Malena guided us to one of the classrooms on the third floor of the castle, where a group of students was already starting to enter.
"This is the Charms classroom, your first class if I'm not mistaken. This is where we part ways. I've already shown you where the other classrooms are, but if you get lost, ask someone… though don't always trust what the murals or ghosts say. Not all of them are what they seem," she said with an ambiguous gesture. "Anyway, I'll find you again in the afternoon to continue the tour. I have to run to my class now," she added before hurrying off as if she were already late.
We were left alone and stepped into the classroom. The teacher, an elderly woman as thin as a broomstick, watched us closely from the front as we looked for empty seats among the other students.
After nearly ten minutes, the class began with a general introduction. She introduced herself as the second-year Charms teacher, explained some classroom rules, and greeted us newcomers in particular. She said everything in Portuguese, so I had to act as translator once again. To avoid interrupting the class with my voice, I opted to send Neville and Hannah a continuous [Message], transmitting in real time what the teacher was saying.
As if there weren't enough days in the year to cover the entire syllabus, she jumped straight into theory. Many students sighed, some grimaced or made small sounds of resignation, as if they already knew what was coming. Some even tried to distract her with questions about current events or personal matters, in a futile attempt to delay the inevitable avalanche of magical information.
A long magical blackboard began to fill with text and diagrams thanks to an enchanted piece of chalk that wrote by itself as the teacher spoke about spell theory, using first-year examples to reinforce her explanations.
As if they all knew exactly what to do, the students began copying the board's contents into their notebooks. We did the same so we wouldn't fall behind. Thanks to my [Writing] skill, which had already leveled up several times from constant use, I finished transcribing everything quite quickly. That gave me the luxury of watching Hannah beside me, who was clearly having more trouble. It wasn't that she didn't know how to take notes on magical theory, but since it was in a language she still hadn't mastered, it took her twice as long.
About half an hour went by like that, until the teacher erased the oldest section of the board and wrote something simpler: the pronunciation and form of a spell.
The class then shifted from theory to practice. The teacher explained and demonstrated the Reducing Charm: Reducio. After her example, it was our turn to try. She started walking among the desks, observing, correcting, and guiding us, though her stern and austere expression gave her an intimidating air that commanded respect.
Both Hannah and Neville had no major issues with the spell, since we had practiced it during our brief time at Hogwarts. Spending a few months there before arriving at Castelobruxo turned out to be an advantage for both of them: at least the beginning of the year would be more manageable as they adapted. And don't even get me started on me…
The class continued while Neville radiated a mix of nervousness and joy. Successfully casting the spell without mistakes gave him a boost of confidence. He noticed that his wand responded better, that magic flowed with less resistance, and that progress encouraged him even more, creating a positive cycle: more confidence, better results.
Finally, class ended and it was time to move on to the next one, with only a ten-minute break in between. It wasn't much, but enough—provided you didn't get lost in the hallways… Luckily, thanks to my [Map] skill, that wasn't a concern for me.
We ran to a different classroom than before. This one, unlike the previous Charms room, felt like the lair of a great predator… or an exceptional hunter. The walls were adorned with enormous bones, skulls, tails, wings, and even whole taxidermied creatures. The place smelled of age and leather.
And who did we find there? None other than Professor Kettleburn himself, accompanied by the other teacher who had come out to calm the caiporas when we arrived at Castelobruxo. Both of them began teaching the class together, explaining that from now on they would be co-instructors for this subject.
It was our first Magizoology class, and it was quite interesting. At Hogwarts, it isn't taught until third year, but at Castelobruxo it's a core subject from the very beginning. And honestly, that made perfect sense: being in the middle of the Amazon rainforest, knowing magical creatures in depth isn't just useful… it's a matter of survival.
The class was mostly theoretical, using taxidermied specimens, illustrations, and diagrams to help us understand better. Also, since it was the first day, there was a general review of the previous year's material, which was very helpful to get us up to speed.
Apparently, outdoor activities don't begin until the second or third week. As a precaution, some first-year students even take a whole month before stepping outside the castle. It's a way of making sure they study and review thoroughly before facing real creatures in an unpredictable environment.
I was surprised by the number, variety, and difference of creatures compared to what I knew. Even I, who had studied quite a bit with Newt, found myself fascinated by details and species I had never paid much attention to. It made sense: many of these creatures aren't relevant in Europe, and I had never strayed far from that region.
This was the first class I truly paid attention to… or almost. At some point, I began flipping through the books quickly on my own, trying to absorb the massive amount of information they contained. The list of creatures seemed endless.
Class was over, and lunchtime had finally arrived.
