Life was like a never-ending ladder. From birth, a person was forced to climb this ladder and along the way, they encounter both success and hardships. Some people would attempt to find shortcuts to success, ways to move up the ladder faster than their peers. The shortcuts stemmed from a dark path, ranging from betrayal of a loved one to corruption of one's morals. Those who could not handle the consequences 'fell' from the ladder into an endless pit. The fall either broke them, making it impossible to climb again, or they had to start from the very beginning. The people who had the resolve to climb the ladder without any tricks, sticking to their morals, were rewarded with a partner, someone who could aid them and prevent them from falling when they struggled to keep going in life. They were the ones who eventually made it to the top, achieving their personal idea of happiness, such as marriage, children, wealth, a satisfying career, or just a friend who could be by their side until the end. The broken rungs of the ladder represented the hardships throughout life. Upon coming across the broken rungs, a person was faced with two choices. The first choice was to do nothing and accept that they were forever stuck at that part of the ladder while the second choice was to find the strength inside themselves and continue the climb, no matter how grim the circumstances or the possibility of failure. Twelve hours ago, Aria Collins experienced her first broken rung.

Twelve hours ago, Aria had been a carefree eight year old girl with a loving mother. To most, her life would seem far from perfect. Her father was thrown into Azkaban prison when she was barely a week old and she could not even remember his face. She had to settle for old pictures and her mother's stories to imagine what he would have been like if he was not in a jail cell. Every year, on her birthday, he sent her a letter. She pasted each of his letters in a little scrapbook, using them as her own memories of him. Though she never met him in person, they shared a lot in common, from their fearlessness to their ability to create portals. When Aria discovered this ability at just three years old, her mother told her that it was a very rare gift. With the portals, she was able to travel between two places in a matter of seconds. Since she was born, Aria and her mother had not stayed in the same town for more than a month, at most.

Their constant moving made it difficult for Aria to get to know any children in her neighborhood. The closest she had to a friend was a dog that her mother bought her when she was six years old. After moving into a small apartment in France, she was forced to give it away because the building did not allow pets. They needed to move to new houses often because of the 'bad men'. Her mother explained to her that these men, who practiced dark magic, wanted to steal Aria for nefarious purposes. Though she did not have a typical childhood, she was grateful that her mother was with her. On the night of her eighth birthday, her entire world turned upside down. One minute, she was baking cupcakes and the next, masked men had broken into her home. She was forced to watch as her mother was struck with a killing curse and the life left her eyes. Aria managed to escape the masked men and altered her appearance with a few spells. Twelve hours ago, she had been celebrating her birthday and now, she was dressed like a boy and hiding in a dirty apartment.

Aria was sitting on a tattered couch, glancing at an old photo from the day she was born at St. Mungo's hospital. The picture contained both of her parents and her mother held Aria in her arms. Her heart sank as they smiled and waved at her. Hiding the photo in the side pocket of her plaid backpack, she slung the backpack over her shoulder and twirled her sterling silver necklace. A swirling hole formed in the wooden floor. Jumping through the portal, she landed outside her home. She quietly sneaked over to the front porch. Her fingers brushed against a carving of a crescent moon on a wooden post. When they moved to a new house, her mother always carved the symbol at some spot like a wall or the floor. She claimed it had special meaning to Aria's father. Each time they moved away, she would erase the symbol to cover their tracks. If her father was ever released from Azkaban, a charm cast on the symbol would help him find them.

Moving to the side of the house, she peeked into the living room. Her mother's body was still lying on the soft white carpet. Aria crept through the window, making very little noise in case those masked men had not left the previous night. She kneeled down beside her mother, whose lifeless eyes were staring up at the ceiling without their usual twinkle. Images of the masked man casting the killing curse flashed through her mind. She had read about the three unforgivable curses in one of her mother's books. The killing curse was considered the worst, causing instant death. Aria's whole body trembled, unable to shake the memory of the last moments spent with her mother. She remembered vividly how the grey-eyed man told her that her mother must be punished for defying the Dark Lord, referring to Lord Voldemort, and before she could even beg for her mother's life, it was gone in a split second.

