Chapter 3: First day of school.

"I'm ready, Lotte!" Akko exclaimed after she put on her witch's hat. She was dressed with the dark blue tunic with a red sash that was the standard school uniform, and wearing those clothes made her feel like she was taking her first step to finally becoming a real witch. It was amazing! She had always wanted to wear that uniform.

"Uhm… Akko, that uniform is only for ceremonies and flying." Lotte corrected her. "You already know that."

"But the other uniform is so plain and boring." The Japanese girl protested, pouting.

"Let her wear it." Sucy intervened. "I want to see Finnelan's face when she sees her." She cackled.

"Speaking about Finnelan… do you know where she put my wand and broom? They weren't with my uniform." Akko inquired, looking around as if expecting said items to pop out of thin air.

Her friends just exchanged a look.

"You don't have magic, Akko." Sucy was the first one to speak. "Why would you need a wand or a broom?"

"I do have magic!" Akko snarled. "Believing in my heart is my magic."

"Isn't that your mother's cheesy slogan?" Sucy deadpanned.

"It's true! I know it. I can feel the magic inside me." The brunette protested stubbornly. Truth to be told, she was tired of everyone reminding her at every turn that she wasn't a witch, more so when she knew she could be one. Someday, somehow, she would. She just had to believe.

At least, that's what her mom used to say.

"What you feel is your stomach still trying to digest last night's potatoes." The pink-haired girl drawled out. "Now come on, let's go to class."

"Now, listen you…!"

"Akko." Lotte interrupted before she could give Sucy a piece of her mind. "Please, just put on the uniform and let's get going." She smiled kindly. "I'll let you borrow my wand for a while, okay?"

"Hmf. Fine." Akko relented, puffing her cheeks. "We'll see if Sucy keeps making fun of me after I turn her into a frog."

After Akko got in the proper uniform and the three girls had breakfast, which again consisted mostly of potatoes, they went to their first class of the day; numerology. And what a boring class it was! Akko had been eager to learn more about magic, but after the teacher started filling the chalkboard with rows and rows of numbers and weird symbols, her head just pretty much went into overdrive and she stopped paying attention.

Like, seriously, this was more math than anything! How was she supposed to predict the future using only numbers?!

Yeah, yeah, a part of her supposed that, since she couldn't do any real magic at the moment, the least she could do was pay attention to the classes in which she could actually participate. But she just couldn't help it! Professor Babcock was so boring and she'd never liked her anyways. And besides, her head just didn't seem to like numbers. Never in her life had she fully understood math, much less magical math! And even less when her thoughts kept drifting towards her mother.

Where could she be? Where had she gone? Why was she gone? She sure hoped she was okay! But… what if she wasn't? There were very few things that could hurt a witch, sure, much less one as powerful as her mom, but… but they existed. And that was enough to make her stomach drop.

Maybe she had fallen victim of a vicious cockatrice; a giant monster with the shape of a chicken, snakes for tail, venomous feathers and the ability to breathe fire.

Or maybe she was fighting against a powerful dragon, one of those who fed on magic and were believed to be invincible and immortal.

Or worse! What if she had been kidnapped by an evil vampire, who was now sucking her blood?!

Granted, she didn't know if any of those creatures actually existed or if they were just tales her mom used to tell her when she asked for a scary story, but… what if they were real? More so, what if there were even more dangerous creatures she didn't know about?

Who knows? She guessed she'd have to do some research of her own after classes (as much as she loathed the library) and hopefully learn something that would give her a clue about her mom.

After Numerology they had Astrology, but since Professor Ursula was currently not in the school, Finnelan taught the class. The strict professor actually excused the teacher's absence, saying she'd gone on a field trip to Arcturus Forest and wouldn't be returning for a few months, possibly until the end of the semester. This made Akko frown. Did she really think they wouldn't find her sooner? Or was she not going to put any effort at all on her search? Still, she said nothing and instead just listened to the lecture.

Unsurprisingly, Astrology was a piece of cake for the Japanese girl. Ever since she was a little girl her mother had taught her the names of the stars and the constellations, the stories behind them, and what their position in the firmament meant for the predictions of the future, so she didn't have a problem understanding what the professor was explaining… even if she was 100% sure that her mom would have explained it a thousand times better.

Nonetheless, Finnelan seemed to be pleased with her when she gave the correct answers, and Akko hoped that meant she'd be more likely to give her a wand and a broom when she asked.

After Astrology came the optative class… and Akko had absolutely no idea what to take as an optative. Sucy was taking Advanced Potions with Lukic, which… no, thank you. Lotte was taking a class on magical tools, which was cool and all, but the teacher didn't want to accept a magicless student, given the subject was mostly practical. Akko was about to go ask her friends from the green team which optative classes they were taking, when she came across one of her friends from the second year.

Gaelle was a girl with short black hair and glasses. She was reserved and serious, and rarely ever talked to anyone. Actually, it was kind of weird they were even friends. Maybe it was just because Akko was always asking her to translate what Alcor said, since the girl was an expert on animal languages. Whatever the case they were now on speaking terms, and so Akko decided to ask her which was her optative class.

