Professor Triton stood in front of the doors and said "The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your Houses, followed by wand selection. While you're here, your House will be like your family within Ilvermorny. You will have classes with the rest of your House, sleep in your House dormitory, and spend free time in your House common room.

"The four Houses are Horned Serpent, which represents the mind of the wizard and favors scholars, Wampus, which represents the body of the wizard and favors warriors, Thunderbird, which represents the soul of the wizard and favors adventurers, and Pukwudgie, which represents the heart of the wizard and favors healers. Each House has its own noble history and has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you're at Ilvermorny, your triumphs will earn your House points, but any rule-breaking will lose House points. At the end of the year, the House with the most points will be awarded the House Cup, a great honor! I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever House accepts you. Please follow me." He turned towards the doors and knocked three times. Suddenly, the doors swung open into a large, round, almost empty room. The students all walked into the room and looked around. In the center of the room was a Gordian Knot etched onto the floor. Surrounding it were four wooden carvings. Each statue depicted one of the four house mascots: the Horned Serpent, the Thunderbird, the Wampus cat, and the Pukwudgie. Brian could notice that there was a balcony on the next level that surrounded the hall. All of the first-year students were gathered on the edge of the room.

Professor Triton stepped forward holding a long roll of parchment.

"When I call your name, you will stand on the Gordian Knot in the center of the floor and wait for your house to select you," he said. "Let us begin with Anderson, Natalie."

A pink-faced girl with blonde hair would step onto the Gordian Knot. A moment's pause —

The statue of the Pukwudgie raised its arrow into the air! Students watching from the balcony would cheer and clap as Natalie would go to a door in front of her and enter the next room.

"Baker, William."

This time, the Wampus statue would roar, as would some students watching the Sorting Ceremony. House Wampus was happy to accept their newest student, it seemed.

"Bailey, Susan."

This time, two statues reacted; the Pukwudgie would raise its arrow while the gem Horned Serpent statue's forehead would glow. Susan selected… Horned Serpent. The Horned Serpent students were excited to see their newest member.

"Khanna, Rowan."

Rowan stepped onto the Gordian knot and waited. Two statues reacted: the horned serpent and the pukwudgie.

"I chose… Horned Serpent!" Said Rowan. The Horned Serpent students all cheered.

"Snyde, Merula."

Merula stepped on the etching; this time, the Thunderbird beat its wings while the Pukwudgie raised its arrow!"

"I pick Thunderbird!" Said Merula as the Thunderbird students cheered.

"Bank, Brian."

As Brian stepped forward, whispers suddenly broke out all over the hall.

"Did he say Bank?"

"The Brian Bank?"

Brian nervously stepped onto the Gordian Knot. He was expecting one, or maybe two statues to react… but all four statues reacted. The Wampus roared, the Horned Serpent's gem glew, the Pukwudgie raised its arrow, and the Thunderbird beat its wings.

"This is most certainly unexpected," said a voice. Brian looked and saw Agilbert Fontaine himself. He looked exactly like he did in his chocolate frog card; he wore his vested outfit and black robes with pride. "But it would appear that all four houses see something in you, Mr. Bank. The choice is yours and yours alone. Select your house."

Brian was nervous, to say the least… he looked at the four statues.

"I choose," Brian said before taking a deep breath. "...Thunderbird."

The Thunderbird students cheered on! Brian was led by Professor Fontaine to the door.

"Mr. Bank," Fontaine said to Brian, "I'm Professor Agilbert Fontaine, Headmaster of Ilvermorny. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"That feeling's mutual, Professor!" Brian said to him, smiling.

"I'm glad. Now then, through that door, you will choose a wand. Or, more accurately, your wand will choose you." Brian nervously entered the next room.

Brian looked at the thousands of narrow boxes piled neatly right up to the ceiling when another student approached him. This student was a 5th year student with light-brown hair, just like Merula's.

"Good evening," she said to Brian. "So, are you new to Ilvermorny too? Let's see if I can't find a wand that fits you best!" She looked at a nearby typewriter which began typing something by itself. "According to the records, your mother's wand was about 10 and a quarter inches long, slightly yielding, and made of Cherry wood and a unicorn hair core. Your father's wand, on the other hand, was an oak wand with a dragon heartstring core. About 11 inches. Oh, by the way, Ilvermorny teamed up with Ollivander's in the late 20th century, so no two wands are the same. Starting from your 3rd year, you can work here to earn extra credit and extra Dragots, by the way." Brian would notice other students in the wand sorting hall, either waiting in line, trying out different wands, or leaving with their wands.

