"Dream on!" Hermione blushed and scolded, "You're the greediest one! With your ever-increasing nature, we absolutely can't give you too many treats, or you'll get too big for your britches sooner or later."
"Probably not?" Draco said very seriously. "No matter how many times, you'll grow up along with me, and the feel will be completely different..."
"Go to hell!" Hermione, filled with shame and anger, stomped on his foot hard, then strode toward the door of Ilvermorny.
"Wait for me." Draco's eyes were filled with doting smiles as he watched the girl's shy retreating figure, and he followed her.
As you hike up the Mount Greylock trail, passing through layers of lush green forests, the view suddenly opens up.
The main structure of the Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry castle was now fully revealed before them. Unlike when they looked up at it from the foot of the mountain, now, standing in front of the gate, the grandeur of the entire building was on full display.
The reliefs of the four guardian beasts of the academy come to life under the light and shadow, exuding a ruggedness belonging to the North America wilderness, like a silent Giant looking down on every visitor.
"... It's much more breathtaking than what we saw at the foot of the mountain."
Draco's gaze lingered on the magnificent building, and he nodded slightly. "Yes. It's a completely different style from Hogwarts —more rugged, more wild."
Draco and Hermione stood in front of the school gates, which slid open slowly to the sides with a deep rumble.
A tall, robust man walked out of the door. He had thick, black curly hair, a healthy bronze complexion, deep-set eyes, and brown eyes.
The man wore a dark blue robe from Ilvermorny, with a shirt underneath featuring traditional South American geometric embroidery peeking out from the collar.
"Hello, this is the private protected area of Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Entry is prohibited for non-students and faculty. May I ask your identities and the purpose of your visit?" Santos asked politely.
Draco responded politely, "Good afternoon. We are wizards from Britain, invited by MACUSA to North America, and would like to borrow your library to consult some materials."
As he spoke, Draco took out the silver temporary pass badge that Higgins had given him from his pocket and handed it over. Hermione also took out her own badge and showed it to him as well.
The man took the badge, examined it carefully for a moment, then looked up at the two men, his wariness fading somewhat.
"No problem." The man returned the badge to Draco, his tone much warmer. "Welcome to Ilvermorny. Please wait a moment while I notify the professor on duty to come and greet you."
"This is troublesome." The two of them put their badges away.
Then, the man drew his wand from his waist and gently tapped a brass groove next to the stone door. A faint blue light quickly spread upwards along the groove and disappeared into the mountainside.
About five or six minutes later, the castle gate slowly opened from the inside, and a female professor came out.
Not long after, accompanied by light footsteps, a female professor walked out of the corridor behind the stone gate.
The woman appeared to be around forty years old, with a slender and upright figure, and her long, jet-black hair was styled into a bun at the back of her head with a wooden hairpin.
Her facial features have distinctly Eastern characteristics.
Draco was somewhat surprised; the professor was actually Asian.
The man briefly explained the situation, " Professor Luo, these two are wizards from Britain, holding temporary passes to MACUSA, and wish to use the library to consult materials."
Luo Na nodded, her gentle gaze falling on Draco and Hermione. With a polite smile, she introduced herself:
"Greetings, gentlemen. I am Professor Luo Na, on duty in Ilvermorny today, responsible for greeting and accompanying today's visitors."
"You two can simply call me Professor Luo."
Draco nodded politely. "Hello, Professor Luo. I am Draco Malfoy, and this is Hermione Granger."
Once the handover was complete, the gatekeeper returned to his small hut.
Professor Luo gestured for the two to follow her inside.
Draco and Hermione followed Professor Lin Wan into Ilvermorny. Looking at the layered, picturesque campus, Draco asked a question at the opportune moment:
" Professor Luo, before we go to the library, would you please give us a brief tour of your school? We have always been very interested in the history and architecture of Ilvermorny. When we were in Britain, we heard that Ilvermorny was one of the most distinctive magic schools in the world, and we are even more eager to see it for ourselves today."
Draco, of course, praised whenever he could.
"Of course," Professor Luo readily agreed. "While Ilvermorny may not be as historically significant as Hogwarts, it has its own unique traditions and stories. Since you two are interested, I'll give you a tour first, and then we can go to the library."
"With Coach Laureau."
Professor Luo walked towards a corridor on the left side of the hall.
"Let's start in the academy hall—it displays the founding history and key figures of the Four Houses, making it the best starting point for understanding Ilvermorny." The two followed.
Professor Luo led the two through the front hall to the Ilvermorny branch square, which was circular with a high, open dome.
Four towering stone sculptures, representing the four Houses' iconic animals— the Wampus Cat, the Horned Serpent, the Thunderbird, and the Pukwudgie —stood around the plaza, seemingly ready to leap from their pedestals at any moment. Hermione remarked, "They look like they could move."
"They do move," Professor Luo said with a smile.
"The Sorting System at Ilvermorny is fundamentally different from Hogwarts. We don't have a hat that reflects individual personality; instead, students are chosen by these four statues."
" The Thunderbird favors a brave soul, the Wampus Cat seeks a sturdy body, the Horned Serpent prefers a wise person who loves reading, and the Pukwudgie chooses a kind-hearted healer."
After listening, Hermione had a question in her mind and asked, "What if all four statues chose the same student at the same time?"
"Then the students can choose for themselves." Professor Luo smiled slightly. "We prefer to respect individual wishes."
What is the focus of the major courses in each department?
Hermione continued the conversation by asking more questions.
Professor Luo then provided Hermione with the answer.
"As for the specialized courses that different colleges emphasize..."
"Students at the Wampus Cat House excel in combat and defensive magic; the Horned Serpent House is more accomplished in Charms and Ancient Magic research; students at the Thunderbird House often demonstrate talent in flight, weather magic, and exploration; while the Pukwudgie House has a deep tradition in Herbology, healing magic, and culinary magic."
"I understand." Hermione nodded slightly.
The three walked out of the branch campus square...