XIV. THE CHIEF HOUSES

Magus Anglesey, an esteemed astronomer and namesake of the prestigious Welsh Castle-school, once wrote that "magic is the great equaliser". Whether or not he anticipated the endless debate between magical theoreticians and historians that would follow is unclear, though the arguments for and against the veracity of this quote have both claimed considerable support among scholars.

Josef Augo's Profile of Magicality is often misrepresented for the purposes of this argument, given its widely accepted use within academia. The sum generated by the Augometer's tests is a composite reflection of various magical concepts, but the number does not, in and of itself, represent anything magical. Still, it is a well-known source of despair for those who score poorly and proceed to struggle when studying the wand arts: a set of disciplines historically known to distinguish those of broader magical talent from other witchfolk. Charms and Transfiguration are, after all, more precise, more applicable, and more deliberate than all practices of known wandless Sorcery. One might therefore posit that inequality (or hierarchy, at the very least) in wizardry began with the introduction of the wand.

Wandmakers in Western Europe were not uncommon as far back as before the emergence of the Roman Republic, but the industry would not hit its stride until the mass exodus of witchfolk from Muggle settlements between the second and eighth centuries. It was during this period, in the midst of this "Sorrowful Retreat" as it is occasionally described, that the works of Hermes Trismegistus would change hands and minds on a scale which few other magical traditions could hold claim. Esoteric ideas were simultaneously expanded and streamlined, but above all, European magic would see its most visible improvements in the discipline of Sorcery.

Of course, spellcasting had long earned its reputation as a highly demanding discipline, and the cryptic nature of Hermetic ideation certainly served to exacerbate this obstacle. The few who possessed the aptitude to study these arts in full (and incorporate the use of a magical instrument such as a wand) quickly rose to the uppermost rung of nascent wizarding society, and naturally, these wand-carriers were generally the most resourceful, strong-willed, and brightest witches of their day.

Nevertheless, despite Wizarding Europe's meritocratic origins, the heritability of class is remains evident. The ancient concept of a House and Key being tied to the blood of its Masters is central to the security of magical settlements around the globe, and the enchantments which sustain the Wizarding Union of Britannia are no different. While the Ministry of Magic assumes sovereignty over these territories, its authority is legitimised under the magical contracts of the longstanding Council of the Grand Oak, written in the blood of said Council's oldest wand-carrying clans. These early wizard-chieftains likewise bound themselves in blood to vast expanses of the terrestrial British Isles, and it is by their will - present in the blood of their descendants and successors - that the nation exists in its present form.

There are several dozen Houses from which the wizarding elite descend, although the currently accepted definition of Chief House roughly corresponds to the "Boughs" of Metropolitan Britannia:

Bough of Albany

By far the largest Bough in terms of land area, Albany's station as a Chief House is routinely disputed by common English witchfolk (although this is generally understood to be in good humour). Its line of succession is likewise exceptional; four related families - the Browns, the Dunns, the Morays, and the Urquharts - rightfully claim descent from the Elder Kings of Caledonian wizardry, and are bound to the lion's share of Scotland and its islands accordingly. Upon the death of the Chief-wizard or -witch (Fiona Ainsley Moray, current as of 1954), the eldest candidates of each branch enter a secret contest to determine their successor. What this shadowy gathering entails is unknown even to the other Chief Houses, but age-old rumours of a live wizards' chess board persist to this day.

While firmly situated within Scottish territory, the area of Hogsmeade has enjoyed total autonomy from the Bough of Albany since the erection of Hogwarts Castle, though its staff and benefactors maintain especially warm relations with the House.

Bough of Belgarum

Home to Stonehenge, the Forest of Dean, and even Winchester Castle, the Bough of Belgarum is notable for its spiritual and historical significance among Muggles and wizards alike. Originally held by the Selwyns, the family was deposed in the aftermath of the Norman conquest. Armand Malfoy, having taken hold of the Keys, aspired to seize Glastonbury and crown himself Wizard-King of the Isles. While his efforts were promptly thwarted by the other Chief Houses, the Wizard Malfoy was allowed to retain possession of the Keys as witchfolk across the region deemed the Selwyns unfit to rule. This untidy succession, however, presented what is now infamously referred to as the "Norman Problem". Despite the failure of Belgarum's enchantments to protect against the Norman wizards, the Selwyns' Bond of Blood endured as the family was very much alive. In light of this predicament, the main branch of the family was summarily executed - save the eldest daughter, Muriel, whom Armand Malfoy married soon after.

