We’ve spent so much time in the wizarding world as fans of the Harry Potter franchise, and yet we’ve only seen a fraction of what’s truly out there. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them will take the action across the pond to the United States to follow new series protagonist Newt Scamander as he navigates the American wizarding world. Little has been revealed about the North American side of this part of the universe, but a savvy internet user seems to believe that he has uncovered the names of the houses at the American Hogwarts.
According to a new report from Daily Mail, a software engineer by the name of Ian Cervantez allegedly uncovered the names of the four houses at Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry – the North American analogue to Hogwarts that could be located in either Canada or the United States – while digging through the source code on J.K. Rowling's Pottermore website. He claims to have found a hidden personality quiz asking the following question:
Where do you belong, Horned Serpent, Wampus, Thunderbird, or Pukwudgie?
So it seems that Horned Serpent, Wampus, Thunderbird, and Pukwudgie could be the North American equivalents to Gryffindor, Slytherin, Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw. The potential revelation has sent a shockwave through the rabid Harry Potter fan base, with fans of the series trying desperately to figure out how students are sorted and what might be the specific criteria for each house. The Hogwarts houses sorted students through basic personality traits like bravery, cleverness, intellect and fairness, though we are uncertain if a similar system will actually take place here.
The fact that these are so similar to the Hogwarts houses actually makes us a little bit suspicious of this reported information. Looking at the Hogwarts house mascots -- lion, serpent, eagle and badger -- the potential North American counterparts seem to match at least three of the four in their own way. Gryffindor has the lion (a wampus is a cat-like creature), Slytherin has its own serpent, Ravenclaw has the Eagle (Thunderbird checks off the bird mascot) and that just leaves the Pukwudgie, which is apparently a human-shaped being that's small with a big nose and ears. So that one's more like a troll than it is Hufflepuff's badger.
On one hand, it could make sense if these turned out to be the names of the houses at Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, because they're so similar to the Hogwarts houses we know and love. On the other hand, that same reason makes it seem like it could be bogus. These supposed Ilvermorny houses read so similar to the existing Hogwarts houses that they almost feel like fake fanfiction creations rather than genuine houses that will feature in the upcoming spinoff movie.
Only time will tell if these North American wizard houses turn out to be genuine or not. We will likely know for certain once Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them hits theaters on November 18. As for me, I’m hoping that I get sorted into Thunderbird, because quite frankly, I think that sounds like the coolest of the Ilvermorny houses. Which is your favorite? While you decide, watch the latest Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them trailer:
