“Dear Mr. Hwang,

We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted into Jade Academy of Magical Arts as a first year student.  Classes begin September 1^st, dorms will be open two weeks prior for you to acclimate to your new home.

Enclosed in this correspondence is your list of needed supplies, prohibited items, class schedule, and train ticket from Beijing Station.  Any further inquiries maybe sent via owl to the Ministry’s Educational Department.

We look forward to your attendance!

Lee Suji

Ministry of Magic

Office of Educational Affairs”

Chansung stared at the letter, the thick parchment paper filled with deep black ink.  Not printer ink, no this was handwritten with a calligraphy pen.  For an eleven-year-old boy in the 21^st century, this was the strangest thing he had ever seen.  Well, among the strangest things.

“What does it say?” his mother leaned over him excited and he handed it to her with a confused look.  “Oh, this is exciting!”

“I don’t get it,” Chan shook his head as his father was called over.

“Finally,” his father breathed.  Mr. Hwang was a tall and broad man, intimidating in appearance but calm in demeanor.  He had been waiting patiently for this letter for months now, hoping it was the answer to the dilemma he and Mrs. Hwang had since the day their son was born.

Chansung was born exactly on the day he was due, the midwife a strange old lady who noticed some abnormalities with a smile. The second he started crying, all the toys began to float around him.  Both parents brushed it off as hallucinations from the long delivery, but as other bizarre events surrounded their child, it was hard to ignore.

Reading everything they could get their hands on, from psychology references to scifi novels, from The Higher Consciousness of the Human Brain to Harry Potter, the desperate parents tried in vain to explain the floating objects or the suddenly-on-fire furniture.  Desperate, they turned to the midwife who had delivered their exceptional child.  She beamed at them and said she couldn’t explain it, but in her world, these things were normal and to look forward to the boy’s eleventh birthday.

So here it was, Chansung’s birthday passed only a few days before and the long anticipated letter arrived.  Mrs. Hwang flipped through the other documents, noticing the list of books and supplies with a delighted squeal.  Also enclosed was a brochure for the parents, “Living with a Magical Child in the Muggle World.”

“A wizard?” Chan tilted his to the side a little and glanced at the letter.  “Like Harry Potter?”

“It looks like it,” Mrs. Hwang was beyond ecstatic and immediately set aside the weekend to head into Seoul to find this secret village where they could buy his school supplies.

And this was how Chansung found himself sitting on a train speeding deep into the mountains with no clue what was going on.  Turns out the Hanmi Bank accepted muggle money and could convert it into wizarding coins.  Thankfully most shops they visited accepted credit cards now so he didn’t have to carry bags of gold and silver coins around.  Peeking into his suitcase, he pulled out one of his textbooks.  Standard Books of Spells, Year One.

“Oh! Someone is already in our compartment!” A kid with big ears was peering at him with a surprised look.  “Who are you?”

Chansung jumped up immediately. “I am sorry! I didn’t know which compartment to sit in, the ticket didn’t say.  This was the only empty one left I think…”

“It’s no big deal,” the kid smiled.  “Mind if we join you? I’m Taec.”

“Chansung.”

“Are you a first year?” Taec sat down and two more people joined them in the compartment.

“Yes…” Chansung bowed his head and stuck his hands between his knees.

Taec bumped shoulders with him.  “Hey, don’t worry about it.” His smile was bright and friendly.  “Jade is awesome.  This is Minjun and FeiFei.”

They waved and smiled, and then Minjun went back to sketching in a notebook and Fei pulled something out of her bag. Taec turned back to Chansung and handed him a chocolate bar.

“We are all second years here, but don’t stress.  Most years get along.  Do you know which house you will be in?”

Chansung looked at him with wide eyes.  “House? Like in Harry Potter?”

“Oh no,” Fei chuckled.  “We have a muggle here.”

“Be nice,” Taec scolded.  “You are new to all this aren’t you?”

If it weren’t for Taec’s calming arm around his shoulder, Chan would have started crying.  Instead, he nodded.  “I just got the letter a couple weeks ago and now I am going to this school I have never heard of all alone.”

“You aren’t alone anymore,” Taec grinned, his large teeth making his face look a little goofy.  “We might have different classes, but you aren’t alone here.  You need anything, you can always come to us.”

