valeria corinne géroux
“Maybe the wolf is in love with the moon, and each month it cries for a love it will never touch.”
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Headcanon: Alain Thierry Géroux
Being brought up by a family who prides themselves of their aristocratic stature and intelligence, Valeria was raised to succeed and to become the best - there is no other option, even if moralities into question. However, she does not completely agree with her family’s lifestyle choices and therefore, often feels outcasted. Valeria puts on a cold and nonchalant exterior in order to mask the chaos concealed inside her mind; she is the epitome of calm, cool, and collected. Once she allows others to be acquainted with her (which is a rare honour of sorts), people will find that she is actually quite warm and empathetic, her friends of high importance. Intrepid and spontaneous, Valeria always enjoys a stimulating adventure (while she is not studying or reading, that is).
As much as she enjoys literature from the wizarding world, Valeria has recently developed a somewhat odd affinity for muggle stories…
Everybody has their own smell, though Valeria does not know what she smells like to others. Naturally, that is.
Quite obviously, fantasy would characterize Valeria’s life because of her magical background. But then again, it is only considered fantastical in the eyes of muggles, so maybe that does not quite count.
One song is representative of her as a child with no worries, hopeful to become a strong witch. The other, metaphorical of her teenage years.
In all honesty, Valeria has not given this much thought, given the fact that all (or most) of her focus is on academics.
Floo powder is inaccurate at times, and portkeys are inefficient; apparition would be her preferred choice, but seeing as she is underage, Valeria opts for the popular broomstick.
In a family as wealthy as the Géroux’s, they always had hired squibs to do the cooking for them. Hence, Valeria had never touched any cooking-ware in her life.
Often, a book can be found laying on top of several spare pieces of parchment at the corner of the desk. Valeria’s workspace reflects her organized and bookish personality.
Growing up hidden from the outside world, secluded within the walls of the Géroux manor, not many people visited Valeria.
Valeria enjoys the traditional way of writing letters - fresh parchment, a nice feather quill dipped in ink, sealed with red wax and a stamp.
Aside from the werewolf bite situation, a turning point for Valeria was when she met her very first friends on the Hogwarts Express during their first year.
Perhaps it was the warm summer morning when Alain surprised her with Lumi. Or maybe it was when the Sorting Hat had announced to all of Hogwarts that she would be in “Gryffindor!”
Adventures
Approximately an hour more of waiting, but Valeria does not mind whatsoever. She is alongside friends, awaiting her very first adventure.
Werewolves are nothing new to Valeria. Though unbeknownst to other wizarding families, the Géroux bloodline has produced werewolves in the past, and in the very recent present - Valeria herself has also been a victim of a wolfish experience.
Through the small gaps between the scarlet curtains, a silver trail creeps into the compartment, casting a slight gleam of light onto Valeria’s overturned book; it is a full moon.
Valeria awakes with a startle. She had dozed off momentarily due to the lack of sleep she had received the previous night - stayed up thinking and worrying about what her family would say if she didn’t get into Slytherin.
Behind her book, Valeria blushes at Nikki’s comment. Laying her book down to protest (“I… That was… ”), her words are cut short as she watches Nikki pull out a copy of Hogwarts: A History.
The sound of the door sliding open catches Valeria off guard as her eyes detach themselves from her book and latch onto the brunette figure standing just outside the compartment.
No “We’ll miss you!”; no “I love you!”; not even a simple “Good luck!” for her as she passes the threshold into the Wizarding World.
Hearing the bang of a foreign sound and Alex crying out for help, Valeria whips her head around to see a heavily wounded and unconscious Nikki on the ground. She looks around for the source of the tiny, black object that had penetrated Nikki’s shoulder, but the culprit seems to have fled.
The air is cool, the night long. The wind is howling, as if to shed light on the unforeseen turn of events that occurred on Earth below. The moon, a silver orb - clear and luminous - in the dark sky, sends down an unwelcome beam of light into the eyes of a young girl.
“When you’re preoccupied, days of the week don’t seem to be of relative importance.” Valeria has to admit that for once, she was enjoying talking to somebody other than herself. Or her owl, for that matter.
It felt nice to know that someone appreciates and acknowledges her skills, no matter how small the situation may be.
Valeria had half-expected Lysander to catch her - since he is standing so close - but these expectations were turned to ashes as she feels the cold stone underneath her bare limbs.
In truth, Valeria is not so much curious about the classes - she’s already read some of her brother’s textbooks to get enough sense of what will be learned - as to just talking to the boy.
