Chapter 4: The American Magical Educational System

Kade was in the bathroom, standing in front of a mirror examining his ears. He wiped away all the blood and was making sure his ears still worked. He clapped his hands together, which he easily heard. He sighed in relief, though wondered if he should head to the infirmary to get his ears checks.

"Good morning," someone greeted, entering the bathroom. Kade turned to see that it was Jason Lee, stumbling in sleepily towards the toilet.

"Morning," Kade replied, turning to quickly throw away the bloodied paper towels. He quickly washed his hands and left the bathroom, re-entering the dormitory. All the other boys were still asleep. Kade walked over to his space, glancing at a grandfather clock that was in the room. It was 6:15 in the morning. From what he remembered, breakfast had just begun; and by the sound of his growling stomach, Kade was hungry.

Kade pulled out his trunk, began to pull out his new school robes, and began to change into them. Once he was done, Kade left the dorm, and entered the common room. There were a couple of students sitting around, getting things ready for the day. He continued to leave the common room and into the hallways of Illvermorny. Since it was a bit early, the hallways were practically empty as Kade made his way into the Grand Hall. Though there were some early rising students and teachers inside the Grand Hall.

Kade walked over to the Thunderbird table, sat down, and began to pile his plate with breakfast foods. "You're up early," someone spoke, sitting next to him. He looked up to see Mako had sit next to him.

Kade shrugged. "I had a weird dream," he told her. "Couldn't really go back to sleep. Plus I was hungry."

"Weird dream?" Mako repeated. "Would you like to talk about it?"

Kade shrugged and shook his head. "It's okay. It's not of any importance," He lied, remembering how when he woke up that his ears were bleeding. "Why are you up early?"

"I'm always up early," Mako easily answered, piling her plate with breakfast. "It's my nature." Kade nodded in understanding. As seven o'clock arrived, more students began to file into the Grand Hall for breakfast. Fifteen after, the rest of the students filed in. Miles and Finn entered, sitting next Kade and Mako, greeting their 'good mornings'. Breakfast was brough with idle chat to silent eating amongst all of the Ilvermorny students. Minutes late, the four house teachers were walking down their respective tables handing out this years' schedules.

Ainsley arrived at Kade and his friends. "Good morning Students," he greeted handing out their schedules. "Here are your schedules. Your first class begins at 8:30, and don't be late." Ainsley handed Kade his schedule. Kade took it and read it:

School Schedule:

Monday/Thursday:
Breakfast - 6:00 am - 8:00 am
Transfiguration - 8:30 am - 9:45 am
Charms - 10:00am - 11:30 am
Lunch - 11:30 am - 12:45 pm
Potions - 1:00 pm – 3:30 pm
Dinner - 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm

Tuesday/Friday:

Breakfast - 6:00 am - 8:00 am
American Magical History - 8:30 am - 9:45 am
Defense Against the Dark Arts - 10:00am - 11:30 am
Lunch - 11:30 am - 12:45 pm
Herbology - 1:00 pm – 3:30 pm
Dinner - 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm

Wednesday:

Breakfast - 6:00 am - 8:00 am
Transfiguration - 8:30 am - 9:45 am
Astronomy - 10:00am - 11:30 am
Lunch - 11:30 am - 12:45 pm
Alchemy - 1:00 pm – 3:30 pm
Dinner - 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm
Astronomy (Astronomy Field) - 8:00 pm - 9:00 pm

Weekends are for Studies and Freetime.

"Hmm, Interesting shedule," Finn commeneted, " Transfiguration is our first class ever. Charms, and then finally, Potions for two and half hours." Breakfast continued with idle chat and around eight o'clock, a bell rang. "What's that?" Finn asked looking round.

"A warning bell," Mako answered, standing to her feet. "We have thirty minutes to grab our things and get to our first class." She turned and began to leave.

"Well then," Miles said, standing to his feet and stretching. "I guess we should make like a tree... and uh...and uh..."

"Leaf," Kade finished for him with a smirk. Miles nodded and chuckled. "Come on smart guy." He wrapped an arm around Miles's shoulders and began to led him out of the Grand Hall with Finn snacking on an apple in tow. The students made their way back to their dormitories to grab their backpacks and the books and supplies they would need for that day.

Transfiguration class for the first years was on the third floor of the castle. Kade and his friends entered the class room. It was ordinary. One side of the room was lined with alcove shaped windows, bringing in the bright light. Two seated desks lined around the classroom, with the teacher's at the back of the room, next to chalkboards and small cupboards. The Professor of Transfiguration was staring out the window, drinking a hot cup of cofee. Once he heard the students filing in, he turned and walked over to his desk.

