Violetta Beauvais

Violetta Beauvais was an 18th-century American witch and the President of the Magical Congress of the United States of America (MACUSA) from 1748 to 1753. Her presidency is remembered as controversial due to her perceived leniency towards a major breach of the International Statute of Secrecy. Her actions, or lack thereof, directly led to the implementation of Rappaport's Law, a piece of legislation that enforced strict segregation between the magical and No-Maj communities in America for centuries (Pottermore).

Violetta Beauvais hailed from the esteemed Beauvais family, a prominent pure-blood wizarding family in America, known for producing one of the original twelve Aurors for MACUSA (Pottermore). In 1748, Beauvais was elected President of MACUSA. Her tenure was almost immediately defined by a crisis involving Dorcus Twelvetrees, the daughter of a MACUSA official. Dorcus, described as foolish, fell in love with a No-Maj named Bartholomew Barebone. Unbeknownst to her, Barebone was a descendant of a family of Scourers and sought to expose and persecute witches and wizards. Dorcus revealed to him the secret locations of both MACUSA headquarters and Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, as well as other sensitive information about the magical community (Pottermore). Barebone stole Dorcus's wand and used the information she had provided to launch attacks on several wizards and even distributed leaflets exposing witches' addresses. The ensuing crisis was a catastrophic breach of the International Statute of Secrecy. When Dorcus Twelvetrees was brought to justice, President Beauvais refused calls for her execution, sentencing her instead to just one year in prison. It was widely believed that Beauvais had a “vested interest” in protecting Dorcus's father, Aristotle Twelvetrees. This lenient sentence caused outrage within the American magical community (Pottermore). The damage caused by the breach and the subsequent public outcry led to Beauvais's departure from office in 1753. Her successor, President Emily Rappaport, instituted Rappaport's Law in direct response to the incident, a law which would profoundly shape American wizarding society for the next two centuries by forbidding any fraternization with No-Majs (Pottermore).

No official description of Violetta Beauvais's physical appearance exists (Pottermore). Her personality is depicted as being potentially corrupt and demonstrating poor judgment. Her decision to impose a light sentence on Dorcus Twelvetrees was attributed to having a “vested interest” in the matter, suggesting she was susceptible to cronyism or bribery. She seemingly viewed Dorcus's actions as a result of foolishness rather than malice, a perspective that was not shared by the wider wizarding community who saw the catastrophic consequences of the security breach (Pottermore).

As the President of MACUSA, Violetta Beauvais was undoubtedly a powerful and skilled witch. However, no specific details about her magical abilities, wand, or particular areas of expertise are known (Pottermore).

There is no record of any notable possessions owned by Violetta Beauvais (Pottermore).

• Beauvais family: Violetta was a member of this respected American wizarding family, which likely aided her rise to power (Pottermore).
• Dorcus Twelvetrees: The witch whose actions defined Beauvais's presidency. Beauvais's handling of the Twelvetrees case led to her political downfall and a fundamental shift in American magical law (Pottermore).
• Emily Rappaport: Beauvais's successor as President of MACUSA. Rappaport's entire legislative platform was a reaction against the perceived failures and leniency of Beauvais's administration (Pottermore).

• Violetta: An Italian and Spanish name, the diminutive form of Viola, which means “violet.” The violet flower can symbolize modesty, faithfulness, and sometimes death.
• Beauvais: A French surname derived from the city of Beauvais in northern France. The name itself likely comes from the Gaulish tribe, the Bellovaci. In French, beau means “beautiful,” adding a connotation of elegance or nobility to the name.

All canonical information about Violetta Beauvais comes from J.K. Rowling's background writing on the history of the Magical Congress of the United States of America (MACUSA), published on the Pottermore (now Wizarding World) website. She is not mentioned in the original seven Harry Potter novels. While Beauvais herself does not appear in the Fantastic Beasts film series, her legacy is a central element of the plot. The severe segregation between wizards and No-Majs in 1920s New York, enforced by Rappaport's Law, is a direct consequence of the security breach that occurred during her presidency (Pottermore).