“Thanks,” Chan mumbled, still not sure how comfortable he was with these three.  “Are you much older than me?”

“Only second years,” Fei said.  “So everything you are going through, we understand.  And it gets better once you are put in your House.  You will meet the people you will room with and have classes with and make friends.  And don’t worry about it.  Most everyone is really nice here.”

“Did you get a cool wand?” Minjun looked up from his sketch to peer at Chan from behind designer frames.

“I dunno,” he shrugged and rifled through his bag.  “I went to the shop and the woman measured me and then I stuck my finger in this machine and then she came back with this box and I haven’t even opened it.”

The three others looked at him as he rambled, before bursting out laughing.  “Go on then,” Minjun pointed.  “Open it up.”

“The lady said not to use it until we got to school.” Chansung was nervous.

“Don’t worry about it.  You won’t get in trouble for using magic on the train.”

There it was, that word.  Magic.  It was both amazing and insane at the same time.  Was it really magic?  Chansung was a normal boy, with normal parents, and a normal life.  Well, except for those little abnormalities. But magic?

Chansung carefully untied the ribbon and lifted the lid.  Everyone leaned over to look inside as the boy spread the tissue paper and saw the wand resting inside. 

“Woah!” Minjun pushed his fake glasses higher up his nose.  “That is awesome!  Not many people have stone wands these days.  What is it made of?”

Chansung pulled the little card up and read aloud.  “Amethyst and obsidian with dragon heartstring core.”  Gently picking it up, he admired his new tool.  It was heavier than he anticipated and it was swirled in black and light purple. It felt cool in his fingertips and tingled a little.

“Try a spell,” Fei encouraged and pulled her own wand out.  It was long and made of a deep red wood. “Like this. Lumos.”  She flicked her wrist and the tip of her wand lit up with white light.

Chansung’s eyes widened and he glanced at his own wand, wondering how badly they would laugh at him when it didn’t work. Copying Fei, he waved his hand and mumbled “lumos”.  To his bewilderment, the tip of his wand lit up in a soft lavender color, but the other just smiled encouragingly.

“Try ‘lumos maxima’,” Fei demonstrated first and her wand burst in blinding light.  When Chan repeated the action, brilliant light shot out from his wand and he found himself laughing excitedly.  They had him try out a few other simple spells in the beginning of his book and Chansung couldn’t help the grin that widened at each successful spell.

After another hour or so of coaching from his new friends, Chan put his wand away and opened the pack lunch his mother had made.  “Can I ask you some questions?” he ventured.

“Sure,” Taec nodded and took a bite out of his own meal and trying to avoid Minjun’s sneaky hands swiping food off his plate.

“How do I know which house I belong to? I only ever read the Harry Potter books so I don’t know…”

“Well firstly,” Taec cleared his throat, “Harry Potter is only a partially factual account of what happened years ago.  My dad was there.  Hogwarts is in Great Britain, and they have their own branch of the ministry.”

“But is there a sorting hat?”

“Not at Jade,” Fei shook her head. “Hogwarts leaves it up to an old hat, but here, there is an interview.  All first years go through a separate entrance and you will be asked a bunch of questions by some of the old headmasters and then you exit the room right into your new house.”

“What houses are they?”

Taec pulled out one of his textbooks and pointed to the school insignia.  “They are the Four Nobel Animals.  Dragon House, which is mine, is all about knowledge and learning.”

“Usually the smart dweebs get put in Dragon,” Minjun snorted and earned a smack to the back of his head.

“What house are you in?” Chan leaned away from them.

“Turtle,” Taec answered for him.  “Usually the troublemakers get put here.”

“We are not troublemakers,” Minjun protested.  “We are creative minds that think outside the conventions of authority.”

“Like I said. Troublemakers.” Taec sniggered and earned a well-placed punch to the arm.

Fei flipped her hair and ignored them.  “My house is the Phoenix.  The people who are brave and loyal are placed here.”

“None of those sound like me,” Chan admitted sheepishly, and hoped there was a better option. “There is a fourth house?”

“Qilin,” the three others said together and Taec explained.  “They are the wild and crazy ones, but they make friends really easily and are fun to be around, even if they aren’t always the brightest.”

