A/N: Alright, a couple of things here. First off, welcome and thank you for at least giving this story a look. Secondly, this is my.. I don't know, sixth attempt at a Harry Potter story, and the first using the now expanded upon North American Wizarding school of Ilvermorny. This story is being written with whatever information I can gather about the school and its functions as best I can, which is somewhat limited at this point. Third thing, I know how much the Harry Potter community in general actually hates the term No-Maj, but since this is an America-based story, I must be politically correct with the terms as much more normal it feels saying Muggle. Fourth and last thing, if anyone looking at this knows my old Harry Potter attempts that are still around in case I decide to go back and try finishing any or all of them, then story aspects and plot lines used there will be reused here in a more functioning story beginning from Year One and not Year Seven then going back just to expand on it.
Crap, one last thing. I like criticism, but please don't be an asshole. I am actually putting in effort to make this as unique as I can while still using elements that exist and filling information gaps in along the way. With such limited knowledge about the full inner workings of Ilvermorny, I can only do so much outside of guesswork. First few chapters might be a bit slow to both release and pertaining to plot due to current workings of what I should do, so suggestions are welcome. If used, I will give you a shoutout. Also, the students don't get their wands at the school (if anyone finds a problem with that) because after Rappaport's Law was repealed, it made more sense to me that more current day Wizards would get their wands in similar manner to other parts of the world. Now, please enjoy.
Prologue
Ilvermorny
Nick Negron had always known something was not quite what others called 'normal' about his family. In all of his almost eleven years of living, there had been circumstances that, to his opinion on the world outside his family's home in Crystal Springs, seemed improbable at best and fantastically impossible at worst.
For instance, Nick witnessed none other than what looked to be a Gremlin (from one of his favorite movies that were older than he was) not only enter the laundry room opposite his old playroom, but exit holding what must have been a part of the washing machine. He only figured that out as the washer began malfunctioning and his mother ran into the laundry, waving what looked like a stick and mutter something along the lines of 'Damned creatures!'. That was when he was four.
When Nick was seven and his younger sister Kari was three, he watched his mother shoo off what looked like a ghost from his sister's cradle, explaining it to the young boy that it had in fact been an angel, and children's eyes could see them due to their innocence. She also said that not all angels were friendly, watchful spirits.
Then, on his tenth birthday, Nick watched as a strange snake slithered up to him and actually spoke to him, to which he figured he could speak back. Upon finding her son speaking to the odd snake which Nick had never seen before or since the encounter, his mother brought him away and scolded him, warning him to never even attempt to speak to another snake again. She told him it was highly looked down on, but Nick didn't know why that was. Until his eleventh birthday came around, and his mother would be forced to tell him the truth about himself..
Crystal Springs, June 18th, 2003..
Nick Negron woke up on his eleventh birthday, happy and unable to wait for what it would hold for him or whether or not his mom had gotten him the gift he had asked for. What he hadn't been expecting was the letter that sat at the table where he sat every day for meals. He picked it up and saw a wax stamp on the back, the insignia of a tied knot, a Gordian Knot, his mother had called it when he asked about the small plaque that hung in the living room. On the other side, it said in blending blue and cranberry red:
Nicholas Celdonia Negron
25 West Cord Road
Crystal Springs, Arizona
Nick was confused as to who could have sent him the mysterious mail. "Mom, what's this about?" He asked, flashing it to his mother.
Cordelia Negron turned around from washing the pan from breakfast and gasped as it fell thankfully into the sink. "Damn! I should have figured they would know. Nick, there's something I should tell you."
Now more confused, Nick furrowed his eyebrows at his mom. "Like what?"
Sighing, Cordelia smiled as Kari entered and sat down. "Our family is different than others. You must already know this to some degree from talking to that snake last year." She said the word with venom, but it came out more as a sigh of discomfort. "Our family is Magical, Nick. That is your letter to attend America's Wizarding School, Ilvermorny."
It took a few seconds for Nick's mind to click with exactly what his mother was telling him. When he realized, his eyes widened to the size of saucers. "You mean.. I'm a wizard?"
Cordelia nodded, smiling at her son's enthusiasm. "Yes, you are. Well, not until you graduate in seven years. But, it's best not to tell just anyone. We live in a mostly Magical community, but there are some No-Majs around."
"No-Maj?" Nick asked, tilting his head to the side. "You mean, non-wizards?"
