Halley Wolffer

Chapter 7

The night was frozen and quiet as Halley tried to catch at least a few hours of sleep, many other girls were finding it complicated to keep their eyes closed and then, giving up at last, the wolf girl opened her eyes and stared for a long time at the blue-and-bronze canopy of her four poster bed.

Halley could not stop thinking about her future as a War Witch, and the thought that her mother was risking her life in battle at those very moments was really getting to her heart...

"Looney" Halley whispered to the bed next to hers, desperate to talk to her friend- "Looney... Looney, you awake?"

"What is it?" Looney answered a few seconds later, her blue eyes opening slowly.

Halley was not surprised that her friend remained awake, because after all, the Whakadoodles lived at Wicklow and so Looney and Isabella's parents would find themselves at risk that night, too. She guessed that the odd and dreamy girl was rather good at concealing just how concerned she really was, both girls looking into each other's eyes.

"What is War Magic... and why everyone wants to join that class?"

"It's... you know, the way that they guide and train future fighters for the Irish Army" Looney replied, looking up at the canopy of her bed- "And we all want to get into that because the military pays very good money- When you are fully trained, you are going to earn so much silver and gold that you will lose track of how much you really have, Halley..."

Halley whispered Wicked! many times as she tried to conceal her excitement, and after that, a new and darker question came into existence in her mind:

"Looney, what caused this war between Ireland and Wales?"

The Raven Girls dormitories were peaceful and sweet, with small fireplaces, a chess-like marble floor in blue and gray, crystal chandeliers and very large windows, featuring as well wooden bookcases and wardrobes for the students to keep their clothing, staffs and other personal belongings.

They also counted with a stylish kitchen to prepare breakfast and dinner, and the entire place (which was composed by several stories at the highest part of Raven Tower) smelled of violets and jasmine...

"We have something that they want, this thing called the Alchemy Crystal" Looney said, covering her head with the gray and dark blue sheets- "I am not sure what it is, but my mother told me that we are hiding it right here, at Raven Tower, while the war lasts- Halley, I'll try to sleep now..."

"Sleep well, Looney!"

Looney soon drifted into a shallow but otherwise good sleep, and Halley, looking at the snow falling peacefully at the other side of the great window beside her bed, finally closed her eyes and tried to venture into her dreams.

Halley managed to fall asleep a few minutes after that, listening to the wind whispering between the towers of the castle...

26-

A very fierce wind was blowing from the Northeast the following morning, the sky cold and white as the Hog's Wart students, many of them looking outside through the windows while others dashed outside into the castle grounds, witnessed something that they would have never imagined the night before:

There was a great, house-sized carriage painted white, orange and green that came flying from the Southern skies pulled by enormous winged horses, the very ground shaking as it landed not far from the main entrance to the castle... Two other carriages landed behind the first a few minutes later, the academy's staff and hundreds of students running towards them.

"Come, quick!" Professor Snap would lead the rest of the staff, McGregor not far behind her- "Call all the students to help!"

Halley, Looney and Donald showed up at the castle grounds followed by some fifty other Ravens, everyone wearing their blue scarves, nightgowns and pajamas. The professors were running and screaming instructions everywhere, and then the door of the first carriage was opened from inside.