America has been mostly absent from "Harry Potter" lore, lurking in the background of the Potterverse without much definition since the British series's debut. But now, the U.S. is taking center stage in the upcoming spinoff flick, "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them," and with it comes news that we're finally going to find out about Hogwarts's American counterpart.

That word comes straight from "Potter" mastermind and "Beasts" screenwriter J.K. Rowling, who took to Twitter to answer fans' queries about the place where Stateside witches and wizards get their magical schooling. And while Rowling didn't reveal much, the few hints she dropped should tantalize moviegoers.

"Fantastic Beasts" centers around magizoologist Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) and takes place in New York City many decades before the events of "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone." When one fan asked if that meant that Scamander would be attending the U.S. version of Hogwarts in NYC, Rowling said no -- but offered a couple other hints about the film's plot.

"(H)e's going to meet people who were educated at [name] in [not New York]," Rowling wrote. When pressed by another fan about whether that school had Native American origins, Rowling coyly confirmed that yes, it will -- though its name would not be a Native American one.


That's not much to parse, but let's try anyway. First, we know that the flick will focus on Scamander as a young man (hence Redmayne's casting), and perhaps will involve him meeting his future wife, Porpentina. Industry reports suggest that the flick is casting the roles of sisters Queenie and Tina (short for Porpentina, perhaps?), so maybe the sisters are the people that Scamander meets who've been educated at Hogwarts: American Edition?

As for the hints about Native American influence, that's bit more difficult to pin down, since tribes have settlements throughout the country, in places as spread out as the Southwest and upstate New York. Perhaps that latter location makes the most sense for "Fantastic Beasts," since it offers proximity to New York City.

The lilywhite casting so far -- which includes potential leads such as Dakota Fanning and Kate Upton -- suggests that none of the main characters will be of Native descent, though there are still reportedly two male roles that need to be filled. Stay tuned to see how this information factors into the finished film.

"Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" is due in theaters on November 18, 2016.

[via: J.K. Rowling, h/t Vanity Fair]

Photo credit: Getty Images