As the students filed in to the main hall, Headmaster [b]Ignis Opal[/b] and her assistant, Professor [b]Sandra Pewter[/b], stood waiting for them on a raised platform at one end of the room. Both cut a striking figure. The headmaster was only five-foot-one, shorter than many of the assembled freshmen, but the contrast of her flame-red hair and leonine gold eyes against her dark blue suit made it clear that she was not one to be taken lightly. Pewter, on the other hand, was the tallest and strongest person in the room. She was a well-known Huntress before taking a teaching position, and she remained highly imposing even in civilian clothing. The headmaster looked around the room, nodded, tapped on her microphone to get everyone's attention and began her speech.

"Greetings, students. I am Headmaster Opal, and I would like to once again welcome you to Beacon Academy. You are all here today because you have the potential to become heroes and heroines of humanity: Huntsmen and Huntresses. Your path will not be an easy one, but by choosing to attend classes here you have already taken your first steps. I have confidence that many of you will rise to become the brightest lights of hope in your generation, and I look forward to seeing your progress here at Beacon."

The headmaster stepped away from the mic, and Professor Pewter stepped up.

"All incoming students will be sleeping in the dining hall for tonight. Your luggage has already been collected there. Take tonight to familiarize yourself with the school and prepare yourselves for initiation tomorrow. You are dismissed."