E.C. EDWARDS - The Mighty Antimagic Spell

“Unfortunately, we don't have time now, dear. Tomorrow after classes Johnny can accompany you wherever you want to go. And you can spend as much time as you want in this garden. If Johnny agrees to accompany you.

“Of course, Miss Harmony.”

The woman continued to present the surroundings, and the two children followed her.

“Here is the Sanctuary of Mystical and Non-Mystical Creatures. You can meet anytime you want animals from the real world. You can search and see any life form that lives on Earth, underground or in the water.”

"Or a beast-monster," Johnny smiled trying to imitate a beast in order to scare Elizabeth.

But the girl was not scared at all by the so charming Johnny.

“Johnny, please be nice,” the professor heckled him.

Then turning to the girl:

“Yes, it is an area with beasts. You can find out everything you want about them. But I advise you not to visit it. Because there were enough children who visited that part of the Sanctuary ... and had nightmares.”

“And those nightmares were the easiest part. It was tough what happened to them after the nightmares,” Johnny tried to continue with his scares.

“Johnny!” shouted Harmony.

Johnny stopped his explanations aware he was wrong again and silently followed the girls.

“Here is the Gazebo where we relax after a busy day. You can also come after classes or at the weekends,” Miss Harmony smiled looking at Elizabeth. “I recommend the sunset on the Hindian Sea, dear. It is splendid, especially when the sea is slightly foamy it makes you think about the one ...”

The woman stopped talking slightly wrinkling her nose. She felt she made a little mistake. So she tried to fix her mistake:

“In fact, I do not recommend any sunset. You, at that time, are getting ready for sleep. You better ride your bike, or play a game or read a book at the reading club like all students of your age. But all this before sunset.”

“I like rock climbing,” Johnny whispered to Elizabeth, thinking Professor Harmony cannot hear him.

But she heard him.

“You should spend more time studying than relaxing, dear Johnny. If you still want to be one of the wisest wizards ...”

Touched to his brain with this remark, but ashamed he was heard, the boy looked down. But only for a few moments. He spoke to Elizabeth at once:

“I'm going to show you the sea or if you want, we get thick clothes to look for polar bear cubs. We'll be able to do this too. Or even better, Marc told me a magic potion can be made to help us dive without any breathing problems.”

“Or you can play chess or read, dear Johnny. Or ... what about math? I also recommend that you go to the Wisdom Pavilion. To talk to a few of them and see how they became wise ... I don't think climbing or looking for polar bears they got to live in that Pavilion,” Miss Harmony kept scolding him. “I will speak again with Professor Knudlac about restrictions on recreational areas. It is not safe for an eleven-year-old child to have access to climbing and diving. It may be dangerous…”

Johnny could kick himself - unfortunately it would have hurt too much. Because of him and not of anyone else, he may no longer have the right to spend his time as he liked, namely in those areas that seemed a little more dangerous at first sight.

"You and your big mouth, Davies," the boy reproached himself, instead of that kick.

After walking a little further through the inner yard, Miss Harmony showed Elizabeth the store where she could find whatever she wanted any magic or non-magic product.

The professor also showed her where she had to go to reach the creek and the pond with magic fish, as well as the forest with tall, very tall trees, which continued to grow steadily over the years, as if trying to reach the sky. She also told them that behind those trees began the spread of water, Vanity Lake.

That lake was the only place that was completely forbidden to anyone, not even to get close to it or to walk on its shore, needless to speak about swimming in it. Equally forbidden was to enter the depths of the Ancient Forest.

“There in that Lake there are fantastic creatures so terrible, that none of the people, who met them, could ever speak about them. That's why nobody knows what they look like or what they are, but everyone knows they exist. And it is forbidden to go beyond those trees ... Because there were many who went there, willing to cross the lake and had the bad luck to see them ... and they are gone. No matter what, long boats like a train, ships built of the most resistant metal, or devices built by the strongest spells, all would perish if they dared to cross the Vanity Lake ...”

“What kind of creatures?”

“I don't know, dear. I just heard some people talking about mermaids rescuing shipwrecks. But others say they trick the navigators to dive in, sinking vessels and feeding on those who are shipwrecked. Some say there are also some sea nymphs with a lot of tentacles, and creepy mouths. And there are also huge sea snakes, wild water dragons and octopuses as big as our school ... As I said, many unfortunate, both wizards and sceptics, started off to find them, but I don’t know anyone who came back.”

The three continued their journey and eventually reached the rooms where the students slept.

Miss Harmony took a key out of her pocket and handed it to Elizabeth.

“This key gives you the opportunity to enter any room you have the right to enter. You cannot enter where you are not allowed, taking into account your age.”

“One key for all doors ... for any door? the girl exclaimed, amazed.

“Just for the door to your room and for the places where you are allowed to go, as I said ...” Professor Harmony repeated, smiling. “You cannot enter other students' room with your key, or open some gates, such as the Ancient Forest gate, or the basement of the school ... Or other rooms where only adults and older students are allowed. There are spaces and places, for which you must have a particular age to have access to them ... Or a particular rank as a witch ... it is only for your safety.”

“And how do I use it?” Elizabeth asked. “What if I lose it?” the girl asked, scared, looking at the key, holding it close to her eyes and carefully examining it. Because that key constantly changed its shape, showing it could take different shapes to open many different doors.

Before she could have the answers to the questions, until she could even count to one, the key was snatched from her hand and tossed as far as possible by Johnny.

The boy, proud of his success in throwing things breaking his personal record, took a big smile on his face ... but only until he saw Elizabeth's sad face.

The girl almost cried, unaware what to do. Her key had just been thrown into that pond full of magic fish and sank in no time.