Disclaimer: I own nothing having to do with Harry Potter, as many of you
probably already know.
A/N: this is my first Harry Potter Fan fiction and I could not have even
been able to do anything with it if it had not been for Laura who edits my
horrible grammar and tells me that I am a confused duckling. Please Read
and Review. If you do not like it or if you love it tell me, I am always up
for suggestions no flames of course.
Chapter One Bad Omen's:
p Harry lay miserably on his bed, staring at the ceiling as the rain continued to fall outside. It had been raining continuously for two days straight. Hedwig had gone to deliver a letter to Hermione and Ron and hadn't returned yet, Harry was starting to become restless. Dudley had his gang over downstairs playing video games; the noise of guns going off was echoing and giving him a headache. Harry was stuck in his room whether he wanted to be or not. As laughter filtered up the stairs, Harry felt a pang of jealousy; he had been alone for the entire summer and even though he had received a few letters here and there, for the most part he had had no contact with the Wizarding world. His sixteenth birthday had already come and gone, unnoticed again by the Dursleys. Hermione had sent him an enchanted birthday card that sang Happy Birthday every time Harry opened it; Ron sent him a quiditch poster and some candy from Honeydukes; Hagrid sent him another one of his lovely rock hard birthday cakes; and Fred and George sent him a sample of their new joke products. The presents now all lay forgotten in the corner, hidden beneath clothing and books. The stash of birthday cake and candy was slowly depleting, and his schoolbooks lay scattered across every inch of the room. The more miserable Harry began to feel, the more unkempt his room became. The only clean area of the room was Hedwig's cage, for he had learned from his mistake of not cleaning it when he was woken up in the middle of the night by a not so happy owl and an even unhappier, red-faced uncle.
pThe summer had been uneventful so far: no dementors had attacked Little Whining and Lord Voldemort had not come and attacked Harry in his sleep even though the Daily Prophet had reported Lord Voldemort's mysterious disappearance as well as those of the Death Eaters. The Order, though, seemed busier then ever. Lupin was able to send a few letters, but as usually not filled with much information. Harry had resorted to other methods to figure out what was going on. He began to end up at Ms. Figg's house in the middle of the night more often, but for the last week the house lay desolate and empty. Harry was beginning to feel alone, he knew that there were wizards watching him but he had no clue who or where they were. The Dursleys even seemed uninterested in Harry. He had no complains about the latter; he was able to go and come as he pleased, with only a few disgusted glances and grunts here and there. Harry rolled over onto his side and peered out the window to look for Hedwig. Lupin's last letter had said he hoped they would be able to get together by the end of the summer, but there were only two weeks left until Harry was to board the Hogwarts Express. "When were they going to get together?" Harry wondered, as an overwhelming sense of being forgotten came over him.
pAs Harry laid feeling forgotten, a ball of anxiety began to form in his stomach. What could be happening that would cause even Ms. Figg to abandon her house, and why would Lord Voldemort suddenly disappear after he had just made his appearance? As he began to worry, the rain began to come down harder, and Harry was starting to think that it was some kind of omen. As he thought of bad omens his mind wandered to the Grim and then to Sirius. Thinking of Sirius caused a lone tear to stroll down his check. Harry wiped it away angrily, and as he lay there staring at the rain, his eyes began to feel heavy and he dozed off to sleep.
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pOutside of 12 Grimmauld Place everything seemed quiet; however, inside an intense dispute was continuing. Dumbledore sat at the head of the table while the other members of the Order sat around him. Mrs. Weasley was holding a teapot while attempting to pour everyone some more tea. The other members were standing up screaming at one another. Every so often Dumbledore would try to quiet them down, but it wasn't long before the commotion started up again. Dumbledore looked up at Mrs. Weasley apologetically and she just nodded. "Will you all be bloody quiet!" she shouted. At the sound of her voice they all sat down and apologized. p"It's like having me mum yell at me all over again," Tonks whispered to Moody. pDumbledore stood up and Mrs. Weasley started pouring everyone tea. "Now, that we are done with that little discussion, we are still back at square one. We need to make a decision soon on what type of action we are going to take. If it is possible, can we please speak one at a time? I know that all of you are worried, excited, and have a lot to say, but we don't have much time." pAt that moment an older woman's hand shot up. p"Yes, Emmeline?" p"I was wondering if I could have a chance to speak. I know her better than any of you and I have been a type of guardian to her." The older woman stood up her silver hair pulled tightly into a bun. p"For those who do not know, Emmeline has been the headmaster at Salem Witches' Institute for higher wizardry for 14 years now." The table began to mumble, each person whispering to the next. Dumbledore began to raise his voice, "I suggest we all listen to what she has to say, and if you have any questions this would be the person to ask." pEmmeline began to speak, "Ariana is an extraordinary witch. However, she has no memory of England. I feel that moving her here would cause some