"What?"

Both young witches were stunned. Beatrice and Nova shared a look, and as the dots began to connect themselves in Beatrice's mind, the color drained from her face. The earth witch looked back to the Headmistress with wide eyes, then to the locked and sealed Necromancy classroom, then back to the Headmistress. "You're sure?"

Headmistress Cherith nodded gravely. "I have been coming to this classroom regularly to check on the state of the seal. Recently, it seems my spells have been eroding, and my poor raven has been repeatedly blinded."

Behind Beatrice, the soft caw of a raven sounded, along with the sound of stone clinking against stone. The small raven that watched the west hall plaintively flapped its stone wings and settled back into its static position.

"The raven's been blinded, so that means whoever is behind this knows how you've been using your raven statues," Beatrice said, and the Headmistress nodded.

"Indeed. It is a simple and rather obvious method of surveillance, but rather effective for being in plain sight. It helps of course that this information not be spread around, you understand. For all intents and purposes, they are simple statues for decor. We are in Ravensburl, after all."

"So who is breaking into the Necromancy classroom and why?" Nova asked, growing impatient but trying not to let it show. She was still speaking to the headmistress of the school, after all.

Beatrice moved to stand beside her roommate and subtly took her hand in a gesture of comfort. It took a few seconds for Headmistress to answer, and the earth witch got the feeling that she was reluctant to answer at all, hence all the tangents.

"Headmistress, please trust us. We just want to help." Beatrice said.

"Oh? As kind and generous as ever, Miss Gaia. Very well then, if you both are so determined to know..." The Headmistress paused and took a breath. "We need to speak somewhere private. Come with me to my office. We're rather exposed here, simply standing in the hall."

The Headmistress took the long way up towards her office: up several flights of stairs using the grand staircase that none of the first years really had any reason to use. For Beatrice and others in her year, having to climb the staircase meant that they were summoned to the Headmistress's office, which she has had to visit more times than she liked. On the way up, the Headmistress made it a point to show the two young witches several of the halls on the upper floors. The second, third, and fourth-year students' classrooms dominated the most space within the classroom, while the Headmistress' and staff offices were on the fifth floor. There were quicker, more secret ways to reach all these rooms, of course, but as the Headmistress mentioned to Beatrice and Nova with a cheeky wink, they would have to find the way themselves. All part of the Ravensburl experience, she said. But on each upper floor, a locked and magically sealed Necromancy classroom stood silently and eerily. After some time, the three arrived at the Headmistress' office.

"I think I need to work out." Beatrice wheezed as she caught her breath.

Beside her, Nova chuckled. "Come jogging with me some time. We can start slow and do it after classes."

"I'd like that Nova, thanks."

"Wonderful that you're taking more steps to care for your health. Your youth is a blessing, but don't forget to practice regular maintenance." The Headmistress said in a distracted, distant way. She clapped her hands twice and the loud click of a lock sounded from the door. The large raven statue inside the office craned its head to look at them. "There we go. Properly secure and away from prying eyes."

"Whatever is happening, Headmistress," Nova said slowly, staring at the large and imposing raven statue. Unlike the small ones in the hallways and the bigger statues in the courtyard fountains, this statue had sharpened talons and a beak carved from polished obsidian that gleamed in the light. "It must have you really worried."

"It does, it does. My apologies, both of you." The Headmistress sighed and sat heavily in her chair. After a moment she composed herself and steeped her fingers, motioning for the two young witches to sit opposite her. Her large desk, still covered in several stacks of papers, separated her from the roommates. "It concerns me greatly, as I believe the one behind this sudden slew of imposters is after the knowledge still locked away inside the Necromancy classroom."

"Do you know who is behind it? Can we stop them?" Beatrice asked, eyes wide.

The Headmistress shook her head. "I'm not certain of that as of this moment. I have my suspicions, of course. And if you two are stubborn enough as to keep hunting down impostors even after I explicitly told you twice now not to, I might as well award that persistence with inclusion." She looked straight at Beatrice. "You recall when Professor Laurence trapped you within the void prison spell, yes?"

The earth witch nodded gravely. "I do. It felt like I was falling forever. Or, not even falling, there was no sensation at all... It was horrible." Nova reached out and took Beatrice's hand in hers and gave it a comforting squeeze.

"Yes, exactly. Unfortunately. And I believe that Laurence targeted you with that spell on purpose. He said that he had reason to believe you were the impostor, or otherwise meant harm to the 'other Beatrice,' but I believe that was a bald-faced lie."

"Then he was targeting me..."

"...To let the impostor escape?"

The Headmistress nodded. "Remember, Laurence is the Illusions professor. The first impostor that you two caught, the one who wore the face of your friend Hanan whom we unmasked here, was hiding behind layers of illusion spells. I know quite a few, of course, but those spells made to change appearance and voice, change at a moment's notice, and last a rather long time on their own, are much more advanced than what I am capable of."

"Then it was Professor Laurence!" Beatrice said, shooting up out of her chair. "We need to catch him!"

Beside her, her roommate nodded in agreement. However, the Headmistress shook her head and glared at the two with stern, hard eyes.

