Harry Potter: Bloodraven

High up on the peak of Mount Greylock in the northeastern U.S., stands the majestic Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. While Hogwarts looked more like a medieval castle, Ilvermorny was more of a modern, magical mansion.

It had soaring towers, sprawling wings, and an intriguing fusion of European and Native American magic. Enchanted protections keep it hidden from the No-Majs (that's American slang for Muggles), making sure it stays out of sight, often wrapped in swirling clouds that cling to the mountain.

Ilvermorny was founded back in the 1600s by Isolt Sayre—a descendant of Salazar Slytherin himself—and her non-magical husband, James Stewart. Yep, a Slytherin and a No-Maj.

Although the school started small, it didn't take long before Ilvermorny became North America's pride and joy, welcoming young witches and wizards from all over north America.

Like Hogwarts, Ilvermorny has four houses, and students study many familiar subjects with a few unique twists. There's Potions, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Herbology, magical creature studies, Charms, Transfiguration—the classics. But they also have classes like Wandcrafting, which you won't find at Hogwarts. It's a full, well-rounded magical education that takes its American roots seriously, honoring Native American traditions woven into the lessons and customs.

The headmasters office was in the highest tower, one side facing misty Mount Greylock and the other showing off the entire school. The room's huge, with tall ceilings and walls lined with shelves holding ancient looking books, magical artifacts, and relics from North American wizardry.

A big, carved wooden desk sits near a giant window, giving a breathtaking view of the valley below. Behind the desk, a portrait of the founders, Isolt Sayer and James Stewart, looks on, nodding every now and then at visitors like they approve.

In a burst of green flames, the Floo fireplace in the corner suddenly lights up, and out steps Edward in his formal wizarding robes, all business. Behind him is a teenage girl in a crisp Ilvermorny uniform, looking confident, and then a young man who seems a little wobbly but is doing his best to keep his cool.

The headmaster, Agilbert Fontaine, stands up to greet them. He's a tall, silver-haired wizard who looks about fifty, with a thick white beard and kind eyes. He's got this gentle yet commanding vibe as he steps around his desk. "Welcome, Speaker Edward," he says warmly, shaking Edward's hand.

"Headmaster," Edward replies, with a nod that's both respectful and friendly.

The headmaster then turns to the girl and raises an eyebrow, a teasing smile on his face. "Isabella, thought you'd be taking the week off," he says, sounding almost like he's in on a joke.

Isabella blushes and smiles shyly. "I, uh, decided not to," she mumbles.

Agilbert just raises an eyebrow, giving her a knowing look that says he's not buying it but isn't pushing either.

Finally, he looks over to the young man. "And you must be Mr. Caesar," he says with keen interest visible on his face. "Speaker Edward's apprentice! Lucky you, getting him as a teacher. I hear you've even finished school with the No-Majs. Quite impressive!"

Maverick, feeling the spotlight a bit too much, scratches his head, looking sheepish as he glances around the room, wide-eyed at everything, trying to not react to the BS story Edward crafted. He doesn't quite know what to say, and fortunately Edward clears his throat, bailing him out.

"Thank you, sir," Maverick stammers quickly, trying to keep his cool.

"Alright, Bella, why don't you head back to class?" Edward said, giving his daughter a gentle look.

She crossed her arms, pouting. "But... why can't I stay?"

Edward raised an eyebrow, trying not to laugh. "We're just gonna have a quick chat, and then Maverick and I have to head out to meet a few other folks."

She huffed, kicking at the floor a bit. "Fine."

Edward chuckled, patting her shoulder. "I'll catch up with you later, alright?"

With a dramatic eye roll, Isabella finally turned, dragging her feet as she left. "Yeah, yeah... later," she mumbled.

As soon as Isabella left, Principal Fontaine motioned to the two chairs in front of his desk, and Edward and Maverick sat down. They got right into talking about Maverick—well, mostly it was Edward and Fontaine doing the talking. Maverick sat back, trying to look calm, hoping he wouldn't have to answer any tricky questions.

They covered a bit about Maverick's schooling so far, his plan to sit for exams at Ilvermorny, and the subjects he'd need to focus on. Thankfully, Fontaine kept it light, sticking to the basics of how the whole process would work instead of grilling Maverick on academic stuff.

After they'd covered everything, Fontaine gave an approving nod. With the details ironed out, Edward and Maverick got up and thanked him. They stepped back to the Floo fireplace, green flames flaring to life around them as they disappeared, heading to one of Edward's outposts. This was where Edward personally trained and guided his team, and Maverick was about to get a closer look at what that actually meant.

