So we know that Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them will be coming out next November and with it we will learn of the magic school that is located here in the United States. Personally? I CAN’ T WAIT THAT LONG. Being the Ravenclaw that I am I have decided to take what clues we have and conduct a full study of North American colonization to focus the guess.

Exhibit A- J.K. Rowling has told us via the magic of Twitter that the school was founded by using the assistance of Native American magic but the name is of IMMIGRANT origin. Notice that she said that the naming of the school is immigrant and not specifically British. That means that the school could have been founded by either the French or the British (Not including Spanish because I highly doubt this thing is in Florida.)

Exhibit B- Rowling refuses to state which tribe assisted in the founding of the school as it would give away location. There are MANY tribes that made up the North American continent with unique languages and locations. This clue is not much to go on as it really isn’t a clue at all. We would have to continue with our research before trying to pick at it.

Exhibit C- We know of the Seven Years War and how the Treaty of Paris resulted in the surrender of French Territories to the British. The signing took place in 1763 but by that time, eleven of the original twenty-five universities had already been established and all located within the thirteen original British colonies. Is this saying that the French were too dumb to establish the school? Not at all. It does however tip the favor that the school was established within one of the thirteen seeing that the British emphasized the importance of creating these institutions.

Exhibit D- In the case that the school was founded within the French territories, it would mean that the school was surrendered to the British after their loss. Scorned Native Americans, scorned French, Spanish obtaining the land, the Louisiana Purchase…I don’t know. Seems like a lot of work. I by no means think that Rowling would get lazy with the details but it would certainly make the history of our school very complex. So who knows! The French and Indian War and all of this land shifting however, in my opinion, tips the hat even further to the school being within the original thirteen. Plus I would rather believe that it was Hogwarts graduates that established our school rather than those from Beauxbatons (no offense).

Exhibit E- Rowling has already said that the school is not in New York. Now, that maybe only meant New York City and not the state, but I’m going to help myself and assume that we can rule it out. We know that MACUSA (Magical Congress of the United States of America) is located in New York City operating from the Woolworth building. Though the school isn’t in the city, it is possible that it is somewhere not too far. Again, emphasizing the suspicion that it is within the original colonies.

Exhibit F- The first British colony was in Virginia. Many will be familiar with the story of Pocahontas and the several Anglo-Powhatan wars that ensued. Now, the fact that from the beginning these groups did not get along would lead me to believe that there was no peaceful coming together to establish a school. Therefore, I will rule out Virginia as the location of the institution to bring the list down to eleven.

Exhibit F- The Mayflower arrived in 1620 on the shores of Massachusetts and made first contact with the natives in 1621. They came to a peace agreement known as First Wampanoag-Pilgrim Treaty that would last for over fifty years. This fifty year agreement could be the window in which the school was created. That being said, Native Americans made contact with French well before and even had their own peace agreements. I will however stand by the shifting of territories to be a factor that would deter the location being within the original Louisiana.

Exhibit G- The treaty would end after the death of the Chief who signed it and his son would soon after attempt to unite the tribes to push out the newcomers around 1675. The Pennsylvania and Georgia colonies were founded outside the fifty year window of the First Wampanoag-Pilgrim Treaty. Seeing that the pilgrims killed King Phillip (the chief’s son) and put his head on display, I’m confident that there wouldn’t have been any coming together for the sake of making a kick-ass school within the area.

Exhibit H- Left with nine states for the location of the school we need to remember another key factor; terrain. Beauxbatons is located somewhere in the Pyrenees Mountains, Durmstrang in the northern most area of Norway, and Hogwarts somewhere in the open hills of Scotland. The schools have generally been set up in mountainous areas where muggle traffic is at a minimum. This would suggest that the best possible location for the school would be somewhere in the Appalachian Mountains. This means that Rhode Island. Maryland and Delaware could safely be eliminated from the list of contenders.

Exhibit I- Now, like Hogwarts and Durmstrang, the school could be stationed somewhere by water. For arguments sake, it could easily be guessed that the school is in fact in Massachusetts. Salem Witch Trials, Harvard being the first American University was founded there in 1638 within the peace period between the pilgrims and the Wampanoag, and to this day it holds a great deal of American history and culture. That being said, I find it too easy and the location too stuffy.

Exhibit J- My final guess for the location of the school would have to be in New Hampshire. It’s far north and the White Mountains could make for a beautiful location for the it. Secondly, we have already seen that many wizarding schools hold students from more than just the country they’re in. Setting the school in New Hampshire would mean that it would be a great access point for Canadian students who probably were attending since its inception after French colonization had already begun.

Exhibit K- For fun, I will assume then that the Native American tribe that helped the British create the school would have to be the Iroquois League. They had a government, were extremely organized, aggressive, and preferred the British because the French had befriended their enemies, the Huron. Yes I’m aware they are separate from the Wampanoag. I am also aware that the British and the Iroquois didn’t really become a thing until the French Indian War. That being said, there is only so much guessing that can be done.

Therefore my final two guesses are the White mountains in New Hampshire with the aid of the Iroquois or somewhere near Plymouth/ western mountains of Massachusetts with the help of the Wampanoag after their treaty. The second seems even more likely since with them was the first Thanksgiving.