The Dark Princess (revised)

TWENTY-TWO ~ Nightmares

April 12, 1995

After Transfiguration with Slytherin, Harry waved goodbye to Ron and Hermione and approached Ariana. "Riddle?"

She finished packing her bag and slung it on her shoulder. "Yes, Potter?"

"Do you have a moment?"

She nodded and they walked to the Black Lake to talk. "Did you have another one of those dreams again last night?" Ariana asked Harry. They sat down at the edge of the lake.

Harry nodded. "Yes. But this time there was a..."

"Graveyard?" Ariana finished, remembering her own dream from the previous night. She was in a deserted graveyard. The gravestones were sunken into the earth and much of the writing was long faded. The grass was unkempt and there was ivy and moss growing everywhere. There was a statue of a hooded figure by a grave. It stood with a scythe and had large wings-- It was the Angel of Death.

"You had it too, I'm guessing," Harry said.

Ariana frowned. "Yes, I did."

Harry picked up a stone and stood up. He tossed it in the Lake, making it skip three times. "What do you think it means?"

Ariana watched as the stone sunk. "The graveyard? Or the fact that we have the same dreams?"

"The graveyard," Harry said. "But if you can explain the second one, it would be great."

"I've never seen that graveyard before. But perhaps it has something to do with my father. He is the only thing that connects us, afterall."

"Do you think it's something important? Do you think Voldemort is going to do something there? Wormtail..."

"Who is Wormtail? Why do you keep calling them that?"

"Peter Pettigrew. He... can turn into a rat."

"An animagus? Why a rat?"

"He was truly a rat at heart."

"But the graveyard could mean anything, Harry. Perhaps it would make more sense if we knew where it is and who is buried there."

Harry saw something moving in the grass next to Ariana. "What's that?"

"It's... A snake." Ariana put her hand down and let it slither onto her hand. "Hello there. What's your name?" The snake wrapped around her hand and replied to her.

Harry stared at the girl easily talking in parselmouth. "So you speak parseltongue?"

"My father is You-Know-Who."

Harry switched back to English. "Ariana, did you know about the Chamber of Secrets in second year?" He never really had the chance to confront her about it before.

"Everyone knew about it, Harry."

"But like..." He went back to sitting down by her. "Did you ever go?"

"I know you did." She put the snake back down. "Everything everyone would talk about was how you killed that basilisk."

"You're avoiding the question."

"It's all in the past, Harry." She forced a smile. "There's no point in reminiscing such unpleasant memories."

When she first saw the writing on the wall that said, "The chamber of secrets has been opened enemies of the heir... beware," Ariana grew curious. She eventually ended up befriending the young Ginny Weasley and borrowed her diary upon occasion. She got the opportunity to talk to her father's younger self many times through the diary.

He told her once he gained back his real form, he would finish where he left off, with her by his side. He promised her that he wouldn't leave again, knowing that she had always longed for her real family. Tom Riddle took advantage of her desires and had her work for him without the need of possession. She helped a possessed Ginny write the messages on the walls and controlled the basilisk to attack muggleborns. When Ginny was lying in the Chamber of Secrets, she watched as her father sucked the life out of her. When Harry Potter arrived she hid in the shadows as he fought with the basilisk. Before she could see the outcome, she sneaked out of the Chamber through the hidden exit.

After her father's defeat, Ariana grew disgusted with herself. She was manipulated so easily and she vowed to become stronger, smarter. When Erik called her weak it made her lash out for the first time that she could remember. Keeping her cool was one of her favorable traits, but was it slowly disappearing?

Harry studied her long face. "You saw Tom, didn't you?"

"Saw him... Talked to him..."

"Did he know who you were?"

"It took him a little convincing, but look at me." Ariana looked at her reflection in the lake. "I look just like him."

"Ariana? Harry? Are you there?" Carter appeared from the woods and ran towards them. "Thank goodness! It would have sucked to go all the way over here for nothing."

"Did you need something, Carter?" Ariana asked her friend.

"Professor Dumbledore wants to see Ariana in his office... Now."

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A/N
Harry and Ariana are actually talking! Lol how long is this going to last? Idk where the whole Chamber of Secrets stuff came from tbh. I started writing then all of a sudden I just started rambling about Ariana in her second year. I tried to make it relevant... How well did I do? Writing about her life before fourth year is kinda fun.

Sigh. I'm kind of prolonging fourth year, aren't I? Sorry about that :cc But there's just some last minute things I want to squeeze in before the Third Task.

But the good news is that next chapter is almost done AND it has Dracooo!! And a little bit more Carter :D I want to try to get out of fourth year by the end of spring break which is in 2 days. I wonder if I'm actually stick to schedule...

ANYWAYS don't forget to vote and comment~
<3 Rosie