Ilvermorny Year One: The Lost Witch

The Nine Wands of the Black Bayou

Miles opened his eyes and saw everything was spinning around him. He let out a small squeal before landing face first in the snow. He slowly sat up on his knees and looked around. Somehow, he was now in the school courtyard. "Never apparated before young man?" a scratchy old voice said.

Miles looked around and saw an old and gray looking Pukwudgie walking around in the snow. "Who are you," Miles asked in a confused voice. The Pukwudgie continued walking in the large circle around Miles as he looked up at the falling snow. "William," the Pukwudgie said,"senior Pukwidgie and head groundskeeper." 

"Why did you bring me here," Miles asked, "how did you bring me here?" William finally stopped his walking and perched himself on a snow covered bench. "Apparation," William answered, "the best but most dangerous form of magical transport. It takes years to master." Miles slowly stood and then hesitantly sat down beside William. Ever since he first arrived at Ilvermorny, Miles had been curious about the leather skinned, big eared, foul mouthed creatures, but at this moment his fascination had hit a high. William did not strike him like the other Pukwudgies as so far he had not cursed and cast any spells that tried to bring him harm.

William took in a big sigh and then looked at Miles. "I brought you here, because you need to know the truth," William said. Miles took in a deep breath and then looked back down at William. "I knew when you were chosen by all of the houses, you'd be in danger. That we all were in trouble. You are the one, the last one." 

"The last one of what," Miles asked. William began to look away from Miles and twist and wring his small hands together. "You're the ninth and final one needed to conjure the absolute, the most incredible source of infinite power," William explained, "Have you never heard of the story of the Nine Wands of the Black Bayou?"

"Nine wands of what," Miles asked. William looked at him with a shocked look on his face. "It is more of rumor actually, but many of us wholeheartedly believe it," said William. Miles stood from the bench and started to pace around. "What are you talking about?" Miles snapped. William stood from the bench and walked over to a part of the courtyard that was covered in thick untouched snow. He waved his hand and the snow started to part and form wand shaped figures.

Miles slowly walked over to William who was still shaping the snow. "The Nine Wands of the Black Bayou, were a set of wands made out of pure ebony wood, with diamond horn unicorn hair cores, all bound together with the strongest magic and solid gold bands." Miles' eyes opened wide as he heard the story and saw the wand shaped snow figures form a circle. "The maker of these wands was a powerful witch from Lousiana. She made them to only be used to  bring unity between the warring magical groups."

"Warring magical groups," Miles said, " Does this have to do with the European magic taking over the Native American magic and African American magic at Ilvermorny?" William moved  his hands and the wand shaped snow figures lined up in a single file formation. "This goes far beyond Ilvermorny," William said, "This was across America. The way the Black Bayou Witch saw it, the holders of the wands could be the only one to bring back an America that had been torn between magic and nonmagical, black and white, powerful and powerless."

The first wand in the line rose up above the others. " According to legend, the first wand was to give its user the power of the heart. To make anyone and anything be empathetic to each other." The second wand rose. "The next wand was created gave it's user the power of the mind. To be more brilliant than any other witch or wizard alive. The information would just stick to the holder." William explained that the third wand gave it's user the power of healing, the fourth gave the power of infinite strength, the fifth gave the use legilimency, or the power of interpreting  people's thoughts and maybe control them, the sixth gave the power of earth or be able to control and manipulate land forms.