"Quoi? He gave you a time turner?"

"Shhht! Nobody is supposed to know!"

"Désolè, that's so cool! When I was new he didn't give me one, c'est injuste!", Lafayette whispered.

"Yeah, maybe because you had the education of a normal, thirteen year old wizard back then", Hercules remembered him and ruffled his hair.

"I can't believe he told you to use it for school only", John said, shaking his head unbelievingly. "All the cool things we could do with it, like going back into medieval times or help to defeat Grindelwald. Man, we could change history!" Alex sighed, oh how he wished that they could do that but sadly it won't work.

"Sorry John the time turner only sends you back highest six hours", he explained.

"Also, we don't want Hammy here to get expelled, right?", Lafayette added. The others nodded, even though they didn't look very happy about it.

"Nobody is supposed to know, I'm already breaking the rules by telling you and having it with me here", Alex whispered so quietly that his friends had to lean over to hear him.

"Don't worry, bro. We got you", Hercules promised.

"Ham, we're at dinner you probably should have told us somewhere else if you want to keep this a secret", John replied and looked around quickly but no one was looking into their direction. Yes, it might have been a mistake to bring the time turner to dinner but Alex had been so exited he just needed to tell someone. And who else than his friends, the only people he trusted here other than his brother, were qualified for this?

Even though it was dinner they were all sitting at the Wampus table since most students were already walking around talking with their own friends so nobody took notice of the things the four students spoke about. Alex had been so exited that he couldn't swallow a bite of his food but now that he had told somebody his hunger came back. He had to hurry up if he wanted to eat something before dinner ended!

Suddenly someone tapped his back and as he turned around he recognized the Hornet Serpent student James Madison. He wore as always his thick blue and cranberry scarf, even though it was still summer, and sneezed.

"Can I- can I sit there?", he asked, pointing at the empty chair next to Alex.

"Um, Yeah of course", he answered. This was weird, normally Madison never stood up from his place at his own table unless it was for lunch or to get food from the buffet. Alex searched for his normal place on the Hornet Serpent table next to Aaron but he only found Angelica who was talking to three other girls. Suddenly she looked right back at him with her fierce glance. Slowly Alex raised his hand and waved at her but she only turned away from him with a scoff.

"You're worried, aren't you?", Lafayette sighed and muttered something in French Alex couldn't understand. What should he be worried about?

"Yes, of course I am!", Madison whined, taking out a piece of paper. "He wrote he would come today but it's evening already and he isn't here!" He? Who's he? What are they talking about?

"I'm sure nothing bad happened, you know him he probably decided to arrive a day later or something and forgot to tell anyone", John tried to calm the smaller student.

"Who are you talking about, who's coming?", Alex asked, crossing his arms. He hated it when his friends didn't tell him everything. Yes, it had taken a while for him to feel comfortable around everyone and like he belonged here and now all out of sudden, he felt like he still didn't know anything about his friends. I hate feeling excluded!

"I'm sure you'll like him", Lafayette replied. "He's just like you, everything is about the grand entrance." Great, I still don't know who that guy is and I don't even like big entrances they just... happen.

"Yes, he's quite the drama queen", Hercules added and the others laughed.

"Hey! I'm not a drama queen!", Alex huffed.

"Yes, you are!", all of his friends shouted at the same time, even Madison.

"Traitor!", Alex murmured and decided to not talk for the rest of the dinner. Let's see how they'll like THAT! Ha, Friends! Who even needs those traitors!

"By the way, Angelica is um, she's kinda angry about the... thing", Madison stuttered, playing with the paper he still held in his hands.

"We already told her that we were just in the wrong place at the wrong time!", John explained. "What else does she want, a card?" Madison nodded.

"Yeah, well some kind of excuse would be nice to... calm her. But if anyone asks, it wasn't my idea!"

Well, yes Angelica had looked very angry when he waved at her and Alex still didn't know what John had told her to let him go since he had just walked away. He kinda owned her an apology for not being able to train at all because of them.

"Don't worry, I got this", Alex promised confidently. What are you saying? You totally haven't got this, one wrong word and she's going to kill you! But still, he liked their talks. He finally got to think.

