Spookybrook Witch Academy: Year One Read online

  Spell of Peace and Good Magic: Use this spell when you will be practicing magic, or just periodically throughout your week to keep things clean and position. Light a white candle and sit comfortably in front of it. Now speak the words:

  Elements all come join us here

  Peace we seek, and for none to fear

  Peace we send both far and near

  To stop the hate and stop the tears.

  Think of these words of peace and allow yourself to feel thoughts of peace deep within yourself. This is how you should feel when practicing magic.

  Consent

  Now that you have read the Code and Rulebook in its entirety, please sign on the line below to indicate you understand and accept the expectations set forth herein.

  ___________

  Sign? Okay, but I didn’t have a pen.

  Poof!

  One just appeared right in my hand!

  “Are you serious right now?” I said aloud. What WAS this place? Well, now that I knew how to protect my mind, that seemed like the next most important step, especially before my new roomie made it back home.

  I sat back on the bed, opened the Code back to the page with the Ward of Mind Protection and decided to try my hand at this whole magic thing.

  “Here goes nothing,” I whispered. With that, I settled down into my new bed and tried it for myself.

  As I spoke the words to the incantation, I thought I felt some heat in my hands and some warmth that radiated around my head. But maybe I was just imagining it?

  Afterward, I wasn’t sure if it worked. I didn’t really feel any different. There weren’t any sparkles or buzzes or well… anything. I’m not sure what I was expecting. I didn’t really have much of a baseline for what magic was supposed to be.

  I guess I’d had to wait until I was around someone again to know if it worked. Perhaps when my new roommate came home. For now, I did know that I felt a bit more relaxed and at peace.

  This was going to be alright. I felt confident that despite how I found myself here, I was going to make the most of it. I was going to go all-in, try my best and see if I could figure out all of this magical stuff.

  Now seemed a great time to browse through this Code and Rulebook a bit more. I was admittedly very curious about what Magic Type I’d be assigned. I never knew magic even existed, much less that I was a witch. I certainly had no idea that I may have been using magic before and not even realized it.

  Was that what happened the one time? The time my dad promised me never to speak of again? The time I lost control?

  Anyway, back to this book.

  There are eight types of magic taught at the Academy. While witches can practice many different types of magic, most have one area they were best at. A preliminary test is given to help determine this area of expertise. This is how the classes were sorted.

  Types of Magic

  Illusionary

  Incantation

  Alchemists

  Psychics

  Elemental

  Telekinesis

  Healing

  Nature

  Illusionary magicians use illusions to deceive their targets by making them see, hear or feel things that do not actually exist. Like “Jedi mind tricks”, they tell the target what they want them to experience and it alters their reality. Illusionists are mind-benders.

  Incantation magic involves the use of words, spells, or charms that trigger a magical effect on the target. All witches use incantations, but those who specialize in this type are true masters of the spells. They read magical formulas better than anyone, and they write the magical formulas that other witches use. These formulas can be spoken, sang, or chanted. They also work a lot with ceremonial or ritualistic magic.

  Alchemists used herbs and other items to create potions that do specific things. It’s like magical chemistry. Alchemists are brilliant minds who understand biology and how to transmute one object or material into another. All witches use potions, but only some can be true alchemists.

  Psychic witches harness the energy of their psychic powers better than anyone. They explore the power between magic and psychic abilities and create a strong foundation between the potential of the mind, body, and spirit. Psychics work heavily with energy and some also have the ability to touch other worlds or realms.

  Elemental witches used the power of the earth’s elements to cast spells and conjure elemental energies to help them in times of need. The Elements are not spirits who can be ordered around easily, so only the greatest of elemental witches can summon or control elementals, but all work with the power of the elements to cast spells or achieve their desired outcome.

  Telekinesis witches sometimes also have the power of telepathy. Telekinesis witches manipulate energy to allow them to move objects. They can pour a cup of tea without physically touching it, for example. As they grow stronger, they will be able to move bigger and more powerful things, for longer distances. This is a skill that takes practice and mental strength.

  Healing witches are like the nurses of the witchy world. Here to help with everything from broken bones to broken hearts, a healing witch can soothe your aches and pains and put your chakras back in balance. They are here to help the physical, the mental, and the energetic health of all witches.

  Nature witches are very shaman-like, with a deep connection to Mother Earth. They draw heavily on folk and folklore of ancient cultures. These are the witches you will find dancing naked in the woods under a full moon. These are the witches who delight in dipping their toes in a cold, bubbling brook. These are the witches who can speak to nature and animals and provide a bridge between them and us, to keep the balance within our world.