"Yes, such a quick study you are. I hid the truth from you, and by extension Kari, because there was a war in Britain not long ago among it's Magical residents, and I moved here in fear of such a similar thing happening. Especially since Auron Sayle was assumed dead just over ten years ago. But, that isn't what's important. What is important is that since your letter has arrived, I can only let you choose whether you attend or not."
"Of course I want to go! But.. Will anyone else there be able to talk to snakes?"
Cordelia frowned. "I don't know, sweetie. I told you then it wasn't something to boast about. The ability to talk to snakes, which you will learn eventually is known as being a Parselmouth, is very rare and more usually associated with Dark Wizards. But, I'm sure it isn't all biased. Now, eat your breakfast. After, you can open your letter and we can go shopping for your supplies."
"Supplies? But where are we supposed to get Magical textbooks and the like?"
"Oh, the Magical portion of the mall, of course. Wizards learn how to adapt with the times, lest the Salem Trials happen again." Taking this as an acceptable answer, Nick nodded and began eating his breakfast.
An Hour Later, Crystal Springs Mall..
Cordelia lead the way into the mall, Nick trailing close behind with seven year old Kari gripping her brother's hand. Nick didn't dare ask anything until the family had arrived at the three elevators, the one on the right being broken with an 'Out of Order' sign on the door. Nick watched his mom take out the stick he saw her use now and then, probably her wand, and tap the broken elevator door three times. The door seemed to shimmer before revealing it was in fact in working order. "Come, children. Vertic Alley, only stop this elevator goes, awaits."
As the three stepped into the elevator, Nick took a look at the list of things he had to pick up. It read:
Every student must come to Ilvermorny with each of the following supplies:
UNIFORM-
-Three sets of plain work robes (blue and cranberry).
-One plain pointed hat (blue and cranberry) for day wear.
-One pair of protective gloves (Dragon hide or similar).
-One winter cloak (blue and cranberry with gold fastenings.
COURSEBOOKS-
-Chadwick's Charms by Chadwick Boot.
-A National History of Magic by Pharrah Wingwood.
-Magical Theory by Adelbert Waffling.
-Beginner's Tranfiguration and its Uses by Kingsley Morrel.
-The United States Book of Magical Herbs and Fungi by Nora Lambert.
-Magical Potions and Draughts for Everyday (and Not so Everyday) Use by Willow Gargleheim.
-Compendium of North American Magical Creatures and Their Habitats by Newt Scamander (also known as Fantastic Beasts Vol. II).
-Protecting Yourself Against Dark Magic by Polly Grendar.
OTHER EQUIPMENT-
-1 Wand.
-1 Cauldron (Pewter, Standard Size 2).
-1 Set Glass or Crystal Phials.
-1 Telescope.
-1 set Brass Scales.
Students may also bring, if they so desire, an Owl, Falcon, Cat OR a Toad.
Parents are reminded First Years are not allowed their own Broomstick.
The page was signed by an Agilbert Fontaine, the apparent Headmaster of Ilveymorny School. Cordelia had told him the man was very kind, and treated each and every student he taught like they were his own children.
When they stepped out of the elevator, Cordelia gestured around to the huge second mall hidden away within the No-Maj Crystal Springs Mall. "Welcome, kids, to Vertic Alley, a single mall that connects to every secret elevator entrance in America. When I was a teenager, and even today, they call this place the Wizarding Mall of America."
"Wizarding Mall of America? And there's a way here from every 'broken'," Nick used air quotes for that. "Elevator in every mall across the country?" Cordelia nodded. "Where is this mall actually located, then?" Nick asked, genuinely curious.
"I couldn't tell you. The true location of Vertic Alley is a closely-guarded secret known only to top brass in the MACUSA, or the Magical Congress of the United States of America. Now, let's be on our way to Powell and Union, our local Wizarding bank for the money you'll need. Wizards don't just use American dollars. Instead, we use money similar to dollar bills called Dragots."
Nick took all the information in, making sure to not forget so he knew what he was talking about later on.
Powell and Union Savings, the American Wizarding Bank, was located at the back of the mall, where one would normally find such stores as Macy's and Sears. The entrance looked like something out of a European movie, straight with white marble columns that stretched from floor to ceiling. Walking in, the Negron family were met with a man wearing what looked like an old hotel bellhop uniform. "Hello there, and welcome to Powell and Union. My name is Luke Jensen and I shall be assisting you in your banking needs today. To what does the prestigious bank owe for your visit today?"
Cordelia smiled at the man. "Hello, Luke. We're here to withdraw some Dragots for my son. It's his first year at Ilveymorny this September."
