Next morning, Ophelia woke up in the Hospital Wing under the intense, watchful big brown eyes of a person that she did not meet before. Seeing how she was tucked in the hospital bed so tightly that she could barely move, she shifted a bit in order to get a clear view around her. 1016Please respect copyright.PENANAtXRx6EM3oj
1016Please respect copyright.PENANA5HbHod6fGr
“Madame Pomfrey asked me to watch over for a while and instructed me not to let you move.” The girl explained warmly.1016Please respect copyright.PENANAxp2fw9S80l
1016Please respect copyright.PENANAmJtzWg56s4
Those brown eyes of hers were staring at Ophelia closely, inspecting her face for any kind of wound or slight crease that would be a reason to worry. But Ophelia was completely fine, not a trace of physical abuse –not even emotional abuse. So then, why was Molly asked by Dumbledore to come and check on Madame Pomfrey’s only patient?1016Please respect copyright.PENANAjIYu4N5t6V
1016Please respect copyright.PENANAT2M81j1ZVW
“I’m Molly. We’re in the same house but I am one year older.” She finally introduced herself seeing how Ophelia was blankly staring at her, “Would you like some chocolate?” She asked when silence filled the room.1016Please respect copyright.PENANACyLsXRYi8n
1016Please respect copyright.PENANAhVC9beSXUx
Ophelia blinked owlishly as Molly opened her bag and grabbed what was a handful of chocolate frogs before placing them on the table next to her head. The brunette shifted once again, signing to Molly that she couldn’t get up or move her hands.1016Please respect copyright.PENANAzEWqCpV2g4
1016Please respect copyright.PENANA7rYmuoQ2sq
“Ah right. They tucked you in pretty tightly, haven’t they?” Molly mumbled loosening the covers and helping Ophelia lean against the mattress. “Here,” The ginger gave the patient one chocolate frog before she sat on a nearby chair and smiled.1016Please respect copyright.PENANAk1fAuKXeNT
1016Please respect copyright.PENANADLOzDrOorr
“Thank you. This is very good, actually.” Ophelia mumbled, nodding towards the new acquaintance.1016Please respect copyright.PENANAfJIACf7FnI
1016Please respect copyright.PENANAp3KPzn2SMU
Molly’s smile widened but she didn’t say anything, just stayed there until the doors opened loudly and an elegant yet firm woman hurried inside.1016Please respect copyright.PENANAl8u59KHuWB
1016Please respect copyright.PENANA1P5D0G7ed4
“How could he not tell me; one of my students…” She muttered as soon as she entered.1016Please respect copyright.PENANAIytW5FE5Xk
1016Please respect copyright.PENANAolbrrW77hf
Professor McGonagall went straight to Ophelia’s bed and smiled at Molly before she turned to the brunette. “I heard you fell down the stairs last night. How could that be possible?”1016Please respect copyright.PENANAKsahoERZCv
1016Please respect copyright.PENANAkI8RPPpWCE
Ophelia had only one answer, that might be working yet had the same fifty percent chances for it not to.1016Please respect copyright.PENANALVZE0TOptq
1016Please respect copyright.PENANApnjtiUr2mN
“Peeves?”1016Please respect copyright.PENANAEn9R7lNTCF
1016Please respect copyright.PENANAXvKhabwHQF
McGonagall sighed loudly and held her head in astonishment.1016Please respect copyright.PENANApjuQbEpkWX
1016Please respect copyright.PENANAUn8blYKeaw
“I will have a talk with Albus about that poltergeist.” She started, making Ophelia feel a sudden wave of guilt.1016Please respect copyright.PENANAn896zRoA9g
1016Please respect copyright.PENANAnQs3o91Upt
“He didn’t push me, only scared me and I fell. It wasn’t entirely his fault.” Ophelia added, playing nervously with the wrapping of the candy.1016Please respect copyright.PENANAp68FhUIMZG
1016Please respect copyright.PENANASMDgeSeYCs
Professor McGonagall furrowed her eyebrows at the brunette student, having quite a hard time understanding how a perfectly capable young girl could fall down the stairs when there was magic all around her. Besides, even if she wasn’t aware of it, she had her mother’s talent and it should have kicked in unconsciously.1016Please respect copyright.PENANAJqtdcPbno6
1016Please respect copyright.PENANAYqIqFahEfK
“Well, it still doesn’t absolve him of scaring you. Are you alright now?” McGonagall asked her voice hoarse since she probably woke up less than an hour before hurrying there.1016Please respect copyright.PENANAm5eXBcPwhy
1016Please respect copyright.PENANAldYDpmU89W
Ophelia nodded, having no memory of what exactly happened that got her in the hospital wing in the first place. Actually, the last thing she remembered was walking towards the Entrance Hall after a very nasty comment thrown at her by Potter.1016Please respect copyright.PENANAmEURtf4l5i
1016Please respect copyright.PENANAv27U9EaJAj
“Do everything Madame Pomfrey instructs you to and I guess I’ll see you in class.” The professor started, taking a long look at Ophelia before she turned to Molly, “You should hurry to your lessons, Prewett. Professor Sprout was looking for you.”1016Please respect copyright.PENANA6yQ2k8hV8c
1016Please respect copyright.PENANA08TgUMc9aK
Molly’s eye widened as she gasped and nodded before grabbing her bag and running out the door. McGonagall waited for Molly to leave before she glanced at Ophelia worriedly and sighed.1016Please respect copyright.PENANAXKg4YfX1ui
1016Please respect copyright.PENANAB202gQsy3A
As soon as McGonagall left, still muttering about Peeves and what a problem he was for young students, Madame Pomfrey walked in and checked her condition for the second time. Ophelia was fine, as healthy as possible and luckily, she could walk to her next class without giving any explanation to the teacher.