  ***

  Wow, I thought, putting the book down. That was a lot to take in and I was barely past the first chapter. This book was thick, too. I wondered how much time I was expected to memorize all of this in.

  One thing at a time, Viv. One thing at a time…

  After that, my roommate Julie came in. I heard her just outside the door, fumbling with the key, and then giggling as she finally connected with the lock, turned the knob and let herself in.

  “Oh, hi!” she said, seemingly startled as she glanced in my direction.

  “Hi, I’m Vivi-“

  “My new roommate. Yes, I forgot.” She looked around the room and up at the ceiling, almost as if she was searching for something only she could see. “Welcome to Spookybrook. I hope you’re prepared!”

  “Well, I’m-“

  “Okay, it’s late. Good night.” She cut me off before I could even answer. With a snap of her fingers her outfit had changed to a pair of red pajamas, sharp contrast to her dyed purple hair.

  “Good night,” I replied and then she dimmed the lights.

  This was going to be a very fun but challenging experience. With that final thought on my mind, I settled into my bed to try to get some sleep. It had been such a long day, but the next morning was my test and I wanted to be ready for it.

  At least, as ready as you could be when you were just sent off to a magical school to take a test to see what kind of witch you were…

  THE NEXT MORNING

  Kari was a psychic. It was why she could read my mind when I didn’t have my protection ward up. It was also how she always knew something was going to happen right before it happened. But there was more to psychic witches than just reading minds and predicting the future. They could do a lot of other really cool and powerful things.

  The other thing I was learning was that every witch could learn to do spells, incantations, work with the elements, conjuring, and of course, spellcasting. Each of us was able to weave a little from all the types into the magical work we did.

  And after you completed Year One, you’d even have a good start to your own Book of Shadows. This was a very special, sacred book that contained al of a witch’s spells, ingredient lists, and other important things to hold onto. The more I learned, the more excited I was to find out what kind of witch I
was.

  I had barely slept at all, and when I woke, Julie was already gone. Her bed was perfectly made and if I hadn’t seen her myself last night, I’d wonder if she had ever even came home.

  But I really didn’t have time to worry about my quirky roommate. There were bigger things happening today.

  I was finally going to find out what type of witch I was. It was time for this big test, which honestly sounded a lot harder than a magical Sorting Hat. I was starting to feel a bit envious of those Hogwarts kids. This wasn’t Hogwarts so I was going to have to do this test, whatever it was, and see what happens.

  I had been told to report to Classroom 42 in the blue wing. I found it without too much trouble, despite not remembering much from my tour the day before. Thankfully, my welcome package had also included a small map of the school

  I walked into the classroom, pencil in hand, and looked around. There was nobody else in here. I guess I was going to be testing alone. It made sense. School started weeks ago for everyone else.

  There were rows of shelves across all four walls in this room. Some of them went quite high and I couldn’t see how you would reach them without a ladder.

  Rather than desks, there were long tables across the middle of the room with chairs seated in front of them. I saw one chair in the middle of the room had my name on it.

  “That’s odd…” I said to no one in particular, and I walked over to it and sat down.

  “Hello Vivian!” Headmaster Lily’s voice startled me in my seat, and I looked up to see her standing at the front of the room.

  How did she get there so fast?

  “Are you ready for your Magic Placement Test?” She asked.

  As ready as I’ll ever be, I thought to myself.

  “Yes, I’m ready.”

  She then proceeded to take me through a series of “tests” that didn’t feel like tests at all. First, she had me look at flash cards and tell her the first thing that came to my mind.

  Next, she had me try to guess which cup had an object inside, then mixed them up and asked me to guess again. She did this for several rounds.

  She also had me try to light a candle with just my thoughts, and several other things that didn’t make a lot of sense to me.

  However, after reading through the Code last night and the Types of Magic, I suppose she was testing me on each one, to see which magical powers were coming out the strongest in me.

  I wasn’t sure any of them were at this point. Maybe they had made a mistake. Perhaps I wasn’t a witch at all – that would explain why I never knew about it. Maybe I didn’t belong at this Academy.

  In fact, I was starting to doubt this whole thing. I mean, I wasn’t even feeling anything while I was doing this. If I was magical, shouldn’t I… well, know it?

