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. 806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXw6SgW4r3V
806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡloBuXBmvmu
“Madame Pomfrey asked me to watch over for a while and instructed me not to let you move.” The girl explained warmly.806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuSs20LnyXY
806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnGcq7On1BU
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?806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbQiGlkVHWJ
806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTqxiTqiTY1
“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.806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxl8ZYFE8oH
806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLU7NnGfjhU
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.806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoxjcA4O6sM
806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGBbpHh95du
“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.806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQLlMlA25mw
806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3ySmO4MeAB
“Thank you. This is very good, actually.” Ophelia mumbled, nodding towards the new acquaintance.806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6KtpBPBNRk
806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiVCUdGQO7y
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.806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF43KhFyZxH
806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrDS7m2Se2V
“How could he not tell me; one of my students…” She muttered as soon as she entered.806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSESgWPBLfu
806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ72qqecwuim
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?”806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF8jQWhXchh
806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZUkyWuJ8ZW
Ophelia had only one answer, that might be working yet had the same fifty percent chances for it not to.806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq54PrNkSBw
806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡChcBcL3vAo
“Peeves?”806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡraV71n68dL
806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBNzdcTLO1b
McGonagall sighed loudly and held her head in astonishment.806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7Zwr4DBkBq
806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPwbkmTjOjP
“I will have a talk with Albus about that poltergeist.” She started, making Ophelia feel a sudden wave of guilt.806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSsWyYqYc5q
806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGYQgIo2Do9
“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.806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2zBhCbStSd
806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP52Y5qpioK
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.806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA5mdy8nqay
806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4Zg46rWW33
“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.806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr28gxWJU5e
806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRkJyuWkS8n
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.806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgnqmtjUIdB
806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO5fcVl4okE
“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.”806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSXNA02iRT0
806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgTNXWTHYwd
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.806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGE7GylSUr2
806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpNzjAcb9Zt
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.806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx4cedFGF9j
806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHFEpBwcFzv
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.806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmfnnlIffh6
806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBzWD2cYeV2
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.806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6ISycVeClo
806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzYiqrQqnYQ
“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.”806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFy406HFLtC
806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHsuzWREfJf
Professor McGonagall was just as strict as ever, even if she showed genuine worry for her student that morning.806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7GHDqoRlLa
806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5ukTEAAps2
“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.806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiGQXgwfYLs
806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPYkMxOF6Er
Lily rolled her eyes but seeing how uncomfortable they were making Ophelia and the people around her, she accepted.806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlNWppRmWS5
806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXDVg1m3Z4G
“Fine.” She said.806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvm6fDAWEGr
806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF6vUe8Blsm
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.806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdCRbqQwvNP
806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyzN9z8CQxs
“Papilio Efectus.” He whispered, his eyes focusing on the task at hand.806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsHq2k8eApk
806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGm3C2FhwEd
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.806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ88yfwKtObT
806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiZXgVDu1tU
Professor McGonagall was ready to intervene, a frown on her face as she quickly rose from her desk, until something even worse happened.806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo8zk8W4GCC
806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk7OGljfs4K
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.806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaP3Q0BqU1L
Ophelia started to raise in the air, drawing everyone’s attention, inclusively a very angry looking McGonagall.806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZfckobvjCk
806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3jy3ZjSPDh
“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.806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6YqJmTiGBe
806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrJGOAxMKHN
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.806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyhh7aSbdX4
806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSJlSzjiF8g
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.806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHfo0Sll01v
806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHvtPw7xQmN
“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.806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLFg2LnmH4U
806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeLGFkzbLWe
“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.806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpjaVu5xOe5
806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7yLpsV4cJH
Next to him, Pettigrew was nodding his head, approving everything Potter said yet Black seemed abnormally impartial.806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf0XaVzouKG
806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTABJ4VDfC5
“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.”806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKP1K6NGxBw
806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf9FoHqOJg1
“She probably will. She’s evil like that.” Sirius mumbled, leaning his head on his right hand as he was playing with his food.806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7cs4xdmcE1
806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwmQkdQfuga
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.806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIK9By2sdJQ
806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPs6qbWKLU9
Watching subtly the boys speak a few seats from her, Ophelia realized there were only three of them.806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8PNvvYLLNd
806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDazI78PDiJ
“Where is Remus? I haven’t seen him all day.” Ophelia asked turning to Cissney.806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd84twngO4F
806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhKOGIxbGt5
“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.806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9xK7ASSn0L
806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsEDyfWNVXO
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.806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcjqzI7qCnG
806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFT7LF5OS3e
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.806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFnnw42YnN1
806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr90YHUL6oR
“You might disturb the patient, Ophelia.”806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡut3xEDcm0k
806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEhbNlLzguH
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.806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzZH2UaulAN
806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXLUsiImls5
“Is that Remus?” She asked before anything else, her eyes moving on the furthest bed.806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwAe62IiIbz
806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN0VZ9SrLTC
Dumbledore moved behind her and scrunched his eyes towards the patient.806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ39xNVSF76d
806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjKQCG7ZZdU
“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.806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmsQP6NiKI2
806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRMHBeMmkef
Ophelia glanced one last time at the mysterious patient before she sighed and gave up, following the headmaster.806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0cJ4d9qMnJ
806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyK4aP2e4HX
“Do you like Hogwarts, Ophelia?” Dumbledore asked suddenly.806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMepPQIJihI
806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTsgYFLRfiH
“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.806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC8osgRIXpE
806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjbFzdy817u
“A home?”806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgY5bglUPM0
806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR9GCbWxZjW
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.806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpPfO3odx98
806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCOG741H77D
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.806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCVJM7xkexL
806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUWwkl7hsyj
“You know, your mother attended Hogwarts too. She was a witch with certain qualities.” Dumbledore said, chuckling at the memory.806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTmxil4sGoX
806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2dQi8aRzZK
“What do you mean?” She asked, tilting her head to the side.806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNrTm2ILOeH
806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6mm7V8VzKN
“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.”806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnCA9tyL6RY
806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdPrCzYnPYf
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.806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8gCVQCF72O
806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqDkm3UaYtC
“What about my father? Was he a wizard?”806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvAogjcE9G9
806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2AQ5GVkMPx
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.806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyfQaUtTGGs
806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgPtckDlaMc
“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.806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFhkU5cSr88
806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbWihF517yG
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.806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9yoyAtxBwq
806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoIwewtP8SS
“Trust only those who trust you more.” He gave her that piece of advice before walking away, into the Great Hall.806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEBHgxtn02P
806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdgRI99Jfg2
“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.806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlEqSe4YaEN
806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH78pV4fK8Z
That was why, three days before the Christmas break, Severus asked Ophelia something very, very unpleasant.806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCBOXtUtftc
806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡca4OhJqPN7
“You want me to spend Christmas here?!”806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhViuuhh5z2
806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNyvqZ4xEUm
“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.”806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIO2qJ4au7Z
806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOm91vU6B4Z
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.806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn8kUwS0jZu
806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhNmjt0qULi
“It’s not. I want to see my mum and dad.”806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR2MYz2zI3q
806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa13adHMpj2
Severus rolled his eyes and moved his chair closer to the table. She had to cooperate in order for his plan to succeed.806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡumqxpSAVmS
806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYnX8i8t2jX
“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.806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3YYDUXwKJA
806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmP6EZmDAKv
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.806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6gAfKUtYQk
806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0bFByXqNYW
“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.”806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4y71QvVo91
806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgktkzemrS0
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.806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHvaCFrbzXN
806Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK8xADcGlYk
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.
and then Add to home screen.