Alice sat quietly at the end of the table for a while.

Zander beside her—James, Rose, Tobias, and Lorcan across from them—all of her friends chatted and ate a spectacular dinner of fried chicken, green beans, and mashed potatoes, a few of the nearby Ilvermorny students sparing them a couple of interested glances as they did. The room was filled with idle chatter now, the headmasters and teachers all seated at their own table and enjoying dinner while a few pukwudgies marched about the main hall.

All the while—Alice continued gazing across the room, transfixed by the Goblet of Fire.

Only after her stomach rumbled did she tear her eyes from it, sighing and finally fashioning her own plate of food.

"This place is brilliant," Rose remarked, gesturing up to the many floating oil lamps with her half-eaten chicken leg. "Look—have you noticed? The athstetics are vaguely early-American rather than medieval. It's like Hogwarts—but with an entirely different cultural foundation."

"That's because that's exactly what this place is," James mumbled snidely, his mouth full of food. "Keep up."

"Yeah… and oil lamps existed in medieval times, didn't they?" Lorcan uttered. "Or maybe not. I don't know…"

"Can't imagine what other surprises this place has for us," Zander mumbled.

The person sitting on the other side of Zander—an Ilvermorny student, who had been laughing and conversing rather loudly with his friends for a while now—suddenly turned around in his seat, eyeing them all interestedly.

"Surprises?" the Ilvermorny guy said, raising his brows at them and smirking with a charming sort of crook in his smile. "Well, that all depends on what you'd call surprisin' here."

The entire Hogwarts crowd at the end of the table fell briefly silent for a moment, all staring at him with nothing to say. This Ilvermorny student appeared to be about their age, but dressed in the deep blue of Ilvermorny, slender and sleek with a smooth, narrow face to match, his sharp hairline reminding Alice of William, and his southern accent seemed to have thrown them all. He let out a laugh, combing his short sandy hairs back and turning to face them fully.

"Like—for example," he added, pointing directly above himself, gesturing loosely to all the oil lamps. "You find that surprisin'?"

Alice and Zander remained utterly silent, barely managing to trade a glimpse with each other. Rose's mouth drifted agape, and James nearly laughed, just barely managing not to. Tobias and Lorcan swapped looks before anyone spoke.

"Ve find it different is all," Tobias informed, giving the Ilvermorny student a polite little smile. "Hogwarts has candles."

"Ah… well, see, I would find that surprisin' if I went over yonder and saw that myself," the student replied with another faint laugh. "But that's 'cause I ain't used to it. Y'know?"

Zander turned to Alice, making a face and mouthing the word "Yonder?"

"Ahm… sorry," Rose finally managed to speak, trying to smile kindly to the stranger as well. "But what's your name…?"

"Name's Jeremiah," the student revealed, straightening up and offering his hand to everyone he could reach. "Pleasure to meet y'all."

Zander's face scrunched up again, facing Alice and mouthing to her a second time. "Y'all?"

After Rose leaned over the table and returned Jeremiah's handshake, she narrowed her eyes at his chest as she sank back into her seat, spotting something silver and shiny dangling from it.

Zander followed her trail of vision, seeing that Jeremiah wore a silver cross around his neck, just visible as it peeked out from the cranberry collar of his robe.

"Huh," Zander uttered, nodding once at the necklace. "That's, uh… not something I expected to see in a wizarding school."

Jeremiah glanced down at it, lifting it up and giving it a shake. "Southern by the grace of God."

Once more, the whole Hogwarts group at the end of the table exchanged faces with each other.

"Hm. Okay." James closed his eyes for a second, placed his hands together, and pointed them both at Jeremiah, ogling him with a bizarre expression. "I hate to be the one to point out the giant bloated troll in the room—but isn't witchcraft kind of frowned upon by Christians? I mean—how could you be both?"

