Mahoutokoro

## About

Standing at the very top of the volcanic island of Minami Iwo Jima, the shining jade palace of Mahoutokoro is perhaps the oldest wizarding school in existence, although records of its founding are so few as to be unhelpful in determining the question. Accessible only by air, it is heavily protected from prying eyes Muggle and magical alike by one of the heaviest batteries of wards and protective charms known to wizardkind. The smallest of the eleven magical schools recognised by the ICW, it is well known for its outstanding academic and sporting achievements.

## Catchment

The Mahoutokoro students are drawn chiefly from Japan and its neighbours. Countries may include: Japan, China, Korea, the Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand, India and Malaysia.

## Culture

Academia is of course highly prized at Mahoutokoro, but more highly prized still is the acquisition of virtue. Those who keep and follow the wizarding code of honour are held in high regard; those who do not find themselves expelled without warning or second chance, for the school staff have always believed that a lapse in moral standards is amongst the worst and most unforgivable mistakes that any witch or wizard can make. Although they too prize competition, they do not take it to the extremes of the Koldovstoretz model; all students are valued here, whatever their abilities, and the high expectations which young witches and wizards live up to here are imposed chiefly by themselves. Tradition and ritual are very important at Mahoutokoro, perhaps due to the sheer longevity of the school, and all students are expected to abide by them. Equally, however, they have never been closed to the possibilities presented by new developments, and as the world changes, they change with it. The state of your blood has no value here compared to the state of your soul.

## Curriculum

Due to its small size, Mahoutokoro is able to offer one of the most varied curriculums of any wizarding school, taking in all sorts of lesser-known subjects from Dowsing to Magical Politics to Mermish and Gobbledegook. It is an establishment for academics; while the more practical offerings are still available, Defence Against the Dark Arts is not afforded nearly so much attention as Arithmancy or History of Magic, and theories are prized above nearly all else. Professors tend to be drawn from all over the world, and as such, they take a synoptic view; they teach their subjects not within the relatively narrow confines of the school's catchment area, but within the context of the whole of the magical world.

## School Structure

Mahoutokoro teaches students from the age of seven years, and as such, the school fosters an almost familial environment in which groups of older students are assigned to watch over their younger counterparts. These groups, usually comprising between two and six older students from a mixture of year groups with a similar number of younger students and evenly split between boys and girls, are given sets of bedrooms surrounding a central lounge area. This lounge area is where the younger day students will come during their free time, gaining help and support from their older counterparts, and they will remain within the same 'family' group until they leave the school, coming to look after younger students in their turn. Each set of rooms has a password jointly decided by its occupants at the beginning of a new school year.

## Uniforms

### Girls

- Black *seifuku* with black and white necktie.

- Black blazer with school crest.

- Enchanted robe, colour changes in accordance with level of learning.

- Black or white stockings.

- Black shoes (flat).

### Boys

- Black *gakuran*.

- Black blazer with school crest.

- Enchanted robe, colour changes in accordance with level of learning.

- Black socks.

- Black shoes.