Chapter 5, The Magical Mall of America:
Even after a week had passed, Jacob was still amazed by his newfound abilities. If he concentrated hard enough, he could make small objects float in the air, even without proper training. All of it left him at a loss for words. Expressing the joy and wonder that he felt was nothing short of a monumental task. To make matters even more amazing, Mrs. Eversol kept reminding him of how this was "only the tip of the iceberg", and that once he attended Ilvermorny, he would be able to fly, turn invisible, and do so much more. All of the pain and sorrow that he felt from his encounter with Lisa and Carson had now faded into obscurity. In comparison to the joy he felt now, it all felt like a bad dream, one that would soon be forgotten.
Ever since Jacob was sent his letter, both he, his parents, and Mrs. Eversol had been planning extensively how he would prepare for the school year. The first thing he would need are his school supplies, which they would be buying from a department store located in Bloomington, Minnesota. According to Mrs. Eversol, it's the biggest department store for Magical Goods and Services in the entire country and it's known to have almost everything a witch or wizard would ever need. Whether it be parchment that can turn periwinkle when you snap your fingers, or a cauldron that can laugh like a hyena, you could find it there. Mrs. Eversol would be driving them there, but before they could go, she had to meet with Jacob first and explain some important things to him. That's why she came to their house early that morning in late August.
Jacob sat in the Living Room, trying his best to make all of these knick-nacks float to him from across the room. Just as he was trying to lift an old vase through the air, the doorbell rang. Jacob was startled by the noise and broke his concentration. The vase fell through the air and shattered into pieces on the floor. Jacob lunged forward with a hasty Sorry! before aggressively attempting to put it back together with his mind. Jacob's mother, laughing at the sight of her son trying to fix it, walked towards the door and pulled it open, letting Mrs. Eversol step foot into their house.
"Good morning!" Mrs. Eversol said with a smile.
"It is! Isn't it?" Jacob's mom replied back.
Mrs. Eversol was dressed in an unusual outfit that morning. On the top of her head sat a pointy, wide-brimmed hat. She wore golden half-moon spectacles and covering her back was a light gray travelling cloak, which was clasped around her neck with a beautiful purple clasp. Reaching down to her knees was a brown linen dress and on her feet were brown leather moccasins. Clasped around her wrists were iron cuffs embedded with red and yellow gemstones, while over her shoulder hung a brown satchel embroidered with the initials "AE".
"Good morning Jacob!" she called out to him. Jacob smiled sheepishly and waved at her from the Living Room, where he was still trying to piece the vase back together.
Mrs. Eversol laughed and walked into the Living Room.
"So you're still getting used to your new powers, eh?" she pulled out her wand and pointed at the vase.
"Reparo" she whispered, and the vase was fixed. Jacob grabbed the vase in wonder and began looking it over, trying to find any damage, but it was as good as new.
"Enough of that!" Mrs. Eversol exclaimed. "We have to get out of here soon and get your school supplies! There's also a sale on Hodag Tooth at the Apothecary…and I don't want to miss that!"
Jacob nodded and set the vase down on the table next to him. Mrs. Eversol then began to rummage around in her bag. After some searching, she pulled out two pieces of paper and a small leather pouch. She then pulled out an inkwell and a Quill, which she set down on the table, next to the vase.
"Okay!" she said. "Before we go, we need to take care of some logistics. First…" she began, "We'll be filling out your Wand Permit"
"What's that?" Jacob asked in reply.
"A Wand Permit is a document that all Witches and Wizards in the United States are required to have. It's our way of keeping track of how many legal magical folk live here in the US. Normally, younger people are listed as a 'Dependent' on their parent's Wand Permit, but since you're over the age of eighteen, you are required to fill out your own Wand Permit"
"So it's like a Driver's License but for Wizards?" he asked.
"Yep!" she replied. "You'll need a Wand Permit if you ever want to purchase a Broom, register your fireplace to the Floo Network, vote for the MACUSA Representatives, or enter certain buildings, like the one that we're visiting today" Jacob nodded, grabbed the quill, and scribbled his name at the bottom of the permit in a shaky scrawl before setting it back down in the inkwell.
