“I want to make this absolutely clear,” Miriam said.

  “I’m not gathering a bunch of amateur teenage witches and magicians into a boarding school setting and letting them all know each other’s names. Not revealing your birth name to classmates should be our rule #1. So, we need to figure out a way to get all first years into one location and through a naming ceremony before any of them have a chance to introduce themselves to one another.”

  She looked around the room at her board members.

  There were twelve of them; six enchanters and six mages, each representing different disciplines.

  They all agreed with her. The problem was figuring out the best way to go about this. Blank, the apotrope, spoke first.

  “Seems like it would be easiest to just send them a letter explaining the danger and asking them to come with a new name prepared.”

  Miriam gave a dismissive wave of her hand.

  “Kids are stupid, and they don’t take homework seriously. Plus, it’ll take more than a cautionary brochure to convince someone to give up the name they’ve identified with for the first decade of their life.”

  Gregor, the ritualist, spoke next. “We could go to each child’s home personally and perform a naming ceremony for the individual. A bespoke experience would impart the significance of the transformation. And” he continued, as an afterthought. “We could add a censoring spell to blur out their birth name if stated, should anyone slip up. It would only last for up to about thirty days, but that should be enough time to correct the habit.”

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  Miriam pointed at him with approval.

  “I like where your head’s at. We’ll do the censorship spell. But we have hundreds of students coming in this first class. We don’t have the time or resources to travel to everyone’s home individually. It’s just not an efficient or scalable practice. So, let’s figure out a way to get everyone into one place without talking to one another. Isolation here is key.”

  Colson, the air enchantress, spoke up.

  “Seems like a teleportation single-use wand is your best bet.

  “And I disagree on the homework. Students at this age will be excited to embark on their upcoming knowledge journey. If we send out introductory materials with an illusion flair, they’ll lap it up. Then they can spend the summer months before orientation figuring out a name.”

  Miriam frowned. “We’re letting them choose their own names?”

  “It lets them take ownership over their identities,” Titania, the crone, stepped in.

  “An important step for young minds.” She smiled. “But it will be up to them to convince their classmates to use those chosen names. We all know how difficult it is to get a self-created nickname to stick.

  Miriam nodded. “Very well. I see. We’ll send out a document with an illusion explaining the rules. It’ll include a transportation wand time to ensure staggered arrival. We’ll perform the censor spell on each student when they enter the atrium. After that, they can mingle with one another until a group naming ceremony. Then a mixer.”

  She was starting to feel better about her venture.

  “I think this is a good plan.”