Okay, I'm getting carried away again.
But back to the Delacuras. An ancient, not ancient, clan of mentalists and firemage, known for their close kinship with the Veils and Ifrit of the East, which allows them to refine their clan's abilities on a very subtle level. Pierre Delacour is a seasoned politician, advisor to the Minister of Foreign Cooperation and Relations, on a par with a certain Cardinal Jacques Richelieu lll, head of intelligence.
This is no secret, which is why I was told about it. Pierre and Ludovic talked for a good hour about the political situation in Australia, which made me feel like a snotty little boy because every assumption I made was fundamentally wrong. I knew some of the benefits of trade with the Caribbean Union, and some I had only guessed at. And then it was condescendingly explained to me that this trade is done secretly, but not too secretly, rather — just secretly, but many people know about it.
The problem is that there is a political sentiment against the dark magical arts in Europe at the moment, fanned by the famous "wise old man" — Carabas Barabas.... oops, Albus Dumbledore. At that moment, I sighed sadly as I began to remember this grandfather.
After all, in every barrel he was a plug in the movie, everywhere, the old man steadfast, had time to stick his beard. Well, never mind. So Pierre Delacour turned out to be a very interesting magician, a skeptic, but not a retrograde. I've already talked about the French trait of being open to new things. And Pierre is ready to accept something if it proves thoroughly, thoroughly the correctness of the judgments.
Appoline Delacour. Like her husband, I don't remember her at all from the movie, but these magicians are clearly more beautiful and pleasant than the actors in the movie. Dazzlingly beautiful, strong, magical, very young, very feminine, cunning but not mean. I can't say more, and what I learned, I learned more with my feelings and sensations.
I don't want to say anything about the guest aunts beyond "snakes, cunning, hyperactive squirrels, echidnas". Talking to them is a morally perverse torture. But here the Delacours' daughters are pleasantly satisfying. Fleur was portrayed in the film as an arrogant bitch aristocrat, while the youngest, Gabrielle, was not revealed as a character at all, she was glimpsed a few times.
I'll talk about Gabby, who is more relatable to me. A cunning, clever vixen who knows how cute she is and shamelessly uses it. She uses her "charm" in all the right places for the best effect on those around her. She likes to use the image of the cat from "Shrek" or the shy angel. I have to admit that her level of "cuteness" is impressive. Harmful, though she hides it well. At twelve, she's already quite pretty and has a good chance of replicating her mother's perfection.
Fleur is more complicated. I wondered while watching the movie, "Why did she marry a Weasley?" and the question came to me all by itself. The girl is impossibly beautiful, just to look at her is enough to desire a girl for her looks alone. Her motor skills, her movements are mesmerizing with a crazy yet subtle femininity, a sexuality. Fleur is very naturally attractive, every turn of her head, every look, every intonation of her voice is just "kaput" for a man.
As for the Weil charm, I only found out about it after Appolyn's "schmaltz" after dinner. I felt an itch in my nose, as if I'd picked up a particularly fragrant pepper that made me sneeze. I didn't understand people's reactions at the time, but when Paul explained it to me, I realized it didn't work on me. So what was the matter with a pretty girl like Fleur, was there really not a single wizard in all of France who could resist her charms?
Was Weasley the only one who could? I learned the answer from Paul when we returned to the Dunois manor. The Dunois and Delacour families are long-time allies and friends, so they know a lot about each other. Little Fleur had a strong gift for Mind, mental magic, from childhood, but her Veil nature took its toll, resulting in powerful elemental charms.
Her parents thought it would pass with time, and in a way they were right. But the problem was that the girl grew stronger as she grew older, negating all of Fleur's efforts to control her abilities. However, the girl managed to do something about it by hiding and suppressing her emotions.
At the age of thirteen, during her third year at Beauxbatons, an unpleasant situation occurred that caused all of the girl's further problems. She was in love. No big deal, would you say? But not for a young sorceress. Not when it's one of the best athletes and duelists, a sixteen-year-old handsome aristocrat, who takes the best friend of an allied family for support.
And that would have been fine, for Fleur had been able to hold back a wave of emotion and politely apologize for refusing. But not accustomed to refusals, the duelist decided that the girl was just "imagining the hell, wondering", decided to prove something to her, and grabbed her hand. That was the last straw, it scared her, and Fleur "fried". The two best friends immediately lost their minds and rushed to prove their "alpha-sameness" to each other.