Alfea

The Alfea College for Fairies is a girls' boarding school in Magix for Fairies and the most prestigious educational institution for fairies.

Alfea is an ancient school for fairies, and apparently the only one dedicated to fairy education only. The Alfea students are mostly in training ages 16-18 (unless they have been held back a grade like Stella, so in her case, 17). Fairies here learn how to control their power, fight evil, learn new spells as well as be guardians of their planets, or in many cases, learn how to be their realms' queens. In Season 4, it is here that the Winx, after graduating, taught for a short period of time.

Education
"The fairy students come to college here to learn how to cast spells, create enchanted auras and make magical potions! Potionology, metamorphosimbiosis, magiphilosophy and good manners... are among the complex subjects taught in the college by very skilled, strict and demanding teachers! Thanks to these lessons, the aspiring teenage fairies learn how to use and improve their powers in order to fight against evil in the name of equality, brotherhood and justice! The Alfea students live within the college itself, which has an enormous, well stocked library, classrooms, and a Magical Archive where the most important secrets of Magix are kept!"

Additional classes include cognitive analysis, applied convergence, magic invocation, magic self-defense, Winxology, biotransformation, magiphysics, History of Magic, and Cosmomagic. The education in Alfea lasts 3 years, one for each Fairy Form in the journey of an aspiring full-fledged fairy.

In the Past
When Mavilla was headmistress of Alfea, owning and exhibiting the strengths of one's Fairy Animal was considered a vital part of a fairy education. Everything taught was a reflection of the contents of the Tome of Nature. Eventually, Mavilla realized Alfea was like a big cage to Fairy Animals and the current curriculum prohibited them from living freely. At another point in time, Eldora was keeper of the Alfea Greenhouse and taught floral magic.

First Year
Freshmen fairies learn how to master their own source of power, as well as their Winx, and learn many basic spells they can use in their daily life as well as spells cast spontaneously and on instinct. Learning how to change one's appearance in metamorphosis class and making potions in Potionology are part of this year's education. Fairies also learn how to explore diverse environments or complete certain tasks in the Simulation Room. Choosing one of the two prompts is a fairy's midterm. Some training exercises are also required.

Second Year
In their cognitive analysis class, fairies increase their magicial abilities by learning technical incantations, spells requiring cognitive analysis and accurate pronunciation. Other classes include magic invocation, which teaches the practice of making magic through technical charms, magic self-defense, which teaches how to defend oneself through the use of spells, and applied convergence, which teaches how to effectively combine powers. They also have the goal of earning Charmix, a power-up that will temporarily boost their energy. After earning it, the intensity of their training exercises is increased.

Third Year
After spring break, fairies are tasked with their final exam; earning Enchantix, the Final Fairy Form in a fairy's formal educational journey to become a full-fledged fairy. Those who achieve Enchantix will participate in training exercises to hone their abilities.

Graduation
After earning Enchantix, the basic fairy education is completed and they will receive the titles of Guardian Fairies of their respective homeworlds on the Day of the Gift.

Additional Years
It is worth noting that even after graduating, the Winx returned to normal school life at Alfea starting in Season 5. The behind-the-scenes reason for this is a reboot of the Winx’ age to prolong the series.

School Building
Its campus is a large castle with pink walls and blue roofs built around a courtyard itself having a well that leads to underground tunnels linking the three schools of Magix together.

The classrooms, school hospital and kitchen and school hall are mostly located on ground level, while the rooms of the staff members and the dormitories of the students are on the first floor. On the first floor, there is also the library, the office of the headmistress, and the school archives, found in one of the towers of the castle and guarded by the Pixie Concorda.

Protective barriers meant to keep non-magical creatures, non-fairies, and bad weather out are seen many times in the series. Their power source are known to be fairy magic or Fairy Animal magic.

Locations

 * The School Gates are the only access to the school compound. They consist of a large pink archway with two wing-like doors that move to open or close the gates.
 * Alfea used to have a crest when Faragonda was still a student. The crest was a curved golden "A" on a purple and blue flower with a golden outline at the top of the school gates. The crest was placed just above Alfea's gate. The "A" of the crest is also seen on what used to be the school's uniform. By the time the Winx had joined Alfea, the crest had been removed and replaced with an orb of the same color as the school walls. In Season 8, an Alfea remodeled in the new animation style bears an ”A” crest once again.


 * The non-forested area around the castle is used by the students to spend their time or for classes.

Central Courtyard
The Central Courtyard is a large open space at the center of the school, which is built around it. It contains:
 * Benches where students can sit and spend their free time.
 * A Well through which the tunnels connecting Alfea, Red Fountain and Cloud Tower to each other can be accessed. As it is shown in Faraway Reflection, when the moonlight shines on it, the well opens a portal, which leads to another dimension with lots water, where the map of the Infinite Ocean can be seen.
 * A Public Square where functions such as the beginning of year and graduation ceremonies are done. It also serves as a landing space for Red Fountain ships.

