Books 4-6: The Salem Academy for Young Sorcerers

By Lisa B. Diamond

The Salem Academy for Young Sorcerers box set of books 4-6. Join twins David & Ashira in exploring the Salem Academy for Young Sorcerers, a private school for young witches and wizards. At a magical school, you never know what is going to happen next!

• Language: English
• Publisher: L. B. Diamond
• Release date: Jul 2, 2023
• ISBN: 9798215183403

Book preview

Prologue

O n the ground? David questioned his father.

Mr. Rosen nodded. On the ground, he repeated to his son. That's where soccer is played.

But, kador is played in the air, protested David. He was referring to the sport he learned at the Salem Academy for Young Sorcerers, where he and his twin sister attended third grade. 

David was on the Salem Academy East Kador team, which was rare for a third grader. He had been a mid-season substitute for another player who was hurt and out for the rest of the season.

Kador was different from soccer in one main way, it was played twenty feet in the air. David had learn how to levitate first, then how to play kador while levitating. He always told his sister his brain hurt after a long practice session.

Mr. Rosen wasn't magical. Mrs. Rosen, who was a witch, had offered to put a spell on Mr. Rosen to lift him into the air. Mr. Rosen shook his head at the thought, and told David they could still practice some, if not all of the moves on the ground.

Okay, I guess we can try it, muttered David. It won't be the same!

Oh, and David, put your crystal on the kitchen table, Mr. Rosen added in a quiet voice.

David's blue crystal was on a necklace around his neck.  It helped him to channel his magical powers when he needed to say a spell. 

Although, Ashira, David's twin sister, had proven that you didn't have to say a spell to use your crystal. She had accidentally locked the lips together of someone who had been mean to David on the bus.

Why? David asked in a puzzled tone.

Because the neighbors are watching us from next door, and we don't want to break any rules, do we? his father reminded him. 

There were basic magical rules by which every witch and wizard had to abide. One of the main rules was not to let non-magical people see magic, and not to perform magic on non-magical people without their consent. If a magical person did not follow the rules, he or she would be held accountable by the B.O.M., the Board of Magic.

David nodded to his father and ran into the kitchen. He quickly slipped the blue crystal necklace off of his neck and put it on the kitchen table. His neck felt bare without it. Then he ran outside to join his father.

1 - Grades

David and his twin nine-year old sister, Ashira, stood on their driveway and stared at their mailbox. Their school bus had dropped them off a few moments earlier. 

The twins could have watched a normal school bus drive to the end of the street, stop at the stop sign, and turn either left or right at the corner. But, their school bus wasn't a normal school bus. 

That was because David and Ashira didn't go to a normal school. They went to the Salem Academy for Young Sorcerers, which was a private school for young witches and wizards in the United States and the more southern parts of Canada.

David and Ashira were staring at their mailbox because they both knew that their report cards were probably waiting for them in the mailbox.  Their first report cards from the Salem Academy.

They had one major project which had counted for their nine weeks grade. They were both very nervous.

You first, David said to his sister, still staring at the mailbox.

Don't be silly. We won't be able to open the envelopes. They'll be addressed to Mom and Dad, Ashira replied practically.

Ashira was referring to the fact that in the magical world, neither she nor David would be able to open any letter not addressed to them, personally. They found this out accidentally when they tried to open each other's letters from the Salem Academy announcing their enrollment to the magical school this past summer.

Oh, yeah, David said. He wasn't sure how he felt about that.

Their mother walked down the driveway. You two have been standing here for several minutes. Is everything okay? she asked them in a worried tone.

Ashira shook her head. Her long red hair fell around her shoulders. She was wearing burgundy framed glasses to match her school outfit, which consisted of a burgundy sweater with a white dragon emblazoned over her heart and a long heather gray pleated skirt with white tights. 

Ashira saved her favorite purple frames for the weekends. Purple was her favorite color.

David was wearing an identical sweater with heather gray slacks. He wore blue on the weekends, which was his favorite color. He had medium brown hair cut short.

David? Would you like to tell me why you two are standing here at the base of the driveway staring into space? Mrs. Rosen asked.

Grades, David said hoarsely.

Grades? Oh, your report cards, Mrs. Rosen smiled, before kissing both of her children on the head. She reached into the mailbox and took out two letters, neither of which had arrived by the United States Postal Service.

She tucked the letters into her coat pocket, took David by one hand, Ashira by another, and walked into the house.

Sit down, children, their mother said. It will fine. I promise.

The twins stood in the foyer, staring at their feet until their mother opened the first letter. It read:

Dear Mr. and Mrs. Rosen,

Your son, David Rosen, has achieved an overall S for the first nine weeks, encompassing History, Art, Plant and Animal Natures, and Basic Spell Construction.

Astronomy for the first nine weeks was only Pass or Fail, due to the Practical part of Astronomy beginning the week of November 3rd.  David has achieved a passing grade, with a note from Mrs. Celestra, his Astronomy teacher, stating that if she could have given him an S, she would have, due to his extensive knowledge in the subject.

Please see the attached sheet for a breakdown of what was learned during these nine weeks.

Sincerely,

Mrs. Dray, the Salem Academy East Third Grade

David breathed a sigh of relief, and sank down into the couch. Ashira still stood nervously, shifting from one foot to the other. Mrs. Rosen read the next letter aloud as well.

Dear Mr. and Mrs. Rosen,

Your daughter, Ashira Rosen, has achieved an overall S for the first nine weeks, encompassing History, Art, Plant and Animal Natures, and Basic Spell Construction.

