Wade Academy was an ominous academic institution, described as a fancy school only rich kids went to. All the schoolchildren in Stain'd-by-the-Sea were transferred to in Shouldn't You Be in School? after Stain'd Secondary School was burned by Hangfire. He was using this school as a front for his plan to kill or torture the children in some way.
Location[]
Wade Academy is located on Offshore Island which, due to the draining of the sea, was then just a cluster of rocks. A bridge came out of Offshore Island, though it was no longer needed after the draining since it can now be accessible by foot either way. Right by the academy was the Clusterous Forest, a kelp forest that mysteriously survived the draining and adapted to an environment without liquid water.
Description[]
Hallways.
The academy's buildings are described as "blank and brick," with scarce, slender windows.[1] The walls are faded, and many of the windows are shattered or gone.[3] The inside has "a maze of hallways and staircases." While it is not described in the books, the illustrations show decorations of the Bombinating Beast in the hall.
The library is one large room with a glass door, with a few windows that were covered in thick shades. The school is surrounded by a large, brick wall.
The grounds has several rocks and shrubbery, and a "difficult landscape." There is a fire pond, beside a big rock that resembles the mouth of a "weird animal," possibly the Bombinating Beast, considering how many times the animal is replicated in town.
The bell tower is described as damp and unpleasant, and a place that students used to hide in to skip class; it's covered in old candy wrappers and graffiti. It does have a nice view of Offshore Island, showing everything for miles around.[1]
History[]
Wade Academy is constantly described as "top-drawer" school; originally, it only admitted the students of dukes, earls, counts, and other royal bloodlines. It had a large library, several halls, and a fire pond.[1] They also had a small brass brand.[4]
Possibly the most important part of the school was the bell tower; the valedictorian would ring the bell whenever the residents of Stain'd-by-the-Sea needed to wear masks, though the original, true reason for the masks is unknown, though likely to relate to the tradition of ringing the gong to scare away the Bombinating Beast.[3]
The school eventually was abandoned, presumably following Stain'd-by-the-Sea's economic collapse. It was taken over by the Inhumane Society, which used the bell whenever they needed to sneak around town in masks. Later, it became a makeshift prison for the children remaining in town; after burning down the only other school in town, the Inhumane Society arranged for the children to be transferred to the school, where they were drugged with laudanum and forced to remain in their rooms. The library was also emptied, with all the books replaced with blank books.
At some point after Lemony Snicket and his associates escaped the school, when Hangfire and Sharon Haines left to obtain the Bombinating Beast statue on The Thistle of the Valley, the children of Wade Academy managed to throw off the effects of the laudanum and free themselves.[2]
Students[]
While the school was operating, it housed only "the best" children from royal families. Graffiti from the bell tower lists a student with the initial Q and an Olaf.
After being taken over by the Inhumane Society, the children from Stain'd Secondary School were transferred there, some of whom were kidnapped in order to be held hostage. Stew Mitchum was one of the few to transfer of his own accord, as he had joined the Inhumane Society. Ellington Feint also joined under the false name of Filene N. Gottlin. Other known "students" (who later escaped with the help of Lemony Snicket) were Ornette Lost, Moxie Mallahan, Jake Hix, Cleo Knight and Kellar Haines.
Trivia[]
- Count Olaf may have also gone to Wade Academy, as there is graffiti on the tower that bears his name which says he loves "guess who".[1]
Appearances[]
Gallery[]
