Shortly after Jacob chose Thunderbird house, he was led from the Sorting Hall to the Feast Hall. He walked in and saw four long tables, all parallel to each other, with the teachers' table on an elevated platform on the opposite end of the room. The tables all had golden plates on them, with silverware and goblets to match, with long wooden benches lining each side of the tables for the students to sit on. The walls were flat and wooden, with small glowing lamps protruding from them and banners lined from one end of the room to another. Each one had one of the houses' crest on it, which all appeared to be very Celtic in design. The ceiling sloped upwards to the peak of the hall's roof, where a huge chandelier hung, providing all the light to the room. Large, elegant pillars of wood supported the huge ceiling. The floor was wooden and a dark color, but the platform the teachers' table was situated on was made of granite blocks, expertly cut. Many students were already sitting in the hall at all four tables, talking to each other. Teachers watched them from the edges of the room, making sure that none of them got into any mischief on their first day at Ilvermorny.
Turning back around to look at the Sorting Hall, he saw the large doors slowly close behind him as the next student walked onto the Gordian Knot. He then saw that there were two staircases that led to the balcony above from the Feast Hall. The person who led him from the room directed him to the table on the furthest right, which she said was Thunderbird House's table, where they would all sit for feasts and other important events in the Feast Hall. He sat down near a boy with dirty-blonde hair and a small, latino boy, who seemed to be like they were his age. Considering how much they were gawking at the Feast Hall, he guessed they were in the same boat as he was.
"Hey there" Jacob said as he sat down on the bench next to them. The two other boys looked at him.
"Hello" the Latino boy said, with a deep Spanish accent.
"Hi there!" the other boy said with a French accent. "What's your name?"
"Jacob" he replied, glad to see they friendly. "What about you guys?"
"Antonio" the Latino boy said with a smile.
"Felix" the boy (obviously from Canada) replied. "Where are you from?" he asked Jacob
"I'm from Minnesota, here in the United States" he said.
"Ah okay" Antonio said. "How was the journey here?"
"It was good. Kinda long at some points, but exciting" Jacob said, thinking back to the train ride. "It's a lot to take in!"
"Oh, it certainly is!" Felix exclaimed. "How did we not know that this whole time, witches and wizards lived among us!"
"Also, magical creatures!" Antonio added. This peaked Jacob's memory.
"Wait, don't the students from Mexico ride the Quetcoatzl to Ilvermorny?" Jacob asked, not seeing them arrive at Ilvermorny.
"Yes!" he said. "Personally, I found it a little nerve-racking, riding a feather serpent through the sky for hundreds of miles. I was clinging on for dear life, with my legs clutching onto its tough, leathery skin, while my hands were squeezing the life out of the Quetcoatzl's soft feathers" Antonio laughed. "It was still really amazing though to learn that such a creature, something so important to Mexico and Central America's history, really did exist"
"Well, maybe you would've liked riding the huge, flying canoes to Ilvermorny" Felix said. "It was crazy, with the wind blowing into your face and hundreds of canoes flying together in formation too! It felt and looked like we were sailing through a sea made of clouds" he remarked, with a little bit of awe creeping into his eyes as he remembered the beautiful experience.
Eventually, much to Jacob's surprise and relief, Alan entered the Feast Hall and sat down with Jacob, Felix, and Antonio at Thunderbird House's table. Apparently, Alan had the Wampus Cat react to him (which made him jump as it roared) and the Pukwudgie too. Alan had hesitated though, wanting to join Jacob (who he was becoming good friends with) in Thunderbird house. Right as Professor Minten was urging him to choose one, the Thunderbird beat its wings in approval.
Their talking went on like this for a while, with many remarks and ideas of what life at Ilvermorny was going to be like. When the sorting ceremony was finished, all the returning students and newly sorted students sat down at their respective tables. Headmaster Fontaine then took up his place at the Teachers' table with the other teachers and he brought the room to silence.
"Before we begin our feast, I would like to make a few 'beginning-of-the-year' announcements" he said.
"First, classes will begin in two days' time, with various activities being held to welcome the new students to Ilvermorny as well as give our returning students some time to enjoy themselves. The Quidditch game between Thunderbird house and Wampus Cat house will be held at 8:00 the day before classes begin, with our esteemed referee and flying instructor, Mr. Featherin" he said as he gestured to Mr. Featherin, an old wizard with long blonde hair and a beard, who raised a hand and waved at the congregation of students. "Refereeing the match" Fontaine finished.
"Second, the forest surrounding Ilvermorny is off limits beyond Horned Serpent River, due to MACUSA's request to keep Ilvermorny's students close to the school and to not run into any unsuspecting No-Maj who is out in the woods camping" he continued. "The Quidditch pitch is well within those boundaries, so Quidditch captains, don't send me any complaints please!" he said with a laugh and smile.
