Chapter 4 – Elmbridge Old Gate, a New Door

It was that kind of noon when even though the sun was in the sky for some time, in the shade of the trees it was quite cool. Even so, the scenery was so pleasant that you could sit carried away in those waves of greenery, listening to the birds’ spring songs.

Next to a hidden forest path, where someone right in the head would not stop, there was a carriage. The horses were tired and hungry. They ate grass with gusto, like a wolf devouring its prey. It was clear they had come a long and difficult way.

A man and two children got off the carriage. The man, Mr. Benjamin Green, paid the coachman for the trip and thanked him. Then he beckoned to the two children to follow him.

Elizabeth’s heart was pounding with fear because she didn't know what was to happen next. Only when she saw the little boy Johnny smiling and winking at her, she recovered her courage and calmed down.

How come this little boy who was hit so badly and probably that happened every day could smile so sweetly with happiness in his eyes? That was really surprising.

The children could hardly follow Mr. Green, as he moved very fast, as though someone chased him. Elizabeth expcted at any second to be scolded because they couldn’t keep up with the man, but this did not happen.

However, something else happened. Johnny took Elizabeth by the hand and hurried a little to reach Mr. Green.

“Johnny, are you okay?” the smart gentleman asked, displaying the care of a parent.

“Better than ever,” Professor Knudlac.

Better than ever, after such a blow? Professor Knudlac? What happened to Mr. Green? Such questions crossed the frightened girl's mind. What happened ... who was the man she left with? Poor kid did not understand anything at all. There were more questions in her mind than strands of hair on her head. She could imagine her head blasting with questions eager to find answers. She wanted to say something, but the few words of the gentleman assured her that she was to face many surprises. What she found out was mind-blowing; she was struck speechless:

“My dear Elizabeth ... my name is Knudlac Eaden. I'm a distant relative of your father’s.”

The girl still looked at Mr. Knudlac with some doubt. How can you trust a stranger who still lies above all? Who lied to the damn director of an orphanage and who also says he knew her father. As for a joke ... even if that were the case, poor kid didn’t know because no one in the orphanage taught her about the sense of humour.

Something seemed to tell her to run away, to turn back where she came from. Maybe it was better, she thought. But something kept telling her: why is that little boy so ... not-sad? What was on his mind? And…

And the girl's thoughts are interrupted by this gentleman’s gaze who removed his glasses and threw them in a rusty garbage bin, near a bench. A gaze as gentle as the one in the picture she kept folded all the time near her chest.

“You have the eyes ... the gaze so gentle”, the girl managed to say.

The professor smiled.

“Elizabeth, I've been looking for you for so long. For so long ... Your parents left me a letter telling that if something happened to them, to find you and take care of you. After failing so many times, I finally found you.

The elegant gentleman paused, then hurried to look for something in the sleeve of his long coat:

“But if we don't hurry, I may lose you again ...”

Then he bent and approached his face to hers, so that she could see his friendly gaze.

“When I heard about your parents’ death, I wanted to bring you near me, but unfortunately some bad people were ahead of me. They hid you ... they forcefully grabbed you from me without me being able to track you down. And ... they are still looking for you, to take you back from me.

“What people?” the girl asked, scared.

“The same people who ... hurt your parents.”

You could tell just by looking at her face how frightened she was.

“I don't want to scare you, but unfortunately we don't have much time. You're far too important to them, being the Edwards’ daughter. Please just trust me and let me do what is necessary to protect you.”

Elizabeth approved, nodding her head slightly. She was too frightened to speak.

Professor Knudlac finally pulled out of his left sleeve a thin stick of mahogany with gold inlay and said the following words:

“Locus Inrita!”

Blackish dust came out of Elizabeth's clothes, and the particles got together in a small bulge of powder, then it disappeared as if swallowed by something.

“I reversed one of Miss Hortensia Blackwood’s spells. To know all the time where you are, she cursed you using a powerful spell”, Mr. Knudlac tried to explain what he had just done.

You would expect Elizabeth to be amazed at what happened, but she wasn't.

“So I used to project those light fountains unaware ... or maybe not?”

“Yes, almost any child like you can do ... little magic tricks at first.”

Finally, the girl began to understand that what happened around her had a very clear reason.

“Miss Blackwood ... Hortensia? I felt she was a witch,” Elizabeth managed to mumble.

“Yes, she is a very bad and strong witch. She was chosen by Vlad Dragoesti to watch over you. He didn't have the courage to kill you, because he didn't know what kind of magic protects you. Some evil and powerful wizards have been destroyed forever by such protective spells. That's why he chose to keep you alive under his supervision all the time. But we will discuss these things later. Follow me ...”

