Harriet Roswell and the School of Witchcraft

Chapter 12

Walking into the common room that evening was like walking into a busy pub, but without the rampant alcoholism, old fat men and feeling of someone in the vicinity leering at her. Peoples voices were low to medium, and she felt safe, and happy to make herself a strawberry tea. There was still a question she had to answer though, as she waited watching the glass kettle bubble her hot water, where would she sit? Her room? There was no wi-fi in there and she needed to check in with her Dad. This room was pretty busy, the seats were almost all filled and it really didn't have a phone call atmosphere to it. The bean bag room? The segments? At least the segments should be quiet.

Harriet took her tea in hand and walked to the segments, she didn't have much hope for it, but she decided it was worth a shot. The second she stepped past the archway she could feel the difference. Voices were quieter some completely muted, the atmosphere in this room was more subtle, it was still happy with the occasional giggle but it was much more to Harriet's taste. It did however seem almost empty in comparison, perhaps because Tyler had said he'd made-out with someone in each room. Harriet pushed open a dark curtain by the far end of the wall. It had the added bonus of having it's own large window, and a fancy windowsill. Half windowsill, half seat with embroidered fat pillows. A gentle blue light flickered on over head as she walked in. Looking up she spotted the lights, one over each segment, three were on. So that's how she'd find out if someone was in them without walking straight into another person. The segments were fairly large, 3 meters long, and 2 meters wide. Beans bags on the floors rug, a pile of books in the corner, a couple of board games and a small table that was close to the floor, so you could use it while sitting on bean bags.

The window pointed across the field towards greenhouses and farther in the distance the farm land, golden fields reflected the sun towards her. She avoided the bean bags and placed her tea on the large window-sill. She knocked off her shoes and put her feet up, plugging in her headphones she video called Alex. It rang three times before Alex picked up almost dropping the phone as did so.

"Harriet! Are you okay? How was your first day?" He asks, with a grin, like an excited puppy.

"Okay" she shrugs it off like was it nothing, but it was everything, relief the heavy burden on her shoulders beginning to ease.

"Did you do any magic?"

"No. I don't believe in magic, but hey I've got my first spell casting lesson tomorrow morning maybe that'll change. I'm telling you now, if it's a spelling lesson, I'm going to be so pissed that you're going to have to pick me up right away."

"Because of the lack of magic?"

"I'm expecting things now. I have hope."

"Ahh, your excited." He smiled with his eyes.

"I am not."

"You are, I can tell. Did you do any lessons, or did you just do those things where you go around the room and say your name and things you like?"

"What is that?" Harriet asked.

"Thats a basic introduction lesson. You know, you do it at the beginning of every new class."

"That sounds like a bad dating game" Harriet shook her head.

"Harriet this is why you have no friends. How have you never been to a lesson like that?"

"I've literally never witnessed that in my life, and I refuse to believe that's a thing. Anyway I had english, and I filled out, like, 5 sheets in my notebook already."

"Thats nice." Alex said.

"I didn't even know I could write that much."

"I'm proud of you."