Chapter 12
On Tuesday, Aberforth and Ariana went to Diagon Alley. They had to get her new things for school, and with Albus busy getting ready for the new term it was just the two of them. Sirius and Harry had been invited to join them, but when they were at the Quidditch world cup had arranged to met Hermione and Ron later that week.
So as they got in to London Aberforth decided was going to take her to get her robes and her books and when at last they had got the borings bits done, he planned to take her to the ice cream parlor before going down to the pet shop then he was going to get her a cat he decided.
When she was up at the castle she was going to need a good friend by her side.
She seemed dazzled by it all and he was rather worried she was going to get scared by all the noise. It contrasted greatly to the peace and quiet of Hogwarts castle. Even before the attack she had never been hugely confident in crowds even though she had been the life and soul of home.
She gripped his hand, making sure never to lose him in the crowds. It was nice to have a day alone.
"Darling, are you ok?" he asked her.
"I think so." She said to him as they strolled along. "Every thing is beginning to make a bit more sense for me. Aberforth I dread starting school though. It is going to be so hard for me to get to grips with it all."
"You are a smart young girl, I know you are going to pick it all up quickly. Not like me, you have managed to get Albus's brain."
"I hardly think so." She shook her head. "My reading lessons aren't going so good."
"Our big brother disagrees. He thinks you are doing well."
"But I don't - "
"Dearest confidence comes time. You'll find it."
"Well I think I could do with it now!" She said to him.
She knew it was going to take time. What he was saying was making sense to her. It always did.
Looking about her she begun to take in all the sights and the sounds of the alley. Just like there childhood, it was buzzing with life and happiness. She remembered flashes of her pare nets and now begun to miss them as she saw all the other kids with there's. Still she guessed she wasn't the only one with out them she thought as she remembered Harry. Just like her he was an orphan. And so were her brothers. But of course they were a lot older than she was.
"We are going to have to go and get you your robes" he said to her as they wondered along.
"Well shall we go and do that first then." she asked as they fought there way through the crowds.
"If you want to." he nodded.
"Yes please."
Glad she was showing such interest and enthusiasm they went down to madam Malkins. It hadn't been so long since she had been unable to show interest in any thing. She was taking huge steps.
Going in to the shop she looked about. There was nearly no one else about as most people were still recovering from the Quidditch world cup. The witch who was there serving looked shocked when she saw she had customers.
"Hogwarts is it?" she said to them.
"Yes please." her brother said for Ariana.
"Right then lets go and get you measured up?" she asked. "I must say you're small even for a first year."
Deciding it was going to be far easier to say nothing and allow her to think she was going to be a first year Ariana went in to the changing room, as she lead her there.
Nervously she looked back at Aberforth who was of course there watching her a hawk. He gave her a reassuring smile and she nodded.
"So are you excited?."
"Yes. I mean - I think I am." she said as she was helped up on to the stool.
Things were going to be better for her when she got to school. Every thing was going to be ok when she started learning she told her self.
"Most kids are." she said to her. "I can't tell you how many I have come see through this shop over the years. Cant tell you how many I have seen grow year by year." she said as she stuck pins in the material.
"I bet you have." she muttered.
"Not many come to buy there first set with their grandfathers though."
"Aba, my granddad?" she laughed. "No…He is my big brother" she said to her proudly.
"Blimey I think most brothers are a bit younger than yours is." still stranger things happened in there world, she shrugged it off.
"Perhaps…" she said to her.
Ariana's eyes were shining with admiration for him.
-
"Right now we have to go and get you your wand."
"Is that going to be a good idea? Ii mean think about it. I am not so good with magic yet!"
"Yes but you are not going to get better till you start practicing…"
"But Aba, what if I don't get better at it?"
"We are never going to know if you don't try."
"Ok." she said quietly, realizing she was not going to win the argument, as they walked in to Ollivander's. Her nervous state was obvious as she held on her to her brothers hand as if it was a life line.
The dark shop was unsettling. She looked about at all the little boxes stacked up on the shelves.
One of them was going tot be hers soon.
