Ariana waited, for what she was sure to come. It had happened for both of her brothers, Albus seven years before and Aberforth three years after. Ariana wanted nothing more than to receive her own owl, even if was just to prove she was still a witch.
She could do magic once, and she was destined to be the most powerful witch of her generation. That was before the muggles taunted her. They caught her healing a dead butterfly. It had worked, and she was quite pleased with herself, they had caught her. They saw the butterfly rise from her hands and begin to flutter its wings. "Thank you," she had heard it say and she had replied, "you're welcome."
Before the butterfly could flutter off, one of the boys swiftly grabbed it in his palm and squeezed the life out of it, once more. Ariana screamed and tears began to fill her eyes. He placed the butterfly with it's crushed wings back in her hands and demanded, "Do it again.
With tears streaming down her face, she tried to repeat the healing spell. Maybe it was that she was too upset. Maybe it was the immense fear that clouded her heart. The boys were menacing and older and much larger than she. Perhaps it was just that the butterfly was too far gone to be healed. The boys jeered at her for what seemed like forever.
Ariana had tried to run, but they had grabbed her by the scruff of her dress and swung her onto the ground. "We'll teach you for trying to be some sort of witch," Another boy had said as they tore at her dress. She thought her mother would be mad when she saw her brand new hand made dress torn to shreds. The thought made Ariana cry harder. Once again she had managed to disappoint her mother.
They began to tie it around her neck and were about to tie the other end to a tree, when her father had caught them.
Percival Dumbledore had heard his daughter's screams, and knew that something terrible was happening to her. He had flown into a rage. Before he could stop himself he flew after the boys and they immediately stopped what they were doing and ran away.
Later her father had been sent to Azkaban after finding the nasty boys and hexing them for what they had done to Ariana. It was no use. The magic seemed to have left her. Simple spells were unattainable following that day.
From that day on her brothers became her protectors and when her mother got sick, Albus took care of her between semesters. Lately Ariana had began to see things, things that were yet to happen, things that frightened her. Albus had become friends with Gellert Grindelwald. Together they had been planning to travel after seventh year. As they talked Ariana began to have visions of her brother Albus and his friend off on their adventures.
Albus had been so happy and free from the things that had burdened his young life, he had planned to take his little sister along with him of course, because Aberforth would never have been capable to care for his younger sister. He didn't see the ill intent in his friend's eyes, but Ariana did.
Gellert didn't know it then, but he would eventually have killed his friend, Albus in a duel. Ariana had to warn her brother, when Gellert left one afternoon.
"Don't go with him, Al. Go alone if you must, but please don't go with Gellert."Ariana whispered.
"It's all been planned, Ari. I've been waiting for this my whole life, ever since read The Tales of Beetle and Bard. I have to go. Gellert knows things that I will never figure out, clues that will get me closer to the treasure and the glory."
"But don't you see Al? That's all Gellert wants. He's not going to want to share it, not even with you. He's going to kill you, Al."
"Nonsense, Ari. I've cared for you all of your life and always put you first. Can I not have my turn in the sun?"
"It's true Al! I wish it wasn't but it is! I saw it!"
"You? With what powers, did you see it?" he asked accusingly. He was clearly angry.
"I don't know, Al. I just do." Ariana said with conviction. "If you don't believe me, you go and have your adventure and get yourself killed."
They stalked off in different directions. Albus disappeared into the bedroom that he and Abe shared.
"Mate she's gone mad!" he said to his younger brother, who was lying on his stomach across the bottom of his bed, reading. He then proceeded to tell Abe about the strange conversation he had just had with their little sister.
"Do you think she could be a seer?" Abe asked. They both pondered the thought.
"Nah, not our Ariana."Al dismissed the idea. "She lost her magic years ago. Besides there aren't any known seers in our family history."
"Maybe she's the first." Abe suggested. "Maybe her gift has transformed since that day.
"That's impossible, Abe. She's just trying to keep me here with her, instead of letting me live my life."Al was seething at the thought.
Ariana listened at the boys' door with a mixture of tears and confusion? Was that what Al thought she was doing? Did he really think she was that selfish? It saddened her that her brother didn't believe her best intentions of protecting him from an early death. On the other hand Abe's question lingered in her mind. Could she still have a gift? Was it possible that she, Ariana Dumbledore, who everyone thought was a squib, in fact was a seer? She'd always hoped that she would follow in her brothers' footsteps and attend Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry. This filled her with a sense of hope
Ariana clung to the little hope she had of being something that her family could be proud of instead of a burden on her brothers. Al would be going into his final year that year, as Head Boy and Abe would go into fourth year. She hoped that she would get to join them on the Hogwarts Express, a dream she clung to for many years even when she'd first seen it in Al's first year.
It gleamed in the early morning sunlight which streamed in through the skylight of platform 9 ¾ and as it hissed letting out steam, Ariana admired its beauty. It rested on the platform, with the doors to all the carriages open waiting to invite the children aboard. The older children brushed past them with an air of importance, while first years just like Al ambled shyly towards it with hesitant steps. Al had always known that he was destined to receive an owl accepting him into the school. He'd began to read all the required texts early in anticipation of entering his first year. It was finally here and Ariana had stood half excited and half sad as she bade her brother goodbye.
"Don't worry," he said. "I'll be back for Christmas and in the mean time Abe will be there with you."
Until the day she had confronted her brother with her vision, they had always been close, closer than she had ever been with Abe. Following that day there had been a wedge driven between Ariana and Albus. This had made her sad.
She hoped that she would receive an owl from Hogwarts, which would prove to her brother that she was not making the whole thing up.
She waited by the door all afternoon, hoping, but at sunset that night no owl had arrived for Ariana. Disappointed, she closed herself up in her bedroom flopped onto the bed and cried. She fell asleep that way and didn't wake up until it was past dinner time. No one had tried to wake her it seemed.
She thought she was dreaming when she heard wings flapping in the distance, but the noise grew louder as a speck in the distance revealed an old barn owl. Ariana sat upright and gazed in wonder and anticipation? Could this be it? Sure enough it flew through the window with and envelope attached to its leg addressed to Ariana Dumbledore.
Eagerly she untied the envelope from the owl's leg and opened the letter with shaking hands.
Dear Ariana,
I am pleased to inform you that you have been accepted into Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry…
With the letter in hand she bounded through the house to Al and Abe's room. "Al! Abe!" she squealed with excitement. "I got one! I got an owl! I'm going to Hogwarts! I'm not a Squib!" With each exclamation her voice grew louder and high pitched.
"Show me that!" Al said, hoping that it hadn't been just a mean prank on his poor sister. She handed him the letter and he read it in disbelief, before passing it to Abe, who practically snatched it out of his brother's hand. "It's all true?" he half asked. "You truly have a gift? You WERE looking out for me!"
Ariana nodded, tears of joy filling her eyes. "I wish it wasn't true what I saw," she sobbed. Al put his arm around his sister.
"Oh Ari, I'm so sorry I doubted you, but more so, I am so happy that you still have a gift."
That day he decided that Gellert and he would not go together on their adventure when they finished school. Al didn't go away as he planned at the end of Seventh.
Seven years later, after Ariana received all O's in her N.E.W.T.s (yes all her gifts returned, aided by her education at Hogwarts) she set off on the adventure of a lifetime, with her brother and best friend, Albus.