“I don’t know about any prizes, Mr. DiCaprio, but I can say right now that both of you will be serving a detention with me this afternoon. Please get off the bookcase immediately.” Marissa’s tone was sharp, clipped, and despite her best efforts made it very clear that she was holding back a lot of anger. Study hall had been going so well! The children were happy, the kneazles were behaving, and for once it seemed like the day would pass without issue.

The librarian had actually been on her way to get more candy from behind her desk when she had noticed books on the floor. It didn’t take long to find the two children from there. For a few seconds she had just stared, hoping they were somehow an illusion or mirage. Perhaps she had eaten too much candy. What would induce anyone to climb bookcases? Maybe the children had gone slightly crazy – you could never tell with children.

When the bookcase wobbled and one of them nearly slipped, Marissa had finally jumped into action and hastened over. Now she shook her head and waited with her wand at the ready in case one of the children slipped on the way down. This would be her third detention this term, and while she was happy to see that Seth Jackson wasn’t the culprit this time, she was dismayed to find that first-years could be so unruly.