Disclaimer: I own none of the recognizable characters. Just borrowing.

A/N: A big thank you to all my readers and reviewers. Updates might take a little longer in the future, just because I want to be thoroughly sure that I'm really satisfied with the chapters, and not turning out any crap. A week per, tops, I swear. On the upside, the chapters will probably get a little longer. I'm averaging about 1000 words each right now and, honestly, that's pretty short at least for me.

This one will actually be another little quicky, and if you like the chapters shorter and faster tell me and I'll keep it like this. If you want longer chapters with more waiting time, tell me that too.

Keep reviewing, cause reviews are my cookies (and we all need a few of those around the holidays, don't we) and I love feedback.

Anyway, enough of my rambling. Here's the fourth chapter!

Wounds of the Heart

Chapter 4: Family

Arianna walked through the front door of her family's new house, where her mother and father stood waiting.

"I think he wants to learn." she stated, answering their unasked questions. Mr. Niall closed his eyes and let out a hiss between clenched teeth, while his wife's face split into a pleased grin.

"Oh, that's wonderful dear! What did he say? Come, let's sit down and tell me what happened." Mrs. Niall walked out of the entryway towards the living room and perched on the comfortable-looking leather sofa, gently patting the place beside her. Arianna shifted her eyes away from her father's obviously disappointed gaze and followed after her mother.

She didn't understand why he was so upset about what they did. It was just magic, and a much more pure form than he and the rest of those wizards used. Old magic was better, more natural. But why couldn't her father see it that way?

Arianna sat down next to her mother and said, "Nothing much happened really. I asked him what he thought of us and... stuff -- " she cast a worried look to the place where her father still stood, "and as good as said he wanted to learn. I don't think he's very fond of their ministry."

"Excellent, Anna! I really do hope we can help that boy. It's awful that they think they can give and take away a person's magic so easily! No doubt it'll be difficult, but I'm sure he'll manage." Mrs. Niall sighed contentedly and leaned back into the cushions. "Go upstairs and work on your studies, dear, I'm going to be testing you tomorrow." Arianna stood stiffly and retreated up the stairs, into her room with a quiet "Yes, mum", closing the door carefully behind her.

Her eyes closed with some unreadable emotion and she let herself slide down the wall and onto the floor, hugging her knees close to her body. What now?

* * *

With a strangled yell, Harry awoke and propelled himself off of the bed with force, tangling his limbs in the thin and sweaty blanket and landing hard on the floor. Harry froze for a moment, waiting for one of his relatives to come stomping down the hall, but all he heard were the muffled snores of his uncle and cousin.

A moment's relief, and then he remembered the dream that had woken him in the first place. It had been about that damned corridor again, and the room with all the glowing little balls. He had gotten through to the ninety-seventh row when he'd caught sight of his own reflection: face as white as a skull with snake-like pupils and red eyes. Harry doubted that Voldemort was actually in the Department of Mysteries that night, just dwelling on it as he had been all year. It still made him uneasy.

There was a sharp tap on his window and Harry jumped about a mile, completely bewildered. Then there was another one. Somebody was in the Dursleys' front yard throwing pebbles at him.

Harry approached the window slowly and peered down into the dark yard below. It was Arianna, and when she saw him standing there, she waved, obviously telling him to come down. Well, that was a little odd, but really -- what wasn't odd about this family?

The Dursleys hadn't bothered with locking his door at night, so it shouldn't be too difficult to get out of the house unseen. Harry pulled on a light jacket and went out to meet his strange visitor, excitement shooting down his spine as he wondered what she could want.

Once the front door was safely closed behind him, Harry turned towards Arianna and asked, "What's up?"

"I just.... wanted to talk." she whispered with a shrug.

"In the middle of the night?" he said incredulously.

"Have you read much of the book?" she asked, glancing up towards his room. Wait, Harry thought, how had she known that that was his window and not one of the Dursleys'.

"Er, yeah, a bit. How did you -- ?"

But Arianna interrupted, anticipating his question once again. "I could sense you. It's part of the old magic. There are a lot of other things I can do too, that wizards can't."

"Like what?"

