Lionheart ~ Harry Potter (Under Heavy Editing)

Chapter One | Back To Hogwarts

The warm sunlight was beating down on the village of Gairloch, having banished the darkness of the gloomy clouds that had been plaguing the village for three long days. The fields of green grass had clearly benefitted from being rained on and were more vibrant than ever; the drops of dew that were clinging to them were sparkling like diamonds in the sunlight. A cool breeze rustled the leaves on nearby trees, sending some spiralling to the floor and others soaring through the air. Around the village, the peaceful sound of lapping waves and seagulls calling to each other were the only things that could really be heard, and rays of golden sunshine made a head full of snowy white hair glow brilliantly as it swished gently in the wind, brushing over a pair of milky white shoulders.

Any onlookers would have thought nothing of Ariana O'Connor when they saw her sitting on the shore of Loch Gairloch, head angled up to the sun, eyes closed, and legs outstretched, but things are rarely as they seem. The thirteen-year-old girl was hardly ever this at peace but there was certainly a reason for it. After a long summer holiday (Ariana used that particular word is used in the lightest sense possible), September had finally come around and it was time to return to the world-renowned school of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The witch took a deep breath of clean, fresh air and opened her eyes, looking straight out to the blue depths of the Loch with eyes as light blue as ice, following each wave as it lapped the shore. She still had five hours until she had to board a train for a twelve-hour journey to King's Cross Station in London to join her three friends, Harry Potter, Hermione Granger and Ronald Weasley. They were the only family she had.

Just as most would be unable to identify that Ariana was a witch, it seems that everyone had been unable to identify the pain behind the false sparkle in her eyes. Harry, Ron and Hermione were the only ones who managed to make a real sparkle appear. After a lifetime of pain, sorrow, misery and an intense feeling of being lost, she had almost given up, but that was before she escaped her hellish reality and was swept off to somewhere she could truly call home, with people who loved her. She never had told anyone about her life at home and she preferred it that way... she just couldn't face it yet, she didn't want to burden her friends with the knowledge of the abuse she had suffered, it just was not fair to them. She often reminisced about when they had been sorted into their Hogwarts house...

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The nervous girl stepped up in front of the students and faculty, feeling the weight of their stares on her skin. Ariana sat on the stool which Harry had previously been seated on and inhaled deeply as Professor McGonagall placed the enchanted hat on top of her head.

"Ah," the hat hummed. "I've been waiting a long time for you, Ariana. It seems we have found the true heir of Godric Gryffindor himself."

Ariana's eyes widened as the words sank in... surely she wasn't the heir of one of the most powerful wizards in history. The sound of the professors behind her leaning forward in their seats could be heard and she saw the students sitting in front of her gasp and whisper among themselves.

"Your wand... Yes. A lot can be discovered about a witch or wizard by looking at their wand. Ebony and wood are highly suited to all manner of combative magic. Ebony is happiest in the hand of those with the courage to be themselves. Frequently non-conformist, highly individual or comfortable with the status of outsider, ebony wand owners have been found both among the ranks of the Order of the Phoenix and the Death Eaters. In my experience, the ebony wand's perfect match is one who is unique and will hold fast to his or her beliefs, no matter what the external pressure, and will not be swayed lightly from their purpose.

Your wand possesses the rarest core type; a Phoenix Feather. Phoenix feathers are capable of the greatest range of magic, though they may take longer than either unicorn or dragon cores to reveal this. They show the most initiative, sometimes acting of their own accord, a quality that many witches and wizards dislike. Phoenix feather wands are always the pickiest when it comes to potential owners, for the creature from which they are taken is one of the most independent and detached in the world. These wands are the hardest to tame and to personalise, and their allegiance is usually hard won. Once their allegiance is won, they are extremely loyal.

I also sense immense power and a rich heritage, Ariana, and we can expect brilliant things from you. There is no doubt of the house to which you belong... Gryffindor!"

Ariana sighed in relief and felt the hat being lifted from her head. She made her way down to join her fellow Gryffindors, who shook her hand and cheered and sat beside her three friends.

~~~~~

Ariana about jumped out of her skin when she felt something brush her shoulder, her hand immediately flying to the pocket in which her wand lay; while she wasn't of age to use magic freely while outside of school, she wouldn't be breaking wizarding law by protecting her own life from a threat to it. After two years of being taught how to control her magic and advance it, reaching for her wand had become second nature. After all, it was the most powerful self defence she had to hand and she would be a fool of she didn't utilise it.That's when a wet nose prodded her arm and the distinct sound of sniffing could be heard...

"Oh, sorry!" the owner of the husky shouted, running over to attach the lead that had clearly malfunctioned. "It just snapped," she shrugged, "and he loves people."

Ariana got over the initial shock and slowed her breathing down, then felt her heart rate begin to fall back down to a normal rate. The owner and the dog were often out jogging together and the white-haired witch knew they meant no harm there. She looked at the dog, whose tongue was lolling out the side of his mouth, and patted him on his furry head. "It's all right," she said with a smile, then laughed, looked at the dog and said, "how could I resist someone so handsome?"

The pair exchanged the usual pleasantries and then parted ways. Ariana sat and watched the woman jog down the road with the lively husky bouncing along at her heels before standing up and brushing the sand off of her clothes. She turned her back to the water and looked beyond the houses at the shore, at the magnificent green mountains and the small dots - also known as sheep looked at from a distance - that moved about on them. The witch's piercing blue eyes took in her surroundings, from the depths of the Loch to the peregrine falcons in the sky high up above, and made her way over to retrieve her Hogwarts trunk from a place between two walls where it had been neatly concealed. She held the handle and smiled wider than she had in a considerable amount of time, her body feeling like electricity was flowing through it. She was finally going home to be with the three friends she never would have dreamed of having before the day she met them on the Hogwarts Express.

With a final glance at Gairloch, Ariana O'Connor set off down the street, towards the only place she had ever called home and the only place she had ever been happy.

Ariana's Wand

~~~~~

Question:
What age was Harry when Lord Voldemort first attempted to kill him?

A: One

B: Six Months Old

C: Two

The first person to answer correctly will get a shout-out in the proceeding chapter. Every tenth chapter will be an intense question that needs to be answered. Good luck!