The 10-inch, blackthorn wand with dragon heartstring felt weighty in her hand. Ollivander had described it as "sturdy" when the wand had chosen her. The eccentric, and frankly mad, wizard, had not seemed surprised that she had returned for a third wand, although he was disappointed that she had not burnt out her elm wand like she had her original willow wand with unicorn hair. He had, of course, been properly incensed when she told him that her wand had been broken by Death Eaters at the World Cup.

At first, none of the wands were working for her. Eventually, however, Ollivander had paused and given her a good long stare before declaring,

"A unicorn core will no longer work for you."

Her first two wands had both been 10-inches with unicorn hair cores.

She had been made to try several phoenix feather core wands but those had immediately rejected her. When they got to the dragon heartstrings, the wands began to settle, until eventually a blackthorn wand (still 10-inches) had chosen her.

There was a part of her that was a bit sad for leaving the unicorn core behind. There had been something . . . enchanting . . . about it. A dragon heartstring seemed more . . . bold. Intense. Like she had moved away from a child's wand to something more suited for an adult.

Remus had been impressed by her wand. Blackthorns, he had explained, sometimes had a sinister reputation due to being the sacred tree to the Crone aspect of the Triple Goddess, one of the Old Gods of the British isles and Ireland. It was also associated with the waning and dark moon. This did not mean that those with blackthorn wands were Dark Wizards, he had assured her, but it did usually mean that wizards and witches with blackthorns had a fighting spirit, were deeply stubborn, and attuned with the magical forces of the world.

Harry, upon hearing this, had been unsurprised.

"You burnt out your first wand and then was chosen by a wand that legend says can only be used by purebloods," Harry had said, "it's no wonder your next wand is more associated with a traditional element of the wizarding world. No one can put you in a box."

That had made Aria feel a little better about her wand. The dark wood was not as pretty as her elm wand had been. The elm had had little flowers and vine whittled into the handle. This one had a standard geometric pattern carved into the handle; the end that rested in her palm tapered into a little point similar to the center of a fleur-de-lis.

"Aria?"

Pulled from her thoughts about her wand, Aria turned her head towards Kenneth. He had driven their truck down to London to drop her and Harry off at King's Cross. Remus and Harry had already climbed out of the truck, leaving the father and daughter alone in the cab.

"Penny for your thoughts?" he asked.

"Just . . . thinking about my wand," Aria answered. "We're still getting use to each other."

It was true. She had done some casting in Diagon Alley, but it was like the wand was holding back. She had kept to wandless magic for the rest of summer, strengthening that in secret.

"It's strange to think that a stick of wood could have sentience," Kenneth murmured. Aria shrugged. It was not something she could really explain, and it was difficult to understand if you could not feel the thrum of magic going through a wand.

"Aria?"

Aria looked back at her dad.

"I know that . . . you know I'm not happy with sending you back to Hogwarts." Aria nodded. "I just . . . just wanted to let you know that . . . I'm never going to hate you for choosing the magical world."

"What?" Aria cried. What was her dad saying? Why would she think he hated her for pushing to go back to the wizarding world? Granted, she had been surprised that, ever since she had gotten her new wand and Remus had told her all about her wand while they were cooking dinner, he had started to thaw out to the idea of sending her back. Just a little.

"Remus told me that sometimes Muggle parents don't like the fact that their children have magic," Kenneth hurried to explain. "That they grow to resent their children for choosing a new world over the one they were raised in. He's known a few."

"Dad, I don't think you hate me."

"Good. I just . . . I know we've never really disagreed like we have this summer. And I wanted you to know. I'm . . ." He took a deep breath, and, to Aria's alarm, she realized that he was starting to cry. Her dad did not cry. The only time she saw him cry was when people died. She was not dead!

"Dad!" She pulled forward from where she sat in the backseat, reaching through to the front.

"It's just getting harder for me to keep sending you into a world where I cannot follow," Kenneth told her, voice choking. "Especially because I have to trust other people to look out for you. Here, if this were a normal school, I could phone you. I could visit you. I could do a whole lot to make sure you're safe. But Hogwarts? The wizarding world? I can't do shit!"

Aria grabbed her dad's hand.

"I just want to make sure you're all right," Kenneth continued. "I just want to keep you safe."

