Chapter Text
Aubrianna Greystone was sitting in a storeroom, behind a locked door, doing her homework. The essay on Shrinking Potion was difficult but interesting. Ria wished she could actually make the potion but she obviously couldn't do that in a Muggle orphanage.
It felt a bit strange, calling the place an orphanage. They weren't orphans. They were a family. And Mrs Haans was a mother figure better than anything they could have imagined.
Ria had had a pretty relaxing summer, spending a lot of time with her siblings and catching up on all their lives.
It was difficult by times. There was still the Status of Secrecy that Ria was obliged to follow. Even if it weren't there, Ria wouldn't have told her siblings about her life. It was beautiful and exciting but also extremely dangerous. Her siblings were better off in their own lives. They were happy and thriving, without a worry in the world and Ria preferred to keep it that way. So, even though it was difficult when one of them asked about her school and what all she learnt there, or when Andy suggested they should compare note since they were supposed to be in the same grade, Ria made up perfect stories and got herself out of the situation. She didn't necessarily like lying to them but knew it was for the best.
So, there Ria was, hiding from her siblings in order to get her homework done.
Originally, Ria had thought she'd get it done when she went to stay with the Weasleys. But that plan had been cancelled. A week after she'd returned home, Ria had recieved a letter from Fred.
Hey, Sunshine!
I was so looking forward to having you over for the summer! But dad ended up winning the annual Daily Prophet Grand Prize Galleon Draw! Seven Hundred Galleons! It's the first time I've seen that much money in one place. It's incredible!
Anyways, so now Mum and Dad are dragging all of us off to Egypt to visit Bill, who's a curse breaker for Gringotts there. It'll be fun, I'm sure. We haven't been out like that ever! First family trip. Wish you could be here, but no matter! I'll tell you all the crazy stuff when I see you back at Hogwarts.
Take care!
P.S. I was going to send a prank but then realised Muggle orphanages and wizard pranks don't mix. I have it stored for you though. See you soon!
Ria had no idea where Fred had come up with "Sunshine" but it had made her laugh. The guy was always so over-the-top! She had been very happy to recieve the news. The Weasleys deserved the win.
But that had created a problem for her, which, Mrs Haans had solved in about five minutes. She had had a storeroom built in the house, right beside her room to store most of the magic stuff. It had a desk and a chair and a door that locked from the inside and Ria had the perfect place to work in. The only little inconvenience was that she had to work by night, which was why she was writing an essay at 2 am in the morning.
Ria and Hermione had kept up a pretty steady communication. She was currently on a tour of France with her parents and liked to send Ria long letters on all the magical history she found there. Ria didn't mind. It was pretty interesting.
Ron and also written twice; the first time to inform Ria not to try and call Harry since he had done that and it had apparently ended up in a disaster, and the second time to inform her about the trip to Egypt. He hadn't written since leaving for the trip, which Ria was kind of glad about. The Weasleys' family owl, Eroll, was old and battered and Ria wasn't very sure he'd survive a trip from Egypt and back.
But, as a result of the phone call, Harry was once again the only person Ria had failed to have any communication with over the break. She wasn't very pleased about that, but there wasn't anything much she could do about it either. So, she had let it drop.
That was until Hedwig turned up a few days before Harry's birthday. Ria was delighted. She had arranged a gift for him, a portable little Polaroid camera. It was Muggle but Ria knew Harry would appreciate it more. He wouldn't have to hide it over summer and he could look through the pictures too. She'd paired it with colour refills and batteries and gotten everything packed and ready. At first she'd thought she'd have to wait till they all got to Hogwarts to give him the gift but Hedwig turning up solved that problem.
Ria had written him a letter wishing him happy birthday and telling him to write back, the Dursleys be damned. Ria genuinely hoped Harry got the chance.
A knock on the window startled Ria out of her thought. She looked up from her parchment to see Hedwig sitting on the windowsill, a letter tied to her ankle. Ria smiled wide. Finally!
