Hostels
These are buildings set up by schools to house students and younger siblings who can't go home. The reason could be abuse or being forsaken for a magical inheritance. Another reason could be being an international student and not allowed home due to restrictions.
When the hostels were first established, they were typically only operated by that school. These days, however, multiple schools will utilise the same hostels, creating a diverse community. The headteacher of the pupil's school will always be the magical guardian unless somebody else is designated. The Head of the Hostel will be like a foster parent. They are not always, but usually Squibs. Due to this, the Hostel Head is frequently helped by one or more people. How many depends on the house size and what events are happening. More people can also be explicitly sent by the ICW if there are security concerns.
The ICW oversees the hostels to guarantee consistency across all locations, where practicable. This also means that it is a seamless process if someone needs to transfer hostels. The children will live at the Hostels from around five until they graduate. After graduation, the young adults will be found an apartment by the ICW. This is always in a country of their choice or near their place of work.
The age at which a student is considered a 'graduate' means two things. The first is that the pupil has completed their formal schooling. This includes mastery's taken at formal institutions like Se Ridica. The oldest somebody on Earth is when they graduate a formal education is 23. The second requirement to being a graduate is just being considered of age. Different magical beings consider you 'of age' at different ages. As such, the ICW does accommodate this. They allow magical beings to remain at the hostels until they are considered adults in all worlds. The magical beings who stay at the hostels the longest are Elves, who are considered of age once they are 30. This is when they finish their formal education in the Elven world.
Children who are too young to attend formal education attend the local school near the hostel. This teaches them to interact with non-magical people along with basic language skills. Often, children will start attending Euro-Glyth around the age of 8. They will transfer to another magical school or remain at Euro-Glyth at 11.
Children younger than five don't usually live at the Hostels. They are instead fostered by magical families. Some of these children will remain with the family permanently and are adopted. Others will transfer to the Hostel around their 5th birthday. This depends on the child's specific circumstance and is always the case with siblings. The ICW refuses to separate siblings.
When it comes to children who live at the Hostel permanently, there are only a few reasons, outside of graduating, for which they would leave. The first is if a family adopts them. This is always done with the input of the child, school, hostel head, healers/doctors, and an ICW representative. The second reason could be the child returning to their parents. The child could have just been at the Hostel temporarily. This could have been for several reasons. The final reason is if the child went to live with another family member, such as an aunt or Godparent. The child could also find a new guardian in a friend's parents or teacher. All are happy reasons.
Bedrooms
Most hostels have three types of rooms: Temporary, semi-permanent, and permanent. For some hostels, these are the same rooms, with different restrictions on the residents. By ICW law, all residents who are not Temporary must have a bed, wardrobe, desk, chair, and chest of drawers. They also must have a space for their trunk, and famililers must be accommodated.
Temporary rooms are usually large bunk rooms. There are several beds inside one large room. Most have small hanging spaces and a place to put your trunk, but that is it. These rooms are usually only used for emergencies. But they are sometimes used by friends sleeping over at the Hostel. Or it could be that a child's parents need to go away somewhere and leave their child behind. The ICW tries to have children in these rooms no longer than 6 weeks. Hostels can also use these rooms as overflow for one-off holiday stops.
Semi-permanent rooms can be either single or multi-person rooms. The students inside can put up pictures and move the furniture around. But they can't decorate the room outside of this. It is rare for a hostel to have rooms solely for this purpose. These rooms are usually used for children who are being evaluated for abuse.
Permanent rooms are either single or multi-person rooms. Students inside can do what they wish with these rooms. However, for multi-person rooms, both must agree to the decor. These students live at the Hostel whenever they are not at school. The Hostel is their home.
Up to four children can room together outside the temporary rooms. Most rooms are doubles or singles—usually, only the youngest children, between five and eleven, are in the quadruple rooms. Then, you typically have pre-teens and early teens in the double rooms. Late teens and early twenties are often in the singles. But this isn't always the case. It is up to the hostel heads to organise their rooms, and the children's opinions are considered. After all, you could have four friends of the same gender who want to be roommates. Or twins who never like to sleep separated.
