Aria Ashborn and the Order of the Phoenix (A Harry Potter fanfiction)

Chapter 6: To Hear of the Hearing

It was the day of the hearing and Mr. Weasley and Harry had gone to the Ministry of Magic for his trial. Everyone else was forced to wait for news. They needed to get their minds off it so the kids decided to take the floo network to Diagon Alley and go back-to-school shopping. Mrs. Weasley was hesitant at first but allowed them to go nonetheless. Fred, George, Hermione, Ginny, Ron, and Aria arrived in Diagon alley and walked down the cold street. What they had known before to be cheerful and fun, didn't feel that way anymore. It looked the same but it didn't feel the same.

"Is it just me or does this place seem a little darker than before?" Fred asked. Aria noticed that there weren't as many witches and wizards walking around.

"Everything seems a little darker lately." Hermione replied grimly.

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking, Freddy?" George asked his brother.

"Nope." Fred replied. Fred, George, Hermione, and Ron made their way to Flourish and Blotts. Aria was following when she turned around to see Ginny running up to the window of Quality Quidditch Supplies.

"Check out these brooms!" Ginny exclaimed, looking through the window at a Comet 260. Hermione, Ron, and Aria made their way over to her,

"Are you going to try out this year, Ginny?" Hermione asked.

"Maybe." she replied confidently, "I've been practicing a lot lately. I've always wanted to."

"No way my sister is gonna be on the team before I am." Ron said grudgingly.

"Come on." Hermione said, "We need to get our books." Ron followed her but Ginny and Aria stayed back.

"This one's cool." Aria said, pointing to a Cleansweep. She and Ginny entered the store and the little bell rang as they did so. Ginny picked up the Comet 260 and weighed it in her hands.

"Think Dad would buy it for me if I ask enough?" Ginny asked. Before Aria could answer a cold voice spoke from behind them.

"Why don't you put it down Weasley?" Draco asked and the two girls reluctantly turned around to see Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle, "It's not like you can afford it."

"Go away, Draco." Aria scoffed as Ginny put the broom down. Draco wore dark clothing and his blonde hair was slicked back. Aria was surprised he could even show his face and strut around as confidently as he did considering Harry had seen Draco's father in the cemetery that night Voldemort returned.

"Aria." Draco smirked, "Still pretending like you're relevant."

"Malfoy." Aria said, narrowing her eyes, "Still bullying people to make yourself feel good?"

"I heard from my father that Harry Potter's been expelled." Malfoy said with a smile.

"Well, you heard wrong." Ginny chimed in, hands on her hips.

"Oh right." Malfoy said smugly, "He has a hearing then he'll be expelled." Crabbe and Goyle laughed.

"Dumbledore won't let that happen." Aria said as the chime of the door rang and Ron and Hermione entered. When Hermione saw Malfoy she walked quickly over to Aria and Ginny. Her face turned to instant anger.

"Don't you have somewhere else to be, Malfoy?" said Hermione, annoyed.

"As a matter of fact, I do." Malfoy said, "I don't need to bother with filthy mudbloods." This made Aria's blood boil and her grip tightened on the Hawthorne wand in her pocket.

"You take that back, Boil Face." Aria said.

"Boil Face?" Malfoy asked, confused and Aria whipped out her wand and pointed it at Malfoy.

"Furnunculus!" she said calmly with a smirk. Suddenly, large red boils began to appear all over Malfoy's face. He put his hands on his face and panicked as he felt each one appear. He began to shout and Aria, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny laughed. Malfoy grabbed Crabbe and Goyle by the shoulders and retreated from the store.

"Have fun popping those!" Aria called after him and then put her wand back in her pocket.

"I think that red streak in your hair is getting to your head." Ron said, "When did you get so fiery?"

"I don't know." Aria replied as the four began to exit the store, "I think that since last year, I've really started to come into myself."

"You really shouldn't use magic outside of school" Hermione said.

"Relax Hermione." Aria replied, "The ministry can only tell if magic is used around an underage wizard, not if they are using it. There are a handful of witches and wizard here who are of age."

"Yes, but still" Hermione replied. Suddenly, Mrs. Weasley came up to the four of them, having already retrieved Fred and George.

"There you all are." she said, "I hope you finished your shopping. Harry's back."
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"He got off! He got off!" Fred, George, Ginny, Aria, Hermione, and Ron all sang in the living room of number 12 Grimmauld Place. It was nighttime now, and all through dinner, everyone celebrated. Aria looked to see Harry sitting alone by the fireplace, watching his friends cheer.

"Harry, I thought you'd be happier." Aria said, approaching him.

"I am." Harry replied, but he couldn't quite manage a smile, "Really I am. It's just..."

"What?" Hermione asked, joining the conversation.

"Throughout the whole trial," Harry said, "Dumbledore didn't even look at me." Aria couldn't think of a way to comfort Harry. Luckily, Mrs. Weasley entered the room just in the nick of time.

"Oh I'm so happy!" she cried. She held two letters in her hand, "Harry got off and..."

"And what?" asked Ron.

"Well just see for yourselves." Mrs. Weasley said, handing both Ron and Hermione a letter.

"What is it?" Aria asked a bit worried as to why she didn't receive a letter. Hermione and Ron each pulled out a Gryffindor badge from the paper with the letter P superimposed onto them.

"I've been made a prefect!" Hermione beamed, having read over the letter.

"Me too!" Ron shouted.

"You?" Fred asked in disbelief, "A prefect?"

"What?" Harry asked, not even hiding his disappointment.

"Oh, Ron!" Mrs. Weasley said, over the moon, "I'll get you anything you like."

"A new broom?" Ron asked. Mrs. Weasley hesitated for a moment. New brooms are expensive. She thought it over in her head.

"A new broom it is!" Mrs. Weasley said and Ginny scoffed. "Now it's quite late everyone. I want you all in bed. We'll celebrate tomorrow!" The twins disapparated and popped upstairs. However, Mrs. Weasley was too happy to care and she tottled out of the room. Ginny ran up the stairs, a bit angry that Ron would get the broom she had wanted.

"Brilliant." Harry said as he and Aria approached Ron and Hermione, "Both of you. Perfect. Great."

"Thanks." Hermione said and she Ron exited the room. Aria and Harry were following.

Aria stopped Harry when Hermione and Ron were out of earshot. "I'm sorry you didn't get made perfect, Harry. I can tell it's bothering you." Aria said. Not only was this true for Harry but for Aria as well. She always knew that Hermione was the brightest witch of her year and that she, Aria, wasn't as much as a leader at Hermione but she thought for sure that Harry would beat out Ron for prefect.

"There are bigger than problems than who gets made prefect." Harry said, acting as if it wasn't bothering him, but Aria knew better.