  The Headmaster had a really amazing poker face and never let on what she was thinking as we went through the tests. A simple, “Mhmm” and “Okay” now and then as we moved from task to task was all she offered.

  At the end, she stood, clapped her hands together and exclaimed excitedly, “All done! Very good job, Miss Vivian. We’ll be in touch with you very soon with the results. In the meantime, why don’t you head on to the basic Magic classes throughout your day. They’re going to give you the foundation you need to succeed here. And again, we’re so very happy to have you. Welcome to Spookybrook Witch Academy!”

  And with a little wave of her hand, she sent me off to class.

  Chapter Two

  After that, I went on to Magic 101, the next class in my schedule. From there, it was Witch History. Both were eye-opening lessons for me, but judging by the looks around the room, this was boring stuff for most of the class.

  People were yawning, doodling, a couple of girls in the back were not even trying to hide the fact they were playing on their phones and I’m pretty sure the one dude was straight-up sleeping.

  Was I the only Year One who didn’t have a witch family background?

  I felt really out of element, which was new for me. I had been shifted around so much after my mom died, I was used to going with the flow. The classes were really interesting to me, though. This was all new to me and I wanted to learn as much as I could.

  While most of my class time was spent focusing on the Professor and taking copious notes, I did find my eyes shifting around the room a time or two. None of these students looked like witches, although I’m not quite sure how someone looks like a witch, now that I think of it.

  I’m pretty sure my preconceived notions had been that of cartoon and television witches – flying around on broomsticks with pointy hats, green skin with moles on their faces, and stirring lots of questionable ingredients in a bubbling cauldron. That wasn’t really what was going on here.

  These students looked just like the ones from my old school, and the school before that, and the one before that, too… Yeah, I’d been to a lot of schools in the past few years. Here’s to hoping this one would be my last! I mean, you really couldn’t top a magic school anyway, right?

  My eyes wandered over to one boy in particular. I could only see him from the side but that was enough to tell he was really, really good looking. His thick auburn hair was just long enough to create cascading little waves below his ears, just above his shoulders. I wondered if it felt as soft as it looked…

  He had a medium build, and unlike most guys our age, he wasn’t slouched over in his seat. His back was straight and his shoulders strong and confident, his lips were pouty… kissable…

  “It’s essential we ward ourselves, especially when we go out into the world,” Professor Xavier continued, his voice snapping me out of my trance. I didn’t have time for boys anyway. I was here to learn about being a witch.

  I went back to my hurried notetaking, learning the real truth about the Salem Witch Trials and other interesting historical witch facts. Everything I thought I had known about witches and magic was not the truth. Well, almost everything… there were surprisingly a few things the muggles got right.

  But they do say there is always some truth to every lie, and every myth is grounded in some fiction. So, I guess that makes sense. I was going to wear my fingers down to bone with all this writing I was doing, but I didn’t want to miss a single detail. It was all too interesting!

  After a few minutes, I had the distinct feeling someone was looking at me though.

  I looked up from my notes to see that same cute guy looking back at me. We made eye contact for a brief moment, and he smiled, then turned back to the front of class.

  Thank goodness he turned away because I am positive I turned several shades of red when he smiled at me.

  Get it together, Vivian. It’s not like you’ve never seen a boy before!

  After that, it was time for lunch, and it was here that I met up with Kari again. Her role as my tour guide was not limited to just the first day. She had been instructed to help me transition to the school and this also meant having lunches together.

  By this point, I was grateful for a friendly face. People had stared at me a lot, but few had gone out of their way to speak to me. Was it because I was the new girl?

  Or maybe they knew something about me that I didn’t. Ugh, I really had to shake those nerves. My insecurities had me always thinking there was something wrong with me.

  I made my way down the hall, to the left, and down another hall where I could see crowds of other students going. At least the cafeteria was never too hard to find in a new school. Usually, you could follow the scent to make your way there, anyway.

  As I started to enter the cafeteria doors, I was briefly startled by a familiar voice.

  “So, how goes?” Kari said in her typical bubbly voice, as she popped up behind me to guide me through the lunch line. Looking around the cafeteria, most of the students seemed to be clustered in their own little groups.

  I was grateful I had Kari with me so I didn’t have to answer the dreaded question of where to sit as the new girl on the first day.

&nb
sp; “Well, I did my Magic Placement Test. Don’t know the results yet. Made it to my first couple of classes okay and managed not to get lost.” I counted the tasks off on my fingers for added emphasis.