The Practical Wizard's Guide to Building a Magical Community

Building a Magical School

By Harry Potter, with insights from Hermione Granger

When I first started writing this book, I knew I'd need to dedicate an entire chapter to education. A magical community isn't just about homes, markets, and government—it's about ensuring that future generations learn, grow, and improve upon the magic we leave behind.

But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that I wasn't the best person to write this chapter alone. Sure, I spent seven years at Hogwarts, but if we're being honest, I was more focused on dodging curses and breaking school rules than on designing a curriculum.

So I did what any sensible person would do—I asked Hermione Granger to help.

Meeting Hermione: The Vision of a New Magical School

We met in her office at the Department of Magical Education, a relatively new branch of the Ministry that she had helped create after the war. The office was overflowing with books, parchment scrolls, and enchanted quills scribbling notes faster than I could read.

Hermione didn't even look up as I sat down—she was furiously revising a proposed reform to the current curriculum on Ancient Runes.

Hermione: "If you're here to ask me how to build a school, Harry, I'll need at least three hours. Possibly four."

That was Hermione for you—always thorough.

Me: "I was hoping you could explain how we'd go about it. If someone were founding a new magical settlement, what would it take to build a school from scratch?"

She finally looked up, pushing aside her stack of notes.

Hermione: "You mean actually designing the school itself? The structure, the curriculum, the faculty?"

Me: "Everything."

She sat back, thinking. "Alright, let's break it down."

Step 1: Choosing the Purpose of the School

Hermione: "Before you start building anything, you need to answer one question—what kind of school are you creating?"

Every magical community has different educational needs. Is this a full-scale Hogwarts-style institution? A smaller training academy? A guild-based apprenticeship system?

Different Models of Magical Schools

✔ Traditional Wizarding Schools – Large institutions that teach multiple branches of magic (like Hogwarts, Beauxbatons, and Durmstrang).
✔ Apprenticeship Academies – Small, focused schools where students train under master wizards in specific fields.
✔ Guild-Based Education – Specialized magical guilds (like potioneers, enchanters, or wandmakers) that take on students for training.
✔ Community Learning Circles – A more informal approach, where students learn through shared knowledge and experience.

Hermione: "Most magical communities won't have the resources to build a school as large as Hogwarts right away. It's better to start small—a primary education system that teaches the basics, then expand over time."

Step 2: Designing the Physical Structure of the School

Me: "Alright, let's say we want to build a small magical school from scratch—where do we start?"