Ariana: A Harry Potter FanFiction

Chapter Six

Small sounds were the first to slowly come back to Albus. He could hear people moving around, groaning, breathing. His head ached and throbbed from hitting the hard wall.

            “Is everyone alright?” he heard his mother ask softly, her voice slightly strained.

            “I’m fine,” Aberforth responded quietly.

            “What about you, Albus?” There was a sort of shuffling sound, and the next words came from close beside him. “Albus?”

            There was a hand on his shoulder, then, shaking him slightly. He groaned and hesitantly opened his eyes. Everything was blurred at first, and he was only able to make out shapes and colors. His mother kneeled beside him, Aberforth behind her, both watching him worriedly.

            “What happened?” Albus asked, trying to sit up. He rubbed his head with the back of his hand, and it came away red with blood.

            Kendra gingerly put her hand to his head, and he winced. “You hit your head on the wall,” she explained, “You’re bleeding—”

            “I figured that much out myself,” Albus said snappishly, “What happened?”

            Kendra’s eyes flashed with anger, but in a moment the emotion was gone and she was back to her worried, motherly self. “I’m sure you don’t remember, but the day your father was… sent away, he mentioned that Ariana could have magical explosions. I just… I just assumed that because nothing had happened yet, that she would be the exception.” Her voice was shaking, and she put her hand to her mouth.

            The boys didn’t know what to say. Their mother rarely ever cried in front of them, and they couldn’t think of the sort of words that would comfort her.

            She gathered herself and cleared her throat. “I’ll go get a wound-cleaning potion, a healing draft, and…” She glanced at his head once more, grimacing. “A blood-replenishing potion, too.” At that, she stood and turned, only to freeze where she was when she caught sight of her daughter.

            Ariana was huddled on the staircase in a fetal position, her legs held against her chest, her face buried in her knees, her arms holding everything together for dear life. She didn’t make a noise, didn’t move a muscle. She simply sat there, golden curls resting on her shoulders.

            “Ariana,” Kendra breathed, relieved, “Thank goodness you’re alright!”

            The little girl didn’t move, didn’t say anything. Albus began to wonder if she was breathing, when she sniffed quietly, the only sign she was actually alive.

            “Darling,” Kendra said, taking a step closer, but not daring to stand within reaching distance, fearing another explosion. “You are alright, aren’t you?”

            Ariana’s little head lifted, to reveal a face, soaked with tears. “I’m sorry, Mummy.”

            “Don’t blame yourself,” Kendra said, “You couldn’t help it.”

            “I could help it,” Ariana whispered, “But I didn’t.” She put her face back to her knees and sobbed quietly, her arms so tight around her legs that they shook.

            The boys, still sitting on the floor, stared in confusion. Albus leaned closer to Aberforth and whispered, “Ab, Ariana could’ve killed us.”

            “I know,” Aberforth said softly, “But it was an accident, wasn’t it?”

            “It was,” Albus admitted, “But who’s to say it won’t happen again? And who’s to say next time, we’ll all live to tell the tale?”

            “Then we’ll just have to try our best to make sure it doesn’t happen again,” Aberforth said, and he stood and stepped past Kendra to his sister.

            Looking at her worriedly, he said, “Ariana?”

            Her only response was a sniff.

            “Everything’s going to be alright,” he said slowly, calmly. He sat down beside her on the staircase, putting an arm around her slumped shoulders. “Everything’s going to be fine.”

            She didn’t react to his touch, gentle as it was. Kendra and Albus watched in silence as Aberforth murmured loving reassurances. Starting to feel light-headed, Albus called in a whisper, “Mum.”

            Kendra looked back at her eldest and seemed to snap out of whatever daze she’d been in. She stepped into the kitchen, gathering the potions, and returned in time to see Aberforth helping Ariana stand.

            With a smile to his mother, he put his hand on his sister’s shoulder and led her upstairs, saying, “Get some sleep. Clear your head.”

            Kendra returned the smile weakly and kneeled down in front of Albus. “Let’s get you cleaned up, shall we?”