The grand Hogwarts tour
The next day Ariana woke early and headed to the Hospital wing. She had an appointment with Madam Pomfrey, the matron of Hogwarts and her new feeder Rosalinde.
Hermione stood outside the entrance.
“Good Morning Hermione… I mean Professor Granger-Weasley.” she smiled.
“Good morning Miss Ivashkov, you probably don’t know where the Hospital wing is, I thought you might need guide.”
“Thank you very much professor! I actually have directions.” she held a piece of parchment in the air.
“Well, I will walk you nevertheless.”
They walked and made small talk.
The Professor knocked on the double doors and walked in.
It looked like every other hospital, a lot of beds with curtains and bedside table for potions and medications. Two humans were walking around with potions and sheets.
“Madam Pomfrey, this is Ariana Ivashkov.” a woman, the one with the potions turned around.
“Ah… welcome Miss Ivashkov. Let us go to my office to get everything planned, shall we?”
Ariana nodded and followed Madam Pomfrey.
“Miss Ivashkov this is your… feeder.” she wasn’t unfriendly but a little harsh.
“Hello my name is Rosalinde.” the woman in the office introduced herself shaking hands with Ariana.
“Ariana. Nice to meet you, and my deepest condolences for the loss of Lord…”
“Lord Tarus. Thank you. I am looking forward to our collaboration Lady Ivashkov.”
“Please, Ariana, I don't feel comfortable with titles.”
“Of course Lady Ivashkov.”
Ariana let it go.
“Madam Pomfrey and I worked out this schedule for the feedings. Wednesday and Sunday. Is this alright?”
“Sure, at home I had feedings every day, but it will work.”
“We would say you should come before breakfast, but since this kinda is breakfast for you...”
She smiled her closed mouth smile “Yes.” she got a piece of paper from Rosalinde, with all the details.
“That's all for today.” Madam Pomfrey said as she shooed her out of her office.
Professor Granger-Weasley had waited outside.
“See you then, Lady Ivashkov.” Rosalinde made a little curtsy.
“Please no. No titles and no curtsies, please Rosalinde. Just Ariana.”
Rosalinde looked a little uncomfortable but nodded anyway.
Ariana was certain she would do it next time again.
She walked to the great hall with Hermione.
“Why is she using a title?” asked her professor after a while.
“Ivashkov is a royal name in our world. Kind of like the blood status in this world, we have royal families. I just don’t feel like i deserve it.” Ariana said resentful
“Why not?”
“For one the title is not for my brothers, it just applies to Moroi, secondly I am a freak Moroi and the lastly, I am a fucking witch.”
“Language Miss Ivashkov.” Hermione scolded her.
Ariana walked back to the common room to go to breakfast with her new friends. It was Saturday so they didn't have any classes.
As she walked through the portal she heard a sob coming from near the entrance hole. She was sure no human would have heard it. She still investigated were it came from. There it was again, it came from under the stairs. She scrambled under it and saw Albus, she sat herself next to him and at first he didn’t notice her.
“Is everything okay?” she asked quietly, he jerked and tried to wipe the tears away.
“S’alright.” he couldn’t look at her, new tears escaped his eyes.
She sat a few minutes next to him without talking and looking at him, while he still sobbed next to her.
She waited until he calmed down a little bit. She moved to look at him while handing him a muggle chocolate bar.
“What are you afraid of?” she asked unwrapping a bar herself. She was reading his Aura, it was kind of different to the ones she had already read, him being a human, the only comparison she had to human auras was her mother's.
His was mostly purple, possessed by people who are spiritual but passionate. Still waters run deep, as they say. It was strange that it was purple like her mother’s, her father had once told her that her mother was the only person with a purple aura that he ever met.
Her father’s and her own were golden, showing that they are spirit users. Most of her brothers’ were green with dots of different colors. The green represents their balance and connection to their body and the earth.
Around Albus’s aura hung a fog of black and red, representing his mood. Black for disquiet and red for anger.
“M-my brother…” he felt surprisingly calm around her, “ he m-made fun of me. He s-said I would end up in slytherin… a-and that dad would hate me…“
“Don't listen, he is stupid saying that. I don’t know your father but I’m sure he won't hate you because of the tie you're wearing. He would be happy to know you already made friends.”
“You think so.”
“Of course! And if your brother bothers you again I’ll.. I’ll hit him” Ariana said brightly and earned a giggle from Albus.
He unwrapped the chocolate bar, “Are we really friends?” he asked shyly, he never made friends outside of his family well and even there he was an outcast, the only one who doesn't think he is boring is Rose and she doesn't think he is because she's boring too, according to their family. Reading and learning, no fun.
