04 - Strong is her Hope

<< Wary Is Her Love

The School Of Necessary Magic

Wicked Is Her Smile >>

Alison is a Drow with growing powers and a teenager with dark forces after her. It’s a lot when you’re just a sophomore trying to navigate being fifteen. Doesn’t help when you’re attracted to a young wizard who tried to take out a classmate and your new dad is a bounty hunter named, Brownstone. Most teenagers have to deal with grades, school dances, and curfews. At the School of Necessary Magic, Alison and her crew have school elections, a musical to put on, a tournament in Louper to win while learning how to use their growing magical powers – and a sudden outbreak of werewolves. All before third period and a class on potions. Alison, her best friend, Izzie, Kathleen, Luke and all the others have got this. They better… After all, they’re being trained to save us all.

THE EARLY ARRIVALS

Chapter 01

Izzie, back a little early from Christmas break, sat eating breakfast alone in the hall. Horace had eaten already and was out with the horses. Was going to take the bus to Starbucks, to pick up Alison. Didn’t notice a group of young dark wizards and witches behind her. They were whispering that it was HER, whom everyone had been trying to find for over a year. The train arrives, Alison descends, and they go marching off with their mother, snickering. Izzie had been having flashes of familiarity with things, events – and she was distracted by what she couldn’t understand. She and Alison have a ginger latte, and go back to the school.

GETTING TOGETHER

Chapter 02

Mara meets them, gives the magical New Year’s whistles (blows balloons, not sound), and the girls go up to their room to unpack and relax. They decide to go to the kemana to shop, get a drink at the Café. Yumfuck had recommended an Oriceran drink, that messes with color perception, so they tried it. And it did. Izzie sees people with green bodies and purple hair, and Alison can no longer tell what the energies mean. Cannot read people or recognize anyone. But dark magic was still dark. Too powerful to be changed. Izzie wanted to tell Alison about her dreams, which seemed so real that when she woke up she didn’t know what was in truth the real world. But then she didn’t want to upset Alison’s homecoming with her problem, so she didn’t. They were drama-free for the afternoon! They shopped (a book for Izzie, friendship bracelets for them both), and went into a magic store, where they found a glass bowl which would allow them to see their past, their present, and their future. Alison had sensed the dark nature of the bowl, that it is drinking Izzie’s energy., so she had pulled her away. Izzie was sad that she had no family to buy things for, but was sure that would solve itself in the future.

THE RETRIEVER

Chapter 03

Alison and Izzie celebrate New Year’s Eve with dinner with the staff, then visiting with Horace and his new dog, a golden retriever. Alison notices that the dog had anticipated a bite of sausage, and had a hungry mouth for it to pop into. Sees the future? She’d investigate later. Dorvu shows up, visits, goes back into the woods. The teachers come out, and they all enjoy fireworks, set off magically.

HOMECOMING DINNER

Chapter 04

Big homecoming dinner for everyone. Welcome back, and good wishes for the new year. Izzie claims roast beef and mashed potatoes as her favorite, then realized she had no memory of them from before. This was happening more and more, and she was going to have to talk to Mara about it. Peter showed them his latest invention ,a drone (magically enhanced) capable of picking up heavy objects, (tested by putting his father’s Mercedes on the roof of their hose), in emergencies. Grace brought blueprints to solve the phone problem. Ethan told everyone to fear the First of April (his April fool’s Day joke). Alison received the same message about the dark she had gotten for New Year’s Eve, (Darkness will not prevail), and Izzie didn’t open hers. Alison looked at her friends’ souls, and found nothing changed – all OK.