Luke beamed towards Nick. "Wonderful! Ah, to be young again and revisit those old halls. Come right this way to my desk and we will get you straightened out." He gestured to a desk not far away and lead them there to complete their withdrawal.
Not ten minutes later, Nick and his family exited the bank, turning down one hall. "Next, we'll pick up your schoolbooks from the bookshop, The Magic Quill. They also carry No-Maj books that you might like, Nick. I know how much you love to read." Nodding with a smile, Nick and his mother and sister made their way to a bookstore that obviously had more books than room, as judged by the books strewn about the place any and everywhere.
As the trio entered the book store, Cordelia turned to Nick. "I'll get your books for school, go have a look around for anything else you might like. Meet me and Kari up at the register counter in a half hour."
"Got it, mom." Nick said as he walked off down one aisle of countless books, both Magical and not.
Nick quickly found several books that seemed interesting to him, picking them off the shelves as he continued his way further into the book store. Looking towards the higher shelves for anything interesting, he forgot to look where he was going as he suddenly hit someone, sending them both to the ground.
"Oww," Whined the other person, a girl from her voice. "That really hurt, you know."
"Ah, crap, I'm sorry. I was too busy looking at.. The.." Nick stopped short as he saw the girl he had bumped into, amazed by how cute she was.
The girl stood a few inches taller than Nick, with dark red hair and eyes a shade of purple that Nick knew wasn't natural but was still mesmerized by all the same. She pouted, looking angrily at him. "Looking at what? Huh?"
Nick couldn't stop himself from laughing. "The books, of course. This place is amazing. It's my first time here in Vertic Alley. I'm sorry I bumped into you." Nick rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "I'm Nick. Nick Negron." He greeted her, putting his hand forward.
The girl continued to pout angrily at him before sighing, taking his hand with hers. "Saryna Halliwell. I guess just don't do it again. You starting at Ilvermorny in September, too?"
"Yeah, I'm excited for it. It was nice meeting you, but I have to go find my mom so we can pay and get on with my shopping. See you at Ilvermorny." He said as he turned away.
Saryna was obviously surprised by the kindness given to her from the boy but decided not to show it as she gave a small smile. "Yeah, I have to get back to my sister, too. Bye, Nick." She turned to go the other way back through the aisles.
Two Hours Later..
Nick looked at the cage in his hand with the young Falcon perched inside it. With a wide smile, he covered the cage with the tarp he was provided with. The Menagerie worker had told him it silenced the bird to outside ears, so No-Majs wouldn't realize he was carrying what was technically an illegal pet.
"So, mom?" Cordelia turned to her son. "How do all the students from across North America get to the school?"
"Well, to get to Ilvermorny, all the students both new and old are told to meet outside a No-Maj cloaked abandoned school somewhere near their homes. An official MACUSA Wizard or Witch meets them and leads them to the basement, where the students are sealed into the room and then- using Magic- are teleported to a cavern at the base of Mt. Greylock, where the school is located. It may not seem the most ideal in a world full of technology, but it's the easiest way to get Magical students from not only the USA but Canada and Central American countries, all of which are within the sphere of coverage that is Ilvermorny's student body."
"Really? That's awesome. Like that old movie The Fly, but without the horrible aftermath."
Giggling, Cordelia nodded. "Only you would compare it to that movie. Oh, your father would have loved to see the young man you've already become."
"You and dad were both Ilvermorny students, right?" Cordelia nodded. "What Houses were you both in?"
Another laugh. "Oh, well.. Your father was in Horned Serpent, whereas I was in Thunderbird." Cordelia looked lost in reminiscence before she remembered something the practically ancient wizard who ran the Vertic Alley Wand Shop said to her. "Your wand, Nick. Did the man at Founding Father Wands tell you anything about it?"
Nick nodded slowly. "Yeah. He said it had multiple cores mixed into one, something about an experiment that went wrong in his opinion. He told me my wand had passed through countless hands without being chosen and he was thinking of scrapping it until it chose me. He said it had the tip of a Horned Serpent horn, a Rougarou hair and a Thunderbird tail feather. He said that if it chose me, then I have a great destiny or something like that."
"Hmm." His mother hummed. "Well, either way you slice it, that wand has some serious power built into it. Please promise me you'll be careful when using it. Powerful wands can still backfire when used even in the hands of a seasoned sorcerer."
"I promise, mom. Can we go home now? I'm beat from all this walking and excitement."
