It’s the gift that keeps giving! J.K. Rowling introduced Harry Potter fans to a whole new realm of possibilities with the announcement of four major international wizarding schools — including a North American one called Ilvermorny — via Twitter on Friday, January 29.
“We’re excited to announce Ilvermorny is the name of the North #American wizarding school!” the Pottermore account tweeted Friday. More details about the institution, which appears to be located on the East Coast, are forthcoming.
Rowling, 50, also revealed the names and locations of three other major wizarding schools, including Brazil’s Castelobruxo (pronounced Cass-tell-o-broo-shoo), which is tucked away in a rainforest disguised as a ruined temple.
According to Rowling’s Pottermore website, the school specializes in herbology and magizoology, and runs a foreign-exchange program with European students that Ron Weasley’s older brother Bill was supposed to attend.
Another school is the African Uagadou (pronounced Wag-a-doo), which is the largest, and possibly oldest, of all the wizarding schools. There, Pottermore states, students often practice spells sans wands, using only their hands.
The fourth school Pottermore mentions is Japan’s Mahoutokoro (pronounced Mah-hoot-o-koh-ro), and accepts the fewest number of students each year of all 11 international schools. According to Pottermore, the school is known to be the training ground for some of the best Quidditch teams due to their practices held on the turbulent seas.
Fans of the popular fantasy series were quick to take to Twitter in response to Rowling’s announcement. See some of the best responses below.
@pottermore @jk_rowling Thank you so much for this. It’s just in time for my son’s letter from Ilvermorny on his 11th birthday.
— Mead Simon (@meadbahai) January 30, 2016
@pottermore who is going to break the news to @UCBerkeley and @Harvard. They’re gonna be so heartbroken.
— Shakir™ (@ShakirThanks) January 30, 2016
@pottermore For those saying it’s in NE, if you look at the bodies of water on the larger map & even on this one it fits more to Canada.
— Kimberly Crowder (@kncrowder88) January 30, 2016
@pottermore @jk_rowling What is Ilvermorny’s equivalent of Hufflepuff? Because I have a feeling I’d be sorted into that house.
— Emma Lennon (@EmmaLennon3) January 30, 2016
@pottermore well now I know I have been waiting my whole life for a letter from the wrong school
— Jason Quinn (@MrJasonQuinn) January 30, 2016