"Third, we have a new Keeper of Wands here at Ilvermorny, Anabelle Lune!" Agilbert said. An Asian witch stood up and waved at the congregation, not much unlike Mr. Featherin did before. Fontaine continued. "Any student who needs a new wand can make a request to meet with her and get a new wand in Steward Chamber. Also, first-years are not allowed to join the Quidditch team, but incoming students at the age of eighteen may tryout"
"Finally," He said, "Any student who disobeys rules put in place by the administration here at Ilvermorny can and will be subject to detention if needed" He rubbed his hands together and smiled. "With that out of the way, let's eat!" he clapped his hands and the plates were suddenly piled up with food. So many different types of food littered the table. Tacos sat next to Burgers, with casseroles, fruit, vegetables, pies, and more covering all the tables. Eventually, the meal ended and all the Prefects (as they were called) led the students to their dormitories. Jacob, Alan, Felix, Antonio, and all the others followed Derrick the Prefect through the passages of the castle, sometimes passing by windows looking over gardens and the forest, sometimes passing by open classrooms where teachers were preparing for the beginning of classes in two days.
Derrick walked up the stairs to the balcony in the Sorting Hall and then through the door on the right-hand side onto a walkway through what Derrick told them was named Sayre Hall. They then left Sayre Hall and walked through more hallways and walked across a bridge outside to the western part of the castle. By the time they stopped walking, they reached a large stretch of wall. Between two gas lamps, there was a huge map of North America, with Ilvermorny being marked with the school crest. The map was enchanted, with sea monsters and clouds that moved across the map on their own. Derrick then turned towards the assembly of new students.
"By the way, if anyone comes here to steal something, hurt someone, or anything like that, their tounges will cleave to the roof of their mouth and their eyes will cross" he said. He looked the students over with squinted eyes. "Since none of you seemed very confused, I'd say we're good!" he exclaimed as he turned towards the map.
"Meriwether Lewis and William Clark" Derrick said. The clouds on the map disappeared and the monsters dove underwater. A crack appeared in the center of the map and the map swung inwards like a pair of double doors. As they groaned open, many of the students gasped. They then had a view of a dusty, stone floor, with a spiral staircase winding upwards. Derrick led Jacob and the others us the staircase as all their excitement made the air seem to buzz with excitement.
They reached the top of the staircase and saw an amazing sight: The Thunderbird Common Room. It was circular, with various couches, chairs, and desks littered around the room. A large fireplace roared off to the side, providing a nice, calming atmosphere to the room. The ceiling, however, was the greatest thing Jacob had ever seen. The Milky-Way and stars shone down, making it seem like there was no ceiling at all, or that the stone-brick walls just disappeared as they traveled upwards. Speaking of the walls, they were covered in maps of many different parts of the world. Jacob could spot South America, Canada, the United States, Asia, Africa, and the Islands in the Pacific Ocean. It was hard to see the walls at all, but where there were no maps, there were beautiful landscape paintings and banners for Thunderbird house, showing their crest on a purple background. Bookshelves also lined the walls.
"Welcome to Thunderbird Common Room!" Derrick told them as they began to stop gawking at the ceiling. He then pointed at a billboard hanging crookedly on a window. "The password to get into the Common Room will always be posted on there. Make sure to check that every day. If you can't remember the password, you might be stuck outside until another student comes to help you" He then pointed to the staircase to the right and then another one opposite to it.
"The boys' dormitories are on the left side and the girls' are on the right. A sign on the wall will tell you which level each dormitory is on. Bathrooms are down at the bottom of the tower….and your things have already been brought to your dorms" Derrick finished.
Everyone began to relax and talk in the Common Room, still enamored by the ceiling, but Jacob, Alan, Felix, and Antonio walked up to their dorms. It was a small room, filled with four-poster beds. Not all of them were theirs', but they all had the first pick so they bunked next to each other. They then saw that with their things was a necktie and scarf, striped blue and yellow: Thunderbird House's colors.
Jacob and the others stayed in Thunderbird House's Common Room for the rest of the night, but they saw a post on the billboard saying: ALL FIRST YEARS ARE TO REPORT TO THE FEAST HALL FOR A SPECIAL PRESENTATION, GIVEN BY HEADMASTER FONTAINE, which they attended the next day, right before the Quidditch match.
Jacob sat with the rest of the students on benches lined in rows. With Alan on his left and Antonio on his right, he waited with all the others for the presentation to start. Some returning students said it was boring, while others say they really enjoyed it…. but they've also heard everything in-between. All in all, they had no idea what to expect. Fontaine walked out in front of everyone and called for silence.
"Thank you" he said as the room fell silent. "Some of you may be wondering why I called you here today. I am here to tell you about Ilvermorny, setting things straight that you might've only guessed at"
He began to walk around the stage as he talked, obviously invested in what he was saying. As he began to talk, he showed them all that Ilvermorny wasn't just a wizarding school, but much more.
