FROM A DISTANCE, the hundreds of lit-up windows of the Ilvermorny castle looked like stars scattered across the evening sky. Poppy Hayes stared at it with awe. She'd heard endless stories about the great wizarding school of Massachusetts from her older, adoptive siblings, but never had she imagined it to be this breathtaking...
Poppy wiped her clammy hands on her school robe. It had once belonged to her adoptive sister and it still held the scent of her perfume. She didn't know if it was because of the sickly sweet smell or just having traveled by Portkey, but she suddenly felt sick to her tummy. Swallowing down hard, she shifted her focus.
They were standing in a clearing at the foot of Mount Greylock, the mountain on which the castle was situated. Except for a few old-looking street lamps, a handful of benches and a wooden sign in the form of an arrow saying 'Ilvermorny this way', there was nothing but trees and darkness surrounding them.
Poppy was standing amongst the students with whom she'd taken the Portkey with, but upon looking around she could see more and more students popping up. Some of the younger travelers started vomiting repeatedly upon arriving, but the older one's didn't seem bothered at all. They immediately went looking for their friends, greeting them with hugs and laughter.
Tilting her head to the side, Poppy watched them with curiosity. She'd never had a friend... Not that she hadn't tried to befriend the children from her hometown, they'd just never liked her enough to stick around. She'd never truly fitted in back home either, being the only adoptee in a family of five. But she hoped all that would change now that she was old enough to go to Ilvermorny. Surely, there had to be at least one person in the school who would like to be her friend.
Poppy nodded her head determinately. Surely.
"First years, gather in front of me! The rest of you, head to the castle and find your House Captain!" a raspy voice called out, magnified by the use of magic.
Poppy's head turned in the direction of the voice and found a grey-faced, small creature standing upon one of the benches. It had a large nose, long ears and a hunched back. It kind of reminded Poppy of the grumpy old man who lived across from them back home. The fact made her giggle as the first years around her scrambled to gather in front of him.
Poppy found herself pushed to the far back as the short creature started speaking again. "My name is Clarence," he began, his voice bored and monotone, "and I am Head Pukwudgie here at Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I am here to take you to-"
A girl with strawberry blonde hair stuck her hand up into the air, waving it eagerly to capture the Pukwudgie's attention. "Sir?"
Annoyed at being interrupted, Clarence sighed. "Yes, miss...?"
"Annabelle North, sir. And I was just wondering if, you know, the Pukwudgie who founded the Pukwudgie house is still here? Because my brother told me last year that he saw him once and rumors say that he is still alive, which would make him like 300 years old, but I don't know how old Pukwudgie's can get, so you know, seeing as you are a Pukwudgie and all, I thought maybe you could tell me?"
The Pukwudgie just stared at her and then pursed his thin lips into a smirk. "If I see William I will be sure to let you know, miss North."
The girl grinned brightly, nodding her head enthusiastically. "Thank you, sir! That would be very kind of you, I have so many questions to ask him, you see, like what he-"
"Thank you, miss North," Clarence interrupted and the girl looked a little offended. "Now, your sorting ceremony will begin shortly, so if you'll all follow me!"
Poppy watched as the small creature vanished before her eyes and then reappeared a few benches over, by the wooden sign. The crowd of eleven year olds confusedly turned their heads to where he'd gone. "Now, form a line and enter in an orderly fashion, if you can..." He muttered the last part to himself and then held away some of the branches next to the sign for them to walk through.
The students looked confused as there was nothing there. No path and no carriages to take them to the castle, only more trees... But they did as they were told and slowly the line started moving forward. Poppy waited patiently at the back, mindlessly moving her feet as the line became shorter.
"Which house do you think you'll be in?" someone said suddenly and it took a while for Poppy to realize that it had come from boy behind her and that he was talking to her.
"Huh?" she said, turning around to face him.
He was a rather tall boy for his age with brown eyes and protruding ears. "You know, which carving do you think will choose you? I'm hoping for the Horned Serpent or the Wampus."
Poppy felt taken off guard by his question. Truthfully, she hadn't really thought about it. "I guess I'm just glad to be chosen," she said. She could see the disappointment in the boy's face and quickly added, "but I guess the Horned Serpent would be cool."
The boy smiled and nodded his head eagerly. "My mother was a Horned Serpent. She's really smart, working for the MACUSA and all," he told her proudly. "I'm Felix Graves. What's your name?" He extended his hand towards her.
Poppy shook his hand a little hesitantly. She'd only seen adults greet each other this way before. Perhaps it was a sign of the boy wanting to become her friend? "My name is Poppy, Poppy Hayes," she told him with a smile.
Suddenly, they'd reached the front of the line and she could hear Clarence clear his throat demonstratively. "Today, please," he muttered.
Poppy hurriedly turned back around and gave the strange creature an apologetic smile before walking under his arm and through the two trees. A moment later it felt as though something took a hold of her and pulled her along with a force that pressed the air out of her lungs. Seconds later, when she blinked again, she found herself standing on the grounds of Ilvermorny amongst the other eleven year olds.
Felix and the Pukwudgie appeared next to her seconds later.
"A portal!" the boy exclaimed, his eyes big with amazement.
