A/N: WHEW at last this is ready to go! Hope you all have had a good start to 2023. This one is slightly shorter, but next chapter may be a bit longer.
When Harry opened his eyes after the portkey transportation was complete, he instantly looked around. They were finally in the USA! The surrounding horizon was mostly all spread out below them - and Harry realised they must be in a mountainous region. That's probably right, he thought, all the pictures of Ilvermorny have it look like it's on a mountain. It was quite early morning here, for there was a stunning sunrise which made the sky look a mixture of pink and orange.
"How far a walk is it to the school, Sirius?" he asked his godfather.
He heard Sirius laughing. "Oh Harry, I think you and the girls ought to simply look behind you."
He practically whipped his head around and was stunned. There, barely four hundred metres up the wide mountain path, was Ilvermorny School of Magic. It was a marvellous sight; from here, its stone looked granite grey, and if Harry remembered his history right, the place had originally started as a house that expanded more into a castle the more it got popular. There were also walkways, and towers that seemed to soar into the clouds above them.
"Good to see it's not changed since I left." Hunter Martinez, one of the aides, said, looking at the school that had been his constant home for seven years until the summer.
Gareth Jones, the Head of the International Relations Department, was smiling as he ushered the group to start moving. Harry glanced and saw that Amelia and Dorea were very keen to get to the school, as they moved forward almost instantly. He couldn't blame them.
He got talking to Hunter again, as the other aides seemed to be keeping to themselves. "I'm sure the Headmaster will be grateful for one familiar face."
Hunter smiled. "Yeah, I suppose so. I was Head Boy of my house - Wampus, in my final year."
Harry got curious. "Wampus, eh? Hmm, what sort of traits and characteristics are associated with that House?" He wanted to know if it was equivalent to any of the four Hogwarts houses; and it kept the conversation going.
"Well, we're kind of known to produce warriors, if that makes sense. Though all four Houses are said to actually represent different parts of the body. If I remember correctly, I think Wampus represents the heart." Hunter answered.
"Warriors have to be brave… which is a Gryffindor trait." Harry deduced.
They stopped in front of the gates and it did not take long before they were admitted inside. They then walked towards the front entrance to the building. Harry took a moment to set eyes on the statues of Isolt Sayre and James Steward, - the founders of the institution, both of which flanked the front door.
The front doors opened, and a male individual strode out to meet them with a smile on his face. "Welcome, my friends!"
Gareth Jones and a few of his colleagues stepped forward to greet the man. "That's Agilbert Fontaine, he's the Headmaster." Dorea whispered to him.
He chuckled. "Should have known you'd have done your reading on him."
After Professor Fontaine was introduced to the delegates from the Department of International Magical Cooperation, he then moved forward to be introduced to the rest of them. The man's eyebrows shot up when he realised that Sirius Black was among their travelling party. Sirius is internationally known?! Harry was surprised, for he just assumed that his godfathers 12 years in Azkaban were only known Britain-wide. That got him thinking - were he, Amelia and Dorea the same? Were there people their age wishing that they had the chance to meet them?
Harry cleared his throat and stood up straighter when the man got to him. He politely smiled and held his hand out. "I'm Harry Potter, sir, Sirius is my godfather."
Professor Fontaine didn't freak out, to his credit. "Ah, the man, the myth, the legend, as they say! I am honoured to meet an individual such as you, Mr Potter. You have no idea how many of my students wish they went to Hogwarts."
Harry couldn't help but side-eye the man when, upon being introduced to Amelia and Dorea, kissed their hands. He supposed it was actually a common greeting, especially when greeting a lady. He knew Theo and Fred would probably be giving the man a filthy look if they were here.
It seemed that it took until now for Professor Fontaine to just realise that one of his old star students was with them, for he made a loud, delighted sound as he went to grasp hands with Hunter Martinez. "Your old boy and your uncle said you were working in the UK, but I thought they were gloating!"
Hunter grinned. "They were probably exaggerating my job though, sir, I'm not quite solving international conflict just yet!"
After that brief reunion and greeting the last of the aides, the Headmaster finally led them inside. "This quick tour will not take long, as I know you'll all be wanting to get your bags off your backs and cases packed away. My Deputy Headmistress would be here meeting you all, but she's currently in a meeting with the local natives," when the man said that, Harry noticed he mock rolled his eyes, which caused a few of them to giggle knowingly, which he found odd. He glanced at Amelia and Dorea, and they were feeling the same, it looked like.
