[Ilvermorny] Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft & Wizardry Guide

Created by Christine, Dylan, Fee, Meridian, Olivia, Rinn, Samm, and Toya*

The Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft & Wizardry is the premier wizarding school in North America, and is available for students to attend on Magical Hogwarts. First mentioned in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, this school boasts such graduates as Headmaster Agilbert Fontaine, descendant of famed auror Theodard Fontaine; Seraphina Picquery, the former President of the Magical Congress of the United States of America; and Rionach Steward, Ilvermorny's first Defense Against the Dark Arts instructor. Ilvermorny was part-founded by a No-Maj (muggle), and as such the school has the reputation of being one of the most democratic, least elitist of all the great wizarding schools.

This overview has been created to provide interested role players with the background information required to create a successful Ilvermorny character.

The school year begins in September and ends in June.

* Information on Ilvermorny for Magical Hogwarts was compiled from a variety of sources such as Pottermore, Harry Potter Wikia, and the Fantastic Beasts film. Magical Hogwarts does not assume ownership of Ilvermorny, as the idea is J.K. Rowling's; we just built up on it.

Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft & Wizardry was founded in 1627, twenty years after the establishment of Jamestown, by Isolt Sayre, an Irish witch who had arrived in America aboard the Mayflower. After marrying the no-maj James Steward, they, along with their adoptive sons Chadwick and Webster Boot, established the school in their tiny cottage after years of hearing and retelling stories about the splendor of Hogwarts. Instead of naming the four school houses after themselves, the founders each picked their favorite magical beast: Horned Serpent, Pukwudgie, Thunderbird, and Wampus.

It only took a few years for news of the school to spread. Two young wizards and three witches from local tribes came to learn, offering to share their magic in exchange. Every year, James would expand their cottage, with his abilities in stone and wood work in combination with Isolt’s abilities in magic. And every year, more and more students would join the school, each provided with a wand that Isolt and James handcrafted. By 1634, there were enough students for inter-house competitions. Still, the school only hosted students during the day; the extent of the school’s reach was not yet wide enough for them to consider boarding students overnight.

As the no-maj population spread, so did their fear of magical peoples. The school had so far shared the peak of Mount Greylock with no-maj, but once there were rumblings of dire consequences, they decided to put up wards against them. Over the next few years, the no-maj around Mount Greylock forgot about their magical neighbors and began doing their own things with the mountain, slowly starting to settle around it, creating new trails and climbing routes. The reputation of the school continued expanding and the house was expanding with it. The house, growing larger every year, soon became a castle, expanding upwards, outwards, and down into the mountain.

Isolt and James remained the joint Headmistress and Headmaster of Ilvermorny. Chadwick, who had become quite skilled with charms, grew up to travel the world before authoring Chadwick’s Charms Vols I - VII, which are still required at Ilvermorny to this day. Webster became an Auror for hire and moved to the UK after falling in love with a Scottish witch. Isolt and James had since had two twin daughters: Martha and Rionach. Martha was a squib who grew up at the school before marrying a no-maj and deciding to live out her life as one as well. Rionach, however, grew up to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts for many years, never marrying.

In 1693, the Magical Congress of the United States of America, or MACUSA, was created as a direct result of the International Statute of Secrecy. After the recent Salem Witch Trials, the magical community in America embraced the change. MACUSA had no fixed meeting place, changing locations to avoid detection, and occasionally used the school as a town hall. The pureblooded families overseas used the Trials as just one more reason to not settle in the New World. As such, the pureblood ideology did not gain as much traction and the difference between a magbob and a pureblood was unnoticeable at the school.

Isolt and James both lived to be over 100 years old, living long enough to see Ilvermorny grow into something more than they had ever envisioned. The school had expanded, boarding students and hiring on skilled witches and wizards as professors, hosting students from all over what would be America and other surrounding countries.

Ilvermorny Castle is located on the highest peak of Mount Greylock in the northwest corner of Massachusetts in the United States of America near the towns of Adams and Williamstown. Though the coordinates of the school are unknown except to current students and alumni, it is estimated that Ilvermorny is located about 145 miles northwest of Boston, MA, 160 miles north of the MACUSA headquarters in New York City, and 35 miles southeast of Albany, NY, which boasts a thriving wizarding community.

Mount Greylock is situated in the humid continental climate zone, which means that the surrounding area has cold, snowy winters, and warm summers. This area of the country receives about 39 inches of rain per year, with around 135 days of precipitation each year. Snowfall is significant, with around 50 inches per year. Though Mount Greylock is rather inland, it is close enough to the Atlantic coast to receive snow from Nor'easters. Winters can be cold with temperature drops to 0 °F (−18 °C). Summers can sometimes contain stretches of heat and humidity, with temperatures of 90 °F (32 °C) or hotter.

During the 19th century, much of the mountain was stripped of its trees and other plant-life due to logging, grazing, and fires. However, forests have since reclaimed the mountain and many communities exist on Mount Greylock. One such community is the neighboring town of Shackamaxon, which boasts a sizeable wizarding population. This town serves as an outlet for entertainment for Ilvermorny students and staff during the school year.

The castle was once a granite stone house, and once it became a school the former cottage expanded until it became what is now the castle. The front doors are adorned with marble statues of founders Isolt Sayre and James Steward on either side. Just inside the entrance is a large, circular room that contains cedar carvings of the house mascots, and is used for sorting ceremonies. Much of the architecture within the school consists of vaulted ceilings and rich woods. The school boasts large courtyards with gardens and indoor ponds, and an observatory that is about a ten minute hike from the castle.

The Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft & Wizardry is one of the most diverse magical schools in the world. Admitting students from over twenty countries and territories across continental North America, Central America, and the Caribbean islands, Ilvermorny boasts an enriched atmosphere of various cultures and languages. Ilvermorny accepts students from the following countries and territories: Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, Bonaire, the British Virgin Islands, Canada, Cayman Islands, Costa Rica, Cuba, Curaçao, Dominica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Greenland, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Martinique, Mexico, Montserrat, Nicaragua, Panama, Puerto Rico, Saba, Saint Barthélemy, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Martin, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Sint Eustatius, Sint Maarten, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos Islands, the United States of America, and the US Virgin Islands.

In addition, the Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft & Wizardry has the reputation of being one of the most democratic, least elitist of all the main wizarding schools. As such, they do not discriminate against students due to their blood status, and any bullying or discrimination found among students is punished harshly. Ilvermorny also takes care to educate their students on the challenges squibs face in both the magical and muggle worlds, and regularly hosts speakers to share their experiences.

The Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft & Wizardry is a tuition-free school, on part of funding from the Magical Congress of the United States of America and other magical governments throughout North America. Ilvermorny believes that all magical children throughout North America deserve the best education, and thus provides programs to lower income families to help purchase uniforms and books.

The primary language at Ilvermorny is English. However, as the student body of Ilvermorny is as diverse as its curriculum, the faculty encourage students to speak their native languages and encourage native English-speakers to learn other languages. Though the school does not have teachers for every language, they do offer classes in Spanish, Dutch, French, and Greenlandic, and are constantly working on expanding their language outreach programs to include other languages.

Transportation to Ilvermorny is done via multiple enchanted school buses. Invisible to the no-maj eye, the buses are able to weave in and out of traffic and change size and shape to reach their destination in a more timely fashion. They are also capable of flight, something that allows the buses to travel over the surrounding bodies of water. To the wizard eye, the buses appear to be a standard yellow school bus, much like the buses no-maj use. However, the Ilvermorny buses are bigger on the inside and are able to accommodate a larger number of students than the outside would suggest.

There are several stops throughout North America and the surrounding islands with one stop in every country or territory, and with multiple stops throughout larger countries such as the United States, Canada, and Mexico. These stops remain the same from year to year.

Upon arrival on the first day of school, first years are separated from the older students and are led on-foot up to the main entrance hall to begin the sorting process.

Sorting begins in the main entrance hall when students first arrive at Ilvermorny at age eleven. The older students are able to watch the sorting process from a circular balcony above the entrance hall. Each student is called up individually to step on a large Gordian knot on the floor in front of large wooden statues of each house mascot. Each carving reacts differently if they would like the student placed in their house. For Horned Serpent, the crystal in the carving's forehead glows. For Wampus, the carving roars. For Thunderbird, the carving beats its wings. For Pukwudgie, the carving raises its arrow.

Very rarely, due to the nature of the sorting process, a student will be selected by more than one house. It is not unheard of, though exceedingly rare, for a student to be selected by all four Ilvermorny houses. Any time multiple houses select the same student, the student has the privilege of choosing which house they would prefer.

* click the room names for photos

Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft & Wizardry began as a humble stone cottage in the early 1620s; by 1634, it had begun expanding to accommodate the education of a growing influx of local young witches and wizards. The school did not begin offering boarding to students until the late 17th Century, at which point it expanded further to including living spaces for each of the four Houses. In addition to extending upward and laterally, the castle was also expanded downward into the mountain.