"Let's get started!" She said, as she took a long tape measure with silver markings out of her uniform's pocket. Brian noticed an amethyst purple badge above her house patch. The badge appeared similar to a police shield badge, except it had the word "PREFECT" written above a golden Thunderbird with its wings spread out. "Which is your dominant arm?"

"Right arm," replied Brian.

"Hold out your right arm. Yep, that's it." Elizabeth took measurements, she said, "Every Ilvermorny wand has a core of a powerful magical substance. Ollivander's uses unicorn hairs, phoenix tail feathers, and the heartstrings of dragons. In addition, we at Ilvermorny use thunderbird tail feathers, wampus cat hairs, and shavings of the horns of horned serpents.

"That'll do! Now, let's see here… let's try this one first. Blackthorn and phoenix tail feather. Nine inches. Nice and flexible. Give it a wave."

Brian gave it a wave, but some papers flew off of the desk.

"Guess not. Let's try this one instead. It's Hornbeam with a dragon heartstring core. Eleven inches long. Inflexible."

Brian waved this wand and a vase broke!

"Definitely not." She took out a red box… "I wonder if this wand will work. Ash wood and horned serpent core, twelve and three quarters inches, unyielding."

Brian took the wand. He felt a sudden warmth in his fingers. He raised the wand above his head, brought it swishing down, and a stream of red and gold sparks shot from the end like a firework!

"I think we've found your wand! Finally," Elizabeth cried, "the Ash wand found its master! Ash wands are stubborn things; they cling onto its one true master and shouldn't be passed down.

"The wand chooses the wizard. Remember that." Brian noticed other students selecting their wands. Or, more accurately, the wands selecting their students. He also noticed some papers flying around the wand selection hall.

"Are those-?"

"Wand registrations? Yes, yes they are. A copy of yours will be sent to your mom. Speaking of which, you need to sign one." She gave Brian his wand registration, which he signed. Upon doing so, it folded itself up into a letter, ready to be delivered.

After being escorted to the Great Hall on the second floor, Brian and Merula sat next to each other at the Thunderbird table, while Rowan sat at the Horned Serpent table next to them. Brian could see the High Table; at the end nearest him sat Professor Drake. In the center of the High Table, in a wooden chair with a golden Gordian Knot, sat Headmaster Agilbert Fontaine himself.

"Welcome!" he said. "Welcome to a brand new year at Ilvermorny! Before we begin our banquet, I'd like to say a few words. In the words of the late, great Albus Dumbledore: 'Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!' Thank you. With that, let the feast begin!"

Everyone clapped and cheered. Brian didn't know whether to laugh or not.

"Is he — a bit… mad?" he asked Rowan, uncertainly.

"Mad?" said Rowan. "He's a genius! Best wizard in North America. Perhaps even the world! But he is a bit mad, yes. Potatoes?"

Brian's mouth fell open. The once empty dishes in front of him were now piled with food! There was roast beef, roast chicken, pork chops, smoked ribs, mashed potatoes, fries, peas, carrots, gravy, ketchup, and even hamburgers and cheeseburgers. As Brian got a plate with ribs, fries, and ketchup, he couldn't help but notice a few pukwudgies (the creatures, not the students in Pukwudgie house) looking irate.

When everyone had eaten as much as they could, the remains of the food faded from the plates, leaving them sparkling clean as before. A moment later the desserts appeared. Ice cream in every flavor you could think of, apple pies, cranberry pies, chocolate eclairs, donuts, Jell-O, rice pudding…

As Brian helped himself to a cranberry pie slice and placed some vanilla ice cream on it, the talk turned to their families.

"I'm a No-Maj-Born wizard," said Ben Cooper, a Wampus student. "Didn't even know I was a wizard until my 11th birthday!"

"What about you, Rowan?" Asked Merula.

"I'm a half-blood," Rowan replied, "but only because my folks are half-bloods. You?"

"I think either pure-blood or half-blood. Most wizards these days are half-bloods anyway, so I wouldn't be surprised if my mom was a half-blood herself. Dad's a pure-blood though, so…"

Brian, who was starting to feel full and sleepy, looked up at the High Table again. He watched all the teachers talk to each other.

At last, the desserts too disappeared, and Professor Fontaine got to his feet once more. The hall fell silent.

"Ahem — just a few more words now that we're all fed and watered. I have a few start-of-term notices to give you.

"First-years should note that the forest on the grounds is forbidden to all students. And a few of our older students would do well to remember that as well."

Fontaine's eyes flashed in the direction of Jacob Snyde.

"I've also been asked by William, on behalf of the pukwudgies working here, to remind you that no magic should be used between classes in the corridors.