It proved to be a day of utter annoyance and meetings that Ophelia would have preferred to avoid. It was probably one of the days she would have wished she could sleep in her room, eventually read a book about what Professor Spinnard has been rambling about for the last few months.1016Please respect copyright.PENANAYdRFgCE1Y5
1016Please respect copyright.PENANAxRBUajBvc7
During the break between Transfiguration and Herbology, a Slytherin of the name Nott threw something at her feet that looked like usual joke-balls, only they were biting. They would move wherever she was going so she arrived in the classroom, her toes bitten by annoying balls.1016Please respect copyright.PENANAwM3j7FIpCQ
1016Please respect copyright.PENANAZBdhsCY7Xe
Even though it was obviously not her fault and she had no idea how to get rid of them –because no matter how much she tried or Lily tried, they wouldn’t disappear or leave or drop dead- Professor McGonagall didn’t seem to care. It actually felt like that morning in the hospital didn’t even happen.1016Please respect copyright.PENANAGyTqPz9QfQ
1016Please respect copyright.PENANA3lmMGlPPPv
“No matter how much I would like to see you transfiguring these things, I would like for you to get rid of them, Molley. Now.”1016Please respect copyright.PENANAzvNxaThYcd
1016Please respect copyright.PENANAVb3DGYElNa
Professor McGonagall was just as strict as ever, even if she showed genuine worry for her student that morning.1016Please respect copyright.PENANAxTosoM4VKC
1016Please respect copyright.PENANAEhpWndMUzN
“Evans! Hey, Evans, I bet you a cauldron of chocolate frogs that I can transfigure Molley’s little friends in butterflies.” Potter whispered not so silently.1016Please respect copyright.PENANAEWTYDaTrYa
1016Please respect copyright.PENANAV55z7jBrC5
Lily rolled her eyes but seeing how uncomfortable they were making Ophelia and the people around her, she accepted.1016Please respect copyright.PENANA3kHhpbmAgR
1016Please respect copyright.PENANAGWqK0MPF0I
“Fine.” She said.1016Please respect copyright.PENANAbLiZsBfubU
1016Please respect copyright.PENANAlXH8g7SixO
Potter’s eyes widened, probably he wasn’t expecting her to accept so easily. Anyway, he high fived his best friend before drawing his wand and pointing I at the balls jumping all around Ophelia’s feet.1016Please respect copyright.PENANAEVQXynAeWE
1016Please respect copyright.PENANAumnvkxSUbS
“Papilio Efectus.” He whispered, his eyes focusing on the task at hand.1016Please respect copyright.PENANAkS8V3TpBde
1016Please respect copyright.PENANAPiQBmBQpk6
Ophelia raised an eyebrow when she looked down and noticed that the jumping stopped. The joke-balls changed into pretty and colorful butterflies and flied towards other students, girls especially enjoying them.1016Please respect copyright.PENANAUlLU5A4w46
1016Please respect copyright.PENANAWRvdAiuYAx
Professor McGonagall was ready to intervene, a frown on her face as she quickly rose from her desk, until something even worse happened.1016Please respect copyright.PENANAU9Kl7bvBvi
1016Please respect copyright.PENANAHGYcpt8VYV
Potter was ready to claim his prize with pride when he noticed Ophelia flinching. Since he was still a beginner, once he pointed his wand at the balls he automatically targeted her feet too thus her feet got affected as well.1016Please respect copyright.PENANA9Hks6wf0sb
Ophelia started to raise in the air, drawing everyone’s attention, inclusively a very angry looking McGonagall.1016Please respect copyright.PENANAt2FXNsrN7y
1016Please respect copyright.PENANARrDMvSGkLV
