A/n: Here is chapter 2! A bit short, but where i ended it, seemed like a good place to stop. I hope you guys enjoy. Let me know what you think?

Chapter 2: Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft of Wizardry

August came and went; and it dragged too long for Kade's liking. He was ready to go to school to learn all the magic he could. That whole month, Kade only read through his Defense magical book, and had finished within a week. He read it many times, marking pages on which spells he would definitely like to learn. He also did the same in his copy of Chadwick's Charms Volume One. He would be teaching himself these charms and spells had his mother not taken away his wand. She caught him trying to cast a spell and immediately took it away. It was only a levitation charm. He didn't think it was a big deal at the time. Until his mother told him it was illegal for a wizard who wasn't of age to preform magic outside of school. He was lucky to even have a wand at home. His mother had explained to him that back in the olden days, Students weren't allowed to bring their wands home, but instead had to leave them at school. But as times changed, so did outdated laws.

The rest of the Summer was also spent with Kade hanging out with his cousins, Miles, Max, and one of Max's friends. Now that the family lived closer to one another, they could spend more time together. Kade and Miles mostly hung out together, sharing their ideas on which charms, spells, and curses were their favorites. They also spent some time learning about the most beloved sport, Quadpot. And interesting game beloved by most American wizards and witches. Each team was provided eleven players each, each with a goal of their own, and one ball which had a time limit on it. One the time limit was over, the ball would explode; and whoever was holding the ball at that moment, would be taken out of the game. It was like a combination of quidditch, no-maj soccer, and no-maj dodgeball.

Uncle Jackson was around a lot as well, but he was around to help Kade's mother about what it would be like to work in the Investigative Department at MACUSA. Uncle Jackson was an Auror, and Angela would soon be joining him. Kade wasn't too worried. His mother could handle herself. He knew she was a powerful witch. Aunt Meredith ran her own small potions stall. She made potions for others and sold them to witches and wizards who couldn't afford the upcost of potions at fancy Apothecaries. As for Kade's father, Kade didn't know what he did. All his mother told him was that he was a great wizard who could do amazing things with his wand. That was how he won her heart.

Another thing Kade wondered was where was Ilvermorny located. He had to ask Max where it was.

"Where is Ilvermorny Castle?" Max repeated, and then looked pensive. "That's common knowledge. It's located on top of the highest peak of Mount Greylock in the Berkshires of Western Massachusetts. Duh, squirt. Everyone knows that."

"Highest peak?" Kade repeated. "How do we even get there?"

"How else does anyone get to the highest peak of Mount Greylock," Max said with the roll of his eyes. "Horses," was all he said and then walked away from Kade but he wasn't satisfied so a couple of days before the first of September, Kade went to his mother the night before he was to start School.

"Mom," he said, sitting down on a couch in the living room. His mother was sitting in a chair reading a book. She looked up questioningly at her son. "Tell me more about Ilvermorny. Max said it's at the highest peak of Mount Greylock. I thought you told me it was surrounded by a forest?"

Angela smiled. "It's both, sweetie," she replied, closing her book. The peak is enormous. It holds not only Ilvermorny castle, but a surrounding thick forest with a lake deep within. The forest holds many mysteries, and one shouldn't venture in alone. It is filled with many magical creatures. There is only one trail and that is the trail that leads to Ilvermorny Castle."

"And how are we to get there?" Kade curiously asked.

Angela smiled. "You will see tomorrow," she said. "It's bedtime. Off you pop!" Kade nodded and went to bed. He couldn't fall asleep right away as he was too excited for tomorrow. But sleep soon claimed him in the late of night. His sleep only felt like seconds when his mother woke him from his slumber. "Kade, it's time to get up," he heard his mother say.

Kade sat up as bright light shined throughout his room. He squinted, glancing towards the window, showing that the sun had yet to rise. "What time is it?" he tiredly asked.

"It's four in the morning," Angela asked, going over to Kade's closet. She pulled out a black trunk with Kade's initials on it. She opened it and saw that it was empty and sighed. "Didn't I tell you to pack yesterday?"

"Oops," Kade replied with a sheeply smile. Angela rolled her eyes, pulled out her wand and waved it. Clothes, books, and other school supplies soared out from the spots they lay and flew into Kade's trunk. Once everything was inside, Angela shut the trunk and locked it. She looked over at Kade who was sitting up, yet his eyes were closed as he was falling back to sleep.

"Kade!" Angela shouted.

Kade jumped and his eyes snapped open. "I'm awake!" he said, hopping to his feet. "I'm awake." Half an hour later, Kade and Angela were on the road. Once he was in the car, Kade fell right back to sleep, having a very strange dream.