Her mother's wand was inches from her fingertips. Picking it up, Aria thought of every spell she practiced with the wand, hopeful that one of them could revive her. She once read about a survivor of the killing curse in Modern Magical History. His name was Harry Potter and when he was barely a year old, he survived the curse from Lord Voldemort himself. Harry had not suffered instant death, instead receiving a lightning shaped scar on his forehead. Her mother mentioned to her that he was given the nickname, the Boy Who Lived, and despite his young age, he was a celebrity in the wizarding world. If a toddler beat the curse, Aria's mother, who was an exceptional witch and had many awards from school to prove her extraordinary magical talents, could have figured out a way to protect herself from death. Aria pointed the wand at her mother's chest.

"Rennervate," she whispered.

She did not dare to blink, afraid that she might miss any sign of movement. Casting the spell three more times, her mother remained the same, cold and lifeless. She placed the wand back on the floor and touched her mother's cheek. Her eyes brimmed with tears.

"Mommy, please wake up. You can stop pretending."

Grabbing her by the shoulders, she shook her mother, getting more desperate with each passing second. She needed one small sign that her mother was alive. With her father in Azkaban, she had no one else to take care of her. She had spent all of her life inside over hundreds of houses and apartments. It would be impossible for her to survive on her own, especially at just eight years old. The Trace, a charm cast on all underage wizards and witches, made her situation worse. If she cast a spell with her wand, the Ministry would instantly find her. Her mother had warned her that these masked men were hidden among the wizarding community, many of them in top positions of the Ministry. Their high social status allowed them to get away with their misdeeds.

"You can't be dead. Remember the story you told me…about Harry Potter. He survived the killing curse and he was only a baby. You can do it too. Just please wake up. I don't have anybody. I don't know what to do. I—I'm all alone. I need you."

As she pleaded for her mother to wake up, her voice cracked. She began to sob uncontrollably, the tears streaming down her face.

"Please come back. Daddy's not here. I can't lose you too."

Suddenly, she heard the sound of breaking glass in the kitchen. She wiped away the tears and hurried through the open window. Keeping herself hidden, she watched as three men walked into the living room. The men were dressed in the same long black robes as the masked men who broke into her house. Though the three men were very different in appearance, they all shared the same malicious gleam in their eyes. One of the men, tall and burly with a thin black moustache, was clutching a silver mask. His other hand was covered in blood and shards of glass. The man beside him seemed very impatient. He glanced around the living room, scrunching his pug-like nose. When Aria got a closer look at the man in the middle, she recognized him immediately by his cold, grey eyes. He had a pale, pointed face and long platinum blonde hair tied in a ponytail with a satin ribbon. His haughty expression reminded her of a king in a fairytale. He walked as though the entire world belonged to him. Aria's nails dug into the window ledge as she stared intently at the grey-eyed man. With an exasperated sigh, he chastised his burly companion for breaking the glass and reminded him that the house needed to look spotless, hiding any signs of their break-in.

"I can fix a broken glass. We have more pressing matters. They're going to wonder about the child."

"We'll find her. She's an eight year old girl. How far could she go?" he asked, speaking in an arrogant tone that matched his appearance.

"She had a wand on her. It was hidden in her pocket."

The grey-eyed man showed no concern about Aria. Thinking similarly to her, he knew that the Ministry was aware if she cast simplest spells. He suggested that they could use the Trace to locate her. Only the pug-faced man was hesitant to believe that she would be found within the week. He told them that a woman named Elyse was keeping an eye out for her. For a moment, Aria assumed that he meant her aunt. She quickly dismissed such an idea, knowing that her aunt was not working with these men. Throughout her life, her mother could count on very few people. Her aunt had been supporting them financially for years, risking the chance of being blown off the family tree. After her father's arrest, her grandparents cut off all contact with her mother, considering her a stain on their perfect family. Her aunt was the only person to show any kindness.