Ground Floor

 * The Classrooms are found on the ground floor around the central courtyard. The students learn most of their subjects there.
 * The Potions Laboratory is where the Fairies learn to prepare potions.
 * The School Kitchen is where the food for the students and staff of Alfea is prepared. Students may also be assigned to do the cooking as chores or as punishment. Chef Sfoglia works there.
 * The Entrance Hall is a large room found at the end of the School Courtyard, opposite the School Gates, and it is accessed from the outside by a set of stairs. The Entrance hall opens into corridors through which the classrooms can be accessed and it has a stairway from which the upper parts of the school can be accessed.
 * The School Hall is a large room found on the ground floor. It has a large dome of glass as its outer wall and there are long tables where the students have their breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It has a special tier for staff members. Parties and balls are often held there and during such occasions, the tables are removed to make a place for the festivities. A large glass dome is the School Hall's outer wall. It is found below the Headmistress' Office and next to the Entrance Hall.
 * The School Hospital is where students are treated in case of health problems and injuries. It is composed of an office and of a resting room with many beds. It is managed by Nurse Ofelia and her assistant.
 * The School Museum is where various things from the history of Magix are displayed. It has a Fashion History section.
 * The Greenhouse is where many species of magical plants are grown at Alfea, possibly for use in magic classes or in potion-making. Eldora used to teach magical botany there but after she left the school it was abandoned and became a secret location.
 * The History of Fashion Room is where beautiful clothes are preserved with age changer spells.
 * The Music Cafe is where students can sit and have a drink while listening to music being played on the stage and play some themselves.
 * Alfea Gym
 * The Alfea Underfloors is where mystical, ancient relics are kept, which includes the statues of the Alfea Champions.
 * The Hall of Memories, formerly known as the Hall of Fairy Animals, is where the Stone of Memories and a natural source of Wild Magic were kept.
 * Costume Depository
 * Magical Labyrinth
 * Heart of Alfea (Alfea MiniWorld)

First Floor

 * The Dormitories are where the belongings of the students are kept and where their bedrooms are found. They have bathrooms included in them and is assumed that they also have all the other facilities that the students need for their daily lives. The students spend a considerable amount of their time in their dormitories, doing homework or their hobbies or spending time with their classmates.
 * The Staff Quarters are where the teachers and the other staff members of the school have their personal living space. Some teachers might share their quarters like the students.
 * The Headmistress's Office is where the Headmistress of Alfea does the formal work of the school and where she attends official visitors. There is also a magic mirror there through which the whole school can be seen and there is a communication device that is used to communicate with the headteachers of the other schools of magic.
 * Offices belonging to other staff members can be found on the first floor. Griselda has an office there.
 * The Hall of Enchantments is a secret part of Alfea that only the staff of Alfea can access. According to Headmistress Faragonda, it is the heart of Alfea. It contains:
 * A library containing everything about magic and its history.
 * A hall where the portraits of all the enemies of the Magic Dimension can be found.
 * The Simulation Room is where virtual simulations take place by using the Simulator, a very powerful computer that combines technology and magic. It can also be used to teleport people to other locations and there is an amphitheater with an office where slideshows can be done. Professor Palladium is the one who is in charge of the Simulation Chamber. According to Professor Palladium, the people using the chamber can experience the situations in the certain environment.
 * The School Amphitheater is where the students sometimes attend the school assembly and where general meetings are often held, especially in crisis times. Students may also take part in activities such as dance practice and rehearsing there. There is a table with chairs around it where staff members sit. Exams may also be held there. especially practical ones.
 * The School Library is where many books about various topics can be found. It has its own magical research system. Miss Barbatea is the Librarian.
 * The Golden Gate is where the most precious and important magic knowledge of Alfea is stored. It contains many books and scrolls written by ancient and powerful sorcerers.
 * Rooms can be found on the first floor where guests and other people may live. The Winx obtain their room when they return to Alfea in Season 5.
 * The Fairy Clock Room is where Sirenix Fairies can use their powers to relive the past and reveal Time's secrets.
 * There are balconies adjoined to the student dormitories and the staff quarters.
 * History of Magic Room

Towers
There are two towers in Alfea.
 * The North Tower is where the Magic Archive of Alfea is found. Precious and rare books about many things can be found there and the school's Codex used to be kept there. A Pixie, named Concorda, is the keeper of the Secret Archives.
 * The Southwest Tower is a tower mentioned in Season 2.
 * There is a viewpoint on one of the towers.

Other

 * There are underground tunnels which connect Alfea to the other magical schools and which were used in ancient times if the schools were attacked. Also, it was used in Season 1 Episode 3 when the Trix used it to ruin the Red Fountain gifts for the 1st year fairies and get Stella's ring.
 * There is a large forest around Alfea which is used for tests, exams, and training. It is unknown if these parts of the forest belong to the school or not.
 * The Alfea Natural Park, which is a refuge for Fairy Animals, is found in the forest.
 * There is as bus stop where students, guests and staff members can take buses from and to Magix City and to other places in Magix.
 * There is an Aviary in Alfea that can be accessed by magical means since it is larger than the school building. It is similar to a giant open-air garden where giant flowers and giant birds, such as the giant eagles, can be found. Although only magic can open the aviary, the people inside it cannot use magic spells, so they cannot do anything but understand the inhabitants for survival.
 * According to Tecna in "The Mysterious Stone," Alfea's lights are powered by magic.

