Little Lightning DiNozzo

Meeting the American Schools

Things in the DiNozzo-Gibbs household were tense for a couple weeks, constantly waiting for the next step, looking over their shoulders for British Wixen. Nothing unusual happened so they began to relax again. The school was starting to have representatives from each magical school come and give presentations and talks in a convention style event. The parents and students would attend together.

The event was a week-long where each day schools from different regions visited and gave out their information. It was usually the deputy headmaster of the schools that came and helped with outreach and information. Harry would be going with Tony and Jethro, who would alternate each day so as to not miss too much work.

Monday was the schools on the west coast which did not interest Harry much, so he just went around with his friends' parents. They got some cool stickers that the schools had made to give out and the information packets, mostly because they were too shy to say no. Harry loved that each school game out a fountain pen with the school's name and colors. They felt at this point no matter where they go, they won't need to get some new pens for a while. The coolest one is from a school in California called Kediton, Academy of Magic that has a royal purple and gold crest with a bald eagle and a griffin in the crest.

Tuesday was the first day that Jethro went to the school with Harry. They spent the day walking around and getting to know the schools from the Midwest, and everything in the middle, as they said. There were a lot more schools here, but they are all smaller schools. The school for Mudj, Oakwood School of Fine Arts and Maji is in session that day. They spent a while supporting his interests at the school and even got a poster of the school along with the pens. Mudj took one of the applications to fill out later with his parents. Harry and Jethro got to spend some quality time looking at some schools including ones near places Tony lived. They even looked at what the wixen world considered a military school. It was not like a traditional military school in that the students were taught more about defense against the statute and often went into Auror positions or the no-maj military after. While Harry loves that his Papa was in the marines, he did not want to spend 7 years in a military school that did not teach the same things his papa has been teaching him.

On Wednesday the schools from the west coast and eastern USA came. This was one of the most attended sessions as it is the local schools. These schools are the ones most of the kids from Stellae Academy usually attend. Schools such as Salem Witches that are exclusive girls only schools, big name schools like Ilvermorny and more. Tony and Harry had a ton of fun going around and collecting the information and application packets. Each of the friends got applications to Ilvernorny, D.C. Academy of Science and Sorcery and a third. Harry chose Baxter's third choice of Silver Creek Academy as his own third choice.

Harry picked up a poster, t-shirt and the pen from each school he applied to as well as the information packets and pens to others. There seems to be a ton of local schools that have specialties. Harry looked at the ones specializing in defense and potions. Alex and Emma got applications from Salem Witches Institute which their parents were very happy with. Each school option was different. Some were boarding schools; others were day programs where portkeys would take the kids that lived far enough away or had no-maj parents that couldn't apparate them to school.

Thursday was when the schools from Hawaii, Alaska, and the territories such as Puerto Rico. These are the schools that are all boarding unless you are local as the travel is just too far otherwise. Exceptions are made for locals and parents willing to move. Each child was given a Lei when they visited the Hawaiian school section. There are only two schools in Hawaii, but each has its own advantages according to the information packets. Jethro was talking with Harry about the times he has visited. Harry remembered the time that his Daddy was left in Hawaii when he was a kid by his bad father. They made sure to get Tony a Lei as well which Harry happily put around his Daddy's neck when he got home from work that day.

Friday was the day for international schools to attend. Tony and Harry went around to see schools from all over the world. One thing they noticed was that Hogwarts did not attend. Tony wondered if they were not invited or if they just did not attend. The schools from Australia, Asia, and South America each brought a couple of students who were the leaders/perfects so help talk about the school from a student perspective. This was considered a privilege that they all had to apply for. Harry thought that the Irish school sounded interesting, but it was not a boarding school and was not large. He was also interested in the Italian schools because his Daddy is Italian, and he wanted to get him something. The pens for those that had them were often the flag of their country along with the school crest. Harry learned that most international schools were similar to the US system except Britain and the smaller schools that could not afford to. Tony was sure there were others similar that just were not there. Harry grabbed a stuffed animal from an Australian school that was free because it was a kangaroo and adorable. His Daddy and Papa always told him that you never got too old for comfort items.

They ended the week with a party where Harry invited all his friends over and they went into the shed in the backyard and in the media room. The parents were in the house talking about where the kids were thinking about attending. Most of them are looking at D.C. Academy of Science and Sorcery because it was close to home, and they could still be on their local teams. Harry wanted to be able to stay on his soccer team after all the work and years he put into it. The parents loved that it was a day school meaning the kids would be home at night. When the kids were 15, they gained the option of boarding during the week so that they had more time to study for their testing. This also gave them a good process for transitioning into moving away from universities or work in whatever path the individual decides to take.

They would be sitting their exams this upcoming week and the scores would help predict their futures. The kids all took the night to relax and chat before they studied for the weekend. The exams took three days where they would test for most subjects that have already been taught. These included potions, history, herbology, tradition/etiquette, holidays, magical beings and their customs, runes, arithmancy, and wand safety. The last day would be introductory tests to see how much the students knew about subjects they have not taken yet at most schools so defense, charms, transfiguration, dueling, astronomy, and any they choose.

While Harry is super nervous, he also knows that his Daddy and Papa will support him no matter where he goes. He is smart and well organized thanks to his Daddy and Papa teaching him growing up. He also knows that he knows more about defense than all of his friends, both magical and no-maj defense. Tony and Harry spent the weekend in Harry's "office" studying and making sure that the study guides they were given were filled out. Harry filled it out on his own the first time, then with his Daddy and Papa, then with the notes. He was able to answer most of the questions on his own.

Notes:

Only one more chapter after this!! Do I want to be mean and leave it right before he picks a school or do you want to know which school he chooses at the end of this story??? Let me know.