Chương 5: Petrificus Totalus
Entering the shop called Ollivander's was interesting. She wasn't the only customer, there was another boy that looked afraid for his life. Instead of walking to him, she adventured deep in the store, confused why she was there for. She also realized she didn't ask the stranger for his name, once again, and rubbed her forehead in frustration.
By the time she returned to the front desk, the other boy was gone. She was alone in the store and the man behind the front desk was watching her eagerly.
"Here for the first wand, I pressume?" He asked softly as to not scare her away.
Ophelia nodded and took a few steps towards him. She placed one gold coin on the table, amusing the man.
"Right. Let's see…"
Mr. Ollivander, as Ophelia found out was his name, gave her a big number of wands but none seemed to fit her. A lot of them were too squishy in her hand and some of them were getting stiff once she touched them. An hour and a half passed until Ollivander took a closer look at Ophelia's eyes. He could remember every wand he sold but there were some specific children that he gave their wands to: Lillian Gaunt, for example. With that name in mind, Ollivander gave Ophelia an Alder wood, Phoenix feather core, 13 inches in length and very flexible.
Once Ophelia held it, she felt a special kind of butterflies in her stomach. Her eyes brightened as her fingers tingled and blue sparkles emanated from her wand.
Ollivander smiled with melancholy, his eyes falling over the brunette witch.
"Phoenix feather cores come in pairs. I sold the other one a very long time ago to a little girl who was living with her cousin. That little girl had the brightest green eyes I have ever seen and the brightest red hair. Lillian was her name and I can only guess you are her daughter." Ollivander explained, his eyes focused on the brunette witch.
She calmed down, the wand coming back to looking like a strange shaped stick.
"My mother died five years ago."
Ollivander's expression fell into a look of sorrow, remembering just what else was there about Lillian. Ophelia didn't look like she was aware of her family heritage or about the wizarding world in general.
"What was she? Was she a mud blood?" Ophelia asked innocently.
Ollivander's eyes widened, surprised that she used that word.
"No, no. Lillian was a pure blood but never once have I seen someone so humble."
Ophelia smiled softly. It wasn't every day that someone would speak about Lillian, not that many have met her. It actually made Ophelia wonder why she ended up in the orphanage when it was obvious her mother knew people from the wizarding community.
That thought and the nice words Mr. Ollivander said about Lillian seemed to keep Ophelia so busy that she completely forgot where she was going. She blinked when she found herself in front of the same brown owl. This time, she entered and used the remaining coins in order to buy him.
"Take it, take it! He's been a curse from the moment his owner returned him!"
With the eagerness in the owner's eyes, Ophelia paid for the rest of the stuff and walked out. Surprisingly, the owl seemed very calm and content.
"What name should I give you?" She asked the beautiful brown owl. "Buffy? Blinky? Bert?" She asked more names but the owl was making a weird face at each of them. Ophelia laughed and stopped near a wall, waiting for her savior. "What about Willard?"
The brown owl blinked before tilting his head to the side. Ophelia smiled and rubbed his feathers through the cage. He didn't move once and didn't bite her, even though the shop owner was adamant that he was a violent owl.
"Willard Willy. My new friend." Ophelia said, laughing when the owl kicked her hand away from the cage.
"Talking to a bird now, aren't we?"
Ophelia looked up, surprised to see the same blond from before. He was holding onto a few books that looked heavier than him yet he was holding them easily. This time, next to him was a small creature with big green eyes that was carrying a pile of stuff bigger than him. Quite rudely, the blond dropped the heavy books into a medium sized cauldron, making the small creature almost fall on his bottom.
"Shouldn't you be helping the little creature?" Ophelia asked naively.
The blond scoffed, "Do you need help, Dobby?"
"No sir! Young Master Malfoy should never carry anything. That is Dobby's job, sir!" A squeaky voice was heard from behind the stack of books.
"See?" The blond asked, turning towards Ophelia with an expectant look. "That is what house elves do but of course, you mud blood don't know that either." He sneered.
"That sounds like slavery to me. I read back in the orphanage about-" Her eyes widened when she realized what she said. "I mean-"
It was already too late. The blond already found out something new about her and it looked like he was the type of person to keep it for later, when he needed it.
"Anyway, my mother was a witch so I'm not a mud blood. I just found out that she was a pure blood, too." Ophelia added quickly, getting on her feet and bloating with pride. "Who are you anyway? Always looking down on me when you have just met me."
"Maybe you should ask this mother of yours about the Malfoys. I'm sure she will tell you exactly what you need to know. Let's go Dobby!" He said, throwing her a nasty look before walking away.