"I'm going to write her a letter, I'm very good at writing."

So, problem solved.

"A letter, are you sure that's enough mon ami?", Lafayette asked worried but Alex only shrugged it of.

"Of course."

He took out his favorite quill and some parchment and stared writing. Ms Schulyer is too official, just Angelica sounds kinda rude and dearest Angelica as if I want something from her. Dear Angelica, yes that sounds good. Okay, now to the hard part. Alex put the quill on the parchment and took a deep breath. Don't rush it, just don't rush it. It has to sound as if you thought about it a long time so write in nice, long sentences. He felt the eyes of his friends on him as he carefully wrote the last sentence.

"Wow! This is really good!", John shouted surprised.

"A masterpiece", Hercules added. Alex grinned. Yes, he was kinda good with writing. How am I supposed to end it? Just put Alex and John under it? No. How about the Wampus and the Thunderbird house.

BOOM!

The quill slipped and spilled ink all over the letter. Alex let out a frustrated scream.

"WHO-?"

He was ready to kill whoever had done this. The heavy front doors had been opened widely and a boy with fizzy hair and a big magenta colored suitcase stood right there at the entrance. He wore the same school uniform as everyone else did too but the cranberry on his robe was colored more magenta and in his hands he held a dark cane with which he was pointing at the kids in the hall.

"So what'd I miss?", he shouted. Who the fuck is this asshole? But instead at screaming at the new guy for interrupting  their dinner everyone started clapping. Great, does no one care that he basically ruined my letter? Lafayette jumped up so quickly that he hit Alex with his robe.

He opened his arms and ran right to the newcomer, screaming: "THOMAS JEFFERSON!"

"MARIE-JOSEPH PAUL YVES ROCH GILBERT DU MORTIER, MARQUIS DE LAFAYETTE!", the guy yelled back.

The two boys hugged, shouting at the same time: "Des jumeaux français!" Alex was sure they would have french kissed too if they weren't in front of hundreds of students. Why does Laf know the magenta guy and why are they speaking French? Why dic they call each other french twins? Are they brothers? They do look alike! And why does no one tell that drama queen that he just can't burst in like this!

It took him a while till he understood what was going on. Wait, is this the guy everyone was waiting for? No, impossible they said I would like him and seriously? I hate him already! Now the Thomas Jefferson guy was coming over. Oh great! Dear lord give me the strength to not murder him in front of Professor Washington! That would make a really bad impression.

"Jimmy James my friend!", Magenta screeched and opened his arms but Madison remained on his seat with crossed arms. Yeah, good boy. We don't like Thomas Jefferson. The Jefferson guy didn't seem to care that his so called 'friend' didn't want to welcome him, he just picked him up and spun him around a few times like WHAT? Who would ever do that? Yes, Madison is very small but have you ever heard about the honor of a small human? We don't want to be fucking spun around! Finally magenta put Madison down again with a wide smile covering his whole face.

"Ahhh I missed you too Jimmy James!", he confessed and patted his head. "So what was happening while I was gone?" Madison's arms were still crossed and he looked pretty sulky. Uh-oh!

"Where the fuck have you been?", he asked, trying to push Jefferson which looked very funny since he was more than a head smaller than the magenta guy.

"Uh, France?", he answered, scratching the back of his head. Jefferson was clearly uncomfortable. Yes! Show him Madison! He can't just burst in here and ruin my work without any consequences!

"I know that, I mean today!", Madison shouted and sneezed out of anger which again sounded very funny. But he seemed to be Alex only ally here so he probably shouldn't joke about him.

"Ah, yes about that. I'm fashionable late or how you say in France en retard", Jefferson explained and spun his cane around just as he had done it with Madison earlier.

"Damnit Thomas we were all worried!", the small student screamed now and sneezed again. Why were we worried? I wished he would have stayed in France or wherever the fuck he has been. Actually Madison has been the only one worried.

"Yeah but if I wouldn't have been late could I have gotten you a nice present? No!", Jefferson replied with a winning smile and started rummaging in his big suitcase. Madison raised an eyebrow.