"I'unno. Just am," Jeremiah said simply, raising his glass of water as if toasting the sentiment. "I've believed in God all my life—but I turned out to be magical too. I ain't one to argue with God's plan. I didn't make me this way—he did. So I reckon I can't be too damn wrong or evil, now can I?"

Yet again, everyone at the end of the table glimpsed at one another.

"And I can't think repressin' it is what I'm supposed to do—because we all know how that turns out," Jeremiah added. "Nah—I reckon I'll just have faith and stay the course, and whatever God's got planned for me will make itself plain sooner or later."

"Well… that's… surprisingly enlightened," Rose muttered. "I think…"

"This place has come a long way from the puritan times," Zander mumbled into his drink.

"People who hate on each other ain't got any kind of moral high ground," Jeremiah determined. "I'm not gonna pretend I know what the hell's goin' on with me or anyone else—just gonna wait and find out when my calling comes to me. And honest to God, that's all anybody can really do."

Alice nodded absentmindedly, her gaze drifting back to the Goblet of Fire again.

"But…" Jeremiah paused, smirking coyly and propping his arm on the table. "I'd be lyin' if I said I wasn't about to go lookin' for my calling now."

Everyone stared at him for a second.

Zander then leaned forward, studying him curiously. "You plan to put your name in the Goblet of Fire…?"

"Yessir," Jeremiah replied with a smile and nod.

"Yeah—and you're going dooown," another person chimed in—an Ilvermorny student seated just beside Jeremiah, planting his hands on his shoulders and sneering into his ear.

Everyone stared; this student was of similar height and build, but with neatly-cut blond hair rather than the messy sandy fohawk Jeremiah had, and he had a wide and mischievous face to contrast Jeremiah's slimmer and calmer one.

"Mhm—and we ain't impressed, fuck-nuts," Jeremiah chided, planting his hand directly onto the other student's face and slowly pushing him away. "So get offa me."

"No—nope—not until you introduce me," the other student mumbled into his hand. "Introduce me—introduce me—introduce me—"

"This is Theodore—but we call 'im Theo," Jeremiah explained, shaking Theo's face around as he spoke. "And this delusional New-Yorker here thinks he's gonna win out against me enterin' the Triwizard Tournament."

"How—dare you!" Theo exclaimed, smacking Jeremiah's hand down and plastering on a dramatically-offended expression. "This isn't a northerner verses a southerner—this is a Wampus verses a freaking Pukwudgie! So of course I'm gonna win!"

"Um." Rose waved a finger in between the two of them. "Which one is which…?"

"I'm the Wampus," Theo proclaimed proudly. "He's the Pukwidgie."

"So you're like a Hufflepuff," Alice uttered, tilting her head at Jeremiah.

"I reckon," Jeremiah replied, raising his glass and taking a sip. "Whatever that is…"

James squinted at the two Ilvermornys with a look of intrigue, leaning over to Rose and mumbling to her. "Wampus is the one that's like Slytherin, right…?"

Rose nodded, glimpsing between Theo and Jeremiah as a smile began to form.

"Aaand, just so you all know—we're like stars here," Theo beamed, grasping Jeremiah's shoulders again and shaking them. "Not in a braggy 'ooo, look how important I am' way—but just in a 'us cool kids sit at the end of the table' way. Y'know what I mean?"

"Not at all," Zander muttered tonelessly as he raised his glass. "Continue."

"He's on a high horse 'cause we've both had a good run at Quidditch the past couple years," Jeremiah said, shoving Theo's head away once more. "He's a seeker for Wampus, and I'm a chaser for Pukwudgie."

"And he's the best seeker Ilvermorny's seen since the freaking twenties," Theo boasted, jerking Jeremiah around by the shoulders even more. "But he undersells himself constantly. I have no idea why."

"Really…?" Alice said, smiling at Jeremiah. "I'm a chaser, too."

Jeremiah finished another sip and placed his glass down, perking his brow at her. "You ever take a bludger to the head…?"

"Aye—just last year," Alice giggled. "You?"

