The Luna Nova Magical Academy (ルーナノヴァ魔法学校,Ruuna Nova Mahou Gakkou?), also known as Luna Nova Witchcraft Academy, or simply called Luna Nova Academy, is the most prestigious witch academy in all of Europe. In Latin, Luna Nova translates to "New Moon", the first phase of the moon.
The Luna Nova Magical Academy is a renowned school dedicated to teaching young witches the art of magic. Initially, only witches from magical families were admitted, but due to economic difficulties, it was decided to also allow the entrance to witches without magical inheritance. The students are divided into teams of three, giving each team the same room along with a hatband and sash of the same color for their uniform. These groups subsequently work together in the group lessons. Since the use of magic today is required for national qualifications, Luna Nova has various specialized subjects to acquire said qualifications, and after graduation, it offers various jobs that can use magic.
The academy is located above a Ley Line argued by Alfred Watkins, called the St. Michael's Ley Line and the school has its own Ley Line Terminal that facilitates the entrance and exit of the school through the Ley Line to the town of Glastonbury.[1] The campus consists of the main hall, which is a large castle located next to the New Moon Tower, where the Sorcerer's Stone is located, which absorbs the magical energy of the Ley Line and allows students and teachers to use their magic freely. Under the tower is a deep labyrinth where treasures and monsters are stored and under its chapel is the entrance to the Blue Moon Abyss. Croix's laboratory was later established in the tower. The outskirts of Luna Nova are surrounded by the Arcturus Forest and mountains.
In addition to dormitories and classrooms, the campus features sands for sports and flying broom practices, a clock tower, a large lake, a botanical garden, a courtyard, a library, a cafeteria, an auditorium, an observation tower, an aviary, and a pet graveyard. There is also the entrance to the Fountain of Polaris, inside the north building.[2] The Luna Nova's Reference Archives are in an external section and a special permit is required for access.[3]
History
Luna Nova Academy was founded in the 5th century by the great Nine Olde Witches and it has a history of about 1600 years. With the end of the Great Age of Magic, witches had lost their place in the world, but when the Nine Olde Witches managed to restore the glory of magic, they decided to create Luna Nova to return the witchcraft to its place of prestige. At its opening (year 420), there were around 100 students, which were guided by Woodward. The building was considered a masterpiece at that time. The Samhain Festival took place since the first year of opening.[4]
During the Witch Hunts in the 16th century (1512), Luna Nova was forced to close because of the persecutions. The school was burned and abandoned for 200 years. However, in the 18th century (1743), the great witches Woodward and Jennifer reconstructed it. This was the first step in the new era of witchcraft, the Golden Age of Magic, in which Luna Nova lives an era of glory.[4]
In the present period of science and technology, witchcraft has ceased to be perceived as a practical art, and instead as a relic of the past doomed to obsolescence. Magic around the world continues to weaken, and the number of witches decreases more and more. This, of course, affected the school that it suffer economic difficulties. Fortunately, the school, along with witches and the rest of people of magical world, were saved from obsolescence thanks to the joint effort of Atsuko Kagari and her fellow New Nine Witches who harnessed the power of Grand Triskellion which, combined with humanity's believing hearts united to support the witches' success that became a new Yggdrasil, restoring the Cosmic Tree's infinite magic to the world.
Curriculum and Teachers
The academy is run by the Headmistress Holbrooke, while the faculty is composed of many teachers, each dedicated to a specific subject. Regular teachers only take care of a single subject of their specialty field, while more experienced senior teachers tend to impart multiple subjects. Special classes are held to test students' learning, given by any teacher.
The course in the academy is composed of three years of three semesters each, in each one the students must attend a series of obligatory subjects and optional subjects. Normally, students need to take 7 subjects per year, 5 obligatory and 2 optional, but students who took and pass 10 subjects in a total of 5 obligatory and 5 optional, can obtain scholarships and become special students. The evaluation method consists of theoretical and practical exams, being evaluated by notes ranging from A+ to the highest to D- as the lowest.
History of Magic
History of Magic is dedicated to teaching about the origin and basic foundations of magic, seeking students to learn about the theoretical basis of the use of magic as well as important events in the history of witches. The professor of this class is an unnamed history teacher.
Magic Linguistics
Magic Linguistics is the study of languages and writing systems used in magic, such as ancient runes and alphabets used by ancestral witches. The professor of this class is Anne Finnelan.
Fundamentals of Magic Pharmaceutics
This subject is applied to teaching about the preparation of potions, from how and what ingredients to use until the fundamental mechanisms for their preparation. The professor of this class is Lukić.
Magic Numerology
Magic Numerology is the study of the hidden meaning of numbers as a form of understanding the foundations of sorcery and divination. The professor of this class is Samantha Badcock.
Magic Astrology
Magic Astrology is dedicated to teaching the divination of fortune through the observation of the stars. The professor of this class is Ursula Callistis.
Broom Flying
This class applies to instruction on how to fly magic brooms, which is fundamental to a witch. The professor of this class Nelson.
Magic Law
This class applies to imparting the institutionalized laws and norms that every witch must obey, mainly with respect to the prohibited uses of magic. The professor of this class is also Lukić.
Bird Language
This is a subject applied to the understanding of the language of birds, mainly crows and owls, which are the most common familiars of witches.
Basic White Magic
Basic White Magic is the subject dedicated to teaching the basic use of white magic for different purposes, such as repairing objects.
Culinary Magic
This is a subject dedicated to teaching the use of magic for culinary purposes. The professor of this class is also Badcock.
Fundamental Alchemy is a subject applied to the basics of alchemy, the ancient metaphysical science/mystical art of reforging raw materials into useful items. As the craft was only shown briefly in Orange Submariner, the information about it is limited until this point.
