Interesting theory. I personally can see a lot of similarities between Harry Potter and The Worst Witch books, written at least two decades earlier. Actually, the similarities between Harry Potter and the Worst Witch are uncanny.
"Miss Cackle's Academy for Witches stood at the top of a high mountain surrounded by a pine forest. It looked more like a prison than a school, with its gloomy grey walls and turrets. Sometimes you could see the pupils on their broomsticks flitting like bats above the playground wall, but usually the place was half hidden in mist, so that if you glanced up at the mountain you would probably not notice the building was there at all." - excerpt The Worst Witch by Jill Murphy 1974
Mildred Hubble is the hero of The Worst Witch. She is a bit of a misfit, with unruly hair, a habit of breaking rules and saving people's lives. She is more powerful than she realises and is often favoured by her Head Mistress. The Headmistress is Miss Cackles, a white haired old witch who is mentor to Mildred and who has helped her out of trouble on numerous occasions. She is also addicted to sweets. The scariest teacher at Miss Cackles Academy is the Potions Mistress, Miss Hardbroom. She is tall, thin, dresses head to toe in black, has an evil scowl, and hates Mildred with a passion. Mildred's enemy is Ethel Hallow, an arrogant blonde from a prominent magical family, whose father happens to head the school board of governors. Ethel and Mildred met on their first day at Miss Cackles and hated each other instantly. Guess who Ethel's favourite teacher is? Yes, you guess it, Miss Hardbroom.
Not as mystical as Earthsea perhaps, but the similarities are certainly there.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2007-02-24 04:06 am (UTC)"Miss Cackle's Academy for Witches stood at the top of a high mountain surrounded by a pine forest. It looked more like a prison than a school, with its gloomy grey walls and turrets. Sometimes you could see the pupils on their broomsticks flitting like bats above the playground wall, but usually the place was half hidden in mist, so that if you glanced up at the mountain you would probably not notice the building was there at all." - excerpt The Worst Witch by Jill Murphy 1974
Mildred Hubble is the hero of The Worst Witch. She is a bit of a misfit, with unruly hair, a habit of breaking rules and saving people's lives. She is more powerful than she realises and is often favoured by her Head Mistress. The Headmistress is Miss Cackles, a white haired old witch who is mentor to Mildred and who has helped her out of trouble on numerous occasions. She is also addicted to sweets. The scariest teacher at Miss Cackles Academy is the Potions Mistress, Miss Hardbroom. She is tall, thin, dresses head to toe in black, has an evil scowl, and hates Mildred with a passion. Mildred's enemy is Ethel Hallow, an arrogant blonde from a prominent magical family, whose father happens to head the school board of governors. Ethel and Mildred met on their first day at Miss Cackles and hated each other instantly. Guess who Ethel's favourite teacher is? Yes, you guess it, Miss Hardbroom.
Not as mystical as Earthsea perhaps, but the similarities are certainly there.