Hello fanfiction world!

I have been on this site for a while (years longer as just a guest and only recently I made an account), but I have no stories to my name.

Long story short, this particular SYOC takes place in the late 60s (and might continue to the 1970s depending on how motivated I am).

While JK Rowling has done many things right (brilliant, in fact), her whole dabble into American Wizarding situations seemed ridiculously off. Social issues, our vast history, and racial disparity differed so much as compared to England at the time. While Ilvermorny was great to learn about for a night, it got me thinking about wizarding schools in during the course of American history. Native American schools, historically black schools, the schools magical members of the Japanese-American population had to make for themselves while FDR was busy being a dick. Things like that.

Not to mention the (obviously) magical areas in America (those odd places in the midwest, Salem, New Orleans, south Florida, deep Oregon, Maine).

While New Orleans (under federal law) was integrated in the years of 1960-62, one of the greatest impression that Rowling has left in regards the magical community is how deep routed in tradition they are. They hold steadfast to their beliefs, even if those beliefs are bigoted or wrong (the discrimination against "mudbloods", house elves, folk like Hagrid). So, this story is set in the year of 1968-69, a stressful period in American history and a period of change. It took the wizarding community 8 more years to integrate their school after the rest of the country did because they're just stubborn like that.

The black population of America are mostly descended from African slaves who crossed the Atlantic. Because of this, while Rowling most of her spells based in Latin (because Europe and how important Latin is), the magical population in Africa would probably base their religious language in Arabic (commerce with Islamic traders), Amharic (common in the Oromo from Kenya and the Igbo in Nigeria- most African slaves were Nigeria), and Hausa (largest language in Nigeria). And, the languages in Africa are so vast, so not even just these (but I'm leaving it to just these considering I'm about to be a freshman in college and I know next to nothing about languages besides being fluent in English and dabbling in French).

While being slaves, they probably had their own magic and learned magic from people who didn't come from the same place. Before they spoke the same language, I'd imagine a fluency in protective spells would get people to trust each other. However, similar to what I imagine would have happened to Native American magical people during the forced attendance of those awful residential/boarding schools where they were stripped of their culture and tradition and made to be "white", black slaves were probably punished if they practiced their own native spells and not the "correct" Latin-based European ones. With that in mind, they probably were forced to be almost bilingual where that was regarded, doing both types of magic.

Once slaves across America were freed and they were finally able to Live (setting between the Reconstruction and Separate but Equal), there came the rise of black schools were they taught themselves all they knew and remembered to each other. Schools cloaked to look like abandoned mines, schools for magical people and squibs who both learned of their magical heritage while being shrouded in shadow in the inner city, schools where they learned the "required" European material but learned the rest from their parents.

Then, integration (and the chaos that followed).

(Wow. That all looks so dark. Sorry.)

So, this is set during the 1968-1969 school year at New Orlean's prestigious Bellefontaine Academy for the Magically Gifted (because this is America and they probably outright discriminated against squibs too). The administrator is Mr. Bartholome D'Entremont, young at a mere 47 (and full of new and radical ideas). He hails from New Orleans parish, but lived for some time in California in his youth. And, again, he is so full of new ideas. But, he's smart and his family name carries an importance in the American wizarding community. More about him will come with time.

This school year at Bellefontaine will open doors for all wizarding children in the community across the south (that includes Florida), much to the outrage of many parents and students. However, less parents will be pulling their children out of that school (because lol where are they going to go. People from the South may hate the South, but they hate other places more. Are they going to be sending their kids to the schools in the Midwest or the New England area? With the Yanks? lol, no.) That said, the majority of the students in the school are still going to be white since the black (and Latino) community are still pretty hesitant about this.

(And, I would have written more about the Latino wizarding community up there but I'm not Latino (I'm black) and know much less about the Civil Rights era affecting them. From what I've read and researched up to now, it's mostly aligns with blacks in regards to discrimination. And, yeah, they probably still have a lot of their own communities in the areas in America that were once Mexico, but there's still a Latino population in New Orleans, so there'll be some of that).

This right here will be a temporary story template (once I have all the characters, they'll be shipped off to another story). While the plot so far is mostly centered around integration and the struggles with that (and the social climate in America because America's wizarding population, I bet, isn't as rigidly against the No-Maj as Britain is with the Muggles. They vote and probably have book clubs with them.), Voldemort did start gaining influence around this time until the 1st Wizarding War during the 70s. There might be elements of that.

There are houses (while, in my opinion, most American wizarding schools probably wouldn't have houses as a default. Because America. This school is just the odd one that follows the European model- aka I'm lazy and find it hard to deviate from the norm).

Archambeault- the charismatic, the rational, the independent. The folks in this house (founded by Evelina Archambeault) are the kids who are leaders (think your class presidents and future CEOs). They tend to have an aura of control and steadfastness that lends them support whenever they need it. To them, the end justifies the means and most will do anything to get their way. Many of them have a way with words. While helpful and kind when they need to be, some have a tendency to step on others to get on top. Their house colors are dark blue and gold. Their symbolic house creature is the Peluda.

Devillaire- the idealistic, the artisans, the passionate. The folks in this house (founded by Gervaise Devillaire) are the kids who do ridiculous things for Art and free thought (this was the home of the beatniks in the 50s and the hippies of the 60s). They paint murals and hand out flyers and almost organize any kind of meeting centered around tolerance and the unconventional. Any person who plays a soul trumpet during the early hours of the morning probably comes from here. While individualistic and all that, they tend to be scattered and very opinionated (which can lead to more problems than they solve). Their house colors are green and brown. Their symbolic house creature is the Lutin.

Laviné- the moral, the loyal, the protective. The folks in this house (founded by Vernetta Laviné) are always there to look after you. Many fall under the category of teachers' pets (and deserving of that title as well). They are the ones to sit with new people and show them around. They are the ones who would take off their coat (and hat and shoes and gloves and paper bag of school lunch -if they went to public school) to give to someone on the street. They are team captains and referees (and a lot of them are sporty). They are the ones who will investigate an occurrence in order to find justice. However, many of them are a little too trusting (which could hurt them in the end). Their house colors are dark red and silver. Their symbolic house creature is the Matagot.

Whettengal- the innovative, the witty, the responsive. The folks in this house (founded by Gervase Whettengal) are loud and brash and funny (the cheer the loudest at matches and laugh the loudest at jokes). They are always doing things with their hands, whether drawing blueprints or writing notes to sell to others at exorbitant prices). They are the black market category businessmen (where the Archambeaults are the more honest and official business people, the Whettengal stand to the shady side). They pull the most pranks and hold the longest grudges. They are the ones who do things out of spite (and the magical kids who will spook the No-Maj). While most of their jokes are all in fun, some prank to "maim or seriously injure"). Their house colors are purple and black. Their symbolic house creature is the Gargouille.

And, because it's New Orleans, the Quidditch matches totally have a marching band show before it. You can sign up for that too.

So.

Here we go, folks. (My sister will be off at marching band without me- the 1st time in two years- and I'll be at home doing nothing, so this should keep me occupied lol).

Form is on my profile. (And I only take PMs.)

motordog (and anyone else, honestly): I hadn't considered it, but I think it would be a great idea to submit teachers, school workers, etc. (just edit slightly the form to make it fit an adult). Basically the same subjects in Hogwarts are taught here (European model).