Classic Magical School Drama all F&$#%d Up

[Lanodantheon]

To sum up: I'm working on a story that involves a young man who discovers he is a magic user. Like so many of these stories, he is forced to go to a magic school of sorts. This story is older than dirt and has a dozen variations that are all ignored because of The Other Harry. It also doesn't help that this story actually started as a premise (Which it has since gone wayyyy beyond) for NaNoWriMonth, "What if Dresden went to Hogwarts?" So, because of that, there is no way I'm going to be able to write this without being compared to or referencing The Other Harry.

Rather than try to out do these centuries of stories and try to be original, marvelous and stupendous(Only to be compared to The Other Harry), I'd much rather take all the expectations and tropes of the genre, put them in a Wizard Boy in dark glasses and beat the crap out of them with a good old-fashioned American Baseball Bat, which my MC actually happens to use as a Wizard's Staff.

Or if you wish for a more technical, Pedagogical definition: I'm trying to deconstruct the Genre of the Blingsroman, the Education coming of age story. They are normally written for children and set in a world that has inherent morality handed to the protagonist on a silver platter that although is dark, especially towards the end, it is at the end of the day cutesy and unsatisfying in many regards because it lacks important issues that need to be addressed. Every lost opportunity, pet peeve and psychotic hatred about these Magical School dramas are to be satisfied in this story. Blingsromans are normally about a boy/girl that finds his place in the world and the answers to all life's problems in the confines of a school beyond every other. My story is about a fish out of water, a foreigner in a strange land with only The Hitchhiker's Guides to Europe and the Galaxy to guide him.

After mentally examining all the school dramas I watched/read in books, comics, live-action film and anime, I realized they were all connected when I came to the conclusion that The Goblet of Fire is a Tournament Arc..... So, I have more than just the Harrys and Buffy to draw on.

I wrote a number of pages of notes on how to take the classic tropes, formulae and cliches shared by these stories and how I wanted to stand them on their head. Now those notes are lost to time when my apartment ate one of my notebooks. It could take me...20 minutes to rewrite the notes I lost, but I thought instead the information lost could use a few extra sets of brains.

That being said, I'm not looking for plot lines, I've got those including one big one. My notes were a collection of 3 things:

1. The Classic scenes stood on ear

My proof-of-concept scene for what I was thinking of in this story for the deconstruction was a classic from  HP and The Philosopher's Stone: Harry is eating his House-Elf provided dinner in the dining hall when suddenly a ghost pops out of the table. Everyone in the hall reacts playfully and even Harry reacts playfully when Nicholas shows how he's Nearly-Headless.
In my story if that happened to my MC, several things would be different. Getting food served to you is very British, where is the Cafeteria? Assuming the school is even partially British,(and food is served in some cases) MC's a fish out of water so he will eat with his hands while every Briton at his table uses a Knife and Fork. When the Ghost does appear, he would stop eating and turn white for a moment til someone jostled him back to reality at which point he would exclaim, "AHHHHH! What the F&*$ is that and What F&*$ happened to that guy's Head!?"

Also, in normal School Dramas Nerds and bookworms are at the bottom of the social heap. However, in a magic school people heavy into books would be at odds against with heavy natural talent. I'm not sure how to handle this yet though.

2. Pet Peeves/Psychotic Hatreds:

Every person has things they don't like, even about books they love. I am no different. There are things that rub me the wrong way and consequently lead to classic moments stood on ear. Here are a few examples:

Harrys Dresden and Potter are both portrayed as being "normal" people in over their heads, but neither of them is truly "Normal". Come to think of it, Normal is a bad term. Mundane is better, as in blending into the masses easily. You can argue about how mundane both them are, but the fact of the matter is that because Black Magic impacted both of their lives, both Harrys grew up as orphans. My MC lived in the Stereotypical Mom, Dad, Brother, Sister, little white picket fence up until the day his magic came at age 17. The orphaned MC is a strong character trait and very common, but not here. HP also never has to worry about a very common problem: Tuition, Room and Board. My MC only has what he himself owns, no money...

Also, I never liked the idea of the Houses + Sorting Hat. Not only are they color coded for convenience, the Houses are decided on by osmosis. I don't believe in that, I'd refuse to be sorted(Which would make a good plotline). But, I do believe in Greeks(Which I think is better). If the dormitories were instead Fraternities, Sororities and whatever the co-ed version is, you have different issues.

