Ophelia couldn't believe that Rabastan was there, sitting calmly at the staff table with the other professors. Even the other students were confused as to why Dumbledore would let a Lestrange brother return to Hogwarts.
"This isn't right, is it? Can he be the new DADA professor?" Alice asked around but nobody answered.
James looked at Ophelia and although she seemed calm, he could see the tension in the way she was gripping her pants under the table. Sirius on the other hand was glaring at Rabastan as if that would make him disappear.
Dumbledore was not blind, he could see the shock on the faces of his precious students, and the glares. He rose and decided to clear up whatever rumors were already being made.
"I am happy to announce the beginning of a new school year. We all know the danger that looms over the world right now. I look at you and see that our numbers have decreased. Some parents decided to keep their children at home while some have perished during the summer. I am not going to hide just how difficult the outside world is right now. But do not worry about it while you are here. Hogwarts will always help its students." Dumbledore said, seeing how some of the younger children sigh in relief. "As professor Selwyn had to return to her duties at the Ministry, we welcome a new face, or shall I say a familiar face, to our staff group. Enzo Zabini decided to help us out by accepting the offer to teach you Defence against the dark arts. He is one of Hogwarts' dueling champions and brightest students. So let's welcome him warmly." He said and more or less forced the whole school to clap.
"So Zabini is the professor? Then what's Rabastan doing here?" Peter asked his friends not quite understanding. Honestly, nobody could figure out what Dumbledore was planning.
Ophelia's eyes were still set on her former boyfriend. Rabastan could feel her heavy gaze, the judgement for having been caught professing his loyalty to her father rather than her. He didn't want to look into her eyes, he couldn't, so he decided to keep his eyes on the Slytherin table. He noticed Snape shaking his head as if scolding the young Lestrange but he could also see Katie who was ignoring him completely. Rabastan knew he deserved everything because he got lost in his own lies.
"I see that many of you are wondering why we have Rabastan Lestrange here, right? He will be helping me so you don't need to worry." Dumbledore added looking particularly at the Gryffindor table. "As for the rest of the rules, they are the same. Do not enter the Forbidden Forest and do try and listen to Mr. Filtch. I advise you to stay close to your friends and do not lose your faith in them. In such dark and confusing times, friendship is the one weapon that we can always rely on." He ended his speech and the feast.
Ophelia looked down at her hands and tried to relax. It was Remus, who was standing on her right, that placed a hand over hers and smiled at her.
"It will be alright. Just like Dumbledore said, there is nothing that friendship cannot solve."
His words, after he just found out the truth about her, ran really deep. Ophelia sighed and glanced once more at the staff table but Rabastan was gone.
Right after they were allowed to return to their common room, Ophelia decided to go instead to the headmaster. She literally barged inside but only found the black kitten and Dumbledore's phoenix.
"Are you happy?" She asked the black furball. "Spinnard died because of you. You couldn't protect mother so what? You're trying your luck with me? Do you think it will be different this time?" She asked, her volume rising as she grew angry. "I do not need your protection. I don't want it and I am sick of having you and dad get into my mind."
She looked more sad than annoyed, especially when she teared up. The kitten approached her with his big blue eyes worried. He meowed twice and gave what Ophelia believed to be a sigh.
"May I ask what it is that you're doing in my office this late at night, Ophelia?" Dumbledore's voice interrupted the little staring contest between her and Peverell. She wiped her eyes quickly and turned to the wizard.
"Why is Rabastan here?" She went right to the subject.
Dumbledore hummed and walked slowly to his desk.
"Why do you think that is?" He replied with another question.
"Father sent him. After hiding from him for the whole summer, he knew his best bet was to wait until school starts. He sent his best spy." She said her tone cold and spiteful.
"You are not wrong. However, I had Rabastan personally volunteer to take on this role. We can, that way, control what information your father receives."
"That won't work. Rabastan is a Death Eater."
"And he is also someone who tried his best to protect you, isn't that right? Someone who knows he has chosen wrong and feels sorry."
