Dean hawthorne headmaste.., p.11
Dean Hawthorne: Headmaster of a Magical Academy, page 11
“This is the first time I've seen it,” he said with a straight face. “I've never been one for wearing jewelry.”
My eyebrows nearly hit the ceiling. Either he really blocked out an entire portion of his memory, or the kid was confidently lying to the face of the academy’s dean. I knew one person who could shed a little more light on the situation.
“What if we ask your friend, Jeremy Bishop?” At the mention of the Viscount’s son, Todd twitched the smallest bit, but even that wasn't enough for him to change his story.
“You can ask him, but I'm not sure I've seen him with a necklace quite like this.”
“It really is in your best interest not to lie to me, Mr. Emerest.” I tried to get him to reconsider his words, the boy obviously lying. There was no way he didn’t remember the necklace at all, right?
“I'm not, sir, I swear,” he responded innocently. If I hadn't seen everything for myself, I may have just believed him.
“Okay then. I guess we should ask Mr. Bishop.” I smiled, standing up from my chair, still hoping he would reveal the truth himself.
When the boy didn’t say another word, I reached for my wand and in the next moment, I teleported out of the room and back into my office.
“Dean Hawthorne, welcome back. Did you finish your task already?” Jodie greeted me when I entered, her eyes following the papers as they toppled on my desk when I entered.
“Not yet. I just need a particular student’s schedule,” I responded, ignoring the mess of papers now heaped on my desk.
Wanting to assist me in retrieving the information I needed, she stood up abruptly, heading over to the filing cabinet. As she pulled the drawer housing the student files open, she turned to me expectantly.
“Jeremy Bishop,” I told her, responding to her pause.
She shook her head, not surprised he was making trouble again.
“It seems he has herbology with Professor Limon right now. If I’m not mistaken, the lessons are out in the greenhouse this week.” She nodded confidently before slipping the paper back in the boy’s file.
“Thank you, Jodie.”
My wand was already in motion as I spoke, the next teleportation spell rushing through my mind. Before she could respond, I disappeared from my office, a vortex of wind accompanying my departure.
Chapter
Seventeen
HEXEREI ACADEMY
Reappearing moments later from the spacial portal created by my spell, I found myself in front of the greenhouse’s glass door, the structure having been built at the very back of the school as an addition to Professor Limon’s classroom.
Since the class focused on growing different plants and herbs necessary for crafting potions, it was important for the professor to have the means to both educate the students through the associating text as well as through skill labs. The greenhouse provided the perfect environment for the students to practice growing the plants no matter the time of year. Plus, they were able to utilize their own personally-acquired foliage during their potion creation lessons, so it saved the school a bit of money. It was a win-win.
On this particular day, the students were gathered in the glass house, each standing in front of a large pot while the professor showed off a bulb the size of her palm. I opened the door, already finding Jeremy among the gathered students, all eyes shifting to me as I interrupted the class.
“Pardon the intrusion, Professor Limon, but I need to borrow Mr. Bishop for a short time.”
I looked from the professor to the student in question, his lip turning up into a snarl before he even knew what I wanted with him.
“Jeremy,” she addressed the boy as if he wasn't already staring at me.
His reluctance was written on his face, but surprisingly he didn't put up a fight. Instead, he willingly followed me out of the greenhouse and back through the classroom. When we reached the hallway just outside, and away from prying eyes, I stopped, figuring it was as good a place as any for the conversation.
“Mr. Bishop, are you aware of the events that took place yesterday during the morning summoning class?
He paused for a moment, thinking over his answer before responding, “Yeah. I mean, who isn’t? It's all people can talk about right now.”
“Good, then this should be a short conversation.” I grinned, happy to get straight to the point. “If you know all about the incident, I'm sure you also know that your friend Todd Emerest was at the center of it all. Do you know anything about that?” The question hung in the air for a brief moment.
“No, I don't,” he answered shortly, offering no new information. “If that’s all, I’m going back to class.” He turned to leave, but I wasn't finished talking to the boy just yet.
“Running away, are we?” I admit I provoked him, but I knew he was withholding information.
His head shot toward me; an angry scowl etched in his features. We just weren’t destined to get along.
“I just have a couple more questions for you. How about I take you to where Mr. Emerest is being held, and we can resume this conversation there?” I offered, wanting to see if the two would reveal anything if they were in the same room.
“No, I don't think I will.” Jeremy spat, his continued defiance scratching at my last nerve.
“Well, I'm sorry to say that you don't really have a choice in the matter. The academy’s security depends on the outcome of this case, and the way I see it, you are a significant piece of the investigation. So I'll ask again, Mr. Bishop. Would you please follow me to the security wing?” I gestured away from the classroom in an overly-dramatic fashion, waiting expectantly for his answer, hoping he would understand that my niceties only went so far.
“And I'll say it again, no. What are you going to do, drag me there, old man?”