"Quidditch and Quodpot trials will be held in the second week of the term. Anyone interested in playing for their House teams should contact Mister Storms. And while first-years are allowed to try out for their House teams, I personally don't recommend any first-years doing so.

"And finally, I must warn you that this year, the third-floor corridor on the right hand side is out of bounds to anyone who does not wish to die a very painful death."

Brian chuckled, but he was one of the few who did.

"He's not serious?" he muttered to Elizabeth.

"Probably," said Elizabeth, frowning. "He usually gives us a reason why we're not allowed to go somewhere — the forest is filled with dangerous beasts. Maybe he'll tell the prefects, the head students, and the student council?"

"And now, before we go to bed, let us sing the school song!" cried Fontaine. The students and teachers stood up from their chairs and prepared for the school song.

Fontaine gave his wand a little flick and a long golden ribbon flew out of it, which rose high above the tables and twisted itself into words. Following that, a thunderbird cawed, a wampus purred, the pukwudgies stomped, and the school began to sing, almost like an anthem:

"We stand as one united,

Against the Puritan.

We draw our inspiration

From good witch Morrigan.

For she was persecuted

By common wandless men.

So she fled from distant Ireland,

And so our school began.

Oh! Ilvermorny-Massachusetts!

We choo-choose it!

We choo-choose it!

The wizard school supreme.

Your castle walls, they kept us safe.

The days with you, a dream.

You taught us all our magic

And now one thing's quite clear

Where'er we roam

Where'er we roam

Our one true home

Our one and own

Is Ilvermorny dear!"

Everybody finished the song at the same time… and Brian couldn't help but shed a tear in his eye.

"That was beautiful," he said.

"You ok?" Jacob asked.

"Y-yeah. I'm fine. The song was just so beautiful…"

"Ah, music," Fontaine said, wiping his eyes. "A magic beyond all we do here. Well then, time for bed, everyone! Please follow your head students and prefects to your dormitories."

"You heard Professor Fontaine. Please follow us!" Elizabeth said, on behalf of the Thunderbird head students. And so, the Thunderbird first-years followed Elizabeth through the chattering crowds, out of the Great Hall, and up the granite staircase. Brian's legs were like lead again, but only because he was so tired and full of food. He was too darn sleepy to even be surprised that the people in the portraits along the corridors whispered and pointed at them.

"You might wanna be careful around the staircases. They can get pretty confusing," Elizabeth warned as they traveled up the grand staircase. "Anyway, here we are." The group was at the top of the staircase and saw a portrait of a thunderbird; the giant bird looked just like its carving; it had a head similar to that of an eagle, three sets of powerful wings, and had feathers that shimmered with cloud-like patterns.

Elizabeth reached out and touched the portrait… or, more accurately, the thunderbird's head. It gleamed as it seemed to recognize her and the portrait swung open, revealing a spiral staircase. They all scrambled up it and found themselves in the Thunderbird common room, a cozy, round room full of desks, coffee tables, and couches. In the center of the room was a large globe that showed locations both known and unknown to the No-Maj world. On the left and right side of the room were two elevators, decorated in an art-deco style, and in front of them was a large, round notice board. A place for everything and everything in its place.

Elizabeth directed the girls, including her own sister, to the elevators on the right side of the room while a male prefect guided the boys to the elevators on the left. The elevator rose to an upper floor —they were obviously in one of the towers —and they found their beds at last: a number of full loft beds hung with amethyst purple velvet blankets and curtains. Their suitcases had already been brought up. Too tired to talk much, they pulled on their pajamas and climbed into bed.

Perhaps Brian had eaten a bit too much, because he had a very strange dream. He was walking into a stone chamber with an underground lake… when he saw two giant serpent-like creatures fight. One had green skin and had large yellow eyes, while the other had black skin, horns, blue eyes, and a gemstone on its head.

"He belongssss to ME!" the green serpent hissed. "He is the descendant of my massster. Find me at Hogwartsss, dear Brian, and we ssshall purge it of all the filthy Mudbloodsss!"

"You're wrong, Basilisk!" The black serpent hissed back. "He may be Salazar's descendant, but he is not and never will be him! He is the descendant of Slytherin, I will acknowledge that, but is also the descendant of my friend: Isolt Sayre. I did warn her that until I was part of her family, her family was doomed. She heeded my warning, and her family survived. Brian is the ultimate insssult to your evil massster's legacy!"

"YOU LIE!" The basilisk hissed at the horned serpent.

"Your deadly eyes have no effect on me," the horned serpent hissed back.

Brian wasn't sure what to make of this… at all.