Disclaimer: I do not own anything from Harry Potter.
Chapter 6
An adolescent girl sat dreamily on her open windowsill completely lost in thought, leaning her head on one slender leg as the other dangled freely out the window, eyes rising lazily towards the heavens in a carefree manner.
An endless canvas of blue and white stretched over her head and blended together gloriously in the warmth of the rising sun. Her heart, caged like a bird in her chest, thrummed with a strange sort of feeling as she saw the clouds vanish into thin wisps and ribbons of golden sunlight spill into every direction. An easy breeze picked up and lifted to her vantage point, caressing her face and softly blowing loose strands of hair.
A sudden knock broke her out of her careless daydreaming as a muffled voice sounded through a wooden door, "Ariana, are you ready to go to Diagon Alley to get your supplies?"
"Almost, I'll be out in two minutes," the said girl replied cheerfully as she lay back comfortably against the window frame, content in basking in the morning sun for just a while longer. She looked down at her small hands in silence, dainty fingers curling around each other distractedly as she turned her thoughts back towards what happened in the last two days.
It… it felt like a long overdue wakeup call.
Harry James Potter no longer exists in this world anymore, why am I pretending to still be him? What am I achieving by doing this, what do I have to gain? Nothing… I have nothing to gain.
Am I male or female… or both? I feel my mind, body and magic screaming at each other in confusion.
Regardless of what happens, I am Ariana now… Ariana James Potter.
"Ariana, we're going to be caught up in the morning rush if we dawdle any longer," the same voice called through with exasperation, seemingly aware that the lazy young girl was lounging around in the sunshine.
Ariana rolled her eyes as she stood up, a cream coloured dress rustling softy as she made her way to the door. After turning the handle and opening up the door, she couldn't help but double over in a fit of giggles at the sight that awaited her.
"Albus, what in Merlin's name are you wearing?" she continued laughing as she looked him over from head to toe in amusement.
A man stood in front of her wearing dark purple robes with grey and pink elephants stitched into the fabric in a disorganized manner. A tall black hat with ostrich feathers glued onto its circumference only made things worse as a broad and fat muggle-bought false nose lay on top of his real one, giving a bizarre sight.
"A disguise is very necessary if we are to be undisturbed while shopping. Even though it has been years since I defeated Grindelwald, people still want my autograph wherever I go," Albus groaned as reached up and straightened the absurd hat on his head.
Ariana grew solemn as she realized Albus was right and it was best if no one knew she existed yet, especially Voldemort, before they carried out their carefully laid plans.
Albus seemed to sense her discomfort and reached over to give her a gentle pat on her tense shoulder.
"Now is not the time for brooding Ariana. Now is the time to get whatever you want, my treat!" He added gaily, arms thrown out to the sides in an eccentric manner.
Ariana's eyes widened as she realized for the first time that she had absolutely no money. She did not want to risk complications and exposure if she was caught in Gringotts from all the sophisticated testing they did with magic and blood.
"I'll find a job soon… I promise to pay you back later with interest" she spluttered as she made expressive hand gestures in the air in panic.
Soft laughter issued forth from Albus as he held his arms out in a placating manner, his heart softening as he looked into the wide and imploring green eyes that were full with anxiety.
"Please, do not think about minor issues like this. I am extremely wealthy from the donations that have flooded from all around the world to me after the end of the First Wizarding War. Also, we need to use every asset we have to stymie Tom's rise to power," he ended quietly, looking around carefully to make sure that nearby paintings were in earshot.
A serious face nodded back emphatically in agreement, the lustre of her black hair dancing around as light seemed to bend around her head, creating the ephemeral effect of a halo. A burst of protectiveness shot through Albus' heart as he gave a tender smile, captivated by the sight.
Suddenly, an ancient and cracked clock on the wall broke through the companionable silence as it loudly chimed seven times, signalling that it was seven o'clock.
"Ariana, the morning rush is almost here, to the fireplace quickly!" Albus yelped as he rushed over to the front of his desk, hat still on the verge of slipping off his head as he dug through his drawer until he found a tattered black bag.
"Here, take some Floo powder and go on through to The Leaky Cauldron, I'll be right behind you," he continued as he hastily grabbed a handful of the glittery silver powder and transferred it to Ariana's open and waiting hand.