THE BONFIRE

Chapter 05

The magical bonfire was all ready (no smoke, no flames outside its magical circle), able to burn and still protect the forest. Leo Decker(Gnome, Librarian) lamented not having the second moon of Oriceran in the sky. Luke heard the wolves howling, and wanted to run, but stayed by Izzie’s side. The faeries danced, and Dorvu watched from the edge of the forest. Kathleen and Aya took him back into the forest, telling him to not come out so far – dangerous. The students at the school, from dark families, were there too. The group was known for causing problems. Even during a large school event meant to be fun and exciting and bring them together with others, they stood together making jokes about the other students and set off small magical bombs, laughing as the kids jumped back and almost fell into the large fire. Berens sent a fireball into their midst- a warning. They glanced at her as she gave them a menacing look, then turned back sullenly, muttering among themselves that the headmistress could expect grievances to be filed. She had dealt with that type of bullying for years. The dark families wanted to be in control of the schools, so they attacked her, but she never let it get to her, nor would she let them take control. The most important qualities of the school were its safety, security, and the fact that it was free of the practice of dark magic. So far, she had done a pretty good job keeping the school intact. Kathleen was responsible for the mired bugs – small, cute, ferocious and roared. Izzie found Luke, and gave hm a friendship a friendship bracelet. And he kissed her. Her first kiss. A perfect one

Chapter 06

Snow was light that year, missed by some, enjoyed (no shoveling), by others. The ones who misses it made magical snowmen, who sat and turned their heads as students walked by. Some students needed to cram, to get the vacation homework done, so a second study hall was opened. At the first breakfast of the year, one student sat in front of a table piled high with bacon. He was admonished, so put a single strawberry on top of it (his fruit). Everyone laughed, knowing it wouldn’t last. Louper Team results were posted, and both Ethan and Luke had made the team. Izzie got the part of Dorothy. Scarlett was going to be the Good Witch. Kathleen was going to run for Class President, and so was magically putting up her posters, which blew magical bubbles to the viewers.

THE POSTERS

Chapter 07

There were posters from all of the candidates running for school offices, each one extolling the virtues of that candidate. Both Scarlett and Wyatt were running for Class President. Scarlett would get some votes for fear of retribution if they didn’t vote for her, so she cancelled all Freshman Pranks from her group until further notice. They will all play by the rules until the election decides. The third person running was a shifter named Farrell, who had a tough time controlling his canine form, so his parents had sent him to the School. His platform was as a bridge between the magicals and no non-magicals. He figured it was about time the shifters tried harder to become part of the regular scenery in the magical community. Some of the Dark kids came by. Some of the seniors had transferred out, because their families didn’t want them in the same school with Dark kids. They were obnoxious, and were troublemakers, in general.

A SHOCKER

Chapter 08

Spells class. Change wood to glass and back. Levitate water, drop back into bowl. (See technology, Magic, School’s) Ethan asked where he would ever use this spell, whereupon Ms. Hudson lifted him to the ceiling, and put him back on the floor, slowly. They continued with spells, Alison creating a weapon in response to a nasty comment by one of the classmates against Izzie. Ms. Hudson was worried that Alison, and her Drow magic might one day get out of hand.

IZZIE'S PROBLEM

Chapter 09

Professor Powell teaches them how to break glamours. He had three students come up in front of the class, and put on glamour spells. He would break them. He did this with everyone in the class, until he got to Izzie. She put up a spell that protected her from his spell, and she did it without knowing how, and the thought crossed her mind, “this was the first spell my mother ever taught me.” a realization that she indeed, did have a Mother, somewhere. She ran from the classroom, to her dorm room, and stood and cried. It was like something inside her was trying to break free and tell her exactly who she was. At the same time, though, something very strong blocked those memories. It was almost like Izzie had a foreign power inside her. She wondered “Why can’t I remember?”

SCARLETT

Chapter 10

During the play rehearsals, when Scarlett was nor busy, she stood off to the side and practiced being nice to different people without rolling her eyes. She figured if she was going to be a good actress, that was the best place to start. How hard could it be, after all? She’d acted in a dozen plays, and this was only an extension of that. She just had to walk the halls, pretend she actually liked people, and attempt to help them without showing how nauseated it made her, regardless of whether she liked it. She knew that to win the election, she needed to give the performance of a lifetime. Winter (Dark magic student) would be nice to Izzie half the time, nasty the other half, when he was around his friends. As Izzie didn’t know which act to believe, she ignored them both. She just hoped the two of them could get through the play cordially, without his friends causing too much trouble. Luke watched a game of magical dodgeball, admiring the intense determination of the players to win. But he had to get to Louper practice. He passes the Entrepreneurs Club, seeing Grace and Peter almost solve the problem of the phone (but it exploded again), and walked down the hall of candidate’s posters, hearing them all calling out to him at once, thereby cancelling all efforts. Uke waits for Ethan, and they go to practice together.