The two children followed the professor along some side paths. Elizabeth calmed down to the depths of her heart. She felt Mr. Knudlac just wanted to protect her, so she quietly followed the smart gentleman and the boy.

She could finally enjoy everything she saw. Beth admired everything before her heavenly eyes. For many years she saw nothing out of the orphanage windows but walls of other buildings, so she was pleasantly surprised by the greenery of the trees and the colours scattered on the ground of that mysterious park.

The unexpected visit of a hedgehog made her even more cheerful. Moreover, the chirping of the birds flying from one branch to another to build nests, red and furry squirrels, hairballs rolling on the twigs, made the girl as she had not been for long ... happy. As she had never been in the orphanage for so many years.

Finally, she had the opportunity to enjoy life ... to enjoy what the wonderful world outside the orphanage's walls offered.

What else could be said? It was a beautiful spring day, a day that brought the biggest changes in Elizabeth's life. Even if she did not know her future, such a pretty and good child, was happy she met someone who really cared about her. Someone with the same ancestor’s blood, who gave right to life to all descendants, including to her.

This guy she didn't hear about offered her freedom and rescued her from that children’s prison ... the orphanage.

Elizabeth, Johnny and Mr. Knudlac rushed through the park as if flying. They followed unknown paths, according to a logic that only Mr. Knudlac understood. The professor’s speed that forced them move to keep up with him, made the two of them repeatedly confuse each other or get stuck in things lost by who knows who.

The trees shaped in a vault of greenery and flowers, with inviting scent, seemed to lead us slowly, slowly, into a fairy tale world. Still, ... it was not just a sensation, because anyone could say that the following part of the story was taken from a fairy tale.

At one point they got in front of a rusty metal gate, as old as hills. It had on it some unknown writs and inscriptions with built-in heads of creatures carved in bronze. Creatures as unknown as those words written on the gate.

They went past the gate and entered a meadow that had a huge and old oak in its midst. This oak was slightly different from all the other trees, which formed a large circle around it. The rest of the trees seemed to respectfully keep some distance from him so as not to disturb him, but they were still close enough to hear him. What to hear ...? The stories he probably had to say, because he was big and thick, and his bark was old and full of wrinkles so one would say he was the first tree that came up on Earth and he certainly heard many stories from all over the world.

Unlike the other trees that were green, this old and lofty oak had rusty leaves, as if he was the only tree that did not know that spring had come, but he thought it was still autumn outside.

Mr. Knudlac stopped by his side.

“Ostium Aperire in Antiquis!”

Elizabeth looked around but saw nothing changed. She looked at Mr. Knudlac and Johnny inquiring. Did… the professor say the wrong spell? For… yes, Mr. Knudlac was definitely a wizard.

“Johnny, see you on the other side,” Knudlac said, smiling. “Thanks for the help ... you are free to do what you want.”

Where? What? Which side? And what is on the other side? Elizabeth wondered in horror.

Yet, she had no time to wonder more, for in a moment Johnny began to disintegrate slowly, slowly, smiling as if his gradual disappearance was something as normal as opening a door, until he completely vanished. His clothes vanished too. That mysterious tree seemed to have absorbed him. So no one could blame on Elizabeth that she was even more terrified now.

There was some very fine, tickling dust rising slightly from the girl’s left hand. The girl was terrified ... She had her reasons. How would anyone feel if his hand becomes dust instantly, after which the same thing happens to his body?

But when she felt Knudlac's palm clutching her hand gently and when she saw his soothing gaze, kinder than a father’s for his daughter, Elizabeth became much quieter.

"Don't be scared," the professor explained. We will go together in a much friendlier place, a place where you will be pleased to be. I promise."

And after he saw that the girl also answered with a big smile, Mr. Knudlac again said those words, bluntly and clearly, after which the two disappeared as Johnny did.

…

After a few seconds when Elizabeth screamed as loud as she could, only seeing black and white stripes and blinding lights through her half-open eyelids, hearing only loud and deafening noises as if she were in the middle of a hurricane, she finally heard a gentle voice saying:

“Here we are, dear. You can open your eyes now.”

The girl had both arms clasped around Mr. Knudlac. Hearing his words, she looked up and saw Mr. Green had completely vanished, leaving behind another gentleman ... Mr. Knudlac, completely different. The man was dressed in a hooded cape, dark-green, with long, dishevelled, slightly grey hair.

“We got to the other side ... or as we call it, the Enchanted and Unusual Land of the renowned Elmbridge School of Magic, where you will learn about magical transformations, spells and special and unusual incantations. Here, I am Professor Eadan Knudlac. And, among others, the director of the Elmbridge School of Magic. Besides, I am the one who teaches the courses of ...”