"I know," Aria whispered. "I just . . . if I leave then people like the Death Eaters win. You taught me to stand up for myself."

Kenneth laughed. "I did, didn't I?" He blew his nose and took a large, shuttering breath.

"Let's get your trunk," he said, opening his door. Aria followed him out of the truck. Remus and Harry were standing a few feet away, the two school trunks already pulled out and on a trolley. Hedwig sat patiently in her cage on top of the luggage.

"All right?" Remus murmured as Kenneth came to his side.

"Yep."

The four weaved their way around commuters into King's Cross Station. Remus and Harry went through the barrier on Platform 9¾ during a lull of foot traffic. Kenneth and Aria turned to each other.

"Stay safe," Kenneth said, kissing Aria's head. "I love you."

"Love you too. I'll try and write more, just keep you from going too crazy with worry."

Kenneth swatted her as she dashed through the barrier onto the platform with a laugh. Remus and Harry were waiting to the side for her.

They were early enough that they were able to get their luggage to the conductors helping load everything onto the train.

As she watched her trunk be loaded, Harry standing beside her assuring Hedwig that she was not going to be put into the luggage compartment with the trunks, she felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. She stiffened, certain that someone was staring at her. Remus noticed her change of posture and casually turned so that he was facing the crowd over Aria's head.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Someone's watching me," Aria answered, "I can feel it."

Remus stuck his hands in his pocket before looking around the platform. A few students yelled greetings to him which he casually answered with a wave. Several families gave them a wide berth, glaring at Remus.

"I don't see anyone," Remus finally said. Aria turned around to look.

Immediately, her gaze was drawn halfway down the platform where Abraxas Malfoy stood, the entire Malfoy family together. Mrs. Malfoy was speaking to Draco who was looking at his mother, and Lucius was talking to Lord Nott. Everyone was giving the Malfoys room to stand there, clearly intimidated by Lord Malfoy.

Their gazes met.

Aria's breath caught in her throat. Her palms began to sweat. She was immediately thrown back to the night of the World Cup . . . she could feel the rock stabbing into her shoulder . . . feel the hands tearing open her shirt and yanking at her pants . . .

"Aria!"

She jumped, her breath coming back at Harry's touch to her arm.

"What's the matter?" he asked. Aria glanced back at the Malfoys. Lord Malfoy had already turned away and was speaking to Draco while Narcissa hovered by her son's side.

"N-nothing," she managed to stutter. Harry gave her a look. Remus looked worried.

"Let's get on board," Aria suggested. Harry sighed before turning to Remus and hugging him good. Aria gave Remus her own embrace and the two strolled climbed into the train and made their way through a crowded corridor until they found Hermione already reading in a compartment.

Aria glanced out the window, unable to see the Malfoys anymore. Harry poked her.

"Are you going to tell me what you saw now?" Harry asked. Hermione looked up from her book. Aria sighed, slouching back on the bench.

"At the World Cup," she said, "the only things I could see of the three Death Eaters that attacked her were their chins and eyes. I thought I recognized one of the sets of eyes."

"Who was it?" Harry cried. Hermione kicked him.

"If she doesn't want to talk about it, don't make her," Hermione snapped.

"No, it's fine," Aria said. "And I could be wrong, we weren't exactly standing near each other on the platform . . . and that night was so quick . . ."

"Don't sell your memory short," Hermione retorted.

Aria nodded.

"It was Abraxas Malfoy," she told them. She thought it spoke volumes when neither of her friends seemed too surprised by the answer.

"Why am I not surprised?" Harry muttered.

The door to the compartment opened and Ron and Ginny stumbled in, Ron giving off loud screeches. Just behind them the twins and Lee Jordan stood, Lee holding his pet tarantula. The compartment descended into chaos as Crookshanks, who had been snoozing in Hermione's lap, decided to hiss at the loud intrusion and leap at Ron. Ron ducked and the cat landed out in the corridor. Crookshanks hissed once more, spotting the tarantula, and proceeded to chase the three sixth years away from the compartment as he attempted to swipe the spider.

"Are you all right?" Aria asked Ron as she helped him up from the floor of the compartment.

"I hate spiders," was all the boy was able to say.