Dormitories for all four Houses were initially located in one tower in particular that was nestled into the mountain; however, the early 18th Century necessitated change. By this time Ilvermorny was well-known across North America, and with that recognition came an increasingly large student population with each passing year. In response, all but Pukwudgie House were eventually relocated into newer - and, in the case of Wampus, more innovative - spaces. By the 19th Century, Ilvermorny had become internationally-renowned and the student population had begun to stabilize, mostly alleviating the need for further physical expansion. Today, the castle is shielded from No-Maj view by a series of enchantments, the most aesthetically pleasing of which causes the castle to appear as a cloud obscuring the peak of Mount Greylock.

Extensive, ornate wood paneling overlaying the granite walls is a common theme throughout much of the castle, and all of the wood is from trees native to Massachusetts: ebony, walnut, cedar, hickory, beech, and pine. The type of wood used varies by room, but all are well-represented and - in a few cases - uniquely so. The castle’s main rooms have vaulted ceilings either with or without flying buttresses. Many of the hallways and corridors are covered but otherwise open-air - except on the windier sides of the castle. The style was initially meant to be a temporary means of connecting new structures as they were built into the castle, but by popular demand from the students a few breezeways were ultimately left as such.

ENTRANCE HALL

The front doors of the school, facing the east to catch the morning light, are framed by life-size marble statues of Isolt and James Steward. Just inside the doors is the magnificent entrance hall: a large, circular room with ornate cherry wood trimming, marble floors, and a large glass cupola with intricate ironwork detailing. The space is expansive and empty, save for the four enormous cedar carvings of the House mascots: the Horned Serpent, the Wampus, the Thunderbird, and the Pukwudgie. The room is three stories tall; wooden balconies run around the perimeter of the room on the top two floors.

The flooring is inlaid with the symbol of the Gordian Knot set into the middle, directly underneath the center of the highest point of the cupola above. The Gordian Knot is crafted from various local woods and stone and is used for the Sorting Ceremony (and is the same knot worn as an ornamental brooch on each student’s robes).

DINING ROOM

In keeping with the primary architecture, the Dining Room boasts vaulted ceilings with exposed hickory beams as well as hickory flooring. Four large wrought-iron chandeliers descend from the exposed woodwork down the room’s length. There are four floor-to-ceiling stained-glass windows along the left and right sides of the room, two on each side, each depicting a House mascot. At the far end of the room - on the wall opposite the entry - is a fifth stained-glass window featuring the Ilvermorny crest. In between the windows, there are collections of smaller portraits hanging that feature photographs, drawings, or paintings of the castle or its grounds at various points in time over the centuries.

The House tables - like the ceiling beams - are made of dark hickory, and arranged as one long table with benches on either side. Each House’s crest is carved into the surface of its table. Students traditionally sit by House at their respective tables, but the administration encourages camaraderie and intermingling every other Friday by orchestrating various “mix-it-up” events, affectionately termed “Scrambles” by the students. Examples of themes include grouping by birthday (January-March, April-June, July-September, October-December), sitting next to someone you’ve never spoken with before, sitting with someone who is at least 2-3 years younger (or older) than you, and the list goes on. The staff are also invited to participate in the Scrambles. To counteract overlap, every so often there is a complete randomization of seating with no theme assigned whatsoever. Of course, the administration cannot exactly force students to take part in the activities, but overall the response is quite positive; quite a few students admit to having made friends through the events that they might not have otherwise. The administration is always open to (reasonable and appropriate) theme suggestions, which has further improved participation.

LIBRARY

Located along the western border of the castle to overlook the valley below, the library is one of Ilvermorny’s most unique and impressive rooms: it channels the atmosphere of an indoor garden. Perhaps most strikingly, its floor is made not of stone or wood, but of soft Kentucky bluegrass that is enchanted to not feel damp or get bags (or bare feet) dirty. The ceiling is made entirely of glass, allowing for an abundance of natural light as students work, which seems to improve the overall mood of its inhabitants as well as reduce eyestrain. The glass paneling continues downward to form the western-most wall of the library, rewarding the studious with a breathtaking view of the sunset and the valley below.

While much of the rest of the castle boasts extensively wood-paneled walls, the walls of the library are mostly stone and adorned with hanging vines. Several curtains of these hanging vines separate the back areas of the library from the central area on the first floor. There is a ballroom-style stone double-staircase at the far end of the central area along the south wall that connects the first and second floors, and a large koi pond is situated between the two curved staircases. Four smaller spiral stone staircases - one at each of the four corners - connect the second and third floors. The second and third floors are open-balcony style in the center all along the perimeter, such that students on the second and third floors may look down onto the koi pond (and their fellow students) in the central area below.

The main area of the first floor is a quiet floor where students may group-study, though not in tones above a whisper. There is an abundance of 8-person tables, 4-person tables, and comfortable armchairs with side-tables scattered throughout this main area. There are several sequestered rooms along the perimeter of the first floor that are soundproofed to allow for conversation in normal speaking tones without disrupting fellow students in the main section of the library - the doors of these rooms are made of curtains of hanging vines.

The second and third floors are largely silent floors - there is no conversation permitted in the open areas of these floors. As on the first floor, there are multiple seating arrangements in the open areas as well as several rooms along the perimeter of the second floor where students may group-study, though the noise level is restricted to a whisper in the rooms on these floors to minimize disruption as students enter and exit the rooms. There are also a few single-person desks and chairs tucked within the stacks.

The third floor boasts similar open-area seating and study rooms; however, these study rooms are unique in that they are intermittently reserved exclusively for C.H.E.P.I. and W.E.N.D.I.G.O. students at various points throughout term to facilitate studying for their Ministry exams. As on the second floor, there are a few single-person desks and chairs tucked within the stacks.

KITCHEN

Like much of the castle, the kitchen channels an earthy, open vibe. There are several short but wide windows along the perimeter walls to allow for as much natural light as possible, and all of the main appliances are situated along these walls. In the evenings and early mornings (and gloomy-weather days), floating baubles are charmed to provide additional soft light without cluttering the available space, giving the kitchen a cozy, welcoming aura. The center of the kitchen is mostly open, except for a very large granite island. Hanging above the island and spanning its length is a wrought-iron pot rack, providing a utilitarian touch. All of the cabinetry is made of wood from trees native to Massachusetts - primarily a rich, dark walnut - and the ceilings are spanned by rustic wooden beams, also made of dark walnut. The travertine flooring is a warm, light brown.

The House Elves are always open to new recipe suggestions (and experimentations), and have even been known to surprise students with their favorite cooked or baked treat on their birthdays. Visitors to the kitchen are welcomed heartily and never permitted to leave empty-handed!

COURTYARDS & GREENHOUSES

There are a few courtyards scattered throughout the school, some open-aired and some not. The two largest, however, are of particular note. The northernmost courtyard appears to be open-aired, but that’s only because the glass ceiling is five floors above. The courtyard is bright, with grass and benches, many floating plants, and a large indoor pond. It is in this courtyard that the entrance to the Horned Serpent common room is located.

The second - and largest - courtyard of note is located towards the center of the castle. This courtyard is open-aired and houses the Wampus common room: a very large California Redwood. The rest of the courtyard is grassy, with a few smaller trees, and a cobblestone path winding through.

OBSERVATORY

Situated on a neighboring high point to Mount Greylock (about a ten minute hike) is Ilvermorny’s observatory. The observatory is a tall, white granite tower with one large telescope and several other smaller ones. The lower floors of the tower house a museum dedicated to the various constellations that are visible, with exhibits that rotate with the seasons. The observatory is open for No-Maj use, closed only to host “private events”: special times when it is only available to wizards.

The mountainous terrain surrounding Ilvermorny school is composed of dense evergreen forests, rocky streams, and varying elevations including small level clearings, gentle sloping hills, and dangerous vertical cliffs. The forested areas are brimming with wildlife and mature vegetation. The woods are alive with the constant buzz of birds singing, bugs chirping, and more than one type of magical creature stalking in the shadows of aged trees. The babbling brooks host a variety of fish species and some even have pools deep enough for a few students to take an afternoon swim in.

Well-defined hiking trails wind their way around the mountain and lead to some pretty spectacular overlooks. Thick dew and fog blankets the grounds in the early hours, a warming golden glow floods the forest floor in the afternoon, and at night the crisp starry sky and fireflies light the canopy. For the more adventurous traveler, there are less beaten paths to take leading to unexplored cave systems, historical painted rocks, and cliff faces perfect for testing ones climbing skills.

Though most of the schools grounds are made up of pristine forest there are quite a few places for students to hang about, sometimes literally. Not far down a well known path is a set of large, wizard-made, open-air tree houses. Built up the trunks of two towering evergreens with seemingly impossible designs, the tree houses welcome students of all ages and houses. Wooden walkways suspended by magic connect the houses and fairy lights illuminate them in the night.

Even further from the school in an eerily almost-perfectly-circular clearing of trees are the remnants of a Puritan settlement. Although it is said to be abandoned, students who dare to go a little bit closer might learn otherwise. Most of the buildings in the village have decayed to piles of debris over time but a single log cabin remains standing just on the edge of the tree line. Urban legend says that the family of this cabin was murdered under the light of a full moon by a pack of werewolves and the violence of their deaths left its mark. Students often dare one another to knock on the cabin door and some are even greeted by the ghosts of the witch and wizard who once lived there.

Students of Ilvermorny are encouraged to spend time outdoors when not busy with their studies and the grounds are exceptionally accommodating. There are plenty of campsites and picnic areas scattered around the school, a rope course for athletic types, and large trees with good shade for avid readers.

