The ripping winds and freezing rain assaulting her senses were the first feelings she had on her arrival to Mount Greylock, with a quick rummage through her expanded bag her fingers brush against the warm polyester of her rain cloak. Hermione fastens it and looks around the nature filled landscape, she had heard about a wizarding school in North America located near the mountain called Ilvermorny. She held her wand out with an attempt to locate nearby magical wards, her small grin vanishes as she's unable to feel anything.
Her eyes fall on a side trail leading up the mountain, confidence in her bag having all her camping needs, she ascends up the steep incline a few yards before transfiguring her trainers into dragonhide boots hoping that along with helping her climb up the boots will also be a small hint to others that she is a witch. After nearly half an hour of walking the rain and wind continue to soak into her cloak, with a quick flick she attempts a simple hot-air charm only for her to stand there waving her wand like a loon, a smile graced her lips as she continues up the mountain pass now the rain and cold bring only determination. The soft crunch of the hardened dirt start giving way for soft and wet mud, Hermione nearly stumbles as her boot sinks up to her calf, the grimey slime like substance feels like quick sand as she attempts to pull her boot out. With a loud sigh and a small mumble of "bloody hell."
She stowed her wand before bending over plunging her hands into the mud, untying her boot she wrenches her foot from its grasp and proceeds to take her other heavy boot off, discarding it in the dirt. Each step cold and grainey with the unrelenting rain, the steep incline, and Hermione swore she started to see snowflakes. Needless to say she was miserable, her fingers shook and her teeth chattered from the cold, time passed without much thought. Hours or minutes, she couldn't tell how long she had been scaling this thing, by the dried mud between her toes she guessed that the journey had taken about two hours.
As she passed an abnormally large rock untouched by the snowfall she started to feel warmth spreading through her, it wasn't the warm feeling of numbness descending on her, it wasn't natural warmth. With hope reignited she pulls her curved wand out and casts a quick scourgify after that a nearby mound of rocks becomes a pair of warm boots, slipping those on she cast another spell, a huge grin spreads across her face as she feels the presence of a disillusionist charm near the rock face.
With renewed vigor she jogs over to the wall and taps on it gently dispelling the illusion to reveal a small gateway leading into the mountain itself. With one step she finds herself on the other side, behind her a solid looking wall, in front of her lie an immense cavern with a castle lying perfectly in the middle of it all. As she walks towards the castle she makes it to the door right as it opens before her a witch dressed in long light green approaches her, the witches eyes spoke of countless battles one, the wrinkles accompanying them bespoke her age, along with the long ashen hair falling from her shoulder.
Her voice was flat and sounded of a grave. "Miss, are you lost? The school year is half over and you don't look like one of my students."
Hermione looked up at her, with a tinge of sadness, "Madam I'm from Hogwarts, or at least what's left of it. Our school was attacked by a pureblood fanatic, all my friends perished in the war and now nobody can stop him from hunting my kind and I down. Ilvermorny was the only place I could think to go to."
The older witch had a sad look on her face as she walked closer to the bushy haired student and put a hand on her shoulder, the silent look spoke volumes to the young girl.
"Little one my name is Corrigan Ivory, I am the headmistress at this school, I'm sorry if the journey here was hard, but we don't have the same benefits of our location that Hogwarts does, but it just shows your courage and resolve, it you would accept it you may finish your school year here, our new Dark Arts teacher will be here in a few days to finish the year out."
Hermione's eyes widened slightly at first at the prospect of actually graduating from a wizarding school, her thoughts darkened as she heard that the dark arts were being taught here.
"Madame Ivory do you believe in blood purity?"
The question was laced with a hint of fear, the older witches head turns slightly sideways.
"This school was founded on the principles that any and every being who can perform magic is allowed to learn how to control and harness it."
"But why teach the dark arts then?" Hermione quickly interjected.
"Well we can't say we are unbiased if we limit what can and can't be learned, that is how evil is made. Ostracizing someone for their want to learn is exactly what this school is against. Along with the fact that if dark magic is used against you, you will know how to defend yourself while also being able to respond in kind. We teach equality here, if someone attacks you with a killing curse, should you stun them and wait for them to get up and cast the same curse again?"
Hermione could feel how strongly this woman felt on the subject and thought best to herself to just agree regardless of her own opinions.
"I see and understand your reasoning Headmistress, I would love to have this opportunity, do you have the same housing as hogwarts?"
A smile graced the wizened woman's lips as she led Hermione deeper into the cavern, stopping in front of four large stone statues she moves hermione forward and steps back a few paces. Hermione looks up at the strange rock carving, noticing the large bird, then a horned serpent with crystal eyes, along with a small humanoid looking creature with a bow and a quiver of arrows, and finally a sleek panther statue. While gazing at the carvings she notices that the thunder bird stands and beats its wings towards her while the serpents crystal eyes glow a deep green.
She turns towards the older witch again confusion blatantly gracing her features. "I'm assuming those are the four different houses, what I don't understand is how I was selected by two of them?"
"We believe more in choice then the opinions of sentient rock, yes you are limited by those that chose you, but very seldom are cases where only one house chooses a student, you may even have traits from all four, who am I to decide for you which traits you embody the most?"
Hermione feels taken back by the implications and slightly upset of the memories of a certain headmaster that took a fair amount of her choices away. "Well what do the statues and houses mean exactly?" Hermione asks now eager to learn more about this school and their traditions. (A/N This next line is a direct quote from J.K Rowling about Ilvermorny.)
"It is sometimes said of the Ilvermorny houses that they represent the whole witch or wizard: the mind is represented by Horned Serpent; the body, Wampus; the heart, Pukwudgie and the soul, Thunderbird. Others say that Horned Serpent favours scholars, Wampus, warriors, Pukwudgie, healers and Thunderbird, adventurers." (Rowling)
The headmistress says always happy to regale an eager mind. "Whenever you are ready just point to the statue you share the most with and we will get you new robes and a class schedule befitting of a seventh year."
Hermione looks up at the statutes again. 'Well I believe I am more of a scholar in most aspects of my life, but I am just not a fan of snakes and recently my days have been filled with more adventure.' Her left hand raises and she decides her house for the school year.