It was indeed a misty morning when Evergreen awoke. He sat up and looked out of the window near his personalized, purple, and gold four-poster bed, the castle and the school grounds were sheathed in a thick mist. It was thick like pea soup or peanut butter, depending on what one preferred. It provided an appropriately spooky vision for their first morning back at Ilvermorny. Sure, it was spooky, but it really was quite lovely.
It was Sunday and so Evergreen knew that the wand ceremony would be happening downstairs for those students who didn't yet have theirs. Evergreen had no reason to go as he was a seventh grader, but the school's club fair was also set to happen that morning and into the afternoon and he found that prospect exciting. He was so preoccupied last year with Professor Park and her thespian club that he didn't really get the chance to check out all the others. Of course, he was going to join the thespian club once he could start joining clubs, but he'd like to fill up his roster with clubs if he could. Who knows what sorts of skills he could obtain in that way?
He crawled out of bed to see Tokala and Maza Blaska Summerhill performing their morning tribal prayer. He smiled at the sight of the twins of Dakota ancestry. They claimed to be a part of the White River Coven of Magic and they actually taught Evergreen how to use his family sigil for magical purposes. Needless to say, he had become quite practiced in summoning his sigil. They were wearing their necklaces that had both a Thunderbird feather and a horn from a Horned Serpent, rival magical beasts, natural enemies. Evergreen remembered they mentioned that the wearing of both things symbolized order and creation out of chaos.
Forgetting about the curious floor in the bathroom that starts massaging one's feet if they stayed still for too long, Evergreen jumped almost out of his skin and let out a little squeal which resulted in his voice breaking. That had been happening more and more lately, he thought. It was a good thing that no one else had been around to hear it, at least. That would be super embarrassing, and someone would be sure to make fun of him. He spent a lot of energy making sure no one ever had a reason to make fun of him. He didn't like feeling stupid.
Shaking his head, he took a cool shower and put some gel in his hair to make it stand up. There may have been a spell to do that, but he had no idea what it was or who to ask. He didn't think too much about that because you don't need magic for everything, he thought to himself.
"Wow. You're up early." Diva said as Evergreen descended the stairs from his dorm room into the heart of the Nest, the Thunderbird common area.
Diva had gotten a very flattering haircut that summer and looked like she got some sun. Her cappuccino-colored skin looked more like a rich caramel color at that point. It was fitting.
"Takes one to know one." he replied, smirking.
"Wow. Come up with that one on your own?"
"At least I don't wear my wand like it's fashion or something."
Diva reached up to her wand that was stuck within her tight hair bun on the back of her head.
"Evergreen Quandary." She reproved. "Don't knock it till you try it."
They shared a laugh and decided not to wait for anyone else for breakfast. The Summerhills, however, caught up with them. The four of them then left the Nest, heading down the stairs to the main annex and off to the commons. Evergreen smelled bacon while they were still on the second-floor landing. His stomach growled like a predator approaching its prey. Diva just gave him an odd look at the sound of his stomach complaining. It was kind of loud, after all.
Sitting down at breakfast, Evergreen noticed that pretty much all of the sixth graders were there, and the upperclassmen were still gradually trickling in. Breakfast hadn't officially begun yet, because it was 7:43, two minutes before the food was to appear. Evergreen went wild from the smell of bacon that was coming from somewhere. He was simply famished! He guessed that the kitchens were nearby, but he couldn't tell which door it was. Maybe if he could find out which door it was, he could sneak something. Or not.
Evergreen was startled out of his musings by Professor Azriel Graves who came up behind him and said his name. During his first year at Ilvermorny, Evergreen had shown a certain knack for Charms and Transfiguration. It was to the point that Professor Graves, the Transfiguration professor, had regularly tested Evergreen's skills and imagination right in the middle of class. The professor was tall, skeletally thin, and despite appearing on the younger side of the staff, his hair and skin had a certain gray tinge to them. The mad look on his face just seemed to increase in intensity whenever talking with Evergreen.
"Evergreen Quandary," the professor said, his dark gray robes billowing out from his swift arm movements, "Good morning and welcome back. I can still expect you for the Transfiguration Tournament this spring, yes?"
"Yes sir. I'll be there." Evergreen answered quickly.
"Good. I have some training materials you may find interesting. Come by my office after breakfast and we will discuss it!"
Before Evergreen could respond, the wild, gray wizard had swiftly shuffled off to the head table. He exchanged a few words with Professor Woods, the young, delightful, yet startlingly scarred Defense Against the Dark Arts professor who was also the Head of Thunderbird House. She had scars all over her body from some beast that she won a fight with but refused to discuss. She smiled kindly at Professor Graves and he took his seat on the other end of the table from her. Evergreen's favorite teachers on staff were Miss Agatha Shadowmend, the vampire History of Magic professor, and Tempest Woods, ex-auror and the Defense professor. They were both so different, so Evergreen liked them for entirely separate reasons.
He found growing up, that he got on much better with girls and women. Bucky was his only real male friend until Link came around and at that point, even Bucky wasn't around anymore. There may be something to that. Who knows?
"Are you still going to enter that Tournament with all of those Juniors and Seniors?" Diva asked him when he turned back around to her.