HORNED SERPENT
Founder: Isolt Sayre
Head of House: TBA

Sometimes considered to be the Mind of the witch. Founded by Isolt Sayre, the house of the Horned Serpent favors scholars. Students belonging to this house are typically intellectual and curious, unhindered by their ambitions and confident in their decision-making skills. They are efficient and bold with a knack for strategy and inventions. Horned Serpents are often independent beings with an objective outlook.

PUKWUDGIE
Founder: James Steward
Head of House: TBA

Founded by James Steward, the Pukwudgie house is considered to be the heart of the witch. Students belonging to its colors are open-minded, tolerant, and especially altruistic. They are free thinking and sympathetic witches and wizards full of inspiration and ideals about the future. With a sometimes mystical and poetic nature, Pukwudgies are eagerly optimistic, generous, and sympathetic.

THUNDERBIRD
Founder: Chadwick Boot
Head of House: TBA

Home to the soul of explorers and founded by the young wizard Chadwick Boot, the Thunderbird house is made up of the most energetic and spontaneous students. Open only to those wishing to push limits and be bold,  Thunderbird houses students who are daring and enthusiastic, making everyday life an adventure for all those around them. They can be passionate and charming. In addition they are known to be quite a creative lot, with a hands-on nature and a gift for artistic endeavors.

WAMPUS
Founder: Webster Boot
Head of House: TBA

The noble house of Wampus was founded by Webster Boot and is often referred to as the Body of the witch. Favoring the warrior types, Wampus students are frequently protective, supportive, and brave. Loyalty comes naturally to most and they can be very dedicated and patient friends. They succeed in social situations and are known to be warm and caring individuals. Practical and reliable they are good at getting the job done even when things get difficult.

* click the house names for photos

HORNED SERPENT

The entrance to Horned Serpent House is located in the northernmost school courtyard. Near the pond is a large boulder that recognizes the handprint of every Horned Serpent student, past or present, and opens when touched. The common room is located downstairs, under the pond. The main area of the common room has two-story-tall glass ceilings, letting the pond above act as a water skylight. The floors are also water features; thick glass covers the aquariums underneath the students’ feet. The floors are full of water plants, small fish, and luminescent jellies.

Overall, the room is quite bright. The walls are painted a soft white and there are various alcoves around the room with bookcases, study tables, and comfy chairs. There are two staircases, which also double as bookshelves, that lead to the boys’ and girls’ dormitories. Long hallways (with additional water skylights) lead to shared rooms on either side for each year.

PUKWUDGIE

Originally, all four Houses’ worth of dormitories were located in one small granite tower on the southwest corner of the school. As the number of students grew, so did the need for space. Thunderbird was the first to relocate, followed shortly by Wampus and Horned Serpent. Pukwudgies, however, remained in their original tower, expanding into and redecorating the other spaces as they saw fit. The tower also grew as the school did, expanding both upwards and down into the mountain.

The entrance to the common room is on the ground floor. The tower is round, and as such, the spiral staircase hugs the wall all the way up and down, leaving the space in the middle of the common room wide open. Like the original cottage, the walls are made of granite, with metal shelving and hooks directly attached for decorations, books, coats, etc. The furnishings have sharp angles and geometric shapes, are made of leather and metal, and are in smokey colors. The lights in the tower are gemstone crystals, magicked to twinkle depending on the time of day (including at curfew), strung up with string and wire like fairy lights. In the winter, these lights also provide heat.

First through Fifth Years’ dormitories are located below the common room, with the First Year dorms located the farthest into the mountain. Sixth and Seventh Year students have the upstairs dorms and the added privilege of windows.

There is no access to the Pukwudgie tower through a door. Instead, students must stand on a very specific granite tile just northeast of the tower on the ground floor, heels together, and toes at a right angle. Just like an actual Pukwudgie does, students disappear and then reappear in the common room. Students are required to wait a minimum of five seconds after the student before them enters the room so as not to cause any collisions.

THUNDERBIRD

The rooms of Thunderbird House are long and narrow, situated on the westernmost side of the school, and occupy five floors. The common room is on the lowest floor, followed by the First and Second Year dorms, the Third and Fourth Year dorms, and the Fifth and Sixth Year dorms. The Seventh Year dorms have as much space as two of the lower years combined. Each of these floors has floor-to-ceiling windows and open-air porches scattered with cozy chairs, hammocks, rockers, and fluffy blankets, as well as a breathtaking view of the landscape. With wood floors, stone walls, and plenty of air plants on the walls, Thunderbird House is a nice combination of the other three.

There are many maps, both old and new, of the surrounding areas on the walls, as well as interesting specimens of dried flowers, shell fragments, and really anything worth collecting, gathered and tediously catalogued by various students throughout the years.

To enter the common room, Thunderbird students must present a password to the portrait of Daniel Boone, famous explorer of Appalachia and Thunderbird alumnus. The password corresponds to a map that changes monthly and is located on the wall of the common room, and can be anything from what sort of climate is presented to the landscape, local flora and fauna, etc.

WAMPUS

The Wampus rooms are by far the most innovative. Located in the large, open-air courtyard of Ilvermorny, the Wampus rooms are in a very large, very tall, and very old California Redwood tree. The interior of the trunk has been hollowed out (and magically expanded, of course) to admit a winding staircase ascending to the massive boughs of the tree. In order to enter, students must knock on the tree in a particular pattern or rhythm (which changes weekly). As would be expected, the overall theme of the decor is “wood”. There is also a round motif in the tree; porthole style windows, rounded hallways, round entrances to reading nooks, rounded furniture. It’s quite the feat to find a straight line in the Wampus rooms.

Everything in the Wampus rooms are very natural, both in material and color. Soft cotton fabrics, rough hewn wood beams, rough stone and metal fixtures, and an abundance of natural light. The most common pop of color is green, due to all the various plants tucked away in nearly every nook and cranny. There are many hallways, with more winding staircases, leading away from the common room, each heading through an enormous bough to the dormitories. The younger the student, the farther they have to climb.

Student Senate

When Ilvermorny first came into existence, like Hogwarts they had a Prefect and Head Student system. However, as time progressed and the students expressed an interest in learning about democracy and leadership, these positions were phased out and were replaced with a Student Senate in 1917. The function of the Student Senate is to help share students' ideas, concerns, and interests with school faculty. They help plan school-wide activities, such as social events, organize community projects with the nearby wizarding town, and help tutor the younger students.

During the last month of each term, students are allowed to apply for Student Senate via a campaign process. Once they apply, they create signs, posters, and talk to their fellow students about ideas they have and ways they can improve the average student's quality of life at Ilvermorny. There is usually little interest from the younger students and as such any student who applies typically ends up a member of the Senate, however for fourth years and above, the campaign processes can be cutthroat. In the end, one student from each year of each house is chosen via a house vote to become a part of the Senate. As Senate spots for the next term are picked during the previous term, there are no first year representatives. In most cases, second years also represent the first years. Election results are posted during the final week of the term.

Student President

During the same month that Student Senate elections take place, the position of Student President - or simply, President - is also decided. Students are allowed to nominate their top four choices - one from each house - and the faculty and Headmaster pick one student out of all the nominations to become President. Student Presidents can only be seventh years, and their job is to lead the Student Senate and act as the formal ambassador of the students to the faculty. Should a member of the Student Senate resign or be removed from their position, it is the President's job to find their replacement.

Student Vice Presidents

Much like the Student President, the Vice Presidents are nominated by the student body. During the last month of term, students are allowed to nominate their top eight choices - one fifth year and one sixth year from each house - and the faculty and Headmaster pick one fifth year and one sixth year to become Vice Presidents. Student Vice Presidents can only be fifth and sixth years, and can only serve during one school year. So, any student who serves as Vice President in their fifth year is ineligible to become a Vice President in their sixth year. They are, however, eligible to be President should they be nominated. The job of the Vice President is to assist the President and act as an ambassador of the students to the President and faculty. They are often in charge of planning social events and community projects.

Quodpot Captain

Each year a new student is chosen by their Head of House to lead their respective house's quodpot team. This individual has usually been on the team for many terms and has proven to be a strong leader, a strong player, someone who can and will cooperate with their house mates, and a good booster of morale. Aside from leading the team during games, the Captain's other duties consist of organizing team try-outs and practices, seeking out potential members for the team, and working on techniques and plays with the team members. All Captains are usually fourth years and above, as a minimum of three terms of playing is required to be considered for the position.

Student Government Association

The Student Government Association (commonly referred to as SGA) is a body of students dedicated to leadership, advocacy, communication, and school spirit. The Class Presidents and Student Senate make up the student leadership team for this club under the supervision of two professors. This club is responsible for being the 'voice' of the student body, representing their classmates' opinions on key issues, encouraging their peers to become involved in school activities, communicating the details of important student events, and planning various events throughout the term (such as the Annual Year End Ball). It is common to see SGA members leading the pep rally or planning the victory celebration for their Quodpot team, representing their school at international student councils, or volunteering their time for the betterment of their school.