"Oh yeah. Year before last," Jeremiah chuckled. "Cracked the side'a my skull and hurt like holy hell, man…"

"Mine didn't hurt 'till I woke up," Alice remarked, making him laugh.

They both began talking about their experiences in Quidditch, and this continued for a few minutes. Zander—who was seated perfectly between the two—leaned slightly back, glimpsing between them and suddenly feeling a touch of discomfort.

"So what're you gonna do when you're outta school?" Jeremiah wondered.

Alice smiled again, glancing over at Zander, then gesturing between him and herself. "We were both planning to be aurors."

"Ahh… the detective route," Jeremiah nodded, folding his arms on the table and giving her a curious little squint. "I thought about doin' that… but I just have so much fun when I'm flyin'. You ever think about goin' pro with Quidditch? 'Cause the way you tell it, it sounds like you're definitely good enough to."

"Well… yeah… I did think about that," Alice murmured, fidgeting with her sleeves. "But… that auror plan's been in play for a long time…"

"You oughta give it some more thought," Jeremiah advised, revealing his smooth crooked smirk and raising his glass to her. "Hell, I'd love to play you out there someday. We could both make it big if we wanted."

Alice laughed and nodded—and Zander was leaning fully back now, his arms folded, his eyes locked onto his empty plate, and his jaw making a slight twitch as he listened to them carry on.

"Hey—you're probably the right people to ask," James interjected, waving a finger at Jeremiah and Theo. "Where does a student go shopping and vacationing around here? We had a village called Hogsmeade near Hogwarts, but—"

"Oh—that'll be Berkshire," Theo answered. "It's a little town just down the mountain from here—and there's a magical little spot there that can take you straight to the American Aisle and back at a moment's notice."

"Like London and Diagon Alley," Rose mumbled.

"So… are you allowed to just go there?" James inquired. "Or do you have to wait for a holiday break, and bring back permission forms and such…?"

"Oh… we can go there whenever we want," Jeremiah shrugged. "Fifth years and older can go on and off the grounds whenever."

"Wicked," James grinned.

"Yeah… and I'll tell ya' what," Jeremiah said, leaning forward and straightening out. "I can give y'all the grand tour whenever you need. I reckon you'll wanna know where all the classes and courtyards are, too. Gonna be kinda important to know, to be honest."

"Brilliant," Alice smiled at him. "Could you give us a tour of Berkshire too?"

"I don't see why not," Jeremiah smirked at her.

"Awesome!" Alice beamed.

"Super," Zander grumbled under his breath.

"Attention—Hogwarts students!" Arius called from the front of the room, clapping loudly twice and gathering his students' attention. "Have you all finished your dinner now?"

All of the scattered groups of Hogwarts students up and down the tables traded glances, nodding and muttering with affirmation. Alice, Zander, and the rest of their friends had finished eating now as well, glimpsing at their empty plates before facing the front again.

"Good—then come along!" Arius ordered, motioning forward with his cane as he began to march down the room. "Classes begin the day after tomorrow—so we need to get settled in our new home tonight! After me!"

Hogwarts students began to rise from every table, waving off the Ilvermorny and Mahoutokoro students they'd been chatting with before marching off to leave. The groups formed together behind Arius—Alice and her friends standing just behind him—and then, they all strolled out of the main hall of Ilvermorny, following their headmaster back through the rounded entry room before stepping outside the castle.

All of them emerged under a foggy night sky, and Arius led them all down the pathway before breaking a hard right, following a narrow dirt path that seemed to lead all the way around the castle's grounds. Alice and Zander glanced to the side as they walked, spotting one of Ilvermorny's courtyards to their right as they strolled past, decorative and shapely hedges bordering along its edges, and a few pukwudgies were sitting along the small stone wall, resting after a long day of work.

Alice then blinked, only just realizing something. She quickened her pace and reached the headmaster's side, giving him a curious look.