"You two will do no such thing," She said in a voice that brooked no argument. "The prime suspect is Laurence, yes, but knowing that, I need both of you to stay away from him. No buts, Miss Gaia, I'm serious. If he is indeed behind all of this, then what he is after is an artifact of great danger to the students, faculty, staff, and indeed the school as a whole."

"But Headmistress!" Beatrice protested anyway. "We've helped you so far, why tell us to stop now?"

"Because, Miss Gaia," The Headmistress pinched the bridge of her nose, feeling a headache coming on. "As stubborn as you are, I appreciate your help. I truly do. You are a true asset to the school, a great protector of your peers, and your unwavering sense of justice has gotten us this far already."

"Then why?"

"Because I have reason to believe that Laurence is a necromancer." The Headmistress stared down at the young druid. "The first impostor that you had caught was a walking skeleton hidden behind layers of spells. That is a spell of a great order, one that can reanimate the dead and have it move, speak, and think on its own for some time. Do you understand now? Laurence is extremely dangerous, and I cannot and will not risk your lives for this."

The silence that followed the Headmistress's words rendered the two witches unable to move. Their shocked faces stared back at the founder of their young school, unable to believe what they had just heard.

"Necromancer?" Nova asked in a small voice after some time. "But Necromancy was taught right here in the school, wasn't it? You let it be taught."

"I did," The Headmistress' sigh was heavy. She gestured to a portrait on the wall that bore the image of a gaunt yet handsome man, with dark and heavy circles around his eyes but an honest smile and a warm light in his eyes. "And it was a mistake. All it took was for one spell to go awry. Even a sorcerer well versed in the magic, who had been practicing it for decades, could fall to it and lose his own life in an instant. No, the magic itself was too dangerous. The Necromancy class lasted for only one year before it was discontinued." She trailed off, taking a moment to gaze at the portrait. After a while, she sighed again and sat heavily at her desk. "I simply hadn't had the heart to remove the classrooms and their contents."

"The grief," Beatrice said softly. "I understand."

"Few do."

"But if Necromancy had only been taught for a single year, what would Laurence want with it?" Nova asked, her brow furrowed.

The Headmistress shook her head. "It could be any number of things. The artifacts, most likely. Some spell books that haven’t been removed."

Nova nodded and fell silent, deep in thought.

"Alright, Headmistress. I understand your concern about Laurence." The earth witch said with her eyes downcast. "I can't promise I won't try to chase after any more impostors, but if it's Professor Laurence then at least I can sort of act normal around him."

"Good, thank you. That is all I can really ask from you both. He will be fired and exiled from the school once I can confirm that he has malicious intentions, of course. But with the Inter-School Games going on..."

"It will cause too much attention!" Beatrice finished the thought, and then sighed heavily. "And we have enough to worry about with Circe."

"Ah, about that. I had heard there was another duel? You against Miss Hawkwood? Her father is quite livid about it, actually."

"He is? Well, I can't back out of it now, the non-humans in the school will be at risk?"

"What?"

With tears in her eyes and the growing pressure of expectation, Beatrice explained the situation of Circe's challenge, The Witches Three, Sascha's predicament, and even Lee and the young werewolves. Throughout it all, the Headmistress listened with a furrowed brow and concern.

"You have a kind and loving heart, Beatrice, to be so concerned for your friends and your fellow students." The Headmistress said slowly, carefully choosing her words as she speaks. The earth witch saw her eyes dart around the office as she thought. "But I will have to be honest with you, your fears are not unfounded. Ravensburl, you are correct, is a young school. I am taking huge risks every year simply looking for individuals talented in magic but unaware of their power, just like Miss Nova here. The structure, the very concept of Ravensburl is a risk, even an act of rebellion against the system, you could say. I may hold diversity and equal opportunity in high regard, but not everyone else does. Mr. Hawkwood and his daughter, for example. You know exactly how Circe feels about the same students I've invited into my school. That sentiment is shared by a majority of the strongest, most prestigious, and most ancient of magical families that very much want to see me fail simply for daring to act differently."

The Headmistress paused and steeped her fingers again, deep in thought as she spoke. "You are very right to fear indeed, Beatrice. The Gaia family name carries weight, and as a family, you may have more sway than even me."

"What? That can't be right! Headmistress, you founded a whole school!"

"Yes, but alone. Now, at least." She cast a sad glance at the gaunt man's portrait. "But still, it is a school that many people did not want. If enough people protest, if enough people pull support or actively act against me, then..."

"No more Ravensburl?"

The Headmistress sadly nodded her head. "Exactly. You are absolutely correct. No more school that accepts people from non-magical backgrounds, or non-humans, or even encourages freedom of expression, I dare say. Through a series of unfortunate events, Circe Hawkswood could effectively shut me down.”

The silence that fell after the Headmistress’s words were defining. Beatrice stared at her, dumbstruck and pale, as the realization of the weight of her words made way to a dawning horror that froze the very blood in her veins. “Is it all up to me, then?” she said in a small voice.

