Disclaimer: I own no Harry Potter anything. This idea just started to grow on its own!
Author Note: Welcome! After a long pause button, I have returned to finish this story. It all started out as a glimpse into an Alternate Universe. I lost my laptop with all of my notes and grew disheartened. But never did I stop thinking about this. I hope yall are ready for this long read! Please send me reviews to help my confidence! I just dumped my whole idea on my wife one day (she had already read the first rough draft of chapter one) and goes: I am excited to read this, you have to finish.
And it gave me the confidence to post this:
The French Emissary Student
Chapter One
Delacour Mansion, France
My name is Fleur Delacour. I am a seventeen and I will be attending my last year at Beauxbatons in France before I go to University. My father, of course, wants me to follow in his footsteps into politics. My mother and grandmother want me to take up the Clan chair, which is equally as exasperating. The "chair" is a position called Queen. Our family is still the main branch; the first line of Veela and the only holders of Queen since the Beginning. Of course, any Veela could be Queen, if they won a battle against any reigning Queen or Heir.
I don't want to be in the limelight. I just want to live my own life without anyone's input. I understand they mean well and they worry, but this is my life. I may not be able to stay out limelight, based on both sides of my family. My father is a pure blood and is a high ranking member of the French Ministry. My mother and grandmother are both from a royal line of Veela.
Veela are only women; exceptionally beautiful women. We can turn into a bird like demon; our faces become scaled and grow beaks, scaled wings take form out of our shoulders, and we use a different type of magic in these forms. We can turn into our Veela selves at will or accidently when we are in extreme emotional situations.
The Veela is a different entity in our minds and controls our bodies when we turn into those bird forms. When we reach our maturity by our seventeenth birthday, markings appear according to our powers then slowly finish as we go through our trials until we reach our majority at around twenty one. The weaker your demon, the less markings you will receive. Of course, we use a glamour to cover our markings outside of Veela company.
Though my grandmother is in "exile" for marrying her Mate; a wizard, which was not allowed, even if they were your Mate. The Veela council passed New laws after my mother was born, getting rid of hypocritical laws that suited them. As Queen, my grandmother holds respect. But she is merely a figurehead because of her "exile". With our kind growing weaker and smaller, we have to start branching out. We will die out before we know it, just like all of the other species in the Magical World, even Wizarding kind.
incoming.
I grunted, pulling myself into reality at the sound of my Veel counterpart in my brain. My brow furrowed as I watched the owl sail straight to me. "Who could possibly be sending me a letter?" I didn't have many friends, mostly Veela family members that attended regular meetings and did not need to send letters by wizarding means.
With a disruption of air, the spotted owl landed and offered its foot to me. I traded the letter for an owl treat, turning to my letter without acknowledging it flying away; it did not need a reply."It's from Beauxbatons… What could this be?"
She broke the seal; immediately, it came to life in her hands, turning into a delicate swan and began to speak. "It is my honor to congratulate you. Fleur Delacour, you have been chosen as a Beauxbatons Emissary by the French Ministry. An exchange program has been set up this year at Hogwarts-" Fleur groaned, the Tournament was already at Hogwarts in her fourth year, why is it always Hogwash, "-We will be meeting at the London station, an hour before the train leaves. Your ticket will be left behind. Enjoy your summer!"
interesting. i will not argue with a mystery. that letter carried a strange emotional energy.
Obviously, I missed something somewhere. Emotional energy? The Veela sighed. I sighed knowing that I missed something, most definitely.
it was a mix of hope and fear. it also had a tang of an energy I cannot name. the voice was also quite false.
Of course. How could I have missed that with a power that I DON'T have. She chose not to respond and for that I was grateful.
I picked up the ticket that was left behind, "Platform 9 ¾. What kind of loon decided that? English." I scoffed, tucking it away for safekeeping.
"Who is a loon, darling?" My mother swept into the room, she stopped short and raised an eyebrow at my appearance. I knew I was in for it. I was supposed to be ready to visit my Grandmother. I had everything on except my dress and my hair needed to be done. "Why are you not ready? Were you daydreaming again, Fleur? What are you holding?" Something is making her anxious and tense. I thought this was a regular meeting. What is making her act out of character?
"Apparently, I will be attending my last year at Beauxbatons in England as an emissary at Hogwarts for the Ministry." I sighed, unfolding myself from my window seat and slipping on my dress. I could finish getting dressed and start my hair before mother finished her 'you are a Delacour, it is in your blood..' speech. Maybe I will get a moment to look at her body language.
"Of course you were chosen! You are a Delacour-" There she goes. Expectations. Blood lines of being a magical and Veela. I set in the spell to hold my hair in a presentable hair style as she comes to a close. "- Oh, Fleur! You didn't listen, did you? It is a wonder you are at the top of your class with your head in the clouds!"
"Mother, I heard you the first million times you have given me that speech. I am ready to go, if we don't hurry, Grandmother will have our heads." I kissed her on the cheek "You worry too much. Like you said, it is an honor I was chosen and I will make many allies when I go to England."
Mother took my hand and looked at me. "I am your mother, I have every right to worry… You just came into your maturity so early and you are working on your majority. She is much stronger than my Veela. I worry what this means for your generation, what protection you will need..." She is showing a lot of concern and making physical contact. What is she trying to say to me?
"You're worrying to much. We cannot keep the her waiting." I managed to get Mother to the Apparition point and arrive exactly on time for tea.
My anxiety every time we go to grandmother's for tea: to one day find out that I have been made the official heir. Though there is not much talk of it since Grandmother is too young to announce an heir, the Clan believes one of my more pure cousins will be the next Queen.
