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. 1026Please respect copyright.PENANAWfSTM2YKq2
1026Please respect copyright.PENANAjGZPgBLl74
“Madame Pomfrey asked me to watch over for a while and instructed me not to let you move.” The girl explained warmly.1026Please respect copyright.PENANA5huQsahwtv
1026Please respect copyright.PENANAePvUXFlgkD
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?1026Please respect copyright.PENANAnapAKjwjvh
1026Please respect copyright.PENANACbG9Tgc373
“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.1026Please respect copyright.PENANAzf6yTYFX6L
1026Please respect copyright.PENANA6dmyF86TEB
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.1026Please respect copyright.PENANAk9JAHiaEn2
1026Please respect copyright.PENANAS88U2UNVm4
“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.1026Please respect copyright.PENANAOsl0Trp0Ik
1026Please respect copyright.PENANAJY62Fxk7fW
“Thank you. This is very good, actually.” Ophelia mumbled, nodding towards the new acquaintance.1026Please respect copyright.PENANAphLRHlY0Gj
1026Please respect copyright.PENANAD9wuLxSBtI
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.1026Please respect copyright.PENANAANJTP6FrYx
1026Please respect copyright.PENANA9VvIt9kZ5G
“How could he not tell me; one of my students…” She muttered as soon as she entered.1026Please respect copyright.PENANAQlZpjOsre9
1026Please respect copyright.PENANA9sbHKgzjLB
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?”1026Please respect copyright.PENANAkL6Vyg355D
1026Please respect copyright.PENANAW5xP9PWDSp
Ophelia had only one answer, that might be working yet had the same fifty percent chances for it not to.1026Please respect copyright.PENANALw1kxSb7jv
1026Please respect copyright.PENANANKowMyIgy4
“Peeves?”1026Please respect copyright.PENANAaWgYjxHd7S
1026Please respect copyright.PENANAk9Ler40pbY
McGonagall sighed loudly and held her head in astonishment.1026Please respect copyright.PENANAS5sny10Uky
1026Please respect copyright.PENANA2JEeC4X7F5
“I will have a talk with Albus about that poltergeist.” She started, making Ophelia feel a sudden wave of guilt.1026Please respect copyright.PENANAz38CYTPffW
1026Please respect copyright.PENANAdFfOaok9f7
“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.1026Please respect copyright.PENANAG2rLiSG7HG
1026Please respect copyright.PENANAacLbWWVZ3U
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.1026Please respect copyright.PENANAJknAbj1Mty
1026Please respect copyright.PENANANb94jkKuPS
“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.1026Please respect copyright.PENANAtJMzARmQGb
1026Please respect copyright.PENANA76vQsAQsCP
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.1026Please respect copyright.PENANA5wftmvQwqm
1026Please respect copyright.PENANA2feBSHDQNh
“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.”1026Please respect copyright.PENANAOo6SPgOXna
1026Please respect copyright.PENANAe9J6FT3IcX
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.1026Please respect copyright.PENANAOn6U2nPRDC
1026Please respect copyright.PENANAIgwTEQuVkt
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.1026Please respect copyright.PENANAIxlv9u9UNQ
1026Please respect copyright.PENANAwlELE5y52X
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.1026Please respect copyright.PENANAyGdf3r9Fwo
1026Please respect copyright.PENANAsUSMQfMYPi
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.1026Please respect copyright.PENANA5mG486W6Y2
1026Please respect copyright.PENANAXEhWZqx1T3
“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.”1026Please respect copyright.PENANA21RwAhRAhH
1026Please respect copyright.PENANAVsEvkGWcCB
Professor McGonagall was just as strict as ever, even if she showed genuine worry for her student that morning.1026Please respect copyright.PENANAgUH47ZQOvH
1026Please respect copyright.PENANAy5bp1hle1E
“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.1026Please respect copyright.PENANANJNB3PoTrb
1026Please respect copyright.PENANAWJzd08GA9q
Lily rolled her eyes but seeing how uncomfortable they were making Ophelia and the people around her, she accepted.1026Please respect copyright.PENANAxjoGEb79dO
