The Ugly Ducklings

Chapter One: I am ugly, very ugly.

Hermione Athena Granger was not beautiful. In fact, she was far from it, as the magical mirror told her constantly. At the age of 17(or 18, depending on whether the time turner months are counted), Hermione had stopped maturing. Her fears, ever since she was old enough to know them, had become reality. Hermione was going to be ugly for the rest of her life.

Hermione two----and only--best friends told her not to fret about it. Harry and Ron liked her for who she was: a book-smart witch who always managed to save their arses every time Snape or Filch caught them doing something red-handed. Harry and Ron didn´t have any problems with their looks and body. They had become handsome young men, and the Hogwarts girls had no qualms walking up to Harry or Ron and telling them. Harry and Ron were also dating two of the prettiest girls at Hogwarts; Harry was dating Padma Patil of Ravenclaw, and Ron admitted his secret feelings for Susan Bones of Hufflepuff.

Hermione stood at the mirror, that she had named Griselda, examining her face and body full of flaws. Her pimple popping habit had finally caught up to her during sixth year, the year that Hermione´s face broke out in red splotches, which made her look worse. Hermione spotted a pimple, directly on the bridge of her nose. Pushing her thumb and middle finger together, Hermione squeezed the pimple between her fingers until white pus and small droplets of blood squirted out of the place where the pimple formerly sat.

"Sickening!" Griselda said, her voice filled with disgust. "You really ought to stop popping your pimples in front of me!"

"Sorry," Hermione said, non-apologetically. "But you´re the only mirror that I own, and it´s a habit. It´s non-poppable."