While probably not my finest moment, the boy's blatant disregard for the authority of the academy set my teeth on edge. It was about time someone showed Mr. Bishop that words and actions had consequences.
“If that is what it takes, then yes, I will,” I said simply, grabbing the boy’s wrist with light force, just enough to stop him from walking away.
Pulling my wand from my robe, I flicked my wrist, wordlessly activating my teleportation spell, the destination Todd's holding room. Within a few seconds we had disappeared, reappearing in the cold gray holding room, Todd’s eyes widening with our sudden appearance. Having fulfilled my goal, I released my grip on the boy’s wrist, watching him with curiosity, wondering what his next reaction would be.
Finding his feet on solid ground once more, the color drained from Jeremy’s face, his cheeks starting to take on a slight greenish tint. Jeremy rushed to the corner of the room, throwing up the contents of his morning meal, his hands pressed against the bleak wall for support. Teleportation magic was never kind to the passengers.
“I am so glad you both could join me here.” I began, shifting my focus between the boys. “I just have a few more questions regarding yesterday’s incident, and then this case will be in the hands of the Director, Duke Howard. It is in your best interest to speak with me, but that is ultimately your decision.”
I walked over to the small table, taking a seat in the chair across from Todd before pointing to the empty one beside him, insisting that Jeremy take a seat as well. He glared from his position by the wall and in one last act of defiance, he reached for the handle of the holding room door, his bravado deflating when he learned the door was locked from the outside.
With no other choice but to comply, he walked over to the empty chair, plopping down on the uncomfortable metal seat, his arms crossed, and his eyes directed toward the ceiling, the boy doing anything not to look me in the face.
“Todd, can I see that necklace you had in your pocket one more time?” I asked with my attention on Jeremy, looking for any sort of reaction he might have to my words.
Todd placed the trinket on the table, the chain clanging softly when it brushed against the metal.
“Do you recognize this, Mr. Bishop?” I asked, sliding the necklace a little closer to Jeremy, the boy’s eyes scanning the item in an effort to appear as though he were seeing it for the first time.
“What of it?”
To my surprise, he acknowledged that he knew of the necklace, something Todd failed to do despite the object being in his possession.
“You tell me. What is it?”
I still didn't know if the necklace was related to the incident or not, but the uncertainties that surrounded it certainly made it suspicious. How an ordinary-appearing necklace could cause Todd’s magic to destabilize was beyond me, but in that instance, I had to pretend that I was already aware of the necklace's influence on the wearer.
“It's a locket,” he answered snarkily. “Are you going blind in your old age?” he added for good measure, prodding the necklace with his finger.
Grabbing the item, he opened the small circular door to reveal the shallow space inside.
“See, you put mementos or some kind of junk in there.”
“Yes, I know what a locket is. Did you give this necklace to Todd?”
Jeremy stared at me for a moment, gauging how much information I already knew before deciding whether to stick to the truth or to tell me a blatant lie.
“I did,” he answered at last, choosing to stick to some version of the truth.
“That’s funny, considering Mr. Emerest denies knowing of its existence. Any ideas why he doesn't remember it?”
Jeremy frowned; his fierce gaze fixed on Todd. “How should I know? He's right here, why not ask him?” He directed his question to the boy next to him, Todd seeming to shrink into his chair.
“I don't know…really, I don't!” Todd blubbered, his story staying the same regardless of Jeremy's presence.
Jeremy's eyebrows furrowed, a fleeting look of disgust crossing his features before he turned to face me once more.
“Anyway, what does it matter if I gave him the necklace or not?” He fiddled with the locket a bit more. “As you can see, it’s just an ordinary locket. Or is jewelry now against school rules?”
I wanted to sigh, but I held it in, the boy’s statement hard to refute. Aside from that scene I witnessed between him and Todd, nothing else would have led me to investigate the trinket any deeper, the aura surrounding it quite ordinary even upon closer inspection. Knowing that, I had no choice but to drop the issue.
“Very well,” I said, rising from the hard metal chair. “Director Duke Howard will want to speak with you once he arrives, but we are done for now, Mr. Emerest. Though I'm afraid you'll have to wait here until after you meet with him.” I then turned my attention to Jeremy. “You are welcome to go back to class now, Mr. Bishop. Should I take you there?” I questioned with a smirk, knowing his obvious response.
He clicked his tongue, his palms planted on the table in front of him, pushing himself to stand. “No. I think I'll walk.”
A few knocks on the holding room door had a guard opening it from the outside, Jeremy pushing past him in an angry huff, determined not to be in the same room as me any longer. Todd’s expression revealed his continued nervousness about the situation, but there wasn't much I could say to comfort the boy, what with the proceedings already in motion, and Director Howard already on his way.
I said my goodbyes before I teleported, figuring paperwork would be the perfect means of passing the time until the meeting that would determine Todd’s fate at the academy.