problems, maybe uproot some repressed memories. Also, I'm concerned that even as good of a witch as she might have some issues with her magic when under pressure." pElphais stood up, "What do you mean 'extraordinary witch'? How can you derive that when she is supposed to be dead?" The end of his sentence was lost in a wheezing fit. Emmeline looked at Dumbledore, and then began to answer. p"Ariana has mastered many dark magic spells and counter curses; some spells that have caused me some difficulty she is able to do with ease." Emmeline looked down at the table as everyone around her began to roar again. p"You taught the girl bloody dark magic! Are you insane woman? Don't you know who she is?" yelled Moody. "You are not fit to be a headmaster." Emmeline did not raise her eyes. p"That is enough," Dumbledore's voice bellowed through the room and everyone became quite, "I was the one that instructed Emmeline to teach Ariana dark magic. You forget it was all of you who wanted Harry to learn, and it was all of you that liked the idea of defense against the dark arts. Since Salem didn't offer it, I suggested to Emmeline that she offer a class. Ariana was the first to sign up and she mastered everything in her book within 3 months." Dumbledore sat down and everyone was stunned. Mrs. Weasley was the first to speak up. "Moody, I think you over Mrs. Vaughn an apology." pMoody mumbled "I'm sorry," and Dumbledore asked her to continue, but Emmeline remained silent. "I understand how worried all of you are, and that you are wondering if we are making the right decision. I personally feel that she would be safer at Hogwarts," Professor McGonagal said. p"I don't understand though; the States are safe. 'You Know Who' is not targeting the States; he is targeting England. Why when thousands of wizards are migrating over would we bring her back?" Tonks stood up to say. p"Albus or Minerva would be better to answer that question." Emmeline sat down and McGonagal began to speak. p"Tonks, I understand where you are coming from, as Emmeline and I have had this conversation more than once. My feelings are this: Hogwarts is the safest place in the world for a wizard or a witch. It is also one of the best places for an education. Ariana is going into her 6th year. We would like to transfer her there before her last year." p"It seems that you have already made your decision." Snape said from the back of the room. Everyone turned their head to see him. p"In a way, yes, we have Severus. However, we hoped to have all of your support as well, or at least one viable reason not to." Professor McGonagal said. p"I just don't understand why we have to transfer her. Wouldn't that be bringing her closer to 'You Know Who?' Also, she is supposed to be dead, everyone thought she died years ago, yet now all of sudden she is alive and we are bringing her here?" Tonks asked. p"Tonks, say his name. A name is just a name unless you place the fear behind it. Yes, in a way it is bringing her closer to Voldemort, but he is unaware of that. We are starting to believe he doesn't even have any recollection of her, and even if he did, he would assume as everyone else has that she is dead." Dumbledore said. p"If he doesn't have any re-cull..." Moody began to speak. p"Recollection," Tonks said for him. p"Yeah, that's it. If he doesn't have any recollection then why are we bringing her here? I mean, wouldn't it be the same if we left her there?" Moody finished. p"She is a child who has a name. Her name is Ariana, and they are bringing her to Hogwarts: end of discussion. She has earned it, we have all seen her scores, and we have heard all the amazing things she has done. When she was old enough, the school had wanted to send her to Hogwarts anyways, and that was before they knew who she was. Times have changed and darkness is befalling us. We need to prepare every able witch and wizard, including her." As Lupin stood up to continue his speech, his eyes drooped and dark circles were embedded under them. "We will take a vote: all in favor raise your hand." The majority of the table raised their hands. "All in disagreement raise your hands." To this, a few scattered witches and wizards raised their hands. "The majority wins; new discussion, please."
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pAcross England, Privet Road's silence was being shattered by a horrible, earsplitting noise which was coming from number 4. Harry woke up to the reddening round face of his uncle telling him to be quiet while his thick arms shook Harry horribly. As his uncle left, he tried to remember what the nightmare had been about, but the burning pain in his head was hindering his ability to do so. Harry sat there gripping his head for a few minutes until he remembered something: Voldemort. Harry had been in the room with Voldemort and Wormtail, but there had also been a large group of other people, strangers, all gathered around a table. Harry tried to remember more, but the pain was becoming unbearable. He knew he should write Lupin and tell him about the nightmare, but he did not want to sound like he was complaining after everything that had happened in the past few months. Harry sat there for a few minutes waiting for the pain to subside. After what seemed like an eternity, he looked up and sighed. He put his glasses on and looked over at the calendar on the wall. "10 more days till Hogwarts," he thought, as he counted the unmarked days. pHarry tried again to remember what the discussion between Voldemort and Wormtail had been about, but it still eluded him. "What use is this if I can't remember what I dreamt about," he thought. He looked over at the clock. "3:30. Great," he thought sarcastically. "Maybe I can get some more sleep," he continued hopefully. Harry took off his glasses and turned out the light.
