That afternoon, Neville and Kellen returned to their dormitory to pack their bags for their trip to Hogwarts. They were going to leave on Saturday – less than two full days away.
"I hope I have enough personal clothes to cover this trip," Neville said.
"I have some shirts you can borrow if you need them," Kellen offered.
"It's not shirts or pants I'm worried about, it's socks and underwear," Neville clarified.
"Oh," Kellen replied. "I don't think I can help you with that. Do you have any money? Boston's got a really nice airport, they have stores where you can buy essentials like clothing and toiletries if you're short."
"A little," Neville said. "Wait, do you mean no-maj money? I don't think I have any of that."
"I have a few dollars you could use," Kellen replied. "Or, better yet, I'd talk to Professor Goode about that tomorrow when we meet up during our free period. I'm sure she's probably got that sort of thing covered."
"I'm a little embarrassed to bring it up," Neville muttered. "Shirts and pants are one thing, but socks… and especially underwear… I mean, I'm not sure I'm comfortable mentioning it to her."
"Neville," Kellen said as he placed a hand on his friend's shoulder. "You can trust Professor Goode with anything. Besides, it's no different than saying you forgot your toothbrush. She really cares about you, man. She'd probably appreciate it a lot more if you told her tomorrow when there's time to take care of it, instead of on Saturday when we've already left."
"I s'pose you're right," Neville sighed. "In some ways, she's much easier to talk to than Old Professor McGonagall… don't get me wrong, I miss her, but Professor Goode is way less… uptight, and she's much easier on the eyes. Though I guess Professor McGonagall must have been youthful and maybe… hot at some point way back when."
Both boys laughed at the thought of Professor McGonagall being a younger, attractive witch.
The next day, the boys reported to Professor Goode's office to pick up their coursework for the week.
Professor Goode greeted the boys warmly. "Good morning, gentlemen."
"Good morning, Professor," the boys said.
"We've done some packing last night," Neville said with a rather sheepish expression on his face, "though I'm not sure I have enough to last the week. Socks… underwear, that sort of thing."
"I'm glad you've brought this up now, Neville," Professor Goode replied with a smile. "Why don't you write down your sizes on this parchment, and I'll make sure that you have plenty of garments to cover the trip."
She looked at Kellen. "Would you be okay with Imogen making a special delivery for Neville at dinner this evening?"
Kellen nodded. "Imogen is as much Anastasia's, or Neville's owl as she is mine. That's perfectly fine."
Neville quickly wrote down the sizes on the parchment, and discreetly returned it to Professor Goode.
Professor Goode thanked Neville as she took the note from him. "Is there anything else you two might need before the trip? If you need a few minutes to think about it, that's fine. We can re-visit at the end of our briefing."
"I think we're okay, but I suppose something may pop up, Professor," Neville said.i
Professor Goode nodded. "Very good, Mister Longbottom. Now, as I mentioned yesterday, you two are going to be responsible for making up some classwork. I know Mister Grimseth can do this in his sleep, but I still expect you to assist Mister Longbottom as will need more time to process the material."
"What about potions ingredients, and objects for charms?" Kellen asked.
Professor Goode smiled. "Simply bring your textbooks, and seek myself or Professor McGonagall out for any materials, as needed. We will gladly procure them for you. If you'd prefer, Kellen, why don't you just bring your textbooks? I don't see why you can't share them, it's one less thing for Neville to worry about."
She then handed each of the boys a parchment with a list of classes, and what they were to complete during the week.
Neville's eyes widened. "Merlin's beard, that's quite a bit," he murmured.
Professor Goode smiled. "It looks much longer than it really is, Neville." Her smile broadened. "I promise. Just do a little bit each day, and you'll be done by Friday afternoon."
"Remember the Feynman method, Neville," Kellen suggested.
Professor Goode smirked. "So is that the secret sauce that you provided Mister Longbottom?"
"Yes, I think it's helped him tremendously. It's really useful for classes where memorization is more vital, such as Potions or History of Magic," replied Kellen.
"That's the "teach-it-back" method, if I remember correctly," Professor Goode said softly, perhaps even to herself.
"That's the one," Kellen confirmed. "Neville's gotten quite good at it, too."
"I'm glad to see that you found something that works for your friend. He's almost doing well enough to be eligible for the Quiz Bowl. Maybe if he keeps it up, he may want to try for the team next term. I'm pleasantly surprised with his progress."