She opened the window to let the owl in. She hooted at Ria softly, then held out her leg to allow Ria to untie the letter.
Hey Ria!
Thanks for the gift! It really is amazing.
Don't worry about me too much. It's the same here as it always it. Well, okay, it's about to get a lot worse but I can deal with it.
Uncle Vernon's older sister is coming over tomorrow for a visit. She lives in the country and breeds bulldogs. Doesn't visit often. She apparently hates to leave her babies behind.
Anyways, it's not pretty when she does show up. She's an even bigger bully than Dudley and keeping talking about how my parents were bad and all.
Anyways, not really important. What's important is that I have to pretend to be 'normal' while she stays here and pretend I go to 'St. Brutus's Secure Center for Incurably Criminal Boys' (I have no clue where my uncle came up with that from), which means I cannot keep Hedwig with me. Do you mind taking care of her for a week? I'd send her to Ron but he's in Egypt and you're closer.
Pray that'll I'll get through this week and meet you guys at Hogwarts soon.
With love,
Harry.
Ria folded the letter and put it aside, stroking through Hedwig's feathers. "Looks like I have a rescue mission to arrange tomorrow morning, Hedwig.", she said after a while.
"Everything okay?", Mrs. Haans asked when Ria knocked on her door around 7 next morning.
Ria nodded. "It's all good. Do you mind if one of my friends stays with us for a week? He was bought up in a Muggle household. He won't cause trouble."
"Sure, dear!", Mrs. Hanns said smiling at her. "Any of your friends are welcome here. I don't think your siblings will have a problem with it either. When is he coming over?"
"I'd like to go and fetch him now, if that's okay", Ria said. "He won't be able to find the place on his own."
"Will you be back before lunch?"
Ria loved Mrs. Haans' priorities.
"I definitely hope so.", Ria replied with a smile.
~~~~~~~~~~
Harry Potter was having a bad day. And he knew very well it wasn't going to get any better. He had been informed at dinner last night, that his Uncle's older sister would be showing up to stay with them for a week. Today was the faithful day. She'd arrive in an hour and Harry would have to start pretending he was a criminal and listen to the lady going on and on about how his parents were good for nothing idiots, while pretending to be not a wizard the entire time.
Harry wished he could do magic outside school. He would have inflated the lady to twice her already more than substantial size and set her off like an air balloon. Then she could spend the rest of her life floating around the sky and never bother him again!
Harry smiled bitterly. Maybe he could do that. It would be his first transgressions, so he would only recieve a warning from the ministry. He sighed. Times like this he really wished he weren't such a good person. He knew he would do no such thing, even though the lady absolutely deserved it.
At Dudley's fifth birthday party, Aunt Marge had whacked Harry around
the shins with her walking stick to stop him from beating Dudley at
musical statues. A few years later, she had turned up at Christmas with
a computerized robot for Dudley and a box of dog biscuits for Harry. On
her last visit, the year before Harry started at Hogwarts, Harry had
accidentally trodden on the tail of her favorite dog. Ripper had chased
Harry out into the garden and up a tree, and Aunt Marge had refused to
call him off until past midnight. The memory of this incident still
brought tears of laughter to Dudley's eyes.
The sound of the doorbell, startled Harry out of his stupor. He frowned. Uncle Vernon had only just left to fetch Aunt Marge from the station. He couldn't be back so fast could he? Maybe something had happened and she wasn't going to come after all!
Suddenly feeling hopeful, Harry left his room to run down the stairs quickly. But it wasn't Uncle Vernon standing at the doorstep, talking to a stunned looking Aunt Petunia. It was Aubrianna Greystone.
Harry had always felt lucky to have his friends in his life. Hermione always had a solution to his problems and Ron never failed to make him laugh. Ria was someone who just always knew what to say, when to say and how to say it. She had always been exceptionally intuitive but at that moment, Harry couldn't understand what had made her do something so exceptionally stupid as to show up at his Aunt and Uncle's doorstep.
