Aria Black and the Battle for Hogwarts

Shell Cottage

The office of Filius Flitwick has always been one of my favorite places at Hogwarts. The place is filled with books-fiction, textbooks, fantasy, Muggle literature, everything! When I was in my fourth year, I used to borrow his books all the time.

"The brilliant Miss Black, what can I do for you?" Flitwick asks, from below.

"Professor, did you have my mother in school?"

Flitwick settles himself in his desk chair and smiles at a memory. "Yes, your mother was a splendid student. A shame she wasn't in Ravenclaw. I would have loved to have her be one of my Eagles." Flitwick calls his Ravenclaws Eagles. It's some sort of affectionate term of endearing, but I don't really get it. Shouldn't they be ravens?

"What was she like?"

"She could be so smart if she wasn't too busy irritating those four Gryffindor boys." Flitwick says, smiling to himself. He's talking about the Marauders. "Her and her friends were always talking during my classes about pranks. I even think they had a prank journal. Very much like your friends the Weasley twins, they all were."

I smile. Mom is like me. She pranks people, and...... dates her fellow prankster.

"She also would do anything for Miss Greengrass-"

I snap out of my thoughts. "Miss Greengrass?"

"Ariel Greengrass, yes. She was a very special girl, but loved to beat students up who didn't believe with her. Your mother would cover for almost anything Ariel did. Ariel was like her little sister."

Didn't Elizabeth say Ariel was a Squib? Why would they let a Squib go to Hogwarts?

"What was Ariel like?"

Flitwick sighs. "She was quiet, but bright. If she thought one of my projects were stupid, she'd say so, and refuse to do it. Ariel was a lot like Danielle, but hid all the good beneath the surface. She was a Slytherin, like Danielle."

"Was she special?" I ask. "The Ariel Greengrass I know is a Squib."

He seems taken aback by my question. "Well, yes, she was a-" Flitwick lowers his squeaky voice. "she was an elemental. Dumbledore wanted to keep her here so she would be safe. He told us not to tell anyone what she was."

***

My seventh year Astronomy class is a madhouse when I get there. Pavarti and Padma are crying, Terry and Michael are slumped over with their heads in their hands. Hannah Abbot paces back and forth, and Daphne stands by the wall with bleeding knuckles.

"What happened in here?" I exclaim. Realization crosses over my face. "Where's Fay?"

Pavarti breaks into a fit of sobs. "She-she's-"

"She's gone on the run with her family." Terry says quietly.

Oh, Fay. That's horrible.

I feel myself getting choked up. "How do you know?" I ask them, sinking down to comfort Pavarti.

"She wrote to Pavarti before term started to tell her what would happen. Plut when we got to Hogwarts, she wrote to us again and said it was all a misunderstanding. But she's gone, and now she's a wanted fugitive." Hannah tells me, speaking a mile a minute.

I sigh. "She's a strong girl, she can make it through."

No one seems to believe me at all.

***

That weekend, I decide to visit someone that doesn't make me think of sadness or my parents. Bill and Fleur have settled down at a place Shell Cottage, and I think now is the perfect time to visit.

I rap on the door three times as Remus taught me when I was a little girl.

"Aria." Bill says in his calm manner. "Welcome."

The scars on his face are still visible, but not as vivid as the night it happened.

I give him a smile and follow him to the kitchen, where Fleur is preparing steaks.

"Aria! You 'ave come to veesit us!" She chirps, moving to hug me.

I accept the awkward hug and look at Bill. "I'm not here to stay, but I do need to cool down. Everything's a little hectic right now."

Bill smiles slightly. "Maybe just a little."

I turn around to gaze at a decoration, when Fleur whispers loudly to Bill, "Should we teel 'er?"

About what? What should they tell me about?

"Not yet." Bill says. "Let's see if it's necessary."

Bill leads me to the sitting room, and Fleur shuffles upstairs to attend to some unknown business.

"What's going on?" Bill asks.

I sigh. "Everything is getting worse. One of my students is on the run, the Carrows are as horrible as ever, and I've enough questions about who I am to last me a lifetime."

Bill thinks for a moment. "Aria, I don't think you know how brave you are. You are staying at that school with everything going on to protect some kids who don't give you and Astronomy the light of day. If you can do that effortlessly, imagine how much you can accomplish trying to be brave. I have faith in you."

"Thanks Bill." I say. "Now what weren't you going to tell me?"

He heaves a great sigh.

***

I race through the door of the guest bedroom and embrace the figure inside. Ron Weasley, bright red hair and dirty clothing is in front of me, virtually unharmed.

"Ron!" I cry into his shoulder.

He's surprised at the hug, but melts into it. Ron has not had a proper hug in a while, I think.

"What are you doing here?" I ask him, pulling away.

Ron sighs and scratches the back of his neck. "I left Harry and Hermione."

My brow furrows. "Go on."

"I felt like Harry and Hermione were talking behind my back, because I was feeling dark that day, and I was jealous that Hermione might like him better than me, like everyone else on the planet. So I got angry, said some things I shouldn't have, and got out of there."

"I see." I tell him, sitting down on the creaky bed. "Harry is an easy person to be jealous of. He can majorly mess up and everyone blames it on someone else to make Harry look better. No one gets mad at him for anything."

Ron nods. "I feel like I should go back, but Hermione was really mad at me, and she probably never wants to see me again."

I bite my lip in thought. "I still think you should go back. I saw Harry and Hermione at the grave in Godric's Hollow. They didn't seem to be particularly active then."

"Was Hermione, you know, depressed?"

I think back to that day. "No. A little quiet, but not depressed. She loves you Ron. Now go back to her."

"Even if she tells me to leave?" He asks.

"Especially then. That means she needs you more now than ever. Hermione is weirder than the average girl. She doesn't like to admit she misses you. Wait for her to come to you with her feelings. Don't get there and immediately want a relationship again." I advise.

"Hmm. Okay. Thanks Aria. I'll be off tomorrow then."

I smile at him. "You always were my favorite, Ron."