Lionheart ~ Harry Potter (Under Heavy Editing)

Chapter Twenty-Three | The Truth Comes Out

A few of weeks later, the frosted grass was beginning to thaw. The snow had stopped fluttering from the sky, no longer coating the ground, making the Hogwarts grounds, and mountains surrounding them look like a Christmas card. The Whomping Willow shook its branches periodically, shedding all of the snow that had coated it.

The mountain of homework was beginning to wear Ariana down. She and Hermione were studying ten subjects with the aid of their Time Turner, and it was taking up a lot of their time. The white-haired witch no longer looked awake and alert, but pale with small dark circles beginning to blossom under her eyes; quite like Professor Lupin did a few times a month, but for two very different reasons.

The workload kept her awake most of the night, then gave her a reason to rise in the early hours of the morning. To add to her strain, Wood was training his team longer and harder, making Ariana feel even worse. The Slytherins had started jinxing and hexing Gryffindor Quidditch players, to increase their chances of winning. Living up to their reputation as snakes, in Ariana's opinion.

She was on her way to the Library to catch up on some History of Magic work, and to complete an essay for Muggle Studies, a class which she and Hermione found incredibly easy due to the fact that they had lived in the Muggle world their entire lives.

"Oh, look," sneered a Slytherin girl, Lucy, "it's Frosty."

Ariana held her head high and continued walking as if she had never heard the girl's snide remark. She had never minded that particular nickname; it was not the worst one. The white-haired witch saw the group of Slytherins withdraw their wands. As her arms were filled with two books, she couldn't her get to her wand fast enough, so Ariana made a plan: many classroom doors lined the walls, so she would duck into one before she was hit by the spells.

As the Slytherins said their incantations, Ariana dove into a class, closing the door behind her as the spells hit it with five separate smacks. She heard laughter as she closed her eyes and leaned her head against the cool wooden door. Being hit with a hex was one of the last thing she needed right now, nevermind five of them in one go.

"Ariana?"

The girl's tired eyes stung as she opened them. They landed on another pair of blue ones; Lupin's. He was leaning against the stone banister at the top of the staircase outside his office, his eyebrows furrowed in curiosity and concern.

"Oh, sorry, Professor," Ariana said, pulling the door open, "I didn't realise you were in here."

"Would you like to wait on them passing by?" Lupin asked, leaning down to rest his elbows on the banister.

"If that's alright," Ariana sighed. "Normally I would of marched straight out of here but I'm weighed down with twelve books," she chuckled, waving a tired, dismissive hand at her heavy bag.

"Come up, come up," said Lupin cheerfully, heading off into his office.

Ariana wearily closed the door once again and crossed the room and, after heading up the staircase, she joined Lupin in his office. "Thank you. I won't take up much of your time."

"Are you alright, Ariana? If I may ask," Lupin questioned, looking quite concerned.

Ariana didn't blame him, she looked atrocious and was so overworked that she had nearly fell asleep in her last Defense Against the Dark Arts class, much to the shock of everyone inside with her.

"Of course. Yes, I'm alright, thank you," Ariana replied, but apparently her teacher was unconvinced, judging by the look on his face. "I suppose I'm a little tired. But my appearance gives that away," she chuckled, hoping that would end the conversation.