Welcome to Charming, where swirling petticoats, the language of flowers, and old-fashioned duels are only the beginning of what is lying underneath…
After a magical attempt on her life in 1877, Queen Victoria launched a crusade against magic that, while tidied up by the Ministry of Magic, saw the Wizarding community exiled to Hogsmeade, previously little more than a crossroad near the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. In the years that have passed since, Hogsmeade has suffered plagues, fires, and Victorian hypocrisy but is still standing firm.
Thethe year is now 1894. It’s time to join us and immerse yourself in scandal and drama interlaced with magic both light and dark.
Made from sturdy and polished leathers, each journals surface is covered with ornate gold embossment that details out a labyrinth of thorned vines and bramble. An almost ethereal shimmer glistens across the detailing's that can be eye catching in the right lights, and almost seems to breathe life and movement into the inlaid metals in a way that makes it appear as though they could shift on their own at any moment.
I hope these journals have found their way to all of you safely as I simply couldn't wait any longer to distribute them even though I'll be returning home in the coming days. Besides, it only felt logical to begin the next set of journals as we leave Hogwarts behind and step into our lives as debutantes. So when I came across these while I've been away these past few weeks dealing with my COB and making appearance's at my grandfather's France estate I decided I had to pick them up. It was my turn this year anyways. I was promised of the books abilities to ward off unwanted voyeurs' eyes as the metals have been enchanted to bristle out into barbed spikes should the incorrect password be provided to them. The phrase will be required upon every attempted entry after the first penned message is made within your copy and should nothing be spoken the pages will remain blank. I will only be stating this password in this entry before blotting it out once all have you written back so I expect all of you to take the moment required to commit this to memory as I will not be repeating myself later on.
'laisse moi tes secrets'
I figured a more secure collection this year might be beneficial as we begin diving into the madness of lavish events and potential courtship. I mean, the terms barely come to an end and I already can feel myself going mad from just my short stay at my grandfathers! I do hope the rest of you are fairing better. My mother has already informed me of more appearance's she requires me to be in attendance of the second we return to London, but the moment I'm able to escape we must all get together!
These are wonderful, thank you Beryl! I am so very excited to see you soon! I'm sure your debut was spectacular. Share details with us, please! Who did you dance with? What were the decorations like?! How I wish desperately to have gone, France is such a dream of mine!
To start us on general news… let’s see. I don’t know if you ladies saw but Atticus brought Merlin to the debut a few weeks past and the wretched little owl dive-bombed some of the food displays. Why he (Atticus) ever imagined this would be a good idea, I haven’t a clue! Mama was so displeased! It also made him quite late for a dance with Ms. Estelle Malfoy! I do hope they managed to recover, though I have not yet had a chance to ask him. I expect he had a better time with the lovely Ms. Mountbatton. Ida darling, you were so right. She is a splendid lady with so much grace! Atticus would be lucky to call a woman like that wife.
It feels like it has been ages since I’ve seen you all even though we spoke, briefly, in Surrey. We are due for tea now that we've all finished our debuts! I’ve much to tell you of the exciting dances and gentlemen I’ve come across in passing. None so spectacular as Mr. Blackwood of course, isn’t that right June? :) I saw him looking very put out at Ms. Mountbatton’s splendid todo because you did not pay him a lick of attention! What a poor dear.
Well, with that I’ll leave you to your days— (This part is enchanted so that only Beryl and Juniper can see it) Oh! I’d almost forgotten!
Beryl and June: My dear cousins will be throwing their own little affair in Bath at the end of the month. Both of your invitations have been posted, but I wanted to give advanced warning. It is a themed event this year, all black and white! Perhaps we can make plans to visit the modiste together! How lovely it would be to catch up for tea after the fact! I'll send a calling card to your addresses in the morning and see if we can't tactfully invite Ida to join us. How I hate that she is to be treated differently, only because she is in a lower class! We must marry her off to an UC gentleman this season, and quickly! I grow tired of these games already. I shall ask Atticus for an exception! He cannot be such a snob. (End enchantment.)
Adieu to you all, my dears! I miss you so terribly.
Yes, thank you Beryl! They are beautiful and I am sure we will get a lot of use out of them as the season progresses. I am also curious to hear of your debut! Did anyone make a lasting impression on you?
As for your cousin, Poppy, I swear he is waiting to be old enough to be considered a permanent bachelor just so he can run off and marry Merlin. You’re only speaking of Atticus, but we know you danced with a lot of people. I’m curious to see if a certain Mr. Lestrange had an enjoyable evening, as his attention seemed to be elsewhere all evening. Maybe he and Mr. Blackwood should become friends so they can entertain each other. Ophelia paid him all the attention and he appeared to be eating it up, so who was I to interfere with the happy couple? Olixander must be looking to marry an airhead for boring conversations. I would have provided exciting conversations all night if he’d asked. If he was looking elsewhere for a better time maybe he should stop confusing myself and Ophelia.
