Hogwarts

Draco Dormiens Nunquam Titillandus. The wise words of this school rings ever true. Perhaps many people in the previous decades had come to underestimate Hogwarts with its lenient enrollment requirements if the student is a pureblood, halfblood, or even a muggle-born, but Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry is still considered as Europe's finest magical institutions, and in fact in all of the wizarding world.

Ever since the 9th or 10th centuries the practices started by the four founders of Hogwarts: Romulus Gryffindor Vargas, Anthea Ravenclaw Karpusi, Isis Hufflepuff Hassan, and Reinhold Slytherin Beilschmidt, has been kept and followed. Students are sorted into Houses where certain qualities were valued and rivalries festered for centuries to come. 

Houses

We know how the song the Sorting Hat sings every year, of how brave Gryffindor is, of how intelligent Ravenclaw is, of how cunning the Slytherin and how hard working the Hufflepuff. However, these are only surface level generalizations of the four Houses that makes up this school.

The House of Gryffindor. Gryffindor is the house of individualism and action. They seek for achievements and glory for themselves and more than often they do this by being the first to act in a situation. They are a straight-forward group of people, who prefer to deal with a situation face-on rather than tip-toe around it. Those in the house of the lion find themselves with mainly high morals: a want for fairness in whatever activity they are doing even if their methods on occasion could bend a couple of rules or ten.  While Gryffindors can be fiercely protective of their comrades, they're not quite as group-orientated as Hufflepuff. They love friends and people, as often they seek for some sort of validation from those around them. The head of the house is Iain Lachlann Stiùbhart-Kirkland.

The House of Ravenclaw. Ravenclaw is the house of creativity and progression. These individuals seek for knowledge for the sake of knowledge and its advancement, not because it would be useful to them in the future. They are not solely focused on academics either, as imagination is often a great tool that expands their horizons. These members seek for mystery, but aren't quite as reckless as the Slytherins when they see danger close by. Most Ravenclaws try to avoid conflict completely, preferring to address the situation with their wit and words rather than through their actions. They are often not people who dwell in the past, of prefer to think about the future. The head of house is Kiku Honda.

The House of Hufflepuff. Hufflepuff is the house of unity and homeliness. Many would see that Hufflepuffs often hold no true bias towards the rivalries that are often celebrated at Hogwarts, but they will think and care of their family and friends first and foremost. They do not necessarily seek for a great accomplishment and find themselves drawn to the familiar and comforting. Because they stray away from the unknown as mysterious, many Hufflepuffs are often realistic and practical. They wish to learn more about the things already known and therefore, will be useful to them in return. They seek for stability within their group, wishing to avoid conflict at all cost.

The House of Slytherin. Slytherin is the house of tradition and preservation. While they seek for great acknowledgements much like the Gryffindors, They are more group-oriented in this pursuit, honoring alumni that has graduated from their House and preferring prestige from a group rather than from an individual. These students are drawn towards the unknown and seek knowledge that has a purpose. Many Slytherins are not above of ratting out or cheat against other members of other houses and of their own house when they sense a threat in their position. They often abhor reckless action without justified reason despite being rather confrontational themselves.

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Beauxbatons

The Académie de Magie Beauxbâtons, a grand and elegant château located in the Pyrenees in the south of France. Built in a valley at the base of the mountains with terraces, balconies, and platforms to allow the grounds the complete range of essentials, Beauxbatons stands as a testament to the glory and beauty of the wizarding world. Though seen as arrogant and stuck-up, truthfully their pride is not undeserved. Many nations come together to study under these roofs, and they form a unique and beautiful school culture that makes Beauxbatons the envy of Europe. It owes much of its modernity in terms of policy and curriculum to the reforms of Nicoleta Cantacuzène-Deleanu, the current headmistress. It should be noted that unlike other schools, Beauxbatons initiates students at age twelve instead of eleven, and thus students attend for only six years.

The school's location makes transport difficult, thus many students are shuttled to the grounds directly from many designated locations across western Europe. Beauxbatons serves students from Spain, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Liechtenstein, Austria, Monaco, Italy, and many others. Beauxbatons welcomes students from abroad and it is not uncommon to see students from as far as the Americas or Oceania. Unlike other schools, Beauxbatons places significant value on clever integration into muggle society and prepares its students well with trips to major cities and several in-depth classes. Most, if not all Beauxbatons students have been among muggles extensively - even purebloods.

