Prequel to the Drew Grindelwald series

Ilvermorny - Year One

Drew was looking for a place to sit in the train. All cabins were packed with people, all were students on their way to Ilvermorny, the most famous American school for wizards.Drew finally found a cabin with a seat open.

"Is that seat free?" Drew asked to the girl sitting next to it making sure. The girl looked up and shyly nodded. Drew gratefully sat down in the seat.The cabin was noisy as there were a few girls arguing about a boy or whatever. Drew didn't care though. She didn't care about anything, she hadn't for months.Ever since her parents died in the car crash months ago she had felt empty inside.Everything had changed.Her brother got to finish his final year at Durmstrang Institute while Drew had been sent away to America, to live with a distant relative and then attend Ilvermorny. Drew felt like it hadn't been fair. She had dreamt of going to Hogwarts and just when she was about to go everything went wrong.

"Do you know anybody who studies at Ilvermorny?" the girl next to her suddenly asked. Drew looked up in surprise and shook her head no.

"Me neither. I've read a lot though. I want to be as prepared as possible" before Drew could even react the girl started to list random facts about the American school.Drew just let her, listening to it took her mind of everything that had happened these last couple of months. She couldn't help but sense the nervousness radiating from the girl. She had always been able to feel people's emotions and this situation wasn't any different.The girl started to realize she's rambling now.

"I'm sorry if I'm annoying you. I just am... well nervous and I don't know anyone and i'm scared that I can't make any friends." unknowingly the girl started to ramble again. Drew grinned at this."What's your name?" she asked kindly.The girl looked at her with big eyes.

"Tina Goldstein"Drew rose her hand to shake Tina's

"Nice to meet you Tina, i'm Drew, Drew Grindelwald"

-

"Everyone gather around!" the head teacher named Leros calls out. Leros was a middle-aged man with a neatly trimmed beard. They had just entered Ilvermorny. After having walked past huge marble statues of Isolt and James Flank - two of the finding founders - through the front doors of the castle.

They had walked into a huge circular room topped by a glass cupola. There even was a wooden balcony running around the room one floor above. All first year students looked around in absolute wonder.

All the other years students were looking down on them from the balcony above.Drew noticed four enormous wooden carvings representing the houses: The Horned Serpent, the panther Wampus, the Thunderbird and the Pukwudgie.

Leros told the first year students to stand around the walls. One by one they got called to stand on the symbol of the Gordian Knot set into the middle of the stone floor.Once Drew's name was called she walked towards the middle.She had done research about all the houses beforehand thus she knew what each one stood for.In silence, everyone waited for one of the enchanted carvings to reacts. Drew looked at the cravings in patience. Suddenly the Thunderbird started beating its wings indicating it had chosen Drew. The young girl grinned, she was joining the Thunderbird house.

Once everyone had been sorted into a house they were led into a large hall. Now it was time to select or be selected by a wand. Something Drew had been excited for. Back in England, you have to buy your wand at Ollivanders but here you get it once you enter Ilvermorny.The newly sorted students were ordered to stand by their other housemates. Drew noticed that Tina had been sorted in Thunderbird as well, funny coincidence. Tina was talking to a couple of girls, it surprised Drew how quickly she could make friends.Drew decided that it was probably good to keep her distance from Tina, she was here for important stuff.The wand ceremony started, a choir started to sing a very beautiful song when the windows opened. At first, nothing happened but then a lot of wands flew into the room. You could choose one by grabbing it. If a wand wanted to choose you I'd fly towards you and circle around you.Drew wandered around looking amazed at all the wands flying around. None had come to her yet and she hadn't found one that stood out.