I had the opportunity to speak to Mr. Thaddeus Flint at his dinner party, and he is wonderful. I am very excited to continue to speak with him at future events. I don’t know if I told you all, but I did apply to be a student at the Flint Institution this summer! Father approved and Grace nearly had a heart attack. It was an exciting time all around.
(June can’t help but frown at the enchantmemt, but answers it in the same manner so Ida is unable to see.) I look forward to the party! An excuse to purchase an all black dress is always at the top of my list. I’m sure Ida would be thrilled to join us under the guise of meeting for tea. I agree with marrying her off quickly. What about having her meet Anthony? Surely he’s nearly ready to settle down and give up his… ways. I wish I had an older brother to introduce her to. If anything else fails, Ida comes without an invite anyway. Would Atticus truly cause a scene at his own event for one person? (End enchantment)
Tea sounds lovely. I’m excited to hear about everyone’s debuts and to compare notes on gentlemen.
Ida opened the book with relish, marveling at its intricate detail. The smell of fresh parchment was her favorite thing. She carefully inked her name and the year onto the first page then grabbed her little brother by the collar as he raced by.
"Watch," she instructed at his whinging and proceeded to make a meager scribble on a blank page. She retracted her fingers just as the book snapped out jagged barbs. The boy emitted a high-pitched shriek as he pitched backward onto the rug. She did it again for good measure, this time trying to simply turn a few pages to inspect its contents. The book snapped again, and her brother screamed with it. "Shut up - all I'm trying to show you is that this book will eat your hand if you touch it the wrong way," she warned, tone deadly as she applied her full height to tower over the distraught child. "I'm saying this because you should try and keep your hand if you plan to attend Hogwarts next year. There's no way they'll still accept you if you're missing a hand. You won't ever try to open this book, will you?"
"N-no!"
"Use your words - what do you promise me?"
"I promise to never open your book! I promise I won't even touch it! I won't even look at it!" he shook his head rapidly. Satisfied that she'd done what she could to skirt liability (she didn't actually want him hurt), she shooed him off to play outside.
Turning back to the journal, she rifled through the girls' responses, frowning a bit at an inky blot she couldn't rub off Poppy's or June's entries. Ugh, she needed proper quills that wouldn't have the ink seep so much.
July 7th, 1892
laisse moi tes secrets.
Beryl you've outdone yourself, this journal is a perfect match for this year. I think these journals, and the stories you'll put in it, might be the silver lining to your burdensome visit to France. I'm also dying to know all the details of your ball, of course. I'm sure it was as divine as the men were stupid. If these updates are best consumed over tea or something stronger, it should go without saying, but I am at this group's disposal.
As it is, I'll be traveling to London 26th of July! I will be in town for a dueling clinic the following day, though could perhaps find an excuse to linger for longer so we can meet? I enrolled in the clinic to keep up my practice... And, well, motivated by the prospect of a bit of prize money. I will think of you all fondly as I try to apply my feminine wiles competing with grown men.
And Poppy, your ball was perhaps the most fun I ever intend to have at such a grand event. I didn't notice the snaffu with Merlin at all, so not to worry! Your guests had a marvelous time! I did notice Atticus with Miss Mountbatton, however, and I daresay they would make a fantastic item if Atticus can get his head out of his owl's ass. He really must make haste, if he wishes to hold on to her interest for very long. I first met Suki during her fitting for that very dress she wore. She might look the picture of an angel, but trust, she has the same shrewd calculations in her head as her Colonel father who's seen war.
June, we really must discuss your taste in men when we meet. I was very antsy to meet this Mister Blackwood and was shocked by the company he choose to keep. I confess the more I learn about him, the more waste of space he seems to become. In our business, we call this "inventory with diminishing returns."
I volunteer to this group a much better use of our collective brilliance: Flint Institute! June! You have no idea how happy you've made me with this news, I've also applied and will be starting in the Fall. Father very much does not approve, which is why he has not been informed.
I’m pleased to see all of you received your journals and like them so much! My debut was about what I expected for the majority of the time. My family in France is known for their gardens and the wisteria plants that blanket the mansion. So everything was adorned in a kaleidoscope of light blues, and lavenders as they saw fit. My mother loomed like a fucking omen behind me most of the night until the pains of her habits beckoned her away. The men were beyond obnoxious too. I don’t understand what women see in French men, they’re brazenly full of themselves yet far too delicate to carry themselves around a woman who has enough sense in her to string more than a few words together. The whole affair honestly had me feeling homicidal. However, there was one encounter that I simply must tell all of you about, although I fear I may not be able to do this whole affair justice in writing. I’ll do my best, but we should definitely try to find time for tea or perhaps a sleepover around July 26th to properly share our horror stories from the men we’ve been coming across.
