Hey, guys, it's chapter two, where Aria meets some familiar Hogwarts students!! Please, if you are reading, leave me a review, because I could really use some support! Thank you so much!
Aria opened her eyes to find herself in the midst of a crowd of worried people. "Oh, my gosh, dear, wherever did you come from?" "Quick, get her up, get her up." "She can't be young enough to apparate on her own." "In these times, you don't just go about apparating into the middle of the city." "Well, she's close enough, isn't she?" "Poor thing must have misjudged her target." "Well, help her up, won't you?"
"I'm fine, I don't need any help," Aria said, brushing away the hands offering assistance. She pulled herself up into a standing position, pushing her long dark hair out of her face. She took several steps back, wanting to get as far away from these strange people as possible. They watched her with odd expressions.
"Are you quite sure you're all right, dear?" It was the first woman who'd spoken, a motherly figure wearing an oddly flowing gown. In fact, they all were, the entire crowd clad in various sorts of odd gowns and robes.
"I'm fine," Aria Alena said again, running her hands down the length of her own dress. "Is it Halloween or something?"
Several people exchanged what appeared to be nervous glances. "Do you need any sort of help, young one, a Side-along back to your home, or wherever you are attempting to go?"
"I don't know what a Side-along is," Aria replied, glancing down to make sure her time necklace was hidden by her clothes. The device appeared to have worked somehow, as she definitely did not feel as though she were still in the same place she'd left. "But I'm capable of going home on my own, thank you."
The people were already beginning to disperse, some rushing away quickly while others seemed to be sliding into the shadows as slowly as possible. Still others seemed to vanish from sight entirely before Aria could even process it. "You must be quite shaken up, dear," said the same woman as before. "Why don't you come inside the Leaky Cauldron with me and get yourself something to drink?"
Aria followed the woman's gaze to a little pub on the street behind her. She was certain it hadn't been there a moment ago, but then again, neither had the two buildings on either side of it. Or rather, they had been there, but they had looked much different. The Leaky Cauldron seemed to slide out of sight as Aria examined the houses around it, and the young woman had to concentrate in order to find the pub again. This reminded her of that magic shop, and she realized that this Cauldron place had to be magic.
"Yes, I could use a drink," she said calmly, accepting the invitation merely as a means to get inside that pub. She had to know what made it hide from her sight that way, as how could any normal building fade into shadows the moment you looked away from it?
As she followed the woman through the door, Aria was hit by a wave of sounds and smells. There was the rich smell of some sort of ale, and the loud talk of unruly voices. Excitement and nerves were in the air, and Aria wondered what sort of thing was going on in this time. She had no way of knowing what year she was in, and she was not about to appear even odder amongst these people by asking. She simply followed the woman up to the bar, where an older man with a receding hairline was pouring a drink. "Hello, Doris, waiting for your girls, are you?" He asked.
Aria turned away as Doris and Tom began to chat, the woman having seemingly forgotten about the time traveler she'd picked up. Aria looked around the bar, trying to judge the era by the people, but everyone was wearing those odd cloaks and she couldn't make anything out.
A group of people in the far corner caught her eye, as there were two young men seated at a table who seemed to be about Aria's own age. She edged closer so that she could examine them more closely. One of them, a thin boy with very messy black hair, was waving his arms about excitedly as he talked, and the other, a paler, taller boy, watched with a smug smirk.
"And then he just, wham, caught him right in the face!" The messy-haired boy was saying, swinging his arms as though he were playing baseball. "And, of course, I was right there to catch the Quaffle when he dropped it. Not many people can keep hold of a ball when they've caught a Bludger to the face, eh?"
"I'd imagine not," the taller boy replied, sounding only vaguely amused.
"That's my boy," said the only other male at the table, an older gentlemen who had the same messy black hair as the excitable boy. "I told you he'd make a great Chaser, didn't I?"
"Yes, dear, you certainly did." The woman seated between them had a pleasant smile. "I'd hope James puts the same thought and effort into his studies as he does his Quidditch, however."
"Aw, I already told you, Mum, Sirius and I are top in the school," the boy with the messy hair, presumably James, replied, waving a hand in dismissal of his mother's remark. "I don't even have to study, really."
His mother pursed her lips, but said nothing, and his father grinned broadly. "And a stellar student, to boot. Come now, dear, let's be off and let the boys run free a bit, eh? They're older now, they can handle themselves."
"Not with the letters I receive from their Head of House," the mother replied sternly. "You know what they've been into last year; I don't know if I should let them alone in Diagon Alley after that."
"Come on, Mum, we were just having a bit of fun," James said. "We'll behave, right, Sirius?"
"Of course," Sirius, the smirking boy, replied, and he gave the parents an innocent look. "I'll keep James in line, honest."
Aria found herself very confused, unable to understand some of the things they were talking about. What in the world was Quidditch, and what kind of a name was Sirius, anyway?
Whatever it was, he didn't seem very sincere, and yet James's parents seemed to eat it up. "Oh, Sirius, you're a dear," his mother said with her pleasant smile. "You boys be back here in a few hours, all right?"
"Sure, Mum, whatever you say," James replied eagerly, already rushing to get out of his seat.
"I'm sure my mother won't care when I get back," Sirius said darkly as he followed suit, standing up and tucking his hair behind his ears in a delicate manner.
James's mother and father exchanged a worried look, and then gave Sirius a kind smile. "You know we're happy to have you whenever you want to visit," the woman said kindly. "You're a wonderful boy, Sirius, whatever your family thinks."
