Chapter 4, The American Awakening of Magic:
Jacob flipped the letter upside down and poured its contents onto his lap. It had been stuffed to the brim with old pieces of paper, all which were covered black text. It was as if they all had written using a typewriter. Every piece of paper had been stamped with a bright red insignia, a fiery bird with the American Flag covering its chest. One of the papers among the mess had the words WAND PERMIT stamped across the top of it. A small, glittering strip of paper was attached to it with a wax seal. It appeared to be a train ticket with the phrase "Steal Away" written across the top of it.
Jacob stared at the pile of papers before looking each one of them older. Nothing they said made any sort of sense to him, as he still felt numb and emotionally shaken from earlier today. He was doing his best to forget about Lisa and Carson, but it just wasn't working. He had been friends with them for as long as he could remember, but now, they just felt like his worst enemies. He knew that they were anything but that, but any thought of sympathy towards them or remorse for what he did felt insulting. Not just to his own feelings, but to the level of self-respect that he knew he deserved. It felt wrong, suppressing and warping his emotions like this, but he didn't know what else to do.
Jacob set the papers down onto his lap, but not before the image of a crying Lisa flashed across his mind. He squirmed in immense discomfort and clenched his fists, angrily shaking that terrible thought out of his mind. As he did, some papers fell onto the floor of the car and some slipped between his chair and the wall. As he continued to squirm in his chair, something large and heavy slid off of his lap and onto the floor of the car with a loud CLANK. Jacob looked down and to his surprise, he saw a large golden necklace sitting there on the dirty floor of his car, right between his feet. He pressed his face up against the steering-wheel and reached for the necklace.
It was heavy in his hands. The chain was locked with a small metal clasp and covered in gold. The pendant was also covered in gold, but the pendant was shaped like a Celtic knot, a Triquetra. It was free from any markings of engraving, but the clasp on the chain had the word "Family" engraved into it. The more Jacob looked at it, the more he grew to like it. With a dazed smiled on his face, he unlatched the clasp of the chain and wrapped it around his neck. Jacob looked down at the knot and continued to smile half-heartedly before staring off into space.
Tears started to form in Jacob's eyes, but he didn't know why. A tear-drop fell onto the papers in front of him, on the paper that read "Congratulations!" He slowly reached his hands up to his eyes and wiped his tears onto his hand. He looked down at his now glistening fingertips. The image of Carson and Lisa together filled his mind. His heart grew heavy in his chest, and an important realization finally dawned on him. No matter how right he felt, no matter how angry or hurt he was…
He couldn't keep doing this.
"If they're genuinely happy together…why should I not be happy for them?" he muttered. He turned the keys in the ignition, bringing his car to life.
I love him, why is that so difficult to understand?!
Jacob's chin slowly tilted down and onto his chest.
"My feelings don't matter" he muttered. "And to think…for a moment I thought that they did"
Tears started to form in his eyes, but he quickly wiped them away before they could get out of hand. He moved to set his hand on the stick-shift, but not before remembering the large pile of papers on his lap. A sudden wave of anger washed over him. He took up the papers in his hands and shoved the car-door open. He ran over to the supermarket's entrance and shoved the entire stack of papers into a public trash can. He ran back to his car, slammed the door shut, and drove home. As tears started to form in his eyes once again, he made no effort to stop them.
After driving for a while, Jacob pulled his car into the garage and lumbered out of the driver's seat, his tears still wet on his face. He was sobbing silently, shaking his head, and reprimanding himself under his breath for his actions. His shoes from his run yesterday still sat as he had left them, in a pile near the door into his house. Tapping on the remote hanging on the wall, he closed the door to the garage, listening to the signature creaking of the old metal door. In the dark, he fumbled around with his keys, unlocked the door, and went inside.
Part of him expected to see his parents, like he usually would. After walking into the kitchen, he realized that he wasn't so lucky. They were still off at the cabin, hanging out with their friends. With a sigh, he tossed his keys onto the kitchen table and got dressed into casual clothing. His eyes were now red from crying so much and his dark brown hair was now all over the place. The light that normally shone in his eyes had gone dark and was replaced by a look of pure disappointment, reflecting just how defeated and beaten down he felt inside.
