Hey everyone that's reading this! I know I know, I haven't updated in a while, but I've been really busy and all... After watching Howl's Moving Castle for the 50th time last weekend, I had an urge to write and get this uploaded :) Sadly, I got in trouble and got my laptop taken away... Sadness! So I might not update for a while. Again. I'm sorry, but I hope this chapter is good enough as an apology! :)

Chapter Seven: A New Discovery

MARKL POV

Staring down in awe at the large book on the table, I raise my hand to ask a question. The teacher calls on me, and I stutter. "Um, so, we just have to memorize and learn half of the spells in this book?" We have just been past out a big, brown, dusty old book. They weigh around half of my weight, and we have to read to the middle of the book by tomorrow... and memorize all the spells that we come across.

"That is correct, deary." Ms. Goldenburry replies to my question. Although she looks kind, she doesn't act like it. She wears fancy high heels everyday, usually a bright, neon color. To go along with her shoes, she wears a non-matching dress or blouse and skirt. Her hair is black and shoulder length with original bangs placed horizontally across her forehead down to her eyebrows. Ms. Goldenburry is very strict and mean. She gives us tons of homework every night, plus all the other homework we have from other teachers. I thought that this place would be amazing, but boy was I wrong.

I start to work on my homework when there is a knock on my door. My roommate gestures that he is busy and I go to answer it. Fendrel is the name of my roommate. All the other kids and Fendrel are very nice and fun to be around. Everyone hates this place, other than Hadrian and his best friend, of course. All of the teachers love Hadrian because his father owns part of the orphanage, and he is such snob and a teachers pet. Hadrian is just a plain old jerk, and nobody likes him.

I reach the door and twist the knob, revealing the devil. "Hello Hadrian. What would you like?" I ask politely, using my manners and acting like I don't hate him. Although, it is obvious that I do.

"Oh, it's you..." Hadrian says in disgust, and I turn around to face Fendrel, who gives me a sympathetic look and returns to his homework. I roll my eyes and glare at Hadrian.

"Um, yeah, it is me. This is my room, isn't it? Unless I got confused and have the wrong key and roommate and stuff." I say sarcastically.

"I don't know! I just picked a door on and knocked on it. Now, I want your notes for the test tomorrow and my homework done and sent to me by 12:00 tonight. Got it?" With that, he starts to walk away.

"Wait! Hadrian, why don't you just do it yourself?" I demand, and he scoffs and heads back towards me.

"Oh Markl, you just don't understand, do you? As you can see, I'm not the sharpest tool in the shed. So I get other people to do my work for me. Or, at least give me the answers... Well, ta-ta for now!" Hadrian flicks his wrist at me and swiftly moves down the hall to the elevator.

"Oh my God! Can you believe him? I mean really, he should just do it himself. I'm definitely not doing it for him." Complaining, I sit on my bed and flip through the pages of that gigantic book we have to read from.

Fendrel nods in agreement. "Yes, you are correct. I don't think you should do it... But wait," Fendrel says, and I focus my attention on what he is going to say next. "His family practically owns the place. If you don't do it, he could get his parents to get you in trouble... or worse, they might expel you!"

I gulp as the thought runs through my mind. If I get kicked out of this school, I'll have nowhere to live! As I fret over the idea, I come across a spell that might help me through this problem. A smile appears on my face as I grab my wand, a quill, and a piece of paper on my desk and rush into the closet.

"Um, Markl, may I ask what you are doing in the closet?" I hear Fendrel's voice outside calling.

"Nothing! I'll be out in a few minutes! Don't worry about me." I reassure him.

"Well all right."

When I make sure that he is far from ear shot, I begin writing a letter on the piece of paper, letting Howl know what's going on. After I'm done, I take out my wand and cast the spell. "Send yourself to Howl's Moving Castle. Just do it and don't make a hassle."

The letter floats up the air vent in the ceiling, folds up, then puts itself into an envelope that had just appeared out of nowhere. Instead of going through the vent, it vanishes, leaving dust around the room and Fendrel letting out a small cry and cough. "MARKL!" He yells, and I hurry out to see what the aftermath of the spell is.

When I arrive to the main room where the TV is and where Fendrel is working on homework, I see a strange, green transparent gas drifting in the atmosphere in the room. Fendrel is sitting at the desk with his eyes shut tightly while his hand is sweeping back and forth, left to right in front of his face trying to lure away the gas. "Markl! I- Can't- Breath!" Fendrel stutters, and that's when I notice that my best friend's face is blue.

"Oh my god! I am so sorry!" I apologize and go to the front door. Next to the door is a lever to use in case of an emergency, so I act quickly and take hold of the lever, pulling in down.

"MARKL! Now what did you do?" Fendrel exclaims as water rushes down on top of him and all over the rest of the room.