“Molley, get down this instant! We’re in the middle of a lesson here!” The professor said firmly, her eyes following Ophelia’s flying feet.1016Please respect copyright.PENANAbQwLsyav0r
1016Please respect copyright.PENANAXEBQOc3VQz
As if it wasn’t bad enough, her feet flied higher and slid to the right, turning Ophelia upside down before sliding to the left. Luckily, she had pants underneath her robes or else it would have been even worse.1016Please respect copyright.PENANAjowkE4K0mn
1016Please respect copyright.PENANAPi26MLM6JC
Ophelia’s eyes fell over Potter and glared, even if it looked funny from her position. Sirius Black was laughing so hard that she swore he was going to implode, his face getting flushed as he tried to regain his breath. That only amplified her annoyance and antipathy.1016Please respect copyright.PENANAjbRTXvJoll
1016Please respect copyright.PENANAHpdXkZ5AAh
“You are so dead Potter.”She hissed, those green eyes looking evil.
That was how during dinner, half of the school found out about the butterflies during Transfiguration. Nott was standing with his friends at the Slytherin table, telling everyone that he did it which was absurd. Potter was standing as far as possible from Ophelia but not because he was afraid but because he was annoyed that he got detention.1016Please respect copyright.PENANAEWFBInN6JB
1016Please respect copyright.PENANAvODm3XB44F
“How could she give me detention after that? It was a success, wasn’t it? She should have given me points not detention!” Potter whined, using the same ever since he walked grumpily out of the classroom a few hours ago.1016Please respect copyright.PENANA9GnmtN0qU4
1016Please respect copyright.PENANAwGs8mRQwBZ
Next to him, Pettigrew was nodding his head, approving everything Potter said yet Black seemed abnormally impartial.1016Please respect copyright.PENANA4cluPbQgGW
1016Please respect copyright.PENANAUNXAsTs3wh
“Mate, are you alright? I’m in pain here.” Suddenly, Potter’s eyes widened as he remembered something, “I hope she won’t call me for detention when the team is practicing.”1016Please respect copyright.PENANAo1Zstblo2g
1016Please respect copyright.PENANAnQRBiYDNmj
“She probably will. She’s evil like that.” Sirius mumbled, leaning his head on his right hand as he was playing with his food.1016Please respect copyright.PENANAnmtkRldYXA
1016Please respect copyright.PENANAn4KcCr1ksX
It wasn’t peculiar to see Black pouting, especially after such a boring class of History of Magic, where he did nothing but sleep with his head turned towards Ophelia, snoring softly and flinching from time to time. It was entertaining when he would frown and mumble incoherent words under his breath but once he’d open his eyes, he’d be silent for the rest of the day. Ophelia wasn’t the only one that witnessed that slight change in his behavior, Potter did too and it was worrying.1016Please respect copyright.PENANANKfCTCzrUz
1016Please respect copyright.PENANAyipWULAdiY
Watching subtly the boys speak a few seats from her, Ophelia realized there were only three of them.1016Please respect copyright.PENANAEzvJqs66eJ
1016Please respect copyright.PENANAooL7up47IQ
“Where is Remus? I haven’t seen him all day.” Ophelia asked turning to Cissney.1016Please respect copyright.PENANAPPWcV0UxMO
1016Please respect copyright.PENANAgCBKj04Kkk
“Maybe he’s sick. The Halloween feast had the same effect on me last night. I’m surprised you didn’t hear it.” Cissney mumbled, eating dinner without a worry.1016Please respect copyright.PENANALMPDHLEZ4H
1016Please respect copyright.PENANAuqTomOqaGT
But Ophelia was worried. She finished fast and hurried out of the Great Hall, ignoring all the calls from the Slytherin table.