As he pulled on his Minnesota Vikings shirt, a loud THUNK echoed out from downstairs, as if a bird had hit the window. Curious as to what it was, Jacob made his way downstairs and to the sliding doors on his deck, where the sound had come from. There stood another owl with a letter clamped in its beak, addressed to him, sitting there on the deck.
They were trying to send him another letter.
Jacob, in a sudden act of rage, started to scream at the owl.
"LEAVE ME ALONE !" he screamed. "I DON'T GIVE A DAMN ABOUT YOU AND YOUR LETTERS, OR YOU AND YOUR STUPID SCHOOL !"
Jacob grew red with fury and tossed a book, some papers, and even his keys at the owl, screaming "GO AWAY !" until he had his face pressed up against the glass and was striking the glass with his fists.
"JUST LEAVE. ME. ALONE !" he screamed as tears once again continued to stream down his face.
"Jacob?" a voice whispered behind him. "What's wrong?"
He turned towards the sound of the voice, and to his surprise, he saw his mother standing there, with his father standing only a few steps behind her. Both of them gazed longingly at him in concern. His mother had what looked like a newspaper scrunched together in her hands.
Jacob had never been so glad to see both of his parents in his entire life. He rushed towards them and hugged his mother as if he hadn't seen her in years. His Dad soon followed, hugging them both from the side.
"Jacob, honey…please tell us what's bothering you" she told him as she stroked his hair and comforted him.
"Mom…today's been so difficult. So much has happened that I have to tell you about" He sniffed.
"Is it about your acceptance letter?" his Dad asked.
Jacob stopped and turned to look up at him.
"H-how do you know about that…?" he whispered. Just then, the door opened behind them. Out stepped a middle-aged woman. Jacob recognized her immediately.
Her name was Alison Eversol, their neighbor from down the street. She was taller than Jacob and had curly, light blonde hair. Her face was filled with wrinkles, but her smile was bright.
"Jacob, hi there!"
"Mrs. Eversol…?" he said in confusion. "What are you doing here?"
"Oh…I'm just here to enlighten you" she smiled again, pulling her hands out from behind her back to reveal a long thin piece of wood that was elegantly carved with leaves and vines.
"What's that…?" he asked, but she quickly interrupted him and walked towards the sliding glass-door.
"Oh Jacob, c'mon! I thought you'd know better" she unlocked the door and slid it open, letting in a cold draft of air. "This owl means you no harm! He's just doing his job" Mrs. Eversol then pulled out a small handful of coins from her pocket. She counted them out, slid them into the small pouch attached to the owl's talons, and then took the letter from its beak. "It's a good thing that they're sending out the kind owls, not the feisty ones" Jacob turned away from his parents and approached Mrs. Eversol with a look of awe on his face.
"You…you know about all of this?" he asked her. "How?"
She laughed. "There's so much that you don't know!" she pointed towards his parents. "They knew about all of this, but they never thought that you'd be magical, just like your grandparents were".
"My…grandparents?" Jacob wondered aloud. "What does this have to do with them?"
"Well…just about everything!" Mrs. Eversol answered. "They're the last ones in your family to have magic, before both of your parents were determined to be Squibs" She approached Jacob, who was now staring at her in shock. "But now…here you are! The first of your kind! The first descendant of any Squib to have any shred of magic within them. Well, at least the first one that I've met, anyway. They've been calling this The American Awakening of Magic and people like you are The Children of Magic. It's also a nice shred of luck that MACUSA had assigned me to you, given your family's history with mine. It's almost as if I finally have a child of my own, someone whose hand I get to hold as I show them into this brand-new world!"
Jacob began to laugh. "You keep throwing these words around…" Jacob he muttered. "Magic, Squib, MACUSA, Awakening…please just tell me what you mean instead of keeping me in the dark" he angrily pointed a finger at her. "You talk as if I'm just a stupid kid that knows nothing of the world. There's nothing that I don't know, just things that I know now and things that I will know in the future" he staggered towards her, sticking his shoulders back as he did so. "I don't know if you heard my screams when you arrived…but I'm not really having a good day today. Treat me as if I'm actually a person instead of a child, or else I might just have to go back to screaming at that owl"
He didn't know where this sudden burst of indignation had come from, but he knew that he wouldn't let her walk all over him like this, not after going through what he had to face today. Both of his parents gazed at him in concern, but they said nothing.
