The Era of Aria Snape

84

Chapter Eighty-Four

ARIA STORMED INTO the headquarters angrily. "No one thought to tell me that the hearing was going to be three hours early?" She snapped, glaring around at the Weasleys and everybody else in the room.

"We didn't know either. Come sit down." Arthur made space for her on the couch.

She sat down in a huff and glared at Harry. "Well?"

He shook his head. "I'm not expelled."

A smile formed on Aria's face. "That's wonderful!"

"It is, but there's something else going on. The ministry..." Harry trailed off.

Arthur stood up, interrupting the conversation and announcing that he was going to make tea, wondering if anyone wanted.

Aria glanced at Harry and then across the room, looking at each face and noticing how everyone avoided her eye, be it purposefully or not.

She frowned and made her way back up to her room. It was going to be a painfully long year if no one trusted her enough to confide in her.

ϟ

Aria had found Anna on the platform and chosen a compartment with her. They sat in silence, for the most part, only mumbling a few words out of politeness.

Anna had not been happy when it came out that Aria's mother was a muggle. Or, as she had put it, "you used to hex people for being half-blood."

Needless to say, Aria had not been happy with her best friend's lack of sympathy for the situation and had given her the silent treatment for the rest of the year.

She glared at her from across the compartment. "How was your holiday?"

She nodded. "Fine, my parents wouldn't let me out really."

"Why not?"

"Well ever since Potter and you have claimed that you-know-who is back, they're skeptical. Don't know why, though."

Aria snorted. "Maybe because it's the Dark Lord?"

"He's not actually back. Come on, Potter just wanted to stay relevant, right?"

Aria felt her jaw drop at the ignorance of the statement. "Are you mad? I was bloody there, Anna. I saw him too!"

"Alright, alright, calm down. I'm only saying that not everyone believes either of you. I'd advise against cursing every single student who says otherwise. It might be the whole school that you curse."

She frowned. "Shut up."

The rest of the journey was silent, except for when Madison and her boyfriend came to sit in the compartment as well. They squeezed in next to Anna. The three whispered amongst themselves.

Aria eyed the group angrily, playing with her wand between her fingers and contemplating on whether to turn them into frogs or not.

She thought better of it, after all, she didn't want to start the year off in her father's office yet again.

Upon arriving at Hogwarts and leaving her bags at the front, Aria noticed that almost every student that passed her by either gave her a funny look or began to walk faster.

She made her way to the carriages and was taken aback when instead of the usual nothing that pulled them, a large black beast was in its place. She stepped away from it and hurried into the carriage, wondering if Annabelle would notice as well.

She didn't.

And so Aria stayed quiet about it. She didn't want to give anyone any more of a reason to send her funny looks.