She paused and let the weight of her words sink in.
“We animages are rare out in the world. But here is a place we can come together and feel welcome. Your professors and your fellow students are here to help you succeed. Rely on them. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and always work hard to achieve your full potential. My door is always open if there’s anything you need.” The pride of being an animage filled my chest. Admiration glowed on the faces of the nearby students. I didn’t feel so alone anymore.
“Everything you need to know about rules was covered in your introduction letter. But I always like to point out a few things: Remember that you are not allowed off campus except for planned outings and holidays. And, do not shift for the first time until you are in class under the supervision of your professor. Animage Magic can be volatile and while shifting is not difficult, students have been known to be consumed by their magic on the first try. Good luck my students. We will be expecting great things from you.”
We all began to clap, although with so few of us still in the auditorium, it was more like a smattering than the ringing echo it was earlier. Headmistress Adiana inclined her head towards us and then waved her arm and a row of doors to our right all burst open at once. With wild excitement filling me, I jumped up and made my way out onto the grounds of Animage Academy for the first time.
It was nothing like I imagined. What had looked like a block of dilapidated buildings and overgrown lots from the street was now a series of manicured lawns and neat brick buildings. The whole block—and more was part of the Animage Academy property with no way to tell from the outside. Around the buildings, the grounds stretched as far as I could see. There was no sign of the bustling city that I knew surrounded us.
We were standing on a cobblestone walkway that meandered from the main building down a path lined with flowerbeds, benches, and old-fashioned lamp posts. Two older students stood at the first lamp post, watching us take everything in.
“It’s pretty amazing, isn’t it?” The blonde girl said as she stepped forward.
“The whole campus is shielded by powerful magic so even though we are in the middle of New York City, no one can see in and we can’t see out. We are the hall advisors for the dorms this year. I’m Penelope with Waterstone, the female dorm. And this is Nick with Graytower, the male dorm. If you have any questions, you can ask us. The dorms are right beside each other, so follow us.” We all followed Penelope and Nick like a herd of ducklings making their way to the pond for the first time.
“The building you came out of is the admin building and has the public lobby, the auditorium, the headmistress’s office, and other conference rooms and offices. It has a ballroom where they host dances.” She continued to show us the buildings as she walked. I knew we had a map, but I still tried to memorize them all so I would be able to find my way around the next day. I didn’t want to make it completely obvious I had no idea what I was doing. At the back of the property, the cobblestone street ended at two final buildings. Behind them stood a thick hedge of trees.
“The trees are the barrier to the Animage Academy property. Don’t even think about trying to sneak out. The spells on this place are too powerful for even an advanced fourth year to be able to sneak out. Girls and boys are allowed in each other’s dorms from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m. Now split up and let’s go see your rooms.”
“See you later,” Hudson said as he split with us to head to his dorm. Gracie and I followed all the other girls toward the Waterstone Building.
“Welcome to paradise,” Penelope said as she ushered us in.
The sound of running water greeted us as we entered. A huge golden fountain in the middle of the lobby greeted us. It sat in the middle of a grand staircase that wrapped around to make its way to the upper floors.
“Wow,” I heard someone whisper behind me.
Wow was right. Even after hearing all my life how amazing Animage Academy was, seeing was believing. We walked past pristine white walls, plush couches, and even a baby grand piano as we made our way to the stairs. I felt like I’d been transported to a high-end resort instead of an old-fashioned apartment building I had expected from the exterior.
“Does everyone remember your room assignments?” Penelope called, breaking us out of our dazed staring. There was a rustle as everyone made to pull out their paper to check their room numbers. I grabbed mine from the pocket of my shorts.
“Head on up and find your rooms, ladies. Both staircases lead to the same place on the second floor. It’s easy to find your way, all the first-year students have rooms on the fourth floor. Enjoy the walk. Make yourself comfortable, I will meet you back down here at noon to take you to the cafeteria for lunch.”
Even Gracie had been stunned into silence by our new living quarters. She stood beside me, her eyes wide, taking everything in.
“This is nicer than my house,” she said. “Not nicer than yours, though.”
“I’m not so sure, we don’t have a fountain.”
“But you have a lake.”
“Not in the house. What room are you in?” I asked.
“404, you?”
“415,” I said. We started for the staircase and trudged up the four flights of stairs. At least I would be in great shape by the end of the school year. Gracie waved and entered her own room while I continued to
