Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry is a school for wizards and witches - one of the best in Europe. All students are boarders and live in houses in the school. Over the holidays, students are allowed to leave the school for a brief break and return home for a well deserved rest, or they can choose to stay in the school. Over the summer, students are required to go back home. Students range from 11 to 18 years old, the equivalent of form 1-7.

School profile:

Headmaster - Albus Dumbledore
Staff - approximately 20
Students - approximately 1000
School motto - Draco Dormiens Nunquam Titillandus

Degrees:
Fifth years - O.W.L., Ordinary Wizard Levels
Seventh years - N.E.W.T, Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Tests

Requirements:
Be at least 11 years old
Have some magical skill in you *it doesn't matter if you come out of a muggle family or a wizard one.

Entrance Hall - Description
Double oak front doors, opening to the west. Large, cavernous room, lit by torches, with ceiling so high it's barely visible. Wide marble staircase opposite the front doors (east wall) leads up to first floor. Double doors to the right (south wall) lead into the Great Hall. On the east wall are two doors, one on either side of the staircase. To the north of the staircase is a door leading down a flight of steps to the first dungeon level. To the south is a door leading to the Hufflepuff common room and the kitchens. On the left (north wall) is a door leading to a smaller antechamber where First Years wait to be sorted.

Great Hall
Vast chamber with an enchanted ceiling which mirrors the sky outside. Four long tables for the four houses. Closest to the doors from the Entrance Hall is Slytherin, then Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and next to the far wall, Gryffindor (this order may possibly be reversed, depending on how you orient the room to the entrance hall). The teachers sit at a table on a raised platform at the front of the room. There is a smaller antechamber with a fireplace and many portraits (including that of the Fat Lady's friend Violet) off the Great Hall, just behind the staff table

Secrets of Hogwarts
There are seven secret passages out of the school in total, and many within the castle.Obviously we can't say where they are for security reasons. There is also a staircase with a trick stair half way up that your foot sinks into, and many rooms, such as one full of chamber pots that once appeared to Albus Dumbledore while he was walking around the school at night.

Other Magic Schools

International Wizard Schools: The exact locations of these schools are unknown, for each one of them have their own way of making sure no one finds out where it is. The only time they meet up is during a Triwizard tournament. The only other known wizard schools to us is Beauxbaton Academy and Durmstrang Institute.

Beauxbaton Academy:
This is a french based school run like any other French School. They have a headmistress that is a half giant like Hagrid.

Profile:
Headmistress: Olympe Maxime
Language: French
Coat of Arms: two crossed, golden wands, each emitting 3 stars
Robes: pale blue, made of fine silk
School Champion: Fleur Delacour
Location: Unknown, probably in France.

Durmstrang Institute:
Durmstrang is well known for teaching students the Dark Arts. Their headmaster is Professor Karkaroff, a former death-eater.

Profile:
Headmaster: Igor Karkaroff
Robes: Blood Red
School Champion: Viktor Krum
Location: Somewhere north