Disclaimer: I do not own anything from Harry Potter.

Chapter 9

A starry night loomed above, pretty enough to ignite the heart of any nature's child, yet one of them had yet to cast their eyes upwards to see it. All they cared about was a single bright light that penetrated the inky darkness of the cold night, one source of light which had no possibility of being a celestial body.

Eyes lay transfixed on the single speck on the horizon, captivated by the encroaching brightness as it grew to a point where it seemed to dull the stars that speckled and glittered in the heavens above. The tranquil silence, although sometimes broken by the soft hoot of a passing owl, was broken by the steadily increasing melody of ringing, rumbling, and clanking.

The sound of a whistle permeated the air, the sound fading like a forlorn call in the night. Loud hissing and screeching heralded the arrival of a beast that had finally returned to a place which many people would one day fondly look back upon in remembrance.

The Hogwarts Express had arrived.

Ariana grinned widely in the dim light from the vantage point of her room, watching the majestic train come to a complete stop and the stream of students that poured out from its crimson carriages as one. Her feelings were conflicted at the sight as she realized that this particular train was one of great joy and sorrow to her, for it brought her away from and back to a hellish prison.

The Dursleys are not my only family anymore; my real family is still alive.

Nodding happily in self-reassurance, she gently rested her head on folded hands that lay on the windowsill and observed with a fond smile at the towering figure of Hagrid in the distance that was ushering the first years to small wooden boats that each held a lamp aft while the rest of the students walked around a bend towards the castle.

The individual gait of each student was ever so different from one another. Some were almost skipping, so exquisite was their joy of leaving their previous worlds behind them for another. Others walked as if they were boarding a badly kept muggle bus, no more exciting than any other commute. Then there were the nervous ones, quick steps and stern faces, everything about them tight and fearful.

Ariana's eyes burned bright into the shadows at the latter as she viewed the vista and its occupants.

They are most likely the muggleborns.

She tightened her fists into balls as her recent training, her clandestine readings of arcane and forbidden books without the permission of Albus in addition to the barely controlled but powerful magic within her, gave her a heightened sense of power and responsibility.

Do not have any fear; you are under my protection once you walk within these walls.

She let out a breath that she didn't know she was holding.

The stench of Voldemort is already starting to settle in many places, his publicly announced targets now have the seed of fear planted deep within them.

Her musing was interrupted as a sudden burst of fire erupted into existence beside her and caused her to emit a loud shriek, almost jumping out of the open window in shock.

The distinctive royal crest and velvet-like red and gold plumage of Albus' bonded familiar appeared out of thin air and trilled in laughter at her reaction, perching steadily on the windowsill as amusement filled its wise and sentient black eyes.

"Fawkes you evil creature, I could of fallen out the window – and in case you forgot, humans don't possess wings, " Ariana scolded with a hand held over chest, calming down her heart rate as a beginning of a smile quirked up at the side of her lips.

Fawkes raised its head and trilled loudly in a note of levity, the tune playing across several octaves in a split second.

"You're certainly right about that one," Ariana giggled, the interpretation of the melodious tune seemingly making perfect sense to her.

"I certainly do know a few levitation spells... and I also know you won't let me fall now would you, you big softie?" she murmured as her fingers gently stroked the phoenix's head.

Fawkes lost track of time as it crooned in pleasure at the action and leaned into the touch, oblivious to its surroundings as the massage lulled it into a hypnotic state.

Straightening up with an undignified squawk after a while as it remembered the initial purpose for the visit, it ruffled its chest and burst into birdsong directed towards Ariana once more, but this time it was for a few seconds longer.

Ariana bit her lip in nervousness at the message, still not seeing the logic that Albus had presented her with that she needed to attend Hogwarts again.

"I'll meet with the first years just outside the Great Hall if that's fine… I'd rather not mingle with them just yet," she hesitantly responded, a barely suppressed grimace marring her pleasant features at the thought.

Fawkes gave an understanding nod and prepared to depart in a flash of phoenix fire to Albus to relay Ariana's decision, but stopped just at the last second as it had sensed something slightly amiss.

It lowered its large and resplendent wings and folded them back slowly onto its soft body; critically eyeing the puzzled young girl as it tilted its head and stared intensely at her.

