Just a few minutes. Ariana only wants to play for a few minutes in her favorite place, hidden away from prying eyes by the hedge. She'll be a good girl. She'll be back inside before anyone can miss her.
Her tiny hands pull up clumps of grass by the roots. Her doll is sick and needs a Healer to make her all better. It's Ariana's favorite game to play.
Ariana needs more ingredients, and she roams the garden to find something else. Pink roses, but she doesn't like the color pink. The six year plucks a delicate bud, giggling as it blooms to a bright turquoise at her touch. Much better.
As she begins to move again, she hears a rustle behind her and freezes. What if it's Albus? He'll tell on her and get her into trouble!
The girl turns, but she doesn't see her brother. Instead, she's greeted by three boys with hard eyes.
"What did you do to that flower?" the biggest of them demands.
"It ain't right," the smallest cries.
"Do it again! Come on. Let us see your trick, little girl!"
Ariana shakes her head. She hadn't meant to do magic. Her mother always says that it's okay, that children can't control it, and accidents happen. "I-I-" she stammers, shaking her head again.
The middle boy, the one who demanded she do it again, reaches out and grabs her shoulders, tossing her to the ground as easily as if she weighed nothing. "I said let us see, you little bitch!"
Ariana begins to cry. The boys are scary, and now her dress is all dirty. The boys are hurting her, and her mother will be cross when she sees the stains of dirt and blood.
OoOoO
Kendra gives her husband a kiss on the cheek when he enters the kitchen. "Ariana thinks I don't know she's snuck off to the garden again," she chuckles. "Fetch her for me, love."
Percival nods, smiling to himself as he leaves wife to her task and steps onto the back lawn. "Ariana!" he calls.
There's no sign of his daughter. Then he sees the boys- Muggles. Percival recognizes them from town- and frowns. The boys look up, fear crossing their faces, and they flee, stumbling in their haste to get away.
The man rushes forward to chase them off, but he freezes. His daughter, his sweet angel, is on the ground. Her tiny body is bruised in broken, and crimson stains blossom over her dress.
"Kendra!" he cries for his wife, dropping to his knees.
She's breathing, she's alive. Unconscious and broken, but she's alive.
Cradling Ariana in his arms, he strokes her hair, his body shaking from his choked sobs. "Ariana," he soothes softly.
She's broken. He knows already that they've destroyed her. Percival can't fix his daughter, but he's sure revenge is a good place to start.