Quidditch

While Quodpot is the sport of choice at Ilvermorny, the school does offer an intramural Quidditch club for the avid sports enthusiasts. This club meets every other weekend to play pick up games of Quidditch. The two opposing teams during these pick up games are made from a combination of students from various houses so the focus is more on the love of the game and fun rather than the fierce competition seen in Quodpot. From time to time, there are also informational sessions held by upperclassmen to teach younger students the sport of Quidditch should enough students be unfamiliar with the game and rules. There is always talk of traveling abroad to see a professional Quidditch game in person, but this lofty goal has not yet come to fruition.

Quodpot

This American broom sport is a variant of Quidditch and is immensely popular among Ilvermorny students. The object of the game is to get the Quod, a ball with explosive properties, into a pot at the end of the pitch before it explodes. Should one team prove successful in getting the Quod into the pot, they earn points and a new Quod is brought into play. Each Ilvermorny house appoints a Quodpot Captain who is responsible for try outs, running team practices, and coaching team players.

Adventure Cadets

The Adventure Cadets is a co-ed club for those interested in outdoor learning activities, survival skills, and adventure sports with a focus on character development and good citizenship. Upperclassmen Cadets, often called Wolves or Wolf Cadets, teach younger Cadets and plan group excursions for a wide variety of activities including hiking, mountaineering, camping, rowing, canoeing, swimming, and more. There are even badges each Cadet can earn provided they show competency in enough skills. Every year, the Cadets host "Mountain Day," an unofficial school holiday where students skip classes to climb the nearby mountain.

Lorekeeper's Guild

Members of the Lorekeeper's Guild meet to discuss, learn, and cultivate their knowledge of the numerous magicks that make up the diverse history and founding of Ilvermorny. It is an extension of the Lorekeeping class and club members often discuss class topics more in depth here, host guest speakers specialized in certain types of magic from time to time, as well as help to preserve and restore ancient works.

Archaic Languages Club

This club is focused on the appreciation and study of archaic languages from the Americas and also from around the world. Members of this club have a collective fascination with antiquated words, dialects, and languages and learn a wide variety of languages including Latin, Aramaic, Hebrew, Arabic, Old English, Old Church Slavonic, Old High German, Sanskrit, and more.

The House Cup competition is a long-standing tradition at Ilvermorny with a unique twist in comparison to its European counterparts. Students can earn "cranberries" (Ilvermorny's version of points) for their house through class participation, completion of classwork, and additional extracurricular opportunities.

The cranberries are displayed in large, crystal basins in the foyer entrance of the school - one basin for each house. However, each basin funnels into one large crystal cauldron underneath the individual house basins.

In the early days of Ilvermorny, real cranberries were used to count house points. Nowadays, real cranberries are no longer used and were replaced with brightly colored red jewels that still resemble the same size and shape of the fruit they were inspired by.

The uniqueness of Ilvermorny's point system is the objective of the competition. The goal for the student body is to fill the cauldron, which combines all individual house contributions. It is a combined effort of all four houses to complete the yearly task - a perfect metaphor for the school that is known for working together. Should the students prove successful, they are rewarded with a school-sponsored bonfire on the grounds, complete with snacks and entertainment.

The jewels have a secret of their own as well. They are magicked with a special color-changing charm. While all are red in color naturally, filling the collective cauldron in a glittering sea of red, should a witch or wizard pass their wand over the cauldron, the jewels will change in color so as to see the individual contributions of each house - a veritable mixing pot. Red for Wampus, blue for Thunderbird, green for Pukwudgie, and gold for Horned Serpent.

Cranberry red and navy blue are the official colors of Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft & Wizardry, and like most wizarding schools Ilvermorny requires its students to wear uniforms. Unlike most other schools, however, Ilvermorny affords its students a great deal of freedom when it comes to clothing choices. Mixing and matching different colors and variations is welcome, and expressing personal style has always been highly encouraged. Before the start of term, students receive a uniform list with their school information packets and are allowed to purchase additional uniform selections at any point during the term from the school store.

Most tops are available in black, white, deep red, and navy blue. Most bottoms are available in the same colors, and additionally in plaid patterns. All students are required to have at least two full uniform sets, however the school's House Elf population encourages more. Both girls and boys are also required to have proper clothing for outdoor activities and the cold winter months. Dragon-skin gloves, ear warmers, and scarves representing house colors are available in the school store.

Female students are given the following options:

• Short or long-sleeve collared buttoned blouses made of cotton.
• Button down vests in a solid color or plaid pattern with braided gold trim.
• Full-length or pleated knee-length skirts in solid colors or plaid patterns.
• Shorts or trousers in solid or plaid colors; also available in khaki.
• Full-length coat in solid or plaid pattern with gold braided trim.
• Knee-length dress with large rounded white collar available in black, cranberry red, navy blue, and plaid.
• Capelet available in black, cranberry red, and navy blue with plaid underside and braided gold trim.
• Dark, white, or nude colored stockings.
• Knee high socks in plaid or solid colors; also available in house colors from the school store.
• Short black boots with a pointed toe, black Mary Jane's with a one inch heel, and/or knee high fur lined black boots for the winter.

Male students are given the following options:

• Short or long-sleeve collared button down shirts made of cotton.
• Short sleeve polo shirt with breast pocket, collar, and three buttons.
• Button down vests in a solid color or plaid pattern with braided gold trim.
• Wool button down coat with large collar available in black, cranberry red, navy blue, and plaid.
• Shorts or trousers in solid or plaid colors; also available in khaki.
• Short or high socks in plaid or solid colors; also available in house colors from the student store.
• Bow ties or neckties in solid or plaid colors.
• Black dress shoes, black tennis shoes, and/or tall knee high fur lined boots for the winter.

In addition to the numerous options, all students must have a set of two knee-length cloaks: a thick insulated cloak for the winter and a lighter cloak for the rest of the year. All cloaks are made of hardy wool that are magically dyed navy blue with soft cranberry red and navy blue plaid flannel inside. Cloaks are lined with beautiful braided gold trim and adorned with a golden Gordian Knot clasp. Each student must have a short pointed wizard's hat (much like a bowler hat with a pointed tip) which is available in solid black, navy blue, and cranberry red. Finally, students are required to wear name tags during all lessons and school activities, including meals and sporting events. These name tags are made of lightweight silver-plated metal with the school logo etched on the left and the student's first and last name on the right in their respective house colors.

Although students are given the opportunity to select their own uniform combinations, there are not many options when it comes to house representation during classes. The only exceptions are the name tags and purchasable socks and scarves in house colors from the school store. This limited display of house pride is only evident in the official uniforms, however, when not in classes or at dinner, students can be seen in a wide array of outfits representing their houses.

The well stocked student store sells long and short sleeve t-shirts, jackets, sweaters, gym pants, pajamas, and even sneakers adorned with house crests and colors. Students are free to make purchases at anytime and the prices are reasonable. Also available at the school store are mascot headwear, pendant flags, foam hand wavers, keychains, book covers, shoe laces, hair bands, and jewelry for girls and boys to show their house pride. In addition, the store also has a selection of Quidditch and Quodpot sports attire and equipment. Also available are camping supplies, hiking gear, and weather tested outdoor-wear. When not in class or at dinner, students are permitted to wear casual clothing including denim within reason. Nothing excessively revealing or offensive in nature is allowed. Due to its multi-cultural wizarding population, students are allowed - and encouraged - to wear clothing and adornments representing their heritage and backgrounds.

PRIMARY CORE CLASSES
All students are required to complete these courses until they achieve C.H.E.P.I level or graduate.

Alchemy
Alchemy is the study of transforming matter from one state to another, and unlike most magic, has made its way to the no-maj world as the basis of “science”. The great alchemists of history essentially invented modern chemistry and discovered the laws of physics through their unorthodox experiments. At the very basic, this class endeavors to cultivate logical reason and rationality in students. Beginner students learn about the great historical alchemists, their texts, and their journeys as they attempted to produce gold from lead, develop a panacea that could cure any disease, and unravel the mystery of eternal life. Advanced students practice with chemical solutions and their unlimited uses.

Charms
Charms has been taught at Ilvermorny since the 17th century, and is very similar to its Hogwarts counterpart.

Defense Against the Dark Arts
This class shares many similarities to its Hogwarts counterpart, and focuses on studying the dark arts at a defense capacity. Despite what much of American lore might say, not all magic users are bad, but there do exist those who wish to harm both no-maj and other magic users alike.

Transfiguration
Transfiguration has been taught at Ilvermorny since the 17th century, and is very similar to its Hogwarts counterpart.

Wizards of History
In order to know how we got here, it is important to learn about those who walked the path ahead of us. This class focuses on teaching students about the great witches and wizards who paved the way for magic society, both benign and malevolent, and how their work affected the societies they lived in. History is shaped by many hands, and they are all important to know. The curriculum includes (but is not limited to) famous wizards such as Merlin, Abaris the Hyperborean, Isaac Newton, Ptolemy, Francis Barrett, Etteilla, Nostradamus, Paracelsus, Pythagoras, Zhang Jue, the Witch of Endor, and Zosimos of Panopolis.

PRIMARY SERIES CLASSES
Students are required to complete 3 out of the 7 Divination courses and 6 out of the 11 New World Magic courses before graduation.

