Introduction and History of Beauxbatons
Welcome to Beauxbatons, HOL students! Today I will tell you about the history of Beauxbatons as we know it. Be forewarned - the history of Beauxbatons is not nearly as well known as that of Hogwarts. Most of the history has more "legend" status, with many of the details being quite foggy - and both the students and staff at Beauxbatons seem to enjoy keeping it that way!
Let's begin by discussing the founders of Beauxbatons. Beauxbatons was founded by a Wizarding couple sometime in the 12th century. They founded the school because they didn't want their children to have to move far away for school, and because they felt the other Wizarding School options would not provide the upbringing and education they wanted for them.
Avelina Lefevre (née Bernard)
Avelina Lefevre was described as a very curious, kind, and charming witch. She was more involved with the planning of the Beauxbatons Castle and it's spirit and extracurricular activities. Avelina had been home-schooled for both magical and Muggle education, as she came from a half-blood family. She took a lot of inspiration from Hogwarts' housing system, enjoying that it attempted to create a sort of family atmosphere, but she felt that overall it divided the students and staff of the school more than it brought them together. Avelina still wanted Beauxbatons students to feel like they automatically had some sort of "family" based on mutual interests or aspirations, as students would be boarding at the palace for the entire school year, and could stay the summer if they wished. Avelina thought long and hard about how she could help her students feel connected to one another as a whole, but still give them a niche within the school. She found her answer when she came to watch her husband work on the construction of the palace. He had always been far better at transfiguration than she was, and Avelina had always attributed it to either innate skill or a property of his wand. But as she watched him work, she noticed how differently he moved his hands and directed his wand than she would've. His style of casting spells was entirely different from hers. Avelina became obsessed with the idea that these "casting styles" were what made a witch or wizard excel at a particular type of magic. She theorized that her training in music had made her casting style more light, dexterous, and flowing, while her husband's traditional training at a magical school might've pushed him towards a more grandiose, firm, and assertive style. For Avelina, Beauxbatons became more than just a way to ensure her children were raised "properly" - it became a place to truly research and test her theory. She dedicated the remainder of her life to this research.
As a result, students at Beauxbatons take core courses, and are allowed to choose a few electives as they do at Hogwarts - but they are also required to pursue one "practical elective". These practical electives are typically some form of art or sport, though some are just general hands-on activities. For example, at modern day Beauxbatons, students may choose from things like Jousting, Fencing, Painting, Drawing, Dance, Music, Quidditch, Horseback Riding, Sculpting, Gardening, and more! (Some of these categories even have sub-specializations or categories!) These electives are referred to as the students' "style specialization". First-year students arrive to Beauxbatons two weeks before the school term begins, and upper-year volunteers from each style specialization host workshops for the first years. When the term begins, the first-years essentially "sort themselves" by choosing the specialization they enjoyed the most. For the remainder of their time at Beauxbatons, students will take specialized classes in these subjects. Students are not allowed to switch to a different style specialization unless there are special circumstances - they must prove that their specialization is severely hindering them or they may choose another specialization if they become physically or mentally unable to participate in there current specialization. Due to this important choice, the students at Beauxbatons feel bonded within their specializations and spend more time with similar students in these electives. Students with the same specializations also live in the same dormitories. In this way, students' style specializations form a bit of a house system on it's own - although the students prefer to refer to them as "Societies" (e.g., Jousting Society). However, there is a large emphasis placed on community at Beauxbatons. The students are very passionate about teamwork, and believe each society has something very special and valuable to offer to the overall magical community. Respect for elders and staff is also highly emphasized; for example, students show great respect for their Headmistress. It is tradition at Beauxbatons to stand at attention when she enters the room, and to wait until she is seated before seating oneself.