Anyway, the professor was interrupted by a young lady, with gracious voice like the merry song of a mermaid:

“Professor, you are awaited. The ambassador of Charles McAbsey Magic Consulate is in your office ...”

The one who interrupted him was a very beautiful woman, not more than twenty-five years old, dressed in a cape with a hood on her head, but with short sleeves, so that one could see her fine and delicate hands.

The young lady got close to the professor's ear and whispered:

“It seems that Dragoesti again attacked some members of the Consulate. One of Vlad's cousins was injured and captured, and two of his acolytes are killed. Though, our losses are higher...”

Mr. Knudlac gazed at the beautiful garden in the inner courtyard. It could be clearly seen from the expression of his face that he did not enjoy the view, but thought of something else.

“Dear Elizabeth, I have to go for a while, but my colleague Harmony Kingsley ... will show you the room where you will live and the surroundings of the Elmbridge School of Magic.”

“We will get on well, Elizabeth,” Miss Harmony agreed, obediently. And indeed, with a person with such a smile and such a warm look, it could only be… harmony.

The woman took the little girl by the hand and began to present the glamour of that magic place. In that huge courtyard of that school, of that charming palace, for Elmbridge School looked like that, at one point they came in front of a fountain. Elizabeth had never seen such a wonderful fountain before, and not because the only fountain she knew was the one made of stones laid on top of one another, from which she would draw water with Dorothy whenever their turn was to fill heavy buckets with water, but because it was a fountain as many ... have not seen.

“Miss Harmony ... were my parents at this school too?”

“No, dear, neither as students when they were your age, nor as professors. Nor did they meet Knudlac too often when they were alive. You came here because it looks like Eaden Knudlac ... is your only relative ... you know.”

Miss Harmony’s gaze let her know that the truth was too delicate for the girl to tell her. So Miss Harmony claimed she didn't know much about the Edwards' life and changed the subject.

“I’m amazed whenever I see these fountains.”

The well by which they stood was adorned with a few moving statues.

You could hardly accept that what happened was real, but those statues were indeed lively.

What Elizabeth saw was not a common artesian fountain, in which everything was static and water flowed, but statues of all kinds, shapes and sizes, winged horses, angels, sea creatures you could not even imagine if you did not see personally, and many other human or less human creatures made up the fountain, moved freely playing with water making it run continuously in various ways.

Furthermore, those statues moved their body, as if they were not built of stone, but had joints and were made of flesh and bones. However ... they were petrified.

“Gargoyle”, said Mrs. Harmony. “Magic statues came to life. You will meet them everywhere. In various forms ... Human, or mermaid, or fantastic creatures like chimeras, dragons or griffinigri.”

“What are grifinigri?”

“They have half eagle and half ... leopard body.”

The girl had a hard time imagining exactly what those creatures looked like.

"You will certainly meet them and see what they look like," Harmony answered her question obviously bugging her. All these statues make these places look as they are ... magic. They make them more beautiful for us, and instead we provide them with the buildings to stay on. Their house is actually ... outside. You see, they like to live outside their homes. The exterior of the buildings they stick to is for them the most welcoming place they could wish for.

As the story goes, Miss Harmony showed the girl how many of these gargoyles decorated the walls and the towers of Elmbridge School. Only the living statues did not move like those in the majestic fountain, but remained motionless.

“Statues on buildings move very rarely. Only once in a while ... If you sit and stare at them for several days, you can see how sometimes a gargoyle shakes dust off top. But ... only once a few days, after which it is again still for other days. This is how a group of students from this school told me they watched day and night over these ... fantastic creatures.

The girls took part in a small show started by one of the statues, a small winged child, who took a mouthful of water from the fountain and flew to a giant, a warrior armed as if he were to face an entire army. Reaching him, the water he drank was eliminated through the bottom, annoying the giant. Even though it was water, because it could not be anything else, the giant was so furious that he tried with all might to catch with the free hand the naughty angel. The latter managed not to turn into dust, because the huge warrior had to keep the fountains on which the other statues stood with the other hand.

The girls started laughing loudly at such revelation.

"Maybe statues on the buildings are quiet because they are not touched by water," Elizabeth said, trying to understand the difference between the statues in the fountain and the others.

"I never thought of that," Miss Harmony replied, smiling. “Interesting statement. Maybe, who knows? Anyway, they are all very beautiful ...”

And the two continued their journey through the magnificent courtyard of the Elmbridge school of magic.

“Miss Harmony, can you tell me where we are and what this place actually is?”

Miss Harmony cleared her throat and began to say:

“Of course. I'll start with ... How to explain to you, my dear? Until today you could only notice what you wanted to see. You spent your life in a real world, as those people who want to ... ignore magic. We call them ‘sceptic’. And this world is different from theirs.”

