Another sunrise came and Evergreen excitedly leapt out of bed, his covers being strewn in every which way. He momentarily turned back to his four-poster to fix up the covers. He knew that if he didn't, that some poor house elf would probably take it upon themselves to do it. The young, half-blood wizard may have grown up quite a bit in the last few months, but he was still a kid who was terrified at the idea of being a burden to anyone else. He remembered Dad's admonition to not be afraid to ask for help. As he smoothed out his pillow, he gave out an unvoluntary shudder. He didn't want to ever have to ask for help. Sure, if someone else offered it, he would graciously accept it because he was even more terrified at the prospect of appearing rude, but he didn't need to ask for it because, in his experience, someone else always and eventually comes by to offer assistance.

He was pulled out of his reverie by the Summerhill twins. They were doing their typical sunrise prayer. They did that every day, as far as Evergreen knew. He didn't know much about their beliefs, but he did know that Wakantanka, the creator, was their main god. It was he that came upon the chaos of nothingness and set it in order, opening the possibility of life coming forth. Also, that they included the invocation of Skan in their ceremony. He was the true source of all power, according to them. In a place like Ilvermorny, it made sense that they would call upon the patron god of power and energy at the start of every day. Evergreen didn't know how they did in their classes, but he could assume that they did well. They were smart, hardworking, and sensitive kids. It was always those kids who ended up with great achievements.

"Hau, Evergreen Quandary." Maza Blaska said, as they arose and turned around.

"Hau, Maza Blaska. Good morning." He replied with a smile.

"An early breakfast?" Tokala asked.

"You know that they don't do that here. Also, I don't know where the kitchen is." Evergreen followed with a laugh. "I think Seta and I will go check in with Professor Woods first thing."

"How prudent of you." Tokala replied, picking up his robes to change into them. "Good morning, Seta." He followed.

"Good morning, Tokala." Seta said.

"So, it's true then? You were given the Rabbit Boy's divine gift?" Maza Blaska cut in.

"So, it would seem." Seta replied.

"The sigil on your forehead and the purple in your eyes were a tell-tale sign. That doesn't usually happen." Tokala quipped.

"Not usually, but it is a wonder." Maza Blaska said with a grin.

With not many words more, Evergreen got showered and changed and left the dorm room with Seta in tow. Cianan Freeman, Zhao Shen, and Link were still sleeping quite soundly when they took their leave, Evergreen shoving his wand into his leather hip holster. There in the Nest, a variety of students were milling about, some by the massive window that was letting in soft, orangey light from the horizon, some were sitting on the variety of couches, love seats, at ottomans in the various living areas, and a few were playing lackluster games of Firework and Gobstones. Evergreen noticed with some suspicion, a few older students there from other houses whose hair and clothing looked generally disheveled. What they were up to being in the Nest at this hour was none of his business, to be frank.

He stepped down from the portrait hole and exchanged a few words with King Arthur's portrait. It was quite interesting, that Merlin and Arthur were real individuals who lived, breathed, and died. He wondered if the Lady of the Lake still held the sword Excalibur and if anyone would ever be able to retrieve it? Who knows? That was likely the hero story of some awkward British kid trying to find his way.

The duo of rabbit and boy made their way across the corridor to the spiral staircase which had landings on every floor, of course, but had the classroom, office, and living quarters of the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor at the ground floor. He had received an owl from Professor Woods requesting him to head to her office before his class with her that day. Because he didn't yet have his schedule, he figured that he should come by before breakfast. It was 7:30 in the morning, so it's not like it was incredibly early, after all.

They entered the classroom, and it was lighted by only a few windows which had open shades. Conspicuously, most of the shades were closed. Evergreen had been in the classroom, the massive square with tables and chairs with a large, central dueling platform in the very center, many times before during his sixth-grade year, so he could probably find his way easily, but he wasn't the most graceful person, so he pulled out his wand to shed some light on that situation. Lumos.

With his wand alight, he made his way through the desks and around the dueling platform. He then found his way to the door in the back left corner. He saw some light coming from beneath the door and he was about to knock when he heard a familiar voice inside.

"If now isn't the right time, I'd appreciate you sayin' when." Came a woman's southern twang.

"I thought we agreed that it should wait until the end of the year." Replied a stern voice that Evergreen had spent many hours with.

It sounded like Miss Agatha talking to Professor Woods in her office. That's weird, Evergreen didn't know that they were friends. Colleagues, sure, but not friends.

