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Wizard’s Council: On The Ilvermorny History Reveal

By W&W Staff

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Our Wizard’s Council convenes to consider the question of the hour: What did you think of the new story of Ilvermorny? And what House were you sorted into?

More from Harry Potter

Welcome to the Wizard’s Council. Back in olden days, before the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy in 1692, the Wizarding world was governed by the Wizard’s Council. This was the longest serving ruling body over the Wizarding World in history, and though it was disbanded in 1707 with the founding of the Ministry of Magic, it was still considering one of the wisest and august bodies to ever rule the UK and Irish Wizarding Worlds. (Sadly, the same cannot be said for the Ministry, which seems to only be as good as it’s current Minister.) Here at Wizards and Whatnot, we come together once again as this august body to think deeply on the issues of our time.

Philosophical Question of the Hour: What did you think of the new story of Ilvermorny? And what House were you sorted into?

AYESHA: My favourite part of the story is how much I enjoy the characters in the Sayre-Steward family. They all seem like they have their own personalities, we get to see both positive and negative examples of adoptive families, and it helps for me that I see so many parallels to the Potter family. It’s lovely that the school was founded by a pure-blood and a Muggle. Each of the family had individual struggles and personalities, even if we only got a quick glance at some.

As for story itself, my thoughts are mostly positive. Since their story (at least as far as it relates to Gormlaith) is so similar to the Potters for me, at points it feels almost exactly the same. I like it but there is a sense of deja vu. It does make me happy that the Sayre-Steward family got their happy ending! For the record, I got sorted into Wampus, which is actually what I predicted. It’s hard for me not to try to figure out how it could relate my Hogwarts House, Gryffindor. But I don’t think it’s inaccurate. “Argumentative but fiercely loyal” sounds about right to me!

In terms of the historical element of the story, I’m not surprised that it kind of romanticizes settler colonialism. Rowling’s brand of dealing with racial prejudice tends to be the use of analogies instead of real life issues. I could talk for a long time about the implications of having indigenous people attend Ilvermorny, but if I look at the story from a purely fictional sense, it’s a nice one. If there’s anything J.K. Rowling can do, it’s tell a good story.

RYAN: The story of Isolt’s life in North America is just brilliant, and I never wanted it to end. Rowling can easily write a book detailing Isolt’s life, in my honest opinion. But hey, my Hogwarts letter got lost a long time ago. And that’s fine, I’ll gladly go to Ilvermorny!

Isolt and Harry both lost their parents at a young age at the hands of an individual who prided their Pure-Blood status way too much. The story of Isolt is surprisingly like Harry’s. It’s not a carbon copy, but the similarities just pop once they’re pointed out. I didn’t see it at first, but pieced it together after reading Ayesha’s entry.

The Ilvermorny story mimics aspects of Harry Potter‘s life just as Ilvermorny is an imitation of our beloved Hogwarts. It feels like Rowling meant to weave those echoes into the Ilvermorny story. Two similarities that also stuck out at me the most are the Boot Boys and William. What characters in Harry’s story could possible remind you of them? Time’s up! The Boot Boys share the friendship of Ron and Hermione and the loyalty of Dobby. As Ron and Hermione were the first to befriend Harry, Chadwick and Webster were Isolt’s first friends in North America, although under some gruesome circumstances. Dobby’s loyalty ran deep for Harry, as did William’s for Isolt. Thought he didn’t want to admit, we all know it is William that polishes Isolt’s statue in front of Ilvermorny.

Speaking of Ilvermorny. I hope I have some fellow Horned Serpents here. When I first got the results I was so bummed, due to the fact I thought I was in the Ilvermony version of Slytherin. But then my mood instantly picked up when I remembered it was Isolt who created the house. She based it on the creature she felt a kinship with, the horned serpent of course, and her love of Ravenclaw. As a kid, all she wanted was to be sorted into Ravenclaw. Even the school robes were blue and cranberry, Ravenclaw yet again. Even though Hogwarts and Ivermorny have their differences, I love how much of Hogwarts is still present in Ilvermorny. Yes, the statues of the houses sort students, but still the same premise of the sorting hat. I found it very unique that more than one statue can select a student. And who knows? Hogwarts may have started out as a cottage as well.

Another well-written piece by Rowling, that finally quenched my thirst for info about the school!

MARNIFER: I wish there were more sorting quizzes! I had so much fun taking first the Hogwarts quiz, and now the new Ilvermorny one, I want to do it over and over. Did everyone get the phobia question? I had a hard time picking my personal worst case scenario. I seriously debated if I was more afraid of an incoming tidal wave or being trapped in the attic of a burning house, before picking my ultimate terror.

Being sorted in Thunderbird was a surprise to this Ravenclaw. I’m not disappointed, though. An enormous bird that creates storms in its wake is a damn fine beast I’m proud to represent. I just didn’t think my answers painted me an adventurer.

The animated intro to Rowling’s new story and quiz is so beautiful! Kudos to the team who created that. I really enjoyed the tale of Isolt Sayre and her wicked aunt Gormlaith. (But was anyone else bothered by the overuse and odd placement of commas? It really interrupted my reading experience.) Isolt is very endearing and I was genuinely delighted when she and her adorable cobbled family triumphed over evil. Gormlaith Gaunt, I assume the ancestor of Voldemort’s mother Merope Gaunt, is quite the imposing villain. She has the unflinching conviction that makes a villain truly dangerous. I ADORED William the curmudgeon-y Pukwudgie! He reminded me a bit of Kreacher. I would gladly welcome a series of vignettes about his adventures with Isolt.