Facilities
The size of each Hostel is different; all must have a lunch room and lounge room of some sort. Outside of this, some hostels have a small garden, and others have a small library. The ICW outlaws a Hostel from having a potions laboratory.
Rules
The rules of each Hostel vary a little. This is due to a few reasons. The first is the hostel heads themselves since they run the hostel. They will often have an opinion on bedtimes and may add some rules due to the building or experience. The second is the Hostel's area. Rules may be added due to the country's culture or if lawbreakers hang around the vicinity after dark.
Both these mean that each Hostel is run a little differently. Some may allow sixteen-year-olds to stay out until nine pm at night. Others may demand students back before dark for safety. Some Hostels have one bedtime for each age. Others say that after sixteen, you don't have a bedtime. Others vary the betimes depending on each magical inheritance.
All Hostels generally don't allow bullying, stealing, or swearing, but some allow running up and down the stairs. Some have the students do chores. Others have the rule of only wearing Pyjamas on the upper floors and never downstairs. Some allow shoes all around the building, while others do not.
Punishments can also vary a little. Most Hostels use grounding as a punishment. However, some also use writing essays, the naughty corner/ chair, and extra chores. None use the idea of removing toys from a child or physical punishments. This is due to some children coming to the Hostels from traumatic backgrounds or with so little. The ICW disallows both penalties.
Traditions
The ICW encourages students to celebrate both magical and non-magical holidays. This allows them to learn about both communities and move freely between them. It also allows Hostels to be welcoming to students of all backgrounds. Some Hostels manage this better than others.
Birthday traditions also vary. However, it is a rule to acknowledge all students' birthdays, even if that birthday is celebrated at school. All Hostel Heads must get a small present and card for each student. Students are also encouraged to send cards to each other. A small gift is allowed for siblings or close friends.
During the school holidays, Hostel Heads are encouraged to arrange at least one activity a week. This could be an outing to a magical or non-magical local attraction, such as a swimming pool, amusement park, or shopping centre. All students must be included regardless of their resident status at the Hostel. As much as possible, it is encouraged to vary the days to ensure that students with regular medical appointments can attend some outings.
Other
It is rare for British children to end up at the Hostels due to Albus Dumbledores' dislike of them. He often tries to get them to shut down, believing children should be with their families. Instead, the care organisations have stepped in to house the children who need it.
Hostels
Oslo, Norway
· Head - Viktor Hall (male)
· Assistants - one squib
· Defining characteristics
Underground
No single rooms.
Second Smallest Hostel
· Schools supported
Magere Akademi
Dumstrang
Euro-Glyth
Nyx
Arwindale
· Countries Supported
Norway
Sweeden
Denmark
England (Rare)
Paris, France
· Head - Adrienne Lavigne (female)
· Assistants - Two. One is a squib.
