Living Magic - Examples of School Community Models
By Harry Potter
So, you've read about the options—Houses, Year Dorms, or something entirely your own. Now let's see what these ideas might actually look like. This chapter gives you a taste of each system in action, to help you decide which might be the perfect fit for your school.
Example 1: The House System – The Four Pillars of Arcaedia
At Arcaedia School of Magic, students are sorted into four ancient Houses, each tied to a magical ideal:
House Virelune (Silver & Midnight Blue): The House of Dreamers and Seers. Students here study deep magic, prophecy, and imagination. Their dorms are circular towers with crystal ceilings that show the stars, even during the day.
House Ignivar (Crimson & Bronze): The Bold and the Brave. Known for its fierce duelists and defenders. Their common room sits above a roaring magical forge, and their dormitories are carved from fire-hardened stone.
House Myrrenwood (Emerald & Gold): Healers, naturalists, and peacekeepers. Their dorms are nestled in a living tree with walls of woven vines, and their common room blooms with magical plants that respond to students' moods.
House Solmere (White & Slate): Scholars, skeptics, and seekers of truth. Their dorms are hidden behind rotating bookshelves, and their common room shifts to reflect the thoughts of its members—calm, focused, or chaotic.
Sorting is done by placing a hand on the Pillar of the Heart, a glowing obelisk that reads a student's intentions. Once sorted, students stay in their house all seven years, forming lifelong bonds.
Example 2: Year-Based Dorms – The Circles of Aetheron Academy
At Aetheron Academy, there are no houses. Instead, students live in Year Circles—dormitory rings centered around a magical fire unique to each class.
First-years live in the Circle of Embers, where the hearthfire burns bright orange and flickers wildly, much like the students' early spellwork.
By seventh year, students rest in the Circle of Flameglass, where the fire burns blue and calm, representing mastery and focus.
Each dorm circle has its own traditions, class identity, and mentorship pairings. Older students are assigned to visit and guide younger ones, but no class is isolated. Class competitions and festivals bring everyone together.
This system focuses on shared experience, support through transition, and growth through each stage of magical life.
Example 3: A Unique System – The Elemental Lodges of Skystone Hollow
Skystone Hollow breaks the mold entirely. Students are drawn to one of four Elemental Lodges, not by sorting or choice, but by a ritual called the Whispering Wind—a magically-guided journey through a forest where the land itself seems to decide where they belong.
The Lodge of Stone (Earth): Stable, nurturing, and steadfast. Dorms are built into the cliffside, and students excel in herbology, crafting, and ancient magic.
The Lodge of Flame (Fire): Passionate and creative. Their dorms shift shape with each term, and their common room glows with ever-changing murals.
The Lodge of Watershadow (Water): Introspective and clever. Dorms float on the school's enchanted lake and are accessible only by whispered passcodes to the tide.
The Lodge of Galehart (Air): Curious and wild. Their dorms perch in tree-borne observatories, swaying with wind and weather, perfect for those who study skies and travel magic.
These Lodges are part family, part guild, and part mystery. Students are encouraged to collaborate across Lodges and even spend time living in another's dorm to gain perspective and broaden their magic.
Each of these models offers something different: strong identity, shared experience, or elemental resonance. It's up to you to choose—or invent—what makes your school feel like home.