With exams done, rather well from what it seemed on everyone's faces, the only activity left was the grand Quidditch final between Hufflepuff and Gryffindor. Of course, now that they had time, Wood did nothing but threat everyone while Potter mimicked him from behind.
"This is my chance to win the Quidditch house cup and no matter how fond I am of all of you, I will murder you if you do not respect the formation." Wood hissed at his team before the game. "You have the chance to further prove yourself, Potter. If you win us this game, you're welcome to replace Gideon next year."
At the sound of the sentence he has been dying to hear ever since he entered Hogwarts, Potter's eyes brighetened and self confidence flew through his veins up to his head. That was a chance that he won't miss.
And he didn't. Gryffindors won, even though not spectacularly. Hufflepuffs have been changing their team quite often because of Mulciber and his lot and that affected their team work.
"You shouldn't be so happy, Potter. It was an easy win. Even I could have catched the golden snitch against that first year." Cissney started during the last dinner of the term.
"Don't ruin the mood, Littlewood." James mumbled grumpily. He, too, didn't feel the thrill of winning so easily. "Don't tell Wood about it. He's gloating."
Turning towards the captain, everyone saw him smiling so brightly with his friends that it was indeed a bit pitiful to smash his dreams into tiny pieces.
"Well, hope next year will be more challenging." Cissney assured the boy, even though from her point of view it wasn't an encouragement.
"By the way, doesn't the atmosphere seem a bit odd? I mean look at Dumbledore and the others." Lily asked, having everyone around her turn towards the staff table.
"That's curious. I thought at least professor McGonagall will be content with the recent event." Sirius added, narrowing his eyes at his head of the house. That didn't seem to mind him for long because he was the first to dive into his dessert.
"Anyway, from what I know, before the third year begins, we have to choose new subjects. There's not many that sound appealing but I thought we could all take Muggle Studies and Care of Magical Creatures together." Alice started, changing the subject completely while looking at her dorm mates with hopeful eyes.
Lily seemed to ponder on the idea while Cissney nodded without giving it much thought. That let Ophelia with a huge question mark above her head.
"Is that all there is?" She asked, already giving out the answer. "I mean, we shouldn't rush our decisions. I don't think I want to study my parents in a very detailed way."
"There's more. You can choose before you leave for the break or you can send an owl later in the month." Remus assured Ophelia, understanding her need to think it through.
That night was incredibly loud, mostly because of Potter and Black and the enthusiastic Arthur Weasley who was telling Frank Longbottom about all these strange muggle facts he found in a magazine.
Ophelia listened for a while, amusing herself with Arthur's theories and Zachary's side commentaries. But an hour into it and she noticed her red haired friend was not in the common room anymore.
"I believe Snape came over to speak to her. They probably have plans for the summer since they live so close to each other." Cissney explained.
Ophelia's expression was really easy to read and she was not content. Having told Severus so much already it was really a pity that their friendship was limited to their muggle friend and their common interests.
With that thought in mind, she walked out the common room and unconsciouly went into the dungeon. It was still early and there were chances she'd meet a Slytherin but it didn't matter.
"Ophelia,"
She did not expect Malfoy to call her by her name. It was so sudden that she didn't even reply. Instead, she looked up into his eyes and waited for him to continue.
"During summer I will send you the spells and curses you will need for next year's dark arts lessons." He spoke, his personal tone never wavering yet there was a tinge of respect that didn't exist before.
"Unlike you, I don't accept help so easily from someone who sways as the wind blows." She stated coldly, offending his pride.
"Then maybe you should ask one of your house mates. I'm sure the Prewett brothers would be delighted."
He was being sarcastic and the twitching eyebrow did not go unnoticed by the young girl. She was being witty and he already knew she had a bad mouth but it was impossible to harm her in any way now.
"You will be announced." He said before he walked past her.
Done with the Prefect, Ophelia walked to Spinnard's office. Thinking about him she got a chill down her spine as if he was bad mouthing her at the moment. But once she arrived there, the person inside his office was not tall with blue eyes and dark hair.
"Headmaster? What are you doing here?"