Divination Series: Animal Omens
When it comes to investigating nature itself, the appearances and disappearances of animals is one of the most accurate meters of magic. Animals have in them an inherent magic that tie them to the natural world to the point that they can sense changes in the environment (e.g. how some animals can predict natural disasters). Witches and wizards of old have learned how to read the movements and presence of animals to predict the future. In this class, students study what different animals mean to different cultures, and how to read their movements like the voice of the earth itself.

Divination Series: Candle Magic
Fire is one of the most powerful tools in a diviner’s toolkit. In this class of the Divination Series, students learn how to use fire, usually through candles, to divine events of the future, past, present, or the truth of the universe. Beginner students learn how to make their own enchanted candles to assist in divination, and about the different kinds of fires that a diviner can use. Older students learn to actually divine with the fire and learn how to read visions from the flames.

Divination Series: Cartomancy
Cartomancy is magic that requires a deck of cards to a similar effect as palm reading. The most popular deck of cards used for cartomancy are usually the famous tarot decks of the mid-15th century in various parts of Europe. However, many modern cartomancers find their visions and predictions are far more accurate when they create their own decks, which is taught to advanced students.

Divination Series: Chirology
Chirology is far more powerful than that of what a street charlatan can manage to impress a crowd with. Palmistry can be used to characterize the personality and potentially foretell the future of an individual by studying their palms. These diviners are often called palm readers, palmists, hand readers, or chirologists. Skilled magical palm readers can go a step farther, and can often experience the emotions of another if they are touching hands.

Divination Series: Crystalogy
Crystalogy is the usage of crystals or other magical minerals to do divination. Though the possibilities are endless, the most useful form of Crystalogy is the use of crystal lenses, wherein a magic crystal is held up to the eye and, when looked through, can be used to discern the true nature of a person or object. Skilled diviners can also use crystal lenses to potentially see the past or future, or to see spirits that may be clinging to someone. Other uses of crystals include crystal balls, which can be used like the crystal lenses to see the past, present, or future, but are much more powerful than the lenses.

Divination Series: Dream Magic
In divination, dreams are more than just a mish-mash of memories that play at night. Dreams are, to a skilled diviner, as good as a backdoor into someone’s mind. In this part of the Divination Series, students learn how to interpret dreams and what they might mean for the subject. Great truths can be uncovered through dreams. Highly advanced students may learn to enter another person’s dream to experience it first hand for better interpretation. Anything this advanced is highly monitored by professors, as mucking around in another person’s raw psyche is not to be taken lightly.

Divination Series: Xylomancy
Xylomancy has been offered at Ilvermorny since 1926, and is very similar to its Hogwarts counterpart. This class teaches the art of divination that relies upon twigs. Students are taught to identify the different types of wood, their origins, their magical properties, and how each type of wood can aid in divination.

New World Magic Series: Brujería (Central America)
Brujería is the witchcraft practices of Central America, heavily influenced by the indigenous Maya people who have been living in that region for centuries. Most of brujería is concerned with healing, though there is a long practice of using spells, charms, amulets, and other items for rituals. Brujería is well known for influencing very skilled metamorphagus and animagi.

New World Magic Series: Granny Magic (Appalachians)
Appalachian Granny Magic, often simply referred to as Granny Magic, dates back to the first European settlers in America from Scotland and Ireland. It is a blend of transitional European and Cherokee tradition, and practitioners call themselves Water Witches or Witch Doctors. Granny Magic was instrumental in reading ley lines and energy vortexes, including where water was drawn from the earth to build wells and lay towns in the early settler days,which is why they are called Water Witches. They are very skilled with water manipulation. Witches and wizards who practices Granny Magic get along uncommonly well with fairy folk, leprechauns, and other “wee people”, and commune with ancestral spirits regularly. Music is also a large part of the practice, with much of the most powerful magic is performed through song and dance rituals.

New World Magic Series: Kahuna (Hawaii)
The kahuna are the traditional sorceresses and healers of the islands of Hawaii, and are divided into three different types: craft kahuna, expert canoe makers and navigators, and healers. There is a very complex hierarchical system of sorcery kahuna, which include the ten different types: Kuhikuhi puʻuone, Kilokilo, Hoʻounāunā, Anāʻanā, Nānāuli, Hoʻopiʻopiʻ, Hoʻokomokomo, Poʻi, Lapaʻau, and Oneoneihonua. Students learn the crux of these ten magic types, as well as study the many different historical kahuna who shaped the magic of Hawaii and continue to do so. Kahuna are very skilled navigators and sailors, and are also quite good at astronomy

New World Magic Series: Machi (Chile)
The Machi are the shaman women of Chile (and other parts of South America) who have been performing ceremonies to cure diseases, ward off evil, influence the weather, and help make sure crops are healthy for harvest season. The Machi are skilled herbalists, but their most powerful magic is weather magic. Groups of machi are able to change the weather, a skill that is often called on by the Congress.

New World Magic Series: Mana (Polynesia & Melanesia)
Mana is a supernatural energy and healing power that can exist in all people. The study of mana is essentially the study of balance: all actions and things have a positive or negative mana and learning to calculate the mana of all actions can be beneficial in healing and performing complex magic. This universal force can increase the efficacy of magic and be used to empower amulets or charms is used properly. This is mostly a theoretical class, but those who are interested are often able to make it a reality.

New World Magic Series: Rootwork (Native American & African)
Rootwork comes from a combination of African and Native American herb studies that deals with the usage of roots and herbs to make powerful potions. This class focuses on the most powerful aspects of working with roots and the proper techniques to using them at their most effective. This class is most similar to Herbology and has students working outside in greenhouses or scouring the surrounding lands for the important herbs and roots.

New World Magic Series: Speilwerk (Pennsylvania Dutch)
Speilwerk (also called braucherei) is the traditional magic of the Pennsylvania Dutch, and is very similar to European magic as it makes great use of magic spell, recipes, folk remedies, rituals, and healing. Students study unique hex workings, which is the use of the hexagonal star pattern in magic, and how it facilitates speilwerk. They also learn about hexenmeisters, or brauchers, and their history in the New World. Hexenmeisters are usually healers of some sort, and focus heavily on curing the mind and spirit of a patient.

New World Magic Series: Santería (Carribean)
Santería (also known as “La Regla de Lukumi” or “Lukumi's Rule”, and The Way of the Saints) is the magic derived from the Yoruba people of Nigeria, and has been modified to fit the New World. Santería focuses with communicating with dead spirits, often through possession, and has been used in the Ilvermorny magic society as a way to pass information and speak to the dead. It is a very difficult subject to learn, and many students wishing to commune with dead loved ones are often disappointed, or worse, driven insane.

New World Magic Series: The Four Ways (Navajo)
The Four Ways are a path that is greatly feared and rarely mentioned by all no-maj for fear of reprisal. Witchery, Sorcery, Wizardry and Frenzy are the four Ways, all of which discuss the magical practices of dealing with the dead. Skin-walkers, also called yee nahgloshii, are arguably the most famous of the Navajo animagi and use their powers to influence the living. This class discusses the history of he skinwalker and famous occurrences. This purely academic class discusses the darker aspects of Navajo Magic, but does not teach the actual practices, out of respect for the Navajo wizards who requested so.

New World Magic Series: Yataalii (Navajo)
This class focuses on the history and methods of the Yataalii, the North American Navajo medicine man. This healing course focuses on the different methods that the yataalii used to diagnose illness of both the body and spirit using herbs, stones, shells, feathers, and other materials for making remedies and curative masks. To the yataali, illness, also known as hóchxǫ́ (translated to “chaos” or sickness”) is a manifestation of the disruption of mental and physical harmony within a person, due to interaction with taboos or skin-walkers. Yataalii medicine makes use of hand trembling to diagnose, and healing ceremonies such as the Blessing Way (pregnancy), Enemy Way (exorcism), and Night Way (cleansing).

New World Magic Series: Voodoo (South East American & African)
Voodoo is one of the cornerstones of African magic and its expansive magical array has become inevitably entwined with American magic. Voodoo focuses on possession by the spirits (known as Iwa or Ioa), as well as the magical influence of the spirits Bondye (the supreme creator), Papa Legba (the keeper of the crossroads), Baron Samedi (keeper of the dead), Erzuilie Freda (mistress of love, beauty, and wealth), and Ogou (the warrior family). This class is broken up into two studies: that of African voodoo and  that of New World Voodoo. African voodoo encompasses mostly West African Vodun, while New World Voodoo encompasses Louisiana/New Orleans Voodoo, Haitian Vodou, Cuban Vodú, and Dominican Vudú.

SECONDARY ELECTIVE CLASSES
Students can select any number of these courses to fill their schedule.

Archeoastronomy
Since the beginning of history, people around the world have associated the sky with their own lives. These stars, galaxies, and heavenly patterns have been used to predict the future and even affect the world on the ground. This class studies how wizards in the past have understood the phenomena in the sky and how this understanding evolved as they did, then examines how these wizards used these phenomena and what role the sky played in numerous cultures in both North and South America.

Conjuring Arts
Conjuring creatures is one of the more difficult and magic-intensive processes in American magic. The simpler aspect of conjuring involves summoning creatures that not usually sentient, more like puppets. However, skilled conjurers learn how to summon specific “living” spirits, and often even converse with them or form contracts. However, these conscious spirits usually do not bend to the will of the summoner and are usually just used to relay information or advise them, if they are feeling in the mood.

