Madame Argento led me down a quiet corridor, opened the door, behind which there was a spiral staircase, and we climbed even higher. The steps went further, where above through an invisible window, blinding sunbeams lay on the stone wall. I smelled a hint of floral scent. Our path passed this welcoming sign. Now he was walking along a narrow dark passage, and my anxiety was growing. I was afraid to appear in front of other students. Im new and I dont know anyone yet. How will other girls accept me?
Then the thought came to me that just as I am now walking along a castle that is new for me, one day my grandmother was walking. The young woman, probably unsure of herself, was heading to the womens hostel, and did not know what awaited her outside the door. And my mom? My grandmother did not tell me where she studied. But Im sure its also in Nordlig. Perhaps it was here that she met her dad, and they fell in love. These walls mean more to me than I thought. Here I can touch the past of people dear to me.
I clenched my fists for a second, trying to give myself confidence. The rector opened the door, entered, and stopped. I immediately bumped into her and stumbled on the threshold, taking a step back. I hastened to squeeze out an apology and stopped short.
We stood in a spacious room with about twenty girls of different ages. Their faces immediately turned to us. The din of conversation subsided. All girls were in school uniforms. And I stood alone, unlike everyone else in my usual clothes. A second later there was a loud greeting:
Good afternoon, Madame Argento!
There was silence. The girls stood and did not move. It seemed to me that they were all gathered on purpose so that they would meet me. I could hear my heartbeat and the crackling of logs in the large fireplace. My suitcase and bag lay near the door.
The rector nodded:
Good day to you, young ladies! Then she made a gesture in my direction, I felt a soft push in my back and obediently took two steps forward.
«This is Miss Roselyn Burling. Your new colleague. I ask you to love, and favor, and help her become «Heflig Miss»!
Heflig miss! It meant: a polite miss, a well-mannered lady. I felt humiliated. If I were even in school uniform, I would not stand out from the general mass of students and would feel much more confident.
Everyone looked at me, and I felt myself blush.
What should I say? Madame Rector asked quietly. And then a chorus of voices filled the room:
Welcome, Miss Burling!
Greetings for me. It was more chaotic, not as well-coordinated as for Madame Argento. I was confused and speechless. Now, of course, I should have said something too. And it was not supposed to be «nice to meet you», but something more valuable. I was silent, felt helpless and burned with shame.
Madame Argento winked at me and headed for the exit. Her steps began to subside outside the door. Someone chuckled, apparently trying to suppress a chuckle. One girl nodded amiably. Most of the students looked at Madame Rector. And then they returned to their business, scattering around the room.
But a plump girl with a short haircut, with a round face and plump lips, looked at me unfriendly. She collapsed again in the armchair by the fireplace, where she had sat before my arrival. I read some inexplicable hatred in her black eyes. She whispered something to her neighbor and now both unkindly bored their eyes at me.
I didnt like these two girls right away. Especially a complete «toad». I wish I could conjure a fire spell and watch her scream while engulfed in flames.
I took my bag to distract myself from negative thoughts. My first day at school, my first appearance in this room in front of all the girls. An important moment on my journey to the lady. And I got angry seeing these two gossips like this. Bad thoughts must be extinguished, and it wont be easy.
One of the students came up to me. She was older than the other girls.
My name is Suzanne. Suzanne Dorte.
I smiled at her and held out my hand to shake, but Suzanne bowed her head a little and lowered her eyes. A kind of half-bow. I immediately pulled my hand and bowed my head too. It turned out for me not so gracefully as I wanted. Suddenly Suzanne laughed and grabbed my hand herself and squeezed.
This is such a joke! I hope you will forgive me for this? Although, in fact, this is how you need to say hello when you meet one of the elders in the hallway. I am the headman of the girls. Come on, Ill show you your bedroom.
I smiled back. I liked Suzanne. I have a good headman. Not sullen and not angry as it could be.
Suzanne grabbed my hand and pulled me along.
Bedrooms are upstairs. Yours on the top floor.
I followed Suzanne up the spiral staircase. We found ourselves in a small staircase tower, in which on each floor there was a vault and a round room with three doors. As it turned out, a turret with a spiral staircase was adjacent to another, larger tower. The bedrooms were located in it. Light fell only through narrow vertical windows above the steps. A cold wind blew into these cracks. I shivered from the draft and turned away from the light. I was afraid of heights and did not want to see the ground far below my feet.