Phoenixes were the magical embodiment and paragons of light, purity and valour. Their cries uplifted those that were pure of heart and caused distress to those harbouring ill will in them, the intensity of pleasure or pain dictated by the extent of the virtue or malice.

Fawkes then suddenly opened its golden beak, proudly displaying its tail that was as long as a peacock's, and burst into rapturous song. Ariana felt her heart lighten and lips curve upwards to smile softly as warmth started to fill every fibre of her being. All seemed well; but at the very last note, all the serenity vanished as Ariana winced in slight pain.

Fawkes trilled mournfully as it noticed the flinch of discomfort. It knew that Ariana had a gnawing stain on her soul but it could also sense that the hate and rage was foreign in nature. It also knew that Ariana had always tried her very hardest to suppress and banish the evil nature that lay within.

Fawkes had taken immediate liking to Ariana when they had first met, as she had owned one of the purest souls it had ever encountered over its long years of existence. But to feel pain from the song meant that of her own will, she intended to cause harm to someone, to take revenge, to end a life.

Ariana looked down from a penetrating and seemingly disappointed gaze as her muscles tensed. Thinking back to dark spells she had learned recently from certain books and to the people that had almost tortured her into insanity, she looked at the floor with a stoic manner while her lips grew thin. A tense silence stretched on.

"I am only human, Fawkes," Ariana finally whispered. Fawkes said nothing but continued to stare at her with a look of sadness and pity.

"Who are you to judge, the whole world is my responsibility do you understand that?" Ariana spat, her voice rising with every word.

Her body started to shake while her mind clouded over in anger. "You have no idea what I have been through. YOU KNOW NOTHING…" Ariana screamed wildly at the end as the burden of countless lives pressed down harder and harder on her thin shoulders with each passing moment.

Fawkes simply watched in silence as it waited for her body to stop shaking before flying over to her bed and gesturing with its head for Ariana to sit down beside it, of which she reluctantly complied and shuffled over.

Ariana sobbed as hot angry tears rolled down her face when she sat down, hugging Fawkes for dear life and pressing its fiery body against her, the flickering flames not burning but providing a warm aura of comfort and safety.

It took a few minutes for Ariana's outburst, which had been suppressed for a few weeks, to dissipate. She untangled herself and wiped away stray tears before turning to the patient bird that was looking expectantly at her.

"I'm sorry, and you're right… this isn't me," she began hoarsely, "And why in Great Merlin's name do I start crying so easily?" she continued with a watery laugh, not remembering at all the last time she had broke down like this in her previous life.

Ariana felt a heavy weight on her soul disappear when she laughed and gasped in shock when her whole room was suddenly lit up brilliantly with white light. As she frantically looked around for the source through tear-stained eyes, she glanced down and realized that she herself was the wellspring of light as her entire body was radiating with power.

Turning over and looking at her glittering arms and legs, she turned to the sagacious beast beside her, "Fawkes, what is happening to me?" she breathed loudly.

Fawkes responded only by gently pressed its head against her own and giving a series of barely audible chirps before disappearing in a flash of fire before Ariana could retort. The illumination that her skin emitted gradually diminished into nothingness and Ariana sat in the darkness in silence for a moment in contemplation.

"What do you mean by 'this is who you really are' you daft bird… you're just as cryptic as Albus," she muttered as she filed this moment away in her brain to tell the said man later tonight. With a jolt, she sat up straight and slapped her hand against her head as her mind refocused, her previous mood completely vanishing.

"The sorting… I hope I'm not too late," she groaned, already forgetting what had just happened and leaping off her bed already clad in Hogwarts robes, her black hair gleaming in the moonlight.

As she ran through the empty corridors towards the Great Hall, she realized with incredulity that the burn on her wrist due to her emotional attack had been mysteriously healed.

Dismissing the seemingly trivial thought as her mind was focused on other things; she puffed up her cheeks and took longer strides, her tiny body bouncing through space and time to begin a whole new journey that would one day bring adventure, fear, mystery, and most importantly, love.


Ariana rounded a corner and was panting loudly as she spotted the throng of first years that were already filing in through the large doorway into the Great Hall. Blessing her luck, she ran towards the assembly with one final burst of speed, making a few heads turn in curiosity at the noisy spectacle.

