Aparecium ⋆ Harry Potter Guide

34. Wizarding Schools: Beauxbatons Academy of Magic

HARRY POTTER GUIDE.
34. Wizarding Schools: Beauxbatons Academy of Magic

Beauxbatons Academy of Magic (French: Académie de Magie Beauxbâtons) was the French wizarding school, located in the Pyrenees mountains of southern France. The school took many of its wizarding students from France, as well as large numbers from Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, and Belgium. It is unknown if students from other countries were allowed. The school's coat of arms consisted of two golden wands crossed over one another, each shooting three stars.

History: Founded sometime before the 1290s, Beauxbatons had many noteworthy students over the years. Most prominent were Nicolas Flamel, the alchemist famed for discovering the Philosopher's Stone, and his wife Perenelle. Apart from the Flamels, famous ex-students of Beauxbatons included Vincent Duc de Trefle-Picques, who escaped the Terror by casting a Concealment Charm on his own neck and pretending that his head had already been cut off; Luc Millefeuille, the infamous pastry-maker and Muggle-poisoner; and Fleur Delacour, who fought in the world-famous Battle of Hogwarts, married Bill Weasley, and was awarded medals of bravery from both the French and British Ministries of Magic. Olympe Maxime, Headmistress in the mid 1990s, was (in spite of her protestations to the contrary) a half-giantess; clever, elegant, and undeniably awe-inspiring. Beauxbatons participated in the Triwizard Tournament that was held in 1792 and the tournament that was held in 1994. During the 1792 tournament one of the tasks involved catching a cockatrice. However, the beast went on a rampage and injured three of the judges; one of the injured was at the time the head of Beauxbatons. In the 1994 tournament, Fleur was selected school champion and finished in fourth place behind the other three contestants. During the 1994 tournament, Madame Maxime served as head of the academy.

Castle and Grounds: The Palace of Beauxbatons was a beautiful chateau surrounded by majestic gardens and fountains magically created out of the surrounding mountains, and stood for over seven hundred years. In the Dining Chamber, Wood Nymphs serenaded the students while they ate, and at Christmas, the hall was adorned with great, glittering, non-melting ice sculptures. It was said that the stunning castle and grounds of this prestigious school were part-funded by alchemist gold, for Nicolas and Perenelle Flamel met at Beauxbatons in their youth, and a magnificent fountain in the middle of the school's park, believed to have healing and beautifying properties, was named after them.

Traditions: Students and staff were transported by use of the Beauxbatons Carriages (French: Le carrosse de Beauxbâtons). The carriages were light blue, pulled by a dozen winged horses. Despite being used as transportation by Beauxbatons, travelling in an Abraxan horse-drawn giant carriage the size of a house was a breach of the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy. The Abraxan horses only drank single-malt whisky. The students at Beauxbatons Academy were taught to stand at attention from when their Headmistress entered the room until she sat, showing great respect for her. At the Palace of Beauxbatons, they had ice sculptures all around the Dining Chamber at Christmas. The ice sculptures didn't melt and were like statues of glittering diamond. According to Fleur Delacour, the food that was served at the school was superb, with choirs of Wood Nymphs that serenaded students as they ate.

Uniform: The Beauxbatons uniform was a set of clothing all students of Beauxbatons Academy of Magic were required to wear. It consisted of light blue clothing made of silk, and as such, wasn't practical for weather colder than what is experienced in the Pyrenees. It is likely that Beauxbatons students buy their uniform at the clothes shop Maison Capenoir on Place Cachée. In the film adaptation, there are two distinguishable uniforms. One of these are more formal, as shown in the Beauxbatons candidate's entry into the Great Hall for the Triwizard Tournament, and is otherwise sometimes known as their travelling outfit. It consists of light coloured blue fine silk above the knee-length dresses with a light blue cape with ribbon fastening, a slightly pointy light blue hat made out of knit felt, black sheer stockings and light blue heel shoes with a defined black pointed toe and black fringe. Their other, everyday uniform includes: a light blue button-up classic collared above the knee length dress under a light blue blazer with a dark blue trimming on the edges with the Beauxbatons emblem is embroidered on the left pocket, with the same hat, dark blue stockings and shoes as their formal attire. As depicted by Hogwarts Mystery, the male uniform consists of a light blue button-up classic collared shirt under a light blue blazer with white trimming on the edges, a dark blue necktie, light blue pants and dark blue and grey shoes as their formal attire.

Reputation and Rivalry: Education at Beauxbatons Academy was of a similar calibre to the education at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in Scotland. Beauxbatons students took their equivalent of Ordinary Wizarding Levels in their sixth year, rather than their fifth like their Hogwarts counterparts. Typically, Beauxbatons Academy enjoyed a very warm, cordial relation with Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, as even during the Triwizard Tournament the two schools enjoyed a healthy rather than bitter rivalry; Beauxbatons won the Tournament sixty-two times and Hogwarts won sixty-three. In the last of these tournaments, from 1994-1995, their relationship with Hogwarts was somewhat more strained, due to Lord Voldemort's servant placing Harry Potter's name in the Goblet of Fire thereby giving Hogwarts a second champion, though the relationship did not become outright hostile (as individual Hogwarts and Beauxbatons students remained friendly towards one another and some even attended the Yule Ball with one another). In addition, Madam Maxime returned to Hogwarts for Albus Dumbledore's funeral, demonstrating that the cordial relationship continued between the schools.