Cryomagic
Cryomagic is, at its most simple, temperature magic. While it seems like a simple thing to heat something up or cool something down, the energy dynamics and consequences of this type if magic is actually very complicated. In energy, there is only heat and absence of heat, which is cold. This class teaches students the fundamentals of changing the temperature from anything as small as drop of water to as large as a cave in a frozen tundra. Heat transfer via magic is critical to the formation of ice crystals, and when done correctly can rival nature itself. Advanced students learn the intricacies of snow and ice, and how to manipulate their forms for use.

Defense Against the Dark Arts Elective: Defense Against No-Maj Hysteria
This class focuses on the history of the witch or wizard in America, specifically the dangers of being a witch during the Salem Witch trial era, when mass hysteria and self-serving no-maj contributed to the deaths of hundreds of people, many of them actual magic users. Real witches and wizards were, for the most part, able to protect themselves from the so-called “witch hunters”, but there were those who had the unfortunate luck of being caught performing magic, and met the same end as their no-maj neighbors. This class is an elective because there are many Ilvermorny families that were hunted during the era being studied, so it is likely that their family names will appear in the death registers. This can cause significant trauma, and is therefore taken only by those who are prepared for it. Ironically, many of those very students choose to take this class to learn about what their ancestors went through and what lessons it can teach about revealing oneself to the no-maj.

Home Economic Magic
At Ilvermorny, kitchen magic is a required course for all students, as home economics are important for any person, witch or wizard, in order to survive in the world and take care of themselves. This class focuses on kitchen magic, cleaning magic, sewing magic, repair magic, and other subjects that would be important to building an efficient household. Despite being a required course, most student enjoy this class because it is a nice break from their more rigorous academic courses. In fact, there is often an intra-class competition to see who can produce the best projects or dishes.

Latin for Magical Practice
Latin is the basis of many spell languages, and that is certainly true for Ilvermorny magic. In this class students learn Latin and how it can be used in the magical world. A working understanding of the language can be used to identify unfamiliar spells and curses, and for the sufficiently advanced can be used to create spells.

Lorekeeping
Lorekeeping is one of the most undervalued but critical studies when it comes to New World magic. America is a land of others-- made up by people who have travelled from their own lands and brought thousands of different types of magic together to create the varied rainbow of magic that is practiced at Ilvermorny. As more wizards from around the globe come to call Ilvermorny their home, the magical possibilities increase. Lorekeeping endeavors to make sense of everything that floods in (as well as that which is already here). Lorekeeping is the collection and cultivation of knowledge-- everything from myths, legends, archaeology, history, and the practices themselves. Much of the study is focused on how to preserve and restore ancient works, though there is also a strong emphasis on the process of cataloguing all that is new or newly discovered.

Martial Magic
Martial Magic explores the intersection between war and magic. Many battles, both muggle and magical, have been won through the use of magic at strategic points. This class first investigates the many critical instances of magic interference in historical battles, especially those that determined the outcome of major military conflicts. Older students will eventually learn the extensive collection of spells, curses, and enchantments that are particularly useful on the battlefield and when leading or fighting in an armed magical force.

Magical Husbandry
The New World is considered one of the most lush and vibrant areas for flora and fauna in the world, and it is critical that students learn how to maintain both the crops and magical creatures they are so fortunate to have access to here. In this class, students learn what it takes to raise herbs and plants for potions and healing, as well as how to raise and care for healthy New World magical animals.

Magical Naturalism
Many aspects of American magic are tied closely to the magic user’s interactions with the inherent magic found in nature. This class endeavors to open the students’ eyes to the natural world around them and how to find magic in trees, plants, rocks, and all form of the natural world. Students who excel at this class eventually form a strong connection with the natural world and learn to read the magic that flows through it, as if reading the mind of a living creature. This class also focuses on the important of natural preservation, and includes a number of field trips to America’s many natural parks and reserves.

Magical Paradigms
Magic is, by its very nature, ever-changing and always varied. This class endeavors to develop the minds of young magic students by instilling in them a heuristic thought process when it comes to the way they see the magical world. A paradigm is a set of concepts, theories, standards, and patterns that are developed over time, and this class works to introduce students to the infinite mindsets that are available once one picks up their wand. Great wizards stand out often because they have unique ways of viewing and approaching magic as a whole, and this class encourages them not to stay confined to what they have learned growing up, but rather to seek out a multitude of possibilities.

Nature Totems: Spirits, Poppets & Familiars
Native American magic makes great use of totems such as spirits, poppets, and familiars to empower or assist in performing complicated spells. This class explores which of these would be best for each student and teaches them how to use these empowering beings. Nature spirits dwell within the outside world, and students who can call on nature spirits often have the support of the natural world to power their magic or allow them to be manipulated. Poppets are sacred objects (usually dolls) that can assist in performing most magic. Familiars are supernatural spirits that usually take the form of small animals (frogs, rats, toads, etc) and can be used to carry out tasks at the behest of their master.

Oath Magic
Oaths are among the most powerful magic in existence, and are created by a connection that touches multiple spirits. This class deconstructs the anatomy of an oath, from the very basics of writing one, to how to carry one out safety. Younger students spend a lot time focusing on the most fundamental part of oaths: the language. They take rigorous lessons on grammar, syntax, and systematics, as well as how to identify (or purposefully create) ambiguity in the language of the writing. Drafting a strong and inviolable oath is paramount, and students will not be allowed to advance until they have passed this section. The advanced level of this course focuses much more heavily on the actual promise itself. The ritual and the magic, especially when it comes to blood oaths and Unbreakable Oaths, is very complicated, and must be learned with the same seriousness.

Shadow Magic
Shadow Magic is the study of shadow manipulation. In the hands of a magic-user, shadows are far more than the absence of light. They can be manipulated just as an element can, though with a much different outcome. One of the most basic Shadow Magic practices is learning how to summon one strong enough to snuff out a light, the bigger the light, the more magic is required. Shadows can be as ephemeral as smoke, and thus their creation and control is a matter of utmost focus. Once students have learned to summon a shadow, the possibilities are endless. Though shadows do not exist on the physical plane, a exceptionally skilled wizard may even master the practice of Shadowing-- the ability to slip in and out of shadows like physical space for a certain amount of time.

Classes, CHEPIs, and WENDIGOs

When a student is first admitted to Ilvermorny, they are enrolled in five classes - Alchemy, Charms, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Transfiguration, and Wizards of History - and are allowed two electives each year, one during the first semester and another during the second. Students maintain this schedule until they reach fifth year. Once a student has taken their C.H.E.P.I. exam in their fifth year, they will be eligible to drop any - or all - of the primary core classes. After such time they will be allowed to pursue any primary core, primary series, or secondary electives for their upcoming W.E.N.D.I.G.O. exams in seventh year. In addition, students are required to complete three out of the seven Divination courses and six out of the eleven New World Magic courses before graduation. Each course is a semester long and introduces the student to various types of Divination and cultural magic.

Much like Hogwarts, Ilvermorny students take two major exams during their time at the school: the C.H.E.P.I.s, which is equivalent to the O.W.L.s, and the W.E.N.D.I.G.O.s, which are equivalent to the N.E.W.T.s.

Ilvermorny Grading Scale
Created by Layla Akila Keket, edited by Fee

A: Excellent
To earn a score of "A," you have gone above and beyond all requirements and expectations. Accordingly, the student is present for all or nearly all lessons and shows distinct promise in the field. These are extremely rare.

B: Above Average
To earn a score of "B," your paper is well written and directly answers the questions asked. The student is present for nearly all lessons and participates actively. A "B" is recommended for any students wishing to pursue any subject at the W.E.N.D.I.G.O. level.

C: Satisfactory
To earn a score of "C," all questions are answered and reference the class they correspond with. Student shows understanding and comprehension of the subject matter and lesson at hand. In most cases, the student is present for most lessons. This is the most common score.

D: Needs Improvement
To earn a score of "D" means you did not answer all questions asked or they were not answered correctly, and didn't reference the corresponding lesson (correctly). However, the student does show a mild understanding of the material covered. Likewise, the student shows some, albeit weak, comprehension of the subject matter.

F: Failing
One does not earn an "F;" rather, they call it upon themself. No attributes of a Ilvermorny student are displayed. This student might as well be a troll.

WEEKDAYS (Monday - Friday)

Breakfast - 5:00 AM - 7:30 AM
Ilvermorny students are welcome to wake as early or as late as they wish so long as they are on time for their first class. Breakfast is served for two and a half hours, serving a wide variety of breakfast items including pancakes, waffles, french toast, sausage, bacon, pork roll, eggs, and more. On Fridays, there is even a made-to-order omelette bar where students can craft an omelette to their fancy. During this meal, there is always a steady stream of students coming in and going out as no one has the exact same schedule.

First Class - 8:00 AM - 9:00 AM
The duration of each class is one hour in length with a 15 minute period for students to get from one class to another.

Second Class - 9:15 AM - 10:15 AM

Third Class - 10:30 AM - 11:30 AM

Lunch - 11:30 AM - 12:30 PM
The midday meal begins promptly at 11:30 AM and lasts for only one hour so students are encouraged to get there quickly so as to have sufficient time to eat. The lunch menu varies from day to day, featuring foods from the variety of cultures that make up Ilvermorny.

