"There is no chain that binds my spirit; no master that claims my knee."
| Full Name | : | Madeleine Aurélie Devereux |
| Date of Birth | : | August 12, 2005 |
| Nationality | : | French-Chinese |
| Address | : | Devereux Antiquarian Books, 27 Rue du Bœuf, Vieux Lyon, 69005 Lyon, France |
FACTS
Madeleine finds profound comfort in the antiquarian bookshop's highest shelves, where forgotten volumes whisper stories in languages half-remembered.
Despite her serene demeanor, she harbors an unexpected weakness for street market pastries, cheap almond croissants that would horrify her grandmother's refined palate.
As the only grandchild bridging two prominent families, Madeleine carries their expectations like pressed flowers, preserved but transformed. She honors both heritages while quietly cultivating her own garden between them.
Madeleine collects moments of transition: dawn breaking over the Saône, the hushed minutes before the bookshop opens, the space between languages where meaning shifts and deepens.
The Little Jade
The
Beginning
my bones know no genuflection.
my blood knows no surrender.
Madeleine Devereux was born six weeks early in a Lyon hospital. Her parents—Li Meiying and Lucien Devereux—named her their "petite jade" when she finally came home, tiny but determined to survive.The Devereux family ran an antiquarian bookshop in Vieux Lyon, five dusty floors that smelled of old paper and leather. Most customers saw Meiying as just another manuscript restorer, bent over water-damaged texts with steady hands. They didn't know she specialized in breaking curses on ancient artifacts. Lucien seemed like any other rare book dealer, though his real expertise lay in defensive magic. They'd chosen this quiet life among muggles years ago, for reasons they kept to themselves.Money wasn't a concern—both sets of grandparents ensured that. Madeleine grew up with first-edition fairy tales and jade bracelets from Shanghai, weekend trips to family estates where she was the only grandchild, the center of attention whether she wanted it or not.Her childhood was routine. Mornings practicing Chinese characters with her mother, learning strokes that sometimes meant more than they appeared. Afternoons sorting books with her father, gradually noticing which ones made her fingertips tingle. She was quiet, observant, the kind of child adults forgot was listening.The first crack in her ordinary world came when she was eleven. Her Devereux grandparents were visiting, voices rising in the study. She pressed against the door, catching fragments: "...wasting her potential..." "...belongs at Beauxbatons..." "...our decision, not yours..."Her father's voice, usually mild, turned sharp: "She'll choose when she's ready."That night, Madeleine couldn't sleep. She crept to her window and watched her mother in the courtyard below, hands glowing softly as she tended to what looked like ordinary plants. By morning, the roses had bloomed out of season.She began noticing things. How certain customers browsed too long in specific sections, speaking in low voices about "authenticity checking." How her father's fingers traced patterns on doorframes when he thought no one was watching. How her grandparents' gifts always came with protective charms sewn into the lining.At breakfast, she studied her parents over her bowl of congee. They looked tired, ordinary. Her mother had ink stains on her fingers. Her father needed new reading glasses. They discussed the weather, a difficult restoration, plans for the weekend.But underneath their normal chatter, Madeleine sensed the weight of their careful performance. They'd built this life brick by brick, choosing the mundane over the magical for reasons she didn't yet understand. She was part of that choice—their half-blood daughter growing up between worlds, fluent in neither.
Identity Information,
Durmstrang
The story and character of Madeleine are purely fictional works written by JADE. Any resemblance to real names, characters, places, or events is purely coincidental.
Full Name: Madeleine Aurélie Devereux
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