“I was sceptic too?”

Miss Harmony smiled so warmly that anyone would say her picture should be added to the word kindness in the dictionary.

“Have you noticed anything strange with you so far?”

“I saw I could make bright ponies ... out of nothing and other stuff like that.”

“Then you aren’t sceptic. You couldn’t be sceptic ... Your parents were some of the best and most powerful wizards that mankind has ever had. Like Professor Eadan Knudlac. As for you, some people think you’ll ... the most powerful witch of your generation.”

“I think ... it's hard to believe anything,” the girl tried to contradict her, looking back because she saw someone as small as a child younger than 4.

Nothing strange for a witch but to any sceptic person this would have seemed abnormal, because that child seemed to be at least a hundred years old, considering his appearance. His beard almost reached the ground, as if all the hair on his head moved there, because he was bald, and his face looked like he was made of ... stone.

"He is a stone elf," clarified Miss Harmony. “Elves are just like ... like some people. Still, they are different.”

“Who is that Vlad they talk about?”

“You know, dear. In the real world there are evil people ... in the magic world there are evil wizards. They want to control the world of magic, and everything actually. To control both wizards and sceptic people. Kind, compassionate ones are used to drinking from the fountain of love ... but evil ones are fed with hatred and violence.”

The woman, seeing Elizabeth was thoughtful, cupped her chin in her delicate palm.

“Forget about it, dear. All you have to do is live your life and enjoy your childhood. You will have time to think about such things as you grow older. We have so many things to do now. And so little time ... Tomorrow the new magic academic year begins. And I got you are one of our students too.”

“I want to go to school, to learn new things, to learn how to count. I don't even know how to read very well, but I am willing to learn.”

“The school of magic is more than that, dear. It will not teach you only what sceptic people learn at school. You will learn plenty of that stuff, but they will teach you much more. They will teach you everything to become a witch ... at least as strong as your parents were.”

“But, I ... hmm ... I don't know how to write or read very well. And I don't even know what skills I need to become a witch”, the little girl mumbled, scared.

“No problem. In time, you will learn these things. Professor Knudlac will make sure you learn everything you need, you will see.”

The little girl said nothing more. She was fearfully thinking about the next day.

“Now I'm going to take you to your room. Where is your luggage?”

The girl showed Miss Harmony her little baggage, few items of clothing actually. The woman, raising her arm holding a magic wand, said the words:

“Omnia disponere!”

And the luggage suddenly disappeared.

“My stuff!” the girl said, scared.

“Keep calm, dear. I just sent it to your room. I put it in your closet.”

“Do I have my room?”

“Of course ... you'll have your closet and your stuff. In addition to the luggage you had, Mr. Knudlac asked me to prepare other things you would need. Clothes tailored to you, shoes for running, for soirées and parties, for climbing and for trips, supplies and books and more. Including magic stuff to make your stay more enjoyable.”

The girl was amazed and happy at the same time. She could not believe that the man she initially thought would make her life an ordeal, was such a good and generous man.

“Now we will get to your room in a moment. Just wait for me to take my wand ... and in a moment we are there.”

“Please…”

Elizabeth grabbed Miss Harmony's arm and looked at her begging.

“Please, can we walk? I haven't been outside for a long time. Needless to speak about such a magical ... superb court.”

Miss Harmony, touched by the girl's gaze, agreed.

“Sure, dear.

It won't take us long to tour the school. Anyway ... I have not walked in the yard for long. Recently ... I was just transmuted where I wanted to reach. So I will accompany you and show you the surroundings to get acquainted with them. Maybe you will meet some children and make new friends.”

And Miss Harmony and Elizabeth continued their tour.

They began to walk across the large, student-filled courtyard of the school, which looked like the one of a palace in which Henry II certainly wanted to walk. The gardens of this wonderful castle that housed a lot of students and professors of Elmbridge School, had stunning places with such a great diversity of flowers and plants, that you would say they are true botanical gardens.

The fountains scattered throughout the castle yard were the most beautiful and attractive, and those living statues, the moving stone pieces, made everything seem like a continuous show. The scenes and images seen by those watching the majestic living fountains, seemed like true fairy tales.

As if they had been acrobats from the famous Moscow circus, petrified of course, but equally mobile and well trained. Many of the statues that made up the fountains wobbled and moved freely, often leaving passers-by dazzled.

Elizabeth would like to inspect every little statue from the fountains in detail, but unfortunately it would take her at least a few months to do it ... and then there were so many other things to see.

