The door to Ilvermorny Castle's Entrance Hall opened with a loud creak.
Harry shuffled on his feet slowly, as if he were carrying a ton of weight on his shoulders.
It was one thing to go through a stupid test to get a stupid wand… Well, not a stupid wand, as that wand belonged to one of Hogwarts' four founders, Salazar Slytherin. Still, it hadn't been a matter drastic enough that he would have minded losing the test.
However, it was another thing entirely to lose the test when it would literally dictate the course of the inevitable war between the Order of Black Phoenix and the Dark Alliance.
Most of the powers in the world were centered around various Ministries and Schools of Magic.
Only now, as the hushed whispers of hundreds of students washed over him, did Harry realize the true significance of the Intercontinental Tournament of Magic.
As if the weight of the realization itself wasn't enough, there was the test of the Four.
To make all the statues select him for their Houses was like the Sorting Hat sorting a student into all the Houses!
Harry didn't think it was something even remotely possible.
Even a small hesitation of the Sorting Hat about deciding a student's place between only two Houses was a grand feat of its own. Grand enough for the impossible, shocking event to have a name of its own — Hatstall!
Just how ridiculous a feat it would be to be selected into all four Houses!
And that, too, when these Houses belonged to a foreign School, not Hogwarts'!
The sudden bout of nervousness that had claimed Harry's mind and spirit was so heavy that he could feel his meal rising in his throat with bitter acidity.
Then, distracting him from his nauseating state, his gaze fell upon the creature that had walked out of the slit in the large doors.
At a glance, it looked like a tall, gray-skinned Goblin. An old Goblin. Its back carried a small hunch, and it used a bow as its cane as it walked, its face carrying a scowl so natural that Harry believed the creature must have been born with it.
A Pukwudgie!
"Get off that pedestal!" the Pukwudgie barked at Darcie, his eyes bulging out of his skull. "Who gave you permission to sit by her feet?"
Darcie hurriedly got up and moved away from Isolt Sayre's statue.
Grumbling, the Pukwudgie took out a piece of cloth and… began cleaning the place where she had been sitting.
Harry frowned. "Hey, that's…"
Madam Villanelle's hand landed on his shoulder, making him pause.
Then, not explaining, she walked toward the magical creature and… bowed.
"Forgive the girl," Madam Villanelle said. "She had no intention of sullying Isolt's statue."
Harry, who had no idea what was going on, suddenly saw fury flashing across the Pukwudgie's face.
"You dare show disrespect…" the magical creature took an arrow out of somewhere and nocked it on his bow/cane, turning around. However, in the next moment, he paused, his old eyes landing on Madam Villanelle's face. "… it's you… again?!"
The High Counselor nodded.
The Pukwudgie grumbled again, putting away the arrow.
"Go!" he said, waving his hand brusquely. "They are all waiting for you."
Madam Villanelle bowed again. "Do you mind if we take away that wand?"
The Pukwudgie scoffed. "Only these idiot humans think that she cared for that wand," he grumbled. "Break it in half for all I care… if you can get it."
Madam Villanelle nodded and called Harry to her.
Still clueless, he hurriedly walked to the Professor, Darcie joining them from the other side.
"Mentor…" Darcie said, eyeing the Pukwudgie from the corner of her eye as they walked toward the doors. "Isolt Sayre befriended a Pukwudgie named William, didn't she?"
Madam Villanelle kept looking forward.
Darcie, not getting an answer, asked another question. "How long does a Pukwudgie live?"
Harry paused suddenly, finally connecting the dots with Darcie's two questions.
Was… Was this Pukwudgie the same, William, from all those years ago?! And… if he was, then wouldn't he be hundreds of years old?! Older than even the oldest legends in the world?!
When Harry looked toward Madam Villanelle to ask the same, he found her face carrying a small, reminiscent smile.
His heart skipped a beat.
Harry couldn't help but look over his shoulder.
The Pukwudgie was still cleaning the pedestal on which Isolt Sayre's statue stood, but now, his face didn't carry a nasty scowl. Only a gentle smile…
Then, even as Harry continued to look at the magical creature, the doors slammed shut in his face.
…
The Entrance Hall was as large as Hogwarts' Great Hall, only circular in shape, Harry noticed.
The hall was topped by a glass cupola, and the space underneath was empty except for four huge wooden carvings that represented the four Houses at Ilvermorny.
Harry couldn't observe those imposing statues for long, though.
Because eyes, thousands in number, were judging him.
There was a wooden balcony on the next level that encircled the room in the Entrance Hall. On the balcony, Ilvermorny students stood, their faces lacking even the slightest touch of welcoming smiles.
Harry… recognized those looks.
Only days ago, he had seen the exact look on his face, too, when he had looked at himself in the mirror. He had seen these looks on all Hogwarts students when they had been burying Lupin's coffin on the School's grounds.
These were the looks of solidarity that had rooted themselves in hearts at the price of loss.
Now, he, Madam Villanelle, and Darcie stood opposite that solidarity…
"Harry Potter!"
Harry jolted as his name was called.
He looked down and found Headmistress Theodore Whitethorn standing in the middle of the Entrance Hall, her face carrying the same look as her students'.
Harry knew what was to come.
He could feel his lips go dry, needles prickling the insides of his skull, and the soles of his feet going cold.
Compared to this… fighting Voldemort had been easier, it felt.
"Step forward, Harry Potter," the witch said. "Let the Four judge if you are even worthy to claim our legacy."
********************
Note: Up to 60 more chapters are available in advance across three Tiers. [Use the link in my webnovel profile to access all options]
You can even subscribe Trial Tier for just 1.99 dollar to have an experience of exclusive chapters for an entire month, along with all the Exclusive Images. I hope a few of you will consider supporting the work.
100 Power Stones/day: +1 Bonus Chapter next day