Through the Darkness | Draco Malfoy

Three

"Harry? Harry Potter?"

There she was, a strange girl with long dark hair and bright blue eyes staring at him. Her clothes were covered in dirt and scratches, and she looked like she hadn't slept in days. She was painfully thin, as if she hadn't eaten in just as long.

"Who the devil are you?!" the beefy man next to Harry, Vernon Dursley, bellowed furiously as he released Harry's collar. He had been on the verge of strangling him, or so it seemed to Aries.

Ignoring Vernon, Aries stepped closer to Harry. "You must be Harry Potter," she said, looking at the trunk he was holding and extending her hand to grab it. "Here, let me help you."

Vernon harshly shoved her away, causing her to stumble backward and almost fall. "Leave now before I call the cops on you!"

Aries raised her eyebrows and nodded slowly. "Okay... call them, whoever they are." She shook her head and turned her attention back to Harry. "You're about to leave, aren't you? Well, good thing I am too. How about we leave together, hm?"

Harry glanced at Vernon, who looked livid.

"Who do you think you are, barging in here without an invitation? Get out!" Aunt Petunia yelled, pointing her finger directly at Aries, who remained unfazed by the shouting.

"Well, excuse you for not responding to my knocks and opening the door yourself. I had to force it open—"

Harry grabbed her sleeve and angrily pulled her out of the house along with his trunk, ignoring the shouting behind them.

"Great job. This is what you should do every time someone treats you terribly. You give no damn and walk away like a king," Aries commented as they walked.

Harry let go of her and faced her. "Who are you?" he demanded, his voice filled with anger and confusion.

Aries shrugged indifferently and kept walking. "No idea. Probably just another orphan like you. The world is full of us, after all."

He blocked her way and glared into her eyes. "Did someone send you?"

Matching his intensity, she stepped closer, staring right back into his eyes. "Yes," she replied. "Someone sent me to look after your sorry ass. And I'm only doing it because I have nothing better to do." She shrugged again and continued walking.

Harry looked at her in disbelief. Who the hell is this crazy girl?

"So! Where is your next heading?" Aries suddenly stopped, causing Harry to bump into her shoulder.

He took a step back and frowned. "Nowhere special, I guess." He sighed, feeling a mixture of frustration and curiosity. "Do you... have somewhere in mind?"

She nodded excitedly. "Yes! I was thinking of taking you to my father—"

Before she could finish her sentence, a large double-decker bus screeched to a halt, blocking their path and separating them.

Aries wanted to circle around the bus to get back to Harry, but someone grabbed her and pulled her into the bushes. She tried to break free from his grip, but it was too strong. "Stop struggling!"

Recognizing the voice, she ceased her resistance and turned around. "Dad?" she whispered, relief flooding through her as she threw her arms around him, burying her face in his shirt.

Sirius chuckled softly as he hugged her back tightly. "You're in big trouble for being so reckless."

As they parted, Aries glanced toward where Harry was, but the bus obstructed her view.

"I met Harry. He seems pretty cool," she said, eager to share her encounter with her father.

"That's great. You can fill me in once we find somewhere safe," Sirius replied.

"What? No, wait! Let's take him with us. His family is horrible, Dad. I won't leave him with them," Aries pleaded, tugging at Sirius' arm in desperation.

But Sirius remained resolute. "Not now, at least."

Aries shot him an irritated glare. "Not now, at least," she mimicked, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

Raising an eyebrow at her, Sirius continued, "Your mission isn't over yet. You still need to watch out for him and keep him safe."

"And how am I supposed to do that? By being reckless? It's hard to be responsible when I'm always the one taking risks," Aries retorted.

"Let me finish. Dumbledore will understand your situation. He'll protect you if you stick by Harry's side," Sirius explained calmly.

"Hogwarts? Are you serious? You broke me out of Azkaban just to send me to my death. You and your suicidal plans," Aries protested, her voice tinged with frustration.

"The safest option right now is Hogwarts," Sirius insisted, handing her a wand from his pocket. "Take this, and don't lose it. Use it only in emergencies."

Caught off guard by the sudden responsibility, Aries stared at the wand in disbelief. Sirius was actually considering sending her to school alone, her own father.

Seeing her hesitation, Sirius reassured her. "You're brave. You've survived the worst. Just follow my instructions, and you'll be fine."

Taking a deep breath, Aries carefully stowed the wand in her pocket. "Okay," she murmured, looking up at her father.

"And take this, just in case," Sirius added, handing her a knife from his pocket. "For protection."

Though still annoyed with him, Aries trusted her father enough to accept his guidance, despite his unnerving plans.

"Now listen carefully to what I'm about to tell you..." Sirius began, outlining their next steps.

"I understand. But what if I fail to catch this rat of yours and end up trapped?" Aries asked hesitantly, not wanting to provoke him further. "I mean, I'm not saying I won't do it, but risking my life for a rat..." she trailed off.

Ignoring her concerns, Sirius pulled her into a hug. "Listen to me, young one. Yes, it's dangerous, but I trust you to do anything. Please, try your hardest to catch this creature and leave the school. That's your only task."

Though she didn't like it, Aries knew she had no choice but to obey her father's orders. She nodded weakly, resigned to her fate.

After circling around Hogwarts, Sirius pointed toward a building nearby. "There, the entrance to Hogwarts. Find Dumbledore. You know what he looks like?"

She nodded. "The old man with the long white beard who appears in every newspaper. Yeah, I obviously know him."

"You need to find him first, and then—"

"Become friends with the ginger boy and kill his rat. I got it," she interrupted impatiently. "There's no need to explain everything to me. But can I ask why I need to kill a rat? I mean, I know they're annoying pests, but isn't killing them a bit extreme?"

Sirius grew visibly anxious, especially since he hadn't told Aries about Pettigrew. "Just do as I say and follow my instructions."

"But—"

"We don't have time to argue about this, Aries!" he snapped, grabbing her face between his hands. She flinched at the sudden contact. "Just please..."

Aries shook her head and sighed. "Okay, I'll listen," she replied, reaching out to comfort him. "I'll do it without questioning you if it makes you feel better," she assured him, smiling sadly as she felt his shoulders relax.

He slowly released her and gave her a small smile before turning away. "Be careful, and if you ever get in trouble, howl for me."

"I will," she replied quietly as he walked away. She watched him disappear before turning her gaze back to the castle.

Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and focused on the location where the rat might be hiding.

"I'm going to get chained again for this."