"You got me a present? Not bad but you even forget my birthday." What? Which kind of idiot would forget his friends birthday? And now it seemed as if Jefferson couldn't even find his so called 'present' anymore.

"Um, I got it right here, wait a second." Madison rolled his eyes and sat down again acting as if he didn't care about the guy at his feet with his head in his suitcase.

"Thomas, you know what?", he sighed.

"What?", Jefferson asked without looking up.

"Forget it, see you tomorrow."

Madison was just about to stand up when Magenta held him back.

"Wait! Here, look it just reminded me um... so much of you?", he shouted and handed him an old, magenta (Surprise! Surprise!) colored scarf.

Madison closed his eyes and took a deep breath before he finally replied: "Thomas, that's the scarf your aunt send you in fourth year when you acted sick after embarrassing yourself in front of Angelica Schulyer." Ha! Alex almost burst out into laugher but he managed to hold himself back. He needed to hear the rest of that conversation!

"Yeah well, it's a present", he shrugged and almost stabbed Alex with the end of his cane without even taking notice of him. Suddenly Professor Washington stood up and walked over to them. Smiling he shook Jeffersons hand. Alex couldn't believe it. Why isn't he mad at him for interrupting dinner? Shouldn't that be minus points for his house? And he missed the first week completely, shouldn't he be expelled or something?

"Mr Jefferson welcome home", was the only thing Professor Washington had to say to him. "I hope you'll be able to catch up as quickly as possible." What? No punishment? That's not fair!

Now one student after another came up to Jefferson and welcomed him, some even hugged him, while Alex watched from his seat. He can't have that many friends! To his astonishment or better, to his horror, even John and Hercules walked up to him. They weren't hugging him but still, bad enough! I trusted you guys! Why do you have to leave me too?

"Welcome home!", Hercules said and John added: "Man, you've been of in Paris for so long! You've missed a lot!" First Lafayette, then Madison and now you guys. Seems as if the only friend I have is Aaron! But even he came over and shook Jefferson's hand. Finally everyone returned to their seats so Magenta was the only one standing.

"So tell me Jimmy, what'd I miss?", he asked and fell onto the chair next to Madison.

The chair Alex was sitting in.

"AHHHH! How dare you!", Alex screeched and pushed him away with so much power that he almost stumbled to the ground.

"James! Who's the guy sitting in my seat?", Jefferson shouted and pointed at Alex as if he was a filthy animal or something. Not again! I had enough of people not treating me with respect!

"Madison, who's the guy who has been sitting on me?", he replied in the same voice. For a while the two of them just stared at each other with hate in the eyes. It almost seemed as if they were just deciding to be archenemies forever from now on and for Alex it was true. This guy. I'll destroy him and whatever house he is in! I mean he just sat on me and didn't even say sorry!

"Hammy! Thomas! Calmer!", Lafayette shouted but nobody listened to him.

"Since when are you even here? I'm sure I could remember your face!"

The way Jefferson said it it didn't sound very nice. Not like wow you have such a beautiful face everyone would remember but more like you're so ugly I can't take my eyes of you.

"Well, you would know if you hadn't spent the last weeks shallow doing whatever the hell it is you did in France!", Alex hissed back. Jefferson took a step back, touching his chest where his heart was supposed to be.

"Ouch! That hurts", he whined. "Hey Jimmy, I think the small kid wants trouble!" From this moment on Alex saw red. He just hated it when someone called him kid and he hated it when people looked at him like this. Hey look, it's the orphan from the Caribbean who can't even pay for his school books. The orphan who knows nothing about magic. The orphan who is dumber than a No-Maj. But of course, no one would ever say that to his face. They wouldn't dare. Calm. Just stay calm, stay calm.

"So what, are you afraid of children or why can't you just say what you want to say?", Alex asked totally calm, trying to stare Jefferson down but the taller student only returned his gaze.

"I'm not", he answered. "I just don't want to make little kids cry, that's just mean."

"Okay, I think we all should just calm down", John intervened but again no one listened. I'm calm, I'm totally calm! Jefferson was still staring at him with this smug grin on his face. Stay calm, stay calm, just stay- OH FUCK IT!

