Salem Academy of the Magical Arts
salemcrest.jpg
Location Salem, Massachusetts, United States of America
Established 1604
Number of Houses 5
Number of Students Around 300 - 400
Alumni in-game Holly Maplewood, Jethro Gardener, Jake Morgan

School History:

Ever since there were human beings, there were wizards, and the United States was no exception. Back before it was named, there existed shaman, medicine men, and a link between them to another world.

Officially, Europeans arrived in North America in the early fifteen hundreds. Truthfully, they were coming and going between the two continents long before that. Wizard history dates back to the 1200's, though it's impossible to know an exact date. Apparation, broomsticks, and even some magical creatures were popular modes of transportation across the ocean.

Still, there was no actual reason for a school until the settlers started arriving. A small village of wizards was already quite happily living on the continent, and given the fact that there was little reason not to intermingle, it wasn't too long (in relative terms) before there were many young half-bloods running around. By 1600, there was a school. Small at first, and settled in Salem, Massachusetts, it opened its doors to students for the first time in 1604. The founders had three houses back then - Bear Claw, Hawk Talon, and Foxtail, though it wasn't too long before Ferret Fang and Turtle Shell were added to the roster, as well.

As the population of the United States grew, and thus, the wizarding population increased as well, there was cause for expansion of the school. It was castle-like, build of stone and comprised of many floors, with a magical aire to it only accomplished at large institutions such as these. Salem is the largest and oldest school in North America, and continues to be a primary learning destination for all witches and wizards who come of age.

Salem Sorting Ceremony

When the school was build, a gargoyle was built into the wall in a small room off the Entrance Hall. Her name has been Stone Golem for hundreds of years, and she is wise, kind, and intelligent. Even though her purpose is simply to sort the students when they enter the school, she has learned much during her tenure, and many students go to her in order to talk, or for help with solving problems.

Essentially, she possesses a series of slate plates, each with a Rorschach-like image on them. They are held up to the student one at a time, and eventually (No one is really sure HOW, as sometimes Stone Golem will pronounce the assigned House after the first plate) they will be sorted into one of the five houses detailed below. The number of plates seems endless; just when it seems she's run out, Stone Golem will fish from the pile of plates she's already used, and the images will be brand new. The record for the number of plates a student had to go through to be sorted was two-hundred and fifty-seven. He was eventually sorted into Ferret Fang when he answered the question "Why can't I sort you?" by saying "I was giving fake answers, just to see what would happen."

Since that point, students have been strongly cautioned against doing the same, as the previously-mentioned student took four days, and delayed the end of the school year. As well, the Golem has wised up to such delays.

After being sorted, students are sent through a designated door to the Mess Hall, where they will sit with their new House for the first-day feast.

Houses

Bear Claw
bearclaw.jpg House Bear Claw served as the place for wizards and witches who were stable and even-keel, Unshakable or slow-tempered. That didn't necessarily mean they were dull-witted, however. Those in the House were usually quite intelligent, given to the belief that things happen, and the only way you can effect the future is to learn from those things. They are of the belief that there is both good and evil in the world, and for this reason, several Dark Wizards have actually come from this house. It is rare that a Bear Claw takes a steadily neutral view of things, however, they do believe that if one is patient long enough, they will be able to achieve what they want. If not, there's always the drawing board to go back to. Those in Bear Claw may be good at any number of subjects. The mascot of this house is the bear, and its colours are brown and gold.
Hawk Talon
hawktalon.jpg This would be the house not only for the Harry Potters of the world, but the Draco Malfoys, as well. Those in Hawk Talon can be brave and reckless, albeit driven for success at times to a point of being fanatic. They won't take no for an answer; one half might put their lives on the line for their friends, while the other half might seek self-preservation in order to achieve his aim at any cost. Wading hip-deep in danger or the unknown is a Hawk Talon trait, and the need for self-discovery and the unraveling of mysteries might be a high priority for those in this House. They are talented with Potions and Defense against the Dark Arts, and may have affinities for Charms and Ancient Runes, as well. The mascot of this house is the Roc, and its colours are red and black.
Ferret Fang
ferretfang.jpg Those with intelligence as their main claim to fame will find themselves in House Ferret Fang. Here will be the geeks of the world and the accidental geniuses - those destined to invent new spells, and those destined to go onto Muggle careers like… Rocket scientist and the like. Curiosity and the intense need to learn new things governs those in this house, who will spend their life acquiring new knowledge and trivia, both useful and not. They could be the paleontologist on the field, or the researcher in the lab. Their talents are many, and the graduates are very sought after for their skills. While they are, of course, talented with things like Arithmancy, Muggle Studies and History of Magic, many are surprisingly talented at Transfiguration. The mascot of this house is the ferret, and its colours are forest green and cyan.
Foxtail
foxtail.jpg For those who like to be outside for the sake of being outside, for those who like to discover, for the dragon hunters, those who appreciate Care of Magical Creatures and make it an art, the herbologists who will spend days in a garden without realising any time has passed, and the starstruck astronomers… these will all find their home in House Foxtail. These wizards are exceptionally active and have a love for the sky. Those who work with magical creatures will also feel at home in Defense Against the Dark Arts classes, and a good majority will also know a number of charms to help them on their endeavors. The mascot of this house is the kitsune, and its colours are orange and white.
Turtleshell
turtleshell.jpg Those in House Turtleshell have an artistic personality. They see things that others might not, are very observant, and are talented in many fields of the fine arts. These are a class of wizards apart, and may be flamboyantly loud or reservedly quiet. Many of them know a good amount of charms for use of colour and even sculpting, and some are said to have sirens and banshees in the distant family tree thanks to their musical abilities. In touch with themselves and with the world around them, many of these students will find themselves drawn to Divination. Some will take up herbology, simply for the love of colour that an array of flowers can easily provide. The mascot of this house is the Firecrab, and its colours are purple and silver.

Allowed Pets

  • Raptors. Not the dinosaur kind, but the flying kind. Most students are quite fond of falcons, though hawks and owls are also quite popular. Since eagles tend to be gigantic, there are only a few, and since kestrels are so tiny, there are only a few of those, as well. Raptors are good for delivering mail.
  • Ferrets. With curiosity and intelligence to burn, ferrets are the pet of choice to aid students in classwork, such as charms and transfiguration. Wizarding ferrets are above the average intelligence normal for ferrets, and some have even been known to take to wearing little vests or studded collars.
  • Cats. A standard companion animal, cats are seen all over the school and on the grounds. They are exceptionaly good at protection in some cases, and most seem to be defensive of their owners. Even those who are playful and friendly will often put themselves between their human and danger.
  • Lizards. Instead of toads, the United States' answer to the passe pet is the lizard. While some are cool-looking, they are normally slow-witted and unhelpful in every possible way, with few exceptions. The benefit of having a lizard, though, is that a student can never have a better friend.

Other Information

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