Chapter 6: Chapter 6 - The Castle Hidden In The Mist
The next day...
The day the twins, Celestia and many more students had been waiting for had finally arrived. James was just too nervous to go to sleep. He could barely keep his excitement in. Celestia's parents were flying to New York from Washington D.C. to see their daughter off to school. A car was waiting to take the three of them to Penn Station.
"James?" said Celestia. He was still asleep. She was trying to gently wake him up.
"Yes?" he said.
"It's time to go. My parents are here and I would like you to meet them."
"Okay. Hey, Mel? Time to wake up. It's time."
James put on his grandfather's tweed cap and wore a collared shirt, a blazer, an Irish harp tie, and suspenders. While Melissa threw on a modern jacket, a scarf, skirt, long pants, and a pair of black flat shoes and his Gordian Knot necklace.
"Dressing up like Grandpa again, Jamie?" said Melissa.
"Yep," he said.
"Are you James and Melissa Evercreetch?" said a man in a suit. The twins nodded.
"We gotta go. Your train leaves in half-an-hour. The earlier we get there, the better. I'm Celestia's father. Nice to meet you both."
"Same here, sir. My sister and I are excited to be going to Ilvermorny."
"Grand Central Terminal, Red." said a woman in the car.
"Yes, Mrs. Angell," said Red.
"Twins," said Celestia, "This is my mother. Mom, this is James and his twin sister, Melissa."
James tipped his hat to her. "Ma'am," he said politely.
"You're twins?" she said excitedly, "Which of you is the oldest?"
"I am," said Melissa.
Arriving at Grand Central Terminal at about a quarter-to-ten, the twins were immediately lost. They could not find Platform 10 and-a-half anywhere at the station. But Ms. Angell rushed across the platform to get them trolleys for their luggage.
"I'll ask a guard. Maybe he knows." James approached a guard, trying not to mention Platform 10 1/2. "Excuse me, sir?"
"Yes?" he said with a heavy New York accent.
"Do you know where Platform 10 and-a-half is?"
"10 and-a-half?" he said, "Think you're being funny, do you?" The guard then walked off.
"Well, that didn't work," said Melissa.
"We are so screwed! Our train leaves in 15 minutes and I have no idea where we are going!"
"James..." said Celestia, "Just calm down."
James was now trying hard not to panic. According to the large clock over the arrivals board, he had ten minutes left to get on the train to Ilvermorny and he had no idea how to do it. At that moment a group of people passed just behind him and he caught a few words of what they were saying.
"-This happens every year! Packed with No-Maji, of course-" It was a woman, with two boys and two girls and a man, who appeared to be her husband. All with brown hair and speaking in an Irish accent. "Come on, wains. Platform 10 1/2 this way."
"James," said Melissa. "I think we should go with them." James nodded.
Following his sister's advice, he pushed his cart in the direction the family was going.
"All right, Eamonn. You first." What appeared to be the oldest brother marched toward platforms nine and ten. Just as the boy reached the dividing barrier between the two platforms, a large crowd of tourists and commuters came swarming in front of him, and by the time the last backpack had cleared away, the boy had vanished. Next was who appeared to be the middle child, a girl. She looked like her brother. She was very pretty.
"Caitlín, you're up next, dear."
"Yes, Mom," she said. Like her brother, she took a running start but by the time James and Melissa blinked for a second, she was already gone.
"Excuse me, miss?" said James.
"Hello, darlin'," said the woman. "New to Ilvermorny? Fionn is new as well."
She pointed at the other boy, a strapping tall young boy with brown hair and eyes.
"Dia duit, ma'am. So my sister and I were wondering if you knew how to get on the platform."
"Not to worry, dear," She said gently, "It's actually the same as it is at Hogwarts. All you have is walk straight at that wall between Platforms 9 and 10. Don't stop and don't be scared you'll crash into it, that's very important. Best do it at a bit of a run if you're nervous." She then noticed James' hat. "That's a lovely hat you have there, by the way."
"Thank you, miss. It belonged to my grandfather. Brought it with him all the way from Ireland."
"Are you twins, by any chance?"
"We are," said Melissa. "You go first, James. I will be right behind you."
"So will I," said Celestia, who just arrived with her parents
"Best of luck," said a little girl.
James closed his eyes and took a deep breath and reopened them. He walked slowly and then began to take a running start towards the wall. In a quick second, he vanished from his sister's view, following close behind him. Turning around the corner, the twins saw a magnificent blue and cranberry passenger train, waiting next to a platform packed with people. There were many languages spoken including Spanish, French, English, Portuguese, Russian, Greek, Arabic, Chinese, Italian, Japanese, Korean, German, and Hindi. "This is it, Mel," said James, "Platform 10 1/2. We made it!"
