Chương 15: Beauxbatons Admission Letter
~ 7th of August 1988.~
~Delacour Manor, Montpellier, France.~
"Flipendo!"
A young girl with silvery blonde hair tied up in a ponytail, ocean blue eyes, and a well defined jawline yelled as she flicked her wand at a figure opposite her.
Following her shout, a jet of yellow light shot out at blistering speed from the tip of her wand and flew towards the figure.
The figure – a young boy with dark brown hair and iridescent steel blue eyes – narrowly side-stepped out of yellow light's path and countered the young girl's spell by pointing his index finger and yelling,
"Expelliarmus!"
A red light stream then surged out from the tip of his index finger – traveling at breakneck speed – towards the girl.
'Faster…'
The young girl, none other than Fleur, thought as she spun away from the trajectory of the red light stream. As her spin came to an end, she skillfully flicked her wand towards the boy's knees and yelled,
"Tarantallegra!"
Purple light immediately burst from the tip of her wand and rushed towards the boy's knees.
'How tricky..'
Adrien frowned as he looked at the light stream heading in the direction of his knees. Because of its precision and speed, he would be unable to dodge it with body movements.
Therefore, he responded by taking a step back, flicking his finger downwards and deflecting the spell. Though, the moment he deflected the spell, he heard yet another shout,
"Petrificus Totalus!"
'Shit!'
"Protego!"
Instinctively, Adrien yelled and flicked his finger in front of him, conjuring a transparent blue shield and blocking the white stream of light that would have otherwise hit him square in the chest. The force from the block pushed him back and caused him to stagger for a moment.
Fleur's eyes flickered as soon as she saw that moment of unbalance and with her quick reflexes, she immediately capitalized on it and shouted,
"Stupefy!"
A torrent of red light streaked towards Adrien, but he countered it by deflecting the spell towards the side of the room they were currently in.
'Gotta go faster…'
Fleur continued to send a flurry of jinxes and charms towards Adrien, maintaining the pressure and effectively keeping him on the backfoot, and because of her progressively increasing speed, Adrien was unable to find an opportunity to turn the tables.
However, Fleur was also unable to overwhelm him so the exchange continued for some time, with neither of them able to gain an opportunity for a decisive strike.
As they dueled, the sound of spells colliding filled the room. With each spell, small clouds of smoke formed and wafted around. Flashes flickered about and illuminated the room with the brilliance of the mystical phenomenon that was magic.
Fleur had a gorgeous smile etched across her face as she gracefully danced and dueled. She reveled in the bliss of dueling – the sounds, the sequences of methodical spellcasting, the adrenaline that flowed through her veins with each encounter, always keeping her on the edge.
Everything all felt exhilarating and she felt like she was in her element.
With each spell, she felt her awareness of her surroundings fade, and her concentration heighten continuously – almost as if it could not culminate.
She felt her understanding of magic deepen, her spellcasting precision improve, and her dueling movements refined, discarding any unnecessary movements and ensuring every maneuver had a purpose and a goal.
'It's getting harder to keep up…'
Adrien, on the other hand, was starting to struggle to match Fleur's feisty tempo. This was his very first time dueling – unlike Fleur – and prior to now, he had always thought dueling was straightforward and simple, thinking it would be just like in the movies: just shouting spells and moving.
Alas, once he actually dueled, he realized he was wrong…so wrong it was almost comical. Dueling required immense skill and magic know-how. It was an art…a very beautiful one at that.
Now that he was seeing it first hand, he mentally made a note to himself to constantly practice the art once he got to Hogwarts. If he was going to survive in this tumultuous world and obtain the power he so desperately sought, it was crucial.
Fleur was a complete natural at dueling and she just had a knack for knowing how to counter spells and attack in unpredictable ways. Adrien was mesmerized by her talent and gracefulness at it and honestly felt his dueling style was lackluster compared to hers.
As such, he was finding it hard to keep up and was getting slower at reacting with each spell. His movements were sloppy and he knew that he was probably going to lose if things continued to progress the way they were going.
Of course, he hated it. How could he, a generational genius and Mathematics prodigy, be bested by a young girl? His pride refused to allow such a thing, which was why he was currently fighting tooth and nail to try and reverse the flow of the battle.
Though, as much as he hated it he was also surprisingly…happy…very happy. He could see the excitement and happiness on Fleur's face as she dueled.
Recently, she had been seeming a bit downcast and sad in the letters she sent. She kept expressing how much she missed him and how she was lonely, which was why Adrien had come to pay her a visit….well, that was what he told himself, denying the blatant fact that he had developed a soft spot for the young part-veela witch.
He felt that being able to see that gorgeous smile made the trip more than worth it.
Additionally, he was also happy that she had practiced nearly all the spells he had instructed her to before leaving France. She had pretty much mastered every spell she practiced and could cast them skillfully, which was also one of the reasons Adrien was finding it difficult to win.
