Author's Note: Updated! So I realized I might have been a bit unfairdodo I wrote a second view. It's at the end. The first part is the same as before.
Author's Note: Sorry if there are any Zacharias lovers, but I can't make everyone good! Also, sorry, it's a bit of a weak chapter, but they can't all be Harry Potter.
Zacharias the Ambitious
Zacharias never really wanted to be part of a war.
He came to Hogwarts, expecting a career there much like his fathers, and his fathers before him.
The Smith family was decidedly neutral in the first wizarding war against Voldemort, and they had planned to stay firmly in that spot for the second.
Zacharias was a skinny boy with blonde hair and a pointed, upturned nose.
It was a classic Smith look, and one that made the whole family look snotty and haughty.
This first impression was never washed away by a first meeting with any of the Smiths.
Zacharias never really fit in with the Hufflepuff house, but was rather sorted there because of his family relation to Helga Hufflepuff.
It was a family tradition to be sorted into their ancestor's house.
Zacharias often acted superior, but he had a modest grouping of friends, simply because of the good nature of the 'Puffs.
He was prejudice and unyielding, unwilling to change his mind, especially about the residential hero.
Zacharias had never liked Harry Potter, and that feeling only grew as years passed by.
(Zacharias was exactly the kind of person who would read Rita Skeeter and believe it, simply because he wanted to think bad of Harry).
But Harry had such a presence in the castle, that it was impossible to be there and not notice him, to not have an opinion about him.
And Zacharias' was one of the worst.
Not because he thought the worst of Harry, but because his opinion was based on rumors and bigoted thoughts.
He had no excuse of at least fighting against Harry's side of the war, he simply did not like him.
Zacharias only joined Dumbledore's Army so as to know about Cedric's death, and only stayed out of convenience.
He was not particularly upset when it got shut down, and would have been the betrayer if not for his loyalty to Ernie.
He wasn't completely un-Hufflepuff, he just had some rather unpleasant qualities along with the loyalty.
Zacharias was exceedingly loyal to his family, and to his ideals.
He rarely changed his mind, wavering between stubborn and obtuse.
Harry's friends were unkind to him, and he deliberately rude to them in turn.
Zacharias was one of those rich children who looked down on others for being poor.
He constantly wanted to be better than everyone else, and always went into a pout when he was not.
And if his attitude was not enough, Zacharias was a coward.
When given the choice, he ran away from the fighting, endangering others so as to save himself.
He cared not for other people, but only for himself.
When making a decision, he always reasoned what was in it for him, and if the result was not compelling enough, he refused to help others.
All he cared about was furthering himself, making himself look better, seem better, have more prestige.
Ambition is not a bad thing, of course.
But when it overwhelms the good characteristics, and is only outmatched by the bad, it begins to turn sour.
Such is what happened to Zacharias Smith.
His loyalty was overrun by his ambition, and his selfishness overshadowed all other motivation.
Zacharias was one of those unfortunately common people who are not punished for their wrongs.
He officially had the right to put his life about the lives of defenseless children, and while it made him scum, it did not make him a criminal.
Those who remember him fat all don't think of him fondly.
And for those who remember him for what he was, a coward with too much ambition, find their revenge in letting him fade into the oblivion of unimportance.
Author's Note: Wow, Harry Potter fans are numerous and wonderful! Do me a favor, review? It doesn't have to be long, just tell me how I'm doing. It makes me want to right more when I get more feedback :)
NEW HERE! Zacharias the Ambitious part 2
Zacharias was never asked if he wanted to go to war.
It wasn't his battle.
He had fine plans for his future, and they certainly didn't include risking his life.
He came to Hogwarts, expecting a career there much like his fathers, and his fathers before him.
The Smith family was decidedly neutral in the first wizarding war against Voldemort, and they had planned to stay firmly in that spot for the second.
They were loyal to each other, and to some select Hufflepuff families, but to others, not so much.
It was the environment he grew up in, and the world views he grew to believe in.
Zacharias was a skinny boy with blonde hair and a pointed, upturned nose.
It made him look exceedingly like his father, a fact that Zacharias was secretly very proud of, though he'd never tell.
Zacharias didn't always fit in with the Hufflepuff house, but it was a family tradition, because of their family relation to Helga Hufflepuff.
And Zacharias' family was nothing if not traditional.
Zacharias soon adopted the airs his father carried with such grace, and had a modest following of friends.
He had trouble making friends, mostly because he didn't see them as the most important thing in the world, a view uncommon to Hufflepuffs.
Zacharias wasn't a bad kid, per se, but he did have a certain prejudice against the residential hero.
Zacharias had never liked Harry Potter, and that feeling only grew as years passed by.
He was jealous of Harry's prestige, and how Harry hadn't actually done anything to deserve it.
He was a baby!
How could he have possibly defeated Vlodemort by himself?
He didn't even remember it.
So Zacharias wasn't one to look too deep into gossipy articles, because he felt that if Harry got the good parts of fame, he should also receive the bad.
He tried to ignore Harry, but Harry had such a presence in the castle, that it was impossible to be there and not notice him, to not run into him.
So Zacharias' impression of the war icon grew worse.
Zacharias only joined Dumbledore's Army so as to know about Cedric's death, and only stayed out of convenience.
He wanted to know what happened to his housemate- it had all been hushed up.
As for the classes, he didn't find them particularly useful or a good way to spend his time.
Harry was trying to prepare children for a war, one Zacharias had absolutely no intention of being in.
Dumbledore's army?
Ha, more like Potter's army.
He was not particularly upset when it got shut down, but he would have never betrayed them himself.
His closest friend Ernie was in the class and enjoyed it, the only reason Zacharias had stayed.
Just because Hufflepuff might not have been the best fit, that did not mean that Zacharias was not loyal.
He wasn't completely un-Hufflepuff, he just had some rather unpleasant qualities along with the loyalty.
Zacharias was exceedingly loyal to his family, and to his ideals.
And what was wrong with that?
He was entitled to his own opinions, and never tried to shove them on to others, unlike a certain "light" side he could mention.
Harry's friends were unkind to him, and he deliberately rude to them in turn.
Zacharias didn't have any delusion of being the best, but he did have very high ambitions that included a position at the Ministry of Magic.
He didn't want to be the best in class, he just wanted to be good enough for his father.
Was he a coward?
Possibly.
But better that than being dead needlessly.
So?
He ran away from danger- that wasn't a crime.
It want very noble, but not everyone had to be a bloody Gryffindor.
It was very clear to Zacharias.
He didn't want to be part of the war.
Why didn't anyone ever listen to him?
He wasn't against Dumbledore's cause, but he wasn't willing to die for it.
Was that so evil?
He cared about was furthering himself, making himself better, have more prestige.
And he did have some Hufflepuff in him.
He wanted to gain power the Hufflepuff way- through hard work, rather than through fame.
Ambition is not a bad thing, of course.
Sometimes it can cloud one's goals, but what quality can't?