As soon as Maverick stumbled out of the Floo fireplace, he took a look around. The room was small—probably about ten by ten feet—with flickering candles lining the walls, casting a warm glow. There was only one door right in front of them.

"Uh… where are we?" Maverick asked, looking over at Edward.

Edward smirked. "Take a wild guess. Think back to what you said when you tossed in the Floo powder."

Maverick squinted, scratching his head. "Matthew's… safe house?" He asked, sounding unsure.

Edward chuckled. "Exactly. We've actually been here before."

Maverick tilted his head, trying to place it. "Wait… this is the place where we apparated to practice spells, right?"

Edward nodded. "Yep. The 'cold island,' as you called it."

"Oh…" Maverick's eyes lit up in recognition.

"That's right, St. Matthew Island, Alaska," Edward said, heading toward the door. "Middle of nowhere, far from anyone. Perfect spot for an underground base."

He swung the door open, then looked back at Maverick with a grin. "Alright, come on. Let's go say hi to everyone."

They walked into a huge hall. Instead of candles, the ceiling had some kind of glowing fixtures that filled the whole place with a clean, white light. The room was big—about a quarter of a football field, Maverick guessed. There were two doors on each side—left, right, and straight ahead—and only the one they'd just come through behind them.

Maverick's eyes quickly locked onto the people standing in a line facing him and Edward. Up front were a man and a woman who looked a lot alike, maybe in their 30s—likely twins.

Beside them stood a group of younger looking, likely teenagers: three girls and five boys. Maverick didn't miss the quick glance they all gave him, mix of surprise and curiosity as they messured him out.

"Simon, Sarah… children. How've you all been?" Edward called out as he walked over, with Maverick trailing behind him.

"We're good, boss," the woman—Sarah—answered, while the man, Simon, nodded in agreement.

"All good, Teacher," the teenagers echoed in unison, their voices a full of energy and respect.

Edward noded smiling at them. Then he patted Maverick's shoulder before speaking, "this is my apprentice, Maverick Caeser. "

The teenagers' eyes widened as they took in Maverick. Simon and Sarah kept calm—Edward had already filled them in. But for the younger ones, this was big news. Up until now, only Isabella, Edward's own daughter, held the title of apprentice.

None of them showed resentment, though maybe just a hint of envy. They each gave Maverick a respectful nod, which he returned with a slightly awkward wave. "Uh... Hello everyone..."

Edward stepped in, "He's actually been my student for a while now. Just the first time I'm officially introducing him."

The teens blinked, looking even more surprised. Edward continued, "His situation's a bit different. So feel free to ask him questions if you're curious."

Edward had already gone over the cover story with Maverick and decided to stick with the same one they'd given the Ilvermorny headmaster.

Simon and Sarah already knew what was going on, and since Edward trusted them, so did Maverick.

Sarah caught Edward's eye and spoke up, taking charge. "Boss, you don't need to say much. If he's your apprentice, he's already one of us." She glanced back at the teens, who nodded in agreement.

"Good." Edward turned to Maverick, then gestured to Sarah and Simon. "These two will be your main tutors. Sarah's a master potioneer, and Simon here is a professional alchemist. They'll start with a quick assessment today, then work out a lesson plan for you."

Edward then turned his attention to the younger group before introducing each one. "These are my students. The youngest are Donald, Ryan, and Elizabeth—they're 12. Then Ahmed, Nicolas, and Maya, who are 13. Lastly, Violet and Suresh, almost 15."

He smiled warmly at them. "Like you, they've been with me since they were little, right after they first showed their magic. They're like family, so I expect you all to get along."

Maverick nodded, now offering a more sincere smile as he looked at the kids. "Nice to meet you."

The teens greeted him back with the same friendly "Nice to meet you."

Over dinner last night, Edward had filled him in on more about Edward's students, more importantly, their backstories. They weren't just students; they were magical orphans Edward had gathered from across the world, kids he was guiding and training, kids who would one day become his trusted circle.

Maverick was sure this was just one "class" among many Edward had taken under his wing. He wasn't going to ask questions; he didn't feel the need to. Edward was one of the seven ICW speakers, an Arch-Magus at the top of the magical world, and of course he'd have subordinates.

More than that, Maverick trusted Edward's character, and was mature enough to know not to dig for answers where they weren't needed.