Suddenly Suzanne released my hand and spoke cheerfully, jumping over the step cheerfully:
You can always contact me. If you dont know something, it doesnt work, you feel unwell or something else and in general, if you need any help, contact us. I will be happy to help!
Climbing to the third floor, we found ourselves under the very roof. The round area was less well lit than the others. Frozen, out of breath, Suzanne asked:
Do you use pearl shampoo?
What? Not.
And then she suddenly spoke in a very quiet voice, as if she was afraid to wake someone up:
Sorry, but there is only free space here. Now, if you arrived early, you could choose a room and better She pointed to the closed door. «My bedroom is in the next tower. The entrance to it is on the opposite side of the girls tower living room. Bye then!
And Suzanne went down the stairs.
Thank. I smiled at Suzanne. Although her words of regret about my room alerted me. So, I will have to live in a terrible closet with a leaking roof? Yes, Ill catch a cold right away, Ill sleep with a temperature! Whats the matter with learning magic?!
Chapter 5. Ismeralda Duerre
I opened the door and looked around the room. To my delight, it was quite cozy, warm and clean inside. Two beds with thick duvets and duvets, two dressers, a huge wardrobe and a small fireplace. A couple of lamps hung on the wall. Their bright light finally drove away my fears about the terrible room. No ceiling leaks. No drafts.
On the left bed, knocking the blanket into a lump, lay the girl and looked at the ceiling. More precisely, her legs lay. She herself slid backwards onto the carpet between the beds, and her golden hair sprawled randomly across the carpet, dyed pink at the back. Quite a bit, just the ends. This surprised me. The school has rules. And hair coloring?! And in that color?! Pink! It definitely went wrong. She must be brave to show up at school like this.
My neighbors skirt slipped a little, exposing her underwear. The girl twisted a magic wand in her fingers, in her other hand she held an open book, at the pages of which she poked with a stick from time to time.
Somehow I did not even think that I would have a roommate. But that didnt even upset me. Only alarmed.
Somehow I did not even think that I would have a roommate. But that didnt even upset me. Only alarmed.
I looked at the door. The only white plaque bore the words Ismeralda Duerre. I entered the room.
Hello. My name is Roselyn. Rose, too. And you?
In response, the girl began to hum quietly to herself:
Isme-isme! Isme-isme-e!..
I went to the other bed and put my bag next to me. The girl did not turn to me, but said in a melodious voice:
What brings you to me?
To you? I was outraged by such impudence. And a little roughly answered: I will live here!
I have?
Why do you have? This room is now half mine!
Ah, but I thought the girls voice fell silent in mid-sentence. In the unspoken phrase, I caught notes of sadness or even sorrow in him. The girl sighed and continued to hum something to herself. I noticed that my bed was not made evenly, in the middle there is a funnel in a crumpled blanket. I glanced unkindly at Ismeralda, but didnt say anything.
I needed to change. I opened my bag and then I remembered that my suitcase with a school uniform was left at the bottom. I followed him, but before I could leave the room, I froze at the door. My eyebrows rose in surprise, and then I burst out laughing. Here is magic!
Another sign appeared under the name «Ismeralda Duerre». And it read «Roselyn Burling.» I began to go down cheerfully. And behind me there was a rustle of paper and a dull thud. Ismeralda tossed the book, and it fell on the carpet next to the fireplace.
Chapter 6. Acquaintance with Jamely and Matilda
In the common room of the female dormitory (living room), the number of people was significantly reduced. The fat, nasty little girl with short hair and her friend were still spinning around the fireplace. Two other girls at the table were copying something in their notebooks. One passed me and began to climb the stairs.
My suitcase stood in the same place where it had been waiting for me before. I was wondering how heavy it would be and whether I could drag it upstairs, when the laugh of an unpleasant girl who reminds me more of a toad than a lady-to-be caught my attention. Acrid disgusting sound. Her gray, short, messy hair made her look sloppy. And the only braid did not reach the shoulder blades and was a thin thin tail covered with black elastic. From this it was a little sorry for the" fat woman». But only until she turned to me. Large features of a round face. Big potato nose, plump lips twisted in a disdainful grin. The grin of a predatory beast. She is fat, heavy and, probably, therefore, stronger than other girls.