Mrs. Eversol stared at Jacob and looked him over. It was hard for Jacob to see just what she was thinking, but he had gotten through to her. She sighed and walked over towards him. "I've never seen this side of you before" she told him. "I'm still so used to the soft-spoken boy that had moved into this neighborhood all those years ago" she held out the letter to him. "Given the current state of things…I guess you'll need that spark. This newfound courage"
Jacob took up the letter in his hands. It was lighter than the last letter, but otherwise it looked exactly the same, almost as if he had never opened the last letter or had thrown it away. He ripped off the top of the letter, much more gently this time, and slid out the bundle of papers. Walking over to their kitchen table, he laid out the pieces of paper. Once again, he saw the Wand Permit and Train Ticket. He set them off to the side. He then opened the first letter in his hands and began to read it.
ILVERMORNY SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY
Dear Mr. Jacob Johnson,
We are pleased to inform you that after much deliberation by the Minnesotan Council of Things, you have been chosen as the sole Male Student from the state of Minnesota to attend Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in the Fall. All other students from Minnesota have been sent to Minnesakowin, Minnesota's School of Magic.
In this letter, which is different from that of the usual acceptance letter, you will find a variety of important documents, such as an application for a Wand Permit, a ticket and reservation for your journey on the Underground Railroad, and a list of all necessary books and equipment. Please review these documents as soon as you are able.
Term begins on September 4th.
BASIC UNIFORM
All first-year students will need:
Three sets of plain work robes (standard Ilvermorny Colors)
One pair of Protective Gloves (Dragon-Hide or Similar)
One plain pointed hat (dark blue) for day wear
One Winter-Coat (blue with golden fastenings)
FORMAL UNIFORM
For formal events (which are held periodically throughout the term), students will need the following:
For Women:
One Plaid Skirt (colored Blue and Cranberry)
One Suit Coat (Cranberry with Gold Buttons)
Dress-Shoes
For Men:
One Suit Coat (Blue with Gold Buttons)
One pair of Dress-Pants (Cranberry)
Dress-Shoes
One Blue and Cranberry Tie (striped)
Be sure to pick-up the "Ilvermorny Essentials" package from any participating stores, which will include the remaining essentials needed for Ilvermorny Students (free of charge). Also be aware that all students must have their names written legibly inside of their clothing, as well as have their house's badge clearly visible on their uniform at all times.
COURSE MATERIALS
All students should have a copy of each of the following:
The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1)
By Miranda Goshawk
An Updated History of Magic
By Artemis Bagshot
Magical Theory and its Applications
By Adalbert Waffling
A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration
By Emeric Switch
Chadwick's Charms, Volume 1
By Chadwick Boot
American Magical Herbs and Fungi
By Proto Chromia
Magical Drafts and Potions
Arsenius Jigger
The North American Beastiary
By Jaeger A Travers
The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection
By Quentin Trimble
OTHER EQUIPMENT
1 wand and Wand Permit (non-expired)
1 cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)
1 telescope
1 set of brass scales
Students may also bring (if they desire), and owl OR a cat OR a toad.
PARENTS ARE TO BE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICK
Jacob set the letter back down with a blank look covering his face. "Well…" he said. "That's a lot to take in, isn't it".
Mrs. Eversol nodded. "Normally you'd be introduced to all of this when you turned eleven years-old, but you Children of Magic are a special case. Students would normally be graduating from Ilvermorny at your age, not being admitted for the first time"
"There's that phrase again… The Children of Magic. What does that mean?" Jacob asked.
Mrs. Eversol turned towards his parents. "You brought a copy of The Seven-Lakes Tribune, right?" she asked. "It's always easier to show him what I'm talking about rather than taking the time to explain it"
"Yes, I have it right here" Jacob's mother replied. "I brought it with me from the cabin"
She handed the newspaper in her hands to Jacob.
The top of the paper read THE SEVEN-LAKES TIMES. Below it was the words "THE CHILDREN OF MAGIC ARE BORN". It read:
Last night at Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, the Typewriter of Choosing was found to be busy at work. Late at night, Professor Jessica Fyr (of Missouri) had been walking past the room where the typewriter is stored. To her surprise, it had been writing out names nonstop for the past hour.
