He brightens at your answer, crouching to keep you at eye level. "Excellent! You'll be going to a place that focuses on many different sorts of magic. We call these unique aspects 'schools,' and it's best to master one school at a time." You nod to agree. "I don't want the students telling you what to pick, so I'm going to give a small overview of what your choices are. But remember, each form of magic has an innate threat to those that use it, and those it is used upon."
Unsure of what an appropriate response would be, you decide to take a minimal approach. "I understand." You don't really know the terms he's been using mean, but choosing whatever magic sounds the most appealing should work well enough.
Avernus takes a deep breath. "The first school is evocation. It is magic of the elements: fire, lightning, air, and so forth. It is the most commonly-reinvented form of magic, in that nearly all races learn to harness this school in one way or another without needing to gain the experience from an institution. Mastered, evocation can twist the elements of the world to one's will, or spontaneously formed to strike or afflict what one wishes. The backlash of such magic scales with the destruction called. A small flame incorrectly cast might burn your hand, while a botched lightning storm could reduce your body to dust. It is a risky magic, but offers much.
"The second school is transmutation. It is magic to alter the body of oneself or others. In the university, this magic is very hard to fail since each step is taken very slowly. Rushed transmutation can result in harder to fix maladies, with some alterations becoming impossible to remove. No matter the attempt to pull an aspect back into place,
"The third is Illusion. It is a magic that makes the imagination closer to reality. It was made to create fleeting figments instead of permanently altering the world, as the previous two did. It is for this reason that illusions can be made in moments with very little risk, but none of it truly is real. If illusion-magic backfires, the caster loses part of their self. Enough failures renders a person unable to live, as they've forgotten even the most basic aspects of life.
"The fourth is enchantment. It is magic to alter the mind of oneself or others. It is the power of suggestion, and it can be a very powerful kind. Of course, domineering a mind can destroy it, as well as the caster's. It is a magic that is heavily regulated; the slightest misuse toward others is seen as worthy of death.
"There are other forms, but they are not the sort of schools you should learn first. Divination is the magic of Clerics such as myself, and I would not suggest trying it first unless it was your true calling. Abjuration is not taught, as it is very dangerous to magic-users when not perfectly aligned. Blood- and soul-magic is not taught for obvious reasons. They're barbaric antiquities meant to force something else to pay the price for a mage's ineptitude." He gets back up. "I believe those would be the best choices for you to start with. I know it's asking a lot of you to make your choice now, but I'd rather get it before asking you after you start reacting to everything the world has to offer."
You're not entirely sure what he means, but based on what he's said, all magic has at least some risk. What school do you pick?