Bloor's Academy (later Bone Academy) is a school for children who either gifted in one of the three arts or are descended from the Red King.
The Academy[]
The academy has been run by the Bloor family for centuries. There are two distinct wings to the school: the west wing and the east wing. Apart from the ground floor, the west wing is where the Bloors make their home[1]. The ground floor of the west wing is home to the Great Hall, department assembly halls, classrooms, and a chapel[2]. The school has what is referred to as a garden, though it is described as a huge field edged by a deep wood and the ruins of the Red King's castle[3].
As the school is half-board, there are dormitories for the students: the Boys' Dormitory is located on the same floor as some of the art classrooms, whilst the Girls' Dormitory is on the floor above. The entrances to each of the main departments are in the Great Hall, along with an entrance to the Hall of Portraits: a dark corridor filled with the portraits of the descendants of the Red King.
There is an endless amount of secret passageways throughout the school and ruins, with some used by Cook[4] and one in particular leading to the Pets' Café[5].
Daily Routine[]
The school operates from Monday morning to Friday afternoon, with the weekends set aside for detentions[6]. School buses collect pupils early on Monday morning, arriving back at the academy at 8:45 a.m.[7]. Each department has its own bus in its department colour. Upon arrival at the school, students must make their way to their department cloakroom via the Great Hall, where there is a rule of silence:
Silence in the hall,
Talking not at all,
Even if you fall,
Never cry or call,
Be you small or tall.[8]
After sorting their belongings out between their coat-hooks and lockers in the cloakrooms, students then attend their department's assembly hall to sing the school hymn and undertake registration[9]. Following this, they attend their first subject of the day; at the end of first period, pupils are expected to run around the gardens[10]. This is one of the two times they are allowed to remove their capes, the other being for the games lessons[11]. They undertake a morning run and an evening run, the latter separating their tea and their supper[12]. Supper is the only meal where the entire school comes together, eating in the large dining hall underneath the city as opposed to in their department canteen[13]. After supper students are to spend two full hours on homework (6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.) before they go to bed[14].
Prefects[]
There are a team of prefects at the school, comprised of older students and lead by the Head Boy or Girl. It is unknown how one becomes a prefect, but to become Head Boy or Girl a student must pass all of their classes. Prefects have the powers to issue punishments, such as detentions.
The Endowed[]
The academy is home to many endowed children. They are split between the three departments, but spend their homework time together in the Red King's Room at the end of the school day[15].
The Ruin Game[]
'It's not really a game,' said Fidelio. 'It's more of a hunt.'[16]
Each year, at the end of the Autumn/Winter term, the ruin game takes place. All of the children from each department must go into the ruined castle in search of a medal[17]. The departments take it in turns, spreading the event over the course of three nights[18]. They have one hour to find it, and each student is given a lantern to help them find their way. If the medal is found within the allotted time[19], the finder receives an entire year free of detention as well various gifts, such as new instruments or paint sets[20]. One of the most recent winners of the ruin game is Billy Raven[21].
The ruin itself is notorious amongst the students for repeated disappearances, the most recent having been a girl two years prior to Midnight for Charlie Bone[22]. Only the capes of the missing children were found[23], and it is heavily implied that the disappearances were due to a wild beast that roams the ruins come nightfall[24].
The Hundred Heads Dinner and the Grand Ball[]
There are one hundred academies dedicated to the descendants of the Red King, and every ten years the headmasters of them convene at Bloor's Academy for what is known as the Hundred Heads Dinner. The academy was chosen as the location due it having been built on the grounds of the Red King's original castle.
The dinner is immediately followed by the Grand Ball, to which approximately five hundred people are invited. Whilst the Hundred Heads Dinner takes place in the dining hall, the Grand Ball sees the invitees located in the ballroom of the academy. The most recent Grand Ball saw the town mayor, three judges, a duke and duchess, the town councillors, and multiple company chairmen and presidents.
Preparation for the twin events takes place during the school week, but the events themselves take place over the weekend when the students have returned home.
Some of the other ninety-nine academies are:
Departments[]
There are three departments at the academy, each one corresponding to the arts. There are roughly one hundred students in each department, ranging in age from eleven to eighteen, though some are noticeably younger: Billy Raven, for instance, is only seven[25]. Each department has its own assembly hall, cloakroom, and school bus, as well as its own coloured cape. The colours are as follows:
- Green for Art
- Purple for Drama
- Blue for Music
Teachers are also expected to wear the colour cape corresponding to their subject: if they are not in the Art, Drama or Music departments, they wear a black cape[26].
Art[]
A pencil crossed with a paintbrush identifies the doors leading to the Art Department's cloakroom[27]. The students in this department are described as not being as noisy or flamboyant as the school's Drama students[28], yet there is a suspicion that they may be the breakers of more serious rules[29]. As of Charlie Bone and The Blue Boa, the head of Art is Mr Mason: it is unknown who the previous head was.
Drama[]
The doors to the Drama department are signified by the comedy and tragedy masks of the Greek Muses, Thalia and Melpomene[30]. The head of this department is Mrs Marlowe, and the teachers of this department are notorious for being the most laid-back with the school rules - Mrs Marlowe herself regards clothes as a means of self-expression, and so any uniform transgressions are overlooked[31].
Music[]
Two crossed trumpets hang above the doors to the Music department[32], and the students in Music appear to be the most well-behaved of the three departments. The head of Music is Dr Saltweather[33] until the school changes hands to the Bone family, where it is given to Señor Alvaro.