1026Please respect copyright.PENANAsCktykX3Tm
“Fine.” She said.1026Please respect copyright.PENANASGu4rQSlU8
1026Please respect copyright.PENANAuBLCnqwx6x
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.1026Please respect copyright.PENANAPtgJcdGXpi
1026Please respect copyright.PENANA0mbL4dazbj
“Papilio Efectus.” He whispered, his eyes focusing on the task at hand.1026Please respect copyright.PENANA30uxTdb1vz
1026Please respect copyright.PENANAWFtxmuu406
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.1026Please respect copyright.PENANAstcbdZFA1U
1026Please respect copyright.PENANAlGP5lcVfT4
Professor McGonagall was ready to intervene, a frown on her face as she quickly rose from her desk, until something even worse happened.1026Please respect copyright.PENANAan0BTEorW3
1026Please respect copyright.PENANAVcNzwsGZTs
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.1026Please respect copyright.PENANAmelpZA1NcI
Ophelia started to raise in the air, drawing everyone’s attention, inclusively a very angry looking McGonagall.1026Please respect copyright.PENANANwNQX4ecIT
1026Please respect copyright.PENANAXqAH1MZEDE
“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.1026Please respect copyright.PENANA472cVRYszH
1026Please respect copyright.PENANAGsb1QxUbfw
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.1026Please respect copyright.PENANAnMl7NTAm63
1026Please respect copyright.PENANACpbBGaNGbZ
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.1026Please respect copyright.PENANA0NKCthJD3R
1026Please respect copyright.PENANAh2gF25WxZw
“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.1026Please respect copyright.PENANAG5GtRM1pa4
1026Please respect copyright.PENANADoLdkzcOff
“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.1026Please respect copyright.PENANABYidyWec4j
1026Please respect copyright.PENANAYHKgnX2NGP
Next to him, Pettigrew was nodding his head, approving everything Potter said yet Black seemed abnormally impartial.1026Please respect copyright.PENANAod2UK7XkCe
1026Please respect copyright.PENANAm9NLXHVS0v
“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.”1026Please respect copyright.PENANATg7Z6gDXsF
1026Please respect copyright.PENANADFjMsPXBNc
“She probably will. She’s evil like that.” Sirius mumbled, leaning his head on his right hand as he was playing with his food.1026Please respect copyright.PENANA7o5hktEfES
1026Please respect copyright.PENANA9LG1vMR64c
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.1026Please respect copyright.PENANAaXUpVpRD8N
1026Please respect copyright.PENANA0RxLFjFwWc
Watching subtly the boys speak a few seats from her, Ophelia realized there were only three of them.1026Please respect copyright.PENANA123lpRcwhx
1026Please respect copyright.PENANAF8KyyE9cEW
“Where is Remus? I haven’t seen him all day.” Ophelia asked turning to Cissney.1026Please respect copyright.PENANAQCg3dy9aCt
1026Please respect copyright.PENANAhDpZuSaBcg
“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.1026Please respect copyright.PENANAW4KBTgyCfb
1026Please respect copyright.PENANAgxf2mC5kga
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.1026Please respect copyright.PENANApVUv1J9Ncb
1026Please respect copyright.PENANATWQssH7gV7
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.1026Please respect copyright.PENANAugF7Qu28zw
1026Please respect copyright.PENANAmhm7IhzwIi
“You might disturb the patient, Ophelia.”1026Please respect copyright.PENANAqvGNcuAgZy
1026Please respect copyright.PENANAHtSthpTwUD
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.1026Please respect copyright.PENANAGt4ISzZ6Fp
1026Please respect copyright.PENANAXE4o98KVDL
“Is that Remus?” She asked before anything else, her eyes moving on the furthest bed.1026Please respect copyright.PENANAlRqChizHOj
1026Please respect copyright.PENANAbgqXO9kkYz
Dumbledore moved behind her and scrunched his eyes towards the patient.1026Please respect copyright.PENANAT52RcQcpa4
1026Please respect copyright.PENANAWKrHxGvxqU
“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.1026Please respect copyright.PENANAsxi58viyIk