Avelina's research on casting styles had promising results. For example, she consistently found that students who chose the musical specialization excelled more at charms than any other students, and students who chose sculpting were particularly good at transfiguration. However, there are many modern critics of Avelina's work - their main grievances being that Avelina did not take into account other variables that may have contributed to the patterns she saw. Some staff members at Beauxbatons (especially those that graduated from there) are still very passionate about Avelina's theory, and as such, they are carrying on her research to this day - though they are taking into account the criticisms, in hopes of strengthening the evidence supporting the theory.
Avelina died peacefully in her sleep in her mid-fifties.
Ansellus Lefevre
Ansellus Lefevre is described as hard-working, energetic, and friendly. Ansellus came from a pure-blood family and attended a regular Wizarding school - though which school is, essentially, a mystery. Ansellus completed the majority of the construction of the original Beauxbatons Palace, transfiguring parts of the mountains to form the school and gardens. He was also heavily involved in the creation of the core curriculum.
Ansellus felt that his magical education hadn't been well-rounded. He had learned the core subjects (potions, transfiguration, charms, herbology, combat magic, flying, and history), but there had not been much room to explore other subjects, which he felt were incredibly important to gain a full understanding and prowess with magic. He spent much of his spare time in the library, attempting to teach himself about these additional subjects. As such, he supported his wife's introduction of "style specializations", and decided to add additional subjects for students, including things like alchemy, magical creatures, astronomy, cultural studies (effectively the Beauxbatons equivalent of Muggle Studies), Wizarding Law, and divination. He continued to research and construct additional subjects for the students throughout his life; Ansellus' goal was to ensure that students from Beauxbatons were the most well-rounded, talented, and knowledgeable students in the Wizarding World. Whether or not he succeeded in this is, of course, hotly debated, even today.
Ansellus' influence is still very present at modern-day Beauxbatons. For example, students who specialize in Quidditch are required to study and play in every position on the Quidditch pitch! Each student recognizes their own and each other's talents and forms teams accordingly when they play official games, and they put in extra practice into their best position, but they are still required to put practice into the other positions, as well. The belief among Beauxbatons students is that by playing and practicing in various positions, they will become better overall players, and the skills learned in other positions will help them become more skilled and versatile players in their best position. Additionally, they will gain a better understanding of both their teammates and opponents and a greater awareness of the "big picture" of Quidditch. On the surface, this cross-training appears to pay off for them: Beauxbatons players are among the best at dodging bludgers and other attacks, they excel at successfully using complicated passing and scoring methods, and Beauxbatons seekers are famous for their excellent agility and broom control in tight situations.
Ansellus died in an accident involving an alchemy experiment in his late fifties. Avelina and Ansellus' children took over the running of Beauxbatons after their parents died, but two of them eventually left to pursue other careers. Beauxbatons was run by descendants of Avelina and Ansellus for quite some time, but eventually was handed over to a passionate and capable graduate of the Academy, and ever since then, the headmaster/headmistress has been hired by the previous head of the school based on merit and passion for the "Beauxbatons Code" and all that the school stands for.
Other History & Modern Beauxbatons
Nicolas Flamel and his wife, Perenelle, both studied and met at Beauxbatons Academy. Other famous alumni include: Vincent Duc de Trefle-Picques, who survived the Terror by using a concealment charm to appear like he had already been decapitated; Luc Millefeuille, who excelled at baking but unfortunately used this in combination with his magical prowess to poison Muggles; and Fleur Delacour, who fought so gallantly in the Battle of Hogwarts that she was awarded medals of bravery from both the British and the French Ministries of Magic.
Beauxbatons' Coat of Arms is two golden wands crossed over each other, each emitting three stars. Students at Beauxbatons wear light blue uniforms. The majority of students who attend Beauxbatons come from France, but the school also has students from Spain, Portugal, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands. Beauxbatons has a rather large student population - larger than Hogwarts accommodates. Beauxbatons holds a healthy rivalry with Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. They competed with them in the first-ever Triwizard Tournament in 1294, and since then, Beauxbatons has won the tournament sixty-two times (Hogwarts has won sixty-three times).