KELLY: First and foremost, I need to say how much I love all of this. I have been impatiently waiting for the Ilvermorny story ever since Rowling announced the school’s existence earlier this year, but I was not at all expecting a sorting quiz to accompany the piece. I am proud to say that this Ravenclaw is a Thunderbird, which I think is quite fitting based on what I’ve read. I also love the idea of belonging to the house that represents the soul and “favors adventures.” I was so excited about the quiz I also forced both my mom and husband to take it while we were driving to the beach. Interesting enough, we all ended up in a different house, with my mom sorted into Horned Serpent and my husband into Wampus (I think it’s interesting to see how different couples are sorted especially when you think about how many of the main Harry Potter students ended up with a spouse from the same house… But that’s a topic for another day…)

In terms of what I thought of Rowling’s Ilvermorny story – I loved it. The only disappointment I felt was that it wasn’t a full length novel. I think my favorite part of it all was finding out the origin of the Ilvermorny houses because – as I’m sure many of you will agree – the house names seemed extremely random. To find out they were chosen by Isolt, her husband and their two adopted sons was a really nice detail.

I am hoping and praying that these mini stories on Pottermore mean Rowling is becoming inspired once again with the wizarding world and will maybe even grant us with other series. Here’s to dreaming!

KATIE: Since what we’d heard of Ilvermorny before now seemed to be such a mirroring of Hogwarts, I was satisfied that there was an actual explanation as to why, and even more so when J.K. Rowling said that there is no correlation between the respective houses of Hogwarts and Ilvermorny. If Ilvermorny’s houses were exact replicas of Hogwarts’, it certainly would have taken the fun out of fans’ sorting, and wouldn’t have made for good storytelling.

I agree with Ayesha that there were some great connections between the Sayre-Steward and Potter families’ stories, and it’s nice that at least one of them got their happy ending; we need a few more of those here and there. There was a nice, traditional fairytale touch to Isolt’s story overall, which only seems fitting in a story that takes you to a secret magical school (not to mention I’m a sucker for such allusions). I wasn’t initially interested in Ilvermorny, but the more we learn about it, the more I change my tune and look forward to how the school may play into the plot of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.

As for the sorting, I found myself in Thunderbird, which guarantees that I’ll be saying “Thunderbirds are GO!” at every available opportunity (this time clocks me in at three so far). While the houses don’t exactly correlate to Hogwarts’, I’m still of the opinion that my Thunderbird/Gryffindor combination ensures that if I die, I’m going out in the spectacular blaze of glory I’d always imagined—but only IF.

DAN: So Thunderbird seems like it’s by far the most popular Ilvermorny House around here. That’s where I got sorted, too.

This was a good story. When I first heard about Ilvermorny having four houses, I was concerned that we were getting a retread of Hogwarts, and like Katie, I was happy to hear there was logic behind the déjà vu. Rowling’s not so much retreading old ground as exploring new corners of it.

This story definitely had Harry Potter plastered all over it. The fairytale-like atmosphere, Isolt’s tragic backstory, the curmudgeonly-but-lovable William, the general mix of grim and whimsical…it was all torn right out of Rowling’s earlier work. But Harry Potter came alive in the details, and so does this. We only got a bird’s eye view of these characters, but I enjoyed them all the same.

I’m still giving the side-eye to Rowling’s depictions of Native Americans and the whole concept of “Scourers,” but I suspect that these things may be more convincing in context. Like I said, Rowling’s work comes alive in the details. I’m ready to see them up close.

ANI: Seriously, we have NO PUKWUDGIES on staff?! Hello, Pukwudgies, we are hiring!

Though there were definite retreads in the Ilvermorny story from the original origin story, right now to the scene with Gormlaith Gaunt coming in Voldemort-like and Isolt and James have to defend their home against an invasion of evil, I have to say, everything about this story–which is one of the longest pieces Pottermore has published on Rowing’s behalf to date–was a delight. I even teared up at the end over William the Pukwudgie, and it made me a little sad I wasn’t chosen for that house. (I, like a surprising number of people who have taken the quiz, landed in Thunderbird.)

Some other things I really liked: that the best part of Salazar Slytherin is in America, and lies beneath our accredited school. The other founders of Hogwarts should be so lucky to have such influence over two of the eleven official wizarding schools in the world.That the Peverell’s decedents were responsible for founding two different schools in two different parts of he world., That in some ways, this story reminds us that not all Slytherins are bad people, or necessarily evil. In fact, Voldemort’s own relation founded Ilvermorny. Think on that next time you reflexively hate on Slytherin.

And of course, the sorting quiz. Marnifer, the answer for me in the phobia question was “Standing up in a crowded cage with people pressed up all around me.” (After all, one can survive jumping out of the attic through a window–self made if necessary. One just has to try and aim for a friendly, not-on-fire bush.) And for the first time, my sister, who has always been the Ravenclaw in the family to my Hufflepuff, and I are in the same house, which means in our wizarding lives, she had to go to school in my hand me downs. SCORE.

Oh and one final note, because no one else mentioned it: RAPPAPORT’S LAW WAS REPEALED IN 1965. One of the things that I have found so depressing and upsetting about the reveal of American wizarding life is how oppressive and sad it is–no friends with no-majs, no using magic without strictest safeguards, a a big honking “Terror alert” magical device that hangs over the MACUSA. Didn’t these people see Strictly Ballroom? A Life Lived In Fear Is A Life Half Lived. I didn’t want that to be my culture. Though I’m sure there are still remnants of that fear driven world–you don’t erase 400 years of history in 50–seeing that line in the story was the happiest part of all.

Next: Hogwarts House Vs Ilvermorny House Sorting

Our Wizard’s Council meets every other week, unless there is an emergency session. Check out our other entries here.

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