Dueling for Salem

Salem Academy

Where Learning is Magical!

Founded 1657 by the Salem Witches' Institute

The school was surrounded by parents and students, everyone preparing for the move into the Salem dormitories. Sparks flew as parents waved their wands, and levitating suitcases threatened to bump into each other in the air. JP, in the car with her mother, said, "That took forever."

"Well, we couldn't use magic. Of course it took forever. If forever means forty -five minutes."

JP groaned. "I hate driving without magic."

"Well, Asia's parents are non-magical, in case you forgot. If you want a new best friend, we could arrive at school in ten minutes."

"Okay, just saying."

JP jumped out of the car and unlatched the trunk, pulling her suitcases out of the magically expanding space.

"Wingardium Leviosa!" JP waved her wand at her bags, but her mother blocked the spell quickly. "Mom, I'm at school."

"Do you want the bags to get to your room in one piece?"

"Alright, alright."

JP's mother levitated Asia's bags, then JP and Asia followed the floating suitcases to the dorm, where girls were running everywhere, embracing their friends and talking rapidly about their summers. On the third floor, they stopped and examined the door sign - "Asia Madison. Joan McFarland."

"They got your name wrong again," Asia said, opening the door and pushing her suitcase in by hand.

"I know. But I don't know the sign changing spell. I guess I'll just wait for my mom." JP's bags arrived and settled themselves on her bed.

The girls ripped into their bags. They had been roommates since their first year at Salem, and had spent a majority of the summer together, including the previous night, in preparation for the return to school, so they didn't need to do the reacquainting.

They pulled out their wands, and clothes started flying around the room, getting mixed in with each other and ending up in every strange place possible.

Eventually, JP's mom and Asia's parents came in, looking around as if astounded. "What is going on?"

"We're just unpacking."

Asia's dad ducked a flying Frisbee. "Are you supposed to have this?"

The girls ignored him.

"Mom, my name's wrong on the sign again." JP gave up on trying to magically hang a poster and simply stood on her bed to spellotape it.

Her mother flipped her wand over her shoulder and the door sign read "JP McFarland." Asia's parents looked impressed, as they always did, at the sight of magic, especially when performed by adults. They seemed to be out of place, but still ordered Asia to make her bed.

The three parents started talking as two of JP and Asia's friends leapt into the room. "What's up?"

The four girls began a routine of jumping up and down and telling summer stories. McKenna and Toni were in the middle of a discourse on how they thought their new room was haunted when a loud voice called, "Excuse me!"

"Myra!" JP shouted. Her sister didn't react, but consulted a clipboard. "Everything in this room okay?"

JP and Asia looked around. "Too small. I want to move."

"Nothing? Good." She made a note and turned toward the door. Her mother followed her into the hallway.

"How did the week go? We didn't hear from you."

"It was good. Really busy." She had spent the week training for her new position, a girls' dormitory resident assistant.

"I guess you did get sophomores."

"Yeah, I got seventh grade and sophomores. I told them JP was here, but they didn't really care."

"She'll be fine. If she's not, punish her. I'm expecting a more focused year."

"Okay." Myra looked down at her clipboard. She still had ten rooms of sophomores to go, and was yet to start on seventh grade, though their parents would be around much longer. At least, she thought, she didn't have to deal with the scared new sixth graders.

"A lot to do?"

"Kind of."

"I'll let you go. I may see you today or not, but I'll be around." She went back into JP's room, and Myra moved on to her next charge, though McKenna and Toni were still talking to Asia and JP. Myra sighed, ducking a flying duffel bag. It was going to be a long day.

*******

Athena McFarland walked the grounds with Asia's parents, Frank and Leana Madison. The two girls were off with their friends, completely moved in, and the parents had decided to take a break before the Madisons had to drive back to Baltimore.

"This school never fails to amaze me," Frank observed, looking around at the students running wild throughout the campus.

"I know what you mean."

"You attended this school, right?"

"Mostly."

"It's fairly old?"

"Three hundred fifty this year."

"Wow."

"Thea?" Asia's mother watched a group of senior students, strutting around self-importantly. "We need to talk to you sometime about Asia's future. We were discussing it the other night, and we still have no idea what students do when they graduate. Asia talks about careers, and I have no idea what they are."

"She still has time, but we can discuss it."

"I know I shouldn't worry, but..."

"I know."

"What is Myra going to do?"

Thea sighed. "I really don't know. Myra has no idea, and it really is time for her to think about it. She's a senior, and higher education is not common. She can attend a non-magical university if she wants, but otherwise, it's straight to training."