"Tempest, part of me feels like this isn't all that important to ya, sometimes." Miss Agatha replied.

"Of course, it's important and I care deeply about it, but you obviously know that the adjustment period will be quite long and difficult. The end of the year is what's best." Professor Woods said, a tone of finality in her voice.

They were both silent for a moment and when Evergreen lifted his fist to knock on the door, Miss Agatha opened it and plowed right into him and Seta. Evergreen stumbled down and Seta leapt right off his shoulder with a shout while Miss Agatha just briefly lost her footing. She was fastening her robe and she looked rather flustered. She helped him to his feet after a beat.

"Why, I declare." She began, "Good morning, Mr. Evergreen Quandary."

"Good morning, Miss Agatha." Evergreen replied, adjusting his own robes that he had briefly got lost within. "I didn't mean to intrude." After which, Seta returned to his shoulder.

"Intrude? Never!" Miss Agatha replied, her usual cool demeanor returning. "I was just trying to convince your Defense teacher here to look at a change of curriculum. She's stubborn as an ox, that one."

Oh! So, this wasn't a friendly visit then? Okay. It made sense that colleagues would meet outside of working hours to discuss work.

"I heard that, Agatha!" hollered Professor Woods.

Miss Agatha fussed over Evergreen for a moment before leaving and she left, being sure to avoid the light showing through any of the open shades above. She even embraced him which he found a complete surprise. What was even more surprising was that she didn't feel as cold as he would have expected a vampire to feel. She felt relatively cozy. Maybe it was the warm August air wafting into the classroom. Who knows?

Evergreen turned from her to Professor Woods' office. Professor woods was sitting on a very comfortable reading nook off against one of her windows. The boy knew it was comfortable, because he had sat there a time or two that previous year. Professor Woods wasn't wearing her robes yet, she was wearing a bright yellow dress that exposed her arms below the elbow and her legs below the knee. Her deep scars on the side of her neck and on the side of her leg were exposed. Evergreen was pretty sure it was all one. Her light brown hair was, for the first time since Evergreen knew her, down and cascading about her shoulders and down her back. It was quite long. How she ever managed to get it under control, he couldn't guess. The professor was looking quite radiant and was oozing with her usual swagger. A smile couldn't be stopped from stretching across Evergreen's face.

"Good morning, Evergreen, rabbit." She began, her signature smirk appearing with an amused energy behind her eyes.

Seta merely nodded politely, his nose slightly twitching.

"Hi Professor—" he almost asked what that business with Miss Agatha was all about, but he chickened out at the last moment because it really was none of his business and Professor Woods would probably tell him so if he asked. "You wanted to see me?"

"I did! Although, I am just a little surprised that you came here this early." She replied, arching an eyebrow, and flicking her wand behind her head which made a sound like something was being zipped up. It was the back of her dress, he realized.

"I'm sorry, Professor. I-I didn't know when your class was today. I haven't gotten my schedule, yet." He replied, meekly, a slight blush coloring his cheeks.

"So, you're saying that I am at fault for any and all of this awkward situation?" she asked with a falsely stern voice.

"No ma'am. Not at all."

"Evergreen, I was kidding. You need to not take things so personally, sometimes." Her smirk changed into a genuine smile, deepening the scars on her face. With another flick of her wand, her hair started braiding itself and tightly swirled on the back of her head.

"What did you need me for, Professor?"

They spent the next few minutes talking. It turned out that Professor Woods just wanted to check in with Evergreen. She was worried about him, considering all that went down the previous year. He was quite touched that she just wanted to see how he was. She talked about how she was the first one on the scene when Evergreen had his showdown with the wicked winkie. She had witnessed Evergreen use the "chaos magic", nonverbally, from the runes on his wand from afar. She also told him how worried she was because he got a face full of wand shrapnel. She expressed her pleasure in the fact that he and Beatrice had been pretty much getting along since that day. "Middle and high school are too short to hold on to grudges and to make enemies."

After Professor Woods donned her robes, the two magic users and the bunny made their way together to the commons. It wasn't that far of a walk, so they got there in no time. Evergreen took a seat by Andie and Glade while Professor Woods continued up to the high table, taking her seat not too far from Deputy Headmaster Fontaine. Evergreen noticed Beren, the well-dressed elf sitting once again at the end of the table. It was only another minute or so until Headmaster Washington-Frost stood up to address the students and staff.

