Soon it was the start of the school year, and everyone was in the Great Hall waiting to see if any new students would be joining. All students were sitting at the respective tables, which represented their House.

The Great Hall have to be the largest room in the entire Academy with stone statues of all the gods decorating the room. Behind the teacher's table was a wooden carving of the World Tree with each of the Nine Worlds on its branches.

"How many students do you think we'll be welcoming?" Fishlegs asked.

Hiccup shrugged this was the first time he witnessed a ceremony like this. The truth of the matter was that he was supposed to be starting this school year, but he had to early since he was attacked by a fire giant.

"No clue," said Hiccup honestly. "How many students usually start the year?"

"It depends," said Astrid folding her arms. "Usually at about 10, but it could be more or less."

"Ten?"Hiccup stared.

"Not many demigods are able to make it this far," said Astrid. "Our parents have made quite a few enemies, and many of them don't wish to see their children to enrolled in the school. That's why they have Scouts in almost every school to keep an eye out and bring them here safely."

"Yeah, last year, there were about seven new students," said Snotlout. "And of course when you humans eighteen you have to go out there and then for yourselves."

Fishlegs gave him a dry look. "You have to leave the same time as we do Snotlout. I mean if that was true you should have left last year, you are over 30 years old remember."

"Which makes me more mature than you," Snotlout smirked.

Everyone just gave him a dry look.

"Moving on," said Hiccup. "I still don't understand how Mimir sorts the students out into their respective Houses."

"He has an excellent instinct on these things, no one is questioning him so far," said Astrid.

"You did the moment we arrived," Hiccup pointed out and immediately regretted saying that.

Astrid slowly turned towards him and glared at him.

"Look they're starting," said Fishlegs excitedly.

Hiccup gave a sigh of relief and turned towards the teacher's table and indeed saw that all of them had gathered. The Academy school board was rather unusual because all of them were deceased apart from Mimir. All of them were actually einherjar, souls that died bravely on Midgard, these ones, in particular, were chosen in order to train new heroes.

Becoming an einherjar was the biggest dream of every single student in Midgard as it meant they could enter into Valhalla or Folkvanger so that they could join the other great heroes. Of course, there was no guarantee as it was the Valkyries that decided who would ascend, and all of them had different views on what was heroic. Which was why everyone was striving to become an honorary einherjar which would guarantee their place in Valhalla when they died no matter the means.

Mimir was resting, if you pardon the expression, at the head of the table looking at everyone. "Bring them in."

The doors then opened, and about eight children between the ages of 12 and 16 entered with Gobber out in front guiding them. There were five boys and three girls, and all of them looked extremely nervous, except for one girl.

Hiccup looked at her closely, and she was obviously the oldest out of all of them roughly about 16. She had raven black hair, forest green eyes and was rather beautiful, but the only strange thing about her was the fact that her skin was quite pale as if she really saw sunlight.

"That girl looks rather out of place," Hiccup frowned.

Astrid followed his gaze and nodded. "Yes, but that's not all that unusual. Remember it's not just humans that come to the Academy."

"I know, but she's the only one of them not nervous."

Hiccup looked at her closely and then suddenly he had a vision. He saw himself and the others standing on a mountain range Eret was there along with the girl. He then saw Johann holding some kind of crystal that stringently looks like an eye. He then saw an image of Ragnar, and it looked as if he was running from something in some dry forests, and then he saw a dark shadow.

The vision then disappeared just as quickly as it came, and he felt almost faint.

"You all right?" Fishlegs asked, looking at him with concern. "You look like you're going to be sick."

Hiccup rubbed his forehead. "I'm fine, I just had another vision."

Astrid looked at him. "Really? What did you see?"

"I'll explain later," said Hiccup.

He had no idea what that vision was about, but it did clearly indicate that Ragnar was in trouble. The only problem was he didn't know when it happened, there was no clear picture, but Eret and the girl were definitely going to have a big part in it.

He was brought out of these thoughts by a loud horn, loud enough to be heard for miles, courtesy of Gobber. "Settle down and listen!"

