Hogwarts Archives | The Book Addict's Guide

If you’re a big Harry Potter fan, no doubt you’ve been keeping an eye out for news on the latest spin-off film adaptation, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. The film is currently in production and J.K. Rowling, master of mystery that she is, has been slowly but surely satiating our curiosity by dropping small hints about the movie. Me being the kind of person who used to keep up with the movie production of the feature films via MuggleNet back in the day and the teaser clues before the launch of Pottermore, I’ve started to feel a bit nostalgic and doubly excited about being able to experience the process all over again with Fantastic Beasts.

Just the other day, Rowling revealed to a fan on Twitter that there is in fact an American school for wizards just like Hogwarts and although Newt — in the film — meets someone in New York who has attended the [so far nameless] school, the school itself is not actually in New York. Potter-obsesser that I am, I started wondering where exactly this American Hogwarts might be located and what it might be called… along with all of the other possible magical places and rules tied into the American magical community.

LOCATION

We know that Hogwarts is located in a remote area in order to prevent Muggles and the like from stumbling upon this great, magical location. Sure, protective enchantments could hide the school in a city but I’d guess the American wizards would want to make it easier on themselves… J.K. also said that Native American magic helped found the school so here are my guesses for possible locations, keeping all of that in mind:

WYOMING. Wyoming is one of the least densely populated states in the country. It’s plenty gorgeous with mountain ranges and lush forests as well as wide open spaces. Who wouldn’t want to build a magical school in the middle-of-nowhere Wyoming? You can literally travel for miles and not see another city much less another car on the highway… or did you just pass American Hogwarts and not even know it…?

codywyoming.net

ALASKA. Want to get even MORE remote? Alaska’s pretty far away from, well… everything It’d be a hike to get kids to the school from the opposite side of the country but chances are, you wouldn’t have to risk too many Muggles finding the place. Alaska is also very rich in Native American culture and tradition. It could be the perfect place for a magical school…

alaska-in-pictures.com

APPALACHIA. The Appalachian region holds a bit more history of the country being on the Eastern part of the nation. Perhaps American Hogwarts is hiding in the Appalachian Mountains or foothills… It could be a bit easier for students to get to as well! (Okay, so this picture is actually a ski resort… But I could see it as American Hogwarts!)

burgerinternationalinc.com

THE GREAT LAKES AREA. Okay, maybe this is cheating. There are a lot of places that could be considered the Great Lakes area but it’s also a great possibility. A bit more centrally located, wide expanses of water nearby, easy to get to, and still plenty of possible places to hide a whole school!

minitime.com

AMERICAN DIAGON ALLEY + KINGS CROSS STATION

Once the kids are accepted to American Hogwarts, they have to get their magical gear! Diagon Alley is hidden right in London so… where could American Diagon Alley be? Where would the kids hop on board the American Hogwarts Express?

NEW YORK CITY. Keeping in mind that Hogwarts is still a full train ride away from Diagon Alley and Kings Cross, the American versions of these could easily be in NYC. J.K. confirmed that the school isn’t in New York but that doesn’t mean these two fantastically magical places couldn’t be hidden in plain sight there. Diagon Alley could easily be concealed by a back room of a store, a secret room of a speakeasy, down an alley way, through an abandoned building, or really anywhere! Muggles would just perceive the entrance as dingy, dangerous, or smaller than it actually is.
Which train station? How cool would Grand Central be? Or how about that “Door to Nowhere” or abandoned subway platforms? Come on. That’s the platform for the American Hogwarts Express…

CHICAGO. Same as above as far as American Diagon Alley… any one of those could still apply! And you’ve got two train stations in Chicago — Ogilvie and Union — that could whisk you away to school. Union Station’s got a secret door too, you know…

STUDENT HOUSES

I don’t think the other schools had have different houses like Hogwarts does… (Did Durmstrang? Beauxbatons? No, right? They didn’t have four founders…) But for pure fun, let’s pretend the American campus would, just because it’s fun to brainstorm!

House: EAGLE EYES
Mascot: Bald eagle
Colors: Gold and white
Student traits: Cunning, observant, intelligent, independent
Common Rooms: Topmost tower

House: ROUGH RIDERS
Mascot: Moose
Colors: Red and blue
Student traits: Brave, leader, determined, social
Common Rooms: West Wing

House: TIMBER FANG
Mascot: Gray wolf
Colors: Green and silver
Student traits: Clever, ruthless, planner, loyal
Common Rooms: South wing, facing the outdoors

House: WOOLY HORNS
Mascot: Bison
Colors: Orange and gray
Student traits: Calm, level-headed, friendly, logical
Common Rooms: Centrally located to everything

NAMES?

I’m terrible at naming things… I haven’t the slightest clue or the slightest guess what the American version of Hogwarts might be named so I’ll leave this one up to your! (Or, you know, J.K. Rowling.) What do you think the American school of magic would be named?? Something leaning toward its history and tradition? Or something that focuses more on how diverse our nation is?