Chapter 4 – The First Day
"Get up Susie or you will be late," Susie heard someone say far away. She didn't want to get up, she lay so softly, it was like floating on a cloud, but then someone shook her.
"Get up!" Susie opened her eyes, it had been Christina who had been calling and now shaking her. Christina had her blue school robes on and a school bag over her shoulder. Susie woke up at once, had she overslept.
"What time is it?" Susie asked and looked around; there was only her and Christina in the room.
"It's almost 8, you have 30 minutes to get dressed and get some breakfast. We all overslept, I've been calling for 5 minutes, but you were completely gone. The two others went down for breakfast, so come on get a move on or you'll be late for the first lesson," Christina said and went downstairs. Susie hurried up and 10 minutes later she entered the Ice Hall. The banners over the tables waved as she entered, the Great Hall was filled with students more or less done with their breakfast. Susie went over to Arctos' table.
"Taking your beauty sleep I see," Colette said and moved to make room for Susie.
"Yeah, I guess I was really far away, hehehe," Susie said and put some marmalade on her toast.
"I wonder when we get our timetable," said Christina and just as she said that a piece of paper appeared in front of her, she looked stunned and looked up if any other had gotten a piece of paper and so they had. Susie's had landed on her half eaten toast and was all sticky on the back of the marmalade from the toast.
"Great just great, this isn't my day," Susie said and tried to get the marmalade off the paper.
"We are going to have History of Magic in the two first lessons," said Colette with a frown.
"What's wrong?" Christina asked and looked wondering at Colette.
"This means we are going to have Professor Leeve," Colette said and turned her head up towards the teacher's table. Susie looked up at the table, the only teacher who sat there, was the one who had yelled for silence the night before.
"Who is she?" Christina asked.
"She's pure evil," Nita said.
"She can't be that bad," Susie said.
"Trust me, she can, well from what I've heard she can torture the best student if she wants," Nita said.
"Torture! You mean like hurting people?" Susie asked and looked with shock at Nita.
"Nooo, mentally, my brother can't stand her, you know there are rumours that she was you know a Death Eater," Nita said.
"What is a Death Eater?" Susie looked puzzled. Her mom hadn't really told her anything about the magic world, so she could just as well have been Muggle born.
"Well the Death Eaters were working for a really bad wizard who lived many years ago, they tortured and killed people. The wizard then tried to kill a little boy years ago, but instead he died himself," Colette said.
"Wow, glad he's dead then," said Christina. The girls didn't have time to talk more as the bell rang.
"Oh it's time, ehhh where is the history class do you think?" Susie asked and looked at the other girls.
"It's on the third floor," said Nita. Then the girls followed the other students out of the Great Hall.
When they finally reached the class they couldn't get in as the door was locked.
"Why's the door locked?" Susie heard Trym ask, he tried and takes the handle, but the door didn't want to open.
"It's to keep you little maggots out of the classroom," a loud voice said behind the group of students. They all turned and there stood their teacher.
"20 point from Arctos," said the woman. Trym looked petrified at the woman.
"Why? He was just asking, he didn't do anything," said Christina.
"Better be careful or you will loose 20 more, Miss Lindbæk," the professor said. She went over to the door and opened it. Christina was about to say her opinion, but Trym took her arm and shook his head and whispered.
"Let it go."
The students went inside and sat down. The professor went up to her desk.
"Sit down quickly, this isn't a nursing home," she said. Then she took out her wand and pointed at the blackboard and on it was written Professor Edel Vita Irene Leeve, History of Magic teacher.
"Well as you can see I've got the not so flattering job to teach you youngsters in History of Magic, you have of course all bought the necessary books for this term and we'll be starting out with the basics as it is required, so some of you who don't know a dragon dung about what our community is about and the history behind it, so turn up on chapter 1 in The Nordic Academy – A History. This chapter is about the four founders of this school, who can tell me who they are?" Professor Leeve said. The students were all stunned and no one had thought about raising their hands until Nita, who sat next to Colette put up her hand.
"Yes, girl don't just sit there waving your hand, speak up," the professor said.
"It's Tomas Tomason, Kristina Kidíer, Margrethe Markusdatter and Sven Svenson," Nita said quickly. Professor Leeve didn't look pleased of the fact that someone actually could answer the question.
"That is unhappily correct, but don't expect any points for this. As no one else could answer the question you all now have to read chapter one, so go on, the book won't read itself," the professor said and sat down behind the desk. The students found their books out, some whispered while they did it, which they shouldn't have.
"20 points from Miss Sunniva and Miss Dancock, each. I don't tolerate any form of noise," the professor said and looked angry at the two girls who had been whispering to each other. Christina who sat next to Susie was almost ready to explode.
"Keep it cool, Christina," Susie whispered, but she should have shut her mouth.
"20 points from Miss Blue as well, now read," the professor said. Christina made a hissing sound and was close to jump up, but she sat still. Arctos had already lost 60 points within 10 minutes. The students began to read in the book and it ended up in reading the rest of the two lessons. Before they were allowed to leave they got homework. Two rolls of parchment about chapter one and two. The students went out very angry and everyone hated the teacher.