"Then how about this: Just piss off and go back to France where you can lay around in the sun all day without bothering the people who have better things to do than listen to your stupid voice and no one will have a reason to cry anymore!", Alex snapped. Jefferson pointed his can at him until it touched his chest.

"Listen, small guy. You don't want me on your bad side so you better-"

"Enough! It's enough!", Professor Washington shouted from the teacher's table. His voice was so loud and full of anger that even Alex didn't dare to argue with him.

"I won't tolerate a fight on the Ilvermorny grounds especially not while dinner! Jefferson, take a walk! Hamilton, take a walk! Dinner is over!"

It was like waking up from a nightmare. Alex hadn't even realized the group of students that stood around them or the tension in the air. If Professor Washington hadn't stopped them something would have probably exploded in the next seconds. Was that me? And him? Well, he's just making me very angry! I just hope he's in a house I don't have that many classes with or something will blow up in the next few weeks. When Alex searched for the badge on Jefferson's chest he almost puked right at his feet.

"No! That's impossible!", he muttered. A golden bird was portrayed on the plaque. I don't only have almost all of my classes with him, I'm also sleeping in the same room as him! I'm going to die! I'll never get sleep with him and his big hair right next to me! At the same time Jefferson seemed to realize that they were in the same house since his face became first green, then white and finally red.

"Jefferson! Hamilton! I said take a walk or do you want to get expelled!", Professor Washington snapped and banged his fist on the table. Every other person in the hall winced. Never before anyone had seen the Professor this angry, not even when Hercules and Lafayette had almost destroyed the crooked tower in fourth grade. Alex almost ran away from one of the few people he ever trusted in his entire life, his friends following him while Jefferson walked away in the opposite direction together with Madison. It's nice to know that they like me more than Jefferson even though they know him longer. Maybe they aren't even as close as I thought.

Alex walked and walked until he was finally so far away that he had almost left the school grounds. He had left the castle and now stood in front of the snakewood tree.

"Alex, wait! What was happening in there?", John shouted breathlessly and popped up behind him.

"How can someone so thin and so small run so fast?", Hercules panted and laid down in the grass, John doing the same.

"I had a lot of practice before I came here", Alex answered and sat down next to them. It was kinda weird but he never mentioned Nevis when he was with his friends. He only referred to it as the place I was before I came here. It wasn't like he was ashamed of it though, he was proud to have come so far after starting with so little. It was just as if it had been the life of a different person back then, as if he was someone completely new now but somehow still the same. Ugh, feelings. Why do they have to be so confusing?

"Also, if you wouldn't always fly on your brooms but walk you may have realized that in fact I didn't even run", he added.

"Believe me, once I showed you how to play Quidditch you'll love it as well", John promised him grinning. Alex didn't think that he could ever like flying on some kind of vehicle again after what had happened with the bird. Also, everyone was way too addicted to this sport! But he didn't want to kill he mood so he only smiled back.

"I think I still don't understand English", Lafayette told them, "I said you would like each other, n'est ce pas? And what do you do? You almost duel. Je ne comprends pas!"

The Frenchman sighed and put his hands up. Hercules chuckled softly, pulling on his leg until he fell as well so that now all four of them were laying on the grass, looking at the sky.

"So who's that Jefferson guy?", Alex asked. He hated to interrupt the peaceful silence but he just had to find out who this idiot was.

"Man, I can't believe we never told you about Thomas", John sighed, playing with the tip of his robe. Hercules only shrugged.

"I guess it's never been important before, after all he has been of in France and we didn't get much to hear from him", he said yawning.

"Well except for Madison, he got a letter almost every day", John remembered him amusedly. A moment of silence for the poor Madison who apparently had to put up with Jefferson's shit all the time.

"En tout cas, Thomas is from Virginia and was house speaker together with me last year. He loves France nearly as much as I love America and goes there almost every year in summer. This is why he always comes a little later, he spends a few days in Beauxbaton", Lafayette explained.

"An European wizarding school", John added as he saw Alex' confused face.

"Aha."

"Madison is his best friend and c'est tout", Lafayette finished.

"And not to forget, he plays in the Thunderbird Quidditch team as a Beater", Hercules reminded them and took out a box of Bertie Bott's Every-Flavor Beans.

