The night of the Christmas Ball at Hogwarts came quicker than imagined. Nothing happened after Halloween and Ophelia did not make it to the party, which meant the bet between Ophelia and Peter was won by the boy, because she literally did not even show her face. It didn't seem like she minded, she gave him the 10 galleons as if it was nothing. But James and Sirius were very unhappy.
"Is she rich?" Peter asked at dinner feeling slightly bad now that he had the money in his pocket.
"Dunno, but her house is magical. She seems like she inherited everything from Spinnard, maybe he left her some money too," Potter explained trying to remember if his father ever told him about that. "I can't believe she didn't come...what if she doesn't come to the Christmas ball either?"
"Why are you so persistent?" Lily asked feeling like James' worries usually end with him making the whole problem worse.
"Because this is our last year. Once it ends, we will..." he didn't know what to say because James, just like the others, knew Ophelia would have no wall between her and her father anymore. "I want to see her until I get sick of her face," James said making the girls frown.
But Sirius knew exactly how his best friend felt. He couldn't help but glance at Dumbledore, hoping he could interfere. But the headmaster was busy speaking to Zabini. And then Sirius turned to look at Snape, who was laughing about something with his classmates until he felt the odd gaze. Snape looked up at Sirius and raised an eyebrow before he ignored him completely.
Ophelia was not at dinner that afternoon, she was in McGonagall's office.
"Have you finally figured out what you want to do, Molley?" McGonagall asked having high expectations from her student.
"Not quite, I'm not here for that. I was curious about something else. My mother had a cute white owl that vanished off the face of the world ever since. I was wondering if you know about it,"
McGonagall frowned, taken aback by the sudden questions. The professor couldn't help but worry that it was her father who wanted this information, but one look into Ophelia's eyes and it was obvious that the door to her mind was tightly closed.
"I haven't seen it in years. The last time was when it brought Lillian's final words. It was then that Dumbledore came to your aid," McGonagall said.
"But mom also gave the stone to her owl. Was a letter all that you received?" Ophelia asked leaning in.
"Of course. I still remember that day perfectly. I-I knew it would come to this, but I was never...prepared for it," McGonagall said, the memories zooming through her eyes. She could still see the white owl and the way he looked so sad.
Ophelia could easily read McGonagall's mind but she chose not to. She could see how the professor genuinely cared for Lillian but it wasn't as if she could change the past and magically return Lillian to life.
"Do you think, professor, that the owl might still be alive somewhere?"
"I don't know. Some owls prefer to die with their masters. But if it is alive, then he is probably in a place where Lillian felt safe," McGonagall said which gave Ophelia a strange idea.
"Tell me again, why did you drag me so early into the owlery?"
It was not even 8 in the morning and Snape woke up with a jolt after Ophelia scared him in his dream. And then he was rushed out in his pajamas and slippers.
"Search for a white owl. He should be pretty small, with big black eyes and he should look in pain," Ophelia explained, already started to search.
Snape scoffed and began looking around but there wasn't much. The owls were watching them warily as if they were there to kill one of them. An hour, it took an hour and a bit until Snape decided it was in vain and left for breakfast. Ophelia stayed back and sighed in defeat.
"I don't even know his name. But Lillian felt safe at Hogwarts, didn't she? He should be here," she mumbled to herself but Lillian's owl was definitely not at Hogwarts.
In the end, Ophelia went back into the castle feeling dejected. She was ready to enter the Great Hall for tea and whatever leftover food she could find when she saw Peverell. He seemed to know what she was doing because he tilted his head to the side and meowed.
Hogwarts on Christmas was very busy: house elves were going all around, decorating the whole castle, not just the Great Hall, music could be heard coming from every corner, usually enchanted instruments playing winter music and girls were going crazy. The person who was the most unimpressed by it all was Ophelia.
“You’re coming,” Lily announced, seeing how Ophelia was sitting on her bed instead of hurrying to curl her hair and do her makeup.
“I don’t have a date,”
“Sirius is free. He hasn’t accepted any invitation from anyone and we know why.” Alice replied, searching for her earrings.
“I don’t have a dress,”
“You do, Dylis brought it this morning. Shoes too.” Lily added. Ophelia scoffed, of course, Dylis could come out of hiding for something like that.
“I don’t feel like it,” Ophelia added lying on her back. “I know Dumbledore means well and his plan is working, Slytherins are too bothered with dates and stuff to be thinking about Tom. But still…I don’t feel like dancing or fawning over a young hormonal teenager.”
