Chapter 1
Prologue
Hella's steps were determined and quick on that Monday. It was the beginning of a new school year at Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and she was confident that she would finish this year just as excellently as the last. Hellas heels echoed confidently through the halls as she walked beside Grace. ´A year like the last,`she thought, adjusting her braid. Her brother had already made his mark as an Auror, and her sister… well, she’d found her place too. But Hella was determined to carve out her own path, one step at a time.
Hella ran a hand down her neatly pressed uniform as she adjusted her braid, every detail perfect. Her fingers brushed against the corner of her neatly stacked notes in her bag, a small sense of pride swelling in her chest. She was ready. Of course, she was ready. She had planned for this, down to the last spell. No book was returned to the library unread at the start of the school year. And no step of Hella's went alone through the halls, as her friend Grace always walked alongside her with the same ambition. Her mother had always advised her to surround herself with like-minded students. Witches who pursued the same goals were of lasting benefit and good company. Grace was no less confident in her demeanor; she drew enough self-assurance from studying with Hella to not doubt her own visions of the future. The two girls had been pursuing their education together for five years now, and the fact that their skills were crowned with success only strengthened them further.
But one of Hella's steps fell out of rhythm when she saw her father deeply engaged in conversation with her teacher in front of the classroom she was heading to. Grace also took notice and looked around; students were gathering at the edge of the hallway, directing their gazes at the men before them. Hella's pulse quickened, a knot forming in her stomach as her father and Blackwood spoke.
She glanced at her brother, who gave a hesitant smile from the doorway. That wasn't like him.
Why was he smiling like that? Was it a sign that everything was fine, or just a way to hide his own discomfort? As long as he could smile, the situation didn’t seem too bad. Hella nervously clung to this conclusion. Her steps slowed as they reached the classroom, and they stopped when Hella's father acknowledged the two girls.
´That we see each other so soon was not planned, darling,` her father greeted her. ´Good to see you, Grace,` he welcomed the other witch in training. Hella forced an unconcerned smile and kissed her father on the cheek. ´Mr. Kivi, I assume we should continue our conversation from earlier right at the beginning of the lesson with the students. Such a matter requires planning and time. And as you know, we never have enough time.` Professor Gideon Blackwood had always been a man of pragmatic action and few words. Hella was therefore very surprised that a man like him sought a conversation with her father, especially since her father was known for his captivating stories and elaborate narratives. The company of both men seemed unnatural to her and raised many questions. The thought that Blackwood and Mr. Kivi had common interests was too abstract for her.
´As bad as it looks, it’s not,` Theodore said calmly as he turned to the girls. ´There’s just a very attractive opportunity that we can’t let slip by. I’ve put in a good word for both of you to make it to the shortlist.`
Grace looked from Professor Blackwood to Hella’s brother with a questioning expression. ´What shortlist?` Good question. As if Hella needed to make a good impression on Blackwood. He was a man very much to her academic taste, as he valued ambition and achievement. Neither of those was lacking in her. Hella turned her gaze to the professor, who gave her a brief nod.
´I’ve been looking forward to telling you about this for weeks; it was hard not to tell you earlier,` Mr. Kivi smiled excitedly. He began to elaborate clumsily about his first encounter with Professor Blackwood and how they both stumbled upon the opportunity to arrange a student exchange.
Professor Blackwood had already turned away from the others and opened the doors of his classroom, with students now pushing through the space Grace and Hella had created.
——
´I expected a lot of things,` Grace turned to her friend, who still couldn’t grasp what had happened just a few hours ago. ´But definitely not this.`
Hella found it hard to talk to Grace right now. Too many thoughts were running through her mind. Hella's breath caught in her throat. All that effort, all that planning - and now her father had just thrown it away in a matter of minutes.
She felt a dull ache in her chest, as if the air had been knocked out of her. How could he do this to her, after everything? Didn't he see how much this meant?
´Do they have the same curriculum at Hogwarts as we do?` Hella asked.
Grace just shrugged. ´I think so, in the end, the Brits have to master the same spells as we do.` Hella bitterly poked at her food and decided to skip the peas today. The perfect Monday for this school year was turning out differently than planned, so why bother with the hated side dish? ´I’m curious about which house we’ll be sorted into. I’m hoping for Ravenclaw,`Grace continued. She desperately hoped she’d be sorted into the same house as Hella, so they could still share a room, ´But I think Gryffindor doesn’t sound bad either.`
Hella couldn’t fully follow her friend’s excitement. The thought of eating lunch on another continent, surrounded by strangers, felt distant.
It wasn't the adventure she had imagined. Her mind wandered back to her father's unexpected announcement, to the uncertainty settling in her gut. Was this what she wanted? Or had she simply been following a path others had set for her?
´I heard that they don’t season their vegetables the same way we do over there,` Hella murmured. At the thought, her fork almost instinctively moved toward the peas.
´I think the food will be the smallest adjustment,` Grace remarked.
´How on earth could my father keep this project from me for weeks? He talks all day long, like Blackwood does in a week. Especially when it comes to our education. He knows how important all of this is to me,` Hella threw her fork back beside her plate.
Grace sighed deeply. It wasn’t particularly easy to convince Hella of something she hadn’t thought of herself.
´I think it’s important to him that all his children find their place in the world. Maybe he wants you to be offered new perspectives?` Grace suggested.
Now Hella sighed. Grace’s persistent optimism was unbearable to her in such situations. Hella just needed time to pessimistically consider the upcoming problem before she could accept any possible solutions.
´Let’s make the best of it,` Hella picked up her fork again. ´We’ll see what it brings in the end.` Spending a year in Scotland wasn’t on her list of things to do before turning 20, but oh well. Hella decided she would try to approach this journey with more openness, especially since she wouldn’t be alone. The thought that Grace would accompany her ultimately comforted her. A tired smile spread across Hella’s face as she looked into her friend’s eyes, which were shining with hope.