The roof of the school had many towers, rising proudly above the rest of the school. Among them there were three towers, one of which was so high that one would hardly see its peak on a cloudy day, as it would have been lost in the fuzzy clouds. The tallest tower was equipped with a clock like the one of the most famous buildings in the world, which on the hour, sang a song heard in the courts and gardens of the school worthy to be listened to in a famous opera house, as the one in Vienna.

Walking through that royal courtyard, at one point the girls came in front of a different fountain than the first. This fountain had some moving statues too, but they moved less. They seemed to ... think more.

“This is the fountain ... we call it the Fountain of Wisdom. You will meet the pioneers of knowledge, such as Aristotle, Plato, Socrates or Archimedes. Or ... that statue that looks like carving in stone, is Leonardo da Vinci, a great inventor. And many others, which I do not recognize by appearance, but if you want to know about them, go to the Library of the school to meet them.”

“To meet them?” asked Elizabeth in surprise. “Probably to read about them, because I think many of them are gone. I liked to read about Da Vinci. I had a page in a magazine about him that I kept reading ... and he talked about his inventions.”

“Yes. You will see when you reach the Library,” concluded Miss Harmony, as she has seen something strange.

Johnny was by the well. The boy was now dressed in a splendid and clean suit, those too little rugged clothes he had worn in the world of sceptic people, disappearing completely. He drank water from that well, while some students were looking at him laughing. Some seemed to be anxiously waiting for something to happen, and the older ones laughed at what the boy was doing.

“JOHNNY DAVIES, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?” Miss Harmony called out.

“I drink water. To become the wisest wizard,” the boy replied as if it were the most obvious answer.

Because Elizabeth was puzzled, Miss Harmony tried to explain to her:

“Some rumours say that if you are a pure soul and you speak the truth in a difficult situation, this fountain will fulfil a wish when you sip in its water. And that you could become the wisest. At least that is what the old wizards ... and their legends say. But I say they are just myths, because I do not know someone who had a wish fulfilled by this well. It just managed to help the older ones trick their kids.

The professor got close to Johnny who swallowed the water as cracked earth swallows the first drops of rain.

“Johnny, stop! You have drunk water from the well and you did not become the wisest, as you can see ...”

Miss Harmony looked at the little girl smiling and said:

“I think he has drunk at least ten times water in this well.”

“That's because I only drank a glass at a time, Miss Harmony. I have to drink more. I'm at the fourth ...”

“Johnny, please stop now! That water other than quenching your thirst will not make you wiser, you or anyone else.”

“I have only six more glasses to drink. And then I stop! I promise it's the last time I drink.”

And the boy took the glass to his mouth, trying to drink, but something stopped him at once.

“Ulcus Aqua!” said Miss Harmony, and the glass of water turned into a hot tea.

When the boy's palm felt the hot drink, he dropped the glass into the well. Johnny did not get discouraged, but he took the glass of water again and tried to drink, to finish the ritual that would make him incredibly intelligent. Maybe the smartest man on Earth ...,” he thought.

As neither hot tea calmed the boy, Miss Harmony called out again:

“Celare Poculum!”

The glass disappeared immediately, and the woman beckoned to the boy to come to her at once.

Miss Harmony was a little angry at first. But when she saw the boy was sad because he lost the chance to become the strongest wizard simply drinking water from the Fountain of Wisdom and thinking he would be punished, the woman smiled slightly.

“Who told you that you need to drink more water to become wise?”

“Marc Wagner ... He told me that Aristotle told him ...”

The lady looked around. She did not see the one in question, but instead saw a group of naughty young laughing loud.

She knew those young could only be Marc's accomplices.

“Where's Marc Wagner?” Miss Harmony asked the young people. “I know he's here somewhere ...”

But they shrugged, sign they didn't know where he disappeared.

"He was here a few moments ago," a 16-year-old girl finally said.

“Et Ostende Mihi!” Miss Harmony called out.

At that moment, young Marc popped up, ashamed that he was discovered by the wise woman.

“Marc, what do you have to say about this?”

Young Marc, a freckled, long red-haired boy, tall, thin, looked at Johnny and said:

“I'm sorry I lied to you Johnny. It seemed funny to me, although it is not.”

Johnny looked even sadder at Miss Harmony and Marc. It was clear he was completely disappointed with what happened. He hoped this was an easy way to become wiser ... Something so simple and easy to do, such as drinking water from a well and become wise, was for him the coolest, if it were true. But it seems it wasn't.

“Marc, please leave. We would talk about that later.”

"I understood," said the young boy embarrassed, beginning to regret when he saw Johnny so sad.

“Johnny ... I'm really sorry.”

And young Marc left.

Johnny had tears in his eyes. Harmony wiped away his tears with a handkerchief, then tried to calm him down, like a mother:

“Dear Johnny. You know, I have exciting news for you ...”

