She woke up to someone holding her hand on their chest and her hair being played with as she heard someone's heartbeat under her ear. She tried to open her eyes, but they were too heavy. The only thing she could do was let out a mewl-like voice. The heart under her beat faster at that and she felt lips on her head as someone's voice softly called her name. She whimpered again as she was slowly put on something soft and something wet neared her lips. She opened them and drank the cool liquid slowly, her hair being played with still. The glass of water was taken away when she had enough and she heard the voice call for someone called Poppy. The footsteps of someone else came nearer and she felt a wave of magic in her as she was examined. With that, she fell back to sleep.

The next time she awoke she was in the same position as the last time. She smiled when she realized whom she was lying on. She opened her eyes slowly and blinked at the room they were in. It was pink and white and upon shorter reflection Arielle remembered that it was her own room. She looked up and was surprised to see Severus's eyes were closed and had dark splotches under them. It appeared that her Papa was awake for most of the time when she was unconscious and only fell asleep a few minutes ago. She smiled at him and let him sleep as she disentangled herself from his arms to go to the bathroom. When entering it she noticed that she was still in the robes she wore when she went down to the chamber with the mirror and the cloak that she wore then as well. She quickly opened her cloak and rummaged through the pockets until she came upon the ruby stone. So it was all true, she realized as she looked at the stone in her hands. She was just washing her hands after she did what she came to do when she heard a flurry of movements and a panicked voice calling her name. As quickly as she could she closed the water and ran out of the bathroom to see Severus running out of her room with a frantic look on his face. She just stood there surprised. She had never seen so much emotion on her Papa's face.

“Papa?” she softly asked. The man looked at her so fast that she could swear she heard a crick in his neck, but that was also her last thought as she was pulled in a bear hug and felt her father bury his face in her hair shaking softly. She threw her arms around his neck and buried her head in his hair as well. They just stood there for a few minutes until Severus moved them to the couch and tightened her hold on her after he sat down. She smiled in his hair and whispered,

“I’m sorry. Don’t be mad at me, please.”

She heard him take a deep breath as he pulled away and looked her in the eyes. She tried to be as small as possible under that burning glare of his.

“How can I not be mad at you, you idiot child! You went down there not telling anyone. You could have died down there! You would have died if we haven’t come at the moment we did!”

She felt tears spill down her cheeks as she stared at her hands and the ruby stone. She wanted to make it better so that her Papa wasn’t angry at her anymore. She said pleadingly,

“But I had no choice! I’m sure no one of the professors would believe me and you were so tired from the exams! I didn’t want to disturb you! I just felt like it was something I had to do.”

She sniffed softly as she returned her eyes on the ruby stone she put on her lap and traced it with her finger. A hand came resting on her head as she heard him say quietly,

“I know you didn’t. But still, you can’t blame me for worrying about you, can you? I’m sorry I yelled at you, it’s just that I was so worried about you. You didn’t see the way you looked when I came in the chamber. You were pale and shaking and had bruises on your throat and your arms were red from the strain you put yourself under. Luckily Quirrell was already dead, or I would have killed him myself.”

There was a deep growl in his throat and Arielle wanted nothing more but calm him down before he exploded again. She pushed the stone until it fell on the floor with a clack and put her head on her Papa’s chest, listening to his beating heart. She felt his arms come around her again as she said,

“I know. But I did it, Papa. I saved the stone from Quirrell. I met Grandpa in the corridor and he told me he was called to the Ministry of Magic. I knew that professor Quirrell would go down there that night. Cedric and Neville helped me get to the last chamber. Neville told us about the Devil’s Snare and Cedric played chess and caught the key to open a door. Then Neville said that I had to go on and I went.”

She smiled as she felt his arms tighten and added, “Your puzzle was great! I never expected you to put in a logic puzzle.”

She heard him chuckle and reply, “Well, not many Wizards or Witches posses an ounce of logic in them.” He paused for a bit and added,

“I’m proud of you. Do you know that?”

