Morgan le Fay Institute for Magic

Chapter 11 - Wicked World

It wasn't unusual for students of Morgan le Fay to go out to the Fae's Foot Inn down in Dawnwich on Saturday night. It was, however, unusual for so many of them to go together. The dozen-or-so students who had decided to go to the meeting were skittish with excitement, riling each other up as they walked off the school premises towards the nearby town. Ravenna, Dan and Willem made up the very back of the procession.

"Remember this moment, fellas!" someone shouted ahead of them. "Tonight will mark the beginning of the Age of Morgan le Fay!"

A few people whooped and cheered, others just clapped.

Beside her, Dan glanced over his shoulder at the shrinking school.

She nudged his side. "You obviously don't want to be here. Why don't you just go back? Me and Willem will be fine."

The mousy boy smiled at them. He'd grown considerably paler when he could convince neither Ella nor Ezra, his two best friends, to go to this meeting. Ravenna was convinced he'd have chickened out if it hadn't been for her going, despite his interest in what Alois was doing.

Dan shoved his hands deep into his pockets. "No, I'm going. I'm curious what they have to say."

Ravenna knew he was lying. The tension in his shoulders gave away his discomfort and nerves. When he'd first heard about it, he'd refused, and tried to stop Ravenna from going as well. He'd done everything he could to convince her that it was dangerous, that Alois couldn't be trusted.

And yet here he was, following Ravenna into the cold, dark night, just to try and keep her safe. It warmed her heart.

Ravenna couldn't understand how Dan could see any danger in meeting Alois tonight. After all, the last time they talked there had been nothing threatening about him. But it made her best friend uncomfortable and upset, and she hated herself for that. She'd tried to convince him to stay back at school, but he'd refused, matching her own stubbornness.

If only he could understand that Alois was just trying to help.

The moment they entered the dingy little pub, Ravenna could feel the tingle of magic in the air around her. Floating candles lit up the cigarette smoke-filled room. The stench of alcohol filled her nose. Behind the bar, a man donning a no-longer-white apron used his wand to have the dishes do themselves. With a single glance in their direction, he flicked his wand and had a dozen glasses fill themselves with butterbeer.

The only patron present was a man standing in front of the inn's fireplace — no doubt connected to the Floo network. She recognised him immediately as Alois, with his plump face, messy, sand-coloured hair and grey, dim eyes that made Ravenna think he'd already had a few drinks tonight. Beside her, Dan balled his hands to fists.

Alois beckoned them over. As she followed after their schoolmates towards the fireplace, her boots stuck to the dirty floor with every step.

"Welcome!" He spread out his arms and smiled. Dan pulled her towards the wall, as far away as possible from the pudgy man while still close enough to be part of the group. They leaned against it, waiting for him to continue.

"Welcome, students of Morgan le Fay. My name is Alois Mallow and I myself graduated from Morgan le Fay over a decade ago. I think you all know why you're here. The wizarding world needs a change. You've seen it. You've felt it. They don't treat you the same as those Hogwarts brats, do they?"

The students glanced at one another, nodding and muttering their agreement. Of course they'd seen it. This was their everyday life.

"Let me tell you what your future looks like. After graduating from Morgan le Fay, it took me years to land a job at the Ministry — as a paper-pusher." He spat out the word and all around students grumbled along with him.