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pAfter the meeting had concluded, Professor Dumbledore and Professor McGonagal headed back to Hogwarts to pick up what they needed for their trip to the States. McGonagall walked down the empty hallways thinking how full they would seem in just over a week. As she arrived at Professor Dumbledore's study, she noticed his office light was on. She saw that the room was covered in old photo albums as she walked in and began to speak to him, "Are you ready, Albus?" p "Yes, Minerva, I was just looking through some old pictures. I wanted to give Harry a picture of Remus, Sirius, and his father. I know I had one, I just can't find it now." Minerva looked down at the picture in front of Dumbledore. . Two women stared back at her, each with their arms wrapped around the others waist. There stomachs were bulging from pregnancy, and the two women were both cheerfully smiling and every so often they would rub their stomachs. The woman on the right was clearly Lilly Potter, her auburn hair and bright green eyes were a dead give away. However, Professor Dumbledore and McGonagal knew her smile best; they knew it to be a smile that could lighten up any room. p "Can you believe it has been 16 years?" Minerva asked, continuing to look at the photo album. She stared at the other woman, a name that had been lost with time. She had dark, brown, curly hair and blue eyes like the ocean. "Not many people remember that they were best friends," she said to Dumbledore. p "Not many people even remember her name, either." he replied. After a short pause, he whispered "it's Sidra." Professor McGonagall walked out of his office and into a smaller side room. She returned wearing a black cloak pulled up to her neck. In one hand she was holding her hat while the other held a roll of parchment. p "Are you ready, Albus?" she asked again. "We should really get going; it is a long journey." McGonagal smiled encouragingly and handed Dumbledore his cloak. p "Did you send an owl to Remus and Tonks telling them that we are leaving now?" Dumbledore asked as he stood up, took the cloak from McGonagall's hand, and put it on. p "Yes, and I told him that we would send one when we return," McGonagall said while leading Dumbledore out of the room. p "Then everything is arranged."
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pLupin and Tonks sat at number 12 Grimmauld Place waiting for the arrival of Dumbledore and his new guest. Lupin was still cleaning up the remnants of the meeting. "What if she hates us?" Lupin suddenly asked Tonks. Tonks was sitting at the table painting her nails,
p "She won't," she said without looking up. p "How can you be sure?" Lupin asked nervously. p "She won't hate us Remus." p "I'm worried. I don't have a good feeling about this, Tonks." p "Lupin, stop worrying about it; there are worse things happening." p "I know that," Lupin yelled standing up and slamming his hands down on the table. "You think I don't know that?" pTonks just raised her eyebrows, "Yes, I know you know that. Why don't you make some tea for us?" p "Yes, some tea would be nice. I think I will. Yes." Lupin walked to the other side of the room mumbling. Tonks continued to paint her nails wondering the same thing: "what if Ariana did hate them?"
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pProfessor Dumbledore and McGonagall arrived a few hours later outside a brick building covered in ivy. Children were running around screaming and playing. A tall lanky girl stood near the door holding a whistle and a broom watching the kids. p "That's her, Minerva, that's Ariana." Dumbledore said turning to his companion. McGonagall just nodded and smiled. Dumbledore stood motionless watching the children. "Do you remember when we did this for a living," he asked jokingly. p "Yes, I did it last year with those Weasley Twins," she answered. pSuddenly, a little boy flew towards the two Hogwarts' Professors, only barely avoiding a collision. In his hand was the collar of a younger girl whom he had dangling from the side of the broom. Ariana ran after him. "Kenzey, put her down. Merlin, Kenzey!" The boy just flew higher after each of her commands. p "Kenzey I am giving you five seconds," she screamed. The boy flew even higher, and the little girl began to scream. "Kenzey," Ariana shouted again, then pulled out her wand. "Imobulous!" As she shouted the incantation, the boy dropped the little girl. Ariana dove under the broom and caught her, while Kenzey sat stuck on his broom. p "Thank you Ariana," the little girl said hugging her. p "You're welcome," Ariana said, putting her down. The little boy began to whine. "Kenzey I am going to kill you. Accio!" Ariana yelled, summoning the little boy. When he was close enough she grabbed him by the collar of his shirt. "Did you think that was fun, Kenzey? I hate taking points off of my own house, but honestly! What were you thinking?" pThe boy began to speak, but Ariana cut him off. p "No don't, I don't even want to know. Go into your room and stay there until I can figure out what to do with you." As the boy ran off Ariana yelled, "and apologize to Sara." Ariana rubbed her head and put her wand back into her pants. As she looked around at the other kids, she suddenly became aware of Professor Dumbledore and McGonagall. p "Hello dear," Professor McGonagall said as she walked forward and extended her hand. Ariana shook it. p "I am so sorry about what you just witnessed; they are not usually that rambunctious," Ariana blushed. p "Don't give it a second thought. I am Professor Minerva McGonagall, and this is Albus Dumbledore." At the mention of Dumbledore, Ariana bowed her head. p "I am proud to welcome you to Salem Witches' Institute. My name is Ariana. It is truly an honor to have you here." Ariana smiled, and then suddenly turned around and blew her whistle. "Time to go inside," she yelled. As she turned back, she said apologetically, "sorry, the older kids have to take turns having outside duty. I am sure you would like to go inside and see the headmistress." pProfessor McGonagall and Dumbledore both nodded their heads. p "I am surprised she didn't say anything to us about your arrival. Is she expecting you?" Ariana