Dumbledore turned to face her with a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. Having a quick eye, she noticed the elder man subtly taking something off Spinnard's desk.
"I'm afraid I have bad news. You see, there's been a commotion,"
"Wait, Dumbledore, let me give her the news." Cerberus barged in, interrupting.
Dumbledore nodded and walked out. Passing by Ophelia, he gave her one last sorrowful smile before closing the door behind him.
"What happened?" She asked Cerberus, seemingly braver and with more attitude.
The owl man sighed and paced a bit in front of the desk before he turned to her. She was so young and everything was happening too fast, even for him.
"Luce is dead."
"Excuse me?" She asked, taking a step forward.
"I'm sorry too, believe me I am very sorry. It wasn't supposed to happen, he was supposed to go with the plan and-" he stopped and looked down at his hands. "I'm sorry."
"He hated me and made my life at school impossible. What makes you think that I will mourn him?" She asked, surprising the owl man.
He looked up at her and saw her eyes narrowing slightly. It might not have meant much but it seemed like she was trying to fight the regret she felt. Cerberus sighed and walked towards her, ruffling her hair when he finally reached the kid.
"He protected you. He might have done it for Peverell but at the end of the day, I think he understood you're not Lillian. You didn't steal his best friend and didn't endanger anyone."
"So then what am I now? A victim? It seems like everyone acts according to their interests. Malfoy suddenly believes we're friends while my friend only sees me as a link. Spinnard saw me as a little Lillian and you? What do you see me as?"
"As a little Gryffindor, talented in practical magic rather than theoretical. I understand if you won't mourn him but remember him as a man who never intended to hurt you. Remember him as a friend." Cerberus continued softly.
"Fine. Well, I don't really have any business here now so I'll just go..."
"I'm sorry, Ophelia." Cerberus muttered when she turned her back to him. The girl heard but didn't understand why he sounded so regretful.
The whole train ride next day felt empty for some reason. She had Willy next to her and did her best to find a compartment and stay by herself. There were a lot of things to consider now that Spinnard was gone. He was an amazing wizard and he could have been an amazing professor but he disliked children and everything involving social skills.
But at the same time, those cold blue eyes were imprinted in her mind and his face during Christmas was infuriating. It was annoying how even dead Spinnard could arise this confusion in her.
The door to her compartment slid open and a familiar greasy haired boy walked in, looking sorrowful. He sat next to her and didn't say a word, knowing there was no need with her.
By the time the train arrived in London, Severus was sleeping peacefully and woke up when they blew the horn. He looked around groggily, wiping his drool off before he noticed Willy watching him. Ophelia was nowhere to be seen until he turned towards the door.
"We've arrived in London." She announced before she grabbed her owl and left.
The brunette witch was searching for her parents, curious if they were mad that she spent the breaks away from them once again. Gloria's tall and lean figure was not there and neither was Richard's stiff face. Her colleagues were happy to meet their families but Ophelia had no one waiting for her.
"What's wrong?" Severus asked when he got off. "Aren't your parents here already?"
"It feels strange," she mumbled, still searching for her parents amongst the crowd.
"Maybe they're late." The boy assured her but Ophelia could feel it wasn't just that.
Takig a few steps into the crowd, she realized that most of the sounds were slowly fading away or were drawn out into the background. With every step taken she could feel her hear beat quicken and she wasn't sure of anything she was seeing around. Maybe it was all a dream and they were still in the train, or maybe Potter was messing around with spells he couldn't control. Or maybe-
"Oh," she muttered when she stepped over someone's very elegant shoes, "I'm so-" she looked up and her eyes widened at the figure.
"Ophelia?" She could hear Severus yell after her but it was hard to see exactly who she met with all the kids and their parents. "Ophelia?!"
But nothing could reach her. He smiled slyly and patted her head in what was definitely not a kind gesture.
"There have been some changes in your placement. I'll be taking care of you from now on."
He was her father but the hair rose on her back at the new plan.
Unlike what she expected, her father was not the type to meddle with others thus he touched her and apparated to a house far from Birmingham.
At a closer inspection, those trees looked very familiar. Once they walked out of the thick forest she noticed why it seemed like the place itself was so comfortable for her.
