178: Ilvermorny and Kowalski

In 1945, both the Muggle and magical worlds saw the end of their respective battles.

Grindelwald was defeated by Dumbledore, and the Muggle world witnessed the conclusion of the Second World War.

As a victorious nation, America experienced rapid development. Unlike Britain, it was filled with a lively and vibrant atmosphere.

This energy extended into its magical schools as well.

Ilvermorny—a school established by a descendant of Salazar Slytherin—stood out among them.

Founded in the 17th century, the school was built atop Greylock Mountain in Massachusetts. Initially, it was merely a stone cottage constructed by Isolt Sayre and her husband, James Steward.

Over time, it expanded and flourished, eventually becoming the foremost magical school in America.

Much like Hogwarts, Ilvermorny is divided into four houses:

Horned Serpent, known for favoring scholars and lovers of knowledge.

Thunderbird, which welcomes adventurers.

Wampus, which values warriors of great determination and courage.

Pukwudgie, which selects healers known for their kindness and nobility.

The structure closely mirrors that of Hogwarts' four houses.

But instead of using a Sorting Hat like Hogwarts, Ilvermorny sorts its students in a unique way.

Students stand atop the Gordian Knot engraved on the stone floor of the hall. Four statues, representing the houses, choose the students.

If more than one house welcomes a student, the final choice lies with the student.

One of the most famous examples is Seraphina Picquery, the former President of MACUSA, who was chosen by all four houses. She ultimately chose Horned Serpent.

"Sounds like Hogwarts Sorting Hat with extra steps," John remarked.

John and Heinrich arrived outside the school just as the morning mist began to rise.

The castle-like structure loomed amidst the fog, shrouded in mystery. From their vantage point, the two watched in silence.

Ilvermorny had been enchanted with powerful protective spells, rendering it invisible to Muggles—or rather, "No-Majs," as American wizards called non-magical folk.

On his international excursion, John couldn't resist visiting this renowned school.

Meanwhile, Mrs. Wick was engrossed in fashion week, glued to the runway shows. It seemed likely his father's credit card was about to max out.

John's travel companion, Heinrich, was a prodigy in his own right. By his fifth year at Durmstrang, he had already mastered Apparition.

Given that Durmstrang didn't adhere to strict trace laws, Heinrich had simply used a Portkey to travel to America. From there, he Apparated directly to the summit of Greylock Mountain.

John donned his mask as the mountain wind whipped his robes, making them billow dramatically.

Before long, they spotted a winged horse soaring toward their location.

The Pegasus, backlit by the sun, looked like a child of the heavens descending from the skies.

On its back sat a golden-haired boy with bright blue eyes, his carefree smile as radiant as his wind-swept hair. Upon landing, he leapt off the Pegasus and ran toward John.

"Sir Johnny Silverhand! I didn't expect you'd come looking for me!"

Kim Ledyslay, once a holiday worker at Johnny Silverhand's specialty store, now stood before them.

Seeing his former employer was an incredible surprise for Kim, who had hoped to return to the shop this break. Unfortunately, with the Quidditch World Cup around the corner and a ticket landing in his hands, his plans had changed.

John's voice carried a hint of amusement as he greeted him. "Kim, even though you've left Johnny Silverhand's Speciality Shop, I'll always consider you a friend."

"Sir, that's an honor," Kim replied, flashing his brilliant white teeth in a dazzling smile.

Turning his attention to the pale-faced figure beside John, Kim extended his hand enthusiastically. "Kim Ledyslay, Ilvermorny student."

"Hmm," Heinrich barely lifted his eyes, clearly uninterested in shaking hands.

But Kim's relentless cheer wasn't so easily deterred. He grabbed Heinrich's hand firmly, ignoring the disdainful look in his eyes, and gave it a vigorous shake.

"..."

Heinrich yanked his hand back forcefully, his expression filled with revulsion. He immediately pulled out a handkerchief and began scrubbing his hand as if trying to erase the encounter.

John took in the entire scene, not missing the glimmer of amusement in Kim's eyes.

"Looks like a seemingly honest and straightforward one, but turns out to have a sly streak," he muttered to himself.

Still, he considered the introduction between Kim and Heinrich a success.

John firmly believed in one truth: youth was the greatest asset.

That was why the people he nurtured often included students like Neville or Percy.

Kim Ledyslay was also one of his chosen proteges. During his time as a temporary worker at Johnny Silverhand's shop, Kim had showcased his unique talents.

He had a profound understanding of alchemy and considerable magical prowess.

There had even been an incident where a reckless dark wizard tried to stir up trouble. Without needing the security team's intervention, Kim had single-handedly taken care of the intruder.

For the foreseeable future, John decided Kim would act as the host and guide Heinrich around America.