Following three generations of sickness and turmoil, Belgarum rapidly rose to international fame as a pilgrimage site, and later a hub for high society. That "most of Gringotts' gold lies under Wiltshire" is an all too common quip between mercantile wizards, and those who have had the honour of being invited to Malfoy Manor would be hard pressed to disagree.

Bough of Cambria

Possibly the least likely of the Chief Houses to find itself in the morning tabloids, the Jones family is by no means unremarkable. In addition to hosting the largest Beltane festival in the Union on their residential grounds, the Chief-witch of Cambria is officially recognised as the Union's Consul to the Elfish Kingdoms of Ireland. While the Cambrian enchantments are restricted to modern-day Wales and portions of the West Midlands, this Chief House takes the responsibility of negotiating Irish wizards' interests with the capricious monarchs (whose understanding of "sovereignty" is decidedly and thankfully unlike that of humans), while acting as the Elfish Kings' sole representative to the Wizengamot. It is understood that this relationship has extended some of the Bond of Blood's enchantment to Ireland; albeit weaker, these residual protections are bolstered by a mutual vow of faith between the Cambria and the Elfish nation.

While animosity between wizards and elves in Ireland persists (wizards for having lost their self-determination, elves for slavery in Great Britain, and both for the losses incurred in the Emerald War), the Jones family have provided a consistent mediator over the centuries. As for domestic matters, campaigns and funding for a revival of the old British language is a common priority among House members, as evidenced by their full sponsorship of the Gobbo Pritani Wireless broadcast.

Bough of Dumnonia

Once proclaimed the "modern nucleus of Hermetic Alchemy" by the great Magus Flamel himself, Godric's Hollow is a recurring setting behind some of the Union's oldest legends. It was renamed after the death of the revered Hogwarts founder by Austol Potter, his primary patron, and then Chief-wizard of the Bough of Dumnonia. The Crucible, the ancestral residence of the Potter family, has seen numerous renovations over the centuries, though the outermost walls have stood untouched since its construction under Gil, the first wizard to preside over the Bough. While its chambers are rumoured to be lined with stolen artifacts from every corner of the Earth, the Chief House's notorious material wealth was largely accumulated from the mass production of alchemical compounds and magical instruments such as the cauldron, hence the present-day company name, "Potlab".

In recent times, this House has suffered unparalleled tragedy among the old families of the Council. Following suspected assassinations by the EMR and deaths in battle throughout the Wizarding World War, Chief-wizard Charlus Fleamont Potter and his wife, Euphemia Dorea (née Black) are the sole remaining members on the Isles. Upon their deaths, the line will be rendered extinct. As the couple are believed to be far too old to conceive (Wizard and Madam Potter celebrated their second Diamond anniversary last year), the family's closest blood relative in line to inherit the Crucible is Professor Guinevere Mason, current Chairwitch of the ICW Toxic Substances Advisory Board. Should Professor Mason decline to change her name in receipt of the inheritance, it is speculated that the Department of Mysteries will be tasked with finding a solution to maintain the Bough's security.

Bough of Elmet

The traditional protectors of Sablestaff Square (home to the modern Ministry and previous Wizards' Councils), the Chief House of the Bough of Elmet is informally regarded as the most senior clan among the ruling class, and embody the closest analogue British wizards have to a modern royal family. The Longbottoms and their direct ancestors have inhabited the grounds currently known as Falconry House since the first Council's inception. Terrestrially, its Keys span much of Northern England and the Scottish Borders, though as with many other magical settlements, several locations mapped under the Bough do not strictly exist within natural space. The Black Wizard of Elmet, a statue positioned at the very centre of the Square, depicts the first Chief-wizard's ritual accession, and it is at the foot of its dais where each new Master or Mistress of the House is blessed by the Bough's Bishop, in accordance with the family's Gnostic heritage.