The boy looked at the professor carefully, but still with that sad gaze.

“To become the wiser wizard, it is not enough to do what Marc or other wicked young people say. But the exciting news is that you can really become one of the wisest wizards.”

“I will do anything, Miss Harmony!” the boy shouted, wiping the tears on his face. “I'll do anything…”

“You know, what you have to do is not difficult.”

“I'll do anything. You know I'm not afraid of anything.”

The woman smiled.

“Dear Johnny, it's simple. All you have to do is learn as much as you can in school. Learning as much as you can, practicing and studying as best as you can, will help you a lot as you grow. You will gain wisdom and master the most powerful spells.”

The boy was not so sad anymore, but it was obvious he would do anything else instead of learning. He hoped to find another way to become wiser. He knew there was a school for this, but he hoped for something else. Such as drinking water from a well, like that of the wise. Or another way…”

“I’d better fight with a dragon, or a werewolf in Transylvania," smiled little Johnny.

“Johnny, if you learn, you will easily be able to fight even these creatures. But only if you try hard, only then can you become one of the strongest wizards ... a true protector of the magic world.”

The boy smiled, not too convinced, because he considered this method the most difficult.

“You know, all the best is obtained through work, dear ... only through work,” the professor added.

Then the woman looked at Elizabeth and asked:

“Elizabeth, would you mind if this cute little boy comes with us?”

“Nope,” said the girl.

Miss Edwards was happy to be with someone she could befriend and show and explain things she has to do or know at Elmbridge magic school ... someone to be with her all the time and explain to her the way around. Because there were to be so many new things she must get used to. Stunning things, even miraculous ... but many.

“Then do you want to come with us, Johnny?”

“Sure you do.”

The three of them went on with Elmbridge school tour, and Miss Harmony presented the rest of the College surroundings to the girl.

“There is the Herb Sanctuary, Elizabeth. Here you can come during the herbiology lessons, but also after classes to learn everything about herbs and plants, which you find in both the sceptic people’s gardens and in ours. Though, some of them can be found only here, in the gardens of Elmbridge School. They can help you get powerful spell-potions and have many healing powers. Some are familiar even to sceptics and they use them to heal and cure diseases. Of course, the spells in potions are not so long-lasting, not as powerful as the spells we learn over time, but sometimes they can help you a lot.”

“Can we get in a bit?” asked the girl.

“Unfortunately, we don't have time now, dear. Tomorrow after classes Johnny can accompany you wherever you want to go. And you can spend as much time as you want in this garden. If Johnny agrees to accompany you.

“Of course, Miss Harmony.”

The woman continued to present the surroundings, and the two children followed her.

“Here is the Sanctuary of Mystical and Non-Mystical Creatures. You can meet anytime you want animals from the real world. You can search and see any life form that lives on Earth, underground or in the water.”

"Or a beast-monster," Johnny smiled trying to imitate a beast in order to scare Elizabeth.

But the girl was not scared at all by the so charming Johnny.

“Johnny, please be nice,” the professor heckled him.

Then turning to the girl:

“Yes, it is an area with beasts. You can find out everything you want about them. But I advise you not to visit it. Because there were enough children who visited that part of the Sanctuary ... and had nightmares.”

“And those nightmares were the easiest part. It was tough what happened to them after the nightmares,” Johnny tried to continue with his scares.

“Johnny!” shouted Harmony.

Johnny stopped his explanations aware he was wrong again and silently followed the girls.

“Here is the Gazebo where we relax after a busy day. You can also come after classes or at the weekends,” Miss Harmony smiled looking at Elizabeth. “I recommend the sunset on the Hindian Sea, dear. It is splendid, especially when the sea is slightly foamy it makes you think about the one ...”

The woman stopped talking slightly wrinkling her nose. She felt she made a little mistake. So she tried to fix her mistake:

“In fact, I do not recommend any sunset. You, at that time, are getting ready for sleep. You better ride your bike, or play a game or read a book at the reading club like all students of your age. But all this before sunset.”

“I like rock climbing,” Johnny whispered to Elizabeth, thinking Professor Harmony cannot hear him.

But she heard him.

“You should spend more time studying than relaxing, dear Johnny. If you still want to be one of the wisest wizards ...”

Touched to his brain with this remark, but ashamed he was heard, the boy looked down. But only for a few moments. He spoke to Elizabeth at once:

“I'm going to show you the sea or if you want, we get thick clothes to look for polar bear cubs. We'll be able to do this too. Or even better, Marc told me a magic potion can be made to help us dive without any breathing problems.”

