Chapter 1
AN: Just a random story I thought up and decided to write down. Reviews would be greatly appreciated!
It was 10:45 on September first, 1971. King's Cross Station bustled as hundreds of Muggles moved back and forth between the various platforms. Through the glass ceiling, the sun beat down as a last glimpse of summer. Its rays bounced off train engines and the luggage of passengers, but it shone particularly bright off the head of a 17-year-old boy with long blond hair. He strolled between platforms nine and ten while pushing a large luggage cart piled high with expensive black and green leather trunks and bags. Although he was dressed in Muggle clothing, indistinguishable from what the rest of the people in the station wore, his gray eyes betrayed his contempt for his attire and surroundings. As he walked, his eyes darted from Muggle to Muggle while the corner of his mouth curled further and further into an expression of clear disgust.
With a sigh of relief, he caught sight of a brick wall between the platforms. He began to charge at it at full speed, and in his haste to leave the Muggle-infested area of the station, failed to look in either direction to see if anyone was coming. It was not until he was a few feet from the wall that he noticed another cart coming towards the wall. With less than a second to spare, he managed to stop his cart before the imminent crash.
He turned around to see just who the idiot was. It was a girl slightly younger than him with a head of ghastly uncombed dirty-blonde hair. Looking at her, he felt slightly ill. It took him a second or two recognize her, especially since she kept her head down in embarrassment, but he finally managed to place her with a name.
He knew her to be a fifth year Ravenclaw. As far as he knew, she was a pure-blood, but with questionable family ties to blood traitors. Although they did have a few mutual acquaintances who were decent, the company she kept overall was repulsive and slightly odd. "Hyacinth Binns, isn't it?" he asked, his Muggle-induced scowl ever deepening on his face as he looked at her.
"Yes," she said. She seemed to recognize his voice and looked up at him for the first time. She wore no makeup to speak of and had serious problems with her complexion. Her teeth were relatively straight but terribly yellow. Other than that, her face was relatively pleasant, but she was no beauty by any means.
Hyacinth recognized him much quicker than he did her. He was Lucius Malfoy, the most popular boy in Slytherin. She had never actually met him before and had little opinion of him other than thinking he was rather attractive. Looking down at her luggage cart, she realized that she was blocking the wall and moved back so that he could move through it.
Still sneering slightly, Lucius shook his head and pulled his cart back. Without looking directly at her or saying a word, he gestured for her to enter first.
She shyly looked back down at her cart. "Thank you," she mumbled before disappearing into the wall.
Once on the other side, Hyacinth quickly lost herself in the crowd of students boarding the Hogwarts Express so she could avoid having to talk to or see Lucius again. After leaving her belongings on the platform to be put on the train, she found her way to the nearest door and hopped on. She had begun to walk to one of the middle cars where most of the Ravenclaws rode when she heard someone whisper her name behind her. She turned around to see Narcissa Black standing just outside a Slytherin compartment.
The two girls were distant cousins, 3rd cousins to be exact; Hyacinth's great-grandmother had been a Black. After her family's fairly recent descent into blood treachery and obscurity, Hyacinth's parents insisted on patching up their reputation with other pure-bloods. This included encouraging her to hobnob with distant relations like the Black sisters while at school. And since she was sorted into Ravenclaw instead of the more ideal Slytherin, such friendships were even more necessary to compensate. Having been closest to Narcissa in terms of age (Hyacinth was one year younger) than she was to Andromeda or Bellatrix, Narcissa seemed the most natural one to socialize with. To say Hyacinth and Narcissa were friends would be an exaggeration, but they did sometimes confide in each other on certain matters.
As she motioned her cousin over, Narcissa looked around to make sure no one too important was around to see. Although she felt some compassion for her confidante, she had no intention of making their relationship too public. "I wondered if I could have a word with you tomorrow, alone?" she asked. Although her words and eyes conveyed a sense of urgency, he tone of voice and body language remained calm, as they always seemed to.
"Yes, of course." Hyacinth then gave her cousin a slight smile that was not returned and took the hint that it was time she moved along to find her own compartment.
As Narcissa did not really count, Hyacinth had only one close friend at Hogwarts who she had known since their first year: Xenophilius Lovegood. She found him alone in a compartment at the end of the primarily Ravenclaw occupied car.
Like Hyacinth, his looks were nothing to write home about. His blue eyes were cross-eyed, and although he was fairly tall, his terrible posture made him look much shorter. He sat slumped over a notebook in his lap that had a large Q on the front. As she entered, he looked up to give her a quirky smile before returning to his work.
"How was your summer, Hy?" he asked without looking up again.
"Oh, boring," she shrugged. "You're doing The Quibbler this year, are you?" After reading a particularly frustrating article in The Daily Prophet during their 4th year, Xeno had decided to start his own periodical. While she doubted its success, Hyacinth tried to encourage him in the pursuit.
"This year will be the year that I end The Prophets' monopoly in journalism!" he said with his characteristic enthusiasm. "I do have one favor to ask you though."