"This is Spinnard's cottage. Why are we here?" She asked her father.
"You will live here. When I call you, I want you to come to me. I will teach you everything you need to know and more but you cannot stay with me for long. At least not yet." He answered in such a calm tone that it sounded like he was being under a spell.
Of course, when his eyes landed on her it was obvious he was himself. But it was also visible how his face did not resemble the one she met when she was younger. While he used to have blue eyes that could mesmerize anyone he'd lay them on and features that could charm any woman, now all those were different. He was still handsome and charming but not in the same way; it was difficult to explain exactly but everything about him was fearful.
"Why can't I return to Birmingham?" Ophelia asked looking up into his eyes. "What about the Molleys?"
"I thought you wanted to be with your real family."
She did but it was so fast and sudden and she wanted to at least say goodbye to the people that acted like her parents for the last few years.
"I just- well," she didn't know what to say, especially with his eyes staring at her so intensely. "Will I live here by myself?"
"No. I arranged everything."
He wasn't a man of many details or not with her, at least. Sensing that his daughter was questioning his motives, Tom patted her head trying to do it as fondly as he could. Ophelia's immediate reaction was to smile and that was enough for him to know her doubts vanished.
"Ophelia?! What-what are you doing here?!"
One moment she shifted her attention on the man that just arrived and one moment was enough for her father to disapparate.
"Anyway, get in. I have news to give you, both good and bad." Cerberus mumbled, urging her to enter the cottage as fast as possible.
Entering Spinnard's house under the new circumstances felt out of place. The owner of the house was dead - still a mystery how that happened when he could read minds- and the owner never liked her so being there was the same as defying Spinnard.
"I hope he won't return as a ghost," the girl mumbled, looking around for any type of ghostly beings.
But everything was just the same as she remembered. The only difference was the silent grieving that seemed to ooze from the walls and floor. If she didn't know better, she'd have believed that the house knew Spinnard was dead and it was mourning him.
"Ophelia, let's have a little chat, shall we?" Cerberus asked, sticking his head out from behind the door towards the kitchen.
The living room has always been Spinnard's favorite, or so believed the little witch. He'd prefer to spend his free time standing on his maroon armchair and reading a book from his vast collection- usually one about dark arts. Being there all alone, she sat in the same place he used to and sighed. From that seat, if you were to look up, there was a mirror on the fireplace and from that spot she was sitting in, she could see everything happening in the hall and on the stairway, also if anyone was coming in and out of the basement. It was very smart.
"So, I couldn't find much in the cupboard but I did find some English tea; hopefully still good." Cerberus started, walking in with two mugs. He placed one on the table next to her and one on the table in front of the couch, where he also sat down.
"The house seems to be missing Spinnard." Ophelia said, grabbing her mug and taking a sip. It was good enough, could have been better if Gloria made it. "It feels alive."
"That's because it is. Well, not really alive but it has been enchanted by Luce's parents. You see, they were worried that their son will end up like his older brother. Luce had an older brother, yes. His name was Eilian and even though he was the first born, he was always second in his parents' eyes. Luce was a gifted wizard from a very young age, your father was not wrong. Even Tom saw the potential in Luce's magical powers and often complimented him during school. Something that Vernon never did."
"Are you telling me this just so that I can see how trustworthy and valuable was Spinnard? Because I don't want to." She interrupted when she felt regret creep into her heart.
"Luce was trustworthy and valuable but he never saw himself as precious to anyone. Eilian was jealous and did everything he could to stain his younger brother's image. He succeeded when he died, blaming it on Luce's affinity for the dark arts. From that moment on, everyone avoided him except Vernon and later on, Tom. Before his parents moved, they enchanted this house so that no dark wizards can enter, believing that Luce had friends through the pure-blooded families. Truthfully, he never liked them, especially Lestrange. So the house did care for him because it protected Luce and those precious to him."
"I wasn't precious to him." Ophelia muttered, looking down at her fidgeting hands.
"Once you stepped inside, the house welcomed you. And now, this house is yours."
Ophelia's eyes widened and she jumped on her feet, surprised and alarmed.