"I wish he had a better way of getting our attention rather than busting our eardrums," Snotlout muttered as he removed his hand from his ears.

"Shh!" the twins hissed.

"Greetings students," said Mimir. "I am pleased to announce that we are getting more students this year and it is time to tell them and you which House they should belong to. When I call out your name, you will step forward, and I will announce your name, parentage and then your House. Once I finished, you will join your respected table, and there will be no arguing, am I clear?"

"Yes," said the new students.

Hiccup noticed a lanky boy of about 13 years, and he looked more nervous than any of them. There again he had just discovered that he was a demigod and now a severed head was going to introduce him to the entire Academy.

"This is it," said Snotlout rubbing his hands together. "New meat."

Astrid rolled her eyes. "They're going to be our new classmates, not your personal punching bags."

"Says you."

"Says me," said Hiccup narrowing his eyes at him. "And as head of House Thor, you will give them a warm welcome."

"That's assuming we get any new classmates," said Fishlegs timidly. "I mean, last year we didn't."

"You got me," said Hiccup.

"I meant during the opening feast," said Fishlegs. "It's not uncommon for House not to get any new classmates, we were just lucky to get just before the end of the first semester."

"I thought Mimir try to keep everything even?" Hiccup frowned.

"He also has to try and determine which student would fit in which House," said Astrid. "It's not an easy thing to consider."

Mimir called the new students one by one announcing their names and their godly parents to the entire class. He would then announce their House, and the student would quickly make his way to the respected table.

"James Carter! Son of Odin!" Mimir announced as a rather brawny 14-year-old step forward. "Make yourself at home at House Odin!"

The Odins cheered as James quickly made his way over to their table.

"Pierre Couture! Son of Freya!" Mimir yelled, and a rather handsome blond-haired 15-year-old French boy made his way forward. "Join your friends at House Tyr."

"That's a rarity," said Fishlegs as Pierre made his way to his table. "We don't often get students from other countries."

"Rebecca Jones! Daughter of Mani!" Mimir yelled, and a 12-year-old girl with hair as black as night stepped forward. "You shall join those in House Odin."

The Odins gave another cheer as Rebecca made her way to the table.

"Odin seems to be gaining quite a few new members," Snotlout grumbled.

"We haven't even gotten through everyone yet," Hiccup pointed out that just as Lance Stevens made his way to House Loki.

"Well, we're halfway done, and we're the only house who hasn't gotten a member yet," Snotlout muttered.

"Will you pipe down," Astrid glared as Rose Walker was making her way to House Tyr. "Some of us are trying to listen."

"And what's the point?" Snotlout muttered. "It's not like this is important or anything."

"Actually it is very important," Astrid snapped as Rocky Richards was heading towards the Lokis table. "Knowing who their godly parent is and what House they're placed in can give us an idea what kind of person they are."

"Looks like there's only two left," said Hiccup as he kept a close eye on the girl.

"And so far we haven't got any new blood," said Tuffnut.

"Who cares so long as we get to eat soon," Snotlout grunted as Roger Salt was making his way to House Odin.

"Can you for once not think about your stomach?" Astrid grunted. "I wish I had more female friends."

"You might get your chance because the last one is a girl," said Hiccup.

"And now finally allow me to introduce to you to Miss Heather daughter of Heimdall," said Mimir.

"No last name," said Hiccup.

"That means she has to be an elf," said Fishlegs.

"But she's too pale," Ruffnut pointed out.

"And she's a giant," Tuffnut offered.

"Miss Heather is a special guest all the way from Svartalfheim," said Mimir.

Everyone immediately gasped as they looked at one another astonished.

"She's a Dark Elf," said Fishlegs stunned.

Astrid frowned. "One has enrolled in the Academy for 500 years."

"And she's the daughter of Heimdall," Hiccup added. "Isn't he the guy that guards the Bifrost Bridge that connects Midgard to Asgard?"

Astrid nodded. "Yes, she is able to see and hear everything in every single world. Nothing can escape his sight so I find it strange that he would fall in love with a Dark Elf."