Chan sighed.  None of these sounded like him.  He wasn’t smart or brave or deviant or crazy.  Well, maybe he was crazy, but not in the party sense. So how was he supposed to fit into any of these houses? Did he even belong here?

Soon enough, the train had pulled into the station and Chansung held onto his bag tightly.  His new friends waved their farewells with promises to find him in the dining hall once he was settled.

“First years?” a woman’s voice called out to the crowd.  “First years over here! Over here, leave your luggage.  First years!”

It was a crowd of about ten students that gathered near the adults calling to them.  The older students climbed onto their respective buses and they drove off, leaving the confused kids with the teachers trying to herd them together.

“First years! Is this all of you? Yes? Good.” A tall thin woman called all of their attention.  “I am Professor Liu, I am one of your teachers here.  All of your luggage is on its way to the Academy.  Head onto the bus and I will answer your questions on the way up to the school.”

Chan followed the other students and teachers and found an empty seat on the very rickety bus.  There were limited seats and a kid with smiling eyes and a cocky smile sat down next to him.

“Hi!” the boy stuck his hand out.  “I’m Junho.”

“Chan,” he carefully shook hands.

“Excited? I am. Both my parents went to school here so it was really awesome to get my letter.  My older brother is the class president of his year, but I hope I am not in his same house, that would be a drag.”

Junho rambled on for another few minutes while everyone got situated and the bus began to pull forward.  Professor Liu stood up in the front and everyone quieted down to listen.

“Students, again, my name is Professor Liu.  I am the Runes teacher, as well as your orientation advisor.  Now, you are the last group of first years arriving, so everyone else will already be settled.  When we reach the Academy, you will line up and we will proceed to the Sorting Temple.  Once there, you will be asked a series of questions and placed in your respective houses.”

“What sort of questions?” one student piped up nervously.

Professor Liu looked around until she found the boy.  “Each interview is particular to the student, so there is no way of me knowing.  I would advise you to answer honestly however, to be placed accurately.  Now, some rules.  First, your House is your new home.  You will be in classes with your housemates, but it is encouraged you make friends with everyone in the school.  Secondly, you will remain within the Academy property and not wander off or punishment will be dire.  Third, boys will remain in their portion of the dorms, and girls will remain in theirs. I guarantee it is impossible to slip into the opposing gender’s dorms, so don’t even try.

“Your schedule is preset and you will follow it expressly with the only exception being a stay in hospital.  Breakfast is served from 6:30 to 8 a.m. Classes commence from 8:30 until 4 with varying breaks for meals and recess.  Astronomy is held from 7:15 p.m. until the professor falls asleep usually, around 9 p.m. or so.  Weekends are set aside for your relaxation, but there are a number of clubs and extra classes held then and I encourage you to participate in as many as you can handle.

“Now I warn you, the class load is heavy.  Weekends are usually dedicated to studying and homework.  This is not a school for vacationing.  You are expected to show up to all your classes, do your work, and excel in your personal talents.  Each of you, I am sure, will find your place here at Jade Academy.  Do any of you have any questions?”

One girl raised her hand. “Professor? You said our luggage was being handled?”

“Yes.  It will be in your assigned dorms once you have been placed in your House.”

“Professor?” the boy from earlier raised his hand.  “I understand it is a boarding school, but are there any times that our parents can visit us?”

Professor Liu smiled. “Yes.  There are two parent days each semester and they are all invited to the commencement ceremony at the end of each year.  You are encouraged to write to them and be assured that we will be keeping them informed of your progress here.”

“My cell phone isn’t working,” one girl frowned.

“No outside technology works in this area, which means no phones, tablets, internet of any kind.  Unfortunately for you, all research is done the old fashioned way, in the library with pen and parchment.  Don’t worry, you get used to it really quickly.  Which reminds me.  We will give you special writing utensils for the important tests, but if any cheating spells are found in your quills or brushes, you will incur suspension.”

Another girl raised her hand. “What if you have handwriting spells on your brush to make your writing legible? Is that okay?”

“Yes, that is permitted usually, but check with your teachers first. Anything else?”

More students popped up with questions about resident ghosts and the meals and such, but Chansung kept quietly to himself.  It was better to stay silent and observe that to ask a dumb question and make a fool of himself so early.

