A hot breeze came through Aria's open window, ruffling her curtains as she lay on her bed, a book on the Bulgarian magical government serving as a distraction from her lycanthropy research in front of her. She was propped up on one hand, the other hand stroking Fawkes' feathers. The feathered beast had shown up the day after the Quidditch World Cup and had returned at least once a day ever since. No one else knew he was showing up, which was fine. She preferred it that way. It was like Fawkes knew how rattled she still felt ever since the World Cup. Remus had been good at connecting her back to Healer Tonks who, apparently, was Sirius' cousin. Fawkes would sing to her whenever he came, and it helped sooth a part of her that seemed unable to be soothed just by talking with Healer Tonks.
According to the book in front of her, the Bulgarian magical government was a mixed monarchy, meaning that the monarchy had absolute power, but there was some kind of a representative body called The Assembly made up of mostly aristocrats but also a few elected positions. This contrasted with Bulgaria's Muggle government which was a parliamentary representative democratic republic.
Most of this went over Aria's head, but she got the gist. The Bulgarian Royal family still retained significant power within the magical government of Bulgaria which was distinctly different from its Muggle counterparts.
Fawkes suddenly lifted his head, signaling to Aria that he had heard someone coming. Fawkes always seemed to know when someone was coming before Aria did.
In a flash, Fawkes had disappeared, leaving only a feather behind. Aria was quick to collect the feather and hide it under her pillow before Harry came bursting into her room after giving a short knock.
"Our letters've come!" he cried.
Aria scrambled off the bed and raced after Harry to the kitchen where their Hogwarts letters lay waiting to be opened.
Quick as a flash they had the letters open. Professor Snape had snuck them the class rankings weeks ago, but it was nice to see it all confirmed in writing. Hermione was, as ever, top of the class overall and Aria was in second with Draco in third and Harry a solid fourth.
"When can we go shopping?" Aria asked, glancing over her supply list. It looked standard, except for a new addition that read: Dress robes. "What do you think it means that we have to get dress robes?"
"Some kind of special occasion then," Remus said, looking up from his own letter. "We will have to go get you both some."
Kenneth looked over from where he had been cooking lunch. Aria ignored his look. He was at the point where he did not want to send her back to Hogwarts. She had already said she was going. They had never disagreed for so long. It was this disagreement that kept her from going to Diagon Alley to purchase a new wand.
"Where do we even go to get dress robes?" Harry asked Remus. "Madam Malkin's?"
"Goodness no!" Remus cried. "We could go to Twilfitt and Tattings, but I'm certain once I tell Sirius about the dress robes, he'll want you to go to Harrod's."
"Harrod's?" Kenneth and Aria questioned at the same time.
"There's a magical section to Harrod's?" Harry questioned.
"It's the top floor," Remus answered. "I've never been, but I know your dad and Sirius shopped there often as kids."
Remus was correct. Sirius responded from the sanitorium with a letter that included the date and time of a robes fitting for both Aria and Harry at G.K. and Family at Harrod's. Kenneth only agreed to the outing with a sharp nod and a stiff,
"If you must."
The top floor of Harrod's was accessed by Floo or by taking a back staircase up through a wall similar to Platform 9¾. The top floor was not at all like the bottom six floors. The top floor was set out more like a mall where each shop and restaurant were individually owned and operated. It was very luxurious for Aria and Harry who both felt out of place in their jeans and t-shirts. Remus had donned a simple sports coat that looked brand new and his best pair of trousers. Still, Aria thought they looked out of place.
Remus took them towards G.K. and Family which was at the far end of the floor. Glittering gold letters in elegant cursive was set above the glass door of the shop. Beautiful dress robes that shimmered were on display in the shop windows, the mannequins enchanted to move and sway to show the shoppers how the robes looked in movement. Aria gazed in awe at one set of dress robes that looked like moonlight.
They entered the shop, a bell softly tinkling as they entered, and stepped up to the circular front desk. The witch at the counter glanced at them before putting a smile on.
"Good afternoon and welcome to G.K. and Family," she said, "do you have an appointment?"
The bell tinkled again as the door reopened, admitting seven people. Aria and Harry grinned as they recognized their classmates.
"Daphne!" Aria cried. She and Daphne made to hug each other but a woman, whom Aria vaguely recognized as Mrs. Greengrass, grabbed Daphne by the arm and yanked her back, nearly tipping her over with a yelp.
"Is this the sort of riffraff G.K. and Family are letting into their shop nowadays?" the woman behind Pansy asked. Pansy, and Millicent looked like deer caught in headlights while Daphne turned a fierce glare to her mother. Astoria stood by smugly. The witch at the counter paused in her conversation with Remus as he turned to face the witches. Harry stepped closer to Aria's back. She wished she had a new wand now. She had been practicing wandless magic since the World Cup, but that did not mean she wanted to show it off to everyone.
