-Australia – Snakebinder Academy-

Snakebinder Academy is the main wizarding school of
Australia, also welcoming New Zealanders, Americans and English, though the
main bulk of students is made up of Australian witches and wizards. Snakebinder
is located in Southern Australia in the most remote part of the Snowy
Mountains, away from the ski resorts after making a surrounding vicinity of ten
miles unplottable and impossible for muggles to enter, even though this area
does not belong to the grounds. Snakebinder is known for its just and fair ways
of teaching, and for its skiing winter activities for the students, which are
said to be most enjoyed. The current head of school is Cody Fowler, a wizard
known for his devotion to both the school and wizarding courtroom, where he
served for many years as one of the jury. He is apparently extremely keen on
justice and will not punish a student until certain. For this reason he is said
to be highly respected by staff and students alike.

Founding:

Snakebinder Academy was founded a British Naval
wizard, John Marrion, in 1795 as a facility for convicts brought over from
England to first live, then secretly learn magic if they were witches and
wizards. With the support of the British Ministry of Magic, Marrion was able to
expand the school widely and help many more arriving convicts that had magical
abilities. Snakebinder was opened in 1799 and by the 1850s, when Marrion sadly
passed, the school was thriving and in the trust of the newly founded
Australian Ministry of Magic.

Apparently, though, Marrion does not haunt the halls;
he was said to be a peaceful, compassionate man, a previous Hufflepuff, though
not scared of death. He disliked the way the convicts were treated and his
heart went out those with magical blood who were forced to hide their
abilities. There is, however, a secret room in the school you may stumble upon,
dedicated to this beloved founder. It is said to contain pictures of the seaman
and letters to and from him to England campaigning about money for the school.
It is even said his ghost haunts there as a peaceful spirit, but many have said
this is not true. Either way, the room does not seem to have been created by
Marrion, only be a loving student who scratched her name on the walls ‘Joyce Fisher’.
The dates on the wall that the student also put where just when the school had
opened and Marrion was still a young man in his early thirties. Suspiciously,
one of the instances where Joyce’s name is written gives her the surname
‘Marrion’ instead of ‘Fisher’. Could the girl have been involved romantically
with the founding wizard? We shall never know, but apparently a girl named
Joyce Fisher died of Pneumonia in 1804. Since Marrion was back in Britain at
the time on business the mystery was never solved and the founder never
associated with the girl.

Further History:

Like many wizarding schools, Snakebinder keeps itself
to itself, keeping out of other wizarding and Muggle problems. However, it has
had some of its own; in 1874 a Veela student from America came to study at the
school and caused complete uproar. When returning to her American School, one
of the lesser ones, in 1875, many male students left to follow her. Loosing
much business, the staff at Snakebinder tried to prevent this, and eventually
the headmaster at the time, Leonard Eyemer, found out that the lesser American
school had set up the procedure to try and get more students. Furious at this,
Snakebinder and the ministry demanded they admit and send students back, which
the lesser school did. It also closed down a year later from scandal.

There was also an incident in 1934 when a dragon from
the mountains decided to attack the school. The Australian Ashwinder seemed to
be in pain and rage and a magical creature despatch team had to be called up
form the Ministry of Magic. Fortunately no students were injured in the attack,
but the school was severely damaged.

The school did not wish to take part in either of the
struggles against Lord Voldemort, though most British students went home to help
their families.

After John Marrion died in the 1850s, the school’s
running was passed onto a Mr Everton Royce. There have been many heads of
school since, but all, strangely, have been wizards. There was a scandal in the
school in 1910, however, when headmaster Duncan Moore was revealed to be an
infiltrator from the British ministry of magic, who wished to know how the
school was getting on. Moore was at once removed, and though the tow ministries
of magic made up some time afterwards, the incident had never been forgotten.

Education:

Similar to English and American schools, having been
modelled on Hogwarts, Snakebinder students start schooling at the age of eleven
and brave seven years of education. They take the same core classes and
electives, choosing elective in third year and doing O.W.L.s in their fifth
year. They do not do N.E.W.T.s, however, instead there are two and one year
course they may take, a little like degrees.

John Marrion, though a Hogwarts Hufflepuff himself,
did not want to segregate the students using houses and instead kept the school
house-free so no rivalry or unfeeling would come between the students that way.
There are four Quidditch teams for the school, which play against each other,
but they are not house-related and name themselves after Australian wildlife,
i.e. ‘The Prancing Brumbies’ is one of the current teams.

Snakebinder as offers extras in skiing and hiking
sports for students, and these are said to be very popular.

Setting:

Another mountaintop school, Snakebinder is located on
the tip of a snowy mountain in a robust castle styled with four towers and the
medieval look. It is vast, and thought to be bigger even than Hogwarts, but it
is not built in the same style. One of its notable features is the library, an
extensive room filled with books in all languages and no restricted section.
Any student can go in there and pick up a book, but all are enchanted t, if the
reader has dark motives, to snap shut or bite the reader until he or she drops
it.

Each tower of the school had it’s own observatory and
sleeping dorms, though it isn’t a house. Students there share dormitories with
four people and sleep in comfort, with fires, un-suites and much space for them
to store belongings. The common rooms are also located in the towers, one for
each year, and are also furnished for comfort, also holding Muggle TVs so that
muggle-borns may watch their favourite programs and educate wizarding students.
Apparently the rooms are decorated lavishly inside, with beautiful scenery
paintings and few portraits, bright, uplifting colours and simple but elegant
ornaments. There are also music rooms for those who wish to practice playing,
and a school choir and orchestra. Dances are held for notable holidays such as
Christmas and Easter, and al studdents may attend. There is also a student
council, like in many muggle schools.

The great hall is a communal place formed with long
tables and another eating platform for teachers, though staff regularly
socialise with students. New students are frequently asked what they think or
how the school could be improved, as the staff are always striving to keep up
the reputation of a happy, fair and comfortable school of education.

In spirits and secrets, there are more peaceful
feelings, as most if the ghosts that haunt are incredibly polite and gentle.
Among these is Felicity May, murdered by her brother when he went insane. However,
Felicity returned to him as a spirit and nursed him with care until he died,
then continued her educate at the school (they were both students). She is
still a soft-voiced saint today, helping everyone in need and never blaming
anyone for incidences.

Another notable spirit is Catherine de Boir, who
haunts with her husband. She is suspected to have been a Veela or Muse (see my
next book that is soon to come out) and to have been murdered by a passionate
love, but no one is quite sure, as she will not speak. Her husband and her
parade around as if they are at a wedding, always dropping a kindly word.
Catherine is constantly making pretty flower arrangements and her Husband
watches the skiing and attempts to teach younger students when a teacher is not
on hand.

The grounds of Snakebinder are not as impressive as
others, with a Quidditch pitch on a flat platform down the mountain on the
moor, as well as glasshouses and care of magical compounds. When there is
enough snow, students ski or toboggan down to these areas and take a portkey
back up. The ski slopes are on the other side of the mountain, that area being
steep and perfect for skiing. Mountain hikes, however, are held from the
Quidditch pitch and apparently very popular. They also do horse treks and have
a stables located at the magical creatures compounds.