Harry Potter thread

[Master Rel]

  I...want...to...go!

Come on Rez...work up a small school...we eagerly await your input!

[rezeb360]

ah yes its coming along but has holes you see. just trying to iron them out and make them fit.

[rezeb360]

Spirited Academy, established in 1818 by Robert Hood, is nestled atop Mt Scott on Wizard Island, in Oregon's Crater Lake national forest.

It was originally established as a small potion's college. Then, in 1835, the college suffered a lack of funding and students, to which it fell into a great state of disrepair.
It was rebuilt  by the Ministry of Magic in 1870 and later, in 1885, opened its doors again as Spirited Academy.

Since its opening in 1885, any witch or wizard wanting to further their studies among the grand sages may come and learn.

The Academy's flag is three silver dragons agents an azure sea with white trim.
Their motto is Animosum Sumus! or Spirited are we!

[Master Rel]

Very cool!

[kewlkev360]

The Iroquois Circle, founded sometime during the 13th or 14th centuries, shortly after the formation of the Iroquois Confederacy.  Its location is known only to the Iroquois tribes but is believed to be located somewhere along the St. Lawrence river.  Not much is known about the school by outsiders, as its secrets are only passed down among the tribes.  Legend holds that The Great Peacemaker founded the school after uniting the tribes in peace.  The Circle concerns itself with training of shamans for the tribes in areas such as herbology, magical beasts, and divination. 

The school's sigil is three serpents (one black, one white, one red) intertwined around an elm tree on a green field. 

[Master Rel]

The Iroquois Circle, founded sometime during the 13th or 14th centuries, shortly after the formation of the Iroquois Confederacy.  Its location is known only to the Iroquois tribes but is believed to be located somewhere along the St. Lawrence river.  Not much is known about the school by outsiders, as its secrets are only passed down among the tribes.  Legend holds that The Great Peacemaker founded the school after uniting the tribes in peace.  The Circle concerns itself with training of shamans for the tribes in areas such as herbology, magical beasts, and divination.  

The school's sigil is three serpents (one black, one white, one red) intertwined around an elm tree on a green field.  

A very interesting sideline thought...exclusive and reclusive...I have spent many a day and night studing and researching native American mythology and legends, in particular the ones of the North Eastern Ganonsyoni/Haudenosaunee/Five Nations...a very interesting consideration.

I would appreciate it if you expounded upon the idea...we can know about the inner workings without the worry of losing security...it is just a saber forum after all lol.

More I say...more!

Raterennotha' ron'kwe!

 

[kewlkev360]

A very interesting sideline thought...exclusive and reclusive...I have spent many a day and night studies and researching native American mythology and legends, in particular the ones of the North Eastern Ganonsyoni/Haudenosaunee/Five Nations...a very interesting consideration.

I would appreciate it if you expounded upon the idea...we can know about the inner workings without the worry of losing security...it is just a saber forum after all lol.

More I say...more!

Raterennotha' ron'kwe!

 

I played around with the idea of a Native American wizard a little bit before getting some details down.  I've always found their culture interesting.  Admittedly, I know very little and used wikipedia for some inspiration.  Here is an except from wikipedia concerning The Great Peacemaker:

According to the archaeologist Dean R. Snow, the Great Peacemaker converted Hiawatha in the territory of the Onondaga; he next made a solo journey to visit the Mohawk tribe who lived near what is now Cohoes, New York. Initially, the Mohawk rejected the message of the Great Peacemaker, so he decided to perform a feat to demonstrate his purity and spiritual power. After climbing a tree high above the Ga-ha-oose, the cataract now known as Cohoes Falls, the Great Peacemaker told the Mohawk braves to chop the tree down. Many onlookers watched as the Great Peacemaker disappeared into the swirling rapids of the Mohawk River. They believed he had perished until they saw him the next morning sitting near a campfire. Greatly impressed by the Great Peacemaker's miraculous survival, the Mohawk became the founding tribe of the Iroquois Confederacy.