A noisy harrumph greeted her as she approached, disapproving eyes looking over her flushed face and slightly dishevelled hair. Professor McGonagall raised an eyebrow as Ariana guiltily shuffled her feet and bit her lower lip nervously, knowing that Minerva had a strict predisposition for punctuality.

"Luckily you did find your way here after all or you would have made things very awkward indeed," Professor McGonagall chided, creating a gap in the line of students and nudging Ariana in-between two first years, both of them thoroughly confused as they thought first years only arrived by boat.

Ariana flashed Minerva a grateful smile and trundled through with the doorway with the other students that were already in motion. Usually Minerva would lead the students in on the first day of school but she waited only until Ariana had arrived to enter herself, placing herself last in the line.

As Ariana entered the grand hall and she gave a contented sigh at the sight that awaited her. No more was the Great Hall empty, no more was it dismal and dreary. Now its four benches were full to bursting with cheerful and animated students that had the potential for anything and everything as they watched a line of children march down the centre of the hall and wait to be sorted.

Ariana drowned out the welcoming speech and sorting hat song as she turned and twisted her head in every direction to see if she could recognize any face, with her eyes straying predominately towards the Gryffindor table. She gave up after a while as she forgot to take into account her new height and doubt she could still see even if she tip-toed.

She quickly shook her head and focused on the oncoming roll call as Professor McGonagall unfurled a piece of parchment, the sorting hat ready and waiting on top of a wooden chair in front of all the professors and school body.

"Bones, Amelia."

A blond haired girl anxiously approached the chair and Professor McGonagall quickly put the hat on her head and waited for it to make the final decision, knowing that once one person was placed into a house, the general anxiety to be sorted would soon vanish amongst those still waiting for their turn.

Ariana scrunched up her face as her mind quickly recalled out the memory she needed to remember.

Susan Bones once said that her Aunt was one of the brightest students in Hufflepuff.

I've also seen a plaque of hers for having grades that beat every Ravenclaw once while I was in detention. I think I even met her once at tha-…

"GRYFFINDOR!"

Ariana's blood froze in her veins as she sucked her breath in sharply with wide eyes at the announcement, her mind turning into a jumbled mess of panicked thoughts.

How is this possible? Is this my fault?… but I have only been outside of Hogwarts only once since I arrived. What-..

She lost touch with reality as her train of thought continued down many paths, each one trying logically to come up with an answer. She was soon snapped out of it as her new name was called loudly and clearly for her turn to be sorted.

Another memory filled her mindscape as she recalled sitting down in her room during on one stormy night with Albus.

"So Ariana, have you decided what surname you would like to have? It would need to be not traceable or suspicious so nothing modern or popular, but nothing too obscure either," Albus cautioned as he sat on the foot of her bed.

Ariana lightly shrugged her shoulders in nonchalance as she leant against the window frame, the whole fiasco of attending Hogwarts again and taking on a fake name seemed just totally bizarre to her.

"Albus, do I really need to do this? Why can't I just work from the shadows and focus on taking down Voldemort instead of useless schooling," she objected in slight anger.

Albus kept silent for a moment before speaking.

"You may be right in some aspects," he admitted softly, "But there is more to this than what you are suggesting."

"Your stories of what I put you through still send shudders through me every night. Did I really become that sort of person in just a few years from now?" he questioned more to himself than to Ariana as his eyes grew dim.

"I… I want you to have a normal childhood for once. Make normal friends; enjoy life as a child should."

Ariana gave a gentle smile and she walked over to put a comforting hand on his shoulder. "We both know that's impossible. You know my stories… trouble seems to find me wherever I go," she sighed in defeat.

All of a sudden a light turned on in her head to answer Albus' initial question and she jerked her head up and said just one word, not noticing that Albus' hand had jumped straight to his wand in slight fear as she uttered it.

"Peverell."

Ariana blinked rapidly to refocus on what was happening in the real world, not surprised that viewing a memory internally took only a fraction of a second for her now, something she would never get used to.

Walking up the stairs, she raised her Occlumency shields with all the strength she had, not completely trustworthy of the sentient hat just yet. As the brown hat was placed on her head, it hummed in curiosity and started speaking softly so that only she could hear it in a leathery voice.

