Fifth Year

Chapter 1

Waiting around had never come easy to one Orphne Ephydria Avery. Merlin, she hated that name, couldn't wait to ditch it. The Auror, that McKinnon woman had told her to come up with a name she'd like while she was left to stew in her own misery and wait. The nameless girl groaned and turned in the tousled sheets.

How fitting that she would be giving herself a name now. She glanced over to her mother by the window. The old woman stared out into the night sky in catatonic stupor, grey hair falling over a gaunt face that bore no traces of its former beauty. A ghost in the flesh.

The girl was young still in many ways, but she wasn't daft. She knew she was an orphan now.

As unwelcome emotions were about to rise in her chest, the girl's face hardened in determination. No, she wouldn't allow it. Today she would give herself a new name, shed the skin of the child she had once been and would never, ever be weak again. Her gaze fell on the last gleaming log in the fireplace and the girl let her mind wander. Strong, unyielding, indomitable like... Iron. Ion. Io.

A knock on the door roused the girl from her sleep. Her eyes darted to the window; it was still dark outside. She had only meant to rest her eyes a bit and eventually fallen asleep in her clothes. Saggy hand me downs they were, she was glad she had not put on her mother's frilly night gown when the door opened and Agnes McKinnon entered, followed by a stranger.

The Auror's face was as blank as ever, so the girl turned her attention toward the old man. He wore outrageous purple and gold robes that would put the statute of secrecy in peril if they weren't currently in a wizarding village. His long hair and beard were white and so long, he had tucked them into an embroidered belt at his waist. Gold rimmed glasses framed his piercing blue eyes. He seemed to scrutinize her the same way she did him. When their eyes met though, he gave her a warm smile.

„This is Professor Dumbledore, he's here to see you now."

She rose warily to meet them.

„I'm sorry to disturb at such a late hour, Miss Avery."

The girl frowned. Her own voice sounded unfamiliar to her as she replied,

„Ionia Rivers. Io."

She raised her head in defiance, just in case.

„That's my name."

If a slight smirk was tearing at the corner of Dumbledore's mouth, it was too subtle to tell.

„Very well, Miss Rivers. Unfortunately we have some urgent business to discuss. I will try not to keep you for long."

With a complicated twirl of his wand the Professor conjured up two comfortable looking chintz chairs opposite the bed and invited her to sit back down.

Ionia took a seat at the foot end of the bed, hand crawling toward her hidden wand and resting there. If either of them noticed they didn't let it show. Io waited expectantly.

Upon closer inspection she found Professor Dumbledore was wearing the same symbols on his robes as McKinnon. They looked like runes, but none that Io had ever seen. She had needled the Auror relentlessly but never received a straight answer what those were about.

Odds were this stranger wouldn't tell her either. Io knit her brows in frustration.

„I am the headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I take it you have heard of Hogwarts?"

Ionia nodded once, trying to focus on the matter at hand. Where was he going with that? Of course she had heard of Hogwarts. She wasn't an idiot, for Merlin's sake.

Wait a minute - Were they going to punish her after all? Take away her wand? She won't let them!

Dumbledore smiled feebly at her panicked expression.

„I've come to offer you a place at our school, Ionia."

She looked from one to the other, perplexed. Was this some sort of sick joke?

„That's impossible."

The Professor shook his head sadly.

„It is quite feasible, if the right precautions are taken and necessay arrangements are made. You will have to adhere to certain rules but it's certainly not impossible."

Io couldn't believe her ears. That sounded like-

Dumbledore frowned, „It is a shame it took these kind of circumstances to guarantee your education. Unfortunately your father had-" Ionia froze.

„Don't talk about my father!"

Oh. No. No, no, no, no!

At once Io's whole body tensed. She felt her chest convulse in pain. Her hands tightened into fist, knuckles whitening around her wand. She couldn't see - white haze was filling her head and her ears rang until she felt as though she was about to combust.

Ionia focused on breathing through her gritted teeth, trying not to panic. The noise rose, driving all rational thought from her mind. She had to cling to something - so she began counting backwards: 100, 99, 98, 97...

If only she could stop that noise.

„Breathe."

