Education, Schools, and Passing Knowledge to the Next Generation
Building a Magical School
By Harry Potter, with insights from Hermione Granger
When I first started writing this book, I knew I'd need to dedicate an entire chapter to education. A magical community isn't just about homes, markets, and government—it's about ensuring that future generations learn, grow, and improve upon the magic we leave behind.
But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that I wasn't the best person to write this chapter alone. Sure, I spent seven years at Hogwarts, but if we're being honest, I was more focused on dodging curses and breaking school rules than on designing a curriculum.
So I did what any sensible person would do—I asked Hermione Granger to help.
Meeting Hermione: The Vision of a New Magical School
We met in her office at the Department of Magical Education, a relatively new branch of the Ministry that she had helped create after the war. The office was overflowing with books, parchment scrolls, and enchanted quills scribbling notes faster than I could read.
Hermione didn't even look up as I sat down—she was furiously revising a proposed reform to the current curriculum on Ancient Runes.
Hermione: "If you're here to ask me how to build a school, Harry, I'll need at least three hours. Possibly four."
That was Hermione for you—always thorough.
Me: "I was hoping you could explain how we'd go about it. If someone were founding a new magical settlement, what would it take to build a school from scratch?"
She finally looked up, pushing aside her stack of notes.
Hermione: "You mean actually designing the school itself? The structure, the curriculum, the faculty?"
Me: "Everything."
She sat back, thinking. "Alright, let's break it down."
Step 1: Choosing the Purpose of the School
Hermione: "Before you start building anything, you need to answer one question—what kind of school are you creating?"
Every magical community has different educational needs. Is this a full-scale Hogwarts-style institution? A smaller training academy? A guild-based apprenticeship system?
Different Models of Magical Schools
✔ Traditional Wizarding Schools – Large institutions that teach multiple branches of magic (like Hogwarts, Beauxbatons, and Durmstrang).
✔ Apprenticeship Academies – Small, focused schools where students train under master wizards in specific fields.
✔ Guild-Based Education – Specialized magical guilds (like potioneers, enchanters, or wandmakers) that take on students for training.
✔ Community Learning Circles – A more informal approach, where students learn through shared knowledge and experience.
Hermione: "Most magical communities won't have the resources to build a school as large as Hogwarts right away. It's better to start small—a primary education system that teaches the basics, then expand over time."
Step 2: Designing the Physical Structure of the School
Me: "Alright, let's say we want to build a small magical school from scratch—where do we start?"
Hermione's eyes lit up at the challenge.
Key Elements of a Magical School's Design
✔ The Great Hall or Central Gathering Space – A place where students and teachers come together for meals, announcements, and community events.
✔ Classrooms with Enchantment-Resistant Walls – To prevent accidental spell damage from students (we all remember Seamus Finnigan).
✔ A Potion Laboratory with Ventilation Spells – No one wants to breathe in lingering fumes from a failed Draught of Living Death.
✔ A Magical Library with Self-Updating Books – Ensuring that knowledge is accessible and preserved for future generations.
✔ Outdoor Training Grounds & Dueling Arenas – A safe space for practical spellcasting, flying lessons, and magical combat training.
✔ Dormitories or Student Housing – If the school is residential, rooms must be warded for both safety and comfort.
Enchanted Features for a School
✔ Auto-Adjusting Classrooms – Magical spaces that expand or contract based on class size.
✔ Floating Lecture Halls – To allow advanced students to practice high-level magic in isolated, safe areas.
✔ Magical Chalkboards & Living Textbooks – So students can see spells in action instead of just reading about them.
✔ A Room of Requirement-Style Study Hall – A space that provides students with whatever learning environment they need.
Step 3: Establishing the Curriculum
Building the school is only half the challenge—what will be taught inside it?
Essential Subjects for a Magical School
✔ Fundamental Spellcasting – Learning charms, hexes, and protective enchantments.
✔ Potions & Alchemy – Teaching both practical healing potions and experimental magical mixtures.
✔ Transfiguration & Enchantment – The science of shaping magic into objects and creatures.
✔ Magical History & Ethics – To ensure students understand both wizarding heritage and the responsibilities of power.
✔ Defense Against Dark Magic – Not just dueling, but how to counter dangerous magical threats.
✔ Runes & Ancient Magic – Understanding the deeper, older forms of spellcraft.
Hermione: "Most wizarding schools make the mistake of focusing too much on tradition. We should be preparing students for modern magical society—combining spellcraft with innovation."
Step 4: Selecting the Faculty & Teaching Methods
A school is only as good as its teachers.
Types of Magical Educators
✔ Master Wizards & Witches – Experts in their field, similar to Hogwarts professors.
✔ Apprentice Mentors – Older students or junior professors who teach through hands-on guidance.
✔ Magical Creatures as Instructors – Some schools employ beings like centaurs, ghosts, or enchanted spirits to teach ancient knowledge.
✔ Interactive Spell Constructs – Magic-powered teaching assistants that demonstrate spells.
Hermione: "The key to a good school isn't just the subjects—it's how students learn. Too many magical schools rely on outdated methods. We need more practical applications, fewer purely theoretical lessons."