3. Where no one else can go:

My story isn't meant for children, but whomever will read it. Because of that, I don't want to deal with sanitizing school. I want a story that deals with stuff that other Blingsroman never would. You know, minor issues like Drugs, Alcohol, Teen Sex, Pregnancy, Stalking, Cheating rings, Gangs and School Shootings. All of that stuff is ripe for magical twists.

As point of reference, the first suggestion to me on this topic by a friend was "Date Rape Charm!". Think about that and that magic would make contraception stupidly easy for a minute....

But all three of these categories are incomplete because there are countless things I've missed since everyone's school experience is different. I'd like to hear other people's take on this.

[Roaram]

Well, I really agree you will never get away from the other harry, ever. might as well make a high school story and hope you get away from sixteen candles....

but I like the idea. I think a story set in school is something most of us can touch base with. even the rough patches. I know you said you got the plot, but I just gotta beg you please no world ending crap. check out the movie "brick", a very well done detective nour flick set in a high school. I'm just saying I would never pick up a book about a semi-harry fighting lord volder-not. I would read a story about someone stopping the head of theta house from magic-roofying the local mundy girls......

which brings me to the everyday situations from high school. play with the book worm angle. every group of people always breaks itself into subgroups, class systems, cool kids and not.
and plenty of these kids don't want to be just their class. I mean, I knew plenty of girls who wanted plastic surgery, or had other problems having to do with self image. are glamour spells a disorder? there was a steroid ring busted up at my school. is there a spell for that? does everyone know that so and so has a glock wand in their locker?

and what does bullying look like when an adolescent knowitall can wipe the floor with a football team?

and how does morality get mussed when your a teenager with magic powers? I mean, how easy is theft when you can make yourself invisible? do mundy people matter? and what can a teacher do against a drive by hexing? casuse the local pd isn't gonna be much use.

basically my suggestion is just look at school life, and ask what would happen if magic got invvolved.

and your characters are all gonna have to ask themselves when do they run for help, and when do they handle it themselves, just like the rest of us. 

(by the way, most of my teachers were bored tired and underpaid, and didn't much care about kids unless they were gonna get nailed, how different is your world?)
 

[Lanodantheon]

Rest assured, no "End of The World as We Know it" malarkey from me. The downfall of that plot is that after you do it, there is no where for the conflict or stakes to go from there. And in a series, once you do it it becomes rinse, repeat.

Well, I really agree you will never get away from the other harry, ever. might as well make a high school story and hope you get away from sixteen candles....

basically my suggestion is just look at school life, and ask what would happen if magic got involved.
 

Even being a Film major, I've never seen 16 Candles and don't intend to. Your suggestion are pretty much what I'm talking about.

(by the way, most of my teachers were bored tired and underpaid, and didn't much care about kids unless they were gonna get nailed, how different is your world?)
 

It isn't different at all. The problems are exactly the same.


The arc-plot I have been toying with is that mid-way into the term, my MC discovers that 2 of his fellow students have been murdered. The Authorities have deduced that a student had to have done this and that the murderer is still at the school. The students are from rival Magical Nations, so news of their deaths are kept secret from the student body so they don't spark an international incident and/or cause the murderer to rabbit. The MC gets involved when he notices the body doubles the authorities use and the location of the bodies (not necessarily in that order). He is not tasked with solving the entire case himself nor does he(That is overdone and besides the MC isn't that good), The authorities can't question students without raising suspicion so they recruit the MC to find out more about what happened in exchange for what the MC really needs, Tuition.

[Apocrypha]

(by the way, most of my teachers were bored tired and underpaid, and didn't much care about kids unless they were gonna get nailed, how different is your world?)

An old saying my father used to use was "Those who can, do.  Those who can't, teach".  So wizarding teachers aren't possibly the top of their field and had their own dreams squashed and more than likely jealous and willing the sabotage the work of a student that shows any extreme promise.

[Lanodantheon]

An old saying my father used to use was "Those who can, do.  Those who can't, teach".  So wizarding teachers aren't possibly the top of their field and had their own dreams squashed and more than likely jealous and willing the sabotage the work of a student that shows any extreme promise.

I know that quote too. I think it's Malarkey.