The school is currently headed by half-giantess Olympe Maxime, who is described as brilliant, elegant, and incredibly awe-inspiring. Rumor has it that Olympe is one of the most popular headmistresses in the history of Beauxbatons!
Let's begin by discussing the founders of Beauxbatons. Beauxbatons was founded by a Wizarding couple sometime in the 12th century. They founded the school because they didn't want their children to have to move far away for school, and because they felt the other Wizarding School options would not provide the upbringing and education they wanted for them.
Avelina Lefevre (née Bernard)
Avelina Lefevre was described as a very curious, kind, and charming witch. She was more involved with the planning of the Beauxbatons Castle and it's spirit and extracurricular activities. Avelina had been home-schooled for both magical and Muggle education, as she came from a half-blood family. She took a lot of inspiration from Hogwarts' housing system, enjoying that it attempted to create a sort of family atmosphere, but she felt that overall it divided the students and staff of the school more than it brought them together. Avelina still wanted Beauxbatons students to feel like they automatically had some sort of "family" based on mutual interests or aspirations, as students would be boarding at the palace for the entire school year, and could stay the summer if they wished. Avelina thought long and hard about how she could help her students feel connected to one another as a whole, but still give them a niche within the school. She found her answer when she came to watch her husband work on the construction of the palace. He had always been far better at transfiguration than she was, and Avelina had always attributed it to either innate skill or a property of his wand. But as she watched him work, she noticed how differently he moved his hands and directed his wand than she would've. His style of casting spells was entirely different from hers. Avelina became obsessed with the idea that these "casting styles" were what made a witch or wizard excel at a particular type of magic. She theorized that her training in music had made her casting style more light, dexterous, and flowing, while her husband's traditional training at a magical school might've pushed him towards a more grandiose, firm, and assertive style. For Avelina, Beauxbatons became more than just a way to ensure her children were raised "properly" - it became a place to truly research and test her theory. She dedicated the remainder of her life to this research.
As a result, students at Beauxbatons take core courses, and are allowed to choose a few electives as they do at Hogwarts - but they are also required to pursue one "practical elective". These practical electives are typically some form of art or sport, though some are just general hands-on activities. For example, at modern day Beauxbatons, students may choose from things like Jousting, Fencing, Painting, Drawing, Dance, Music, Quidditch, Horseback Riding, Sculpting, Gardening, and more! (Some of these categories even have sub-specializations or categories!) These electives are referred to as the students' "style specialization". First-year students arrive to Beauxbatons two weeks before the school term begins, and upper-year volunteers from each style specialization host workshops for the first years. When the term begins, the first-years essentially "sort themselves" by choosing the specialization they enjoyed the most. For the remainder of their time at Beauxbatons, students will take specialized classes in these subjects. Students are not allowed to switch to a different style specialization unless there are special circumstances - they must prove that their specialization is severely hindering them or they may choose another specialization if they become physically or mentally unable to participate in there current specialization. Due to this important choice, the students at Beauxbatons feel bonded within their specializations and spend more time with similar students in these electives. Students with the same specializations also live in the same dormitories. In this way, students' style specializations form a bit of a house system on it's own - although the students prefer to refer to them as "Societies" (e.g., Jousting Society). However, there is a large emphasis placed on community at Beauxbatons. The students are very passionate about teamwork, and believe each society has something very special and valuable to offer to the overall magical community. Respect for elders and staff is also highly emphasized; for example, students show great respect for their Headmistress. It is tradition at Beauxbatons to stand at attention when she enters the room, and to wait until she is seated before seating oneself.
Avelina's research on casting styles had promising results. For example, she consistently found that students who chose the musical specialization excelled more at charms than any other students, and students who chose sculpting were particularly good at transfiguration. However, there are many modern critics of Avelina's work - their main grievances being that Avelina did not take into account other variables that may have contributed to the patterns she saw. Some staff members at Beauxbatons (especially those that graduated from there) are still very passionate about Avelina's theory, and as such, they are carrying on her research to this day - though they are taking into account the criticisms, in hopes of strengthening the evidence supporting the theory.