Ophelia stared at Dumbledore and understood now why Spinnard always seemed to not quite fully trust him. His decisions were questionable and the way he could manipulate situations and people was just as suspicious as Tom. Dumbledore knew a lot more than he let out and he was using that information in order to play chess against her father.
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By the time Ophelia returned to the common room, everyone was mostly in their rooms either speaking to each other while preparing for bed or already sleeping peacefully. The brunette sighed and sat on the armchair in the very back next to the window. The sky looked just as gloomy as she was feeling. Thunder came first, then lightning and rain started to pour as if the clouds were mourning. It was all just very ominous.
The beginning of the school year proved to be even more interesting next morning, when Ophelia went down for breakfast and had to go past Katie Rosier and her group of friends. Ophelia was all alone but she was still so annoyed with Dumbledore that she couldn't care about anything else. That, of course, until she saw Rabastan in the Great Hall. He saw her too and rose from his seat, probably wanting to talk to her about the day she ran away.
"You know, Molley, you can always ask one of us to accompany you around." James said suddenly coming next to her and wrapping his arm around her shoulder. "Of course, you could tell other girls such as, dunno, Evans, how much of a gentleman I am. You can rely on me anytime and whatnot." He added with a boyish grin.
Ophelia couldn't help but laugh and nod. James Potter had a way of making her feel safe and she was glad he was her friend.
When McGonagall came to the Gryffindor table and gave them their timetables, Sirius groaned while Peter felt dread come over him.
"You know how we needed a certain grade in order to take advanced potions?" Remus asked before taking a bite from his toast. "Well, professor Slughorn decided to drop the scores so more students will be able to take his class. Peter included."
"I only wrote it down because I knew I had a low chance to pass. Now I actually have to go..." Pettigrew moaned and he really looked like he was going to cry.
"What about Sirius?" Ophelia asked.
"We have DADA every Monday and Friday and-" he stopped as he realized why Sirius was truly annoyed. "They asked if we'd like to pay a small fee in order to learn how to safely apparate and disapparate." Remus replied. "But the person in charge is Rabastan."
Ophelia looked up at the staff table and noticed that he was gone. Hopefully, she could find another way to learn apparition.
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"Nope. It's the only way." Zabini answered when she asked right after their first lesson that morning.
"But I can't be in the same room as him and I know you can teach me separately." She insisted. Actually, Ophelia was very unprofessional in this student-professor relationship with Zabini. She dis not listen the entire lecture and she often rolled her eyes at him while he was genuinely trying to teach them something.
"You shouldn't speak to me as if we are friends either."
"But we are." Ophelia said.
"I'm your professor right now. We are at school and I have to teach you sixth year Defence against the Dark Arts. Whatever happened last year cannot be involved into this." He said emphasizing how their dynamic has changed.
"What about the extra lessons?" Ophelia asked seeing how Zabini was ready to make a run into his office.
"What extra lessons? Do you think I am capable of doing twice the work?"
"Then does that mean you are weak?"
Zabini stopped and looked at this teenager who just sounded so much like her father at times. The way she was manipulating the conversation towards her own interest and the way her eyes were looking at him, demanding him to agree with her...it was something that came so naturally to the Dark Lord and his daughter.
"Then you do it. It's your task anyway, isn't it?" Zabini retorted before he entered his office and closed the door loudly behind him.
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Later that day, Ophelia had to hurry to her Transfiguration lesson because of a Slytherin prank on a younger Gryffindor so she was not using her peripheral vision when she suddenly turned a corner. She crashed into whoever was there and fell on top of him.
Her eyes widened when she saw Rabastan Lestrange under her. She couldn't help remember some happy memories, and apparently so did he because they both blushed. But Ophelia's anger returned and she quickly jumped on her feet.
"We should talk." He said grabbing her hand before she could leave.
"You cannot pledge your loyalty to my father and your family and then expect me to talk to you. You already made your choice, Lestrange." She said with venom. Rabastan could only see her back as she hurried off but the truth was that Ophelia was trying her best not to look into his eyes. Although he broke her heart, he was and will always remain her first love.
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