Chapter 6

The following morning groggy as ever the students filed into the dinning hall ready to be introduced to their newest teacher. Rouge sat on the bench next to Bobby. Several students had already met her but not close to even half of them. Of course those who had met her knew next to nothing about her. Xavier rolled into view of everyone in the room and in his booming voice called the attention of the students and staff.

"I have mentioned that a new teacher is going to be joining our staff she arrived yesterday. Now lets give a warm welcome to Mrs. Emily Elizabeth Rees." as he began clapping the room went completely dark. Nothing could be seen. Then as small orb of fire could be seen where Xavier had just been. The glow grew brighter until once again light was restored though it came from an ever growing ball of fire over the head of Mrs. Rees.

"Hello Children. I am Emily Elizabeth. That is all you should call me. The Mrs. Rees will not be required. I've traveled across the Atlantic Ocean to be here with you lot and hope I can teach you a thing or two before I leave. My subject is a one I wish had been taught here while I was a child. Defense against Magic is a very serious subject . Each day it becomes more important that you learn it. The magic community views mutants as a threat to them. I hope there will never be a day that you need to use what I will be teaching but that becomes less likely each week. I want to put it out there now that I am a witch." there was an up roar from all the students than. "Hush Hush! None of that! Witches and Wizards are no different than you mutants. But that is a subject for another time. There is quiet a bit of a story behind all of this. One that if, I must, I'll tell you but that is for another time.

Unc.. I mean Professor Xavier has asked that I share a little bit of my history and what the class will be about to save time when the classes actually begin. I grew up here in this very building. When I was 11 I was invited to attend a witching school which I gladly excepted and spent seven years training to become a legal an proper witch. All while maintaining close contacts with my family and friends here. My two older siblings schooled here with two of your teachers, Scott Summers, and the dear late Jean Grey. I spent my summers and winter holidays here. When I was 17 I made a small farm outside of London my home. I married settled down and had a little girl who is now 17 and will be joining us this Christmas.

Now, on to what I will be teaching you. I've devised a series of game like classes. Unfortunatly there are several things you must be taught before we can get to these games. You will, by the time I finish here, learn to work as a team, use your power to the advantage of yourself and those around you, you'll learn how to take control of every situation, and ultimately survive the majority of whatever a magical individual may through your way. Are there any question?" the students all raised their hands questions perched on their lips. With a sweet smile Emily nodded. "That's what I figured. Umm Scottie will you come up here and help me with the names?"

"Cyclopes Mrs. Rees." Scott said coming up to the raised platform in front of everyone. "You might want to narrow down the questions a bit too. Anyone have a question regarding Mrs. Rees classes?" All but three hands went down. "Alan." A mousy haired boy stood up, Marie knew him from Chem but wasn't sure what he did exactly.

"Yes, Thank you. Mrs. Rees, you said you will be teaching us through games. This is a highly evolved way of teaching. What sort of games exactly do you plan on teaching through?"

"What is it you do Alan?"

"Ma'am my mutation gives me the ability to control water, I can also draw mostiure from the air and use it to create small bullet like solid water droplets." Emily laughed.

"Wonderful! You've studied your talent well. One of the games is a portion of a profoundly dangerous and exciting sport that wizards have played for well over a century. The game is called quiditch. We will only deal with two of the balls from the game called Bludgers. These balls will fly around and attack you. You will have to work as a team sometimes two teams to control the bludgers." Alan nodded and sat back down.

"That sounds like something I'd like to watch. Now, how about you Miss Goldberg." Scott said calling on a girl with long black girls and creepy looking gold eyes. The girl smiled and stood up.

"My ability is to manipulate metals, particularly gold, and since Cyclopes only used my last name I'm Jasmine." she smirked in a way most boys would have found seductive, Rogue just felt like smashing her face in. "Are we all going to be forced to take this class? My daddy wouldn't approve."

"If it must come to it I and Xavier will talk with your father but yes, all students will be taking my class." Jasmine sat down to pout and eat her only meal for the day, a almond.

