Let's Blame Magic

Chapter One

  Ariella's mind trailed off after that encounter; her ears rang with the Weasley Twin's voice, the voices of someone actually noticing her. The Opening Feast at the start of each year flew by, she paid no attention to the First Years being sorted into one of the four houses; Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw or Slytherin. She ate her dinner until the voices vanished and she was back into fading into background. It was time for everyone to head up to their common room, her emotions were settled however she was starting to get drowsy. Her vision was slowly causing everything in sight to become a faint blur; she pushed herself to climb the stairs even though her legs were almost asleep.
   
   "Almost at the top" She thought to herself. "I'm almost at the-"
 
  A familiar touch brushed against her face. Ariella's vision regained itself and when it did, she slowly moved back but she moved too far back that she lost her footing and found herself at the edge of a step. The adrenaline of falling swiftly crawled to her heart and alerted her nerves, she let out a small gasp as she watched as her hands extended out in front of her, slicing through the air.
  
   "Whoa there!" A hand extended out grabbing Ariella by the wrist.
 
  She snapped back to her senses, her pupils dilated and her heart beating rapidly to the beat of butterfly wings. In front of her was someone she knew well, a Seventh Year with chocolate brown short messy hair and eyes and a gentle kind smile.
  
   "Are you okay?" He asked with a strong Scottish accent.
  
   "Oliver! Come on!" A voice from behind them called out.
 
  The boy named Oliver who had his hand wrapped around Ariella's wrist turned around, giving view to a boy with bright color eyes and jet black hair.
  
   "I'll be up there in a minute. I'll meet you there, Robbie."
 
 The boy with black hair nodded and ran up the stairs. Oliver turned around and gave a gentle smile, he pulled Ariella close and on her feet. Her heart was still racing fast as he stared into her eyes; her absent expression pulled a smile across his face.
  
   "Excuse me?" He asked again.
 
  His voice rang in her ears and brought her back to her full senses.
  
   "Yes?" She said in a high-pitched voice.
 
  His smile grew a little wider, he licked his lips and softly bit them. He ran his fingers through his hair and laughed.
  
   "I asked if you were okay."
  
  "Oh yes, thank you! I'm fine. I'm sorry!" She said embarrassed. It amazed her that she was able to form a sentence this time.
 
  He was intrigued by her but she was oblivious to this. He stared at her for a few seconds and shook his head. 
   
    "Alright, well, you be careful, uh..." He gave her a hard expression but she really couldn't tell what he was trying to say. He sighed and gave a small understanding chuckle.
  
    "What's your name?" He said shyly.
 
  His words caught her off-guard. Upon being noticed by more than two people, someone actually wanted to know who she was and it was a Seventh year. 
   
    "Ariella...Price." She said softly as she averted eye contact from him.
   
   "Nice to meet you, Ariella. I'm Oliver Wood." She bit the inside of her cheek as he introduced himself.
   
   "Well, be careful walking up the stairs; they're dangerous." He laughed before he turned around and headed for his common room.

  She stood there dazed as the encounter with Oliver and the Twins filled her thoughts. To her, it was too much for her to take in on the first day back especially she spent the first two years at Hogwarts being a wallflower.

   "Do you mind where you stand? People are trying to get to their common rooms and I'd appreciate it if you mind where you walk. Don't want YOU to bump into me now. It's not like I'm going to catch you." A cold shivering voice ran up her spine.
  
   "Oh, I'm sorry!"  She turned around.
 
  It was Draco Malfoy and his posse. He was in the same year as Ariella, she knew who he was. He was cold, rude, rich but she knew that somewhere deep inside, he's not really like that because whenever Ariella caught him alone, he was a completely different person. He belong to the Slytherin Household.
 
  Draco caught a glimpse of her for the first time, his reaction sort of froze; he gave her a look but before he could say anything a bunch of Gryffindors were making their way up the stairs.
 
  She knew three of them as the Weasley Boys, the Twins and their younger brother Ron Weasley, beside him was his best friend and a known wizard amongst other wizards and witches, Harry Potter.
 
  They were laughing and smiling but once they saw Draco in front of them, their reactions became cautious. Harry eyed Draco and Draco did the same. They were known enemies amongst the whole school.
  
   "Draco, aren't bothering Ariella, are you?" Harry said.
 
  Her heart jumped to the sound of her name. Harry knew who she was and he didn't need to ask for her name; someone noticed her...again.
  
  "What's it to you, Potter?" Draco snarled.
  
  Ariella looked at each of the boys and noticed Ron giving a cheerful smile at her. She blushed and quickly turned around and marched up the stairs.
 
  She heard a stutter in one of the boys voice, she winced and at the top of the stairs she screamed "Good night!" before she disappeared within the grand staircase.
 
  She wasn't far away from them but she was far enough to hide from the visible eye. Her drowsiness drifted away and was replaced with a bunch of emotions, happiness, fear, anger and anxiety.
  
   "What a freak she was, right, Draco?" A high pitched voice spoke out loud. The voice made her blood turn cold, it belong to Draco's female companion, Pansy Parkinson.
  
   "Lay off." He said.

   In her common room, it was just a few minutes after midnight but she still couldn't find herself to sleep. She scurried to the edge of her bed and tiptoed to her suitcase where inside incased deep inside was a journal. It's beautiful leather cover with a red ribbon to help mark her pages was her life story throughout the first and second year at Hogwarts.
 
  She crawled back into bed and opened her book with a quill in her hand, she sighed,

   "It's me again. I'm back at Hogwarts and let's just say things have really turned around. Where should I start?”

   Ariella supported her head by placing her chin in the palm of her hand. Outside her window, the moon and stars shined bright. Lights from different rooms and corridors of the Castle shined the brightest out of the whole night sky as it reflected against the Black Lake.

   "I wonder if anything else will change."