Griselda grumbled to herself until Hermione found a gray cloth and placed it over Griselda. Griselda let out a string of curses such as `Ugly, smart ass bitch!" Turning away from the mirror, Hermione made sure that her Head Girl pin was on her Hogwarts robe. She grabbed the books that she needed for class and headed to breakfast.

~~~~

Breakfast in the Great Hall was quietly energetic, even with the taunts flung at Hermione. As always, whenever Hermione entered or exited the Hall, some mean and nasty students, especially the Slytherins, called out `Hey! It´s Knockers on a Stick.´

It was because Hermione´s, ahem, breasts had outgrown her thin frame. From the way that Hermione´s body looked with and without the robes, some people assumed that she was an anorexic, but she wasn´t. It wasn´t Hermione´s fault that her body shape made her look like a sick, twisted version of a Barbie doll.

Ignoring the jests, Hermione took her usual seat next to Harry and Ron. They glanced up, acknowledged her existence, and went back to their conversation about mind chess.

So instead, Hermione said hello to Ginny. Ginny was a sixth year, but her body had matured nicely. After Arthur Weasley became the new Minister of Magic, the Weasley family became as nearly rich as the Malfoys, but the families were still rivals. Since the Weasley´s were no longer eating sparsely, Ginny had put on some weight. Being a Chaser, some of the extra mass was converted into muscle tissue while the other 25% became fat. While Ginny wasn´t nearly half the size of Millicent Bulstrode, Ginny´s body cut a strikingly beautiful figure with her muscular, but soft, arms and legs, and her angular face.

Ginny and Hermione, at first discussed their homework and the weather outside, but slowly, the conversation turned to Blaize Zabini and the Halloween Ball. The entire castle was tense with excitement about the ball, wondering about the couples, and non-couples, that would grace the floor of the Great Hall. Halloween was coming in another month.

"So, has Blaize asked you to the Halloween Ball yet, Gin?" Hermione asked, between sipping her tea.

"No, but I hope that he will, and soon." Ginny answered. She glanced at the Slytherin table and met the eyes of the dark-haired boy. Blaize´s mouth relaxed into his trademark sexy smile and he winked at her. Ginny blew Blaize a mid-air kiss.

When news of the Blaize/Ginny affair leaked out last year, Ron had gone ballistic. Ron believed that Blaize was only using Ginny. And he certainly had a right to believe so. Draco Malfoy, Blaize Zabini and Jordan Flint, otherwise known as the Slytherin Three, had used and abused none of the Slytherins girls (the Slytherin girls weren´t stupid), all of the Hufflepuffs, and half of the Ravenclaw girls within a year and a half. When Blaize first set his girl-devouring eyes on Ginny Weasley, Ginny was suspicious. And she had a right to be. Ginny was aware of the Slytherin Three´s reputation, and didn´t want to be Blaize´s next fling.

Blaize had to prove for weeks on end how much he liked Ginny. Blaize attended all of her Quidditch matches. He didn´t go as far as to root for Gryffindor when Gryffindor played Slytherin. Who roots against their own House team? Blaize did everything that he never imagined he would do, including writing poetry. Later, Ginny revealed that she never even liked poetry, but Ginny had forgiven and accepted him. Their relationship had gone well ever since. Ron and Mrs. Weasley still frowned upon the relationship, but the rest of the Weasley clan had come to accept it.

"I am sure that Blaize will ask you to the dance." Hermione reassured the younger girl.

"Have you found anyone to go with you?" Ginny asked innocently.

"With these looks," Hermione snorted. "I´ll be luck if Hagrid goes with me. The two girls laughed at the image of Hermione dancing with Hagrid.

"Don´t be too hard on yourself, Hermione," Ginny said. "You´re an intelligent person. Someone, maybe one of the Ravenclaws, will ask you to the dance. Looks aren´t everything."

Hermione sighed inwardly. It was the same boring, trifling line that her friends told her. `Looks aren´t everything.´ `You´ll grow out of it´. She was 17-18 now. It was impossible for Hermione to `grow out of it.´

Feeling a sudden headache, Hermione stood up. "I´ll talk to you later, Gin" Hermione said. She gathered her books and went with Ron and Harry to seventh year Transfigurations.

* * *

Seventh year Transfiguration actually turned out to be enjoyable, at least for Hermione. Hermione excelled at Transfiguration. She was hoping to make a career out of it, perhaps at the Ministry. Arthur Weasley had informed Hermione about an Auror position that would be open by the time Hermione left Hogwarts. Hermione´s other professors, with the exception of Snape, that git, and Professor Trelawney, wanted Hermione to enter their specialty. Hermione was quite positive that she would be an Auror specializing in Transfiguration.

When Minerva McGonagall entered the Transfiguration classroom, the Gryffindors and Ravenclaws scrambled to their seats, eager as giddy school children for the next Advanced Transfiguration lesson.

"Before we begin today´s lesson, I have an important announcement to make," Professor McGonagall said to the class. The seventh years quieted down, waiting for Professor McGonagall´s next words.

"Professor Snape and I have decided to hold a joint project for Potions and Transfiguration. Potions and Transfigurations are not as different as everyone would think. The both involve that changing of an object or organism. My part of the assignment will be to teach the seventh years how to become Animagi. Professor Snape will teach you how to make Polyjuice Potion."

The entire class, with the sole exception of Hermione, erupted into a chorus of groans after Professor Snape was mentioned. He was probably the most hated person in all of Hogwarts. Argus Filch came close, but even Filch wasn´t as bad as Snape. Filch didn´t give out tough homework assignments, or make everyone´s lives but the Slytherins hell.

Hermione hung on Professor McGonagall´s every word. It was the lesson she had been waiting for. The Polyjuice potion was fairly easy, as long as Hermione didn´t get cat hairs mixed up with any other hairs. Hermione wanted to train to become an Animagi for a long time. She could see the gleam in Harry and Ron´s eyes. During their fifth year, Harry and Ron had attempted to become Animagi, against Hermione´s warnings. The only thing that resulted from that fiasco were two half human, half animal bodies. The two boys served three months detention with Professor McGonagall.

"Professor Snape and I decided on this project because we wanted to see if Animagi training and more Advanced Potions could be taught to seventh years--providing the Headmaster´s approval and the success of this project.

"Professor Snape and I ask that you maintain complete silence about this project. You may talk about this project among your fellow seventh years, but please refrain from mentioning it around and to any of the other years. We will use the next two weeks to review the basics of Transfiguration and then the project will start. Are there any questions?"
Terry Boot raised her hand. "How long will the projects last?"

"It depends on how each individual understands the concepts. But we are estimating that the Animagi portion of the project will take the entire year, while the Polyjuice and other advanced potions will take a little less than that. But an entire year is about average, give or take a few days."

Ron raised his hand next, a grin apparent on his face. "Will we still have tests?"

"Of course we will continue to have tests! What do you think this is? Easyville?"

The comment earned a few laughs here and there. Hermione couldn´t help but feel bubbly inside about the upcoming project. The project would be one of the grandest undertakings in her young life.