Overview

Beauxbatons Academy of Magic is the French wizarding school located in the Pyrenees mountains of southern France. The school was founded before 1290 and was among the eleven most prestigious wizarding schools in the world as well as one of the three largest in Europe, with the other two being Durmstrang Institute and Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. With most of the students attending being predominantly French, it was also home to students from Spain, Belgium, Portugal, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands. Beauxbatons was also known for having a much larger studentship than Hogwarts. The school could be recognised by its coat of arms, two golden wands crossed over one another, each of which was shooting a star. Overall Beauxbatons Academy did a fine job of keeping their nose clean and staying out of a negative public eye. Though there are two distinct times this did not go as planned. The first being when Le Cri de la Gargouille had reported a potion scandal that had involved multiple Beauxbatons students. Another noted time was the story covered by the garner newspaper on the expulsion of the first student to be expelled after the school had a one hundred and twenty-seven year gap since the last expulsion.

School Grounds

The Palace and Grounds of Beauxbatons are described as beautiful and majestic. The chateau is surrounded by gardens. The surrounding mountains having been magically created into fountains. The School looked Breathtaking and quite impressive considering it had stood for over seven hundred years. During Yule holidays the hall is adorned with non-melting sculptures; the students year round have Wood Nymphs serenading them while they eat in the Dining Chamber. The school was said to be part-funded by alchemist gold as Nicolas and Perenelle Flamel met at Beauxbatons in their youth. The couple also had a breathtaking fountain in the middle of the school's park named after them; it was believed that the fountain itself had healing as well as beautifying properties. Along with the Magnificent fountains and surrounding gardens the school had its own Quidditch Pitch as well. The field featured a view of the Pyrenees and large surrounding palatial stands.

School Traditions

The school had plenty of its own traditions. One of these being all of Beauxbatons Academy's students were all taught to stand at attention from the moment their Headmistress entered the room until the moment she herself sat down. This was done as a grand show of respect for their Headmistress. It was also said that Beauxbatons valued order and did not admit mess, this was for all. Even a Poltergeist would be swiftly removed out of the palace. Another one of their traditions was the use of Abraxan pulled Carriages to transport students and staff. This has been in place since at least Madame Maxime’s time as head of the school. These light blue carriages were pulled by a dozen winged. The size of the Carriage itself being the size of a house. Despite this being a breach in the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy, Beauxbatons continued to travel in these giant Abraxan horse-drawn carriages; with the horses only drinking single-malt whisky while being as big as an elephant and pulling a home on wheels. Beauxbatons education was of a similar calibre to the education given at the Scotland located school better known as Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. However, there was a difference in the school's examination times. O.W.Ls and N.E.W.Ts were given in the fifth year at Beauxbatons Academy unlike Hogwarts students being given their examinations in their sixth year. A second similarity between the schools was that Beauxbatons had its own school uniform. The students’ uniforms at the Academy are pale blue robes made of fine silk.

Competition

There were times that the three large European schools would directly interact with one another, this was commonly during the Triwizard Tournament. During the years the Triwizard Tournament remained an active yearly event, Beauxbatons Academy enjoyed a warm and cordial relation with Hogwarts. The two schools had what was said to be a healthy rivalry between them rather than a bitter one. As true rivals the schools were close in wins for the Tournaments. Beauxbatons winning sixty-two and Hogwarts having won sixty-three times. The last tournament was in 1994-1995. Leading up to this point the two schools remained how they always were in relation to one another. The year of the last tournament however caused a bit of strain on the schools relationship with Hogwarts due to one of Lord Voldemort's followers placing Harry Potter's name into the Goblet of Fire, granting Hogwarts a second champion alongside Cedric Diggory that year. With these stir ups happening the schools still demonstrated a cordial relationship between them. This was shown in not only how the students treated one another creating friendships and even attending that year's Yule Ball together but also in the attendance of Madam Maxime at the funeral of Albus Dumbledore. The two schools' friendly rivalry did not end at just the Triwizard Tournament, they were also well established rivals in Wizards Chess. The two schools prior to 1989 would participate in chess tournaments that saw Hogwarts students consistently defeated, this left Beauxbatons as undefeated and unchallenged by Hogwarts, only having their record broken in the year 1988-1989.

Staff and Students

Most assumed Beauxbatons Academy was an all girls school though this was not the case. Founded before 1920 Beauxbatons had many noteworthy and memorable students throughout time. Some of the most prominent names recorded were Nicolas Flamel, who was an alchemist and known for creating the Philosopher’s Stone, along with his wife Perenelle Flamel.

Separate from the well known Flamel family, there were a few to name.

• Vincent Duc de Trefle-Picques had been a student of Beauxbatons as well. He was best known for escaping the Terror, a period of time setting between 1793 and 1794 where mass executions of enemies of the French Revolution had happened. Vincent escaped by casting a Concealment Charm on his own neck to fool others into thinking that his head had already been cut off.
• Luc Millefeuille, who was an infamous Muggle-Poisoner and pastry-maker. Luc was made famous for deliberately poisoning Muggles, claimed as a form of Muggle-baiting, though the word being stretched generously at times meaning to play what some would call a harmless joke on unsuspecting Muggles. Though Luc's form was more along the lines of anti-Muggle sentiments.
• Fleur Delacour, who fought with the Order in the vastly known Battle of Hogwarts. After which she was awarded medals of bravery from both British and French Ministries of Magic. While attending Beauxbatons Fleur was chosen to participate in the Triwizard Tournament in 1994. After leaving Beauxbatons Fluer Delacour joined the Weasley family, marrying Bill Weasley.
• Olympe Maxime was a French half-giant witch as well as the Headmistress of Beauxbatons Academy of Magic. She was known for being clever, awe-inspiring, and elegant. Madame Maxime was the Headmistress at the time of the Triwizard Tournament in 1994. Fortunately during her time as Headmistress she never had to expel a student from Beauxbatons Academy. Between 1802 and 1920 there had been no expulsion. The first Expulsion since 1802 happened during the late 1920s, this being a Portuguese student whose actions were never disclosed.
• A couple of the other better known staff that has been recorded is Professor Desjardins the Care of Magical Creatures Professor. He worked at the Academy some time between 1840 and 1908. As well as Perrine Peres-Fonhbus, she was a choirmaster during the late 1920s.

Credits/References

Written by Aleric Selwyn
Base code by Andrew Sutherland, edited by Iselin Merilä and Desmond Gray.