"Dude! These things can kill people, will you ever learn?", Alex shouted and moved away from the devil's candy of destruction. "You always said yourself that those beans are evil!" He could very well remember his first night at Ilvermorny and how it almost ended in the hospital wing.

"Yeah but some of them are still delicious", Hercules shrugged, shoving a bean into his mouth.

"Anyway, why did you suddenly scream at each other, mon ami? Jefferson really is a great guy", Lafayette told him and yawned. "Everything happened so fast and you spoke so quickly it was really hard to understand what you were even saying."

Only now Alex realized how their fight must have been for his friends who suddenly saw two people they actually liked arguing and had to pick a side. I'm glad they chose me. Or did they even choose anyone? Who says that they aren't friends with Jefferson anymore, maybe they just followed me because I don't know anyone here closer and would be all alone while Jefferson has like, a million friends?

"Alex? Are you already asleep?", John asked.

"Hm? No, I was just thinking", he replied, trying to hold back a yawn. "I don't know what happened as well. I just saw this guy and... snapped." And now I have an archenemy and promised to destroy my own house. Well, I'm going to destroy HIM that's for sure! Jefferson might have a lot of friends but I have the better arguments!

But how Alex soon found out, having a lot of friends was apparently very important and everyone loved Thomas Jefferson. Madison over all. Even though he had been angry with him when he arrived, he was his best friend and stood at his side. Something Alex really pitied since he had actually liked the always sick boy.

The next few days he tried to ignore Jefferson since Professor Washington seemed to be around all the time when they were in the same room. Even when they were only walking  past each other on the hallway he was watching. It went so far that Alex could sleep even less since he always thought that the Professor was standing right next to his bed, looking at him disapprovingly with his big eyebrows. Seriously, are those eyebrows magic? Are they alive?

But by far the worst thing was that he and Jefferson slept in the same room. Lafayette always tried to get them to sleep at different times so they would see each other as little  as possible but Alex had his own mind. He just hated it when his friends send him to bed as if they were his parents and even when they succeeded he stayed awake long after midnight to finish his homework. So he had enough time to watch Jefferson, who of course had to have his bed right next to his, moving around while sleeping and snoring like a drunk bear. Seriously, he can't even shut up while he's asleep! Another reason to hate the other student.

Alex never really liked the idea of having a lot of friends and never being really close to any of them  but at the election of the house speakers he found out how important fake friendship was at Ilvermorny. Jefferson had been here for how long now? No more than four days that's for sure and still he got a lot of votes! Yes, he even outvoted Lafayette and with that destroyed Alex dream of being house speaker together with all of his friends. We could have made the school a better place, but no of course Jefferson had to ruin everything!

However his own tries of making things better had been acknowledged and even though everyone only knew him since two weeks he got chosen as the second house speaker. Nothing could have made Jefferson angrier. He always talked about how Alex had stolen Lafayette's place at his side while for Alex the exact opposite was the truth. Jefferson had stolen Lafayette's place at his side! But however, when they asked their French friend how he thought about all of this he just shook his head and walked out of the common room, probably to hang out with Hercules. Life is just unfair!

Today was the first meeting of the house speakers and the teachers, of course not to discuss any important topics but more to get to know each other but Alex was still excited. John had also been chosen as a house speaker even though he didn't even want to be one. Yes, Alex might have talked him into it but how did Hercules say?

"Man, we can't let the Reynolds rule the Wampus house again, that's a dictatorship!"

And so John applied as house speaker and won together with Maria Reynolds, a really beautiful girl who apparently was a dictator. Who his other new coworkers would be Alex didn't know even though he had some kind of feeling that Angelica Schuyler would be one of them. They were meeting in some special room Aaron had told him about at his first day but he had forgotten about it all ready. So he would have to go with John together, not that he had planed on doing something else but he just wished he would have paid more attention back then. I still can't believe that only two weeks ago I didn't even know magic existed!

"Hé, are you ready for the meeting mon ami?", Lafayette asked and Alex looked up from the book he was reading.

"Hm? Oh, yes!", he shouted, jumping up. I almost forgot that the meeting isn't tomorrow or in a few weeks but in fifteen minuets! Where's John?

