The castle was huge, and it was filled with students and teachers. Navigating through the bustling halls was challenging for Aries, but she managed to weave her way through eventually.
She waited until everyone had gone to their dormitories, giving her the freedom to search for the rat. When her plan seemed to work, she headed upstairs, struggling with the moving staircases.
"Stupid stairs," she muttered, glaring at them before continuing on her way.
"Who's there?!" A sudden shout echoed in the corridor, causing her to flinch and freeze on the spot. She looked around slowly, but saw no one.
"I see you, little black creature!"
Aries wanted to jump out of the nearest window. She could see no one around her, but the voice seemed so close.
Deciding to change back into her human form, she grabbed her wand firmly. "Where are you?" she called out, trying not to sound as nervous as she felt.
"Over here, young lady."
And there he was, inside a painting—a knight.
"Oh, there you are," she whispered as she stepped forward. She felt something under her foot and realized it was a piece of paper with strange words written on it.
"I am Sir Cadogan, a sworn knight of the round table, at your service! And you are?" the knight declared as she read the paper.
"I'm... I'm just passing through. Um, hey Sir Cadogan, do you know where the Gryffindors' common room is?"
"Why, yes! It is behind the painting I inhabit! And how disrespectful that is, my name is Sir Cadogan, not Sir Corgan!" he exclaimed indignantly.
"Uh huh, okay, sorry." Aries smiled awkwardly. "May I enter, Sir Cadogan?"
"Password?" he asked warily.
"Umm..." Aries tried to think of something, but drew a blank. She checked the piece of paper again and raised her eyebrows. "Fl... Flib... F-Flib..."
Sir Cadogan raised his eyebrows and waited patiently. "Take your time," he said in a quiet tone with a reassuring nod.
"Flibberti... Flibbertigib... gibbet," she stammered.
"Wrong."
She raised her eyebrows in shock. "What do you mean, wrong? I almost sacrificed my tongue to read it!"
"Wrong again."
"Umm," she looked at the paper again. "For... Fortuna... Major."
"Wrong!"
She glared at him, then looked back at the paper. "I hope your round table burns," she mumbled. "Sc... Scurvy cur."
"That is correct! You may enter, my lady." He bowed politely as the painting moved aside.
"Idiot," she muttered, rolling her eyes as she walked into the Gryffindor common room. It was warm and cozy, with books on shelves and a crackling fireplace. The fire's warmth and pleasant smell were comforting, but she had no time to enjoy it.
She headed toward the boys' dormitories, where there were many doors in the hall. She opened the nearest door and peeked inside. Four boys were lying on their beds, asleep.
Using her keen sense of smell, Aries took one sniff and immediately recognized the scent of a rat in the room.
"Come out, you rodent, or I'll eat you alive and then make you suffer in hell," she whispered, walking toward the bed where the smell was strongest. She slowly took out her knife.
There it was, sleeping next to a ginger-haired boy. Aries raised the knife, ready to strike.
The rat suddenly woke, squeaked, and jumped off the bed with lightning speed. The redheaded boy woke up, eyes wide with horror as he saw her with the knife. Without wasting a moment, Aries turned into a dog and chased after the rat, causing chaos.
The rat ran frantically through the castle halls, with Aries hot on its tail. Just as she was about to turn a corner and catch it, she slid across the floor and ended up in a small room with a griffin statue that began to spiral upward.
Aries panicked and turned back into her human form. "No, no, no!" She had failed the mission her father gave her, and she had been so close.
As the room stopped moving, it revealed an entry to a large chamber filled with intriguing objects. She looked around, certain no one was inside.
Taking a deep breath, she muttered, "I'm going to get chained again for this."
So she entered the room cautiously, her heart beating rapidly. She stopped in front of the desk and saw two posters of her father and hers, with the word "Wanted" above their photos.
"Oh no." She turned around, ready to run, only to find herself facing an old man with a long white beard. He didn't look angry; instead, he seemed quite interested and concerned.
"You must be Aries."
Aries shook her head and took a few steps backwards until her back hit the table. "No, I'm– I'm not Aries."
The man, Dumbledore, paused and then nodded. "Ah, I see then. Apologies for wasting your time, Miss 'No I'm Not.' You may leave."
