- "Webster Boot became what would now be known as an Auror for hire."
- — Description of Webster's career[src]
Webster Boot (born c. 1620) was an Irish-American wizard and one of the four co-founders of Ilvermony. He was also the founder of Wampus house. Webster was the younger brother of Chadwick Boot and the husband of a Scottish witch whom he eventually fell in love with.[2]
Webster became what would be later known as an 'Auror for hire'. After falling in love with a young Scottish witch (whom worked for the Ministry of Magic), he chose to remain in England. Thus Boot family returned to its home country and his descendants were educated at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.[2]
Biography[]
Early life[]
Webster was born around 1620 in Ireland to Mr Boot and Mrs Boot.[1] He had a brother, Chadwick, who was older than him by two years. As a child, he travelled with his family to the New World with the Plymouth settlement in search of adventure.[2]
Founding of Ilvermony School[]
One day, they ventured into the forest where they were attacked by a Hidebehind. His parents were killed but he and his brother were saved by Isolt Sayre who nursed them back to health. They were eventually joined by James Steward, a No-Maj who had travelled with the Plymouth settlement too and who had gone in search of the family when they did not return. Webster and his brother formed a bond with them both and even though James was scared of their magic at first, he eventually came round. James helped them build Ilvermorny Cottage in Mount Greylock.[2]
The four lived together at the cottage when Isolt and James were married. Isolt told them stories of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. They both yearned to be able to return to Ireland so they could attend the school but Isolt would not tell them the reason why they couldn't. The brothers were instead promised wands when they turned eleven and that they could make a school of magic at Ilvermorny.[2]
This idea caught Webster and Chadwick's imaginations and they thought about how the school ought to be. It was based upon Hogwarts, and they wanted four houses but they thought naming the houses after themselves would sound ridiculous. They decided to name them after magical beasts, with Webster coming up with the house Wampus, named after the magical creature.[2]
By the time Webster turned eleven, Ilvermorny was flourishing. Isolt made good on her promise and made Webster a wand made out of ash with the core being the horn of a Horned Serpent. Webster and Chadwick were joined at the school by two other families, although theirs was the only one that lived at Ilvermorny.[2]
Death of Gormlaith Gaunt[]
By 1634, the school had grown and now included Inter-House competitions which was an idea given by Webster. He and his brother were joined by Isolt and James' twin daughters, Martha and Rionach Steward.[2]
However, one day, Isolt's wicked aunt, Gormlaith Gaunt found out she was living at Ilvermorny. Gormlaith travelled there to make Isolt pay for leaving her and cast a curse over her and James which put them in a deep sleep.[2]
Gormlaith did not know Webster and Chadwick were also staying at the house because she had never heard of them. Therefore, the spell she cast did not put them in a sleep either. She also did not know that they had powerful wands made with the horn of the river serpent. Gormlaith had cast another a spell in Parseltongue which made other wands become inactive, but these wands were not stopped by her spell and in fact, recognised the sound of the ancient language and emitted a low musical note to warn their masters they were in danger.[2]
This made Webster and Chadwick wake and they leapt out of bed. Chadwick looked instinctively through the window and saw Gormlaith creeping through the trees towards the house. Even though Isolt had never spoke of Gormlaith to them, Chadwick had heard her talking about Gormlaith several times. Chadwick sent Webster to warn their parents while he ran to stop Gormlaith. Webster was unable to wake them, so he joined Chadwick in his duel against Gormlaith.[2]
Gormlaith had underestimated them and the twin cores of the brothers wands increased their power. However, Gormlaith's powerful Dark Magic was enough to match them. Gormlaith promised them mercy if they could prove their pure-blood credentials, but Chadwick and Webster were only determined to stop her reaching their family. The brothers were driven back inside Ilvermorny: walls cracked and windows shattered, but still Isolt and James slept, until the baby girls lying upstairs woke and screamed in fear.[2]
It was this that pierced the enchantment lying over Isolt and James. Isolt screamed at James to go to the girls as she ran to assist her adoptive sons, with Slytherin’s wand in her hand. However, when she reached Gormlaith, she realised her wand was loyal to her aunt. Gormlaith drove Isolt, Chadwick and Webster backwards up the stairs, towards the place where she could hear her great-nieces crying. Finally she managed to get the doors open to their bedroom, where she was prepared to kill the family.[2]
However, Isolt cried out for her murdered father, William but instead she summoned William the Pukwudgie who appeared on the windowsill and killed Gormlaith with a poisoned arrow, saving the family.[2]
Later life[]
Webster later became what would now be known as an Auror for hire. While repatriating a particularly nasty Dark wizard to London, Webster met and fell in love with a young Scottish witch who was working at the Ministry of Magic. They settled in Britain where Webster’s descendants would be educated at Hogwarts.[2]
Personality and traits[]
Webster was described as argumentative, but fiercely loyal.[2]
Magical abilities and skills[]
- Duelling: Webster was a very skilled and accomplished duellist who was proficient in Martial magic. He was able to hold off the powerful Dark witch Gormlaith Gaunt on even terms along with his brother, though this may have been due to their twin wand cores increasing their power ten-fold. He also became an Auror for hire later in life, an occupation that required intense magical combat.[2]
Possessions[]
- Wand: Webster was given this wand for his eleventh birthday by his adoptive parents. The core was Horned Serpent horn while the length and wood were unknown.[2]
Etymology[]
- The name Webster originates from an occupational surname meaning "weaver", derived from Old English webba.
Behind the scenes[]
- Webster and his brother Chadwick are the youngest known founders of a wizarding school, as well as the only known founders to attend said school as students.
Appearances[]
- Pottermore (First appearance)
- Harry Potter (website)
Notes and references[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Writing by J. K. Rowling: "Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry" at Harry Potter (website) - "Both boys yearned to attend the school, frequently asking why they could not all return to Ireland where they could wait for their letters."
- ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 2.13 2.14 2.15 2.16 2.17 2.18 2.19 2.20 2.21 2.22 2.23 2.24 2.25 2.26 2.27 2.28 2.29 2.30 2.31 2.32 2.33 2.34 2.35 2.36 2.37 2.38 2.39 2.40 2.41 2.42 2.43 2.44 Writing by J. K. Rowling: "Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry" at Harry Potter (website)
- ↑ Both his parents were wizards, meaning he and his brother were not Muggle-borns.
Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry | |||
---|---|---|---|
Ilvermorny Houses | |||
Namesake Founders | |||
Isolt Sayre · Chadwick Boot · Webster Boot · James Steward | |||
Subjects offered | |||
Arithmancy · Charms · Creature Care · Defence Against the Dark Arts · Potions · Study of Ancient Runes · Transfiguration · Xylomancy | |||
Ilvermorny staff | |||
William · Rionach Steward · Eulalie Hicks · Unidentified Ilvermorny professor · Agilbert Fontaine · Karen Crowley | |||
Ilvermorny locations | |||
Ilvermorny Castle · Ilvermorny's snakewood tree · Ilvermorny library |