It only took about ten minutes for Ariana to size Hermione Granger up this girl was clearly very proud.
Hermione couldn't go three sentences without bringing up her stellar primary school grades. She hadn't even bought her school supplies yet, and she was already planning how she would fight for the top spot at Hogwarts. Ariana wasn't sure about the rest of the students, but she knew one thing for certain people their age would definitely not like someone like Hermione.
(It's canon that early Hermione was a bit insufferable, which is why she was initially ostracized. It wasn't until after the troll incident that things changed.)
"What about you? Where did you rank in your class in primary school?" Hermione asked, completely unaware that Ariana's attitude was growing colder.
"Same as you," Ariana replied with a mischievous glint in her eye.
"You were top of your year too? What was your score?" Hermione's eyes widened in disbelief.
"Perfect score," Ariana said, clearly enjoying the moment.
"That's impossible. Maybe the exams in London were easier?" Hermione asked, clearly unconvinced.
Ariana no longer had the patience to entertain her and replied flatly,"If it makes you feel better, sure, think whatever you like."
"Let's see who can get first place at Hogwarts," Hermione immediately challenged, full of competitive spirit.
Ariana had already lost interest in this overly proud future classmate.
"I have a lot of other priorities. I probably won't be dedicating myself fully to studying magic. The top spot will most likely go to you," Ariana said, her tone distant.
Hermione, not one to respect personal boundaries, immediately asked,"What's keeping you so busy?"
"Did you notice I didn't bring any parents to shop for school supplies?" Ariana reminded her.
"I was so excited to meet someone like me that I didn't even think about that. Why didn't your parents come with you?" Hermione pressed on.
"Because they've been gone for a long time. And since the Statute of Secrecy only allows direct family to know about Hogwarts, I had to come alone," Ariana said it as if she were talking about something completely ordinary.
"So you're an orphan? Did you grow up in an orphanage?" Hermione's gaze softened with sympathy.
"I am an orphan, yes. But not all orphans grow up in orphanages."
Ariana offered a cold, polite smile and continued,"My parents left me an education trust, and my legal guardian is my lawyer. I own a fair amount of assets. Aside from the Queen's palace, there's no place in London I couldn't afford to live."
Mr. Granger had already noticed his daughter's overly aggressive tone and quickly realized that Ariana was not someone easily pushed around.
Seeing that Ariana was about to lose her temper, Mr. Granger cleared his throat and gently reminded her,"Hermione, maybe you should mind your manners."
"Alright, I'm sorry. It's just my fixed way of thinking. I wasn't trying to be rude," Hermione apologized quickly.
"That may be true, but your tone really does need some work," Ariana said bluntly. "If you don't make some changes, you might find yourself friendless in this new environment."
"You're saying I don't have friends?" Hermione was visibly annoyed.
"Isn't that obvious?" Ariana raised an eyebrow.
And just like that, a friendship that could have been never even had the chance to sink.
The conversation was a disaster, the atmosphere stiff and awkward. Ariana didn't want to spend another minute with them. After exchanging her money at Gringotts, she immediately told Professor McGonagall she wanted to shop on her own and go home by herself.
McGonagall was hesitant."But didn't you insist I guarantee your safety in the magical world?"
"But I've seen plenty of kids shopping alone on this street. It can't be that dangerous," Ariana argued.
"From what I can see, Diagon Alley isn't all that different from the commercial streets in London. The shops have clear signs, so you know what they're selling. Besides, I really don't want to take the bus home again," she added, this time clearly taking a jab at McGonagall.
The professor who had broken into her house to save time, who hadn't provided comfortable magical transport, and her tactless future classmate these things were all beginning to wear on Ariana's patience.
McGonagall stared at Ariana for a long moment, confirming she wouldn't budge, and finally relented.
"Fine. Do you see that alley over there?"
McGonagall pointed to a dark, narrow side street not far away."That's Knockturn Alley. There are a lot of dark wizards there. As long as you stay out of that area, you'll be safe in Diagon Alley."
"I wouldn't go somewhere dangerous before I've got the skills to protect myself," Ariana assured her. She valued her life far too much to take that kind of risk.
After Ariana left, Hermione was so frustrated her eyes welled up."Was I… was I really being annoying? I just assumed she lived in an orphanage, I didn't mean anything bad by it."
