Hallows International School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
Founder: Merlin
Language: Latin
Grades: 1st – 8th in Essential Education, + Specialist Education (university)
Country: Hallows Island
Founding: The school was founded by Merlin, the most famous wizard of all time, in the late 15th century, to give gifted young witches and wizards from all over the world a chance to develop their unique talents in an environment entirely their own. To this purpose he acquired an island and, after making it unplottable, declared the island an independent nation. The Headmaster of the school acts not only as headmaster, but as president to the thriving wizarding village on the island. The school was originally started with only eight pupils hand-picked by Merlin himself – Griff Scamamder, Leonardo Da Vinci, Cliodna, Vlad Dracul, Lisette de Lapin, Joan of Arc, Morgan le Fay, and Felix Summerbee. These eight pupils went on to become famous witches and wizards in their own right, some even becoming known to muggles, but returned to Hallows in later years to teach and found each of Hallows eight Houses.
Location: The Island is in an unknown location, though local wildlife and seasons would suggest tropical. The school itself is located at the top of a steep volcanic mountain, overlooking the sea and half built over a huge waterfall. Thick rainforest covers most of the island, which is approximately 148 square kilometres. The rainforests are populated with an unusually high number of wild magical creatures including Lethifolds, Fairies, Occamies, Phoenix, Mediterranean Unicorns, and a small family of Antipodean Opaleyes, as well as many creatures owned by the school. The island is protected on all sides by a thriving reef which is home to many more creatures, including a large population of sirens.
The School: The building, formally known as Stormcatcher Citadel, is most known for its' iconic crystal towers and the many waterfalls that are diverted through the building. The building has been developed over centuries with several portions of the castle predating the founding of the school from 100-800 years. In terms of square footage (which are, admittedly, difficult to measure in a magic building) it is significantly larger than any of the other magic schools, students have been known to boast that you could fit the other eleven schools in Stormcatcher's main courtyard. This courtyard has its own lake as well as numerous orchards, gardens, fields, and greenhouses.
Houses: Following the Hogwarts tradition the castle is split up into eight houses, according to the affiliations of its' first eight founding pupils. The eight houses are as follows:
- Scamander: curiosity, adventuring, wildlife
o Founder: Griff Scamander (Paternal ancestor to Newton Scamander)
o Animal: Fox
o Common Room Location: Tower/Treehouse - still technically attached to the castle but half lodged in a tall tree in the forest. The main part is truly a treehouse, with the walls decorated by the students' greatest finds – abandoned fire crab shells, dropped deer antlers, phoenix feather quills etc, as well as with maps and globes decorated with pins to show where the students' have been.
o Students: Curious little adventurers, this lot love exploring and discovering the world and, for them, Hallows island is a never-ending delight of hidden places. Several times a year they plan house-wide expeditions that last days and have included hiking into deepest parts of the jungle, sea-kayaking far out over the reef, and following subterranean caves over the island. They are an energetic lot, always up for anything, and dragging their friends on the next adventure.
- Da Vinci: Polymathy, inventions, art
o Founder: Leonardo Da Vinci (Wizard who lived as a muggle artist)
o Animal: A Mouse
o Common Room Location: The 'steam' tower. An extraordinary tower made out of copper and glass, it has views of the grounds, the forest, the rest of the castle and the sea, but it's most extraordinary feature is its' ability to 'shift' when a lever is pulled. Technically there are four 'common rooms' held within the same space. The first is a peaceful art studio, the second a potions/anatomy laboratory, the third a library, and the fourth a crafting workshop.
o Students: The most varied of the houses, though artists are common in this house, there are also potion creators, craftsmen, spell makers, magical engineers, and inventors from every discipline. The common factors are their attraction to invention and creation, their ingenuity, and their dedication to multiple disciplines. Other houses find them endlessly useful thanks to their ability to create from nothing and a thriving trade runs between the houses for Da Vinci inventions.
- Cliodna: Love, beauty, mercy
o Founder: Cliodna
o Animal: Swan
o Common Room: Set in the main part of the castle with windows aimed to catch the sunrise and set, it is the most richly, but tastefully, adorned common room. Thornless roses cover the walls, and occasionally the furniture, on both the exterior and interior, covering the backs of chaise lounges, creating a living rug of flowers, and hanging down between the arms of an enormous old chandelier that also houses a dozen or so fairies. A decorative pool in the centre of the room is filled with waterlilies, and there is always a few rescued animals and pets dawdling around it.
o Students: While the Cliodna students share no similarities in faces or bodies, and many to most do not conform to traditional standards of beauty, there is always something captivating and graceful about the Cliodna's appearance. This is said to originate not in their facial features, but in their attentiveness and warm hearts. The Cliodna find beauty everywhere, including in all their classmates, and have great empathy for their fellow creatures, often going to great lengths to fix broken birds' wings, help struggling first years, and nurse dying plants back to life. They are best known for their amazing sense of personal style and fashion, and frequently host balls and masquerades with unbelievably fantastical costumes.
- Lapin: Quick-thinking, mischief, freedom
o Founder: Lisette de Lapin
o Animal: Cat
o Common Room: The location of this room is unknown even to the residents. It can be accessed by over two dozen secret tunnels, stairways, and slides all over the castle but as these all stretch some distance and take multiple turns its exact location has never been formally discovered. The sunlit round room is filled with games, prank plans, and banned items. The most notable feature is the balcony that stretches around the top of the room and is covered in thick mattresses so the students can relax and stare out the windows or escape through the escape holes at any given moment.
o Students: The tricksters of the school this lot leave chaos everywhere they go, but are rarely caught at it. This may be due to their ability to disappear in the blink of an eye, think up the most extraordinary and plausible excuses at the drop of a hat, or simply the fact that most other houses are inclined to help cover for them. Though their pranks have gotten them on the bad side of members of every house, including their own, it's hard for anyone to stay angry at these clever jokers. They're also in high demand as they have the unique capability of getting any forbidden good into the castle, by ways known only to Lapins.
