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| Started by witch Annabelle Hallaway on October 14, 1692, Grove Academy is the oldest wizarding school in the United States to focus on the instruction of young women and the development of their witchcraft. Though many hardships, Grove has persevered produced some of the world’s most famous witches. Hard Beginnings The tragic events of the Salem Witch Trials forever changed the practice of Witchcraft in the United States. While the male wizards happily went about their daily lives, their craft concealed, witches were being constantly attacked by the muggles. Very many witches of the day were caught and executed, for they refused to reveal themselves or their fellow witches. Many witches, for fear of being found out stopped practicing the craft. As the trials continued, more and more witches abandoned their magic and forced their families to do the same for their own protections. It was one woman, Annabelle Hallaway, who stood up and made the choice that the next generation must be educated, without fear of being discovered by the muggles. She bought a small building on the outskirts of Amherst, Massachusetts and Grove Academy was born on October 14, 1692. Young girls from all over the colony came to be taught the art of witchcraft by Annabelle and members of her family. Basic anti-muggle charms were placed on the building so as to not attract unwanted attention. When the witch trials finally ended, Annabelle had more than 50 students in her school and gaining more students by the day. It was time for expansion. The Great Fire As time went on, the school continued to grow, even without their founder. After a long and dedicated time as Grove’s headmistress, Annabelle died in 1750 at 82. With her death brought another Hallaway, Annabelle’s youngest daughter Sarah, into the esteemed position, having been chosen by Annabelle herself. At 45, Sarah was ready and willing to take the reins and continue her mother’s legacy. However, the school’s survival would be questioned by the escalating violence that would soon lead to America’s fight for independence. With British muggle soldiers marching in the countryside and burning houses and villages, it became even more essential that the school and its inhabitants stayed secret for fear that their livelihood would be attacked. Despite Sarah’s efforts, the school’s seclusion would not last. It was on a cold night on November 12, 1777 while everyone slept that the muggles had found the little school in the deep woods and set fire to it, believing it to be a safe haven for the colonial army. The students and teachers escaped without harm but the school was destroyed. The colonies’ magical council, which was started 20 years before, erased the memories of the muggles and set to work rebuilding the esteemed academy. The school was placed in its current location, deep within the woods as to not attract attention. More powerful anti-muggle spells were placed on the place so nothing of this nature would happen again. Grove reopened its doors a year later, to a growth of witches of all kinds and from both sides. By the time America had won the fight for independence, Grove had become the most esteemed of schools. The Great War The years that Britain and the world was terrorized by the evil one known throughout the Wizarding World as Lord Voldemort, the United States remained out of the conflict but very worried that it would not be long before the dark lord had made his way to the nation. The amount of his followers on American soil grew to alarming proportions. Finally war came to America on June 1998, when Voldemort’s top man in the states, Ravon Horntail launched a full scale attack on the American Bureau of Magic. For the second time in the school’s history, Grove closed as the school’s council believed it unsafe for their young students. In the three months that the school was shut down, it became a hideaway for many who escaped from the fighting, and a place where aurors’ wounds were tended to. It was to be there where the final battle in America would take place. After many days and the deaths of many good aurors, Ravon was finally defeated and the Wizarding World was once again at peace. Grove reopened its doors to its students the following school year, full of promise and hope for the future. Present Day For the last three-hundred and fifteen years, Grove has stood the test of time. Surviving the wars and conflicts that had plagued Muggle and Wizarding history, Grove has shown the Wizarding world the seriousness it shows with educating the nation’s witches in the art of witchcraft. Now with the instillation of a new Hallaway, Elizabeth Hallaway, into the office of headmistress, only time will tell if the school and its years of tradition will survive into the new milineninum. |
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Since the burning time magic has lived hidden away from the average person's eyes, secret yet peaceful. Witches and Wizards carved out their existence, either blending in with their non-magical surroundings or making their own settlements out of the way of any prying eye. People were happy and thriving; life was good. So good that perhaps people were growing slack. Now there had been instances of magic seen by non-gifted people before but never something of such magnitude that it couldn't be covered up or magically forgotten. This isn't uncommon at all to be honest. What is uncommon is to be caught vanquishing a human at an internationally televised event. *** Anthony Hagen was a Secret Service agent recently asked to retire after an incident involving what he thought was going to be an assassination attempt of the British Prime Minister as he visited America. You see, Anthony not only was a wizard but he was a seer as well and had used his gift with great outcomes in his job. This time did not work out for him however. There was going to be an assassination attempt but he was wrong about when. Anthony's mistake resulted in international embarassment, him being sacked, and a very angry partner who took a dive down the stairs to help Anthony catch the waiter mistaken for an assassian. Anthony might not be in the service any more but he knew that that assassian was still out there. He knew what he had saw and he would take action. The next week the Prime Minister and more than a dozen other foreign dignitaries were gathered in the same building that Anthony had made his mistake in. They had moved to that venue from the rain outside; this simply had to be what Anthony had seen now. Using his magic and training Anthony gained entrance and remembering his visions sought out the to-be assassian moments before the suicide bomber was about to go off. Anthony knew only one way to get rid of the assassian and the explosives in time and he did it. He wasn't counting on the press flooding out of the door as the President strolled out in apparent anger over the talks. Anthony had just vanquished a man on live television without any proof that it was a criminal he had just taken out. *** This all has taken place three months before. Anthony Hagen has been put to death and panic has taken over the world's good sense. People are suspicious of everyone around them and witchcraft accusations have started to fly and become a world obsession. People, magical and non-magical alike find themselves accused of things that are flimsy fabrications. The magical world scramble to keep themselves hidden and to save those accused. Most do anyway. There are some in the community that believe it is their time to step out from the shadows. They are those with power, why should it have to remain hidden? If there is going to be a battle they will not only fight for their existence but fight for their open existence or maybe even domination. But everyone must face the oncoming trials and suffer the consequences. |