"Anyone else?" the third hand had disappeared and no others went up. "Well then have a nice day I look forward to meeting you all through course of this week." Emily patted Cyclopes' shoulder as she left the platform and disappeared into the crowds.

Emily stood in her class room. She hadn't had much time to do everything to it she wanted. Really she'd had 45 minutes since Mrs. Mc Brady walked her in and informed her it belonged to her. In that time she had managed to make the windows draw in more light and stop all images from going out through them, arranged all the desks so that there was a large amount of open space in the middle of the room where she would do most of her talking and any demonstrations would be done. Emily went and leaned against her own desk which she'd tucked in a corner surrounded on three sides by filing cabinets that with time would hold the students grades, and records.

"Never thought we'd be here did we Emily?" she asked herself. With a smile she looked over her work. Something wasn't right. What it was she wasn't sure. "There is still a lot to do though." she sighed.

"Does Frau Rees always talk to her self?" a distinctly German voice asked. Emily looked to the door where an averaged height blue man stood.

"Only when no one else is around." The man smiled revealing cat like teeth.

"I tsee." he moved in and looked around. "Xavier asked me to see if there vas anything Frau Rees needed."

"There is one thing."

"Was ist da?"

"You not to call me Frau Rees. I prefer Emily or Emily Elizabeth. That may change if I find Herr Rees but for now…" she trailed off. The man nodded. Then suddenly looking distracted we apperated toward her in a poof of blue smoke.

"You aren't frightened?" he asked. She wondered if this was possibly a test. If so she had to pass, the students were going to be frightening enough.

"Of course not. Curious though, what's your name?" The man looked toward his feet.

"Kurt Wagner, but in the Munich circus I was 'The Amazing Nightcrawler'!" for to look so shy she was amazed at the pride in his voice.

"You would be the mutant I was told helped the children escape from the dam last year then?"

"Ja, I helped. But I never would have done so much had it not been for Storm."

"There's a piece of work." Emily commented leaving her desk to rearange a row of desks.

"You do not like Storm?"

"Hard to like someone who you don't know. I've met her once before last night. She got here when I left last time." Emily shook her head.

"What happened?"

"Words were exchanged. I don't think she remembers me though. I know I didn't until Charlie introduced us."

"Why did you leave to live in England?"

"My parents thought it was a good idea for me to get away from the school. I was getting to close to one of the students. They said it was sure to lead to heart break for both of us. We were to young. Then I ended up falling for the wrong guy there but by the time they found out they were dead."

"Vat happened?"

"A lot. Maybe we can talk about it sometime. But it's too much to get into this close to my first class."

"Yes, we will talk again."

With a BAMF and a cloud of smoke he was gone. No sooner did she recover from the shock of his abrupt disappearance did the bell ring. With in seconds the room was full of students who quickly took their seats and looked to her. She automatically recognized the tense almost fearful aura. She zig-zagged her way through the students to the center of the room and smiled. She felt like an idiot standing there.

"No need to be afraid."

"You're a witch!" one of the students called out.

"Yea, they are known for eating little children." yet another yelled out.

"Okay, there have been four witches and only five wizards to eat children. These were in a tight spot or really evil. They also lived over a thousand years ago their tales were horribly retold and morphed into the stories adults tell little kids to keep them out of places they will get hurt. I am a witch yes. But I do not eat children or do any other foul practice you may have heard of. I am a normal person just like you."

"Ma'am we are mutants there is nothing normal about us."

"You all look normal." she answered. "We'll except you there in the back, no hats in here." The boy she had pointed to slowly pulled off his hat to reveal two pointed ears. "I see. Do the other teachers let you wear it?" he nodded. "Then you may here too." Emily looked over her students for a moment then making up her mind she pulled out her wand. "You are all afraid of a little stick then? The only difference in what I do and what you do it you are speacilist and I use a wand." She set her wand down in front of a sandy hair boy. "Don't touch that." gulping the boy nodded.