Ophelia watched the house elf barely walk with all the heavy stuff he was carrying yet he didn't say a word, just followed his master.
When Tom found Ophelia, she was sulking with her back against the cold wall. He noticed the wand in her hand and the owl in the cage, watching him approach. Tom smirked when the brown owl backed away at the sight of his eyes.
Ophelia got back home a few minutes later, right in front of her house actually. She wanted to thank Tom but he vanished before she could say anything. Gloria Molley was more than shocked when her daughter entered the house after hours of being gone with an owl and a wand.
The next morning, she sent Willy on his first errand with her reply to Hogwarts. When she walked downstairs for breakfast, she found the rest of the stuff she needed for Hogwarts, even robes.
That was how, on September 1st, Ophelia Molley arrived with her parents in King's Cross station in London, searching for Platform 9 ¾.
"Maybe we should ask the gentleman from the information stand." Gloria mumbled to her husband, pointing at the officer.
Ophelia sighed, disappointed that the mysterious stranger didn't come to see her off. Willy squirmed in his cage and stared intensely at his owner. He made a few small noises before he started to jump. Once he grabbed Ophelia's attention, he pointed with his beak at a certain wall. She glanced at the owl before placing the cage down and moving a bit so she could have a bigger picture of Platform 9 and Platform 10. Her eyes fell over the space between them and tilted her head to the side. Ophelia hummed before she grabbed her trunk and cage and walked in front of the wall between the platforms.
"Mum! Dad! I think you should keep close to me!" She yelled, grabbing their attention.
Gloria and Richard glanced at each other in worry but followed her advice anyway. Ophelia closed her eyes and ran right through the wall, feeling a slight breeze before arriving on Platform 9 ¾.
"Wow~"
It was amazing. There were more children, of different ages, than Ophelia imagined. Parents were hugging their children while some looked uncomfortable and only patted their backs. It was a whole new world, one that amazed the Molleys more than it amazed their daughter.
Richard helped Ophelia get her trunk on the train and slipped something in her hand. Ophelia raised an eyebrow when she saw a penknife.
"Just to be safe. You never know what some of these people can do." He whispered before kissing her cheek and letting Gloria say her farewells.
"My dear daughter. Please, write to us as much as you want. I'll keep the windows open for your owl."
That was very weird, especially when a lawyer said it with such a straight face.
"Ok. I'll be fine. I'll write as soon as possible, I promise."
Gloria nodded and hugged her daughter one more time before they heard the train's honk. Ophelia got on the train, holding Willy's cage in one hand while the other grasped the handle of her trunk. She smiled and waved at her parents before the train started to move. Ophelia took a last long look at her parents before walking inside.
----------------------------------------------------
Searching for an empty compartment was proving to be difficult. She was a newcomer, a first year and friends were difficult to find and make. Ophelia wasn't exactly a social butterfly and her friends have always depended on circumstances. Now, she was on foreign land and she had to step carefully or she'd get hurt.
She found one compartment in the very back that looked empty. When she entered, she noticed two other children. They stopped speaking when they saw her which made her feel unwanted.
"Maybe I should look for another compartment…" Ophelia mumbled, her eyes moving from the redhead girl to the greasy haired boy.
"No! No! Please, take a seat! I'm Lily and this is Severus. We're also first years!" The redhead exclaimed, smiling brightly.
Looking at Severus, Ophelia knew she interfered with their personal space. She grasped Willy's cage but Lily's bright eyes made her feel bad. In the end, Ophelia placed her luggage aside and sat on one side while Lily and Severus sat on the other side. When Lily chose to change seats and come next to Ophelia, she swore she saw the greasy haired boy narrow his eyes at her.
"I'm Ophelia. I'm new to this whole wizarding world. I never knew I was a witch even if stuff happened to me."
Severus scoffed, "Are your parents muggles, then?"
Lily threw a look at him which made him remember her parents were actually muggles, making him look down at his hands.
"No. My birth mother was a witch but I don't know anything about my father. I don't think I ever met him."
"That means you're a half blood, like Sev. My parents are muggles. They were very surprised when I received my Hogwarts letter." Lily chuckled, remembering that moment.
"Why is blood rank so important to wizards?" Ophelia asked, genuinely confused.
"Haven't you read anything at all? Blood status is a concept in the wizarding world that distinguishes between family trees that have different levels of magically-endowed members. It often results in prejudice towards those who have a large number of Muggles in their families. It is very important." Severus answered, scowling at Ophelia's ignorance.
"Well, I did read about Hogwarts a bit. I know there are four houses and my parents seemed to enjoy the thought that I could be in Ravenclaw."