Cordelia laughed as she nodded once again. "I bet you are, sweetie." With that, the family of three all left the Crystal Springs Mall to make their way back home.
Two Months Later..
By the end of July, Nick had decided that something had to be wrong with him. His reasoning being that ever since the trip to Vertic Alley and his meeting Saryna Halliwell, he had been having what seemed like visions of the girl, or at least someone whom he suspected was Saryna.
The most haunting vision had come far and few between, but it still seemed to haunt him with it's vividness:
It was dark, the middle of the night somewhere else in the United States. Nick could only watch as the front door of a single house was blown right off its hinges, splinters scattering all over the ground as the back wall then collapsed. Screams could be heard followed by two flashes of sickly green light. Then a third flash followed by total silence other than a baby crying. As just a spectator of the scene, Nick felt himself fly through the house and coming face-to-face with the screaming infant, a girl whose eyes changed color in front of him from cerulean blue to a familiar electric purple before the scene vanished totally.
The first time he had seen that moment from what he could only consider Saryna's past, he had asked his mother. "Is there a spell that could affect someone enough to change their eye color?"
Cordelia had almost dropped the plate in her hand just as she had done when Nick had gotten his Ilvermorny letter. "What makes you ask something like that all of a sudden?"
Nick was reluctant to divulge exactly what he had seen, but he never lied to his mother. "Well, when we were at Vertic Alley, I bumped into a girl who had these, I don't know, mesmerizing purple eyes. Since then, I've been seeing visions of her, and one in particular has I guess her old house being blasted to bits and then I see this girl as a baby and her eyes change from blue to the purple she has now. I'm just trying to make sense of it."
Cordelia had smiled at her son. "I see. Well, that kind of Magic is usually associated with Dark curses, and if I didn't know any better you've been seeing the night Auron Sayle was presumed killed. That would mean, by my knowledge, that this girl you met would happen to be one of the Halliwell sisters."
"Yeah, it was. She seemed nice, though. I feel sorry for her, obviously losing her parents that night with only her sister to fall back on. It's tragic."
"That it is, sweetie. Never lose that morality, Nick. It's what truly makes you such a good kid. Now enough about tragedies of the past. Eat your breakfast."
Now, it was the end of August, the start of term at Ilvermorny just days away for Nick. As he leafed through one of the books he had bought, the infamous volume Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander, he found his thoughts drifting towards Saryna as they often had. Being honest, Nick had developed a sort of crush on the girl, hoping they could be friends in school due to his curiosity about her.
It was during one of these times of drifting thoughts when his mother decided to come into his room. "Nick, honey?"
Shaking himself out of his thoughts, he looked at her. "Yeah, mom?"
Cordelia smirked. "Can you take Kari over to Jen's house? I was going to but something came up from work that I have to take care of."
"Yeah, sure. I got her."
"Good. And, focus on your sister, please. You may be young but you're a boy, and I know where your thoughts keep going."
Nick blushed at his mother's inclination, as correct as it was. "Mom!" Laughing, Cordelia left her son's room to allow him to get ready to walk his sister the few blocks to her friends' house.
A Few Days Later, Crystal Springs Preparatory School (Abandoned)..
Cordelia had just dropped Nick off at the drop-off point for his first year of school at Ilvermorny. Nick looked at the foreboding abandoned building, an old closed-down school he had always heard had almost burned down in 1982. Swallowing what little pickle of fear he was feeling, he stepped closer to the building and found out the school hadn't burned at all. When he was steps away from the door, the building shimmered as he passed through a Magic barrier, the building now looking almost brand new in comparison to what it had moments before.
Entering the building, he followed several signs that lead him down into the basement. Upon opening the door to the basement room, Nick was surprised at the amount of kids and teens already there. What surprised him more was who came up to him once he was inside, his newly inherited luggage trunk (from his mother) dragging behind him. "Hey. Nick, right?" Asked Saryna Halliwell nervously as she rubbed one arm with her opposite hand.
Nick nodded, smiling. "Hi, Saryna. Good to see you again. You live locally?"
Saryna nodded. "Yeah, my sister and I moved here beginning of last year. It's the longest I've lived in one place so far."
"Because of what happened when you were a baby?" Saryna was going to ask how he knew but Nick beat her to the punch. "My mom told me about it. I don't judge. I'm my own kind of special case." He laughed.
Saryna giggled as well. "Oh, really? What makes you so special?"
Nick hesitated for a moment. "Well, I.. I can talk to snakes. Mom says I'm a Parselmouth."
