Wydan University: A(n Abridged) History
Wydan University for the Magical Arts was founded sometime during the 15th century, following in the vein of the founding of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry several centuries earlier. Like Hogwarts, Wydan came to be from a need: as the wizarding population grew, and many continued to study magic beyond the seven years of education offered by Hogwarts.
As the number of these witches and wizards grew in size, those who took these students as their apprentices began to feel hard pressed to bestow upon these young magical folk all the knowledge that they would need to achieve their goals.
At a gathering, a witch well-versed in her history and understanding that one must learn from the past, suggested that they learn from the school which had educated them, and based on the model of Hogwarts, create an institution which would provide the varied education for those too old to remain at Hogwarts.
With Hogwarts located in Scotland, debate raged over where to locate this hypothetical university. It was then that the same witch who had suggested the idea of a university previously – Maia Wydan – reminded them of the birthplace of the great Merlin himself, and of the power that remained in the area. And so it was agreed by the council that this university was to be built on land located in Wales, near the birthplace of Merlin.
And amid several (rather weak, it should be admitted) protests, Maia Wydan was installed as Headmaster, a position that would later be renamed as Chancellor, and the university named after her. For it was she who helped create it all, as “Mother Wydan” as she came to be known.
In the beginning, Wydan University was a small institution, with only one dormitory located within the main castle, and with many of the subjects offered in the present not offered at all. With a small staff, and a small population of students, Wydan University began to grow over the centuries, until it came to be the great institution it came to be. In recent decades, it has even opened its doors to foreign students, allowing for a great melting pot of different cultures and ideas to exist in one place.
