Violetta was amazed at the specatcle around her, it was so beautiful, the people, the place, the atmosphere, it was something that the ten year blonde girl from Marseille would likely remember for the rest of her life. She had waited in the queue with all of the others, rubbing shoudlers with all manner of people before entering the great iron edifice that loomed over the city of Paris. The tower had only been open for seven months and everyone wanted to visit it, there was nothing of its like anywhere else. Violetta's father, through his business connections had hotly prized tickets to the viewing platform on Noel eve and the blonde had clutched that peice of printed card like her life would end if it was to come loose.

But now they were in, past security, up the long rise to the crowded platform above. Her heart was racing and she suddenly felt very small comapred to all of the other bodies pressing up next to her. "Maman, maman!" She called out as she briefly lost connection to the older woman's hand and in that very second she felt she was entirely alone surrounded by throngs, but, almsot as quickly as she had lost her mother, her papa placed his hand on her shoulder and she was suddenly the safest a little girl could wish to be.

"Papa, will we be able to see the carriage tonight?" She beamed as they got closer to the edge, The Beuxbaton carriage would be doing a flyby of the tower as the prefects headed for midnight mass at the nearby cathedral.

"Oui, but do not let the muggles know, the coach is enchanted so they cannot see it, remember." the man said kindly to his young daughter. They finally caught up with her mother Mariella who had found a space and was curently pointing out various Paris sights to the sleeping two year old Luca DeCroix. "Maman, he is asleep, he can't see anything." she giggled at her silly mother. "Oh Letta, we did the same with you when you were his age, you slept through our entire visit to the Arc De Triomphe, but I remember explaining every part of it to you." the soft southern french tones of her mother soother her ears.

As the hour grew later, Violetta could detect the various smells from across the city, they mingled in with the smells of food and cigar smoke that filled the viewing platform of the grand tower. The girl's ears pricked up as she heard a carol she knew and she began to sing, her father grabbed her hand and started singing joyfully along with her. This was perfect, this was her Joyeux Noel. Above them all the carriage of the Beaubatons circled the tower and sprinkled snowflakes that glittered lightly in the air, the muggles would think they came from the clouds, but Violetta knew the truth. She squeezed her father's hand as she pictured herself sat inside that coach herself. "Papa, will I be a Beaxbatons prefect like Maman one day?"

"Work hard and I am sure you will make it, it wont be long until you start your first year" He reassured her, it would only be eight months and she would be starting her first year of wizarding school, that beautiful blue uniform would soon be her. But for now she pushed that to the back of her mind and continued with her carol singing at the top of the tower. Nothing could be better than this and the little girl felt a tear roll down her cheeks that ached from smiling.