“What in the world…!” Ember rose from his seat and strode toward the source of the disturbance. Throwing the door wide, he was confronted with a whirl of feathers and fierceness.

Isis leapt into action. She grabbed for the handles of the file cabinets behind the principal’s desk, only to find that they were all locked. The cabinets on the other side of the room were as well, and the keys were visibly bouncing on a chain attached to Ember’s belt as he tried to calm the raging, distracting, Rowan.

Frantcially, Isis looked through the principal’s desk. Every drawer was locked, so shw pawed through the papers atop it, looking for anything she could find. A pair of publications–the “Wickerby, Driftwood, and Ember Company Directory” for the current and previous year–caught her eye. She swept it, and as many papers as she thought might not be missed, into her bookbag before carefully rearranging the desk to look as messy as it had earlier before dropping back into her seat.

A moment later, Ember reappeared, his wand aimed squarely at Rowan, who was suspended in the air stuck in a rather comical position, wings spread and talons out.

“Your familiar, Ms. Wright?” he said.

“Oh no! How dare you cause trouble for the principal! Bad crow!” Isis said. “I’m so sorry, sir, I really am. I will see to it he is disciplined, sir.”

Ember flicked his wrist, releasing the bird. After another moment of squawking, he fluttered over and perched on Isis’s outstretched arm.

“That thing is as mean as a summer day is long,” said Ember. “Have you thought about trading him in? We offer very affordable familiar rental plans.”

“Oh no, I have to keep him,” Isis said. “Old family tradition.”

“Yes, well, I understand. My grandfather was quite adamant I come to Magnolian with his old badger as a familiar. Thing was angrier than an atheist in a cathedral and about as useless, but luckily it died just before I started.”

“Am I free to go, sir?” Isis said.

“Oh? Yes, go back to study hall, then. And please let my office know if you remember any additional advanced magic you might have picked up. For your own sake.”

After getting a poisonous look from the brownie secretary, still trying to set her office back in order after a crow attack, Isis was back outside in the hallway.

“Did you get into his files?” Rowan asked. “Do I get extra peanuts if you did?”

“No, all the good stuff was locked up. I did swipe some stuff from his desk, though. I’ll look it over later in the dorm.”

“That doesn’t sound like quite the peanut-granting jackpot I hoped it would be.”

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