She received it with polite thanks and strode over to stand in the surprisingly clean and soot-free fireplace as she readied the powder in a throwing motion. Clearly enunciating the words, as she remembered the first time she had landed up in Knockturn Alley from a mispronunciation, she confidently uttered her destination.
"Diagon Alley!"
Green flames enveloped her entire body from the bottom-up as she dematerialized from existence and almost instantaneously came out of the fireplace in the Leaky Cauldron, her dress crumpling as she fell to the floor with a squawk in an undignified manner.
"Seriously, I really should have gotten the hang of this by now…" she grumbled with annoyance as she struggled to get up.
A familiar hand was proffered towards her as a warm voice welcomed her from above. Ariana looked up and saw the young face of Tom, the landlord and innkeeper of the Leaky Cauldron who had been nothing short of kind to her in the past.
His face had a rather weather-beaten look as his large nose complemented his curly brown hair that was combed back behind his brow. He wore a black vest on top of a grey shirt that had signs of liquid stains, as well as long and kempt black pants.
Slight concern was pooled within his eyes as he spoke, "Hey there missy, you all right?"
"Yes, thank you. I just won't ever get the hang of the Floo," she huffed as she gracefully accepted the aiding gesture and rose to her feet, smoothening out the crinkles in her dress with her other hand as she moved to the side the hearth.
Rich laughter boomed within his chest as he looked at the pouting girl. "It takes a while to be completely comfortable with the Floo network. Besides, you are still young… soon you'll be whizzing through these things effortlessly," he chuckled, turning around to the almost empty inn to bring more chairs down from the tables in preparation for more customers.
Before Ariana could even think of a response, the fireplace behind her flashed green and a man stepped out, wearing the wackiest outfit she could imagine. Blinking in confusion for a split second, she chuckled with fondness as she realized she had almost forgotten about Albus' less than convincing disguise.
The inn was getting slightly busier as more people started groggily coming in through the entrance, desperate for a cup of morning tea or coffee to wake them from their sleep induced stupor to start their day.
Albus' eyes roved over the inn before spotting Ariana by his side, the elephants on his robes jiggling with the movement.
"Ariana, shall we?" he gestured with a hand towards the back exit.
A buoyant smile made its way onto Ariana's face as she nodded. She followed Albus out of the Leaky Cauldron and waited patiently, tightening a scarf around her neck as Albus tapped the blocks on a brick wall in a certain order to open up the passage to finally step into Diagon Alley. The bricks neatly folded themselves to the side as they took their first steps through.
The cobbled street gently wound across the area like a carelessly discarded belt, grey and cracked with age. On each side the shops and houses were all tightly joined as one continuous row, each one displaying a sight that was even more curious than the last. Although Ariana had been here many times, the initial sight through the bricked wall had always made her feel something special deep down.
The signs of life were starting to take hold as most of the shops were fully open, their gadgets and gizmos were proudly on display for everyone to see, while the rest of the shops that had yet to open sleepily stirred into activity.
The mood of the general atmosphere however, was a totally different story than the cheery albeit drowsy disposition of the inn they had just come out of. Eyes were shifting nervously as shopkeepers and their employees were hastily hanging up signs and laying out their products in both outside and inside their shops. There was a hidden and underlying tension that permeated every soul in Diagon Alley as they carried out their day-to-day affairs.
Ariana squeezed close to Albus' side, tugging on a loose sleeve as she whispered urgently in his ear as he bent down, "Why is everyone behaving like this? Surely Voldemort hasn't attacked Diagon Alley already?"
Albus nodded gravely, "He has targeted a few Muggle-born shops in the past; they were small raids where he had only burnt down the shop, leaving the owners alive… probably to plant the seed of fear before he starts the real war," he murmured back quietly, casting a temporary silencing ward during his speech just to be on the safe side.
Albus adjusted his false nose as he straightened back up and gave a small smile. "Come now; let's be on our way, the crowd seems to be thickening."
Ariana nodded as she absently grasped onto Albus' hand and meandered their way down the road, stopping at various shops along the way, buying all the necessities she needed to survive in this new world.
