All About Ilvermorny: North America's Hogwarts
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All About Ilvermorny: North America's Hogwarts

Learn all about the school created by a runaway Irish girl who dreamed of the magic of Hogwarts.

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All About Ilvermorny: North America's Hogwarts
Pottermore

So, in recent months, J.K. Rowling, author of the widely acclaimed Harry Potter series, has released further writings on other magical schools for witches and wizards on Pottermore, an interactive website for fans of the series. The newly announced schools include Castelobruxo in Brazil, Mahoutokoro in Japan, Uagadou in African but the one of particular interest is the North American school, Ilvermorny, which is found in Massachusetts. Rowling has recently released new information on the North American school in recent days with the upcoming release of "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them." That particular movie will take place in 1920's New York City and let the audience discover the world of magic and wizardry outside of Hogwarts, in the U.K.

So, what are the most important thing Harry Potter fans should be excited about with this newly discovered school?

Isolt Sayre is a badass.

Ilvermorny was created by pure-blood Irish girl named Isolt Sayre, born around 1603.

Her parents were attacked and killed when she was five, but she was rescued by her mother's estranged sister Gormlaith Gaunt, who is a crazy blood purist and killed her parents. Using dark magic, she forced Sayre to live with her for 12 years, until the Isolt finally escaped, taking her aunt's wand because she was never allowed one. Little does she know the wand came from her ancestor, Salazar Slytherin!

Isolt chopped off her hair and fled to America on the Mayflower, pretending to be a Muggle boy named Elias Story, in order to escape being found by her aunt. She then escaped to the mountains and happened upon two magical creatures, the Hidebehind (a creature that can hide behind almost any object and disembowls people) and the Pukwudgie (a short creature that shoots poisoned arrows and dislikes humans). She saves the Pukwudgie from death by the Hidebehind, and he chooses to live with her until he can repay his debt. She nicknamed him William, after her father.

Ilvermorny was made for Isolt's sons.

Isolt happened upon two boys, Webster and Chadwick, who were orphaned by the same Hidebehind she had met years before. She then chooses to have William repay his debt to her by helping her save the two boys. Isolt nursed them back to health, during which she met James Steward, a muggle who discovered her using magic. Isolt and James eventually fell in love, and the two of them raised the boys as their own.

When the boys grew older, Isolt made it her mission to create wands for them, as well as to teach them how to use their magic. They grew up with her stories of the magical Hogwarts, so Isolt made a plan to start a school for magical children like her sons and the children of the magical tribes, to learn magic just like Hogwarts.

All new houses and sorting.

Ilvermorny's method of sorting students into houses has a unique background and history. The creator of the school, Isolt Sayre, dreamed of going to Hogwarts but never got a chance. So when she had the opportunity to build her own school, she made it in the image of Hogwarts based on the stories she heard from her abusive aunt.

There are four houses at Ilvermorny, with each one having a magical creature that was greatly favored by the head of that house.

Isolt chose the Horned Serpent she had met in and found kinship with in the forest.

Her eldest adoptive son, Chadwick, chose the Thunderbird, a creature that created storms by flapping its wings.

Her other adoptive son, Webster, chose the Wampus, a creature known for being fast, strong and impossible to kill.

Her Muggle husband, James, chose the Pukwudgie based on his wife's stories about living with one, because he couldn't interact with many magical creatures.

And the sorting process itself, though similar to the Sorting Hat at Hogwarts, was different. Unlike the Sorting Hat, students at Ilvermorny instead stand one at a time on a golden Gordian Knot, a symbol of Isolt's original home that the school is named after, in front of 4 wooden carvings of the creatures. When a house has chosen a student, the carving will react in some way. "If the Horned Serpent wants the student, the crystal set into its forehead will light up. If the Wampus wants the student, it roars. The Thunderbird signifies its approval by beating its wings, and the Pukwudgie will raise its arrow into the air."

Students can be chosen by multiple houses, at which point they are allowed to pick the house they wish to join. Some students, although it is very rare, are chosen by all four houses.

The mystery of William the Pukwudgie.

In the modern day, there is a Pukwudgie that is much older than the others that guard the school. He's also named William, but scoffs at students who ask him if he's the very same one who Isolt befriended. Except ... no one knows how long Pukwudgies live, and this William is extremely defensive of the statue of Isolt at the entrance of the school and never lets anyone else polish the statue. He also lays flowers on her tomb on the anniversary of her death every year.

To read about Ilvermorny and the story of Isolt Sayre herself, or get sorted into a Ilvermorny house, click here

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This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
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