As modern as their school is when compared to others, Beauxbatons has plenty of opportunity to criticize other schools - particularly during Triwizard Tournaments. Hogwarts' old and rustic grounds are an abrupt and dissonant change for Beauxbatons visitors, who view the castle as highly uncivilized and unaccommodating to its students. The luxurious private bathrooms reserved for Hogwarts' most elite are of a quality Beauxbatons makes available to all. How silly is that? Conversely they have little to say of Durmstrang, mainly due to the fact that few people in recent memory actually remember anything about Durmstrang worth complaining about. Hogwarts is clearly worse anyway.

Houses

Beauxbatons's dining hall would be a thing to behold even without the large, golden fountain erected just before the faculty's dining tables. This fountain, as incoming students will quickly come to learn, sorts them based upon their qualities. A student must dip their fingers into the water and as they do this, a quiet voice will speak to them what it can feel about them. When coming to a decision, the water will change color and glow brightly, revealing to all the house the student has been sorted into. It will reflect yellow for Lierre, red for Rosier, navy blue for Sureau, and purple for Belladone. 

The House of  Lierre - The Ivy
Students of this house are friendly - notably the most friendly of Beauxbatons in general. They are very group-oriented, making their friends and families heavy priorities, and excelling in teams. Open and helpful to all, many of Ivy are completely neutral parties in conflicts, preferring instead to aid both sides and those harmed in the middle of battle. They are without a need to judge, and their hospitable demeanors mean that they will never judge solely by flaws. A bad first impression upon an Ivy may yet be redeemed later. Like their namesake, students of Ivy house are incredibly hardy and resilient, and thrive even in the harshest of conditions. With an Ivy at one's side one will always have a shoulder to lean on, for there are none so reliable as they. Their house emblem is a stone pillar entangled in flowering vines and their colors are green and yellow.

The House of Rosier - The Rosebush
Passionate. Energetic. Loyal. These among many words describe the Roses, people for whom friendships become not collectibles to keep in excess, but more as items carefully chosen to brave an oncoming storm. Roses keep few friends, but the bonds they create are exceptionally powerful, and the easiest way to annoy a Rose is to insult their closest confidants. A Rose, when finding something of interest, will almost always pursue it with earnest, putting forth effort to be proud of. For this reason when a Rose finds a subject they truly enjoy, they excel at it. As far as houses go they are quite individualistic beyond their small groups, but they seem to find the best of friends in the oddest places. Though easily they make friends with themselves, a Rose would not mind their most trusted companions being those outside of their house. They are excellent judges of character, and it is advised to not try to fool with them. A Rose that has been scorned has sharp thorns and an impressive temper. Their house emblem is a simple red rose lain upon a shield of gold and their colors are red and pink.

The House of Sureau - The Elder Tree
The intuitive nurturers, and the dynamic caregivers. The House of the Elder Tree is known for its highly gifted students. They may not be the most clever or dedicated of the houses, but their passion for other people knows no bounds. These students tend to be very skilled in the practical arts, excelling as healers of health and hearts. In general they are empathetic and coupled with their excellent abilities to read others form the house that others can confide in and look to for advice. They are the observers who seek out the wounded, no matter what side they are on, and offer their aid where needed. They are humble and compassionate, and tend to not stand out over their peers. Despite this they rarely come in last place, for their actions often mean they are remembered fondly and given credit where it is due. Their house emblem is a simple aging tree growing in front of a bright yellow disc and their colors are navy and white.

The House of Belladone - The Nightshade
Like an assassin bearing poison for a kill, the house of Belladone is crafty and witty. They are tactical planners who seek the best out of all situations and often refuse to go into action without plans of approach. They abhor recklessness, and usually prefer to stay back and observe or listen long before making any move. It is in the nature of the House to be competitive, especially within itself, and their natural affinity for learning and listening have created very intelligent, resourceful, and capable seekers of truth. They are perhaps the hardest to manipulate of all the Houses, and they are also the most lethal when crossed. It is said that the quietest people often make the most dangerous enemies, and such is true of the House of Nightshade who strike from the shadows when opportunity presents itself. They do not avoid companionship, but one would be hard-pressed to find a Belladone working with others, for they would much rather take credit alone than risk their accomplishments. Their house emblem is a nightshade flower blooming from within the pages of a tome and their colors are purple and black.

made by CAPTAIN of GANGNAM STYLE for APARECIUM

Durmstrang

Durmstrang Institute is an old and prestigious school known for its strict beliefs that most may consider far too outdated for this age. It is a school shrouded in mystery due to its seclusion, only allowing those who are members of the school to remember where it is located. For the rest, it is in a vague area within northern Sweden or Norway, leaving much to the imagination. All the outside world has to go on is its militaristic way of order outside their school and- of course- the notoriety it gets for being a school that openly teaches the Dark Arts. There have been many complaints, but little has been done to put an end to this and it is left mainly to the school and its Headmaster to decide what is too far and what is still allowed.