Avelina died peacefully in her sleep in her mid-fifties.
Ansellus Lefevre
Ansellus Lefevre is described as hard-working, energetic, and friendly. Ansellus came from a pure-blood family and attended a regular Wizarding school - though which school is, essentially, a mystery. Ansellus completed the majority of the construction of the original Beauxbatons Palace, transfiguring parts of the mountains to form the school and gardens. He was also heavily involved in the creation of the core curriculum.
Ansellus felt that his magical education hadn't been well-rounded. He had learned the core subjects (potions, transfiguration, charms, herbology, combat magic, flying, and history), but there had not been much room to explore other subjects, which he felt were incredibly important to gain a full understanding and prowess with magic. He spent much of his spare time in the library, attempting to teach himself about these additional subjects. As such, he supported his wife's introduction of "style specializations", and decided to add additional subjects for students, including things like alchemy, magical creatures, astronomy, cultural studies (effectively the Beauxbatons equivalent of Muggle Studies), Wizarding Law, and divination. He continued to research and construct additional subjects for the students throughout his life; Ansellus' goal was to ensure that students from Beauxbatons were the most well-rounded, talented, and knowledgeable students in the Wizarding World. Whether or not he succeeded in this is, of course, hotly debated, even today.
Ansellus' influence is still very present at modern-day Beauxbatons. For example, students who specialize in Quidditch are required to study and play in every position on the Quidditch pitch! Each student recognizes their own and each other's talents and forms teams accordingly when they play official games, and they put in extra practice into their best position, but they are still required to put practice into the other positions, as well. The belief among Beauxbatons students is that by playing and practicing in various positions, they will become better overall players, and the skills learned in other positions will help them become more skilled and versatile players in their best position. Additionally, they will gain a better understanding of both their teammates and opponents and a greater awareness of the "big picture" of Quidditch. On the surface, this cross-training appears to pay off for them: Beauxbatons players are among the best at dodging bludgers and other attacks, they excel at successfully using complicated passing and scoring methods, and Beauxbatons seekers are famous for their excellent agility and broom control in tight situations.
Ansellus died in an accident involving an alchemy experiment in his late fifties. Avelina and Ansellus' children took over the running of Beauxbatons after their parents died, but two of them eventually left to pursue other careers. Beauxbatons was run by descendants of Avelina and Ansellus for quite some time, but eventually was handed over to a passionate and capable graduate of the Academy, and ever since then, the headmaster/headmistress has been hired by the previous head of the school based on merit and passion for the "Beauxbatons Code" and all that the school stands for.
Other History & Modern Beauxbatons
Nicolas Flamel and his wife, Perenelle, both studied and met at Beauxbatons Academy. Other famous alumni include: Vincent Duc de Trefle-Picques, who survived the Terror by using a concealment charm to appear like he had already been decapitated; Luc Millefeuille, who excelled at baking but unfortunately used this in combination with his magical prowess to poison Muggles; and Fleur Delacour, who fought so gallantly in the Battle of Hogwarts that she was awarded medals of bravery from both the British and the French Ministries of Magic.
Beauxbatons' Coat of Arms is two golden wands crossed over each other, each emitting three stars. Students at Beauxbatons wear light blue uniforms. The majority of students who attend Beauxbatons come from France, but the school also has students from Spain, Portugal, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands. Beauxbatons has a rather large student population - larger than Hogwarts accommodates. Beauxbatons holds a healthy rivalry with Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. They competed with them in the first-ever Triwizard Tournament in 1294, and since then, Beauxbatons has won the tournament sixty-two times (Hogwarts has won sixty-three times).
The school is currently headed by half-giantess Olympe Maxime, who is described as brilliant, elegant, and incredibly awe-inspiring. Rumor has it that Olympe is one of the most popular headmistresses in the history of Beauxbatons!