CHAPTER FIVE: History of Ilvermorny
Evan watched as Headmaster Fontaine made his way to the front of the great hall. The headmaster looked like he was in his fifties. He had short, dark hair with some grey mixed in, a small beard, and had horn-rimmed glasses that seemed to hide his eyes. He was wearing a cranberry red 3 piece suit, unlike the rest of the professors, who were wearing uniforms similar to that of the students.
Meanwhile, Athena was looking around the great hall in wonder. Each house had their own table, which managed to fit the whole house. The walls were lined with images of the four house creatures, and there was a giant chandelier hanging above. At the front of the hall was a single table which all the professors next to one another, overlooking the students. As she looked around the great hall, taking it all in, Headmaster Fontaine shouted to quiet the whole great hall.
"Silence!" the headmaster shouted. "I'd like to take this time to welcome all the students back to Ilvermorny. And for the first-years, I hope you enjoy your time here" Headmaster Fontaine said, using his wand to amplify his voice. The roars of the older students rang throughout the hall.
"Who's that?" Jason asked. Another student leaned in closer to the three of them.
"That's Headmaster Agilbert Fontaine. He's been the headmaster of Ilvermorny since like 1988" the student told them. "I'm Cera. Second year here" she told them.
"As tradition, I would like to tell the story of Ilvermorny to start the year off. Ilvermorny was founded by Isolt Sayre and her husband James Steward in 1627. It started as a small stone shack. Ilvermorny was created to teach their children magic, as they couldn't attend Hogwarts, due to Isolt's past. Isolt was the ancestor of Salazar Slytherin, but she had left Ireland due to her aunt, who was a very simple-minded individual. The four of them each created a house. Isolt formed the Horned Serpent, James created the Pukwudgie, Chadwick; the Thunderbird, and Webster, the Wampus. Eventually, they started to teach more students, mostly from the colonies and the nearby Wampanoag tribe. At first, Ilvermorny was a day only school, with Isolt, James, Chadwick, and Webster the only ones to stay past dark." At this point, Headmaster Fontaine finally stopped for breath. "Eventually, news of Ilvermorny reached Europe. Isolt's aunt, Gormlaith Gaunt, traveled to America to hunt Isolt down. You see, Isolt, when she left Ireland, took Gormlaith's wand with her. That wand was a family heirloom passed down from generation to generation. It was originally Salazar Slytherin's wand. She was determined to kill Isolt. She put a curse on both Isolt and James, that put them into a deep sleep, in hopes of killing them and kidnapping their newborn daughters. However, she didn't know about Chadwick and Webster. So when she used Parseltongue to disable Isolt's wand, the Horned Serpent cores in Chadwick and Webster's wands alerted them. Chadwick went to hold off the dark witch, while Webster tried to wake their parents. Webster joined the duel and the couple were awakened by the cries of their infant daughters. While James went to protect the babies, Isolt attempted to join the fight, but her wand was useless, being disabled earlier. In the duel, the whole family was driven to the bedroom, and Isolt called out to her late father William for help and was answered by her old friend William, a Pukwudgie, who killed Gormlaith, and from that day on, William and his family acted as the school's security and maintenance staff. You students might even see some of them around the school." the headmaster beckoned around the room. "After Gormlaith died, Isolt and James buried her wand in the school grounds. Isolt did not wish to keep the wand as it was the last reminder of her unhappy childhood. Over the course of the next year, a snakewood tree grew from the ground where it was buried. Any attempts to kill or prune it were unsuccessful, and it was kept after it was discovered that the tree contained powerful medicinal properties. That tree can still be seen in the courtyard today." Fontaine finally finished. He then beckoned to the teachers sitting up front. "And now, each of our professors will introduce themselves. As you know, I am Headmaster Agilbert Fontaine" the headmaster finally introduced himself.
Next, a woman with dark black hair, tan skin, and dark eyes stood up. She looked serious. When she spoke, her voice was soothing, like a mother calming her child.
"Hello students. I am Willow Wishcatcher, head of the Wampus house, and the Potions master" she spoke. The professor sitting next to her then stood. He looked older than the headmaster, with a long white beard, and deep blue eyes.
"Students. My name is John Resparitan. I teach charms. I hope to see each and every one of you in my class" he spoke, his voice deep and transfixing. Professor Finnigan stood up next and shouted throughout the great hall.
"I am Seamus Finnigan. Defense Against the Dark Arts" He said, quickly before sitting again. Another woman stood, her hair up in a messy bun. She appeared to be about the same age as the headmaster.
"H-Hello students. I'm Delphi Gordan. I'm the head of the Horned Serpent house, and I teach Divination" she spoke softly, her voice barely ringing through the hall. Next to her was Professor Everwinter. When he stood, his robe gently flowing through the air.
"I'm Dorien Everwinter. I teach Care of Magical Creatures and Study of Ancient Runes. I'm the head of the Pukwudgie house" He said, sitting almost as quickly as he rose. Another man stood next to him. He barely looked old enough to teach. He was clearly Native American. His hair pulled back into a single braid.
"Hello everyone. I'm Gregory Four Horses. I'm the Transfiguration Professor" he said, his voice deep. A blonde woman, who looked maybe thirty then stood up. Her glasses were thick, and made her eyes look bigger than normal.
"My name is Sybyll Dreyfus. I'm the Arithmancy professor here" she spoke. Just as she was sitting down, the last professor shot up out of his seat.
"I am Edward Nicholsen. I'm the head of the Thunderbird house, and I teach Herbology" he said, his voice loud and booming. Headmaster Fontaine then spoke again.
"Now that all that is finished, there's some news I'd like to share with you students. This year, after talks with the Magical Congress of the United States of America and the Ministry of Magic, the Triwizard Tournament is to be brought back, with new rules and regulations. It has been expanded to include schools from all around the world, and this year, Ilvermorny will be hosting it" the Headmaster told the students. Evan looked around as whispers started to pick up.