July 1872	The last of a clutch of veela daughters, the little girl emerges from her stony shell to find no one there, no other hatchling girl to greet her, no mother welcoming her with open arms. Small and innocent, the girl wanders south-east in the rain and mud, until she comes upon a cottage, wherein she finds two boys, close to her own age, their mother and their father. She knocked on the door, hungry, naked, and tired, and was taken in — despite the mother’s initial protests. Within a fortnight, the little girl is officially adopted, and named Josephine Beauchene.
1874	It is Josephine’s fortune that she finds herself in a magical household, when Pierre’s first act of magic is to soothe one of her tantrums with dazzling lights in the air.
1877	Though it affects them minimally, there is still conversation in the Beauchene household of the occurrence in England with the Queen’s attack. Not long after Josephine’s fifth birthday, a governess is secured, to instruct the girl in etiquette and the general ways of wizardkind.
1879	At the age of seven, Papa sits down with Josephine and explains the full and total truth of her origins — information he had been aware of since the day after her arrival in their home, when he had tracked her path back to the nest of broken shells. He explains also that her mother, another veela named Sophie, had come looking in on her a couple years before, and upon seeing her in such good hands, had decided to leave her in their care. Josephine tries to plead for more information about this mysterious Sophie, but is not appeased, as Papa has no other information besides that Sophie is unschooled in the ways of society.
1881	While Josephine has only private tutors to look forward to, her eldest brother Pierre departs for his schooling at Beauxbatons Academy. Josephine asks him for consistent letters, and her wish is granted.
1883	All too soon, Auguste joins Pierre at Beauxbatons. He, too, is asked for consistent letters, though he follows through rather less than his brother.
1886	With the onset of puberty comes the infamous veela temper, and it is one day in her singing lesson that the avian first emerges from within the burgeoning woman. She sets fire to the family piano during her outburst. Afterwards, she is endlessly apologetic, but the damage is done. It is a miracle that the Beauchenes do not turn her out afterwards, but socially, they know they must keep her under their protection, at least until she is an adult. An older society veela — Marie — is secured to help teach Josephine to keep her temper in check.
1891	Madeleine Beauchene never thought she would be escorting a daughter on the social circuit, as a merchant’s wife and a mother of only two boys. But Josephine proves her wrong, graceful if a bit too friendly, and easy for others to speak to. However, her kindness and nature are conflicting in the eyes of many around them, too much for many to reconcile. And so Josephine Beauchene is a substantial failure, in the goal to find a husband.
February 1893	Two failed seasons later, the Beauchenes decide it might be an easier try to have their adoptive daughter go with a governess and Pierre for company to the Scottish village of Hogsmeade — the all-magical settlement founded following the devastation of the muggle riots of 1877. Pierre, for his part, is largely sent to establish commerce for the family business in the village. When she arrives, she finds it quaint and comfortable, and close enough to the wilds for her comfort.