[Roaram]

I don't mean to be a jerk here, so please take this as a constructive comment, and know your the author and all that jazz..

but I would have to say that your average student doesn't get caught up in the international scene all that often, and if two nations send international students to the same school, odds are good that its pretty spendy.

spendy works on the tuition angle. but the gumshoe angle is a little light. cast your mc as a bright kid on scholarship, who "completely unrelated to the murders" gets caught dabbling with some low level black magic charms and what not. (supplying magic brew-ski's to your frats) he's been doing this for cash, scholarships don't pay for lots of stuff, acedemic, or impressing rich girls. now, to save his ass, your mc is put in as a rat, trying to get the dirt on some rich frat kid whose mommy or daddy is connected. cause the heat wants an airtight case,

that way, you get a cool anti_hero MC, plenty of room for heavy hitters, and multiple stories to add depth. plus, once the cops got you, they got you. chaching sequel. plus, your MC might have a story or two just dabbling on the wrong side of the law.

just my suggestion, I think it gives you much more room to play, more real world cred, and lets you raise the stakes for the next run

[Lanodantheon]

I don't mean to be a jerk here, so please take this as a constructive comment, and know your the author and all that jazz..

You're not a Jerk. I learned a long time ago to take all criticism in stride. This one of the few places where if I know I can get an unbiased opinion.

but I would have to say that your average student doesn't get caught up in the international scene all that often, and if two nations send international students to the same school, odds are good that its pretty spendy.

spendy works on the tuition angle. but the gumshoe angle is a little light. cast your mc as a bright kid on scholarship, who "completely unrelated to the murders" gets caught dabbling with some low level black magic charms and what not. (supplying magic brew-ski's to your frats) he's been doing this for cash, scholarships don't pay for lots of stuff, acedemic, or impressing rich girls. now, to save his ass, your mc is put in as a rat, trying to get the dirt on some rich frat kid whose mommy or daddy is connected. cause the heat wants an airtight case,

that way, you get a cool anti_hero MC, plenty of room for heavy hitters, and multiple stories to add depth. plus, once the cops got you, they got you. chaching sequel. plus, your MC might have a story or two just dabbling on the wrong side of the law.

just my suggestion, I think it gives you much more room to play, more real world cred, and lets you raise the stakes for the next run

I like your suggestions, but allow me to explain further:

In my world, there are a number of Magical Nations, geo-political bodies of Magic-Users with their own laws, constitutions, military forces , etc.  About 2 dozen of them are members of "The Allied Powers", what my MC describes as a U.N. or N.A.T.O. of the Magical world, one of many. Each of the "Powers" is a country with access of some kind to a Magical entity or something similiar of a certain magical weight class. Basically The APs are countries recognized as having the magical equivilent of WMDs.

The School my MC attends,which I refer to as "The Brewery" for lack of a better name, is a school created for Magic-Users by The Allied Powers who have not been formally accepted as a citizen or full member by one of them yet.
The Brewery is a Conservatory, University and Dojo where you learn about magic and prove your ability to earn awards, titles, black belts etc.  You stay there until you earn enough notches on your belt for one of the Allies to sponsor you for membership.

The Brewery is not Hogwarts in that it teaches whoever can use magic at any level. The student body of The Brewery ranges from  spoon-bending Minor Talents and really Focused Practitioners to full spectrum Spellcasters(Like my MC) and Guardians, people entrusted with high-level Magical Artifacts or Sorcerous Mantles of Power passed down through their family or other means.

It's also not like Hogwarts in that not everyone is exactly the same age. You are just as likely to see a 17 year old first year initiate (Like the MC) as you are to see a 42 year old 1st year sitting next to her 14 year old advanced student daughter(But those youngsters are usually getting Power from other places and are just waiting to make the Allied Powers age requirements).

As the Scholarship angle goes, I never thought of that and I'm going to go with it. However, my MC will probably not get one of said Scholarships. The first reason being that the average student (Like so many of us) don't go to school on scholarships because they don't have the grades and/or have parents that make too much money to qualify for financial aid. I want my MC to become a good student eventually but to keep him an everyman he won't go to The Brewery on a Scholarship, but on a sponsorship from an old wizard who basically gives him a card that just gets him through the front door and nothing else.

The second reason my MC won't have a scholarship is common sense, he didn't apply for one. Before the current term started, they all went to Pure-Blooded Magic-Users who have known about their impending gifts for years whereas MC has known about his gift for about a week before the Term starts.

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You're not a Jerk. I learned a long time ago to take all criticism in stride. This one of the few places where if I know I can get an unbiased opinion.

I like your suggestions, but allow me to explain further:

In my world, there are a number of Magical Nations, geo-political bodies of Magic-Users with their own laws, constitutions, military forces , etc.  About 2 dozen of them are members of "The Allied Powers", what my MC describes as a U.N. or N.A.T.O. of the Magical world, one of many. Each of the "Powers" is a country with access of some kind to a Magical entity or something similiar of a certain magical weight class. Basically The APs are countries recognized as having the magical equivilent of WMDs.