Aria listened to the men discuss how to handle her mother's body. One of the muggle neighbors had reported a loud disturbance to the police, talking about flashing lights and a scared blonde girl running from the house. While Aria was sleeping in the empty apartment, a few policemen stopped by the house but discovered nothing since the pug-faced man hid her mother's body with an invisibility charm. Though the policemen found no evidence of a burglary, they were suspicious that no one was inside the house late at night. It would only be a matter of time before the aurors learned of the incident and decided to perform their own investigation. The three men were concerned that Mad-Eye Moody, a very famous auror, would know that her mother was murdered if their plan was not flawless. Eventually, they agreed to move her to her bedroom and use her own wand to cut herself to imitate a suicide. The grey-eyed man stayed in the living room while the other two moved throughout the house, fixing any damage. His hand brushed against her cheek. Aria noticed an almost loving look in his eyes.

"Even in death, you're stunning, Clare. It does look good on you. It's a pity it had to come to this but if you had listened from the beginning, we would not be in this predicament. Your pure heart was your downfall. You believe that people like Elyse can change, that they all have good in them. I can only imagine how Aaron will handle the news."

There was no hint of remorse in his voice. Aria glared as he taunted that her father would escape Azkaban to murder him when he heard the terrible news from a guard. As he spoke, she could see that this man knew her mother, probably during her school days. The thought that a possible old friend was behind her mother's death solidified Aria's hatred towards him.

"You put your trust in the wrong people, even as a little girl…when you befriended that fool Sirius Black. When I find your daughter and I assure you that I will, I promise you that I will turn her heart black as coal. I'll darken her precious soul and you can watch as she stands by the Dark Lord's side, doing his bidding. Perhaps that thought alone will be the thing that finally destroys Aaron's spirit and he will join you in death…"

The grey-eyed man grabbed her mother's wand and slowly dragged it across her wrists, muttering a spell. Blood seeped from the deep gash on her wrist, staining the carpet. He used the wand to create cuts up and down her arms. His lips spread into a sadistic smile. Aria resisted the urge to jump through the window and attack him. A small voice in her head encouraged her to cast the cruciatus curse to teach him a lesson. His final stroke was along her mother's throat. The dark red blood mixed with the white carpet, looking like a twisted painting. The pug-faced man returned to the living room.

"You couldn't wait until we brought her to the bedroom, Lucius?" he asked with a chuckle.

"I suppose it was too tempting."

"Good handiwork, as usual. The upstairs is all clean…no blood, no fingerprints. Walden is checking the girl's room for any clues on her whereabouts. Perhaps she's staying with a muggle neighbor. I wouldn't be surprised if Clare made friends with muggles. She was always a blood traitor."

"Such a waste of a promising pureblood girl."

"Carry her up to the bedroom now. I'd say we have twenty minutes at most before the aurors show up here. I'm going to alter her memories of last night. They'll think she simply snapped after all those years of being without her precious husband. A bit tragic but better for us because Moody will want to find the girl."

"Excellent thinking, Pierce."

The grey-eyed man followed him up the staircase, carrying her mother's body. With a quick flick of his wand, the blood stains vanished from the carpet. Aria climbed a large yew tree. One of the branches extended towards a window on the second floor that led to the library. She slipped through the window and sifted through the books on the shelf. Taking Unfogging the Future from the bottom shelf, she flipped through the book until she reached the first page with a gaping hole. Inside was an envelope filled with muggle money. Her mother called the envelope their 'Emergency Fund'. If their situation turned very dire and they needed to vanish completely from wizarding society, the money would assist them in beginning their lives in the muggle world. Aria placed the envelope and over a dozen books in her backpack.

"What is it?"

"I thought I heard something in this room."

The door handle jiggled and she heard a gruff voice mutter about pesky locking spells. Aria dashed out of the room and climbed the tree to the very top. Seconds later, the burly man stuck his head out the window. Aria hid herself among the leaves. A huge gust of wind breezed through the tree, knocking her off the branch. If he glanced up, he would see her dangling in mid-air, hanging onto the branch by the straps of her backpack. She held her breath, praying for him to leave the room.

"Would you hurry up? The aurors will be here any minute. It was just the wind," said the grey-eyed man, impatiently.

