Ilvermorny Year One: The Lost Witch

The Divisors, The Collectives, and The Scourers

The December morning was cold as ice as students made their way through the stone corridors on their way to class. Miles tried to ignore the freezing temperatures and get to class quickly as possible but that had become difficult as Lillian and Drew argued daily about how he should handle the fact that his father may still be alive and that Professor Oxendine may be his aunt. "You sit in the woman's class every single day and don't even acknowledge the fact that she could be your aunt," Drew protested, "I mean you could be getting by easy. I'm sure she'd give you all the answers and then you could give them to me."

Miles shot Drew a look and kept walking towards History of Magic class. Professor Morse had been out since Halloween and every time students asked about him they were told he was handling an emergency on the behalf of MACUSA and that they should be honored that their professor was fulfilling such a noble duty. Professors Cervantes and Salucci alternated teaching his classes. Miles personally preferred when Professor Cervantes taught as she actually taught. Professor Salucci, however, told the students to simply "read the book and stay quiet," and then he would lean back in the desk chair, put his baseball cap over his eyes and then go to sleep.

Just as Miles and Drew were about to enter the classroom, Lillian stopped them. "Seriously Miles," she said in a calm tone, "You need to ask her about that photo. She's the only one who can give you the answers you want." Lillian walked away and Miles and Drew turned to go into the classroom just as the loud church-like bells started to ring throughout the castle. Miles took a seat by Drew and began to look at the picture of the man who might be his father and the woman who was his professor who could be his aunt which he now carried in the front of his favorite binder.

"I'm so happy to see all of your faces," the familiar voice said. Miles and the rest of the students looked up to see Professor Morse leaning on crutches in the front of the classroom. He had cast on his left leg from the knee down and a large white bandage wrapped around his head. His face looked swollen, his eyes were barely open, and his hands had large purple bruises with a few of his fingers in braces. Step by step, Professor Morse limped to his desk. He sat the crutches aside and plopped down in the chair. "Professor Salucci has worn this thing out hasn't he," he asked the students to which they laughed softly/

"Professor Cervantes, told me you all had just made it to the turn of the century," Professor Morse began, "The early 1900's was a special time in America, both for magical beings and No-Majs." The students all paid attention closely as Professor Morse pulled his wand from his jacket pocket and give it a swish. A small puff of white smoke appeared and then turned into a large ship. The ship made its way through the students as if it was moving across the ocean, creating small wakes of smoke as it moved along.

"From the early 1900's until around the second world war, millions of immigrants came from Europe to the United States in search of a better life," Professor Morse lectured, "Among them, many witches and wizards who brought many different magical ideas and practices with them." The ship made its way back to the front of the room where it transformed into a large moon. The moon rose high above the students' heads and clouds began to swirl around it. "Prior to then, magic in America was taught much differently. The teaching staff here at Ilvermorny was comprised of many Native Americans and African Americans, who taught the magic of their ancestors, much of which did not require a wand."

Gasps and whispers came from the students. Miles looked down at his brown hands, and then at the other brown students in the class. They all had confused looks on their faces, as did he. "How is that magic different from the magic we learn now with wands," Nettie asked. The moon in the front of the class lowered and turned into two people shaped figures. "Native American magic focuses on the elements," Professor Morse explained as one of the figures began to dance, "the magic comes from the earth, the wind, the water, and the fire. Learning to control those elements was essentially the preparation to become a great wizard." The dancing figure finished its dance and a fire appeared roared to life from its hands. The students all smiled with glee.