"But you didn't come on Halloween, either," Alice commented with a strict tone.
"And yet you had fun and survived. I won't be missed."
"Tell that to Potter and Black. They were ready to create a hunting party for you," Alice added.
Ophelia shrugged and rolled on her other side, with her back to the girls.
“So still not charmed, hm?” Lily asked with a sly smile. “Sirius’ plan is not working very well,”
“He’s the last thing on my mind and it’s best if he knows it,” Ophelia said over her shoulder. “Besides, I have better things to bother myself with than a dance.”
“Like what? Even Severus is coming to the dance,”
“…I still don't understand why,”
Lily shrugged, her relationship with Snape had been almost non-existent lately. Ophelia saw Severus growing annoyed faster and he seemed to have gotten even more anxious and creepy when it came to Lily.
While so deep in thought, something small and fluffy jumped on her bed and looked at her with big blue eyes. He meowed twice before he jumped on her to get her attention.
“What- how do you get in and out so easily?” She asked pushing the kitten off her face. “What are you doing here, Peverell?”
The black kitten meowed and moved towards the velvet box that had her dress and shoes.
“No,” Ophelia said firmly.
It looked like the kitten rolled his eyes before he stepped closer to the box. Ophelia was a stubborn teenager, everyone knew it, but so was Peverell. So, with a cute little glare, he rushed to her and snatched her necklace, the same one she received as a present from Sirius.
“Come on, Peverell, don’t even start a fight,” She said rushing after the kitten. “Give it back,”
The kitten shook his head before he pointed his paw at the box. Ophelia glared at him and launched at him but he was very quick. It went on like this for a while, with Lily and Alice watching everything amusedly from the side. By the end, Ophelia was tired and her hair looked like a nest, her face sweaty and bright red.
“Fine, fine, just give it back.” She said and she swore Peverell smirked in success.
The dress was actually beautiful and elegant and very green. If anyone from outside her group circle had seen her, they would have believed Ophelia was a Slytherin. But the dress fit her very well and she looked so comfortable in it. Her hair was, more forcefully than not, pulled in a bun which made her neck look longer.
“You look really pretty. Dylis has great taste,” Alice said, her eyes shining at the way her friend looked.
“I’m not so sure it was his choice,” She mumbled glancing at Peverell. His blue eyes were sparkling in the light as if he was proud of what he was seeing.
Meanwhile, in the common room, the boys were chatting with each other. James looked particularly handsome as if he had found the potion to maturity. But all of them were more or less different, it was obvious that they had all gone through a period of puberty and grown taller, their voices were lower and huskier and they just looked more like young men rather than boys.
“My, my, Padfoot, looking especially charming tonight, aren’t we?” James asked his best friend as soon as Sirius walked into the common room.
“I’m always charming, Prongs,” Black said with a goofy smile.
His black eyes, white skin, and dark hair made him look like a character from a story, which made all his friends smile because they knew it was not the usual handsome they see in Sirius, but a different one, a more elegant and put together look which was what Ophelia preferred.
“Are they going to come down anytime soon? I feel like I’m about to faint,” Longbottom whispered, nervous for no reason at all.
“But Frank, you and Alice are a couple already, why so anxious?”
“Because she is my girlfriend, I’m curious how she looks and I feel a bit insecure standing by her glamorous side,” He said feeling self-conscious about his red suit.
“You look great, mate. No matter what she’s wearing, you two look good together,” Black said, patting his friend on the back.
When the girls came down, most of the other Gryffindors had already left for the ball. Remus and Peter were already in the Great Hall with their dates and only Frank, James, and Sirius were left. Alice and Lily were the first to appear and James’ face was so full of joy and appreciation and love that it could be seen from miles away.
“You look so beautiful,” He said, the words mixing as he became aware of why Frank was really so nervous.
Lily wore a dark burgundy long dress that perfectly matched her red hair and Alice wore a black, more gothic dress that complemented her features and both girls matched their dates perfectly.
“Is Ophelia not coming?” James asked after he basked in his date’s beauty.
“She is, but she started to prepare later than us. She’ll be down shortly, don’t worry Black,” Lily answered with a glance at the dark-haired man.
“Wow, Black, you really made an effort, didn’t you?” Alice added, both girls having the same amused expression on their faces.
Sirius blushed only slightly, feeling like maybe he really didn’t try that hard to look good before. Well, it didn’t matter since he still was very popular with the ladies, but this particular lady was hard to seduce.
As soon as the two pairs left the common room, a black kitten jumped down the stairs and stopped right in front of Black.