"Just two more shops, Madam Malkin's for your new clothes and robes for Hogwarts, and Ollivanders for a new wand, which I'm sure you desperately want after a week without using magic at all," Albus stated as he looked at a yellow piece of parchment with a detailed itinerary scratched with ink onto its surface.
"Hogwarts robes?" Ariana responded with a face a slight confusion. A raised eyebrow from Albus jogged her memory.
"Oh yes, I forgot I would be attending Hogwarts," she muttered with a look of resignation on her face.
She had protested initially because she didn't feel comfortable living in a dorm with other prepubescent girls, and her objective was to take down Voldemort anyway, not take classes had had already taken six years ago. After some arguing, she conceded to the fact that it would be easier to interact and be less suspicious with people if she was actually a student and not just a shadowy resident in the castle.
However, the real reason why Ariana had objected to this decision was because she was deathly afraid of her own magic, capable of destroying entire rooms if given the chance. She shuddered with horror as she imagined scenarios where the silver band that limits her magic had slipped off her wrist around a group of innocent school children.
As if he could read her mind, Albus knelt down to put a warm and fatherly hand on her shoulder, "It will never come to that, I promise. Are you still wearing that necklace I gave you?" he gently but firmed questioned.
With a small frown marring her pretty face, she nodded as she loosened her scarf and pulled out a curious necklace made of steel that was shaped like a hollow triangle, but contained a circle within with a line straight down the centre.
Short candles burned bright late into the night as a tired yawn signalled the ending of a conversation had been going on for far too long.
"Before you head off to sleep Ariana, I have something of utmost importance that you should wear at all times in case something ever goes wrong with your magic suppressor." Albus began as he rummaged through the drawers of his desk until he came across a small blue box that was sealed with numerous magical protection spells and wards.
After mumbling incoherent counter-spells and performing ward penetrating methods for a minute, the box gave a hiss as it opened up to reveal a polished necklace shining in the candlelight. He firmly grasped and wrenched the necklace out of the box as it fizzled in protest at the action. He turned back to Ariana with a foreboding look, as if this whole thing was a terrible idea to him.
"I have put a powerful sticking charm on your silver bracelet, but if you somehow ever lose it then just hold onto this necklace and it will take you somewhere where you will be safe. This is an emergency portkey and the activation phrase is 'Life goes forward'," he clarified as Ariana took it out of trembling hands to place it around her neck in a fluid motion.
The symbol of the Deathly Hallows calmed Albus down somewhat and gave a satisfied smile as he stood back up and led Ariana towards Madam Malkin's for her clothes, pushing past the steadily thickening and nosier crowd.
A small bell tinkled softly as they both stepped inside a very quaint and cosy looking shop, dresses and robes surrounding a large mirror as scarves, socks and gloves hung above them, dangling down in a peculiar manner.
"Ahh, my first customers of the day, how many I help you two on this fine morning?" a voice called out as Madam Malkin strode out from the back room, a full woman that filled out the curves of her dress had auburn hair tied into a bun on the top of her head and a bright smile on her face.
Ariana was puzzled that absolutely no one had recognized Albus as she looked up at him; his ridiculous outfit had little chance of fooling anyone. When he looked down at her and winked with eyes that were full of mischief, she realized with a start there were hidden but powerful Notice-Me-Not charms on each of the pink and grey elephants on his robe.
Wondering why the charms had no effect on her, she shook her head and turned to the waiting shopkeeper. "Yes please, I would like several sets of day clothes, night robes, socks, gloves, Hogwarts robes and undergarments," blushing as the last item on the recital still gave her slight discomfort.
"Very well, though here please. This may take a while," Madam Malkin cheerfully responded with a gleam in her eyes, squealing on the interior as she realized she had the chance to play dress-up with this adorable girl.
Twenty minutes later, Ariana emerged, her face flushed and hair sticking up everywhere with disbelief in her eyes as she stomped out of the side room back to a waiting Albus.
"She… she made me wear at least a hundred dresses!" she spluttered when she reached him, hands expressively waving around in the air.
"Yes, but did you get everything you wanted?" Albus queried as he suppressed his chuckles at the childlike sight with mirth, realizing that she was mentally supposed to be seventeen years old but was still acting like a kid.
She huffed sulkily but responded with a nod.
