Neville, Kellen, and their Gryffindor friends made their way back down to the Great Hall for lunch.

Everyone but Kellen started munching away, but Kellen scribbled furiously away on parchment.

"Aren't you hungry, Kellen?" Neville asked in between bites of his sandwich.

"Not really," Kellen replied softly. "I promised Anastasia that I'd owl her to let her know we got here safely."

"Tell her I said hello, and that I miss her," Neville added.

Kellen nodded. "Will do."

A few minutes later, Kellen went over the letter he wrote to make sure he didn't make any spelling or grammatical errors.

"4 Oct 1992

Dear Anastasia,

Neville and I got here late last night - all in one piece. I would have written earlier this morning, but I spent most of my day socializing. I'm really not used to it but I suppose that it's nice that people actually want to talk to me.

You were right, my Ravenclaw cousin Desiree was very happy to see me. She got to meet Neville too. I'm sure she would love to meet you sometime as well, she's a very nice and very smart girl just like you.

I finally got to meet Neville's friend Hermione. She is a very nice girl, and extremely intelligent as well. I admit I was a little nervous about meeting her after hearing what Professor McGonagall and Neville said, but after talking to her for three hours we found that we do have quite a lot in common. She's a cute girl, much prettier than Neville said, plus her hugs... well, I know it sounds weird, but they remind me a lot of the way you hug me.

I also played chess with Neville's friend Ron - he beat me, by the way - and got to meet the famous Harry Potter. They're both very friendly and I think you'd like them a lot too.

I plan to study with Neville after lunch, and spend time with my new Gryffindor friends. I hope you're doing well. I can't wait to see you. Neville sends his regards as well and can't wait to see you either.

Love,

Kellen Grimseth"

Kellen was about to fold the letter up and put it in an envelope when he heard a high pitched squeak.

"Do you mind if I take a look?"

Kellen turned to his left and saw Hermione grinning.

"I suppose not," Kellen said. "I read what you sent to Neville so what's fair is fair." He handed the letter to Hermione.

A few seconds later, he saw her cheeks turn bright pink. She then gave him a funny look.

"You misspelt 'socialising' - did you know?" She made her signature "know-it-all" face, by scrunching her eyebrows and the bridge of her nose.

She then smiled. "I'm just playing with you, Kellen. I had to give you a hard time about your American dialect. It's truly a nice letter you're sending her, and I'm flattered that you think of me the way you do."

Her smile faded a little. "Your penmanship though... it leaves something to be desired. Block lettering? I expected better of you."

Kellen arched an eyebrow. "Hey, I'm a guy, I don't write pretty like you do."

Hermione shrugged. "Harry's a boy and he has good handwriting. Yours is shockingly barely better than Ron's."

Ron shot Hermione a quick glare.

Kellen smirked. "I knew I had to disappoint you at some point." He gave her a little squeeze.

Hermione giggled. "Hug me, for real. I want to know how yours feel."

Kellen gave her a full, but gentle hug. "Do you like that?" he asked.

"I do," she replied. "I like the way you hold me. You're soft and gentle, but strong at the same time..."

"You've never had a farm boy hold you before, I take it?" Kellen asked.

Hermione shook her head 'no'. Her warm brown eyes met his blue-green ones. She smiled at him, he returned the smile.

Ron rolled his eyes. "Get a room, you love birds."

"Do you want me to show you to the owlery after lunch, Kellen?" Harry asked.

"Oh yeah, that would be awesome," Kellen replied. "Do you have your own owl?"

"I do. Her name is Hedwig," said Harry. "How about you?"

"I like that name, Harry. I also have my own owl, her name is Imogen," answered Kellen.

"That's a very nice name too," said Harry. "Give me just a few minutes to finish up and we'll go to the owlery."

Kellen nodded. "Sounds good to me." He looked at Neville. "Would you be okay getting started on our schoolwork by yourself? I won't be long. I'll meet you in the common room if that's okay."

Neville shrugged. "I guess... what should I start with?"

"Something that doesn't require ingredients or items we don't already have. I hate to bother Professor Goode or Professor McGonagall on their off days," replied Kellen.

"History of Magic it is, then," sighed Neville.

"Works for me. Remember to use the Feynman method on me when I get back," Kellen said.

Hermione's eyes widened. "Feynman method? I'm not familiar with that."

Kellen smiled at his new friend. "It's the "teach it back" method. It's what's made Neville a good student, he listens to the lecture or goes through the material and summarizes it for me like I have never heard it before. He's really gotten good at it."

Hermione performed a rather dramatic face-palm. "Why didn't I think of that?" she asked, mostly to herself.

"Have you tried helping Neville with his studies?" Kellen asked. "Like, seriously tried?"

"A little bit, but not really," replied Hermione. "We weren't especially close..."

"Don't kick yourself," Kellen said gently. "Neville respects the mess out of you. He told me a lot of good things about you when he visited Ilvermorny last spring."

"Neville more than respects you, Kellen. He thinks you hung the moon." Hermione smiled wistfully at her friend. "I'm... a little envious of your gifts."

Kellen gave Hermione a friendly, reassuring smile. "And I envy you. You're incredibly bright, but you're still a normal girl. Normal in the sense that you can deal with your emotions instead of just bottling them up, you understand social norms, you don't spazz out like I tend to do. I'd take your gifts over mine in a heartbeat."

"I'm finished, Kellen," Harry said. "Ready to go?"

Kellen nodded.

"Thank Merlin," Ron said. "I was getting a little tired of all that swot-speak."

Kellen placed the letter in the envelope and sealed it. "Let's go, Harry."

