Krysti was breathing against the upstairs window beside her bunk bed, pressing her face on the glass to get a better view of the morning cold. November had just begun, and it was freezing already. The mountains around the school had become icy gray and the lake like chilled steel. The ground was covered in frost every morning. Perry, the school's game master, could be seen from the windows warming up the school's flying horses—pegasi—on the Ravdorak field. He was bundled up in a long brown overcoat, rabbit wool gloves, and skin boots.

The season Krysti had been waiting for was finally here. ‘Ravdorak time is here,’ she thought, grinning ear to ear. Krysti had been playing Ravdorak since her first year at Hecate's School of Magic. At first she dreaded losing and was shivering because of the unfamiliar cold, but when her team won the season; the cheers, the trophy, the many handshakes. It was amazing.

But all that happened a long time ago. It had been five years since Arnomph secured the cup, or even won more than half of their games. The only way they could still win some games was to wreck Verno's pieces before the next half, or they'd trash them thoroughly. It was a dirty way of winning, but it gave them few victories, so they didn't mind.

As Krysti kept gazing, she noticed the Ravdorak field was recently painted. The black and white check boxes that were almost turning brown now shined brightly, announcing their return. She couldn't wait to be out there with the wind and the seven feet tall pieces that were used to play Ravdorak.

A knock came. It was so faint she would have missed it if the room was packed with her dorm mates. She shifted her head towards the door.

"Yes, who is it?" she asked harshly. I swear if you're a first year, I'll make you do the chores without magic. Being a prefect was rough, extremely tough, especially when you had to deal with first years. Krysti was never patient or soft or friendly, but that didn't stop them from picking her as a prefect. With time you'll learn patience. That was their reply when she went to revoke her position. What-a-bunch-of-thunder bolts.

"It's just me, Krysti,” the familiar voice said with a hint of annoyance. Krysti was certain the owner of that voice—her best friend, Morgan—rolled her eyes when she had made that statement.

She got up from her bed, fixed her black school skirt, checked for stains on her white long sleeve then re-adjusted the dark tie and made certain the rips on her pantyhose weren't obvious before picking up her black cardigan that was adorned on the top left with the school's logo—two magic wands, dark and silver, placed opposite each other and diagonal so they met at the small top half, over a book of spells—Krysti wished there was only one wand, the silver one. She wrinkled her nose and concealed the dark wand with a tap of hers, satisfied she put it on and opened the door.

Morgan was her twin and best friend. They both had the same raven hair and grey eyes they inherited from their father, Hades, the greek god of the underworld and riches. Morgan was wearing the same uniform; the only difference was Krysti had a prefect badge attached beside the school's logo. And Morgan wore the school's blazer in place of her cardigan, the black wand on her uniform was also concealed.

Hand in hand, they strolled to the Great Hall, chatting about the Ravdorak match that was coming soon.

"Do you think we'll win?" Morgan asked her twin with a raised brow. Krysti wasn't sure if she meant winning the cup or their first match. On Saturday, the Arnomph would play their first match of the season: House Arnomph versus House Verno. If Arnomph won, they would be top in the Championship and if they kept winning, they might eventually win for the first time in five years.

‘Let's not jinx our luck now. It's not as easy as it sounds.’ But that didn't stop her from licking her lips as if she could taste their victory. "The match, we'll win, yes. Now that I'm captain we'll win all our games, you just wait and see," she told her twin with that knowing smug look people wore whenever they were sure of something.

The Great Hall was full of the delicious smell of fried sausages and the cheerful chatter of House Arnomph looking forward to a good Ravdorak Season. The twins took their seat at their usual spot—the first of three long benches positioned left of the hall—beside the other Arnomphs.

The remaining three benches at the right side were empty. It made Krysti smile. ‘Maybe the venom snakes have left and decided to practice their dark magic somewhere else.’ That was impossible, though. The school would always have two Houses—Arnomph and Verno—but it still made Krysti happy, wishing that those nasty Vernos would just leave.

As they ate their breakfast with brief chats here and there mostly about who played Ravdorak best, Morgan tapped Krysti before nodding her head towards the hall's doors. The venoms were just arriving, noise-makers and rebels, every one of them.

They were unruly, hoodlums, and everything House Arnomph wasn't. They wore messy uniforms without ties, drooping trousers and insane accessories. Always messing everything and everywhere up. They never followed rules either and practiced their weird dark magic in the halls. They knew people didn't like black magic, but they always did it, especially in public spaces. House Verno was the only thing Krysti hated about Hecate's School of Magic.

Krysti studied the hall. No teachers or caretakers. She and her table shared a knowing smile.

"I don't think we need to fight with them now. Besides our first Ravdorak is tomorrow we can squash them on the field," Devon, a brown-haired, plain-featured boy said. The entire table rolled their eyes.

"If you like them so much go join them, Devon." Blake laughed, leaning over and pulled Devon's cardigan, making him lean to the side. He got a pleasant look at the school's logo. "Ah! What’s this now, Devon. The black wand's still there," he pushed Devon back to his chair so harshly he fell on the floor.

The group snickered, Morgan and Krysti the loudest. Then a familiar dark-skinned girl with curly platinum hair and icy blue eyes strolled towards their table. She helped Devon up and said, "You're a trelós, Paper Boy." Krysti tried not to laugh at the nickname Maia gave Blake, but it was too funny. Blake looked like paper. He was a white paper boy; white hair, white skin, white everything. The only colour he had were his eyes, a boring shade of brown.

{Trelós (pr: TRE-loss) in Greek means idiot, daft, half-witted, etc.}

"Does Miss Maia have a crush on Devon? I thought House Arnomph was too proper for you." Krysti teased her before Blake could even reply.

