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Sweetie Belle and the School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
30
"Did you see the new teacher?"
"Yea, I mean, wow. She's really pretty. Not sexy pretty, just pretty. OW! What'd you hit me for"
"Pervert."
"I just said she's not sexy. OW! Again? Really?"
"Rude much? Think of a lady's feelings."
"Bu-wha? Damnit. A guy just can't win with you girls."
Sweetie Belle, Deuce, Phineas, Fray (currently holding said fellow Slytherin), and Janna (carrying Sweetie Belle on her head... sort of like a hat) watched the exchange between a couple fifth years.
"Her first class is just after dinner." Deuce grinned. "I'm betting they're gonna have to hold her class in the Great Hall."
"Why's that?" Frey asked as she paused rubbing her cheek against Phin's cheek, much to the boy-turned-pony's dismay.
Sweetie Belle wanted to know as well.
"Well obviously almost everyone's gonna wanna be in her class. There's no way around the schedule to have her class fit into the week otherwise."
Janna giggled. "Partially wrong there. While yes, her class will be in the evening after supper, each day of the week will be given to a specific year, and attendance isn't mandatory. You can show up if you want, or not. Your choice. Sunday's is for first years," Jana started, "Monday for second years, Tuesday for third and so on till Saturday for seventh year students."
Everyone was surprised and stared at Janna, except Sweetie Belle, who was resting on said girl's head. "How do you know all that?" The little filly asked.
"I asked Radiant Heart earlier."
"Ooh." Came the simultanious responce.
"Come on." Deuce's stomace nearly roared. "Lunch isn't gonna wait for us."
Yes, lunch needed to be eaten, especially after double potions that morning.
...
By now, it was not unusual to see students of other houses sitting at other tables. Cross house friendships were at an all time high this year after all. It was almost like there was no longer 4 houses, but 1 school with a rather impressive school spirit.
Well, not all the students agreed. Quite a few still didn't like what was going on after all. Oddly, Slytherin and Gryffindor had the least number of students who were not alright with the situation. Hufflepuff came next, and then there was Ravenclaw in the rear, with nearly a third of the students not interested in cross mingling with the other houses. Got in the way of their studies, it did.
Friendships were at an all-time high, as was school spirit (and no, there were no new ghosts wandering about, if you really needed to know). But to counter this, house rivalries were also at an all-time high. Not because they wanted to prove who was the better, not at all. Rather, it was because each house was pushing all the other houses to be their best, not trying to one-up the others at all times.
Mind you, this really messed with the rewards and penalties of points. Teachers were finding it easy to dole out said points, and finding fewer reasons to actually penalize anyone. It was getting strange, and was starting to get to the point where teachers had to start handing out fewer and fewer points, making each and every one of them count.
Minerva sipped at her tea and looked over some of the reports. Oddly, it was a lovely ginger and dandelion tea that Princess Twilight has sent her, and she was finding it rather delightful.
Oh, and the box of cupcakes from Pinkie Pie (which included a note demanding that Minerva come back to Ponyville and face her welcome party with dignity. And have fun).
"Maybe at a later date Pinkie Pie. I would rather not lose a life or two. I do believe I may only have about four or five left after all." That pink pony was most certainly not good for her heart.
...
It had to be Monday...
Seriously.
Radiant Heart's first class had to start on a Monday of all things, meaning second years get to have her class first.
Totally not fair, or at least that's how the first years saw it.
The small group sat and watched as the second years hurried to the Great Hall for the class, till a proper classroom or location could be set up for a more permanent location for the Heart Magic class and teacher.
"T'aint fair." Deuce fumed.
"Not one bit." Frey added with a growl.
"I really want to join them." Janna whimpered.
"Could be worse, could have done it the other way around with seventh years first." Phineas tried to look at the bright side.
"Look how happy they look." Sweetie Belle beamed. "I hope they have a wonderful first class."
The others all looked at Sweetie Belle, and suddenly felt bad for being so selfish. Well, not Phineas. Oddly, he didn't mind having to wait. Not because he feared or dreaded the class or anything like that, but more along the lines that he had Sweetie Belle and his friends, so did it really matter who went first and who went last?
He knew that before he'd become a cute, fluffy and feathery ball of cute, he'd have not given a care at all, and most likely would have tried to find some way to interupt the class, or maybe even get the new teacher fired.
He didn't think like that anymore. Phineas had a clear mind and heart. He knew what he wanted, he knew what he was going to do to get it, and darned to heck if he was going to hurt anyone along the way. Well, he sure hoped nopony... nobody would get hurt on his way.