For the second time in her life, Valeria feels as if somebody understands her (the first being with Alain, of course). Not in the sympathetic kind of way, which by no doubts is still effective, but not nearly as heart-warming as having actually experienced it.
Oh no, I’ve done it again. Why do I always mess things up? Scrunching her face, Valeria hits herself on the head with her palm.
Valeria is slightly taken aback by the grin Lysander sends her way. Her first self-defensive instinct questions if the boy has any ulterior motives - why else would he be so nice to her? Hardly anybody smiles at her, let alone notices and talks to her for more than a minute.
Ever since she started at Hogwarts - or possibly even before that - Valeria has developed a particular liking and affinity towards Potions. The fact that a small dose of magically-brewed liquid can change lives, either for better or worse, entices her.
She can feel it in her bones, as the wind sends a cool chill down the back of her neck. Winter is just around the corner, a small child peering out from behind the hem of Autumn’s skirt, slowly preparing to show himself.
If one had a choice, they would definitely not choose the dilapidated Shrieking Shack as their dwelling, its walls peeling, floors stained, moth-eaten furniture, and boarded-up windows, allowing only a microscopic stream of light into the building.
This was not the first time Valeria has used a memory charm on fellow witches and wizards, and naturally, she has become quite proficient with them. How else would she be able to maintain her secret?
Lysander’s demeanour and the words that followed seem rather honest, much like he was when Valeria had been acquainted with him the month before. There is a part of her that feels apologetic for being slightly belligerent and direct with him, but she must do anything to protect her secret.
The Whomping Willow’s branches are tamed, frozen in time under the faint gleam of the moon’s light, a silver orb halfway into the sky. Lumos. Wand still in hand, Valeria is about to make her way towards the tree’s roots, when she suddenly hears her name.
At the other end of the passage, through a small peephole, Valeria can only spot maybe five youthful bodies inside Scrivenshaft's - many of the younger students would have preferred Honeydukes or Zonkos. When the coast is relatively clear, Valeria steps out into the shop, nonchalantly, as if she hadn’t just appeared out of what was thought to be a supplies closet.
Surrounded by ancient titles and worn-out covers, Valeria thoroughly scans through the bookshelves in search for a spine labelled Hairy Snout, Human Heart - a recount of a wizard’s experience against lycanthropy. She is, however, not looking for this book specifically, but the one carefully placed to its right.
Hogsmeade weekends are Valeria’s favourite thing about being a witch at Hogwarts (aside from all the fascinating subjects, of course), especially with layers of snow perched on the rooftops.
Valeria found herself wandering about the school grounds, admiring the first snow of the year.
Hearing a Seventh Year’s voice surprises Valeria, especially one that just so happens to speak of the very thing she is writing about: the Halloween party.
What is this strange feeling? It’s as if… well… my head is all fuzzy. What happened yesterday? And… who is this… Sage that keeps cropping up in my mind. I must go find her, maybe she can make some sense out of this.
At the sound of music playing - the warm strum of a guitar and a boy’s soft voice - Valeria stops dead in her tracks. She turns her head in the direction of the music.
“Come on, Val, it will be fun, I promise. You’ll love it.” Sitting on her bed and hugging her knees to her chest, Valeria shakes her head. All she wanted to do was to finish reading her book. Papa had pulled it out of her hands, demanding that she get her derrière out of the house to Diagon Alley.
The Dormitory
History, especially History of Magic, helps the current generation understand what events have happened, what lives have been sacrificed in order for us to be living the way we are today.
High up on Mount Olympus, there was a vast beach, with sand made of pure, powdered gold and waters that were rumoured to increase longevity.
Potions. Where do I start? Growing up with a brother who suffered from lycanthropy, I was well acquainted with potion-making, especially of Wolfsbane.
A werewolf is a human being who becomes a fearsome and deadly near-wolf during a full moon.
I never know how to feel about Christmas. Everybody says it is the most joyful time of the year.
Spells (as well as spell casting theory), in general, is an interest of mine. As it is a hands-on class, I expect that we will be taught how to cast spells as well as be able to practice them in class.
I just got my hands on Alain’s diary: “Today is Val’s 7th birthday. I am going to start my first year at Hogwarts in two months. She doesn’t have any friends, she will be lonely, so I asked father if I could buy her a pet owl to keep her company when I’m away.”
I would like to be able to protect not only myself, but my friends as well and believe that this course will provide the means for me.
Congratulations on discovering this hidden space. Welcome to the Secret World of Valeria.