Chapter 7

"Come on darling, come out. For me."

"No! I don't want to! Aba go away!"

Aberforth sighed. His sister had locked herself in the bathroom, and she was not coming out for some reason. He didn't know what had set her off. She had said to him that she didn't want to go outside and get any air earlier, but he didn't think she'd hide.

"Sweetheart," he said softly. "I can't leave you in there. Now please, open the door."

For a while it fell silent, then the door creaked open and her scared little eyes appeared.

"What ever is the matter with you, sweetheart?" he asked her. He loved her but he would never work her out. He hadn't been able to do that for a long time, he thought bitterly.

"I miss mama and papa," she explained to him. "I know they can't come here, but I don't know why."

"You'll know someday. I promise," he said.

The more Aberforth thought on what his brother had said about a potion that was supposed to help Ariana regain her old self, the happier he felt about it. The way she was now... it could't go on. He wasn't as young as he was before, and his greatest fear now was what would happen if she got in a rage.

If he died at her hand, as had their mother, who was she going to have to look after her? When she was truly scared, not even Albus could get near her. At the end of the day, he was all she had. The only one she trusted.

"Come on, why don't we go do some drawing or something, yes?"

"Aberforth, can we go and feed the goats?" she asked quietly. "I know I haven't been a good girl today, but I promise to be good for the rest of the day if we can."

He remembered that her favourite treat had been feeding the goats when back then. A smile appeared on his face, and she knew that she had won him around. Slowly, he nodded and squeezed her hand.

"We're going to have to tell Albus, but I think we can do that, Ariana."

-

"What do you think's wrong with her?" asked Harry.

"Who knows? There are so many things in this world that might drive a witch or wizard mad," Sirius said.

"Like what?" Harry asked. Sirius shrugged.

"Well, I don"t know all that much about it either, to be honest," he said, blowing a strand of hair out of his face. "But once I read a case in which a witch's magical growth was stunted. I'm not too sure how that happened," he admitted, "but I don't think I want to find out, either. The poor girl never got to live a normal life - her magic kept blowing up in her face."

"That's horrible," Harry said in a low voice.

Sirius agreed silently. Ariana might have turned out a lovely girl, even though she was out of her mind.

Finally, Harry asked, "What do you think Dumbledore has to do with her?"

"I thought he was her granddad," Sirius said.

"Did he ever have children?" Harry asked.

"I'm not sure. I don't think he does. They'd probably publicise it," Sirius said. "And I've never heard of Dumbledore having children. Then again, he's so old his grandchildren probably have grandchildren."

Harry snickered. But suddenly Sirius sat up with a yelp.

"Harry, I completely forgot! I meant to tell you, but - I've got the tickets!"

Harry looked nonplussed. "For what?"

"The potions festival," Sirius said seriously. "No, no, the Quidditch World Cup! Did you forget?"

"What, we're actually going to go?" Harry asked, beaming at Sirius.

"Of course we are!" Sirius shouted. "It's going to be great!"

Harry hugged Sirius tightly, as a son might hug his father. Sirius smiled. The sensation of human affection that he'd been longing for all these years was wonderful. He'd been so alone, but no more! He had Harry, now. The most precious thing in his world.

-

"And this is going to be your room when you come home next summer," said Aberforth to Ariana.

The two of them had gone to the Hogs Head after they'd told Albus, and Aberforth had thought that it was a good idea to show Ariana the place she would hopefully soon call home. It was going to be good. Just like old times, only better.

Her room was smaller than the one back at Godrics Hollow, but it would do for her teenage years when she wanted privacy from her brothers.

"Can we go and see the goats, now?" she asked, and he nodded indulgently.

Sometimes she had such a one-track mind. So if she put her mind to studying something she wanted, she might actually be able to learn like other students, and be normal.

The animals were kept behind the pub. Aberforth noticed that when Ariana was in the goat paddock, she was so gentle. She really did love animals. He temembered that at the picnic she relaxed after meeting Hagrid's dog, Fang.

She'd loved it. Care of Magical Creatures was going to be a great subject for her to take, Aberforth thought. She was never scared around animals.

It didn't really seem to last long enough, though, and before they knew it, a tired Ariana and Aberforth walked up to Hogwarts. They ate in the Great Hall that night instead of outside.

Ariana looked around in amazement. The Great Hall was remarkable. There was so much for her to see, with the ceiling and the ghosts. She had got used to them, oddly and easily enough, since she had been at the castle, and they didn't startle her as much as they did when she first arrived.

"So when are you two leaving for the Cup?" Dumbledore was saying.

"Not 'til the end of next week," Sirius said.

"So you'll still be here for Ariana's birthday!" Albus beamed.

"An' Harry's," Hagrid chipped in.

Harry nodded. With everything that'd been going on, he'd barely given his birthday a second thought. His birthday was going to be on the Sunday of that very week.

"Maybe we should have a double party!" Sirius suggested. "What day is your birthday, Arianna?"

"Fourth of august," she said shyly, smiling.

"Then we can have a party on the second of august," Sirius said, nodding as if that made it final. "If that's alright with you, Headmaster," he added.

Dumbledore smiled. "I think it's a splendid idea," he said. "And please, Sirius, call me Albus."

An: Last update for two weeks guys, as I am on holiday tomorrow. See you soon.

Please review!