"Good afternoon, Lady Greengrass, Lady Parkinson, Mrs. Bulstrode," Remus greeted calmly. "I see you are also here for dress robes."
"Not that it is any of your business," Lady Greengrass answered. Aria tried to think. Had she been aware that Daphne and Pansy were nobility? Lady Greengrass glared at the witch at the counter.
"I did not realize that the clientele of this boutique had fallen so far," she said. "Are you not aware that this beast is a werewolf? And I certainly do not wish to be seen side by side with a Muggleborn."
"Mother!" Daphne cried, face turning red, shoulders hunching in embarrassment. She could not look at Aria. Pansy and Millicent, surprisingly, were also having trouble looking at Aria.
The witch turned to Aria and her party.
"I am sorry," the witch said. "But we do cater to a very specific type of client, and we certainly don't cater to werewolves."
"Then it's a good thing I am not getting fitted," Remus answered.
"Neither do we service Muggleborns," the witch added. "I'm sorry but you are making some of our most respected clients uncomfortable, I must ask you to leave."
"Are you fucking serious?" Harry cried. The ladies gasped and the witch at the counter leveled a stern look at Harry.
"That is not appropriate language, young man," the witch stated. "I can see that your whole party is not fit to—"
"Is there a problem, Shireen?"
Aria froze as a woman came to the front from further in the shop. She wore a smart set of straight leg black dress pants and a billowy top. Her curly blonde hair was piled high atop her head and her glasses hung from a beaded necklace around her neck.
Gloria Keetering.
What was her boss doing here?
"I'm sorry, Ms. Keetering, I'm simply trying to get rid of some troublesome people. Nothing for you to worry about."
Gloria Keetering glanced at the Greengrass-Parkinson-Bulstrode party before her eyes landed on Remus, Harry, and Aria. Her eyes widened for a second and she froze momentarily before she shook her head, a wide grin splitting across her face.
"What a surprise!" she cried, hands on hips. "Miss Aria Bourne as I live and breathe. A witch! I should've guessed, a mysterious boarding school for the gifted. Ha!" She clapped her hands in delight. Aria felt a smile spreading across her own face as she registered the looks of shock on the mothers of her housemates.
"What party are they under?" Gloria asked Shireen. The witch sputtered and Gloria huffed, grabbing the book of appointments.
"Are you the Black party?" she asked.
"Yes," Remus answered.
"Black?" Mrs. Bulstrode cried.
"Move Cassandra to assist Claude with the Greengrass-Parkinson-Bulstrode party," Gloria told Shireen, picking up a quill and scratching away at the appointment book. "I shall see to the Blacks personally."
"B-but," Shireen cried as the others sputtered in indignation. "That . . . that man is a werewolf!"
Gloria looked Remus over.
"He looks like a person to me," she stated. Aria thought she could not be more grateful to the woman as she was already. "Now, what was all the commotion about?"
Shireen was silent even as Gloria looked at her expectantly.
"Ms. Keetering," Lady Greengrass said thought slightly gritted teeth, "you cannot possibly mean to keep the likes of them in your shop? Think of what others will think, you servicing Muggleborns and werewolves?"
"I have never made a habit of letting other people's opinions of me stop me from doing what I want," Gloria retorted. "As it is, I know Aria Bourne. She is a good girl. Kind, thoughtful, hardworking. Any friends of hers are friends of mine and if they happen to be a werewolf then so be it."
"Are you truly expecting us to be serviced alongside . . . these people?" Lady Parkinson demanded.
"I expect my clients to treat each other with respect and dignity," Gloria answered. "If you cannot be lady enough to do so, then you are more then welcome to take your money elsewhere."
Aria expected the three families to leave. The three women glanced at each other, seemingly communicating without words. Gloria seemed to take their silence to mean that they would be staying so she turned and called for Cassandra and Claude. When the man and woman appeared, Gloria gestured to Daphne, Pansy, and Millicent's party.
"Please take the Greengrasses, Parkinsons, and Bulstrodes to the Pink Suite," Gloria instructed.
"But we always get the Blue Suite!" Mrs. Bulstrode cried.
"When I do a fitting, I always use the Blue Suite," Gloria answered. "Aria, you and your party can follow me."
Aria caught Daphne's eye as she passed. Daphne's face was red with embarrassment and ducked her head as Aria passed with Harry and Remus.
Gloria led them into a large dressing area with mirrors, couches, and a few dressing rooms. She rang a bell as they entered and a full tea service appeared on a low table full of all sorts of finger sandwiches, cookies, scones with clotted cream and jam, and several different types of tea with the prettiest china teacups and saucers Aria had ever seen.
"I am so very sorry you had to experience that," Gloria said as she settled Aria, Harry, and Remus on a low settee. "Those ladies are not my easiest customers."
"Try being in a house with a few of them," Harry muttered.
"Ms. Keetering, this is my best friend, Harry Potter," Aria said, gesturing to him. "And his guardian, Remus Lupin."
