Those who had wanted to show off with the crystal ball had lost all interest. They knew they couldn't compete with what they had just witnessed. They had merely hoped to reveal a blurry image, a symbol, maybe an animal… not recreate a full prophetic vision—with narrative, emotion, and music.
"Red… what does what we saw mean?" Hannah asked, just as fascinated as everyone else.
Having held the crystal ball for the entire vision, she had felt something deeper. For her, the heat of the sun, the texture of the sand, and the desert breeze weren't just images—she had felt them in the palms of her hands.
My own hands were still trembling. The energy I had released was unfamiliar, overwhelming, and even though it had passed, its echo still coursed through my body like an electric current.
And then, right before my eyes, notifications appeared:
[Skill "Bard's Ear" has leveled up to 5][Skill "Prophecy" has leveled up to 2][Combo: Music Lv5 + Prophecy Lv2 + Bard's Ear Lv5 → New skill acquired: "Prophetic Song" Lv1]
Yep. Another amazing new skill. I didn't even need to read the description to know it was powerful. Bard's Ear had been one of my first skills, and one especially difficult to level up. It worked on a conceptual level. If it had combined with Prophecy, it couldn't be anything minor.
"An impressive prophecy," came a mature voice, and I immediately recognized Professor Silvia. I turned to see her approaching through the crowd of students, who quickly made way upon noticing her presence.
She looked at me now with a smile I hadn't seen before. Her eyes sparkled, as if she had just witnessed a miracle.
"A curious method… and impactful. I've never seen a form of prophecy like that. I know of some that resemble it, but yours…" she shivered slightly. "I felt the power of destiny in every verse, as if you were reading the soul of the world."
"Thanks…" I replied helplessly. I hadn't expected any of this. For me, it had all started as a silly 'let's see who's got the biggest one' moment. "Honestly, it was pure chance. It's the first time I've ever used a crystal ball. I just did what I could with what I had."
"I think I could help you get a spot as an assistant in the Divination department, if you're interested. At least until you graduate… then we could aim even higher," she said, still looking at me as though she'd found a hidden gem.
"Thanks… but I don't plan to stay here," I answered politely, trying to shut down any ideas about my future being in Brazil.
"Why not? You clearly have a gift… and you seem so at ease. As if this were your true home. You even delivered the prophecy in Portuguese," she added, refusing to give up. She seemed convinced I was Brazil's next mystical prodigy.
"She's right, Red. You did it in another language," Hannah added excitedly. "I didn't understand a word, but it sounded awesome."
She didn't seem worried about me leaving. She didn't think I could ever abandon Hogwarts—not with my history there and my interest in girls, something she was deliberately ignoring.
"What did it say?" she asked with genuine curiosity.
"Over our heads, the sunOver our heads, the lightIn our hands, creationAnd above all… the heart"
recited Professor Silvia, as if she remembered it word for word. I guess someone used to reading prophecies has that kind of memory. "Poetic and meaningful…" she added. "Do you know anything else about the vision? Any detail that seems important to you? Who were they, where was it, what do you think it symbolizes?"
"I'm not really sure…" I replied, trying to sort through the emotions still vibrating inside me. "But I know part of the vision was literal. The desert… that's going to happen. I'm almost certain. And I think it has something to do with me. I felt like I was there. Under the sun. In front of… a palace. Or something like that."
"And when do you think it'll happen?" Hannah asked, sounding a little worried. We'd just arrived in a tropical country, and I was already talking about heading into the desert.
"I don't know exactly," I admitted. "It won't be right now, but it's not far off either. It's hard to explain. There's no date… just a feeling that it's getting close."
"Don't worry," the professor interjected in a calm tone. "Some things can't be controlled. But with practice… you'll be able to understand them better."
During the final minutes of the trip, Professor Silvia spoke to us with interest. She wanted to learn more about us, but also to guide us a bit regarding the prophecy we had witnessed. She asked for permission to keep it for a while and study it, along with my method. We allowed it, and she took the crystal ball, promising that once she could transfer the vision to another container, she'd return it to us. She even offered to send us a copy if we wanted one for ourselves.
It wasn't long before the bus came to a stop. We had been deep in the rainforest for a while now: we had entered the Amazon. Our conversation with the professor had distracted us from the journey, but to be honest, looking out the window wouldn't have helped much in trying to orient ourselves within that endless green maze.
We arrived at a clearing where all the buses had stopped. People were already waiting for us. Just like at the beginning of the trip, disembarkation was organized by age, from the older students to the younger ones.
When it was our turn—grouped with the first-years—most of the other groups had already headed toward the school. From where we stood, all we could see was trees in every direction—dense jungle, sticky humidity, suffocating heat… but if you looked closely, in one precise direction, you could just make out an ancient golden building. It had the same majestic, ethereal air as Hogwarts when seen from afar for the first time.
"First-years!" announced Professor Silvia, accompanied by another teacher with a scruffy balbo beard that was practically begging for a trim.
Several nervous children stepped off the various buses. With the vehicles now empty, the murmurs in Portuguese blended with Spanish, and the overall sound became chaotic.
