Beta'd by Lady of Something
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Chapter 3
"Girl! You had better be dressed and downstairs in five minutes or else you will not like the consequences," Uncle Vernon bellowed from downstairs.
The sound of her uncle's voice had Ari leaping from bed and running around trying to find her clothes. She had overslept. She still couldn't believe what had happened last night. And, if it had not been for the beautiful owl staring at her from her desk, she would have thought it all a dream.
"Morning, little one," Ari stated, giving a big yawn as she pulled a shirt over her head.
"Good morning, m'lady."
"Do you know why I can understand you?" Ari asked.
"No, m'lady. Is that man always that loud, m'lady?"
"Unfortunately, yes. Please try to be quiet. If my uncle, aunt, or cousin were to hear you, they would make me get rid of you - or worse," Ari warned in a whisper. All of a sudden, there was a pounding on Ari's door.
"Get out here, now!" Uncle Vernon ordered.
"I'm still changing, and it hasn't been five minutes yet," Ari responded, but realized instantly that it was the wrong thing to say.
"That's it! You don't back talk me," Uncle Vernon yelled as he tried to open the door.
'Good thing I locked it last night,' Ari thought as she looked around quickly for a place to hide her new owl.
"M'lady, you might want to think of something."
"I'm thinking, give me a second," Ari stated beginning to panic.
"No offense meant, m'lady, but think faster."
"First of all, it's Ari. Second of all, come here quickly," Ari stated suddenly having an idea.
"Yes, m'lady."
"It's Ari. Now, come here," Ari reminded the owl while holding out her arm.
As soon as the owl landed gently on her arm, Ari ran over to the wardrobe and placed the owl inside. It didn't happen a moment too soon because Uncle Vernon finally got the door open with the master key.
"Morning, Uncle Vernon," stated Ari as she made a show of pulling on a sock.
"Downstairs, now! Some of us have places to go today," Uncle Vernon ordered as he grabbed her by the shoulder and pushed her out of the bedroom.
Meanwhile, Ari's owl made herself comfortable on the pile of blankets and old sweaters and fell asleep thinking that at least she was comfortable.
Downstairs, Ari was preparing breakfast for the Dursleys when the mail arrived.
"Go get the mail, Dudley," Uncle Vernon ordered.
"I don't want to. Make Ari get it," Dudley whined.
"No, you go get it," Uncle Vernon ordered his son as Ari made to move towards the door.
"Whatever," muttered Dudley as he went to get the mail.
Two minutes later, Dudley walked back in, handed the mail to his father and continued eating.
"Well, it appears that I was correct. That letter was addressed to you by mistake; there isn't another one here," gloated Uncle Vernon.
"Of course, Uncle Vernon," Ari replied meekly while thinking, 'That's what you think.'
The rest of the day went calmly - as far as days at the Dursley house are concerned. Uncle Vernon was in such a good mood due to the lack of letters that he actually let Ari eat all three meals with the family. Of course, her portions were still far too small.
After doing the dishes, dusting the house, cleaning the windows, mowing the lawn, pruning the bushes and trees and making lunch, Ari was permitted to go upstairs until it was time to make dinner. Ari walked over to the wardrobe to find her new friend fast asleep in a makeshift nest.
"Hey, little one, it's time to get up. You can come out of the closet now," Ari stated in calm voice as she gently shook the owl.
"Hello, m'lady. Are you back for the day?"
"No, I still have to make dinner and do those dishes. Sorry for shoving you in the wardrobe, it was the only place I could think of," Ari apologized.
"It's ok, m'lady. It was actually quite comfortable."
"So, do you have a name?" Ari asked realizing she still didn't know what to call the owl.
"Not until you give me one."
"Well then, I will have to come up with one shortly," responded Ari.
With that, Ari decided to grab one of the books off the shelf. A few hours and about ten chapters of Les Miserable later, Ari heard Uncle Vernon's car pull up the driveway and decided it was time to go prepare dinner.
"I'll be back later," Ari stated as she moved over to the window. "While I'm gone, why don't you go find some food?"
"Thank you, m'lady. I will be back when I see your light turn off."
With that, the owl flew off, and Ari prepared a delicious meal of chicken enchiladas and Spanish rice. She was just finishing the dishes when her uncle decided that he wanted to have a word with her.
"Your aunt says you need to get your uniform off the clothes line before it gets ruined. Also, in your spare time, go through Dudley's old school supplies and grab what you need," Uncle Vernon stated.
"Yes, sir," Ari answered.
"You are to stay in here the remainder of the night, and I don't want to hear a sound," Uncle Vernon continued.
"Yes, sir. Anything else?" Ari responded.
Without answering her, Uncle Vernon turned around and left the room. Once she was sure he had made it to the bottom of the stairs, she turned off her lights and locked her door. Seconds later, the owl came in through the window.
"How was your hunt?" Ari asked the little owl.
"Good. For a polished neighborhood, they sure have a lot of mice."
Ari laughed at that, thinking how that statement would freak out her aunt. It was a very funny image.
"Where do you want to sleep?" Ari asked.
"Can I sleep in the box you put me in earlier?"