THE LOUPER TEAM

Chapter 11

Max Regency, the head coach of the SNM Cardinals cared about heart, ability, and motivation. He had noticed since tryouts that the returning players lacked all three of those qualities. “I guess I’ll start out the first practice by making it very clear that I don’t care if you were on this team before. I don’t care if you were a star player last year. Everyone on this team will begin at the same level, and how you perform, train, and build your character will determine what place you have in this organization.” The new players looked at each other with gleams of hope in their eye. Everyone wanted to be a starter. Everyone wanted to run out on that field with their names being called and the people in the stands cheering as loudly as they could for them. Luckily for them, they all had the motivation and the heart to climb to the top. The senior guys would be given a run for their money, but it didn’t look like they cared. Max stressed, in his opening statements, that LOUPER IS PLAYED AS A TEAM ! max talks to them about the rulkes, passes out rulebooks, and has Wyatt talk to them about developing character. (See Miscellaneous, Games, Louper.) Their first game was played on the streets of New York. The team had to search through abandoned subway tunnels and skyscrapers while keeping their eyes peeled for opponents. Luke was on the winning team in that game, and made a good pairing with Wyatt, as a killing pair. The second game was in a bayou surrounded by strange creatures who were out to get them. Again, Luke and Wyatt made a good pair, and Luke knew he had found his place in school, even if for only a few hours each day.

WINTER, A FRIEND?

Chapter 12

Izzie and Alison go out for one of their night-time strolls. The winter wasn’t as cold as last year, but they bundled up, anyway. They talked about Izzie’s classroom experience. Alison asked her if she was OK. “Yeah, I guess so. Something came back to me, and it was really confusing and took me off-guard. Seems like everything in my life is changing so fast, and I can’t get a grip on it. My dreams are like memories and my memories are like dreams, and nothing seems to fit together anymore. I don’t know… Maybe I’ll never know the truth, but I have to at least try to figure it out.” They went to the barn, petted the new colt, and talked. Valentine’s Day dance Luke and Tanner had already aske, so that was fine. Alison told Izzie that Winter liked her, that he totally had a thing for her. Izzie doesn’t believe her. It’s not only obvious to me, but to every single person who’s around you guys. He stares at you like he’s going to melt into the floor, and any time you’re around Luke, it’s like his heart is breaking. I would think it was romantic, except for the fact that he’s covered in dark magic.” You can’t like someone and treat them like crap at the same time. “I was just letting you know what I saw in his soul when I watched the two of you, said Alison.” Whether Winter was a good guy or not, he’d never believe it until he stopped hanging out with the other dark magic beings. They visited with Dorvu, and found that he had been learning to fly, then visited with Horace and his dog, then back to the school.

GO-KART RACING

Chapter 13

Ethan and some of his friends had combined into a Magical Go-kart Racing Club. (See Miscellaneous, Games, Go-Karts) Horace thought that this was this year’s way for the kids to get in trouble, and kept a watch on it, as it included all three groups in the school, the magical, the shifter, and the dark kids. Dorvu was watching, as well. He had grown quite a bit since Horace had last seen him. They stated the race off with a fireball, and as they proceeded, a Dark kid used magic to spin out Ethan’s car. At this point, Berens and Hudson came barreling down the slope, the kids scattered, taking their cars with them, and all went back to the School. Berens went to her office, looked again at the memory balls (more black specks than ever), and regretted the day she had let the Dark kids into the school. She could only wait and see how it would turn out.