"Yes, I've seen both around town," Gloria answered with a smile. "Melinda's still as chatty as ever and told me all about Mr. Lupin's kidnapping last year. And then she told me all about how he reappeared this past spring. Quite the drama on Spinner's End."
"It's . . . well, that's one way to say it," Remus said.
"Are you a witch then?" Aria asked.
"I'm a squib, dear," Gloria answered, gesturing for Harry to come stand on a stool in front of the mirrors. "The Keeterings of the West Country are not prolific magic users, too much inbreeding in the last two hundred years. My parents graduated Hogwarts, as did my elder brother, but I never received a letter."
"So, you're in both worlds?" Aria questioned.
"I am," Gloria answered. "My parents were quite nervous when I said I wanted to strike out in the muggle world and only allowed it if I could show I could be successful in the wizarding world."
"You're very popular in the Muggle world," Aria noted.
"As I am here in the wizarding world. Like I said, I have never made a habit of letting other people's opinions of me stop me from doing what I want. Aunts and uncles and such said I could never be this successful because I didn't have magic. I proved them all wrong."
Gloria glanced over at Aria.
"I suspect you're of the same mindset," she said. She finished measuring Harry and he and Aria swapped spots.
"If you don't mind me being a tad nosey," Gloria said as she measured, "but you've called in sick on several photo shoots . . ."
"We were at the World Cup," Aria answered. Understanding crossed Gloria's face. "It was . . . really bad."
"I gathered that from the newspapers," Gloria murmured. "I saw the picture that was taken of the Dark Mark in the sky." She shuddered and had Aria hop down from the stool. Gloria gathered cloth squares of various colors and had Aria and Harry stand next to each other. She began holding colors up to them and she and Remus began to discuss the different colors and fashion cuts.
Harry chose to play it safe and got with black for his dress robe color while Aria eventually settled on a deep, dark purple. Gloria was delighted in Aria's choice.
"You and Mr. Potter are going to be the talk of all society!" Gloria stated. "I have the perfect design for both of you. A G.K. and Family exclusive. One of a kind! Never done before and never done again. It will be a triumph!" She rang a little bell and an assistant entered. Gloria handed her the measurements and cloth swatches.
"Take good care of these," Gloria said. "I'll be most displeased if they get waylaid." The girl nodded and disappeared. Gloria turned back to them, a smug smile on her face.
"Do you know what event you're attending?" she asked.
"No," Aria and Harry answered. They glanced at Remus.
"I don't know much," he said, "only that there are rumors that it's a winter event."
"Very good," Gloria cried. "You are going to be the prettiest girl and the most handsome boy to grace the hallowed halls of Hogwarts!"
She crossed over to the tea service and motioned for Aria and Harry to continue with their drinks and snacks. As the two settled, Gloria leaned forward in eager anticipation.
"Tell me about Hogwarts," she said, "what classes are you taking? What house are you in? What do you enjoy the most?"
For the next hour, Aria and Harry talked to Gloria about Hogwarts, their friends, their classes, their more innocent adventures such as hikes around the Black Lake, flying on Harry's Firebolt, scouring the library for interesting books, and learning to play wizard's chess from Ron and Theo. Aria told her about the baby unicorn and the wraith that they came across in first year and how she had been gifted unicorn parts. Harry told Gloria about Norbert which not only had Gloria both awed and terrified, but also Remus. Aria talked about meeting Moaning Myrtle in second year but left out the basilisk part. She briefly mentioned Sykes and Gambol and how they were expelled and how some of their housemates taught her a spell that could cut off a guy's penis. Gloria had laughed, but Remus had choked on a chocolate biscuit.
They spoke about Hogsmeade and the Three Broomsticks. Gloria talked about how her parents once brought her to Hogsmeade during a Hogsmeade weekend when she was thirteen so she could experience it for the first time like all the other thirteen-year-olds who attended Hogwarts. Apparently, she and Rosemerta had met that weekend and had been friends ever since.
"What about this coming year?" Gloria asked. "What are you looking forward to this year?"
"I . . . don't know," Aria said, hesitating. "Ever since the World Cup . . . Dad's not sure he wants me to go back to Hogwarts."
"And you? What do you want?"
"I want to go back to Hogwarts! I can't . . . I don't want to live without magic." Aria looked at her hands, ashamed of what she was about to say. "But I am scared."
"Only fools are never scared," Gloria told her. "Do you think any of us adult ever did what we've done without being scared? Do you think James and Lily Potter died without feeling just a teensy bit frightened?"
Aria glanced at Harry then at Remus.
"Being afraid is not a weakness," Gloria continued. "It tells us we've got a good head on our shoulders. It's what we do with that fear that matters."
The woman leaned forward, taking Aria's hands in hers. Aria noticed her fingernails were painted a bright red to match her lipstick.
"Go back to Hogwarts," Gloria insisted. "Go back scared. But don't let them know. Don't let them win."