"He is a bright boy, Professor," Kellen said. "He's gifted differently than I am, but he is gifted nonetheless. You should see his prowess in Herbology. I swear he's the true resident Herbology expert between us."
"He's getting very high marks in Herbology, Mister Grimseth, you're right. But you've been literally perfect in all of your classes. I was tempted to make an exception for you last year, and ask you to join the Quiz Bowl as an alternate, but even with my position I don't have enough pull to make that happen."
"Perfect?!" Neville cried out. "I knew you were smart, Kellen, but whoa…"
Professor Goode smiled gently. "I know this much, Mister Longbottom. Mister Grimseth is undoubtedly Ilvermorny's most talented pupil in a generation. Likely several generations. I am beyond lucky to have a wizard of his magnitude study here. He'd likely break many academic records at any wizarding school, and that includes Hogwarts."
"Ana says that he might be the most talented wizard since Merlin," Neville said.
Professor Goode's smile broadened. "And I'd know better than to argue with Miss Harrison. Mister Grimseth not only has nearly an inconceivable intellectual aptitude, but his thirst for knowledge is nigh unquenchable. He supposedly has an intelligence quotient of a hundred and eighty five, which is extremely high on its own, but based on my own observations, I personally find that to be somewhat of an underestimate. I would wager it's in excess of two hundred. He's going to do great things, that I have no doubt."
"He's a very unique boy," Neville said. "I've never met anyone quite like him. He's super smart, but he's also so kind, and he can be very brave too. I'm glad he's my friend."
"Unique is a very succinct way to describe him, Neville. Ilvermorny will be very different without him when you two are at Hogwarts next week. I can only hope that the students and staff at Hogwarts see him as the same positive bundle of energy that he is, he's happy-go-lucky, he's always willing to help, and he's such a gentle soul. I'm sure he'll make a positive impact before he leaves."
"Question," said Kellen. "Are we responsible for physical training? And what about quidditch practice?"
"You are excused from both, Mister Grimseth," Professor Goode replied.
Kellen nodded. "Would it be possible to practice with the Gryffindors?"
"I'm not sure, Mister Grimseth. We may need to bring that up with Professor McGonagall and the Gryffindor team captain when we get there. Their seeker is Harry Potter, who is very gifted in his own right, and I'm not sure if they want another seeker practicing with them, even if your intentions are honorable. So I cannot guarantee they'll let you practice, but I don't see why they can't let you at least observe."
"I guess that would be okay," Kellen said. "And I have heard of Harry Potter, he must be extremely talented as he made seeker as a firstie. That's virtually unheard of."
"Yes, Professor McGonagall has gushed about how talented this Mister Potter is. He sounds like a tremendous young man, and I can't wait to meet him… with that being said, that is all I have for you until tomorrow. Were you able to come up with anything else that you might need for the trip?"
Kellen's cheeks turned slightly red. "Umm… I don't expect this of you, but if Neville and I are going to be taking someone to Hogsmeade Station next Friday… I could use some, umm… cologne."
Professor Goode giggled. "You're still a couple months away from thirteen, Kellen… are you absolutely sure?"
Kellen's cheeks turned a deeper red. "Umm… yeah. Calvin Klein Obsession, if you can find it… I'd really appreciate it."
Professor Goode handed Kellen the parchment, still giggling. "Write it down then, Mister Grimseth. I can't promise anything, particularly since it's no-maj, but I'll see what I can do."
She then cocked an eyebrow. "So that's what my olfactory senses detected in the spring…"
Kellen smiled. "Guilty as charged, Professor."
Professor Goode tried to stifle another giggle. "All right you two. Off you go, then. I'll see you both later on. Have a good rest of your day!"
"See you later, Professor," the boys replied.
That evening at dinner, Imogen arrived with a small package.
"I wonder what that's for," Ana said softly.
"Last minute necessities for our trip tomorrow," replied Neville.
"We've done a fair bit of packing already, we just have a few more items to go, plus text books," Kellen said.
"So are you actually going to class at Hogwarts?" Ana asked.
"Nah, we're studying on our own. Professor Goode gave us a list of what we need to go over while we're at Hogwarts. She says it's not as daunting as what she wrote down, but maybe she had Kellen in mind when she said that," Neville said rather dejectedly.
"She also said we really should work together, Neville," responded Kellen. "I know I can probably get a week's worth of classwork done in forty five minutes, but I'm not going to let you fall behind. We'll take as much time as needed to ensure you get the material."