VALENTINE’S DAY DANCE

Chapter 14

Izzie and Luke, Alison and Tanner entered the Hall, noticing the elaborate roses Horace had been growing, and the other decorations. Grace and Ethan, Kathleen and Peter were already there, as were Aya and Emma with a couple of upper-classmen. Alison examined the souls of the people there, seeing the Dark ones congregating away from the light ones, as if repelled by them. Suddenly things started to go wrong Luke needed to change, and raced out to the woods, out of control. Izzie goes into the woods after him, hoping to find out what was happening.

SHIFTERS

Chapter 15

Someone poisoned the shifter, was the verdict. It might be the Dark kids, but it must be explored fully. It could start a serious battle between the light and the dark, and this can not be allowed to happen. The next day, Professor Hodges gave them all a lesson in transformation, in shifter magic. Alison transformed her block into a metal toaster. Hodges told Alison that Drow could take on the appearance of others, something she didn’t know yet. “They can’t become a different species, but they can take on anyone’s appearance and look completely different. They’ve used this in the past to fool even those who knew them the best. Apparently, Drow magic is so powerful they can even fool their own mother. There isn’t any spell required for it, at least from what I know. It’s more about confidence or need. When you really need to do something, the Drow magic will take over and allow you to transform into someone else.” She tried it, and was able to do it somewhat. Hodges was sure that if she needed to, she would be able to do it.

HEALING POTIONS

Chapter 16

Fowler(Herbs and Plants) changed the lesson for the day into how to make a healing potion, as I feel that at least one person in this class will be thankful at some point that they learned the ancient art of using herbs to heal.” The students weren’t surprised. It wasn’t necessarily because they didn’t feel safe with the shifters, but more because they knew someone in their midst was putting other students in danger. it wasn’t necessarily because they didn’t feel safe with the shifters, but more because they knew someone in their midst was putting other students in danger. No one wanted to be the next on their list. Anyone with light magic would’ve scoffed at the idea of harming the shifters, which meant that whoever was behind it most likely dabbled in dark magic. People like that never stopped at just the shifters. As the student mixed the herbs and made their potions, one of them dropped, and mists of herb dust floated up surrounding Izzie, who immediately went into her hallucinations, back in the alley, fighting the Dark wizards. The problem was that she was really in the classroom, and was hurling fireballs and energy spears around, destroying furniture, making holes in the walls, etc. Fowler saw what was happening, hurriedly mixed together another potion, and forced it down Izzie’s throat. Izzie almost immediately calmed down, and saw what had happened. She was devastated. She went back to her dorm to clean up and rest, and Fowler went to Powell to help with the clean-up of the classroom. He couldn’t help, and told her to mind her own business.

Chapter 17

The Loupers were practicing, and were “playing” on Oriceran today, a planet they had all wanted to go to, so distraction was at a maximum. Coach Max told them to FOCUS ON THE GAME ! ! Don’t let distraction take you away. Luke, Henry and Wyatt were doing well, lasting until the end, with Henry winning. Izzie went to Wizard of Oz rehearsal, feeling attraction to Dorothy, also an orphan. They had things in common. Izzie practiced singing “somewhere Over the Rainbow”, and everyone was silent, in awe of her voice and performance. The freshman came in, the flying monkeys, bitching all of the way, and Scarlett made kind of a strange bitchy Good Witch.

A NEW CLASS

Chapter 18

Mara reads the front-page article on the Go-Kart race, written by Peter, and she calls him to her office.

While waiting for him, she worried about Izzie. Worst of all, Mara didn’t know what to do about it. With the memory orbs collecting dark spots and her inability to locate Izzie’s parents, there wasn’t a lot she could do. It was too dangerous to tell her the truth, not only for her mind because but of those who were searching for her. It was apparent, though, that the Jasper Elf was becoming far too powerful. Peter knocked, and entered. She asked who had organized the races, and if he had really assessed the dangers presented. When he was unable to answer fully, she warned him that it’s a very complex world out there, and some of that world is trying to get in here. As a journalist, you’re making a point of keeping an eye on things. I want you to keep in mind that the line is sometimes a lot closer than you think.”