Going outside during the day allowed us to better appreciate the surroundings of Castelobruxo. The buildings near the castle were mostly made of stone and were as beautifully carved as the castle's interior. Between the buildings, cobbled streets, small plazas, and roundabouts stretched out, giving the place the appearance of an ancient village.
As we walked toward the dining hall, we witnessed scenes that ranged from comical to unsettling. We saw a group of students playing a prank on one of the cooks; others dragging giant butterflies as if they were balloons; and, of course, the infamous caiporas… who, at that moment, were throwing an alarming number of live insects into certain students' plates without them noticing.
When those creatures saw me, I felt their gaze pierce into me like thorns. There was resentment in their eyes, and I had no doubt: if we ever found ourselves alone in some secluded corner of the forest… I would be their target.
We managed to reach the tables along with the other students. Serving dishes were already laid out for us. Feeling a bit hungry, we began to eat. Although my companions seemed to struggle a bit with the local flavors —so different from British food— they too ate until they were full.
After lunch and at least an hour of recess, we headed to the next class: Herbology. As I mentioned before, it took place within the castle grounds, this time in one of the greenhouses. Neville and Hannah were clearly in their element, which gave them more confidence. Even so, the language remained a barrier, though I trusted they would adapt with time.
The class was long and exhausting. We had to repot plants, remove soil, and pull weeds by hand. It wasn't the most exciting part of the subject, but it was essential. We weren't allowed to use magic unless the professor instructed us to, as part of an exercise: learning to recognize which plants react poorly to surrounding magical energy, and knowing when it's appropriate to cast spells and when it's not.
After that, we had half a module of Transfiguration, and so the school day came to an end.
After the last class, we decided to rest on one of the castle's terraces. From there we admired the landscape and talked about the day's events. Outside of class, things had gone fairly well. Some students even approached us to invite us to various activities, but we politely declined. We were still acclimating to the new environment… though we now had several pending commitments for the coming weeks.
Malena eventually found us there and took us to continue our tour of the castle. This time she guided us outside, showing us the different shops and eateries surrounding the castle. She explained how each one worked in detail and recommended a few —at least the ones she was most familiar with.
Soon it was late, and time to return. It had been a tiring day, especially for my companions, but also full of discoveries. In Herbology, for example, they encountered plants they had never even heard of… and from what they understood, that was just the tip of the iceberg.
Malena also mentioned that during the rest of this week and the next, she would show us more of the castle's secrets in the afternoons, as long as our schedules allowed it. We had much left to discover.
...
Back in the fief, I found myself once again comforting Lily and Petunia.
I was rubbing their bottoms while applying some of my healing magic to ease the pain. Technically, they had been fully recovered for several treatments now… but apparently, they enjoyed the sensation my power gave them. Yeah… I gave in to their sad little faces.
Meanwhile, another one of my clones was searching for Elise, as I hadn't been able to find her. At first, I thought she was just avoiding me again… but I started to worry when I couldn't find her anywhere in the fief. To make matters worse, our mental connection had some sort of interference. It wasn't completely blocked, but it was noticeable.
It was only when I crossed into her world that I felt her presence again. That gave me some relief, but those minutes of uncertainty left me unsettled.
Elise's world had changed… enormously. It was much bigger and more vast than before. Just looking at it made my "mental wallet" bleed in anticipation. I estimated it had more than a thousand kilometers in circumference… maybe nearly two thousand. But that wasn't all. The celestial bodies had changed as well: the sun and the moon were now the same size as the planet, although thankfully, they were much farther away than in the original version. Otherwise, things would've gotten pretty bad.
And let's not even talk about the magic. The atmosphere overflowed with an absurd amount of mystical energy. If this were another kind of story, this would be the classic place where the protagonist shuts themselves in to train until becoming an invincible being.
I searched all over the planet for Elise, to no avail. Even trying to perceive her from within, I couldn't locate her —though I knew she was there. So I kept searching… through space.
It was difficult to find her on this new cosmic scale, but I finally managed. And when I did, I was in for another surprise.
Before me, floating in the void, was a huge sphere of white light that blinded the eyes. At first, I thought it was another star, or perhaps some new element Elise had added to her world. But no… it wasn't that.
When I managed to push my magical vision a little and withstand the glare, I saw her.
There was Elise, in what would be a fetal position… for a horse, and much larger than I remembered. She floated in space, enclosed in a sphere of energy that surrounded her completely, growing denser and more opaque by the second. A sphere that radiated a divine, pure, almost absolute power.
"Elise!" I called out, but there was no response.
Then I tried through our inner connection, 'Elise!'
"Red…?" her voice echoed faintly in my mind, like a whisper.