Chapter 14
Chapter 14
"Here it is; sorting day." The day term begun. Ariana opened her eyes. Aberforth was in her room, and he had a cup of tea for her. She smiled.
"Yeah." she said as she came too and sat up in her bed. The day she begun school. At last!
"I brought this in for you." he said to her.
"Thanks," she said, brushing her hair out of her face.
He sat on the edge her bed. "Are your ready?"
"No, I don't think, I am." she said shaking her head as she sat up, and taking the mug in to her hands.
"Well that's a problem."
"Apparently so," she though as she listened to the birds singing outside her window. It was a nice day she thought to herself.
"You'll be ok," he reminded her.
"I know I will be." she nodded, smiling at him. There was a soft silence between the two of them for a moment as they both considered what the day meant for them. There were going to be some big changes and not only for her. He had to get used to giving her some more freedom. Not being so protective. It was going to be hard. "I can come back if it doesn't work out?" she said to him. She was still unsure.
"You can come back to me whenever you want, regardless of the day or the time." he said to her.
"I think I might have to take you up on that."
"Don't speak too soon darling, you just give it your best crack."
She nodded. "Get up, drink your tea, get dressed and come and get some breakfast. You're going to need every bit of energy you can gather today." He said as he left her room.
She nodded, and did as she was told. Dressing in her lilac dress she went down to the living room. Aberforth had done her eggs and soldiers just as there mother had done for him on his first day.
"And you have your trunk all ready?" he asked her.
"Yes."
"Good. Sirius and Harry are going to be in the grounds all day as well so we are going to go over at twelve, to spend some time getting you settled in." he told her as he sat down opposite her so he could eat his own breakfast.
By quarter past twelve, she found herself in the castle.
"What house am I going to be in Albus?" she asked her elder brother, who despite having much to do had come to met her at the gate.
"Well that is going to depend on where the sorting hats puts you."
"The girl is an obvious Gryffindor," said Sirius.
"What is a Gryffindor?" she asked.
"It is one of the houses. There are four. Ravenclaw, Slytherin, Hufflepuff and Gryffindor." Dumbledore told her. "You will be sorted in to one tonight at the sorting ceremony." he informed her.
"What house were you in?"
"Gryffindor…" he said to her.
"Harry and I are Gryffindors too." Sirius piped up.
"What about mother and father, what house were they in?"
"Father was Gryffindor, mother was Ravenclaw," her brother told her. "And before you ask Aberforth was a Gryffindor in his day as well."
"Then I want to be a Gryffindor…" she said.
"Well if ever I have seen one in the making I think you might be it." Sirius said to her.
"We are going to be proud of you want ever house you get in too." Albus reassured her.
She smiled. Proud of her. Albus… no longer ashamed. Only proud of her, that was going to be some thing.
Considering it was the most important day of her life so far the day was going slowly. She spent the day thinking, until four a clock came, till she went to her rooms in Albus's quarters and changed in to her robes. She had persuaded her brother to allow her to wear quite a long skirt and while it did not cover her ankles it did get down past her knees. She wouldn't be comfortable any other way.
When she had brushed her hai, and she was ready she went out in to the living room where she found her two big brothers waiting for her.
Not only was it Ariana's first sorting ceremony but in over a hundred years it was also Aberforth's. He had been asked by there brother to stay for this huge event in their sisters life and had he not come he would have only worried all night. Besides he wanted to be there So he had had to put some proper robes on for the first time in years and he felt stupid, done up as he was. That didn't seem important when he saw her though.
She looked - normal. She looked like an average student. For a moment, a glorious sun light moment, nothing had ever happened to her. He was a boy again and he and Albus were getting ready to go back to school. Only that year there was going to be a difference. Ariana was going with them.
He came back to reality to find that he and Albus were old men. But there sister was still a young girl. And she had an entire life time in front of her. From that day on, she was going to be able to do what ever she wished with that life.
"Ready?" she asked not fully realizing how emotional both her brothers felt at the sight of her as a real student for the first time in her life.
"Yes, Ari. I think you are." said Albus to her.
She smiled. "I know I am. Are you two?" she asked plainly.
"Yes," said Aberforth as he swallowed clearing his throat. "What's the time?" he asked Albus.
"Five thirty. We have to get going." he said to her. "Right, Ariana the plans for tonight. All the first years who are going to be sorted with you tonight are going to be arriving by boat any minute. Aberforth is going to take you down to met them and then he is going to join me in the great hall. You'll come along and met us just a few minutes later. Ok?" he asked surveying her from behind his glasses.
"You mean go on my own…no, I want Aba to stay with me." she said to him looking up desperate. She didn't want to be away from them both. When she had just gone down to the lake it had been different. She had been completely only, just for ten minutes, but being without them going in to a room full of people was very different.