- Dracul: Ambition, strategy, survival
o Founder: Vlad Dracul
o Animal: Wolf
o Common Room: This common room is located within the cave system below the school, in an underground lagoon once used by pirates, and the main part of the common room is located within the hull of enormous half-wrecked pirate ship. The full moon filters in from where the cave opens to the sea, and glow-worms light up the walls. The pirate ship is still filled to the brim with old looted treasure, scimitars, and food supplies. Candelabra keep the interior aglow but still dimly lit, and there are numerous wing-back chairs surrounding tables of house schematics.
o Students: Draculs are best known for being the house most accommodating to non-human or "half-breed" students, recognising them as having assets and abilities that are useful to their house. They have gone as far as arranging werewolf 'runs' and setting up 'blood donors' for vampire students. They are aware of the cut-throat world they live in, and have their thumb on the pulse of the world. They are known for their tough personalities and for being quick and accurate judges of character. They keep themselves fit and alert by encouraging fighting, and duelling, in their cave, both with wands and with swords.
- Arc: Bravery, determination, loyalty
o Founder: Joan of Arc
o Animal: Bear
o Common Room Location: Located in an ancient watchtower, which predates the school itself, the common room is adjacent to both the forest and cave system, but is protected on one side by the sea, and on the other sides by a man-made river that acts as a moat. The interior is fitted out like an ancient castle hall with a cathedral ceiling, stained glass windows, huge fireplaces and walls covered in ancient weapons and moving tapestries.
o Students: Arcs have the most renowned history. Their house has turned out aurors, warriors, martyrs, saints, and heroes. Beware any who would do harm to the friend of an Arc. They are not impulsive, but once committed to a cause they will not give it up until they feel that justice has been done. They are usually seen as quite serious and laconic, but they enjoy celebrating a 'victory' more than anyone, and will usually do it in roaring style with loud feasts full of drinking, music, dancing, and laughter.
- Le Fay: Knowledge, deep-thinking, self-discovery
o Founder: Morgan le Fay
o Animal: Raven
o Common Room Location: A glass and stone room built halfway out from the castle, right on the edge of the waterfall next to the viaduct. Gives magnificent views over the waterfall and out to sea. It has an outdoor balcony that stretches out over thin air. The common room's ceiling is glass and the centre of the room is mostly bare except for plush rugs piled upon each other, first years frequently sleep here under the stars. The walls (that are not glass) are filled with bookshelves and roaring fireplaces, and ancient runs are carved into the floor, the meaning of them lost to all except a few of the most knowledgeable Le Fay students.
o Students: Mystery and rumour surrounds this house. They are often spotted sneaking out in the dead of the night, occasionally spotted riding kelpies and thestrals, or performing midnight spells on a full moon. They are best known, however, for the aura of dark sexual magnetism that seems to emanate from the older students, which probably stems from their deep understanding of their own identity. The house keeps ravens instead of owls to send messages, stating only that ravens know how to keep a secret. They have an extremely close relationship with the siren population, going skinny dipping with them and being shown secret places.
- Summerbee: Happiness, honesty, resilience
o Founder: Felix Summerbee
o Animal: Otter
o Common Room Location: Ground Floor by the orchard, it surrounds a sunlit private courtyard that houses a lake that is connected underground to the main lake/river system. It is filled with fish and the occasional otter. The interior is built like a warren of light-filled tunnels. Warm in winter and cool in summer, it is filled with ridiculously comfortable furniture, both muggle and wizarding games, and ridiculous amount of delicious food.
o Students: Optimistic, happy, sociable and full of laughter these students never lack for friends. Though other houses often dismiss them for not being serious enough, the Summerbees never fail to win a person over once they set their mind to it, and every student generally has friends in all the houses. A result of this is that the Summerbee common room is the most frequented by other houses (Summerbees have given up even the pretense of sneaking them in, often holding welcome parties for other houses on non-interhouse days despite school rules). They are also the most frequently snuck into the other houses. It is extremely rare for a Summerbee to have problems with other students, though their interest in fun over study does occasionally exasperate their teachers.
Sorting: Students are sorted by entering a chamber containing a griffin imbued with Merlin's personality as well as the eight house animals, each imbued with the personality of the house founder. The student interacts with the animals, each interaction being unique, and the Merlin Griffin decides on primary and secondary houses for the student. Unlike Hogwarts, each student gets both a primary house in which they live and two secondary houses where they can spend weekends and occasionally share classes. The process of sorting takes 4 days with approximately 48 students being sorted a day.
Student Body: An average of 192 students in each grade from 1-6, an average of 168 in seven and eight, plus roughly 820 students in specialist education = 2 248 students, making it the second largest wizarding school in the world by student body.
A/N: Alright, so I started off thinking about what a wizarding school I invented would look like and this is what I came up with. In response to some concerns this is the setting and prologue for a story about the students of Hallows. I would like to ask anyone who is so inclined to write fanfiction set here, just please give credit and send me the link so I can read it, because that would seriously make my day. The dating is a little off, my explanation being A. witches and wizards live long lives and B. muggles are always screwing their history. Keep an eye on this because I will be updating with a lot more information too, this is really just a very early rough draft of the school. Please comment with your opinion and anything you would like to know, and also what houses you would like to be your primary and secondaries. I started out with a pretty good idea which ones I would want, but after writing them I literally want to be in every single house.