"Come on, I just got a letter from Herc saying that they're almost here", Lafayette said, waving the piece of parchment around so everyone in the common room could see it. But as normally, the most people were to busy with their own problems to tell the frenchman to shut up.

"Damnit can't the kid  just go to the meeting alone or does he need his parents around him all the time?"

Most people, that's it. Actually, everyone but Thomas Jefferson.

"At least I have real friends who really care about me!", Alex responded annoyedly, sticking out his tongue. Jefferson did the same and for a while they just angrily stared at each other imitating the others face from across the room until Lafayette let out a deep sigh and pulled Alex away.

"How old are you guys, cinq ans?", he grumbled and shook his head.

" You're right, Hamilton probably is just look at his size!", Jefferson replied pointedly.

"He talked about both of us, you idiot. You're just as immature as me!", Alex snapped back, dropping his disguise as a not french speaking idiot. Just as he had expected, Jefferson stared at him in horror. Yes you little cunt. I understood everything you said about me to Lafayette in transfiguration. Everything.

The taller student stuck out his tongue again and pointed his can at him, a sign of him not knowing how to reply as Alex had learned the past few days. He also found out that Jefferson kept his wand in his cane so this was a threat. His eyes told him to better keep his mouth shut since he knew a lot more spells than Alex and could jinx him right here without him even being able to draw his wand before he would find himself on the ground. He would never do that. He might act as if everyone likes him but Professor Washington would still punish him or even better, expel him! And so Alex only stared back.

"WHAT TIME IS IT?" Immediately Lafayette opened the door and Alex decided to let Jefferson be Jefferson and screamed back: "SHOWTIME! SHOWTIME!" Before he even knew what was happening he had already jumped outside and greeted his friends.

"Ready to go?", John asked grinning.

"Yes!", Alex replied, bouncing around excitedly. "We better hurry up", he added and looked back to Jefferson who was still staring at him.

"Oui, you better go", Lafayette murmured and closed the door behind them.

"Good luck and don't forget to tell us what was going on in there!", Hercules shouted after them. Alex almost broke out into loud laugher but he managed to hold himself back. Keep it together boy, keep it together!

Of course his friends had told them how they tried to eavesdrop on Professor Washington from time to time until fifth year where they somehow sneaked into his office and he got so annoyed that he jinxed them to run around with donkey ears for the next four weeks. After that they never eavesdropped on anyone ever again. Even though they were very ashamed of it, it was a very funny story and every time Alex heard about something only related to the word eavesdropping or spies he had to laugh.

"There is something I wanted to ask you for quite a while now", John started as they were out of earshot nervously playing with his robe.

"Ooooh! That sounds important", Alex joked to lighten the mood but it didn't help much.

"Yeah, well it kinda is", John murmured and took a deep breath. "Why do you do this to yourself?" Wow. I really didn't expect this.

"What do you mean with that?", Alex asked after a few moments of silence.

"The work! You know exactly what I mean! Professor Washington gave you the time turner so you can relax a little and have some free time but you use it for the opposite. It's just work and work and work and then you become house speaker and there's even more work and I'm just wondering, why?", John explained, clearly uncomfortable.

This hit Alex harder than he had expected. Wow, he really doesn't understand. But when my best friend doesn't already, then who does? No wonder they're all yelling at me to take a break. He took a deep breath and collected the right words before he answered.

"Oh, it's all easy for you to rise up but I'm new, know nothing and an orphan. I have to work twice as hard as everyone else so others will remember my name."

Before John could reply something they arrived in front of a big door with a carving of the Ilvermorny castle on it. Ah. Now I remember, this has to be the meeting room. They were supposed to say some stupid password so it opened but once again Alex had forgotten it over all the really important things so he just looked at John questioning.

"Monkey ears", he whispered ashamedly and Alex broke out into small giggles.

"Sorry", he whispered. How could I forget THAT?

The door opened and reviled a circular room with benches standing at the walls. They were split into two different parts, one had the picture of the Gordian knot over it, all painted in gold and most of the teachers sat there already talking to each other. The bigger part was divided again, this time into four. The symbols of the houses hung over them.

