.

"Now before you leave for supper, there is one more thing," she added "Miss Stockwell, Miss Goldstine and Mr. Roger Williams, would you please come to the headmaster's office before supper? That is all."

Felicity felt as if a hundred pair of eyes were trained on her. She glanced down at Roger who could only give a puzzled look. Steven Williams' look was a bit more stern.

The meeting broke up with a buzz of conversation. Most dealt with what might have happened to Dr. Mather, but a good deal of it was also about the fate of the three students called to the headmaster's office.

The trio walked to the office. It seemed like a much father walk than in fact it was. When the arrived they found the door closed Felicity knocked and Dr. Foymal opened the door. "Come in he siad."

The office was large, with a fireplace at one end above which was a carving of the school seal. The walls were lined with book cases and school mementos. Old photographs hung on the wall. Felicity could see that some of them were moving pictures, much like the photographs in the American Prophet. Miss Brattle stood at the far end of a long table. Dr. Foymal walked over next to her.

Miss Brattle spoke first.

"You three are to be congragulated," she said with a smile. "For more than 300 years wizards and witches have attempted to break the curse that had fallen over Salem. Little did we realize that it would take the courage of youth and the gift of a muggl..." Miss Brattle caught herself, "the gift of a non-magical mother to free our people to return to Salem as they wished. I suppose we wizards and witches that come from pure magical family just assumed that it would be us that would be the Raisers."

Dr. Foymal then spoke up.

"There is, however, something we must discuss with you three." He had a serious look to him. "As you know there are those who did not wish to see this come to pass."

"Like Dr. Mather?" Felicity asked quietly.

"Yes, like Dr. Mather." Foymal answered "And the first lord's family. They may seek to discover who the Raisers are and you could be in danger should they ever learn that information. For this reason, you must keep your identities a secret to all but your parents.

"Roger and Sarah, your parents already know given your fathers' positions in the Commissioner's Office.

Felicity, we have sent a message by way of Roger's father to your parents. Understand, Felicity, that your mother is the only muggle who will ever know what has happened here today.

"Do you three understand me fully."

They nodded their heads in agreement.

"Good then," Miss Brattle added. "And should you ever have any concerns about this, don't hesitate to come to either myself of Dr. Foymal. Now, off to supper with you."

The last two months of school seemed to fly by for Felicity. She joined the track team, which did, indeed, have the chance to travel to muggle schools like Hebron and Governor Dummer Academies.

Felicity carefully saved the copies of the American Prophet, which had stories of the lifting of the curse of Salem. There was considerable speculation in the press concerning the identy of the Raisers, but the Commissioner's Office rebuffed all requests for any such information, saying only that their identy needed to remain a secret.

In what seemed like an instant, it wast the last day of school. The bright sun shown down on that warm spring day. A few days before graduation had sent Steven Williams and the other members of the Master Class on there way.

Now Felicity, Roger and Sarah stood in the courtyard of the school, saying good bye to their friends of the year. Sarah was engrossed in a conversation with Peter How the two having spent much of the spring together it seemed.

"Looks like you won't be needing me to escort Sarah to any more dances," Roger said to Felicity as they watched the two.

Sarah can be a terrible flirt when she wants to be, thought Felicity.

"What are you doing this summer?" Felicity asked Roger.

"I'm going to visit my aunt and uncle on Peaks Island off of Portland, for a few weeks and then I'm going to be a counselor at scout camp." he said. "You?"

"I think I'll read," Felicity said, with a faroff sound in her voice.

"Sounds like you," Roger said with a smile.

Roger's and Felicity's parents had given them permission to fly as far as Portland. Roger would then visit his uncle and Felicity would board the train from Providence. Sarah, despite the fact the she received a late model broom imported from England for her 14th birthday, could still not fly well and her family had agreed to drive up to Maine to pick her up.

"Well, we'd better be going," Felicity said to Roger.

"I'll see you next year, if not before," she said as she hugged Sarah.

"Thank you Felicity, it has been amazing being your roommate," said Sarah with a warm smile. Peter looked a bit puzzled at this exchange, but dismissed it as a girl thing.

"Ready?" asked Roger.

Felicity nodded. With that, the two rose into the air high over the school. They turned and headed down the river, a great blue swath that cut through a countryside of a thousand shades of green.

The two talked of their adventures, as the towns and villages of central Maine passed beneath them. The warm May breeze blew Felicity's hair behind her. Just what might have happened to Dr. Mather they wondered?

At Bath, with its shipyard cranes poking into the air like mechanical beasts, they turned and headed down the coast. Puffy white clouds under them looking like cotton balls suspended in the air.

The islands of Casco Bay came into view. Roger turned to Felicity. "I have something for you," he said, reaching ino the pocket of his jacket. He pulled out a LaQuidd snitch and handed it to her. "It's the one from your game last fall. I thought you should have it."

"Thank you, Roger," Felicity said. She was getting pink with a blush which Roger always thought was becoming on her.

"Well, there's the island," Roger said. "I'll see you later this summer. " He waved and then darted down toward the emerald-colored island below.

Felicity saw the silver line of the train coming into Portland from the south. She started making wide turns over the city.

It seemed to Felicity that it was almost impossible that she was the same girl who had woken up that foggly morning at 23 Waybosset Street a year ago. So much had changed in her life between then and now. It was like the school's motto `New Life' she thought. She looked at the ball. In his exact handwriting, Roger had written:

To Felicity,

My girl from two worlds. Thank you for all of the adventures this year. I will never forget them, or you.

Roger.

Felicity felt that odd little feeling come over her once again, but this time, she thought, she knew what it might be.

THE END