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Magic School is an institution of magic created by the Council of Elders thousands of years ago, after untrained magic destroyed Atlantis.

Book of Shadows[]

Magic School[]

The Elders established Magic School as a training ground for young magic users. Set apart in a separate realm, hidden portals all over the Earth allowed access to the school for those who have permission to enter. The school was set up as a safe environment for learning and protective wards were created to keep the students safe from death during their studies. Those wards were breached when the Charmed Ones went into hiding, allowing Magic School to fall under demon dominion until it could be reclaimed.[1]

History[]

Foundation[]

"Seeing what untrained and untethered magic could do, the destruction of Atlantis being the prime example, the Elders created Magic School."
Leo Wyatt on the history of the school.[src]

Thousands of years ago, Atlantis was destroyed by witches whose magic was untrained, which was also the reason for many other catastrophes. These prompted the Elders to create Magic School in order to prevent such destruction from ever occurring again by training them to use magic properly. They shielded and cloaked the school and its grounds, and they even made it impossible for its inhabitants to die there in order to protect the vulnerable students from demons and warlocks. However, the only Elder willing to run the school was Gideon, one of the most powerful of them, who proceeded to become the Head of Magic School for thousands of years.[2]

20th Century[]

"All that remains as evidence of his existence are his wand and his legacy of magic."
—An extract of a textbook concerning the wizard Rathmere.[src]

In 1904, the wizard Rathmere was kidnapped by the Spider demon, who planned on feeding on him and his magic. However, Magic School somehow came in possession of Rathmere's wand and left it on display in the library and was used to locate Rathmere but didn't work because he was already dead. They also dedicated a page in a textbook to him so students could read and study about him. It is also likely that a few of Rathmere's five-hundred spells and potions were studied in Magic School.[3]

In 1984, Magic School had two advanced students; the Mullen brothers. They used the school's magic to create a book called "Crossed, Double-Crossed" in which a whole new world is created inside. While living in the book, the brothers motivated the inhabitants on one goal: to find a Burmese falcon statue. The older brother, Dan Mullen, was killed in the book after he found and hid the falcon, which killed him permanently. His body was then expelled from the book and he was found dead in the school library. Because Eddie Mullen was nowhere to be found at that time, he became the murderer in everyone's eyes.[4]

2003 to 2004[]

"It started innocently enough with a couple of pranks. Setting the rats loose from the Pied Piper. Turning the North Dorm into a gingerbread house. Kids!"
Gideon retelling the story of the Headless Horseman.[src]

By 2003, Magic School had acquired many professors, including Mrs. Winterbourne, Mr. Feeney and Miss Donovan. Gideon was also still the Headmaster and continued to protect and run the school. During that year, some of the students began to make pranks by using their magic, such as transforming the North Dorm into a gingerbread house and setting the rats loose from the Pied Piper. However, one student, the Telepath Zachary, used his power to tap into the powers of Herman, a Conjurer. Using Herman's power, Zachary summoned the Headless Horseman from The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. The Horseman targeted what his Conjuror considered evil, which, as well as thieves, included teachers. One by one, the Horseman decapitated the teachers, who didn't die because of the enchantment on the school. Fortunately, the Charmed Ones arrived and vanquished him before the school could be closed down. They were beheaded when they cast the spell to vanquish the Horseman but then were reattached when he was vanquished. Zachary soon left to spend more time with his family. After this, the school was visited frequently by the Halliwell sisters.

Evil taking over and Reclaiming by the Charmed Ones[]

Triad energy

The Triad in Magic School.

With the revival of the demon Zankou, the school later became deserted by its students and teaching staff due to the destruction of the protection shield against evil. The spell that prevented death was broken as well. This led to demons taking over the school to use as their base of operations, with all of its magic and knowledge at their disposal. During their stay there, several calculating demons resurrected the original Source of All Evil. Fortunately, soon after his revival, the Source was vanquished once again by the Charmed Ones.

When Billie Jenkins and Christy Jenkins betrayed the Charmed Ones, Magic School became their base of operations, alongside their assistant Dumain, who was working on behalf of the Triad. The Charmed Ones' final battle took place here with them vanquishing the Triad forever, Piper vanquishing Dumain and Billie killing Christy.

After the events of the Ultimate Battle, the sisters reclaimed Magic School for the side of good where Leo resumed teaching the next generation. The school was the setting of Phoebe and Coop's wedding, presided over by an Angel of Destiny.[5]

Attacked by the Source[]

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The source is vanquished in Magic School.

When the first witch, Neena, planned to reunite with her long lost lover, she resurrected the Source of All Evil to gain more power. Resurrected in the form of a golem, the Source wasted no time to attack the Charmed Ones at Magic School. With very little time, the Charmed Ones decided to create a vanquishing spell which channels the power of all white magic practitioners, including fairies, unicorns and fellow witch Billie Jenkins.

When the Source breaks into Magic School, the sisters threw him a potion, Piper stabbed him with Excalibur and then recited a more powerful version of the Power of Three Spell, thus destroying the Source once and for all. The witch Neena recited a spell that called upon the Source's vanquished essence and shared it with her and the demons of the Underworld, making them more powerful.[6] With this army she attempted to invade and conquer the Heavens.[7]

Hiding from Prue[]

One year after Prue Halliwell claimed the magic of The All, she merged with the demon Heremus and became a threat to the world. After a near-death confrontation with her, Phoebe was sent to Magic School, along with Victor and their children for their safety. One night, Phoebe had a premonition of Prue choking her husband and grabbed a book from the library to transfer herself to his location.[8]

School Description[]

"… and there is classes in telekinesis, spell casting, medieval weaponry…"
—Leo Wyatt concerning the school subjects.

