Taikasisu Academy

**Taikasisu Academy of Magic** is a Finish wizarding school located in Lapland.

## School year

The school year officially begins on the first Monday of September.

New students are taken to the school via large carriages pulled by reindeer. Upon arriving at the school grounds, they are taken to the stave hall where they change into their uniforms and drop off their luggages. Once this has been taken care, the students follow the deputy headmaster/headmistress to the Great Hall, where the headmaster says a few words before the beginning of the Sorting Ceremony and Welcoming Feast. After the feast, student orientation begins as the headmaster details changes happening from last year, school events and later events. After orientation, students are led to their dorms by the seventh-years, allowing them to get comfortable with their surroundings, get acquainted with their dorm mates and bond with their fellow house members, before the commencement of classes 2 days after. Schedules are handed out at breakfast the next day by the ... At the beginning of October, Quidditch try-outs and first-year flying lessons begin.

## Houses

Taikasisu has three houses, each named after revered animals of Finland: Poro, Lumipöllö and Karhu. Each house has its own unique traits and values that are embodied by its members.

* **Poro:** values intelligence, innovation, and creativity. Its members are known for their sharp minds and their ability to think outside the box. They excel in the areas of research and development, and are often at the forefront of new magical discoveries. The house symbol is a reindeer.
* **Lumipöllö:** values harmony, balance, and compassion. Its members have a deep respect for nature and the elements, and are often either skilled in herbology and care of magical creatures or excel at healing magic. They are often advocates for environmental protection and conservation, and strive to maintain a balance between magic and nature. The house symbol is a snow owl.
* **Karhu:** values bravery, honour, and strength. Its members are known for their courage and their willingness to stand up for what they believe in. They excel in the areas of dueling and combat magic, and are often leaders on the Quidditch field. The house symbol is a bear.
* **Ahma:** The house symbol is a wolverine.
* ... : The house symbol is a wolf.
* ... : The house symbol is a moose.
* ... : The house symbol is a seal.

Each house has its own common room and dormitory within the castle, and students spend much of their time with their housemates, working together on projects and competing against other houses in various magical competitions. The houses also have their own mascots and colours, which are proudly displayed throughout the school.

* - Bravery, Strength, Chivalry
* - Heart, Loyalty, Compassion, Just
* - Intelligence, Learning, Community, Duality
* - Ambition, Cunning, Shrewdness

## Sorting

In order to be sorted, a student walks into the center of a room with high walls. Each of these walls depict one of the four house animals. The student touches his or her hand on each one of the animals in turn. Whichever image glows, the student belongs in that house. If more than one image glows, than the student decides which house he or she will be in. If all four images glow, which has almost never happened, then it rests with the student to make the final decision.

## Uniform

When students started off at the school, they were given bijia vests with the symbol of their house etched in that grew as they grew and changed color as the wearer gained experience, with pink as the beginning color. If the wearer received top grades in all the school subjects, their robes would turn gold. Any student who betrayed the Chinese wizard's code or practiced Dark Arts would result in their uniform turning white, which was a huge disgrace, and the student in question would be immediately expelled from the school and tried by the Ministry of Magic.

## Description

### School Building

Unlike many of the other wizarding schools, Fenghuang is made up of many buildings, or pagodas. Each building contains a different class, except for Care of Magical Creatures, which is held outside. The main building is the largest and grandest of all of the buildings. It is a massive gold pagoda which contains a massive dining hall, similar to Hogwarts' Great Hall, as well as all of the student dormitories. A giant statue of a Fenghuang (Logo8th) sits on top of the building. It is sometimes said that its eyes glow at the start of every new school year.

### Other Buildings

The other pagodas at Fenghuang act as classrooms. They all appear very similar on the outside, but the inside is enchanted to look different based on which classroom one goes into. Each building has a name and different colored Fenghuang (Logo8th) emblem on its front to prevent students from getting confused by the similar buildings.

### Grounds

The grounds of Fenghuang are filled with creatures. These creatures are used in Care of Magical Creatures classes. The only known captive Qilin (Logo8th) and 15 Jian (Logo8th) pairs, both of which are often seen together, live on the grounds, along with a strangely docile Chinese Fireball. The dragon has been kept at the school since it hatched, and has been trained to not attack humans or other animals. As expected from a school bearing its name, there are multiple Fenghuangs living on the grounds as well. A "tamed" Xiangliu also lives in a cave on the grounds. (see Xiangliu cave)

#### Xiangliu Cave

A cave is located just outside of the school grounds. This cave is the home of a Xiangliu (Logo8th) who had tried twice to attack the school. In order to stop further attacks, the school founders constructed this cave for the Xiangliu to live in to protect both it and the school. This Xiangliu is the only one of its species that is "tamed", as it hasn't attacked the school ever since. It is used in Care of Magical Creatures classes, although no one is allowed to enter its cave. For this purpose an enchanted guard rail has been put around the entrance of the cave in order to prevent the Xiangliu from attacking people while still allowing it to be seen. Fortunately, there is enough food inside the cave to allow it to stay without ever needing to leave.

#### Garden

This garden contains many different plants native to China, including Chinese Chomping Cabbage and the Pounding Peach Tree. (see Pounding Peach Tree)

#### Pounding Peach Tree

Just like the Whomping Willow of Hogwarts, Fenghuang has a species of tree known as the Pounding Peach Tree on the grounds of the school. However, unlike the Whomping Willow, the Pounding Peach Tree is well known to drop delicious fruit for anyone who can get through its smashing branches.

## Education

Education at New Alexandria works rather differently than most of the Big Eleven; In comparison to the British system of wizarding education for example, New Alexandrian students are given much less written homework on parchment and out-of-class word for students consists mostly of practical application of learned skills and reading up on some extra material. Written homework is given only for classes such as Astronomy and other subjects where practical spells are seldom taught. Things such as O.W.L.s and N.E.W.T.s, or any kind of standardized written test for that matter, do not exist; instead, students are given practical examinations where they apply their knowledge. Even then, these practical exams are only for subjects such as Defense, Charms, Transfiguration, etc. Students do take a test in their 4th and 7th years that are given to the ministries to track how well students do in the school, but they do not count towards final grades and are simply to collect data about the education system.

After a student's fourth year, most courses become optional, though a young witch or wizard must take a minimum of four courses, including the mandatory Defense classes. During their fifth and seventh years, students take more specialized classes and start planning for their future career. If a student chooses to continue their education by entering New Alexandria's University program, they continue studying their specialized courses for three extra years in order to get a Wizard's Degree (W.D.) in whichever subjects they specialized in. In most European wizarding schools, excluding Hogwarts, Corvinus and a few private institutions, professors require a Wizard's Degree in the subject one wishes to teach, which makes New Alexandria's University program attractive to many who wish to become a professor.

### Classes

* Astronomy
* Advanced/Basic Spell Casting
* Chinese Alchemy
* Defense Against the Dark Arts
* Flying
* Herbology
* History of Magic
* Potions
* Taoist Mysticism

### Electives

#### Third years and up

* Ancient Studies
* Care of Magical Creatures
* Divination
* Muggle Studies

#### Sixth and seventh years

* Apparition
* Wandless Magic
* Symbol Magic