“Not necessarily, Beatrice.” The Headmistress’s smile was kind, but still, her eyes were stern and worried. “I have more plans up my sleeve, of course. I did not found a school on a whim, without plans and backups upon backups. It will just be significantly harder, let’s say.”

“Headmistress,” Nova piped up. The tech witch had put an arm on her roommate’s. “With all due respect, that doesn’t help at all.”

The Headmistress only sighed. “I understand that it doesn’t but that’s the reality of it. This is the world we live in and the people with power believe they can control everything and change anything they don’t like by swaying public opinion. Believe me, I wish that life now was as simple as going to class and writing essays in the library.”

The Headmistress stood and walked to the large raven statue within her office. When she looked to the two young witches, it was with pride and hope. “I believe you two are special indeed. Don’t give up on your convictions, your beliefs, your sense of right and wrong.” She paused and smiled kindly at them. “And hold on to each other. I can see it, you are stronger together.”

Beatrice and Nova left the Headmistress’s office shortly after their talk concluded, with the founder of the school wishing Beatrice good luck with her duel. Pale, shocked, and under a lot of pressure, it was all Beatrice could do to put one foot in front of the other to walk down the hall and all the steps back down to the ground floor.

“Hey, Bee,” Nova said softly. The tech witch took her roommate’s hand and was gently guiding her through the halls, while Beatrice shuffled behind her. “I know it was a lot. Whatever happens, I’m here for you. Alright?”

Beatrice looked up at the taller witch, her eyes wet with tears that had yet to fall. She managed a small, honest smile. “Thank you, Nova. Seriously, I don’t know what I’d do without you right now.”

Nova smiled in that way that Beatrice found so charming: the way one corner of her mouth would perk up, and her dark eyes seemed to glint with well-mannered mischief. “You’d be a mess, and end up halfway down the hill to the front gate before you knew what was happening. Come on, Bee. you give me too much credit.”

“But I mean it!”

Nova laughed and leaned over to give Beatrice a quick kiss on the lips as they walked. “I know you do. So I’m going to stand by it anyway. Let’s go, you have to get ready for that damn duel. The establishment isn’t going to topple itself, you know.”

The one-on-one duels were to be held at the same arena where the team duels took place. After the last of the team duels were held, Professors Acturus, Hope, and Grace took charge of resetting the arena’s earth. The last team battle had resorted to heavy use of earth magic that it manipulated the terrain heavily. Hope grumbled as she cast counterspell after counterspell to undo the large earthen wall that was erected in the arena. It was so high that it blocked the view from the bleachers.

Once Beatrice and Nova arrived at the Ravensburl-side holding area, the roommates found a gray and brown cat curled up by the entrance to the arena, blocking the way.

“Professor Meowstaff!” Beatrice said, beaming. The sight of the talking cat professor always cheered her up. “What are you doing here?”

Meowstaff opened his mouth wide in a yawn that showed all of his teeth. Then he licked his nose, as cats do. “Hello there, Beatrice and Nova. I’ve been seeing a lot of you together lately.”

The two witches blushed slightly, sharing glances with each other, but Meowstaff continued. “To answer your question, Miss Gaia, I am helping with the modifications of the arena.”

Nova raised a brow and glanced around. She could see three professors out on the arena grounds casting spells, but Meowstaff was sitting on the floor with his paws tucked underneath himself and looking very much like a loaf of bread. “Helping with that, professor?”

“I am making sure that no nosy students run off into the arena while the renovations are ongoing, of course,” Meowstaff said with a slight purr. “It’s very hard work. Someone might hurt themselves.”

Beatrice giggled and dropped to a crouch to scratch the cat professor between his ears and under his chin. “I think you’re doing a great job, professor!”

Meowstaff purred and slowly closed his eyes. “Yes, a bit higher up, there. Thank you. Of course, that is not the only reason I’m here.”

“Oh?”

“Don’t tell anyone else I told you,” Meowstaff said, clearly making no effort to really keep it a secret. “But I have been instructed to watch out for any fights that might start within the holding rooms, ahead of the duel. I seem to recall a confrontation of sorts that took place in this very room.” The cat cracked open a single eye and watched Beatrice with intelligent, vivid green slitted eyes. “The duels are for friendly sparrings, as I’m sure you know. But it isn’t uncommon to use the duels as a way to settle differences and arguments.”

“Well…” Beatrice trailed off, guilty-looking away from Meowstaff’s green eye. “There have been challenges made and accepted in the heat of the moment. I have heard.”

“I’ve heard that as well. And as a professor of Ravensburl, I have to hold the safety of the students as a top priority. Unfortunately, that will have to include keeping them safe from themselves.” Meowstaff stood and stretched, his back arching for a moment before he stretched out with his front paws reaching. “Don’t take your duel lightly, Miss Gaia. And don’t get too caught in the heat of it that you’ll do something you’ll regret later.”

The talking cat licked his nose again and briefly nudged his head against Beatrice’s hand and the ankle of Nova’s boot. “Stay safe, you two. I would hate to see such brilliant students get themselves in trouble.”