Fourth Class - 12:45 PM - 1:45 PM

Fifth Class - 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM

Sixth Class - 3:15 PM - 4:15 PM

Free Time - 4:15 PM - 6:00 PM
With the last class of the day ending at 4:15pm, students are welcome to choose how they spend the next few hours before supper. During this time, students can participate in the variety of campus clubs, team practices or meetings, catch up on homework, work together in study groups, socialize with friends, or simply relax in their dorms.

Dinner - 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM
The dinner service begins at 6:00 PM and always features salad and soup options, hot entrees, vegetarian entrees, and a variety of desserts. The menu is different every day and sometimes students can weigh in on what they would like to see on the menu.

Free Time - 7:00 PM - 11:00 PM
With more free time after dinner, students have ample time to study, socialize, and relax before they are expected back in their dorms for the night.

Curfew - 11:00 PM
All students are expected to be in their beds by 11:00 PM.


WEEKENDS (Saturday and Sunday)

Breakfast - 5:00 AM - 9:00 AM
On weekends, students are allowed a few additional hours of sleep should they choose to take advantage of it as breakfast begins at 5:00 AM as usual, but lasts for four hours. Students can wake up as early or as late as they would like, but the best selection of food is always offered to early risers.

Lunch - 12:00 PM - 2:00 PM
Lunch is served for two hours during midday.

Dinner - 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
The last meal of the day is served for two hours.

Other than the specified meal times above, students have the opportunity to choose their own schedules. Weekends are a great opportunity for the Quodpot and Quidditch teams to schedule practices, scrimmages, and matches. Some clubs schedule longer excursions or meetings for their members. Students are free to visit the nearby town of Shackamaxon for shopping and socializing. From time to time, professors hold additional class-like seminars for those interested in a more in-depth look at a specific subject. There is plenty of time for students to relax, study, and have fun before classes begin bright and early Monday morning.

Friendship Day ~ Early September

Friendship Day is a day celebrated in several South American countries and at Ilvermorny. It is a time to let one's friends know how much they are needed and loved, and is most often spent with one’s friend group only. Students do not receive the day off from school, but there are many activities and celebrations on the evening of Friendship Day. In the days leading up to Friendship Day, students compose heartfelt letters of appreciation for their friends, and on Friendship Day those letters are delivered to their recipients as flying paper birds. Needless to say, there are some years when the sky is clogged with delicate paper sparrows and hummingbirds fighting to deliver their important messages. It is bad form to snatch a bird out of the air if it is not meant for you.

Festival of the Dead ~ October 30 - November 2

Contrary to its name, the Day of the Dead is a celebration of life, when the living can walk hand in hand with the dead in peace. It is believed that on the Day of the Dead, the souls of the departed return to earth to commune with their family and loved ones. Students are allowed to go home for this holiday to make pilgrimage to the gravesites of those they have lost. It is tradition to personally clean the gravesites and place flowers out of respect. But the holiday is not all somber, as there is much excitement and colorful celebration by all. At Ilvermorny, many put on costumes and caricatures of the dead, eat candy skulls, and all dance and feast together outdoors while bright music plays, all to celebrate life. The holiday lasts three days: October 31st is All Hallow’s Eve, Halloween November 1st is All Saint’s Day, and November 2nd is the the Day of the Dead or All Soul’s Day.

Revolution Day ~ Mid-November

Revolution Day is not a celebration for the faint of heart. Students participate in a mock-battle between two sides, the red and blue, and meet on the battlefield with replicas of no-maj weapons from the 1800s. The replicas shoot harmless stunning spells, but each side has a general and a number of other leaders within it. The goal is to knock out the entire other team, and is a war of attrition. It teaches students battle strategy, and is often a lot of fun for those who need some time to decompress from studies. Some years, students take it less seriously than others, and it devolves into a game of tag between students dressed in silly outfits.

Thanksgiving ~ Fourth Thursday of November

Thanksgiving is an American tradition that celebrates the blessings of harvest and good fortune. Students receive the week off and most go home to see their families. Those who stay on campus are treated to an elaborate Thanksgiving feast and celebration at the school. The first few days at the school are spent organizing and carrying out annual food drives to collect non-perishables for the hungry. The day after the feast, students package the collected food drive foods and plates of fresh Thanksgiving food, into Thanksgiving Care Packages. Students go out in groups all across America and deliver the food to the homeless and less fortunate. Many students who go home for the Thursday to see their family often return on the Friday after to help with the preparations and deliveries.

Chinese New Year ~ Late January

Originating in Asia many centuries ago, Chinese New Year has made its way to the Americas and is celebrated by both whose families come from that area, and anyone who wishes to join in the festivities. Chinese New Year is a time to celebrate a year of hard work, relax with family, and to wish for a lucky and prosperous coming year. Since red is considered an auspicious color, many areas of the school and nearby towns are decorated with red lanterns, red banners, and depictions of the animals that represent the upcoming year. Dragon dancers parade around the school and the night air is filled with the sound of firecrackers and laughter up until the early morning. Red envelopes, usually filled with money, are handed out by professors to their students. The nearby town also holds a festival that is mostly a food market where people can go to play games and buy snacks.

Mardi Gras (Carnival) ~ Late February to Early March

Mardi Gras, also known as Carnival, is a wildly popular festival, dating back thousands of years and originating from pagan spring and fertility rituals. It is celebrated world-wide, but the Americas have made it a tradition all their own. It is a week of feasting and partying, with colors and music that manage to out-do that of the Day of the Dead festival. Students and faculty dress up in bright costumes and parade around the campus every night with rainbow colored torches of heat-less flame, everyone singing and dancing. Everyone in the parade wears masks so there is a sense of anonymity in the bacchus, throws beads and other shiny trinkets, and some even dance on elaborate and colorful floats that are different every year. Some of the masked people even leave the procession to run across campus and drag random students with them back to dance in the parade. King’s Cake is served on the penultimate night of the parade, and whoever finds the single raw bean in their slice of cake is crowned “king” or “queen” of the evening and takes part in the massive school-wide parade the final day.

Rainbow Day ~ Mid-March

Rainbow Day marks the arrival of spring and is the most colorful day of celebration, beating both the Day of the Dead and Mardi Gras. It is a celebration of spring and new hope, and has become quite a raucous affair when people chase after each other, throw handfuls of colored powder, and spray each other with color-changing water spells. Much of Ilvermorny’s campus gets covered in a pool of shimmering, shifting magical paint. It is a time to unwind and let loose with friends, which many enjoy. Clean up afterwards is usually done by magic, and everyone pitches in, despite their clothes and faces being covered in hilarious colors and patterns.

Cranberry Day ~ Late March

Cranberry Day celebrates the unique cuisine of Ilvermorny and the surrounding area. It is much like a country fair for wizards, where students can travel to the nearby wizarding town and have a good time with friends. It is an agricultural holiday, with much of the celebrations being centered around food and paying respects to the farmers. Farmers from all over the country gather to show off their produce, and it is a great time to stock up on fresh fruit and vegetables to hide in the dorms. The central piece of the celebration is a pie baking contest, where anyone can enter their own pies for judging, or just to share with others. There is also a pie eating contest, and the winner has bragging rights until the next year when someone challenges them.

Field Days ~ Mid-April

Field Day is not so much a celebration as it is a full two days of non-stop activities. Wizards are very familiar with Quidditch and Quodpot, but there are many no-maj sports that they might find fun. Field Days are the Saturday and Sunday in the middle of April, when students are encouraged to go outside and participate in the many sports being played. Students compete in casual no-maj sports like football, soccer, baseball, tennis, and basketball, as well as other outdoor activities like mountain-climbing, sky-diving, and spelunking. Most professors will even give their students the weekend off from homework so they can participate in the sports.

Cinco de Mayo ~ May 5

Much like Chinese New Year, Cinco de Mayo is a celebration of the cultural heritage of one of the many people who make up Ilvermorny’s diverse community. People of all backgrounds celebrate by dancing in the campus courtyards together, eating the traditional Mexican food made by both the kitchens and students, and listening to traditional Mexican music. Students share their favorite Mexican dishes and everyone celebrates their neighbors to the south together.

Spellcrafting Competition ~ Late May

At the end of every year is the Spellcrafting Competition. Students compete by planning, designing, and realizing their own new spells. Spell creating is difficult for adults, and students often have to work in groups to figure it out. It is a long and complicated process, and most students need to prepare the whole year in order to have anything to show for it. The competition is held outdoors, and a panel of judges walks from showcase to showcase. Each student (or group of student) must present their spells by breaking down the process and magic behind their spell, and then perform the spell itself. The winner gets a trophy and, if their spell is excellent enough, it can be sent off to the Magical Congress to be made an official spell.

Independence Day ~ July 4

America’s Independence Day falls on July 4, and commemorates the ratification of the Declaration of Independence in 1776 on July 4 by the Continental Congress of the United States. This is a big day of celebration, where the party spills into the nearby wizard town during the students' Summer break. Students, faculty, and their families make their way to the festival there, where they can see parades, have picnics, eat barbecue, listen to concerts. It is a large affair, and everyone is in good spirits for the celebration of independence and diversity that make Ilvermorny so great.

