Seed Planted

On the first day of school, the new students gathered in a corridor, waiting to be assigned to their various houses. The buzz of excitement and tension was obvious, and the air was thick with anticipation.

As the pupils talked, the doors to the hall swung open, revealing a group of stern-looking professors. The students grew silent and turned to face the front of the hall.

The head teacher, a tall and imposing figure, stepped forward and began to speak. "Welcome to the Academy of Arcane Arts," he announced. "Today, you will be sorted into your respective houses, where you will begin your magical education." Then, with a wave of his wand, a magical ball appears. "Place your hands within this ball, and the ball will decide where your house is."

As he spoke, the teachers began to disperse, and students formed a line and started placing their hands within the ball. The students began to nervously shuffle as they placed their hands on the ball, each one hoping to be assigned to the house of their choice. A student places his hand in the ball, and the magic ball glows red. Suddenly, a teacher called out, "House of Crimson Flames!" As the teacher said this. The others followed through one by one.

As the teacher assigned each student to their respective houses, Kaelan stood indifferently, watching as the other students cheered and celebrated their new houses. When it was his turn to be assigned, he was placed in the house of sliding shadows. The other students clapped and cheered, but Kaelan remained aloof and uninterested.

When the teachers finished assigning each student to their respective houses, Kaelan found himself standing with a group of students wearing black robes. These were the students of the House of Sliding Shadow, known for their cunning and resourcefulness.

He followed his fellow Sliding Shadows to their designated area, a large room filled with rows of desks and a podium at the front. Kaelan found an empty seat in the back and sat down, leaning back in his chair with a bored expression.

The head of the House of Sliding Shadows, Professor Snape, stepped forward to greet the new students. He had a stern expression on his face, and his black eyes seemed to pierce right through the kaelan.

"Welcome to the House of the Sliding Shadow," Snape began. "I am Professor Snape, your head of house. Fate has chosen you to join our ranks.

"Your success in this school will depend on your ability to be resourceful, cunning, and clever," Snape continued. "We will teach you how to navigate the intricacies of magic and the world around you. You will learn how to use your wit and intelligence to achieve your goals."

As Snape spoke, Kaelan couldn't help but feel a sense of curiosity.

After Snape finished his speech, the students of the House of Sliding Shadow dispersed to their respective dormitories. Kaelan followed his new housemates; he was curious to see what the future held for him at the academy.

In the dorm of the House of Sliding Shadow, a teacher began her lecture, introducing the history and traditions. The other students listened intently, taking notes and eagerly participating in the discussion. Kaelan, however, remained disinterested, his mind wandering and his eyes starting to droop.

As the class continued, Kaelan found himself increasingly bored and restless. He glanced around the room, taking note of the other students who seemed so eager to learn and participate. He wondered how he had ended up at this school.

Despite his apathy, Kaelan managed to make it through. He returned to his dorm room, feeling drained and unfulfilled. He lay down on his bed, staring up at the ceiling, wondering if he had made a mistake in coming to this school.

On the next day, Kaelan attended his first class on defense against dark magic taught by Professor Snape. In this course, students learn how to defend against dark magic users. In today's lesson, professor Snape gives them some basic information about what they should and shouldn't do when facing a magician who uses this type of magic.

After the initial class, Snape decided to do some practical activities and a demonstration of the spell that he had learned. Students have to perform their magical spell in the arena. The first to perform was a man with blond hair and blue eyes. His name is Lukas Alrick, and he belongs to the house of Arick, a noble family of mages.

On the next day, Kaelan attended his first class on defense against dark magic taught by Professor Snape. In this course, students learn how to defend against dark magic users. In today's lesson, Professor Snape gives them some basic information about what they should and shouldn't do when facing a magician who uses this type of magic.

After the initial class, Snape decided to do some practical activities and a demonstration of the spell that he had learned. Students have to perform their magical spell in the arena. The first to perform was a man with blond hair and blue eyes. His name is Lukas Alrick, and he belongs to the house of Arick, a noble family of mages.