As Alex had expected, Angelica Schuyler sat under the Hornet Serpent already, right next to James Madison, something that really surprised him. Madison is house speaker? But he never told anyone that he wanted to be one! Has this something to do with Jefferson? Did he force him into this? Maria Reynolds was there already too, looking at John as if she planned on killing him. Well, he just stole her brother's place here so who's surprised?

In the middle of the room stood a podium with the Ilvermorny blazon on it, probably for Professor Washington, and the ceiling was very high and painted in the school colors. It doesn't look as breathtaking as I imagined but I think I can work with that.

"We better sit down", John whispered and only now Alex realized that every eye in the room was on them. Angelica let out a surprised huff and Madison's eyes grew wide. They're probably surprised that I got elected. HA! You didn't expect that from an orphan from the Caribbean, did you Angelica Schuyler? Pointedly slow Alex made his way to his seat under the Thunderbird painting, grinning at the Hornet Serpent house speakers. Angelica only rolled her eyes and shook her head but Madison shot him a small smile. Maybe we're still friends? No! That's just impossible with Jefferson as his... best friend.

Luckily Alex' seat was very comfortable since they had to wait for the other house speakers for quiet a while. Well, when he said the other house speakers he meant only one and when he said for quiet a while he meant for exactly fifteen minutes. The two Pukwudgie girls came in in the span of what seemed like a few seconds while they had to wait what felt like hours for Jefferson. Most people in the room had started whispering and laughing with each other and Alex was sure it was about them. He's embarrassing our house in front of EVERYONE! Can't this asshole not be late at least once? But no, of course he couldn't. Professor Washington had to walk up to the podium and almost start without him.

"Silence, everyone!", he commanded and the talking stopped immediately, everyone sat a little straighter and was a little more serious, it was just the magic of the Professor's voice (and his eyebrows).

"We will start our first meeting without the second Thunderbird house speaker, it seems as if he has better things to do than to discuss what will be happening with this school", he explained. Alex heard laughing from his right side. That's when the door opened and Jefferson came in, looking as stupid as always.

"Sorry, I'm late", he said with a smug smile and sat down next to Alex. "Hamilton", he greeted him.

"Jefferson", Alex hissed. He was sure that his new coworker had planned on coming late, just for the big entrance. What an idiot! Doesn't he know he just embarrassed us in front of everyone important?

"Now that we're all here, may I continue?", Professor Washington asked and shot the two Thunderbirds a warning glance.

"Of course, sir", Alex muttered quietly.

"Thanks Mr Hamilton", Professor Washington replied. "Today every house speaker will have the chance to speak about the changes they want to make, things that are important to them and so on. We'll get to know each other and our interests a little better. The Hornet Serpents will start. Ms Schuyler, you have the word."

The Professor stepped aside and sat back down while Angelica made her way to the middle of the room. She talked about better safety, especially between students since duels were very common and at least one of the kids attending would later find themselves in the hospital wing. Then she said something about better learning methods or something like this.

The next one to speak was Madison who also told them that many of the newer students needed more help learning and about how less homework would help a lot of kids, especially the Quidditch players. But Madison doesn't even play Quidditch! I swear if this has anything to do with Jefferson...

The next house was Pukwudgie and the first girl to talk was Theodosia Bartow who was in fifth year and said something about the first years again and about the boarding school thing being very hard for most of them.

The next one to talk surprised Alex the most. She introduced herself as Elizabeth Schuyler, Angelica's sister. The two of them didn't have much in common except for their beautifulness, they didn't even look like sisters. But James and I don't look alike too so who am I to complain?

Eliza's hair was black, just like her sisters, but straight and not curly, almost hiding her face. Her skin was more pale than Angelica's too and now that she stood in front of the crowd her cheeks were flushed, letting her dark brown eyes shine like little pieces of coal. They were missing Angelica's spark of never being satisfied but instead, they were sending out calmness and kindness. She talked about squibs and Pukwudgies and with that about one of the few topics really interesting.

