Ilvermorny's visible defenses were inferior to Hogwarts'.
For instance, it lacked defensive assets such as a castle shield reinforced over a thousand years or Stone Knights.
Still, it had all the necessary defensive measures. In particular, its naturally defensible position prevented ordinary wizard armies from mounting effective mass attacks.
The area near the snakewood on the Back Mountain had been reinforced with all kinds of restrictions over the past month.
During his many days of investigation, Shawn had also learned a secret that was hardly a secret at all.
Whenever Ilvermorny came under attack, something would happen.
The four statues in the Front Hall, normally used for House Sorting and possessing a degree of intelligence-the Horned Serpent, Thunderbird, Wampus Cat, and Gnome-would automatically link into a formation and unleash powerful protective magic.
Shawn had long since discovered that they were actually releasing the power of faith accumulated within the statues, born from Ilvermorny's wizards' affection for their alma mater.
This, too, could be considered part of the legacy built up by a magical school founded more than three hundred years ago.
Hogwarts actually had similar measures, though they probably would not manifest until the Castle was completely destroyed.
At that moment, everyone on Ilvermorny's Rear Castle Wall noticed something unusual.
The Castle stood atop a mountain, wreathed in clouds and mist. Thick fog, flashing lightning, and rumbling thunder normally surrounded it, with swirling snow joining them in winter.
The combination of mountaintop, fortress, lightning, and snow was one of Ilvermorny's distinctive sights.
Now, however, the clouds and mist outside grew even denser and began rotating like an enormous funnel.
The snowflakes that had been softly drifting down gradually stopped falling.
"It's here!"
Headmaster Fontana looked tense and immediately ordered the Kopuch Gnomes patrolling the Back Mountain to withdraw.
The other