All you need to know about 'Ilvermorny', the American Hogwarts, courtesy JK Rowling

The movie adaptation of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them has Harry Potter fans excitedly waiting for its release in November. The movie, set in 1920s New York City, tells us the story of Newt Scamander, prolific writer and Magizoologist (zoologist of magical creatures). But before we get a chance to see the wizards in action in the USA, Pottermore is helping us muggles read up on the magical history of the United States through JK Rowling’s essays.  The latest Pottermore entry reveals more about the East Coast school ‘Ilvermorny’, which is located deep in the forests of Mount Greylock in Massachusetts. Here are a few amazing things we discovered about the school and its history: Origin story [caption id=“attachment_2862510” align=“alignnone” width=“825”]  Islot. Image Courtesy: Youtube[/caption] Islot Sayre had an idyllic childhood until her parents were murdered and she was sent off to live with her aunt, Gormlaith Gaunt. Her aunt is a fanatical pureblood who young Islot escapes by journeying to the USA on the Mayflower. Islot tries to look for magical folk like herself, but ends up marrying a ‘Non-Maj’ (that’s what muggles in the USA are called) James. The two adopt and care for Chadwick and Webster, two little boys orphaned by a deadly Hidebehind. Islot, keen to give the boys a magical education, finds a way to make wands and they start a little home school. The name “Ilvermorny” is a tribute to the cottage Islot was born in. How the school started 

Other magical children from the nearby tribes join in, so Islot and James learnt how to make wands for them, too, and that’s how the the school began. By 1643 the school had expanded beyond Islot’s dreams and their small cottage needed to be expanded into a larger castle. What the modern Ilvermorny school looks like [caption id=“attachment_2862540” align=“alignnone” width=“825”]  The Ilvermorny symbol. Image Courtesy: Pottermore[/caption] Marble statues of Isolt and James flank the front doors of Ilvermorny Castle. The doors open onto a circular room topped by a glass cupola. A wooden balcony runs around the room one floor above. Otherwise the space is empty except for four enormous wooden carvings representing the houses: the Horned Serpent, the panther Wampus, the Thunderbird and the Pukwudgie. Ilvermorny and Hogwarts: Similarities and differences [caption id=“attachment_2862514” align=“alignnone” width=“825”]  The school. Image Courtesy: Youtube[/caption] The post  also imparts information about its four houses named after magic creatures: Horned Serpent, a “great horned river serpent with a jewel set into its forehead”. This house represents the mind. Pukwudgie, a “short, grey-faced, large-eared creature”. This house represents the heart. Thunderbird, a creature that “can create storms as it flies” and represents the soul. Wampus, a “magical, panther-like creature that is fast, strong and almost impossible to kill” which represents the body. Students at Ilvermorny wear either blue or cranberry coloured robes and their sorting ceremony is quite different from Hogwarts. Students stand on a symbol of the Gordian Knot set into the middle of the stone floor, and four enormous wooden carvings representing the houses : the Horned Serpent, the panther Wampus, the Thunderbird and the Pukwudgie react to students that belong to their respective houses. The upcoming movie will showcase more of the Ilvermorny and the story is a testament to the fact that JK Rowling will continue to write powerful female characters in her books. Maybe the upcoming movie, though revolving around Eddie Redmayne’s character, will showcase some more of the girl-power that the author is known for?