"I suppose…"

The next sound she heard was the three men apparating from the house. Aria swung herself onto the nearest branch and climbed down to the ground. She planned to create a portal to her aunt's house in Kensington. Her aunt and uncle already had five children. Aria had never met them, only hearing about them from her mother. Her father's side of the family was extremely wealthy, being one of the top families in the wizarding world. Aria did not want to burden them with supporting another child but she had no other options. Her aunt and uncle would provide her protection from the masked men. If she got there fast enough and explained what happened the previous night, they could contact aurors to arrest the men for her mother's death. Her grumbling stomach overtook her priorities. She created a portal that brought her into the alley beside a local diner. After a bit of a struggle, she pulled herself onto a stool by the counter. A teenage girl in a pink waitress uniform walked over to her.

"Hi. You're not alone, are you?" she asked with a kind grin.

"No. My mother's talking to a friend outside. She said I could order breakfast for myself," replied Aria, trying to sound like a boy.

"Well, aren't you a big boy? What can I get today?"

"Just some chocolate chip pancakes and a glass of water, please."

Aria messed with her choppy golden blonde hair and hid her face behind a menu. She was suspicious of every person in the diner. It was not very difficult to blend in with the muggles. If a witch or wizard recognized her from those posters all over the town, they would bring her to the Ministry and give her to the people who caused her current situation. The waitress returned with her order. Aria savored each bite though she could not help comparing them to her mother's pancakes. She hoped that her aunt was a good cook. Finishing her food, she paid the bill and left the diner. Checking that no one could see her from the alley, she reached into her backpack. She found a crumpled piece of paper with an address. Focusing on the address, she used a portal to leave the alley. She landed in the woods surrounding an enormous manor as big as a castle. On the front gates, there were two large, golden M's, representing Montague Manor. Montague was her uncle's surname.

Loud laughter filled her ears. Three children were playing in the backyard. The oldest of the three was a boy a couple years older than her, wearing an England quidditch jersey. She watched him chase the younger twins, a boy and girl. He grabbed the girl and made noises like a dragon. The twins managed to tackle him to the ground, tickling his sides.

"Children, don't go too far. I don't want you near the woods."

Following the voice, she saw a young teenage girl, no older than thirteen, and a woman in her mid-thirties sitting at a table on the back porch. With their golden tanned skin and fashionable attire, including short-sleeved dresses and heels, they looked like models. The teenage girl skimmed a fashion magazine. Each time she flicked her wand, her attire changed, matching what Aria assumed was the outfit on a specific page. The woman's face was covered by a floppy black sunhat and sunglasses. Ebony tresses peeked out from the bottom of the hat, stopping just past her shoulders. A copy of the Daily Prophet rested on her lap. As she removed her sunglasses, Aria could see that most of her children resembled her, sharing her ebony hair and dark brown eyes. The teenage girl also had dark hair but her eyes were pale blue.

"Why can't we go in the woods, Mother?" asked the younger girl, wiping blades of grass from her skirt.

"Because werewolves live in there and they want to gobble up little girls," said the older boy in an ominous tone.

"Graham! Do not scare your sister with such nonsense. Rebekah, dear, please just listen to me. Why don't you come over here and leave the boys to play on their own?"

"But I like to play too."

The teenage girl scoffed, flipping to the next page of her magazine. Another boy left the manor. He was wearing a leather jacket and dragon hide boots. His features were similar to her aunt's though his hair was a bit long and very shaggy. He appeared to be the oldest of the five children. When he told her aunt that he was heading to a friend's house down the street for a party, her aunt warned him not to get involved with 'the Rosier girl'.

"Her father was a dear friend. However, it isn't smart to be associated with that family."

"Mother, it's a harmless party. Besides, Eva's not my type."

"Yes, Mother. He prefers girls with no brains," remarked the teenage girl.

He tugged on her ponytail roughly. "Ow! Mother!"

"Ethan, act your age. You will be home by ten o'clock."

"Father said I don't have a curfew."

For a brief moment, her aunt frowned but it was quickly replaced with a laugh. She kissed his cheek.

"If your father said that, it's fine with me. Enjoy the party."

"I will. I'm taking the fireplace."

"Mother, can't I go? I don't want to be stuck here all day," said the girl, pouting.

Ethan rolled his eyes. "Not happening, little sister. Maybe when you finally get pretty, you'll be invited to a party."

