Disclaimer: All rights belong to J.K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter series.

Warnings: Characters might be OOC

Note: For Snakes and Ladders Challenge - Arianna Dumbledore; Scrabble Challenge - Chagrin; Great Maze Chall/Comp - entry

My Angel

How did Harry get here? His hands became all clammy and his breathing became slightly labored. He let out a shaky breath as he got to his feet, staring warily at the blond girl standing across from him. Harry knew she was only fourteen; perhaps younger since the portrait was painted before her death. She still held that vacant, sweet look on her face, smiling softly at him, greatly reminding him of Luna.

This was unheard of, even for him. Traveling into a portrait, that is. How was this even possible? It isn't! Yet, here he was, clearly living and breathing, standing in Arianna Dumbledore's portrait. But it also wasn't. The scenery was different. Yes, they were still in a clearing of some sort but it didn't just stop; it kept going. There were vast rows of trees surrounding them and Harry could see the beginning of a village a little to his right. This was more than simply entering a portrait; no, it was like he traveled back to the past, or, he swallowed, a new world. To his knowledge, Harry had placed his hands on Arianna's painting, but instead of meeting a solid surface, fell right through and ended up here. His timeline could still be going for all he knew. Did that make this timeline, the one he was in now, a separate one? Or was it a new world? Would he alter his present if he changed this past? Harry was brought out of his musings by a melodic voice.

"Hello, are you an angel?" Her warm brown eyes gazed curiously at him.

"Um," crinkling his brows slightly, Harry tilted his head to the side, "not that I know of. I'm pretty sure I'm a human."

Arianna nodded, slightly disappointed before brightening up once more. "But you fell from the sky, you must be an angel that fell."

I fell from the sky? Harry looked, not sure what he was expecting, maybe a black hole or vortex that would suck him back to his…time….world…thing. All that greeted him was a clear blue sky with not a cloud in sight. He sighed, running his hand through his hair in agitation, biting his lip anxiously. How would he get back now?

Seeing his distress, Arianna grabbed both of his hands in her own, looking seriously in his surprised eyes. "Don't worry, Angel. I'll find a way to send you back. I promise."

Harry blinked unsurely, but help would be useful considering his situation. He nodded his consent a bit reluctantly.

He opened his mouth, preparing to say something, probably about where they were when a loud shout had him startling. A tall, lanky male butted his way between the two, pushing Arianna behind him. Harry had a suspicion that this was Aberforth Dumbledore, judging from his protective behavior. He compared the two siblings. Arianna had skin so pale that it looked almost sickly while her brother had a healthier tan coloring, which could be understood from what Harry knew about Arianna's background. Aberforth had darker blonde hair, it could be mistaken for a light tawny brown that fell straight into his eyes while Arianna possessed light, wispy curls that cascaded down her back.

His hard jaw was clenched in irritation, glaring warily at Harry as he stood in front of Arianna who peeked behind her mountain of a brother. "Who are you?" he scowled.

"My angel!" Arianna chimed in from behind. Aberforth, used to these sort of comments, ignored her and continued to stare expectantly at him although he did scrunch his eyebrows at the admitted strangeness of his sister. Harry however flushed in embarrassment, much to his chagrin. He most likely looked like a ripe tomato now.

"Actually, it's Harry," the brunet rubbed the back of his neck, slightly unnerved by the cold, judging glare, averting his eyes to the side before seeing Arianna crouch down to the ground. She picked at the flowers, losing interest in the tense situation.

"I don't remember seeing you around," he said it almost accusingly.

"Yeah," Harry wasn't sure how to reply to that, choosing to just keep his gaze away from the scary mess that was a protective older brother and focus on innocent Arianna humming to herself. It was a rather catchy tune. He would have to ask her for the name of that later.

"Who are you?" Aberforth repeated. Harry didn't think his glare could get any more menacing, resisting the urge to flinch.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

A dark eyebrow was raised. "Try me."

Arianna suddenly stood up, skipping past her brother. She beamed at Harry, reaching up and nestling a crown of flowers on his head. The tiny white flowers contrasted sharply with his midnight hair. He was beautiful, almost elven like with his pale skin and bright emerald eyes, staring speechless at her. Arianna turned around, dress fluttering softly at the motion, smiling up at her brother.

"He's my angel. Isn't that all that's needed to know?" Aberforth frowned, looking as if he disagreed with that statement, but he finally relented in the face of her wide brown eyes, giving a warning glance at Harry should he try anything suspicious.

When they were walking back to their cottage, Aberforth insisted on walking between the two, giving up on scaring Harry with his glares and choosing to ignore his existence the rest of the day.