A SCHOOL FOR MAGIC | Book One in the Raya Smith Chronicles |

Chapter Four - Learning Magic

I got ready for my first class of the new year, I put on my uniform and made my way down to meet my friends. It was an early start, the sun was barely above the mountains in the distance by the time we'd reached the Feasting Hall, a long room with six tables that stretched from one side of the room to the other. At the end of the room, opposite the large wooden doors, sat the Professors. There were eleven in total, and all had mean expressions on their faces. I casually looked at them all, especially the Magic Control teacher, Professor Spellman. He was a tall, lanky kind of man, with thin grey hair and a nose that looked almost like a beak. His eyes were like that of an owl's, so round that they almost matched his circular spectacles. He sat with such elegance, like he was a king or something, but he wasn't he was a wizard. 

The headmistress stood, she was younger than I'd expected, taller also, but there was still this elegance that all the Professors' seemed to carry with them, like a parrot on a pirate's shoulder. 

"Welcome students new and old, to a new year at Goblin's Foot Academy," her voice was soft and pure, and there was a slight Irish twang in her accent. "This years marks an important occasion, it had been 100 years since the Great Bertha of Iron's Bridge came to this school, and since then no one has fit her prophecy; a girl with white hair will bring peace to this land, of what peace she meant no one will know until the time comes. But I believe the time is now, with all new faces, one of you is bound to fit that description.  

After that we ate, and after we ate we went to our first lesson. I arrived late to my first lesson, Magic Control and felt completely embarrassed as I entered. Professor Spellman was standing there, his mouth open, ready to begin the lesson, but as I entered the room go cold. 

"A lesson you must never forget at this school is not to be late," he said, his eyes darting in my direction, and then they looked up to the large floating clock above my head. "Do you think the rules don't apply to you?" 

"No," I said, glumly. 

"Take a seat, quickly now, before I tire of you and banish you out of my classroom." 

I did as he said, finding a seat next to a good looking boy of my age, I'd seen him around the school before but we were in different social groups so we never really spoke. 

"Hi," I said.

"Hi," the good looking boy said. 

"I'm Reya," 

"I'm Seb, though my real name is Sebastian, it was my grandfather's and my mother thought it fitted me as a baby, but I usually go by Seb."

"Cool!" I blurted loudly, so loud in fact that Professor Spellman looked in my direction. 

"If I have to explain myself to you again, Miss Smith, I will be very annoyed!" 

"Sorry Sir," I said, with a faint smile. I did enjoy ruffeling Professor Spellman's feathers, and I always liked seeing the large vein on his temple bulge with irritation. 

In the lesson, Professor Spellman taught that to be able to use magic, one must sacrifice a bit of their youth, and to use it for too long can prolong aging (this will be important later on). We then left the class, and I followed my new friend, Seb. We weren't friends yet, but we were going to be, if I couldn't be with Darius, I was going to be with Seb, and no one was going to stop me. (Darius has a girlfriend, Emila, who is Reya's enemy).