The girl threw her magazine at him. He dodged it and smirked, returning to the manor. Aria was unsure how to speak with her aunt. It would be awkward to just walk over to the table and introduce herself as her niece who had lost her mother less than a day ago and was now running from dangerous masked men. She thought of different ways to confront her family. Each idea sounded worse than the last. She bit her lip, worried that her family would not accept her. The youngest children seemed friendly but she was already not fond of the older son and daughter. Gathering the courage to face her aunt, she took one step out of the woods. She was startled by two loud popping sounds. An impeccably dressed middle-aged couple had apparated beside the table. The twins ran over to them excitedly, getting hugs from the woman. Aria realized that they were her estranged grandparents. She decided to wait until they left before meeting with her aunt. Her grandmother handed gifts to each of her cousins. Aria noticed that the smile on her grandfather's face was very fake. Behind the smile was an icy demeanor. He looked as stiff as a board.

"Children, why don't you go inside? I need a moment alone with your grandparents."

"But they just got here," said Graham.

"It's only for a few minutes, dear. Adult talk. Tell the house elves to start preparing lunch and some tea."

With her cousins gone, there seemed to be a lot of tension between her aunt and her grandparents. Neither of them said a word for about a minute. Her grandfather flicked his wand at the door, casting an imperturbable charm.

"Your children tend to eavesdrop, Elyse. I would rather that they did not hear this conversation. I trust you have good news."

"I haven't seen Aria yet, Father. I spoke with Grant through the fireplace in his study just ten minutes ago. He and Lucius are at Ministry, checking for any sign of her. The aurors are already doing a country-wide search."

Her grandfather sneered. "Malfoy is a fool. You shouldn't have trusted him."

"He's a close friend. How were we supposed to get her? Walk into their home, kill Clare, and kidnap Aria? Clare knew that something was wrong for days. I tried to convince her that she was being paranoid but you know she was always intelligent. As much as we hated her, she was never easily tricked. They never would've succeeded last night if I hadn't sent her that poisoned tea last week. It slowed down her reflexes so she couldn't duel properly. Even with the poison, she was able to take out half of the men."

"I would hardly call that a success. The point was to retrieve Aria."

"Then perhaps you should've done that yourself instead of letting other people do your work for—"

Her retort was cut off by a loud slap. His ring had cut into her skin, leaving a small cut. She held her hand to her cheek, staring at the ground. Her grandfather looked murderous.

"Do not ever speak to me like that! I am your father!"

"I—I apologize, Father. I didn't mean…I'm just stressed. You're right that last night was a failure. We'll find her and then she'll never leave our sight again."

"We should've taken the brat the second that her pathetic father was thrown in Azkaban. The girl's as dumb as her parents. She'll come here because she thinks you're the only person she can trust at the moment. Your mother and I will stay here until she arrives at the manor. When she does, I'll grab the brat by her hair and lock her in my basement. Posters all over London and not one person has seen her? How is it I'm the only one who isn't incompetent?"

Aria was sitting in the grass, frozen in shock. All her life, her mother insisted that her aunt was a kind, compassionate woman. Her aunt had been giving them money for years and making promises that she would help Aria's father, her own younger brother, out of Azkaban. In the span of five minutes, she learned the awful truth. Her aunt was a complete liar. She manipulated her mother, taking advantage of their bad situation. Instead of risking her place in the family, she was siding with Aria's grandparents and indirectly caused her mother's death. Her fists clenched, watching her grandfather enter the manor.

The calm summer weather changed dramatically. Dark grey clouds rolled in, blocking the sun. An intense storm began as rain pounded heavily on the ground and the wind picked up, nearly bending the trees in half. Aria shielded herself from the rain with her backpack. The sound of thunder drowned out some of the conversation. A bolt of lightning struck the ground, mere inches from their spot on the back porch. They looked confused by the sudden change in weather. Bolts of lightning continued to strike the backyard. Her grandfather protected them with a shield charm. The ground in front of her cracked, creating a small chasm about ten inches in length. Aria recognized the connection between her anger and the storm. She closed her eyes, taking slow, deep breaths. When she no longer heard the pitter patter of rain on her backpack, she peeked out of one eye. The sun shined in the middle of a clear sky.

"It was just a passing storm, Caleb," said her grandmother, sounding a bit frightened.