Step 5: Ensuring Longevity & Growth
A school isn't just for the students who enter it today—it must stand for generations. That means establishing:
✔ A Magical Endowment Fund – Financial support, either through Ministry grants, trade profits, or private donors.
✔ Community Involvement – Encouraging local wizards, potion masters, and historians to contribute.
✔ A Living Archive – A magically protected collection of knowledge, ensuring future students can learn from past discoveries.
Step 6: Designing a House System for Your School
Not every magical school needs a house system, but if you want to create a Hogwarts-style institution, sorting students into houses can help foster camaraderie, competition, and tradition.
A well-designed house system does more than just group students—it provides them with a sense of belonging, values to uphold, and a shared identity that lasts beyond their school years.
So, how do you go about creating houses for your magical school?
1. Defining the Purpose of the Houses
Before you even name the houses, ask yourself:
✔ What values should the houses represent? (Bravery, intellect, ambition, kindness, etc.)
✔ Will houses compete against each other? (Through dueling tournaments, magical games, academic challenges?)
✔ Will they be based on personality, magical talent, ancestry, or something else?
✔ How will students be sorted? (By enchanted artifact, by a test, by magical mentors?)
Once you've determined how and why students are divided, you can start designing the house names, colors, and identity.
2. Naming the Houses
At Hogwarts, the houses were named after the four founders—Gryffindor, Slytherin, Ravenclaw, and Hufflepuff. But your school's houses don't have to follow that pattern.
Different Approaches to Naming Houses
✔ Founder Names: Named after the witches/wizards who established the school.
✔ Magical Creatures: Inspired by legendary beings that reflect each house's personality.
✔ Elemental Themes: Based on fire, water, earth, and air or other natural forces.
✔ Ancient Symbols: Taken from mythology, constellations, or arcane symbols.
For example, if your school had a nature-based theme, you might name the houses after mythical trees or legendary animals. If it was a school of battle magic, the houses could be named after famous warriors or magical weapons.
3. House Identity: Colors, Quotes, and Values
Each house should have a distinct personality—a unique color scheme, motto, common traits, and expectations.
Here's a template for designing each house:
House Example 1: House Ignis (Fire-Themed House)
✔ Symbol: Phoenix
✔ Colors: Scarlet & Gold
✔ Motto: "From the ashes, we rise."
✔ Core Traits: Courage, Determination, Passion
✔ Ideal Students: Those who lead by action, who push boundaries, who never back down from a challenge.
This house could be home to bold warriors, powerful duellists, and spellcasters who take risks to achieve greatness.
House Example 2: House Tempestas (Storm-Themed House)
✔ Symbol: Thunderbird
✔ Colors: Navy & Silver
✔ Motto: "Wisdom is the lightning that strikes before the storm."
✔ Core Traits: Intelligence, Innovation, Curiosity
✔ Ideal Students: Strategic thinkers, scholars, and inventors who seek knowledge for power and progress.
This house could focus on ancient spell research, experimental magic, and intellectual competition.
House Example 3: House Terra (Earth-Themed House)
✔ Symbol: Basilisk
✔ Colors: Green & Brown
✔ Motto: "The strongest roots weather any storm."
✔ Core Traits: Loyalty, Patience, Endurance
✔ Ideal Students: Hardworking, reliable, and deeply connected to magical creatures, plants, and long-term goals.
This house could be known for healers, potion masters, and guardians of magical nature.
House Example 4: House Umbra (Shadow-Themed House)
✔ Symbol: Chimera
✔ Colors: Black & Purple
✔ Motto: "We shape the unseen."
✔ Core Traits: Ambition, Cunning, Adaptability
✔ Ideal Students: Those who thrive in the unknown, who think three steps ahead, and who wield power with precision.
This house could specialize in stealth magic, strategic spellwork, and secret-keepers of ancient knowledge.
4. Sorting Students into Houses
How are students placed into houses?
✔ A Talking Artifact: A magical object (like the Sorting Hat) that senses students' strengths and weaknesses.
✔ An Enchanted Trial: A magical test or ritual that determines which house a student fits best.
✔ A House Selection Ceremony: Students choose their own house based on what speaks to them.
✔ A Mentorship System: Senior students or professors observe first-years and place them where they'll thrive.
Each method will give a different tone to the school's culture—a mysterious magical artifact will feel grand and traditional, while a mentorship system will make the school more personal and flexible.
Final Thoughts: The Legacy of Magical Education
By the end of our conversation, Hermione was already scribbling down notes for a theoretical "Perfect Magical Academy."
Hermione: "If we ever do this, we'll need to think about diversity too—no more purely wizard-centric schools. If we really want a new magical society, we need to include goblins, centaurs, even house-elves in the process."
I had to admit, she was right. Education isn't just about teaching spells—it's about shaping the next generation of magical minds. If a magical community wants to last, its school must be its beating heart.
Now that we've discussed education, it's time for the next challenge: Defense & Security—Protecting a Magical Settlement from Threats, Both Seen and Unseen.
— Harry Potter & Hermione Granger