Please Don't Be Beautiful

Prologue

July 1996

"Hurry up, Tom."

I turn back toward the window, and stare at my reflection. How long has it been? The last time I saw him, my face was still young, my skin smooth. But now, I'm old. So very old.

I wonder what he looks like now. When I left him, his face was losing its beauty; and the time he tried to trick me, I glimpsed something under the black hood that seemed so hideous that I could not believe it was the same man. Maybe now his body truly reflects the evil inside.

As I move towards the doorway, the photo on the mantelpiece catches my eye once more.

It was taken at school – a Prefect photo. I run my eyes over the faces – Henkah and Liam, I haven't seen them for months…Cassandra, Alyssa and Daniel…I lost contact with them. And there I am, standing there awkwardly and blinking nervously at the camera. Ben and Tom are either side of me, looking completely relaxed and casual. It all seems like a dream now, and I place the photograph face down onto the mantelpiece. Enough of that.

A soft clinking makes me raise my head. It's the chimes that my late husband hung above the door in the hall, the ones that only move if I'm in danger. My lips twist into a smile, because I know he's finally here.

One: Revelations

June 1938

I awoke to the sound of yelling.

From what I could make out, it seemed that Mary White had sprung up in boils again.

Giggling to myself, I slipped out of bed and edged down the hallway in my nightdress and bare feet until I reached her room, where Mary was yelling her head off and Mrs Winters was trying to calm her down. Sure enough, ugly red boils had appeared on Mary's face overnight, and I couldn't help sniggering as I crept back to my room to get dressed.

As I did up the buttons on my cardigan, I noticed that today was June 9th. I had a visitor today. I didn't know who he was – a teacher, apparently – and I wanted to make a good impression. I brushed my hair and washed my face, the cold water making me shiver involuntarily as it dribbled down my neck.

He called while I was helping with the washing up. My breakfast stirred uncomfortably in my stomach as Mrs Winters called for me to come into the hall.

"She's a good child, really, but I think she's a bit too addicted to those books…always seems to be in another world. Lost in daydreams, I should think…here she is."

As I approached, Mrs Winters stopped gabbling and I looked at the man standing beside her.

I remember standing there and being completely stunned. He didn't look like a teacher. As far as I knew, teachers didn't wear mad ensembles of pinstriped trousers and spangled robes, or have long red beards the colour of my hair ribbons.

"Uhm… hello, sir," I said, my mouth dry.

"This is Professor Dumbledore, Sarah," Mrs Winters said as the man smiled serenely at me. I smiled back weakly. I didn't like the sound of 'Professor'.

Agh, did Mrs Winters think it was me who had set the apple tree on fire last month? I was sure it hadn't been me. You couldn't set trees on fire just by looking at them. And it had been raining!

But maybe I did do it, I thought, panicking. And she knows and she's getting me looked at!

I felt my heart pound with worry as we climbed the stairs to my room. Oh no. Oh no. I'm going to get in trouble, I thought desperately. I didn't even mean to turn that tureen into a flock of pigeons-

"…school of magic."

My head jerked up. What?

"Sorry?" I said in a small voice.

"I teach at Hogwarts," Professor Dumbledore repeated. "It is a school of magic."

I blinked a bit.

"Wait…I'm not in trouble?"

"Why would you be in trouble?"

"Well…" I blushed a bit. I think he already knew.

"Ah, the incidents? Do not worry; I am certainly not here to take you to an asylum." He chuckled a little, blue eyes twinkling. "You are not the first to be worried about that, Miss Richards. Far from it."

I breathed a slight sigh of relief.

"Um…did you say it was a school of magic, sir?"

"Indeed," Dumbledore said, smiling. "You are a witch. I have come to offer you a place at Hogwarts."

It was like all my dreams were coming true at once. There was something bigger, something better, than living trapped by the walls of the orphanage and confined to a school where all you learnt was reading, writing and arithmetic.

But suddenly a horrible wave of doubt crept over me. I could be gullible sometimes but I wasn't stupid. I needed more evidence than that.

"I can demonstrate, if you wish," Dumbledore said, as if he'd read my mind.

"Yes, please, sir!"

"Very well." From his cloak he withdrew a long, thin stick of wood – a wand? I thought excitedly – and pointed it at my hideous pink summer dress that hung on the back of the door. It promptly turned green.

I clapped my hands together in delight.

"Wow!"

"Would you like me to change it back-?"

"No, thank you!" I was thrilled. The dress actually looked far better in green. "I prefer it now."

His eyes twinkled again.

"Are you convinced?"

"Oh, yes sir!" This was amazing. A million times better than that stuff with the tree and the tureen.

"And so…" He pulled a piece of yellowing parchment from his pocket and handed it to me. "If you wish to attend the school, this is what you will need."

My eyes scanned the list. I saw the words 'cauldron' and 'wand' and countless other things that made my excitement increase.

"Sorry, sir, but what happens at the school?" I asked, trying to suppress my delight. "What would I learn?"

I listened, completely enthralled, as Dumbledore started to explain about all the different subjects – Potions, Charms, Transfiguration, to name a few – and at the end of this short lecture I breathed out a quiet 'wow' once more.

Looking down at the list again, I had a thought.

"Sir, where would I buy all these items?" And how would I? I had very little money of my own – my parents had apparently not changed their will before their accident and all I had was the odd bit of change that Mrs Winters would give me for being helpful, or the grimy pennies I found on the street. I had barely enough for a book.

"There is a place in London called Diagon Alley, where you will find everything on the list," Dumbledore replied. "I have already spoken to Mrs Winters, who will assist you with your purchases. There is a trust fund at Hogwarts for those with little money, but you may have to buy some equipment second-hand…however, many other students will also have old equipment too, especially those from Muggle backgrounds like you."

It was then that he gave me the train ticket, and told me how to get to the school train on September 1st. He bid me farewell, leaving me standing there by the window, clutching the little scrap of parchment so tightly that my knuckles were white.