A day after the eventful trip to Diagon Alley, six hours from sunrise, two from breakfast, Ariana Dumbledore walked along a small marbled pathway that ran west of the Dumbledore Manor. The path was lined with many flowers on its sides, particularly lilies of a violet color, an odd variety of daffodils and pink roses that grew in clutches. The path led some distance into the forest before encountering a bordered fence. There was a small gate but for what purpose, nobody knew except for her father. She saw a grooves of trees clustered into the distance beyond the white gate and childishly trotted up to it.
The notch on the gate was just about her height and she opened it. The gate moved aside with a click. The wards had been crossed. She moved towards her left to encounter a small orchard of dandelions. These dandelions were of a weird kind, not lance shaped but somewhat in the shape of a jaw having teeth. They were perennial and looked herbaceous and grew to twelve inches long. Their stalks were hollow just like a common dandelion.
Ariana moved towards the dandelions and started looking at them, her eyes furrowed. She was mesmerized by the yellow flowers that grew on their tops. Suddenly, the flower rotated faster and faster. Some fell out while others hovered in the air. But then, she heard voices. Male voices.
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Julian, Dickenson and Larry had wandered into the forest just so on an expedition. They were far away from their Muggle houses and had wandered too far south of the road. They were lost, they supposed. Julian had led them too far astray. They all were aged same, nineteen. They were considered bullies in the main village. They studied in London and had come to their homes for a vacation.
"Freak Julian! You have already led us astray. Come, let us go back. We are miles away from our place." Said Larry.
Julian sniggered, "Perhaps, you are afraid, Larry. I never thought of you a coward. After coming so far, we give up. That is so unlike our association. Remember the tag line we used to abide in our college?"
Larry and Dickenson nodded half heartedly.
"No Fear, And We Shall Stand True, this was it, eh?"
Larry nodded again.
"Then why do you harbor fear? I am trying my best to get out. I do not like this shabby forest either."
Dickerson ventured for the first time. The voice was almost a wheeze. "Then you are going the wrong way round. Let us turn eastward and see where that takes us. I saw the map yesterday, the main road bends towards the south eastward, some way yonder, there" pointing towards his right.
Julian stood and pondered for a while. "Ok, let us move. I want to get out too"
"If you so hate the forest, why come in at all?" asked Larry
"For an adventure, Larry. Is that a problem with you?"
"None at all, dear Julian, but it is just that I do not trust your judgments'."
Dickerson looked askance should this result in an altercation and a struggle. But, to his amusement, Julian laughed. "Cannot you make your own decisions, eh? You had the choice to follow me or leave me. Yet you choose to follow me here. Now, you speak of my decision making skills."
Larry looked dumbfounded. Dickerson said," Let us not mince words with swords. Let us move, east we go then."
They moved eastward. They had gone only a short distance ahead that they saw a young girl but what they saw also shocked them, propelling fear into their hearts. Julian's eyes were almost on those floating dandelions and the little girl laughing.
Larry asked, "W-what is t-that?"
Dickerson was silent. Julian's eyes brightened with malice. "If that is what I think it is, there is only way to find out. Come."
They walked towards her, noticing that she had stopped laughing and her eyes were on them.
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Little Ariana saw three tall boys coming towards her, pacing rapidly. She was frightened a little. She made to run away back towards the gate but Julian managed to get hold of her left arm. She began to cry but it had no effect on him.
"Tell me, little girl, how dare you make us feel fear? How dare you?"
Ariana cried still. "Tell me what you did? Tell me."
"I dint do anything." She cried.
"You are mocking me. That flower was rotating; those dandelions were sort of – dancing. How did you do it?"
"I did nothing"
"Leave her, Julian, leave her." Pleaded Larry
"You, get out of this, this little vermin needs to be taught a lesson. How dare she incite fear into us? We are big boys, she one little girl. I know what to do with you."
He threw Ariana on the ground, picked up her legs and threw her on the fence. The legs passed on the wards again.
Julian was flabbergasted. Half her legs werent visible to them.
"What the devil are you doing girl?"
Ariana was crying, white tears flowing down her cheek. Her arms were wounded. Little droplets of crimson blood were trickling down her skin.
Julian pulled her back. He slapped her twice but soon he heard a voice.