What did Phineas want? The same thing he always wanted. To bring honor back to his family name. But rather than deceit or manipulation, he wanted to form true and strong bonds with other houses. Not through bribes or anything his brother would do, but by befriending them.
He'd heard enough from Sweetie Belle to know that the violent ways of the past were not going to cut it anymore. The population of the Wizarding world had taken heavy blows in the last few decades, far too heavy. Things had to change for things to start getting better.
The arrival of Sweetie Belle, once he had hated her for no reason. He couldn't really even think of why he hated her, or had resentments to anyone else. After becoming a pony, his mind seemed to clear from the fog of hate. After getting to know so many students, his age and even quite a few older ones, his heart felt stronger than ever before.
Friendship certainly was magical. It felt like he had been freed from a lifetime of darkness.
He hoped it would last forever.
"Why hello there." A familiar, kind, gentle, angelic voice flowed smoothly into their ears. The small gathering all looked up, and they saw none other than Radiant Heart, and behind her, all the first years, well, it looked like all of them at least. "Seeing as today is my first class, and would normally only be for the second year students, it didn't seem fair to me, or Headmistress Mcgonnagal, that any of the first years should miss their first turn. So for today only, all of you may join my class."
Joy filled all the first year's hearts, those who were present at least. None of the second years complained in the slightest as the first years joined them for the very first class. It wasn't like there wasn't enough room in the Great Hall, after all.
...
A soft flapping of her wings, and Radiant Heart gracefully lifted off the floor and settled onto the stand behind the podium. She tapped the small amplification crystal with her wingtip and smiled.
"Good evening first and second year students. I have only had a little time so far to get to speak with just a hoof... eh-hehe... Sorry about that. Handfull of you."
That... that had been so adorable, her little slip up. Every human student chuckled or giggled softly for a few moments before focusing their attention on the pegasus before them.
"From those I spoke to and interacted with thus far, I must say, I am surprised and delighted to have seen those who truely feel the magic within them." She used a pair of her feathers like fingers and plucked a wand from her mane bun and held it up. "And I have even seen a few use that magic to help all their friends and classmates." She scanned the class. "Please, let me appologize for not recognizing all of you just yet. Humans do tend to look somewhat alike when all ammassed together like you currently are."
A small frown played across her face for just a moment. "Hmm, you know what? I do understand that there are the four houses, and normally you would all sit at your own tables, but in this class, there are no houses. Only individuals with their own strengths and weaknesses. Strengths they can use to help bolster or cover other's weaknesses, and weaknesses that can be bolstered and covered by others. I too have my strengths and weaknesses, after all. I don't have those wonderful hands that most of you possess. I'm referring to the pair of pony students." She winked at Sweetie Belle and Phineas.
"I can see all of you, in your little groups. It is wonderful to see all of you are making friends. That is a wonderful thing. But you see, I am not the Princess of Friendship. I am but a teacher, one who knows where pony magic comes from. No matter the pony, be they Earth, Pegasus or Unicorn, or even our rulers, our magic originates in our hearts. No, not the organ that beats within your chest, though ironically, the heart of our magic is located right next to it." She waved her wand and uttered a few words...
Nothing happened. "Goodness, I may be able to teach about magic, but actually using it is a bit tricky. Let me try that again. Enhancius Fluffius."
POOMF!!!
Radiant Heart was now.... extra fluffy...
The class, the ENTIRE CLASS did not know how to respond to what had just happened.
"Oh, no, wait..." She smiled softly at the class. "My note book page flipped." She raised her wand again. "Illuminous Lustris."
An array of lights formed above the mare's head, she spread her wings and it grew in size, allowing all the students to see that it was the form of a Unicorn. In the center of the chest, right next to the heart, was a softly pulsing ball of magic.
"As you can see, magic is gathered here. Gathered from where you may ask? Well, look around you."
The entire class all looked around, at each and everyone they could see from where they were.
"Can you see where the magic comes from?" She seemed to be expecting someone to raise a hand, and a few certainly did.
Sweetie Belle knew a little about this already. This was, after all, Magic Kindergarten stuff. Princess Twilight has run her through the basics already. Rather quickly mind you, in no great detail, but they still were the basics.
Radiant Heart gestured her wand at a second year girl. "Poppy was it? We spoke earlier this morning I believe. Do you know where magic comes from?"
"I don't know, not for sure." She was certainly honest. "But, um, from our friends and everyone around us?"
"Yes, and no. Wonderful try Poppy. Who else would love to take a chance at a guess? Do not feel ashamed if your answer is wrong. Making mistakes and learning from them is part of growing."
Another hand, this time from a Slytherin boy, a first year this time. "Not just those around you, but the enviroment?"