"So many languages!" Melissa exclaimed.
"Ilvermorny is a lot more diverse than you think," said Celestia's father. "There are students here from every corner of the world."
"Wow," said James.
"Now you two go find a seat," said Celestia's mother. "We need to say our goodbyes."
"Thank you everything, Mr. and Mrs. Angell," said James.
A sign overhead said The Mayflower II, eleven O'clock. James and Melissa looked behind and saw a wrought-iron archway where the barrier had been, with the words Platform Ten And-A-Half on it, he did it and breathed a huge sigh of relief. Following close behind was Celestia and her parents.
"Come on, Mel." said James, "Let's get on the train." Just as they boarded the train, James couldn't help overhear an ongoing conversation.
"I can't wait to see what happens at Ilvermorny this year." said an older male student, who was passing by.
"Like what?" said a girl who was walking with him.
"I don't know. Something strange and unusual. Something new this year."
"What do you mean?" said James.
"You didn't hear, first-year?" he said, "Apparently Ilvermorny is haunted or something. It's famous for its paranormal activity. There are lots of dangerous creatures like Thunderbirds, Wendigos, Hidebehinds, Horned Serpents, and Wampi. And lots of weird stuff, too."
"Oh! And Sasquatch!" the girl added.
"They have Sasquatch?"
"Oh yeah. Lots of them. Out in the Black Forest. You'll see what it looks like when you get there. And there are also dragons. Lots of them." The boy and the girl walked off.
"Good luck, you two," said the girl. She then winked. The sound of the train horn filled the air as the twins made their way towards the train.
"Names please?" said the conductor.
"James and Melissa Evercreetch, sir," James said as the conductor looked at his notepad.
"Aha! Here we are," he exclaimed, "If you don't mind, kids, I'll take your luggage. Take only what you need with you, please, and take your seats. The train is leaving in 10 minutes." The conductor and his assistants took their luggage as they took a seat.
"Hey," said Celestia. "Can I join you?"
"By all means," said Melissa.
"I said goodbye to my parents for about 10 minutes"
"Oh, you had an Irish Goodbye?" said James.
"What's that?" the twins chuckled.
"It's an Irish thing," said Melissa.
The train began to move as she took a seat. Families outside were waving and saying goodbye to their children, running to keep up with the train until it gathered too much. In no time at all, the train began darting its way across Manhattan and then alongside the Hudson River. Before the Trio could have the compartment to themselves, the sliding door opened and the boy they met earlier walked in, alongside his older brother and sister.
"Hi there," the boy said. "Would you mind if we hang out with you? Everyone else is full."
"By all means. Please," said Celestia. The boy and his siblings took a seat.
"I'm Fionn. Fionn MacBrien. This is my oldest brother Eamonn and my older sister Caitlín."
"James Evercreetch," he said. "This is my twin sister Melissa and my friend Celestia Angell."
"A pleasure," he said. "I was originally supposed to attend Hogwarts but we moved to South Boston three years ago. So we're going to Ilvermorny. Our parents went to Hogwarts."
"Which House are you both in?" James asked Eamonn and Caitlín.
"I'm in Pukwudgie," said Eamonn.
"I'm a Thunderbird," Caitlín said.
"Our cousin is a seventh-year. I think." said Melissa, "She said she's in Thunderbird."
"I heard she's going to meet us over there at Ilvermorny," said James.
"It's always important to be with family at school," said Caitlín. "That way, you won't be alone."
"You know, I talked to some older students and they said Ilvermorny is haunted or something. Is it true?" James asked.
"I wouldn't say it's haunted," said Caitlin "but it experiences a lot of paranormal activity and there are lots of supernatural occurrences. 300 years ago, Isolt supposedly kept track of what she saw in these journals."
"Journals?" James said inquisitively. "What happened to them?"
"Nobody knows where they are," said Fionn, "They're either hidden somewhere in the school or they're lost to history. Forever. By the way, your name Evercreetch? It sounds Irish."
"We are Irish," Melissa said defensively. "Our ancestors came from County Roscommon and County Cork. What about you?"
"We're from the west of Ireland. County Kerry. From a town called Listowel. We speak both English and Irish."
As they were talking, the train had already carried them out of New York City. Now they were speeding past the Hudson River on one side and fields and farmlands full of cows and sheep on the other. They were about to enter the Hudson River Valley. While James went out to use the bathroom, he came across an argument. In Greek. The two people arguing were also twins. They both had a Greek flag pin on their shirts.
