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The cool morning breeze ruffled the top of twelve year old Australian Palladius Charnwood's long blonde pony tail as she walked inside the grounds; Kildare's Witchcraft Institute for girls. She looked up at the school and a gasp escaped her throat. The school was a huge stone castle that would have been built in the medieval times. Each door and window had a pointed stone arch around it. Every window was stain glass; each one had a picture and every one had told a story.
The castle was built on a hill so it could see its enemies and view the land around it; as was the plan when it was first built. To the east was a forest that spread as far as the eye can see; the Epping Wood Forest. Flowing out of the wood and into the west was the Mighty River. This was a river of strong currents and rapids, and made a fine way to mark the school boundaries in the east and west. To the north was a cliff. The school stood on the edge of it before a sheer drop of five hundred feet. And to the south a high wall, closing the small gap and keeping out and unwanted visitors or things away from the castle. The school was not only protected by landforms and walls, but powerful old magic that still holds to this day.

As Palladius walked into the Institute, she noticed many other young witches of her age, chatting away, all from different parts of the world. Palladius, who very much preferred to be called Charn, could hear Irish, Scottish, New Zealand, British, American and even Indian accents. Although Charn was tall for her age, she felt small in a place this size.
Beside Charn, were her two older British cousins; intelligent, perfect, tall neat frizzy haired Beda and her sister, who was in second form, who was just as intelligent, but gullible and a little shorter; Loria Blarney.

Girls from every country where at this school, and they where all standing in little groups moving around and talking to each other. When a girl came in from behind Charn, all her friends screamed and ran forward and hugged her and said things like 'I missed you so much!' and 'You're finally here! You'll never guess where we went during the holidays...'
Charn took a deep breath and walked into the heart of the crowd. She couldn't help but overhear a couple of girls talking as she went by.
"...well my family have been witches and wizards alike for over five hundred years. Did I mention that my great-great grandmother was the headmistress for this school for over four decades?" said a girl with ash blonde hair with a hooked nose.
"Oh my God, you are so lucky! Brunehilda," said the girl beside her "I went to Venice during Spring- before I start our school term..."
Charn finally found a small spot near a stone wall away from all the commotion. Charn hated large crowds, and always felt sick or nervous near one. Nearby, she could see another girl, standing by herself, glancing around and trying to see over the crowd- as if she was looking for someone. In a way, she reminded Charn of herself. Charn went up to her, and said in a small voice;
"Hello"
The girl turned around. She was a little shorter than Charn, with thick short chestnut brown hair that came three inches past the ear and a very thick fringe. Under her thick fringe were unmiss able pair of hazel eyes. She spoke in a slight Canadian accent.
"Hey" there was a slight pause "Are you in first form?"
"Err, yeah...you?
"Yep. What are you? Australian?" the girl asked nervously
"Yeah..." Charn said with a grin "American?" she asked her
"Canadian" she corrected.
"What house are you in?" but the girl wasn't listening. She was still trying to see over the crowd, so she didn't answer. There was a slight pause before she said "Excuse me" and walked off; soon blending in the mob of students

The school uniform was a black tunic which came down to just above the ankle with a brown or grey belt around the middle. They were to wear buckled boots and a pointed witch hat with a cloak of the colour their house group. The student's hair had to be tied back if too long, and worn out on special occasions.
Charn however, was tall, so her tunic came down to her knees. She wore a thick brown belt, twice as thick as the school would accept. Her witch hat was too big and had many kinks in it that leaned forward- the hat was a handy down from her grandmother. Her cloak was unevenly tied at the front, the white cotton sleeves where rolled up. On her feet she wore black buckled shoes with thick, white woolly socks. Her long blonde hair was tied back in a ruff pony tail and a brilliant pair of sapphire blue eyes where hidden under a thick fringe. According to her family, she was a disgrace to all of mortal and magical kind, but Charn didn't care.
Charn's cousins Beda and Loria were perfect according to their parents. However they always worried about their figure and were popular. Charn had a muffin top belly that sagged a little over the belt, so you couldn't say she wasn't too thin, but 'well covered' as Charn liked to put it. Her cousins on the other hand were slim and pretty, smart but popular and always surrounded by many rich friends. Charn didn't have any friends besides her thick coated ginger cat called Ferdinand, and a white rat named Merlin.
Charn soon felt as though her legs had gone to sleep. It was quite boring leaning against a stone wall, with nobody but yourself to talk to, not that she wasn't use to it. Where she came from she had to make her own fun. Ever since she had arrived at the school, Charn had convinced herself that she would die of boredom in the first week- and it sure looked that way now. Already she longed to go and kick a football in the street at dusk, play cricket in the backyard and climb on the flat shed roof at night to lie and gaze at the stars.