"I pulled the emergency lever! I'm so sorry! But I think this will make the gas go away," I return to the living room with two towels and snacks. "Here you go. This is to make up for my mistake." I bow jokingly and take a seat on the bed. Suddenly, Fendrel bursts out laughing, and I get a perplexed expression on my face. "Wait, what...?" I trail off as Fendrel falls of the chair with a thump, and he doesn't even care. "Fendrel. Fendrel. FENDREL CALM DOWN!" I say loudly as he just ignores me and keeps laughing. I sigh and take a bite of my roasted unicorn liver. "Ew!" I slightly hop in my seat at the taste of this disgusting wizard food. "They call this delicious?"

"Okay, I'm okay. Sorry, that was just so funny!" He goes into another fit of laughter and I roll my eyes. Five minutes go by, and he finally finishes. "Okay. Now I'm okay. What spell did you use anyway?" I can tell that he is holding back more laughter.

"Well, I was sending a letter. I didn't think that was gonna happen!" Now that I think about it, it is pretty funny, and I giggle a little.

Fendrel looks like he had just gotten an epiphany. "Markl, I have the best idea ever..."

"All clear!" Fendrel tells me, and I nod. "Let's do this prank." While Hadrian and his roommate Sadon are in the dining hall eating dinner with the rest of the school, Fendrel and I had sneaked into their room, ready to perform our plan.

I sneak into the closet and take out another letter that I am going to send to Howl in a couple minutes. Fendrel and I did some more research on the sending spell, and we figured out that the gas can cause severe rashes for three months. It also lasts for at least twelve hours, unless you spray it with water or griffin saliva. We also found out that Hadrian and Sadon were supposed to return to their room in about five minutes, so I had to do the spell quickly. I take out the letter and my wand. Setting the letter on the ground, I position my wand and cast the spell. It goes through the same routine the other piece of paper did; floating up to the vent, folding up, putting itself into an envelope, and finally disappearing.

I run out of the room and into the elevator with Fendrel. Once we return to our room, we high five and laugh at our idea. Although it is mean, it is worth it.

We change into clothes that aren't all black and look like we are criminals and go down to the hall to eat. Surprisingly, that's the first fun thing that has happened in this cruel orphanage.

HOWL POV

As I am laying in my bathtub with bubbles surrounding me, I here a small explosion. The next thing I know, there is a note on my forehead. Furrowing my brow in curiousness, I peel it off and unfold it. I skim through it and once I see who it's from at the bottom, a smile creeps onto my face. I feel like I could jump for joy, but I know that that's not very mature, so I just keep my composure and finish up in the tub.

After applying all of my precious hair products and potions, I hurry to my room and dry up, then throw on a clean outfit to wear for the day. Next, I sit at the desk and quickly scribble a reply to Markl at the orphanage. I am so excited that my hand is quivering and I accidentally splatter some ink on my newly made letter. Frowning, I write my explanation for the big black dot in the middle of the page and sign my name at the bottom. After I finish writing my name, I rush downstairs to get the bottle full of griffin saliva to make the green gas go away after I have cast the spell. I sprint back up the stairs and open the bottle, then say the spell and spray saliva all over the room.

The letter has been sent. Hopefully Markl will receive it soon and reply back. On the way back to my room, another letter floats down onto my blond hair and I curiously read it. It's another letter from Markl. He must really miss me! Because, I mean, I'm awesome. I think conceitedly and flip my hair as I walk through the door. This letter is explaining everything that's happening, but the other is explaining how much he hates it there and what it's like. I feel horrible for the poor kid. I meant for him to have a good life in a wizard orphanage, and for someone sweet and really good to him to adopt him.

Again, I write a letter back to him apologizing and letting him know that if he needs anything to just send me a letter. I'll always be here for him, no matter what.

MARKL POV

As I am eating down in the main dining hall, I here an alarm go off. It is coming from upstairs, and Fendrel glances at me with a smirk on his face. After a while, Hadrian and Sadon come down, coughing and their faces blue.

"What on earth happened to you two?" Ms. Goldenburry asks them, a horrified expression on her face. "You are so blue! Let's take you to the office, shall we?" Ms. Goldenburry escorts them both out of the dining hall, and once they are out of earshot, the whole room bursts out into laughter. Fendrel and I flash each other another sneaky look and grin. We had done it.

After dinner, Fendrel and I return to our dorm and finish our homework, talking and giggling once in a while. We finally finish our homework and go to bed after the long day. Although this is the worst orphanage ever made, there is still more to come, and I have to learn to accept it.

Again, I'm sorry for not updating, but I'll try to be a good girl and receive my laptop again ;) But really, I try my best on writing the next chapter, but this is all I can give you for now... I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and please review! :)

p.s. I just wanted to let you all know, if you didn't know already, that this story will be over soon :( But let me know if you have any ideas for a Howl's Moving Castle story, and I will be glad to look into it! Also tell me if you want me to end this story or finish it by rewriting the movie in Howl and Markl's POV. Thanks everyone! Again, please review and let me know what you think :)