Salem Witches Institute of Magic
Salem Witches Institute is a school mentioned in the Harry Potter series. For canon information about this school, please visit the Harry Potter Lexicon. [1]
This information provides a more specific look at life at Salem and is considered Absit Omen canon.
Location
Salem's Peak, Massachusetts, USA
History
(To be added.)
Academics
The student body at SWIM is separated into two parts. The first part is the 11-13 year olds (or the first three years) and the second is the 14-17 year olds (the last four years). Though they share the same building for classes, these groups have separate dorm areas, lunchtimes and Quidditch teams.
Students in the primary years are not sorted into houses and attend classes together and live together in one group. At the end of the their third year, they take the SMART (The Standard Magic Aptitude and Role Test), which sorts them into the four houses depending on their aptitude for one of four subjects: Practical Magic, Alchemy, Herbology and Astronomy.
Students in the secondary years are divided up amongst the school's four houses and wear different colors to represent their house, as well as live in their house dorms and play for their house team. BAt the end of their seventh year (or senior year) they take the ADEPT (Advanced Demonstration of Employment and Proficiency Test), which is basically the NEWT for American school children.
Culture
The mascot of the school is the Swedish Shortsnout and the motto is "Operor non alieno flamma congelo lepor lepos." ("Don't forget the Freezing-Flame charm.")
There are four houses at SWIM: Merlin, Agrippa, Cliodne and Ptolemy. Students are sorted into these houses based not on personality, but their proficiency at one of the four basic magics. The colors worn by the students reflect the Hogwarts house colors they are equivilent to.
- Merlin is the equivalent of Gryffindor and focuses on Practical Magic (IE wandwork).
- Agrippa is the equivalent of Slytherin and focuses on Potions.
- Cliodne is the equivalent of Hufflepuff and focuses on Herbology.
- Ptolemy is the equivalent of Ravenclaw and focuses on Astronomy.
Prefects at SWIM are called Hall Monitors. The Head Girl and Head Boy are the Student Body President and Vice President. (They are also not required to be of the opposite sex.)