Chapter
Eighteen
HEXEREI ACADEMY
The news of the results of the meeting came late in the afternoon, four hours after Director Howard had arrived. The doors to my office flew open in an extravagant fashion, a butler and two guards filtering in simultaneously. The guards circled around the perimeter of the room, examining every nook and cranny of the space, while the butler grabbed a chair from against the side wall, moving it to the middle of the room.
The sharply-dressed attendant dusted off the cushion of the chair with a small brush before stepping to the side, waiting expectantly with his hands placed purposely in front of him. Left dumbfounded, I hardly moved, my eyes following the men until Duke Howard made his grand entrance. Jodie stood immediately upon his entrance, bowing slightly, her eyes directed toward the floor to show the nobleman respect.
The higher-ranking nobleman entered my office, his great height towering over my small-statured assistant. I groaned inwardly, having hoped he would leave without needing an audience, but even I knew that was just wishful thinking. I stood as he approached and plastered a smile on my face, gesturing to the chair that had obviously been set out for the duke and knowing he would have sat there whether I offered it or not.
“Director, it's always a pleasure,” I lied with such conviction that I almost believed the words myself.
“Dean Hawthorne,” he returned the greeting, sitting down in the specially-prepared chair. “I'll get straight to the point since we both are aware why I'm here at Hexerei, but first—” He waved his hand at the height of his shoulder, leaving me a bit confused as to what exactly he wanted.
Apparently his guards had no issues reading his body language, because the two men left their posts by the door to surround Jodie, the two men intimidating her into leaving the room. I didn't see the point in her being kept out of the conversation, since she would hear of the results anyway, a point that was necessary to effectively do her job, but I also didn't want to bother with an argument.
“Jodie, will you grab a few extra teacups for our guests, please?” I gave her a task that required her to leave the room, her attentive nature kicking in as soon as she heard the request.
Lifting her head, she strode past the guards that waited around her, leaving the room of her own volition. When the doors shut once more, the duke’s guards moved back to either side of the doorframe, resuming their protective duties and allowing our conversation to continue.
“After a thorough investigation, where my researchers analyzed the scene, the boy, and the locket that was in his possession, we have deemed this incident accidental. While precautions concerning his magic should be adhered to in the future, I see no reason to remove the child from the academy.”
“Did this go through the council?” I couldn’t help but ask, wondering why I wasn’t included in the post discussion.
“The proper procedures have been followed, Dean Hawthorne, so there is nothing more you need to worry about. No fatalities resulted from this incident and the state of the boy clears him from intentional harm. Rest assured; the matter was thoroughly investigated. Just continue business as usual and report any more suspicious incidents to the council should they arise.”
I wasn’t happy with his disregard for my involvement in the incident, but there wasn’t much I could say to the man who had the support of the king. If he said the case was closed, that was all there was to it.
“Did you find a reason for Mr. Emerest’s selective memory loss?” I questioned, still feeling unsettled about his inability to recognize the necklace he wore and his lack of awareness regarding the creature he summoned.
“That was deemed a side effect of a surge of magical energy that said student was unprepared for. No more attention will be given to this incident.” He stood to leave, stopping any more questions before they could leave my mouth.
I forced a convivial smile. “Of course, Duke Howard. I understand. Going forward, he will be treated like all the others, but I will give word to the professors of magic specialties that they are to keep an eye on his spellcasting in the future.”
“Good. Then this matter is officially closed. Until next time, Dean Hawthorne.”
The Director turned to leave, his butler scrambling to move the chair out of his way so he could walk in a straight line to the door of my office. The guards opened the double doors in sync with one another, allowing the man passage into the hallway. Jodie stood awkwardly in the entryway, bowing once again as Director Duke Howard passed by, showing her respect for the noble.
She stayed in that position until the man was far enough away that she knew he wasn't coming back. Entering the office space, she shut the door behind her, her hands empty of the china I had instructed her to get. She had worked with me long enough to know that men like Duke Howard didn’t stay long enough for such amenities and recognized that I only wanted to provide an excuse for her to leave the room on her own.
She was silent when she entered, refraining from asking any question about what was said behind closed doors. While I’m sure she was curious, she knew not to pry and if the information was pertinent for her to know, I would keep her in the loop.
“Jodie, will you please get me an accident report?” I asked her before she could reach her desk chair.
My sentence broke the awkward tension that seemed to follow the Duke’s overwhelming presence and she nodded, heading over to the filing cabinet in search of the correct form. After a quick search, she handed me the required paperwork, and I placed it in front of me, ignoring the rest of the forms that needed my attention.
It was important that the academy had a detailed report on the incident, one that was written when the events were fresh in my mind. So even with the massive stack on my desk, I knew this needed to be handled promptly, moving it to the top of the to-do list. In addition to the report, I filled out a service request for Professor Burkley, the practical magic teacher, to make any repairs to the classroom, his goal to ensure that everything was in order for classes to resume the following day.
“The summoning of the demon snake has been deemed accidental, and there will be no more investigative measures taken in this case,” I said simply, holding out the repair order for Jodie to collect.