As for my COB, after hours of dealing with the endless and nonsensical dribble of the men that are somehow deemed desirable enough to haunt me with their lacking personalities, I slipped away from the ballroom and onto my family’s connecting balcony above the gardens. Fancied myself some refreshing silence, but of course that was simply too much to ask for as a man had been watching me and followed me out onto the terrace. I am not sure if any of you have heard of him - Mr. Vincent Iago. The simplest summary of the man would be that he’s an egomaniac social climbing snake who fancies himself a charmer. I only knew anything of him because my mother is utterly disgusted by the man and has drunkenly spewed his name out in her gossip chambers before.
I will admit, he was far more interesting to speak to than the other men I’d been dealing with all night. Although still quite the fool. Within the first few minutes of conversation he was already asking if I fancied myself the next Mrs. Iago. Can you imagine? The boldness of men never ceases to amaze me. A wonder they aren’t all killed my debutantes, truly. I spared him a painful curse though, and instead chose to enjoy myself a little as he was still quite amusing, and any man that causes such a visceral reaction in my mother should be praised. The snake wasn’t willing to speak with me past the venture of the balcony though. A shame considering I was rather enjoying his quip. He claimed it was to preserve a young lady’s reputation. And that was after asking if I fancied myself a social climber’s wife! Obviously a cowards excuse is a rather boring one, so I decided to call back into the ballroom and beckon Ms. Grimpuckett out to the balcony. I figured he'd rather walk the garden than be caught out alone with me, but none of you will ever guess what this fool did next… he jumped off the balcony! Into the gardens below!
I made it down the stairwell before the hags ward managed to turn up thankfully, and then what should I feel sliding across my shoulders? A literal snake. The man’s a snake animagus! Who knew magic could be so comically inclined. He didn’t seem to find the whole situation as humorous as I did though, because he turned back in front of me once we were in the cover of the gardens. And… well it was quite the sight to see. I will say that. He attempted to become threatening with his words to me over the ordeal, but I suppose the fall may have made him forget which families event he was attending. It was honestly quite humorous. Afterwards he gathered his clothes and fled rather quickly back into the ballroom though.
I’m not too sure how, but my sow of a mother came stomping through the gardens mere minutes later. I’ll spare you the details of my mothers usual behaviors, but do not act surprised when you see my face should we encounter each other in the next few days. She demanded I go back inside since apparently my disappearance had caused quite the talk inside. The only acceptable kind of gossip is when the words are spilling out of her trough of a mouth apparently. So, I gave the woman exactly what she wanted. I went back inside, and as any respectable debutante would do at her COB, I took up a dance. With Mr. Iago. I’m sure you can all imagine how that was taken. Everyone watched and whispered about us the whole song. My mother was furious, but it was far to public for her to do anything. In the end I feel like I left the dance far more intrigued by the man than I had been upon just seeing him naked. He works for my father I’m fairly certain… in what way I’m not entirely sure. Which to answer your question, yes. He did leave quite the lasting impression. I find myself rather curious if he will manage to slither into another event above his station sometime soon.
I can’t believe Atticus brought an owl to a debut! What a moron. What in the world could have possessed him to think that that was a solid idea? I once again circle back to my previous mention that the boldness of men never ceases to amaze me. Or perhaps the idiocy of men. It’s hard to gather which outweighs the other. Did you ever hear if he and Estelle Malfoy recovered from his foolish tardiness? I’ve heard she can be rather sharp with her wits about her so I’d wager not. And honestly given Atticus’ grand owl offense I feel he’d be lucky to call any woman his wife at this rate. Also, June is right! Why are we only hearing about Atticus and not of those you danced with? After my detailed account I am expecting to hear about all three of yours adventures that have taken place while I've been away in France! I demand details!
The Flint Institution seems like such a marvelous place to study! I wish I hadn’t spent nearly the past month locked away in this hellhole. I would have loved to have tried to warm my father to the notion of this as well, but my mother does seem to have planned nearly every breathing moment for me it feels. It doesn’t help that somehow my father is always able to make an appearance at events but seemingly becomes unavailable shortly after and disappears. Perhaps I will try writing to him about applying to the institute as well. However he rarely writes back to me, so you both may have to just share your stories of it.
Also, I picked up some lavish looking face cream for Ophelia while I was in France, June. It was at the same secluded shop as these journals. Apparently instead of correcting facial marks it feeds and festers them. The only thing a man will be able to think about when talking to Ophelia is his Astrology lessons from back in his Hogwarts days now.
I feel rather bad enchanting parts of the journal from Ida… but I do see why you’d be concerned with finding a way to bring up the party. I’m rather excited by the idea of a black and white party! I always long for the day that I have a reason to buy a black dress. Although, I am usually daydreaming of my mothers untimely demise. I agree that Ida will be thrilled to join us! She is always excited to meet up for tea. I wish I had someone I could introduce her to as well. The only person that even comes to mind is my cousin Leo, and I don’t believe I would even do such an introduction to an enemy as I am fairly certain unleashing him onto an unsuspecting debutante might be considered a war crime and land me in Azkaban.
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