"Indeed. Now, hurry up and follow me, we don't want to keep the Headmistress waiting, do we?" Clarence muttered, heading to the front of the group. He lead them up the stairs to the entrance doors and upon placing his palm on it, the two doors swung open revealing a grand, circular room. Resounding cheers were coming from inside as they expectantly filed onto the white, marble floors.
Poppy heard several gasps coming from the others in the group and as she looked around she found herself just as amazed. There was a wooden balcony running all along the floor above and leaning against it were all the students that had already been sorted. Beneath each of the four sections of the balcony stood a massive wooden statue representing the house. One of them looked just like Clarence, whom she noticed had now joined a group of other Pukwudiges by the left side of the room. On the other side stood, what Poppy presumed to be, the teachers. One of them, an old woman with bubble gum pink hair as short as a boy's, took a step forward and as she did so the room went quiet.
The woman looked at the students with a warm smile, her arms open in a welcoming gesture. "Ah, a warm welcome dear students! Both new..." her eyes swept over Poppy and the other first years, "...and old." Her eyes continued up to the balcony. "I am Headmistress Lovegrove, for those of you who didn't know, and I will be making sure that all of you..." she made a circular motion with her index finger towards Poppy and the others, "... are sorted into the house that fits you best."
Poppy thought that the Headmistress talked funny, as though she was performing a play, with her voice going up and down as she spoke.
"Perhaps, you will belong to the Wampus house, which represents the body and favors the brave and mighty warriors?" The Headmistress walked over to the first statue and lightly tapped its panther-like form with her wand. The carving immediately sprung to life and roared in approval.
Some of the first years stumbled backwards in surprise and Poppy held her breath, her eyes growing large in admiration. The students of that house cheered and applauded proudly.
"Or will it be the house of the Thunderbird, that of the soulful adventurers?" the Headmistress continued, her wand gently touching the giant bird as it started beating its wings, followed by the cheering of its students from the balcony above.
The old woman gracefully, almost as if dancing, moved on to the next carving. "Why not the Pukwudgie house, the representative of the heart, favoring those who heal that which have been broken?" The short, large-eared creature raised its bow and its students, along with Clarence and the rest of the Pukwudgies, cheered.
"And last but not least, the house of the Horned Serpent, the representative of the mind, favoring those with an aptitude for learning what they are yet to know..." Headmistress Lovegrove finished her speech with a fourth tap and the crystal on the serpents forehead lit up. The students of the house applauded.
The Headmistress stepped back into the middle, facing Poppy and the other eleven year olds waiting anxiously to be sorted. "Now, dear children," she began, clapping her hands together, "let's get the sorting started." She flicked her wrist and a piece of parchment appeared in her hand. "When I call out your name, please step out onto the Gordian Knot and wait for one of the carvings to choose you. Should, however, more than one carving show its approval... the choice lies with you." She grinned at them, before looking down at the parchment for a brief moment.
"Eileen Anderson!"
Poppy watched as a girl with black hair stepped onto the knot, her hands by her sides, trembling. There was a brief moment of silence before the Thunderbird started beating its wings and the Headmistress announced, "Thunderbird!" The girl jumped back a little, then grinned as the students above the carving cheered.
Eileen Anderson disappeared up the balcony to find her housemates and the ceremony continued. A few names later, the professor called out, "Felix Graves!"
The brown-haired boy next to Poppy hurried to the front of the group and took his place on the knot. A moment later, the Thunderbird flapped its wings followed by the crystal on the Horned Serpent lighting up and an excited murmur went through the crowd.
"Lovely!" Headmistress Lovegrove called out. "Now it's up to you, dear boy. Which one will it be?"
Felix seemed to be thinking it over for a brief moment, before announcing, "I choose the Horned Serpent!"
"Then the Horned Serpent it is!" the Headmistress called and the house cheered loudly as the boy ran up to greet his new housemates.
Poppy watched him a little enviously and before she knew it, the Headmistress had called out her name. Poppy's heart leapt into her throat and she wiped her hands on her robes a second time as she walked up to the knot. Staring up at the carvings she awaited their response. They seemed even bigger up front, she noted. She wondered which one was going to choose her. All of her adoptive siblings had been chosen by the Wampus, but Poppy was neither brave nor mighty... Perhaps the Horned Serpent would be a good match? She did like to read and learn new things, and maybe she and Felix could become friends?
Poppy could hear the people around her start to whisper amongst each other and she noticed that nothing was happening. None of the carvings were reacting.
"Oh my..." Headmistress Lovegrove mumbled to herself, clearing her throat a little uneasily.
Poppy's heart fell. Didn't any of the carvings want her? She felt the tears burning behind her eyelids as seconds became minutes. She'd never heard of this happening... Surely, everyone had to be picked by at least one of the houses? Poppy stared hard at the floor, her hands balled up into fists by her sides, heart beating faster for each second that passed.
Finally, the crystal on the Horned Serpent lit up, almost reluctantly. Seemingly relieved, the Headmistress called out, "Horned Serpent!" and scattered claps from the house could be heard. With tears now streaming down Poppy's cheeks, she headed up the balcony to join her housemates. She could see Felix giving her a small, reassuring smile from the back, but a moment later he was swept up by the attention of his new housemates.
Poppy was left standing alone as the next name was called.