began to lead the Hogwarts teachers inside. The school looked much like Hogwarts: pictures plastered the walls and students were hectically running from one side of the hall to the other, upstairs and downstairs. p "It's the beginning of a new term, so it's been crazy. I believe you know what I mean. Well, here we are." They stopped in front of a large wooden door engraved with the school crest. Ariana knocked on the door and waited for her headmistress to answer. She walked Professor McGonagall and Dumbledore into the room, and was met with a sudden shriek. p "Minerva! Albus! What are you doing here? This is a wonderful surprise! How are things? How are you? Is everything okay?" The woman's face was bright and cherry, much unlike how it had been the night before. "Ariana, would you excuse us dear?" p "Certainly, Madame." Ariana lowered her head and walked out. p "I am guessing, Emmeline, that she has no idea," Dumbledore said. He sat down on a scarlet velvet chair situated in front of Emmeline's desk. p "Albus, do you honestly think that this is a good idea? I did not want to say anything last night, but she does not know anything about what is going on in England. None of my children do. Their parents decided it was best for them not to know." p "Best not to know? Best not to know!" Dumbledore's voice rose, "These children will be part of war pretty soon and their parents think that it best that they not know?" p "Sir, I completely agree, but it is not in my power to go against what their parents wish. We had to fight to get the class to teach them defense against the dark arts, which only exists because we promised the parents that none of the children would know the reason. I am just telling you that I think the Ministry might be wrong in sending Ariana back to England. She has not lived there since she was two and has no memory of it. She suspects something is going on with the Death Eaters, but she has no idea that it's worse than she thinks. p "Emmeline, everything is going to be fine. As I said last night: Hogwarts is the safest place for her." Professor McGonagall said. p "Emmeline, we knew before coming here that it was going to be difficult to convince her to come back, but we didn't realize it was going to be a fight with you. We spoke with you last night; you knew the time was coming when we would have to take her back," Dumbledore sighed. p "What are you going to tell her?" Emmeline asked. p "We are going to tell her that due to her great leadership skills, her outstanding grades, and her advancement in magic that we would like her to attend Hogwarts. In the meantime she will be staying in a house with other wizards." p "I have no choice. I am telling you Albus, the ministry is wrong about her." p "Let's hope so," Professor McGonagall said. p "I will go get her." Emmeline stood up and walked out of the room. p "I hope we are making the right decision here," McGonagall said to Dumbledore. p "We have no other choice. Minerva, this is the only way." pProfessor Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall sat waiting for Emmeline to come back with Ariana. The pair sat in complete silence thinking about events from the past months. p "Hello again," Ariana said as she walked back in the room and smiled, "Professor Vaughn said that you wanted to speak to me about something?" p "Have a seat," Professor Dumbledore said pointing to a chair. "Ariana, Professor McGonagall and I knew who you were before you introduced yourself to us. We have come here to ask you to attend Hogwarts this fall." pAriana looked at Dumbledore blankly, her gray eyes burning into him. Dumbledore continued. "I know that this would be a big change and that you only have two years left; however, we cannot take no for an answer. You have great potential and Hogwarts would be able to help you along your way." p "Where would I live?" Ariana asked suddenly turning towards Professor Vaughn. p "Well you would first be staying at a house with us; there are a few other wizards there and several children your own age. Then you will be sorted with the first years into one of the four school houses" Professor McGonagall said. p "How would it be paid for? I have no money, as you may know. I understand the importance of this opportunity and I would love to go; I just have no money or skill to get there," Ariana said nervously. p "Ariana, Hogwarts looked into you when you were ten, but we felt that since you were living in the States that it would be best to leave you there. The magic world is changing and tough times are falling on us; we want to prepare all wizards and witches. All of your teachers have said that you have great skill and that you are a diligent student. Hogwarts will pay for everything," Dumbledore answered. pAriana looked down at her hands for a few minutes as the room fell completely silent. "Sir, I do not know what to say. I have lived with Professor Vaughn since I was two. Since..." she hesitated and looked down. "If you think this is what is best, than I have to trust in your judgment" p "Ariana, everything will be alright. We are very glad that you've agreed, and we know you will have a good time at Hogwarts. At the end of the term you will be sent back here to spend your summer vacation with Professor Vaughn unless you wish to remain in England. But that is a matter for another day." Professor McGonagall stood up and took Ariana's hand, giving it a comforting squeeze. p "When do we leave?" Ariana asked. p "Today," Dumbledore smiled. p "Then should I go pack?" Ariana asked her voice saddened. p "Yes, Ariana." Emmeline said. pAriana stood up and walked out of the room. After the door shut behind her, she leaned against it and took a deep breath. "What am I doing?" she thought. She took another deep breath and began to walk up the stairs to the small room she lived in alone. She had always been somewhat of an outcast because of her family, or rather the lack of one. As she sat on her bed and looked around, she knew she would miss this place, the students, and the teachers. Yet she could not help feeling some kind of excitement in the pit of her stomach. She began to smile as she packed her suitcase. For some reason she felt like she was finally heading home.
