A Wizards Fairytale

Chapter 18

Lily Potter stepped in the room quietly, not wanting to disturb whoever was inside. She had been walking down the hallway on her way back to her office and heard the most beautiful melody coming from one of the rooms. Desperately wanting to hear more, she had tried each door until one opened to her. It was a surprise to her to see that Aries was the one playing the piano. She had heard rumors of him playing at Carnegie Hall or such when he was a child but dismissed it as the Hogwarts rumor mill at work. Clearly, what she had heard was true. He played the piano like his fingers were just extensions of the keys themselves, and Lily didn't think she'd ever seen anyone so passionate about something in her life. It was awe-inspiring to watch.

Zana had always loved the piano, she remembered. She practiced nearly every day on a portable piano her grandmother had given her. Often, students tried to time when they'd do their homework to when Zana would practice because many found the sound soothing.

"Hogwarts should have a music program," Zana would often complain. Personally, Lily was glad it didn't because she couldn't sing or play an instrument to save her life. That was the one thing Petunia had always bested her at.

Still, Zana's skill on her beloved instrument came nowhere close to the talent her son displayed. He didn't seem to be following any sheet music; instead, he was scratching down musical notes onto blank sheets. Lily stood and listened for what seemed to be only seconds but must've been at least a half hour.

When she was about to leave, Aries's voice called out, "It's okay if you stay, you know." Lily turned around. "I'm used to having an audience."

She smiled. "So I hear. How long have you known I was standing there?"

Aries shrugged. "Since about five minutes after you arrived." Lily blushed. "When I was younger, my friends would come to get me for something and just wait while I finished whatever I was working on. I started listening for footsteps so I could finish up that place in my composition before being interrupted."

"You play beautifully," she complimented. "Do you practice often?"

Aries laughed a little bit. "Actually, I haven't been playing regularly since my mom died. This is probably the first time I've really played in a few years."

Lily raised an eyebrow. "Impressive," she said. "I wish I had musical talent. My sister used to play, and she was very good, but when she got married her husband made her give it up because he didn't want a woman besting him at something." Aries tensed slightly at the mention of his estranged aunt and uncle, but Lily didn't notice. "James and I couldn't carry a tune to save our lives and neither can Drew or Rose, but sometimes I wonder if..."

"If what?" Aries prompted when it seemed like she wasn't going to finish her sentence.

"If Harry would be like us," Lily replied, her voice slightly broken. "When he was a baby, your mother used to sing all kinds of lullabies and tunes to him, and he'd hum them right back to her." She looked at Aries searchingly. "My son would be about your age."

"I know," Aries stated. "My mom told me about him."

"She did?" Lily's heart seemed to stop. If Aries wasn't her son, could Harry be out there somewhere else? With another family?

Aries nodded. "She told me that someone wanted to hurt him and his family, and even though his parents did their best to protect him, he ended up getting hurt anyway. She told me that his parents got scared and decided that he'd be safer somewhere else without them. They sent him to stay with people who, as it turns out, didn't care whether he was safe or not."

"And what happened to him?" Lily couldn't help but ask.

Aries shrugged. "My mom always said he was rescued by a nice family and lived happily ever after, but I don't really know. He could've run away, I guess. I wouldn't blame him." Lily gave him a questioning look. "My mom adopted me from a home that was similar to the one in her story. I think it's the reason she told it to me."