The Harry Potter books treated us to the UK-based Wizarding school, Hogwarts, but also introduced us to students from similar magical academies from France and other European countries.
But what of North America? Aside from two American exchange students from the U.S., there was no mention in the original series about Wizards on the other side of the pond.
Promotional material for "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" is about to expand the horizons of the world of magic to go to the new world. Since the new movie was partially set in 1920's New York City, J.K. Rowling is coming out with new stories and videos for Pottermore on how magic and wizards were very much a part of American history and folklore.
Previously, Rowling already revealed that muggles, or people who have no magical abilities, in America are called no-maj, and that an American wizarding school would play very much into the expanding world.
Now, a new video on Pottermore reveals that the name of the American school is Ilvermorny and magic in the new world is very much tied to the history of the country with the Salem Witch trials and even the Navajo legends of skinwalkers being wizards who have mastered the art of wandless magic.
"The History of Magic in North America" is an on-going four-part series that is being released on Pottermore. The first installment covers the 14th to 17th century and explains how magic evolved differently on the two continents.
"The Native American wizarding community was particularly gifted in animal and plant magic, its potions in particular being of a sophistication beyond much that was known in Europe. The most glaring difference between magic practiced by Native Americans and the wizards of Europe was the absence of a wand," she wrote.
The next installment of the series is scheduled to be published online tomorrow. We certainly can't wait to find out more of how magic in America evolved and perhaps find out if America has a Quidditch team of its own.