"Hey dude," said the boy who noticed him, "Have you seen a snake by any chance? A girl named Nancy lost one."
"I'm afraid not. Maybe I can help a little bit?" James offered.
"We would appreciate it," said the girl. She looked like her brother.
"I'm James Evercreetch, by the way," he said politely.
"Alexios Xenakis. You can call me Alex. This is my twin, Kassandra." Alex gave James a very firm handshake.
"I'm a twin, too! Where are you two from?"
"Tarpon Springs, Florida," said Kassandra.
"I've been to Tarpon Springs. Cool little town. So you guys are Greek?"
"We are." said Kassandra, "We go sponge-diving in the summer with our parents and we're the first kids in our family to go to Ilvermorny." As they were searching, they heard some screaming from further up the train. "I think we found the snake," said Alex.
"And I think that scream came from my compartment," said James. But he immediately recognized the scream. "Uh-oh! Melissa!" The three of them rushed over to find Fionn handling the snake. "I've got him!" he exclaimed.
"Are you okay, Mel?" James asked frantically. He was worried about her.
"I'm okay, Jamie. Calm down," Melissa reassured him, "Thanks to Fionn over here."
"You're welcome. I'll find the girl and tell her we found the snake," said Fionn.
"Guys, these are my friends Alex and his sister Kassandra. They were helping me look for that snake earlier."
"Are you guys hungry?" Celestia asked the twins and Fionn.
There was an old woman pushing a cart full of candy on it. This was not the usual No-Maj candy that the twins were used to back at home but what they had was Snickering Snickerdoodles, Bertie Bott's Every-Flavored Beans, Sweet Tart Shockers, Bertram's Balloon Gum, Ocean Water Taffy, Juicy Jackalope Jumpers, Boom Boom Balls, Skinwalker's Surprise, Jelly Snakes, Rainbow Pops, Chocolate Frogs, Lucky Clovers, Two-Tone Taffy, Pop Arts, Chocolate Dragon Eggs, as well as some exotic candies from England, and so on. "James?" said Celestia, "Would you mind pitching in with me? Do you still have money left over from yesterday?"
"Plenty," James scoffed.
"We'll take the lot," Celestia said as she took out some money, paying the woman 19 dragots (about 18 US dollars) for the candy.
"What are these things?" Melissa asked, holding up a pack of Chocolate Frogs, "Are they like the Chocolate Frogs from the Harry Potter movies?"
"Yep," said Fionn, "It's just a spell. Each pack has a famous witch or wizard card."
James opened one up and the card he showed a man with a silver beard and silver hair. Underneath it was the name, Agilbert Fontaine,
"Who's this?" James asked.
"You don't know?" said Celestia, "That's Agilbert Fontaine. He's the current headmaster at Ilvermorny. I've met him a few times and he's a really nice man. I have about 8 of him for my collection." He turned over the card and it read:
AGILBERT FONTAINE
Graduating from Ilvermorny at the top of his class, Professor Fontaine is particularly famous for helping found the American chapter of the Order Of The Phoenix with his friend Albus Dumbledore, for his work on Nordic Runes and Enchantments, as an Auror, and as Head of Enchantments at MACUSA. Professor Fontaine lives in Bar Harbor, Maine, and enjoys outdoor activities such as hunting, sailing, fishing, hiking, and rooting for the No-Maj baseball team, The Boston Red Sox.
After James looked at his new card, he turned his attention towards an enormous package in the shape of a dragon egg and then proceeded to open it.
"Uh...James?" said Melissa. "What is that?"
"That's a Chocolate Dragon Egg," said Fionn. "They're usually available around Easter. Each egg has a gummy dragon inside of it and it breathes molten caramel instead of fire."
"Interesting," said Melissa, who unknowingly took a bite of a Snickering Snickerdoodle. Then she let a loud laugh, which startled James. He snickered a little bit. Melissa began laughing uncontrollably as she continued to eat the cookie.
"You gotta eat the whole cookie and then the spell will wear off Mel," said Celestia. She ate it until it was finally gone and then calmed down. While they were talking, they entered Massachusetts and the landscape changed once again to mountains and forests. "Ladies and gentlemen," said the conductor "We are entering Massachusetts. We will be at Mount Greylock within 2 hours. Thank you."
As Mount Greylock drew nearer, the kids passed the time by talking about what to expect about at Ilvermorny and what House they hoped to get sorted, as the train drove across the Berkshires. James and Melissa's mother explained the Sorting Ceremony to them once. It was a long time ago, but still, they both remembered everything she said. The conductor came once again on the intercom.
