"Who do you think would have done such a horrible thing?" Frank asked next morning as soon as he sat at the table.
The pass at destroying the entrance to the Gryffindor common room was the subject of the day as soon as the information spread.
"D'you think it was a Slytherin?" He added seeing how nobody seemed to be fully awake to speak about it.
"No. It's too risky, even for them." Alice said, not entirely sure if what she said really applied. "I mean, they have done lots of stuff but never something that would piss off an entire house and the headmaster."
"It does seem a bit too drastic, even for Mulciber. Besides, the only real evil in the castle is busy with studying and whatnot so I doubt it was a Slytherin." Cissney said, having heard many theories already.
"What if it was a professor?" Potter pitched in, his eyes sending vibes across the table to his partner in crime. "I mean when did this happen before? Never. It's strange how it happened now when professor Eynon is teaching here." Potter added, looking at his friend for support.
"I dunno, mate. It sounds more like a student did it rather than an adult. I mean, even so, who would be so foolish to think that he could do it without being seen by other paintings? Or even the Fat Lady herself?" Sirius said, his dark eyes looking quite tired in the light. He did seem more bothered with his personal problems rather than school lately.
"What about you?" Ophelia asked leaning on her elbow.
"I'd never stoop so low, Molley. I have class." He said his eyes suddenly gaining their usual mischievous light.
"What if she did it herself then?" Ophelia asked, placing another theory on the table. "She craves attention every so often with odd little shows. What if this one went wrong and she needs to save her pride by pointing at somebody else?"
"But is she that desperate? I doubt it."
"It doesn't matter since the headmaster has already taken control of the whole situation. We should concentrate on our classes." Remus said feeling like the discussion will never end.
Rumours about the Fat Lady incident didn't die through the day and it seemed like everybody had one or two theories about it. It was really strange to hear it every single class, Remus seemed to be ready to take a bite from his colleagues if one were to mention it again.
"Are you alright? You seem on edge." Alice asked him during History of Magic.
They were standing next to each other since Potter decided to sit next to Cissney. He had much to comment about her lack of activity when she wanted something and even from her seat in the back, Ophelia could hear Cissney sigh desperately.
"I just wish students could be more silent about this subject. It's annoying how nobody concentrates." Remus answered, trying his best to sound normal but Alice was not reassured.
"Is Remus really alright?" Ophelia asked the person sitting next to her: Sirius. He didn't want to stay next to Pettigrew for some reason so the whole group was divided across the room.
"I don't know. I heard him pace around the room last night and he's been very sensitive this past week." Sirius said watching his friend's back with worry.
"What about you? Even Regulus has been more active than you. He's breaking rules in order to achieve whatever he desires." Ophelia changed the subject, knowing Remus could hear. She saw his shoulders tense as soon as Sirius opened his mouth.
"I've been active," he said with a loose smirk. He thought she may get the hint and laugh it off but her face didn't twitch once. "Family business, Molley. Cannot talk about it."
"Is that why you haven't gotten involved into Potter's mission? You do know about it, I'm sure he speaks about it in the dormitory."
"He does. But I'm not there enough to listen to it all."
"Then where are you?"
Sirius seemed ready to reply when the ghost of professor Binns turned his attention on the two, scolding them for not paying attention. That was the end of their conversation, for now.
As the day passed on, Ophelia noticed Remus growing crankier and Cissney was ready to run even at the mention of Potter's name. Sirius looked like a big ball of gloom and the Alice found it her mission to get Remus to open up to her. Even during lunch, she was pestering him although not violently like Cissney would. Frank was watching the two while sighing every so often and Pettigrew was talking to himself. It was all very odd.
"Are we cursed?" Asked Lily, seeing how the only people still acting normal were her and Ophelia.
"Maybe it's just puberty." Ophelia replied not quite interested. For all she knew, they were all just being secretive and dealing with their own issues. "Don't worry, Lily. Just hang out with Sev and go through your day as usually. I'm sure everything will come back to normal."
Lily smiled thankfully but Ophelia's words, although they came on as good natured and soft, were thrown without much care. What really caught her eye was the broad shouldered seventh year Slytherin that just got up from the table and walked away. It was still early but she wanted to ask him about the Room, that or enter his mind quickly for the answer.
"I'll see you in class!" The green eyed girl shouted before hurrying out the door.
"Lestrange!" She shouted after him, drawing attention to herself. "Lestrange, wait! Rabastan!"