Kade and his friends entered the classroom and sat around the middle of the classroom. As Miles and Finn sat together at one desk, Kade sat next to Mako who smiled to herself when he sat down. Soon enough, the classroom was full of Thunderbirds and Pukwudgies. Once 8:30 rolled around, a bell once again rang. The students' chatter died out as their attention turned to the Transfiguration Professor.

"Welcome to Transfiguration!" the Professor greeted. "I am Professor Archer and I will be doing my best to teach you the magic of Transfiguration which is changing the form or appearance of an object into something else." He demonstrated by pulling out his wand and waved it towards an apple on his desk. The first years watched in awe as the apple transformed into a small red ball. "Now that may have looked pretty simple, but Transfiguration is a precise magic. The spells must be casted perfectly or they may not work properly," Archer explained and continued to lecture about Transfiguration while the first years took notes. At the end of the lecture and some light reading of their course book, the students were given a chance to do a little magic by turning a needle into a matchstick. No one had been successful in doing so.

For the next week of Illvermorny met Kade with interesting magical classes and schoolwork. All of it was interesting and new relatively new to Kade. He was loving it no matter how much school work was given. Every one of Kade's classes were interesting, even the most boring subject American Magical History. This class was taught by his Head of House, Professor Ainsley. He started by talking about when Witches and Wizards were looking for new land to live in and live in their own way. His voice was calming and Ainsley would try to put a fun spin on the history class because everyone knew that history was the most boring subject.

Herbology was a class taught in Greenhouses by Professor Helena Bonnet. She was a sweet teacher with a sweet voice. She started out by talking about what Herbology was, which was the study of magical plants and how this class was more of a hands on class. In this class, they were going to learn about all kinds of plants and Bonnet would have them tend to the plants and how they were going to be used in the wizarding world, which brings them to Potions. Another hands on class taught by Professor Isabella Esquirez who was of hispanic descent. She had a slight accent as she began to lecture the firsr years about Potions and how they are a great advantage to wizards and witches alike. They would go on to have a chance to mix their first potion their second class. Kade had a little trouble with his potion but scraped by with an Acceptable grade. Mixing ingredients made him a little anxious and nervous as he was afraid that he wasn't using the correct portions.

Defense Against the Dark Arts was another interesting class. This class was taught by young Professor, Joel Miles. Professor Miles was enthusiastic with his work. He wanted his students to be more than just involved into the class. Most of the students of the school thought Professor Miles was the coolest professor. Defensive and Offensive spells were going to be learned from this class, but that wasn't all. As the first years got older, their DADA class would become more difficult and dueling would be practiced. Another interesting spell learning class was Charms, taught by Chester Chadwick, who was another easy going professor. He spoke the first years, saying how Charms was different than Tranfiguration, that Charms were spells that alter an object without changing its essential nature. For examply, causing said object to dance or change color.

Astronomy was sort of a two part class, taught by Phyllis Portia. The first part of Astronomy class was taught inside the classrom. Astronomy was a branch of magic that studies stars and the movement of planets. It was more of a practical class. The second part of teaching was that at one night a week, the students would have an Astronomy class at night. Students would be observing the sky with their telescopes. But so far, Kade's favorite class had would turn out to be Alchemy. His first class was Wednesday, the third day of school.

Kade sped down to the first floor, running towards his Alchemy class, his heart pounding of anxiety thinking that he was going to be late. This would be the last class for today and he didn't really want to be late. Kade rushed through the first floor hallway and stopped at an open door. Calming himself, he entered the classroom. Kade was suddenly surprised. The classroom was in a courtyard of some sorts. It was outside. There was a large oak tree at the back where a couple of girls. A few boulders to the right where a couple of students chose to sit. There were some desks in the center.

There were only seven other students inside the courtyard; four boys and three girls. They all turned to him when he entered. Kade looked around at the other students noticing that they were all older and from other houses.

"Interesting," someone spoke. "I didn't think I was going to get any first years in this class." Kade turned towards the voice and surprised that it was the man who spoke up during the Sorting. "Please, take a seat," he told Kade who nodded and proceeded to sit in the middle of the courtyard classroom. He glanced around. There was also a door that lead back into the building leading to somewhere else that Kade couldn't see. He turned his attention towards the Professor. The man walked in front of his class where his desk sat, placing a satchel on it, and leaned on it.

"Good Afternoon Students," he greeted as he crossed his arms. "I am Professor Zach Osborn and I am your Alchemy teacher - "

"Wait," someone spoke up with a raised hand. "Aren't you the new Headmaster?" Professor Osborn gave a nod. "You can't teach a class and be headmaster, can you?"

Osborn smirked. "Well, being Headmaster, I believe I can teach a class," he told the boy who nodded. "And you are?"

"Roderick Olsen."