"Ladies and gentlemen, we will be arriving at The Mayflower Landing in Adams, Massachusetts in 10 minutes. Please leave your luggage on the train, it will be taken to the school separately. Thank you. On your left, you will see Mount Greylock."
"There it is!" Celestia exclaimed, pointing outside the window, "Mount Greylock! It's incredible! Let's take a look!" There was a commotion going on in the passenger car. Everyone wanted to get their first glimpse of the castle.
"Where's the castle?" James asked.
"It's hidden. Underneath all that mist," said an older student, "Many No-Maj hikers have reported seeing the castle on the Appalachian Trail but when they got to the peak, they didn't see it. And it's protected by a thick mist and wide variety of powerful spells and enchantments. That's why they call it: 'The Castle Hidden In The Mist'. You first-years need to change into your robes. We will be arriving very soon."
James and Melissa returned to their compartment and slipped on their long blue and cranberry robes and fastened it with their Gordian Knot brooch. The train began to slow down and finally stopped. People began to push down toward the door and on to a platform in the middle of town. Older students were hugging each other and handshakes were being exchanged left and right.
"What's this all about?" James asked.
"This is called 'Summit At The Gates'," said Arsenia. "It's an Ilvermorny tradition. All the upperclassmen get excited about testing their new ways to get to the school, which is on top of Mount Greylock." She pointed at the peak. "You guys get to take an underground tunnel up to that tower. That's where Ilvermorny is."
"All right, First years!" said an older student, "Gather 'round. Over here. Any more first-years?"
"All right, guys. I have to go. See you at The Sorting Hall." Arsenia said as she walked off with her friends.
"Okay. Are we all here?" The older student asked who was sitting next to an older man in glasses, who looked a little familiar. Everyone stopped talking. "Good. Now...let me be the first person to officially welcome you all to Ilvermorny. I will leave all of you with Professor Jacob Potter. He will be your Defense Against The Dark Arts teacher here at Ilvermorny. Professor Potter? They're all yours." He walked off.
"Thank you, Nick," Potter said, "Follow me, kids." Potter bore a great resemblance to Harry himself. Except for no scar. Were they related? He led the group of first years out of town and down to a steep and narrow path on the foot of the mountain.
"How is Jacob Potter related to Harry Potter, really?" James asked.
"He's a distant relative. I heard somewhere he might be coming to the school later this year," said Celestia, "His great-great-great-great grandfather was Samuel Potter. Probably the greatest Headmaster the school ever had. And his great-grandfather was Abraham Potter, One of the 12 original Aurors of MACUSA."
"That is correct, Ms. Angell," said Potter. "Right this way, kids." The path led to an opening. Potter opened the door and it revealed a dark tunnel and long flight of stairs and then he took out his wand. "Lumos!" he said. And it immediately lit up the dark tunnel. "This tunnel was created by James Steward and Chadwick Boot over 300 years ago to give the Sayre family better access to the town. Watch your step, ladies, and gentlemen. It's really quite slippery in here." Everyone made a single-file line as they entered the tunnel.
"There are more than 350 different tunnels that run underneath the mountain." Potter continued, "They could take you practically anywhere around the school. Most of them are undiscovered." The tunnel was damp and cold and it was long. During most of the ascent up the mountain, everyone was silent but they managed to get to the peak in no time. "Welcome to the peak of Mount Greylock," said Professor Potter. "On a good day, you can see five different states from the top of that tower."
For some reason, everyone seemed mildly disappointed. All that was there was a 90-foot tower, some buildings here and there and, what appeared to be, a lodge. But where was the school?
Everyone looked down below to get a view of what they saw but the view was shrouded by a thick mist, with the sun beginning to set in the west.
"Are you sure this is it?" James asked.
"I'm sure of it," said Celestia, "I've been here before. When I wasn't a student."
"Where's the school?" a female student asked.
"I will show you," said Potter. He reached into his sleeve and pulled out his Gordian Knot necklace and raised it into the air and it began to glow.
Within a few minutes, the ground began to shake and what appeared to be a force field began to appear out of thin air. It revealed a vast castle, with many turrets and towers and guarded by a wall, off to the right of the castle was a great lake, shrouded in a mist.
There was a loud "Ooooooh."
"Oh. My. God!" James exclaimed.
Potter chuckled. "You should see your faces," he said.
Everyone followed him towards the front gate, which immediately opened as they arrived. In front of them was a statue of both a man and a woman holding hands. James read the plaque. It said:
"Isolt Sayre and James Steward.
Our beloved co-founders."
"Ipsa Scientia Potentia Est."
Professor Potter raised his fist and pounded on the gigantic wooden castle door three times.
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