The students are being questioned about what happened in the classroom. No one knows why The Beast knew Quentin's name. Quentin remembers that Dean's pocket watch suddenly appeared in his hand and repelled The Beast. Both Kady and Alice used magic to force him back into the mirror.

Margo asks Alice about her personal life and claims she wants to be friends.. Quentin tells Eliot about the spell he performed. Eliot reveals that he once killed a man using magic.

Quentin tells Alice about his dreams of Fillory. Alice and Quentin decide to hide the evidence. Penny reveals that the voice he's been hearing, which saved him in the past, was The Beast. A teacher finds the spell book buried in the woods, and questions the four students. Penny blames Quentin. 

Quentin has to see a specialist, and is afraid his memories will be erased. He leaves Julia a message, apologizing for his behavior, but then erases the message. Quentin and Penny get into a fight. Quentin tries to use battle magic, but Penny is protected by a charm he and Kady stole. 

Quentin goes to the specialist, who turns out to be Eliza. She tells him that she dreams of Fillory too. She doesn't know why The Beast targeted him, and tells him that he has to choose to prepare himself.

Eliza goes to visit Dean, who is still alive. He tells her that The Beast is her problem, and they have to kill it. All they can do is make the students into magicians.

Meanwhile, Pete shows Julia around the warehouse and introduces her to Marina, a newcomer. She calls themselves hedge witches. Pete locks Julia and Marina in a meat locker as a test. Pete animates a dead body, who gives Julia clues. They find a spell to keep them warm, requiring Julia to cut out a piece of the dead guy's body. They realize that there is no spell to get out, and use a screwdriver to unlock the door. Pete's lesson was the not everything gets solved by magic.

Marina is actually a level fifty, with many stars tattooed on her arm. She wants to teach Julia, and has connections at Brakebills. Her connection turns out to be Kady, who steals items from the university for Marina. Julia gets her first star tattoo.