"Harry!", Ria exclaimed, pushing past Aunt Petunia and pulling him down the rest of the stairs into a tight hug. "Oh, it's been too long! Are you packed yet?", she asked cheerily beaming at him.
Harry started at her bewildered, wonder what had gotten into one of his best friends. "Packed for what exactly?", he asked sounding exactly as clueless as he felt.
Ria's face fell, but Harry could somehow still identify an amuse, conspiring twinkle in her eyes. "Oh, come on, Harry! Please don't tell me you forgot about the special programme for students who live with Muggles!"
"Uh--", Harry stammered, trying to remember about any programme that might have been mentioned at any point. He came up blank.
"You are impossible, Potter!", Ria huffed. "I expect you haven't told you Aunt here about it either?", she accused, frowning at him.
Harry shook his head, unnerved. Ria grunted. "Fine! Go and pack your stuff while I explain things to her."
Harry moved numbly to the cupboard under the staircase, pulling his stuff haphazardly into his trunk, his mind still completely on the conversation happening right outside the cupboard door.
"I'm so sorry for the shock, Mrs. Dursley!", Ria was saying, empathetically. "I genuinely thought Harry would have mentioned something and my arrival wouldn't come as a surprise. Seeing as he has failed to do so for whatever reason, it's my duty as a designated guide to inform you that Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry holds special programmes for students who live in Muggle households, starting from their third year. Under this programme they are taught restrain and control so they would not show their magical potential, accidentally or upon provocation, to any of the Muggles they are surrounded by. To put it simply, we will be trained so we can hide our magic properly so none of the neighbours or anybody else can find out what we are. This is a compulsory course for those underage witches and wizards who live in Muggle households and require that we return to Hogwarts a month earlier. That is why I'm here to fetch Harry. You were supposed to recieve a letter from the school by owl at some point but it must have gotten lost. Owls and storms don't mix very well and there has been a few exceptionally bad weather days recently."
Harry had to try very hard not to drop several things as he packed his trunk while listening to Ria speak, a brilliant smile spreading over his face gradually.
Harry couldn't believe what he was hearing! Ria was making up a story to get him out of the house; a story that Aunt Petunia would buy very easily and agree to even quicker! The only thing she feared more that Dudley getting thin was the neighbours finding out about Harry. It was Brilliant!
"They will teach him to hide better?", Harry heard Aunt Petunia question.
"Yes", Ria agreed. "It is actually necessary, since a few years into our training we truly start coming into our powers and they do become a bit more difficult to control. For students from wizarding families, their parents take up the mantle of teaching them the required restraint, but for people like me and Harry who were bought up in Muggle households, it is up to this programme."
"Yes, yes! Absolutely! It is, of course, very important that he learns to control his -- tendencies. You can take him." Aunt Petunia agreed, all too eager and sounding mildly panicky, like she thought Harry might burst out some magic right there in her doorway. Harry tried his best to keep his laugh silent. Ria was playing his aunt like a fiddle!
"Hurry up with the packing!", she then snapped poking her head into the wardrobe.
"I'm done!", Harry declared, coming out with his trunk and Hedwig's cage. He was about to say they can leave when it suddenly occurred to him that he hadn't gotten his Hogsmeade permission slip signed.
Last night Harry had recieved a letter from Hogwarts.
Dear Mr. Potter,
Please note that the new school year will begin on September the first.
The Hogwarts Express will leave from King's Cross station, platform nine
and three-quarters, at eleven o'clock.
Third years are permitted to visit the village of Hogsmeade on certain
weekends. Please give the enclosed permission form to your parent or
guardian to sign.
A list of books for next year is enclosed.
Yours sincerely,
Professor M. McGonagall
Deputy Headmistress
He also remembered that his birthday gifts were still upstairs.
"I still have to get some stuff from upstairs!", Harry said, then ran back to his room, quickly collecting his birthday cards, the sneakoscope from Ron, the broomstick maintenance kit from Hermione, the biting monster book from Hagrid, which was still tied with his belt, and Ria's camera before running back downstairs. Uncle Vernon would be back anytime. He had to be quick.