"That must be her father. Run!" shouted Julian.
They had just begun to run when three silver ropes clasped around their neck.
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When Ariana had crossed the wards the first time, a candle began to glow brighter. It was Kendra who first noticed the white light shining through the room.
Intruders she thought. She brandished her wand and ran outside.
Where was Ariana? She looked around and saw her playing with the dandelions at a distance. Out of nowhere then three boys appeared and started twisting her. She called for Percival but Percival already knew. He was coming through the gate and saw the boys. He disapparated towards the western gate and saw the three boys. They were running.
"You will run after torturing my daughter, will you?"
With uncommon skill, he waved his wand, whispering "Incarcerous" and three ropes jetted out of his wand clasping their necks.
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Kendra knew Percival would be too harsh. She too rushed, her feet running through the bushes. She watched as the three ropes strangled the three boys. But when she reached the gate, she was horrified at what her husband was doing.
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Percival looked into their eyes and asked, "What do you think you were doing?"
"N-nothing, sir. We did not mean any harm." Answered Julian.
Percival looked at Ariana who was still crying, her fair little hand holding her other wounded arm. He was enraged further and with another wave of his hand, the three ropes vanished and the three boys fell down to the ground with a thud.
When Kendra came to the gate, Percival raised his wand and pointed to the boys, "Now, you will know what true torture means."
Kendra appeared shocked, "Percy, no! You cannot and will not use the Unforgivable Curses on them. It is forbidden. You will go to Azkaban."
"You think, they touch my daughter and I will let them go. Their intention was torture, I am not mistaken. These Mudbloods ought to get what they want."
Kendra winced and held Ariana in her arms. "Mudbloods! So, we now see the pure blood mania coming out of you. Does that mean I am a Mudblood too? I am Muggle born you know."
"I did not mean that, Kendra."
"But you call all of us Mudbloods. Why should I be any different?"
He looked at her in the eye and shrugged.
"Kendra, I love you but you shall not come in my way. These boys shall be aptly punished."
He pointed his wand again to the three boys.
"Crucio"
The three boys jumped up together in the air shouting more than they could. Pain smoldered them and they again fell to the ground as the spell was released.
Percival laughed as if insane. And then he bound them with a strong rope.
"Levicorpus"
The three boys now bound together were raised in the air, tears in their eyes.
"We are sorry" they shouted.
"Now, you will be, you filth."
Percival smiled maliciously and shouted, "Avada Kedavra"
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Three hours, a team of Aurors led by an old man whom they called Tiberias Ogden the First apparated in front of the gates of the Dumbledore Manor. Percival already sat in the hall, awaiting them, having received an owl from the Ministry before. He was in tears. Albus and Aberforth stood by him, each having a hand on his shoulders. Ariana was with her mother who had packed everything and her cases along with her children's lay beside her. She looked with disgust upon her husband but it was also mingled with pity. This showed how much he had loved Ariana but to kill those boys was severe. She would never forgive him for that. How friendly he was in school and now, what he had become! The Dumbledore name would finally be in the mud. They would be outcasts and she had decided to flee Dumbledore Manor.
The Aurors took Percival away after some formalities. Albus and Aberforth looked at their mother. She was on the verge of tears but she stood strong.
"Come, we are going, leaving here permanently."
"Why can't we stay here mother?" asked Aberforth.
"This house bears unpleasant memories, son. If we stayed here any longer than we should, it shall bring me memories of your father whose deeds today I shall never forgive."
Albus accepted the situation better than Kendra had hoped. He asked her no questions. He understood the predicament. He never though his father would do such things in an evident rage. He did not despise his father as he had taught him much and was kind to him in his own way but he hated the way he treated the Muggles in a way he did today. In his heart, he knew the Muggles deserved it for hurting Ariana. He did not hate Muggles but neither did he love them. And he knew, he had to do something. He would not want Ariana to suffer again. He would someday make the Muggles pay for their atrocities towards the wizards, but not in a way so dark. He also that day purposed to bring back the Dumbledore name back to where it was, back to glory. He knew now they would be outcasts. The news that Percival was taken to Azkaban would have already spread.
Albus looked at his mother and asked, "Where are we leaving to?"
Kendra patted Albus on his back and said, "Godric's Hollow"
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