There was a lot of discussion among the other tables clearly this was the first time that any of the students had seen a Dark Elf.

Hiccup only knew them from what he read in the library, they were the distant cousins of the Light Elves, and they had a bit of a feud. Most of the books he read about Dark Elves were very varied, some of them said that they were the ones who created nightmares implanting them in children as they slept. Others say that in ancient times they would feed upon the sick and the infirm.

"Settle down, everyone," said Mimir. "I know all of you have heard rumours of Dark Elves, but let me assure you they are completely unfounded. You shall treat Miss Heather with the same respect you give to each other, and if there are any problems, they will be dealt with immediately."

There were a lot of quiet murmurs, but a good majority of the students did as they were told.

"Good, now Miss Heather will be joining House Thor and expect you to make her feel welcome," he said.

Hiccup looked at the rest of the members of his House and saw a few of them weren't exactly thrilled with the prospect.

Heather made her way towards the table and sat next to Astrid and Fishlegs.

"It's nice to meet you all," she said.

"Uh, likewise," said Fishlegs.

"Now with our new students settled into their Houses I shall tell you what to expect in this coming year," said Mimir. "No doubt some of you have heard rumours of Johann gaining an army, and I am sad to say that is confirmed. However, I can assure you that we are taking this threat very seriously and keeping a close eye on his movements."

Hiccup wished he was reassured by that, but he was still concerned about Ragnar, and then there was that vision he had a few moments ago.

"Now everyone, please tuck in," said Mimir.

Hiccup was wondering what they were supposed to tuck into as all the plates were empty, but then suddenly they magically appear directly in front of them. Hiccup had never seen so much food there was roasted boar, fried chicken and even there tankards were filled with mead.

"Whoa," said Hiccup stunned as he tried to figure out what to eat first. "Where did all this food come from?"

"That's right. I forgot, you never had a welcoming feast," said Astrid as she bit down the leg of chicken. "All this food comes from Valhalla."

"Even the mead?" said Hiccup looking at his tankard.

"Of course, it comes from the goat Heidrum. It's her milk proves the mead. It's good stuff."

Hiccup was rather concerned by the fact that since every student he was underage that they were given alcohol.

"It's not real alcohol," said Fishlegs reading his mind. "It just tastes like it."

"You should be lucky we get it at all, I hear rumours that it's difficult to pin the goat down to milk," said Snotlout.

"Don't they keep her in a pen or something?" Hiccup asked.

Ruffnut looked as if he was crazy. "Don't be ridiculous. She's a free-range goat. Honey tastes better that way."

"Of course it does, silly me," said Hiccup.

"Just be glad we get it," said Astrid as she drank a tankard of mead.

Heather looked at Hiccup. "I take it that you're new here as well."

"Not exactly, things ended up getting rushed when I was attacked by a fire giant."

"Ah, I see," Heather nodded. She then looked around the table as if trying to search for someone. "I heard there was another Elf in House Thor."

"You mean Ragnar?" said Hiccup. "I'm afraid he's not here."

"Oh, that's a shame I've heard a lot about him," said Heather looking disappointed.

"Count yourself lucky, he's not exactly friendly," said Snotlout.

Astrid glared at him. "And he has a perfect reason to be so cold as you know all too well." She then turned to Heather. "He's not as bad as Snotlout makes him out to be, though I don't know how he will react to a Dark Elf."

Heather merely shrugged. "I wasn't exactly expecting a warm welcome when I came here, but my brother insisted."

"Your brother?" said Fishlegs.

"Same mothers different fathers," Heather explained. "My brother thinks that I need to know other races as well as trying to improve relations with them and one cannot do that better than here."

"Sounds like a smart man, your brother," said Astrid looking at her curiously. "But why is it so important for you to get this experience?"

"I'm afraid I can't talk about it, but trust me my people are not as bad as other races make them out to be," she smiled.

Hiccup could tell that Astrid was still suspicious, but decided not to push the issue and began to continue her meal. Hiccup had no idea what this school year would bring, but he suspected that you will find out very soon.