"Professor—where's everyone else?" Alice asked. "Professor Crowley, and Longbottom, and Hagrid, and…"

"Ah… well… Trocar is speaking with Mr. Calloway, and the rest are gone. They didn't actually intend to stay for the tournament, Alice," Arius told her. "They only came to oversee the journey here, and to assist the Ilvermorny staff with finishing up our housing arrangements for the year."

"And… what exactly is the housing arrangement?" Zander queried, reaching Alice's side and giving the headmaster a questioning stare. "Where are we going?"

"Heh… well," Arius muttered, wearing a half-smile. "Mahoutokoro did something rather elegant and beautiful, as I heard. They released a bit of bewitched origami that Haruto spent a very long time perfecting over the summer… and it grew and blossomed into a beautiful temporary home for his students. But, for us, however… well… Ilvermorny is being rather generous in helping us with ours."

The large mob of Hogwarts students found themselves marching toward a darkened forest, past the rear courtyard of Ilvermorny, the castle slowly fading from sight behind them, and in the far distance to the right, they just were able to see the tops of the goal posts of Ilvermorny's Quidditch field, down a steep hill, and nearly a mile away. It appeared that they were walking a fair ways, off to some place that the students and staff of Ilvermorny likely didn't visit often.

Before long, they were all strolling through a dense forest again, though this time, it felt considerably more unsettling, with only the darkness of the night and the ominous fog to accompany them. Still, Arius led them all up the narrow dirt path, an inclined path that was slowly making the students grow tired.

Then—a small, quaint building appeared in the distance, a single, ancient old cottage, a worn old building with its windows lit, sitting at the end of the path and seemingly waiting for them.

"Blimey," Zander breathed. "Even with expansion spells… is that really big enough?"

"Countless expansion spells," Arius replied. "And yes. It is. Now."

Alice felt strange, striding forward and gazing into the cottage profoundly, a peculiar, unexplainable sense of deja-vu seeming to arise in her from nowhere. She almost felt as if she could've been home, back in Ireland, waltzing away from the carnival and venturing up to her own cottage home now.

"Isolt's house," she mumbled thoughtlessly.

Zander blinked and turned to her.

"Correct," Arius confirmed. "Ilvermorny started as a simple home-based school for Isolt's adopted boys… and that all began right here."

Alice continued gazing forward almost trancelike for a moment, then snapped back into reality and gave Arius an odd look.

"Is Ilvermorny really okay with us using this?" she asked. "What if we mess up her house?"

"Oh… well, that would be rather impossible now," Arius chuckled, slowing to a stop at the cottage threshold. "Because the inside is… well… rather different now."

Then, the headmaster turned, raised his hands, and spoke to the enormous gathering of students just behind him.

"All right—everyone go inside, and I expect you'll know exactly where to go once you're there," Arius announced. "Sleeping quarters and common rooms for all four houses are accounted for, and your belongings have already been brought inside. So—make yourselves at home, children, and get comfortable while you can."

The Hogwarts students began marching past him on either side, pushing the rickety door of the cottage open and stepping into the building. Alice and Zander moved to follow their friends inside—but the headmaster grasped their shoulders and gently tugged them back.

"Not… you," Arius said, gripping either of their shoulders tightly. "Just wait."

Alice and Zander glanced up at him, then faced the cottage again, watching patiently while every student of Hogwarts walked inside, chatting with one another and squeezing into the narrow doorway in turns.

Minutes later—when everyone else was finally inside the cottage—Alice, Zander, and Arius were left standing alone beneath the night sky, and the headmaster slowly released their robes.

"Now," Arius said, sliding his cane out from under his arm and smiling at them both. "I expect you two will want to know where your magic blue box is before the night's end. C'mon."

At that, he turned and began walking around the cottage, beckoning them to follow. Alice and Zander trailed after him, and once they all marched around the cottage building, they found themselves traveling downhill, stepping down an even narrower dirt path that expanded downward from behind Isolt's old home.

