Ilvermorny, 1899
He felt bored. Horribly bored. Domestic teaching was so effective that from the first year, he took all textbooks with him from time to time, home and tirelessly learned from them. He wrote home assignments quickly, which was another reason for reluctance among students. Except for the narrow circle he helped. His cool calculating mind was able to feel who was just an idler which didn't want to sit over his books. There were also those who took everything possible on their back. Then they couldn't manage their time properly. He dismissed them. But there were those who really needed help but didn't dare approach him, mainly students from the parallel year and the younger ones. They sat at various tables in the library, or lurking on the stone benches in the forest. It didn't bother him. In the end everyone gathered up courage and came up. And he agreed to help. He saw shame on their faces. Shame they were not good enough in their skills to do the job. He helped them because he knew that pressure was exerted on many of them, as was exerted on him. To be the best. They were given some conditions and they desperately wanted to keep them. And though his plan was moving away in time, he didn't mind it. He wanted to help them, because he realized what could happen to them at home when their "shortcomings" were revealed. Despite the extra work, he didn't feel any challenge. And it bored him.
He lay sprawled on the grass along the stream. The water soothed his mind. With outstretched hand, he levitated small pebbles from the bottom and let them dance in the air.
- Magic without a wand ... the fifth year. You're two years ahead, smarty.
The stones fell into the water with a splash. Percival turned quickly, drawing his wands. This year he already took part in three duels and it wasn't even near Christmas.
- Easy, easy.
The girl who came up to him raised her hands in surrender. He knew her. She belonged to the Thunderbirds, they had together a transfiguration and potions class. She was doing well on both of them. Then why she was here?
- Can I? - she pointed to the stone lying next to him. He nodded, still not speaking, his wand twitching slightly in his hand. She pointed to it, sitting down.
- Extravagant.
- It's good. That's the most important thing.
- So you're talking! I thought you could only grunt and growl.
Percival put down his wand and sat back down on the grass, again wondering what the girl wanted. He knew that she would reveal it in the end, but he still thought about it. She was quite pretty for a thirteen-year-old with a few pimples on her face. Something was in her smile, which made him squeeze in the hole.
- I'm Esther - she reached out to him and he kissed her hand automatically. She laughed softly, but a blush appeared on her cheeks.
- I hear you're good in ... basically everything. The problem is that I'm hopeless in defense against dark magic. I heard that ... you can teach.
- Teach? I'm not a professor. I just share what I know.
Percival felt disappointed. He didn't know why. Esther turned her light brown hair over her shoulder and stretched out her legs in a long navy blue skirt. He saw black, long boots protruding from under the fabric.
- You know, I saw you like to stick with my boys. I mean, with the guys from my house. Why did you choose Wampus, if you could have Thunderbird?
- For practical reasons.
The girl raised a thin eyebrow, but shrugged.
- Keep your secrets. All in all it means that you will help me and we will take you to school in the reservation. We go there after classes. It's pretty cool, sometimes dangerous. You like adventures, don't you?
Percival considered the question. Actually, he could answer in the affirmative. But he hesitated.
- Okay, if you decide, let's meet in the dueling hall on Wednesday after the last class.
- Okay.
Esther smiled radiantly and kissed him on the cheek, disappearing just as unexpectedly as she appeared. The boy stared unseeingly at the surface of the water, smiling to himself.
Of course he came to the duel hall on Wednesday. The third graders could exercise in it, but Percival had the feeling that something was wrong. Esther was waiting for him. She stood in front of the wooden mannequin, trying to knock out his wand from his mechanical hand. Her face was all red. Percival stood behind her, putting a bag of books on the floor. The mannequin's hand bounced back from time to time, but then it returned immediately. The boy suppressed a laugh when it's arm finally fell off, still holding his wand firmly in his grip.
- If you're so smart, do it yourself.
- You're badly accented of incantation. And you are making too simple hand move.
Percival stood in front of the mannequin, muttering Reparo under his breath. When the hand came back, he pulled out his wand and said it aloud:
- Expelliarmus!
Esther tried to see the movement of his hand, but it seemed to her that she was doing the same. Of course, the imitation of the wand flew high, making a grateful bow, so that the boy caught her in his free hand.
- Show off.
- Come on, try it. You accent on "a", with your hand you make a short move and then turn around. No, not like that.
He took her hand in his, embracing her fingers. He showed how to move his wand and finally let it go, feeling as if his hand was burning. Esther concentrated, doing everything he was talking about. The third time she finally found the right move, and for the next 5 minutes the wand flew around the room. Of course, not once did she perform a graceful movement, flying into her hand. But finally she understood the spell. With joy, she squealed, hanging out on the boy, showering his face with kisses.
Percival stood stunned, his eyes closed, waiting for the mad girl to stop.
She pulled away quickly, pulling out watch from his navy blue waistcoat.
- Damn it! We have to go, the rest are waiting at the eastern tower.
She pulled him by the arm and after a while they ran down the passing, stopping only at the corner to the appropriate corridor. Five guys and one girl were standing by the wall. They looked up at them from head to foot.
- Hey, it's Big Percy. Essie said she would bring some Wampus!
Percival greeted three of his friends, with whom he occasionally wandered in the woods. One of the Thunderbirds knocked on a carefully selected brick, and after a moment a passage appeared in the wall through which they had to go on all fours. The corridor continued indefinitely, but when they finally reached the end, they were in the middle of the forest, not far from the Reservation. They carefully covered the exit and entered between the trees. Something flowed to Percival's head and back as if he had passed through a waterfall. The forest line ended up revealing the village with a stone building towering over it.
- Welcome to the Massachusetts Reservation!