"Mister Olsen. As I was saying," Professor Osborn continued, "I will be your Alchemy Professor for this year. Now, What is Alchemy?" None of the students answered, glancing at one another. "Alchemy is a branch of magic and an ancient science concerned with the study of the composition, structure and magical properties of the four basic elements, as well as the study of the transmutation of substances." Kade dropped his mouth a little, barely understanding what the Professor just said. "It is thus intimately connected with Potion-making, chemistry and transformation magic. Alchemy also concerns philosophy; alchemical literature is dominated by mystical and metaphysical speculation. The science dates back to antiquity, although there were still wizards actively studying and practising it in the twentieth century. A less well known branch of Alchemy is Spagyric, or 'plant alchemy'. We will barely cover that subject, but cover it nonetheless." Everyone stared at the Professor, blan expression upon their faces. "Now, did anyone understand what I said?" Professor Osborn asked, looking around at his studnets. A couple of students raised their hands.

Osborn chuckled. "Alright, what are some of the basic elements?" he asked. A student raised her hand. "Yes?"

"Zoey Ashburn," she said. Osborn nodded for her to continue. "Fire, Air, Water, Nature, Earth."

"Yes, correct," Obsorn replied. "You will be learning magic based on those elements as well as transmutation such as turning oridinary objects into price-less gold or expanding one's life-force."

"Todd Brown; You mean, immortality?" A student blurted out with a raised hand. "Cool."

"One shouldn't think so," Osborn responded. "You may still be alive, but one doesn't stop ageing."

"Meaning what?" that same student asked.

"You'll get old," Zoey Ashburn spoke up. "And continue to get older along with your body, organs, and bones. The more you get older, the more frail you'll get."

"Agreed," Osborn spoke. "You wouldn't be as spry as you once was-"

"Unless one had the Goblet of Life."

Osborn's eyes snapped over to the student who spoke, as well as everyone else did. It was a girl dark flowing hair, brown eyes, and tanned skin. She wasn't looking up as she wrote on some paper. When she did look up from the silence, she was surprised to see everyone looking at her.

"What is the Goblet of life?" Zoey Ashburn asked.

"There's no such thing," Todd Brown spoke up as others murmured. "That's just a myth!"

"It's a legend," the dark haired girl replied heatedly. "And Legends were once true, so is the Goblet of Life." She then turned to Zoey. "The Goblet of Life is a Large Goblet-like basin fill with immortality potion. Just one sip and you will become immortal and it also counter-acts aging. You'll never get old."

"If this thing really exists, where is it at?" Todd asked, crossing his arms.

"No one knows," she answered, suddenly looking at Professor Osborn. Kade noticed this. "Some believe it's somewhere unerground, possibly in the forrest nearyby or under this very school." The students began to murmur to one another.

"Yeah, right," Todd blurted out, "Professor, please continue the lecture."

"Why, thank you Mr. Brown for the permission to continue my class," Professor Osborn said, causing Todd to shrink a little. Kade turned to look at the dark wavy-haired girl, surprised to see her already looking at him. Kade quickly turned back to the professor. "Anyhow, Alchemy is a moderate to above average magic. It might be difficult for the younger audience," Osborn glancing over to Kade, who noticed, "but you should be able to just do your best." Osborn continued to lecture about Alchemy as the rest of the class took notes. Time passed by and the class was dismissed. Kade was gathering things, when someone barged into the classroom. It was a middle-aged man, with black wavy hair tinged with grey. He was followed by a grey German Sheppard. The man quickly ran over to Professor Osborn and whispered quickly into his ear. Kade watched as the two men exchanged quick words. And soon, the two men and the dog quickly left the classroom.

Kade looked around. None of the other students seemed to notice. He shrugged it off, finished gathering his things and headed off to lunch. He was sitting at the table when his friends joined him.

"Wow, Care of Magical Creatures is amazing!" Finn exclaimed, taking a seat across from Kade, Miles sat to his left while Mako sat to his right.

"It doesn't come close to Ancient Runes," Mako replied. "It's so intuitive and mind-challenging. How was Alchemy?" She turned to Kade.

"It was alrght," Kade answered, pouring himself some lemonade. "The Headmaster teached the class."

"What?! Can he do that?!" Miles asked.

"He's the headmaster, he can do what he wants," Finn replied, piling food onto his plate. Kade suddenly noticed the wavy-haired girl, sitting at the Horned Serpent table.

"Do any of you know what that girl is?" Kade asked his friends, pointing at the girl. Everyone shrugged and shook their heads. Another girl who was sitting next to Finn had overheard and soon gave the answer.

"That's Donatella Maroni. Her friends call her Donnie, I mean, if she had in friends," the girl next to Finn answered. "She's pretty weird if you ask me." She finished and then left the table.

