Hey everyone
Welcome to another installment of Harry Potter Theory.
Today, we’re going to be discussing the magical school: Beauxbatons.
If I asked you about Beauxbatons Academy of Magic, I bet I could guess what you’d say.
It’s one of the three largest wizarding schools in all of Europe.
And it also happens to be one of the snobbiest.
Am I right?
After all, who could forget Fleur Delacour’s cruel words during the Hogwarts Yule Ball.
Even though she was attending the event as a guest, she wasted no time comparing the
festivities to the ones her famous French school held… and Fleur wasn’t kind in
her comparison.
From the decorations, to the presence of friendly ghosts, Fleur was hard pressed to find anything
she liked.
But Beauxbatons was more than just a school for the high and haughty.
Its students were among the most accomplished wizards and witches in the entire wizarding
world.
And when it came to fighting against dark wizards and witches, Hogwarts alumni could
find no better allies than the graduates of Beauxbatons.
Especially when compared to Durmstrang, the place where far darker wizards and witches
seemed to graduate.
So today, we’re going to take a step back, and dive into the depths of history, as we
take a look at how Beauxbatons came to be… and why it rivals Hogwarts as one of the greatest
wizarding schools in the world.
EARLY HISTORY
It’s hard to avoid comparing Beauxbatons to Hogwarts.
The two seem to go hand in hand.
And even when we look back at the very first day Beauxbatons opened its doors, we have
to first reference Hogwarts, and that British school’s early history.
Because Beaubaton’s established date is a bit of a mystery.
We know that they were up and running by the end of the 13th century.
That much is sure.
They must have been, since they were one of the competitors in the Triwizard tournament,
which began around 1290 AD.
But it’d be hard to say exactly how many years before then they started.
Hogwarts itself was founded around 990, so you wouldn’t be wrong to guess that Beauxbatons
also got their start by that point.
And just like Hogwarts, it only took a short time for Beauxbatons to become a world-renowned
school, and the destination for Europe’s most affluent wizarding families.
Unlike Hogwarts, which attracted students from the British isles, Beauxbatons recruited
from all over continental Europe.
The location of its palace certainly helped add to its appeal.
While Hogwarts was tucked away in the cold Scottish Highlands, the palace of Beauxbatons
was situated in the resort town of Cannes, in Southern France…
right across the sea from Corsica.
At least, that’s what the earliest histories tell us.
Later, different texts claim that the palace was actually located in the Pyrenees Mountains.
Whatever the case may have been, the school grounds were undoubtedly gorgeous.
They were covered in lush,flower-filled gardens and ornate, ancient statues.
Even though Fleur could have been a bit kinder when bragging about her school, she certainly
wasn't wrong.
When it came to beauty, there were few magical institutes that could compare with Beauxbatons.
And even their mode of transportation reflected that.
While most other wizards and witches navigated the world aboard their broomsticks….
And occasionally, an enchanted motorcycle…
the students at Beauxbatons had a more elegant ride.
They often used flying horses.
Of course, we all saw that when Madame Olympe Maxime, the headmistress of Beauxbatons, escorted
her students to the revived Triwizard Tournaments in 1994.
They rode carriages drawn by Abraxan horses, and students were even rumored to ride them
alone, even though it was against wizarding laws.
While Hogwarts allowed ghosts to take up residence on its grounds, the faculty at Beauxbatons
forbade it.
But there were other magical creatures that called the school home.
Most famously, Beauxbatons great hall was filled with wood nymphs.
While the students ate their meals, the wood nymphs would serenade them with angelic songs.
Which would be quite a treat, if you’ve only ever been used to watching Nearless Headless
Nick yank his head from his shoulders.
During the holiday season, the wood nymphs were accompanied by ice statues that sparkled
in the candle light.
CURRICULUM
When it comes to curriculum, the wizards and witches of Beauxbaton’s might have had an
advantage over their Hogwarts peers.
Even though both schools were comparable, the students at Beauxbaton’s started their
testing a full year after their fellow students at Hogwarts.
That meant they were able to focus on more practical magic, instead of focusing on note
memorization, as the boys and girls at Hogwarts school were forced to do.
And just like Hogwarts, Beauxbatons didn’t teach their students about the Dark Arts.
While Europe’s other great magical school, the Durmstrang Institute, instructed their
pupils in the basic tenets of dark magic…
Beauxbatons actively avoided it.