Kaelan watched Lukas perform his spell, which was a stunning one that was supposed to render the opponent unconscious. Lukas' execution of the spell was flawless, and the target dummy in front of him fell to the ground with a thud. The rest of the class applauded, but Kaelan was unimpressed. He knew that he could do better, but he didn't want to show off in front of the other students.

When it was Kaelan's turn, he walked up to the arena with idle enthusiasm, and Snape gave him the signal to start. Kaelan performed a spell Snaped taught—a powerful wind spell that could knock down multiple opponents at once. As he cast the spell, the wind gathered around his wand and was unleashed in a powerful gust that blew over several target dummies at once. The class was stunned, and Snape looked impressed.

After the demonstration, Snape dismissed the class, but he asked Kaelan to stay behind. Kaelan walked up to the professor, wondering what he wanted. Snape told him that he was impressed with his spellcasting abilities and that he had the potential to become a great wizard. Kaelan just shrugged and thanked him, not really caring what Snape thought of him. Because he knew that his grandfather taught him will and that the spells taught by Snape are basic.

As Kaelan was about to leave, he heard Lukas calling out to him. He turned around to see Lukas approaching him with a smile on his face.

"Hey, that was an impressive spell you cast back there," Lukas said, extending his hand for a handshake.

Kaelan looked at Lukas' hand for a moment before finally taking it. "Thanks," he replied, still not showing much interest.

Lukas didn't seem to mind Kaelan's lack of enthusiasm, and he continued to talk to him. "I'm Lukas, by the way. I'm from the house of lightning. What about you?"

"I'm Kaelan, from the house of Sliding Shadow," Kaelan replied curtly.

Lukas nodded. "Ah, sliding shadow. That's a pretty cool house. I've heard they're known for their strength and cunning."

Kaelan just shrugged. He didn't really care about his house or what others thought of it.

Lukas continued to try to strike up a conversation with Kaelan, asking him about his interests and hobbies, but Kaelan responded with brief, dismissive responses. Lukas became upset by Kaelan's lack of interest in getting to know him, and he started to think that Kaelan was rude and disrespectful. "Look, Kaelan, I'm trying to be friendly here, but it seems like you're not interested in being friends," Lukas continued, his tone getting more solemn. Kaelan simply shrugged once again. "I'm not interested in making friends," he stated emphatically. Kaelan's statement caught Lukas off guard.

He'd never encountered somebody who didn't want to make friends before, and he couldn't figure out why Kaelan was so distant. Lukas decided to abandon his efforts to befriend Kaelan, believing that his efforts were pointless. "Fine, suit yourself," Lukas murmured as he turned and walked away. Kaelan stood there, feeling nothing, as he watched him walk away. He didn't care whether or not Lukas wanted to be his friend. He was here to explore magic and get stronger, and making friends was not one of his top priorities.

Snape had been watching Lukas and Kaelan's encounter with a devious smirk on his face. Kaelan had the potential to become a formidable wizard, but his lack of interest and distant demeanor might hinder his advancement in the academy. Snape approached Kaelan with a sneaky smirk as Lukas went away. "I see you've made a new friend," he said, his voice tinged with contempt. Kaelan simply shrugged, uninterested in Snape's opinion. "He just wanted to talk to me," he said flatly. Snape's smile grew. "Yes, I see that, but I would advise you to be cautious about who you associate with; not everyone has your best interests at heart." Kaelan raised an eyebrow at Snape's comments but said nothing. He was well aware that Snape had his own motives and couldn't be completely trusted. Snape watched Kaelan walk away with a wicked smile. He was certain that he had planted a seed of doubt in Kaelan's mind, which would develop with time.

Snape had always been a brilliant manipulator, and he would go to any length to ensure that Kaelan attained his full potential, even if it meant employing deception. "I apologize, little kid, but your grandfather told me to do this to ensure that you do not repeat the mistakes he made," Snape said as he walked away, headed to his next class.