“I should’ve imagined,” Sirius mumbled seeing how cocky Peverell seemed.
But right after Peverell came Ophelia. Black was awestruck not because she was beautiful or because he liked her so much but because she looked like a Slytherin princess. The dress, the hair, her eyes, the way she walked, and the way she presented herself was just so much like her father. She was Tom’s daughter, she had the same slyness in the way she moved and in the way she walked as if all the people were merely pawns in her plan. That, of course, until she came close enough for him to see how she disliked the idea of the ball.
“You look like a painting,” Was all that Sirius said.
Ophelia raised an eyebrow, unsure if that was a compliment.
“Well, you look quite different too. Like an aristocrat, a real rich pure-blood from an ancient family,” she said with a tinge of sarcasm. “Shall we get this over with? I don’t like people looking at me,”
“And yet everyone will once we get there,” Sirius said as she grabbed his arm and they made their way to the Great Hall.
The Great Hall was indeed full. House elves succeeded in making the most beautiful décor in the last years and the music was live. Dumbledore was watching his students with warm looks as he saw them talking to each other in a safer environment.
Rabastan was speaking to Zabini when Ophelia entered at Sirius’ arm. The younger Lestrange brother had the reflex to go to her but Zabini pushed him back softly with sympathy.
“I guess it really is over,” Rabastan muttered, gulping down his drink.
“It’s been over for a long time, you just hoped that something would change her mind,” Zabini answered and sighed heavily. He couldn’t help but feel bad for his friend.
The truth was that not only Sirius noticed how Slytherin-ish she looked, but everyone. Dumbledore glanced at Flitwick and gave him a nod, which started more upbeat music for everyone to dance.
“Wow, Molley, you really look like you’re glowing,” James said, knowing his girlfriend would not take it the wrong way.
“Sure, whatever,” she replied feeling uncomfortable.
She looked around and saw Nott stare at her intensely. A bit towards his left was Rabastan who was trying not to stare and further into the back, next to the punch table was Severus with Regulus.
“Do you want to dance?” Sirius asked leaning in. She could feel his breath on her neck which made her shudder at the weird feeling.
“Do I have a choice?” she asked looking up at him with big green eyes.
“Nope,” he said with a smile and grabbed her hand, leading her to the dancing ring.
It was fun for a while, more members of the Order came around and they all laughed and drank and it was funnier than she expected. Rabastan interfered and asked for a slow dance, which she accepted to Black’s displeasure.
“She’s not in love with him anymore,” Remus whispered to his friend seeing how he was glaring at the two.
“I know. But she’s not in love with me either and that’s what’s truly annoying me. I have no right to tell her not to dance with him or another guy,” Black replied aware of his situation.
Remus chuckled bemusedly, finding this side of Sirius an improvement to his past self, who didn’t care about emotions or people except for his friends and brother.
It was a few hours later when Ophelia needed to go to the bathroom. She was on her way back to the Great Hall when someone short apparated behind her and grabbed her hand.
“Dobby?”
Sirius was just coming out, waiting for her when he saw the sight.
“Miss has to come with Dobby to the Malfoy Manor. Miss’ father has Miss’ owl friend there, torturing him, oh the sight,”
“My owl friend? Cerberus?!” she asked, growing alert in a second. “What do you mean?”
“Young master Malfoy has sent Dobby to inform Miss that Miss’ father has caught Cerberus Knowingall and is torturing him for information. Oh, Miss, it is a dire sight, Dobby has seen and heard his screams and they are all gathered at Master’s house.” Dobby said with wide fearful eyes.
Ophelia could feel all her blood rising to her head as her eyes narrowed so much that she looked like Voldemort. Dobby swallowed nervously, seeing the change in her demeanour.
“Take me there right now,”
“No,” Interfered Rabastan, grabbing her hand and pulling her back roughly. “Are you insane?! All the Death Eaters are there, they’re having a meeting with your father. If you go, he might keep you there or even worse, hurt you or torture you,”
“Take your hand off me,” She said through gritted teeth. Rabastan glared at her and tightened his grasp to which Ophelia used her magic to push him away. “Cerberus is the closest thing I have to a father so do not stop me from going and saving him,”
“I’ll come along,” Sirius said, knowing that stopping her was foolish. “Let’s go,”
Rabastan stood behind and sighed heavily as Dobby disapparated with the two Gryffindors. Was this the difference between him and Black? Was safety selfish compared to jumping headfirst into an unexpected situation?
