Monday, October 7, 1994

The Gazebo

Percival Ebonwood's POV

"I can't believe the ministry actually got something done. I thought all governments were piss-pots who only knew how to waste taxpayer money," Isabel said. "This gazebo is amazing. What is it made of?"

"Zis is made of marble reinforced with blue steel, with goblin silver accents," Fleur said as we waited in the same place we were 23 days ago. "Roman architecture with Arabian flair. Good design overall."

"They even decked it out with some new greenery. Consider me impressed," I said.

Standing proudly amidst the new lush greenery and willows that bordered the Black Lake, the gazebo definitely commanded attention. It was like if you were in a meeting and someone just pulled out a massive Warhammer. It was that commanding. Its foundation was crafted from the marble gifted to us by the government of our soon-to-be American guests. It gleamed under the soft glow of the sun, reaching zenith.

Rising from the centre of this marble platform was the gazebo's pièce de résistance—a dome that stretched towards the blue skies. Its surface, adorned with delicate carvings, runes, and arabesque motifs, shimmered under the sun. Around the perimeter of the gazebo, slender columns of polished marble rose skyward, their surfaces etched with scenes of ancient mages and scenes of them cementing their legacies.

In the centre of the gazebo, just in front of us, a grand marble fountain stood in all its glory. The water cascaded in graceful arcs that sparkled and danced in the sunlight. The water was a gift from the Japanese delegations straight to Hogwarts. It was sourced from Kusatsu Onsen and is rumoured to 'heal all illnesses except lovesickness'. Around its base, exotic flowers only found in Japan and Australia spilled forth in a riot of colour, their fragrant perfume mingling with the scent of the recently cleaned Black Lake.

Professor McGonagall strode towards the group of professors standing opposite us as a gentle breeze followed her. The crimson and navy blue silk curtain gently rustled as she walked past us.

"Professor, the envoy from the Mitford Foundation arrived via the Floo system. They were late and were not able to join the envoy from Australia. Everybody else seems to be arriving as expected."

"Thank you, Minerva," Dumbledore said as he turned to face us. "Look sharp, children. Our guest should be arriving now. If I correctly remember my old American friends, we should look towards the forest. They do like their memorable entrances."

As the students of Ilvermorny emerged from the depths of the Forbidden Forest, the trees seemed to bend and sway in reverence, their branches arching gracefully overhead to create a natural canopy.

Shafts of sunlight filtered through the canopy overhead, casting dappled patterns of light and shadow upon the forest floor as the students continued on their way. The air was alive with the soft rustle of leaves and the melodies of the newly introduced birdsongs.

They headed towards the gazebo. Once they arrived, the student arranged themselves in a regular lattice. A woman, who seemed to be in her thirties, walked towards the fountain. She wore a forest green maxi sleeveless dress with a v neck that left very little to the imagination. She also had an abnormally large straw hat, and her right index finger had a plain silver ring on it. She put her hand in the fountain and picked up a red lily.

"Sacred water from Kusatsu Onsen and an E'Malf Lily. It's quite rare to see them outside of Australia. They're notoriously difficult to cultivate, yet they are equally stunning. Of course, you call it something different here," the woman said.

"Colloquially, they are known as Potter's Lily after the late James Potter and Lily Evans. It is the least we can do to honour the fallen heroes," Dumbledore said.

"I heard the girl who lived is a champion. I do hope she lives up to the expectation."

"I believe you would be surprised," Dumbledore said as he turned to us.

"Pleasantly?"

"Just surprised," Dumbledore said as he quickly changed topics. "You may pick which group you wish to guide you. The ones in purple are led by Miss Collins, while the ones in green are led by Mister Christensen."

"Green has always been my colour," the woman said. "Are we the first to arrive? And, before I forget, Nagini will arrive by herself around sundown. Could we arrange something for that?"

"Yes, that is easily arrangeable. I'll have my best at it," Dumbledore said with a smile. "You are the second to arrive. A group arrived earlier via floo powder. They are currently getting acquainted with the student population. The Mitford Foundation, if I remember correctly."

"So when should the others be arriving?"

"Around about now. Everybody, please take a few steps back," Dumbledore said.

Moments later, five groups of people just popped out from nowhere, right in front of us. I assumed they arrived via portkey, as evidenced by the witch in front levitating a golden sparrow from each group. The witch was dressed similarly to the other witch, only that her dress was a tan brown and had a lot more rings on her hands. The students were dressed in formal academy attire.

"We have not had the pleasure to have met before," the witch said as she left her hand outstretched. Dumbledore shook her hand, and then the other witch did too. "I am Julia Maeve, the headmistress of Queen Maeve's College, Ireland."

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"It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance. I am Albus Dumbledore, headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."

"Aiyana Reed. Former Horned Serpent and headmistress of the Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."

"What does a member of the 'Horned Serpent' do?"

"It is one of the houses we are sorted into. The Horned Serpents favour academics and scholars."

"A fellow scholar. It's quite rare to see a scholar as the leader of an education institute."

"Our influence has only continued to rise since the incidents with 'The Cabal'. It's good our voices are finally being heard."

"Rightly so. I was very close to joining them. They seem to be under new management as of late. Dumbledore, can I call you that?" Julia Maeve asked, and Dumbledore nodded. "Okay, Dumbledore, as you know our college is best known for the creation of the first portkey. We released it to all magical communities to allow all magical folk to be connected. Hearing what the other schools have contributed towards the creation of this gazebo, for the past week we've been hard at work."

The witch drew her wand and levitated a bag towards Dumbledore. She tapped on the bag three times before five golden statues with a stone base floated out. They were about one metre wide, one metre long, and 3 metres in height, with one metre dedicated to an inscription. Dumbledore drew his wand and placed the statue equidistant from the fountain.