The School my MC attends,which I refer to as "The Brewery" for lack of a better name, is a school created for Magic-Users by The Allied Powers who have not been formally accepted as a citizen or full member by one of them yet.
The Brewery is a Conservatory, University and Dojo where you learn about magic and prove your ability to earn awards, titles, black belts etc.  You stay there until you earn enough notches on your belt for one of the Allies to sponsor you for membership.

The Brewery is not Hogwarts in that it teaches whoever can use magic at any level. The student body of The Brewery ranges from  spoon-bending Minor Talents and really Focused Practitioners to full spectrum Spellcasters(Like my MC) and Guardians, people entrusted with high-level Magical Artifacts or Sorcerous Mantles of Power passed down through their family or other means.

It's also not like Hogwarts in that not everyone is exactly the same age. You are just as likely to see a 17 year old first year initiate (Like the MC) as you are to see a 42 year old 1st year sitting next to her 14 year old advanced student daughter(But those youngsters are usually getting Power from other places and are just waiting to make the Allied Powers age requirements).

As the Scholarship angle goes, I never thought of that and I'm going to go with it. However, my MC will probably not get one of said Scholarships. The first reason being that the average student (Like so many of us) don't go to school on scholarships because they don't have the grades and/or have parents that make too much money to qualify for financial aid. I want my MC to become a good student eventually but to keep him an everyman he won't go to The Brewery on a Scholarship, but on a sponsorship from an old wizard who basically gives him a card that just gets him through the front door and nothing else.

The second reason my MC won't have a scholarship is common sense, he didn't apply for one. Before the current term started, they all went to Pure-Blooded Magic-Users who have known about their impending gifts for years whereas MC has known about his gift for about a week before the Term starts.

Then perhaps your MC is the first in some sort of forced integration.  His tuition is covered for political reasons, but its a loaded issue and many people are looking to see him fail so that they can squash the whole mix-breed admission proposal.  That would give him an in, give him a reason to be there without support, give him some nice social stigma to overcome, and generally set him apart more than the average student  (you could even take it so far as to say that he becomes the a suspect out of pure prejudice). 

The big thing you really need to work out is the personality of the school.  I mean, Hogwarts is a very upperclass style private boarding school, very british. What you describe for the brewery (an academy that catches the "almost good enough" for the rest of the nations) strikes me as more of a public school sort of place, or maybe one of those Gov't academies like the School of the Arts or the School of Math and Science (some states have them) where they are heavily subsidized, but very impersonal and kinda no-frills budget minded.  That sort of place would have talented teachers, but not top-rung, more older, retired and/or burnt out a bit.  Some of the equipment might be falling into a bit of disrepair, and a scholarship kid like your MC might be using lots of second hand stuff.  The Frat idea you have would be a way for students to combat such limitations, by offering them an organization that can maintain some of the stuff they would need.

I wouldnt go with the typical Houses/Frat thing like hogwarts did, just because it was rather limiting and your student body is going to be far more diverse in talent, interests, curriculum, etc.  Go with more of the japanese School Club model (you said you watched anime right?) Where the clubs are basically your social group, but they are school sponsored (to one degree or another) with equiptment, meeting space, etc.  That will give you a way for all the different cliche's to form based on talents and interests, and still have a school based organizational framework. 

[Lanodantheon]

Then perhaps your MC is the first in some sort of forced integration.  His tuition is covered for political reasons, but its a loaded issue and many people are looking to see him fail so that they can squash the whole mix-breed admission proposal.  That would give him an in, give him a reason to be there without support, give him some nice social stigma to overcome, and generally set him apart more than the average student  (you could even take it so far as to say that he becomes the a suspect out of pure prejudice). 

That's an idea. I think a better one though is a "Grace Period" where the school doesn't charge him. If after that grace period he doesn't have a sponsor, he can't come back without tuition. "Forced Integration" would imply that a Mundane(I don't want to say Muggle) person coming into magic is a new thing, it isn't. Mundane humans who become Magic Users are supposed to forget their Mundane Life. They appear in the magical world fully formed with no unimportant memories. What makes the MC special isn't the fact he's Mundane, it's the fact he remembers his mundane life more so than anyone before him.

The big thing you really need to work out is the personality of the school.  I mean, Hogwarts is a very upperclass style private boarding school, very british. What you describe for the brewery (an academy that catches the "almost good enough" for the rest of the nations) strikes me as more of a public school sort of place, or maybe one of those Gov't academies like the School of the Arts or the School of Math and Science (some states have them) where they are heavily subsidized, but very impersonal and kinda no-frills budget minded.  That sort of place would have talented teachers, but not top-rung, more older, retired and/or burnt out a bit.  Some of the equipment might be falling into a bit of disrepair, and a scholarship kid like your MC might be using lots of second hand stuff.  The Frat idea you have would be a way for students to combat such limitations, by offering them an organization that can maintain some of the stuff they would need.