Uniform
Alfea used to have a uniform for the students and the female staff. It consisted of a burgundy long sleeved and knee length dress and high heels. The neck part of the dress has white lace and a dark burgundy loop. The school logo's golden "A" is on the left part of the dress while, for the staff's uniform only, golden curved forms are present on the front and back shoulders. The high heels have a golden buckle.

Known Students

 * The Winx (S1-3, 5-8)
 * Kalshara (formerly)
 * Other students

Winx Club

 * Headmistress Faragonda
 * Former Headmistress Mavilla
 * Professor Griselda
 * Professor Palladium
 * Professor Wizgiz
 * Professor DuFour
 * Professor Avalon
 * Professor Daphne
 * Former Professor Eldora
 * Knut
 * Unnamed Ballet Teacher
 * Nurse Ofelia
 * Miss Barbatea
 * Chef Sfoglia
 * The Winx (S4E01 - S4E02)

Comics

 * Professor Pikass
 * Selim Mustakar
 * Professor Zyron
 * Former Professor Medea

Trivia

 * The French dub of the fourth Special Episode is called "Nuits noires à Alphéa". It is unknown if this spelling was a mistake or if other non-Italian dubs really use variations of the name "Alphea".
 * In the new amusement park built by Rainbow S.r.l., the Rainbow Magicland, there is a reconstitution of the castle of Alfea.
 * The age at which Fairies and Witches respectively join Alfea and Cloud Tower is 16 years old, and it is at this age that Bloom first discovered her powers. It could be that it is at this age when the magic powers of the Fairies and Witches start manifesting and that they can still choose, like Mirta did, between becoming either a Fairy or a Witch so long they have not reached the level of full-fledged Fairies (Enchantix level) or Witches.
 * The name of the school is derived from that of the Greek letter Alpha (Α, α), which is used as a synonym for "beginning" or "first". This interestingly refers to the names of:
 * The Beta Academy, of which name is derived from that of the Greek letter "Beta" (Β, β, ϐ), which is used as a synonym of "second", perhaps reflecting the fact that Alfea is the best school for Fairies in the whole Magic Dimension while Beta was never mentioned to be a well-known school.
 * The Omega Dimension, of which name is derived from the name of the Greek letter "Omega" (Ω, ω), which is used to denote the end of something.
 * Alfea could have been inspired by both Beauxbatons and Hogwarts from the Harry Potter series.
 * Both Alfea and Hogwarts are attended by the main protagonists, Bloom and Harry respectively.
 * Both Alfea and Hogwarts are out of bounds for non-magical people.
 * The headteachers of both Alfea and Hogwarts, Faragonda and Dumbledore (who might have been an inspiration for Faragonda), knew the protagonists' parents and together with them fought against the forces of evil as members of the Company of Light and the Order of the Phoenix.
 * Both Beauxbatons and Alfea are all-girls magic schools located in château-type buildings
 * In the first episode, Faragonda said that it was 5 years of studying, but in the first movie and seasons 3 and 4 it said 3 years of studying.
 * Alfea is the only school to appear in Season 4, yet Red Fountain was mentioned a few times by Sky and the other Specialists.
 * All antagonists have targeted Alfea for various reasons: The Trix for the Dragon Flame, Darkar for the Codex, the Ancestral Witches through Mandragora for Bloom, Valtor for the Spells at Alfea, The Wizards of the Black Circle for Bloom, Tritannus through The Trix for the Sirenix power and Selina for the Dragon Flame.
 * In Season 5, Roxy attends Alfea for the very first time. The Winx (after their long absence from during much of the previous season) also return and go to Alfea to find the Book of Sirenix.
 * Although Alfea is surrounded by a barrier that prevented non-magical beings from stepping inside, they can, however, enter the school only if Miss Faragonda allows them to, by creating a portal as seen in A Magix Christmas.
 * So far, the only non-magical beings that have entered Alfea are Mike, Vanessa and the children of Gardenia.
 * Twenty-eight known Alfea fairies' names end with "a".
 * The windows on both of the towers are animated differently in Season 6.
 * Alfea is the only school to appear in every season and movie.
 * In Season 6, Alfea receives its own anthem.
 * In the 4Kids version, Alfea already had an anthem.
 * In Season 8, the school is remodeled and includes new locations.
 * In "A Great Secret Revealed", Bloom reveals that Alfea does not offer home economics classes.
 * In Fate: The Winx Saga, is attended by both male and female  along with the.
 * In Winx Club: Winx Fairy School, herbology is an additional course taught by Professor Wizgiz.