"And that doesn't hurt them? Not having a college education?"

"Not unless they try to integrate into the non-magical community."

The Madisons still looked perplexed.

"Mom!"

Thea and the Madisons turned around to see a wizard in full robes, the Salem crest blazing in gold on his chest. "Frank, Leanna, my son Jared."

Jared shook their hands. "Asia's parents?"

"Yes...How are you?"

"Great, you?" Jared and his mother embraced and she started asking questions.

"Good, good. Are you feeling settled?"

"I am. I forgot how overwhelming move-in day is. It's much different as a professor, believe me. I've never had so many twelve year olds afraid of me...I think I like it."

"You'll be a great teacher, I know it."

Jared nodded in a non-committal way. "I hope so."

"What do you teach?" Frank asked.

"History. I have mostly magical history in its non-magical context. It's very interesting."

"Sounds like it."

Jared fidgeted with his robes, looking proud of his new station. As a first year professor, there was no doubt that he had to prove himself, and he seemed more than eager to do it. His mother smiled admiringly.

The Madisons shook hands with Jared and Thea again as they left for their long drive. "Call if you need anything," Thea said. "And we'll talk about Asia."

"I should be moving too," Jared said. "I think I'm supposed to mingle and look imposing."

"Absolutely."

Jared ran off, full of energy.

"Athena McFarland."

"Aurelius Exeter." Thea strode forward to shake hands with the principal of Salem Academy. "Beginning of another year."

"I know. We have the opening assembly in a few minutes. How are things in DC?"

"Great. I think everything is good for the start of the school year. It was a fight with Northridge over the curriculum. They didn't want to increase the history requirements, but they gave in."

"They're a bunch of potion-drinking hippies who wouldn't know academic magic if it bit them in the ass."

"And they said you're a bunch of tweedy old money who have no respect for practical magic. It's always a battle."

Aurelius laughed. "Fair enough." He checked a watch tucked into a pocket of his impressive blue and gold Salem robes. "I need to be presiding over disinterested magical youth right about now. Let me know if anything comes up with the Department."

"Absolutely. Have a good year."

*********

JP squirmed in the seat next to Asia. "This is so boring."

"I know. Why do they make us do this every year?"

It seemed to them as if no one in the auditorium much appreciated the opening assembly, except of course the sixth graders, but they didn't know better.

"JP, Asia, shut up." Since becoming an RA, Myra seemed to have acquired a habit of hearing everything. "This assembly is important. It's the schools 350^th anniversary."

"Oh no. Now this will be even longer."

At the front of the hall, Professor Exeter stood up on stage, where the entire staff was seated, trying to look intimidating. "Attention please." His voice was magically magnified, and he glared around the room before proceeding. "For those of you who are new, I am Professor Exeter, the principal of this Academy. We're happy to welcome members of the Salem Witches' Institute, our founder and benefactor." He led the students in a forced round of applause. "Now please grant the head of the Institute, Mercy Proctor, your full attention. I need not, I hope, remind you that those who chose not to behave appropriately will find themselves serving detention with Professor Strauss and myself."

"Ooh," JP whispered. "Strauss looks more evil than ever." Asia giggled.

A tiny witch draped in black stepped to the front of the stage. Even with magnification, her voice was thin and frail. "Welcome back, pupils. I am so tickled that you are all here - excited to begin another year of magical learning. But before we begin with our year, I would like to speak to you about the school's founding."

"Ten galleons says she was alive back then."

"We remember, of course, the Salem Witch Trials, which show us that magic is feared..." She droned on about the trials for fifteen minutes. Asia began to snore. McKenna, on her other side, jabbed her in the ribs.

"We must remember that magic is important to all of us and that it is a responsibility. We must use our gifts well, we must study hard, and we must..."

"Care for all people, magic and non-magic alike," JP whispered along with the close. Everyone clapped, probably happy that the discourse was over.

Professor Strauss nudged Professor Exeter, who stood. "Let us thank Mrs. Proctor..."

Once the applause stopped, he resumed. "And now, beginning of the year announcements. We're all excited to welcome you back. As I mentioned, I'm Professor Exeter. Behind me is Professor Strauss, head teacher and chair of the Department of Languages."

Professor Strauss looked up sharply. She was extremely beautiful, which only added to the imposing, stern look she had so carefully cultivated. "She definitely got more evil over the summer." JP shook Asia awake. "Did you hear me?"

"To those of you who have just arrived, remember that older students are here to assist you, especially the eight resident assistants, who you met earlier today. And now, on to some basic regulations..."

Several students groaned.

