If I Built a School - Harry's Dream for the Next Generation
By Harry Potter
After everything I've written in this guide—after all the spells, structures, ceremonies, and stories—you might be wondering: what kind of school would I build, if I had the chance?
To be honest, I've asked myself that question a hundred times. Not just as "The Boy Who Lived" or an Auror or even a husband and father—but as someone who still remembers walking into Hogwarts as a lonely eleven-year-old and discovering what belonging felt like for the first time.
So if I were to build a school of my own, here's what it would be.
The Name: Lumenwood
A place of light and growth. Not because the world is always bright, but because I believe we teach best when we help students become the light in dark times.
Lumenwood wouldn't be a towering fortress or a shadowy secret. It would rise from the roots of an enchanted forest—built into the trees and cliffs, where classrooms open to the wind, and the stars are part of the curriculum.
The Spirit of the School
It would be a school where no student is sorted by what they are, but by what they dream to become. Instead of fixed houses, students would journey through different magical guilds over the years—learning not just who they are, but who they might be.
It would be a place where courage means asking for help, where strength means protecting others, and where cleverness is used not to outsmart your peers, but to uplift them.
The Lessons I'd Teach
Kindness as a spell of its own.
The strength of second chances.
How to disarm fear as easily as a wand.
How to turn grief into growth.
And how to laugh—even when the boggart wins the first round.
The classes would be hands-on, heart-led, and full of magical unpredictability. There'd be a tree that helps you with homework (but only if you say please). A lake that answers your questions in riddles. And a spell that lets you hear what a creature feels, not just what it says.
The Legacy I'd Hope For
I wouldn't want the biggest school. Or the most famous. Or even the most powerful.
I'd want a school where students leave kinder than they arrived. Braver. Wiser. A school where misfits found family, where wounds healed slowly but fully, and where the ghosts in the halls weren't mournful—but musical, mischievous, and maybe just a little bit nosy.
Because that's what Hogwarts gave me. Not just a magical education—but a chance to become me.
And that's the kind of magic I'd want to pass on.
One Final Thought
Whether you're dreaming of founding your own school, guiding young witches and wizards, or simply wondering what your place in the magical world might be... I hope this guide has helped you believe one simple truth:
You are part of the magic now.
And wherever you go, whatever you build, may it always be lit by wonder, grounded in kindness, and filled with more stories than you can count.
Until then, keep your wand steady, your heart open, and your quill at the ready.
Yours in spellwork and dreams,
Harry Potter