The bus wound higher into the mountains as the day turned into afternoon, but Chansung could spot the spires of a number of buildings as they crept closer.  Eventually the bus pulled up to a large green and red tori gate and everyone piled out.  With one hand on his bag, Chansung stood next to Junho as they lined up in front of the gate.

“Students,” Professor Liu said with a smile, “welcome to Jade Academy of Magic.”

She waved her wand over the entrance and, like rippling water, the school became visible.  Students milled around, some studying already, but most goofing off and a few teachers dotted the area.  The buildings rose up all around them, varying sizes and shapes but each with the styled pointed roofs and paper walls.

“We will take a quick tour first and then you will all be sorted into your Houses.  You will have a little time to settle in before we have our opening banquet in the main hall.  Now, here is the entrance to the school, but none of you will be leaving the grounds without an so do not bother with it.”  As they all passed through, the gate rippled once more and Chansung swore it was locking somehow even though there was no real door there. 

The professor led them through the grounds and around the buildings with a brief explanation as to what they were.  The largest and most impressive building lay in the middle of the grounds, the main hall.  It was where all the meals and school wide assemblies were held.  Almost like a temple or a huge shrine, they peeked in the door.  Round tables dotted the room as torches lit from the walls.

On each of the four sides of the main hall were the separate houses, each denoted with a large animal guarding the front.  The students were reminded that they could only enter their own house and that they would be given certain instruction on how to enter once sorted.  However, it looked like most of the students mingled outside their houses anyway.  Chan swore he spotted Taec sitting with some friends but they were whisked away before he could wave.

They also visited the owlry where they were allowed to borrow a school owl at any time to send letters home.  The greenhouses were passed by quickly with the excuse that they would get a better look in herbology classes later in the week.  Circling around, the entrance to the path to the lake was pointed out, as was the quidditch pitch and the library.  They were allowed to look in two different classrooms on the way back towards the front gate where they were stopped once again.

“And now it is time to be sorted,” the professor beamed.  “I wish you all the best of luck and remember to bring honor to yourself, your family, your house and this school and I look forward to being your teacher in the future.  First up is…”

She began to read off names.  The student walked up and she opened a door that looked like it was the entrance to an outhouse.  She would then close the door again and read off another name.  By the time she opened the door for the very next person, the dark room was empty.

“Lee Junho?” she called.

The smiley-eyed boy that had been with Chan since the train jumped at his name.

“Anything but Qilin,” he muttered repeatedly to himself as he walked up.

“And finally, Hwang Chansung.”  Professor Liu patted him gently on the shoulder as he stepped up to the room.  “Go on in.  I promise it isn’t as scary as it seems.”

Chan nodded and shuffled into the closet and trembled as the door clicked shut behind him.  No sooner had the sound faded then torches lit up the room in a warm glow.  Four life size portraits floated in the air in front of him, pictures of four very old men. They towered over the boy who simply blinked as they studied him.  These pictures were moving.

“State your name,” one spoke.  He was dressed in blue and white robes with a long beard tied neatly in front.

“H-hwang C-c-chansung…” he stuttered. 

“No need to be afraid Chansung.”  This man was dressed in silver and orange and looked considerably younger.  “We are the old headmasters of this school and we need to ask you a few questions to find the best suitable place for you.”

“You are pictures…” Chan pointed out.

“Of course we are,” a third spoke up, chiseled features and bright red and gold robes.  “But that does not mean we are any less qualified.”

“But pictures don’t move…or talk…” Chan hunched in on himself and tried to make himself as small as possible, which was silly because he was fairly tall for his age.

“You must be so inexperienced with magic then,” the first and oldest man pointed out.  “Were you not raised in a magical household?”

“No sir,” Chan shook his head.  “I only found out that magic was real about a month ago.  This is all very strange to me.”

“And your parents are not wizards?” the fourth portrait finally spoke up.  He was in deep green and black clothing, with glasses and a short goatee growing in.

“No sir, just me.”

“Hmmm. A muggle-born wizard.  How interesting.  The first this year.”

The first man interrupted the musing.  “Chansung, how were your studies in class before?”

Chansung looked down sheepishly.  “I am not that great.  I get okay grades I guess, but I am not super smart and I don’t really like studying.”

“And what do you like to do outside of classes?” the man in orange asked.

“I like to play games and sports and be with my friends, I guess.”

“Do you have many friends?”