"My optative?" Gaelle gave her a look over and frowned in confusion. "Wait… they actually let you take classes here?"

"Yep! Isn't this amazing?!" Akko answered excitedly.

"Huh. I suppose." The girl still seemed to be trying to understand why on Earth the teachers had allowed Akko, of all people, to take classes at Luna Nova, but she paid her no mind and asked once more.

"So… which optative are you taking? I just don't know which one to take, so I'm asking around."

"Well, I'm taking Magical Philosophy." She answered.

"Magical Philosophy?" Akko repeated. "Like, Ethics and stuff?"

"Ethics, logic, beliefs that witches have had throughout history and still persist to this day, and other subjects equally interesting."

Now, none of that sounded particularly interesting to Akko, but they didn't sound difficult either. Plus, it was a theoretical subject, so the teacher probably wouldn't have any objection on her taking it, right?

"Okay! I'm coming with you!" She decided.

"But Akko, wait!" Gaelle stopped her before she could run off to a class she didn't even know where it was imparted. "Professor Pisces is the one who teaches it."

"The goldfish?" Akko raised an eyebrow. She always thought Pieces was a familiar to another witch or something, not a teacher herself.

"Yes, and fish language is highly advanced. I doubt you'll be able to understand it."

"Pft. I'll never know if I don't try it, right?" Akko waved off her friend's concerns. After all, it's not like fishes were capable of making complex words and have proper grammar! It was probably something like 'open your mouth one time to say yes and two to say no'.

"If you really want to take Magical Philosophy you should wait till next year and take Fish Language now instead." Gaelle answered. "She teaches this class on Mondays and Thursdays, so today would be a good time to try it."

"But… you wouldn't be there, would you?" Akko deflated.

"So?" The other girl raised an eyebrow, clearly not understanding her point at all. And although Akko would prefer to take the class with one of their friends, she knew most teachers would reject her, and surely a fish can't be too strict, right? So at the end she decided to accept.

"Well… I guess it doesn't really matter. Can you tell me where the class is?"

"I can walk you to it, since it's my free period right now. And I can also explain your situation to Professor Pisces, if you want."

"Thank you!"

So she did. Fish language sounded quite funny coming from a human, and Akko couldn't understand a word said between the fish and her friend, but at the end of the day Pisces accepted her and she took the class… which oddly enough consisted solely on staring at the fish the whole time. She guessed she'd eventually learn fish language that way? Honestly she wasn't sure, but she wasn't going to complain; at least it gave her some time to relax before the next class: flying.

She had always wanted to fly! When she was little she had even jumped from the top of the Astronomy Tower using her mother's broom… and ended up breaking several bones. But that didn't stop her from trying again, and again, and again. Much to her mother's horror.

But now she would finally learn how to do it properly! Today was the day she would finally fly!

"Atsuko Callistis. What are you doing here?" Professor Nelson, a woman with a pilot hat and pilot googles asked. She was tall and dark-skinned, wore her black hair in a long braid, and she was missing a tooth, no doubt a result from a flying accident. She was one of the few professors that treated Akko somewhat nicely, but she had always refused to teach her how to fly. All because she didn't have magic! Imagine that.

"Finnelan said I could take classes here." She retorted, wearing a challenging expression, as if daring her to contradict the Headmistress' orders.

"Only the theoretical subjects, no?" The professor raised an eyebrow.

"But I can fly! I know it! If you just gave me the chance…"

"You don't even have a broom." She denied once again.

"I could let her borrow mine." Lotte intervened shyly.

"And what would you work with, Yanson?" The girl just stuttered, searching for an answer, but the Professor had clearly already made her decision. "Yeah, that's what I thought."

"Professor…" Akko began protesting once more.

"Go to your room, Atsuko. Read a book or do your homework. This is no place for you." She answered curtly.

Akko felt tears prickle at her eyes. Not only had she lost her mom the day prior, but now she was being treated unjustly by the teachers. They wouldn't even give her a chance! They didn't believe in her at all! And she knew, deep inside her, that she was capable of this and more, if only they didn't hold her back! It was so unfair!

"You said Akko was allowed to take in the theoretical subjects." Sucy suddenly intervened, surprising them all. "You could teach her the theory of flying."

This gave the professor pause, as she alternated her gaze between the potions genius and the magicless girl, as if debating what to do. At the end, she sighed and extracted something from inside her pocket, handing it to Akko. It was a book.

"Flying for dummies?" Akko read the title.

"You can start with that. Come to me once you've read it."

Akko wasn't usually one to obey the rules. She was more of the type to question everything and defy authority at every turn. That isn't to say she was a rebel. No, she wasn't like Amanda. She simply thought some rules were stupid and having to do something just because someone with "authority" told you to was unfair.

And in this case, sitting all alone reading a book explaining the parts of the broom and how to clean them, while everyone else got to fly up in the sky was more than a little unfair. Still, she didn't have any option but to do it. If she hoped to fly someday she couldn't be at odds with the flight professor, right?

So, she sighed and continued reading how brooms enjoyed being used for sweeping the floor every once in a while but still had to be cleaned thoroughly afterwards.