Albus was satisfied and stood went over to the counter to pay for the chosen goods. Madam Malkin looked at the strange man which paid for clothes with a raised eyebrow, as she couldn't seem to discern what his face looked like. With a shrug, she handed him numerous brown bags that were filled with clothes of every nature, which he then magically shrunk and placed in his pocket after he paid for them.
They then exited the shop and stepped out into a Diagon Alley that seemed all too familiar, bustling with life and activity. The crowds that passed her seemed to have a life of its own, vibrant clothes shining in the morning light as people moved like enchanting shoals of fish. The chatter between sellers and buyers, old friends catching up, and new friends being made, gave off a vibe of safety and comfort as she held on to Albus' hand once more, heading towards Ollivanders to buy a wand.
They entered a black shop with large golden letters above the doorway spelling out the shop's name in a tidy manner. There was no bell to herald their entrance into a room where dusty boxes had lined the shelves of the seemingly derelict shop, their dull and mattered colours lost below the grey-white layer. The dust was so thick in certain places that it built a layer over them that was more like fur, or else fragments of the old cobwebs that hung from the rafters above.
"Welcome Albus Dumbledore, it has been a while since we have last met," the owner greeted in a odd voice behind them, completely seeing through the charms and making Ariana almost jump out of her skin, "And who is your interesting young companion you have with you today?"
Albus dipped his head slightly in a cordial greeting, "Hello again Ollivander, this is young Ariana, a student soon destined for Hogwarts and is in need of one of your finest wands," he revealed as he gently ushered the said girl towards the counter.
The figure stepped out of the darkened corner, bushy white hair tousled in every direction as an old wizened face scrutinized his customer with grey eyes. A measuring tape flew across the room into his outstretched arm as he began to work.
"Now then child, which hand do you write with?"
"Umm… I'm right-handed," Ariana replied nervously as she felt his eyes seemingly pierce into her very soul.
After numerous measurements taken by the floating tape, he nodded to himself and scurried back into a narrow passageway to pull out a dusty red box. He brought it back to the counter and opened it gently, offering the wand to the waiting girl.
"This wand is made from spruce, ten inches, with a core of a unicorn tail hair. Go on, give it a try."
Ariana grasped the wand gingerly, only for it to cause every window in the room to explode with a sudden burst of power. "What is it with this girl and windows," she heard Albus quietly mutter behind her.
"No, this will not do," Ollivander said in a high pitched voice as he snatched the offending wand from her hand. Turning around, he grabbed another box and repeated the same process many times, each wand doing more damage from the last.
Ariana patiently experimented with one wand after another as she knew it was very likely that she would be reunited with her phoenix wand once again. Carelessly she grabbed a random wand from the counter which Ollivander had spread out on the counter and realized how very wrong she was.
All of a sudden she felt the magic within her rejoicing and vibrating in harmony as the area around her lit up with a strange glow, wind whipping her hair around her as burst of emotion rushed through her.
"I see you have finally found a wand that suits you. This particular wand is made out of Yew, eleven inches, with the core of the tail of a Thestral. Yew symbolizes power over life and death while the tail of a Thestral symbolizes only death," Ollivander breathed softly as he turned grave. "You hold in your hands a heavy burden my child; I can only hope that it does not destroy you first."
"Ollivander," Albus interjected, slight anger lining in his voice.
Ollivander had the decency to look abashed as he apologized for his insensitive comment. "Seven Galleons for the wand please," he wheezed as he cleared up the remaining wands on his worktop.
After paying the said amount, Ariana exited the shop feeling strangely slightly happier as Albus shrunk everything, even her wand, to place in the large folds of his robes. They made for one more stop before planning to head over to a restaurant since it was almost noon and was close to lunchtime.
"Ariana, it's best if you waited for me outside Gringotts while I withdraw some items. I know for a fact that the goblins have a very advanced method of determining who a person is when they walk through the front doors. It would be disastrous if other parties were to know about you," Albus whispered hurriedly as he bit his lip in concern about leaving her alone for a few minutes.
"I'll be fine by myself Albus, I'm seventeen remember?" Ariana whispered back, noticing that Albus was taking no chances and had erected a silencing ward around them every time they spoke about anything related to their plans.
Sky blue eyes appraised her and nodded, but not before giving a small gentle pat on her head before turning around and marching through the stone entrance of the Wizarding bank.