· Defining characteristics
Large garden
All single rooms
· Schools Supported
Magere Akademi
Kennecott
Nyx
Merlin
Beuxbatons
· Countries Supported
France
England (Rare)
Spain
Netherlands
Belgium
Madrid, Spain
· Head - Marcio Ontiveros (Male Squib)
· Assistants - One
· Defining characteristics
In Magical district
Decorative former apartment building
· Schools Supported
Beauxbatons
Magere Akademi
Euro-Glyth
Nyx
Arwindale
Se Ridica
· Countries Supported
Spain
Portugal
France
Italy
North America
Rome, Italy
· Head - Chandra Chaudhry (Female Squib)
· Assistants - Three
· Defining characteristics
Largest Hostel - 57 semi/ permanent residents
Small Garden
Former manner house
· Schools Supported
Uagadou
Magere Akademi
Beauxbatons
Nyx
Merlin
Se Ridica
· Countries Supported
Africa
Italy
Switzerland
Austria
Berlin, Germany
· Head - Micha Bhon (Male)
· Assistants - One squib
· Defining characteristics
Smallest Hostel - 20 semi/permanent residents
Only Humans
· Schools Supported
Dumstrang
Beauxbatons
Arwindale
Magere Akademi
· Countries Supported
Germany
Belgium
Luxembourg
Czech Republic
Hungry
Amsterdam, Netherlands
· Head - Gillian Oelberg (female squib)
· Assistants - One
· Defining characteristics
In Magical district
Old Town House
Floo Access
· Schools Supported
Magere Akademi
Arwindale
Beauxbatons
· Countries Supported
Netherlands
Belgium
Poland
England
Athens, Greece
· Head - Petros Kontos (Male Squib)
· Assistants - Two
· Defining characteristics
Old Farmhouse
Outdoor Dorm blocks
· Schools Supported
Dumstrang
Uagabdou
Euro-Glyth
Nyx
Magere Akademi
Se Ridica
· Countries Supported
Greece
Turkey
Rominaia
Hungary
Serbia
Moldovia
Ukraine
Kenya, Turkey
· Head - Suna Avci (Female Squib)
· Assistants - Two
· Defining characteristics
Next door to BCS
On an Old Hotel site
Second largest Hostel
All Single Rooms
· Schools Supported
Se Ridica
Magere Akademi
Nyx
Dumstrang
Uagadou
Euro-Glyth
· Countries Supported
Romania
Turkey
Greece
Bulgaria
Africa
Helsinki, Finland
· Head - Jouko Takala (Male Squib)
· Assistants - One
· Defining characteristics
Large Garden
In Old care home
Third Smallest Hostel
· Schools Supported
Magere Akademi
Dumstrang
Merlin Academy
Arwindale
· Countries Supported
Sweeden
Finland
Estonia
Luthania
Poland
Belarus
Reykjavik, Iceland
· Head - Erlendur Sigurdsson (Male Squib)
· Assistants - One
· Defining characteristics
4 floors
Old Townhouse
Magically expanded
· Schools Supported
Magere Akademi
Kennecott Academy
Euro-Glyth
Dumstrang
· Countries Supported
Iceland
Greenland
Norway
England
Canada
Alaska
Moscow, Russia
· Head - Nikolay Kovalev (Male)
· Assistants - Two Squibs
· Defining characteristics
All Humans
Former Apartment Building
· Schools Supported
Koldovstoretz
· Countries Supported
Russia
China
Beijing, China
· Head - Tong Yun (Male)
· Assistants - Two Squibs
· Defining characteristics
No Single Bedrooms
In old school
· Schools Supported
Koldovstoretz
Mohoutokouro
Kyandouru
Nyx
Seaside School of Magic
· Countries Supported
Japan
Russia
Mongolia
India
Korea
Tokyo, Japan
· Head - Kanzaki Souta
· Assistants - Two Squibs
· Defining characteristics
In Magical District
Old Large Traditional Japanese House
Magically Expanded
· Schools Supported
Mohoutokouro
Kyandouru
Nyx
· Countries Supported
Japan
China
India
Korea
Pretoria, South Africa
· Head - Zuri Adebayo (female squib)
· Assistants - one
· Defining characteristics
Third Largest Hostel
Several magically expanded huts
Grow own food
· Schools Supported
Uagadou
Nyx
Castelobruxo
Seaside School of Magic
· Countries Supported
South Africa
Africa
India
South America
Saudi Arabia
Canberra, Australia
· Head - Joanne Cullen (Female Squib)
· Assistants - One
· Defining characteristics
Old Apartment Building
Ministery Built under building
Magically expanded
· Schools Supported
Seaside School of Magic
Uagadou
Nyx
· Countries Supported
Oceania
China
Malaysia
New Zealand
India
South America
