A.N.: Hello dear readers, and welcome to my first fanfiction ever. First of all, this story is OC-centric, so anyone who doesn't like those kinds of stories: you have been warned. Second of all, this story is a single divergence point story (meaning, it will take some time before derailing the Canon Express) and a mild alternate universe in the sense that Britain and most of wizarding Europe have an aristocracy (the infamous Lordship trope) to name only one thing different from canon and there will be some additional characters alongside the canon ones; additional Hogwarts teachers/staff members and students being a good example for this Author's Note. Also, while this story will (try) stick to the canon world and characterizations, it will also contain some high fantasy elements such as elves and faes (the latter will be explored in this chapter). The former will have more relevance to the story in later years, while the latter will only appear in this chapter. They are very much a thematic device to convey the difference between the way our protagonist was brought up as a rich pure-blood than us middle and working-class Muggles. For more information, please consult my profile.
Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter franchise or anything that has to do with it. It is the intellectual property of J.K. Rowling (and Warner Bros, I guess?).
12 May 1980, Palais des Beaussiers, Southern France
In the Midi Wing of the ancestral home of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Beaudelaire, in the early hours of the morning, Lady Alexandrina de Bousquet née von Alhbrecht was giving birth to her second child.
Docteur Clairmont was assisting Lady Alexandrina while her husband, Albert de Bousquet, heir apparent to the House of Beaudelaire, was holding her hand and morally supporting her.
"Poussez," said the doctor.
Lady Alexandrina did as told, groaning loudly in pain between gasps of breath.
"Je crois en toi, mon amour," said M. Bousquet. "Pousses."
And so, with the directions of Docteur Clairmont and the support of her husband, Lady Alexandrina gave birth to her second child. Another boy.
It was decided he would be named Anthonie, Anthonie de Bousquet from House Beaudelaire. And in the morning, Anthonie was put with his older brother in the nursery under the care of their nanny, where every member of the family went to see him as the day passed.
The months passed, and finally, the time of Anthonie's christening came. Apart from his family at home, his great-great-uncle on his father's side, his mother's sister, his grandparents, and great-grandparents on his mother's side would also be present.
Wizarding christenings, apart from being extremely rare in the way that few witches or wizards were still Christian, were different from their Muggle counterparts. Because, much like in fairy tales, apart from the religious blessing there were also blessings from actual faes.
No, not those pesky and troublesome pixies and faeries, but actual humanoid faes. This species had a very peculiar genetic quirk that made females pink-skinned and males blue-skinned.
The christening was done in the palace's chapel and attending it were three faes: one male, and two females. The male had pale blue skin, silvery eyes and long pointy ears. He wore a boxy hat over his bald head and had a long, well-trimmed white beard with a faint bit of blue in it. He wore sapphire-blue robes with arcane patterns sewn in them and held a staff. His translucent and butterfly-like wings getting through his robes as if they were immaterial. He went first to give his blessing.
"Dear child," the fae said. "I give you the gift of wisdom and of sharpness of the mind. May your intellect put you above your peers."
Blue sparks flew from the head of the fae's staff and swirled around the head of the infant for a while and then vanished.
The second fae, a stern-looking woman with ruby red eyes, pinkish-red hair held in a tight bun on top of her head and dressed in a pink dress under a deep magenta cloak approached. She held a fuchsia wand with a starry and vine design engraved in it and a small crystal sphere the size of a small marble on its tip. If the first fae had the aura of a wise and old professor, this one had the aura of a stern and knowledgeable governess.
"Dear child," she said. "I give you the gift of elegance and poise. May your manners and the way you hold yourself represent well your noble status."
With a flick of her wand, the orb at the tip of her wand lit with white light, and the rays it emanated went on the baby in the crib. After a moment, just like the sparks that preceded it, it vanished.
The third and last of the faes was a young-looking, energetic woman with deep flowing, curly pink hair held by a crown flower made of daisies and golden eyes. She was dressed in a loose bright yellow dress with flowing sleeves and short enough to show her floating bare feet. Unlike the other two, she was flying. This fae didn't have a staff or a wand, but a silvery music box.
She went to the baby in his crib and gave him her blessing.
"Sweet child," she said with an eager tone. "I give you the gift of creativity and of interest in art under all its forms. May your imagination become one of your greatest tools."
She opened her music box and from it played a classical tune, she let the infant hear it and returned the smile he gave her before she closed the box, and with this stopped the tune.
At the end of the christening, Anthonie's full name was now Anthonie Auguste Franz Joseph de Bousquet.
Two years later, on the second of May, a girl was born into the family and she was named Catherine de Bousquet.
A.N.: The christening is based on Sleeping Beauty, so it isn't something really op or like a prophecy, just some good wishes. Please review, I always welcome constructive criticism.