"You'll see what I mean later, but right now I have to talk to you. Walk with me?" she asked hurriedly, taking a step towards the road. Harry thought of the wards around the house and the Order members who were probably watching his every move. He wondered how much they had heard, and shook his head.

"We would probably be better inside." he muttered, moving his lips as little as possible and trying to keep his voice down. Arianna nodded and followed him into the house, stepping lightly to keep from making any noise. "The Dursleys are asleep, but we should be okay in my room, if we're not too loud."

"Alright," she whispered. They walked carefully up the stairs, jumping the steps Harry warned about, and into Harry's small bedroom. Neither of them bothered to turn on the light.

"So what is it you wanted to talk to me about?" Harry asked, sitting down on the bed. Arianna sat beside him, a little closer than Harry had been prepared for, and seemed to contemplate where to begin.

"Did you want to learn?" she finally asked, picking up the battered old book Harry had sat on the bedside table and gently stroking the cover.

"If you would be willing to teach me." he said, not wanting to be presumptuous.

"Of course." An uncomfortable silence followed this, during which Harry and Arianna both fidgeted nervously, casting their gaze around the room.

"These muggles," Arianna said at last, "Why did they make you sleep in the cupboard?" Harry was taken aback, before he remembered what she had about her extra senses.

"They just... didn't like me I guess. Most of the time they just wanted to pretend I didn't exist, I think."

Arianna looked around at him sternly. "You shouldn't let them get away with that."

"Well, what can I do?" he whispered furiously, "The Ministry took my wand! And before that, I would've been expelled if I tried anything -- "

"I mean now." she said calmly, "Or at least in the very near future. You could get back at them for all of this if you wanted to..." Harry hadn't really considered this. When he had been a wizard, yeah he'd thought about the idea of turning his relatives into fruit bats or something equally horrible, but now that his magic had been taken away... he had gotten used to the fact that it was no longer an option. That he was stuck here until he turned 18, seeing as he was no longer a wizard.

"I suppose I could... if I wanted to."

"I know you probably want to, but I wouldn't tell any of your friends about this." Arianna said suddenly, looking down at her knees.

"Why not? Your dad knows, and he's a wizard."

"Yeah, but he's not exactly very happy about it, is he? I think it upsets him more than we thought..." she mumbled, trailing off.

"He seemed uncomfortable with it, but not too serious." Harry replied.

"That's just -- you shouldn't tell them."

"They'll understand, they won't tell anyone -- "

"Harry, just don't!"

"But that's what you're worried about, isn't it? That they'll run off to the Ministry? But I know them, and I know they wouldn't do something that!" Harry's voice was rising, but he couldn't help it.

"Harry!"

"I trust them! And I have to tell them, I have to show them that not everything has been lost! I have to -- "

"Harry, stop!" Arianna pleaded, starting to feel afraid.

"I have to protect them! It's my job, and I need them to know that I haven't failed everyone!"

"Harry, please! You have to calm down!" Arianna said urgently. "I know you feel like you have some sort of obligation to them all, but you don't! You don't belong with them anymore! The magic that we're talking about is illegal and you can't -- "

"I don't care!" Harry said stubbornly. Arianna's gaze hardened.

"You'd get my family sent to Azkaban, just because you wanted to tell all your little friends?"

"No! You're not going to go to Azkaban. I told you, my friends aren't going to tell anybody! Especially not the Ministry!" Harry sputtered indignantly.

"And what if someone spots you doing magic while you're out with your wizard friends? You're famous, you know, everyone will know that you've been expelled and if they see you still doing magic... You can't change things back to the way they were before, just because you still have some magic left. And if you're so willing to betray me and my family, I'm not going to teach you anything!" she spat, and before Harry could stop her, Arianna had risen from the bed and strode haughtily from the room, furious. Harry was only grateful that she didn't slam any doors on her way out, and he wondered whether he had just ruined everything.

A/N: A little cliffy for ya. It's actually a little longer than my usual -- I guess my muse went a little crazy. Soooo... whatcha think?

Umm...This is for Blah who mentioned the people in power limiting their own power: they didn't. It mentions that the rebels attacked them and gave them all a taste of their own medicine. Basically, their memories were wiped along with the rest of the population and they got wands as well. Then the rebels decided to keep the power to themselves and thier descendants. So, I hope that makes sense.