"Thanks, Mrs. Potter," Sirius replied, and his smile was genuine this time.
Aria turned away as the group walked past her, watching out of the corner of her eye as they left through the back door of the pub. The parents lingered by the doorway for a moment, and Mrs. Potter kissed James on the cheek, despite her son's loud protests. As they left, Aria snuck forward, feeling somehow drawn to these two fascinating boys. She had to at least find out what Quidditch was, anyway.
Aria peered out the door as Mr. Potter stood before a large brick wall, the others gathered just behind him. Her eyes widened as the man tapped on the bricks with what appeared to be a long stick, and the wall began to glow as the bricks moved aside to create a doorway. "You boys have fun," he said jovially. "We'll see you later." He and his wife vanished from sight with a loud popping sound.
There was no longer any doubt in Aria's mind; she was indeed watching a group of magical people. The revelation thrilled her, and she began pondering ways to approach the boys and ask them about this.
It turned out she didn't have to. "Well, now that they're gone," Sirius said haughtily, "I should tell you we have a stalker, James."
"Eh, Padfoot?" James asked, peering into the bustling alley which had been revealed by the moving bricks.
"Behind you," Sirius said, and, knowing she was caught, Aria stepped forward.
"Oh, hello," James said brightly upon seeing the young woman. "What can I do for you?"
"She was spying on us," Sirius said darkly, scrutinizing Aria.
She gave him a cold stare in return. "I'm sorry," she said briskly. "I couldn't help but be drawn to you; you're magic."
"Well, so are you, aren't you?" James asked. "You couldn't be here if you weren't."
"Is that so?" Aria asked, raising one eyebrow questioningly.
"But of course," James said. He was smiling in a friendly manner, while Sirius remained glowering and suspicious. "Muggles can't see the Leaky Cauldron, everybody knows that."
"And just what is a Muggle?" Aria demanded.
James looked to Sirius with amazement. "Well, isn't she a peach? You must be new around here," he said, looking back to her. "You have a nice accent. American, I assume?"
"Yes," Aria said, feeling a bit out of place now.
"What do you call non-magical folk in America? Here they're Muggles. What school do you go to?"
"It doesn't matter," Sirius said, "She's obviously not from around here. Come on, James, let's leave her be and get to shopping."
"You will not leave me be," Aria said sternly, and, catching herself, smiled apologetically. "I mean, I'm sorry, I really want to learn from you. I admit it, I'm a Muggle, but I want to know about magic. I can feel it, I really can."
James grinned at his friend. "A Muggle at the Leaky Cauldron, in Diagon Alley?"
Sirius was giving Aria another sort of scrutinizing, this time with much less suspicion and an open curiosity. "She doesn't look like a Muggle," he said softly. "And she can feel it, James."
"Well, let's say we give her a test?" James asked excitedly. He turned back to Aria. "Have you ever done any magic?"
"Not that I know of," Aria replied cautiously, once again making sure her time turner was properly hidden. She didn't want to give that away unless she absolutely had to; it was her guide back to her own time, once she figured out how to use it.
"Hm, let's see." James put his hand to his chin in thought. "We actually aren't allowed to do magic out of school, so there goes that."
"So what? If she's not even a Hogwarts student, she's not going to be expelled," Sirius said. "I want proof she's actually magic, if she can actually feel it."
"But I can feel it," Aria said, coming forward to place her hand on the brick wall. "It's like a glowing sort of warmth, and when I touch it, it makes me feel stronger." She felt a little odd baring her soul to these two strangers, but how else could she make them understand her, and get them to teach her?
James snapped his fingers. "I've got it! Have you got a wand?" Aria shook her head. "Then we'll take you to Ollivander's! If you are magic, he'll have a wand for you, and then we'll know for sure!"
Sirius nodded, and bowed to Aria. "After you," he said with his smirk.
Aria returned the smirk. "Thank you," she said, and followed James as he walked through the doorway.
"So, what's your name, anyway?" James asked as he led her through the busy crowd of shoppers, past stores selling cauldrons and animals and magic books and broomsticks.
"Aria," the woman replied, taking everything in with awe. She had never felt this much of a magnetic pull to anything in her entire life.
"Well, Aria, welcome to the Marauders! I'm James Potter, and this is my best mate, Sirius Black."
"A pleasure to meet you," Sirius said, and she couldn't tell if he meant it or not; he had a way of speaking that enticed her, a mixture of arrogance and amusement.
"If you end up staying with us, you'll meet our other half, Remus and Peter," James continued. "And if you are magic, maybe you'll come with us to Hogwarts! Hey, how did you end up here, anyway?"
"My parents took me here for vacation, and….." Aria trailed off, unsure of what to say. She was dying of curiosity, needing to see this Hogwarts place, and she couldn't tell them that she was not of this time. "And abandoned me," she finished sadly. "I'm trying to survive here on my own."
"In times like these, we all are," James replied, giving her a sympathetic look. "I'm certain my folks will take you in; they're very kind, and we've got plenty of room."
"That would be very kind, indeed," Aria said with a smile; she liked James already, with his confident and excitable air. She liked both of the boys, and hoped very much that this wand test would work, so that she could stay with them. If she somehow failed, they would be very unlikely to trust her, especially the suspicious Sirius. Aria prayed with all of her might.
Thank you for reading, and please don't forget to leave me a review, so that I will have some confidence in posting Chapter three, where Aria takes the wand test and we find out just how magical she really is!! Thanks!!