"Yes, I have a crush on Devon. He's pretty. I like pretty. What would you do about it?" Maia flashed a grin. This only made Krysti mad. She had hoped to see a blushing Maia running back to her Venom House, not the other way around.

"I-I-I," Krysti stammered; she couldn't find a good comeback for this. Maia's grin widened.

"You-I-You-I. Oh, you poor baby," she mocked and teased. Krysti cheeks were red from anger and embarrassment. So many comebacks were running through her mind, but she couldn't seem to spit any out. Krysti was saved from her embarrassment.

"Get out of here, Venom." her twin growled while glaring at the dark girl. If it were anyone, they would have run back with their tail in between. But this wasn't anyone...This was Maia Callos, daughter of Zeus, head captain of House Verno's Ravdorak team. Her ego was not easily deflated. Maia smiled.

"Ah yes, Morgan. I almost forgot about you. How does it feel to be the worst copy of a 5 time Ravdorak loser?"

Morgan's eyes flared with anger, her face was rising in temperature by the seconds Krysti and Morgan looked at each other for a brief second, their veins popping. She had hit a nerve just like she wanted to. And she was going to pay for it.

In a flash, their wands were out. The twins were attacking spells after spells on Maia. Little did they know she came prepared. Behind her, Medusa, yes, the actual Medusa and Ariella Kohen, also from House Verno, brought out their wands.

Sparks and rays were flying from their wands. Other Vernos and Arnomphs took shield under their tables or scurried out of the hall. The two parties dueled, the twin's wands and spells were failing but they didn't take that as a warning.

"Lavinta!" Krysti yelled, pointing her wand towards Ariella. The spell came as a shock, Ariella couldn't counter it in time. It hit her at her forehead, freezing her movements. The fighting stopped for a while.

Maia glared at the raven-haired Arnomph, "Oh you want freezing spells. You'll have one alright." Maia waved her wand and did a spell, her movements were so fast that everyone missed it, including the Vernos.

An icy ray flashed from her wand, enclosing Krysti. Krysti could feel her insides freezing as the spell kept crushing her till she became an ice statue. "I can't breathe, I can't breathe," she said but figured no one could hear her in this ice. A figure arrived, following the familiar voice of the Head Teacher, but she wasn't sure. Through the ice all the figures were blurry, and their voices sounded like whale noises.

Seconds later, the ice melted, leaving her cold to the bone with a wet uniform that wasn't helping her condition.

"You and Maia have broken several school codes by initiating this fight, especially you, Miss Alvina." The principal, Mr. Arnold, took an angry glance at Krysti. His usual red face was even redder, it seemed like his face would pop out of that plump neck of his any minute. Mr. Arnold was a short round man and well over his fifties, he had a deceiving face and body structure. At first sight he looked harmless, even comical if you dare put it that way. But as soon as you broke a rule, any comical image of him would wipe out automatically.

Until now Krysti had never come in contact with him concerning any school conduct violation. She had only heard about his strictness from others and it was not a good tale in any way. Krysti gulped and lowered her head. Tears were already forming in her eyes but she wouldn't let them fall. Not while they were still here, in the Great Hall with all those eyes and ears waiting to see her fall from grace.

Oh what have I done now.

Mr. Arnold cleared his throat and continued his scold, "Ms. Alvina and Ms. Callos are here-by suspended from every Ravdorak Game of this season."

There was a moment of silence, then the gasps and groans followed, both House Verno and Arnomph had just lost their best players and captains. The endless weeks of training during the fall was all for nothing. She let the tears fall.

"Oh please please, Mr. Arnold. I swear I'll never do it again," she pleaded. Just this morning she woke up from a dream where her and the Arnomphs held the Ravdorak trophy after five years of losing. The halls were decorated in Arnomph’s house colours—crimson and dark blue—with a lion in the middle. It just has to happen please, Mr. Arnold.

"I’m sorry but you have violated more than enough school codes. Along with your suspension you and Maia will be detained every day for the next one week." He did not sound sorry at all. How could he do this? He was their House master, didn't he want to see the Ravdorak cup in his office just this once?

Krysti couldn't move. A suspension from Ravdorak AND detention with that venom? It was too much. Far too much for her. In place of her dried up tears, her lips frowned, deeper and deeper as the words washed over her like a sweet dream ruined by the horrible noise of an alarm.

"You shouldn't be dampened by this, Krysti. Just take a look at Maia. You'll be fine. The house will be fine." Mr. Arnold whispered into her ears before patting her on the right shoulder then heading out the hall doors, quickly followed by their teachers.

Maia was already on her table with the Vernos rounding her like chicks would round their mother hen. She was drying herself and reversing the spells the twins had cast on her and her fellow Vernos. Maia must have felt Krysti gaze cause she turned to her and gave a smirk. A sassy smirk.

Krysti wanted to wipe it off her face so badly. Control yourself, Krysti.

"Everyone to class. School should have started 10 minutes ago." sang the school's caretakers as they flapped their wings. They fluttered like confetti, swirling in the only gentle tornado. The school caretakers were fairies. The worst and best types of fairies. They ranged from nut-brown skins to pale freckled skins to green skins. They also had different hair colours, rainbow, blonde, red and green.

Krysti walked up to Morgan, pulling her wrist as they went out of the great hall.

"We need a new member. You should hold tryouts in the evening. I'll brief the new player tomorrow morning before the match." Krysti said with a final voice that meant no arguments. The fate of Arnormph's Ravdorak Championship was now in the hands of its own players, not the captain's.

Morgan nodded and they continued their stroll towards their first class of the day—Fairy Godmothering.