"Curfew is ten o'clock for junior high, eleven for high school. This means be in your rooms at those times. No excuses. Everyone is to be in their dormitory buildings at eight. No magic is to be performed in the hallways or on the grounds without supervision. The dress code is full uniform for all classes and school related activities. On weekends and in your dormitories, you may wear whatever you choose - within reason. The staff reserves the right to tell you to change. Please note that Muggle - "

Professor Strauss cleared her throat.

"Pardon me, non-magical articles are not forbidden, but they will not work on campus. Non-magical students needing to contact home should inform their resident assistants or Professors Armistead and McFarland, who are respectively, the faculty contacts for female and male students."

"Your brother looks so weird."

"I know. He's - " JP choked, then gasped for breath.

"What was that?"

JP looked at the stage. Professor Strauss was staring at her, playing with the wand in her lap.

"She jinxed me."

"Shh." Myra leaned between them again.

"We already know the forbidden list."

Professor Exeter was indeed listing the forbidden magical objects "Including but not limited to..."

"I'm so hungry," McKenna whispered.

"What's for dinner?" Asia asked.

"I don't know. I hope it's good."

JP wanted to talk to them, but decided to avoid risking another jinx.

The students were all squirming when they were slowly dismissed to dinner "in an orderly fashion."

JP and Asia charged out of the auditorium, pulling their friends Aaron and Hari with them. They hadn't seen the boys during move-in, since they were in a different dorm, and hadn't really gotten to talk to them through the assembly. McKenna ran behind them, shouting for Toni. They were toward the front of the pack when JP ran right into someone. She could tell by the robes that this wouldn't be good.

"Welcome back," said Professor Strauss. "Walk please."

JP walked as quickly as possible toward the cafeteria, throwing herself into a chair at their group's favorite table. "It's ours again!" Hari proclaimed.

"No sixth graders better sit here." JP said.

"Joan, don't say that." JP looked behind her to see Jared, who looked strange in his silver and black dress robes.

"You going to put me in detention?"

"Maybe."

"No you wouldn't."

"Okay, maybe not...I'll call mom."

JP gasped. "You wouldn't."

Jared moved toward the staff table as food appeared, family-style, on the table. Everyone lunged toward the potatoes.

"JP, doesn't it suck?" Toni asked.

"What?"

"Your brother's a teacher and your sister's an RA."

JP laughed. "It kind of sucks."

********

Abby reached across Myra for the roast beef. "How was move-in for you?"

"Okay. You?"

"Busy. You're lucky not to have sixth grade."

"Yeah."

Myra passed a plate to Jackson, on her right. "They're not too bad," he said.

Abby glared at him for not offering support. Myra glanced at her roommate, Sadie, across the table. Apparently, the eight RAs weren't about to commiserate together over their jobs, but to go into the inevitable competition. Myra wasn't surprised.

They were her seven best friends in the school, but they were also the top students, and their last year was bound to be a contest. Rivalry had marked their past six years, and now their senior year was starting. Not surprisingly, they were in the positions of leadership, looking at top careers in the magical world. Myra looked down at her plate, stirring her potatoes, as the discussion drifted to future plans.

"I shadowed at the Department of Mysteries this summer," Wesley said.

"Is that allowed? Isn't it supposed to be a mystery?"

"I got in. It's amazing. I'm definitely applying as soon as there's an opening. They think one of the senior members will retire, so that's good for me."

"Magical law enforcement looks really interesting," Abby said. "I think with my experience as an RA and with the studies in history, it could be perfect for me."

"What about you Myra?"

"What?"

"What are you going to do?"

Myra avoided Anders' and Beatrice's glances from across the table and looked at Sadie instead. "I don't really know. I'm looking at a few things."

"Aren't you just going to be a teacher like your mom and dad and brother?"

"No. No, I can do a lot of other stuff, so..." She went back to playing with her food, grateful for a crying sixth grade girl to distract Abby away from the table.

That night, Myra walked through the sixth floor, checking all of the rooms. "In bed," she said to one of the seventh-grade girls.

"He just said in our room."

"Classes start tomorrow. You'll want some sleep."

"I don't need sleep. We just got here." The girl jumped up on her bed, but didn't make a move to get in it.

Myra sighed. "Whatever. Just stay in your room."

After an hour of the sixth floor, she moved to the third floor and the sophomores. Girls scurried into their rooms as she walked by. Myra enjoyed the feeling of power, but she really wanted to talk to Sadie then go to bed. She watched JP and Asia, along with McKenna and Toni, dart into their respective rooms.

"Bed," she shouted.