Surprise, I've got to head out of town again so you're getting another chapter early!
"There, look."
"Where?"
"Next to the tall kid with the red hair."
"You mean him with the black hair?"
"Did you see his face?"
"Did you see his scars?"
"Dude, the sleeves are, like, way too long. Chill."
Whispers followed Hiro from the moment he left his dormitory the next day. People lining up outside classrooms stood on tiptoe to get a good look at him, or doubled back to pass him in the corridor again, staring. Hiro wished they wouldn't, because he was trying to concentrate on finding his way to his classes.
There were at least nine acres worth of staircases and passages in the Magic Kingdom: wide, sweeping ones, narrow, rickety ones, some that led somewhere different on Wednesdays, some with a vanishing thirteenth step that you had to remember to jump.
Then there were doors that wouldn't open unless you asked politely, or tickled them in exactly the right place, or were just paintings of doors on the walls that would turn into real doors at specific times of day.
And of course, there were the Utilidors, but only official Magic Kingdom staff could access those.
It was also difficult to remember where anything was, because it all seemed to move around a lot. The people in the portraits kept going to visit each other, and Hiro was sure the suits of armor could walk. You couldn't get anything from the enchanted brooms, which were so single-minded in doing their tasks that they would walk right over you if you tried to stop them in their tracks.
The ghosts were of some help, though it was a nasty shock whenever one of them glided through a door you were trying to open. Gus, Phineas and Ezra – or the Hitchhiking Trio, as they were frequently referred to – were always happy to point new students in the right direction, provided they came along with you to your destination.
The Cheshire Cat, on the other hand, reveled in confounding anyone unfortunate enough to cross his path. You could expect a conversation with him to go like this:
"By the way, if you'd really like to know, it's that way."
"What is?"
"The Transformation classroom."
"It is?"
"What is?"
"The Transformation classroom!"
"What classroom?"
"Transformation!"
"What transformation?"
"But didn't you just say –"
"Can you stand on your head?"
"Oh, forget it! I'm running late anyway!"
He would also sneak up behind you, invisible, and laugh loudly in your ear, or trip up other students or rip open their book bags in such a way that it looked like you were the one responsible.
Not as bad but nearly as annoying was the caretaker, Mr. O'Dell. Peter and Hiro managed to get on his bad side the very first morning. O'Dell found them trying to force their way through a door that turned out to be the entrance of the out-of-bounds corridor on the third floor. He wouldn't believe that they were lost, was sure they were trying to break into it on purpose, and was threatening them with expulsion when Professor Ichabod, who was passing by, rescued them. O'Dell had a tendency to bluster about the rules and how he was the castle's first line of defense regarding law and order, but his stammering, knock-knees, and near-constant surprised look made him as threatening as a kitten.
O'Dell owned a dog named Bony, and you couldn't imagine a sorrier-looking hound than him. He was so small it was easy to mistake him for a puppy, especially with his oversized brown ears, and he was so hunched and incredibly thin you could see his ribcage (hence his name). He patrolled the corridors, and wherever he went, rest assured his master wasn't too far behind. At the first sign of trouble or lawlessness, he'd howl for O'Dell to come running – unless, of course, you happened to have a treat in your pocket.
And then, once you managed to find them, there were the classes themselves. There was a lot more to magic as Hiro quickly found out, than waving your wand and saying some funny words.
They had to study the night skies through their telescopes every Tuesday night, and learn the names of different stars and which ones could be wished upon – and which ones were simply fireflies that got stuck up there. The professor was a bubbly Southern blonde who insisted they just call her Lottie ("Professor LaBouff is such a dull, boring name, and I am not boring!"). Lottie was always happy to share everything she knew about the wishing stars. It was easy to get her to start talking about anything, really. The difficulty lay in getting a word in.