"Absolutely, you are a little more correct than Poppy. What is your name, if I may inquire?"
"Um, Percival Goyle, ma'am." He looked nervous.
"Thank you Percival. Now, Poppy got part of the answer, Percival got another part right. Anyone or pony feel they know the final part?"
Sweetie Belle raised a tiny hoof, all the way at the back of the classroom.
Radiant Heart beamed and pointed her wand at the filly. "Please, may you tell us another source of magic?"
"Well, if we can get magic from our friends, it comes to reason that we also have our own magic within us to begin with."
"Lovely answer Sweetie Belle. You are correct, but did you know there are other sources of magic that we draw in unconsciously? Those around us, yes. The environment, yes. Ourselves, yes. But there is also words. Words of encouragement can give us positive magic. Insults and negative words can give us dark magic. Emotions, fueled by words of support or hurt can effect the sort of magic that we can draw into ourselves, and over long periods of time, too much of one or the other can actually prove dis-balancing and even harmful."
"Wait.” A Ravenclaw second year held up her hand, her raven black hair and eyes and hawkish nose making her nearly look like a raven. “I mean, may I ask a question?”
Radiant Heart nodded. “Please, go ahead.”
“Are you saying that too much positive magic can actually harm you?”
“Yes.” A simple, sweet answer. “Now, I assume you would like an explanation. Simply put, if negative or dark magic can cause you harm, making you hate or feel negative emotions...”
Phinas’s pegasus vision allowed him a very good sight of Radiant glancing directly at him. Did she know? Well, she’s a teacher, there’s a good chance that she might know...
“Wherein too much positive can make you love too much and become blind to the darkness around you, blinding you from dangers that could harm you or those you hold dear.”
Another student’s hand came up, this time another Ravenclaw, first year. He looked like he loved to study, with thick glasses, but a very good posture. A nod from Radiant Heart, and he spoke when the wand pointed at him. “So, a balance is preferred?”
“Oh goodness, of course not. To keep both light and dark in balance, you could fall into the shadows. No, what is best for each and every one of you is different. Some will need a little more light than others to reach their own form of balance, while some will need a touch bit more darkness.” She gestured a wing toward the Slytherin second years. “By your very nature and upbringing, those in Slytherin will find that a bit more darkness than light will actually allow them to be far more comfortable and to be able to call upon the best of their magic. This doesn't mean you have to be mean or to have someone always be mean to you. A source of darkness is also conflict.” She then waved a wing over the second year Gryffindors. “But conflict need not be cruelty. Rivalry can be a wonderful source of conflict. The Gryffindors are the diametrically apposed to the Slytherin, needing a little more light than darkness. You can find that by taking on the conflict, the rivalry, to push yourselves harder, you can generate that extra light you may need.”
Sweetie Belle was unaware that her mouth was hanging open. She has never realized that magic from the heart was so... complex.
“So long as the conflict is not a violent one, that is.” Radiant Heart smiled, then looked to the Ravenclaws. “The Ravenclaws, you are smart, studious, strong willed, some say to the point of stubbornness.”
The Ravenclaws didn't know if they should be insulted, or complimented... somehow. “Knowledge is a strong source of both light and dark magic. Basically an equal amount, give or take for personal preferences, is good for you, but not perfect balance, as I stated earlier.”
And finally, she spread her wings wide, smiling at the hufflepuffs. “Hufflepuff. Kindness is strong among all of you. You can gain the greatest benefits from a much higher light index than any of the others. You encourage, embolden and cheer on all others, supporting them. You are a shining light for all the other schools. But you are exceptionally vulnerable to the dark magicks. While Gryffindor and Slytherin are roughly two thirds to one third of light and dark, respectively, you are more akin to four fifths light.
“I am willing to bet that Slytherin, for the longest time, has mostly ignored Ravenclaw, bullied Hufflepuff, and fought fang vs talon with Gryffindor. Today, I see you sitting and working together, even becoming friends and good rivals.”
She’s been here all of a day, maybe two, and she’d worked all this out by wandering the halls and reading through a few dusty history books. None of the students were really sure when she’d actually shown up. Heck, not even the teachers or Headmistress really knew. She’d circumvented any and all wards and barriers after all.
And so her class went on like this, not ever once being harsh... well, too harsh. She was, after all, a teacher. A teacher’s job was not to coddle their students, but to educate them. She’s had the few students she’d seen use Heart Magic come to the front of the class and demonstrate for the rest, and then for the last half, she had them all break into groups to practice basic levitation, while their friends sat silently, not offering any positive or negative feedback, other than smiles, hand gestures and body language.
Class went wonderfully as many students found their heart magics.
To Be Continued...