"Now that you mention it…where are we going today?" he asked. "I've been bugging you for the past week about it, but you still haven't told me"
"That's right!" she said. "That's because it's a surprise. Regardless, you can trust me when I say that you can find last item on your list at this store" At the thought of it, Jacob pulled out his list and looked it over. There a small blotch in the corner of the parchment from the bit of spaghetti he spilled on it while he was eating dinner last week. The more he looked at the items on his list, however, the more concerned he became.
"There are a lot of books on here…along with a lot of clothes and other various things. How am going to be able to afford all of this? I hardly have any money. What happens if I'm not able to afford all of this? Would everything still be okay - "
Mrs. Eversol quickly interrupted him. "There's nothing for you to worry about. All of that will be paid for by the government. She laughed again. "No one likes paying taxes, especially here in the United States, but our country is especially proud of Ilvermorny and its extensive history. That's why all magical folk have to pay an Education Tax. If you were to attend a State-School, however, you'd have to pay for it on your own"
"I guess I'm pretty lucky then" he muttered.
"You sure are!" she replied and laughed again.
Jacob had never seen this side of Mrs. Eversol before. In his eyes, she was just like any other neighbor he had. Whenever he talked with her in the past, she seemed to be a calm and collected individual. Now, Jacob was beginning to learn about who she truly was. She was a really enthusiastic individual, bursting with energy at times. She was passionate about Quidditch and had a bit of a sailor's mouth. She enjoys Flying and taking care of her Pygmy Puff. Above all, Mrs. Eversol had a commanding presence that could be felt by everyone around her, but it didn't feel dominating or overwhelming. Jacob felt luck, and relieved, to have her acting as a mentor-like figure to him. Whenever he had a question for her, she would explain it to him, like how many Sprinks made a Dragot, how the Midwestern Floo Network connected to the Eastern Network, and the inner-workings of the USQ, the United States Quidditch League.
Soon after, Jacob and his parents got ready to leave. They all climbed into Mrs. Eversol's car and they drove off. After some time driving on the highway, they soon pulled into one of the many parking lots used by the Mall of America, the largest shopping mall in the United States of America. Hanging over the front entrance was a massive sign, emblazoned with hundreds of golden stars surrounding a red, white, and blue star.
Jacob shut the car door behind him after he stepped out. "Wait…so you're telling me that I'll be able to find everything I need at the Mall of America?"
Mrs. Eversol nodded in reply. "Most Witches and Wizards in the Twin Cities come here whenever they need to buy something"
Jacob walked towards the front door and stared at it. "But I've been here lots of times, and never once did a see a shop that sells any of the items on my list. Is there some sort of hidden basement or something?"
"Well…yes and no" she said. "Yes it's hidden…but no, it's not a basement" Mrs. Eversol shut her car door behind her and locked it with her keys.
"You see, a large number of Witches and Wizards live in large cities, like Chicago, Houston, and New York City. Given that fact, each state will usually send a witch and/or wizard undercover to various construction sites. As the building is being constructed, they slowly weave an enchantment into the building, allowing it to be used by both Magical Folk and No-Maj simultaneously. This was done with the Woolworth Building in New York City, the Sears Tower in Chicago, and the Mall of America, here in Minnesota".
Jacob nodded. It was a strange concept, but given all that he had seen so far, it wasn't too surprising that magic could pull it off. "So how do we get into the magic part of the mall, and avoid the normal part?"
Mrs. Eversol pulled her Wand Permit out of her pocket. "That's what these are for! In every Wand Permit lies a simple charm that all states use for identification purposes. As long as you want to enter the magical part of any building that uses this enchantment, the charm will activate, and you'll be able to enter that part of the building easily"
"So since I signed my Wand Permit earlier today, I'll be just fine?" Jacob asked her.
"Yep!" she replied. "There's nothing for you to worry about" she then handed Jacob his Wand Permit, which he stuffed into his pocket.
Mrs. Eversol, Jacob, and his family all approached the main entrance of the mall. The windows were covered in small plastic posters peeling at the edges and there was no indication of the enchantment that Mrs. Eversol claimed to be cast over the entire mall. As she pulled the door open, however, and closed it behind her, she disappeared from sight, as if the door was a one-way mirror. Jacob's parents then followed her inside and disappeared. Jacob stood alone at the door and stared through it, watching people wander through the mall. He then slowly pulled the door open and thought to himself: I want to enter the mall… I want to enter the mall… He then walked inside the mall and shut the door behind him.
