Anyone who knows of Harry Potter also knows of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. It's the setting for the majority of the Harry Potter series as well as the main magic school located in the United Kingdom. And up until recently, it was the only wizarding school fans knew about (other than the Beauxbatons Academy of Magic and the Durmstrang Institute--both of which are mentioned in the books). But now, J.K. Rowling has released short writings about other large wizarding schools around the world.
The major school in America is called Ilvermorny, and the history is not the only information that's been released about this school. Rowling has also shared the four houses belonging to Ilvermorny. They are the Wampus, the Thunderbird, the Horned Serpent, and the Pukwudgie, each named after a favorite magical creature of the school's founders. These houses are much like the ones of Hogwarts (Slytherin, Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, and Ravenclaw), but instead of students being grouped according to their dominant personality traits, Ilvermorny students are placed into the house whose creature represents the strongest part (body, mind, heart, or soul) of a witch or wizard.
Wampus
Webster Boot named this house after a magical, panther-like beast found in south-eastern United States. This house represents the body of a witch or wizard and favors warriors at heart. In that way, this house closely resembles Gryffindor.
Horned Serpent
Named by the true founder of Ilvermorny, Isolt Sayre, this house represents a magical serpent depicted as having a jewel atop its head. This creature is known for its intelligence, so in turn, the house is seen to represent the mind of a wizard or witch. This house tends to favor scholars. It's kind of the Ravenclaw equivalent.
Pukwudgie
This house was created by James Steward and named after a short, gray-faced, big-eared beast that is known for playing tricks on humans. This house represents a witch or wizard's heart and favors the healers. Fans see this house mostly correlating to Hufflepuff.
Thunderbird
Webster's brother, Chadwick Boot, dedicated this house to the mythical bird whose wings create storms as it flies. This house represents the witch or wizard's soul. Also, it favors adventurers. Because it is the fourth and final house of Ilvermorny, it can be seen as the Slytherin equivalent. Fun fact, J.K. Rowling is a Thunderbird herself.
That is a quick synopsis of the four Ilvermorny houses. There is a new sorting quiz on Pottermore for those who'd like to discover to which of these new houses they belong.
