self-work, self-profit || c. divus

「2」

"I, Ms. Rhodonite, will be your professor from now on."

Jack Howl exited the classroom with his tail wagging from side to side, an indescribable feeling within him that kept his eyes wide open. It was not just him; the other students who had left the classroom before him were the type to walk with their backs bent forward in lethargy had now walked straight as if they learnt how to posture 101. He patiently waited for Epel who was neatly rearranging his pencil case, a small issue that his dorm leader had repeatedly reminded the poor boy to care for.

"Waiting for your friend, Howl-san?" His professor asked the moment she stepped out of the classroom and slightly pointed at the last person left inside. "It seems that Pomefiore students have it rough when it comes to tidiness."

"Yes, we have Potionology together next period after all," he answered politely. "Good work this morning, Professor!"

"Good work to you and Felmier-san too for paying such close attention," Pandora complimented, adjusting the cufflinks on her blouse sleeves. "Well, now I know it wasn't an overstatement when the headmaster told me the previous professor of this class was slacking off. It's only natural for me to turn the tide."

"I see," he nodded before another question lit up in his mind. "Oh, about how you summoned those firecrackers and fireworks within the classroom...they weren't real, were they?"

"Precisely. It's something you'll eventually learn how to do in your senior year, but it isn't technically on the syllabus that you must learn," came an explanation. Pandora took out her compact mirror that he had seen her use at first glance, and she turned the face towards him until he could see his own reflection. "It's usually called Illusion Magic, but to materialise objects without causing a mess requires immense concentration and training. So, tell me. You can see your reflection through the mirror right?"

"Yeah."

"Now imagine any object that pops into mind. First, think of it as a shadow –– focus on its shape. Oh, and you can't close your eyes."

"I can't close them? That's hard..."

Nonetheless, the man scrunched up his face and glared at his own reflection in the mirror. Pandora then continued to instruct the next few steps. "Illusion magic is definitely known to be easier for people who are good at illustrating, too –– it's because there are so many steps to completing art that illusion magic requires. Now that you've thought of its shape, you can move on to adding its base colours, and the size of it when you put it in your hands. Finally, the texture."

While she could not see what he was thinking, she knew it was a success the moment his eyes widened in dumbstruck, moving his face closer to the compact mirror. "It worked! I can't believe it –– my cactus is right in front of me!? Oh, it disappeared."

Coral eyes shifted back into the classroom once she noticed that the last student to exit, Epel, had taken notice of the mini-lesson. His eyes shone brightly before making his way towards them with speed. "What's this? Is it for what happened at the beginning of the lesson?"

"She said it's something we're gonna learn in our senior year."

"So in two years? Sweet!"

Conveying their departures along with a thank you from Jack, the schedule Pandora had resting within her pockets wriggled out, unfolding itself within her peripheral vision. "A free period? How convenient. I can use this time to get used to the library first."

And that's what she did. First, her eyes landed on the most attractive place on the map, the library. Invited by floating hardcovers and the same eerie green flames like the chamber containing the Mirror of Darkness. The aisles of bookshelves were stacked in the order she preferred best, allowing her to skim through the spines of each with the aim to find the reference books she could not have gotten her hands on as a normal citizen. While the library was recommended to be used by students to study, the restricted section was only allowed for professors and the headmaster himself.