"Why do you want to know about her?" Miles curiously inquired.

"She said something about a Goblet of life," Kade answered, leaning on the table. "It was just interesting."

"A Goblet of what?" Finn mumbled through a mouth full of food.

Mako rolled her eyes. "A Goblet of Life," she repeated. "It's a potion of immortality, basically. But it's just a legend."

"What is the legend about it?" Kade asked, interested.

Mako looked up at Kade who was intently looking at her. She lightly blushed. "It's just that a long time ago, a very gifted potions master used ancient ingredients to make this potion. He was ordered by a dark powerful wizard to create this potion because he wanted to become immortal. So this Life Potion was created, and not only did it make one immortal, but it would cure any injury or disease."

"Sounds a lot like the Holy Grail if you ask me," Finn spoke up.

"The what?!" Everyone said in unison.

"The holy grail," Finn repeated, "It's a bibblical story about a grail filled with life-giving solution. Only the woryth of heart will be able to find it and chose what to do with its contents."

"Similar stories," Miles commented.

"Or one in the same," Kade suggested, turning back to Mako. "Why do some people believe it's out there and hidden somewhere?" he asked her.

"Well, it is believed that the dark wizard never got to drink the potion as he was killed by his enemies," Mako began to explain. "So the Potions Master took it upon himself to hide the Goblet. He couldn't destroy it. It was one of his greatest creations. It was believed that he hid it somewhere deep into some mountains."

"Which mountains?" Kade asked, "This mountain?"

Mako shrugged. "No one knows," She answered. "That knowledge along with how to make that potion was lost through time." Soon, the bell rung and it was time to go back to class.

A few weeks passed with nothing very eventful. All of Kade's classes were mostly full of lectures and no magic. Potions and Herbology were the only classes that were hands on classes for the moment. Kade was actually very eager to use his wand, as well as every other first year student.

Kade walked into his next Alchemy class which was already filled with the other students. He sat down and began to pull out his textbook.

"Alright, Alright, wands out!" Professor Osborn blurted out as he had entered the classroom, dropping his bag onto his desk. Everyone stared at him. Osborn smirked. "You heard me. Wands out!" All of the students excited began to pull out their wands. "Simple elemental spells - " Osborn waved his wand four separate times and each time, an element bust out. First it was fire, then water, then earth, and finally air. "Some of these spells you will probably learn in Charms or Defense class, but I think learning these spells will help in more advanced elemental spells and such. Alright, open your books to chapter two, and start practicing wand movements. Now spread out, I don't want any of you hitting one another with your spells."

Everyone nodded and opened their textbooks. The students began to practice wand movements as Professor Osborn walked around and observed his students, stopping once in a while in correcting a student's wand movement. Kade decided to start with the wind spell which was with a twirl and thrust movement. One twirls the wand twice, and then thrusts forward with the incantation Ventus. Kade was facing a tree while preforming the wand movements, while thinking the word Ventus. He was really doing this nonchalantly, when he decided to do it in a serious way with precision when suddenly, a heavy, and loud gust of wind shot out from his wand and made the tree move. Everyone stopped what they were doing to turn to Kade in surprise. Kade himself was just as shocked.

"Very impressive, Mr. Lowell," Obsorn spoke as he walked up to Kade. "Was that your first spell?"

Kade nodded. "But I don't understand," he said with a furrowed brow, "I didn't speak any incantation."

Osborn smirked, and turned to the other students. "Can anyone tell us what happened?" he asked. "How was Kade able to preform magic without using his words?" The two fifth years, Adam Willems and Frida Haus, raised their hands. "Yes, Miss Haus."

"Nonverbal Magic," She said.

"Yes, that is correct." Osborn agreed.

"But isn't performing spells non-verbally difficult," Zoey Ashurn blurted out. "It requires a good deal of practice, concentration and mental discipline alone. How was he able to do it?"

"Depends on a couple of things," Osborn began to explain. "His wand, which I noticed is made of Alder wood, which is very best suited for non-verbal magic. Another thing could be because Kade himself is a powerful little wizard. If you recall, each house did call to him." All of the students looked at one another and then back to Kade who was looking at his wand and then towards the tree. "Well, we still have time, so if you want, go ahead and add the incantation to what spell you were working on."

The students continued to practice their choice of spells, some elements flying around the classroom. Kade continued with the wind spell, this time adding the incantion but for the first few tries, nothing happened. It must have been a fluke when Kade had performed the spell that first time. He was a little confused, but on his sixth try, his wand let out a small gust of wind. Kade was disappointed as the first time with was a large and loud gust of wind. He sighed heavily. He looked up to see Professor Osborn leaning against his desk, watching Kade practice.