The design of the Brewery is still on the drawing board. Primarily because I'm having trouble deciding its personality.
For one thing, it's not a boarding school.
The Brewery is like a University in that it is dedicated to magical research, development and learning.
The Brewery is like a Dojo/Law School in that it certifies Spellcasters.
The Brewery is like a Conservatory in that Magic study is all they do.

Your suggestions about the school being rough around the edges and nothing working is exactly what I was thinking of actually. Blingsromans like HP portray school as being magical and is the only place growth happens. My story portrays school as where magic can happen but it's also a place where lots of drama happens.

As far as the teachers go, we are again on the same page. My first blush concept characters for the professors were the Potions Prof and the Defense Magic Prof(Final designs still pending).

The Potion Prof in my mind wouldn't be wearing a Darksider Neon sign but an old guy with scars all over and no eye brows. "WHen working with combustibles, always watch your heat behind a shield. *People laugh* *Prof points to lack of eye brows* Hey! I'm not screwing around!"

The Defense Magic class would undoubtedly be the most controversial class in school. It would be like taking a class on marksmanship in a public highschool. Granted those classes are actually offered in some places, but defense magic (Especially offensive spells) deal with using the powers of creation to harm another and believing in it. The reason it exists at The Brewery is because there are things that go bump that eat Magic Users.

The Prof himself I somehow imagine as Denis Leary as a red-haired Military Wizard(and more Irish than he already is). The reason for this is because it's the first idea that came to mind and because there are Magical Armies and Police Forces and even in an underfunded school you don't skimp on the guy who makes sure your students don't get eaten.

Plus, where there's a Defense class, there's a Defense Club and where there's a Defense clube there's a potential Tournament Arc...

I wouldnt go with the typical Houses/Frat thing like hogwarts did, just because it was rather limiting and your student body is going to be far more diverse in talent, interests, curriculum, etc.  Go with more of the japanese School Club model (you said you watched anime right?) Where the clubs are basically your social group, but they are school sponsored (to one degree or another) with equiptment, meeting space, etc.  That will give you a way for all the different cliche's to form based on talents and interests, and still have a school based organizational framework. 

The primary reason for the Frat/House thing is also the thing I am struggling with in design. The Brewery is in New England somewhere so I want a school that is reminiscent of the British Boarding school but still feels distinctly American. The House system is distinctly British, but the modern idea of Frats and Soroities with hazing and initiation are iconically American.

The project is a deconstruction, so I have to at least address the idea of Houses. I already have plans to make fun of the Sorting Hat. Having the Frat/House system allows for an actual All-Powerful Student Council that is believable and for inner school politics.
The Frat/House system also allows the use of the names, "Wizard School" and "Double Secret Probation" in the same sentence by the MC.

Yes, I am an Anime fan, but I have to discard the idea of the Japanese school system for the project. The primary reason is that I've never gone to a Japanese Highschool so depiction wouldn't be based on an actual system, but on the translated fictional interpretation of said system. Granted, my depiction of the Frats would be take similiar artistic license, but I can actually do accurate research for the Frats as opposed to Japanese Highschools which I can't. Frat research for me is as easy as going to Greek row and asking somebody.

The other flaw of the Japanese system is that Japanese clubs and orgs are self-funded as far as I know and I want the clubs and orgs  at the Brewery to have funding and advisement. Because Advisors can be just as crazy as students(I'm a club president, I know this)....

Plus, right now I'm leaning toward the storyline that my MC pledges to every house and gets turned by all of them so he makes his own house.

[belial.1980]

I like your idea and find it pretty intriguing. I think you've got a lot going for you. I had a few questions, as well as some suggestions.

Or if you wish for a more technical, Pedagogical definition: I'm trying to deconstruct the Genre of the Blingsroman, the Education coming of age story.

Bildungsroman?

In my world, there are a number of Magical Nations, geo-political bodies of Magic-Users with their own laws, constitutions, military forces , etc.  About 2 dozen of them are members of "The Allied Powers", what my MC describes as a U.N. or N.A.T.O. of the Magical world, one of many. Each of the "Powers" is a country with access of some kind to a Magical entity or something similiar of a certain magical weight class. Basically The APs are countries recognized as having the magical equivilent of WMDs.