Magic School is a place where young or novice good witches and other supernatural beings learn to improve their magical craft and study their history. There are classes for students in telekinesis, spell casting, potion making, astral projection, medieval weaponry and also basic classes like literature. The school also has a nursery for young children.

It is magically protected so that no evil can enter in order to protect the often vulnerable students. On one occasion, the Headless Horseman was magically created and began to decapitate faculty members. Fortunately, the school is also magically protected so that no one can be hurt or killed while on premises (except for demons and other evil beings), and the Horseman's effects are soon returned to normal.[9]

Magic School was originally run by Gideon but after it was revealed that he sought to kill one of the Charmed Ones' child (Wyatt), Wyatt's father, Leo, killed Gideon, thus leaving the school to close. However, Paige Matthews was able to stand up for the necessity of the school, and reluctantly took over as headmistress. After almost a year of being headmistress, Paige sought a life away from magic, and after recently becoming a mortal again, Leo gladly took over for her.

It is also insulated against temporal changes i.e. people in place at Magic School would not be affected by any shifts to the current timeline in the outside world.[10]

Magicschoollevitation

The main hallway.

Magic School is a magical structure of unknown size and shape. The main hall is said to be endless and connects the different sections of the school. Aside from classrooms, the nursery and student living, there are also dungeons. At one point, Phoebe Halliwell has also been in a cave where she went on a vision quest with a Shaman student named Enola.[11]

The library of Magic School is home to hundreds, if not thousands, of books containing all kinds of magical subjects. The library is overseen by Miss Donovan. It library also contains various books from the mortal world, including Harry Potter and The Lord of the Rings. The former Literature Professor, Mr. Monkeyshines, once tried to ban many of these books for a number of ungrounded reasons.[12]

Location[]

The school resides in a different realm and has hidden portals all over the earth that allow access to those who have permission to enter. The school is protected by magic, making it impossible for evil beings to enter and protecting those inside from death. When a witch concentrates, he or she will be able to see the real Magic School; a floating fortress of walls, gates and pagoda towers and roofs.[13]

Other Institutions[]

Currently, Magic School is one of three magical institutions known, the others being Newcastle College of the Magical Arts and the Knox Academy.

Portals[]

1438926-charmed02 07 super

One of the Portals to Magic School.

In No Rest for the Wicca, we learn that the school is set apart in a different realm and has hidden portals all over the earth that allow access to those who have permission to enter. If a witch concentrates, they can see the real Magic School; a floating fortress of walls, gates and pagoda towers and roofs.

List of Portals to Magic School:

  • A deserted cottage
  • A deserted building
  • A portal in Nepal
  • A portal in the Halliwell Manor
  • The Golden Gate Bridge - possibly

Students[]

Main article: Magic School Students

Faculty[]

Headmasters[]

7x19-Leo

Leo Wyatt is the current headmaster.

  • Gideon: One of the most powerful Elders, was made Headmaster of the school, and he served as Head for years, employing teachers such as Mrs. Winterbourne for the nursery, Mr. Feeney for Telekinesis classes, and Sigmund as his assistant. After Gideon's corruption and, later, death at the hands of Leo, the school was to be closed, as there was no one willing to fight this decision of the Elders.
  • Paige Matthews: Eventually changing the Elders' decision about Magic School's closure, she was unwillingly made Headmistress. After finding the line of work stressful, during which she hired Drake dè Mon as Literature Professor and made Miss Donovan his teaching assistant, she resigned and Leo took her place.
  • Leo Wyatt: As the new Headmaster, he was highly popular, and even taught Advanced Combat classes, but later left after assuming a new identity, leaving the school defenseless. Demons later managed to break into the school once Zankou had broken through the defensive shields, and all of the students and teachers fled. Over a year later, the Charmed Ones reclaimed the school and Leo returned to teaching, while his eldest grandson, Matthew Halliwell, was at school.

Other staff[]

Known Classes[]

Advanced Courses[]

Notes and Trivia[]

  • In the book "Leo Rising", it is interesting to note that one of the classes in Magic School, "Modern Magic", is based around Warren Witches, which means that the Charmed Ones and their family history is studied in Magic School.
  • It is believed that Magic School is located somewhere around the Golden Gate Bridge (be it on another plane, dimension or hidden from the human eye) because the bridge is visible through the windows in some episodes. During "Once in a Blue Moon", the sisters look through the windows, to the bridge.
  • Magic School's main room has changed in size and structure over the course of the series.
  • Magic School has certain similarities to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardy from the Harry Potter series. It is believed Magic School was created by the writers due to the success of the Harry Potter series.
  • Though it was stated no one could die in Magic School, Gideon was able to kill Sigmund with Molecular Dispersion.
  • Magic School has satellite television according to Paige.
  • In the series, there was no mention of "portals". Whitelighters orbed in from anywhere and witches used Teleportation Potions or spells.
  • In the graphic novel, Magic School, the school was renamed "Halliwell Academy", and four known different wings: Hecate, Laveau, Spellman, and Morgana. There is only one known dorm: Lilith. Additionally, there is a lounge area where students can gather and socialize. Though the school was protected against demons, it was not warded against other beings, which allowed an empathic succubus named Ms. Ceratta to enter the school and feed off people's fears and insecurities. In the story, a new witch named Delia Miller is introduced to the school after learning about her powers, but has a hard time adjusting to her new life until she befriends Marcus Lafayette and Jenny Taylor. They discover Ms. Ceratta was evil and this leads to a battle between the woman and the Charmed Ones. Delia encourages the rest of her class to help out and finally beat the monster.

References[]

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