Mr. Warhol added an additional note, stating that Ashira's work with herbs and colors was exceptional.

Astronomy for the first nine weeks was only Pass or Fail, due to the Practical part of Astronomy beginning the week of November 3rd.  Ashira has achieved a passing grade.

Please see the attached sheet for a breakdown of what was learned during these nine weeks.

Sincerely,

Mrs. Dray, the Salem Academy East Third Grade

Ashira sunk low into the couch and breathed a sigh of relief.

Do you feel better? Mrs. Rosen asked her two children. They both nodded.

Mom? What are the grades again? Is an S for Satisfactory? asked David.

No, Ashira replied. An S is for Superior; a G is for Good; a P is for Progressing; an I is for Inferior; and, an H is for Horrible.

Awesome! We got the highest grade! Wow! David exclaimed.

Plus, you two have the Halloween party at the school tonight, and David has his last kador game of the season tomorrow, added Mrs. Rosen.

Don't forget tournament, David reminded his mother.  The kador tournament was played the weekend after Halloween. It involved playing two short games with whichever teams your team had only played once during the remainder of the season, before the referees added up the scores to see who would play the final round to determine the best team of the season.

At this point in the season, the Salem Academy East Kador team on which David played was up by two games and down by five, including one forfeit to Mexico when one of the Salem Academy high schoolers interfered with the game in favor of the Salem Academy East Kador team.

The Salem Academy East Kador team had beaten the Salem Academy West Kador team, which was the first game David had played as a member of the team partway through the season. The Salem Academy East Kador team had also beaten Alaska.

Unfortunately, the Salem Academy East Kador team had one forfeit to Mexico, one loss to Mexico, two losses to Argentina, and one loss to Brazil. Although, the Brazil match had been pretty close.

In the tournament, the Salem Academy East Kador team would play the Salem Academy West Kador team one more time, and then proceed to a rematch against Brazil. Coach Simmons had told them that even if they won the game against Alaska tomorrow, and the first two rounds of the tournament, they still probably wouldn't make the final round of the tournament. But, she said she was proud of the team regardless, and told them how well they had done this season.

Coach Simmons had even changed the kador practice day this week to Thursday instead of Friday, due to grades coming out and the Halloween party. It was the last week she could do that, as next week began the Astronomy practicals.

Astronomy practicals entailed that one day a week the students would be coming in later from the first week in November through the beginning of March. Tuesdays would be the late day for third graders, Wednesdays for fourth graders, and Thursdays for fifth graders. 

For the Salem Academy East classes, the late days would be 1:30-7:30pm Eastern Time, making it impossible to have kador practice afterward, even though the kador season was almost over when Astronomy practicals began.

What time do we have to be back at the school for the party? Ashira asked her mother.

You don't know? David interrupted.

Why? Do you know? his twin questioned, turning to him.

No. But you always seem to have the answers to those questions, David replied.

Well, I had other things to think about this afternoon! Ashira said as she stomped out of the library.

2 – Animal Garden

I am not dropping you off and that is final, Mrs. Rosen said to the twins. 

They were standing outside the gates to the school. They had traveled there by using the school travel stones, which made you feel as though you were a piece of dough being pulled, pushed, and rolled out to make pizza before arriving at your destination.

But, Mom, everyone else was dropped off, Ashira objected.

First of all, not everyone was dropped off, began their mother. Then she dropped her voice, and, secondly, it was enough of an accomplishment to get your father here. I am not leaving five minutes later!

Mr. Rosen wasn't magical by nature and the magical world was rather daunting to him on a good day. On a Friday after a long work week when he would rather be home catching up on sports scores and relaxing was not a good time to ask him to use a travel stone to go anywhere, especially not to a magic school where he felt like the odd person out.

Their father stood nearby with his hands in his pockets looking nervous and sucking on a cough drop. Ashira and David had discovered that sucking on a Vitamin C cough drop diminished the effects of using a travel stone.

Ashira thoughtfully went over and took one of her father's hands. He smiled down at his daughter. They walked inside the school together.

Mrs. Rosen looked at her son. You don't really care that I'm here, do you? she said wryly.

Nope, replied David casually. His sister was the one who usually wanted to be on her own in social situations. David, on the other hand, was fine having his mother in the background.

Mom? What if we wanted to turn ourselves invisible again? he asked suddenly. A week and a half ago, Ashira and David, and their friends had turned themselves invisible to avoid being cursed by a bully, who was being bullied by a group of bullies.

Well, your sister said the spell disappeared from her Book of Shadows after the four of you used it, said his mother. Each student had a personal Book of Shadows, which was his or her own personal spellbook.

What does that mean? asked David.

That the spell can't be used again at this time by you, your sister, or your friends. However, there are other ways... trailed off Mrs. Rosen, as she saw a creature walking towards them.

David followed her gaze and saw a strange small animal with the body of a lizard and the head of a snake. It had four legs and a tail that curled up.

What is that? David whispered to his mother.

I believe it's a skink. A kind of lizard, his mother said, watching it run up the side of a tree.

How do we become invisible if we need to? repeated David.

The skink turned around and said, Yes, I am a skink. If you want to be invisible, go find a mirror. Then it scampered to the top of the tree and hid in the branches.

David stared open-mouthed. Did that lizard speak to us?

A brown rabbit popped his head up out of the darkness. He said to go find a mirror, the rabbit repeated and hopped off into the grass.

Although, yawned an opossum, "the mirror really won't help much. What you really need to do is