Even though his magical power was significantly higher than hers, he still could not overpower her because of the simple fact that she had a wand and coupled with her spell mastery and dueling skill, this made defeating her extremely arduous for the current Adrien.
Adrien had always wondered what exactly wands did to aid a wizard in spellcasting and this battle had only confirmed his previous guesses – that wands significantly boost a wizard's magical power and affinity, serving as a conduit and beacon for wizardkind to attract and channel magical energy.
Thinking about all this, Adrien subconsciously started to smile. Fleur was exuberant and was enjoying herself and this was all he wanted to see.
Because he was thinking about her, his concentration started to waver and he was getting even slower at responding to Fleur's spells.
'Why is he getting slower all of a sudden?'
Even though it was barely noticeable, Fleur was able to notice it immediately and it caused her to wonder what had happened to him.
'Well, it doesn't matter right now. I'll just capitalize on his attention lapse.'
Fleur thought with a smirk. She decided to take advantage of his concentration lapse by sending out a random, unpredictable attack and end the battle once and for all.
"Incarcerous!."
She shouted, and flicked her wand towards Adrien.
'Shit'
Adrien was caught off guard by the sudden spell and could thus not react in time. He felt his body stiffen as ropes appeared out of thin air and bounded him tightly.
'Now for the finishing blow…Hmm…Let's try that spell, I haven't used it before.'
Fleur thought and a moment later, she spun and shouted,
"Everte Statum!"
Orange light immediately surged from the tip of her wand and traveled at blistering speed towards Adrien. It hit him square in the chest and sent him flying across the room, doing a few flips in the air and landing several feet away from his initial position.
'Fuck, was that really necessary?!'
Adrien grumbled in pain upon landing on his back. Every part of his body hurt and felt a sharp pain in his chest, where the spell had hit him.
'Oh no!'
Fleur thought worriedly as she dropped her wand and immediately ran towards his location. She did not expect the spell to be so potent and had thought it would just merely sweep him off his feet and push him a few feet back.
'I shouldn't have done that! Tsk, what is wrong with you Fleur? What if you seriously hurt him?!'
Fleur continued to lose herself in her thoughts, failing to notice how erratic she was running. She was more concerned about her best friend's state and because of this, her heels clipped once she was near him and she tripped and fell over him.
'Phew…that was close…Hah, can't believe I'm this clumsy'
Fleur sighed in relief as she stopped her fall using her hands and prevented herself from getting injured. Though, once she looked down and realized what position she was in, she suddenly froze and felt her cheeks and ears heat up.
She was sprawled over Adrien, with her face directly over his. She inwardly shivered as her gaze met those breathtakingly gorgeous blue eyes of his…eyes that made her feel so vulnerable. Everything about them was just… perfect.
She gulped mentally upon feeling his breath brush past her face. As she looked at his face closer, her mind couldn't help but drift, wondering when he had become so handsome. She always knew he was good-looking but now, she was suddenly feeling that he looked more handsome than usual.
Fleur felt her heartbeat increase as Adrien's sweet lavender smell wafted into her nose. His face, his eyes, his smell….everything about him suddenly felt like a drug…a drug that made her feel blissfully intoxicated and left her wanting more.
This feeling was new to Fleur and she was having trouble processing it. She didn't know what it was and felt helpless before it. Was the feeling relating to her increased craving for his attention? Was it related to her increased longing to see him?
These questions, coupled with her fixed stare at Adrien's face, left her in a trance…a trance full of ecstasy, more so than she had ever felt before.
"So are we just going to continue laying here?"
Adrien suddenly chuckled, pulling Fleur out from her reverie. It took Fleur a moment to internalize his question and once she did, she immediately blushed profusely, got off him, and sat on the floor, beside him.
"I-I'm sorry."
She stuttered, her heartbeat still erratic.
Adrien dispersed the ropes that were binding him and sat up groggily.
"Hah." he sighed and grumbled lightly, "Seems like I lost." he smiled and said, turning to face Fleur.
Fleur met his gaze, felt her heart skip another beat, and replied somewhat shakily, - Y-yeah, it seems so -
Hearing those words, Adrien sighed softly, 'I still have a lot of work to do. Really got to finish up the final parts of the power level system before this fall term ends.' he mused.
Then he added to Fleur, - I've got to say though, I'm impressed. Your dueling skills are amazing. You had me completely smothered. - he chuckled.
Fleur couldn't help but beam brightly hearing Adrien's praise, - Thanks, I practiced pretty much every day and asked Papa to duel with me when he was free. - she said, feeling absolutely euphoric.
-Mmm- Adrien hummed, - Is your Father also the reason you got your wand early? - he asked, curious.
- Yeah, he and Maman were very supportive of me when I started dueling. He arranged for a wandmaker to make me a wand early so I could practice dueling. They used my grandmother's hair for its core. - Fleur replied casually.
- Ah, I see. - Adrien hummed in acknowledgement. He had expected as much. In his previous life, it was a well known fact that Fleur's wand had her Veela grandmother's hair as its core.