A soothing voice managed to penetrate the thunderous drone in her ears. ...96, 95, 94...

„In and out."

The noise began to die down, it was almost bearable. „...93, 92, 91..." Was she counting out loud?

Slowly the fog lifted and when the white lights stopped blinding her, she found herself looking into worried blue eyes.

Dumbledore carefully stepped back to give her space. Ionia blinked.

What had just happened? How had it stopped?

Her vision became clearer but she still felt a pounding headache. There was a movement in front of her. She tried to focus.

Then she noticed the strange symbols on Dumbledore's collar were gleaming brightly and her brows rose in astonishment as she connected the dots.

Huh. So that's what those were for.

Dumbledore's eyes followed her gaze and a triumphant smile lit up his face. He shot a glance at McKinnon who bowed her head respectfully, then returned to Io with a more solemn expression.

All of a sudden he held a beautiful crystal cup in his hand and tapped his wand against it. When Dumbledore offered it to her, Ionia accepted without a second thought and took some deep gulps of the cool liquid. It tasted like mint. Just then she realized how thirsty she'd been.

The headmaster sat back down and waited. Io drained the cup greedily. When she finally put it down, it dissappeared with a puff.

She felt exhausted. What had they been discussing? She rested her eyes for a second, trying to remember.

„Would you like to attend school?"

Her eyes opened wide. Of course.

Attend. School. That was something she had been daydreaming about ever since the first letter had arrived all those years ago. But she had known better than to ever voice those thoughts. Even now, as longing filled her heart, Io bit her lip and glanced toward the window.

Thick strands of hair had fallen into her mother's eyes. Io couldn't tell whether she was awake. It didn't really make a difference most of the time. Her eyes were stinging but Io swallowed twice and willed the tears away.

When she looked back at him, Dumbledore nodded.

„She will receive the care she needs. You may even visit her on weekends."

Her gaze lingered on his eyes, measuring his sincerity. Dumbledore appeared nothing but earnest.

„I can't afford it."

„That's already taken care of."

She couldn't even smile. It was all too unreal.

„Yes."

„Excellent. I'm sure you'll understand this will have to remain a secret though."

He measured her doubtfully, as if she didn't know the situation she was in.

„It is Agnes' duty to ensure it and it's the only way to keep you both safe."

Ionia knew that.

The Auror bore a grave expression Io had never seen before.

„What's your name?", she demanded all of a sudden.

Io blinked.

McKinnon raised a brow impatiently.

„Ionia Rivers."

„Where are you from?"

„Alb-," Io stopped herself and thought again, „Greece".

„How come you transfered?"

„I was homeschooled. My father died."

„You don't sound like a foreigner."

„I'm not. I just grew up there."

„Where's your mother?"

„Dead."

„Where's your family?"

„Don't know them."

„What, are you a mudblood?"

„How dare you!"

Io glared at the Auror.

McKinnon didn't even seem to register the livid expression on Io's face, nor the clenched fists and shaky breaths. The runes around her collar gleamed however.

Hope it burns, Io thought furiously.

The Auror turned to Dumbledore with a curt nod and got up.

„Thank you, Agnes."

„Headmaster."

When McKinnon had closed the door behind her, Dumbledore turned to Io with a faint smile.

„There is still something we need to discuss."

Io agreed. Yes, there was indeed.

Witching hour had passed and become dawn over the small village of Hogsmeade. The sun was yet to rise but light slowly seeped through, dipping the scenery in a soft hue of blue. As she stood in front of the window and looked out over the empty streets Io was reminded of the clear colour of the Ohrid lake, the peaceful early morning indigo.

Her hand softly stroked a grey strand of her mother's hair back and tucked it behind her ear. Searing heat radiated from Io's left shoulder, making even this small movement painful.

The one rune Dumbledore had cut into her skin would not suffice, that much had been clear. But Io could already sense the power the spell etched into her skin would hold. It hurt. It was uncomfortable. But it would be worth it.

Asleep her mother looked at peace.

Maybe she won't even notice when I'm gone, Io thought to herself. To her surprise that notion held no more pain, it was almost comforting.

Indomitable like iron, she had promised herself.

And so it was that on a chilly September night Ionia Rivers was born.