"Through his will, Luce Spinnard has left Ophelia Molley everything. This house is just a small portion of your inheritance, believe me. I was as surprised as you are when I visited his vault." Cerberus added, remembering how much Luce collected over the years.
"So that's why he brought me here..." Ophelia muttered, her father's decision making sense. "How come you know so much about Spinnard?"
Cerberus laughed nervously and avoided answering that particular question.
"Anyway, this house is yours now. Welcome home, Ophelia." The owl man greeted her with a wide smile on his face.
Home. That word was giving her a sense of belonging that she never felt with the Molleys. Thinking about it, she felt bad that she never saw them as a family but more like her caretakers.
"If I will stay here, what about my adoptive parents?" She asked, remembering that Tom didn't answer to that question.
Cerberus' smile vanished instantly and he opened his mouth a few times to speak but words just wouldn't come out. In the end, he licked his lips and decided he shouldn't prolong the bad news.
"Right. About them...on the night Luce died, he was sent to meet another wizard in your muggle neighborhood. He found them at home, murdered. I'm really sorry I couldn't tell you earlier but-"
The explanation didn't matter because the result was already established: the Molleys were dead, murdered in their own house. The people that took Ophelia out of orphanage and gave her a decent life, gave her proper education and sent her off to Hogwarts just last September...they were gone. She felt her heart crack as if a piece just fell apart and in that piece was also Spinnard's memory.
"Three people died in the same place during the same time. How can there be no answer?" Ophelia asked, tears slowly dripping down her cheeks, "Who did it? Who killed them?"
"Lord Voldemort did. That's how he calls himself now." Cerberus replied, not telling her the real identity of the murderer. "The Ministry's been taking measures and your parents' death will be covered as a robbery gone wrong. Luce on the other hand, is a different story. His death is being kept in between us."
"Why? You said it yourself, he was valuable." She barked at him, sounding very different now that she was letting her emotions flow.
"But he also murdered your grandmother and told T-Voldemort that your mother chose Vernon as her Secret Keeper. I guess he wanted to pay for his mistakes by helping you." Cerberus explained, making Ophelia cry even more.
The rest of the day was kept in silence, with Cerberus apparating and disapparating from the Molley household, bringing everything that proved the two had a daughter. It was uncomfortable to watch but with every picture and every little present she received, Ophelia felt a piece of her heart breaking.
"Well, I suppose that's all." Cerberus mumbled after his last trip, bringing back Ophelia's bed. "I'll help redecorate your room just...let me sit for a moment. The age is catching up."
"How old are you?" She asked bluntly.
"As old as your father." He replied, sitting down like a grumpy old man. "I bet you're wondering now how old he is. Well, let's say your mother liked older men." He decided to leave it at that, further details about their incestuous relationship hidden for now.
"Why did Peverell liked my mother so much? What was so interesting about her?" Ophelia continued, feelig like Cerberus was the man with the answers.
"I'm not sure. We met once before in Diagon Alley and he seemed to sparkle. He might have encountered some pixies but he was definitely radiating with happiness. I believe that was around the time you were born."
"But he is not my father." Ophelia commented.
"True but that never stopped him from loving your mother and growing to love you. He treasured you enough to make us protect you. Luce has always been skeptical when Vernon took decisions,calling them foolish and spurs of the moment but this time he accepted. I want to believe that Vernon is not dead but cursed and tortured somewhere but it's been too long."
"That's- his patronus was a dragon."
Cerberus' eyes widened for a moment before he remembered she might have seen it in his or Spinnard's memories.
"My patronus is a fox."
"A patronus form at your age? Let me see it," the man urged, finding it hard to believe that a 12 years old kid could make more than a few sparks.
Ophelia looked to the side and grabbed her wand from next to Willy's cage. The bird tilted his head to the side, anticipating his master's patronus.
"Expecto Patronum," she said meekly, pointing her wand at a random spot. Surprisingly, the fox form was well defined and looked very stable.
Cerberus smiled widely and jumped on his feet, quickly patting the girl on the head for her success. It was not the same way her father did it, not as light and distant but warm and fuzzy.