Located just north of the school, Shackamaxon is an old town with a rich history. Meaning "place of the council" in the Wampanoag language and Oldeburrow to the no-maj of the area, Shackamaxon is an underground town that can be accessed via floo or through an enchanted stairway system only visible by magic.

In the middle of the city is a giant flowering tree, that leads into the South Shackamaxon area. The tree is called Dottaguck, which means "backbone" in Wampanoag. As the tree has grown strong with the magic around it, the branches of the tree also help hold the ceiling of the city up. During the spring, Dottaguck blooms magnificent flowers that signal the start of a flower festival.

Oldeburrow was a small settlement that grew into a small town that served as an outpost for travelers. With a convenient entrance to the mountain trail, businesses grew up around the small area, causing the city to flourish. The residents of the town were friendly, accustomed to transient visitors. Due to the transient nature of the town, slowly people with magic began to move into the surrounding area. As the magbobs began to build a more permanent residence in the area, the magical compatriots began to build a community beneath the eyes of the no-maj.

During the creation of a now abandoned, underground church, magicals began to burrow deeper into the mountain, forming a small residential and trade area. These settlements led into founding a system of deeper buried caves and tunnels, using magic to dig out and enhance the community into a smaller underground city. The cave system leads out to a nearby river, which hides another entrance protected by a wizard-made waterfall. As the time passed, and Oldeburrow became more of a tourist trap with shops catering towards the mountaineers and the tourists who were fascinated with the magical history of Massachusetts, it became a good screen for the magical residents and tourists who visited the magical Undercity Below.

One of the fascinating things about Oldeburrow is that the residents of the city try to keep it as true to his historical nature as possible. Cars are not allowed into the city to preserve the unique feature of its colourful cobblestone roads. There are horses and bikes available for rental in the city, as well as carriages that run from sun up to sundown to take their visitors everywhere. The city is small in scope and population.

There are two distinct parts of the wizarding city. The magical residents use the Wampanoag name for the city amongst themselves to differentiate the locations: Old Shackamaxon and South Shackamaxon. The two areas are connected by both floo and a long tunnel that is less than half of a mile long.

SOUTH SHACKAMAXON


The entirety of South Shackamaxon is underneath Oldeburrow. One of the touristy features of Oldeburrow is the cobblestone roads, of which some of the cobblestones are made of precious and semi-precious stones which give a unique look to the city. During the laying of these cobblestones, the small wizarding community supplied the special cobbles to their magbob compatriots. The special coobblestones are enchanted to give the underground city sunlight which is expressed in almost a stained glass pattern down below.

The newer part of the city, this underground system supports the majority of the shopping district. There are two entrances that visitors can use. The main entrance is a wide tunnel with small shops dug into the rock, leading towards the atrium. The atrium, in the center of South Shackamaxon, has an open area with two levels bordering it and banisters protecting people from falling in. During festivals, the atrium is the center of the festivities, where all people meet to participate in the different games and activities.

OLD SHACKAMAXON


Old Shackamaxon is the city built into the mountain. Once the stronghold of the wizarding community in the area, the area has become more of a luxury shopping area and residential area. Carved by magic, the tunnels are smooth and decorated by enchanted light crystals that light up the place. There is a small miniature colosseum area that was once the old meeting place for the older residents, but has now grown into the a small community area called the Hub. During the weekends, the Hub turns into a Farmers and Crafters market, where people can sell and trade their food and goods throughout the greater wizarding community. Old Shackamaxon is also home of Wyrdfeld, an old enchanted underground garden that through centuries of care and dedication has become the largest magical underground garden that holds plants that cannot be found anywhere else.

SHACKAMAXON BUSINESSES


Birds of a Feather:  Situated in South Shackamaxon, Birds of a Feather provides only the highest quality outdoor gear. Originally started by a no-maj family in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, this location is their first in a wizarding community. Gear includes (but is not limited to): backpacks, tents, sleeping bags, hiking boots, climbing gear, canoes, skis, snowshoes, and maps. In addition to providing the gear for one's next outdoor adventure, they can also provide the guide. Birds of a Feather employs a handful of very knowledgable and skilled guides, that lead hikes and climbs. And if one is in need of a bit of a rest but camping just isn't in style? They also offer many cabin rentals throughout the area.

The Bubbler: Situated in the heart of the bustling shopping district of South Shackamaxon is the Bubbler, a small but irreplaceable fountain of knowledge and culture. The magazine stand is run by a middle aged wizard who is vigilant against anyone looking for a free read. The large racks of magical magazines and wizarding journals are enchanted to time each browsing customer and once the time limit is reached, an alarm will sound.

Gondwana Laurasia Global Tea House: Despite being started as high end tea house for the world-travelling palate, this tea shop has inadvertently become one of the most popular study spots in South Shackamaxon for students looking for a quiet, comfortable place to get their work done, without being constrained to the Ilvermorny campus. The spacious, gently-lit shop is a fantastic place to hunker down before exams, all while being served the highest-quality caffeine that can take you all the way around the world without leaving your seat.

Grann Sosseh's Traditional Caribbean Bakery and Dessert Cafe: After the original shop in New Orleans was devastated by a tropical storm, this cornerstone of Caribbean community was relocated to South Shackamaxon. The cheerful brick corner building is owned by Madame Sosseh, who learned all of her recipes from her grandmother, a Haitian immigrant and exceptionally skilled voodoo shaman. The cafe is a great place to relax with friends, go on dates, or pop by to pick up some Caribbean comfort food in a place that feels like home to everyone, no matter where you're from.

Gus’ Clamshackle Hut: Gus’ was first opened in 1956 on a roadside not far from Oldeburrow by a wizard named Gus Lobow. After he passed, his two sons kept the business alive, eventually relocating to the bustling Old Shackamaxon. The Clamshackle Hut offers a variety of seafood dishes including Gus’ famed Clam Chowder. The small wooden building, in dire need of a fresh coat of white paint, hosts the kitchen and a narrow sales counter. A handful of worn patio tables and mismatched chairs congregate near the front of the building for customers to relax and eat. A large magical sign floats above the eating area announcing the name of the establishment and Gus’ favorite quote in flashing red letters: “All a wizard needs is a good wand and some great chowder.”

The Oak Pipe: By far one of the more spiritual shops in South Shackamaxon, the Oak Pipe is a one stop shop for all things smokeable. The store offers various herbs for medicinal, recreational, divinational, and spiritual uses. Customers must be able to provide proof of legal age to make certain purchases. Nestled inside a mud and stone building with a hole in the center of the roof to allow smoke to escape, the Oak Pipe is dimly lit and always has a very heavy odor to it.

St. Augustine’s Clock Emporium: Started by Jean-Baptiste Deveraux, a slave who escaped from a plantation in deep Louisiana with his wife and two kids, St. Auggie’s is an institution in South Shackamaxon. As one of the first businesses in the undercity, it is in a legacy spot along the atrium of the city. Unwilling to move, and barely willing to expand, St. Auggie’s has now spread into the smaller shop next to its location, which has not removed from its crowded appeal. The store is run by the Master Clockmaker in each generation, and the children of the large Deveraux family try to help out. The current Master Clockmaker is Clementine Deveraux, a 67-year-old witch whose lack of height does not diminish her might of personality. Grey haired and eccentric, Clemmy, as she likes to be called, always seems to knows what her customers need, even if they don’t need one of her gruesome personal horror creations.

Shackamaxon Community Center: The community center inside Old Shackamaxon is a cultural mixing pot of witches and wizards. The lowest level of the building is as old as the under city itself. It was one of the very first establishments to put down roots inside Shackamaxon and has become a sort of beating heart of the city every since. There is a pool (complete with dragon water slide), a flying practice area used especially for little league quodpot, and many workshop classes (potions, fitness, and self defense, among other things). There is also plenty of space available to rent for weddings, parties, and other events.

Shifted Polarity: Shifted Polarity is a jewellery shop. The term can be applied loosely. The shop mainly sells a number of crystals and geodes and nature-based goods. Anything from common and garden rose quartz to the more expensive amethyst and jade. The staff at Shifted Polarity  are well versed in the magic of crystals. They know a lot about the magical and mythical healing properties of the gems. In fact, the staff at Shifted Polarity are practically walking encyclopedias.

The Sickle & Knut: Far from one of the most glamorous of storefronts in South Shackamaxon, but certainly one of the oldest, the Sickle & Knut is a general goods store with a bizarre method of stocking its shelves. Most items are magically shrunk to fit into the palm of one's hand, making the inside of the store look like a dollhouse. The miniaturized goods range from household necessities to used textbooks to hobby supplies and everything in between. Generally the spell placed on a item wears off within eight hours of purchase but every once in a while items still on the shelves outlive their shrinking enchantments and burst back to life size without warning.

The Toad & Bone: Located in South Shackamaxon, the Toad & Bone is not your everyday potions ingredients shop. Instead of walls lined with jars of dried ingredients the Toad & Bone boasts 100% fresh (meaning still alive) ingredients. Snakes, spiders, toads, newts, and bugs of all kinds inhabit the store's many terrariums. Behind a set of magically sealed wooden doors is a variety of small, non-sentient magical creatures also available for sale. Although the storefront appears quite clean with sterile surfaces and bright sun lamps riddled throughout, the pungent and easily identifiable smell of numerous reptiles cannot be erased.