The students that were in the Entrance Hall were surprised to have a Gryffindor scream after the imposing Slytherin. It was Lestrange, even if it was the better one of the two brothers, it was still very peculiar.
Since she was being foolish, Rabastan stopped and waited for her to catch up. He glanced at her over his shoulder and sighed.
"I want to come to the Room. I need to learn dark arts." She went straight into the subject.
"No."
"I'm not afraid of a few Slytherins, or Bellatrix, or really anybody as long as I can participate. I won't embarrass myself and I will try to stay in my own little shadowy corner." She continued, her eyes glinting eagerly in the torch light.
"You could come when your father allowed it. But now he is busy with something else. When time comes, you will be taught again. Just go duel Zabini for now. It's better than hoping you will enter that Room while Slytherins are inside."
"So what, if my father wants something I am obliged to do it but if I want something, I need his approval?" She hissed.
"That's family, Molley. You better get used to it." He said and left.
Ophelia remained behind with wide eyes. It was such a shock that she couldn't even fully comprehend.
"I have had a family before," she hissed feeling this was such an offense towards the Molleys.
She remained like that for the rest of the day, even during Potions when Slytherins started to mock her for not being able to focus. It happened several times that Severus had to interfere and stop her from blowing them all up. He could see the tension and sadness surrounding her and he was curious what could have somebody told her.
On the other side, Potter noticed her mood too and the way Severus was trying to lessen the aftermath. It wasn't until they went into the common room that he stopped her downstairs and more or less forced her to sit on the sofa.
"Alright, tell me. What did Mulciber tell you? He must have told you something. Was it about your parents?" He asked stubbornly. She tried to get away but Alice and Lily sat on each side blocking her.
"Really, I'm not in the mood. I just want to go to bed." She said tiredly.
"Not before you tell us why you've been so angry today." Alice said softly.
"Look, I know care and everything but maybe if you cared enough you wouldn't be prying in anyone's personal life. I decide if I want to share my issues with you and I obviously don't want to. So just go bother yourself with your own life and leave me breathe! Blimey, you have done the same to Remus the whole day while you-" she turned to Potter, "Couldn't give a care that maybe instead of making me do everything, your best friend Black has avoided you the whole term! Really, be more attentive to people who matter not a guy that will come and go within one year."
Ophelia finished her angry rant, glared at all of them and walked out the common room. Everybody was left speechless until Lily mumbled a few words that sounded a lot like we're cursed.
Ophelia walked around for a few hours and by the time she returned into the common room, it was long past curfew.
Sensing that she might have been a bit too harsh with her house mates just because she was denied what she wanted, Ophelia started to feel like a brat. She was angry because her father, the one person who seemed so overly eager to teach her the dark side of magic, was too busy with his own plans to give her attention. And because of that Rabastan was too much of a coward to let her do it anyway, as if her father could find out from miles away. Huh!
The 14 years old girl scoffed as she fell back on the arm chair next to the window. It was so infuriating that she had to submit to someone or something when she could as well do whatever she wanted and face the repercussions later. What could her father do anyway? He wasn't going to kill her...was he?
Her eyes fell on her ring and she shuddered, for no reason really. It must have been a bit breezy in the room...when she looked up she found the short figure of a house elf. Two bright green eyes were watching her with the same glint of happiness as last time, even if he was fidgeting nervously.
"...has your master sent you again?"
"Miss has to be careful. Master sent Dobby to make sure- um- that Miss Ophelia is safe." He tried his hardest not to give himself out but it was obvious he wanted to say more.
"Your master seems to be keeping a close eye on me."
"Master ordered Dobby to make sure that Miss is well entertained or else-" he stopped, realizing what he said and quickly grabbed a book off the near desk and started to his himself with it. "Bad Dobby! Don't say more! Master ordered!"
"Wait- stop, blimey, Dobby!" She tried to take the book from him but he was quite strong for his weight. "Dobby, what sort of entertainment? What do you mean?" She asked finally taking it and throwing it across the room.
"All sorts...Master said to be creative..." he answered in a meek voice, looking guilty. Then Ophelia understood and she couldn't help but frown.
"Did you by any chance burn the Fat Lady?" She asked in a low tone.
Dobby looked even more guilty, fidgeting as he looked anywhere but her eyes.
"Dobby!" She hissed, making the creature take a few steps back.
"M-Miss has to know it was ordered. I-I had to do what Master said. Miss is hard to scare so it had to be something big." He said.
"Was that all? Or did you do more and I'm about to find out?"
