Ilvermorny Year One: The Lost Witch

The Christmas Gift

The entire castle was covered in thick snow. The pukwudgies spent hours cursing and shoveling snow every day, only for it to return every night. Miles watched the small creatures toil away from his empty bedroom. All of his roommates had gone home for the winter holiday, but out of fear of never leaving Mississippi again, Miles stayed at school. Miss Sweeting had sent him a beautiful card and informed him that she was spending her vacation studying No-Majs in Florida in order to see if heat had any effect on day to day non-magical activities

Miles was one of a few dozen students who stayed during the holidays. A majority of students who stayed during the holiday break were from Hawaii or the Caribbean, places where trains couldn't easily get to, not even magical ones. Miles had spent the days walking through the cold castle and really taking the time to look at it. Ilvermorny Castle was a grand spectacle. Every ceiling was so high you had to bend your neck to look up at them. Iron chandeliers and sconces holding torches illuminated every room. Every staircase was made of shiny white marble and lush blue carpet with red outlines on each landing.

But behind its beautiful façade, there was a secret that was beginning to come to the surface and Miles could feel it. The pulsing in the palm of his hand had returned. Every night as he tried to sleep, the pulsing would intensify. Harder and faster. Boom. Boom. Boom. Boom. Miles would spring from his sleep and look down at his hand. The blood was pumping so hard he could see the veins move. He got up from his bed and began to wonder around the room.

As he got closer to the door, the pulsing changed. Instead of painful and hard, it felt steady and rhythmic...like a heartbeat. He opened the door and following the pulsing down the corridor and out of the entrance to the boys' hall. The December air was cold and Miles could see his breath as it left his body. The stone floor sent chills through Miles' socked feet as he jogged through the corridor. The pulsing lead him right then left then up the stairs. Then down another corridor and then up a winding staircase of the tallest tower of Ilvermorny.

Miles looked in front of him at the door to the Defense Against Dark Arts classroom. The pulsing in his hand had stopped. This was where he needed to be. But...he did not want to be there. Miles turned around and started down the stairs when he heard a shuffling of feet running up the staircase. He quickly darted into the classroom. The footsteps were growing closer and closer. Miles looked around the room for somewhere to hide. "In the cupboard boy," A deep voice said, "over there in the corner." Miles looked up and saw that the portraits on the wall were all pointing to the cupboard where Professor Oxendine kept supplies.

Miles hid in the cupboard just as the door of the classroom flew open. Miles peeped through the doors of the cupboard to see Professor Williams standing in front of an out of breath Professor Oxendine. "What were you doing in the sanctuarium? You know it is off limits!" Professor Williams screeched as he pointed his wand in Professor Oxendine's face. She finally caught her breath and her usual strong face. "It is of no business of yours Andre." she snapped back. Professor Williams tightened his grasp on the wand.

"You're one of them," he shouted, " A scourer! I always knew it! Even when we we're students. You! And that brother of yours! So odd... so different from everyone else.What are you hiding?" said Professor Williams as he began to look over the room. Miles could feel the wind in the room change as the look on Professor Oxendine's face got angrier and angrier.

"You come in not only my classroom but my home and insult me and my family?" she said raising her hand to Professor Williams' face. Despite the wind speed picking up in the room, Professor Williams did not flinch. He gripped his wand tightly and a bright stream of light started to shine from the ends of it. "You are a powerful witch Akecheta, but I'm no wizard's apprentice either," Professor Williams said moving closer to Professor Oxendine, "While everyone else is too busy protecting themselves or this school, I seem to be the only one worried about that boy's life."