Students[]
| Name | Endowed? | Department |
|---|---|---|
| Asa Pike | Yes | Drama
Prefects |
| Belle Donner | Yes | Art |
| Beth Strong | Yes | Drama |
| Billy Raven | Yes | Music |
| Bindi Loom | Yes | Drama |
| Charlie Bone | Yes | Music |
| Dagbert Endless | Yes | Music |
| Damian Smerk | No | Drama |
| Daniel Robottom | No | Music |
| Dorcas Loom | Yes | Art |
| Emma Tolly | Yes | Art |
| Fidelio Gunn | No | Music |
| Gabriel Silk | Yes | Music |
| Gwyneth Howells | No | Music |
| Idith Branko | Yes | Drama |
| Inez Branko | Yes | Drama |
| Joshua Tilpin | Yes | Art |
| Lydia Pieman | No | Drama |
| Lysander Sage | Yes | Art |
| Manfred Bloor | Yes | Drama
Head Boy |
| Olivia Vertigo | Yes | Drama |
| Rosie Stubbs | No | Music |
| Tancred Torsson | Yes | Art |
| Tracy Morsell | No | Drama |
| Zelda Dobinski | Yes | Drama |
Teachers and Staff[]
| Name | Endowed? | Department |
|---|---|---|
| Señor Alvaro | Yes | Music
Head of Music |
| Dr Bloor | No | Headmaster |
| Mr Boldova | Yes | Art |
| Mr Carp | No | English |
| Mrs Dance | No | Music |
| Mr Delf | No | Art |
| Mrs Fortescue | No | Biology |
| Tantalus Ebony | Yes | Music
Drama History |
| Miss Chrystal | Yes | Music |
| Mr Irving | No | Drama |
| Mrs Marlowe | No | Head of Drama |
| Mr Mason | No | Head of Art |
| Mr O'Connor | No | Music |
| Mr Paltry | No | Music |
| Mr Pilgrim | No | Music |
| Mr Pope | No | History |
| Dr Saltweather | Yes | Head of Music
Headmaster |
| Mrs Singerlee | No | Art |
| Madame Tessier | No | French |
| Treasure | Yes | Cook |
| Mr Weedon | No | Facilities |
| Lucretia Yewbeam | No | Matron |
References[]
- ↑ Chapter 1: A game of marbles, Page 3, Charlie Bone and the Time Twister
- ↑ Chapter 3: A game of marbles, Page 3, Charlie Bone and the Time Twister
- ↑ Chapter 8: Breaking the rules, Page 111, Midnight for Charlie Bone
- ↑ Chapter 6: Into the freezer, Pages 72-73, Charlie Bone and the Time Twister
- ↑ Chapter 18: Ambushed!, Page 235, Charlie Bone and the Time Twister
- ↑ Chapter 8: Breaking the rules, Page 115, Midnight for Charlie Bone
- ↑ Chapter 16: War, Page 208, Midnight for Charlie Bone
- ↑ Chapter 8: Breaking the rules, Page 107, Midnight for Charlie Bone
- ↑ Chapter 8: Breaking the rules, Page 108, Midnight for Charlie Bone
- ↑ Chapter 8: Breaking the rules, Page 111, Midnight for Charlie Bone
- ↑ Chapter 8: Breaking the rules, Page 112, Midnight for Charlie Bone
- ↑ Chapter 9: The Red King's room, Page 119, Midnight for Charlie Bone
- ↑ Chapter 9: The Red King's Room, Page 120, Midnight for Charlie Bone
- ↑ Chapter 9: The Red King's room, Page 123, Midnight for Charlie Bone
- ↑ Chapter 9: The Red King's Room, Page 123, Midnight for Charlie Bone
- ↑ Chapter 19: Into the ruin, Page 252, Midnight for Charlie Bone
- ↑ Chapter 8: Breaking the rules, Page 111, Midnight for Charlie Bone
- ↑ Chapter 19: Into the ruin, Page 252, Midnight for Charlie Bone
- ↑ Chapter 19: Into the ruin, Page 252, Midnight for Charlie Bone
- ↑ Chapter 19: Into the ruin, Page 252, Midnight for Charlie Bone
- ↑ Chapter 19: Into the ruin, Page 258, Midnight for Charlie Bone
- ↑ Chapter 8: Breaking the rules, Page 111, Midnight for Charlie Bone
- ↑ Chapter 8: Breaking the rules, Page 111, Midnight for Charlie Bone
- ↑ Chapter 19: Into the ruin, Page 258, Midnight for Charlie Bone Chapter 20: The battle of the endowed, Page 263-364, Midnight for Charlie Bone
- ↑ Chapter 8: Breaking the rules, Page 108, Midnight for Charlie Bone
- ↑ Chapter 9: The Red King's room, Page 121, Midnight for Charlie Bone
- ↑ Chapter 3: A tree falls, Page 25, Charlie Bone and the Time Twister
- ↑ Chapter 3: A tree falls, Page 24, Charlie Bone and the Time Twister
- ↑ Chapter 3: A tree falls, Page 24, Charlie Bone and the Time Twister
- ↑ Chapter 8: The Red King's room, Page 116, Midnight for Charlie Bone 'The Story Behind the Comedy and Tragedy Masks', Break of Dawn Theater
- ↑ Chapter 5: Olivia makes a mess, Page 57, Charlie Bone and the Time Twister
- ↑ Chapter 8: Breaking the rules, Page 107, Midnight for Charlie Bone
- ↑ Chapter 8: Breaking the rules, Page 100, Midnight for Charlie Bone