"You found the wardrobe comfortable?" Ari questioned to see if she heard correctly.
"Yes, m'lady."
"Sure, if you want to," Ari answered with a shrug, and she opened the wardrobe for the owl.
With that, both of them went to sleep for the night. The rest of the week went pretty much the same way. Ari received small meager meals because Uncle Vernon was happy that no more letters had arrived, there were no more 'lessons,' and she was permitted to remain in the smallest bedroom.
The morning of July 31st arrived quickly, and Ari was officially eleven. She woke up at seven to make sure she had all her chores done before Professor Snape arrived. Her relatives still didn't know about his impending arrival, and she was nervous about what their reaction would be.
Ari crept downstairs and began to prepare the breakfast that was served every day in the Dursley house; fried eggs, toast with jam, orange juice, coffee or tea, bacon, and hash browns. She was in the process of setting the table when the first sounds of the Dursleys stirring reached her. About five minutes later, Aunt Petunia arrived - she was always the first to awake. Aunt Petunia looked around and was surprised to see that not only did she not have to wake Ari up, but she also didn't have to get Ari to hurry up making breakfast.
"Good morning, Aunt Petunia. Breakfast will be ready in a few minutes," greeted Ari.
Aunt Petunia merely nodded and sat down at her seat. Ari poured her Aunt a cup of tea before making sure that the sugar and cream were on the table. The next Dursley to arrive was Uncle Vernon, and he just walked in and sat down.
"Get my coffee, girl," Uncle Vernon ordered.
"Yes, sir," Ari responded as she placed a cup of coffee in front of her uncle.
"Good to see that you are finally learning your responsibilities. It looks like the lessons are paying off finally. Of course, they will still have to continue to make sure that they stick permanently," Uncle Vernon commented casually while watching his niece tend to the food.
Dudley came down the stairs just as Ari was placing the final plate on the table.
"Good morning, my little Dudley-kins. Do you have any plans today?" Aunt Petunia gushed at her son.
"Yeah. Going over to Piers'. He got the new video game," Dudley responded as he attempted to drown his toast in strawberry jam.
"What about you, Vernon?" Aunt Petunia questioned.
"We're expecting a big order of drills today from America. So, I might be home a bit late," Uncle Vernon responded.
"Ari, your list of chores is on the counter for when you're done with the dishes," reminded Aunt Petunia.
"Actually Aunt Petunia, I have plans today," Ari stated cautiously as she began to inch towards the door.
"What plans? With whom?" Aunt Petunia questioned noticing that Uncle Vernon was about to start yelling. He was already past turning red and well into the color purple.
"Well...you see..."Ari began, but the doorbell rang before she could even attempt to explain.
"Go get the door, Girl," Uncle Vernon ordered while still trying to keep his temper so that whoever was at the door didn't hear him.
Ari ran to the door already expecting who it was, and she didn't want to keep her professor waiting. Ari opened the door to greet a man who looked like he would rather be anywhere except there. The man was thin with sallow skin and a crooked nose. It looked as though it had been broken many times. He was dressed in what looked like a robe. Uncle Vernon was not going to approve. Hedwig was right though, he did seem to have a permanent scowl on his face.
While she was taking in his outward appearance, he was taking in hers. To say he was not impressed would be an understatement. He knew that the girl was adopted, but he thought that Petunia would still care for the child. However, before him was a girl who looked to be seven, not eleven and was wearing clothes that could easily be a tent for the girl.
"Are you going to invite me in, Miss Potter?" The man asked after overcoming his shock.
"Ummm... what? Oh yes, of course, sorry professor," Ari stumbled as she stood aside to allow her new professor inside.
"Are you always this eloquent?" the professor questioned as he stepped into the house. "Never mind, I can guess the answer to that. Now, where are your aunt and uncle? I need to discuss a few things with them before we leave."
As he said all of this he looked around and had to resist the urge to wrinkle his nose. The house was far to clean to be normal. Of course, this was Petunia he was talking about.
"I know how to talk, and they are in the kitchen," Ari responded. She was getting the impression that this teacher was difficult to impress.
Professor Snape gave her a look that said he wasn't impressed by her response. She thought back to what she had just said and went wide eyed instantly; she had been impudent.
"That remains to be seen and don't be disrespectful. Lead the way," the professor said watching the child's facial expressions. She was an open book very much like Lily had been.
Ari led the way to the kitchen. The professor continued to look around as they went. He noticed that the house was very clean and there were no pictures of Miss Potter anywhere to be seen. Something here did not feel right to Professor Snape, and he was going to find out what it was. He had long ago learned not to ignore these feelings. They were what kept him alive during the war and helped him to survive the marauders at school. When they entered the kitchen, all three Dursleys looked up.
"Well, who was at the door, girl?" Uncle Vernon questioned not seeing the man behind his niece.
"Uncle Vernon, Aunt Petunia, this is Professor Snape. He has come to take me shopping for my school supplies. These are the plans that I was telling you about," responded Ari who wondered if she should hide behind the professor.
"And when were these plans made? I don't remember you getting a call, letter, or email," Uncle Vernon snapped.
"I sent your niece a letter when the owl that delivered her Hogwarts letter returned with no response," the professor answered.