Three times a week they went out to the greenhouses behind the castle to study Venebotany with an elderly orange frog, Professor Hopadiah Plantar, who taught them how to identify and take care of strange plants and fungi, and what they were used for. Hopadiah, or "Hop Pop" as Sprig called him, was as knowledgeable about all things plant-related as Lottie was about astronomy, but nepotism was not alive and well in his classroom. Sprig worked as hard as everyone else did. It was a rare day when anyone left the classroom without being covered in sweat, dirt or mud.
The class that surprised Hiro the most was Magical Myths and History, which Professor Ichabod taught. Apparently the world of magic was a major influence on many of history's biggest turning points. Some things like the sinking of Atlantis made sense – others, like the fact that all of Benjamin Franklin's best ideas really came from a mouse named Amos were a bit hard to swallow, however.
Professor Flora, the Charms teacher, was a gray-haired human-sized fairy, though she was still a bit on the short side. She had to hover on tiny wings to see over her desk. At the start of their first class, when she took roll call, she cried "Good gracious!" once she reached Hiro's name and almost fell out of the air.
There were also music classes taught by a jovial blue owl named, fittingly, Professor Owl. "Within each of you is a song waiting to emerge!" he proclaimed after taking attendance. "We shall begin by learning about melody, before moving on to the study of musical instruments, how music affects our lives from beginning to end, and finally, what inspires us to express ourselves through song." Hiro, who was never seized with a sudden desire to sing once in his life, was certain he wouldn't fare well here at all. He took some comfort in the fact that he'd likely be the second-worst student, however, as Bertie Birdbrain's goofball antics drew Professor Owl's ire to him instead. They spent the first morning listening out the window to the sounds of nature to discover what music could be drawn from there. Hiro wasn't sure if it was the boredom or if he was listening very hard, but after twenty minutes he swore he could almost hear a pattern in the chirping birds, the occasional cricket, and the rustle of the wind through the leaves of the willow tree outside the classroom.
Then there was Potions, taught by living proof that dinosaurs once roamed the earth – or, as she was properly called, Professor Yzma, an incredibly thin and very old, wrinkled woman who ruled over her students with an iron fist. Her classroom was deep in the dungeons, which was a long walk down.
"Wouldn't it be nice to just pull a lever and be sent there and back up instantly?" Hiro wondered aloud as he huffed and puffed his way back up the stairs after their first lesson.
The first class that Hiro immediately felt at home in was Magical Modern Inventions. One half was dedicated to teaching students from the more fantastical worlds about modern technology, while the other introduced alchemy, the study of combining science and magic. Professor McGucket was an odd-looking fellow with his long white whiskers, tinted glasses, and raggedy brown hat, the last person you'd expect to know how to build his own machinery; but he was the first teacher who Hiro felt was speaking his language, albeit in a thick country accent. McGucket was awed when Hiro introduced him to Baymax, and told him his door would always be open if he wanted to discuss robotics with him.
Defense Against Evil Magic was also very different from what Hiro expected. Out of all the teachers, Professor Eda was the most eager to show off – and to scare the bejeezus out of her pupils.
"All right, kiddos, you made it to your wonderful magic school where you learn something new and exciting every day and your dreams come true, so let's get some facts straight. Number one, if you sit and wait for something to happen because you were deemed special, you're gonna be waiting around forever. Number two, despite the insistence of certain nannies, not every problem can be solved with a spoonful of sugar. Sometimes the things you'll face will be a little…spicier."
She banged her staff once on the floor. The torches in the darkened classroom lit up, revealing murals of epic battles and duels on the walls.
"With any luck, you won't be caught in scrapes like these, but it's always good to be prepared. Take it from someone who personally fought against Maleficent and her dogs."
Some of the students gasped in terror; Hiro learned after he casually mentioned Maleficent over breakfast one morning that people really were too afraid of her to say her name, even ten years after her demise. He wasn't trying to be brave or cocky, he just didn't know. While he privately thought referring to her by the grandiose title of "Mistress of All Evil" was a little silly, he didn't want to upset anyone. Eda seemed to feel that way as well.
