First Day of Class

Ezra awoke the next morning feeling restless after the strange events of the previous day. He dressed in his new Nevermore Academy uniform, the dark fabrics foreign against his skin. With a parting scratch under his phoenix Ash's chin, Ezra made his way to the cafeteria for breakfast.

As he walked through the halls, Ezra felt the eyes of curious students following him. Whispers and murmurs surrounded him, but he kept his gaze forward. He was used to being the subject of gossip from his days at Hogwarts.

When Ezra entered the cafeteria, he grabbed a tray and loaded it with eggs, bacon, and toast before finding an empty table. He had just started eating when a bubbly girl appeared before him.

"Good morning!" Enid chirped as she plopped down across from Ezra. "How did you sleep last night?"

Ezra swallowed a bite of eggs. "Alright, thanks. Still getting used to my new surroundings."

Enid nodded sympathetically. "I bet it's really different coming from wherever you came from but I'm sure you'll get used to Nevermore in no time!"

"I appreciate you showing me around yesterday," Ezra said. "It was incredibly helpful to have a guide."

"No problem!" Enid grinned. "So what's your class schedule looking like?"

Ezra pulled a folded sheet of paper from his pocket and handed it to her. Enid's eyes lit up as she read it over.

"This is great! We have Werewolf Reproduction, Gorgon Anatomy, Supernatural History, Fencing Lessons, and Potions Crafting together." She bounced a little in her seat. "I can help you get caught up."

"That would be brilliant," Ezra said, relief sweeping through him at having a friendly guide.

"Oooh, and I snuck a peek at Wednesday's schedule," Enid continued in a conspiratorial whisper. "You've got Botanical Sciences, Mathematics, Fencing Lessons, and Potions Crafting with her." 

Ezra raised his eyebrows in surprise. He hadn't expected the aloof Wednesday to share any classes with him.

He and Enid continued chatting amiably about classes and professors as they finished up their breakfasts. Enid was a fountain of useful information, happily rattling off tips and tricks about navigating course schedules and professor quirks. Her bubbly friendliness and warm demeanor helped put Ezra further at ease.

As they bantered back and forth, Ezra found himself relaxing and enjoying the conversation. Enid's outgoing nature was infectious, he had been feeling out of place in this new world so connecting so quickly with someone was a welcome occurrence.

Enid's insider knowledge about the school's unique culture offered him an invaluable lifeline. He hoped her companionship was the start of a great friendship in this strange new place he was now forced to call home.

After busing their dishes, Enid glanced at her phone. "We should get going soon if we want to get good seats in Werewolf Reproduction." She made a face. "Trust me, you do not want to get stuck in the front row for that class."

Ezra chuckled and stood to follow her out of the cafeteria. As they walked, Enid kept up a steady stream of chatter about their teachers and classmates. Ezra listened with interest, interjecting an occasional question or comment.

By the time they arrived at the classroom, Ezra felt he had a much better grasp on the social landscape at Nevermore. He took a seat beside Enid, bracing himself for what was sure to be an educational first day of supernatural classes. Though part of him longed for the familiar halls of Hogwarts.

Ezra settled into his seat next to Enid as students filtered into the classroom, chatting amongst themselves as they took their places. He glanced around, taking in the array of supernatural creatures that made up the student body of Nevermore Academy. He even saw a couple of students that didn't have faces.

Suddenly, A tall woman with wild, graying hair swept into the room, her arms loaded with books and papers. She dumped the pile onto the large desk at the front of the room and then turned to address the class.

"Good morning, everyone. Before we begin, I'd like to introduce a new student joining us. Ezra Bishop, would you stand up and tell us a bit about yourself?"

Ezra rose from his seat, suddenly feeling self-conscious as all eyes turned to him. "Er, hello. I'm Ezra Bishop. I just transferred here from a...different school." He wasn't sure how much to reveal about his background. "I'm looking forward to my classes here at Nevermore."

He sat back down quickly, relieved the introduction was short.

"Excellent, welcome Ezra," the teacher said briskly. "Now then, let's get started. Today we'll be picking up where we left off last time with werewolf mating habits."

Ezra's eyebrows shot up in surprise. This was certainly not a topic covered at Hogwarts. He glanced at Enid and saw she looked a bit embarrassed.

"As you all know, werewolves go through a transformation during the full moon into full wolves. However, human reproduction and wolf reproduction have key differences we must understand..."

The teacher launched into a very technical explanation of mating cycles and reproductive anatomy that made Ezra's cheeks grow warm. He studiously took notes, thinking how vastly different the werewolf dynamics were here compared to those of the werewolves back home.

Occasionally he and Enid exchanged incredulous looks at a particularly eyebrow-raising factoid.

"So in summary," the teacher concluded after a lengthy lecture, "werewolves exhibit a complex dual reproductive system tied to phases of the moon and pack dominance hierarchies. Any questions?"

The class was silent, still processing the wealth of new information.

"Very well. Please turn to chapter six in your textbooks and read the section on scent marking behaviors. We'll discuss when you've finished reading."

Ezra opened his book, grateful for a chance to absorb the material at his own pace. As he read, he occasionally leaned over to whisper questions to Enid who did her best to explain. The textbooks shed light on aspects of werewolf dynamics that were completely foreign to Ezra's previous experience. He found himself utterly fascinated by these revelations into how werewolf packs functioned.

By the end of the class, Ezra's head was swimming but he felt he had learned more about werewolves in one lesson than in all his years at Hogwarts.

The teacher assigned them a three-page essay on pack hierarchy due next week and then dismissed the class.

Ezra exhaled as he gathered his things. "That was...intense," he remarked to Enid with an amazed laugh.

"Yeah, sorry I should have warned you," Enid said, looking embarrassed. "Werewolf reproduction is a pretty awkward topic. But you'll get used to how we do things here at Nevermore soon enough!"

Ezra nodded, his mind still spinning from all he had learned. He bid Enid goodbye for now and set off for his next class.