Tilting her head in bemusement, Ariana rubbed her head quizzically and wondered what on earth had possessed Albus to do that. Shrugging, she leaned back against the cool white stone of the bank and closed her eyes, listening to the footsteps of people thunder past her.
All of a sudden she felt a strange sensation pass through her, her fingers and toes tingling as she snapped her eyes open at the eerie feeling. She glanced around and saw out of the corner of her eyes, a hooded man dressed in all black holding a brown package under his arm, glancing around suspiciously before turning off into a side alley with his cloak billowing behind him.
Childlike curiosity filled her and without her even mind registering what was happening, her body had bounded across the pavement and into the dark alley of which the man had vanished in to. As she wandered down the path, the shops on the sides of the alley grew darker and morbid as the sky seemed to shroud with mist above her. After a few seconds her brain finally caught up to what her body had done.
With a gasp she recognized this place to be one of the more dangerous parts of Knockturn Alley. With a trembling body, she also realized that she didn't have a wand on her. Fear clouded her senses as she whirled around on the spot and started walk back the way she came. Luck was not on her side as three burly men stepped out of a random shop and into the deserted, dark and damp alleyway and spotted her shaking figure instantly. Three heads surreptitious scanned the area before pulling out their wands and advancing on her with menacing and gleeful grins on their grotesque faces.
"Lookie ere' folks, we got ourselves a nice catch. A lil' bird all by herself. With a face like that, I reckon she'll be worth at least a thousand Galleons… waddya think lads?" the leader of the gang leered as they approached her.
The metal band on her wrist grew to a terrifyingly hot degree and started searing her skin as her turbulent magic swirled deep within her and stormed towards the surface in a chaotic manner, crying for release.
Her vision swirled before her eyes, magic coating her eye sockets causing her to see a whole new spectrum of colours, every fibre of her being screaming at her to wrench the silver band off her wrist where the skin was starting to blister.
Albus… HELP… anyone please… I don't want to take my band off… I don't want to hurt anyone…
She sobbed in pain as the thugs raised their wands in a perverse delight at her palpable fear, unaware that it was not a fear of them, but rather of herself.
"Stupefy!"
A crimson beam of magic sped out and propagated towards her face as time seemed to slow down, her wide eyes staring at a red mass which only got bigger and bigger.
"Protego!"
A voice cried out in anger as the shielding charm deflected the stunning spell at the last second and sent it upwards towards the sky, where it soon fizzed out of sight. The new figure seemed to be shaking with rage as it advanced on the three surprised would-be-abductors; wand glowing as it rapidly cast two more spells in rapid succession.
"Lumos Maxima!"
"Bombarda!"
A dazzling burst of white light stunned and blinded the criminals for a split second before they were soon blasted off their feet into unconsciousness. A coarse and warm hand grabbed Ariana's hand and started sprinting out through the alleyway and out of the mist into daylight, dragging her unceremoniously the whole way.
A blurry face deep with concern and panic asked her questions rapidly, which only faintly got through to her amidst her flurry of emotions.
"Are you hurt? Did they… do anything to you?" the hazy figure asked as it gulped loudly.
With tears still leaking she stood unmoving as she blankly looked at the figure and raised her left wrist towards it as if waiting for something.
Her saviour looked confused for a second but then gently took her wrist, tightening the grip slightly in anger as it noticed the burn. A muttered healing spell brought her sweet coolness and pain-free relief. As Ariana rubbed her watery eyes, see got a first look at the person that had heroically rescued her.
There was a brief moment where her face washed blank with confusion, like her brain cogs couldn't turn fast enough to take in the information from her wide eyes. Every muscle of her body just froze before new emotions flooded her; however, it was this time joy and wonder.
Stood in front of her was a person she had already considered a hero long time ago. With the same hazel eyes, same rounded glasses, and same tousled and black hair, in front of her stood a courageous man beyond measure, her beloved father, James Potter.
A/N: Why is Harry a girl? Will he accept his newly forced role? What is this so called plan? Why has Voldemort's mind-set changed? What are his plans for Harry? Is Voldemort the only enemy? Where does this mysterious necklace lead to?
So many more questions lie unanswered.
And so many questions will most definitely be answered in the coming future! :D
