Beauxbatons Academy of Magic

• Type: School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
• Location: France, located in the Pyrenees mountains (Pottermore).
• Owner/Residents: Madame Olympe Maxime (Headmistress), Fleur Delacour, Gabrielle Delacour.
• Key Features: A beautiful château, powder-blue student robes of fine silk, a Coat of Arms featuring two crossed golden wands each shooting three stars.

Beauxbatons Academy of Magic is one of the three largest and most renowned wizarding schools in Europe, alongside Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and the Durmstrang Institute. The school is housed in a shimmering château described as a beautiful palace, far more grand and ornate than the castle of Hogwarts. Its students wear fine, silk robes of a distinct powder-blue colour and are known for their formal, respectful demeanour. The student body is drawn from a number of Western European countries, including France, Spain, Portugal, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands (Pottermore). The Academy has a long and storied history, having participated in the Triwizard Tournament since its inception centuries ago. The alchemist Nicolas Flamel and his wife Perenelle Flamel, who achieved immortality through the Philosopher's Stone, were noted alumni of Beauxbatons (Pottermore). For travel, the school utilises a colossal, powder-blue carriage, pulled by a dozen winged Abraxan horses. These massive, palomino-coloured creatures require a strong hand and drink only single-malt whisky. The grandeur of their arrival at Hogwarts in 1994 highlighted the school's opulence and different cultural standards.

Beauxbatons Academy plays its most significant role in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Headmistress Madame Olympe Maxime leads a delegation of students to Hogwarts to compete in the revived Triwizard Tournament. Their champion is the talented and beautiful witch, Fleur Delacour. Throughout the tournament, Beauxbatons serves as a cultural counterpoint to Hogwarts. The students' elegance and the school's perceived sophistication contrast with the more rugged and informal nature of Hogwarts and Durmstrang. The Beauxbatons students initially express disdain when Harry Potter is chosen as a fourth champion, believing him too young and that he had cheated his way into the competition. However, Fleur Delacour's perspective changes after Harry saves her sister, Gabrielle Delacour, during the Second Task. The connection to Beauxbatons continues in later books through Fleur Delacour, who becomes engaged and later marries Bill Weasley, thereby becoming a part of the extended Weasley family.

The novels provide very few details about the interior of the Beauxbatons palace. Fleur Delacour mentions that the school's library is extensive. According to supplementary materials, the grounds feature a magnificent fountain in the centre of the park, named after Nicolas Flamel and Perenelle Flamel, which is believed to have healing and beautifying properties (Pottermore).

• Etymology: The name “Beauxbâtons” is French for “beautiful wands” (beaux meaning “beautiful” and bâtons meaning “wands” or “sticks”). This name reflects the elegance and refinement associated with the school and its students.
• Film Adaptation: In the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, the Beauxbatons student delegation is depicted as being exclusively female. This is a significant departure from the novel, where both male and female students are part of the visiting group and sit at the Ravenclaw table. The uniforms in the film are also more stylised, consisting of blue dresses, capes, and pointed hats (film).
• J.K. Rowling's Writings: J.K. Rowling later confirmed on Pottermore that the school is located in the Pyrenees mountains. She also established that, unlike in the film, the school is co-educational. The writings detail its history, famous students like Nicolas Flamel, and its catchment area across Western Europe (Pottermore).