How I Met The Marauders

The Letter from the Ministry

Arianna sat in the Common Room. It was empty. Everyone was asleep but she couldn't sleep...

She circled the Room. It felt as if something was wrong. Something was wrong...

Arianna Scarlet Flames was a Muggle-born. She had had a simple life in London till a strange man named Perkins had arrived with a Letter and her life had changed completely.
She was a witch and would go to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Everything had changed. She had come to Hogwarts and been sorted into Gryffindor. She had found great friends, Lily Evans, Marlene McKinnon, Alice Prewett and Dorcas Meadowes. They were her room mates and the best girls she had ever known.
She had excelled in all Magic subjects except Astronomy.

The 4 years had been absolutely marvellous. But as the 5th year started, things became darker. War was being waged against Muggles and Muggle-borns. She was worried about her parents... Muggles were being killed everyday...

She was snapped out of her thoughts by a tapping. She glanced towards the window and saw an Owl.

She quickly let the Owl in and took the Letter. It was from the Ministry. Adressed to her.

The feeling in her gut had been right. Something was wrong.

She took the Letter and the Owl flew away. She ran over to the Fire and read:

Dear Miss Flames,
We regret to inform you that your family has been killed in the recent Muggle killing in London.
None of your family members has survived the massive attack. The bodies have been destroyed.
Your future will be discussed with Professor Albus Dumbledore. He will arrange a meeting with you and you will be duly notified.

Ari didn't bother to read the rest of the letter.

She sat down on the floor, pulled her knees close to her body and rested her chin on them. Then, she broke down completely. Tears rolled down her cheeks. They wouldn't stop. She sobbed and sniffled. It was too much. They were gone and they weren't coming back.

She had been crying for a while when she heard a sound.

A boy was coming down from his dormitory. Sirius Black.
No one should see her cry. She got up and ran up her dormitory. She stopped at the top of the stairs and looked down.

The boy had read the letter and was shaking his head in pity.

She laid down on her bed and closed her eyes. She didn't sleep that night. She just cried into her pillow.

Next day, her friend came back from the classes.
"Ari, are you alright?" Asked Lily. "Why are your eyes red? Why didn't you come to breakfast or lunch or any of the classes!?"

"They're dead, Lily. My parents are dead."

Lily gasped in horror. "W... What!? Oh... oh no. Oh dear Lord, no! What about your sister, Lilyanna?"

Lilyanna was Ari's 10 your sister, probably a witch-to-be.

"Yana's dead. I have no living family member anymore."

Lily had comforted her and when, the other girls had come, they had cared for her.

"I have to go to meet Professor Dumbledore." She said after an hour and left.

Professor Dumbledore was very kind to her.

"We will arrange for you to stay in a Muggle orphanage till any safe Wizarding family chooses to keep you. You will stay in Hogwarts for the Christmas and Easter holidays." He had said.

He had excused her from the week's classes and told her to take care of herself. "You must be very careful. Anyone might try to hurt you." He said.

And after that, a week passed and Arianna recovered. And then, she went back to the classes and they were enough distraction.