JK Rowling Just Revealed New Details on Ilvermorny, the American Magic School

Culture

More details were released on Tuesday about Ilvermormy, the North American equivalent of Hogwarts within the world of the Harry Potter series. In preparation for the November release of the Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them film, author J.K. Rowling has slowly been releasing more details about the wizarding world on her website, Pottermore, including information about schools of witchcraft and wizardry across the globe.

On Tuesday, Rowling released a full chapter about the history of Ilvermorny, located on a mountain in Massachusetts, as well as its connection to the rest of the magical world. Pottermore also released an animated video clip about the school.

The Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, it turns out, was founded by the family of Isolt Sayre, an Irish immigrant who escaped a kidnapping and stowed away on the Mayflower disguised as a boy — with the help of some magical creatures. 

Like Hogwarts, Ilvermorny is divided into four houses. But it was founded, in part, by a muggle, which makes it, according to the new writing posted to Pottermore, "one of the most democratic, least elitist of all the great wizarding schools."

That's America for you.

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