They got led into what looked like an entrance hall, and when they entered the room, they walked out onto a balcony which seemed to run around the whole room. Harry looked down below, and saw four large wooden carvings that represented each of the school's four houses - Horned Serpent, Wampus, Thunderbird and Pukwudgie.
"This is where the rest of the school stands as each first year student gets Sorted down below. Each first year is called individually to stand on the symbol of the Gordian Knot, and what happens is that either of the four enchanted runes will light up, and that's how their House is chosen." Professor Fontaine explained.
They all listened avidly. Their tour only took about an hour overall, and Harry couldn't wait to have time to just wander round and explore the place. His number one place to visit would definitely be the creature reserve - where a whole load of magical creatures were. It was the last place on their tour, and it was outside, roughly the same walking distance that Hagrid's Hut was in proximity to Hogwarts. Except, the reserve was huge.
It wasn't just an enclosure area for creatures. There were different parts to it - grasslands, lakefronts, dark forests, woodlands, mountainous, desert dunes… too many to count. Different creatures dwelled in the different parts depending on what their preferred climate or environment was; for example, they had a Bowtruckle in the woodland area, a Thestral (supposedly) in the dark forest, and a Grindylow in the lakefront. It was also where students came for their Care of Magical Creatures lessons, and supposedly they even had students volunteer to take care of different creatures during term time.
"That's a pretty smart idea," Amelia whispered to him as they were walking between the grassland and the woodland area, "I'm sure there would be plenty of Hogwarts students that would take part in a creature care volunteer type programme. Liz Tuttle, for example. I'm sure it would lessen Hagrid's workload too."
"There's an idea for sixth year, then. You could even start it up, like I did the DA." He smirked at his twin.
"I'll have a think about it." was all she said, smiling knowingly.
When they got back inside the school proper, they were then shown to the wing of the castle where they would be residing. The staircases at Ilvermorny were non-complicated, which Harry liked - there was no worry of stepping on the wrong step, or the staircase moving out of place at the wrong time.
Professor Fontaine pulled a scroll of parchment from his waistcoat pocket. "Right, this is the lobby to the wing… Ok, Mr Jones, I have you in the Steward suite - that's the furthest room down the corridor and to the right. Patricia Pugh and Edward Ross, you two have your own individual rooms down the same corridor, but in rooms 21 and 23 respectively." Gareth Jones nodded his acknowledgement, as did Patricia and Edward - who both were specialists in Security and Information at the Ministry.
"Your aides each have their pick of any room they want down that same corridor. Now, let's see… Mr Black, you and your charges are down this left corridor, with your choice of rooms." Professor Fontaine continued. "I invite all of you down to the Dining Hall for lunch at twelve p.m. Hopefully, my Deputy will be out of her meeting by then and you can meet her too. If you need anything, feel free to contact the school's pukwudgies, for they are our staff here."
With that, everyone seemed glad to be given some free time. Sirius wandered over to them. "Let's get settled in, then."
Harry chose a room which had a view of the front of the school. There was a fireplace, already lit, and it gave the room a very cosy feel. He took his shoes off and immediately placed his bag and trunk down. He wondered what the dress code for this lunch would be as he got his smart clothes out and hung them up in the wardrobe provided so they wouldn't get more creased.
After a brief unpacking, he sat on his bed for his stay (which felt like a soft cloud), and got to thinking. He really wanted to explore more of the school - most notably, the outdoors part, and the library too. It was a shame, really, that school was out for the summer, as he would have relished in meeting Ilvermorny students and making more friends, as well as learning more about what the school was like.
He explored the bookcase that was in his room, and found a few small reads about the school - mostly how the days were run, exam arrangements, and the subjects. He was surprised to see a subject called Xylomancy offered, though he deflated a bit when he realised it was similar to Divination.
After finding a leaflet about the different quidditch teams in the USA, he made a discovery that the Fitchburg Finches, who were a team from this state (Massachusetts), practised here once a week - on Wednesdays, which was tomorrow night. He wondered if maybe they'd be allowed to go and watch them and possibly meet them.
Just as he was pondering if they were actually allowed to wander the school and explore it for themselves, he heard a knock at his door. He went to open it, and saw it was Dorea and Amelia. "Did you hear the Headmaster say if we're allowed to walk around? Because I certainly didn't." Dorea asked him.
"He didn't say, I don't think, but maybe we should just assume that we are allowed?" he replied.
"Well, I want to explore, rather than be stuck in my albeit lovely room until lunch. I wonder if we're allowed to go see some of those creatures? Or go to that room where they hold a Duelling Club? That would be cool." Amelia said, and seemed very impatient to go.