Chansung kicked his shoe.  “Not really.  I had a few close friends, but since I found out I was coming here, I haven’t talked to them.”

“You can always make more friends here,” the man smiled.

The man in green asked what he wanted to do when he grew older, and Chan answered that he was unsure as he was still new to this world.  The men continued to ask him questions for a while longer, all things that he liked and disliked, things he excelled in and things he failed at.  Chansung did his best to be honest like the professor suggested and the men were stern but kind.

“Well, Hwang Chansung,” the handsome man in red finally said, “I believe we have decided on your house.  We are the ones who are courageous.  We value friendship and loyalty.  In this house, you will learn to speak up, and to stand out as an individual, but also to uplift and encourage other in your team.  Go ahead and step through my portrait to the Phoenix House.”

The man smiled down proudly at him and the other men nodded encouragingly.  Chansung braved a small smile and bowed his thanks before stepping right up to the portrait.  Pushing his hand through, he realized that there was nothing stopping him.  Braving it a little further, his whole body moved through the painting and into a whole new room.

Bathed in warm reds and shimmering gold, Chansung smiled.  Cherry blossoms hung from the ceiling everywhere, and a small fire danced in the fireplace.  Big fluffy cushions and long couches with small tables filled the room.  Everything looked cozy and inviting.  But more than that, the faces that greeted him were friendly.

They clapped and cheered for him, welcoming him into their House, into his new House.  One boy in particular stepped forward to introduce himself.

“Hi!” he smiled brightly and held out his hand.  He was a short guy, but much older than Chan.  “I am Minwoo and I am the House Mom.  Anything you need while you are here, just let me know.  Are you the last one or are there others?”

“I was the last on the list,” Chan mumbled.

“Excellent!” Minwoo wouldn’t stop smiling.  “We have eight new additions to our house this year, which is much less than previous years, but it is a small year.  Alrighty, first years, gather round.  Chansung, you are the only one for today so the others have a leg up on you, but don’t worry, you will catch up.  This is Jia, JB, Dongwoon, Jonghyun, Yuka, Dasom, and Jinwoon.  Boys are housed down that hall to the right, girls to the left.  Chan, you are rooming with Jinwoon here.”

“Your luggage just got here,” Jinwoon smiled kindly and his eyes disappeared behind his cheeks.

“When you come into the house, you will need to show the guard at the door you belong to the house.  The phoenix might ask you a question, or for you to demonstrate a spell.  If for some reason you do not know the answer, you can always give the password ‘fenice immortale’ and it should let you in.  But only as a last resort. Can you remember that?”

Chansung nodded and muttered the words to himself a few times.

“Good.  Why don’t you go get settled in your room?  Dinner starts in about an hour.”

“Thank you,” Chan bowed and received a friendly hair ruffle.

“Congrats, Channie,” Fei came up to him and gave him a quick hug.  “I am glad you are my same house.  See you at dinner.”

She left quickly, but already, Chan was feeling more comfortable here.  A few others come up to introduce themselves and congratulate him before he could finally wander off with his new roommate and settle in.

The bedroom was just as warm and cozy as the rest of the house.  Jinwoon plopped down on one bed and pointed to the other.  Sure enough Chan’s suitcases were resting at the foot of his bed.

“I am glad it is just the two of us,” Jinwoon sigh happily.  “The other three have to share a room together and I heard that JB snores.”

“I don’t snore…I don’t think.” Chan tilted his head to the side thinking.  No one had complained before that he could recall.

Jinwoon burst out laughing.  “Even if you did, I wouldn’t mind.  I am glad to have a roommate though.  Let’s get along well.”

For the first time, Chansung felt a genuine smile spread across his face.

“Dear Mom and Dad,

I made it to school today.  The ride was long and we are way up in the mountains, but it is nice.  I got sorted into my house today too, kinda like in Harry Potter, who is a real person I found out.  I am in the Phoenix House.  Supposedly it is because I am brave and loyal or something.  But the people here are nice and my roommate Jinwoon is a cool guy.

Dinner was amazing! They had so much food I thought I was going to pop, but Fei says it is like that all the time so don’t worry, I will eat well.  Classes start in a few days and I am kind of nervous, but I already have friends who will be with me in class.

I hope you are well.

Your son,

Channie”