the academy.
Built in 1850 in Stanhope, North Carolina, Cauldwell Academy is one of the largest and most prestigious Wizarding schools in North America. Young witches and wizards come from all over the southeastern United States to attend the academy; some parents are willing to travel even further to enroll their children.

The school is, in simple terms, an American version of Hogwarts. However, there are some major differences. Cauldwell is not just one school; it is actually two. Cauldwell Academy of Primary Magical Studies was built in 1962, farther down the mountain, and specializes in teaching first, second, and third year students. The original school building became the home of Cauldwell Academy of Secondary Magical Studies, which teaches the four remaining years. Students, parents, and teachers alike preferred this system, and soon enough many other schools converted. Over time the system was accepted as normal for Wizarding schools in the States.

Cauldwell does participate in at least one type of sport, just like any other Wizarding school. However, most American students do not play Quidditch; they play Quodpot instead. Quodpot resulted from an 18th-century accident, which Abraham Peasegood invented after incidentally making his Quaffle explode. Quodpot is based on the explosive properties of Quaffles, or Quods, and has been a highly popular game in the United States ever since.

Over the years, more and more parents have come to prefer Cauldwell Academy over any other North American schools. Although most students live in the southeast, a special few have come from as far as Hawaii, Alaska, Washington, and even parts of Canada. The academy has also been known to educate students from faraway countries. It is praised for its topnotch education and its excellent Quodpot team, which has done considerably well in the Inter-School Quodpot Tournament almost every year after its formation. Those aren't the only reasons, though, why Cauldwell has been deemed such an excellent school. In fact, neither are as important to parents... as its safety.

In all of its years, Cauldwell Academy has never been attacked, threatened, nor doomed in any way. Some say it's magic; many say it's luck. And even some say that the founder, Baran Cauldwell, may have done something extraordinary before he passed away. No one knows what Cauldwell may have left the academy after his death, but it is a well-known fact that nothing has ever happened that could have potentially harmed any students, physically nor mentally.

Well, until recently, at least. With the revolution at hand, life has been hectic, but as far as academics and student life go, things have been running as smoothly (and perhaps as safely) as possible. Although club meetings, sports practices, and the like were halted temporarily after the Christmas break of 2005/2006, they resumed sometime after the transfers from Beaumont and Midlands finally settled in, around mid-March of 2006.

Although a little crowded these days, the establishment is still as beautiful as ever. It's built much like a chateau, with literally hundreds of windows and at least four different floors. There are long terraces and balconies, which are perfect for overlooking the grounds and the breathtaking mountaintop views. Inside the school is spacious and elegant, and although it is heavily decorated, it is more often found comfortable than awkwardly embellished by its residents.