#4 - Hogwarts
Credit: Jerome Comentale
Welcome to Back to School! Each edition of this blog will focus on the major wizarding schools of the world, with our fourth edition covering Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Since this is our own fine school, you probably know all about it already! To recap from the beginning, though, students are written into the Book of Admittance by the Quill of Acceptance - a powerful magical artefact that detects signs of magic in children across the country. Students are sent a letter on their eleventh birthday, inviting them to attend. It's tradition for students to buy supplies in Diagon Alley, get their wand from Ollivander's, and travel up to Hogsmeade Village via the Hogwarts Express, which departs from Platform 9 and 3/4 at Kings Cross.
Like Castelobruxo, Hogwarts appears as a ruined building to Muggles, but as a magnificent castle to wizards and witches. It is bordered by a forest known as the Forbidden Forest, which is filled with dangerous creatures. New students travel to the school by boat across the Black Lake; returning students travel by Thestral-drawn carriage.
Students are assigned to their House by the Sorting Hat, an enchanted hat said to originally belong to Godric Gryffindor. The Hat reads the students' minds and decides on their House by matching the students' traits with those of the Four Founders - Slytherin values cunning and ambition, Hufflepuff values fair play and hard work, Gryffindor values bravery and honour, and Ravenclaw values intelligence and creativity. Students wear black robes lined in their House colours, with a tie to match.
Hogwarts students tend to be strong all-round performers in most fields of magic, with many wins in the Triwizard Tournament, Potions Championships, and a strong base in Quidditch tournaments nationally and internationally, along with producing talented wizards and witches in all fields of magic. The school has produced a number of famous alumni, including Harry Potter, Gwenog Jones, Merlin, and Albus Dumbledore. However, it has also produced a number of Dark Wizards, including Lord Voldemort (Tom Riddle), Lucius Malfoy, and Severus Snape.
The school is also known for its array of extra curricular clubs, including Gobstones, Wizard's Chess, three study clubs, an orchestra, and the Frog Choir, as well as Quidditch tournaments every year between the four Houses.
Did you learn something new about Hogwarts? Do you want us to cover a certain school next? Let us know in the comments!