Jacob had entered a large atrium and stood on a balcony that overlooked a glittering marble floor three stories below him. Thick, rectangular columns lined the walkways, similar to glowsticks. They were filled with glowing purple and maroon water that bubbled up from the lower levels of the mall. It cast the mall in a warm and cozy atmosphere. After looking around, Jacob noticed his parents and Mrs. Eversol standing off to the side. He then approached them.
Mrs. Eversol and Jacob's Parents were standing in front of a large map that hung on the wall. They were talking amongst themselves.
"So if we head to Flip, Turn, and Scrawl first, we should be able to buy all of his textbooks. We can then head to Stitch's Quality Robes to pick up his school uniform. How long do you think that would take?" Mrs. Eversol asked.
"Probably about a half-hour or so in Flip, Turn, and Scrawl…" Jacob's Dad said. "…and then probably closer to an hour in Stitch's Quality Robes. Stitch will most likely want to spend a lot of the time working on Jacob's robes, and as we all know, he hates it when his customers try to rush him".
"That would mean we'd be finished with his robes sometime around noon" Jacob's mother said. "We could then head to the center atrium for lunch at Twelve Aurors. How does that sound?" It was just then that Jacob approached them.
"Oh Jacob!" Mrs. Eversol exclaimed. "There you are! We were wondering if you were ever going to come in here!" She pulled him closer to the map and began walking him through their itinerary. "So, we've planned out the beginning of our day up until lunch, but after we finish our lunch at Twelve Aurors, we thought we could head to Elmeran's Fine Wands to pick up your wand. We'd then walk past McTawny Broomsticks to Ebbingdales Wonders for Wizards to pick up your Protective Gloves, Pointed Hat, Winter-Coat, Telescope, Brass Scales, and Cauldron. How does that sound to you?"
"That sounds great! Lead the way" he told them with a smile.
As Jacob walked through the halls of the Magical Mall of America, he passed by so many different stores and people. Some people wore plaid shirts with overalls and a tattered robe clasped around their shoulders or large cowboy boots that reached all the way up to their knees with a large ten-gallon hat and ripped denim jeans held together with belt-buckles that whistled merry tunes. There were those who wore buckskin shirts covered in beads and fringes while walking alongside people wearing hoodies under long velvet cloaks. White, African, Asian, Latino, and more, all together here in the mall buying all sorts of magical trinkets and gadgets.
Jacob smiled. "This is amazing!" he whispered under his breath.
As they walked, they passed by small retail stores of all kinds, but they eventually stopped by an old wooden store. Jacob looked up at the old sign hanging above the entrance. It read: "Flip, Turn, and Scrawl: Books and Tomes". He then followed his parents and Mrs. Eversol into the store.
What the store lacked in square feet it made up for in height. Two spiral staircases climbed upward from the checkerboard marble floor. Many people were climbing up and down the staircases, gazing at books on the shelves. Some even sat in comfy armchairs positioned to the side of the room under the cast-iron alcoves filled with books above them. Mrs. Eversol approached the main desk, where the owner was pounding away an ink stamp in all of his books.
"Excuse me?" she said. The owner quickly looked up at her.
"Yes, what is it?" he answered.
"I'm here on Ilvermorny business" she flashed what looked like a badge at him. The man quickly grabbed his tall stack of books and set it onto the floor behind him.
"Ah…you're one of those crazies from the council" he muttered. "Sure, I'll be right back with all of the books you need. One second…" He then lumbered off into a separate room and shut the door behind him. As Jacob's parents left the store to use the bathroom, Jacob turned and looked at Mrs. Eversol. Her trademark enthusiasm had disappeared.
"Um…Mrs. Eversol?" he said hesitantly. "Are you alright…?"
Jolted out of her thoughts, she turned towards him and smiled. "Yes Jacob, I'm alright".
"What council is he talking about?" he inquired, but she shook her head and turned back towards the counter, where the owner was now ringing them up for all of his textbooks.
"Nothing… It's nothing"
Halfway through ringing up their order, the owner of the store turned towards him and looked him over. "Are these books for you…?" he asked.
Jacob nodded in reply.
"Hmph!" the man said. "You look far too old to be going to school for the first time. You must be one of those Childs of Magic, no…Children of Magic, am I right?"
Jacob nodded again, but more slowly this time, sensing the tension in his voice.