Chapter One Bad Omen's:
p Harry lay miserably on his bed, staring at the ceiling as the rain continued to fall outside. It had been raining continuously for two days straight. Hedwig had gone to deliver a letter to Hermione and Ron and hadn't returned yet, Harry was starting to become restless. Dudley had his gang over downstairs playing video games; the noise of guns going off was echoing and giving him a headache. Harry was stuck in his room whether he wanted to be or not. As laughter filtered up the stairs, Harry felt a pang of jealousy; he had been alone for the entire summer and even though he had received a few letters here and there, for the most part he had had no contact with the Wizarding world. His sixteenth birthday had already come and gone, unnoticed again by the Dursleys. Hermione had sent him an enchanted birthday card that sang Happy Birthday every time Harry opened it; Ron sent him a quiditch poster and some candy from Honeydukes; Hagrid sent him another one of his lovely rock hard birthday cakes; and Fred and George sent him a sample of their new joke products. The presents now all lay forgotten in the corner, hidden beneath clothing and books. The stash of birthday cake and candy was slowly depleting, and his schoolbooks lay scattered across every inch of the room. The more miserable Harry began to feel, the more unkempt his room became. The only clean area of the room was Hedwig's cage, for he had learned from his mistake of not cleaning it when he was woken up in the middle of the night by a not so happy owl and an even unhappier, red-faced uncle.
pThe summer had been uneventful so far: no dementors had attacked Little Whining and Lord Voldemort had not come and attacked Harry in his sleep even though the Daily Prophet had reported Lord Voldemort's mysterious disappearance as well as those of the Death Eaters. The Order, though, seemed busier then ever. Lupin was able to send a few letters, but as usually not filled with much information. Harry had resorted to other methods to figure out what was going on. He began to end up at Ms. Figg's house in the middle of the night more often, but for the last week the house lay desolate and empty. Harry was beginning to feel alone, he knew that there were wizards watching him but he had no clue who or where they were. The Dursleys even seemed uninterested in Harry. He had no complains about the latter; he was able to go and come as he pleased, with only a few disgusted glances and grunts here and there. Harry rolled over onto his side and peered out the window to look for Hedwig. Lupin's last letter had said he hoped they would be able to get together by the end of the summer, but there were only two weeks left until Harry was to board the Hogwarts Express. "When were they going to get together?" Harry wondered, as an overwhelming sense of being forgotten came over him.
pAs Harry laid feeling forgotten, a ball of anxiety began to form in his stomach. What could be happening that would cause even Ms. Figg to abandon her house, and why would Lord Voldemort suddenly disappear after he had just made his appearance? As he began to worry, the rain began to come down harder, and Harry was starting to think that it was some kind of omen. As he thought of bad omens his mind wandered to the Grim and then to Sirius. Thinking of Sirius caused a lone tear to stroll down his check. Harry wiped it away angrily, and as he lay there staring at the rain, his eyes began to feel heavy and he dozed off to sleep.
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pOutside of 12 Grimmauld Place everything seemed quiet; however, inside an intense dispute was continuing. Dumbledore sat at the head of the table while the other members of the Order sat around him. Mrs. Weasley was holding a teapot while attempting to pour everyone some more tea. The other members were standing up screaming at one another. Every so often Dumbledore would try to quiet them down, but it wasn't long before the commotion started up again. Dumbledore looked up at Mrs. Weasley apologetically and she just nodded. "Will you all be bloody quiet!" she shouted. At the sound of her voice they all sat down and apologized. p"It's like having me mum yell at me all over again," Tonks whispered to Moody. pDumbledore stood up and Mrs. Weasley started pouring everyone tea. "Now, that we are done with that little discussion, we are still back at square one. We need to make a decision soon on what type of action we are going to take. If it is possible, can we please speak one at a time? I know that all of you are worried, excited, and have a lot to say, but we don't have much time." pAt that moment an older woman's hand shot up. p"Yes, Emmeline?" p"I was wondering if I could have a chance to speak. I know her better than any of you and I have been a type of guardian to her." The older woman stood up her silver hair pulled tightly into a bun. p"For those who do not know, Emmeline has been the headmaster at Salem Witches' Institute for higher wizardry for 14 years now." The table began to mumble, each person whispering to the next. Dumbledore began to raise his voice, "I suggest we all listen to what she has to say, and if you have any questions this would be the person to ask." pEmmeline began to speak, "Ariana is an extraordinary witch. However, she has no memory of England. I feel that moving her here would cause some problems, maybe uproot some repressed memories. Also, I'm concerned that even as good of a witch as she might have some issues with her magic when under pressure." pElphais stood up, "What do you mean 'extraordinary