“Excuse me, Madame Pomfrey?” Ophelia asked, sticking her head into the room.1016Please respect copyright.PENANAcjZaNdJhgO
1016Please respect copyright.PENANAxv06FP2saH
No one was there, the beds were all neatly made and empty except one in the far back. Being extremely curious, Ophelia pushed the door open and took one step in before she felt a cold hand grasp her shoulder.1016Please respect copyright.PENANASFUCTxI6Ok
1016Please respect copyright.PENANAiNejr7QQZq
“You might disturb the patient, Ophelia.”1016Please respect copyright.PENANAAzeXgLVyku
1016Please respect copyright.PENANAD3q1ZRhEeY
Dumbledore’s voice was soft yet she could hear a tinge of firmness that urged her to stop moving. It has been a very long time since she has heard it but it seemed to have the same safety to it.1016Please respect copyright.PENANA3MUPTxX3Kr
1016Please respect copyright.PENANAUYBtNflnPG
“Is that Remus?” She asked before anything else, her eyes moving on the furthest bed.1016Please respect copyright.PENANAIBwdxgEQYU
1016Please respect copyright.PENANA3EWpgQkBdH
Dumbledore moved behind her and scrunched his eyes towards the patient.1016Please respect copyright.PENANARQE8GUtxdb
1016Please respect copyright.PENANAtS7jYdcbMq
“Who knows, my vision is not what it used to be.” He muttered lowly before his blue eyes fell over the student, “Anyway, let’s take a walk, shall we?” He added, already walking away from the Hospital Wing.1016Please respect copyright.PENANAsOeynYfwk4
1016Please respect copyright.PENANARhBgEGpvSE
Ophelia glanced one last time at the mysterious patient before she sighed and gave up, following the headmaster.1016Please respect copyright.PENANAR7lWEjZWBS
1016Please respect copyright.PENANAytBVXZHvzP
“Do you like Hogwarts, Ophelia?” Dumbledore asked suddenly.1016Please respect copyright.PENANA1qFSKewRtx
1016Please respect copyright.PENANAU5DlyHO6CY
“Yes, of course. Not everyone is friendly and many have never heard of common sense before but it feels a bit like a home.” She answered, her choice of words amusing the elder man.1016Please respect copyright.PENANAtQNkbk2s0b
1016Please respect copyright.PENANA6Mr7ocJliX
“A home?”1016Please respect copyright.PENANAgJoPswl0Xw
1016Please respect copyright.PENANA3wjUJF5Yel
Ophelia nodded, “I can’t really recall how home feels like. The orphanage was comfortable for a while and being adopted felt like a new beginning but never have I felt like I truly belonged in any place.” She admitted. The brunette took a gulp of air, feeling like she should tell Dumbledore what she was hiding but she decided not to.1016Please respect copyright.PENANA3D2o3M2186
1016Please respect copyright.PENANAcD2OVGyn4S
Dumbledore noticed her abstention and he only hoped it wasn’t about Tom. As wise and manipulative as the older man knew Tom was, the snake could easily wrap himself around her and squeeze every ounce of good out of her. Trying not to think about the worst but the best, Dumbledore changed the subject.1016Please respect copyright.PENANAPNwE35mXqM
1016Please respect copyright.PENANAIhs3VwlXBw
“You know, your mother attended Hogwarts too. She was a witch with certain qualities.” Dumbledore said, chuckling at the memory.1016Please respect copyright.PENANAloh0gLc91b
1016Please respect copyright.PENANABHQozML920
“What do you mean?” She asked, tilting her head to the side.1016Please respect copyright.PENANAQbuTuAA0sz
1016Please respect copyright.PENANAYCEhMMyqM8
“Certain qualities for Transfiguration and Charms. She had magic that not many of us have but she never quite discovered the lengths of such a gift.”1016Please respect copyright.PENANAtsnY7XkZl3
1016Please respect copyright.PENANAqCjqXWnl0i
Ophelia hummed, registering everything he said. She wasn’t sure if it was an allusion to what happened earlier in Transfiguration or what happened in the Entrance Hall that she couldn’t remember.1016Please respect copyright.PENANAjcNaTYGcX5
1016Please respect copyright.PENANAKR4QdzDI7u
“What about my father? Was he a wizard?”1016Please respect copyright.PENANAei4m2LVjnN
1016Please respect copyright.PENANAGTTZzVxp2n
That was a question Dumbledore strongly disliked. If Ophelia was showing interest in her father, it could bring bad news. Thankfully, she didn’t look like a child that could be easily manipulated so Dumbledore could only hope she wouldn’t end like Lillian.1016Please respect copyright.PENANAy0LXUkm6ZG
1016Please respect copyright.PENANAPD7GIGMrl4
“Your father is not a pleasing man to be around, has never been. His interests have always been darker than most.” Dumbledore explained as easily as he could but she seemed to grow even more curious.1016Please respect copyright.PENANAsWJiaTi7JN
1016Please respect copyright.PENANAFVe8xeqdAt
Thankfully, they were approaching the stairs towards the Entrance Hall and down there, waiting near the entrance towards the dungeons, was Severus Snape. His eyes were following the redhead Gryffindor that Ophelia has befriended, a girl that seemed to promise a lot. Once they started to descend the stairs, Dumbledore smiled at the brunette girl that still looked eager to know more about her parents.1016Please respect copyright.PENANAZxDOWFQfpi
1016Please respect copyright.PENANAggGNBMJp2j
“Trust only those who trust you more.” He gave her that piece of advice before walking away, into the Great Hall.1016Please respect copyright.PENANAGEUGwKCAKU
1016Please respect copyright.PENANAdRqJneX0Sy
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Ophelia asked, rubbing her elbow with confusion.
