When they got back to the Burrow the next day, Ariana immediately went into the room she shared with Ginny and Hermione. Ginny followed close behind her. "Something on your mind?"
"Not much. Just Voldemort."
Ginny flinched. "Can you please stop saying the name?"
"It's only a name, Ginny. My parents have always told me to be direct about the things I'm afraid of. That way I can face them head-on."
"Your parents sound pretty cool."
"Yeah, they are. I'm lucky to have them. I wish I could have known my birth parents, though..."
"And that's what you're thinking about."
"Sort of. His followers running around, his mark in the sky... it makes me fear that he's coming back."
"And you think you might be in danger."
"Maybe. But even more so, I think Harry is in danger. I'm afraid that something'll happen to him, and I'll never be able to tell him who I am."
"Harry's strong," said Ginny. "I wouldn't bet against him."
"I know. But it's also this sense that... this person has changed the course of both of our lives, is the reason we didn't grow up together, is this awful force I don't know much of anything about... and he could be coming back."
"The adults will do everything in their power to stop that from happening."
"But they didn't stop him last time. Harry did."
Ginny was silent for a moment. "Well, maybe things will be better this time. And maybe it's... all a coincidence." She didn't sound very sure.
"I don't want a war to start, Ginny."
"I don't think anybody does."
They were interrupted by Hermione coming into the room. "Hey. Am I interrupting something?"
"No," said Ariana. "I'm just... scared."
"Me too," Hermione admitted, which didn't do anything to ease her nerves.
The rest of break passed by quickly, with Ariana doing her best to avoid Harry, until she was sitting with Ginny in an otherwise empty train compartment.
"Can I sit here?" asked a voice.
Looking up, Ariana saw Luna Lovegood. "Sure."
She sat down across from them and read her magazine. Ariana glanced at the headline; it was something about secret plants. "Nothing in there about the Quidditch World Cup?" she asked.
Luna looked over the top of the magazine at her. "No, that's been covered by the Daily Prophet, and my father generally prefers to write about the news that the Prophet doesn't cover."
"Your father?"
"He's the editor," said Luna, turning her head back to her magazine.
"Excited for another year at Hogwarts?" Ginny asked.
"I guess," said Ariana. She was, because learning about magic was fascinating, but she also dreaded another year of lying to Harry, and her fears for his safety and of Voldemort's return were overshadowing her excitement.
"Third year, we get to do all those new classes," Ginny reminded her. "Care of Magical Creatures. Arithmancy."
"Muggle Studies," Ariana added.
Ginny laughed. "I still can't believe you're taking that."
"I just think it'll be funny to see what they think of us... it's probably so wrong."
"Don't say us, Ariana. You are a witch."
"I know. But spending the whole summer in the Muggle world will tend to make one forget about that."
"I'd like to see the Muggle world."
"Maybe I can invite you home sometime."
Ginny smiled. "I'd like that."
"...the Triwizard Tournament."
A loud chattering started to fill the room, and Ariana turned to Ginny. "What?"
"He'll explain," Ginny said.
But as he did, Ariana started to feel somewhat unsettled. "This seems like a bad idea."
"Why?"
"A dangerous tournament... risk to students... and Death Eaters on the rise. It just seems like something could go wrong."
"Worrying about what might go wrong will just fill your life with worry."
"But being on alert could stop bad things from happening."
"Relax, Ariana. It's not like Harry's going to be in the tournament. He's not old enough."
"Yeah, I suppose... but isn't it an odd coincidence?"
"Coincidences happen."
"Hmm."
That night, Ariana sat in the common room reading a book when she was interrupted by Harry coming downstairs. "Hey," he said.
"Hi."
"Didn't see you much at the Burrow. How was your summer?"
"Alright. My parents got a computer."
"Oh, that's cool."
"Yeah. Have you used one?"
"My cousin has one, I sneak in and use it when they aren't home sometimes."
"What's your cousin like?" She was treading on dangerous ground here, but she was curious.
"A bully," he said. "Picks on people smaller than him."
"Oh."
"And roughly the size and shape of a small whale."
She couldn't help but chuckle at that.
"It astounds me a human being can even get that large."
"Sounds like a sight to see."
"If you want to gauge your eyes out after."
She had never realized how funny Harry was before, in a sarcastic way. If she wasn't so concerned with trying to make sure he didn't find out they were siblings, they could actually be friends. "So, er, what do you think of the Triwizard Tournament?"
"Sounds interesting."
"Sounds dangerous to me."
"That's why they're only taking people who are of age. And who volunteer."
"Would you volunteer, if you were old enough?"
"No. Would you?"
"Definitely not."
"Well, goodnight."
"You too."