A new class, and a new Professor. Professor Rupert Wilson, a Light Elf with silver hair flowing down his back and an air of youth even though he was several hundred years old, was assigned to teach Multi-Dimensional lessons to the sophomores. “ You’re probably wondering what multidimensional magic is. Well, it’s many things, but as far as this class is concerned, it is your opportunity to take a look back through history at some of the most poignant moments and see them not just from one perspective, but from two. If you think about your history texts, you get most of the perspective from the winning side and only a partial view from the losing one. What people don’t understand is that it’s not always black and white like that. And at the same time, no matter how much we praise the winners, they were not always on the right side.” And he handed out a pair of glasses to each student. He instructed them to put on their glasses. The students put them on and gasped. What looked like a normal pair of glasses was actually not normal at all. When they put them on, they found themselves in a different time and place. Protests, battles, philosophies were examined. “What would you have done? When the class was over, many of them had changed sides many times, and all had a better understanding of problem situations. Evaluation: There were no real winners, but there was a whole lot of new awareness.”

LOUPER GAME DAY

Chapter 19

That afternoon, the Cardinals’ competition was a San Francisco Bay-area private school team, the Sandpipers. Of course, playing this game would be difficult if everyone had to be on location with the other team. If that were the case, they’d end up only playing people from the surrounding area, which for Charlottesville was pretty much no one. Magic allowed the two teams to play from opposite sides of the country without ever setting foot on the same field. It was genius, really. It not only saved the school money, but it saved them from having to break up the inevitable fights that used to happen when they traveled to play each other. The spectators in the stands could see the teams on both sides of the country, but the players could only see their own team. This allowed the game to stay fair and safe, and be available for just about every high school in the country to play. The goal remains the same in all games. Find the prize on the map without getting killed. They made their plan. This was not just some beautiful African plain. It was a virtual world designed to trick them into comfort, then rip them back out and leave them standing on the field feeling like idiots as the people in the stands stared blankly at them. Not one single guy on that team wanted to deal with that. The plan for the game: Let’s split into three groups. One heads out to the plains, one heads to the town, and one heads down the road toward the animal sanctuary about three miles east of here. You all know what to do if you find the treasure. Trust me, we’ll know if you grab it. Good luck out there, guys, and watch each other’s backs.” Luke headed the group that went out to the plains. With only Wyatt on the field at the end, to everyone’s surprise, the Cardinals won. The fans had sat there stunned as Wyatt wandered into a small cave at the edge of the plain and found himself in front of the trophy before any of the Sandpipers. It wasn’t just brawn that had won them the game. It was brains too, and a whole hell of a lot of luck. The prize was coins that would be split up among them equally to spend in the kemana, On top of that, they found themselves one step closer to getting into the championship tournament, something Luke was hoping they would make it to even though this was his first year.

Chapter 20

The team had won, and they were celebrating together, which left all of the girls to go shopping with Kathleen. Peter and Tanner came with them, since they were not on the Louper Team. While they were out, they were accosted by a group of normal, with no magic in them, just troublemakers. They didn’t know how to handle it, exactly, until a group of other kids showed up, taking their side. It was the Prep School Group they had had the Integration luncheon with last year, and they still remembered and were friends. Both groups hung out in the mall until it was time to go back, and they weren’t bothered again, that day.

SPRING

Chapter 21

Birds, blue skies, comfortable temperatures. Plants coming up, Alison could see energies moving around her, and people’s souls were happy wisps of wild colors. Everyone was wondering what Ethan would be doing for April 1st this year. The big event of the day was the debates and presentations of the candidates for office, in the gym. First event is speeches from those running for Junior Class President for next year. Kathleen was the first speaker, did an excellent job, with the help of some calming energy from Izzie. Speeches from candidates for Student Body president were next, Wyatt, Scarlett, and Farrell. When Farrell spoke, a magical wolf ran down the aisle. A practical joke, but someone was messing with the elections. April Fool’s Day. Everyone was apprehensive, wondering what Ethan had planned, and if they were going to be the butt of it. They all were. They were all going to be late for class except Ethan, because he had dropped them about three miles from school, with a long hike back.