I felt with a sixth sense that perhaps the source of ridicule was me. And, of course, the loud, ostentatious laugh was addressed to me. Who else?
The toad turned around at my appearance and, squeezing out a sour face, in a nasal voice stretched out the following words:
You were going to sleep in pink pajamas?! Ha-a-ha-a!
I felt a sticky chill on my back, leaned over to the suitcase. The lid was ajar. I looked inside. My new school uniform has been crumpled and pushed to the edge. There were no pink pajamas. Someone rummaged through my things. And who I already knew. With rage raging inside, I jumped to the Toad and pushed her away from the fireplace. On the logs, blackened with flames, lay my pajamas.
The toad sighed, but stayed on his feet. Although she had nowhere to fall, except in a chair. Her friend poked my shoulder and blurted out:
Why are you fighting? Are you crazy?
This girls hair was raven black, cropped short. She looked like a boy in features. Large, protruding eyebrows made the face stern.
I couldnt handle two, common sense told me, but the rage demanded immediate revenge.
How dare you?! I pointed to the fireplace.
And like this! I wanted to! What do you say? Now the Toad pushed me in the back as I turned to her friend. I fell to the floor. I hurt my elbow badly and, rubbing it, I felt tears flowing against my will.
There was a «queen» here! Comes to school whenever he wants. You will walk on my hind legs! Skinny heron!
From such a stream of insults, I went mad, kicked Toad in the ankle. The toad, to my triumph, could not resist and fell, clutching on the chair.
Oh you!
Khe-e! Toads friend hurried to help her up.
And I jumped up and grabbed Toads hair. This was a mistake. My fingers immediately slipped out of my opponents short tail. She, in turn, grabbed my hair and pulled me hard to the side. My head was spinning. I lost my balance, and immediately felt a blow to the back of my head. I was lying on the floor. Added to the pain in my head was the aching itch on the tips of the fingers of my left hand, these are my nails. I think I scratched my opponent.
How dare you, you reptile? The toad rushed to me. She kicked my suitcase, its good that it wasnt me, and hastened to leave the common room. Her friend jumped out after.
I sat up slowly and looked around. Here is my suitcase, here is the fireplace in which my pajamas burned out. And no one is around. Only at the far table are two frightened girls looking at me. Then I realized that this skirmish had made enough noise.
My head was buzzing, the back of my head ached. I leaned against the suitcase to stand, then pulled it. It turned out to be heavy. I was able to drag him up. But in my current state, when a bruise on my elbow hurt, and my head was spinning, and I myself was inflated, it seemed to me an impossible task. I nevertheless pulled my load towards the stairs, did not want to leave my things here, but after two meters I gave up.
Hey how are you? It was one of the girls silently approached. Where is your magic wand?
Indeed, where? In my bag upstairs in the bedroom. It was there that I put it at home.
I will help. The voice caught genuine sympathy and determined desire. The girl drove her magic wand over the suitcase.
My suitcase, swaying, flew off the floor and floated upstairs. With a resounding thud, he hit the steps, but moved forward. The girl supported me by the hand and led me upstairs.
On the second floor, I hissed:
How dare they?! Ill show them some more!
«This is Jamely Ports and Matilda Reinhart. You better stay away from them and thats it.
I «hold on»? What have they done to my clothes!
The girl said nothing. And the voice of reason inside me noticed: of course, she is right: do not run into trouble. What do you say when it comes to Madame Argento or Director Brutilde? And grandma? I dont want her to know which lady I am.
Chapter 7. What is the punishment?
I went up to my room. Ismeralda jumped on the bed. The pillow and the book were still on the floor. And the girl was waving a magic wand over her head. Seeing my tear-stained face, she was surprised and asked:
What happened?
I didnt answer. Ismeralda looked past me and asked in surprise:
Monica?
My assistant appeared after me. The suitcase flopped to the floor, and I, exhausted and depressed, on an empty bed. It was impossible not to notice that they were also jumping on my feather bed. Of course, Ismeralda. I didnt give a damn about it now.
My name is Monica. My bedroom is in the next tower. I am from the second Grant. My assistant spoke in a cheerful voice and was silent for a minute. Ismeralda looked at Monica in bewilderment and waved her hand with a magic wand: