Thanks to their little adventure, Ophelia and Paul got back to Birmingham two days after the rest which automatically meant the other orphans would ask questions. They didn’t. They were eager to ask but director Blair was ready to punish whoever dared speak a word about that unfortunate event. That was the code name: unfortunate event. If children wanted to speak about it, they’d call it that or the fairy event. The girls were sure that fairies kidnapped Paul and Ophelia and they let them go when more people entered the forest. The boys wanted to believe it was the Tree Monster, character made up by Paul.1184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2UA1jZXKmm
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It was very strange for the next months. Paul could vaguely remember things from the forest but Ophelia’s memories about that incident were completely erased. She tried to make something in order to remember but it was in vain. All the peculiar stuff around her intensified to the point she almost caught fire in her own bed. By the time director Blair came in, the children were confused and the fire around Ophelia vanished. Moments like that followed in the next year until something amazing happened.1184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5Gm6RVRuVP
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“Pheli, come! There’s a family here! They want to adopt you!” Rosaline whispered, urging for her roommate to follow her.1184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlOSjvyauBA
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There was a family, a man and a woman, looking very posh. The door to director Blair’s was closed but there was a certain crack in the wall, a small hollow made by Marcus and the other boys. Ophelia peeked inside and listened.1184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZdEYoy7aRg
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“Are you sure you want to adopt her? She’s a bit peculiar.” The director whispered to a man who was twice her height.1184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2pLtaBMZ3L
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The man nodded, “We’ve seen her at every visit and my wife fell in love with her.”1184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7qUN6JkP0o
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“Are you sure? Once you adopt her, she will get attached to you and your wife. She’s not a toy, Mr. Molley.”1184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVkyqk0igaG
1184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4J70LINiCi
“I am very much aware of that, Mrs. Blair. I want to raise this child as if she’s my own flesh and blood.” Mr. Molley answered coldly, a bit offended.1184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMeUPnioXjv
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“Very well then. You have to know that Ophelia’s mother died during a robbery and her father has been missing for a while. From what I know, he doesn’t want anything to do with her.”1184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOTJC4S9x14
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That might have been correct but Ophelia frowned. She’s never met her father but she wanted to; she wanted to ask him where he has been all this time.1184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1qVXVI0qaP
1184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3FYrftbbJf
Mrs. Blair continued to give more details about the custody process but Ophelia retreated into her room. Rosaline and Evelyn followed her and sat down on her bed.1184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyFDzC7hkvM
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“You should be happy. You’ll have a family.” Rosaline started, playing with her cherry blonde hair.1184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPgQOfh4VWz
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“It feels like I’m being tossed to some strangers.” Ophelia mumbled, leaning her chin on her knees. “Besides, I do have a father.”1184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1fNMKsR1Er
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“He doesn’t want you. You’ve been here for three years and he didn’t visit once.” Evelyn mumbled sorrowfully, “My mother is the same. She gave me away just to run off with a French man.”1184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHcv8a1XZqt
1184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZJzYwbiQhr
“But I don’t want to leave.” Ophelia mumbled, feeling lonelier than ever before.1184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrWou5HseUW
1184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL2AbX2cxgm
But it wasn’t her choice. Richard and Gloria Molley adopted the 9 years old Ophelia and after a few months, she moved in with them. Unlike what she imagined, life was happier. There were a lot of things Ophelia didn’t know and Gloria Molley was delighted to teach her daughter everything. But peculiar things were still happening to her; she just kept them hidden from her new parents.1184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZyoGJUwLIz
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During a birthday party in the neighborhood, a magician came over to perform. A bunch of ten years old children were enjoying themselves with parents watching over them from their little table.1184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡecoFe6w7d8
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“See this topper? I can make funny things appear from it!” The magician told the children. “Abracadabra, mini moo!” He chanted, swaying his hand over the topper. He walked in front of a boy and pushed the topper closer to him.1184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN7MFFby7Lp
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The boy pulled a colorful scarf from it. Next, the magician asked for another one who pulled a rabbit. Ophelia was a bit offended, knowing those were easy tricks. She grabbed a jelly bean and watched from the side.1184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp8AEbMFIuv
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“Now, let’s make someone disappear! Here, this magical cloak will send you to another world, full of chocolate and magic.” He said, grinning wildly at the children. “What about you?” He asked Ophelia. “Come, come! Don’t need to be shy!”1184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4D4ANlfcSf
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She couldn’t believe she had to go in front of everyone. Ophelia glanced at her mother but Gloria only urged her to go and have fun. Well, she wasn’t the one covered, it seemed. The birthday girl came up as well and asked to be sent to this wonderful place for children.1184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4zvvByPio8
1184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfBG1FC6KtJ
“Then, let’s change this a bit!” His smile cracked a bit but he agreed anyway, “You, what’s your name?” He asked Ophelia.1184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0FVeCUybXy
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“Ophelia.” She answered with no enthusiasm at all.1184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiIuF62mCl8
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“Take this cloak, Ophelia, and cover your friend with it. Say the magic words Abracadabra and we'll see what happens.” He said, sweating already.1184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDM1oWLH3fm
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Ophelia covered the girl and said the magic words but something was different. She felt her hands tingle and quickly pulled the cloak off. The girl was gone.1184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVCA6RZpEJh
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“Bravo! Now, let’s get our birthday girl back!” He said.1184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI6JjqRQGId
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They couldn’t. No matter how much they tried and how much they checked, the girl was gone. While parents got up and ran to their children, accusing the magician, Ophelia felt guilty. That tingling in her hands made the girl disappear. It was her fault.1184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEl5ev5RT0H
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“Mom, I swear. I did it! I made her disappear and now, I don’t know how to get her back!” Ophelia continued like that for the whole way home but Gloria didn’t even consider it.1184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrwaQAA5LaO
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“You’re a child. You did nothing wrong but went along with that so called magician. He probably kidnapped the poor girl. Did they announce the police, Richard?”1184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJFO9STTRL7
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Richard Molley was a detective so he knew first if there was something wrong in Birmingham.1184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMkx7Hod7tU
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“I called Martin and he’s got that magician at the station already. If he doesn’t recognize tonight, I’ll make him say everything tomorrow morning.” Richard said in an authoritarian tone.1184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkOJ3OkyRek
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Ophelia tried to say something but Gloria’s glare made her run into her room and hide under the covers. While standing there, in silence, she opened her palms and moved them side to side. Nothing happened. She closed them in tight fists and opened them again, this time something amazing forming in her palms. Her eyes widened and decided to keep that a secret.1184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjl7xWlZ1La
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Next day, Richard went to work without having breakfast. Gloria had a meeting and Ophelia was supposed to stay over at a friend, Elena. For the whole morning, Ophelia kept her hands on her lap or behind her back, afraid that her mother would find her secret. Nothing happened, even at Elena’s place.1184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSxCTzhvBUO
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The two girls were in the park behind Elena’s house when she noticed a man standing a few feet from them.1184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCDilA0h3QS
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“We should speak to strangers.” Elena whispered.1184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHA2t0SiQdo
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“Something about him seems familiar, though.” Ophelia said tilting her head to the side.1184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDtij5IaOuZ
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She got up and got lured to the mysterious man.1184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXn2AlD5F0g
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“Do I know you?” Asked a ten years old Ophelia.1184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDFXWhNoiyn
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He beckoned her closer and smiled suavely.1184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbuHGDtefZT
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“You don’t remember me, do you Ophelia?” He asked softly.1184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGeWjbG6h6S
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The girl shook her head, confused. “Should I?”1184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOiP5PVM9gC
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Those empty eyes of Tom Riddle Jr softened only a tiny bit at the sight of his daughter. Ophelia was definitely different from what he imagined her to be: she was witty, stubborn and held a desire to control everyone and everything around her. She was much more like him than she was like Lillian and it pleased him. He could see it in her eyes, the desire to affirm herself.1184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzszfLwKOYo
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Tom's smile shifted into a smirk and he said something that earned Ophelia’s curiosity.1184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVgjxkAl8K1
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“You can do great things, can’t you? Things that your friends or parents can’t do.” He whispered, her green eyes widening.1184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRQyxOP8fcM
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"I don't know what you mean, mister."1184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVGyCEAHGbP
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But Tom grasped his wand and made flowers appear around her. She squeaked in delight and looked up at him with those green eyes of hers.1184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe0XwhrjXrS
1184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfQK2eOFZtL
"I can teach you how to do it too but you have to keep it a secret. When time comes, your guardians will understand."1184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFOheg3Cmed
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A year later, Ophelia finally understood what that man meant. On the morning of her eleventh’s birthday, Ophelia Molley got her Hogwarts letter.