"Sensitive types, huh? All right, no more mention of Miss Mean and Green here today. The point is, you name a fight and place, and I've been there, done that, and got the wanted posters to show for it." Eda spent the rest of the class regaling her students with some of her rebel exploits in the Boiling Isles before realizing how much time passed and showing them a simple light spell thirty seconds before the bell rang.
All in all, it was a fascinating, exhausting week. Hiro was relieved to find out he wasn't behind everyone else. Lots of people had come from ordinary families and, like him, hadn't had any idea that they were special. There was so much to learn that even students like Peter or Anne didn't have that much of a head start.
Friday was a very important day for Hiro and his friends. They finally found their way to the Great Hall without getting lost once.
"What have we got today?" Hiro asked Peter as he smeared peanut butter and jelly onto his bagel.
"Transformation with Felinus. Professor Lilith's the head of their house. Hope she's not as tough on us as she's supposed to be with them."
"If she is, well, at least Eda's not so bad," said Hiro. Eda was the head of Mus, but unlike most of the teachers, she didn't load them with any homework the day before; she merely told them to practice the light spell if they were able. The only one who continued studying the textbook after class was Wendy, despite the fact that she already read through the whole thing beforehand ("I just want to make sure I didn't miss anything; oh, if I knew Professor Eda was going to be this lenient…")
"Hey! Here comes Pedro!"
Everyone in the hall perked up and turned their heads to the ceiling. Hiro had gotten used to this by now, but it gave him a bit of a shock on the first morning when a little red airplane – a living one if its mouth and windshield eyes were any indication – zipped in through the open window, and flew around the ceiling dropping off letters and parachuting packages to their respective owners below. Pedro, as Hiro soon learned, was always on time and very efficient at his job, even though he was considered a "baby" by plane standards.
A plain envelope fell on to Hiro's bagel. He brushed off the jelly and peanut butter; there was a drawing of the cat statue above the Lucky Cat Café's door on the back. It didn't take a genius to know who sent it. Hiro quickly opened the letter and read:
Dear Hiro,
I'm sorry it took me this long to write. My therapist, Angela, suggested I give you a little space to settle before I start hitting you with letters. How was your trip? Did you make any friends? Were there fireworks when you arrived? What house did you get into? Did they sing that pretty wishing star song over dinner? How –
I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bombard you with so many questions. It's something I'm going over with Angela. You'd like her; she's incredibly sweet and knows how to talk through the sorts of things we discuss without being judgmental (and she takes my insurance, always a plus).
It's been really quiet around here without you. Even Mochi seems lazier than usual. Don't worry, I'm not touching the garage, and I only go up to your room once or twice to clean a little. The café is busy as always. I thought about sending a couple of surprises from there, but I wanted to see if this made it safely to you first before I try to send any packages. Let me know (a few words were crossed out here) if you want something sweet to come your way – if you have the time to write between all the homework you must be getting, that is. Don't worry, take your time.
I love you.
Hugs and kisses to my special little guy,
Aunt Cass
Hiro smiled and pocketed the letter, making a mental note to write his reply when he had a free moment. Just then, Ralph appeared at the table.
"Hiya, Hiro!"
"Ralph! What are you doing here?"
"Well, I heard through the grapevine that you have Friday afternoons off, so I wanted to invite you over to my place for some root beer and catch up on how your first week went. Whaddaya say?"
"Can Peter come? I think you'll like him."
"Sure! The more the merrier. Mine's the brick house at the edge of the grounds, you can't miss it! See you at three!"
With the thought of hanging out with his first two friends brightening his morning, Hiro collected his things and headed to class with a spring in his step.
When Hiro entered the Transformation classroom, he felt like he was about to watch a gladiator fight more than do some learning. The desks were set up in rows like sports stands circling the room with a big empty space in the center.
And of course, Professor Lilith was another matter entirely. From the moment she swept in, everyone could see she wasn't a teacher to cross. She gave them a stern lecture the moment they sat down.
"Transformation is the most complex and dangerous magic you will ever learn in this school," she said. "Anyone who refuses to take these lessons seriously will leave and not return. You have been warned."
