1991, Magical America II
“Kent, Clark.”
The owner of that name snapped to attention. Immediately he could feel every eye in Ilvermorny fall on him: the rest of the new first-years standing with him in the Entrance Hall, the upperclassmen on the balcony above, the teachers behind the Sorting Statue.
With a nod and a smirk, his new friends Lex and Lois stepped back so he could get through. Following their lead were Barry Allen, (who’d become a Pukwudgie), Arthury Curry, (newly-made Thunderbird) and Shayera Hol (proud addition to Wampus).
Clark’s steps echoed as he made his way to the Gordian Knot in the center of the hall. He’d barely come to a complete stop before the statue on the far right raised its arrow into the air.
“Pukwudgie!” Headmaster Kent Nelson announced, waving his golden wizard’s hat with a flourish. The far section of students on the balcony came alive with whoops and applause, and Clark let the sudden warm and fuzzy feeling fill him to the brim. He returned to his spot with Lois and Lex, the former clapped him on the shoulder, the latter gave him another satisfied nod.
A girl named Selina Kyle got Sorted into Thunderbird next.Clark joined the rest of the ceremony-goers in applauding.
Then, Headmaster Nelson said, “Lane, Lois.”
Lois shot Clark with a finger gun and made her way to the center of the room. It was only a few moments’ silence before the gem in the statue on the far left glowed.
“Horned Serpent!”
Clark WAS happy for her and clapped as hard as anyone in the Horned Serpent section as she made her way back to the rest of the first-years. He was grinning from ear to ear the whole time she walked back.
Still, it’s not what he’d hoped for.
When Horned Serpent chose Luthor, Alexander right after, Clark clapped even harder. He clapped his friend on the shoulder and gave him a playful swat on the chest. He wanted them both to flourish, even if it wasn’t all in the same House.
Even if it’s not what he was hoping for at all.
The rest of the Sorting Ceremony was a blur for him, but he made sure to clap for everyone. When Diana Prince became a Wampus? He clapped. When Iris West became a Horned Serpent? He clapped. When Mera Xebel became a Thunderbird? He clapped for her too, as hard as everyone else.
He was gearing up to applaud who was next when a few teachers stepped forward, waved their wands and the statues and began to make them float away. At the same time, a handful of the older students descended from the balcony.
“And now,” Headmaster Nelson began, “The part I’m sure many of you have been waiting for since you woke up this morning.” With another flourish of his golden hat, he placed it back on his head and a door, thinner but just as tall, at the side of the dining hall opened on its own.
One of the older badge-wearing students stepped forward, letting go of the hand of another student as he did so. “First years, I’m Augustus Freeman IV, part of the Horned Serpent Student Coven. This way, if you please.”
The majority of the first-years began ambling forward, herded between close to ten pairs of older students, all wearing badges.
“What’s going on?” Clark whispered to Lois.
Her purple eyes flashed. “Riiight. No-Maj-born. You’ll see, Clark, you’ll see. Guarantee it’ll be just as nice as anything back on that farm of yours in Kansas.”
The doorway led to steps that seemed to descend endlessly. They were nicely lit with alternating blue and cranberry lighting. Clark felt as though they were making their way straight to the heart of Ilvermorny.
And when he saw it, he joined the chorus of “Wooow” of many of the other students.
It was a huge hall, extending into an abyss above where the dining hall would’ve been. On either side wands floated or lay haphazardly, some in piles as small as anthills, others rivaling mountains. At the far end, the hall appeared to curve, extending even further on.
“Welcome to the Wand Hall,” Augustus said, smiling warmly, “Please, take your time. The wand chooses the witch or wizard, and no one is going to rush you.”