Aria Black and the Battle for Hogwarts

Trouble At St. Mungos

More and more students are entering the Room of Requirement. Madam Pomfrey is keeping Daphne in the Hospital Wing for a few days.

Despite knowing that Daphne is alright, I feel as if the moon has dropped out of the sky, and is crushing me with its weight. The days of me trying to be optimistic are over. Everything sucks.

And it somehow gets worse when I get a letter from Alicia at sunset.

Dear Aria,

Mary is having a fit. She said something about her family. Anyway, she wants to see you. Please come as quick as possible. I don't know how to help her.

Yours Truly,

Alicia

I don't even tell anyone where I am going.

My mum's diary might help Mary somehow. I don't really know how, but I will try to help her get past whatever is going on. Nonetheless, I pack the diary.

***

I dodge Miss Honey at the front desk, and race up to Mary's room.

Alicia and a male Healer are present, and they are conversing nervously in the corner. Mary lies in her bed, wallowing around and muttering incomprehensible phrases.

"Alicia, I'm going to go check on Lockhart." The male Healer says, noticing that I want to talk.

Alicia smiles dreamily at him. "Okay, Evan."

Evan leaves, and I don't even ask Alicia about him.

"What's up with Mary?" I ask.

She sighs. "I have no idea."

"That's it?" I say angrily.

Alicia throws me a dirty look. "She's not exactly feeding her problems to me with a spoon, Aria!"

"Can I wake her up?" I huff.

She shakes her head. "Been like this for hours. I'll leave you."

Alicia walks out, green robes trailing behind her.

I kneel down by Mary's bed. "Mary? It's Aria, your niece. Will you wake up so we can talk?"

For a moment, she stills. She stops murmuring, snd everything sort of stops.

Mary's eyes flutter open. She looks into my eyes, but it feels like she's going deep into my soul. "I know everything." She says breathlessly.

"Everything? Everything about what?"

Mary grasps my arm with her bony fingers and sharp nails. "My family! Ariel told me everything!"

She looks so proud of herself.

"You know Ariel?" I say in disbelief.

"She came to me in a dream!" Mary says. "Telling me everything. She really has got the element of Air controlled pretty well. That's how she can speak to me through dreams."

Ariel is really powerful! We really need her on our side!

"Mary," I say. "I'm going to leave."

She nods. "Be careful, those Carrows are nasty."

"What?" I whirl around. "How do you know them?"

Mary rolls her eyes. "Came in just before you did, warning me that they were watching me. Don't worry though, I won't report you. I don't often do what people tell me. I think it runs in the family."

***

Before I know what I am doing, I stop at Ariel's cottage. Sparing myself another unpleasant conversation, I give Mum's diary a kiss, and carefully place it on Ariel's doorstep.

I can feel her cold eyes watching me, but I keep my focus on the diary.

"I'll see you again sometime." I tell it. And I hope I will.

When I get back to Hogwarts, it is still dark. I see the sun rising on the horizon, but force myself to hurry inside before someone notices my absence.

I am doing pretty well staying out of sight, but when I throw open my chamber door in exasperation, I am met with a rather unpleasant sight.

Amycus and Alecto Carrow are standing in front of me.