It was raining violently the dark of night. Thunder clapped in the distance of a flat plains desert. A lone figure stood in the middle of no where, wand in hand and looking into the thundering sky. The thunder clapped extrememly loudly, and right after that, there was a loud searing call. The call echoed throughout the desert land.

The wind suddenly picked up. The figure turned around and seeing an enormous creature in the sky, flying down towards him. It was a Thunderbird. It violently flapped it four wings, causing the storm to become more violent. It screeched out loudly, landing in front of the figure. The thunder lit up the area, revealing a tall Native American man. He reached up to pet the silver colored Thunderbird.

Suddenly, there was a green flash. The man turned in horror as something green struck the Thunderbird which cried out and fell to its death. The man screamed in horror. He whipped around only to be face with the same green flash.

Kade jumped, startled by his dream. He squinted out the window. The sun was up, and they seemed to be driving through a heavily wooded area. "What time is it?" he groggily asked.

Angela glanced at her wand. "It's almost seven," she answered. "We're almost at the stables."

"Stables?" Kade whispered to himself. So Max was right? He was going to be riding a horse to Ilvermorny? Was he? He continued to the think about this, forgetting all about his dream, watching the trees as the passed by. Soon, Angela began to slow. Kade sat up and looked around, wondering why his mother was slowing down. There was no stop sign, no stop lights. There wasn't even a turn street. He was surprised when his mother suddenly turned to the left. He gasped as his mother was turning into a tree, shutting his eyes. But they didn't crash. Kade opened his eyes just as he exited a magical barrier of some kind onto a new road, and unlike the last road that didn't have any traffic at all, this road was filled a much more traffic. Angela was now following a line of cars, and some were also on the left side leaving into the magical barrier.

"The magical entrance to the Ilvermorny Stables," Angela said with a smile. "Keeps them hidden from the No-Maj." Kade nodded and watched as his mother drove straigh ahead for a few more miles.

Minutes later, a structure began to come into view. Kade sat up to get a better look at the building. It wasn't a house or any kind of known building. It was what Angela called it; a Stable. An enormous stable housing not only many horses, but large carriages. There was also a road trail into the woods to the far right of these Stables.

As Angela pulled up, Kade watched as many magical families surrounded the Stables; dropping off their kids, saying their goodbyes, and watching them as their kids entered carriages that began to be pulled by horses and led onto the trail. Angela pulled to a stop. "Here we are," she said. Kade smiled and the two exited the car. Kade pulled out his trunk, and Angela led her son through the crowd and towards the Stables.

The duo walked up to one of the large carriages where a uniformed coachman took Kade's trunk and placed it on top of the Carriage. Kade turned to his mother who knelt down, smiling at him. "This is it," she said, her eyes glistening. "This is where your adventure begins." Kade smiled at his mother and then hugged her.

"I'm gonna miss you," he said once he released her.

"I'll miss you too," his mother replied, standing up and brushing his hair with her hand. She smiled. "Go on." Kade nodded. He turned away from his mother and began to make his way towards the carriage. As he began to enter, he turned around to give one last wave to his mother, and then entered the carriage.

Once inside, Kade was amazed. It was like a two story, double-sized train carriage. There where eight tables, four on each level, with a walking aisle across horizontally. In the middle of both sets of tables, were ladders that led up to the second level. Windows lined the sides. Each table could seat three people, meaning, twenty four people could fit into one carriage. Four people already sat inside, all on the lower level, two sat together, while the other two sat on their own. Kade opted to sit on the second level, to the far left, next to a window.

Minutes later, the carriage began to fill up as more students appeared. Kade looked out the window, and wondered where Miles and Max were. Probably in another carriage maybe.

"Hello there!" Kade heard someone say. He turned ahead to see someone in front of him, looking right at him. It was another boy, about his age, with blue eyes, tan skin, and surprisingly, blue hair.

"Hi," Kade greeted with a small smile.

"I'm Finnley Kowalsky," the boy said. "My friends call me Finn, if I had any friends."

Kade smiled, "I'm Kade," he replied. "Kade Lowell."

"Nice to meet you, Kade," Finn said. "So is this your first year as well?" Kade nodded. "Mine too." A few more students piled in, two more next to Finn, and one to Kade's right. Moments later, the Carriage began to move. "Finally," Finn said, looking out the window. "We're moving. Can't wait to get to Ilvermorny! My parents tell my great stories about it. What do you know about it?"

"I know about a new Headmaster," Kade answered, thinking about what he knew about Ilvermorny, and knew he didn't know a lot about it.