Emily pushed up her sleeves. Standing in front of everyone she did what she hadn't done since she was half drunk at a party with Scott begging her to stop. In one hand she summoned the mostiure from the air around her to form an orb, in the other she drew on the heat of the room to create a small orb of fire. The class gasp. Secretly Emily scolded herself. This was draining physically, mentally, and emotionally. Such a display would kill her by weeks end if she was forced to do it in every class. The students all watched amazed. She smacked the two orbs together without moving her hands and a burst of steam arose while this distracted them she apperated to her desk. By the time any of them had figured out what had happened the steam had cleared.

"I don't need my wand. It's much more draining but I don't need it. I want to build up a trust with you guys. But first you've got to stop fearing me. I'm not going to baby you like many of your other teachers would like. I'm not going to stand here and lie and tell you that there won't ever be a time that you're going to use this but you have to be able to stand in front of me with out wetting yourself." The girl Goldberg from breakfast raised her hand. "Yes?"

"What was you're lesson plan for the day?"

"To introduce magic."

"Then, Miss Emily I suggest you get on with it. We only have forty-five minutes per class and you just wasted fifteen."

"You're right. Magic is wonderful thing. But like just like your own mutations it's a tool. You must learn to control and predict it. Luckily for you, this is easy. Magic is very limited. Between laws, and the strength of the wielder most of those you will face in you're life won't be able to do the steam trick I demonstrated. Yes, Miss Goldberg?"

"How can you?"

"I'm glad you asked. My father controlled fire and my mother water. They were both mutants. This mutant background and being raised in a place where such things wasn't only supported but normal I started practicing and harnessing my powers at a very young age. I can use magic without a wand so well because it is how I taught myself. Anyone have a guess at how this could help me in a duel with another wizard?" the boy whose desk her wand rested on raised his hand.

"You don't have to bother with incantations and such in order to preform? You just do it."

"Exactly. I learned to tap my power and let it lose. Just like you have. What's your name and power?"

"Robert Zanarkand metamorphosis."

"Okay Robert, if I'm wrong please correct me, metamorphosis allows you to changer your physical form. Can you just do living things or non living too?"

"Right now mostly just living but X says with time I'll do more non living."

"Wicked. There are wizards called animagus whom can change into a creature with similar personality traits. I've got an idea. We are going to go around the room you state your name and mutation I will tell you what we have in the magical world for that ability. To Robert's left."

"Alex Harden, telepathic."

"Occulmency, very difficult. You can read one's mind using it. There are however many branches such as spells to alter the memory of a person. This is an art practiced only by powerful wizards after many years under the guidance and practice of an experienced personage."

"Jublie electric."

"Amazing, I don't think we have anything specific I know we have spells that will shoot shock waves or electric balls but…. I'd have to see it demonstrated sometime."

The class moved on this way. Some of the children gave her birth names others simply stated a name they had taken on while at the school. Deeper in the day she got some of the younger kids. She knew most wizarding schools waited till the child was nearing 10 or 11 but some of these kids were 7 and 8 not even close to being able to handle a bludger. One of the girls in the class her youngest class, second graders, broke down in tears when a fellow student proclaimed himself a pyro. She bore scars on her arms from a fire. Lunch was spent jotting down as much as she could of what she had learned from the students, including a post-it reminding her to pull out the memories for better notes.

"Wasn't it cool when she made that steam thing and teleported?"

"Not as cool as what she was saying about those death eater guys and Gary Potter who killed that repitle man."

"No way! My cousin's uncle on his mom's side's name is Potter, wonder if they are related."

"Doubt it. A hero related to King of Geekdom?"

Scott rolled his eyes behind his sunglasses. The students weren't as afraid of Emily today as they had been two weeks ago when she arrived. In fact she was all they talked about. Emily didn't seem to mind. She, even at this moment, was ready to answer any questions. It didn't seem to matter to her what she told about her past. More to the point the student had been asking him questions about growing up with a witch.