Fleur was about to ask Adrien a question when the door's to the dueling room opened abruptly.
-Maman- Fleur immediately stood up, smiled and said acknowledging her mother's presence.
Adrien stood up as well and just smiled at Apolline Delacour. He had already greeted her when he arrived at the Manor in the morning.
-Lunch is ready.- Apolline smiled warmly at the two of them, -And Fleur, you've got a letter.- she concluded cryptically before turning around and leaving the room.
'Letter? Hmm? Could it be?' Fleur thought excitedly upon hearing that.
-Seems like you've finally gotten your Beauxbatons Admission Letter.- Adrien chuckled.
-Yeah.- Fleur smiled brightly. She was incomparably excited and had been waiting all summer for it. She then turned to Adrien, "Let's go look!"
Adrien smiled, -Alright.- He turned behind him, flicked his index finger and muttered, "Accio Fleur's wand." and the next moment a wand came flying into his hands.
-Now let's go.- Adrien said as he handed the wand over to Fleur, who just nodded.
The duo then proceeded to make their way to the dining room of the Delacour Manor. Like the dueling room, it was situated on the ground floor. It was lavishly decorated and had floating chandeliers, and expensive looking paintings adorning its walls.
The dining table was rectangular and not too long. It had ornate glass candles on top of it as well as plates and cutlery.
At one end of the table, a young silvery blonde haired girl who looked no older than three was seated on a high chair. Like Fleur, she had ocean blue eyes and a petite nose. Though, besides that, they looked nothing alike.
Fleur immediately walked over to the young girl and pulled her cheeks, - Hello Gabrielle - she said softly.
Gabrielle giggled upon seeing her older sister. She liked her very much and often enjoyed the times they spent playing together. She clapped her hands excitedly and responded, - Big sis! -
Adrien chuckled seeing their interaction. He walked over to Fleur and took a seat beside the seat she was standing behind. Fleur followed suit and sat down after playing a little more with Gabrielle.
Apolline came into the room, holding a letter, as soon as Fleur took her seat. She walked over to the seat opposite them, sat down and handed the letter over to Fleur with a warm smile.
The letter was royal blue, and had a wax seal on it, with the Beauxbatons logo visible at its center. Fleur looked at Adrien and took a deep breath upon receiving the letter from her Maman.
Then, she brought the letter in between them and opened it excitedly. There were two parchments as well what looked like a blue ticket inside it.
Fleur looked at the blue ticket first. It had a blue carriage with flying horses emblazoned at its center. Across it, 'Beauxbatons' was written in silver. At the bottom, the number 74 was also written.
Once Fleur had inspected its contents, she placed it down and grabbed one of the parchments. Everything written it was done in French. She took a deep breath and then read its contents, a large smile visible across her face.
ACADÉMIE DE MAGIE BEAUXBÂTONS
A Posse ad Esse
Headmistress: Mme Olympe Maxime.
(Le Mage, Court de Cassation Magique (MACC), Ordre de Flamel, Deuxième Classe,
Délégué pour la France, Confédération Internationale des Magiciens.)
To: Mademoiselle Fleur Isabelle Delacour,
Delacour Manor,
Montpellier,
France.
Chère Mademoiselle Delacour,
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at the Beauxbatons Academy of Magic, "Where Magic Meets Magnificence".
At Beauxbatons Academy, people of an unimaginable nature attend to learn more about their gifts. As well as improving our magic, we learn etiquette, poise and more.
Look to the back to find enclosed a list of supplies and equipment needed.
The Term begins on September 1st, 1988. We await your response by no later than August 20th. Should you accept, please use the entrance located at North Gate Station, 10th arrondissement, Paris France, on platform 7 ½ for travel to avoid detection by Non-Magiques.
We look forward to having you at our school.
Au Revoir,
Madame Rochelle,
Directrice Adjoint.
Fleur excitedly put down the parchment, looked at her mother, and asked with effervescent eyes, - Maman, can I go to the Hidden Place today? Can Adrien come with me? -
Apolline looked at her daughter and smiled, - Of course my angel. You may -
Hearing that, Fleur immediately turned to Adrien, - Can you come? Or do you have to go? -
Adrien thought for a moment before replying, - I'll come with. I'm allowed to stay until the end of the day - he said with a smile.
He had always wondered what Place Cachée, the French counterpart of Diagon Alley was like. Although he had seen it in the Fantastic Beast series, he wanted to see it for himself, in person.
He mused that it would probably not be as magical as the current Diagon Alley due to the ongoing situation in France but wanted to see it nonetheless.
Being in France always made him feel like he had returned to his roots and as a sophisticated French man, he held French traditional values and customs in high regard. So, seeing the wizarding side of his country was simply a must.
'How exciting…'
~.~.~
A/N: The Magical Court of Cassation (MACC) is my fanon for the French supreme court of law. It was modeled after the Wizengamot of Great Britain. Tbh, I created it just so Olympe would have more titles, can't have a headmistress with no titles lmao.
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