153 The Tower

Dinner continued for another hour before a clap of thunder flashed across all the walls. Instantly, all the chatter stopped, and everyone stood up and faced the door from which they all came in from. I had no idea what was going on but decided that it was best to follow the crowd.

Just as I stood up, Violet walked in with Randal in tow.

"Good afternoon students. I hope everyone was able to have a sumptuous dinner. A new year is upon us, and I expect nothing less than a top performance from all of you. I only have a couple of things to remind you of.

One, those who wish to try out for the quidditch team may do so in a weeks' time. anyone from any year level is welcome. All you need is the skill.

Two, in a months' time, we will be starting the school tournament to decide the top ten for the intercontinental tournament between the magical schools of America and Japan. All those who are interested in signing up, please use this month to prepare thoroughly.

Three, clubs will be active starting from tomorrow, new students, please take the time to visit the clubs you find interesting.

Four, points will be awarded based on academic scores in all your subjects. So, it is in your best interest to strive for first place. The higher you get the better the reward. We will be having mid-year exams. The top then will also get additional points.

five, the beast arena will be open tomorrow for all those who wish to hone their skills. New students, you will be informed about the arena during your defence against the dark arts lesson. There is a leaderboard on campus that shows the top 50 students. They are ranked based on the type of beast killed and the time taken to do so. I suggest you look into it.

And finally, A clever thunder arrow may strike the lions heart. I wish you the best of luck." She said with a smile before walking out of the door again. Everyone was excited for the new year to come. I was interested in Violet's final words.

It didn't seem to have a hidden meaning but had a nice ring to it. I was excited about the points. The better the grades the more points. Especially the mid-year exam. That would provide me with a lot of points which meant better spells, charms and materials I can use. Then there was the arena. I speculated that it shouldn't be as straightforward as it seems. There must be more to it. I would only find out when I asked Professor Michael about it. for now, I stuck with Percival and his gang as we walked through the door.

But the view I was expecting didn't appear, instead, massive stairs at least 20 meters wide appeared in front of me. Made of stone, they rose up to a tower that had lightning constantly striking. I looked around and found myself in a similar stadium, but it was smaller. And it looked to be some kind of shrine for the thunderbird. The surroundings were covered in tree's that extended for God knows how far.

This stadium though didn't have the other statues, but instead focused only on the thunderbird. The mass of black clouds rumbling with violent thunder was impressive to say the least.

"This is the gateway that leads to the thunderbird house. On your left, you will see similar doors, they all have signs on them indicating where they lead to. The tower behind me is where you will be sleeping. The common room is on the first floor. The first years are on the second floor, the second years on the third floor, so on and so forth. There is currently no curfew, but you are responsible for your own time management. Ilvermorny does not tolerate tardiness. If you are late, you are punished accordingly. that is all. you are free to look around but please do not leave the perimeter of the house. A stone wall is erected to signal when you have reached the perimeter." Said an older boy. He had orange spikey hair and was quite tall. He seemed to be the prefect.

"Roger Flagfort, Prefect and son of an important official in MACUSA," Percival explained. I nodded in understanding, he seemed to take his role seriously unlike another useless redhead I had the displeasure of meeting.

I walked straight towards the tower. It looked to be made of a dark green jade brick which gave it a beautiful look. The tower itself was about 10 stories tall, and at the top, a massive metal rod stuck out that attracted the lighting in the sky. For a reason I did not know nor was I particularly interested.

As I followed behind Percival, a wide golden room came into view. A mixture of gold and purple was everywhere. From the couches in the corner to the carpet on the floor. Even the fireplace was not spared from these colours. I didn't really mind the choice since gold and purple gave off a royal vibe.

There were paintings of thunderbirds on the walls. But one painting shocked me greatly. It was one of a man petting the side of a thunderbird. He had a blue coat on, and a brown suitcase by his side. A socially awkward smile on his face but a fanatical look in his eyes as he looked at the beast.

I couldn't believe that Newt Scamander was actually here.

"I'm not surprised you recognised him," said Robert as he looked at the same painting. "He is someone I idolise deeply. His love for magical creatures and his obsession with understanding them is what drives me to be a magical zoologist." Robert said with a bright smile.

"He is indeed someone worth praising. Even beyond the realm of magical creatures. He has done far more than just help beasts." I said vaguely as I gazed up at the man patting the beast in a perpetual cycle. I remembered that in a specific scene in Harry Potter 3, Newt was spotted on the marauder's map. Maybe I should pay him a visit and have a little chat.