"Oh my, it's been centuries since I've sorted someone like you."

"Someone like me… what do you mean by that?" Ariana whispered back in confusion.

"Sorry, not allowed to tell you anything; one of the rules of being a sorting hat. Anyway, back to your sorting," the hat continued, cutting off whatever retort Ariana planned to say.

"I see a tremendous amount of bravery in you… and oh such cunning too. Your loyalty is to a fault and your intelligence although mostly untapped, has potential to be vast."

"Tricky… very tricky. However, I can sense that there is only one path to greatness and that is –"

"GRYFFINDOR!"

The school burst in polite applause, particularly her new housemates as she made her way down to sit at the end of the wooden table that was situated under red and gold banners. There was only one person that wasn't clapping. A pair of narrowed eyes was staring at her the entire time ever since she was called up and had refused to look anywhere else.

Professor Dumbledore soon stood up after the sorting had finished, tinkling a glass with a small silver spoon to gather everyone's attention.

Ariana once again ignored the speech as she felt a constant prickle on the back of her neck. She sat quietly in discomfort while the rest of the people around her had already started digging into the food before them. She turned her head ever so slightly and her eyes widened as her gaze was locked in with sharp hazel eyes.

She recognized them immediately, curiously noticing that there were a multitude of emotions swirling within those eyes, even at a distance. Giving a serene smile towards her father in greetings, although slightly perplexed by the undecipherable emotions, James hesitantly smiled back a few seconds later causing her to jump for joy internally.

She then broke eye contact with him and looked past him, spying the face of a much younger Sirius laughing uproariously while stuffing his face with food while an equally youthful but slightly haunted looking Remus looked on in slight disgust. Ariana grew weak and felt butterflies in her stomach at the first sight of two other young men whom she had also considered father figures in her life.

She then lost all joy and shuddered as Remus moved his head slightly forward to expose a man who had given her hell and pain in her previous life, a person who she had once vowed to hurt along with two other people when she had arrived back in time.

Peter Pettigrew still had a mouse-like look in his younger age, his large front teeth and nervous and darting eyes gave her flashbacks of old memories and made her clench her fists in balls while her blood boiled and screamed for retribution, her eyes tinging red for a fraction of a second.

Suddenly, her anger dissipated and she let out a shaky breath, massaging her temples as she forced her rippling magic back into her core.

Am I really condemning him for the sins of his future self?

She was broken out of her thoughts as she felt a small tap on her shoulder. Looking to her right, a gentle and feminine face gazed at her in slight concern.

"Umm… you're Ariana Peverell right? Are you not hungry? I can put away some food for you to eat later if you want," Amelia Bones offered in a friendly manner, exuding only goodwill in her demeanour.

Deciding to still keep low profile and speak only when she really needed to, she simply gave a gentle smile in return and shook her head, her expressive eyes displaying all the information Amelia wanted to see.

Ameila was only satisfied when Ariana started tucking into the scrumptious dinner that had consisted of every kind of dish imaginable. Ariana spent the rest of the dinner in total silence, trying her hardest to blend into the background as everyone chatted animatedly during the entire event.

Albus then stood up after all the dishes had been cleared away, tinkling a small glass goblet with a spoon once again to gather everyone's undivided attention.

"I'm sure everyone has been hearing about the new dangers out there in the wizarding world," he began, noticing with some sadness that some students were looking around nervously.

"However, I can guarantee you with all the power invested in me that you will walk safe within these walls," he continued strongly, the war hardened wizard speaking this time instead of the kindly old headmaster.

"If you have any problems that you want to talk about, feel free to approach me or any of the other professors for advice. Now, off to bed with the lot of you. Goodnight!" he finished, dismissing the school as the prefects started leading the students out the hall to their respective houses.

Just as Ariana was following a prefect to the Gryffindor dorm, she spied a mass of fiery red hair at the other end of a corridor. Her heart jumped in her mouth at the familiar sight and she tip-toed as much as she could to try to see its owner, but to no avail as a flurry of black Hogwarts robes obscured her view.

She jumped slightly as a hand came down on her shoulder. Professor McGonagall's face came into view as she bent down to whisper in Ariana's ear.

"The Headmaster would like to see you for a brief moment in the back hallway."