"I hate her; she's the meanest woman I've ever met," Christina said, "taking 20 points for whispering it's absurd, I don't know if I can be quiet if it happens again." Susie didn't like the teacher either, but she liked the reading in the book, she already knew a lot about the founders. Especially Tomas Tomason, who sounded really interesting. He was the one who was behind the House of the Arctos.
"What is our next class?" Susie asked. She had been looking for her time table, but she couldn't find it, she was about to think if she had forgotten it at the table in the Ice Hall.
"Mmmmm, it's Defence Against the Dark Arts," Colette said. So of they went to the Defence Against the Dark Arts class. The door stood wide open; when they entered no one was in there, so the students sat down quietly.
"Good morning class, why the long faces?" a male voice said behind them, all turned as one and there stood the man who had leaded them to the school the night before.
"Mr. Grodjevik why the long faces?" the man said.
"Oh we've just had History of Magic, not what we had expected," Trym said.
"Ah yes, professor Leeve, she is a sweetheart don't you think," the professor said and he laughed when he saw the student's surprised faces, "just kidding, well out with your books and let's begin." That class was amazing, the teacher talked most of the lesson about what Defence against the Dark Arts was and about the evil wizard who was killed 10 years ago. When the lesson ended it was lunch time. So they all went down to the Ice Hall. Just as they had sat down owls came in through the windows with packages and packages.
"Oh shoot I haven't written my parents yet, I better do that after school," Christina said when she saw all the owls. Susie who sat with her back to the House of the Cetus table heard a lot of whisper, she turned and she saw a group of Cetus students around the Dancock girl who had lost 20 points.
"Cool, I wish I went to Hogwarts," a boy said, "I wonder how he looks, I wonder how he killed You-Know-Who."
"No one knows," the Dancock girl said. Susie was curious who they talked about.
"Eh who are you talking about?" Susie asked. The girl looked up and smiled.
"Hehehe, got a letter from my sister, she's a fifth year at Hogwarts, she writes that Harry Potter has started at Hogwarts this year," the girl said.
"Who is Harry Potter?" Susie asked. The students looked at her like she had fallen down from the moon.
"You don't know who Harry Potter is? Everyone know who that is," the boy who had talked before, said.
"I don't know who Harry Potter is either," Christina said.
"Harry Potter is the one who killed You-Know-Who," Colette said. The other students nodded.
"And now he's started at Hogwarts, I think I'll write back to my sister and ask her all about it. Oh I'm Sydney by the way, Sydney Dancock," the girl said. They spent the rest of their lunch talking about everything from Harry Potter to Professor Leeve.
After lunch they had two more lessons, which was herbology. It was a weird class or it was more the teacher who was weird. She was a little elderly woman with purple hair and in purple robes. During the whole class she ran around between the students. You weren't aloud to do a thing when she was around, because she did all the work for you and when the bell rang, they were all glad to get out of the greenhouse.
"You know she's married to the headmaster, she really know her things about herbology, but she's not good at teaching," Nita said when they walked back to the ice castle. It was windy and cold and all though it was September they could feel the winter coming soon.
"Anyone up for a little walk before we start on the homework?" Susie asked.
"Uh that would be nice, we've been cooped up all day," Colette said. They went up to their dormitories with their bags. When they came back down they met Sydney, Anna and Abelone in the entrance hall.
"Hey are you on your way out as well," Christina asked.
"Yeah we want to go down to the beach, all though it's not the weather to it, but it will be nice with some fresh ocean air," Anna said. The seven girls walked down to the beach. With the waves hitting the big rocks, Susie looked out over the ocean she could only see water, but then she saw something that looked like an island.
"What is that?" Susie asked and pointed towards the island.
"That's the forbidden island or the Isle of Agrona as it's called as well," Nita said and looked at the island.
"Why is it forbidden?" Christina asked.
"Because there live many dangerous creatures over there," a voice behind them said. When they turned three girls stood behind them. They looked to be second years and very different from each other. One had black hair, looked like she came from Asia, the other had dirty-blonde hair and blue-green eyes, the third girl was tall and had brown hair.
"Hi, sorry if we scared you, you are new right, welcome to the Nordic, I'm Vilja, this is Serena and Amara," the girl with the brown hair said.
"Why is an island filled with dangerous creatures so close to a school?" Susie asked.
"Oh never try and understand the mind of the Ministry of Magic, they don't know how to tie their own shoes," the asian girl called Amara said.
"Well it was nice to meet you, but we better head back to school," Vilja said and the girls turned and went back to the castle.
"We should do the same, on their way back they caught up with the three girls from before they had stopped and looked at five boys who ran towards the place from where the first year students had come up the night before.
"Should we say it to the teachers, I don't trust them and poor Martin, he wouldn't stand a chance against them," they heard the girl Serena said.
"What's wrong?" Colette asked.
"Oh it is four, fifth years from Lupinus who has chased a boy called Martin from Cetus down the caves. They are always after him; he can't really stand up for himself," Amara said.
