Chapter 840: Ariana
Chapter 840: Ariana
In the dead of night in Godric's Hollow, Dumbledore and Grindelwald had eloped... or rather, they had secretly forged a blood pact in a barn and then hastily departed—a shortened version of events, if you will.
Meanwhile, on the rooftop of the Dumbledore residence, a young girl in her teens was clambering out of a window, using her hands and feet to navigate the slope and reach the peak.
"What were you wearing just now?" she asked curiously as she approached Kyle, her eyes narrowing. "I couldn't see you at all."
"An Invisibility Cloak," Kyle replied. "It's a little prop that makes you invisible to others."
He draped the cloak over Ariana's shoulders, and the young girl gasped in astonishment.
"Wow, I've disappeared!"
She quickly clapped a hand over her mouth, her eyes darting anxiously towards a nearby window. Only when she saw no signs of movement did she relax slightly, continuing to marvel at her now-invisible body.
"Is something wrong?" Kyle turned his head, suspecting that the room next to them belonged to Aberforth.
"No, it's nothing." Ariana shook her head hurriedly, lowering her voice. "We should keep our voices down, or we might wake up Aberforth. He's terrifying when he's angry."
"Don't worry," Kyle reassured her with a smile as he fished out a Screaming Book from his pocket.
This was one of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes' creations, a novelty item modeled after the restricted section of the library. As soon as he opened it, an ear-piercing scream erupted from its pages.
Ariana was startled and turned to flee back into the attic.
However, she soon realized that Aberforth, who usually woke up at the slightest noise, showed no signs of stirring. His room remained dark, with no hint of lights turning on.
Ariana's anxiety grew.
"Don't worry, he's fine," Kyle hastily explained. "He just can't hear the sounds from over here."
"He can't hear?" Ariana turned back, confusion written on her face. "But Aberforth has excellent hearing."
"It's a simple yet practical spell called the Ear-Closing Jinx," Kyle whispered. "You can do it too."
As he spoke, Kyle kept a close eye on Ariana. When he mentioned 'magic', a faint black mist seemed to materialize from her shoulders, noticeable even in the darkness of night. Yet, she seemed oblivious to the change occurring on her body.
"Me too...?" Ariana asked, her eyes clouded with uncertainty.
"Yes, you're a witch, so of course, you can." Kyle continued, his voice taking on a subtly persuasive tone.
This time, Ariana's eyes reflected clear resistance, and her expression became dazed. The black mist on her shoulders grew more prominent, creeping along her arms.
The mist drifted and settled on the roof tiles, causing them to disintegrate into powder.
This was the Obscurus.
Kyle's heart tightened with apprehension.
Without fail, Obscurus hosts vehemently rejected the use of magic and their identity as witches or wizards, subconsciously shunning any discussion related to the magical world.
Ariana was teetering on the edge, and Kyle believed that if he uttered one more word about magic, the Obscurus would break free from Ariana's body and tear him to shreds.
However, this was precisely what Kyle intended, and he had gotten the answer he sought.
Ever since his arrival, he had wanted to assess Ariana's condition.
She was Dumbledore's Achilles' heel... The fact that Dumbledore had returned here, disregarding even the wizarding world and Voldemort, spoke volumes.
If Kyle did nothing, Dumbledore might never leave willingly, even if Kyle's true purpose was to rescue him.
While this encounter was unexpected and the location less than ideal, in a way, it was also opportune.
There was no one else around. The most perceptive individuals, Dumbledore and Grindelwald, were absent, leaving only a fifth-year Aberforth.
Whatever Kyle chose to do, Aberforth would remain none the wiser.
If he waited for Grindelwald to return, it would be far more challenging to interact with Ariana again.
Thus, after a brief contemplation, he had deliberately chosen to broach the topic with Ariana.
Through this simple test, Kyle discovered that Ariana's condition wasn't as dire as he had feared, or perhaps it was better than he'd hoped.
Before coming here, Kyle had deliberately sought information about Obscurus hosts and had even written to Newt for insight.
Newt, who had extensive experience with an Obscurus, explained that hosts could experience a magical outburst when exposed to anything related to magic.
However, Ariana was different. When Kyle first mentioned magic, she exhibited only mild resistance and remained conscious. Had he changed the subject then, nothing further would have occurred.
Even when Kyle boldly revealed her identity as a witch, Ariana managed to restrain her emotions and prevent the Obscurus from fully manifesting.
