Diaper U

Chapter 10

After tossing and turning through his first night, trying to find a good way to lie down when there was unexpected and unwanted bulk rustling between his legs, Daniel had woken up crabby and late, with his bladder painfully full. With little time to get breakfast, he'd taken a shower–and peed in the shower, too, so he wouldn't have to actually wet himself again–then changed into a fresh diaper as quick as he could and hurried to get to his first class.

He wasn't the last one in the room, but it was close.

The Covenry Hall was one of the largest in the school, and with good reason. Covens required space to operate, necessitated large groups, and–of course–the class was fundamental to their education.

Or, well, it was fundamental to the witches' educations. Daniel, a warlock, could have gone a couple years without ever needing to bother interacting with this field of magic. Still...it was on the syllabus of every student at Alphabeta, so he couldn't exactly blow it off.

Arranged in many tiered sections that arced up so that every coven would have a good view of the teacher at the front, dozens of ten foot sections were separated by curved walls, so that the huge lecture hall reminded Daniel of the interior of a seashell. Each bubble contained five or six girls, sitting on beanbags that were arranged in a semicircle so that they could face each other while still seeing the front of the room.

Narrow staircases ran up the sides to reach each coven's personal bubble. Looking around, Daniel tried to guess which one was his–he knew his covenmates' names, but not their faces.

"Daniel Aster," a voice to his right said, and Daniel almost jumped–he hadn't noticed Professor Blackburn. She stood off to the side like an assassin ready to pounce; her black robes and black hat helped her blend into the blackboard that dominated the wall behind her.

He looked at her, trying to gauge if she was happy to see him. Surely she didn't like him–the general vibe he'd gotten from faculty was vague disdain and outright hostility–but Blackburn's expression seemed neutral and polite.

"Hello, Professor," Daniel said, testing the waters of diplomacy. "I'm looking forward to learning under you."

"A moment of your time," she replied, cutting to the chase. "I know the comments some of my colleagues have made, but I want to be clear–once this conversation is over, I will expect you to behave just as any of my other students, and I will treat you no differently."

"Thanks," Daniel said, hesitating for a moment. "I think."

"This means I expect you to perform as well as any other student," Blackburn continued. "You call yourself a warlock, but I'm not teaching warlocks."

"Warlocks can be in covens," Daniel pointed out. "Typically only Covens of Eight, but still–covens."

"That's true." Professor Blackburn's eyes seemed to sparkle for a moment, flaring with amusement. "As the coven's Focus, the fulcrum they pour their power into. A warlock leading a Coven of Eight can be a truly terrifying thing–one mage with that much power and the skill to use it is a rare thing. All the power of a coven, all the speed of an individual caster with scarcely seen mastery."

"So," Daniel said. "There shouldn't be a problem."

"Mmm. Daniel, don't forget–there are five other witches in your coven, and you'll be getting no special treatment," Velma pointed out.

"So?" Daniel asked.

"So, why do you assume you'll be chosen as your coven's Focus?" Velma asked. "Or, I should say–a coven of six has no explicit Focus, so why do you assume you'll be given such control?"