Misty Swift and The Dragon's Pearl

Chapter Five Back Again

Friday, 5th September 2014

"Hurry up! It's almost time to go!" I heard Ms. Smith screaming. I was stuck on what to call her. Glimpsing at the clock I realized the time was already two twenty, meaning there was ten minutes until the train left. We ran one by one through the wall in between platforms 5 and 6. Through all the family chaos on platform 5 ½ we made it to the train on time. Waving to Poppy's parents and Izzy along with Tori, who finished her time at the academy last year.

"Here's good, it seems like everywhere else is full." Fern pointed out. We all settled in, although it was cramped. Some time had passed in the train.

"You know, another thing happened. Last year, when I met Tristhom, he knew my full name. But not many people know my middle name, so...I don't understand," I was very confused.

"Misty, don't worry about it." Taylor started.

"We'll figure it all out, with time." Hailey added.

"Alright, thanks."

"We better get changed we're almost at the Academy." Faith looked up from the War and Peace of Magic, she had been reading.

We all sat in the train about to arrive, when James, Alex and Benjamin walked outside our cabin. We all listened into their conversation.

"It's going to be a thrill of a year, since only second years up can participate! I'll be in the tournament, just you wait and see. With me Ursus will win. Pity the school is only hosting this year." James's boring speech made no sense.

"What's so bad about it James, you can't impress the girl of your dreams every year?" Benjamin joked.

"Ha, ha, very funny." James snarled. The train came to a slow stop.

"We've reached the school!" Charlotte screamed with joy and startled all the birds who had been peacefully sleeping.

"Oh, look who it is. It's the lunatic girls!" James giggled.

"Ha, like you could say lunatic about anyone other than yourself." Poppy was still angry at James so we quickly escorted her out of the train. Our baggage would be brought to the school. So we rushed to our horse stable and started riding out passing Charles, who was with the first years.

"You all need to adjust the way you ride a bit. Back straight and loosen your grip on reins." Hailey instructed, she was a very good horse rider. Starlight was a very friendly horse and I was very happy she was my horse. But how did they decided which horse each student would get, since a horse should choose it's rider not the rider choose it. I watched as Ivy balanced herself on Starlight's head, I had let her out of the cage since I knew it was very cramped. We arrived at the gate and quickly dropped off our pets with the baggage. So many other students were pushing their way to the great hall but we soon made it anyway. When everyone except the first years were in the hall music started playing. Their were several students singing the Academy song.

'The Academy of magic is magical,

Where we learn all our spells and achieve them well,

We play lots of games like Quidditch matches,

We wonder if you are the same,

We achieve best together unless we're flying dragons,

We compete very strong and we're full of the gifted,

Welcome to the Academy, of Magic!'

"Now then. Thank you for that brilliant singing." Professor Dankwood gets everyone clapping. "Yes, another year has started. Now before the first years arrive we should welcome the second years for making it this far." Everyone clapped again. "Right, for the second years I will explain what these chores are about," he waves his hand in the air making images. Five circular badges, one with a horse, one with a plant pot and shovel. Another was a bucket and mop. The last two were, one with musical notes and the other with a snitch and two brooms. "These are the student jobs around the castle. Of course there will be help, but this is an important part of your learning. So there are five tasks from which a student can choose, horse care, gardening, cleaning, games keeping and music composing. Just write your name on these cards. Only first years need to, other years will be the same as they were before." cards appeared in front of everyone, "Then put them into one of these bowls." All second years got out their wands to write their names down. I thought horse care would be good but when one of the Leo girls got up Dankwood continued. "Oh, I should tell you first what you have to do for each job. Horse care is taking care of the horses with Charles, clean them, feed them, exercise them and also clean their stables. Of course in all tasks you can use magic but you have to still do it. Cleaning, is cleaning around the castle with Edmund. Then, gardening of course, is taking care of the plants with Professor Wood. Games keeping is taking care of the field and helping during games with Professor Culpepper. Music composing is making music for the beginning of the year and for special occasions." Dankwood explained. I was certain I would do horse care. So using the spell 'Luminous' I wrote my name on the card. This was an alternative way of writing when there weren't any pens, it was like burning the letters into the paper. People started to get up and put their cards into the bowls. When I went to put mine in I noticed that there weren't that many other cards in the bowl. Not many people wanted to do horse care or cleaning because they were with Charles and Edmund.