DARK MAGIC

Chapter 22

On the eve of the 1st, Dark magic started to seep into the town. Three older wizards met in an empty building, no one thought much about it. It was an old shack that held cracked and broken tombstones and other graveyard accoutrements, yard equipment, and a small desk for the cemetery’s groundskeeper. Phaedrus was the older one, who had been alive and practicing in Rhazdon’s time. Apollo was one of the younger of the three. They had come to try to recruit younger dark people to their cause, but had been stymied. Berens had taken care of the three dark wizards and their secret hiding place. They had tried to clean up the mess quickly, but it was too late. The school was already on the alert, looking for any trace of dark magic in the streets, in the school, or anywhere near the school grounds. They had made it almost impossible for the dark families and those wizards still looking to complete their mission to have any idea what was happening within the school. Phaedrus thought it was time for a new plan. Apollo leaned back on a stack of chairs and listened excitedly as his mentor explained a plan he had been trying to put together since long before the toombie thing came about. “You see, Apollo, we can use these children to make a statement, not only to the light magic, but to the dark families that seem to have forgotten where they came from. It all starts out with a scare, don’t you understand that? We can’t just threaten these families. They have just as much power as some of us do. We can put their children in danger, which will create a war. These plans don’t have to be dramatic or drawn out. Some of the simplest plans in history have turned into some of the greatest victories this world has ever seen. Just think, a group of soldiers at war with another group built a large horse, hid within it, and were welcomed inside their enemies’ gates, only to slaughter all their people. Something simple can be used on magical people as well. We have just as many naïve witches and wizards and elves as light magicals do.” We need to make the humans scared, but in a way that doesn’t expose too much of where it’s coming from.” Just then, a dark magic stranger came in, and approached them with a plan that would scare the humans and the school. Attack the shifters, making them shift in broad daylight, and run through the middle if the schools and the classes and the student, creating fear and danger. They made their plan. They would attack the shifters, and in doing so, they would be attacking the school as a whole.

LOUPER GAME DAY AGAIN

Chapter 23

They were in Hawaii this time, on Kauai, the oldest of the islands. Luke, you and your team head up the mountain. Wyatt, you and your team head along the beach, and I’ll take my team through the forest. Remember, there are chests out there, there are hints, and there are special weapons that we can use to win this game. Do your best, guys. Our trophy is waiting for us.” They lost, as the Coyotes had stolen their map, and were cheating. At the end of the game, Berens spoke. “The Cardinals, in my opinion, played better than any team I’ve ever seen play in any of the high schools as long as I have been the headmistress of the school. They might not stand on the field of champions or receive a fancy little trophy with their names engraved on it, but today they showed not only us but everyone watching, including the Coyotes, that we are a school with moral strength and values. We will not stoop to what is wrong. We will not allow the negative and dark to enter the school under any circumstances. I couldn’t be prouder of these boys, and I think that deserves a little bit of a treat.” And the whole school had an ice cream treat day, celebrating the Cardinals for playing by the rules even when it wasn’t easy.”

DORVU

Chapter 24

That night, Izzie and Alison go for one of their usual walks. The school year was almost over, and the girls would miss these walks that summer. But Izzie is worries about her future – her hallucinations and dreams. Where were they leading? “I don’t know, Izzie. Maybe if you let up a little and let it run its course on its own you’ll get the answers you’re looking for. Sometimes, when we push for things, they push back. But when we let them grow in their own time, that’s when we get the answers were looking for.” . “That was pretty deep, Alison, but I liked it, and it makes sense. I just hope I can let go enough to let it run its own course. They went to find Dorvu, and found him, bigger than ever. He had watched the Louper game from afar, and was sympathetic with their loss. He showed them his new trick. The dragon straightened and lifted his head into the air, then breathed in quickly and blew a steady stream of frost into the girls’ hair. He wasn’t a fire-breathing dragon, after all. He was dragon a frost-breathing. They were excited! They talked about the parent/student activities coming up, and Alison volunteered Shay and Brownstone to act as Izzie’s parents, as well as her own. Izzie was extremely grateful. She didn’t know if she deserved all the love Alison showed her, but she definitely wasn’t going to turn it away.