"Yep. That's the plan, stan." He replied.
"Are you sure? Don't you remember last year? They were using transfiguration as a weapon more than anything else. I've only ever seen you do it with 'parlor tricks.'"
"Professor Graves did say he had some prep materials for me."
"Okay. If, you're sure. I'm helping you prepare, though. The last thing I'd want is to be changed into a newt with no way back. I can't be best friends with a newt."
"—But you can be best friends with a nerd?" came Link's voice from the direction of the main commons' doors.
"Ahhh, it's sleeping beauty!" Evergreen exclaimed.
"That's not even an insult, bro." Link laughed. "We all know I need my beauty sleep."
It wasn't too much longer until Andie and Glade sat down with them, and Headmaster Washington-Frost stood at the front of the commons. He raised his hands above his head with a wide smile. He was wearing an electric lemon-yellow robe and pointed hat, the style which was common for him. The color really complimented his chocolate brown skin and his white beard.
"Good morning one and all! Before we get into enjoying this doubtlessly sumptuous meal, I would like to make mention of a few things. Firstly, you will see seated at the high table a free elf."
That was true. Evergreen noticed seated next to Professor Fangholder was an elf. He was slightly tall for an elf, and he was actually wearing trousers and a nice jacket. It wasn't a hodgepodge like many elves when they tried to dress up, it was nice.
"The schoolboard agreed with my request to appoint Beren here as the school's lead elf. All of the other elves will directly report to him. Please give a warm Ilvermorny welcome to him."
The students and teachers alike gave a round of applause to the elf. Evergreen was thrilled. He knew from Miss Agatha's history class that elves were at one time and maybe still considered second-class citizens. To see an elf on staff who will be paid and responsible for the well-being and workflow of the other elves was good news. It was a step in the right direction, as far as he was concerned.
"Also, I would like to inform all sixth graders that they are to meet in the annex, just outside of those doors for the wand ceremony. It is held at exactly 9 AM. Many of you may have already got your wands, but even if you did, I expect to find you at the opening part of the ceremony. For the rest of you, please join us in the Steward Courtyard for the club fair that will go on until this afternoon. But, without further ado, I say bon appetit."
With the French, the ancient headmaster snapped his fingers and a massive breakfast spread appeared on every table. Evergreen immediately got a healthy helping of breakfast casserole and fruit salad. Link piled his plate with eggs and a rare steak. He didn't notice it before, but it seemed like his friend loved eating meat on the undercooked side. It was probably nothing, but he did notice it.
They all dug in, and it was wonderful, as always. Food prepared with magic was just so much better than that prepared without. It was hard to explain, but it was true. During the meal, however, something unexpected happened.
At first, there was a distant rumbling sound, like an avalanche from within a moving helicopter. Everyone stopped what they were doing and started to look around. There was nothing that appeared to be out of the ordinary. After only a few moments, the sound tapered off and everyone went back to eating and chatting with those nearby. It was only a few more moments however, until the whole room started shaking. The tables shuddered, drinking glasses fell upon the tables and some clattered to the floor. It was an earthquake. Evergreen had never before experienced one, but he knew that's what he was experiencing. He looked toward the high table and Headmaster Washington-Frost stood up with the other professors as he said the word "prefects". That is when older students stood up and all on their feet pointed their wands at different places, muttering some incantation under their breath collectively. Flashes of blue appeared on the walls, floor, and ceiling. Shielding charms by the looks of things. After a few frightening moments that felt like an eternity, the earthquake ceased.
Once the dust settled, Evergreen and others looked around. There was no real damage to the commons. The windows were intact, the tables weren't upturned. Some drinking glasses had tumbled from the tables, some shattering into many tiny pieces and some of the torches and candles lining the room and spanning the ceiling had also fallen and had been since extinguished. Many students were covered with fallen food from the tables and the professors and prefects looked curious while everyone else, including Evergreen, were visibly shaken. As he looked up at the headmaster, he thought that the ancient wizard's expression was odd. It was almost like… he had seen something like that before. It was almost like… he knew something that he wouldn't be disclosing. Evergreen would have not even entertained the idea that previous year, but he felt like now was an appropriate time to be cynical.
"Students and staff," Headmaster Washington-Frost began, raising his voice, still standing. "It seems that breakfast is over for today. Students, please leave the commons in an orderly fashion and I would recommend a bath for a great many of you with what happened. But please remember that the wand ceremony is at 9AM sharp for you sixth graders. Please follow your prefects out into the annex in the meantime, thank you."
The prefects and the head boys and girls led the students from the commons. Evergreen ended up getting squished between some larger high-school aged boys who he guessed were on one of the many sports teams on campus. His peripheral vision caught sight of Esme and he almost got knocked down. He would have gone down too, had it not been for Link who was holding on to him quite tightly.
Eventually, they made it back to the nest and Evergreen changed his clothes, making a mental note to get his clothes cleaned later that day. He had things to do first. He needed to head off to Professor Graves' office and then head off to the club fair. Sure, he may not yet be able to join any, it was still fun to go and to look at everything the school had to offer. He smiled as he tightened his necktie and fastened his robe.