"When I was your age I couldn't even transfigurate a mug! This is very good, who taught you?" He asked growing visibly excited.
"We learned it by ourselves; Severus and I." Her expression was sour at the mention of the Slytherin.
"You know, Ophelia, sometimes friends fight. It can get very ugly to the point where you don't talk anymore and you don't want to see each other's faces. But once that passes and you make up, your friendship tightens. It's better to keep Severus close. He seems to believe so too."
"He seems to be a lot of things but that doesn't mean he is. He treasures friendship but not with me."
"Friendships differ according to whom you talk to. Your friendship is not the same as others because you are unique. He won't act with you the same he does with Lily or other Slytherins."
"Whatever," she mumbled, blushing at the realization. She hid it by turning around and walking up the stairs to her room.
As soon as she walked upstairs, all those portraits of the Spinnard family members turned to look at her. She had seen moving pictures before in Hogwarts but these were meaner, for the use of a nicer word. Luckily, his parents were still alive somewhere in Ireland so everyone there was from his father's side of the family, the pure-blooded Spinnards whose line ended with Luce.
"We can't be surprised he sacrificed himself, can we?" the portrait that seemed to look the most like a woman version of Luce started, looking down at the girl, "After all, he never did anything wrong. But you, you should be careful. My grand-son's murderer is in your eyes." She finished before she actually left the painting.
Ophelia shuddered, those cold blue eyes letting a greater impression than Spinnard's when he was alive. She went into her room and found it exactly like she remembered, nothing changed in the slightest. It was rather moving to see that Spinnard's hate didn't run so deep as to burn everything Ophelia touched. Sitting on the bed, the girl looked out the window and saw someone watching from distance. Interestingly enough, he was coming to the cottage and it was not her father.
Three loud knocks echoed through the house a few minutes later and Ophelia walked and hid behind the staircase railing, seeing a man walk inside slowly. Her eyes widened when she saw Dumbledore. The headmaster noticed her immediately because he smiled kindly and waved at her. Feeling obliged, she walked down the stairs and into the living room where the men were already seated.
"I'm glad to see you have made yourself comfortable in this house. As Cerberus might have told you, it is now yours." The elder started in his usual and sweet tone. "I'm sure you will find it curious as we both know professor Spinnard was a man of many secrets."
"You can add his vault to that. I couldn't believe my eyes when that little goblin opened the door. One could literally live in there," Cerberus added, chuckling when Dumbledore's blue eyes sparkled from between his spectacles.
"Where was he buried?" Ophelia asked.
"We wanted to give his dead body to his parents but this house was his life so in the end, he was buried in the garden. The house cared for him and protected him for so long that above his grave there appeared a small fountain with the figurine of a hawk watching over it." Dumbledore explained, glancing around the house with a melancholic smile.
"I heard that dark wizards can't walk on this land or enter the house. How could Rabastan and Lucius enter back in December?" She asked away, having nothing to lose.
"You see, both of them are still Hogwarts students and as long as they haven't committed to their families, the house welcomes them. Rabastan is not like his older brother, he has a few problems with rules and authority, much like Luce when he was young. And Lucius, well we both know the Malfoy family has been slowly losing their power in the favor of others such as Lestrange and Nott. You should be careful, Ophelia. Just because a few Slytherins are trustworthy does not mean they won't follow their families in the end." Dumbledore advised her but Ophelia was already informed and even felt it on her own skin.
"What should I do now?"
"Live on for your adoptive parents and especially for Luce. Live on and remember them." He said but no matter how much hope he was giving her, it still felt like the only one that could take the guilt and remorse away was her father.
Now that that was settled, Ophelia decided she should let the adults talk, if there was anything left to say. She walked upstairs and passed the first door before she stopped and returned. It seemed like the knob was broken and it needed only one light and innocent push for the door to open. Ophelia glanced at the portraits before she turned towards the stairs; it seemed safe enough so she did what she planned.