witch'? How can you derive that when she is supposed to be dead?" The end of his sentence was lost in a wheezing fit. Emmeline looked at Dumbledore, and then began to answer. p"Ariana has mastered many dark magic spells and counter curses; some spells that have caused me some difficulty she is able to do with ease." Emmeline looked down at the table as everyone around her began to roar again. p"You taught the girl bloody dark magic! Are you insane woman? Don't you know who she is?" yelled Moody. "You are not fit to be a headmaster." Emmeline did not raise her eyes. p"That is enough," Dumbledore's voice bellowed through the room and everyone became quite, "I was the one that instructed Emmeline to teach Ariana dark magic. You forget it was all of you who wanted Harry to learn, and it was all of you that liked the idea of defense against the dark arts. Since Salem didn't offer it, I suggested to Emmeline that she offer a class. Ariana was the first to sign up and she mastered everything in her book within 3 months." Dumbledore sat down and everyone was stunned. Mrs. Weasley was the first to speak up. "Moody, I think you over Mrs. Vaughn an apology." pMoody mumbled "I'm sorry," and Dumbledore asked her to continue, but Emmeline remained silent. "I understand how worried all of you are, and that you are wondering if we are making the right decision. I personally feel that she would be safer at Hogwarts," Professor McGonagal said. p"I don't understand though; the States are safe. 'You Know Who' is not targeting the States; he is targeting England. Why when thousands of wizards are migrating over would we bring her back?" Tonks stood up to say. p"Albus or Minerva would be better to answer that question." Emmeline sat down and McGonagal began to speak. p"Tonks, I understand where you are coming from, as Emmeline and I have had this conversation more than once. My feelings are this: Hogwarts is the safest place in the world for a wizard or a witch. It is also one of the best places for an education. Ariana is going into her 6th year. We would like to transfer her there before her last year." p"It seems that you have already made your decision." Snape said from the back of the room. Everyone turned their head to see him. p"In a way, yes, we have Severus. However, we hoped to have all of your support as well, or at least one viable reason not to." Professor McGonagal said. p"I just don't understand why we have to transfer her. Wouldn't that be bringing her closer to 'You Know Who?' Also, she is supposed to be dead, everyone thought she died years ago, yet now all of sudden she is alive and we are bringing her here?" Tonks asked. p"Tonks, say his name. A name is just a name unless you place the fear behind it. Yes, in a way it is bringing her closer to Voldemort, but he is unaware of that. We are starting to believe he doesn't even have any recollection of her, and even if he did, he would assume as everyone else has that she is dead." Dumbledore said. p"If he doesn't have any re-cull..." Moody began to speak. p"Recollection," Tonks said for him. p"Yeah, that's it. If he doesn't have any recollection then why are we bringing her here? I mean, wouldn't it be the same if we left her there?" Moody finished. p"She is a child who has a name. Her name is Ariana, and they are bringing her to Hogwarts: end of discussion. She has earned it, we have all seen her scores, and we have heard all the amazing things she has done. When she was old enough, the school had wanted to send her to Hogwarts anyways, and that was before they knew who she was. Times have changed and darkness is befalling us. We need to prepare every able witch and wizard, including her." As Lupin stood up to continue his speech, his eyes drooped and dark circles were embedded under them. "We will take a vote: all in favor raise your hand." The majority of the table raised their hands. "All in disagreement raise your hands." To this, a few scattered witches and wizards raised their hands. "The majority wins; new discussion, please."
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pAcross England, Privet Road's silence was being shattered by a horrible, earsplitting noise which was coming from number 4. Harry woke up to the reddening round face of his uncle telling him to be quiet while his thick arms shook Harry horribly. As his uncle left, he tried to remember what the nightmare had been about, but the burning pain in his head was hindering his ability to do so. Harry sat there gripping his head for a few minutes until he remembered something: Voldemort. Harry had been in the room with Voldemort and Wormtail, but there had also been a large group of other people, strangers, all gathered around a table. Harry tried to remember more, but the pain was becoming unbearable. He knew he should write Lupin and tell him about the nightmare, but he did not want to sound like he was complaining after everything that had happened in the past few months. Harry sat there for a few minutes waiting for the pain to subside. After what seemed like an eternity, he looked up and sighed. He put his glasses on and looked over at the calendar on the wall. "10 more days till Hogwarts," he thought, as he counted the unmarked days. pHarry tried again to remember what the discussion between Voldemort and Wormtail had been about, but it still eluded him. "What use is this if I can't remember what I dreamt about," he thought. He looked over at the clock. "3:30. Great," he thought sarcastically. "Maybe I can get some more sleep," he continued hopefully. Harry took off his glasses and turned out the light.
