With every cobweb and spider Sophocles and Morgana passed unharmed, Morgana felt more and more at ease and once the initial fear had subdued her heart filled with wonder.

Were the cobwebs and spiders projections? Was that why they could move through them so freely? That can't be right. Sophocles said that the cobwebs stick to everyone without a cape. But how?

Perhaps she could take off her cape and run some tests?

Morgana unclasped her cape.

Sophocles heard the click and immediately turned around. "Don't you dare take that off in here. Do you want to trigger the alarm?!"

Morgana clasped close her cape. "I just don't get how projections could turn into real things if you don't wear a cape. Are you sure it's not some sort of elaborate hoax to get you to wear your cape outside?"

Sophocles sighed. "It's not a hoax, miss wannabe perfect student. It's real, but if you want to give it a try, do it after role call."

Morgana pulled her cape closer in a mumble. "I'll play along for now."

"Thank you. We're almost there."

Sophocles called back Te Te. "Thank you for your help. I know the way from here."
They pointed at a low, square door up ahead. "See that door? It leads to the corridor that's connected to the Sunset Hall."

"Why it is so small?"

Sophocles shrugged. "Guess it's part of Ariadne's Defense? Let the kids through, but not the grown-ups? Come on."

Sophocles swished their wand. Their flying flashlight dispersed into a million tiny sparkles. It lit up the end of the tunnel.

Sophocles crawled through the door.

Morgana reluctantly followed. She mumbled: "Another way to ruin my uniform..."

When she closed the door, the sparkles faded away.

_____🦇 _____

The corridor was five times as high as it was wide.
Floor to ceiling glass in lead windows depicting various scenes plunged the corridor in a colourful play of light while the walls themselves covered in dark wooden carvings added a streak of warmth to the otherwise barren corridor.
The floor still held traces of the huge vases that once lightened up the dark side and as she dusted off her uniform, Morgana couldn't help but wonder why someone would dispel of them. Without those vases, the contrast between left and right was rather harsh, but with some colourful vases and flowers, there would have been light in the darkness and darkness in the light.

On the dark, wooden side, there were three doors with a painted, carved out griffin facing the colourful windows while two doors - one behind Morgana and Sophocles and in front of them - remained colourless and bland.

The middle of the three griffin doors was a double one and served as the main entrance.

Sophocles pointed at it. "I'm going through there and make the biggest, possible scene while you sneak in through that door." They gestured at the griffin door to the right. "There will be benches out off Stone's direct view. Take a seat there and keep your head low."

Sophocles looked Morgana up and down. "I doubt anyone would pay you much attention, but perhaps it's best to use a cloacking spell to get to the bench?"

Morgana hadn't paid much attention to what Sophocles had said after they had told her she was unremarkable. The audacity Sophocles had! Morgana tried her best to be remarkable, thank you very much. She was very un-not remarkable. She was the epitome of remarkable!

Sophocles waved their hand in front of Morgana. "Helloo? Do you hear me?"

"What."

"Where's your wand or are you one of the wandless witches?"

"My wand?" Morgana instinctively looked down. "That's none of your business!"

Sophocles sighed. "Tell me at least you know how to perform a cloacking spell? Any cloacking spell??"

Morgana shook her head.

Sophocles took out their wand and handed it to Morgana.

Morgana stared at the wand in her hand. She felt the magic pulsing through it. Treating sunlight like cotton candy suddenly felt like children's play. It all made sense now. Oh, all the things she could do with it, all the power she held in the palm of her hand.

"Morgana, concentrate. Point the wand at yourself and say fog. It won't be elegant, but it will have to do."

Morgana glared at Sophocles. Did they just say what she thought they said? It indeed won't be elegant... "How do I transform back?"

"It will wear off before Stone gets to your name on the list."

Morgana knitted her eyebrows. Letting it just wear off without a backup plan? Not in a million years!

"Are we good?"

"Yeah..."

_____🦇 _____

S

ophocles walked towards the main entrance to the Sunset Hall.

They took a deep breath and locked eyes with Morgana standing in front of the door on their right.

Sophocles nodded. They opened the door with a wide grin.

The enormous Sunset Hall looked even bleaker than usual this time of the day. Hundreds of students leant, grumbled and slept on the richly decorated, dark wooden benches in the cold lighting while Headmaster Stone continued to bore them with his nasal voice and unfunny jokes.

Sophocles' voice boomed through the Hall. "Did you miss me?"

Headmaster Stone shrieked. "Sophia! Whose pants did you rob this time?!"

"Why do you always think the worst of me? I don't rob people's pants. I steal them."

Stone rubbed his temples. "Isn't that the same?"

While Sophocles went on a tangent about the difference between stealing and robbing, Morgana carefully opened the side door and snuck in.

She heard someone scraping their throat to her right. Morgana turned around and saw a teacher.

Her eyes widened as their frown deepened. Morgana took out Sophocles' wand, pointed it at the teacher and yelled Frog!.

Everyone turned their head towards Morgana and stared in shock at the giant frog and girl holding the smoking wand.

Stone swished the frog back to a human. He then looked Morgana up and down. He frowned. "And you're Sophia's victim? What's your name?"

"Morgana, sir."

Stone licked his finger and slid it down his list of first years. "I have a Morgan Theodore Hatcher. Is that you?"

Morgana swallowed back her tears. "It's Morgana, sir."

Stone looked at Morgana. He scribbled an A behind Morgan, turning it into Morgana.

He looked at his pocket watch. "It's still ten minutes early for assigning the rooms, but you have left -" he scraped his throat - "an impression which even surpasses your reputation. You and Sophia will share a room in the basement."

Two students in the front laughed. "Ha ha! She got Stone'd."

Stone peered at them. "Scratch that. You two will sleep in the basement. Morgana and Sophia move up to the attic."

Morgana drooped to the nearby bench. She let her suitcase fall on the floor. "So far for being a first class student..."

Sophocles jumped on the bench next to her. They smiled brightly. "I've ranked up."

***

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