ᑕᑌᖇIOᑌᔕEᖇ ᗩᑎᗪ ᑕᑌᖇIOᑌᔕEᖇ

"Nσƚ Aʅʅ Wԋσ Wαɳԃҽɾ Aɾҽ Lσʂƚ."

-The Cheshire Cat, 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland',
Lewis Carroll, 1865.

Y/n's POV

The Crowman's attention turns towards me with the same tone but just a little relieved.

"Ah, I've found you at last. Splendid." He bends down to pick up the bundled up Grim in his..talons?

'You are really trying for this 'Crow' aesthetic, wearing talon rings over your leather gloves.'

"I trust that you're one of this year's new students?" He huffs and crosses his arms, Grim wriggles and sways in his grip, the man shook his head as if already tired of this, whatever "this" is.

"My, were you ever eager to make your debut." Gesturing his 'beak' towards Grim. "And bringing a poorly trained familiar with you? That is a clear violation of the School's rules!"

'Student... Wait- does he think I'm starting school?? I just got the O-kay to graduate and now he thinks I'm going back!? Fuck that. Four-years of sleepless nights, mind-numbing lesson, stupid popularity contests, conveniently (suspiciously) missing assignments- just to start from scratch? Yeah, again: fuck that. And why does he think that Grim's my Familiar? He just tried to roast my ass!?'

I hold up my hand to interrupt him, but Grim does that for me, correcting the Mystery man, swinging around like a punching bag he snarls.

"As if I'd serve some lowly human! Now- LEMME GO!!" Rolling his eyes, the mystery man re-adjusts Grim so his body is pressed between his forearm and chest.

"Yes, yes. Rebellious familiars always say that. Do be quiet for a bit, won't you?" With a silent snap of his fingers the whip springs to life and wraps around Grim's muzzle tying itself in a neat bow.

Grim and I are shocked, both for similar yet different reasons, at his now shut trap but Grim yells in muffled protest. The man turns his eyes to me and he takes his free hand and placed it on my shoulder. "Dear me. Of all the students I've dealt with, you're the first with temerity enough to open their own gate and step out of it."

With the tone of a parent scolding a child, he holds up a clawed finger in a 'tsk-tsk' manner. "Does the very notion of patience elude you?" Waving away his rhetorical question as if it were bad gas. "No matter. Your orientation has already begun. Let us return to the Mirror Chamber." His hand returns back to my shoulder as he turns my body around and leads me out of the aisle.

"Gate..?" I questioned him, he blinks twice at the question and bends his head down slightly. "You awakened in a room full of gates, did you not?"

'More like a room of floating coffins..if he's talking about that room..' My internal dialog was interrupted by him as he continues his explanation. "All of the students here at campus arrived by passing through such gates." With a hint of sass he tightens his grip lightly. "Although typically the students have restraint enough to wait until I open them before waking up." Recounting what happened, I point towards Grim, who was in the process (or at least he thought he was) of escaping, and glared at the cat-raccoon. "Well I think a little SOMEONE blew the lid off my coffin..."

The man exhales forcibly, already wanting to be done with this conversation. "The culprit seems to be this familiar of yours." He shoots me a glare. "You're the one who insisted on bringing it, so curtailing it's behavior is your responsibility!"

'I don't even know what he is!?? Nor did I bring him to... WHERE EVER SCHOOL I'M IN!!' Getting angry I open my mouth to tell him that Grim wasn't mine (maybe even telling him off for assuming I'm still in school. I know I'm short don't rub it in ya stork!), he opens the door leading out of the library.

"But now is not the time for such prattle. You've got a student orientation to attend! Go on now, make haste!" He shuts me down before I got a word in, growling in frustration I flip my hood over to hide my face, turning around to face him. I glare up from underneath my hood, my patience wearing down fast, the hood is keeping me from at least making direct eye contact with him I don't want to go to jail for murder.

"First, just tell me: Where am I and second, who are you?" He looks confused and moves his free hand towards his mouth, his index knuckle resting under his lips, bending his body fully and meeting my eyes properly. "Hm? Have you not fully regained consciousness?? The timespace transportation must have addled your memories..." He concludes nodding to himself. Standing back to his full height he adds on. "Well, these things happen, I suppose. I shall explain it to you while we walk." He seemed to smile to himself as he turns me back around and guide me towards the stairs. "Truly, my magnanimity is boundless!"

While walking through the Courtyard I realized how scared I must have been, this School looks like an absolute fairytale, if I wasn't in a very weird circumstance, I would've liked this tour of "Night Raven College" this man or "Headmage Crowley" was giving me.

"It is an institution for students the World over who demonstrate a rare aptitude for magic. It is the most prestigious academy in all of Twisted Wonderland. And I, Dire Crowley. Having been entrusted with its care by the chairmen, I serve as Headmage."

"Magic?! Like as in teaching Magicians and Illusionists?" I was always interested in magic.

'I can thank my family for that, bad idea getting me into Harry Potter.' I thought with a cringe, they're probably shitting themselves trying to look for me.. Crowley holds up his index finger, effectively shutting me up.

"Only those who the Dark Mirror perceives as having a talent for magic are admitted into the college. Those who are selected are summoned to the Campus through those "gates" which can appear anywhere. A Black Carriage bearing one such gate should have come to meet you."

As if hearing a record scratch, I flinch at the memory of my near death play out once again. Shaking with fear I stuttered out a response. "I-it sure did.." 'And it almost ran me over and caused ultimate chaos in its wake.' I remember the scary black horses with beaming red eyes, their hooves galloping on stone. 'I'm gonna have nightmares forever..' I silently cry to myself as we pass underneath an apple tree.

"That black carriage serves to receive a student chosen by the Dark Mirror. It too bears a gate to this campus. And as you know-" 'No I don't!' "Sending a carriage to meet someone on a special day is a time-honored tradition." Without thinking and mumbling with my frustration. "So this Carriage dragged me here against my will?"

Grim apparently heard me and wiggles around violently.
"Mmrrrf! Mmmmmmrrrrrrffff!!"
Crowley didn't really mind or care about Grim's attempts, he places his hand on the door handle to the castle's front door. "Now, let us attend to your orientation."

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