Really interesting premise. I like it, but had some questions about how it works. Are these nations actual, geographical locations? How did they come to be? Are they a recent invention, or are they routed in antiquity? (If this is the case, you might need to build an alternate Earth with it's own history. That would be a fun and interesting challenge in itself.)  How do they interact with mundane nations? What's to prevent a mundane nation from annexing them? Likewise, what's to prevent one of the countries from taking over a mundane nation with minimal magical defense? Or do the mundane nations have their own magical armies or security forces?
From what you've described, I envision the AP nations as the heavy hitters that basically keep things in check. Is this right? IE, the US and North Korea have nukes, but the AP nations can call on Cthulu or someone in that league to lay down the law?

The School my MC attends,which I refer to as "The Brewery" for lack of a better name, is a school created for Magic-Users by The Allied Powers who have not been formally accepted as a citizen or full member by one of them yet.
The Brewery is a Conservatory, University and Dojo where you learn about magic and prove your ability to earn awards, titles, black belts etc.  You stay there until you earn enough notches on your belt for one of the Allies to sponsor you for membership

What are the MCs motivations for attending? What happens when he becomes a member of one of these magical nations? Does he eschew his US citizenship? How does he feel about that?

They appear in the magical world fully formed with no unimportant memories. What makes the MC special isn't the fact he's Mundane, it's the fact he remembers his mundane life more so than anyone before him.

How is this implemented? Is is part of the training? Is mindwashing used? If not, there has got to be some serious propoganda involved. 

The project is a deconstruction

This is an important question that you must ask yourself: Do you  really want to deconstruct the idea of Harry Potter, or do you want to give Harry a face lift?

You can throw in adult situations, add seedy characters, and add a distinctly American feel, but in the the end, these things are all dressing and variations on a theme. From what you've said, I feel that you really want to do a truly deconstructive piece.

Themes like "love conquers all" and "the end doesn't always justify the means", etc. are pretty prevalent in HP. (not always spelled out as such, but they're usually in there in some form or another.) In fact, many, many authors incorporate this kind of thing into their stories, and the public at large usually eats it up, because we want an escape from the real world which is painted in shades of gray.

Alan Moore truly deconstructed the superhero genre with Watchmen, just like Michael Moorcock deconstructe the fantasy hero with Elric. There're plenty of others, but these ared the two that I'm most familiar with and can recommens. I highly suggest taking some cues from these writers, and dissecting their methods.

Plus, right now I'm leaning toward the storyline that my MC pledges to every house and gets turned by all of them so he makes his own house.

I've got a suggestion for the house structure. Maybe the houses are student formed groups that seek to emulate a specific country or power they hope to be sponsored by.

For example, a certain group really likes a certain AP nation, so they seek to emulate it's culture, principals, etc. This could be a good way to garner attention from recruiters and make connections with liasons from that country. (Basically become suckups and cheerleaders)

If two countries are at odds then the houses that emulate them are likely to be as well. Since these houses aren't official, nothing bars a country from sponsoring someone in a house that doesn't emulate them, but these little sychophant houses make good recruiting pools.

Since your MC decides to start his own house, he decides to try and get sponsorship from his own merit, rather than by reputation of an existing house. Just an idea.

 
Again, I like where you're going with this, and I hope my questions have given you food for thought, and that my suggestions are helpful. I'd like to hear more as your project develops. Good luck!

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I've got a suggestion for the house structure. Maybe the houses are student formed groups that seek to emulate a specific country or power they hope to be sponsored by.

For example, a certain group really likes a certain AP nation, so they seek to emulate it's culture, principals, etc. This could be a good way to garner attention from recruiters and make connections with liasons from that country. (Basically become suckups and cheerleaders)

If two countries are at odds then the houses that emulate them are likely to be as well. Since these houses aren't official, nothing bars a country from sponsoring someone in a house that doesn't emulate them, but these little sychophant houses make good recruiting pools.

Since your MC decides to start his own house, he decides to try and get sponsorship from his own merit, rather than by reputation of an existing house. Just an idea.

 
Again, I like where you're going with this, and I hope my questions have given you food for thought, and that my suggestions are helpful. I'd like to hear more as your project develops. Good luck!

I like this idea.  It get the parts of the Japanese stereotype thing I was suggesting of being a student organized thing and very clichy, and it also gives you a good outlet to introduce the magical nations and their various personalities without having to stray to far outside of your primary setting.

[Roaram]

I also think you need a good solid magic/mundane relationship description.

this is really the foundation of the book, what sets it apart from a high school dramma. with out knnowing the intrinsic details, everything sorta falls apart.