“Or you can play chess or read, dear Johnny. Or ... what about math? I also recommend that you go to the Wisdom Pavilion. To talk to a few of them and see how they became wise ... I don't think climbing or looking for polar bears they got to live in that Pavilion,” Miss Harmony kept scolding him. “I will speak again with Professor Knudlac about restrictions on recreational areas. It is not safe for an eleven-year-old child to have access to climbing and diving. It may be dangerous…”

Johnny could kick himself - unfortunately it would have hurt too much. Because of him and not of anyone else, he may no longer have the right to spend his time as he liked, namely in those areas that seemed a little more dangerous at first sight.

"You and your big mouth, Davies," the boy reproached himself, instead of that kick.

After walking a little further through the inner yard, Miss Harmony showed Elizabeth the store where she could find whatever she wanted any magic or non-magic product.

The professor also showed her where she had to go to reach the creek and the pond with magic fish, as well as the forest with tall, very tall trees, which continued to grow steadily over the years, as if trying to reach the sky. She also told them that behind those trees began the spread of water, Vanity Lake.

That lake was the only place that was completely forbidden to anyone, not even to get close to it or to walk on its shore, needless to speak about swimming in it. Equally forbidden was to enter the depths of the Ancient Forest.

“There in that Lake there are fantastic creatures so terrible, that none of the people, who met them, could ever speak about them. That's why nobody knows what they look like or what they are, but everyone knows they exist. And it is forbidden to go beyond those trees ... Because there were many who went there, willing to cross the lake and had the bad luck to see them ... and they are gone. No matter what, long boats like a train, ships built of the most resistant metal, or devices built by the strongest spells, all would perish if they dared to cross the Vanity Lake ...”

“What kind of creatures?”

“I don't know, dear. I just heard some people talking about mermaids rescuing shipwrecks. But others say they trick the navigators to dive in, sinking vessels and feeding on those who are shipwrecked. Some say there are also some sea nymphs with a lot of tentacles, and creepy mouths. And there are also huge sea snakes, wild water dragons and octopuses as big as our school ... As I said, many unfortunate, both wizards and sceptics, started off to find them, but I don’t know anyone who came back.”

The three continued their journey and eventually reached the rooms where the students slept.

Miss Harmony took a key out of her pocket and handed it to Elizabeth.

“This key gives you the opportunity to enter any room you have the right to enter. You cannot enter where you are not allowed, taking into account your age.”

“One key for all doors ... for any door? the girl exclaimed, amazed.

“Just for the door to your room and for the places where you are allowed to go, as I said ...” Professor Harmony repeated, smiling. “You cannot enter other students' room with your key, or open some gates, such as the Ancient Forest gate, or the basement of the school ... Or other rooms where only adults and older students are allowed. There are spaces and places, for which you must have a particular age to have access to them ... Or a particular rank as a witch ... it is only for your safety.”

“And how do I use it?” Elizabeth asked. “What if I lose it?” the girl asked, scared, looking at the key, holding it close to her eyes and carefully examining it. Because that key constantly changed its shape, showing it could take different shapes to open many different doors.

Before she could have the answers to the questions, until she could even count to one, the key was snatched from her hand and tossed as far as possible by Johnny.

The boy, proud of his success in throwing things breaking his personal record, took a big smile on his face ... but only until he saw Elizabeth's sad face.

The girl almost cried, unaware what to do. Her key had just been thrown into that pond full of magic fish and sank in no time.

“Keep calm, dear,” Miss Harmony said. “Once you have been given the key and you touched it, it remains yours and yours alone. This key was given to you, dear. And it knows it belongs to you, so if you lose it, it will find you wherever you are, when you want to enter any of the rooms of the main building and those near Elmbridge School of Magic, where you are allowed. It will be in your possession all the time and will help you get where you want.”

The woman saw that Elizabeth didn't quite understand what was going on, so she told her:

“Check the pocket of the dress ...”

The girl put her hand in the pocket and she was surprised when she found the key there. She took it again closer to her eyes, only this time she frowned at Johnny, sign that he should not dare to repeat the trick.

“Should I understand it doesn't matter where I leave it that it will be with me anyway?”

"You got it," said Professor Harmony.

“I love magic!”

Johnny also shyly entered the discussion.

“I wanted to show you that nothing happens if you forget or lose the key ...”

“You managed to prove this successfully, but that's not how you should do it. First you try to explain and then you come with facts,” the woman explained.

“Yes I know. I'm sorry Elizabeth.”

“Never mind, Johnny, I forgive you. I'm glad the key wasn't lost.”

The woman saw the clock on the highest tower of Elmbridge School and startled as if scared by something. She gave Elizabeth the last explanations:

“The room where you stay is number 307. Now, unfortunately, I have to leave as the class of herbs and potions begins with the students of the upper grades. Johnny, are you showing her to her room, please?”

