Chapter 373

Byers stepped aside, then a second and third Ilvermorny student stepped out of the flames, wearing their standardized uniforms with the emblem of the Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry embroidered on their left chests and suitcases.

The Ilvermorny students soon formed a line, and behind them, three adult wizards stepped out.

Felix’s eyes skimmed past the middle-aged male wizard and lingered on a blonde witch and a dark-haired male wizard, both looked young but not dressed in the student’s uniform.

That is not the most important thing, the pair has an abstract sail embroidered on the right side of their chests, with three wavy lines underneath.

This emblem is the very symbol of the American Revolutionary Society, which has grown rapidly in the last year or so. Even from thousands of miles away, Felix could occasionally see the organization’s name in the newspapers.

The students murmured in the background –

Out of the flames a row of short, gray-skinned goblin-like Pukwudgie with long ears, dressed like forest fighters stepped out, their clothes adorned with leaves, with a pocket bow on their backs and a small quiver of arrows pinned on their waists.

The Hogwarts students murmured.

Professor McGonagall sternly swept her head around, and they immediately quieted down, swallowing all their questions and curiosity.

A dozen Ilvermorny students focused their attention on the last male wizard who walked out, bringing him into focus; he looked a bit like Barty Crouch, a similarity that emerged from temperament. They both seem to have a magical ability – when they dressed in muggle clothes, they could always pretend to be a government official to discuss some issues about automobile emissions, without showing any sense of violation.

Agilbert Fontaine swirled his wand behind him, churning the flaming insignia into a vortex. With that, he strides over and shakes Dumbledore’s hand.

“Professor Fontaine, welcome,” Dumbledore said.

“Oh, Professor Dumbledore, you don’t look a bit different.” Fontaine said, his eyes shining. He wore a dark brown robe, and his hair, which is as black as ink, was meticulously combed, and even when he shook hands vigorously, it did not loose a bit.

And Dumbledore’s long silver beard just blew in a lovely arc by the gentle autumn breeze of October.

“Allow me to introduce – Cormac Wilkinson, Professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts, and the two teaching assistants at the school, Jura Edmund and Bethany Bach, who insisted on coming. And of course, this year’s protagonists, my students!”

Dumbledore smiled as he led them in, followed by the students of Ilvermorny, the student named “Byers” from the moment he appeared, his eyes kept drifting, and when he spotted Felix, he moved a little to stand next to the female assistant teacher with blonde hair.

“Sister, it’s Mr. Hap.” He said in a whisper, but because it is so quiet, the students next to him heard it.

They looked over at the Hogwarts professors.

“Which one?” Someone asked.

“The youngest one!” Byers replied.

Bethany hit her brother covertly and whispered, “Brother Jura and I both saw you corresponded for one year, now! Behave properly, the students of Hogwarts are looking over!”

She said with a decent smile as she followed behind the Headmaster and Professor Wilkinson, though Byers couldn’t resist making a gesture toward Felix as they passed the line of Hogwarts professors as if lifting a mask.

The boy next to him burst out laughing and said teasingly, “Is he the one you’ve been longing for all year?”

“Shut up, Graves.” Byers whispered.

They didn’t quiet down until Jura looked over.

The delegation from Ilvermorny walked into the great hall, followed by the professors of Hogwarts, and finally the Heads of the four Houses and the students.

On the walls of the great hall hung huge silk banners, each representing one of the Hogwarts houses: Gryffindor with a golden lion on a red background, Ravenclaw with a bronze eagle on a blue background, Hufflepuff with a black badger on a yellow background, and Slytherin with a silver snake on a green background.

Behind the faculty table hung the largest banner with the Hogwarts coat of arms: lion, eagle, badger, and snake joined together around a big letter H.

“I don’t know what we’re going to do at this hour.” Ron said, “It’s ten in the morning, and we’ve only just finished eating …”

But soon he knew what to do when the Hogwarts students took their seats in the great hall and the Ilvermorny students who kept standing in the center all sang their school song in unison –

” We stand as one united,

Against the Puritan.

We draw our inspiration

From good witch Morrigan.

For she was persecuted

By common wandless men.

So she fled from distant Ireland,

And so our school began.

Oh! Ilvermorny-Massachusetts!

We choo-choose it!

We choo-choose it!

The wizard school supreme.

Your castle walls, they kept us safe.

The days with you, a dream

You taught us all our magic

And now one thing’s quite clear

Where’er we roam

Where’er we roam

Our one true homen/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Our one and own

Is Ilvermorny dear!~”

The students of Ilvermorny then raised their wands, the tips exploded, and a firework in the shape of Four Creatures sparkled in the great hall. The students of Hogwarts looked at the Horned Serpent with glowing crystals embedded in its forehead, a Wampus running gracefully, a Thunderbird with its vibrant wings flying, and a Pukwudgie with its bow raised, then they all applauded.

“What’s that thing with the stingers?” Harry asked as he clapped his hands.

“It’s a Pukwudgie, Professor McGonagall taught us during the training that its magical ability allows it to disguise itself as a porcupine.” Hermione said, tilting her head to look at the four creatures, meanwhile, the lion, eagle, badger, and snake on the great hall banner also wandered around, as she whispered, “The professor said that Ilvermorny and Hogwarts have a deep connection, and now look, it’s true …”

Harry stared at the goblin-like fireworks in midair, with their porcupine-like spines, and then down at the forest fighters standing behind the Ilvermorny students, looking idle or even with a somewhat discontent expression on their faces – they looked like Gringotts goblins with their suits off.

“What a difference.” Harry said with a look of admiration.

Ron clapped his hands in confusion and said, “Why don’t we have a unified school song in a single tune?”

“We do,” Hermione said, “It’s introduced in Hogwarts: A History of the School, except I think Professor Dumbledore probably thought that singing heartfelt songs is better than repeating the same tune year after year.”

Her eyes swept over the professor’s chair, and she asked in wonder, “Have you seen Professor Hap?”

Harry and Ron also looked around and didn’t notice him.

“Strange, the Professors are all seated, where did he go, leaving an empty seat behind?”

At that moment, Dumbledore stood up, “Good morning, ladies and gentlemen, ghosts and – especially – honored guests,” he smiled and looked at the students of Ilvermorny. “I welcome you all to Hogwarts with great joy.”

“You will all be spending quite a bit of time at Hogwarts, not only because of the tournament but also because of Professor Fontaine’s suggestion, as you get a closer look at the ancient traditions of Hogwarts and the magical curriculum that nurtured generations of outstanding wizards.”

“And that, couldn’t be separated from where it all began – the Sorting Ceremony!”

He looked to the corner of the great hall where Felix approached with a smile holding a Sorting Hat.

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