"Ari come on now, it is going to be all ok." Aberforth said to her. "You are going to see me as soon as you get in to the hall, you'll be ok." he promised. "All you have to do is keep calm. And you can do that. For me you can can't you." he questioned her softly.
She nodded, with obvious nerves.
"Come on sweetheart," Albus said to her. She was going to be fine he was sure of that. Walking out of there family quarters the Ariana was holding both of her brothers hands.
All Albus could think was that if their parents were there then, they would be proud of all of them. They were all going to have to climb mountains that year, not least due to the tournament.
As they came to the hall, Albus smiled at his sister gently.
"I'll see you in there," he promised her as let go of her hand. She nodded, and moved her hand so it went over the back of Aberforth, holding on to him with both. "You'll be fine."
He nodded and Ariana followed Aberforth as he continued to lead her down the corridor to the stair case where he knew the first years would be passed over to McGonagall by Hagrid. They were already arriving when they got there.
"Yer rite' Ari?" asked Hagrid beaming at her as the first years climbed the stairs.
She nodded but inside, she felt sick.
"Right you," said Aberforth as he bent down to her height. "Keep calm, and I am going to see you in five minutes…ok?"
She nodded as he brought her hands to his lips and kissed them. "Five minutes," she whispered.
"That's all." he nodded. "Right off you go then…" he said standing up and letting go.
"T'at's the way'" said Hagrid as he watched the headmasters little sister reach the bottom of the stairs. Her first big challenge had come.
She stepped on to the bottom stair…five minutes…she climbed the second…five minutes…she got on to the third…you can do this… five minutes…you little freak…
No!
She wasn't going to let this happen.
Despite the fact she shook all the way, she got up the stairs. McGonagall, not wanting to attract any more attention too the girl than was needed had begun her speech by the time she had got to them. She knew as she watched her though she was going to be one of hers. She had had to fight fear just to get there. If that wasn't bravery, she wasn't sure what was.
"I'll go and see if there're ready…" she said as she went over to the doors. Upon seeing that all the students had been settled and the staff had taking their places she turned back to the first years.
"We're ready for you now." she nodded, before turning and leading them on to begin there Hogwarts adventure.
Ariana bit her bottom lip and avoided every bodies eyes as she walked in to the hall. She looked timid and sacred. From where he was sitting by the game keeper all Aberforth wanted to do was to go and embrace her. But he had to let her do this on her own.
When they got to the front of the hall the first years stopped. Most were looking about in wonder at the great hall, and the fine goblets that lay on the tables. They were also looking at their teachers, trying to work out who taught what and who was who.
Sirius was among them for the first time. Many of the elder students as well we the young first years looked at him with fear. They had been told the year before he was a mass murderer. Even if the Prophet had said what had happened with Pettigrew there were always going to be some who just didn't believe him.
After the sorting Hat's song, the actually sorting commenced.
"When I call your name." begun McGonagall, "you will come forward, put the hat on and sit on the stall."
Firstly, Stewart Ackerley joined Ravenclaw. Mothers house, thought Ariana to herself. She wondered if she would follow him. Malcolm Baddock joined the Slytherins. Four more students were sorted before 'Dobbs, Emma' joined Hufflepuff.
The two brothers sat up in there seats on the top table and gave each other a nervous glance. It was time.
"Joining the fourth years…" begun McGonagall. A silence fell over the hall, replacing the soft muttering. The seventh years who had been there the longest never remembered some one joining a year before. "Dumbledore, Ariana." she said to the hall.
Every one looked about with the same expression of shook on there face except for those select few who had been at the party in the summer break. Had Dumbledore got a grandchild? And if so why had she not begun school back when the rest of them had.
Ariana mean while walked up to the stall taking tiny steps. McGonagall gave her a soft smile, trying to give her courage as she sat on the stall in view of the entire school. On her back she could feel the eyes of her two big brothers. They were there for her she remembered. They were there.
"Another Dumbledore, at last," said the hat. "And you have been a long time coming! Well there is only one thing to do with you; GRYFFINDOR!"
From the table cheers erupted. A Dumbledore! In their house. The first in generations. That could only mean goods things, surely.
Walking over to the table, Ariana grinned nervously. She hadn't been expecting such a warm welcome. Her father's house! She was in her father's house!
"Ariana, come sit with us," she heard Harry say to her through the cheers as he made room on the bench.
Working her way to his side, she beamed. "I'm a Gryffindor!" she smiled.
"Yeah…well done!" he said as they sat down side by side.
She turned up to the top table. Her brothers were both still clapping looking absolutely delighted by where she had been placed.
"That's my girl…" Aberforth told Hagrid.