They walked in the foggy darkness silently for a moment, and then, Zander turned and squinted at Arius with a look of skepticism.

"Professor," he said. "Why're you still wearing those goggles when it's so dark out?"

Arius continued waking, thumping his cane lightly atop the ground as he did, and he cracked a small smile. "They help me to see better."

Zander stared at him uncertainly. "Do they really…?"

"Oh yes," Arius said with a nod. "With all the darkness and fog around here… I'd rather nothing have the chance to surprise me. Not that I expect anything to on these grounds, but still…"

He sighed, his smile waning.

"Can never be too careful," he exhaled.

Alice and Zander continued following him quietly.

And, moments later—they all emerged at a clearing, and a familiar blue box stood before them, the single light on the top brightening their view in the darkness of the night, the light shimmering dimly against the surface of the water, as the old London phone box sat just at the edge of a pond of some kind, and perfectly at the end of the dirt path.

Alice and Zander moved forward, gazing down at the large body of still, darkened water. Then, they turned to the police box, Arius striding toward it and pushing its narrow double-doors open. Suddenly, a wave of light washed out from the inside—and the green and gold Slytherpuff room sat welcomingly inside, the most familiar sight they'd seen since leaving home.

"I, um… I may have had your belongings placed in here rather than the cottage," Arius told them, gently pressing his gloved fingertips together. "Not that I expect the two of you to be getting too cozy together in here… but… well, I know you value this room very much. And… I suspect you did a lot of your studying in here, too."

"One of us did," Zander grumbled, Alice smacking her lips and swatting his arm.

"Just don't stay overnight here… not unless you really need to," Arius advised. "I wouldn't want any of the students or teachers to notice your absence from the regular Hogwarts housing. No, that would be rather unpleasant…"

"You mean you'd have to explain why a girl and a boy student were allowed to have their own private room on your watch?" Alice asked, grinning and snickering.

Arius revealed a flattened sort of smile. "Precisely. So let's avoid that problem, shall we?"

"Noted," Zander said.

"Well… I'd advise you to go through your belongings now, and figure out what you'd like to keep in the Slytherpuff room, and what you'd like to keep in the cottage," Arius told them, waving loosely into the room. "I'll wait here and escort you back, although… in the future, you shouldn't need me to. This is part of the school grounds, and it's heavily protected, just as the box itself is. This is, for all intents and purposes, the safest place either of you can go."

"Thank you," Alice said gratefully, stepping into the police box and entering the Slytherpuff room, Zander walking in right behind her.

Just as the doors of the police box swung shut, Arius found himself standing alone in the dark, patiently waiting for them to return and gently tapping along the top of his cane.

His gaze wandered, his goggled eyes landing on the water and remaining there.

Moments later, he heard a shuffle of footsteps approaching behind him, light and familiar ones that didn't set him on edge. He simply stood there, gazing into the water and pondering deeply on many things, and Crowley slowed to a stop by his side, folding his arms and curling up his black cloak as he did.

For a second, neither of them spoke, and they both simply stared into the darkened waters.

Then, Crowley's eyes ventured over to the police box, just before narrowing at Arius.

"We could've just as easily had the box placed somewhere else in the woods," Crowley commented. "Somewhere that wasn't on a path… so easy to find."

Arius said nothing, simply staring into the water.

Crowley eyed him interestingly, seeming to read his very thoughts.

"But you wanted it on the water," he said softly. "Why…?"

Arius continued gazing into the waters as if entranced, releasing a deep, definitive breath.

"Curiosity," he said.

Crowley stared, his visage intense, speaking no further on the matter. He simply took a step forward, and for a long while thereafter, the two of them lost themselves in the dark, glistening waters just beyond the blue police box.

Neither of them moved or spoke again until Alice and Zander eventually emerged from the police box with a few of their belongings, and then, they escorted the students back up to the cottage for the night, bringing their first day in America to a smooth, graceful close.