Once downstairs, he turned to Aunt Petunia with the form in his hand.
"Third Years are allowed to go to a nearby village on weekends. But I need a guardian's signature on this permission to go. It's where the hands on practice for the programme happens.", Harry declared without missing a beat.
Aunt Petunia took the form from him, looking absolutely out of her element. While she was busy scanning the form, Harry stuffed his presents into his trunk. He knew nothing in the form would counter his story. It's was a pretty simple two lines slip.
"But --", Aunt Petunia started.
"The village part is kind of important", Ria interrupted. "Sometimes there are some glitches remain which cannot be found without the hands down thing. When we practice in a protected environment, mishaps are easy to deal with. Outside that protection, it could very well be dangerous."
"Yes, of course! I just need --"
But Ria was already holding out a ball point pen. Aunt Petunia took it, still looking extremely foggy, and signed the form against the cupboard door.
"There! All set!", Ria said cheerfully. "Thank you so much for you hospitality, Mrs. Dursley! And I'm so sorry for showing up unannounced. That was never my intention. I hope you and your family have a good day! Come on, Harry! Time for us to leave!"
With that, Ria lifted Hedwig's cage and Harry took hold of his trunk, and together the made their way out of the Dursley residence and into open street.
"You are a lifesaver! I have no idea how you came up with that but I absolutely love you for it!"
They were walking down the street already a few lanes away from Private Drive. Ria beamed at him.
"Happy Birthday, I guess!", she said winking at him.
"Best Birthday gift ever!", he sighed, content. "Where are we going though?", he asked, deciding it was time to start worrying about the schematics.
"Home, of course!", Ria said excitedly. "Can't wait for you to meet my siblings!"
So, Harry let Ria guide him through the underground, to Croydon and right to the Orphanage that his friend called home, wondering the entire time what he'd ever done to gain a friend like her.
The next week for Harry was as beautiful as the bit of last summer he had spent with the Weasleys. Mrs. Haans turned out to be as genuinely motherly as Mrs. Weasley and Ria's siblings were quite fun to be around, if a bit chaotic.
Harry wasn't used to being around kids so much younger than him. The extra attention and high regard he got from the little ones made him more than a little uncomfortable, not because he didn't like it but simply because he didn't know how to deal with it.
The youngest of the bunch, Ben, who was six years younger than Harry and Ria, had taken a special liking to him. He'd greeted Harry as "Ria's brave friend", the moment he'd seen him and told him he was a great warrior. Harry hadn't known what to make of it, but Ria had assured him Ben liked to dream up fantasy worlds.
"They call me warrior princess most of the time", she'd said on a laugh.
"They aren't very wrong", Harry had observed, remembering the glittering blue ice scales of the serpent Ria had created. She truly was a warrior.
"They aren't wrong about you, either.", Ria had replied.
The more Harry saw Ria with her siblings, the more he wondered at her. When Ria was with her siblings, she glowed. Not a single moment had passed when Harry hadn't seen a smile on his friend's face. It was only all too clear how much she adored the kids and how much truth there was to the fact that she really did have a home with them.
The only down moment in the entire week has been the conversation about Sirius Black. Harry had been sitting with Ria in the storeroom she used as study. They were both working on their homeworks, away from Ria's siblings who were all asleep, when Ria had bought it up. Upon Harry's apparent confusion, she had told him the tale.
"Mrs. Haans told me the whole story when the news first appeared in The Prophet. Sirius Black is known to be the most devoted supporter of Voldemort. When Voldemort fell, the Death Eaters were rounded up. When a wizard cornered Black in a street, he blew up the entire place. The wizard died, along with twelve or so Muggles. When the ministry people reached he just laughed and went with them. He had been locked up ever since. But now he's out. Apparently, nobody else has ever been able to escape Azkaban."
Harry had spent the entire night thinking about the news before deciding he shouldn't worry about it until he had to. The Ministry was working and with everyone, including the Muggles, on the lookout, they'd have Black back inside in no time. Harry was sure of it.