Ariana looked back at her and nodded and followed the retreating Professor to a waiting Albus around a bend. He looked up gratefully at the two approaching figures and nodded to his colleague.

"My deepest thanks Minerva. Ariana, would you mind coming to my office for a short moment? There is just some last minute paperwork about your Gringotts account," Albus began with a calm and cool face.

Minerva raised her eye at the statement. "Are you sure this needs to be done now Albus? I'm sure this young lady is terribly tired and like some shut eye as soon as possible."

Albus raised his arms placating as he knew that she only cared about the girl. "Only for a little while, this is urgent," he declared.

Ariana interjected swiftly as she caught the hidden message. "It's fine Professor McGonagall, I'm not that tired," she said brightly, showing all her teeth in a radiant smile making Minerva melt a little at the sight.

Minerva sighed in defeat as she whirled back to Albus with a pointed finger, "She better be in her room in twenty minutes," she warned.

Albus chuckled at Minerva's protective and fiery spirit, one characteristic she had never lost since her arrival in Hogwarts many years ago and nodded in acceptance, "You have my promise."

As she disappeared around the corner, the two people left then made their way quickly to Albus's office. When they entered, Ariana shut the door quickly and threw up a silencing ward, something essential which Albus had taught her recently.

"Albus, what has happened?"

Albus looked slightly surprised for a moment before shaking his head. "Nothing is wrong. The reason why I have called you here is not about anything like that but… how you acted tonight."

Ariana paled as her mind went through all the things she had done during the sorting and feast. "Did I mess up? Was I not meant to even respond or did I-…" Ariana rambled breathlessly in a voice of panic.

Albus raised his one arm calmly to quell her barrage of alarmed questions.

"Ariana, I noticed that you ignored your housemates and would not speak to any of them. Why aren't you interacting with them?" he questioned curiously.

Ariana looked bewildered for a second before responding to his seemingly inane declaration. "I am trying to keep my involvement in this world at a minimum... you know all about this," she spluttered, trying to make sense of this conversation.

Albus gave a heavy sigh and turned away from her to walk to the window. He rested his head gently against the cool pane, enjoying the soft moonlight that washed over him.

"I know you are not a child but I had promised you a chance at a normal childhood. A second time over for a chance at new life, a new beginning," he softly spoke as he looked down at the Forbidden Forest, the silhouette of every tree gently swaying back and forth in harmony from a gentle breeze.

"What about the plan about not changing anything so that there is absolutely no risk of Voldemort creating a new Horcrux or not even creating one at all?" Ariana hissed quietly, filled with confused anger.

Albus shuddered as the words hit home, his mind breathing to life a single phrase that echoed throughout his entire being.

For the greater good.

He ferociously whirled around at the thought, his purple robes flinging around wildly at the action as he stared at the wide eyed girl before him.

"No, NO… I will not become the man of your future," he almost shouted in slight desperation.

"You think you haven't changed anything, but did you see how James was looking at you? Can't you see? You've already changed me, one of the biggest players in the resistance against Voldemort," Albus continued in a quieter but still stressed tone.

Ariana jerked up straight and realized the immensity of the truth in Albus's words. Albus refused to let her retort as he carried on.

"You have also been speaking to Hagrid and the other professors frequently in the past few weeks. What other events have you changed by just your presence being there?" he concluded quietly, his mind clearing slightly.

Thinking back to the oddity in the case of Ameila Bones as well, Ariana bit her lip and she thought of having the chance to properly converse with the people she loved.

"They are your family, not many people in this world have had a second chance to talk their deceased loved ones," Albus said quietly, reading her thoughts from the ever-changing expressions on her face.

Ariana opened her mouth slowly, the entire argument brought by the wise man in front of her slowly eroded at her thoughts. She struggled to speak as her entire mind conflicted with itself.

"I…I will acquaint myself with some of my housemates in my year but I won't speak to anyone else just yet. I can't risk it… not after seeing what Voldemort does in the future," she murmured in response, her mind still not fully swayed.

"Just think this over tonight," Albus responded as he breathed a silent sigh of relief at the compromise. "Anyway, you really should get going; Minerva would be after my head if you're just a millisecond late," he chuckled with twinkling eyes, his mood lightening as Ariana gave a small smile in return.