As demonstrated by Constanze, the known basic alchemy technique taught at Luna Nova is matter transmutation. Although such technique has similarities with that of Metamorphosis Magic (notably turning a target object into another), matter transmutation is much more difficult to perform due to restrictions which referred as the Law of Equivalent Exchange: Any form the target object is turned into must have equal mass and shares same basic makeup and properties with those of its original state, restrictions which Metamorphosis Magic bypasses through utilized magic energy which either increases or reduces the mass of the target as well as completely altering its properties and basic makeup in accordance of the form the user wishes to at varying degree. Moreover, matter transmutation appears to require greater understanding of the fundamental structure of the target object than Metamorphosis Magic does (which includes the flow and balance of potential and kinetic energy within) given than object transformations via. latter technique is much easier to reverse, if not outright temporary. As such, the use of alchemy, even its basics, is arguably restricted on altering inanimate matter.
Magic Philosophy
Magic Philosophy is an elective subject that is dedicated to the study of witch ontology (the existential nature of witches) and the theory of magical ethics, where it is taught that magic should be used for purely altruistic purposes. The class taught by the goldfish Professor Pisces, so it can only be taken by students with advanced knowledge of Magic Linguistics.
Modern Magic
A newly added subject dedicated to teaching the "future" of magic, mainly regarding the use of Magitronics, which combines magic and technology. Students make use of digital devices such as tablets, which were originally prohibited in the academy. The class is taught by Croix.
School Life
Any witch from 13 to 16 years old is eligible to enter the academy. After receiving a letter of acceptance and a guide to the academy, students must present themselves at the entrance ceremony in a timely manner. [4]
The course in the academy begins in May ending in July the first semester. After the summer holidays in August, the second semester starts in September and ends in the holidays in December. The third semester takes place in January, being in February the final exams. The course finishes in March, taking place in April the spring break, lasted two weeks between the end of March and April. Two half-term breaks are given at the end of the second month of the first two semesters and one at the end of the first month of the third.
Classes start at 8:00 a.m., students have half an hour to prepare and one hour for breakfast. Morning classes last up to 70 minutes per subject, taking 4 to 5 subjects per day. The students have a break for lunch at noon, resuming classes at 1:30 p.m. The afternoon classes last up to 8 periods. Students with extracurricular activities or clubs attend them from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Dinner is at 6:30 p.m. and study time at 7:30 p.m. The students must be asleep at 22:00 p.m.[5]
Uniform
Students in the academy wear two types of uniforms.
The uniform used in regular classes consists of a white long-sleeved shirt, a navy blue vest, a tie of the same color and a skirt. It also has a ribbon sash situated at the waist where the students carry their magic wands. In practical classes and school functions, students wear a uniform consisting of a long navy blue hooded tunic-styled robe with a hidden pocket in each sleeve, a pointed hat, stockings, and long boots along with the same ribbon sash. Each student's sash and band on their pointy boots and hat are colored in accordance to the group of three they belong to. When they are out of school, students wear a buttoned jacket covered with a cape.
The teachers wear a uniform consisting in a dark violet hooded dress reaching to her knees with long wide sleeves, a red flame-like design in the bottom, a brown belt, knee boots with a deep dip and red tips and a dark purple witch hat with a a golden crescent-shaped object and decorated with feathers hose quantity varies according to the rank that has said professor (the headmaster has three, senior teachers have two and the rest have one).
Magical Creatures
Several magical creatures reside at Luna Nova. Many are collectively referred to as "Faeries (妖精,Yōsei?)" (and Lotte can communicate with them), and they perform all of the non-teaching work at the school, such as the kitchen, cleaning, and technical maintenance. Such term is not entirely accurate however, as some of them, such as cyclops, trolls, and goblins are in fact, corporeal magical beings. Nevertheless, they require magical energy sustenance to even move, so they are given 10% of the energy of the Sorcerer's Stone which eventually led the magical creatures to go on strike for a fairer share of energy until they finally reached an agreement.
Professor Pisces, as a sapient goldfish, is also a sort of magical creature.
In Little Witch Academia: Chamber of Time, it's revealed that the magical creatures who worked at Luna Nova such as goblins can speak thanks to the training program they undergo in order to be employed in the school.
Rules
Luna Nova has many rules that students must obey to the letter. Breaking the rules entails a punishment or, failing that, expulsion.
Abstain from any activity that would ill befit the pride of a Luna Nova student.
Do not use magic outside the school.
Do not leave campus without permission.
Do not steal.
Do not perform dangerous experiments in the dorms.
Do not eat during classes or exams.
Do not bring or use high-tech devices at the academy.
Do not enter any of the locations of Luna Nova that are off-limits.
The design of sleeves of Luna Nova's uniform and robe (notice the robe has a hidden pocket in the sleeve)
Trivia
At the moment of the series, the number of students in the academy was about 150 people, with only 24 students studying in the master's course.
Luna Nova's students are all female.
According to Yoshinari and his fellow animators in the booklet that came with the first film's Blu-ray release Luna Nova is supposedly located in a realm/dimension separate from Earth and that magic in the realm/dimension in question is much more abundant than in former — this means witches must store some power from said realm so as to be able to use magic on earth albeit in limited capacity.[6]
In anime TV Series' continuity however, that seemed to be no longer the case as Diana is shown to be able to fly with her broom straight to her manor straight at Wedinburgh and vice-versa seemingly without transversing through Ley Lines in "Cavendish" and "Intelligence and Sensibility" and that the series established Ley Lines as partly magical shortcut for magic users to quickly travel between places that normally faraway on Earth, though the prospect of it can be used for travel between realms is still in the realm of possibility if we take accounts of Norse mythology where branches of Yggdrasil (which is Ley Lines in the show) connect nine worlds that collectively referred as Nine Realms.