The first statue, towering and proud, bore the likeness of a lion, its mane flowing and what seemed to be a red everlasting candle in its eye sockets. At its base, the words 'Forti Animo Estote' were etched in a red pigment, alongside the Gryffindor crest. It roughly translates to 'Be of Good Courage' or 'Stay Strong of Heart.'.

A honey badger stood on top of the second statue. Its fur was surprisingly realistic, and its eyes had an everlasting orange candle. Engraved below were the words 'honestas ante honores', honesty above glory, accompanied by the house crest—a badger against a sunny yellow field— all in an orange pigment.

The third statue depicted a majestic eagle about to take off, its wings outstretched, and blue everlasting candles in its eyes. Carved into the base in a purple pigment were the Latin words that translate to "Wit Beyond Measure; Man's Greatest Treasure," alongside the house crest—an eagle against a backdrop of blue.

Perched atop the fourth statue, a magnificent serpent is coiled in a basket with the lid on its head. As you could guess, it has green, everlasting candles in its eyes. Etched below were the words 'Malum necessarium, quod ad mutationem pertinet' accompanied by the house crest—a serpent against a background of emerald green. The motto roughly translates to 'the necessary evil that constitutes change'.

On the fifth statue, there was a species of dragon that I could not identify. That's not something that happens often. I am a proud member of the Official Dragon Spotting Watch, England. Its wings were outstretched, and its claws grasped a shield emblazoned with the Hogwarts crest. Engraved at its base were the words "Draco Dormiens Nunquam Titillandus," alongside the school crest.

"The statues are portkeys. With the help of the Board of Governors giving us access to the leylines and the wards, we have keyed them to important places around Hogwarts. The Hufflepuff statue leads to the greenhouse, the Ravenclaw statue leads to the library, the Gryffindor statue leads to the Quidditch Stadium, the Slytherin statue leads to the training grounds, and the dragon statue leads to the Great Hall. We wanted to key the Slytherin one to Hogsmeade, but the residents were against it. As it is directly connected to the leylines, student do not need to use their own magic to activate it. They work with a Minor Legilimency Rune Matrix to read the surface thoughts of the people around it and see if they want to activate it."

"I assume they are safe and have no negative drawbacks?"

"No, none at all; otherwise, the ICW and your Board of Governors would not have approved this. They're really… prickly out in these situations."

"It seems I need to have a conversation with the board. Thank you for the gift. I'm sure it will be appreciated by the students."

"Could we use these right now?" Professor McGonagall asked.

"Unfortunately, no. There are a few kinks, like power consumption, that need to be dealt with. The team of artificer sent by the ICW should arrive by the end of the week, and it should be running by the opening ceremony," Julia Maeve said.

"TOOT! TOOOT!" we heard coming from behind us.

A coach adorned with vibrant hues of green and gold rumbled its way towards the gazebo. Pulled by a team of winged boars, the coach seemed to glide effortlessly over the forest floor, leaving behind a trail of dust in its wake. Its exterior was crafted from polished wood and adorned with carvings depicting scenes from the harsh Australian environment.

As the coach came to a harsh stop before the gazebo, the students of the Australian school spilled out onto the forest floor, their faces alive with excitement and anticipation. Dressed in uniforms of deep green and brown, they entered the gazebo.

The students were a much more diverse group than the other schools. Some were tall and wiry, with sun-kissed skin and windswept hair that spoke of long days spent exploring the rugged Outback. Others were more petite, with bright eyes and infectious smiles that belied a mischievous spirit.

As they gathered beneath the gazebo's domed roof, the students parted in the middle, allowing a man to walk up to Dumbledore. He was a tall, lean man with a wiry frame, giving him a somewhat lanky appearance. His sharp features were framed by unkempt, dirty blond hair that fell haphazardly across his forehead, obscuring his piercing emerald green eyes.

He has a strong jawline and high cheekbones, giving him a somewhat angular and intense look. His lips had a sardonic smirk, and he was wearing a trench coat, a worn and weather-beaten brown garment. Under the trench coat, he wore a rumpled shirt and tie, giving him a slightly disreputable air. He was sporting worn-out jeans, along with scuffed boots that have seen better days.

The man also had a cigarette in his mouth. When he stood in front of Dumbledore, he took a puff from his cigar. A frown appeared on Dumbledore's face. The man took the cigar out of his mouth and blew a cloud of smoke on Dumbledore's face.

I have to say, I kind of already like this guys. The balls on him must be huge if he just did that to Albus Dumbledore. Credit goes to Dumbledore; his face showed mild discomfort, but he did not react. McGonagall, on the other hand, was ready to go ballistic.

"Dumbledore."

"Constantine."

"It's been a while."

"You seem to not have aged."

"A benefit of the occult," Constantine's sardonic smirk never wavered as the plume of acrid smoke coiled towards Dumbledore. "I'm a bit famished. Where can I find the whisky?"

"I'm afraid that'll have to wait until the Japanese delegates arrive."

"We are already here," a voice echoed disembodied until a form emerged from Constantine's shadow - an uncanny trick that sent a tremor of unease trailing down my spine. Though outwardly impassive, the headmaster's eyes glittered with secrets masked behind an inscrutable façade. "Constantine."

"Nakamura," Constantine nodded back.

"Greetings Dumbledore, Maeve, Reed, and esteemed professors. I am Hiro Nakamura, headmaster of Mahoutokoro. I apologise for not making our arrival know earlier," the man said as he lowered his head.

As he said this, a dozen people walked out of the shadows of people standing in the gazebo doing the same action before promptly standing up straight.

"That is an interesting was to utilise magic. There is no harm done," Dumbledore said. "Now that everyone is here, shall we make our way to the Great Hall?"