The Great Divide
Chapter Seven
The New Headmaster

The dining hall once again felt warm and joyful as students of all ages flocked to their friends and to the food which appeared before them all as they took their seats.

The professors for every class sat at their tables, watching over the students as they poured in and found themselves a spot. While they all anticipated meeting the new Headmaster, none of them seemed to show that concern as they all sat tight lipped, more focused on the children and keeping order in the present than the future and what was to come.

The new fifth year prefects had, like every fifth-year prefect before them, gotten stuck on patrolling duty by the doors and alongside the walls while the older prefects quickly ate their dinner early back in the library.

Dylan and Analie were on opposite sides of the front doors, occasionally catching the other staring at the other out of boredom or curiosity as time went on. Meanwhile, Vladimir, who had arrived with Analie, now found himself caught up in conversation with Alfred, Arthur, Arin, and ______ at one of the Ailat tables near the front.

Since Darby was nowhere in sight, _____ had trouble hiding the anticipation painted across her face from those of her friends which knew her best. Vladimir, despite having drifted away over the summer and year previous, was the first to wave his hand in front of her face.

He laughed lightly as she jumped in her seat, focusing her attention on Vlad who wondered, "How are you?"

She smiled, lips closed as she gave two quick nods, "I'm fine. I'm just nervous." She said – the words escaping her lips before the realization that she wasn't supposed to know about the new Headmaster hit her.

"About what?" Arin asked, turning her own attention from Alfred who was carefully balancing grapes on top of each other over to _____.

"Nothing in peculiar, just about it being a new year and all. Don't worry about it." She replied, pushing aside the questions she had about what was to come. Wanting a change of topic, she commented, "It feels so odd for us all to be here again."

"Get used to it. We've got two more years of this- agh – No!" Alfred groaned, punching at the table lightly as the seven grapes he had stacked all lost balance and began bouncing off each other and rolling in all directions.

"I can't wait for this just to be over with. Not that I'm eager to start classes or anything, but us being forced to sit here and wait as all these smelly kids are brought in and introduced kinda makes me sleepy." Vladimir admitted as he looked around.

"You were once a smelly kid like that, remember?" _____ joked.

"No way, I was a cool kid." He huffed out before letting out a laugh.

"You're right about the 'was.' Shame your younger self isn't here so we can examine where you went wrong." _____ teased, causing everyone but Vladimir to burst out laughing.

He squinted jokingly at her and opened his mouth to joke back, but as he went to speak, _____'s attention was drawn by a figure who finally began to walk up to the front of the teacher's tables at the front of the dining hall.

In her distraction, she hadn't even noticed him as he had entered. When did he? She wondered to herself as she shushed Vladimir who, after dismissing his confusion, followed her gaze to the man in the front of the dining hall.

"Who's he?" He asked, his question answered moments later as the man cleared his throat before raising his wand to his throat to amplify his voice throughout the dining hall and over the sounds of the students.

"Welcome back to Primtalia, school of sorcery and magic for promising young witches and wizards." He began. The sounds of students in the dining hall faded out as every head bopped over to turn to face the source of the voice.

"My name is Amzi Shen, I am happy to introduce myself as Primtalia's newest Headmaster."

"New Headmaster?" Vladimir asked aloud, as did others whisper amongst their friend groups throughout the hall. Confusion was aflutter to all except the professors and a handful of students. Amongst them, ______, who sat still as she focused fully on his presence, hoping for an explanation on the change of sudden leadership.

Of course, she knew she wouldn't be able to take anything that he'd say at face value as she saw him with Eltanin, but even so, there must be a drop of truth in the fable he would tell. "Surely." She hoped.

"I know there must be many questions about the sudden change." He began calmly, "Rest assured that the old Headmistress allowed for this transition in leadership happily. Unfortunately, while she could not be here with us tonight, she sends her well wishes."

"As if." ______ muttered bitterly to herself. Vladimir's brown eyes immediately darted towards her, a spark of curiosity immediately engulfing him as he sensed a familiarity with the mystery of why. Why now?

"You know something, don't you?" He whispered, only to be answered with a harsh, "Shh! Later!"

He smirked to himself as he turned back towards the Headmaster.

"While we may all be unfamiliar with one another. I do hope you will give me a chance to prove myself to you... all." His voice unsteady on the 'all' as he looked around the room carefully.

"I must emphasize that despite our uncertainty with one another, I am still the new Headmaster of this school and so, I will demand respect as much as any previous Headmaster has... Let us work together to make changes for the good... and for the safety... of all students and faculty here." He finished.

"Now, while there may be a great deal of questions here tonight, I will answer them in due time... For now, let us formally introduce our new prefects, our old prefects, and then let us welcome our new first years as they are selected to join their new families here... I will allow Mrs. Hyenni, who is most familiar with all the new and old faces to continue. Now then," he extended an arm to the side where Professor Hyenni hesitantly approached the center with him.

Still filled with confusion by the change of Headmaster, some students were too stunned to begin clapping for her. Even so, she quickly hushed those who had clapped as she straightened her hat out and stared ahead to begin introducing the fifth-year prefects.

Amongst them, Analie Nymp and Dylan Kirkland for the Ailat house. Lukas Bondevik and Tisya Vinkook for the Ians house. Matthew Williams and Feliciano Vargas for the Talian house. Kiku Honda and Lovino Vargas for the Hets house. And none had been selected for the Etals house.

Arthur, who had been quiet thus far, let out a groan as his face twisted into a miserable glare.

______ knew as well as any other that Gage had absolutely no right to do that to Arthur. No one deserved the title of prefect for that house as much as Arthur, especially given what all he had been able to accomplish. Even so, the spot where prefects previous had stood for the Etals house, was empty.

For the most part, the night continued as it had the year previous. And aside from the new headmaster being a main topic of discussion amongst students – new and old – there wasn't really much interest in it after the food arrived. All except for Vladimir who had turned towards _____. The spark was still in his bright eyes as he asked again if she knew something that others didn't.

The familiarity of old friends engulfed her and as she explained what she and Darby had done just the other day, she had in that moment, also forgotten how alone she had felt all summer.

"So the ministry is behind this change... I don't doubt it for a second, but why?" Vladimir wondered, still talking in a whisper.

"I'm not sure... If I'm being honest, Darby isn't the best guy to talk my ideas out with. I don't think he believes a word I say when it comes to my theories about what Eltanin might be planning."

"Well I'm here now." Vladimir reassured her, smiling as she met his eyes, "And we have tons to catch up on apparently."

"Yeah – I mean, I'm free to tell you everything as soon as after dinner!" She said, her enthusiasm shining through as she couldn't stop herself from oversharing.

Her enthusiasm was contagious however as he looked just as interested as she felt.

"Vladdie, I'm tired, hold me." A voice said, drawing both of their attention.

Vladimir's eyes immediately left ______ cold as he glanced upwards at Analie who sat down beside him.

"Honey, you looked great up there!" He said happily as he wrapped an arm around her as she sat, giving her a side hug.

______ stared blankly for a second before the situation hit her once again.

"That's right." She thought stupidly.

Stone faced and feeling embarrassed, she turned back over towards the others.

Alfred was sitting right beside her.

And yet – he wasn't the one she wanted to speak to.

This was wrong.

This was very wrong.

Not speaking a word, she leaned her head on his shoulder, causing him to lose focus on another grape statue she didn't notice he was in the progress of building. Both Arin and Alfred were devastated as the tower fell.

_______ found herself staring across the table at Arthur, who shared the same blank expression as her.

She smiled faintly as she felt Alfred's head gently lean on hers as Arin began a tower of her own.

"I missed you all." She said, her voice stoic.