"I heard that too!" Finn exclaimed. "My mom likes him. Says he's a hero. Did you know that he fought off a horde of vampires all on his own," he spattered, "Or that he took on three trolls with a squad of men, but only he survived and killed all three trolls, or that he fought off a giant within 5 minutes all on his own, and that he also survived an attack from a pack of werewolves!"

"Those are just rumors," spoke the girl sitting in front of Kade. Kade and Finn looked over at the girl. She had dark raven colored hair, green eyes behind square-rimmed glasses, button-shaped nose, and heart shaped face, about eleven years of age.

"What do you know?" Finn spoke in a snarky tone.

"I know that he was an Auror when he was younger," the girl said, not looking up from the book she happened to be reading. "He was undercover for many years, breaking in a huge case and catching one of the darkest wizards of our time. He took down one vampire and he defeated one giant with help of a couple of other Aurors. And yes, he did survive a couple of werewolves, but he also had some help there too."

Finn rolled his eyes and shook his head. "The silence and the roll of your eyes signifies that you're wrong and that you won't admit it," the girl continued, glancing up at Finn, and then at Kade. She stared a little longer at Kade but then turned back to her book.

"Who even are you?" Finn blurted in an annoyed voice.

"Mako Mizumi," the dark haired girl answered. "And you are?"

"Finn Kowalsky," Finn replied. "And that's Kade Lowell." Kade nodded towards Mako who nodded back. Finn turned back to Kade. "What house you reckon you'll be put in?" he asked.

Kade shrugged. "Maybe Wampus, I guess," he answered. "You?"

"I'm hoping for Thunderbird!" Finn exclaimed. "Just because thunderbirds are cool."

"Just because you think it's cool, doesn't mean you'll be put into that house," Mako spoke up.

Finn sighed and rolled his eyes. "Then please, oh informative one," he began, "Tell me what house you'd be in and why?"

"I believe that I will be in Horned Serpent," Mako answered, looking up from her book. "That is where the smartest ones go - "

"And you consider yourself smart?" FInn scoffed with the shake of his head. Mako huffed and went back to her book. As it felt silent, Kade looked out the window. They seemed to be going up hill now, but there were trees all around. Kade figured they were somewhere at the bottom of the mountain, slowly going up. Kade wondered how long this ride was going to be. He sighed thinking that they probably wouldn't reach Ilvermorny till nightfall. He sighed glancing over at his two new aquaintances, Finn Kowalsky and Mike Mazumi...Mazumi? That name sounded familiar and then it came to him.

"Mazumi?" Kade said out loud. Mako looked up at Kade. "As in Mazumi Mixtures and Ailments?" Finn snapped to look at Mako in awe. Mako tried to hide behind her book.

"You're from that Mazumi family?" Finn asked. "That family that owns many potions shops around the country?" Mako nodded from behind her book. "You're, you're rich!" he exclaimed.

Mako sighed, placing her book down. "No, my family is rich," she automatically replied, as if she answered this many times before. Finn rolled his eyes. "Why are you even here, when you could have hired private tutors or something?" Mako sighed and looked away, out the window. Kade was watching her.

"Finn," he called, Finn looked at Kade. "Be quiet. Change the subject." Finn looked taken aback but nodded nonetheless.

"So, Kade," Finn began, taking Kade's advice. "Are you going to take up Quadpot?"

"I thought first years weren't allowed for Quadpot?" Kade inquired.

"No, that's Quidditch," Finn informed. "Quadpot is different. They do play on brooms, but it's not played as high as Quidditch is. If you fall of your broom in Quadpot, you're more likely to suffer bruises or a broken bone, where as in quidditch, you could actually fall to your death." Kade nodded in understanding. Maybe he will pick up Quadpot.

"Maybe," he said. Kade looked at the windows, noticing that the trees seemed to be thinning the higher they went up Mount Greylock and soon, there were no trees at all but rocky terrain.

Soon, lunchtime rolled around, and Kade's stomach growled. He looked around, wondering if food would be served or something, and probably should have brought stacks. But as if something appeared to have read his mind, plates, cups and pitchers, and silverware appeared on all the tables inside the carriage. All of the new students were in awe.

"Whoa," Finn whispered, and a minute later, food filled the plates, and soda or juice filled the cups and pitchers. Seconds later, the children dug in ate some food. After lunch, more conversation began to pick up between Finn and Kade, though Mako kept reading to herself. Hours drooped by. Kade glanced out the window every half hour, going further up the mountain and the terrain became more rocky. And soon the sun began to set.

"The sun is setting and we're not even there yet!" Finn exclaimed, leaning on his hand and looking out the window. "This is one long ride."