Kim, being a Thunderbird House student, had an adventurous spirit akin to a Gryffindor's, always eager for exploration.

This would give the two a chance to get familiar with each other. Heinrich, as a member of the Constellation Society and privy to John's other identities, required no further introduction.

Kim, as one of John's proteges, needed to establish rapport with his future colleague.

Watching Heinrich's barely-contained frustration as he restrained himself from retaliating, John couldn't suppress his laughter.

Using Apparition, John left Mount Greylock and reappeared in New York.

Heinrich probably understood John's intentions—hopefully, they wouldn't end up fighting.

...

In New York, a fashion show was taking place, and Mrs. Wick had dismissed John under the pretext that he wasn't "mature enough" to join her.

"Women—when it comes to shopping, reason just flies out the window," John muttered.

Seeing no sign of his Mum emerging from the event anytime soon, John hailed a taxi.

He wandered through the city aimlessly, and by the time he got out of the cab, he found himself in the Lower East Side.

This part of town still retained plenty of unique architecture and was dotted with street graffiti.

Dressed in a waistcoat and suit, John looked distinctly out of place here.

Patting his forehead, he muttered, "Spending too much time in the wizarding world… even my sense of style's starting to match theirs."

As he strolled around, he noticed a quaint café offering afternoon tea that looked promising.

A nearby bakery also caught his attention with its inviting charm. Curious, John pushed open the door and stepped inside.

Tig Tininlg!~

The bell above the door chimed softly, and a young man behind the counter looked up—he must be the owner.

The shop was small but radiated warmth. Shelves were lined with freshly baked bread, custom cakes, and a variety of cookies.

John's gaze landed on one particular loaf of bread.

"Why does this look so… familiar?"

The bread was shaped with big, round eyes and a fluffy, goofy expression. It instantly reminded John of a certain wide-eyed, furry Niffler he'd encountered before.

John's eyes widened as he looked at the other breads on display.

Each loaf had a unique design—some resembled Erumpents, while others mimicked the appearance of Mooncalves.

"Are these all magical creatures?"

Turning to the plump baker behind the counter, John cautiously asked, "Do you happen to know the twelve uses of dragon's blood?"

"Dragon's blood?" The baker gave him a blank stare, looking genuinely puzzled.

John could sense that the man wasn't pretending. This raised even more questions in his mind.

If this baker wasn't a wizard, why were these loaves shaped like magical creatures?

Purchasing a few of the whimsical breads, John stepped out of the bakery. As he walked outside, his eyes caught the shop's sign.

"Kowalski Bakery?" he murmured, testing the name on his tongue.

He speculated: either someone in this shop's history had wizarding ties, or they had somehow seen these magical beasts.

Not long after John left, a freckled young boy walked into the bakery. Opening the door, he called out to the baker, "Mr. Kowalski, is Quentin around?"

"Rolf, take some bread home—your grandfather will love it," the plump baker said with a wide smile.

Rolf Scamander scratched his head sheepishly before nodding.

...

New York certainly had its charms, especially Chinatown. The food there still retained its authentic flavors, not yet "modernized" or dulled to suit broader tastes.

"Fuck my life..."

Unfortunately, everything John ate was completely flavorless.

"Hmm? Did you say something dear?"

"No, mum.. you heard something?"

"I think.. well that doesn't matter! Please eat now. You look too skinny. Eat to your heart's content, and don't make Mommy too worried."

'Fuck.. my.. life...(┬┬﹏┬┬) '

Faced with the delicacies of Asian cuisine, John ended up eating more than usual. Even though the food tasted bland to him, at least its aroma and presentation were a little appealing.

This eased Mrs. Wick's worries slightly. Her son's usual lack of appetite had been a significant source of anxiety.

'If this trip could make John eat a proper meal, then it's worth every penny,' Mrs. Wick thought, feeling a newfound urgency to master the art of Asian cooking.

They rented an apartment in New York, and every day, Mrs. Wick would call back to check in with Watson.

Watson assured her to enjoy the trip, as everything back home had been mostly settled.

For reasons unknown, several prominent figures who had recently made threats against Watson had met untimely ends.

Some drowned, some fell to their deaths, and others simply disappeared without a trace.

This left Watson with little to worry about—except for Sean, who refused to leave him alone. Sean was convinced that these mysterious incidents were Watson's way of flexing his power.

It only strengthened Sean's belief in Fain Wallace's unshakable trust in Watson.

The latter had now earnestly invited Watson to become the second-in-command of the Wallace family, which left the law-abiding Watson feeling overwhelmed.

__________

After reading this if you are still craving to read something, you can check out my other book, Succubus System At Hogwarts(The name is like this but it's not a lwed book)

♥

Give it a try, you'll love it~~

__________

Read 12 Chapters ahead:

Patreon.com/Dragonel