She grinned as she snuggled closer to him and let him play with her hair once more. There was a knock on the door and it opened a moment later. She looked up and saw her family come in. She grinned and them and after a nod from her Papa, she bounded off, only to be swept off her feet by Uncle Moony as he gave her a bear hug just like her Papa. She giggled as his stubble tickled her when he smothered her in kisses and then after another hug from him, she was given on to Auntie Minerva, Uncle Filius and Grandpa. She heard him whisper,

“I’m so sorry, child. If only I haven’t left.”

She shook her head and tugged his beard.

“It’s okay. I’m still alive and it’s not your fault.”

“But I knew that Quirrell had Voldemort in him.”

“I know, but it’s still not your fault, Grandpa.”

She looked up at his wrinkled face and gave him a kiss on the nose as he grinned back at her, his eyes twinkling again.

ooOoo

Luckily it was still morning and she had enough time to prepare herself for the end-of-the-year feast in the Great Hall. Entering it in her school uniform with a big smile on her face, she was attacked by two boys, Cedric and Neville. She hugged both of them and thanked them for being there for her and kissed them both on their cheeks. Neville just laughed and hugged her back, while Cedric blushed like there was no tomorrow. She could still see him holding his hand on the spot she had kissed him on half an hour later when she was finishing with her food. Finally the food was cleared and professor Dumbledore stood up with a giant smile on his face.

“Another year has gone by!” he started saying cheerfully.

“And I just have to trouble you with my wheezing waffle for a few minutes, so forgive me. What a year it has been! Hopefully our heads are a bit fuller than they were and luckily you have a whole summer to get them nice and empty before next year starts. And now, as I know you’re all curious, I have the House-Cup to award. The points stand thus: in fourth place is Gryffindor with three hundred and twelve points, in third place Hufflepuff with three hundred and fifty two; Ravenclaw have four hundred and twenty six and Slytherin, four hundred and seventy-two.”

Arielle clapped with the rest of the Ravenclaws while the Slytherins cheered loudly. She looked over to the Slytherin Table and noticed Draco Malfoy banging his goblet on the table. Rolling her eyes she turned her attention back on the Headmaster as he continued,

“Yes, yes, well done Slytherin. However, recent events must be taken into account.”

She raised an eyebrow and suddenly choked on her saliva as she saw her Papa doing the same. They really were alike. Someone patted her on the back and she thanked them as professor Dumbledore continued, “I have a few last minute points to award. Let me see… Ah, yes… First – to Neville Longbottom.”

She saw Neville blush and stutter at the Hufflepuff table. While he did get points for his own house, he was never put in the spotlight like this and Arielle felt a little bad for him, but clapped the loudest of them all when Grandpa awarded him fifty points.

“For knowing what lay ahead and helping others to get away from the danger, I award Hufflepuff House fifty points.”

The Hufflepuff House went crazy and Arielle giggled when she saw Cedric protecting Neville from being squashed by his house-mates. Finally, there was silence in the hall again as Grandpa continued, “Second – to Cedric Diggory… for the best-played game of chess Hogwarts has seen in many years, I award Hufflepuff House fifty points.”

Now it was Neville’s turn to protect Cedric from his house-mates as they realized that they were in second place, putting Ravenclaw as third. She grinned over at the two boys that were her best friends and clapped loudly for them. “Third – to Arielle Potter…” added Albus Dumbledore. The room went deadly quiet then. “… for pure nerve and outstanding courage, for the use of cool logic when in the face of fire, I award Ravenclaw House sixty points.”

The din was deafening. Never in almost five hundred years did Ravenclaw win the House-Cup. Arielle was patted on the head and back so many times that she thought that they were broken. She couldn’t believe that they were first after so many years of being after Gryffindor and Slytherin. She grinned as she finally disentangled herself from the hands that were trying to suffocate her and looked up to the Head Table. Auntie Minerva. Uncle Moony, Uncle Filius and Grandpa were all chuckling at her expense and she couldn’t help but stick her tongue at them as she winked. That sent Uncle Moony in hysterics. She dared a glance to her Papa and saw him send a small, but proud smile, at her. She couldn’t be happier.