That got me thinking, "what if he used magic to survive?  The school's sigil came from the Prophecy of the boy seer:

His vision for all the nations was so compelling that the Great Peacemaker worked all his life to bring it to fruition. He prophesied that a "white serpent" would come to his people's lands and make friends with them, only to deceive them later. A "red serpent" would later make war against the "white serpent", but an Indian boy would be given a great power. He would be accepted as a chosen leader by the people of "the land of the hilly country." The boy stays neutral in the fight, and he speaks to the people, who number as the blades of grass, but he is heard by all. After a season, a "black serpent" would come and defeat both the "white" and "red serpents". According to the prophecy, when the people gathered under the elm tree become humble, all three "serpents" would be blinded by a light many times brighter than the sun. Deganawidah said that he would be that light. His nation would accept the "white serpent" into their safekeeping like a long-lost brother

Originally I was gonna base it on the Apachean tribes, but they were often fighting with each other.  So, I went with Iroquois because they were peaceful with each other. I know you asked for a minor one-house school, but I kind of envision a duality with this school.  Students hail from each of the various tribes and identify with them but at the school, they are all one tribe. 
   
I'll put some more school details up tomorrow. 

[Master Rel]

Interesting...brujos and brujas are common in their mythology, mostly with animagus style shapeshifting...totem related usually...and owls bring bad luck, tidings of death in many cases...watching over the soon to be dead with wide eyes.

Should be interesting, I look forward to seeing and reading it.

[Frizzenflyer]

thank you all for putting my school to shame,Points all around. although I am the only one to have claimed to have attended one of these schools!

and in case you wondered...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Wythe
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wythe_House

I am going to try to draw the crest of Wythe Polymagical Institute. But be easy on me I am not an artist.

[Kresnik]

I  have written some fan fiction that was a bit out there.  I wrote more or less humorously that many witches and wizards in America end up in Hollywood and the music scene oftentimes using their "abilities" in their favor even including post production etc.

I envision American schools of magic to be somewhat rogue in comparison to the Ministry of Magic more or less focusing on the conflict of keeping wizarding away from the muggle population.

Wizards and Witches constantly mess with American muggles by making them believe in aliens etc

[B1ondeange1]

Hehe, fun idea rel!!
I might have to work out what an Aussie school of magic would look like.... Maybe its hidden in the middle of Australia as a giant red rock  

and some magical kangaroo like creature is on their emblem... And their wizards hats have wide brims with corks hanging off!!  omg the thought of that is just funny

[James Casey]

Hmmm, I feel the need to establish a school in Ireland... Will have to give that some thought.

[kewlkev360]

The Iroquois Circle, founded sometime during the 13th or 14th centuries, shortly after the formation of the Iroquois Confederacy.  Its location is known only to the Iroquois tribes but is believed to be located somewhere along the St. Lawrence river.  Not much is known about the school by outsiders, as its secrets are only passed down among the tribes.  Legend holds that The Great Peacemaker founded the school after uniting the tribes in peace.  The Circle concerns itself with training of shamans for the tribes in areas such as herbology, magical beasts, and divination. 

The school's sigil is three serpents (one black, one white, one red) intertwined around an elm tree on a green field. 

As promised, here are a few more details.  The school's instructors hail from each of the different tribes.  There is no headmaster like at Hogwarts.  The instructors are considered to have equal standing and regularly hold council meetings amongst themselves to decide various matters.  Students are expected to learn from the shamans of the other tribes, as well as their own.   

Magic is viewed rather differently here than at other school's  While some may consider it a scientific or natural force like gravity, The Iroquois view it in a more spiritual way.  Their belief is that magic emanates from the spirit realm and serves as a tether between the physical world and the spiritual world.  Those with magical abilities are seen as blessed by the spirits, and are usually thought to have some higher purpose to achieve.  Those gifted in divination are thought to have the strongest connection to the spirit world, as divination is believed to be knowledge passed from the spirit world.