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pAfter the meeting had concluded, Professor Dumbledore and Professor McGonagal headed back to Hogwarts to pick up what they needed for their trip to the States. McGonagall walked down the empty hallways thinking how full they would seem in just over a week. As she arrived at Professor Dumbledore's study, she noticed his office light was on. She saw that the room was covered in old photo albums as she walked in and began to speak to him, "Are you ready, Albus?" p "Yes, Minerva, I was just looking through some old pictures. I wanted to give Harry a picture of Remus, Sirius, and his father. I know I had one, I just can't find it now." Minerva looked down at the picture in front of Dumbledore. . Two women stared back at her, each with their arms wrapped around the others waist. There stomachs were bulging from pregnancy, and the two women were both cheerfully smiling and every so often they would rub their stomachs. The woman on the right was clearly Lilly Potter, her auburn hair and bright green eyes were a dead give away. However, Professor Dumbledore and McGonagal knew her smile best; they knew it to be a smile that could lighten up any room. p "Can you believe it has been 16 years?" Minerva asked, continuing to look at the photo album. She stared at the other woman, a name that had been lost with time. She had dark, brown, curly hair and blue eyes like the ocean. "Not many people remember that they were best friends," she said to Dumbledore. p "Not many people even remember her name, either." he replied. After a short pause, he whispered "it's Sidra." Professor McGonagall walked out of his office and into a smaller side room. She returned wearing a black cloak pulled up to her neck. In one hand she was holding her hat while the other held a roll of parchment. p "Are you ready, Albus?" she asked again. "We should really get going; it is a long journey." McGonagal smiled encouragingly and handed Dumbledore his cloak. p "Did you send an owl to Remus and Tonks telling them that we are leaving now?" Dumbledore asked as he stood up, took the cloak from McGonagall's hand, and put it on. p "Yes, and I told him that we would send one when we return," McGonagall said while leading Dumbledore out of the room. p "Then everything is arranged."
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pLupin and Tonks sat at number 12 Grimmauld Place waiting for the arrival of Dumbledore and his new guest. Lupin was still cleaning up the remnants of the meeting. "What if she hates us?" Lupin suddenly asked Tonks. Tonks was sitting at the table painting her nails,
p "She won't," she said without looking up. p "How can you be sure?" Lupin asked nervously. p "She won't hate us Remus." p "I'm worried. I don't have a good feeling about this, Tonks." p "Lupin, stop worrying about it; there are worse things happening." p "I know that," Lupin yelled standing up and slamming his hands down on the table. "You think I don't know that?" pTonks just raised her eyebrows, "Yes, I know you know that. Why don't you make some tea for us?" p "Yes, some tea would be nice. I think I will. Yes." Lupin walked to the other side of the room mumbling. Tonks continued to paint her nails wondering the same thing: "what if Ariana did hate them?"
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pProfessor Dumbledore and McGonagall arrived a few hours later outside a brick building covered in ivy. Children were running around screaming and playing. A tall lanky girl stood near the door holding a whistle and a broom watching the kids. p "That's her, Minerva, that's Ariana." Dumbledore said turning to his companion. McGonagall just nodded and smiled. Dumbledore stood motionless watching the children. "Do you remember when we did this for a living," he asked jokingly. p "Yes, I did it last year with those Weasley Twins," she answered. pSuddenly, a little boy flew towards the two Hogwarts' Professors, only barely avoiding a collision. In his hand was the collar of a younger girl whom he had dangling from the side of the broom. Ariana ran after him. "Kenzey, put her down. Merlin, Kenzey!" The boy just flew higher after each of her commands. p "Kenzey I am giving you five seconds," she screamed. The boy flew even higher, and the little girl began to scream. "Kenzey," Ariana shouted again, then pulled out her wand. "Imobulous!" As she shouted the incantation, the boy dropped the little girl. Ariana dove under the broom and caught her, while Kenzey sat stuck on his broom. p "Thank you Ariana," the little girl said hugging her. p "You're welcome," Ariana said, putting her down. The little boy began to whine. "Kenzey I am going to kill you. Accio!" Ariana yelled, summoning the little boy. When he was close enough she grabbed him by the collar of his shirt. "Did you think that was fun, Kenzey? I hate taking points off of my own house, but honestly! What were you thinking?" pThe boy began to speak, but Ariana cut him off. p "No don't, I don't even want to know. Go into your room and stay there until I can figure out what to do with you." As the boy ran off Ariana yelled, "and apologize to Sara." Ariana rubbed her head and put her wand back into her pants. As she looked around at the other kids, she suddenly became aware of Professor Dumbledore and McGonagall. p "Hello dear," Professor McGonagall said as she walked forward and extended her hand. Ariana shook it. p "I am so sorry about what you just witnessed; they are not usually that rambunctious," Ariana blushed. p "Don't give it a second thought. I am Professor Minerva McGonagall, and this is Albus Dumbledore." At the mention of Dumbledore, Ariana bowed her head. p "I am proud to welcome you to Salem Witches' Institute. My name is Ariana. It is truly an honor to have you here." Ariana smiled, and then suddenly turned around and blew her whistle. "Time to go inside," she yelled. As she turned back, she said apologetically, "sorry, the older kids have to take turns having outside duty. I am sure you would like to go inside and see the headmistress." pProfessor McGonagall and Dumbledore both nodded their heads. p "I am surprised she didn't say anything to us about your arrival. Is she expecting you?" Ariana