After saying goodnight to Albus, she made her way down the deserted corridors to the Gryffindor dormitory, spying frisky groups of students that were out after curfew once or twice on the way.

Knowing exactly where to go, her weary legs automatically climbed the steps and entered the room, noticing that all the lights were off and her housemates was sleeping. She looked around the place quickly, searching for a free bed where she would wanted to desperately flop down on.

Her mind whirred in confusion as she realized that small and shadowy bodies each occupied each and every bed, leaving no spare one for her. She cursed internally at the thought of trying to solve an issue like this so late into the night when everyone was sleeping.

After a good second or two, she slapped her forehead in exhaustion.

Yup, totally forgot I'm a girl again. Good going Ariana… you'll be sure to defeat Voldemort like this.

She trudged down the stairs and took the other set of stairs that led to the girl's quarters in slight self-loathing, her bad mood an accumulation of everything that had happened today.

She gently pushed the door open and peeked into the room with trepidation. The room was dark expect for one bed, where the outline of a young girl reading a book in the candlelight was seen.

The figure behind the curtain raised its head at the noise of the door being opened and drew her curtains around her bed back to smile at the intruder.

Ameila's blonde hair tumbled down her pyjamas as her head peeked out.

"Professor McGonagall said you might be a bit late, so I stayed up to make sure you were okay since you didn't seem that well at dinnertime," she whispered as softly as possible, trying not to disturb the other occupants in the room.

Ariana immediately made for the only free bed that was beside Ameila's and nervously turned to her when she reached it. She gulped as she took her mind took the next step forward.

"T-thank you, Ameila," she stammered quietly.

Ameila's eyes lit up at a response, as she had been trying to get Ariana to feel welcome and talk the entire time during the feast.

"No problem. Goodnight then, see you tomorrow," Amelia yawned, desperate for some sleep herself.

Ariana could not hold it in much longer and just had to question her right there and then.

"Umm… do you mind just answering one question before we both head off to sleep?" she hesitantly asked.

After Ameila indicated that she did not mind, Ariana took a deep breath and continued.

"I don't mean any disrespect but… you seem too kind and good-natured to be in in this house, why are you not in Hufflepuff instead?"

Ameila immediately looked off to the side in discomfort at the sudden question. Noticing it immediately, Ariana intended to come up with a diplomatic follow-up but was stopped as Ameila looked back at her as she decided to say whatever she had to say.

"My uncle and aunt were recently attacked by Death Eaters but they survived the ordeal and been training me in defensive magic and to be braver ever since," she breathed quietly in a rush.

Ariana frowned in thought before replying, "Who are your uncle and aunt?"

"Devin and Marlene McKinnon," Ameila answered as she bit her lip, as if holding back more information. Sensing that Ariana was trustworthy, she continued.

"I also overheard them talking to my parents one night that a Dark Lord that was there too, apparently he started screaming in pain just before he was about to k-kill them," she stuttered at the end, slightly upset from the thought her relatives' close shave with death.

Before Ariana's mind could react, her body had stepped forward and enclosed the other girl in a gentle and protective hug.

"Don't worry, your family is safe now and you are also safe here," she murmured into Ameila's ear as her arms were encircled around her.

After a few moments they broke apart with Ameila looking at the other girl with grateful eyes, glad that she had trusted her judgement of her character of the pretty young girl.

After saying their goodnights, Ariana changed into her pyjamas as all her belongings were already beside her bed in a trunk, and flopped down onto her bed in darkness, groaning in pleasure from the way she sunk into the soft pillow and equally soft mattress.

She idly traced the outline up her triangle shaped necklace that she was still wearing and let her mind take over as she drifted off to sleep.

Voldemort screaming in pain? Could it be?...

I had almost forgotten about my connection with Voldemort ever since I've severed the intrusions with Occlumency and the mysterious magic.

Just as her tired body started to shut down, a thought drifted to the surface.

OH, and I forgot to tell Albus about that incident with Fawkes earlier today… definitely tomorrow I'll…

As the last of her willpower faded, she ventured off into the world of dreams, a place where she could see everyone and anyone just one more time.


A/N: A big thank you to the readers and those that have reviewed constructively. I couldn't of possibility made it this far without everyone's support!