"At least I don't have to carry a bunch of heavy books," Neville said with a hint of relief. He smirked at Kellen. "This guy gets to do the heavy lifting in that department."
"A few extra pounds of books isn't a big deal, Neville," replied Kellen glibly. "I've done quite a bit of farm work, you know."
"Will you see us off tomorrow, Ana?" Neville asked.
Ana nodded. "What time does your flight leave tomorrow?"
"It leaves at eleven, so we'll need to leave immediately after breakfast. In fact, we may have to cut it short," Kellen answered.
"And of course I'll see you off, even if it's at three in the morning," Ana replied. "I'm going to miss you, but at least it's just a week, so I think I can hold the fort until then."
"I wish you could come with us, Ana. I think you'd like Hogwarts. You're so bubbly and upbeat, there isn't anyone there that wouldn't like you," said Neville sincerely. "Except for maybe a lot of the Slytherins, but they're sort of the black sheep of Hogwarts anyway."
"And I'm sure I'd like it there too, Neville," responded Ana. "I'm sure I'll get a chance to visit sometime, but just not now. At least you and Kellen are in the same year, you have that going for you. I don't have that luxury being a third-year."
"I'd love for there to be some sort of inter-school event where Hogwarts and Ilvermorny both participate," said Kellen. "Apparently they don't have a Quiz Bowl at Hogwarts, that's utter balderdash."
"Perhaps someday," thought Neville. "And too bad we don't play them in quidditch. Maybe we could arrange an exhibition match sometime?"
"I'll talk to Professor Goode sometime," Ana volunteered. "If we could generate enough interest, I think that could be possible."
"Our schedule is already set though," Kellen interjected. "Logistically speaking, it's more likely to happen next year, at the earliest."
Ana nodded in agreement. "Yeah, trying for an exhibition this year would be a pipe dream, but I'll ask Professor Goode soon. It would be fun playing a team from another school."
After dinner, the boys went up to the Horned Serpent dormitory to finish packing.
Kellen opened up the package that Imogen had dropped off.
"Let's see... six pairs crew-cut socks, six pairs of whitey tighties, and a one ounce bottle of C.K. Obsession. All right!" he yelped with excitement.
He tossed the socks and underwear to Neville.
"Mind if I use a spritz or two of your cologne Friday night?" Neville asked.
"I don't mind," Kellen replied as he started piling schoolbooks into his suitcase.
"Let's see, let's see," Kellen said under his breath... "Yes, my lucky bookmark. Can't forget that!"
"What do you need your lucky bookmark for, Kellen?" Neville asked innocently.
"Well, I figured I'm going to need some reading material, and while enlightening, I'm not desperate enough to bring a college calculus textbook or some Encyclopedia Brittanica volumes, so I suppose an adventure novel, or some science fiction will do quite nicely."
Kellen opened up his second-from-bottom drawer and thumbed through what appeared to be many dozens of novels. "Sword of Shannara, Chronicles of Prydain, The Hobbit... hmm... ahh, Dune! That'll be a good one. And maybe some Asimov for light reading, too." He grabbed couple of Foundation volumes.
"Oh, I'm sorry Neville. Would you like to borrow one of my books?" Kellen asked politely.
Neville threw Kellen a rather dubious look. "I dunno Kellen, they sound rather advanced. Is there anything that a 'differently talented' boy like myself would actually enjoy?"
"Umm... I think so. The Hobbit's a pretty easy read, I'm sure you can handle it," Kellen suggested. "And Neville, you're truly smart. I'm only trying to help you expand your horizons a bit."
"Ehh, if you say so," Neville replied with some skepticism.
Kellen continued to thumb through his personal library. "You don't sound very sure, so I guess you want something even easier this time?" he asked.
"Probably," replied Neville, unsure of his capabilities as a reader.
Kellen smiled and shook his head. "You're sounding like Old Neville again. Where's your sense of adventure?" Kellen finally stopped and found the perfect book. "Ahh! Chronicles of Narnia. Perfect," Kellen said with a note of pride. "This'll be right up your alley," Kellen said with a smile. "The first volume of the Narnia series is the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. I guarantee you'll like it." He handed the book to Neville.
"I think that one will work. Thanks, Kellen," Neville replied appreciatively.
It wasn't long before the boys were completely packed and ready to go. They got changed into their pajamas and in spite of their excitement, were able to drift off to sleep.