Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling has just written a new short story on her Pottermore website and she talks about several wizarding schools, including the name and location of the North American school.
The details were disclosed today by actress Evanna Lynch at the third annual A Celebration of Harry Potter event at Universal Orlando Resort, taking place now through January 31. The three-day event celebrates the global phenomenon that is Harry Potter and attracts thousands of fans from around the world.
Lynch played the character Luna Lovegood in four of the Harry Potter feature films. Today, in front of a standing-room-only crowd of Harry Potter fans at Universal Orlando Resort’s Music Plaza stage, Lynch read extracts from the 1800-word new piece of writing about wizarding schools that was posted this evening on pottermore.com.
“You know how much Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry means to me,” the actress said. “The greatest British witches and wizards studied magic in that big, beautiful Scottish castle. But it was also my home – and Luna Lovegood’s home – for many years…Tonight you’re going to hear in wonderful detail, all about wizarding schools across the world.”
Among the revelations in the new writing:
- The name of the North American-based school is Ilvermorny and, based on the wizarding schools map that Pottermore unveiled today, it appears to be located in the northeast corner of the United States. “I am assured by Pottermore that more will be revealed on Ilvermorny soon,” said Lynch.
- The name of the Brazilian wizarding school is Castelobruxo (Cass-tell-o-broo-shoo). The school is guarded by Caipora, small and furry spirit-beings who emerge at night to watch over the students and the creatures who live in the forest.
- At the Japanese wizarding school, Mahoutokoro (Mah-hoot-o-koh-ro), students are given enchanted robes which grow in size as they age. Another characteristic of the robes is that they gradually change colour as the learning of their wearer increases, beginning a faint pink colour and becoming gold if the student receives top grades in every magical subject.
- The African school, Uagadou (Wag-a-doo), is carved out of the mountainside, and is shrouded in so much mist that it appears to float in mid-air. Many African witches and wizards cast spells simply by pointing their fingers or through hand gestures.
Michael Kozlowski is the editor-in-chief at Good e-Reader and has written about audiobooks and e-readers for the past fifteen years. Newspapers and websites such as the CBC, CNET, Engadget, Huffington Post and the New York Times have picked up his articles. He Lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