"Good morning one and all on this first day of another year at Ilvermorny, School of Witchcraft and Wizardry! For those interested, try-outs for school sports are set for the first weekend of September. No sixth graders will be admitted to Quidditch or Quadpot tryouts. Second, Thespian auditions are the second weekend with callbacks the next week. After breakfast, everyone will receive their schedules." The ancient wizard took a sharp breath in. "Lastly, I want to make it absolutely clear that no student is to wonder about the castle alone, especially in the lower levels. Anyone caught near the sub-basement will be punished with a consequence befitting such insubordination."

Many students, including Evergreen, visibly winced at such a declaration. Usually, the headmaster seemed so friendly and so light-hearted. Perhaps the earthquake that previous day got to him. Evergreen had to admit that he was still a little shaken as he had never experienced an earthquake. Oregon hadn't had anything major since 2001, after all. He was too young to remember anything that year really, except, of course, for the destruction of the World Trade Center in New York.

"But enough about that." The headmaster smiled warmly. "I wish you all to have a wonderful school year and to enjoy this sumptuous meal prepared by our wonderful kitchen elves!" with a snap of his fingers, the empty platters and bowls were all overflowing with Ilvermorny's classic menu.

Evergreen grabbed a spicy, bacon breakfast burrito and a small bowl of cranberry granola and started stuffing his face. The burrito had everything in it; bacon, potato, egg, cheese, 4 kinds of bell pepper, and a creamy sauce that had an intense kick. The granola was fresh, and Evergreen washed it down with a glass of fresh milk. There were also hashbrowns, boiled eggs, waffles, freshly cut fruit, and a plethora of other things, but Evergreen was quite full and satisfied by his selections.

"Hey Evergreen," Andie began, piercing a giant strawberry with her fork, "How'd it go with Professor Woods?"

"She just wanted to check in." Evergreen replied, pushing a cranberry around his bowl.

"I feel like something is… different about her." Diva said, looking up to the staff table.

"Like what?" Evergreen asked.

"I don't know… It's like –" Diva stopped and thought for a moment, putting her glass of orange juice down on the table. "It's like she's sitting on some kind of exciting secret."

"It seems like there's a lot of that going around these days." He said darkly.

They continued enjoying their meal, chatting away about the earthquake and what may have caused it. Glade suggested that Mount Greylock may be getting ready to erupt. How brilliant that would be? To go up in flames and to be reduced instantaneously to dust in the wind! All of the friends immediately shut her down loudly. It seemed like she just wanted to see everyone's reaction from her worst-case scenario. Evergreen didn't know what was going on, but he knew that something was off. For some reason, the balance he had felt that previous year at Ilvermorny was quite off. He couldn't put his finger on why or how, only that it was so.

After their meal, Professor Woods distributed class schedules to the prefects who distributed them amongst the students. When Evergreen got ahold of his, he read:

Eminent Evergreen Quandary

Seventh Grade Schedule

Thunderbird House

Head of House: Prof Tempest Woods

Day 1: Monday & Wednesday

9:00 AM Transfiguration – Prof Azriel Graves

10:30 AM Charms - Prof Aurora Delacroix

12:00 PM Lunch

1:00 PM Defense Against the Dark Arts – Prof Tempest Woods (Doubles with Horned Serpent House)

3:00 PM History of Magic – Prof Agatha Shadowmend

Day 2: Tuesday & Thursday

9:00 AM Potions / Alchemy – Doc. Raina Killian (Doubles with Horned Serpent House)

10:30 AM Creature Care – Doc. Paxton Fangholder

12:00 PM Lunch

1:00 PM Flying – Prof Ophiar Frost

12:00 AM Astronomy – Prof Pollux Whitmore

Please see the included map to find your way to your classrooms.

"Oh great," Link began. "We start the day with Crazy Graves."

Evergreen made a face. He was creeped out by the wild skeleton of a man too, but he would never call someone something like that.

"What if he sics his drunk house elf on you, Evergreen?" Link asked.

"Don't even joke like that." Evergreen countered.

"He nearly scared you to death!"

"He did not, now shut up about it!"

The boys exchanged a playful smile after that and locked eyes. They figured that they would stare each other down to see who had the strongest will. It was Evergreen of course. Dad had always called him stubborn and almost difficult, after all. After all of that was said and done, the friends all got to their feet. It was time to officially start their second year.