Nora's POV
The familiar scent of lavender and sage wraps around me the moment I cross the threshold into Harold Gate Academy. It's Monday afternoon, and the corridors pulse with life. Lunch hour for the upperclassmen creates a symphony of voices echoing from the great hall, where students balance finishing their meals with last-minute spell practice before afternoon exams.
Life continues its normal rhythm here, everyone blissfully unaware that we're teetering on the edge of complete annihilation.
Walking through these imposing double doors always hits me with waves of nostalgia, and today feels no different. This place became my sanctuary, the first location I truly called home, and I know countless others share that sentiment. Mack pads alongside me as we navigate toward Gideon's office where James waits out the daylight hours. My familiar has achieved something of a celebrity status here, drawing pointing fingers from two witches exiting the great hall.