"I'm going to contact Grant. He must have some lead by now."

Her grandfather dried off his crisp suit and entered the manor. Seeing the concerned look on her grandmother's face, her aunt sighed in frustration.

"I am fine, Mother. I deserved it for what I said to him."

"Elyse, he didn't mean to hit you. His anger gets the best of him sometimes. He's quite worried that Aaron will break out of Azkaban."

"That will never happen. For the past eight years, do you know how much evidence I've gotten to support his release? I've destroyed all of it. He's staying in that cell. He deserves it."

"I don't think you believe that, dear."

"He betrayed this family. Betrayal deserves punishment. He'll rot in Azkaban until he's dead. My guess is he'll be dead by tomorrow morning. I'm sure the guards are telling him about poor Clare right now."

"Your father and your brother have their differences but there was a time when—"

"Oh spare me the trip down memory lane. I've always been the good child. I've never once disobeyed my father. All I've done over the past five years has been for him. Being nice to Clare, giving them money, always acting as the secret keeper for their new home…it's been done to protect our family. Aaron never showed any concern for us. All he cared about was sweet Clare and his precious little girl."

"Can you honestly tell me that you feel sympathy for Aria? She's just lost the only parent she remembers…the only person she could rely on her entire life. Elyse, I implore you to see reason. Let me take Aria to Dumbledore. Your father has that ridiculous notion that the Dark Lord will return in a few years and—"

"Father is right. If he says the Dark Lord is not dead, I side with him, as should you. Aria has to be in our custody. If the Dark Lord returns and sees that she is gone, we'll pay for that mistake with our lives. He is not a forgiving man."

"He wasn't a man at all. He was a monster. When Aria does arrive, what will you tell the children? Will they meet her and then watch her get taken away to be chained up in a basement?"

"I have no intention of my children even looking at that abomination. I'm going to wait by the fireplace in the living room. Grant suggested that she may use floo powder and as soon as I see her pretty blonde hair, I'll snatch it and knock her out with a flick of my wand."

Her aunt was as cold as her grandfather, showing no sympathy. Before her grandparents arrived, her aunt seemed to be like the caring woman from her mother's stories. Aria saw the real person behind the mask. A million thoughts were racing through her head. She was confused why her family was so convinced that Lord Voldemort was alive. After his failed attempt on Harry Potter's life, all of the newspapers reported his death. He had not been seen in the past seven years. Her grandfather and aunt were either aware that he achieved a method to avoid death or delusional. Aria was tempted to believe the latter though she was curious why they needed her. Not taking the chance that someone would spot her in the woods, she used a portal to return to the empty apartment.

Aria spent the rest of the day in the apartment, trying to make it somewhat comfortable. At night, she bought dinner from a fast food restaurant. It was her first time not eating a home cooked meal. She disliked the chicken nuggets that tasted nothing like chicken and the greasy fries. Sitting on the hardwood floor, she grabbed a pencil from her backpack. She wrote on the back of a missing person poster with her face on it, having ripped the poster off the window of the restaurant.

Elyse Montague*

Caleb Collins*

Grandmother Collins

Lucius Malfoy*

Walden

Pierce

Each name was a person that ruined her life. The stars next to the names represented those that deserved the most blame. Though Lucius Malfoy was not the one to cast the killing curse on her mother, he had given the order and orchestrated the break-in at her home. She stared at the six names, anger boiling inside her.

"Elyse Montague, Lucius Malfoy, Caleb Collins," she whispered.

Leaning her head against the tattered couch, she repeated the names on the list over and over, each time with more resentment in her voice, until she eventually drifted off to sleep…

A/N: Thanks for reading. All feedback is appreciated. This chapter was just reintroducing Aria for those who have not read Desperate Measures. It fills in a few gaps of what happened the first day after her mother's death. The next chapter will have a small time jump and features a few familiar characters from the Harry Potter series, along with people mentioned in this chapter.

For those haven't read Desperate Measures yet, it starts in the same place as the prequel then jumps ahead to Harry's third year at Hogwarts. It is still being written at the moment with currently 58 chapters that span from third year to fifth year. There will be some crossover between the two stories with references from Desperate Measures being expanded in the prequel.