"Wow" the man said before chuckling to himself. "What are you doing getting mixed up with the Council? If I was you, I'd steer clear of those whack-jobs. As if I'd just trust one of you kids just because the council says I should…"
Jacob began fidgeting in place now, obviously uncomfortable, but the man continued on as he rung up the last few books for Jacob.
"I swear…there must've been some tampering with the votes last election. I have no idea how else Catts was elected as Jarl for the council. He then screwed it all up by installing a bunch of wusses into his cabinet, wusses that never get anything done! And on top of that, they want me to just believe that a bunch of No-Maj kids can suddenly do magic out of the blue at the age of eighteen! It's unbelievable! Fraudulent pieces of shit if you asked me…"
Mrs. Eversol slammed her hand onto the desk. Many heads began to turn and look over at them, wondering what the commotion was about.
"I'll have you know…" she told him in a low voice. "That the Supreme Wizengamot found no evidence of Voter Fraud or Ballot Tampering in the last election. Catts won fair and square, and for the record…you should treat a member of his cabinet with more respect"
Jacob looked up at her in shock. She continued.
"The same goes for the Children of Magic, like Jacob. It's up to us to help them feel comfortable and welcomed into the Wizarding World" she stared at him angrily. "What ever happened to Minnesota Nice…?" Her hand hovering over her pocket where she kept her wand.
"I don't have to give a damn about who either of you two are! And I don't have to give a damn about this kid's feelings!" the man exclaimed before slamming his hand on the counter too. "I see your hand hovering over your pocket! Are you going to threaten me with your wand?! All of that power has already gone to your head! That's all your party has ever wanted. More power and control over the lives of innocent working-class wizards like me. You're candidate's not getting my vote next November, that's for sure!"
Mrs. Eversol slid her hand off the counter and glowered at him. "As if I'd care about who you used your vote on." She grabbed the bag of Jacob's books on the counter and dropped a handful of Dragots onto the counter. "Have a good day…sir" she told him, without a drop of sincerity in her voice. They all then left the store and walked out into the mall.
"Arghh!" Mrs. Eversol exclaimed. "I can't STAND people like him!"
Jacob was now feeling very anxious at all of this, but he said nothing. Was everything that man said true? Jacob didn't know the truth about Mrs. Eversol until only very recently, and his parents were good friends with her. Did that mean that they also shared the same beliefs as her? So many questions were buzzing around Jacob's head, but he still said nothing and continued to act as if nothing was wrong.
Soon after that tense encounter, they met up again with Jacob's parents and walked to Stitch's Quality Robes, a sleek and modern store filled with robes of all shapes, sizes, and colors. Behind the counter stood a small man with a ruddy complexion and a wrinkled face. As he saw them walk in, he jumped off of his stool and walked towards them.
"Mary!" he exclaimed. "It's good to see you! What brings you into my store today?" he said while wringing his hands. "And Mr. and Mrs. Johnson! I haven't seen you all in a long time!"
"Not much, Stitch!" Mrs. Eversol replied back. "We're here today on Ilvermorny business. You see, Jacob, their son…" she gestured to Jacob's parents. "…is due to attend Ilvermorny this fall".
Stitch looked at Jacob in dumbfound amazement. "So…you're one of those Children of Magic! That's wonderful news!" he exclaimed. "To think that the dream of Magic now lives on in your family! Congratulations to the both of you" he smiled warmly. His parents thanked Stitch for the praise.
Jacob was thrown-off by the sudden change in attitude. In comparison to the owner of Flip, Turn, and Scrawl, Stitch was the nicest man in the world.
"So you're here to get your clothes for school, right?" he asked Jacob.
Jacob nodded. "Yeah that's right"
"Alrighty then!" Stitch said. "Follow me to the changing rooms" he motioned with his hand for Jacob to follow him, which he did. They walked past clothing racks and behind the counter to a small room near the back of the store. It was covered in mirrors from floor to ceiling, providing a good view of just about any angle you could imagine. He helped Jacob stand up on a stool, pulled out a small tape-measure, and began taking his measurements.
"So, Ilvermorny requires you to have three sets of plain work robes in the standard blue and cranberry colors" Stitch said. "They also require you to have a blue winter coat with golden fastenings and a formal uniform for events and holidays held throughout the term"
Jacob nodded again but said nothing. His mind was still focused on how tense the situation was earlier in the bookstore.
