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That's basically it. Gabrielle Delacour is 11 years old when she arrives at the Burrow with her parents for her sister's wedding three years later:

“And, of course, you ’ave met my leetle daughter, Gabrielle!” said Monsieur Delacour. Gabrielle was Fleur in miniature; eleven years old, with waist-length hair of pure, silvery blonde, she gave Mrs. Weasley a dazzling smile and hugged her, then threw Harry a glowing look, batting her eyelashes. Ginny cleared her throat loudly.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Ch.6 "The Ghoul in Pyjamas"

So why does the movie version take an eight year old along for a trip to a foreign school when she shouldn't even be attending Beauxbatons yet!

I am aware that the probable out of universe reason is to establish closeness to her sister, so that the viewer cares she is rescued during the second task, but what in universe (if any) reason did the screen writer or anybody from production give for her presence? Was Gabrielle supposed to be older in the movie (her actress, born in '92 certainly was).

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Harry knew Gabrielle because she was Fleur's most precious someone during the 2nd task of the Tri-Wizard tournament. She did not arrive at Hogwarts with the Beauxbatons school, she was later fetched for the task itself.

If Fleur had not been a participant, Gabrielle would never have been at Hogwarts.

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    I know that is what happens in the book, it is however not what happens in the movie (which is why I asked it here and not over on Science Fiction & Fantasy. She arrives with the other Beauxbatons girls doing back flips down the middle of the great hall.
    – BMWurm
    Commented Dec 30, 2017 at 12:29
  • @BMWurm: You can only stick with either the book or the movie here,as they contradict one another on this point. The movie never specified the entry age for Beauxbatons; so you can't exclude the possibility that she is in fact enrolled (in the movie). Similarly, you can't assume Gabrielle is the same age in the book and in the movie (your age evidence is a book quote, AFAIK the movie doesn't explicitly state Gabrielle's age).
    – Flater
    Commented Nov 14, 2019 at 11:52
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Obviously because Beauxbatons probably admitted students at a much younger age than Hogwarts did. That is plausible but I have nothing to back it up as the movie never uttered why. I think Rowling subconsciously wanted to establish girls were smarter than boys.

Ron was surprised to find Krum still at school. Which meant Durmstrang did quite the opposite being an all-boys school.

I don't think she was fetched in for the task though. As they could have brought their parents instead like the Third task. That wouldn't have been unnatural. Fleur would have considered her parents to be no less a treasure than Gabrielle.

You have given the actual reason in the question, my friend. It was indeed to establish closeness with her sister so the audience related with the melodrama. So I guess that's it.

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Another movie adaptation. In the book Goblet of Fire, both schools are co-ed, having both girls and boys. They only brought those students from their schools who were eligible to enter the tournament i.e those aged 17 and over. Gabrielle was not there until the second task in the lake.

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