Outside of the Wizengamot's Upper Chamber, the Longbottom family is most notable for its long line of powerful, "divinely inspired" warlocks, and its firm adherence to the Bright Ways of magic despite such philosophies having lost significant credibility among magical scholars in recent times. Roger Thomas Longbottom, the fortieth and current Chief-wizard of Elmet, is admired in many circles for his cosmopolitan attitude towards inter-species relations, and his connections to creature community leaders across Asia-Pacific were considered "instrumental" in the containment of the Eastern Magical Republic by Leonard Spencer-Moon, the legendary war-time Minister.

Bough of Essex

For a family which professes to adhere to the motto "Toujours Pur", the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black has subjected itself to more reinventions than any other unit of the Key-holding gentry. During the Druid Salazar Slytherin's tenure at Hogwarts (and for centuries to follow), the first-born child of any Black house was obliged to devote themselves to the priesthood. This custom was quietly abandoned in the wake of the Elfish Exoduses and Goblin Rebellions beginning in the fifteenth century, enabling Chief-witch Auriga Black to demand a purge of their former equals (in the eyes of the Wild) from the easterly Bough. Although English goblins would eventually gain a stronghold in London's magical markets, the Black dynasty will be forever remembered as the largest single actor of the global elf trade from the Middle Ages to the present day.

The Chief House still adheres to a handful of its earlier ideals, foremost among them being the sanctity of pure blood. This family commandment proved strong enough to influence the Union's conversations on blood status, in which the phrase "s/he is born of Jove" has ultimately been replaced by "his/her blood runs black". They are likewise credited with having popularised the Dark Arts among British wizards (though certainly not all) in recent history, despite such magics being tainted by the High Warlock Grindelwald's image.

Bough of Kent

Of the eight Chief Houses listed in this chapter, the Smith family is the only one to prefer the use of a magical instrument other than a wand for spellcasting. In fact, the employment of metal staves for Sorcery was synonymous with the Kentish wizard until Ezekiel Smith married Martha Collingwood in 1635. Collingwood was the last known descendant of Helga Hufflepuff; Smith children attended Hogwarts since the Founders' era, though it was Martha's influence which encouraged later generations to continue wandwork after completing their formal education. Today, like many of the Chief Houses, the Smiths are known to enjoy a sporting duel, though they still provide a healthy supply of Blasting Rods, Lighting Staves, and multi-purpose long-sparks to witchfolk all over Europe.

A clan of keen fishermen, it is frequently purported by conspiracy theorists that the Smiths were responsible for the deaths of a small Mermish colony on the South-east coast. To what end is unclear, as is the Order of the Phoenix's involvement, though repeated attempts to refute these claims have proved unsuccessful.

Bough of Linclyne

The Notts are, by dint of written record, thought to be the inheritors of the oldest Chief House on this list. Several of Linclyne's enchantments predate both the formation of the Council of the Grand Oak and even the family's settlement in the area. Recent generations have been increasingly interested in the future as opposed to their past, however. Pockets of pro-Grindelwald supporters tended to gravitate around the Notts and most of the Linclyne Bough at the turn of the century, and along with the Blacks, they are staunchly opposed to suffrage for elves and goblins.

Conversely, their positions on Muggle-born rights are decidedly progressive. As Cantankerus Nott is widely believed to have penned the Pure-Blood Directory, this is believed to be a significantly recent development, though Chief-wizard Barnabas Nott voted against the first incarnation of the New-blood Salvage Act citing unanimous support amongst his kin.

Other Houses

It should be noted that smaller areas of enchantment do exist on the Isles, often overlapping between two or more of the Boughs' borders. Masters and Mistresses of such Houses are still considered members of the Key-holding gentry, though they enjoy none of the Chief Houses' political privileges, and all of the responsibilities. Most of these families are relatively affluent, and continue to uphold their duties as the Union, like their dwellings, is still considered "home".

I'm not dead, I swear. Stay tuned for more!