Ariadne's Thread ⭒ h. potter

A Grimy Old Sock

Harry, Ron, Ginny, Ariadne, and Lockhart must have been a sight as they stood in the doorway, covered in grime and slime and quite a bit of blood.

None of that mattered to Mrs. Weasley (or at least the woman that Ariadne assumed was Mrs. Weasley, given her red hair), who launched her plump figure at Ginny and Ron. Mr. Weasley (who also had red hair, but was quite skinny) followed soon after.

Ariadne, however, was looking past them. Narcissa and Lucius Malfoy were waiting for her in front of McGonagall's desk. Narcissa was standing in wait, tall and gracefully casual. The only hint at her discomfort was the hand that hand bunched itself at the waist of her robes, needling with the fabric. Lucius, meanwhile, remained seated in one of the plush chairs at McGonagall's desk, legs spread with casual indifference. On his face was an open sneer, likely at the company in which he found himself. By his side was Dobby, who seemed to be attempting to make himself invisible by hunching over.

"Narcissa," Ariadne greeted as though running into them at the breakfast table. She wanted to seem as calm (and innocent) as she possibly could. "Mr. Malfoy. Hello, Dobby. What are you all doing here?"

Mrs. Weasley and the others had joined them by now, and although Mrs. Weasley hugged and thanked Harry enthusiastically, she eyed Ariadne warily. Ariadne could hardly blame her, could only imagine the tense silence the Malfoys and the Weasleys had found themselves in before she had reached the office.

"We're here for you, darling–" Narcissa started, but Lucius had by now turned to face her, although he was still seated. He spoke over his wife.

"We are your guardians, Ariadne. When you go and poke your nose where it doesn't belong, getting yourself nearly murdered in the process, the school thinks to call us. Only, imagine my surprise to learn that not only have you been consorting with Harry Potter," and Ariadne sneaked a glance at Narcissa, who did not meet her eyes, "but that Dumbledore was back at the castle, despite having been suspended."

Ariadne stayed silent, feeling the eyes of the room on her. Mercifully, Dumbledore decided to address Lucius himself. "Yes, well, when word reached them that Ginny Weasley and your niece had been killed, Lucius, they wanted me back here at once. And it was all very strange... they seemed to believe that they had been threatened if they hadn't agreed to suspend me in the first place, but I'm sure that's not true."

Mr. Malfoy purpled with rage.

"Lucius..." Narcissa warned, placing a hand on his shoulder that allowed him to relax somewhat.

"It doesn't matter!" Mrs. Weasley cried, too relieved to have the daughter that she thought was dead in her arms to care about the glare Lucius sent her way. "She's alive! You saved her! How did you do it?" She directed at Harry.

"Yes, I'd quite like to know that as well," Narcissa asked Harry, who looked surprised to have been addressed. Lucius rolled his eyes, but said nothing.

Harry walked over and laid the diary on the desk, reaching a hand out towards Ariadne. She pulled the sword from the waistband of her skirt and handed it to him, ignoring the shock on the parents' faces. Harry laid the sword similarly, before walking back to Ariadne to begin to tell his story.

He started with the voice he'd been hearing in the castle, telling them of Hermione's realization and Petrification. How he and Ron followed the spiders into the forest, how he realized that Myrtle had been the basilisk's last victim. How he'd overheard McGonagall saying that Ariadne and Ginny had been taken, and that he couldn't sit by and do nothing.

Harry paused, brushing against Ariadne as if to make sure she was still there. McGonagall took advantage of the silence. "Very well," she prompted. "But how on earth did you all get out of there alive?"