Lilith then spun her staff and changed her desk into an ice sculpture of the castle so large that it touched the ceiling. With another wave, it burst into a flock of ravens, which merged back into the desk again. Everybody "ooohed".
"It's easy to admire such feats from a distance," Lilith continued, "but few are willing to put in the effort of carefully crafting each subtle layer of spellwork, to understand the extraordinary power that's channeled into altering corporal forms down to the base level of consciousness, to accept the monumental responsibility of changing the world and people around them lest they risk permanent destruction…"
Hiro quickly copied all this down just in case. He didn't want to risk missing anything important.
"…then again, some teachers pettier than I might use such witchcraft to ensure all of their students were paying attention."
Peter nudged Hiro's side. He looked up. Professor Lilith was glaring right at him.
Oops.
"Well, well, Mr. Hamada. Our new celebrity."
Kay and his friends Sasha and Boscha sniggered behind their hands.
"Sorry, Professor, I was just taking notes," Hiro explained.
Lilith came over and inspected his notebook.
"Hmph. I admire your enthusiasm, Mr. Hamada, but I'll say when you should be copying things down."
She waved her staff, and the air around her filled with notes and diagrams made of light. The students hurried to write them all down as she explained the finer points of the beginner's level of Transformation.
"Mr. Hamada," she said suddenly, "since you seem so eager to partake in today's lesson, why don't you join me for our first demonstration?"
With a wave of her hand, the desks before Hiro parted and formed steps leading down to the arena. Hiro walked down to Lilith's level and met her in the center of the room.
"You will not be doing anything as advanced as I've shown for quite some time, yet even the basics require total concentration and all your skills at the ready."
She summoned her desk, which walked over on clawed feet, then took a book of matches from a drawer. She placed a match on the desktop.
"I want you to turn this match into a needle. Simple enough."
It didn't seem so simple for Hiro. Everything about this clashed with what he learned in science class. One couldn't simply transfer the energy and molecules of one object into another and turn a handkerchief into a banana.
"Visualize the needle in your mind's eye and place your focus and intentions into the spell as you say it," Lilith offered, somewhat encouragingly. "It's only impossible if you let it be."
Hiro swallowed and followed her advice. He pointed his wand at the match and muttered the incantation. It quivered, shriveled, and began turning silver – then it unfolded again. It looked like a bit of crinkled chewing gum wrapper. Lilith looked mildly disappointed.
"I think I nearly got it," said Hiro. "Maybe if I try channeling through some electrocurrents like in Modern Magical Inventions –"
Hiro took out his phone but Lilith slammed her hand down over it.
"You cannot rely on technology for everything, Mr. Hamada. The sooner you realize that, the sooner you'll be a proper student here."
She sent Hiro back to his desk. He trudged on amid chuckles and snorts from Kay, Sasha and Boscha's direction. Surprisingly, this didn't go unnoticed by Lilith.
"Miss Waybright, thank you for volunteering. Come down, please."
That put a stop to her laughter at once.
The class continued with Lilith calling on one student after another to change the match. It was incredibly difficult work. Wendy succeeded after a few tries, but Lilith still found something to complain about.
"Not terrible work for a beginner, even if it's not nearly straight enough."
Wart was one of the last to go. By now he was extremely nervous. His wand quavered in his hand.
"Concentrate, Mr. Pendragon," Lilith told him. "Your lack of confidence will be your undoing."
Wart gulped. The words for the spell were stuck in his throat.
"I…I…"
"Even a second of hesitation as you cast the spell can have drastic consequences," she admonished. "Focus, be bold, and do it, NOW!"
With a cry, Wart whipped the wand. The spell shot out and ricocheted against one of the pillars – which changed into a palm tree – bounced off Sprig – he became a human boy – and finally hit the desk. It transformed into a massive trumpeting elephant.