I took a deep breath to calm myself. I hope this is not what tea is about. I am not ready to become the Heir to our Clan. I have not yet reached my majority- Battle Ready. Which means, my Veela is fully developed and my powers at their highest peak; ready for battle. This is an old tradition that is still honored in our society. Back when Veela lived where we wanted and the world was much smaller, those who reached majority were the only ones allowed to fight in battles; hence Battle Ready.
Deep breath. Maybe Hogwash will be a good thing. I will not be under constant visits from my Clan or have to take time out of my weekend for visits. I will benefitting the Clan by making allies in another country.
Deep Breath. I arrange a calm face and make quick steps to keep up with mother before she opened the door into the… meeting room? My eyes met the sight of grandmother and almost all of the clan.
all one hundred are here. an interesting day, indeed.
"Now that we are all here-" Great, no greetings. Straight to business, what a time this will be. At least my Veela will be quieted amongst our Clan. Here we are safe, even with those who look down upon my quarter Veela status, respected me because of my Veela."-I will start with the bad news. My time leading the Clan is coming to an end. I must choose a successor. My Veela is fading and the Council still up holds the Old laws." There are gasps of outrage and chittering fill the room. My grandmother sits primly in her seat, raising her tea cup to take a sip before gently setting it down and delicately pat her mouth clean.
"How can you sit there so calm, Grandmother? You're dying as we speak! Let me go before them and petition!" Suddenly it was quiet and I realized I was standing instead of sitting in my chair. My control was slipping. My Veela was hot at the front of my mind, roaring for blood.
They kill our Queen!
My vision was starting to narrow. How could they do this to her? The new laws dictate that any Veela that is fading must be treated immediately.
Protect!
They must want her to die if they are falling back on old rules!
Destroy them! Set them ALL ON FIRE-
"Fleur, calm yourself. I have a plan." A calm energy filled me and I opened my eyes. When had I closed them? "Good girl. Your Veela is strong, which is why you have been chosen as my successor." Grandmother patted my cheek with a smile before standing before me, waiting for the biggest explosion at tea. Only she would drop such a formal announcement flippantly.
More noise broke out, but this time, my Veela did not pay attention. She was lulled into peace to the back of my mind again. When I looked around, I saw partial transformations of shrieking Veela and distrust on their faces.
"She is a quarter Veela!"
"Reconsider!"
"Blasphemous!"
"She is not Battle Ready!"
"She is too young-"
My grandmother's form exploded in flames as her Veela now stood before us."You dare question your Queen? You believe yourself more powerful than your future Queen?!" Quiet fell. Those who had doubted her word cowered and knelt, pressing their foreheads to the floor in submission, pressed there by the weighted energy filling the room. "Those who doubt me, will be from the Clan, is that what you want? To be unprotected? A weak Queen will fall and leave our entire Clan to the grips of the Council. Do you mistrust your Queen?" The room filled with cries and protests, vows of compliance before the heavy presence of Veela disappeared. "I am Fading; if the does not accept the petition, we will leave the Council of Veela. This I trust will never leave your lips. I announce, my granddaughter Fleur as next in line as Queen of our Clan." Only silence filled the room as each Veela agreed with peace filling the room.
I felt my mother's presence at my back. I knew what was coming next. A circlet was settled on my brow and I was helpless. I could not choose in this. I would hold my tongue and anger until I reached the safety of my room. Until then, I will bear this heavy burden placed upon me. The curse I have tried to avoid all of my life has come to the surface. I would do this for my Clan.
Maybe my Veela was right. The Clan will always lead me to my Destiny.
"I will explain myself, though I do not have to. Fleur is the strongest of us, even stronger than I am. She has not reached her majority but I believe she will reach it sooner than any of us acknowledge. At 15, she reached maturity and we celebrated her. We celebrate her now as our Future! Every single one of you saw her markings-"
My markings? What does it mean? Will I constantly be in the dark about these secrets within secrets? Will I have to wait until I am Queen to demand answers?
"-We will now take any Veela who wish to challenge her for position of Future Queen?" I could feel eyes weighing on me but as I slowly looked each Veela in the eye, challenging and weighing their loyalty. I saw only loyalty and pride in their eyes.
"I will not be able to be Queen on my own. I will look to by Clan for wisdom in our Future." I curtsied before them and held it. I knew what to say before I even knew myself. Maybe it is in my blood.
"To our Future, we will aid you in any way." When I lifted my head, all the Veela were kneeling, including my mother and sister, my grandmother stood at my side as we gazed at our Clan.
"I would like to hear your plan, grandmother. We would dislike to lose you when you are so young." Grandmother revealed her plan over the petition; pages of information was poured over and even more written. The talking went on all afternoon and it was well past dinner when the petition was finished and signed by every Veela. I did not talk much, only listened until the only women left were my immediate family and cousins I grew up with.
"I wish to discuss Fleur's journey to England. She will be an emissary at Hogwarts and needs two Veela at her side."
"Grandmother.." I was weary already of holding all of this weight on my shoulders. I just wanted to go come and sit in peace. My wishful thinking that Hogwarts was going to be easy, just flew out the window. "How did you know I was going to England?"
"There are things in motion that will come out into the open after the petition is approved." My grandmother was the calmest and most frustrating woman I had ever met. All of these secrets.
Mother was quiet all day and finally spoke. "Of course, we will be making sure a guard goes with you. Don't even start with me, Fleur." I had opened my mouth to protest. "It will be Eva and Madeline. They also step into their own duties as you have done."
End of Chapter One
What did you think? I have had years to think on this. My little baby glimpse into an Alternate Universe turned into a longer story than I first believed. Now, this sucker has a biiiiiiiiig bad villian that HATES MUGGLES! Whaaaat? Unheard of, right? *crickets*
What do you think? Leave me a review!