"Is there something bothering you?" Stitch asked.
Jacob looked down at Stitch as he was taking all of his measurements. "How did you know?" he asked.
Stitch sighed. "Well, I have a bit of a knack for knowing when someone is feeling sad or angry. You seem to be quite sad and anxious. Did something happen between you and your parents?"
"No…" Jacob said.
"Between you and Mary?"
"No…" he said again. "Well, I guess something happened when we were talking to the owner of the bookstore down the hall" he gestured back towards the way they came. "At Flip, Turn, and Scrawl"
"Oh…" Stitch answered. "You're talking about Mr. Henribye. He's always been quite the character, to say the least. What did he do?"
Jacob told him all that happened, from Mrs. Eversol's rage to talks about Voter Fraud and Ballot Tampering. He nodded solemnly.
"Ah…I'm sorry you had to see that" he told Jacob. "Mr. Henribye is an extremist, one that believes pretty much anything his political party tells him without question" he scribbled another measurement down on his clipboard. "It also just so happens to be that his political party is opposite to the one your parents and Mary are in. So naturally, he hates them more than anything else in the world" Stitch shook his head in disbelief. "That's just the way things are nowadays"
"Why does he hate them so much?" Jacob asked.
"Well, it's really hard to pin down the reason why their political parties don't get along. If I had to pin down some sort of reason for it, it's because of their pasts. One political party wronged the other, and then they would get back at them for it at the earliest opportunity. This would evolve into a vicious cycle of getting back at the other party in more dangerous ways, eventually leading both parties to become more extreme, biased, and divided. It's gotten so bad that both parties believe even the most outrageous lies about the other party, simply because they've been raised to believe that anyone not in their party isn't even remotely worth their time"
"So…what he said about them isn't true?" Jacob asked again.
"No, not even remotely" Stitch answered. "Both sides think that the other just wants to burn this country to the ground, and Minnesota along with it. It's actually because of this bias that I've always considered myself to be more Moderate, just like Mrs. Eversol and your parents. People like us just want everyone to get along. What matters to your parents and Mrs. Eversol are the actions of people in office. They could care less about control and power".
Jacob stood there and sighed. "Good" he told Stitch. "I'm glad to hear that, but is most of the country like that?"
"Yeah, I'm afraid it is" he answered back. "It's why I normally don't talk about this with anyone outside of my family, your family being the exception. It always gets heated and nasty during election season. Claims of Voter Fraud and Ballot Tampering end up running rampant because the candidates that lost claim that to be the case" he stopped what he was doing and looked at Jacob. "Take it from me, Jacob. Don't get mixed up with politics too much. Just think for yourself and do what you believe to be right. That's all anyone can ever ask of you"
Stitch then finished taking his measurements and walked Jacob back to meet with Mrs. Eversol and his parents, who were just milling about Stitch's store. They then waiting for Jacob's robes to be hemmed, paid for his robes once they were finished, and left the store, but not before Jacob turned back and waved to Stitch, thanking him for the robes.
The rest of the day went by without a hitch. Jacob really enjoyed lunch at Twelve Aurors, Pub and Grill. They then found themselves wandering around Ebbingdales Wonders for Wizards, and before long, Jacob found himself lying in his bed back at home. Glad for the opportunities that he had to enjoy himself and spend time with his parents throughout the day. Now that he had all of his school supplies, all he had to do was wait until September, for Ilvermorny.
Magical Creature Profile (Double Feature!), The Bat Bass and Ball Fish:
The Ball Fish is a small, spherical fish no larger than a baseball. It's found across the entire country, but most notably near Seattle in Washington state. The Bat Bass is a long bass shaped liked a baseball bat. It's never found too far apart from a Ball Fish. These fish are assumed to be the result of an incomplete transfiguration, as is the case for many magical creatures in the United States. When these fish aren't searching for food, the Bat Bass wedges itself between rocks on the floor of freshwater lakes, swinging itself back and forth as it attempts to hit the Ball Fish as it swims by. When catching a Bat Bass, place your hands near the "handle", the point furthest away from the head. Once you do that, make sure to toss the Ball Fish up in the air, and hit I across the pond with the Bat Bass. Removing the Bat Bass without removing its Ball Fish is a Class A Punishable Offense as designated by the Bureau for the Control and Regulation of Magical Creatures.