He scrutinized the three individuals in front of him, and he was not impressed. Two of the three were in danger of having major health issues, if the uncle didn't already because of how they ate. Plus it left the question of why was Potter so skinny if her uncle and cousin were morbidly obese. It painted a grim picture, and he wasn't liking it.
"And just who are you?" Uncle Vernon questioned not liking where this was going.
"I am Professor Snape, professor of potions and head of Slytherin house at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry," Professor Snape answered coming out of his train of thought. "I am to assume that you have explained everything to Miss Potter, and it was sheer negligence on her part that prevented Hogwarts from getting a response."
He, of course, had a feeling that he already knew the answer to his statement. It wasn't the one that he had come here thinking.
"No. We sent no response because she will not be going. I refuse to have a freak in this household," Uncle Vernon yelled.
"Great... you just made my job even more difficult, muggle," Professor Snape muttered under his breath before turning to Ari. "Ari, what do you know of your parents and your abilities?"
"I know that mom and dad died in a car crash. Dad was a good for nothing, lay-around drunk. Mom was a whore who went and got pregnant before being properly married," Ari repeated back what she had been told about her parents for as long as she could remember before remembering the second part of the question. "I keep making things happen without meaning to. Also, I can talk to snakes and the owl you sent me. By the way, what did you mean by it bites? She hasn't bit me once yet."
"What do you mean 'owl'?" Uncle Vernon questioned.
"After you took my first letter, they sent me a second one and told me to keep the owl," Ari answered honestly.
Professor Snape meanwhile was trying his best to keep his anger. He would gather all of the facts and then he would act.
"First of all, your parents did not die in a car crash and your father, loath as I am to say it, was not a drunk. Your parents were married before they tried for any children; however, Lily found out she could not carry."
He paused to let this information sink in for the eleven year old.
"Then, they aren't my birth parents," Ari answered after a few seconds.
Professor Snape nodded, " Correct. Lily and James are your adoptive parents. You were brought to them by someone from the hospital when you were a few days old. Next, they were murdered by an evil wizard. He tried to kill you and failed. That is where your scar came from."
"What was the wizard's name?" Ari asked.
"Nobody speaks the name," Professor Snape snapped before rethinking the question. "However, it can't do you any harm to know. He was called Voldemort. Everyone calls him You-Know-Who. I recommend you do the same."
"Did you know my parents?" Ari asked.
"I knew your mother, yes. I also knew your aunt. Isn't that right, Tuney?" Professor Snape asked turning his attention to the Dursleys.
"You were a freak of a boy then, and I can see you haven't changed. The girl isn't going," Aunt Petunia snapped.
"We swore we would stamp the nonsense out of her. She just needs more lessons is all. Plus, I am not paying for all the books and supplies that are required," Uncle Vernon added.
Professor Snape's eyes narrowed at the implications hidden in that statement. Ari tried to hide her flinch from that statement and had it been anybody else, she would have succeeded. This just further confirmed his suspicions. Now, he just needed to get the child to talk to him.
"Then, it is a good thing she doesn't require your assistance to buy the necessary supplies," Professor Snape responded with a sneer and moved to walk away before pausing at the door and turning back to the Dursleys. "One more thing, don't ever let me catch you threatening abuse upon a child, magical or otherwise. Those kinds of actions are not tolerated."
He looked at the child that had maneuvered herself to put himself between her and her Dursleys and saw the fear that she tried to hide from the rest of the world. If Lily could see this, she would be raining hell down on all of them.
"Now, Miss Potter, let's go. We have many supplies to buy, and I have potions I need to return to," Professor Snape instructed and maneuvered her towards the door..
Ari hesitated for a moment. She really didn't know or trust Professor Snape. However, he couldn't be any worse than the Dursleys, and going to Hogwarts would get her away from the Dursleys for most of the year every year until she was an adult. Decision made, she needed to make sure that her new friend upstairs would be safe as well.
"Professor, may I bring the owl with me? I need to get supplies for her too, and the Dursleys might hurt her if I leave her."
"Go get her, quickly," Professor Snape responded seeing the logic of the child's statement. It was also obvious that the girl had become attached to the creature no matter how much he had wanted to stuff it into a pillow earlier this week.
Ari ran upstairs and into her room.
"Come on, the professor is here to take me to get my supplies, and you're coming," Ari told the owl.
"Yes, m'lady."
The owl flew and landed gracefully upon Ari's shoulder. Ari ran downstairs to find Professor Snape waiting for her by the door.
"Tell her to meet us at the Leaky Cauldron. We can't take her on the subway with us," Professor Snape instructed.
"Can you meet us at the Leaky Cauldron?" Ari asked.
"Yes, m'lady. I know the way. I will meet you by the back entrance to Diagon Alley."
The owl flew off. Ari hoped she knew where she was going.
"She said she would meet us by the back entrance to Diagon Alley," Ari told the professor who was looking between Ari and the vanishing owl with an unreadable expression.
"Good. Let's go," said Professor Snape, and he led Ari out the door.
Ari had a feeling that her life was about to change drastically, and she was excited. She followed Professor Snape down the street for a day of excitement.
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