Following Professor Silvia's instructions, we joined the group of younger students and began walking along wide paths through the jungle. These weren't just dirt trails: a bus could easily pass through them—maybe even two or three at once. But, whether by tradition or ritual, this part of the journey was always made on foot.
The sun was already beginning to set, and it was estimated we'd arrive at Castelobruxo with the last rays of dusk. By that point, many were already tired and hungry, but this was the final obstacle.
We walked for quite a while, sometimes along straight paths, other times through gentle curves. Every now and then, the trail would grant us a clearer view of the school. It was a magnificent, almost unreal structure, covered in golden details that shimmered in the setting sun.
"Do you think it's actually made of gold?" Hannah asked me.
"Probably not… at least not the entire inner structure," I replied thoughtfully. "Although with magic, you never really know. It could be."
We moved a few steps forward, until we began to feel some presences nearby. They had been watching us ever since we got off the buses, but only now did their figures become visible: green skin, red eyes, small agile bodies. They hid among the grass, behind trees, even perched on high branches.
They watched us intently… and a few kids, seeing them for the first time, screamed in fright.
The worst came after.
The creatures reacted to being noticed… by throwing animal excrement directly at our group.
Screams multiplied. Children ran in all directions, some crying. Chaos erupted instantly. The teachers did what they could to maintain order and protect us from the caiporas' mischief.
Hannah clung tightly to me as soon as a lump of dung landed dangerously close to us. She screamed in my ear—though I couldn't tell if it was from fear or sheer disgust.
Instinctively, I drew my wand to protect us. But the moment I did, the caiporas froze. They all turned their heads toward me—or more precisely, toward my hand.
The caiporas, ancient protectors of Castelobruxo, weren't truly enemies: their feces-throwing was just mischief to test newcomers. But when they saw my wand… or rather, felt the dark aura that surrounded it, they reacted with a much more dangerous aggression.
The atmosphere shifted.
The air grew dense and heavy. The jungle fell silent. And suddenly, every last bit of dung was hurled at me with magical precision. Then, it wasn't just excrement anymore—mischief turned into real projectiles. Stones and spears came flying out of the undergrowth.
I had to strengthen my shield, but when I saw the intensity wasn't letting up, I raised my other wand toward the sky, letting a red flash burst like a silent lightning bolt.
The spell wasn't destructive, but it was effective in its own way: it was a mental assault that made them fall and writhe on the ground.
The caiporas retreated, either by their own will or with the help of their kin, all disappearing into the depths of the jungle.
There was calm. But it wasn't a pleasant calm. The atmosphere remained charged, tense, as if the jungle itself was breathing with suspicion. And the stench… the stench didn't help.
I quickly conjured bubble-head charms for Hannah, Neville, and several kids who looked like they were about to faint. At least that eased the immediate surroundings.
"I'm going to talk to the caiporas before this turns into a disaster," said the professor who was accompanying Silvia. Then he turned to us, the first-years. "They only pulled back… to strike harder. I'll go calm them down. You continue on with Professor Silvia."
And with no further words, he disappeared into the trees.
We resumed the walk in silence. The students whispered among themselves, still running on adrenaline, their eyes wide.
"They're really scary… are we going to have to live with them at the school?" murmured a girl with teary eyes.
"You shouldn't be surprised," another replied. "My parents said the caiporas always do things like this."
"My mom told me that when she studied here, she once went to pee near the forest and the caiporas tied her to a tree with enchanted vines. It took them hours to find her."
Yeah… every school has its stories.
...
Just as anticipated, the final rays of the sun caressed the great golden structure right as we reached its base. The main building, with its imposing architecture, looked like an ancient pre-Columbian temple carved from pure gold, gleaming with a majesty that could only exist through magic. Around it stood other smaller buildings, some with tiered roofs, others decorated with glowing glyphs. All of them definitely deserved to be explored… but that moment had not yet come.
In the main plaza, several tables, floating lanterns, and banners glowed with their own light, arranged in semicircles as if awaiting our arrival. Many of the tables were already filled with students from other years, and Professor Silvia led us to one especially reserved for the first-years.
In the center of the courtyard, a small stage had been set up. Once everyone was seated, the headmaster of Castelobruxo—a tall man with a calm face and a green robe embroidered with a jaguar—stepped onto the floating podium, illuminated by golden spheres hovering above his head. He raised his voice with solemnity, welcoming the new students and, with a particular gesture, also the three of us: the exchange students.
Once again, we were the center of attention.
I translated quietly for Hannah and Neville, who shared the same mix of nerves and excitement. They were a bit overwhelmed by all the stares, but couldn't stop smiling.
When his speech ended, the headmaster didn't want to keep the hungry students waiting. He raised his hands, and with a murmur in the Tupi language, he signaled the start of the feast.
The food didn't appear suddenly like at Hogwarts—it was revealed.
The table, which until then had seemed empty, had actually been covered in dishes all along—but they had been invisible and intangible until that moment. With a soft glow, the food became visible and accessible, as if it had been waiting for a signal to manifest.