"Let's just go and ask Sirius," he decided.
Sirius seemed laid-back. "I don't see why you wouldn't be allowed. It's not like the schools in a dangerous warzone. Have you heard any of our travelling companions come out of their rooms down the corridor?"
"I think I heard a door closing and people talking, but that's it." Dorea said.
"Well, I say explore. I think the Canadian's will be arriving in an hour, and their tour of the place will probably take the same amount of time as ours did, so there's that I guess." Sirius said, gesturing to them to go and have fun.
"Oh, also," Amelia said before they left Sirius's room, "did anyone else find it odd how Professor Fontaine sounded a bit dismissive when he mentioned the 'local natives'?"
Sirius nodded, as they all did. "Yes. Apparently the closest native tribe to Mount Greylock is the Wampanoag, or the Pokantoket as they are also known. Not sure what they would be meeting about, though."
It was all a bit strange to Harry, but he brushed it off and got ready to go and explore with his twin and godsister.
They would only be here for three days, which meant that Dorea wanted to squeeze in as much exploration of this place as possible. When they closed Sirius's room door behind them, they looked at each other and grinned giddily. Now was their chance to explore this great school.
They followed the lobby and took the staircase down to the ground floor. It seemed they were all in agreement that the outside was their biggest priority to see.
"I wonder if we're allowed to see the Quidditch pitch? And the changing rooms?" Amelia voiced when they got outside.
"I was thinking that too." Harry said.
They meandered over to where the Quidditch pitch was. Though the pitch and stands themselves were open, the changing rooms were locked, as was the shed where it seemed the equipment was stored. Just as they were about to start walking to the creature reserve, they heard a voice. "Morning, folks!"
They turned, and saw a girl that looked similar in age to them. Dorea wondered if maybe there were students staying here for the summer. "Morning!" Dorea called out for them, and Harry and Amelia followed suit.
"Are you the visitors from Hogwarts?" the girl asked, stepping closer. She certainly looked Native American, and was wearing a long-sleeved, mid-thigh tunic dress, accompanied with leggings and knee-high country boots.
"We are, - well, there's more of us than this. We're among the few non-adults," Amelia said, chuckling.
"I'm Aquinnah," the girl said, stepping forward to introduce herself, "my father is the gameskeeper here at the school, we live just on the other side of the forest area of the creature reserve."
Dorea remembered she had seen a house in the distance when they were getting a tour of that area. "Well, we're honoured to visit such a place as this," Dorea started saying, and then remembered, "I'm Dorea Black, and these are my god siblings - Harry and Amelia Potter."
Aquinnah gasped. "No way!" Then she looked closer and saw Harry's scar. "Oh my, it is you! I thought the Headmaster was joking!"
They all smiled. After some of the starstruckness left Aquinnah, she talked again. "Have you guys gone to see any of the creatures yet?"
"We were just on our way to go see them," Harry said, "on our tour, we didn't have time to actually go and see the creatures."
"Well, just so happens I've been asked by my dad to feed our chimaera, so I'm heading there too. Could get you introduced to some of the creatures." Aquinnah said as if owning a chimaera was a normal, everyday thing.
"Woah, you've got an actual chimaera?" Amelia blurted out, looking in amazement.
"Yeah! He's called Ollie, affectionately. He lives in the dark forest." It was Aquinnah's turn to giggle. Dorea almost laughed at the sweet name of Ollie being given to something as temperamental as a chimaera.
"Well, let's go!" Amelia said enthusiastically.
As they walked down to the reserve, they got talking to their new acquaintance. "What year are you in?" Dorea asked.
"I'll be a fifth year student after the summer. Quite excited, though it's the year where things get serious - finals and all." Aquinnah replied.
"We'll be sixth year students when we go back to Hogwarts after summer, so we've been there, done that." Amelia added, smiling knowingly.
"So, because your dad is the gameskeeper, does that mean you know every single creature that lives here?" Harry asked, with curious wonder.
"Yep!" Aquinnah replied, grinning, "it's truly quite thrilling, as it's not everyday you get to pet things ranging from a Bowtruckle, to a Porlock, to an Abraxan, to a Norwegian Ridgeback."
All three of them had their mouths hanging open - it seemed like every magical creature in existence was available here. Not even Hagrid could get something as large as an Abraxan or a dragon to reside on the grounds of Hogwarts.
They made their way to the dark forest, where Ollie the chimaera lived. From the entrance to it, it only took about three minutes to make their way to the section of the forest where Ollie resided. Aquinnah rather boldly called out the chimaera's name, as the beast was supposedly hiding away further in the brush.