began to lead the Hogwarts teachers inside. The school looked much like Hogwarts: pictures plastered the walls and students were hectically running from one side of the hall to the other, upstairs and downstairs. p "It's the beginning of a new term, so it's been crazy. I believe you know what I mean. Well, here we are." They stopped in front of a large wooden door engraved with the school crest. Ariana knocked on the door and waited for her headmistress to answer. She walked Professor McGonagall and Dumbledore into the room, and was met with a sudden shriek. p "Minerva! Albus! What are you doing here? This is a wonderful surprise! How are things? How are you? Is everything okay?" The woman's face was bright and cherry, much unlike how it had been the night before. "Ariana, would you excuse us dear?" p "Certainly, Madame." Ariana lowered her head and walked out. p "I am guessing, Emmeline, that she has no idea," Dumbledore said. He sat down on a scarlet velvet chair situated in front of Emmeline's desk. p "Albus, do you honestly think that this is a good idea? I did not want to say anything last night, but she does not know anything about what is going on in England. None of my children do. Their parents decided it was best for them not to know." p "Best not to know? Best not to know!" Dumbledore's voice rose, "These children will be part of war pretty soon and their parents think that it best that they not know?" p "Sir, I completely agree, but it is not in my power to go against what their parents wish. We had to fight to get the class to teach them defense against the dark arts, which only exists because we promised the parents that none of the children would know the reason. I am just telling you that I think the Ministry might be wrong in sending Ariana back to England. She has not lived there since she was two and has no memory of it. She suspects something is going on with the Death Eaters, but she has no idea that it's worse than she thinks. p "Emmeline, everything is going to be fine. As I said last night: Hogwarts is the safest place for her." Professor McGonagall said. p "Emmeline, we knew before coming here that it was going to be difficult to convince her to come back, but we didn't realize it was going to be a fight with you. We spoke with you last night; you knew the time was coming when we would have to take her back," Dumbledore sighed. p "What are you going to tell her?" Emmeline asked. p "We are going to tell her that due to her great leadership skills, her outstanding grades, and her advancement in magic that we would like her to attend Hogwarts. In the meantime she will be staying in a house with other wizards." p "I have no choice. I am telling you Albus, the ministry is wrong about her." p "Let's hope so," Professor McGonagall said. p "I will go get her." Emmeline stood up and walked out of the room. p "I hope we are making the right decision here," McGonagall said to Dumbledore. p "We have no other choice. Minerva, this is the only way." pProfessor Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall sat waiting for Emmeline to come back with Ariana. The pair sat in complete silence thinking about events from the past months. p "Hello again," Ariana said as she walked back in the room and smiled, "Professor Vaughn said that you wanted to speak to me about something?" p "Have a seat," Professor Dumbledore said pointing to a chair. "Ariana, Professor McGonagall and I knew who you were before you introduced yourself to us. We have come here to ask you to attend Hogwarts this fall." pAriana looked at Dumbledore blankly, her gray eyes burning into him. Dumbledore continued. "I know that this would be a big change and that you only have two years left; however, we cannot take no for an answer. You have great potential and Hogwarts would be able to help you along your way." p "Where would I live?" Ariana asked suddenly turning towards Professor Vaughn. p "Well you would first be staying at a house with us; there are a few other wizards there and several children your own age. Then you will be sorted with the first years into one of the four school houses" Professor McGonagall said. p "How would it be paid for? I have no money, as you may know. I understand the importance of this opportunity and I would love to go; I just have no money or skill to get there," Ariana said nervously. p "Ariana, Hogwarts looked into you when you were ten, but we felt that since you were living in the States that it would be best to leave you there. The magic world is changing and tough times are falling on us; we want to prepare all wizards and witches. All of your teachers have said that you have great skill and that you are a diligent student. Hogwarts will pay for everything," Dumbledore answered. pAriana looked down at her hands for a few minutes as the room fell completely silent. "Sir, I do not know what to say. I have lived with Professor Vaughn since I was two. Since..." she hesitated and looked down. "If you think this is what is best, than I have to trust in your judgment" p "Ariana, everything will be alright. We are very glad that you've agreed, and we know you will have a good time at Hogwarts. At the end of the term you will be sent back here to spend your summer vacation with Professor Vaughn unless you wish to remain in England. But that is a matter for another day." Professor McGonagall stood up and took Ariana's hand, giving it a comforting squeeze. p "When do we leave?" Ariana asked. p "Today," Dumbledore smiled. p "Then should I go pack?" Ariana asked her voice saddened. p "Yes, Ariana." Emmeline said. pAriana stood up and walked out of the room. After the door shut behind her, she leaned against it and took a deep breath. "What am I doing?" she thought. She took another deep breath and began to walk up the stairs to the small room she lived in alone. She had always been somewhat of an outcast because of her family, or rather the lack of one. As she sat on her bed and looked around, she knew she would miss this place, the students, and the teachers. Yet she could not help feeling some kind of excitement in the pit of her stomach. She began to smile as she packed her suitcase. For some reason she felt like she was finally heading home.