Inner-City Wizarding School

"What? You're leaving?" said David. He looked down on Mathew's yellow Monitor slash. His dark brown hair combed perfectly, unlike his black and unruly hair. His white shirt and black pants were ironed with no crest visible.

"Yes," said Mathew. He had to look up to meet David's eyes. David towered above him. The pencil in his hand looked like a tiny nail in his giant hands. His cheeks became red, and his round eyes dripped with worries.

"Why?"

"Why? Man, look at this place."

David's eyes winced at the scraped walls and the cement peeking out from behind. Rust had eaten the window bars, and stains obscured the windows. He leaned back in his seat, and it creaked. As he straightened himself, a rat succred between his feet. It filled the room with an aura of dampness and decay.

"There goes Lily," David glanced at the rat. "We have talent, see?"

"That's an actual rat," said Mathew.

"No, that's…" He stared at it, and its dark eyes stared back. He cringed. "Yeah, that's an actual rat. But there are more things in this school."

"Like what?"

"Come on, let me show you."

They left the class, and as they entered the hallway, the stark brilliance of the gleaming white walls temporarily blinded them. The fluorescent lights overhead cast a sterile, almost clinical glow, accentuating every detail of the corridor. "Look, we have beautiful hallways."

Mathew pulled him close as a red beam flew past his head. "Hey, what the—?" said David as he took out his black wand and fired a green spell at the attacker. Roy dodged it. A white flash blinded them all for a minute.

"Stop all of this touchy, bully shit, or I'll turn every one of you into frogs and send you to the bio labs," came a deep voice from within the flash.

Sir Azreal tucked his giant staff in front of them. His dusty black leather coat floated in the air, and he walked away. Roy rubbed his bald head. His black skin contrasted with his white uniform. He waited until Sir Azreal turned around the corner and picked up his wand. He pointed it at them, but Mathew snapped his fingers, and it disappeared.

"Hey, give it back," said the boy.

"It's gone," said Mathew. "Buy another one."

"You're too good at this," said David.

"That's why I can't stay here."

They moved through the hallway, dodging spells and firing some too. They reached the school entrance, where two metal detectors stood side by side with a machine to scan belongings. Miss Fermine stood near the right one, her eyes so large as though they'd fall out at any moment. Her body was plump enough to block the entire metal detector.

"Look, there isn't this level of security in any other school," said David.

Miss Fermine checked the bag, Logan. His white hair reached his neck and he wore threadbare blue jeans. Her chubby fingers searched every zipper and pocket. After a minute, she pulled out a vial of red powder.

"What is this?" she asked.

"Open it," said the boy.

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Miss Fermine's nails pierced the cap, and Logan smirked. "Miss, no!" said David, but it was too late. The cap burst open, and a Jinni of red fire emerged. Two black horns protruded from his white turban. His arms were larger than a bear's, and blue fire thrust from his hips like the exhaust of a fighter jet.

"What do you wish, my lord?" his voice thundered.

Logan grinned. "Burn this place."

"As you wish." The Jinni clenched his fists.

"Pani Sur!" said Miss Fermine and lightning struck the Jinni. Its firey form turned into a translucent sculpture. It held in the air for a fleeting moment and then shattered into a thousand glistening fragments. They tickled like wind chimes as they cascaded on the ground.

"There's a reason we have this much security," said Mathew, and he spun around. "Good news, David, this won't be cleaned up for a whole week. Better learn a healing spell."

"Ha, ha," said David.

Mathew chuckled and tapped his right shoulder. "Let's get some food. I don't know for how long we'll get to eat together."

"Stop saying that," said David as they made their way to the café.

"The other school is far, in another city. I will come back, but I don't know how often."

They opened the red steel door of the café. The whole café was covered in beans, tomatoes, yoghurt, and all kinds of other foods. Every kid hid under a table with their wands ready.

"Is there a food fight going on?" said David as they entered.

"Not a food fight," said Mathew, pointing at Kali. She stood on the far end table, her jet-black hair covered her face and blended with her dark brown skin. Her white uniform was stained with red, though it was unclear if it was ketchup or blood. She held a fifteen-inch white wand in her right hand. She whipped it like a lash and screeched, "Avada Kedavra!"

"Shi—," said David as he grabbed Mathew by the neck and rushed toward the door. He closed the door, and it shook with the curse. His heart pounded so hard it felt like it might rip out of his chest. They caught their breath for a minute, and then David said, "No food for us today."

"When this school crumbles, they'll all be in it," said Mathew. He frowned, and the vein between his eyebrows throbbed. He turned on his heel and marched away, but David caught his hand. "Okay, look, the school isn't that good, I agree."

"Finally," said Mathew.

"But the people here are good."

"Good? Man, Kali literally tried to kill us."

"But she didn't." He offered a frail smile.

"Very funny."

"I mean, she wasn't really trying to kill us. We just entered. We were even in the fight."

"Yeah, exactly."

Roy turned the corner with Logan, a blue vial in his hand. "Give me my wand back," said Roy.

"Dude, it's gone," said David. "Get over it."

"I want my wand!"

Kali burst through the door, her black pupils piercing through her hair. Her dagger-like fingers tapped her wand. "Kali, it's them," said Roy. She smirked like a true witch. "And why are you after us?" said Mathew.

"Oh, I'm only having some fun," she sneered like a snake.

"And you?" said David, nodding at Logan.

"Here, to test my... inventions." The vial floated above his hand.

David took out his dark brown wand, and Mathew took out his. David's was red with a marble-like texture and an emerald embedded at its hip. Its shape wasn't straight but curved like a scimitar.

"New wand?" said David.

"For the new school," said Mathew.

David sighed and moved toward Kali. "Can you handle those two?" said David. "It's an unfair fight."

Mathew chuckled. "You're at much of a disadvantage than I."

David smiled and lifted his wand, but a dark lightning bolt shot an inch above his hair. The tip of his hair burned, and then it caught fire. David hopped around like a kangaroo and then used his wand to rainwater. Water dripped on his eyes, and a fireball shot out of his wand like a cannonball. Kali moved to the right, and it struck the steel door, leaving a black mark.

"You've got that fire in you. Wanna go out sometime?" she asked.

"What?"

"You know, like a date?" She circled her wand and a snake made of dark mist emerged.

"You're crazy," he said. He swirled his wand to make the snake disappear in a whirlwind. She backed him against the wall and grinned. "Don't you like crazy girls?"

A cold wind cracked her lips, and then an ice storm separated them. The hallway turned to ice, and David slipped but balanced himself. The ice descended from the roof like spikes They fell like a waterfall, and the air around them crackled. Logan took another sip.

"Mathew!" said David, and he pushed him away. Logan split, and David flew back. His eyes crystallized in ice, and his fingers froze in the air. Mathew's eyes blazed, and he gripped his wand.

"Hey, hey, look," said Roy. "It was a mistake, okay? Okay?"

He pointed his wand, and blue lightning crashed down on them. The flash blinded them all for a minute. When the shock faded, Logan lay on the ground, his vial shattered. Roy's eyes darted from him to Mathew, then he turned on his heel and ran. David growled and tried to get up.

"Hey, take it slow," said Kali, her eyes shining like the sun behind dark clouds.

"You were right," said Mathew as he extended a hand.

"About what?" he said as he stood.

"They're good people here. Wonder if we'll find them elsewhere?"

David tapped his right shoulder. "You will, my friend."

They both shared a laugh.