"Of course, what is it?"
Xeno set down the notebook and looked at her seriously. "I need you to write an article for me."
Hyacinth couldn't help snorting. "An article about what?" In her mind, the idea of her writing anything was silly.
"Nothing in particular. I'd like it to be an article on pure-bloods. Besides that, it can be about anything."
"Xeno, you know I'm no writer. All I do are school essays and those are nothing spectacular; just enough to get the grades I need to do well in my classes. They're no great literature. You write just as well."
"Yes," said Xeno, looking disappointed. "But I wanted a real pure-blood to write it."
"Well, you're a pure-blood too."
"True, but my parents are considered blood traitors by most pure-bloods, including your parents. I wasn't raised like a typical pure-blood as you were. Come on, please? You're the ideal person to write it. You know the mind of those elitists without actually thinking like them. It would make it less biased."
Hyacinth could not bring herself to agree with the part about her mind, but she nodded her head anyway. She did not think she was as radical as her parents, but she was not ready to side with Xeno either. "I'll think about it," she said finally.
That night, Hyacinth and Xeno sat in the Ravenclaw common room. While it was ordinarily quiet due to its inhabitants' love of studying, that evening it was almost painfully loud due to it being the very start of term. Everyone's giddy laughter bounced off the room's brilliant blue papered walls that depicted the life and times of Rowena Ravenclaw. Across from Hyacinth and Xeno on the opposite wall was the wise old witch herself, sitting in her bronze frame. She seemed rather bored and dismayed by all the commotion.
Xeno sat in a large navy chair and played with something in a jar. From what Hyacinth could tell, there was nothing in it, but Xeno seemed very interested in it nonetheless.
"Hy!" he called to her in an excited voice. "Hy, I think I caught one!"
She looked up from the history book she was reading. "Caught what?" she asked, trying as hard as she could to sound polite and interested despite her skepticism.
"A nargle!" he exclaimed. His clear eyes were positively beaming at the empty jar.
Hyacinth tried to smile. "That's great, Xeno. I always knew you'd do it." Thankfully, Xeno was not the best at detecting lies.
Suddenly, the side of the room near the door became silent. This quickly spread to the rest of the room. Clearly, someone of interest had entered.
"It Gilderoy!" breathed a third year girl to the right of Hyacinth.
Sure enough, in walked Lockhart wearing deep purple satin robes. He sauntered over to an empty armchair, winking at girls as he went. Ever since his fifth year when he single-handedly saved a group of first years from almost certain death, he had been the most desired boy in school. Since then, his reputation had only grown. Now in his seventh year, he was known throughout the wizarding world as an up-and-coming hero. Hyacinth was smitten.
"It's amazing he's not in Gryffindor; he's so brave. It must be because he's so smart," she said as she stared at him. "Did you hear how he saved all those children over the summer from a rampaging werewolf?"
Xeno rolled his eyes. "The real wonder is why he's not in Slytherin. I've never heard of such a slimy git coming out of Ravenclaw."
"Oh, you and your conspiracy theories," said Hyacinth. "You're just jealous."
He looked slightly insulted at the idea. "Not at all. I just happen to know for a fact that he either makes up or steals most, if not all, of his fanciful adventures. I just don't have the proof I need yet. But when I do, I'll expose him in The Quibbler, mark my words. Speaking of which, have you decided whether or not you'll do the article?"
Hyacinth sighed. "Way to change the subject. I've hardly had one day to think about it. Just give me more time," she said.
A large group of girls gathered around Lockhart as he recounted his latest act of heroism. As he did so, he casually flirted with the prettiest ones. Naturally, those less desirable were largely ignored. No matter how ugly the girls he ignored were, Hyacinth knew she stood no chance. Even they were better looking than her. Lockhart would never notice her as long as she was so hideous. She had thought about improving her appearance before, perhaps giving herself a complete makeover, but she could never do it on her own. It would take too much time, magic, and money.
Then she had an idea. It was brilliant, certainly, but completely mad. Luckily, she had her own madman at her disposal.
"Xeno, I'll do the article, but under one condition. I want you to help give me a makeover."
"Excuse me?" Xeno forgot all about his nargle and stared wide-eyed at his friend .
"I'll write the article, but only if you agree to help me brew potions, research spells, and buy beauty products that will make me the most beautiful girl at Hogwarts."
He continued to stare at her for a minute. "You don't need any of that. I've been telling you that for years."
"Well, I say I do. You can disagree with me all you want, but it's the only way I'll write for you."
"Honestly Hy, it's times like this that I think you should be in Slytherin right along with Lockhart." He drummed his fingers on the table in clear agitation. After a long pause he said "All right, I'll do it, but frankly I think I'm getting the better end of the deal. Are you sure you won't regret it?"
"Not in the least." They shook on the deal and Xeno got up to go to bed.
"What will you write about?" he asked just before leaving.
Hyacinth shrugged. "I don't know yet; I'll come up with something great, I promise."