Elizabeth came out of her room, dressed in the same outfit she wore every school day, as the other dozens of girls of all ages buzzing around the hallways of the magic school.
A chequered pinafore dress and a white shirt were the main pieces of her clothing. And of course a beautiful red cape, with short sleeves, with the habitual hood completed her outfit.
The boys also wore a chequered suit, and dark blue trousers, as well as a green hooded cape, wide-sleeved.
These were the students' school uniforms at Elmbgidge School of Magic, one of the most famous schools of magic in the Kingdom, according to information panels which also shed light upon the establishment of this school of magic.
Dozens of corridors made up all kinds of halls, wider or narrower, along which you could wander round Elmbridge school of magic. Some broad, others narrow, the main ones and others, huge, because they weren't just corridors connecting rooms, they made up a room.
Other tens were so narrow and hidden that you had to know very well how to reach them, especially since they were masked or guarded by various stone elves ... or lost in the usual setting of Elmbridge corridors.
Some guys in the school, even professors, stated at the top of their lungs that there were actually over a hundred secret hallways in Elmbridge school of magic, but only Knudlac knew exactly how many. There were some hidden even from him. The same people said that there were also corridors that led to the depths of the Earth, the height of the sky, or even to the depths of the Ancient Forest.
Some of the claims may be exaggerated, but given that from a small closet a bedroom popped up, as Elizabeth's, then reality could't be far from what most residents of Elmbridge Magic school said.
Unlike many of the other children who were still sleepy, Elizabeth was awake for more than an hour.
When the clock on the wall began to sing and try to wake her up in the most beautiful way possible, through songs that would tickle your eardrum like hundred-year-old Irish tunes, Elizabeth was already awake.
She had some books and a wand in her right hand.
Johnny who waited for her, when he saw her coming out, got close to her, glad to see her.
"Good morning, how did you sleep?"
"Pretty well," the girl replied. "I just found these for me ready and these clothes on a hanger near my bed, as if someone was taking care of me. And I think I heard some noises last night ... I guess someone entered my room."
Johnny didn't pay attention to what the girl told him. He looked at the books the girl held in her hand and told her, smiling:
"Yes ... I have a roommate too, so ..."
"It's not a roommate. I live alone in that room. Someone was walking around the room at night. Someone who prepared my clothes and books ..."
"Elizabeth, open your eyes wide. Don't be sceptic. Here everything is a kind of magic. Of course, things that seem less natural happen ..."
The girl thought for a moment, then smiled.
"You are right. But I'll stay up late to see who's sitting in my room without my will."
"We'd better see your books."
Johnny checked the books in Elizabeth's hand. In the pile of book prepared for the girl there were:
Encyclopedia of magical eras, from the beginning to the present day,
Find out what others have done ... and become a better wizard, by Mark Zitter
Geography of magical places and unknown fantastic areas,
Beaten tracks ... and uncommon roads, by Julia Simens
Beasts rarely seen ... or never met,
Seen in dream ... in dim mindset, by Hans von Kilberg
The magic of figures and numbers - what can be more enjoyable ...?
With mathematics you turn the unknown ... into known, by prof. Wiliam Cork
How to use a wand - Lessons for beginners,
Get busy and make it snappy by Margaret Speedwell
Forbidden ancient spells, unknown author
"These are exactly the books you must have. I also picked the same books. But I don't know the purpose of this book, Ance ... ancient spells. We do not have this subject in today's schedule. Actually, we do not have it I our timetable."
"Maybe it belongs to an older student who lost it here."
Johnny politely stopped a hasty student who appeared to be in the 6th or 7th grade and asked if he knew that mysterious book and if he ever had such a course.
The girl who seemed very conscientious, a very diligent student, looked at the book, but as she did not recognize it, she just left because she had nothing to say about it.
Johnny, after receiving the object back, took the volume and opened it. On the first page you can see some hand notes that said:
"This book cannot be used by ignorant, nor by those who do not master the use of magic.
It contains inscriptions translated from the language of those who were the founders of magic ... and maybe I misunderstood some lines... its use may cause big mistakes ... or even death."
Johnny eventually managed to read these lines, but none of them seemed to be marked by what was written on the front page. So the boy closed the book and handed it to the girl. Elizabeth, unaware of the purpose of this book, took it along with the others she had under her arm.
"If the author doesn't trust what he wrote, then I say it's good for nothing. Come on, the class with Knudlac will start soon," Johnny told her.
"You can help me for a while to get to the classrooms ... I really do not know how to get there ..."
"It's very easy, just do what I tell you."
"Good."
"Pick a classmate and follow him/her until you get where you need to go ..."
"Do you know where all the classrooms are?"
"Not at all."
"And then…?"
"Then we follow him. He is a first-year classmate," the boy pointed at a freckled guy with spiky hair.
The two went down three floors, following that boy, heading to the classroom.
"Can I ask you something?" Elizabeth looked at Johnny.
"Yes," he said, smiling.
"There, at the orphanage, Mr. Green ... I mean… Professor Knudlac there. He hit you very hard. Your lips and nose bled. You cried, but after a few moments, after we left the orphanage you smiled."
"I didn't cry," the young man defended himself bravely. "I pretended," he kept completing.
The boy was proud of him.
"I was very convincing, wasn't I? That's why Mr. Knudlac picked me."
The girl didn't understand anything. Johnny looked at her with a smile as he saw that she could not get what he said.
"Let me tell you. Professor Knudlac introduced himself as Mr. Green to that orphanage director. That director, because he hated you so much, I don't know why, wanted the one who adopted you to make you suffer your whole life. And that is why Mr. Knudlac tried to convince him that he would hurt you as your adoptive father."
"But how did you put up with such a blow without ..."
"Magic, dear ... Magic. I got the mysteries of this kind of magic that others want to master for a long time, Imperium. I can go through the biggest pain without crying, if I say this magic word. The tears were false."
"Can I learn too ... to have this magic power?"
"As I said, many want to master this magic, but it is only my power."
The girl sat wondering.
A 12-year-old boy, who heard Johnny's words, proudly got close to him and the girl. He wore the same kind of clothes as them, but he had a coat of arms representing his family. He was brown-haired and blue-eyed like the clear sky,
"Bragging again with your magic, Johnny? How can you cope with any danger with that damn magic that you got by mistake?"