Is Hogwarts still the best wizarding school around? Maybe not, as a new contender for that title is named in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. The school in question is called Ilvermorny, and although it doesn't feature heavily in the new film, it does receive a mention as possibly being a better school than Hogwarts — depending on whom you ask. But what do fans really know about this newly-revealed school of witchcraft and wizardry? Is it truly better? How does Ilvermorny compare to Hogwarts?
Describing Ilvermorny as "better" than Hogwarts is probably a matter of opinion; it's best to just describe it as "different." Ilvermorny is a North American school of witchcraft and wizardry, and is located on a hidden mountaintop in Massachusetts. Perhaps the biggest difference between Ilvermorny and Hogwarts is their level of prestige and how they carry themselves. Hogwarts, located in Scotland, has been around since the 10th Century, and considers itself to be the pinnacle of magical education. Ilvermorny, on the other hand, is far less stuffy. The school was founded in the 17th Century, and one of its co-founders was even a No-Maj (Muggle). Because of this, the school "has the reputation of being one of the most democratic, least elitist of all the great wizarding schools," according to J.K. Rowling on Pottermore.com.
Another big difference between the two schools can be found both in their respective houses. You won't find the Hogwarts houses of Hufflepuff, Slytherin, Gryffindor, and Ravenclaw at Ilvermorny. Instead, you'll come across four houses named after creatures found in Native American folklore. There's House Pukwudgie, which represents the heart of a wizard; House Wampus, which symbolizes the body; House Thunderbird, which favors the soul; and House Horned Serpent, which represents the mind.
The sorting at Ilvermorny is done differently than at Hogwarts as well. Instead of students being chosen by a sorting hat, the house mascots themselves choose which students they'd like to admit. When a new recruit comes to the school, he or she stands in front of four magical statues representing Houses Pukwudgie, Thunderbird, Wampus, and Horned Serpent. Whichever statue reacts to the student, that's the house where that student will be sorted.
While Ilvermorny may or may not be better than Hogwarts, they certainly do things differently. But that makes sense, because Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is a different kind of movie than the Harry Potter films.
Images: Pottermore.com