Chapter 25

Brownstone, in a suit, on Parent’s Day. Incredible! But anything for Alison! Shay and James had gladly accepted Izzie as Alison’s “sister”, and treated her as they would Alison Corsages, hugs, compliments. Brownstone and Shay were overwhelmed by the decorations at the dance. They all met with the boys, Brownstone didn’t get too upset, and the all had a good time.

HECKLING

Chapter 26

A strange way to start the day. All of the election posters had changed, to be able to tell the secrets of the persons standing in front of them. Professor Hudson walked down the hall, heard her secrets being announced, and cast spells over the posters stopping them. Professor Fowler came, and tried to find the trail of whomever had done this. While some found it hilarious, it had caused several students emotional distress, as well as started a couple of fights. The trail just disappeared into thin air. Fowler knew that no student I know of would be able to hide as well as they can. Someone is causing trouble with dark intent, and we need to inform the headmistress before it gets out of hand.” That night was the premier of the school play, The wizard of Oz. When Izzie started to sing :somewhere…” there was a heckler in the audience, who kept shouting about the orphan singing. Izzie became upset, but Scarlett saved her, as the good witch, and stopped the heckler with her “magic”, her “death stare”. The heckling stopped, and Izzie sang beautifully, to a standing ovation.

SHIFTERS AGAIN

Chapter 27

June, voting day at the School. No more enchanted flyers, just regular ones. Scarlett won by a handful of votes, and that was OK, because Wyatt was on the Louper Team, and it was going to be rough next year. Izzie sees Luke, and decides to talk to him about neglecting her. He couldn’t believe she had wanted to be with him after what had happened. He does, she does, and they go off to the buffet for lunch. It all went well until the shifters were again poisoned, but this time faster, so that they had no time to get outside. They shifter right in the middle of the room, where everyone could see it happen. Berens and Alison came into the room, Berens creating safety areas, Alison creating shadowy areas, so the shifter cold get outside to safety and privacy. Izzie ran after Luke, in his wolf form, and told him she loved him, the end to a perfect day.

Chapter 28

The next morning, the shifters returned to school, donning their clothes, which had been left outside for them. Berens had explained that they had been safe, as the shifters had been poisoned, and had not had control over their changes, that they had been scared about what was happening to them. Powell had found the carrier. It was the lemonade, which had been poisoned with whatever made the shifters change immediately. Powell thinks it’s some old, dark magic they hadn’t seen in centuries. One of the teachers gasped. “Someone is trying to close the school. They’re trying to create fear in everyone, including the dark families who bring their children here. Whoever this person is, they are not going to stop until they get their way.” As the parents began to arrive, the headmistress made sure that she was available to speak to every parent who had concerns. She didn’t want the children to be withdrawn from the school because of this, but she understood that there was not a lot that she could do, especially since they didn’t have any answers. However, she was able to calm most of them down with the help of Professor Hudson and Professor Powell, who went through the security that they would be implementing before the children returned in the fall. She was exhausted by the end of the day. She really had no control over the situation, but she hoped for the best. No one knew what next year would bring, but it was their Junior year, and it was promising to be amazing!

SUMMER VACATION

Izzie went to the station, to see everyone off, and was not as upset as before, because she now knew that she had a lot of people in her life who really cared about her. Those people were the ones who were going to be constantly on her mind throughout the summer, helping her get through the loneliness until school started again in the fall. A warm feeling settled into her chest and she sighed, letting a smile move across her lips. She planned to figure out who those people in her flashes of memories and dreams were, but she no longer wallowed in misery. A family was what you made it, not who you were given, and she had one hell of a family right there at her school.