Durmstrang Institute will also not admit Muggle-Borns, though this prejudice can be considered solely a decision by the school and not the students themselves. Although they are brought up within the school with little contact outside, the students themselves remain diverse in their opinions and morals. Their Dark Arts classes are not a requirement, though there are many to choose from. The only unavoidable thing is their strict set of rules such as lights out at 8PM and classes start at 7AM. There is much less flexibility such than within Hogwarts. Durmstrang also stresses physical training alongside their magical classes, which unlike both Hogwarts and Beauxbatons females must also wear pants and not skirts.

The inability to abide by the rules will get the student(s) expelled. There is little to no room for second chances within Durmstrang. Besides, the students are kept busy enough earning points wherever they can. Only the winning House receives a proper graduation ceremony.

Houses

The Quakes of Jord. House Jord is the representation of Earth. They tend to be solid, unyielding, and stubborn sorts who really bring the phrase "actions speak louder than words" to life. They often bond best with those within their own House, and it isn't difficult to see that any bond they form will be a difficult one to break. They may move at their own pace, but they will always get the job done. Don't try to stand in their way; chances are you'll be crushed by the sheer force of their will. Some would call them wise, and others yet would say they're simply old-fashioned. Either way, they don't seem to care what they are referred to as. Never make the mistake of equating them to sand. The students of House Jord are mountains.

The Flames of Eldur. Whereas the House of the Earth has their wisdom and strength, House Eldur- the representatives of Fire- have passion and power. They have a tendency to engulf anything that interests them at the time and then move on when they have wasted every last resource. It isn't that they don't still care, but those of House Eldur are constantly seeking out new and intriguing things to cling to and become fired up about. They are both verbally and through actions loud people. Others are either drawn in by their warmth or driven away by their heated personalities. It seems to be a hit or miss situation when befriending an Eldur, but once you do you become something they are passionate about that will keep burning for ages to come. This can also apply to enemies, which they will often continue to hate with a burning passion until the end of time. One may even consider those of House Eldur to be like a hive mind as the more that are in one area, the more intense they become. Never assume a student is a burnt out flame. All it takes is an ember to ignite a forest fire.

The Gusts of Tuuli. House Tuuli- the house of the Winds- is a flurry of different people. One might call them the House of Misfits, but just because Tuuli is more or less a group of individuals doesn't mean each separate gust won't tear a house down. They thrive on having talents different from their fellow Housemates, utilizing each and every difference to their advantage. When they are in a room with other like-minded and similarly-skilled others they may go mad and wind up in a whirlwind of arguments. They tend to take charge of projects and expect others to follow through. They can come in many varieties from loners to those whose charisma causes making friends to be a breeze. They tend to do as they please and rarely take into account rules or manuals. Wherever the wind blows, as they say. They are rarely in it for the glory, but those of House Tuuli are the sorts to venture out and seek experience and knowledge in every area they can. Never underestimate a small breeze. It may simply be the calm before the storm.

The Waves of Vatten. Though House Tuuli goes wherever they please, those of the Water House Vatten are more prone to going with the flow. One can steer them in different directions, but don't think you can control them: they will overpower you and you'll wind up drowning. Underestimating them will only backfire on you, so be wary. That being said, those of House Vatten are often called "the life-givers". They usually take on roles to help others, and they are the sort who tend to get along with most others. People will get swept along in their personalities- be them strong or gentle- and it is hard to get out of. Some may even say it is a requirement to have at least one friend from House Vatten. They are one of the few Houses to make more friends outside of their own House than any other within Durmstrang Institute, and are often also called upon to help for school events. Just do us all a favor: never relax in the gentle pull of the waves. You'll wind up swallowed whole and pulled into the depths before you know it.

made by CAPTAIN of GANGNAM STYLE for APARECIUM