Headmaster Cavan

### Background

Sometime in the 20th century, Oaks founder and headmaster of Serenity House, Cavan, immigrated from Ireland with smuggled enchanted boots made by her mother. Finding Atlantic-northeastern and "New English" magical society tiring and old fashioned, she relocated to Texas and built Oaks, against the explicit directions of Congress officials.

Utilizing the last of her social credit and *blanca* privilege, Cavan procured land and resources to construct the integrated *hechi-desen* campus with a specialized neighborhood known as Sorcery City and began recruiting fellow rejects from *Macooza*. Most of Oaks is non-magical and carries out business as a public-facing non profit organization working to reduce childhood hunger and homelessness in the state. Within the bounds of Sorcery City, Cavan and the magic-aware staff lead classes and programs serving both *hechi* students and their *desencantade* siblings or immediate relatives with necessary knowledge of magic.

Cavan's exact age and life before immigration are unclear or unknown entirely. Though she maintains stable relationships with her peers, students, and other allies, she prefers not to speak of herself or her background.

> *Today is what matters. Today, and what I'm doing now.*
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### Philosophies of Magic

Cavan teaches and preaches the belief that students of magic should still feel safe and capable of using any innate magic they possess even when not in possession of a wand. Using what is commonly known as a Focal Object, Cavan's boot laces are made from unicorn hair, which she uses as an example of her reasoning that magical practice should not be restricted to wand use. Many of the Oaks staff feel similarly, that restricting magical materials to use by and for wand-owning *hechi* is a form of cultural suppression.

### Contraversies

Throughout her tenure as Headmaster of Serenity House, Cavan has been known to employ questionable tactics and flexible morals when it comes to education. Trying to maintain freedom of magical expression while managing the conflicting thought systems that only *some* magical beings should be able to use magic and that *not all magical beings* are capable of learning safe *lanza* with her own notions has created factions within Sorcery City that meet as academic "clubs" regularly advocating for the others' disbandment.

> *They're children, they parrot their parents as long as they can, until their own experiences lead them somewhere else. The reality is that there isn't always a middle ground. Maybe they won't shake hands and agree to disagree, maybe they never will get along. That's fine, you don't have to be friends with everyone. My concern comes in when they attempt something unsafe. Without clear intentions, they're more likely to hurt themselves than each other.*
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### What We Know

Cavan dresses simply in natural materials such as wool, leather, and cotton with wooden buttons. She owns a knee-length khaki-colored wool coat that shows no wear, even after several winters. A rotation of seemingly custom hats make appearances in her cyclical wardrobe . Unlike other staff, Cavan is rarely seen dressed outside of her House colors: maroon, silver, and earthy browns.

Her mother made her a pair of brown leather boots before she emigrated from Ireland. The laces are known to be made from unicorn hair, which was obtained in some way from a wand shop. Cavan explains that she prefers the boots to any wand, because controlling a magic user's tools is to control the magic user. While wandmaking is not necessarily restricted by possibility to magical people, it is considered dangerous, and presents challenges such as the sentience developed by objects imbued with magic not native to them.

Before moving to Texas, Cavan was known in New York's magical circles as a very sociable and engaging person interested in American history and government. She reportedly attended several parties as early as 1950 or as late as 1999, though conflicting reports of Oaks' founding as early as 1969 exist. When asked, she smiles and says she prefers to *let the legends live*. Several wealthy benefactors to Oaks maintain their public support for *Macooza* and New English magical society while simultaneously enjoying getaways and invitations to Oaks events annually.

### What We Don't Know

* Age, birthdate, birthplace (specifically)
* Family or relatives, living or dead
* Method of procurement of unicorn hair
* Reason for immigrating
* Exact nature of her time in New York before moving to Texas
	+ Who did she meet, and how?
	+ Why did she leave, and when, precisely?
	+ Did she influence government or policy before leaving? Does she still?
* How the land for Oaks was acquired, and when
* How the other Headmasters were selected
* How the Houses were designed, and by whom, and why
* Whether she ever personally visited or attended other magical institutions before founding Oaks