All Acceptance Letters had been sent out the night before, so the sudden burst of names had left Ilvermorny's Staff confused and befuddled. After studying the list of names for over an hour, Headmaster Agilbert Fontaine was shocked to find the name of his own son on the list.
For all of his life, Gerald Fontaine had no magic. He was as ordinary as a No-Maj. At the age of twenty-two, he had finished his education at the University of Southern Maine, a No-Maj school. After Agilbert had summoned his son to the castle, he had him cast a spell. To his surprise, Gerald was as magical as his father was.
That very same night, MACUSA had summoned all of The Representatives to their headquarters in Washington DC. Among them was the Jarl from the Council, Steven Aalgoth. We have reached out to him for an interview or comment on the issue, but he has failed to respond back at this time. Instead, it was Samuel G. Quahog, our current President, who released the following statement:
"It is clear that the Awakening of Magic has significantly impacted the lives of American Witches and Wizards. At the moment, it isn't clear how our fellow witches and wizards abroad are handling this event or whether they are experiencing such an event at all. As your President, I pledge to you all that we, your MACUSA, will handle this issue with our primary focus being containment and safety. The Children of Magic may expose the Wizarding World, should we fail to take the proper steps moving forward. In addition, we will send word to the International Confederation of Wizards in the coming hours and request an emergency meeting. This will be done in order to determine the best course of action moving forward. These steps (in full) are still being determined, but what has been determined is as follows.
All Children of Magic will be sent to their state's school (until further notice) for an education, as all known Children of Magic are between the ages of eighteen and twenty-one (which is still young enough for an education). While Ilvermorny is the internationally recognized as the School of Magic for the North American Continent, each state will be permitted to send one male and one female student to Ilvermorny (choosing this student will be done at their own discretion)"
Jacob set the newspaper back down onto the table, but before it landed, it began to float upwards in the air. It bumped into the light hanging above their kitchen table and eventually just sat there on the ceiling. It was almost as if gravity had been reversed. Jacob reached up on his toes, grabbed the paper and forced it back down onto the table. Jacob stared at the newspaper in shock, but Mrs. Eversol just smiled instead.
"Well…" she laughed. "I guess that proves it! You're one of the Children of Magic. Not only that, but you've been lucky enough to be sent to Ilvermorny, my alma mater!"
Jacob's parents approached him.
"Jacob…I don't know what to say" his mother told him with a smile. "We never thought that you would be sent to Ilvermorny, one of the greatest magical schools in the world!" she smiled.
"Yeah!" his father chimed in. "Both of us have always dreamed of getting into Ilvermorny, but we were never magical. We thought it would be best if you never knew about our family's history. Just so you didn't have to experience the pain and longing that we both did. But now…everything's different! You can now live the life that we've always dreamed of living" They pulled him in tightly and close.
"We couldn't be any prouder of you" his mother whispered.
Jacob smiled.
"So…I'm a wizard" he sighed. "Wow…just, wow"
Far off across the country, Adam sat hunched over the small table in Eric's apartment, watching cars drive by in the night. It was his second day at Eric's apartment, and the apartment was as old as it smelled. Wallpaper that was many years old still hung on the walls. Some of it was even taped together in places after it had started to peel. The carpet was old as well, being very frayed in many places. It was even gone in others. They had spent the past couple of days playing cards, watching Baseball on TV, and drinking beer from the local Liquor Store. In other words…
It was paradise.
He arched his back and stretched yawn before falling back into his chair. Adam smiled, glad to finally be out of his self-imposed isolation and with one of his oldest, and possibly only, friend.
Adam stood up from his chair, grabbed the trash-can, and began clearing away the garbage from the room. He made his bed, which had sat in a bedraggled mess off in the corner of the room. After that, he sat back down on his chair, grabbed the remote, and turned the TV on to the Sports Channel. Just then, Eric opened the door and walked inside.
"Hey man! I'm back!" he called out to Adam, his arms full of grocery bags.
"Hey there!" Adam replied back.
Eric walked over to the counter and set the bags down. He then started to put the groceries away in their proper spots in the cabinet.
"Hey Adam?"
"Yeah? What's up?"
Eric stopped putting the groceries away and turned to face Adam. "Are you still haunted by the past? By your family's past?"
Adam turned to face him. "Well…no. I'd like to think that it doesn't. Why do you ask?" Eric pulled up a seat across the table from him.
