Back in January of this year, J.K. Rowling released the names of several wizarding schools across the globe. Along with the schools, she revealed information about them; locations, famous attributes, and what their focus of study is. However, information on America's wizarding school, Ilvermorny (that's ILvermorny) was nowhere to be found. We were told to "keep watching Pottermore" by J.K. and so we watched. We waited. And now, months later, we have a history of the school, it's houses and a brand new sorting quiz!
Rowling gave readers a rich and immersive backstory for the history of Ilvermorny before releasing the quiz. It's a long but fun read about Isolt, a little girl from Ireland whose parents were murdered by her evil aunt Gormlaith Gaunt...whoa, that name sounds familiar. Right off the bat, Rowling gives us a connection to Voldemort, who's mother was a Guant. It's a wonderful way to remind us that the pureblood family trees go back extremely far, and that all pureblood families are related in one way or another. Isolt is taken in by her aunt, but soon runs away. So one thing leads to another, and a Pukwudgie (we'll get there) and a prince charming later, you've got a school! Like I said it's a great story, so be sure to check it out here.
In the story, Isolt, who never was able to attend Hogwarts, knew of the houses that made up the school. It had always been her dream to go, but her aunt wouldn't allow it. So, when Isolt made her own school, she decided to put in her own houses, just like at Hogwarts. Which is exactly what we would want in America(and as Potter fans). The houses are fun. We love Buzzfeed quizzes that tell us "Which Knitting Pattern Are You?" and other such things because we like the idea that we belong somewhere. Isolt embodies the countless other Potter fans who, whether they want to admit it or not, want their school to be just like the first one that we heard about.
Ilvermorny's sorting ceremony is, as it should be, different than Hogwarts. Students are led into a large circular room with four giant wood carvings circling the empty space, each carving being a different house. When a student is selected by a house, the statue will give an indication of some sort, while the rest of the school watches from a circular balcony above. So without further ado, let's get into the houses of Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Horned Serpent
Horned Serpent's house is said to favor scholars, and those with an aptitude for learning. They represent the mind of the wizard. A horned serpent is a mythical creature that spends its time underwater, usually in lakes or rivers. They are noted for the large jewels placed in the center of their heads. When this house chooses a witch or wizard, the crystal on its forehead will glow.
Wampus
These are your warriors, most likely the jocks of the bunch (probably closely associated to Gryffindor). Wampus represents the body of the wizard. The wampus is a creature resembling a cougar, and is famous in American folklore. The wampus statue will roar when it chooses a student.
Thunderbird
Thunderbird is home to the adventurers and represents the soul of the wizard. The thunderbird appears in a few different mythologies, but they all maintain that is a large bird that can often create thunder while flapping its wings. While reading a quick Wiki page about this creature, I found that according to the Menominee tradition, the thunderbird is an enemy to a creature called a "horned snake". Could this be true for the houses? We'll have to wait for school to start to see if any hallway brawls breakout between classes. The thunderbird will beat its wings when it chooses a student.
Pukwudgie
The house of yours truly, Pukwudgie is the home of healers and represents the heart of the wizard (awwwwweeee). Pukwudgies are awesome. I'm not just saying that because it's my house (but if I am, back off, it's called house pride). Pukwudgies are often armed with bows and arrows and will attack unsuspecting travelers who wander into their woods. What's really interesting is that pukwudgies can use magic. I would assume it's a lot like house elf magic. Not quite on the level of wizard spell casting, but powerful in its own right. There's a whole list of things that pukwudgies like to do to humans, some of which are too graphic for this article, so just take my advice when I say don't mess with these guys. The pukwudgie will raise its arrow in the air when it wants to claim a student.
The natures of these houses are interesting. They're not like the Hogwarts houses, which have certain traits. They speak more to the incompleteness of one without the other. Together, they make up an entire wizard with body, mind, soul and heart. It's a beautiful sentiment on Rowling's part, and alludes to the idea that there is a great deal of unity between these houses (but come quidditch season I'll sit with the Pukwudgies).
The other "traits"; healers, adventurers, warriors and scholars, are a grey area. They are not as easily comparable as the afore mentioned attributes. A healer seems to be much more of a career focused path than an adventurer or a scholar. It seems an odd system, but as we have learned, Rowling always has something in mind. I enjoy the ambiguity of these traits because it allows the students to grow. For example, in my Hogwarts house of Ravenclaw (where are my fellow eagles at??) we're described as being intelligent, wise, creative, original and tons of other things that maybe we don't all live up to. Ilvermorny's housing system seems more free than the Hogwarts sorting. Students aren't tethered down by the expectations of their houses, but rather, they are encouraged to find their strengths and use them as they see fit.
BUT ARE THESE MIRRORS OF HOGWARTS HOUSES? Does Gryffindor equal Wampus? Thunderbird must be Ravenclaw, they're both birds for god's sake! While we on twitter tried to figure this out, Eric J. Scull (or @spielerman), host of such Potter podcasts as MuggleCast and Alohomora, took a different approach, which I fully endorse. Jennifer Levine(@jennlevine) drew his idea up in an easy to read diagram:
Eric maintains that the houses overlap. There is no direct comparison, but rather hybrids of houses. This works for me especially, as I'm a Pukwudgie/Ravenclaw, and those are in the same spectrum on the chart. It strengthens this idea that these houses aren't for just one type of person, but for all kinds of people. J.K. Rowling tweeted that there was "no equivalence between the Hogwarts and Ilvermorny houses" but I don't think that's true. After all, the character that created the houses based the idea of them off of Hogwarts.
One last thing about Ilvermorny before we conclude. We know its precise location. Mount Greylock in Massachusetts. Mt. Greylock is the highest point of land in Massachusetts, and is one of the few exact locations we know in the Harry Potter universe. I wonder if this site will become a destination for a new generation of Potter fans. Maybe we'll get a cool set up there like the one in King's Cross station in London, which is the destination for many Potterheads pilgrimages. I know I'd like to go and try and catch a glimpse of the castle!
We have the location of our school, and its houses. It's an exciting time to be apart of the Harry Potter fandom. I think it's safe to say that Ilvermorny will make one if not several appearances in "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them". I'm just ready to get my hands on some Ilvermorny swag. Be sure to take your sorting quiz and to let me know where you end up! Until next time, I'll see you all when term starts.