Dobby's eyes lowered as if to ask forgiveness. She sighed and controlled herself.
"Tell me."
"Um- Dobby noticed the boy that disappears during full moons and I just...soaked his socks in wolfsbane powder. And maybe used some other powders in his food...And maybe Miss should not use her cauldron from now on..."
Ophelia stared at the house elf with a poker face but Dobby could see her eyes darkening in anger. He gasped as he remembered how the red eyes in his master's home passed his form once and froze at how alike they were.
"Dobby didn't want to do it but...Master wants Miss Ophelia to get busy and forget about the dark arts. And..."
"And?"
"There is danger approaching. They do many bad things but they especially want him dead." Dobby said, knowing he could say as much.
"Idris?" She asked but Dobby shook his head. She sighed as she remembered another, "Is it the black cat? Is that kitten still in the castle?"
Dobby's eyes widened and he yelped. He walked to the sofa and started to hit his head against it.
"Dobby is so sorry! Dobby didn't mean to say more than Master ordered!" He moaned as he continued to hit his head.
The noise was a lot bigger than expected and someone woke up. Ophelia reached to pull the house elf into hiding but he flicked his fingers and disappeared.
"What's that noise?" Asked a seventh year girl that looked like she was still in her dreams.
"Nothing. Sorry, I just fell asleep here and had a nightmare." Ophelia replied, growing quite good at making up excuses. The girl yawned and returned to her bed while Ophelia stayed downstairs for the rest of the night.
As soon as morning came, she washed quickly and changed into comfortable clothes. It was the weekend before their Christmas break and she heard most students wanted to go out to Hogsmeade.
"Are you sure you don't want to come?" Lily asked watching her friend closely.
"No."
Her short answer did not seem to match her usual behavior. But still nobody stayed mad after Ophelia's little moment last night and Lily was way too kind to let her remain in her bad disposition.
"Are you alright? Do you want us to stay back and chat about it?" Lily added worried that Ophelia felt bad or had some type of problem.
"I'm fine. You go enjoy yourselves. I'll go study in the library."
Even Potter had to throw her a questionable look because no matter how many times he saw her studying, it was never on weekends.
Not everybody went out, though. As soon as Ophelia walked out, she saw Sirius trying to avoid everyone but especially the Hufflepuffs. She crept behind him and placed a hand on his shoulder, scaring him.
"Is that the real reason you have been so absent this year?" She asked bemusedly. They both glanced at the group of Hufflepuff girls and kept their eyes on them until they left the corridor.
"No. It is my mother, if you really want to know."
"You made me write bad letters to her and you saw me at the Malfoy Manor during last Christmas. I believe you can tell me even if it's uncomfortable."
"It's not. It's just, she's been tormenting me with letters. She moans about how disrespectful I am for not going to those stupid meetings in the Room of Requirement. I'm surprised Dumbledore doesn't say anything with the whole school being aware of it."
"Oh...everybody knows about it?" She asked, finally placing the pieces together.
"Yes. Slytherins cannot shut up about it every time they bully some Ravenclaw kid. They're too proud to keep it secret."
Ophelia blinked as she thought more about it. Was that why she wasn't allowed to go? Was that why her father and Rabastan were ignoring her demands? It did make sense...
"Anyway, I heard you're still going to the Dueling Club and now Zabini is the Duel Master."
"And allows everyone to come, your brother being the most excited." She said refocusing on the boy in front of her.
"The pride of the family, what can I say. Is he good?"
"He improves fast. But I haven't been the nicest partner and let him win most times."
"He hates that."
"Yeah. He told me."
"You do talk to my brother a lot, don't you? I'm sure your name will be thrown at dinner during Christmas. That if you won't suddenly come with Malfoy again." He joked but did eye her in a way that told her he was expecting a surprise nonetheless.
"No. I want to go home."
The library was a lot quieter now that even the most studious kids went out for a break. Very few remained in the castle and most of them were seventh years. Ophelia hoped in a way that Rabastan was in the library too but that did not happen. Instead, she found Rosier with his sister, another girl that Ophelia didn't know and Nott.
Rosier noticed her right away and waved at her as if they were friends. He then watched her sit at another desk and quickly whispered something to the others that made them rise and come sit with her.
"How's going, Molley?"
"You didn't have to move here just to ask me that. We're in the library, we should be quiet." She answered grumpily, looking very uncomfortable.