If this situation were pushed further, and she came to accept her identity, Ariana would gain complete control over the Obscurus, turning it into an asset rather than a liability.
The number of those who could control the Obscurus could be counted on one hand, and for two of them to be named 'Dumbledore'... was that merely a coincidence?
The black mist around Ariana was growing thicker, and Kyle shook his head, deciding not to dwell on that thought any further. He subtly twirled his wand behind his back, and soon, wisps of magical script began to flicker in the air around them.
Then, with his other hand, Kyle took out a piece of candy and offered it to Ariana.
"I was just joking. Want some candy? It's very sweet."
There was no response. Ariana had slipped into a semi-conscious state, seemingly focused on suppressing the Obscurus, and couldn't hear what he had said.
But Kyle didn't need her to.
He opened a small box, and a yellow bee flew out, buzzing around before flying into Ariana's half-open mouth.
The distinctive sweet fragrance of raspberries began to spread, and miraculously, the black mist surrounding Ariana started to dissipate, and her dull, unfocused eyes regained their clarity once more.
This method of suppressing an Obscurus outburst was also provided by Newt, and it was documented in his book, 'Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.'
According to his theory, most Obscurus outbursts were triggered by uncontrolled emotions, but sweet things could effectively soothe such situations, especially since most Obscurial hosts were children, making candy an even more effective solution.
Of course, this method only worked if the host hadn't completely lost control. If the Obscurus had fully manifested, even if you brought an entire candy shop's worth of sweets, it would be futile.
Soon, the black mist vanished entirely.
"It's so delicious." Ariana smiled happily, seemingly having forgotten what had just transpired. "Aberforth gives me these little bees every time he visits. They're so tasty.
"But he can only come back after a long time, so I always save them."
"Don't worry, you can eat as much as you like this time." Kyle chuckled and took out more candies, filling the small rooftop with colorful packaging.
Ariana's eyes widened in surprise. She had never seen so much candy in her life. Even Aberforth, who spoiled her the most, would only bring two or three boxes each time he returned from school, and even if she ate sparingly, they would be gone within a month.
But with what Kyle had given her, Ariana could eat candy for half a year if she wanted.
"I... I can't accept this," Ariana stammered, her nature making her shake her head and refuse Kyle's kindness.
"It's fine. Consider it a gift for our first meeting." Kyle gathered the candies into a bag expanded with the Undetectable Extension Charm and tossed it through the window into the attic where Ariana resided.
He had noticed that Ariana reacted strongly to magic, but she didn't seem to reject these simple magical items... When she saw the Invisibility Cloak, for example, she showed no reaction at all.
Perhaps it was a difference in perception. After all, magical items appeared no different from ordinary objects on the surface... Or maybe it was because she had been confined and lacked exposure, limiting her understanding of such things.
As for the exact reason, Kyle couldn't pinpoint it, given his limited knowledge about the Obscurus. He could always ask Newt about it later, though.
"Thank you," Ariana said softly.
This was the first time someone other than Aberforth had given her a gift, and it was something as precious as candy.
For Ariana, who had been confined to her home, candy was the most precious thing in the world.
"You're welcome," Kyle replied with a smile. It was just some candy, after all. He could always buy more if needed.
"Do you know my brother?" Ariana asked suddenly.
"Which one?"
"Aberforth." Ariana glanced at the barn. "You were watching him just now, weren't you?"
"Do you know where he is?"
"I can see him. He's in that barn with another boy." Ariana explained, "Lately, they've been spending a lot of time there. I can sense it. Aberforth seems very happy there. Are you their friend, too?"
"Hmm, I guess you could say we're acquainted." Kyle paused before continuing, "But the Aberforth I know might not be the same person you're thinking of."
Ariana tilted her head, clearly not understanding what Kyle meant.
How could they not be the same person when they were both named Aberforth Dumbledore?
Kyle didn't bother to explain the concept of a Time-Turner to her; trying to explain that to a teenager like her would likely take an entire day, and she still might not understand.
Fortunately, Ariana didn't dwell on the matter. She was happy to have someone to talk to and was grateful for the precious candies he had given her, but at the same time, she felt a sense of unease.
Ariana looked at Kyle, as if mustering her courage, and asked, "Aren't... aren't you afraid of me?"
"Why would I be afraid of you?" Kyle asked, slightly taken aback by the question.