"I'm just asking you, how many squibs do you see here today, or Pukwudgies? Don't they have a right to decide what's going to happen with the school they live in as well?", she ended her speech. Even though she wasn't this good at finding arguments, Elizabeth Schuyler was right. Very right. Maybe she isn't as smart as her sister but she has a good heart and stands up for the right thing. Then it was Jefferson's turn to speak. He walked to the podium as if he owned the place making Alex only even angrier.

"Ah, yes. You sure are right, dear Eliza", Jefferson said and clapped slowly, yawning. "That's actually the same topic I just wanted to talk about so I hope you aren't mad at me for continuing at where you started."

Eliza nodded at him, confirming that it was okay for her but Jefferson wasn't even looking. What's this asshole doing? I swear, if it's anything stupid...

"That's a really great vision you have there but you forget that it's the Pukwudgies choice to work here and they never requested coming to any meetings, same for the squibs. They should be happy to even be able to go to school. While going to school in Europe I got to see a lot of things more clear so listen to me! I'm telling you, we should focus more on the students who can do magic. Every other school does the same, no one teaches no-Majs as well, that's just stupid. Ilvermorny neglects it's real students!"

Alex almost jumped up and punched Jefferson in the face but he was able to keep it together as he remembered that he would be the next one to speak. I'll end this guy.

"I'm telling you, it's time for Ilvermorny to change!", Jefferson ended but before he could return to his seat Alex was already there, pushing him away from the podium and staring at him furiously.

"Is it my turn? Good!"

He didn't even realize that Jefferson was shouting at him or the scared look on John's face, the only thing he could think about was: I'm not letting him insult my brother or Elizabeth Schuyler!

"Jefferson, listen up! Ms Schuyler is a wonderful person who is a lot smarter and nicer than you so please don't act as if you are any better than her! These squibs are part of the school just as they're part of the wizarding community, we're not behind the others with our old traditions, we're in front of them for years now! We should be their role models, not the other way around, you idiot! If we make this place like every other school Ilvermorny will loose all that distinguishes it, the legacy of Isolt and James will be destroyed and polluted by ignorant assholes like Thomas Jefferson so now listen what I am telling you! We're going to include squibs into the fucking Ilvermorny song and they'll go to every damn meeting! Fuck, they'll even get their own house if it helps to shut little shits like Thomas Jefferson up forever. Don't you see what will happen when we let people like him run this school? It will-"

"How dare you?", Jefferson screamed, pointing his can at him but Alex was already prepared and had drawn his own wand.

"STOP!" Professor Washington snatched Alex' wand out of his hand before grabbing after Jefferson's can. "No dueling on my school grounds and no insults in here, you understand?", he asked. His voice was calm but his eyes were dark of anger.

"Yes sir", Alex muttered. Suddenly he had to think about his task to find the student who cursed the metal chicken and started wondering if maybe... What if that's the real reason he arrived later? Because he tried to destroy the school?

"Can we get our wands back?", Jefferson replied but added a quick yes sir as he looked a the Professor's angry eyebrows.

"Good and you'll get them back right after the meeting is over", he explained and sat back down. "Not to forget, detention for both of you!" Oh great, I just hope for both of you doesn't mean that we'll have to do something together!

"Go back to your seats and remain silent for the rest of the meeting", Professor Washington ordered.

"But I haven't even talked about myself yet!", Alex protested.

"I don't think you need to anymore", Jefferson muttered.

"Another word and I'll ban you from this room and find better people for this important job!", The Professor decided. Alex opened his mouth once more but nothing came out of it. However, both of them returned to their seats without another word, only a lot of hateful stares.

"Mr Laurens, please come to the front", Professor Washington said as if nothing had happened. Alex couldn't concentrate on what John was saying even when he tried to. I just hope he won't be mad at me! But it was John, he never was.

Still, everything Alex could think about was what he had just said. I guess that's my position from now on. Will James be proud of me when he'll find out that I defended him? And what about Angelica's sister? Have I made another friend or does she hate me for speaking up for her? Is she really right with all the things she said and more importantly, how can I get to know her better? The next time Alex listened again was when Professor Washington said the word. That one, doomed word that would turn Alex' world upside down.

"So, now that we're done we should talk about Homecoming."

Homecoming?

They have Homecoming here?