The "Chosen One" is a key character in many magic school fantasy novels, including J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series. This character trope helps establish the story's early plot by assigning an unsuspecting character a "prophesied" mission that requires great bravery and heroism. This prophecy of greatness immediately positions the Chosen One as the young protagonist while setting the stage for future conflicts and climactic moments within the novel.

The Chosen One can be relatable for young readers as they are often described as misunderstood, complex, unique, or even "weird." Resultantly, readers can create emotional ties to this character and even be inspired to fight their own, real-life "battles." This trope also allows for character development, as the Chosen One must either fulfill or fall short of the destiny imposed upon them. For example, in Harry Potter, readers following the Chosen One, Harry Potter, face many life-threatening challenges before ultimately fulfilling his prophecy by defeating Voldemort.

This trope allows for further character development even after the prophecy's fulfillment, as readers are left questioning, What now? This question creates further complexity within the story, as seen in Rowling's Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (2016), which explores how Harry's identity evolves after fulfilling his destiny.

The "Wise Old Professor" trope character serves as a parental or mentor-like figure for the "Chosen One" protagonist. This character provides more depth and legitimacy to the magic school setting, as the professor often provides magical wisdom beyond what the readers have yet learned from the young protagonist. Furthermore, through counseling, the wise mentor helps push the protagonist's character development, leading them to fulfill their elusive prophecy eventually. One of the earliest accounts of the wise professor trope is Gregory Maguire's Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West (1965), through the character Doctor Dillamond, a history professor at Shiz University. Maguire's influence can further be seen nearly a decade later through another wise professor trope in Jill Murphy's The Worst Witch (1974).

J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series clearly conveys this competitive trope through the characters of Harry Potter, Gryffindor, and Draco Malfoy, Slytherin.  Young rivalries work particularly well for Magic School Fantasy novels because they reflect the real-life societal challenges, norms, and hidden rules placed upon adolescent students within traditional schooling systems. This rivalry is further enhanced in the Harry Potter series through the Quidditch sport, which creates a physical, competitive dimension to the student rivalry, which can create sports-like pride and connection for readers. Other Magic Fantasy novels, including the classic Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West (1965), The Worst Witch (1974), Hex Hall (2010) by Rachel Hawkins, and The School for Good and Evil (2013), provide other traditional and nuanced examples of the youthful rivalry trope. 

The inclusion of fights or confrontations between the chosen protagonist and their "school bully" throughout the story can create conflicts within the story. Additionally, these "small-scale" battle scenes between the protagonist and their rival can provide foreshadowing elements and emotions to the larger-scale, climactic battle later in the story. 

Magic School Fantasy, as a sub-genre, emphasizes school-based friendships and feuds as this aspect of the fantastical world can be relatable to young readers. Resultantly, these novels provide protagonists with fiercely loyal friendships to battle the terrors of monsters and teenage drama. The Harry Potter series offers a classic example of loyal friendships through the "Golden Trio," including key characters Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger. Magic School Fantasy friendships inspire young readers to lean on their friends in hard times. Many other Magic School Fantasy novels, including The School for Good and Evil (2013), provide a more nuanced version of this trope by including "unlikely friendships." Nuanced and developed friendships, in Fantasy, allow readers to expand their view of friendship and find community in new spheres. 

Within Magic school fantasy novels, side character friends rise to heroism as they fight alongside the protagonist in moments of conflict. Furthermore, friendships serve as a symbol of comfort and loyalty. These friendships "up the stakes" during rising moments of conflict in the story as they give the protagonist something to protect, while also creating an innate weakness against the story's antagonist.