“If you would like.” she smiled at him, who nodded enthusiastically
“Then let's go to breakfast together.”
When they were about to go into the great Hall they heard someone calling for Albus. Together they turned around to look at the speaker.
“You! Rose was it, right?” Ariana greeted the redhead. “did I ever introduced myself? How discourteous of me. I am Ariana Ivashkov. “ She held her hand out to Rose, who hesitantly took it.
“Rose Granger-Weasley. “ her eyes fell on Albus, “your brother was right, so what?”
“Guess so. We are the only family members not in Gryffindor. Besides, Ravenclaw is not as bad as Slytherin.” Albus said. Rose’s mother would be happy to have any of her children in Ravenclaw, being the brainy house, not like Albus who was in Slytherin, the house everyone in his family hated even when it was a different time. He let his shoulders and head drop.
Ariana’s eyes fell on Rose blue tie, the house for the brainies.
“It won't be that bad.” Rose tried to comfort him.
Ariana put her fingers under Albus chin and pushed it up.
“Always hold your head up high. You are where you belong, everyone who thinks otherwise should go screw themselves. “ Albus grinned at her as if it was true. At home he always felt kind of out of place, except with Rose who shared his feelings mostly, but Ariana and even Scorpius have given him a feeling of security. Both being slytherins like himself.
“I am where I belong he said to himself.” He could feel it was true.
It was nice to feel like he belonged anywhere, he could get used to it. “Thanks” he murmured giving Ariana a wink earning a hearty laugh, she needed to cover her mouth with her hands to cover her teeth.
“That's the spirit!” she wrapped an arm around his shoulder.
“Well Rose, I don't want to seem rude, but I am starving. It was a pleasure meeting you, I look forward to seeing you again. “ She gave a nod and walked into the great Hall followed by Albus leaving a baffled Rose behind.
Ariana could feel Albus close behind her, and even without reading his aura she could feel his anxiety and uneasiness. She gave him a reassuring smile while leading him to their table. He held his head high like she told him and didn’t try to hide behind her, even as he heard whispers about him.
“Ria! Over here!” Lis screamed waving both her arms.
Ariana and Albus sat next to her.
Lis was in an awfully good mood. Across from her sat Laurie, seemingly not a morning person, who was poking around in her porridge and grumbling. Next to her was Scorpius who tried to hide behind his toast while eating.
The table was filled with loads of foods, this time easier to recognise by Ariana. She happily served herself a great bowl of funny shaped cornflakes. They looked like chocolate covered ones filled with nougat, her favorite, shaped as brooms rings and balls.
“I didn't find you in the common room or dorm room and I thought you already were up here?” As Liz talked her pig tails wagged back and forth.
“I went out for a walk.” Ariana lied with ease. She could lie with perfection, but never to her father who was able to read auras like her, auras always tell the truth.
Lis bought the lie easily and went on with talking about this and that.
Halfway through the meal Fioled and Elwyn walked up to the firsties, handing out their timetables.
“You are lucky that there are no classes today. That means you get the special detailed tour through Hogwarts. Usually it is only a small tour covering your classrooms and then the grand tour over the weekend.” started Fioled “you are getting both today. So follow us!”
Both prefects started walking without waiting to see if everyone was ready.
The tour surely was detailed. They started in the dungeons, showed them places no one outside slytherin knew down there. Explained paintings on the wall (Ariana got nearly a heart attack as one of them greeted them, causing everyone to laugh) or statues. They went over each floor in detail, showing them the classrooms, important shortcuts, the library, the hospital wing and everything they knew. The tour ended at lunch into the astronomy tower. A place Ariana immediately fell in love with. It was the highest tower in Hogwarts and you could see everything. An amazing view over the lake, the forest, the whole school grounds.
Ariana stood at the railing gaping at the view.
“We will have classes up here?” she asked incredulous.
“You probably don't need to attend it. Regarding your knowledge about the stars. “ Scorpius answered her standing next to her.
“I don't know much about it. Just recognized your name.” she grinned at him toothless. He reminded her of Jake, her little brother, full of love, absolutely diffident and incredibly underrated and abnormal shy.
“Still more than most people knows.” he smiled back timidly.
“We are heading down to lunch and the rest of the day you are free.” Elwyn got their attention back.
“and remember NEVER break the Slytherin rules!” Fioled looked each first year menacingly in the eyes.
“Don't get caught breaking rules!”
“Settle your scores, if someone is horrible to you, get even”
“Always carry your house name with pride and care for your new family! That even applies for you mudblood.“ She didn't use the word as insult, more as addressing her.
Ariana nodded and they all made the way down to lunch.