The first child born to Thomas, a muggleborn wizard and his pureblooded wife, Victoria nee Browne. Believing that a more pretentious sounding name is more fitting for the magical world, Thomas names the baby Cleander, which is Greek for “glorious man”. His middle name, “Atlas”, comes from two of Thomas’ passions – mythology and astronomy.

Three more children join over the next few years, with Philemon being born two years before Cleander departs for Hogwarts. The Huxleys are a scholarly family that encourages this behaviour in the children. Thomas is an astronomer/weather magic researcher and Victoria, while on paper a housewife, is studying astronomy as well. As such, it is no surprise that Cleander gains a love for the stars from a young age.

The Hat considers Ravenclaw and Gryffindor, before deciding that Cleander’s sense of integrity and fairness overpowers his academic passions. Astronomy is his favourite class, but he enjoys all of his classes, really.

After Hogwarts, Cleander joins his father in the field of Astronomy as a researcher. He works at the Magical Observatory of Cornwall, researching the stars and weather patterns. After two years, he joined a more “secretive” project, one that researches ancient astronomy rituals and astral bodies beyond the solar system.

It is an honour to every Astronomer’s career to be called to work at the Magical Observatory of Alexandria. There he continues to research ancient astronomy rituals (did aliens help build the Pyramids?), astral bodies outside the solar system and other similarly fascinating astronomy things. One of his projects even involves time travel magic.

It is there that he meets who he believes to be the love of his life. Mercy McKinnon is at the Observatory with a group of Diviners and Seers, doing research on the ways astral bodies affect us in the field of Astrology.

At first, the two butt heads, but it is mostly harmless teasing, Hux enjoying pointing out the differences between Astronomy and Astrology. They really start to bond after ending up on the same observatory tower at night together. At first it is just chatting and showing each other their favourite constellations, but soon it is apparent they have feelings for each other and the begin to court.

He is so smitten, that he sends his mother an owl to ask for his exact time of birth so she can draft up his birth chart.

And that is when the fairy tale began to end.

Soon, Mercy becomes convinced that they are not meant to be based on their birth charts. Their disagreements appear obvious – it is because of the conflict between her Mercury and his Moon sign and other such explanations. Soon enough, their courtship is ended.

Hux is heartbroken, but at least Mercy returns to Scotland. He throws himself at work to forget about her, but everything reminds him of her. After a painful year and a half, he decides he wants a change of scenery.

Hux is offered a position as the Astronomy professor at Hogwarts and he accepts. It is a good distraction for his broken heart, as he never gets to spend enough alone time to lament the love lost.

In the 1890-1891 school year he was offered the Gryffindor Head of House position and he gladly accepted. More work means less time to think about his broken heart.

Not even the dramatics of the 1893 Sorting Ceremony can distract Hux when he sees her - his ex, the woman he thought the love of his life, the newly appointed Divination professor.