I kinda like alternate earth history. like maybe our earth is just a reject camp for mundies, and the real world is all super magic powered.....

[Quantus]

I just picked up the show on NBC called Kings that's got an interesting twist.  Its a political drama, but its set in the modern world if the modern world was still made of kingdoms.  That could be an interesting route to go; make it a world of modern society, conveniences, maybe even modern technology (though its place in a magical society will have to be worked out), but make it one of those almost the real world but for the one minor difference.  Sorta Sliders style i guess 

[thausgt]

1. The Classic scenes stood on ear

My proof-of-concept scene for what I was thinking of in this story for the deconstruction was a classic from  HP and The Philosopher's Stone: Harry is eating his House-Elf provided dinner in the dining hall when suddenly a ghost pops out of the table. Everyone in the hall reacts playfully and even Harry reacts playfully when Nicholas shows how he's Nearly-Headless.

I've never been to the U.K., but my highly informal research suggests that post-Victorian manners dictate deadpan reactions to the most outlandish situations, or to simply ignore them whenever possible. This is the root of "Monty Python" humor. Essentially, the "proper, modern" British response would be to pretend not to notice that Nicholas A) is a ghost and B) cannot quite pull his head off his neck, especially given that he himself is highly embarrassed by B).

By contrast, the aforementioned informal research suggests that a good portion of American humor centers on flaws, either of character or judgement. Paul Reubens, Britney Spears, O.J. Simpson... can anyone on the board make a joke about these or any other celebrity that emphasizes their *successes*? (Bonus points if the joke is actually funny, but I digress...)

In my story if that happened to my MC, several things would be different. Getting food served to you is very British, where is the Cafeteria? Assuming the school is even partially British,(and food is served in some cases) MC's a fish out of water so he will eat with his hands while every Briton at his table uses a Knife and Fork.

Good point. I suggest doing a bit of research into how cultures affect food service in general, as well as specifically how students are expected to stay fed. There really aren't any possible alternatives to "service at the table" or "cafeteria-style", since the school would be responsible for making sure that students whose families cannot provide them with nutritious food won't go hungry. The food might look and taste like cardboard, but it will still meet minimum nutritional standards. But please experiment!

The "hidden cultures" of magic-users will change these cultures, too; extremely racist groups, for example, might assert their superiority by coming up with cuisine that cannot be consumed (or "properly enjoyed") without magic (e.g.: Red Dwarf's "telekinetic wine").

When the Ghost does appear, he would stop eating and turn white for a moment til someone jostled him back to reality at which point he would exclaim, "AHHHHH! What the F&*$ is that and What F&*$ happened to that guy's Head!?"

Exactly! Just because he has suddenly discovered that the "laws" of physics have suddenly become "very flexible suggestions" does not change his reaction to other elements of the 'supernatural' world. I'd suggest exploring the situation in the other direction, as well: The Other Harry got a couple of chances to demonstrate his familiarity with "non-magical" culture (explaining the British monetary system), so be sure to toss in a couple of examples for your MC. "That's the Batman symbol. He's a fictional character, not a bat-worshiping cult leader!"

Also, in normal School Dramas Nerds and bookworms are at the bottom of the social heap. However, in a magic school people heavy into books would be at odds against with heavy natural talent. I'm not sure how to handle this yet though.

Another contrast between American and British school culture, f.y.i. My fiancee, who spent most of her high school career at the American School in London, says that the Brits take the drama departments very seriously. Arguably, The Other Harry's books did that part of British culture a disservice. I mean, this is where good ol' Bill Shakespeare came from, after all... 

I like having a division between the "talented" and the "studious". It's a good screen on which to project the conflicts between "us" and "them". The differences seem oh-so-important to those who don't know any better... and can easily last for the remainder of their lives if they don't have their noses rubbed in how stupid the conflict actually is.

For your magical cultures, you might also consider contrasting the "history buffs" with the "moderns". The Ancients, after all, made the modern world and all the magic in it possible. However, the modern age has produced wonders beyond the comprehension of the dusty old dead folks. So it goes...

2. Pet Peeves/Psychotic Hatreds:

Every person has things they don't like, even about books they love. I am no different. There are things that rub me the wrong way and consequently lead to classic moments stood on ear. Here are a few examples:

Harrys Dresden and Potter are both portrayed as being "normal" people in over their heads, but neither of them is truly "Normal". Come to think of it, Normal is a bad term. Mundane is better, as in blending into the masses easily. You can argue about how mundane both them are, but the fact of the matter is that because Black Magic impacted both of their lives, both Harrys grew up as orphans. My MC lived in the Stereotypical Mom, Dad, Brother, Sister, little white picket fence up until the day his magic came at age 17. The orphaned MC is a strong character trait and very common, but not here.