"Really? That's rare, alright. Rare enough to make you an instant outcast. I guess us outcasts have to stick together then, huh? Friends?"
Nick smiled at not being judged by something he couldn't control. "Friends. I don't think you're an outcast, though. I think your eyes are pretty beautiful, even if they associate it with curses."
Saryna blushed, looking down. "Thanks." She muttered before another kid their age, a boy with wild brown hair stalked over to them.
"Well, if it isn't the cursed Halliwell." He looked at Nick. "Never seen you before. Name's Jack Looper, Pureblood Wizard. I'd advise you to stay away from this one, danger she is."
"Yeah? Well I don't care. Not about whether or not Saryna is cursed or about you being Pureblood. Magic isn't all about blood, especially seeing as how Ilvermorny was founded in part to a No-Maj."
Jack sneered at him. "Well, your loss. I only associate with people who care about their social positions."
"And that's a sad way to make any sort of connections. Good luck with that. Come on, Saryna." Nick took the girl's hand and lead her away from the pretentious boy.
Soon after, an older man in elegant dark red robes entered the room. "May I have your attention, please?" Every would-be student turned to face the man. "My name is Aurelius Dare, member of the Magical Congress of the United States of America, and I am here to whisk you all away to the meeting cavern of Mt. Greylock. Now if you all will gather closer to the center of the room, this spell can be a tad dangerous." The kids all moved closer to the center of the basement room as Aurelius took his wand out and, as he left the room, waved the wand.
The door slammed shut and everyone heard the lock click into place before they felt the room start to spin. Saryna instinctively grabbed the front hem of Nick's school robes as they got dizzy before the world went black.
Moments later, the kids and teens all reappeared in a huge cavern, groups of other would-be students appearing in the same way across the expansive space. Soon, the cavern was filled and the new and old students all began marching up the large natural-looking staircase that would hopefully lead out of the underground cave.
Once outside, a witch with robes the colors of the school was seen, a lantern in her hand. "First year students, follow me. Second year and above, make your way to the stables."
The large group separated into two distinct groups. The smaller and more obvious group consisting of the First Years like Nick and Saryna and the larger older group consisting of the elder students. The witch with the lantern turned away from the new students. "Alright, keep up. Starting next year, you will all be riding the school Aethenon carriages up to the school. For your first year, you accompany me up the stairs all the way to the castle to give the older students time to be present at the school before your sorting. I know what you are all thinking, and the way would be much longer if Magic wasn't involved. If you were a No-Maj climbing the steps to the top of Mt. Greylock, it could take you up to five hours to reach the peak. For us wizards to make getting to school easier, the stairs are shortened in a way. This way, it will only take us all only about an hour to reach the school and get you all sorted."
Following somewhat close to their guide, Nick turned to Saryna. "How do they sort the students?"
Saryna shrugged. "I don't know, never bothered to ask my sister. I know they use an enchanted witch's hat at Hogwarts in the UK."
"Really? That sounds oddly invasive." Saryna nodded as they trudged up the long stairway.
"Also, for anyone who may be wondering, I am Professor Gothi, Head of Pukwudgie House and teacher of your Transfiguration classes, as well as the Deputy Headmistress." Said the leading witch.
Soon enough, almost an hour later, the new students reached the crest of the mountain and, Nick for one, was amazed at the huge castle that sat atop Mt. Greylock. The children all marveled at the marble statues of Isolt and James Stewart as the huge stone doors opened to reveal a large circular chamber. On the walls inside the Entrance Hall were four huge wooden carvings of the Ilvermorny Houses. There was the Thunderbird, the panther-like Wampus, the Horned Serpent (which Nick now recognized as the very same species as the snake he had spoken to over a year earlier) and the goblin-esque Pukwudgie. In the center of the chamber was a Gordian Knot inlaid in the stone foundation.
Professor Gothi motioned towards the balcony walkway a story above, where the older students all stood leaning over the stone railing. "This is the Entrance Hall. Here, you will be sorted into one of the four Houses of Ilvermorny. Horned Serpent, for those of Mind, Wampus for those of Body, Pukwudgie for those of Heart and Thunderbird for those of the Soul. When I call out each of your names, you shall come to stand on the Gordian Knot in the center of the room. From there, one of the four House Carvings will choose you and you will go to join your Housemates up on the second floor. Paulina Avery!"
A girl with curly blonde hair stepped forward nervously, biting her lip as she stopped over the golden Gordian Knot. For a couple seconds there was silence until the Pukwudgie carving began to glow, pointing its arrow into the air.