But you don’t really need to pour over the class schedules at Beauxbatons to judge their
curriculum.
If you take one look at the French Academy’s performance in the Triwizard Tournament, then
you can see just how skilled their faculty and students were.
They had over 60 victories in the games, and only trailed behind Hogwarts by 1 championship.
FAMOUS GRADUATES
Now, if you’re not sure why you’ve never heard of Beauxbatons famous graduates, the
fact is… you have.
Some of the greatest sorcerers and alchemists in the history of the wizarding world graduated
from Beauxbatons.
Rest assured there were far more interesting alumni than Fleur Delacour… although she
was no slouch, herself.
For starters, Beauxbatons was the school where Nicholas Flamel studied in his youth.
If you can’t quite remember who Flamel was, don’t worry.
You might know him by his most famous creation: the Philosopher’s Stone.
Flamel learned the secrets of alchemy, and used his new found knowledge, to create a
stone capable of providing an unnaturally long life.
That’s how the wizard managed to live for over 6 centuries.
It could also turn metal in to gold.
It wasn’t until the second rise of Lord Voldemort, that Flamel wisely decided to destroy
his stone, and accept his own death.
After all, Flamel agreed with Albus Dumbledore… if the Philosopher’s stone ever fell into
Voldemort’s hands, the world itself might have been destroyed.
Another famous wizard, Vincent Duc de Trèfle-Picques, attended Beauxbatons in the 18th century.
During the tumultuous French Revolution, the wizard cunningly used his magic… a concealment
charm in particular… to avoid a mob execution.
And was one of a handful of lucky ones to do that…
But among Beauxbatons long list of graduates, you might recognize the over-sized Olympe
Maxime.
She was the headmistress of the academy during the Triwizard Tournament of 1994.
Just like everyone else, she attended the games, and witnessed the first signs of Lord
Voldemort’s return.
Unlike Igor Karkaroff, the headmaster of the Durmstrang Institute, Maxime wasn’t fond
of the dark arts.
She quickly realized that Albus Dumbledore would need her help to fight against Voldemort,
and joined his side when the Hogwarts headmaster tried to enlist Giants to his cause.
Since Maxime herself was rumored to be half giant, Dumbledore supposed that Maxime’s
charms, combined with Hagrid’s heritage, might be enough to sway the giants.
THE SMALL DIFFERENCES
If we dive into the nitty gritty, we can find a few more fun differences between Beauxbatons
and Hogwarts.
As you might have expected, this French school’s dress code was far different.
And even though the films suggested that Beauxbatons only accepted female students, they allowed
men to enroll as well.
When running around their own palace grounds, the students at Beauxbatons were expected
to wear their school’s colors.
They often wore short capes around their shoulders, during formal occasions.
But while attending class, a simple skirt and jacket for girls was acceptable, and presumably
trousers and a jacket for boys would have been as well.
And Beauxbatons might have actually benefited from having a long-lived alchemist as one
of their graduates.
According to rumors, the school received a large annual gift from the Flamel family…
wealth which he amassed through the centuries.
In his honor, the school constructed a giant water fountain in the center of its largest
garden.
But it wasn’t simply a lovely water display.
There were tales that this fountain held mystical properties, that only an alchemist could concoct.
LEGACY
When we look back at Beauxbatons long history, and wonder what type of legacy they’ve etched
out for themselves, it’s hard to really pin it down.
What we know of the school comes in bits and pieces from sources in the British wizarding
world.
Those sources famously favored Hogwarts.
And during the life of Harry Potter, most news coverage centered around the second rise
of Lord Voldemort, who was a uniquely British threat.
Since the Dark Lord had not yet launched an attack against continental Europe, there was
no reason for the wizards and witches of Beauxbatons to do more than offer aid… which they did.
But that wasn’t the type of thing that made it into newspapers, at least, not when Harry
Potter was actively engaging Death Eaters in combat.
But that’s not exactly their fault.
Beauxbatons is a great school, and one of the best in Europe.
It never produced heroes, like Hogwarts, but it never produced dark lords, either.
In the end, it was a school, and by the looks of it, a pretty good one.
And that’s it for this video!
Do you have anything to add about Beauxbatons?
Leave a comment down below
As always if you enjoy the content please LIKE the video and SUBSCRIBE to the channel
Until next time
Remember
Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on
the light