I submit that the Two Harry's "mundane" qualities are a necessary "imperfection" in their characters. They are the readers' point of entry into their respective supernatural worlds, meaning that they ask the questions or make the connections that readers cannot... and in Dresden's case, making the jokes that the readers want to.

HP also never has to worry about a very common problem: Tuition, Room and Board. My MC only has what he himself owns, no money...

Hogwarts had some kind of scholarship fund for deserving students in exactly that situation. I submit that the Powers That Be create and maintain such funds out of sheer self-interest. People who've just gained access to their powers can use them but have very little idea of how to control them. It's therefore better for maintaining social order in the magical and mundane worlds to have a place for freshly-empowered magicians to live, eat, and study... and be monitored.

Also, I never liked the idea of the Houses + Sorting Hat. Not only are they color coded for convenience, the Houses are decided on by osmosis. I don't believe in that, I'd refuse to be sorted(Which would make a good plotline). But, I do believe in Greeks(Which I think is better). If the dormitories were instead Fraternities, Sororities and whatever the co-ed version is, you have different issues.

For what it's worth, the whole point of the Houses in the British system is to get the students in on the game of keeping each other under control. Obviously, hundreds of half-trained wizards would be no match for their highly trained and experienced teachers if it came down to open and violent rebellion... but students would die or otherwise be rendered unfit to practice magic, which represents an unacceptable loss for the magical government. (At least, it should be unacceptable...)

I submit that a series of sub-organizations within the overall school system would be more palatable to American readers if membership is by choice, as long as the one choice that the administration will not allow is not to choose. Consider: "None of our nine primary groups suit you? Fine, you're in our 'stewpot' group unless and until you pick one of the main groups. You'll get the legal minimum levels of food, clothing, shelter and supplies, and you'll be at the mercy of all the rest of the stewpotters. Oh, and this is also where we put our discipline cases who can't hack it in the other main groups. For all practical purposes, you're in with the worst of the worst. Good luck." Not mentioning, of course, that the stewpotters are monitored more closely than the main groups, and opportunities to completely burn out their magical talents show up with surprising frequency...

3. Where no one else can go:

My story isn't meant for children, but whomever will read it. Because of that, I don't want to deal with sanitizing school. I want a story that deals with stuff that other Blingsroman never would. You know, minor issues like Drugs, Alcohol, Teen Sex, Pregnancy, Stalking, Cheating rings, Gangs and School Shootings. All of that stuff is ripe for magical twists.

Good ideas! One point for consideration: while these problems are present in virtually every school, they manifest in different degrees. Not that a ritzy prep-school is completely free from the taint of gangs, nor that there are no stalkers in the bottom-rung inner-city school. But there's no way to explore these problems in a 'one-size-fits-all' fashion. You're going to have to decide on the general socio-economic level of the school itself, at least in the context of the magical society you've built, and that choice will affect how you explore these issues.

As point of reference, the first suggestion to me on this topic by a friend was "Date Rape Charm!". Think about that and that magic would make contraception stupidly easy for a minute....

"Date Rape Charm" would lead to detectors, which would encourage those who make money off of the charms to figure ways around the detectors, which would lead to the detectors offering upgrades, and so on. And don't forget those who can't afford the very best of either: would-be rapists who buy cut-rate charms could get caught, and victims might not be as safe as they think they are. Clever would-be rapists might also shell out for countermeasure-detectors, to reveal which of the potential victims have no defenses. It's a classic arms race on a much more personal scale.

Cultural factors: people who purchase the charms might be subject to scorn ("You can't get a date without help?!? Loser!"), and victims-to-be might be discouraged from purchasing appropriate defenses ("Good boys and girls don't have to worry about such things. Yes, you'll be a social pariah, but it's better to be good than... ugh... popular.")

But all three of these categories are incomplete because there are countless things I've missed since everyone's school experience is different. I'd like to hear other people's take on this.

I submit that the most serious challenge you've handed yourself is the notion that the school has no limit on age. A fifteen-year-old magic-user with one year of experience in magic will get spanked, far more often than not, by a thirty-year old non-magic user with fifteen years' experience in manipulating people.

[Arbco]

What if your MC was not the story hero?" How different would the Other Harry books have been if it was from the point of view from Ron. Or Neville. Or even Crab.