Spending every Saturday night with Severus was pleasant and educational. Now, spending every morning getting laughed at by a Slytherin or more was not nice at all. Even worse was Malfoy who was watching everything without saying a word, even when Longbottom got fooled into drinking snake venom instead of his usual juice at dinner. He spent the night in the Hospital Wing, vomiting it out while Nott and Mulciber were sleeping peacefully. It was particularly annoying when Mulciber would take a turn at Ophelia because he’d call her a mud-blood and would constantly remind her that he was a pure-blood. Malfoy was always there, in the back, watching with a poker face, fact that would annoy Ophelia more than the bullying.1016Please respect copyright.PENANAHdXBuBFKh1
1016Please respect copyright.PENANAXm1veg5up8
That was why, three days before the Christmas break, Severus asked Ophelia something very, very unpleasant.1016Please respect copyright.PENANAZqbdWfmiJV
1016Please respect copyright.PENANA8kEXdRQUSI
“You want me to spend Christmas here?!”1016Please respect copyright.PENANAeBZrKHGav4
1016Please respect copyright.PENANAr1pHtTEB9W
“We need to enter the forest and that is the perfect time. Everyone will leave the school and we have to give it to Malfoy on the night before Christmas. It’s a perfect plan.”1016Please respect copyright.PENANAtJoKYKoMWK
1016Please respect copyright.PENANAsCHdB1p3uK
Severus seemed genuinely pleased with himself. He had thought carefully how to get in the forest without drawing attention and the Christmas break was the opportunity they needed.1016Please respect copyright.PENANAWJE7BsCU2U
1016Please respect copyright.PENANAxMqrcBeidU
“It’s not. I want to see my mum and dad.”1016Please respect copyright.PENANA8QFshzLmx9
1016Please respect copyright.PENANAtnkRxhlTyx
Severus rolled his eyes and moved his chair closer to the table. She had to cooperate in order for his plan to succeed.1016Please respect copyright.PENANATJLubJrdGt
1016Please respect copyright.PENANAfJLg0wBxCr
“They are not your real parents anyway. You can do more great things here, where you can do magic and be yourself than back in Birmingham where you are just an adopted child.” He said, emphasizing facts that most children would get angry about.1016Please respect copyright.PENANARzV19XOvPr
1016Please respect copyright.PENANAdqJQHXeewL
Ophelia actually needed a moment to think about that closely. He was right in some aspects, magic became already a big factor in her life and without it, she was just an orphan at the core but returning to Birmingham meant a chance to meet the stranger and ask him about everything she was curious about.1016Please respect copyright.PENANAAB73ujppFC
1016Please respect copyright.PENANACQBBcnhOG9
“I’m not so sure of that. What did Malfoy ever do for us? Every time Mulciber bullies me, he keeps his hands clean. That’s exactly what he’s doing with us, forcing us to do his dirty work while he will most certainly take the prize.”1016Please respect copyright.PENANAGclJ9Tjn8q
1016Please respect copyright.PENANAtxmz7z5yWb
Ophelia’s elongated green eyes were staring at Severus so intensely that he couldn’t help but agree with her just so she would avert her gaze. Unfortunately, having Malfoy’s angry face appear in his mind, he’d prefer getting punished for a year than having Malfoy mess with his life for far longer than a year.1016Please respect copyright.PENANAySaFOxVKQR
1016Please respect copyright.PENANA1uW7PwmaOz
Therefore, he had to come up with a plan to keep her there or else they will get in bigger trouble than breaking a few school rules.