Harry and Kellen left the Great Hall to visit the Owlery.

"I'm impressed, Harry. I didn't make seeker until this year. You must really be gifted," Kellen said.

"It was more of a case of being at the right place at the right time," Harry replied. "This git named Draco Malfoy stole Neville's Remembrall last year during a flying lesson, and he threw it straight towards Professor McGonagall's window. I had to hop on my broom to retrieve it."

He smiled at Kellen. "I thought I was going to get into some serious trouble when she grabbed my hand... I wasn't supposed to take off like that, you know. But she had a rather curious expression on her face... she instead sent me to see Gryffindor's captain, Oliver Wood, to personally train me."

"I like your Professor McGonagall," said Kellen. "I can tell that she doesn't put up with any nonsense, but she is a very kind and reasonable witch. I'd be happy to have her as an instructor."

"That's how I feel about her too," Harry said.

"Would it be okay if I practiced with the Gryffindors this week? Or at least observe them?" Kellen asked.

"I don't have a problem with that," Harry replied. "But I'm not the one you should be asking. Oliver is our captain, you can ask him tomorrow afternoon when we practice if you'd like."

"Works for me," Kellen said.

Meanwhile, Neville started going over his History of Magic school work. He had to lug Kellen's heavy bag to the common room as he had all the books.

Hermione and Ron sat next to Neville.

"Wow, Neville, this is rather different than what we learn at Hogwarts," Hermione noted. "Much more American-centric for sure. If you want to try the Feynman method on me until Kellen comes back, I'll be happy to help."

"Sure, let me finish these next couple pages and I'll try it," agreed Neville. "I don't speed read like Kellen can, so it might take a minute."

Neville smiled at Hermione. "Thank you, by the way."

Hermione returned the smile. "You're welcome, Neville. I'm really sorry I wasn't more helpful last term. Maybe you would've stayed..."

"It worked out for the best," Neville said sincerely. "Ilvermorny is home. It's the right fit for me. Even my Gran is happy for me."

"I know, Neville, but I still feel awful knowing I could have been a better friend to you." Hermione started to sniffle slightly.

"I don't really think much of what happened last year. You're being a real friend now. That's what's important to me, Hermione," replied Neville. "I've missed you terribly. Harry and Ron too. But you three fill my mornings with joy when the Ilvermorny school owls deliver mail."

Hermione giggled. "Oh, Neville. You're picking up that wretched American dialect. A few short months ago you would have said 'post'. Don't worry, I won't hold it against you."

Hermione grabbed Neville's hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. "I've missed you too. But you're so different than you were before last spring... you're better with your schoolwork, you're less shy and awkward, you even look a little more athletic... how did that happen?"

Neville grinned broadly. "Ilvermorny has a mandatory physical training class Monday through Friday, at 6:15 in the morning. We alternate days - we run one day, and do calisthenics the next... I still hate running but I'm in better shape than I've ever been..."

Neville rolled up his sweatshirt sleeve to reveal some real muscle definition.

"I'm glad we don't have to work out like that here," Ron said. "My brain hurts enough as it is, I don't need to have the rest of my body ache."

Hermione squeezed Neville's exposed bicep. "Wow, Neville... I'm really proud of you. You do look like you've been getting in shape lately."

Neville beamed. "Thank you! Ilvermorny's motto is 'sound body, sound mind'. They take it seriously over there, and I really didn't want to end up in their remedial program. So far I'm doing well enough to avoid that... oh, I still need to finish these last couple of pages first so I can teach it back to you. Won't be long."

"Anastasia should be getting the letter in a few days," Harry told Kellen.

"Magical owls can travel surprisingly fast," Kellen said. "Faster than no-maj mail."

"No-maj... that sounds familiar. That's the term Ilvermorny uses for Muggle, is it not?" Harry asked.

"Correct," Kellen confirmed. "Neville's getting pretty good at code-switching... he's used to North American terminology now. I think he does it to try and fit in more than anything, but even if he tries to stick to his English roots I still think the world of him."

Harry chuckled. "I noticed his accent is a little different. He still sounds largely English, but some of the words he uses are North American. I know what he's saying, but it just sounds a little funny is all."

Kellen smiled. "My mother's British. I've been exposed to British culture my whole life. This isn't my first time in the U.K."

"I was about to say, your dialect is very unusual. It's not British, but it doesn't sound typically American. If I didn't know better, I would have guessed Canadian, but from what I recall, you're from... Michigan was it? I'm sorry, I don't know all your states. It started with an 'M'. That's all I remember from what Neville told me," replied Harry.

"Close," Kellen said with a grin. "Minnesota."

"That sounds familiar. It gets brutally cold there, doesn't it? I mean, even colder than here," Harry replied.

"Minnesota winters are no joke," Kellen said. "It's cold, but the wind can approach hurricane-level speeds. The temperatures can be minus thirty degrees Centigrade. Sometimes worse."

"So I take it you're no-maj born then," Harry deduced.

"I am, Harry. And honestly I wouldn't have it any other way," Kellen said with a smile.

"I'm born to wizards, but I grew up in a Muggle home. They were not very kind to me, I'm afraid. I would have loved to have grown up with a family like yours. They sound wonderful," Harry said.

"My family is very much work hard, play hard. There is always lots of work to be done on the farm, but we always make time for family as well. My father is a farmer through and through, and my mother is a veterinarian that specializes in livestock, but she looks at cats and dogs too."

"They sound truly wonderful," Harry said. "I'm a little jealous."

"If you want to visit my farm next summer, just owl me," Kellen said. "I'm serious. We'd love to have you."

"That's a very kind offer," Harry said. "I may have to think about that."