"Because I overheard someone at the Supermarket just now talking about things like that"
"…what were they saying?" Adam asked.
"Well, just stuff about wands, magic, brooms, and more. It was the type of stuff your family was going on about as they took them away, right?"
The sudden image of his mother screaming flashed across his mind. "THEY'RE HERE !" she had screamed, her mascara running down her face as she tore her hair out. "WITCHES AND WIZARDS ARE HERE IN THE UNITED STATES! THEY'RE MANIPULATING US! TORTURING US! MAKING US FORGET WHO WE ARE!" She was now screeching, and her voice was growing hoarse.
"BEFORE LONG…THEY WILL HAVE TAKEN OVER THIS COUNTRY AND THE ENTIRE WORLD! WE NEED TO STOP THEM! WHY AREN'T YOU LISTENING TO ME?!" She had been flailing her arms and legs around wildly as the police restrained her. "LET ME GOOOO!" she continued to scream as they finally restrained her and took her away.
Adam could still remember the tears streaming down his face as he watched them restrain her and take her away. He didn't understand why he was crying, and for the rest of his life, he never did. All he could remember was the police officer comforting him afterwards.
"Remember kid…" he had told him. "There's no such thing as magic" he then had pulled Adam into a warm hug.
Adam set his hands down on the table. "Yeah…something like that"
Eric laughed. "Well, it's probably those nutjobs that caused you and your family so much trouble. I mean…there's no such thing as magic!" he laughed again. "That's why…" he pulled out a long piece of wood and set it down on the table. "I nicked the nutjob's 'wand' for ya"
Adam looked at it carefully. Suddenly, a nagging memory resurfaced in the back of his mind.
"You know…" he began. "I've seen this before, in a dream. The dream I had last night. I was in the middle of a forest, some sort of forest that I knew like the back of my hand. I had wandered beyond the edge of the forest and began making my way on a dirt path across an open field to the mountains in the distance"
Eric listened to him respectfully and intently.
"Eventually…" Adam said. "I reached a bridge that had fallen, and I had heard voices. On the opposite side of the bridge sat that piece of wood. Since I had no desire to turn back, I chose to jump and grab the wand. I had cleared the gap easily and the voices had faded. Just as I had picked up the wand, the sky grew dark, and the clouds red. The mountains then crumbled into dust and I felt as if I had conquered the world…conquered death"
Eric looked at him in concern. "It was just a dream though…right?"
Adam nodded and laughed nervously. "Yeah…yeah you're right. I'm okay" Eric reached across the table and grabbed his shoulder.
"Listen…if you ever need me or my help, I'll always be there for ya. Just as I've always been"
He smiled, and Adam smiled back. "Thanks man" he said.
"Now…let's give this stupid wand a whirl!" Eric told him. Adam laughed.
"Alright…" they then stood up in front of the TV and Adam had the wand in his hand. He pointed it at Eric.
"Give me your best spell!" Eric told him. Adam smiled and laughed, knowing that he was only doing this to prove to Adam just how crazy his family was.
There's really no such thing as magic!
He announced loudly to Eric, "Abra Kada – wait …" he stopped before muttering to himself. "Ah yes!" he said. "Avada Kedavra!"
Suddenly a great BANG filled the room like a gunshot. A great burst of green light erupted from the end of the wand. It then struck Eric and sent him flying back into the wall, cracking the window behind him. He then fell to the ground and didn't move or breathe.
Adam, in horror and anger, fell to his knees in the silence that now filled the room.
"There's no such thing as magic…there's no such thing as magic…" he muttered under his breath. Suddenly he realized that his whole life had been a lie. The world was an insane asylum, and his family were the only ones who were sane.
Magical Creature Profile, The Sasquatch:
The Sasquatch is a beast native to North America. It is known to be 6-10 ft tall and is covered in hair from head to toe, except on its hands and significantly large feet. While efforts to conceal the Sasquatch population from the non-magical world had been significantly increased since the Great Sasquatch Rebellion of 1892, most efforts to conceal the Sasquatch have now been mostly relegated to their own discernment, resulting in only a small amount of sightings. While their population is fairly large and is known to wander around the United States, Sasquatches are known to have a slight distaste for humans, avoiding them whenever possible, which is helped by their innate magic to disappear without a trace, leaving no more than string of footprints.