The News

[Macy Deltine]

Macy sat down in a chair facing the head master, Prof. Hoodham. She was in between Madeleine and Will. The principle paced back and forward though his office with the vice principle. Prof. Thandie at the desk. He finally stopped and turned to the four of them and sighed.
"I am have watching the four of you girls for a few years." Macy found this strange. He continued. "Do you know about the four groups of this school? They are like our house system but with more meaning. The Carers, the Academics, the Spies and the Warriors. Last term, the heads of those groups moved on and we need new leaders. We have gone though every person in your year and have found that you four are best for the job." He turned to the girl on the far right, Kira. "You have shown great skills that are needed in the Spies. Will, you show great affection for animals and are now the head of the Carers. Macy, your intelligence has placed you the head of the Academics and Madeleine, you skills are what we need to lead the Warriors."
Head of the Academics? Wow..Macy thought to herself.
Prof. Thandie stood up and stood beside Prof. Woodham.
"That is why we placed you in the same dorm. The heads of the groups are always in the same dorm so they can discuss how you will lead your group."
Prof. Woodham sat down on his chair behind the large desk. Macy looked at Will in shock.
"Leaders?" she whispered. Who knew?

[Will Wright]

"I didn't," she replied, equally shocked. She turned to Prof. Hoodham, "Excuse me, Sir?"
Prof. Hoodham and Prof. Thandie looked at her, "Yes Will?"
"If we're in different groups then how can we discuss how we're going to lead our groups, I mean, If I am head of the Carers then how exactly will I be able to converse how to lead the group with a totally different group leader, like the....like the head of Academics, I mean they don't really meet or interact?"
They stared at her, "That's a very good question Will, but easily answered. You see although they may different they still mix. Spies and Warriors go together and Academics and Carers go together and since you are all group leaders you will all be able to help each other and give a helping hand if one you don't know what to do. And you can discuss how to sort things if they get out of hand, and who knows in time you may have to help with the bigger things that are to come..." Prof. Hoodham finished.
"Besides you get more powerful as you go along and you'll be getting something extra as well considering you have been chosen as the leaders." Prof. Thandie included.
"More powerful? Something extra, what's the something extra?" she asked trying to let it sink in. She shared a glance with Macy.
"These!" Prof. Thandie said. Both of the Professors stretched their arms in the air and a slivery glittery mist erupted from their hands. The mist hit all four of them with such a force that they all fell back onto the floor.
"What was that?" Will gasped as she sat back up.
"Your new power. They change every time a new leader comes," Prof. Hoodham explained his eyes glinting with glee.
"New.. new power?"
"Yes, new power,"
"Whoa," Will lifted her hand and looked at it while she turned it over and over, with amazement.

[Kira & Lee Norris]

Kira climbed to her feet, watching the two Heads closely through her wide blue eyes. She supposed she couldn't really have asked for anything better. She'd been placed in a position of great power, and she knew that with this, she'd really be able to make a difference in this... war. But at the same time, she knew her parents would not be pleased. They didn't want her in harm's way. She weighed their reaction up against Lee's, which would no doubt involve some kind of wild party and celebrations.
She smiled to herself. Her cousin could usually be a little over- extravagant.
Suddenly she was struck by a sudden thought.
"Who are we allowed to tell about this?" she asked.
Professor Hoodham turned to look at her. "I would hope, Kira, that you are very select in the people you choose to tell. Perhaps they should not be ones outside of the school, so I recommend that all of you- " at this he gazed around at all of them in turn- "choose your friends wisely."
Kira nodded. So she could tell Lee. She trusted him with her life. Sitting down in her chair again, which had been knocked over by the force of the silvery mist, she turned over her hands, inspecting them closely.
"What new powers have you given us?" she said softly. She felt it better to ask this now, rather than get a nasty shock later.
"Each of you has been given a different job," said Professor Thandie, "but the spell we used to give you your powers was one and the same. In time, your body will accept this new magic, and will morph into the power that will prove most useful to you in the long-run. Your powers may already be developing as we speak."
"Oh," said Kira, feeling decidedly unimpressed.

[Madeleine Baudelaire&Russ Ford]

"What exactly will this involve?" Madeleine asked suddenly.
This didn't make any sense to her mind at all. Madeleine, Head of the Warriors? Ha! Shaun would have rolled.
As soon as she thought Shaun's name, she felt the familiar tightness in her chest.
Warrior... oh, the irony.
Prof. Hoodham looked at them all. "You have each been placed as the heads of different groups. This means that your duties will all differ in accordance to what groups you lead. For example, Kira, you may have to spy out in the field and Madeleine, you may have to command in battle one day."
Battle. The word sent an excited shiver through her.
And she could avenge Shaun.
"However, all of your jobs are similar in some ways," Prof. Hoodham finished. "It is your job to protect the members of your group. Look after them well. You are responsible for your group. You will also need to ensure that your group is not infiltrated by those that you see as your enemies. This is why you should keep this as secret as possible."
"We are more than sure that you are all more than capable of these responsibilities," Prof. Thandie added.
Somehow, Madeleine doubted that. The others may be very capable of leading their groups, but Madeleine couldn't be head of the Warriors. Though she had inherited deadly force from her grandfather, she was very small and slight - and female.
She nodded and ventured another question. "Do our parents know about this?"
If not, her parents were going to freak when they found out.
The whole point of Madeleine's going to Orchid Hill was to keep her safe, away from the horrors of war. They knew what she didn't - that she had the same recklessness as Shaun; she was a devils angel.
And they were always worried that she might one day decide to take revenge on the opposing army for Shaun.
Which was exactly what was going through her mind...