wrinkled his nose at Zak, and took a plate of scrambled egg off a tray that was floating past and a couple of pieces of toast from the heated toast rack on the table.
“It’s only for one day!” said Zak quietly in mock exasperation at his friend’s fussy eating habits.
“No it’s not, it’s right until Saturday morning! We’re going to be at your house all week remember!”
Zak grinned, “I think you can manage without your Narva eggs except at weekends!”
“We need to take some to The Copse for your mum to cook during the week…”
Zak rolled his eyes, “No we don’t, you need to get used to life without them!”
Tallion made a grumpy face at his friend who laughed out loud.
They were joined by a steady trickle of their fellow first years from Moncero, both boys and girls, and got drawn into the chatter about timetables and lessons. It was a strange feeling to be sitting there pretending to be about to take part in school life in the castle knowing that in a few hours they’d be gone!
Whilst all the first years were sitting together, Professor McCathie appeared, and asked them to stay behind when the bell went so that she could explain how orientation day would proceed. She then went round the other students at the Moncero table handing out timetables, which triggered a series of groans and exclamations as they found themselves sharing lessons with other houses they’d hoped to avoid.
All the heads-of-house were circulating their own tables doing the same thing, and by the time the bell rang, everyone knew where they were going. The wooden benches scraped across the floor, and a swarming crowd of students headed noisily for the first lesson of the new school year. They streamed out of the wide double doors into the entrance hall, and quickly vanished into the vastness of the school, leaving the nervous first years alone at their tables.
Professor McCathie was the only teacher left behind, and she was standing on the platform in front of the teacher’s table accompanied by prefects from each house.
“Attention, please, everyone,” she called out in a very commanding tone.
“Today is your orientation day, and you will be taken round the school in your house groups by your own prefects. You will get chance to see all the areas of the castle where you will be studying, and will be shown the infirmary, the library, the Balayage pitch, and all the other communal areas. You will also visit the greenhouses, the forest, and the boathouse on the lake if time permits. Some of today’s activities will be with other houses, and you’ll find that from tomorrow, you share lessons with students from other houses at all times.”
“First, we’ll give out your timetables, which are annotated with the rooms where you’ll be studying. Make sure that you pay attention on orientation, because tomorrow you’ll be finding your own way round.”
The prefects handed each of the new first years a timetable, explained how it worked, and showed them the map of the school on the back. The map was a very curious thing because it showed only what each individual student needed to see. It was also animated. There was a witch or wizard’s hat at the location where they were standing, and a waving wand where they were supposed to be! The hats and wands were all in the Banqueting Hall at that moment.
“Right everyone, enjoy your day and make good use of it, we’ll see you back here for lunch and dinner. Off you go!”
Suddenly the wands on their maps all moved to various points around the school, and their prefects led them out of the hall. Zak and Tallion found themselves doing a bit of a repeat tour, very similar to the one which they’d enjoyed during the summer. The infirmary, the library and the duelling rooms they knew about, although this time they went into the Mhonarr duelling room where a practise session was underway between the Leo, Lyra and Taurus third years.
The
“It’s only for one day!” said Zak quietly in mock exasperation at his friend’s fussy eating habits.
“No it’s not, it’s right until Saturday morning! We’re going to be at your house all week remember!”
Zak grinned, “I think you can manage without your Narva eggs except at weekends!”
“We need to take some to The Copse for your mum to cook during the week…”
Zak rolled his eyes, “No we don’t, you need to get used to life without them!”
Tallion made a grumpy face at his friend who laughed out loud.
They were joined by a steady trickle of their fellow first years from Moncero, both boys and girls, and got drawn into the chatter about timetables and lessons. It was a strange feeling to be sitting there pretending to be about to take part in school life in the castle knowing that in a few hours they’d be gone!
Whilst all the first years were sitting together, Professor McCathie appeared, and asked them to stay behind when the bell went so that she could explain how orientation day would proceed. She then went round the other students at the Moncero table handing out timetables, which triggered a series of groans and exclamations as they found themselves sharing lessons with other houses they’d hoped to avoid.
All the heads-of-house were circulating their own tables doing the same thing, and by the time the bell rang, everyone knew where they were going. The wooden benches scraped across the floor, and a swarming crowd of students headed noisily for the first lesson of the new school year. They streamed out of the wide double doors into the entrance hall, and quickly vanished into the vastness of the school, leaving the nervous first years alone at their tables.
Professor McCathie was the only teacher left behind, and she was standing on the platform in front of the teacher’s table accompanied by prefects from each house.
“Attention, please, everyone,” she called out in a very commanding tone.
“Today is your orientation day, and you will be taken round the school in your house groups by your own prefects. You will get chance to see all the areas of the castle where you will be studying, and will be shown the infirmary, the library, the Balayage pitch, and all the other communal areas. You will also visit the greenhouses, the forest, and the boathouse on the lake if time permits. Some of today’s activities will be with other houses, and you’ll find that from tomorrow, you share lessons with students from other houses at all times.”
“First, we’ll give out your timetables, which are annotated with the rooms where you’ll be studying. Make sure that you pay attention on orientation, because tomorrow you’ll be finding your own way round.”
The prefects handed each of the new first years a timetable, explained how it worked, and showed them the map of the school on the back. The map was a very curious thing because it showed only what each individual student needed to see. It was also animated. There was a witch or wizard’s hat at the location where they were standing, and a waving wand where they were supposed to be! The hats and wands were all in the Banqueting Hall at that moment.
“Right everyone, enjoy your day and make good use of it, we’ll see you back here for lunch and dinner. Off you go!”
Suddenly the wands on their maps all moved to various points around the school, and their prefects led them out of the hall. Zak and Tallion found themselves doing a bit of a repeat tour, very similar to the one which they’d enjoyed during the summer. The infirmary, the library and the duelling rooms they knew about, although this time they went into the Mhonarr duelling room where a practise session was underway between the Leo, Lyra and Taurus third years.
The
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