"Hello," called Aberforth.
The man who Ari could only assume was Ollivander came out.
"Ahh, Aberforth.," he said to him. "I have been expecting you. Your brother owled me and said you would be in with." he said as he looked at the girl and paused. "Yes…I can see what he meant."
The siblings looked at one another nervously. If Albus had owled ahead why had he not told them.
"He said you were going to need a wand that would - well… be able to channel large amounts of magic. Something a bit unusual. Let's see what we can do, shall we?"
But at that moment all she wanted to do was run out of the shop. There was some thing about the wand master that unnerved her.
She tried to focus on her brother to keep her calm. She could hear what they were saying in the back ground, but she did not listen. But she didn't want too. She knew she should. She had to get used to the fact other new faces were going to come in to her life. And shyness was going to hinder her in her magical development.
Suddenly though, the man held out a wand to her,. The root of all her troubles.
Do it again freak…do it again…
The voices in her head continued to haunt her. She could not let the bullies who had taken so much from her already take her only proper chance of a life, she told herself. She had to get her self educated.
Taking the wand in to her hands she took a deep breath.
"Give it a wave."
She did so.
She watched with horrid as some of the boxes came jumped off there shelves. The candle light flickered as if there was some great wind blowing through the shop and from the commotion came a lot of banging and crashing.
Ariana panicked.
"I can't do this."
Dropping the wand she turned and run out in to the street.
"No, darling," said Aberforth as he dropped all the shopping they had got so far.
"I can't do it, I can't do it." she said as she shook her head. "No, no, stop it." she said to herself as teasers poured on to her cheeks. She couldn't breathe and it scared her. She wanted out.
"Its ok, it's ok," she heard a voice say behind her.
"Take me home Aba, take me home please." She said as tears cascaded on to her cheeks. She had to get out.
"Ok," he said as he lifted her in to his arms and stated the walk to the Leaky Cauldron so they could floo back. Maybe her recovery wasn't going as well as they had thought. "Calm down," he said pushing his lips to her forehead. "Hush, sweetheart."
--
That night after they had put there physically and emotionally exhausted sister to bed the two Dumbledore brother sat up to discuss what had happened that day when they had been out. She had drawn attention to herself when she had run out in to the street crying. She could not do that again. Until she had her magic under control they were going to have to keep her in the castle grounds with the exception of the Hogshead.
"It was hardly her fault, she was startled, that was all." said Aberforth as he stuck up for her as always.
She had been upset, that was not her fault. Of that he was adamant.
"You have no need to defend her to me brother mine. I know. She has done nothing wrong. But if she had run off in to the crowds and you had not found her." Albus shivered. It didn't bear thinking about what could have happened to the girl. To their girl.
"I know…it could have been bad, but it wasn't. I got to her in time, didn't I?" said Aberforth as he collapsed in to an arm chair. He had been pacing most of the night.
"And any way what I really want to know is what you wrote to Ollivander about." he said to him. Why had his brother not informed him? He hated it when he did things behind his back.
"I just sent him a note this morning to gives a few details of Ariana's case." Ollivander, who he had known for a long time, could be trusted with a few bits of knowledge of their secret. Not many mind.
He had not even said they were brother and sister. Only that she was a young girl who gad a troubled past and was now struggling to develop her magic. That was all.
"Well all I ask is that you keep me informed Albus. After all, we are in this together, all three of us. No more secrets for us, no more lies please, I can't stand them." he sighed deeply. He had hated lying when his mother had asked him too first time around. Of course now the real issue was what they were going to do for a wand for her. He didn't relish the thought of trying to sneak her back into Diagon alley. And besides they had just established they had to keep her away from London. The furthest she could go from the castle was the pub.
"We could - what about…" he begun unsure of how his brother would take the suggestion. "What about mother's wand?"
Albus looked at him. Aberforth could tell he was thinking about it, the pros and the cons. Could Ari really master the wand when she had killed its last owner.
"Well," sighed Albus. "Anything is worth a go."
"Do you think?"
"We can only try her with it and see how it goes."