Ariana blinked and shook her head, her voice soft and gentle. "I don't know. But a lot of people are scared of me. Aberforth told me I have to stay in this room, or I'll scare others and be sent to a horrible place... No one else comes to see me. You're the first."
Once discovered, a Mute would be taken to St. Mungo's for strict supervision, not allowed to leave or receive visitors. It was practically no different from Azkaban, sans the Dementors.
However, no one could fault this approach. Mutes were too unstable, and an outburst could bring about catastrophic consequences for those around them.
After a brief silence, the previously darkened window beside them suddenly lit up.
Ariana was startled.
"Aberforth is awake. If he finds out I left the attic, he'll definitely scold me," she said as she began to hastily climb back inside.
With half her body inside, she suddenly remembered something and reluctantly took off the Invisibility Cloak, placing it on the roof.
She preferred this magical item that made her invisible over the candies. With it, perhaps she could leave the attic and explore the outside world.
But since it belonged to someone else, no matter how much she liked it, she couldn't keep it.
"Will you come again?" Ariana asked cautiously. She enjoyed having someone to talk to, but her brothers were always busy. Kyle was the first stranger in many years who was willing to chat with her.
Kyle remained silent for a moment before nodding.
Having received the answer she wanted, Ariana happily retracted her head.
Not long after Ariana returned to the attic, Aberforth's voice could be heard.
"Who's there!" He poked his head out, wand in hand, glaring menacingly at the window. But at that moment, there was no one on the roof.
"Damn it, it must be those pesky Kneazles around here. Why can't they find somewhere else to forage?" Aberforth grumbled as he shut the window.
It wasn't until the light went out again that Kyle emerged from his hiding spot in the corner.
Aberforth had been able to hear the noise because he had secretly lifted the Ear-Closing Jinx.
He dared not speak too much with Ariana. In the short time they had interacted, he had contemplated multiple times what he could do to change the course of events.
However, the problem was that Ariana's death was a fact set in stone. It was this very incident that had stimulated Dumbledore, jolting him into clarity and understanding of what he needed to do.
In other words, if Ariana hadn't died, Dumbledore would likely have continued down the same path as Grindelwald.
Perhaps he might have come to his senses eventually, but no one knew when that would be, what would transpire in the meantime, and if there would even be a 'Headmaster Dumbledore' by then.
Thus, Kyle was conflicted. On one hand, he needed to figure out how to bring Headmaster Dumbledore back. On the other hand, he had to consider how to maintain the original course of history... These two completely opposing paths muddled his thoughts.
Kyle didn't dare to continue the conversation any further and could only end the topic temporarily, planning to speak with Dumbledore when he saw him.
If he wasn't mistaken, Dumbledore should be arriving soon after the completion of the blood pact.
As for why he had agreed to Ariana's request to come again, Kyle wasn't sure himself. It was as if some unseen force had compelled him to agree, and now he regretted it.
Forget it, let's just get some rest first.
Kyle rubbed his forehead and, without looking back, quickly returned to the Valley Tavern.
...
The next day, Kyle was woken by a furious tirade coming from downstairs. It was Aberforth, cursing out Dumbledore and Grindelwald for their sudden departure.
Even a complimentary mug of mead from the unusually sympathetic pub owner failed to quell his anger.
Kyle sidestepped him and made his way outside the tavern.
During the day, he stayed in the barn, as Dumbledore and Grindelwald had gone to the southern highlands. Naturally, no one would come here, allowing him to wait undisturbed. However, to his disappointment, Dumbledore didn't show up that evening or in the days that followed.
Each day, Kyle would spend the daytime in the barn and then, as promised, go to the rooftop of the Dumbledore residence to chat with Ariana in the evenings.
Most of the time, Ariana did the talking, sharing stories about her two brothers, while Kyle listened quietly. When he felt it was enough for the day, he would intentionally make some noise.
Poor Aberforth was woken up every night, and he even angrily ventured into the nearby forest to teach those pesky Kneazles a lesson... or at least to let them know that running across people's rooftops every night was extremely impolite behavior.
However, the outcome... seemed to indicate that he had overestimated his abilities and underestimated the Kneazles. He limped out of the forest, seemingly having been taught a lesson by the Kneazles instead.
Fortunately, that evening, the 'Kneazles' didn't pay another visit to their rooftop.
...
(End of Chapter)
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