Chapter 1
Throughout time, there have always been influential families. Such families have mountains of wealth, and can afford to have the very best of everything. Things are the same in the wizarding world. There are certain families that are ranked, in terms of societal standing, above others.
The Ravenclaws were pulled into this rank of society purely by coincidence. It was well known that Ravenclaws were sharp, intelligent people, and their wisdom was sought out by witches and wizards all over Britain. However, unlike Godric Gryffindor, Salazar Slytherin and Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw had not been born into nobility; instead, she was raised into the highest ranks of society with her friends when they opened Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, which her daughter, Helena, attended for seven years.
Helena was every bit as beautiful and wise as her mother. She was very popular at school, and she loved it there. Naturally, she was sorted into her mother’s house, along with Ignotus Peverell.
They both graduated from Hogwarts with flying colours, and Ignotus went travelling with his brothers, leaving Helena alone, left to wander round her home town all alone. She wrote to him daily, and he responded without fail, every time. His correspondence was the only thing that kept her sane during her periods alone.
*****
There was a knock on the door, waking Helena up. Light streamed through the curtains, and she slipped her feet into her slippers as the servant knocked again. “Lady Helena? The Baron is here, and he is requesting your company.”
Helena cursed in her head. “Tell him I’m still in my night gown, and I shall be but a moment.”
“Yes, my lady. Would you be requiring assistance with dressing today?” asked the maid from the other side of the door. “Yes please, Elizabeth.” The maid scurried off to give the Baron Helena’s message, and Helena picked out a plain gown to wear in the Baron’s company. How she despised the man. He’d been in her year at Hogwarts, but in Salazar Slytherin’s house instead of her mother’s. He had consistently tried to engage her in romantic activities whilst at school, and she’d turned him down every single time. She had hoped that once they left school, the man would go off and find himself another girl, but that had not been the case.
The maid returned to help her dress, using her wand to lace the ribbons at the back of the corset. “He’s a very… impatient man, the Baron, if you’ll pardon my loose tongue.”
“That’s quite alright, Elizabeth. I too find him as such. I would like to request that you stay in the room with us whilst we are having tea. I dread to think what would happen if I were to be left alone with him for too long.” Elizabeth nodded.
Finally, Helena was dressed, and after brushing her hair, she went down into the parlour to see the Baron. “My lord, what a surprise to see you here. I was not expecting you today.”
The Baron grinned as he offered her a seat on her own sofa. She sat as far away from him as she politely could, and the Baron glared at Elizabeth. “Well, girl, what are you waiting for? Get going!”
“My Lord, I have ordered Elizabeth to be present. After all, if we were to be left on our own, people may talk.” The Baron still didn’t seem overly happy, but he let the issue drop as the butler walked in. “Ah, I see you are aware of our guest. Please, excuse me.”
“James, wait. If you please, I would like some tea. Would you like tea, my lord?”
“No thank you, my dear. I only popped by for a quick visit today. I shan’t be staying long enough for my tea to cool down,” said the Baron with a wave of his hand that almost smacked Helena in the face.
A quick visit turned out to be two hours long, after which Helena was ready to jinx him out of the door. Instead, she smiled politely as he climbed into his carriage, then returned into the house, not bothering to wave him off.
Declining the offer of breakfast from James, she returned to her room and began to write a letter to Ignotus.
Dear Ignotus,
The Baron came to visit again today. He disturbed me whilst I slept, and was rude to my servants. He stayed for two hours, after claiming he only wanted a short visit. Ha! Two hours is an awfully long short visit, if you ask me. Not that he ever does; he values my opinion below that of his horse, yet still expects me to be head over heels for him! What a simply repulsive man!
Enough of him, though. How are you faring? You’ve been gone for four months now, and I refuse to believe you are taking proper care of yourself or your brothers! How are Antioch and Cadmus? I do wish you would inform me of what you three are doing upon your ‘quest’, but I suppose that it is confidential information. All the same…
With Love,
Helena Ravenclaw
She sealed the letter with a wax stamp, and made her way towards the room in the attic where her owl Gabriel stayed. “Here you are,” she said, giving him the letter. “For Ignotus.” Gabriel hooted in acknowledgement and flew out of the open window. She watched him go, wishing she could simply fly out of the window. Of course, she could apparate, but that wasn’t quite the same.
Meanwhile, back in the Baron’s mansion, the Baron himself was just returning home. A timid house elf rushed forwards to hang his cloak that he threw to the floor, saving him the trouble of hanging it himself. He always did say house elves were better servants than humans. Of course, Helena never listened to him. She claimed she preferred to have a human girl to help her dress and to do her hair and all that. She would change her mind once they were wed, though.
Because make no mistake, he would take her as his bride. He knew she wasn’t overly keen on him, but it was her duty to make him happy. If she wouldn’t marry him of her own free will, he’d write to her mother at Hogwarts and ask for a marriage to be arranged. He wanted her too much to let her go. Anyway, who else wanted her, other than Ignotus Peverell? How he hated that man. He’d won Helena’s heart before the Baron could even have a chance to speak to her, and that wasn’t fair. Anyway, what Peverell have that he didn’t? Money? He had plenty of that. Good looks? He was far more handsome than Peverell. What else were women really interested in? The Baron didn’t know.
He slammed through his home, smacking more than one house elf in the face with a door as he went. He sat down in his study and put his keen mind to task. He would have Helena Ravenclaw as his wife.