Scott ground his teeth. It wasn't supposed to be this way. She was supposed to be miserable. By now she should have knocked on his bedroom door in the middle of the night in tears. But nothing. She smiled and laughed, yesterday she had sat out watching some of the kids play soccer while she braided the hair of some of the younger girls. He wanted so badly to tell her he was wrong but he was to stuborn to admit it even to his self most the time. Besides, she's the one who made the mistake. I never told her not to write me. To cut me out. Yes, she's at fault she should appologize he thought.

He leaned against the window and watched Emily chatting with Rogue. There had to be something that would break her. Someone who would talk sense into her. Not Kurt, he might agree that she had things to appologize for but he treasured the fact that she spoke nearly fluent German too much to turn on her. Xavier would do it but Scott had never brought him into their feuds as a child and wasn't starting now. Then it hit him. Jenna. He fumbled in his pant pocket and pulled out his cell. There number eight on speed dial was Jenna he pushed the button. It rang…… once…….twice……maybe I shouldn't……. three times……I'm going to hang up……to late. Jenna answered and he found himself telling her Emily had been in town for two weeks and hadn't so much as thought about calling Jenna.

Josh ruffled Ann Marie's hair and grinned plopping down on the arm of the large chair in the common room. In his hand he held a letter and circling over his head was her mother's owl. She'd recognize the creature anywhere, it had never taken a real liking to her and frequently attacked. He unfolded the letter gently and began to read it out loud.

"My dear children, I write you from the most horrible flash back I've witnessed in a while. I'm sitting in my room at Uncle Charlie's and not a thing has changed. There are many things outside of these for walls that have changed, though. Things I had never put thought to. But they are all unhappy or not things I want my little ones to hear. Not yet at least.

I know there is no way for me to send another owl on your birthday little Annie so HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Write me and tell me what it is like to be a legal witch for the first time. Remind me someday to tell you why I can't remember my first day. I arranged before I left for your gift to arrive. It isn't much but it will have to do.

Have you put any thought into joining me here full time AFTER school? Probably not. You two have grown up into what I want to be if I ever grow up. Ann and I are sorry we weren't able to provide more for you but we were dealt a bad hand of cards and did the best we could. Please put some thought into moving here. You won't have to be registered. You'll be able to do some good and even get jobs that won't be low end dealies.

So want hear about my day? After dropping you two off and racing home, thank God for apperation, I sent my baggage along and then gave Ann a VERY tearful good bye. Aside from her weekend visits to her parents this is the first we've been separated since I came back to the farm for good. It scares us both to have an ocean between us. When I got State-side I had to sift through paper work, and who-knows-what. Then I go out to wait on Scottie. He shows up and it's like everything was suddenly okay between us. OH Baby Girl before you come this way Christmas stop at home and get your old boy band cds Scott wants them. Half way home he blows up at me about growing up and how things have changed and tells me Jeanie (his long time girlfriend) died. I'm completely floored. When we got to the manison I was pretty much on my own. Had a meeting with Charlie then came to my room to write your letter.

Someone's at the door. Inside is a letter for your mum Joshy. Use a school owl let Jenna have a few days off before you send her out.

Forever love,

Aunt Mum"

"Well, we can't send Ann her letter tonight it's past curfew." Ann Marie said holding her arm out for Jenna to land on it. Her mother had jokingly named the bird after her sister. It was true the two shared a lot of personality qualities, though.

"Yea, I'll run up in the morning before breakfast." she said sliding down into her lap careless of the book that was lying there.

"Josh, honey. You're smashing my book." Josh raised himself so she could remove the book then dropped back down again.

"You going to think about it AM?" she cocked her eyebrow.

"Moving?" he nodded. " I don't know. If it's all the great over there why didn't we move when I was little?" Josh shook his head.

"Whatever. What you think she got?" he asked changing the subject before Ann Marie had time to get fired up.

"I don't know. Probably, luggage bags." she said sarcastically.

"You're in a fine mood." he said stroking the owl.

"Just tired. Come on get up I'll send Jenna up to the tower, then we should head to bed. We can talk about this tomorrow. We've both got a free period just after lunch?" Josh nodded and stood up.