She didn't move a muscle; she just stared at him. He knows she's Aries, he definitely knows, but he's not doing anything about it?
"Um, who are you?" she asked quietly.
"Albus Dumbledore. I prefer to go by Professor Dumbledore. And you are?"
She sighed deeply before answering. "You already know my name, sir. But the question is... are you going to send me to Azkaban?"
"Why would I do that?"
A loud thud came from the griffin staircase. Professor McGonagall emerged, walking hurriedly. "Albus, we have a problem..." she said in a serious tone, but then she noticed Aries and stopped in shock. "Albus... who—"
"Minerva, the problem is solved, do not worry." He placed a hand on her shoulder, probably waiting for Aries to talk.
"Um, hello." Aries greeted with an awkward smile.
McGonagall seemed ready to pass out after recognizing her face. "You are Sirius's daughter," she breathed heavily, as if she had been holding her breath since the moment she saw Aries.
"Aries Black, pleasure to meet you." She extended her hand and shook hands with McGonagall. "I'm not sure if you want me sent back, but I guarantee you, I am the most innocent little girl you will ever meet."
"You are innocent, everyone here knows that, my dear girl." McGonagall assured her. She wanted to smile so badly, but she knew it wasn't the time to get emotional.
This made Aries slightly smile. They weren't like she expected. It had been too long since people other than her father treated her nicely.
"Now, Aries. Sit here, please." Dumbledore motioned towards the chair in front of the desk, and Aries did exactly as she was told.
"Minerva." Dumbledore made way for McGonagall as she came and placed a pointy hat on top of Aries' head.
"Umm, what's that for?" Aries asked.
"It's a sorting hat. It tells us which house suits you better," McGonagall explained patiently.
None of this made sense to Aries, but she decided not to ask more and went on with it. All she thought of was to capture that rat, and this seemed like the easiest way to do it—becoming a part of Hogwarts.
All of them sat silently at the end of the table, with the teacher in the middle, watching Aries with curiosity. She was visibly confused by all the attention.
"Hmm, what have we got here?" the hat spoke, startling her a bit. "What an interesting mind you have, young lady. Bright and creative, but not too bright. You would take so many risks for others with no second thoughts. Very reckless and stupid of you. You truly are your father's daughter, Aries Black. You can fit as a Slytherin and as a Gryffindor."
"Well, which one?" she asked, her voice tinged with impatience.
"You are a Gryffindor," the hat answered decisively.
McGonagall's smile widened as Dumbledore let out a chuckle. "Just like your father, Miss Black," said Dumbledore.
But poor Aries didn't quite grasp what was happening. "Does this mean I'll get to be close to the ginger head and his rat?" she asked, her brow furrowing.
Dumbledore patted her shoulder as she stood up. "Yes, yes—"
"Sweet! When do I meet him?" she grinned, her eyes lighting up.
The teachers exchanged confused glances. Her happiness seemed solely tied to being with the ginger-haired boy, also known as Ron Weasley, rather than her house placement.
"You will be meeting him tomorrow," McGonagall explained. "But first, we have to announce your arrival to the school. We need to make it clear that you're harmless."
Aries's face lit up with excitement. "When can we tell them? I can't wait to start."
McGonagall continued, "You will be staying in my office for the night, and tomorrow morning, we shall tell the students the news."
As she heard those words, Aries couldn't hide her excitement. She would finally make her father proud by capturing the rat.
"Do you have a plan for tomorrow, Professor?" Aries asked eagerly.
Dumbledore nodded, his eyes twinkling. "We will introduce you during breakfast. The students will have questions, but we will ensure they understand your situation."
"Got it," Aries said, her mind already racing with thoughts of how to find the rat. "What should I do until then?"
McGonagall smiled kindly. "Get some rest, Aries. You'll need your energy for tomorrow."
Aries nodded, though her excitement made her feel wide awake. "Okay, I'll try. But I really can't wait to meet ginger boy and his rat."
Dumbledore chuckled again. "Patience, Miss Black. All in good time."
As they led her to McGonagall's office, Aries couldn't help but feel a surge of hope. She was in Hogwarts now, and she had a mission. With a determined heart, she knew she would succeed. For her father, for Harry, and for herself.