A Wizard in the Works

I hadn't really noticed it before because there was nothing to notice. Where the Death classroom was supposed to be was a gaping hole, with just a little bit of floating land remaining here and there. I stood there staring for a moment or two, then...

"W-What the hell?" I blurted out. Where was the classroom?

"Language, miss." said a voice from behind me. I turned around to see... another student. He was dressed like a jester in black and gray. "I'm assuming that you're here for Secondary Death class?"

"Um...yes..." I replied slowly.

"Over there." He pointed towards a group of kids sitting near the base of the tree. I walked over there and sat down with them, but the boy kept looking around, directing a few more people to the tree. When it seemed that everyone had gone into their classes, he walked back towards us.

"Ok, people." He clapped his hands together. "Um, my name is Malorn Ashthorn, and I will be your Secondary Death teacher for... until they get a new one, I guess. Or until the year's over. Whichever comes first." Several students raised their hands. There weren't many of us- I guess Death wasn't a very popular Secondary course. "Oh, um, questions, ok." He started to call on people.

"What happened to the Death Classroom?"

"That is a very long story, and I will tell you... tomorrow. Tomorrow." I could tell that lesson planning was not his strong suit.

"Who left you in charge?"

"Well, I was top of the Death Primary class last year, and when the professor took off, everyone just assumed that I would be in charge. They just turned around and stared at me until I said something. The administration is trying to find a new teacher, but someone spread a rumor about the job being cursed..." The was he said 'someone' made me think that he and this someone didn't like each other very much. "They're doing the best they can, but, uh,  for now, this is Death Class."

"What are we even doing in this class?"

"Well, it's just like any other secondary class, I guess... We learn spells and stuff."

"Don't you have to take classes too?" This one was my question.

"Actually, last year was my last one at Ravenwood. The headmaster asked me to stay and keep teaching this year. It's not the job that I imagined for myself, but at least it's a living." So this was just an ordinary person, huh? He certainly didn't seem very enthusiastic about his job.

"So, um, there are a few rules that we need to follow..." He said. "Please keep away from the hole, we don't want anyone to fall, um, please don't do anything to Bartleby here, and try not to kill anyone." Someone behind me snickered. "No, I'm serious, last year, we had to get Professor Falmea out here for CPR... um, wait..." he trailed off upon seeing the looks on our faces. "That was only one time, um, I'm sure it won't happen again..." He looked extremely flustered- I wonder what my parents would have said if they saw him?

"So, um, back to class... We won't be learning the most advanced Death Spells, but we will learn things like this..." He turned towards the pit and waved his wand in a skull shape. A zombie-like figure appeard on one of the chunks of land, and started walking towards us- but it didn't get far before falling off into the... below. No one really knows what's below the islands. Space, I guess. "The pit does have it's advantages..." he mumbled, before turning back to us.

"So, um, that spell is called Ghoul..." He showed us a few more spells, and we tried them out- not having very much success- until we noticed people coming out of the nearest classroom, the Fire room. "Oh, wow, um, it looks like time is up... Um, class dismissed, I guess." Malorn said. We all stood up and picked up our things, moving on to the next class. I walked up to the 'teacher'.