"Can you blame him, they are twice as big as he is and he's one against four," Serena said.
"I think we should tell the Head of Cetus," Vilja said, "I have a bad feeling that this could end wrong if it keep on going like this."
The girls went back, Serena, Vilja and Amara knocked on the door to the teacher's room, while the seven other girls continued. The four girls from Arctos said goodbye to the three others when they reached the hall that lead them to their common room. Back in the common room it was hard to find a space where they could sit. Every cushion, chair and table was taken, so the girls decided to go down to the library.
"Why do people all study at the same time, it's hard to find a place to sit," someone said when they entered the library. It was Trym who stood next to the quiet boy from the day before, Jan. They looked around to find a free table.
"Anything free?" Colette asked. The boys turned around.
"Doesn't look like it, hey there is one. I think there is room for us all," Nita said and pointed down an aisle, at the end was a big table. The first years hurried down and took it in front of two other students who muttered and went away to look for another table.
"They should seriously set up some more tables, so everyone can have a place to sit," Christina said and slammed her bag down on the table. The students around shushed at her and she got bright red of embarrassment.
"Sorry, hehehe," Christina said and sat down quietly.
"Hey what about taking History of Magic first?" Susie asked and was about to take her Nordic Academy – A History out of her bag.
"No way, I just want to forget that subject at the moment, I can't believe that a woman like that is teaching," Christina said and took up her Defence Against the Dark arts book up.
"We are not having History of Magic until tomorrow," Jan said and took up his Defence Against the Dark Arts book as well.
"Well good luck, luckily we don't have her until Wednesday, Colette said, "all though that is soon enough."
They began to study and sat in the library until supper, and then they went down to the Ice Hall and ate.
After dinner some returned to their homework. Christina went up to the girls' dormitories and wrote a letter to her parents. Others sat in the common room talking. Susie decided that this was the opportunity to read a little bit in Nordic Academy – A History. She read something about the Arctos' founder Tomas Tomason.
Tomas Tomason
Tomason was the first born and came from Iceland. His father was a very powerful wizard and sat in the wizard court at that time. Tomason's mother was Gudrun Gudmunsdottíer the witch who invented the self-cleaning mirror. Tomas Tomason was a big guy and looked like a big polar bear with his almost white hair and when he was a full-grown man he grew a big white beard that almost covered his face. Tomas was a kind man, but if he got mad he could be heard miles away with his yelling and he would sound like a bear who roared. People were afraid of him, not that he had a short temper, but he could quickly get angry if there was something he thought wasn't right. It wasn't a surprise either when he succeeded to do an animagus that it would be a polar bear. He often used his identity as a polar bear instead of his human form, he liked to be alone up north away from the humans and just walk around on the ice. It also meant that he never really settled down and got a family.
Tomason was a brilliant wizard and mastered transfiguration to perfection; he also enjoyed the mystery behind arithmancy and potions. He also enjoyed doing charms. Tomason lived a long life and died at the age of 135 a cold winter's night and until then he had been a big part in the school's success.
Before Susie could go on to the founder of the Lupinus, she was interrupted. It was Trym who came and sat next to her.
"I can't believe you read that book, do you like the subject?" Trym asked.
"Yes I do, but I don't like the teacher," Susie said and closed the book.
"Well I've decided that History of Magic isn't my subject, hehehe, I fall asleep, I actually had a good nap during the lessons, I just don't hope I start to snore, I don't want to loose 20 points, hehehe," Trym said and laughed.
"What are you two laughing at?" It was Vilja, who had just entered the common room.
"Oh it's Professor Leeve," Susie said.
"Ahhh nasty woman, don't look forward to second year, you think the homework is bad on first year, just wait until next year," Vilja said.
"Hey how did it go with telling the teacher about that boy," Susie asked.
"They will look into it, but I know these guys, they are up to no good and I'm afraid that Martin will suffer, on the way up I heard that the boys have dared Martin to go over to the Forbidden Island, but I don't know if it's true," Vilja said and looked worried.
"But why don't the boys get kicked out or something?" Susie said.
"Are you crazy, the boys have very important parents, it would mean big trouble for the headmaster, but then again, it would make Professor Leeve happy, she really wants to be headmistress, actually she sort of already is. The headmaster only cares about his roses," Vilja said, "I'm sad to call myself Swedish with a Headmaster like that."
"Oh you're from Sweden, cool, hey I've been thinking, how come we all can understand each other, I've wondered about that?" Susie asked.
"Wow I thought you already knew that, hehehe, it's a spell they have cast over the school and its grounds and on the Unicorn as well, so you are able to understand each other no matter language you speak," Vilja said.
"Cool," Susie said.
"Well I better turn in, it's been a tough day," Trym said and got up. He said goodnight and went upstairs.
"I better turn in as well, we have history of magic tomorrow morning," Vilja said and smiled. Susie decided to go to bed as well, she was tired, it had been such an interesting day and it was like her head rotated. No one was in the dormitories yet, so Susie went straight to bed. When the others came up, she was already sleeping.