1026Please respect copyright.PENANANvu55j0soO
Ophelia glanced one last time at the mysterious patient before she sighed and gave up, following the headmaster.1026Please respect copyright.PENANAScYzyrAgxj
1026Please respect copyright.PENANAfSV9Y1KkcU
“Do you like Hogwarts, Ophelia?” Dumbledore asked suddenly.1026Please respect copyright.PENANAomqChJ2FtU
1026Please respect copyright.PENANAWpZEHWr06R
“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.1026Please respect copyright.PENANAoxpJaPjH2w
1026Please respect copyright.PENANAzRPqO5vlxL
“A home?”1026Please respect copyright.PENANAcdSXT4R3V0
1026Please respect copyright.PENANALdHHhq40My
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.1026Please respect copyright.PENANAycJUUEq8Jz
1026Please respect copyright.PENANAUPqlKVgpFC
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.1026Please respect copyright.PENANAz9iQd1simY
1026Please respect copyright.PENANAjBdRbuG3N0
“You know, your mother attended Hogwarts too. She was a witch with certain qualities.” Dumbledore said, chuckling at the memory.1026Please respect copyright.PENANAnf42KrGIQP
1026Please respect copyright.PENANAJob9o2WG1e
“What do you mean?” She asked, tilting her head to the side.1026Please respect copyright.PENANAzWrzNUxqrH
1026Please respect copyright.PENANAxXj6lsvosF
“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.”1026Please respect copyright.PENANA1WkXnLoVDI
1026Please respect copyright.PENANAr2wsMR4qWC
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.1026Please respect copyright.PENANACfFCQld2JL
1026Please respect copyright.PENANA2FfAyoy8FR
“What about my father? Was he a wizard?”1026Please respect copyright.PENANA2s2yaJ6QBG
1026Please respect copyright.PENANAi1aptuPawi
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.1026Please respect copyright.PENANAvzR5o6Ow3T
1026Please respect copyright.PENANA2AVWYj0kaO
“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.1026Please respect copyright.PENANALz81U2Cnkz
1026Please respect copyright.PENANAfpwAkc1DZx
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.1026Please respect copyright.PENANAbDx0aRyfKm
1026Please respect copyright.PENANAMbiKgookEV
“Trust only those who trust you more.” He gave her that piece of advice before walking away, into the Great Hall.1026Please respect copyright.PENANAvTlZyCezvo
1026Please respect copyright.PENANA0cRQQQZgbt
“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.1026Please respect copyright.PENANAo8TmuNMoMn
1026Please respect copyright.PENANA4BYrLS9Vc6
That was why, three days before the Christmas break, Severus asked Ophelia something very, very unpleasant.1026Please respect copyright.PENANA13S24BqBVE
1026Please respect copyright.PENANAjHieiYK3vf
“You want me to spend Christmas here?!”1026Please respect copyright.PENANARBs2VYbZf0
1026Please respect copyright.PENANA6R5TB4x6pg
“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.”1026Please respect copyright.PENANANooIBj8fKN
1026Please respect copyright.PENANAAo7xXnft3P
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.1026Please respect copyright.PENANA7ROmyqBgca
1026Please respect copyright.PENANAbp3SWxt58N
“It’s not. I want to see my mum and dad.”1026Please respect copyright.PENANAJ1P7rtJsMO
1026Please respect copyright.PENANAU28bbY4Xjd
Severus rolled his eyes and moved his chair closer to the table. She had to cooperate in order for his plan to succeed.1026Please respect copyright.PENANAp45EyGZtVt
1026Please respect copyright.PENANAKLnc0KMKKR
“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.1026Please respect copyright.PENANAaA7sM1iYEi
1026Please respect copyright.PENANAKa3W6ggcET
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.1026Please respect copyright.PENANAj89crdozph
1026Please respect copyright.PENANAEW7iMik73v
“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.”1026Please respect copyright.PENANAnKTuwarTUN
1026Please respect copyright.PENANAzLegjjk4xO
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.1026Please respect copyright.PENANAHbQmIsGiBA
1026Please respect copyright.PENANAWRTn2B5wZO
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.