New Star Academy students poured into the sorting area as returning students lined the walls of the sorting hall. All the walls of the school were either magical colored glass or mirror. Students in third year and above were already use to interacting with their reflections so they stood calmly against the outer walls of the hall. Second years, on the other hand, continually jumped and twitched.
The room went silent as the far back wall began to seamlessly open from its center. As the two halves of the wall spread further and further a part the new students became more and more excited. They knew about the Sorting Tree but none of them fully understood how they would be sorted so they were eager to see how their houses were chosen.
A huge reddish brown tree moved into the hall and stood in the center of the stage. Several students stood around it as if they were guards or an entourage. The teachers and headmistress and assistant headmistress fanned out on the sides of the massive tree. Head mistress Patricia Pillar smiled, stepped forward, and addressed the new students.
"Welcome to Star Academy of Magical Practices my dears. From this day forward you will be a part of our Academy but first you need to be placed in houses. To do this we have our friend Maple Ambrosia here."
The headmistress swang her hand back to indicate the huge tree and as she did so the tree bowed its enormous canopy of branches. The leaves rustled and the room quieted.
"Ms. Ambrosia is a divination tree and she already knows which houses you all belong to but we have a special ceremony to both welcome you and thank her." She looked to the students standing around Maple Ambrosia and then nodded.
As one they all raised their wands and said "natura est!". Soft green light rained down for the ceiling and Maple Ambrosia swayed as if listening to a slow tranquil melody. Her trunk swayed and her canopy of leaves gently rustled. She stepped forward to the edge of the stage and spoke. Her voice was like rough bark under cool water.
"Come little ones. Know where you will be. Discover who you are. Believe in your will."
Green light surrounded her and stunned students were pushed forwards, closer to the stage. The green light illuminated Maple Ambrosia. And suddenly her leaves lifted up into the air, froze for several seconds, and then flew out into the group of new students. The leaves landed on foreheads, in hands, on the tips of noses, glowed and waited for the student to claim them. Once the student held the leaf in their hands everything about their house was placed in their minds and the leaf itself melded with their uniform to create their house crest just below the school's crest.
Maple Ambrosia bowed again and then left the stage followed by her student guard.
Harry, Hermione, and Ron just arrived on the dreamscape. Hermione immediately moved to Evervine to see what she was working on and Marcel walked to Harry and Ron to say hello. Hazel walked towards them out of nowhere already talking.
"So, essentially you are telling me that you are not learning anything in your defense against the dark arts class?"
Harry and Hermione both looked up nodding but Ron answered. "He is an idiot."
"That's pretty strong Ron."
"I don't think it's strong enough."
"Hazel maybe you should do a divination on him."
Hazel looked to Evervine with a frown. "Okay. But for now let's practice some of these incantations, we need to make sure you all remember them properly, and I found some incantations from Tan that I think will be helpful against the unforgivable curses."
Evervine looked up at this. "You found incantations to fight curses?"
Hazel shrugged. "They were not created for that no, but I feel that they would help us with them. For example Mind Secure and Soul Storm will be beneficial along with the other spells we have. I believe that I need to go to other dimensions to find more but I can't do that right now."
She paused and looked at Ron. "So Ronny, how is George?"
Everyone frowned at that but Ron was truly perplexed. "Still a thorn in my side?"
"George?" Evervine looked to Hermione.
"One of Ron's brothers."
Evervine raised an eyebrow.
"Harry let me show you an incantation that causes the person to see illusions. It is pretty powerful. I think it would be a great defense.
"So move your wand in small circles. First clockwise two times then counter clockwise four times then you say 'Verum'.
"We don't actually have a target so you will hear a chime if you cast successfully."
Hermione and Evervine came over to watch.
"And this causes one to see an illusion."
"Yes. It is completely self contained and it will be based on the targets fears."
Both Hermione and Evergrine tried it and were both successful on the first try. Harry struggled with the wrist turns for a second but eventually got it. Marcel did not want to try until Evervine spoke up and then finally Ron completed it.
"I have two more illusion spells but they are a bit difficult so I was going to wait for you to study some defense of the dark arts but it seems you won't. So we will need to figure out how to get you all up to the next level of defense against the dark arts.
"Until then I think mind secure will help against the Cruciatus curse. And the soul storm can help to defend against both the Crucitaus curse and the Imperius curse.
"To complete the mind secure you do not need to hit the person's mind you just nerd to point your wand at them. The key to this one is how you extend your arm and not locking your elbow."
Ron whined "I hate those kinds."
Hazel smirked and demonstrated the incantation with the words "Mens Secure".
"finally we have soul storm and you will be happy to know it is just a simple point and shoot incantation. The incantation is 'Anima Tempestas'."
Hazel demonstrated and everyone made their attempts.
They continued to practice for quite some time and then left the dreamscape as one.
Hazel knew that she was in her bed but she did not move, she wanted to just sleep for the remainder of the night. Then she sensed him and as she was about to sit up with a smile he spoke.
"Don't sit up, I don't want you to see me." She frowned but she did as he asked and did not sit up.
"I have known for sometime that she is a horrible person. Please do not say her name. Even when I say her name I think of Camille and not her. I am afraid that if I hear it she will also know."
Hazel's eyes narrowed as she nodded.
"The first time I truly knew was the first time she ranted about you. I asked her why she forced you to be her friend and I was punished. I asked why she hated you so much and I was punished." He laughed softly. "My life is nothing more than punishments and classes now."
She heard the tears in his voice and she fought back her own tears, and the lump in her throat as her heart twisted in her chest.
"You will always be my best friend. You never gave up on me even when I was so horrible to you."
He suddenly had a coughing fit and when she moved to get up he coughed out a painful no. Her mind's eye brought a vision of him coughing blood into a napkin and she closed her eyes tight trying to wish it away. She tried, even as the smell of blood hit her nose. How much had he coughed up? Panic ran through her as she tried to respect her friend's wishes.
"I have to tell you." His voice came out hoarse and he cleared his throat. "I have to tell you that she is very upset that you no longer want to be her roommate." He sighed. "You know that it is more to it than that. She is planning something, with Trace and she has two more following her blindly now.
"She wants to kill you Hazel. Something about her wanting to be the fatetress. I want you to be careful. When I find out more I will tell you."
"You be careful too Michael."
"Do not worry. Tomorrow I will be healed like nothing ever happened." He was silent for a moment. "How did she do this to me Hazel? Even as you warned me, and I knew your words were true I could not escape her."
"She has succubus ancestry. It is something innate to her. Take a dimensional pass and a dimensional pocket to hide it in."
"She would find them.'
"We need to think of an escape plan for you."
"I don't have time. I have to go."
He was gone before she could open her mouth to make another plea. She pressed her head back into her bed. Her mind wouldn't even let her think. Her hands were clinched into fists and she wanted to kill Rosa. She wanted to kill her and never allow a single part of her to be found.
She thought about Michael being tortured and she knew she had to speak to someone or she would be a murderer.