A software engineer has discovered what are presumed to be the four houses of Ilvermorny, the American version of Hogwarts.
Federico Ian Cervantez was rooting through Pottermore's code when he stumbled upon a sorting quiz. In the said quiz, takers will be asked: "Where do you belong? Horned Serpent, Wampus, Thunderbird or Pukwudgie..."
Unlike their British counterparts, which are named after four great wizards, the American houses appear to be named after creatures from Native American lore.
The Horned Serpent, for instance, is a benevolent creature considered to be the guardian of life. Associated with water and rain, the creature is also believed to bring healing and wisdom.
The Wampus, on the other hand, is a cat-like creature seen as a fearsome variation of a cougar. It was mentioned in Pottermore's History of Magic in North America as the creature whose hair is the preferred magical material of accomplished wandmaker Johannes Jonker.
A magical American bird, the Thunderbird is closely related to the phoenix, generating thunder and storms where it flies. Its feathers are also a preferred material by one of the major wandmakers in America, Shikoba Wolfe.
This brings us to the Pukwudgie, a 2-to-3-feet-tall malicious being likened to a troll but with magical abilities such as creating fire, appearing and disappearing and transforming at will.
There aren't official descriptions for the American houses yet so it is still highly possible that the Horned Serpent, Wampus, Thunderbird and Pukwudgie are not houses at all but rather mascots for the houses, much like how a lion, snake, raven and badger represent the houses of Gryffindor, Slytherin, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff.
The names for the American houses have been lifted from Pottermore's code, after all, so they can all be stand-ins or code names for something else. Not to mention the section where the code was lifted is still under construction.
Maybe we'll learn more about them in the coming months as the release date for Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them inches closer. Starring Eddie Redmayne, the movie is set to come out on Nov. 18.
How do you feel about these American houses? Let us know in the comments!