"That doesn't depend on you, it depends on the Sorting Ceremony. You'll get sorted based on your skills and values." Severus added, scowling continuously at the new acquaintance.
Ophelia didn't seem to mind this peculiar boy with greasy black hair and eyes that knew nothing but to look down upon anyone that wasn't a friend. Severus wasn't like the boys in Bread of Life Orphanage, witty and always looking for trouble but he wasn't like the boys in her neighborhood either, always classy and neat with answers by the book.
On the other hand, Lily looked a lot like Lillian, though it was probably only because she was a ginger with green eyes. The difference was probably the glint and the atmosphere, in which Lily was just a child while Lillian was a grown up adult with a lot of pressure.
"What house do you suppose you'll get sorted in?" Lily asked Ophelia, eyes twinkling.
"I don't know. I don't care that much as long as I can learn magic." She responded bluntly.
Severus raised an eyebrow and leaned on his knees, his dark eyes staring at Ophelia's elongated green orbs.
"Slytherin is the best house. A Slytherin is always fearless and smart. I, personally, prefer it before any other house." Severus said, bloating when he mentioned himself.
"Gryffindor would be a good choice too, don't you think?" Lily asked.
Ophelia noticed the sneer on Snape's face at the mention of Gryffindor but didn't say anything.
----------------------------------------------------
For the rest of the ride to Hogwarts, Severus continued speaking about Hogwarts and everything he has found out about magic. Ophelia was intrigued by the number of spells he knew already and the way he would look when performing them. Watching him was just like watching the pale stranger.
"So, tell me again, how do we make things fly?" She asked, sitting so close to Severus that the boy felt like she was ready to enter his mind.
"It's levitation not flying. You do it like this." He said, waving his wand in a certain way before Willy's cage started to fly.
The owl didn't even stir. Severus levitated the cage down on the seat and Lily walked towards it, watching the owl with curiosity.
"I wouldn't get too close to him. He might bite." Ophelia advised the ginger, knowing that was exactly what happened when Richard tried to pat him.
Lily did listen to Ophelia and didn't touch the cage but even so, she couldn't help feel like that owl was trying to see into her soul.
"Do you want me to show you something that can really help you?" Severus asked, seeing how Ophelia's just started the levitation charm and did it very well from the first try.
Ophelia nodded, eyes sparkling with excitement. Severus smirked and turned to Willy. The owl tilted his head to the side, looking at the boy as if he was taunting him to dare and curse him.
"Petrificus Totalus." He whispered, pointing his wand at the owl.
Ophelia's eyes widened while Lily hit Severus indignantly. She could hear the two friends bickering behind as the brunette walked to her owl and checked if he was alive. He was, but he looked like a statue, unable to even blink.
"Look what you have done, Sev. What if he won't return to normal?" Lily asked her friend, troubled.
"I can just use a counter-curse and it will be fine. I know what I'm doing Lily." He whispered back.
The two glanced at Ophelia and saw her stare with a poker face at her pet.
On the other hand, Ophelia's mind was swirling with thoughts about curses. The pale boy knew so much already and he seemed so sure of what he knew and what he was doing that it amazed her. She reached inside the cage in order to touch Willy when something blue came out of her finger and went straight into her owl. The pet blinked a few times before he glared at Severus but the greasy haired boy was staring warily at Ophelia.
"How did you do that?" He asked, getting up and hovering over her. "You didn't even touch him and definitely didn't use a wand so how did you lift the curse?"
Ophelia raised an eyebrow and glanced at him before her eyes fell on Lily. She looked just as surprised as Severus but didn't seem as angry about it as him.
"Can't you do it too? You know, using magic without a wand."
Severus looked at her closely before sitting down, puffing his cheeks in annoyance.
"It's possible but only if you reach a certain level. We're still young so I doubt any of us can control magic without a wand." He explained.
With that established, Ophelia kept her hands on her lap at all times and placed Willy's cage next to her trunk, just to be safe. Severus didn't say anything anymore and Lily took it as a sign to speak about normal, muggle stuff. Ophelia fell into that immediately and listened to the ginger while one greasy haired boy was glowering at her for having Lily's entire attention.
"So your sister isn't a witch?" Ophelia asked when Lily dived into her family situation.
"She's not. Severus was the first person I met that was like me." She admitted, smiling at the greasy haired boy.
Ophelia raised an eyebrow and leaned back, crossing her arms in front of her chest. Watching the two interact was like watching a ragged dog watching a butterfly fly around his head; it was both interesting and pitying.
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