Kade was in the same position, looking at a passing rock wall, when something suddenly flew into the window. Kade and Finn jumped back from the window. "What the hell was that?" Kade asked, glancing at Finn.

"It looked like a fat blue mosquito," Finn said, looking back at Kade.

"Sounds like a Billywig," Mako spoke up, looking at her window where she saw the vast forest land as far as the eye could see. "We must be getting close to the top."

And soon enough, Mako was right. Kade looked out and up the window of the carriage, seeing a cliff, and trees atop of the cliff which became closer and closer. And soon, their carriage and others were passing through a large stone arc. The entered the peak of Mount Greylock.

The Carriages rode down a new road towards a courtyard with a large fountain, rounding around the fountain and stopping next to another path that led up to the Ilvermorny Castle. All the carriages stopped and students began to exit. Kade, Mako, and Finn were the last to exit their carriage. Kade hit the ground floor looking up. The sky was clear, filled with a full moon and all the stars as far as the eye could see.

"First years of Ilvermorny!" Someone shouted. "Line up over here, please!"

Eleven year olds began to gather around to the front of the fountain while the older students began to leave the carriages and move into the castle. Kade, Mako, and Finn walked over to the group of first years. At the front of the group stood a man. He was tall and skinny, with brown hair and brown eyes. He was clean shaven with a rectancle jaw. "Line up over here!" he repeated, and soon the first years were done lining up. The man looked up and down the line of first years.

"Welcome," he said with a smile, spreading out his arms. "To Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry! I am Professor Stewart Ainsley! I will be your History of American Magic Professor. But right now, I am your guide into the castle of Ilvermorny! I am too take you into the entrance hall, to get you sorted into your separate houses. They are: Horned Serpent, for those who crave knowledge; Wampus, for those are keen, sophisticated, and self-possessed; Pukwudgie, for those with a Heart of Gold; And finally, the Thunderbird house, for those who will never surrender their Honor!" All the students whispered and glanced at one another. "Now, if you'll follow me, please?"

Professor Ainsley led the group of first years down a path towards the Castle front doors. Ainsely stopped at the large oak doors, turning to the students. He waved over to the two marble statues in front of the doors. "These are the founders of Ilvermorny, Isolt Sayre and James Steward." Ainsley turned around and pushed the doors open, leading in the first years.

The first years entered the Entrance hall, which was a circular room topped by a glass cupola. A wooden balcony runs around the room one floor above, where it was already filled with the upperclassmen. The lowel hall was empty except for four enormous wooden carvings representing the houses: the Horned Serpent, the panther Wampus, the Thunderbird and the Pukwudgie.

Ainsley turned to the first years. "This is where you are to be sorted," he told them. He pointed to the center of the room, in front of the wooden carvings. "Now, when I announce your name, you will stand on the Gordian Knot symbol and wait to be sorted." All the students nodded in understanding. Ainsely reached into his robes and pulled out a scroll, unrolling it, and called the first name. "Rufus Alwick!"

A blond hair boy stepped forward, walking up and standing on the Gordian Knot, looking around nervously. A few seconds later, the crystal upon the carving of the Hornet Serpent's forehead glowed. The boy let out a relieved breath as upperclassmen of Hornet Serpent clapped for him. After he was sorted, he was to leave the entrance hall to join his classmates. A few more students were call upon, going into their houses.

"Piper Crabtree!"

A girl with auburn hair and brown stepped forward. She stood and waited for a few seconds, when the carving of the Puwudgie raised its arrow. She was applauded by her new housmates. A few more students were sorted.

"Nikko Harkness!"

A very small boy with dark hair and brown eyes shyly stepped forward and onto the Gordian Knott. He looked ahead, and suddenly, the carving of the Wampus roared. He smiled shyly, and was applauded by his new classmates and left the Hall. A couple more were sorted.

"Finn Kowalsky!"

Finn's eyes widened, and stepped onto the the Gordian Knot. He was surprised when the carving of the Thunderbird beat its wings. He smiled as he was applauded by his new upperclassmen and left the entrance hall.

"Kade Lowell!"

Kade inhaled deeply and stood forward, stepping onto the Gordian Knot. He waited for a few seconds, and then a few seconds more. He glanced around, as it was taking a bit longer for him. He was getting nervous, but then, the Pukwudgie raised its arrow. That wasn't all. The Wampus roared, The Horned Serpent's crystal glowed, and finally, the Thunderbird beat its wings. The whole entrance hall went silent. Students began to whisper and glance at one another. Kade looked over at Professor Ainsley for answers. Ainsley's mouth was agape in awe.