“Yes, Miss Harmony.”

“He stays on the same floor ... in room 326,” added the woman, after which she took her wand from the wide sleeve of the dress, where she used to keep it.

“Now I'll leave. I have to hurry.”

And turning the wand, the professor disappeared as if crawling under the earth after saying:

“Specie genus!”

Excited and amazed at what magic could do, the girl finally reacted at Johnny's requests.

The two children started walking up the stairs to the 3rd floor. In the corridors they met other children about their age, some of them as confused as Elizabeth, who stayed in the same part of the building, which was distributed to beginner students.

As they climbed the stairs, Miss Edwards was amazed at the many floors of the building and the number of students up there, but there was no elevator to transport them.

She noticed some older students coming up some particular stairs, said where they wanted to go, and the stairs took them on a smooth flight to their destination, floating freely there.

“Older students stay there. I can't wait growing myself, so I can easily get to where I want to be, without having to climb these stairs,” sighed Johnny.

Though, Elizabeth loved walking up the stairs, especially since she could admire… everything on her way. She saw a lot of moving pictures, changing, very appealing. Paintings ... as magic as everything in this school and its yard.

After they reached the 3rd floor, the two walked for a few moments on the corridor, after which Johnny stopped.

“Here's your room. Open the door and enter. The key must be in your pocket. In fifteen minutes we have dinner in the big room we went past when we entered the building. At the first level ... See you at dinner.”

Johnny went to his room.

After just a few steps, he heard a voice shouting:

“Johnny!”

It was Elizabeth.

The boy came back to her and smiled when he saw behind the 307 room open door, that should be the door to Elizabeth's bedroom; it was just a small closet with a few mops and buckets, a few brooms and several clean linens on the shelves.

“Yes, I forgot to say. First you have to touch the key with your hand and pronounce Magicorum. That would be the first spell you cast. Which will allow you to activate the key and open all the doors you want.

The girl took the silver key in her hand and prepared to say the word.

“Stay!” Johnny stopped her. “First we have to close the door. I don't know what can happen if you say that spell for the first time with open door. No one tried ... Maybe your room fills with mops or sheets,” the boy smiled as he closed the door of room 307.

After Johnny slammed the door, the girl said the magic word:

“Magicorum ...”

From the door frame some small coloured lights began to emerge like butterflies flying on the first day of spring. The butterflies headed for the door lock, and by the time they got there they were completely gone.

“Ready. You can enter now”, Johnny told the girl.

Elizabeth opened the door and when she saw the room, she beamed up like a child who saw the foamed sea for the first time. A huge room, in which at least half of the children from the orphanage could sleep. A room ... just hers.

“Do you like the room?” Johnny asked, smiling.

But the girl's response to the boy was just slamming the door behind her, after she got in.

The boy looked at the closed door for a moment, and then he went to his room. He wasn't upset because she slammed the door in his face because he thought he might do the same in her shoes, at first encounter with a world full of magic and unknown.

Elizabeth Edwards began to walk around the room, dancing. The room was arranged exactly the way she wanted it to be.

She checked in turn the cupboards, the bedside tables, the shelves. She had everything ... Even her old and used things were beautifully placed on those shelves in the closet. Dresses, shirts, suits, shoes of all colours. There were also coats, hooded capes and many more.

Her parents’ diary, kept very carefully, the most valuable thing for her, but which she didn’t open so far to see its purpose, was on the bedside by her bed.

The room was so beautiful, with nicely drawn drapes, with unicorns and woods, with princesses and princes on them. Drawings that represented another wonderful, magic world. And all those drawings walked on that curtain, as if they were alive.

The girl pulled the curtains to admire them better, making it dark. But at that moment, because it was night in the room, the candles hanging on the wall lit themselves. And one of the candles, without the girl even noticing its whereabouts, approached Elizabeth to better illuminate the area the girl wanted to see. When she tried to read what was written on the frame of a painting, the same candle got close to the painting to make the writing easy to read as if it knew the girl’s thoughts.

Elizabeth restored the drapery, the candles went out and the one flying on its own went to its place ... somewhere on a closet.

In her magic euphoria, the girl spilled an inkwell on her desk.

It broke into pieces spilling ink and scattering broken glass.

Out of the blue, a broom, a dustpan and a fire poker popped up to start cleaning. That fire poker began to swallow the ink like a hungry fish, and the broom and the dustpan collected the scattered shards all over, so in a few moments nothing seemed to happen. As if by magic, all the mess disappeared.

The girl threw herself into bed and smiled. With eyes closed, happier than ever, she said again:

“I love magic!”