The Great Hall of Hogwarts was warm and welcoming as always. Aria felt the thrum of magic in the air, and it enveloped her like a warm blanket. She could not help but grin up at the starlight ceiling and watch with delight a meteor shoot across the top of the ceiling.

The warm feeling evaporated, however, when she and Harry sat beside Daphne. Astoria walked by with her friends, loudly complaining about "upstarts" who had gotten the Greengrass, Parkinson, and Bulstrode families barred from several high society stores.

Aria turned a questioning gaze to Daphne for explanation.

"It's not that we're banned," Daphne told her, "it's just . . . all right, we are banned from G.K. and Family. Our mothers were making such a big fuss about the owner paying more attention to you guys than us, that when our dress robes were owled to us, they came with letters stating we were no longer welcomed in that establishment."

"I didn't mean to get you banned!" Aria cried.

"Oh, we know," Daphne answered, shooting a sharp look at Pansy and Millicent who kept quiet. "The other stores . . . we're just no longer top priority and so for our mothers and Astoria it feels like they've been banned."

"We still didn't mean to get you guys banned," Harry said.

"Father's not too upset," Daphne continued, "the Greengrass is traditionally a neutral family when it comes to politics and things and he's not exactly happy with the purist rhetoric Mother preaches."

"Then why did he marry her?" Aria asked.

"Arranged marriage," Daphne answered. "Almost everyone here in Slytherin has parents who were brought together like that."

"I feel like we've had a conversation about this," Tracey said.

"Maybe," Aria muttered. "But I don't recall. So . . . do all of you have . . . marriages arranged?"

"Not yet," Pansy finally said, glad that Daphne was no longer glaring her into silence. "Engagements usually aren't made until we're sixteen or seventeen."

"Do you all want marriages arranged?" Harry asked.

"Father's assured me that he is not interested in arranging a match for me," Daphne said, "though I suppose we will have go through the usual betrothal contracts and such."

"Father's got his sights on a few families," Pansy said, glancing down towards the fourth year Slytherin boys.

"That's not what I asked," Aria said. "I asked if you wanted your marriages arranged."

"Well, how else are we to get married?"

"Fall in love?" Harry questioned. "My parents did."

The conversation was interrupted by the arrival of the new first years, led by Hagrid. One of them was soaking wet and wearing the gamekeeper's coat. The boy waved cheerily at Colin Creevey and Aria noted that they looked very similar.

"Merlin! Does Creevey have a brother?" Aria heard Theo ask.

"I didn't think Muggleborns had magical siblings," Tracey said.

"I think it's certainly an anomaly," Daphne agreed.

The Sorting took place. McGonagall dried the little first year before he sat on the stool. His name was Dennis Creevey, and he immediately went to Gryffindor the loud cheers of his brother and new house.

At the end of the Sorting, Dumbledore rose to his feet and called for silence.

"Welcome back to another exciting year at Hogwarts!" he greeted them. "Please be sure to check the list of banned items outside Mr. Filch's office, and please be aware that the Forbidden Forest is forbidden."

Several people snickered.

"I would also like to announce our new Defense professor. He is running a bit late—,"

The side door behind the Head Table opened and a stomp, stomp echoed through the Great Hall as a figure entered the Great Hall. A ripple of shock went through Slytherin. Aria noted several older students visibly react upon seeing the man. Was it because Auror Moody looked so different? He did not look much different from the time she had met him in second year, so she supposed that if you had never met him, his fake eye and wooden leg might seem grotesque or off-putting.

"Ah!" Dumbledore smiled at Moody. "Our new Defense professor! Recently retired from a long and glorious service as an auror, please welcome, Alastair Moody!"

The man's fake eye whirled as he looked around the room. Polite clapping followed Dumbledore's announcement. A lot of Slytherins, however, refused to clap.

"Is there something I'm missing?" Aria whispered to Daphne.

"Auror Moody had his glory days during the war," Daphne answered. "I don't know much, but I'm pretty sure most of the Death Eaters caught during that time were arrested by him. That includes a lot of family members of some of our housemates."

Aria glanced up and down the table. Graham Montague had the most hatred on his face and he, in fact, turned so that his back was to the Head Table. Aria was glad she was not in his NEWTs class. It would most likely be a volatile class this year.