The classroom erupted into chaos, with most of the students either laughing or freaking out (Sprig was most definitely in the latter camp). Lilith was taken aback for only a second before she made a wide circle with her staff. She pushed through it, and a wave of energy swept across the room, restoring everything to normal. She wheeled around to glare at Wart.
"Pendragon – see me after class."
As they left the classroom, Hiro's mind was racing and his spirits were low. He hated to think of what Lilith must be doing to poor Wart by now; moreover, he was sure he disliked Lilith almost as much as she did him – the question was why was she so eager to humiliate him like that?
At five to three Peter and Hiro left the castle and made their way across the grounds. They passed stables, henhouses, and a herd of sheep quietly grazing on one of the sprawling lawns until they reached Ralph's house, a small, ramshackle brick cottage on the edge of the forest.
When Hiro knocked, they heard a faint scrabbling inside and something loudly whimpering. Then Ralph's voice rang out, saying, "It's all right, Lambert, it's just company."
Ralph's big smiling face appeared in the crack as he pulled the door open.
"Hiro! Come on in! Look, Lambert, meet your new buddies Hiro and, uh…sorry, didn't catch your name."
The cottage was made up of one cozy room with a brick fireplace and shelves of roughly carved figurines on the walls. While Peter introduced himself, Hiro noticed trembling under the bed was…a lion?
"Uh, nice kitty?" he said nervously.
"Aw, come on, Lambert," Ralph coaxed. "It's okay. Hiro's a friend, see?"
The lion wiggled out from the bed with a rather sheepish grin. He carefully sniffed Hiro, and then gave him a big wet kiss hello.
"How the heck did you get a pet lion, Ralph?" said Hiro, wiping his face.
"Funny story about that. There was a bit of a mix-up with the stork when he was a cub; he was supposed to go to a den in Africa but the silly bird dropped him off at the flock of sheep. By the time he realized his mistake, one of the ewes already took a liking to him and refused to give him up, so Lambert was raised as a sheep."
"Baaaaahh!" bleated Lambert proudly.
"Oh that's – wait, you're telling me the stork is real?!" cried Hiro. "I thought that was something parents told their kids so they wouldn't figure out where babies really come from!"
"Hey, where do babies come from?" Peter asked curiously.
"Oh, you don't know? What happens is –"
"HEY, WHO WANTS ROOT BEER?!" Ralph quickly shouted. He sloppily poured two mugs and shoved them into Hiro and Peter's arms. They sat down around the tiny table and helped themselves to some cherry pie. Hiro told Ralph all about the lessons he had, ending with Lilith's. Ralph told him not to worry about it.
"But out of everyone in the room she had to call on –"
"Lilith likes to gauge which students have the most potential. Just between us, Eda told me she hopes that teaching the next great enchanter will get her a little recognition. Lily may act all high and mighty, but she's a bit of a glory hound."
While Ralph began dishing some interesting tidbits about the teachers and his time at school, Hiro picked up a piece of newspaper that was lying on the floor. It was a clipping from The Main Street Morning Report:
Bank Break-In Latest
Investigations continue into the break-in at Fidelity Fiduciary Bank on June 21st, widely believed to be the work of dark wizards or witches unknown. The dwarfs of the bank insisted that nothing had been taken. The vault that was searched had in fact been emptied that same day.
"But we ain't tellin' ya what was in there, so keep your noses out of it if ya know what's good for ya!" said one rather grumpy dwarf we attempted to interview.
"Hey Ralph, look at this!" said Hiro. "This bank heist happened on my birthday! It could've happened while we were there!"
Ralph gulped and offered Hiro another slice of pie without looking him in the eye. Hiro read through the story again.
The vault that was searched had in fact been emptied that same day.
Ralph emptied Vault 3-20, if you could call it emptying, take out those two little packages. Had that been what the thieves were after?
As they made their way back to the castle for dinner, Hiro thought that almost none of his lessons so far had given him as much to think about as his visit with Ralph. Had Ralph saved those packages just in time? And if he did, where were they now?
Next Chapter: Baymax Above and Secrets Below