Belleville

August 16th, early morning, Evreux Manor.

The previous night, Skylar and Fleur had stayed in separate guest rooms at Evreux Manor, naturally.

By his reckoning, Skylar had already been in France for three days. Today was the day he had been invited by Headmistress Maxime to visit Beauxbatons Academy of Magic.

Beauxbatons was one of Europe's three great wizarding schools, renowned for its students' emphasis on elegance, fashion, and etiquette—compared to the cold, iron-blooded Durmstrang, Beauxbatons was undoubtedly far sunnier and more upright; compared to Hogwarts' traditional conservatism, Beauxbatons appeared far more open-minded and inclusive.

It was said that Beauxbatons Academy of Magic lay somewhere in the Pyrenees. Every visitor was awestruck by the beauty of the magnificent castle. The French-style castle nestled among the mountains was surrounded by vast, exquisite gardens and lawns, all of which had been cultivated by medieval wizards with wondrous magic from a rugged, barren mountain landscape. It was a testament to ancient magic overcoming harsh conditions.

Like Durmstrang and Hogwarts, Beauxbatons was an unplottable location and could not be reached through ordinary Apparition, the Floo Network, or Portkeys. The latter two methods were possible, of course, provided one had received prior approval from the French Ministry of Magic and the Headmistress of Beauxbatons.

Under normal circumstances, ordinary Beauxbatons students obediently took the train from the magical platform at the Paris train station to a wizarding village near Beauxbatons, then transferred to flying carriages that crossed the mountains to reach the school.

Now that Skylar had Fleur, who was familiar with France, to lead the way, there was naturally no need for such trouble. After leaving Evreux Manor, the two boarded the Delacour Family's fairy-tale princess carriage again and flew directly to the wizarding village near Beauxbatons—Belleville.

By the time the carriage landed in