"And now, for an exciting announcement," Dumbledore continued. "This year, Hogwarts will take part in a momentous event. The Triwizard Tournament, after a long hiatus, will once again take place!"

Confused whispers filled the Great Hall. The Triwizard Tournament? What was that?

Dumbledore called for quiet.

"The Triwizard Tournament," he said, "is a tournament between the three historic, and largest, European schools: Hogwarts, Beauxbatons, and Durmstrang. A champion from each school will be selected to represent their school in a series of three Tasks which will show off their bravery, their magical skill, and their intelligence. Eternal glory, and 1,000 Galleons is their prize. More information about how the champions are selected will be announced once the other two schools have arrived at Hogwarts. I don't think I need to tell you, that it is of the upmost importance that you all represent Hogwarts well. The eyes of Europe, and indeed the world, will be on us and we should all put our best wands forward!"

He clapped his hands and the feast appeared before the students.

"A tournament!" Tracey cried as they dished food onto their plates. "This ought to be exciting!"

"I wonder how the champions are chosen," Aria said.

"I bet you've got to sign up and maybe the professors choose," Harry answered.

"Would you sign up?" Daphne asked.

"Absolutely not!" Harry cried. "I don't need eternal glory or 1,000 Galleons."

"It sounds like a very dangerous tournament," Aria agreed. "I'm not sure I'd want to compete. Not unless I knew what the tasks were." She perked up with a sudden thought.

"I wonder if Percy could tell us anymore," she said. "He's in the Department for International Cooperation. He helped put the World Cup together. I bet his department's involved in this tournament somehow."

"Why?" Pansy asked. "It's a school thing."

"Well, it involves international schools. In the Muggle world you can't just bring in international students without the government being involved."

"This isn't the Muggle world!" Astoria all but shouted up the table. How was she even able to listen in on their conversation? "If you like it so much, why don't you go back to it?"

"Shut up, Astoria!" Daphne snapped. She turned to Aria. "I'm sorry about her. She's just being a little brat."

"Ah, what else is new?" Aria answered with a laugh. "I'm not too worried about Astoria."

Harry shifted over to make room for Theo who slid in between him and Aria.

"It's not Astoria you need to worry about," Theo said, his voice low so that only she and Harry could hear, even though Aria knew that the other fourth year girls were trying to eavesdrop. "I overheard Warrington, Montague, and Pucey chatting on the train ride. Montague, especially, seems under the impression that this year he can make your life . . . difficult since your usual protectors aren't here."

"My protectors?" Aria questioned.

"Flint, Attlebury, and Paddington," Theo said. "Everyone knew that they would take on anyone who tried to hurt you, especially after Sykes and Gambol. Who, by the way, have managed to regain their wands."

"I thought their wands were snapped," Harry said.

"They were. However, it seems that they both went over to Germany and sat for their version of the NEWTs and passed. Got wands over there. On top of that, the Wizengamot passed a law saying that any wizard or witch who gets expelled after receiving their OWLs can still retain their wands."

"When did that happen?" Aria asked.

"This summer, but I think the World Cup and it's . . . aftermath overshadowed it."

"So, they're running about with wands?" Aria questioned. "Great. Just great."

"That's not all I overheard," Theo said. Aria sighed, feeling that what Theo had to say was nothing good.

"Montague insinuated that the raid on the World Cup was mainly to just cause general chaos," Theo told them. "However, . . . he also insinuated that a few of the people who participated had their own goals."

"How would Montague know this?" Harry asked.

"Hearsay," Theo answered.

"Of course," Aria all but sneered. As if she believed that for a moment!

"One of those personal goals was you," Theo continued, looking straight at Aria. Aria stilled. Her?

"Are you saying," Harry said slowly, "that Aria was a target at the World Cup?"

Oh.

Oh!

Aria's stomach rolled. She pressed a hand to her mouth, breathing deeply. If she had been a target that mean that . . . that . . . the Death Eaters that grabbed her . . . they had . . . they had . . .

"Do you believe that?" Harry demanded. Theo sighed as if annoyed at Harry's obstinance. He poured Aria water and she sipped at it, the water doing little to ease her nausea.

"You of all people should know what it's like to have a target on your back," Theo told Harry. Harry scowled. Aria lowered her head to the table and ignored everyone for the rest of dinner.