THE MOMENT
"I'll let you know when we have a suitable tutor for your daughter, Mrs. Sharp," Headmistress Fabiella reassured the generous donor with a slight hurry as she walked out from behind her desk. The visit was unexpected, but Mrs. Sharp had donated so much that she could've outright bought the school if she were interested. She wasn't someone Fabiella could be rude to, regardless of the other duties she had waiting. Fortunately, Mrs. Melody Sharp's visits tended to be short, and she wasn't there any longer than five minutes. However, it was the first day of the new semester, and the Headmistress should've been outside greeting the new students as they arrived. Mrs. Sharp left through a black portal while the Headmistress rushed out of the office to the front of the school.
Headmistress Fabiella strode through the halls, cutting through the oncoming current of new and young faces filled with wonder. It was easily her favorite day of the year. She appreciated the electric feeling of unsure anxiety in the air. A lot of them were excited, and almost none of them knew how they would fare in the coming months. It was something they would all find out together. She particularly enjoyed the quiet awe from the youngest students as she passed by with a smile. The Headmistress was an austere, lean woman with the innate air of regality that came with being an elf. She wore her 'Dress Robes' for the occasion, long and flowing silk draped around her body in various shades of blue and purple. And her hair was salt & pepper colored, put up in a tight, magically-set bun.
She arrived outside to stand next to her secretary, and began appraising the students for any that stood out.
"Mrs. Sharp requested a student tutor because her daughter is too young to attend the school, and she asked for a Freshman, someone closer to the child's age," she informed the secretary, so they could both be on the lookout. It was then she noticed a full head of sleek black hair and broad shoulders wading through the rest of the shorter students. He resembled a full-grown man more than a student, yet he wore the same drab blue robes as the other freshmen. Despite his size, the robe fit perfectly, tailored to show off his bulging muscles.
"Who is that 6'4 mountain of muscle?" she asked.
"That, ma'am, is one of the new first years. His mom is a barbarian," the secretary answered.
"He looks like a linebacker. How did he get admitted?" the Headmistress asked.
"He got a near-perfect score on the scholarship test, and his father is a great mage," the secretary said. "He'd likely do well as a tutor," she added.
"A great mage?" Headmistress Fabiella ran through the short list of names that had enough pull with the school board. "...married to a barbarian? Oh. Oh no," she shook her head. As soon as she realized who his parents were, she could see the family resemblance. "We'll find someone else, I'm sure."
"He's very talented...," the secretary had always been free to push back and speak her mind, Fabiella encouraged it.
"I'm sure he is, and I'm sure he'll do well this year," Headmistress Fabiella nodded with a subtle sigh. "It feels like I'm denying him the opportunity based on his family..., and I suppose I am to an extent. But, the Hexsmiths have a certain... 'rowdy' reputation..," she said. "I'm sure he's a normal, well-adjusted teen, but the last thing I need is for him to accidentally kill the daughter of our most prominent donor. We'll keep looking. And... keep an eye on him."