L’istituto di Augusto per i Maghi
(The Augustan Institute for Magic)
About the School
Founded in the days of the Roman Empire, The Augustan Institute is one of the oldest known schools of magic. At it's founding, the school was known by Muggles and Wizards alike, as it was seen as a temple to the Roman Goddess Trivia. After the fall of the Roman Empire, the school's Elders sought to protect its students and the surrounding magical community from invaders, and so they made the Sicilian island the school is located on Unplottable. Because of its location, the school has a good relationship with merfolk.
As time went on, the Institute had to start keeping a lower and lower profile, especially when the Catholic church became popular in Italy. Many graduates of the Institute feared that they and their families would be imprisoned if they were discovered. Now, the witches and wizards are less afraid, but they still keep a low profile.
The Augustan Institute accepts students from Greece, Tunisia, Spain, Morocco, Algeria, Italy. Because of this, students are encouraged to be multilingual. Students are accepted starting at the age of six. Until the age of eleven, these students are provided with basic information about magic and the history of the Wizarding World. It is not mandatory for students to attend these years, and so many students join the Institute at the age of eleven. For three years, the students are free to discover what types of magic they enjoy. Before their sixth year of official study, students then are placed into a Cohort to be part of based off how well they do on an exam in the given subjects. Students continue to study these areas until they graduate at the age of twenty. Of course, students may take courses outside of their cohort, and they may continue their studies for as long as they wish.
Because of the school's roots in Roman Culture, the Institute is a popular place for ghosts to be, and so many students take Ghost and Ghoul Studies. Many classes are taught by ghosts and the Headmaster is the ghost of one of the original founders. Due to the fact the Headmaster is a ghost, there is a group of Five Elders, one from each cohort who deals with the physical matters of running the Institute.
The Five Cohorts
Cohort Apollo xxxxxThese students do well in Charms, Divination, Healing, Art, and Music.
Cohort DianaxxxxxThese students do well in Astronomy, Care of Magical Creatures, Transfiguration, and World Studies.
Cohort MarsxxxxxThese students do well in Defense Against the Dark Arts, Herbology, Potions, and Cursebreaking.
Cohort MinervaxxxxxThese students cohort do well in History of Magic, Ghoul and Ghost Studies, Study of Ancient Runes, Ancient Studies, and Wizard Law. These students are also excellent at Wandless Magic.
Cohort VulcanxxxxxThese students do well in Alchemy, Arithmancy, and Wandlore Studies.
Educational Set-Up
School of AugustusxxxxxLocated within the Institute's boundaries, the School of August is where students age six to eleven receive their education in mundane magical curriculum, such as basic magical theory and history. Students are divided based on year, with the six year olds being First Years and the eleven year olds being Fifth Years. Toward their graduation, students take a simple written test to prove their proficiency. Upon passing, they are taken to receive their wand.
The Augustan InstitutexxxxxAt the age of eleven, students are instructed in several core areas of magic. These areas are Transfiguration, Charms, Potions, History of Magic, Defence Against the Dark Arts, Astronomy and Herbology. Students have the option to take Flying lessons and are not permitted to be on the Quidditch teams until they have taken three years of Flying and are a member of a cohort. Students are separated by year into Orders, with eleven year olds being in the First Order and twenty year olds in the Ninth Order. Third Order students may take elective courses such as Alchemy, Ancient Studies, Arithmancy, Art, Care of Magical Creatures, Cooking with Magic, Cursebreaking, Divination, Ghoul and Ghost Studies, Healing Class, Muggle Art, Muggle Music, Muggle Mythology, Muggle Studies, Music, Mythology, Study of Ancient Runes, Wandless Magic Practice Class, Wizard Law, and World Studies. Before starting the Sixth Order, students are placed into cohorts based upon their magical strengths. If a student could fit into more than one cohort, they may choose which one they wish to belong to. Students may continue taking courses outside of their cohort if they wish.
College of AugustusxxxxxStudents who wish to continue their studies may do so after graduating the Institute by enrolling in the College. These students are older than twenty and are no longer eligible to play Quidditch for their cohort's team. Attendance at the college is mandatory before becoming an instructor at the Institute.