The School of Bermuda - Volume 1 - The hunter's daughter

-4-

The waiting week had passed, and Ree's parents were taking the two girls to the boat early in the morning.

The silent port was covered in mist, giving a macabre air to the docks, but several people were already waiting. Other students, some already wearing their uniforms, others dressed like non-wizards, almost all accompanied by their parents.

"Are you going to be able to make it on your own?" Donatello asked his wife, worried.

"Yes, the baby is not due yet, don't worry about me."

"You're not accompanying her?" Lili asked.

"My dear, Donatello is boarding the boat with you, he is a professor."

A horn sounded in the silence of dawn, and all the first years stepped forward to see the boat, but Donatello and a woman made them step back.

"Don't get too close," the woman in green with a tan complexion advised. "We don't know exactly where they will place the boarding gangway."

"Are you a professor?" asked a girl with black hair sprinkled with natural-looking pink streaks.

"Yes. I am Sara Harisson, your White Magic teacher."

Lili observed her. The woman seemed quite young, with straight shoulder-length hair and beautiful brown eyes. Her dress seemed to reflect several shades of green, and her belt held her wand and a sparkling dagger. A sleepy otter was perched on her shoulders.

In the mist, the front of the boat gradually appeared. The figurehead depicted the head of a magnificent white horse, and wings were sculpted on each side of the frigate.

The boarding platform was lowered when the ship came to a stop, and other adults were waiting on board. Donatello stepped onto the gangway and faced the students. Lili noticed that a black cat had suddenly appeared by his side.

"That's his summoning," Ree explained. "Her name is Nyline, but Dad only calls her when he's at school because she talks a lot, even in front of non-wizards."

"This cat talks?"

"Like all summonings. I can't wait to be in third year!"

Lili observed the other adults. Sara Harisson's otter seemed to whisper something to the young woman, who silently burst into laughter. A young woman, apparently Egyptian, accompanied by a large black dog with an elongated head, approached Donatello to give him a paper. She was wearing white linen clothes and a blue cape that covered her left side, all matched with several Egyptian gold jewelry, including a tiara placed on her curly hair. She looked like a goddess.

"The list of students," the jackal said, cutting off the witch.

"Thank you, Anubis." Then he looked at the gathering and began. "I will call each of your names, starting with the upperclassmen and finishing with the first years. As soon as your name is called, you will board the ship."

All the students moved closer, and the roll call began. There were a lot of students from all different backgrounds. Lili turned to Ree.

"Say... How will we all understand each other? The students come from different countries, not all of them speak French."

"Don't worry. Dad told me that as soon as we enter a wizarding place, like the market, we are under the influence of a spell that allows us to instantly translate all languages, and apparently, it's a permanent spell."

"That's true," someone confirmed.

Behind them stood a nineteen-year-old girl from an Arab country, who, in addition to her brown uniform, wore a scarf of the same color around her head. Only a small curl of curly hair fell on her forehead.