They could hear some rumbling in the distance, and about a minute later they saw the creature. Ollie the chimaera looked rather suspiciously at them. "Once he learns that you three are with me, he'll relax." Aquinnah stated. Dorea hoped that was true - as right now, the chimaera looked rather standoffish.
The girl produced some raw meat from a feeding bin nearby, and Ollie chomped it down rather eagerly. After he was fed, he did seem to relax some more, as he sat down a few feet away from them.
They made their way out of the dark forest and made a quick journey to the area that replicated desert dunes, where Aquinnah said she had a surprise for them. There they met a giant dung beetle (though it wasn't the most friendly), Charger the Graphorn, who seemed to be very sweet after they were introduced to him, and Morning the Opaleye dragon (Amelia seemed to gush and be simultaneously gobsmacked when she realised that Ilvermorny had one of these exquisite dragons). Though they only saw Morning's head; for the dragon's wings were shielding its body in the way it was sitting, it was wonderful to meet and lay eyes upon a dragon such as an Opaleye. Dorea could see why she was called Morning - for she was the shade of pink that you would see in an early morning sunrise.
"So, what's your surprise, Aquinnah?" Harry had asked.
The girl grinned. "Perhaps one of my favourite creatures of them all is kept here."
Dorea looked around. "But surely, there's no more that live in this area? I don't see any more, which must mean we've met them all?"
The girl gestured behind her. "You see those steps behind me? They lead up a narrow path to a cave that hosts another creature. One that is a legend in some other Native American cultures. A Thunderbird lives here."
Their mouths were hanging open in realisation. Now this would certainly be a highlight of their trip, and it was only day 1!
"If we go to see him, we can't startle him. One flap of his wings will cause thunderstorms." Aquinnah said. "But because he knows me and trusts me, he'll not feel threatened. Once I know he's settled enough, I'll call you guys forward to see him."
They nodded in understanding. They started walking up the steps and stopped when they got to the top. Then Aquinnah strode forward into the cave and called out something gently in her native language. The Thunderbird must've been situated very close to the cave mouth, for they heard his squawk in response, and it sounded very close.
They waited a few minutes before they heard Aquinnah say they could come. Dorea braced herself; this creature was so legendary that not even renowned Magizoologists had the chance to meet. She knew it would be magnificent to experience, and she didn't want to mess it up.
Her god siblings let out a "wow" at the sight, and she couldn't blame them.
Golden in colour, with a slightly brown underbelly, the Thunderbird had molten amber eyes. Its six wings varied in size - the largest pair being the ones closest to its head, and its tail, although curled slightly as it was resting, seemed to be split into two.
The creature did eye them and let out a rumble, although Aquinnah kept talking to it, and it seemed to understand somehow. Though it kept looking at them, it seemed to be more and more unbothered by the minute, until it eventually curled its head and went back to sleep.
They were speechless as Aquinnah came back over to them, and she grinned. They made their way back to the school proper after that, a fitting conclusion.
As they walked across the grounds to the front entrance, they noticed some people leaving. Aquinnah provided more insight. "Some local tribe chiefs."
"The Headmaster said on our tour that his Deputy was in a meeting with some local natives." Harry said.
"Yeah. If previous meetings are anything to go by, nothing has probably been achieved." Aquinnah said, a bit bitterly.
That spiked their curiosity. "Why's that?" Amelia asked, as they slowed their pace a little bit.
"It's a bit of a long story. Basically, some of the natives in the USA that are magical, want some changes to Ilvermorny. Some of these changes include the houses in this school - there's a history with each of the creatures that represent the four houses - Thunderbird, Pukwudgie, Wampus and Horned Serpent, in native culture. We want them renamed to something that doesn't appropriate our culture. The use of these folklore creatures lacks accuracy and proper understanding. That's just one of the things we wish to change. I'm kind of involved with it, as are some of my friends. My dad too. But the Headmaster isn't all he likes to say he is - he and the board of governors say they'll look into things, but they probably laugh after we leave the room."
Dorea followed along, and could see why natives would be angry about that. It made her think twice about the pukwudgies that apparently served as staff in the school. She wondered if they mirrored house elves in that they were made to serve.
Aquinnah perked up a bit when she saw her father, and skipped towards him. As they walked forward to meet the man, Dorea had a thought - what if they could help in some way? What if there was a way to aid the girls - and the other local Wampanoag - in their cause?
When they were back inside, she would tell Amelia and Harry of this. But for now, they were to be introduced to Aquinnah's father, the gameskeeper.