The Iron Trial

The Magisterium is a symbol that conveys the coexistence of wonder and danger in the magical world. Its beauty is conveyed in the glittering walls of the immense spaces, the thousands of stalagmites and stalactites, and the river flowing under stone archways: “a bright glowing blue like luminous sapphire, cutting through the room” (102). Furthermore, the students’ living spaces are luxurious and magical, including the polished wood furniture, comfortable toadstools for sitting on, and the immense underground lakes and pools for swimming and playing in.

While the Magisterium is a beautiful setting, the Iron Year students are sternly warned not to wander off, or they risk becoming lost forever in the branching passageways of the cave’s tunnels. Tamara, Aaron, and Call become lost in the passages when Master Rufus sends them on their assignment to the Butterfly Pool, and they stumble across a fire elemental that bubbles from a pool of lava. Furthermore, the Chaos-ridden animals, like the wolves that almost attack the Iron Year students, surround the school, a physical reminder of the Enemy’s dangerous magical experiments. Like the magical world, the Magisterium is wondrous and terrifying in equal measure.