Professor Gothi would also announce the chosen Houses as the students went to be sorted. "Pukwudgie! Galen Barrow!"
Next, a boy with shoulder-length black hair stepped onto the Knot, breathing in and out deeply in anticipation. Almost immediately, the Wampus carving glowed, a loud roar echoing through the Hall. "Wampus! John Beem!"
The next boy had rebelliously long brown hair and blue eyes that glowed with determination as he stepped forward. As one foot touched the Gordian Knot, the Horned Serpent carving glowed with the jewel set into its horn glowing brighter than the rest of it. "Horned Serpent!" Announced the teacher as she called out the next name.
As the students got sorted into the Houses, it seemed in the early callings that no House was playing favorites to get more members. It soon became time for Saryna to step onto the Knot.
Taking a breath before touching on the gold inlay, the Horned Serpent carving reacting, choosing the girl. Nick smiled at his friend and gave her a thumbs up as she made her way up to the second floor balcony.
By the time Jack Looper stepped up, Wampus had more chosen students, with Pukwudgie trailing behind. It wasn't very surprising to Nick that the ass of a boy was chosen by Wampus. Jack seemed like a bit of a thick headed guy who would rather fight than think his way through a problem. By the time it was Nick's turn, all the Houses had more or less evened out, with Thunderbird having just one more new student than the other Houses.
As he nervously stepped up to the Gordian Knot, he looked up at the other students and saw Saryna smiling and returning his earlier gesture to him. Smiling he stepped on the Knot, thinking he would join her in Horned Serpent. He was surprised, however, when the Thunderbird carving glowed, the figure beating its wings. Not deterred, Nick found the stairs up to the balcony and stood among his new House, with Saryna smiling as she found her way over to him and nudging his shoulder.
"I hope we have at least a couple classes together." She said.
"You will." Replied an older student, a Horned Serpent House member with short blond hair and charcoal eyes. "Horned Serpent and Thunderbird are paired together for most classes. I'm Tom Perry, third year." He held his hand out for the two younger students to shake.
Nick nodded. "Thanks for letting us know. I'm Nick, nice to meet you."
"And I'm Saryna. Pleasure." Smiled the girl.
The Sorting continued until the last new student, Elliot Zyne, was sorted into Thunderbird. As he joined the other students, Professor Gothi spoke up again. "Now, since we are all sorted, please follow your Housemates into the Dining Hall for the Welcome Feast."
The students all grouped back together and walked through a doorway on the right side of the Entrance Hall's balcony, descending a flight of stairs back to the main level. Entering the Dining Hall, Nick was surprised to see no ceiling, but rather a clear night sky like the one outside the castle. An older Thunderbird student, Laura Jones, saw Nick's look of amazement. "It's enchanted. It looks like the sky outside at all times, even imitates weather, although rain or snow don't reach the ground."
"Wow. That's really awesome." Nick said as the four Houses all sat at their respective tables across the Dining Hall. "Is it always so rigid at meals?" He later asked her, gesturing to the four different tables.
Laura laughed. "No, it isn't always separated. Usually at lunch, you're allowed to sit with whomever you want wherever you want, although most students like sticking close to their own House."
"I guess that's understandable." Nick said, glancing over to Saryna at the Horned Serpent table, now talking with a dark-skinned girl sitting next to her.
An older wizard stepped up to a podium at the front of the Dining Hall and addressed the students. "Welcome all new and old students to Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I am Agilbert Fontaine, your Headmaster. This year, I have only one announcement. Due to the increasing tension between the Magical and No-Maj communities, as this happens every so often, students are urged not to go beyond the borders of the Snakewood Forest to the East, nor the Western Polaris Lake past the Hedge Maze. Past those points, the Magical border is almost nonexistent and the chance of No-Maj discovery increases. With that said, I hereby declare this year's Welcome Feast, started." Waving one hand across the room, all the previously empty plates and platters on the House tables all magically filled with food of all kinds. Picking off the platters for his plate, Nick had a feeling he was going to truly enjoy his time at Ilvermorny School.
A/N: Well that concludes the Prologue. It was rushed, but I seem to find Sorting Ceremonies are drawn out a bit too much, so the other main group of characters will be introduced bit by bit over the next couple of chapters. In the future, longer chapters should be a thing.
Next Time: First Class, New Friends, and a bit of current day comedy (Gonna have to tune in to find out what I mean with that). Until then.