Mr. Granger looked conflicted as he said,"Even though she was a bit sharp, her advice was solid. I do think you should soften your tone a little. It'll help you make friends."
"Dad, do you really think I was the one in the wrong? I mean, I didn't give the professor any attitude she's the one who barged into someone's house without permission," Hermione mumbled, clearly displeased.
Ariana had long walked away and didn't hear Hermione's complaint. Not that she would've cared even if she had.
Ariana's first stop wasn't to buy a wand or robes it was the bookstore.
But after browsing Flourish and Blotts, she quickly realized that if she bought all the books she wanted, she wouldn't have enough money left for her other school supplies. After all, first-years had a strict exchange limit of 100 Galleons per year.
(Ariana hasn't read fanfiction, so she doesn't know yet that gold can be exchanged for Galleons. She'll figure that out later.)
"Excuse me, where's the second-hand market in Diagon Alley?" Ariana asked the bookstore clerk politely.
The clerk's face fell instantly clearly disappointed to lose a sale but still pointed out where the second-hand shop was located.
Britain's economy wasn't doing well at the time, which meant second-hand shops were thriving.
Although Ariana had never been to a second-hand market in London, she knew that some used goods offered excellent value usually around a third of the price of new items. Given her limited budget, she'd have to rely on second-hand items to make up the difference.
Diagon Alley wasn't as big as she had imagined, and there was only one second-hand shop. Sure enough, their prices were roughly a third of the cost of new items exactly the same as the pricing structure she'd seen in London's second-hand stores.
"I'd like to buy a full set of first-year books. Do you have any bundled sets?" Ariana went straight to the point.
The shop owner, who coincidentally shared the same name as the Leaky Cauldron's Tom, pointed to some crates near the door."Thirty percent new, fifty percent new, and ninety percent new. They're over there. Prices are marked."
Since the bundles were already sorted, Ariana didn't bother checking each individual book. She was more interested in picking out other titles.
"Do you have any comprehensive spellbooks or potions guides?" she asked.
Tom grinned in surprise."Judging by your age, you must be starting this year. I'm impressed you're already looking for that kind of material. I didn't start thinking that way until I was in my fifth year."
Under Tom's guidance, Ariana went on a shopping spree and ended up spending 54 Galleons.
Maybe realizing he'd pushed his sales a bit too far, Tom generously gave her an old, battered suitcase. It wasn't big, but it would comfortably hold all her books.
"I believe you'll grow into an extraordinary witch," Tom said happily, pleased with his hefty profit.
Ariana was equally pleased."I'm out of budget for this year, but I'll definitely be back next year. Hopefully, you'll have some rare books in stock by then."
"If you're serious, I'll make sure to prepare some in advance. Just make sure to leave yourself a bigger budget next year," Tom said cheerfully.
Although Ariana bought most of her books second-hand, she didn't skimp on the rest of her supplies. By the time she arrived at Ollivanders, she had only eight Galleons left.
Tom had told her that new wands typically cost between seven and ten Galleons, depending on the materials used. (This is a detail unique to this story's setting.)
Unaware of the wand selection process, Ariana walked into Ollivanders and immediately placed her eight Galleons on the counter.
"Sir, this is all the money I have left. Please don't pick a wand that costs more than this, I can't afford it," she said.
Mr. Ollivander had never met a student like her. He stared at her in disbelief and shook his head."The wand chooses the wizard it's not the other way around. I don't know in advance how much the wand that chooses you will cost."
"Well, I've only got eight Galleons left," Ariana said, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
"Most young witches and wizards buy their wands first. Why are you the last stop on your list?" Ollivander huffed in frustration, but there wasn't much he could do.
"Well, Mr. Ollivander, no point arguing now. Eight Galleons, that's it. If it costs more, can I come back next year to pay the rest?" Ariana asked slyly.
"Ah, so you're a Muggle-born," Ollivander sighed. "Very well. If it exceeds your budget, I'll let you pay the difference next year."
"Maybe the wand that chooses me will only cost seven Galleons," Ariana teased.
Then something suddenly occurred to her, and she quickly asked,"By the way, do I need to bring money for living expenses at Hogwarts?"