The door unveiled a room bigger than hers but without a bathroom inside. It looked like the bedroom of a young student, having lots of newspapers stuck on the wall above the dresser. Walking in, Ophelia felt the faint perfume of the man that lived here and grasped the sides of her pants tightly, feeling like she entered the only place that was Spinnard's alone. Unlike what he said before, it looked like he did take great honor and pride in being a Ravenclaw, having his bed sheets in the colors of the house, the house emblem right above the door and even Quidditch pictures. Now, taking a closer look at the pictures, on his dresser was this amazing collage of photos from his younger years, most of them with Peverell. Ophelia chuckled when she noticed one photo of Peverell and Lillian, the boy having an arm wrapped around the redhead while in the back was Spinnard, angry and jealous. Another photo was of some kind of Potions contest where Spinnard and Tom took second and first place. Both of them looked sour except Tom was putting on a mask while Spinnard was being blunt. And then there were a lot of pictures with other people, both Ravenclaw and Gryffindor but it seemed like his group photos have been mostly taken before his fifth year.
Amongst the newspaper articles that he cut and placed on the side, she noticed that most of them were about Grindelwald and his desire to get rid of muggles and the secrecy policy that was hiding the wizarding world. Well, that was in the past now and so was the article about a young man murdered in Hogsmeade during a break.
MURDER IN THE FAMILY.
Fifth year Ravenclaw Luce Spinnard used torturing curses on his older brother, Eilian, before killing him in the alley in front of the Shrieking Shack. Young Luce seems to have been a fan of the dark arts and is even suspected of participating in meetings in the favor of Gellert Grindelwald's ideas.
There was a huge picture with the victim and there was a smaller one with Spinnard, his cold blue eyes not helping his situation at all. Putting that article aside, she decided it won't hurt if she opens the first drawer, where she found a lot of books and one black diary. She took it out and sat on the bed before opening it. The entry she stumbled upon was coincidentally about her father. For the first time, I felt quite flattered by his compliment but I knew it wasn't genuine. As soon as Tom opens his mouth and speaks to you, it is clear he has more to say than you want to listen. She flicked through the pages and came upon another entry with Tom's name: He came to me, he asked me to kill and I did. Looking into his eyes, I couldn't help myself. He knew how much I hated the label that has been hanging around my neck since Eilian's death and he used that in his favor. Whatever people have thought about me before, they were right. I am a murderer. It seemed like his brother's death was the explanation for his rude personality so Ophelia searched for that day in particular. She found it easily, being the entry where the writing was all over the place. She could literally hear him say those words. The students look at me differently and I haven't even- I was there because I had to buy a book, blimey! One bloody book that wasn't even about the dark arts and he appeared with his stupid piggy friends and started to- he was such a prick. I wanted to get away so I thought to myself that they wouldn't follow me to the Shrieking Shack. Not many go there anymore but- they cornered me in the alley and started to call me names. My own brother...I really wanted to use the cruciatus curse but I knew it won't end anything but make it worse. And then suddenly, green light! It blinded me, that's how powerful it was and when I opened my eyes, Eilian was dead. No one else but Eilian. His stupid friends called the rest. I told Dumbledore what happened, trusting him more than the headmaster. He looked like he believed me, thanks to him I am not expelled. Him and Riddle. I can't believe perfect Slytherin Prefect gave his word for me. Vernon interfered too and with his family influence, they let me go. My brother...I don't even know who killed him but I'm glad they did.
"I see you found his room," Cerberus started, leaning against the door frame, "And his diary," he added when he saw what she had in her hands.
"Everyone believed he killed his brother but no one helped him when that same brother bullied him." Ophelia mumbled, grasping the pages, "That's not fair. Even if he were to kill Eilian, it was self defence."
Cerberus smiled softly, walking and sitting next to her. Only then he noticed the tears dripping silently down her cheeks.
"You learned a lot from the Molleys about law but it was different back then. All his friends turned against him and they all became afraid of him. You see why Vernon was so precious to him? No matter what students or any other wizards said, the Peverell family was there for him. In return, he was there for you."
"I hate how he never talked about it. I hate how he made himself such a villain when the truth was that he's always been a victim." She cried, more tears spilling out.
"He's not the only one," Cerberus muttered to himself, pulling the girl into a warm hug.
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