"Oh, look at that!" Akko raised her eyes from the book when she heard an odious voice that she knew all too well and made dread appear on her stomach. Of course, there she found the infamous duo of English aristocrats from the blue team, now lacking their third member; Hannah and Barbara. Two insufferable bullies she hated with all her being.

"My, but isn't it Akko the magicless idiot!" Barbara said. She was a girl with long straight black hair, green eyes and pale skin. She would probably be pretty, if it wasn't for her bitchy attitude. Though at least she wasn't as mean as her friend.

"Akko, what are you doing dressed like a witch? Don't you know it's not Halloween yet?" Hannah laughed maliciously. That girl with her stupid auburn hair combed in that stupid ponytail with that stupid yellow bow. And those judgmental hazel eyes she hated so much! And her voice was just so damn irritating! Akko just wanted to punch her every time she spoke. And honestly she'd done so more a couple of times…

"Leave me alone, you pair of… uh… aristocrats!" Okay, so Akko had never been good at insults. It just wasn't her thing, alright?! Her mom said that was a good thing though.

"Or what? Will you go crying to your mother?" Hannah was the one who spoke such venomous words, but they both laughed maliciously at the joke, and Akko saw red when she heard them.

She was about to get into yet another punching match with them when suddenly someone passed flying so fast and so close to them that they had to take a step back in order to not be run over by her, and ended up falling butt-first in a pile of mud that seemingly appeared out of nowhere.

"Hey! Watch it!" Barbara yelled at the one who made them fall, only for her to stop midair, turn around with an exaggerated flourish, and give her a teasing smile. It was of course none other than Amanda O'Neill.

"You watch it. Your insults were getting dangerously close to one of my friends, and I'm definitely not going to tolerate that." She answered, giving them both a daring glare, as if challenging them to insult her instead.

"Ugh. An idiot defending another idiot." Hannah rolled her eyes, getting out of the mud and cleaning off her clothes with a single spell. "Come on, Barbs, I'm not in the mood for dealing with such plebs."

"Yeah… they're not worth our time." Barbara quickly hurried to follow her friend, and soon the two of them had run off to join the rest of their classmates once more.

"That's right! Run away, you cowards! Not so brave without Cavendish, huh?" Amanda laughed, no doubt relishing on her little victory even though they were out of earshot. Or perhaps precisely because of that.

Then, she turned to look at Akko with a much softer and concerned expression.

"You alright?"

"I guess." She sighed, feigning disinterest. But truth to be told, they mentioning her mom had affected her more than she was willing to admit.

"Don't worry, they won't bother you in a while." Amanda assured her as she flew closer and stopped right in front of her. "By the way, why are you here all alone? Are you being punished or something?" She asked, laying down on her broom and resting her chin on the back of her hands. She looked like a weird imitation of the Cheshire cat, honestly. At least it served to distract Akko from the earlier incident.

"It feels like it." Akko sighed, blowing off her bangs with her breath in an exasperated gesture.

"Nelson won't let you fly, huh?" She raised an eyebrow, correctly guessing half of the source of her distress. "You know? I could give you some free lessons if you want."

"You would do that?!" Akko exclaimed, pretty much jumping at the offer, her eyes shining with barely contained happiness. And her reaction was justified; after all, Amanda was known for being one of the best, if not the best, when it came to flying magic.

"Of course! I mean, that's what friends are for, right?" She shrugged, giving her a mischievous smile. "Plus, I'll get to see you fall face first on the ground, so that should be fun."

"Hey!" Akko pouted.

"I'm kidding! I'm kidding." Amanda quickly clarified, though she didn't look apologetic at all. "But anyways, that's not what I came here for."

"Then what?" She tilted her head, wondering what her friend had in mind. Probably another scheme to steal something or other.

Amanda turned her head around, apparently looking for any eavesdroppers, before leaning towards her and whispering her next words.

"Your mom's room has been closed off."

"Uh… what?" Of all the things she thought she'd tell her that was probably the last one she would have imagined.

"Yeah. I saw it today. The whole tower has a potent barrier spell surrounding it, like they don't want us to get near." She explained.

"But… why? I mean, it's not like there's anything dangerous in there… right?"

"Dunno." The American shrugged. "I mean, there must be a reason why they closed it, right? And just when I was thinking we should go see if there are any clues about your mother's disappearance. What a shame."

Hey… that wasn't a bad idea at all! Why hadn't Akko checked her own room first? Surely there must be something in there, right? At least one clue they could follow. And now it was closed off… but then again, Amanda wasn't famous only for her flying skills.

"You could sneak me in, right?" Akko asked eagerly, at which her friend's smile widened to impossible levels.

"Can I? Ha! You're talking to an expert kleptomaniac." She answered with not a share of modesty. "Meet me at my room during dinner time. We'll go then."

A/N: Well, that was longer than expected lol (I had to break it into two chapters). But it was needed to stablish Akko's role at the magic school. And it was also quite fun to write, to be honest. Anyways, I hope you're liking it so far, and that you leave a review/favortie/follow if you did. Thanks for reading and see you in two weeks :D

Thanks to my beta reader moonwatcher13.