"Madame Pince is all the way over there and we are all the way over here. I'll be quiet-ish after you answer me." He said with a boyish grin. It was so odd to have him standing on one side while Nott was on the other and the two girls across her. She was surrounded by Slytherins in casual clothes. Well, Nott was more formal for some reason, like he wanted to go out on a date but changed his mind.
"I'm fine. I want to study for Potions. I'm sure you know I strongly dislike it."
"You suck at it badly. Professor Slughorn uses you as an example of how not to be." Katie added just to emphasize Ophelia's lack of skill.
"It's better to be very skilled at a few particular things that eventually help you in your career rather than have equal, common skill at everything." Ophelia fired back knowing it will offend the girl.
She did glare at Ophelia and might have said something if it wasn't for her brother, who gave her a stern look that silenced her.
"So then Molley, what are these particular skills that you have?" He asked sounding genuinely curious.
"Keeping a secret, for instance. The whole school knows about the dark arts lessons, even the professors." She said trying to gain some information.
"Yet they do not warn us, stop us or even acknowledge us. They know, too, that they are inferior to what is coming." He said, Nott tensing at how Rosier's voice changed. It was colder yet excited, like a psychopath was sharing his plans with her.
"And what is coming?" She asked looking straight into his eyes.
"The Dark Lord will purify Hogwarts and the whole wizarding world."
Nott seemed to have frozen next to her as did the girls. Rosier's dark eyes were not as scary as she expected them to get but she could see madness and she took that as a threat. She could feel a tingling sensation in her hands and quickly put them on her lap.
"Good for him." She said as if she was not touched at all by his words. "Well then, I'll find another place to study." She said and left quickly.
She didn't know if they believed she ran in fear or not but the truth was that her fingers felt like they were on fire. She entered the first bathroom she found and threw her fingers under cold water. Nothing happened and instead, little flames started to come out of her fingertips. The flames were green, which didn't surprise her as she had seen green fire before. As she moved her fingers, she realized the fire started to change shape and flicker. She pushed her right hand on the mirror and watched how the flames went up her hand to her elbow before they retreated in her palm. Growing braver, she turned around and whispered Expecto Patronum. It was overwhelming what happened next: the fire crawled up her fingers and shot out, going in circles at first before turning blue. The form shaped itself much faster and much clearer than when she used her wand. She realized that maybe her magic was filtered when using a wand and that was why it was so hard to control it without one. Last time Ophelia's Patronus looked much like a fox but now it looked more like a hound.
The door opened and voices interrupted her concentration. She shook her hand and it was all over. She literally sprinted out of there and wandered the castle for a while. The girl had a lot in her mind but she was also curious if the kitten was still there. She searched for it for a few hours and in the end found nothing. Instead, she was found by Zabini. He looked like he was out and about before he returned to the castle in good spirits.
"Molley! Let's have our duel Friday, before everybody leaves for the break." He said and left as if he couldn't care if she had anything else planned.
By Friday everybody knew about the duel. The Gryffindors especially were making bets on how long Zabini would last.
"I say, maximum 5 minutes. That's enough for a bunch of curses." A first year said, his name Robert or something.
"Or even less. I say around 2? Maybe 3?" Another second year said, his name George maybe.
"Hey, why do people make bets on me? What rumor has been going around?" She asked her friends once she sat next to them in the common room.
"They say you are crazy good at dueling." Frank said, trying to focus on a dragon toy that looked very realistic. Arthur Weasley had one too and the two dragons seemed to get into a weird fight. "Yeah, fry him Neville!"
"What kind of name is Neville?" Cissney asked being the closest to him.
"I'll name my kid Neville one day. He'll make me proud, just like this dragon." He said, furrowing his eyebrows in concentration.
Cissney rolled her eyes at his childishness.
"I hope my kid will be good at Quidditch." She said surprising everyone. "What? I like it, even if I don't play."
"Zabini plays too. I heard he is very good." Ophelia commented.
"He's a freaking beast, you should see him. Maybe next year they'll let James play for real." Pettigrew said high-fiving his friend.
"I need a Prewett to graduate already and that will be it. They will need me, not that they don't already."
"I heard that!" Shouted one of the Prewett brothers from across the room.
"Anyway, are you mentally prepared to face him? It's not only about skills but also about pride. He's respected as a good duelist and even teaches students in the Dueling Club. If he loses, he may not take it well." Lily bluntly put that on the table. Everyone got silent and turned to Cissney. She seemed to be weighting between her crush and her friend.
"I can't wait!" she said with fake excitement.
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