Guppy sat in a chair. It was a nice chair, beautifully tooled leather covering a cushioned frame. It was old, that much was apparent from the wear marks and faded corners. She wondered how many other students had sat in this chair and sweated as they waited in this chilly stone room at the top of this dismally tall tower.
Guppy stared out a nearby window in boredom. After the fuss over the barrier breaking had died down, she had sat quietly through the rest of the class with her head on her desk. The flustered teacher failed to teach much of anything over the next few hours and afterwards had told her to visit the headmaster's office. He was apparently waiting for her.
Matron Vicklash was waiting for her outside the classroom and silently led her to the headmasters waiting room, where she was sternly instructed to take a seat.
Guppy had been terrified the first few minutes, mildly scared a couple minutes after that, then just bored and slightly nervous after the first fifteen. She wasn’t a little kid anymore, who cared about a scolding and accompanying punishment. What worse could a headmaster do to her than what she had already been through?
She was idly staring at the rows of neatly trimmed hedges far below when a bird flew in the open window and almost smacked her in the face with its soft wings. Instead, Guppy felt soft feathers brush her nose before she jerked her head back.
Unfortunately, she put too much oomph into it and the sudden force sent the chair toppling over backward with a crash. Guppy let out a sigh before a fluffy feathered form landed on her chest, its tail feather tickling her chin. The bird then rotated its head and stared at her with its enormous eyes and flattish hook beaked face.
Guppy finally fell out of the chair in her surprise. Everyone knew a head should not twist completely around without serious spine damage and death kicking in, but apparently no one had informed the bird of this fact of life.
The two stared at each other for a solid minute before the bird made a low hooting noise and turned to the opening door.
“Miss Cooper, you may come in now.” Called a rough voice.
Guppy let out the breath she had been holding and straightened from her half crouch. She quickly straightened her uniform and projected as much confidence as she could muster before marching into the open office.
Within the cozy bookshelf filled room waited headmaster Dunkenfoss, looking like the crotchety old man his reputation foretold as he sat behind a small and very water stained desk swatting away a few light orbs that kept hovering too close.
However, Guppy didn’t recognise the room’s other occupant, a bald woman with dark brown skin who sat snuggly in another enormous leather chair. She smiled at Guppy’s inquisitive gaze and spoke up in a deep voice of melted chocolate as she rose and offered a hand to shake.
“Such suspicious old eyes for one so young. Peace, you have yet to get to know me miss Cooper. I am Professor Rootbound, you may call me Fidaelius. I have been looking forward to meeting you for some time.”
Guppy felt a shiver at her words, but somehow they and the wide grin she received gave a feeling of comfort and security. She felt a total lack of animosity from the older woman’s gaze.
The hand that clasped her’s was strong, firm, and warm in its grip.
A tremor ran through her arm, Guppy felt more than heard a blurred echo of sorts, then the edges of her vision distorted inwards.
A blink, and her vision restored to normal. Guppy snatched her hand back out of surprise and stared at it until a polite cough from the headmaster snapped her back to attentiveness.
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“Please take a seat Miss Cooper.” He instructed while lazily gesturing to a spindly wicker contraption.
Guppy gingerly sat down, afraid the fragile thing would break upon doing so, but found to her delight that not only was it study but comfortable to boot.
“Do you know why you are here, young lady?” continued the headmaster.
“I broke the barrier spell in the classroom?” ventured Guppy.
The headmaster snorted, “If that were all miss Cooper, I’d be giving you a trophy. It's been far too long since a first term student managed that.” A sly smile spread across his face, “In fact, I do believe you beat my record by three whole weeks, congratulations!”
Guppy let out a tentative smile, “If I’m not in trouble then I’m at a loss to why I was called out of my alchemy class to be here.”
“Quite so, miss Cooper, however the answer lies with my other guest. You see old Rootbound over here visited me two weeks ago and let me know she would join the faculty if she got to pick a private student before the end of the seventh week of Autumn. She chose you; if you’ll accept her of course, not that you wouldn’t, she is an-”
“Shush Lambert, you’re rambling again and showing your age.” Interrupted professor Rootbound, “give the girl a moment to think.”
The headmaster humpfed and opened his mouth to retort; but was quickly cut off by a sharp look from professor Rootbound. Guppy found that very interesting, the headmaster seemed almost afraid of the woman, for all she looked half his age.
“What would it mean to take you as my private teacher professor Rootbound?” she politely enquired.
The woman smiled, showing smile creases that popped out of her otherwise smooth skin.
“You would still go to morning classes with the other students, but instead of heading to the second tower for lessons in earth magic you would join me for personal lessons wherever I so choose. I think you will find me a far better tutor than your current ones.”
As she finished speaking the weird bird flew to her shoulder, twisting its head again to watch Guppy with it’s unsettling glare. However a fond head scratching from the professor elicited a purring gurgle as its eyes half closed in pleasure.
Guppy sat and considered the pro’s and con’s of acceptance. On the one hand, this whole affair seemed shady. A professor picking a private student? She was pretty sure that was outside the bounds of normal, even ignoring that this professor was new to the academy. Plus, the sweating Headmaster really seemed a bit scared of her if the sweat trickling down his neck was anything to go by. Guppy wasn’t sure if that was a pro or a con. She reached inwards to Batty for his advice.
{No}
Guppy felt the dragon stir, then bridge the gap and share her senses. After a moment, he retreated again.
{Sure, she seems all right.}
{That bird on her shoulder is a Haeti spirit familiar. They only bond with those who possess a firm sense of justice. The woman shouldn’t cross you, or her familiar will abandon her.}
{I feel like I know so much that escapes my grasp when I snatch at it, yet a simple sight, sound or smell can trigger a memory of something. It comes and goes. Now make your deal Guppy, I need to consolidate what little I remembered this time.}
Guppy focused on the room once more. Only a few seconds had passed according to the ticking grandfather clock. She rose and gave a quick curtsey.
“I graciously accept this honor, Professor Rootbound. I place my studies in your care.”
Professor Rootbound grinned, then chortled, then flat out laughed in glee. Finally she subsided while wiping tears of mirth from her face and stood upright suddenly.
Guppy and the headmaster both were taken aback at her behavior and froze as the suddenly very tall woman walked out the door, only patting Guppy on the head as she passed.
Guppy turned a bewildered look to the headmaster, who looked exactly as she felt. He finally shrugged and opened a book to read. His muffled voice came from behind the thick romance novel he made no attempt of hiding.
“That’ll be all miss Cooper, you may relax the rest of the day. I shall notify your teachers of the change in your scheduling.”
Guppy gave another curtsey, before turning and leaving the room. It seemed the right thing to do. She was halfway down the stairs before she let out a quiet curse.
The professor hadn’t told her where in the gardens the lesson tomorrow would be. And they were fudging massive.