"Each of you is aware by now that the student body is split into four different 'houses'. That's because each of the founders learned about an extremely famous magical school in Europe called Hogwarts. That school was the first in the world to ever come up with the idea of houses. Not for sport and competition, like our school, but because each of those founders valued one set of traits above the others. Here at Ilvermorny, it isn't like that. Instead, they wanted to create their own version of Hogwarts for themselves. What they didn't expect however, is how different Ilvermorny would become from Hogwarts, how famous and wonderful it would become"
"Today, I will be explaining these houses to you all, but the reason each house is based off of a magical creature was because the names of each founder weren't exactly… as elegant as the founders of Hogwarts. Isolt Sayre founded Horned Serpent house, James Steward founded Pukwudgie house, Webster Boot founded Wampus Cat house, and Chadwick Boot founded Thunderbird house. While each founder at Hogwarts chose their students based off of bravery, wit, kindness, and ambition, the founders of Ilvermorny didn't have that choice. Instead, their houses reflected themselves"
"Horned Serpent house favors the understanding and strong-willed. Thunderbird house favors the smart and temperamental. Wampus Cat house favors those who are loyal and argumentative. Pukwudgie house favors those who are open-minded and caring. This in mind, many people share traits from multiple houses, which is why the choice is left up to the student" Jacob was really enjoying this presentation, slowly beginning to understand, which he enjoyed.
"Also, each house is said to favor certain people. Wampus Cats: Warriors, Thunderbirds: Adventurers, Horned Serpents: Scholars, and Pukwudgies: Healers. This lines exactly with the idea that each house represents a certain part of each witch or wizard. Wampus Cats: Body, Thunderbirds: Soul, Horned Serpents: Mind, and Pukwudgies: Heart. Let me break it all down for you" Fontaine said.
"Wampus Cats tend to be very connected to that small little part inside you, that unexplainable part of you that gives reassurance and stability, no matter how scared you may be. It is more deep, infinite, and stronger than the tallest mountain ever seen. The part that gives you that solid existence, just like your body. You know you're real because you have a body. The body allows you to touch, see, feel, smell, move, and experience everything. The house made by Webster Boot made came to represent the fight to live on and to drive past everything, EVERYTHING that will ever stand in your way. Warriors tend to be connected to that part of you. If you couldn't ever move forward, how would you live? No amount of spirit, heart, and intelligence would move you forward if you couldn't move and experience what the world has to offer"
"Pukwudgies are connected to the heart. All of our lives are filled with emotions, love, pride, grief, and more. The importance of that is so immense that no language that exists or ever will can never truly explain it. They are associated with healers because caring as much as they do gives the need to help, to see the value in every human person. Should you not have emotions, how would you live? You would be a husk, not meaning anything and not ever caring. The world could pass away… and you wouldn't bat an eye. The heart is one of the most powerful things in existence. This is also where Love originates, one of the most ancient and powerful forms of magic in the vast, eternal landscape of creation"
At this, Fontaine was really catching their attention. It was dark, sober, but in all aspects, shockingly honest.
"Thunderbirds are connected to that little spark, the spark that drives you to get up each morning, whether you like it or not, that innate drive that resides in every single human being on the face of planet Earth, the soul. What would we be, without that drive? That is what pushes all to believe and to truly live. They will never give up, and never give in, even if they are an inch from death. The body allows you to fight, but this is what helps you win. They favor adventurers because those people are the ones who know there is something more to find, that there is something that we haven't found and discovered yet, something just beyond that beckoning horizon. If we didn't have that drive, we wouldn't be alive. We would end. Another word for all of this, is hope"
"Horned Serpents are connected to that part in your mind that desires to know and learn more. If we didn't have that desire, we would never take a step forward into the future. We would always be stuck in one place, no matter what we would do. They favor scholars because scholars desire learning, just like Isolt Sayre herself did. So many parts of Ilvermorny are unexplainable, but in the end, we all will have this desire. The mind is what hearkens to this. Not many of you may realize this, but the mind is one of the most amazing things in existence. In one part of your body, you find memory, personality, control, understanding, and everything that makes you, you. Again, if we didn't have that desire we would all be stuck in the Stone Ages, with no understanding of how beautiful and majestic the human race and the world we inhabit truly is" Fontaine finished.
"Ilvermorny is a family. Ilvermorny represents beautiful, true, and raw life"
UPCOMING CHAPTER: WHERE THE TRUTH LIES
Magical Creature Profile, The Tree-Squeak:
The Tree-Squeak is a weasel-like magical beast native to the northern reaches of Vermont, New Hampshire, and the southern reaches of Maine. Using its strong legs, it wraps itself onto trees, hardly ever touching the ground. It also has the ability to camouflage itself perfectly into the bark of that tree and then, as its name implies, it lets out a variety of calls from its perch, ranging from the whine of a panther, the squeal of a pig, and the roar of a large tree falling to the ground. This wide range of sounds that the Tree-Squeak can produce once made its vocal cords a useful ingredient in potions relating to speech. However, the Tree-Squeak falls under the Protection of Magical Creatures Act (enacted under President Seraphina Picquery in 1927), meaning that the Tree-Squeak's vocal cords are not used anymore in potions.