Miss Gaunt

[Flashback]

She knew she's been there before but never once did she imagine it so clearly. She could see the details as if she visited the cottage yesterday yet she wasn't even sure she ever visited it.

It was strange because she could see everything from a different point of view, a smaller point of view actually. Everything was big compared to her but nothing was intimidating or peculiar in any way.

"How are enjoying yourself, Pheli?"

Ophelia looked up into the marvelous eyes of a ginger man. He smiled widely, his eyes full of joy and love as he bent in front of her and ruffled her hair.

"It's been a while hasn't it? How is our little witch?" He asked, making Ophelia blush without really having a reason why.

Well, maybe the reason was the way he seemed to emanate this boyish charm, making him attractive even for a little girl. Or maybe it was the dimpled baby face of his that looked incredibly cute and friendly.

"She's only six years old, Vernon. Don't mess with my daughter's feelings already." An older woman spoke, her voice soothing and extremely familiar.

Ophelia turned to look at the woman and her heart beat faster at the sight of her face. Lillian Gaunt was playfully glaring at the ginger, her whole face bright and happy. She was beautiful and those amazing green eyes were pretty much the same as Ophelia's only hers were wide and clear while Ophelia's were slightly elongated, like a cat's. Lillian was a tall woman with long red hair and a certain elegance that seemed to come from her not from the way she was dressing, which was very classy. She was feminine and her whole appearance was making Ophelia feel safe.

"I'm not doing anything! Don't be a bugger, Mrs. Gaunt." He spoke in a way that even the child could understand he was trying to annoy her mother.

"Don't call me that. Just Lillian is fine."

"Whatever you say." He mumbled before turning to Ophelia, "Then I will just take this little princess here and introduce her to my Patronus." He said, smiling eagerly.

Lillian chuckled when she remarked the confusion over Ophelia's face.

"His Patronus is a dragon. He talks about him as if he were his pet." Lillian partially joked because, seriously, partially she was right.

"He's my faithful companion, has always been. He represents my happiness unlike yours, Mrs. Gaunt." He emphasized again that small detail that seemed to annoy Lillian but she only rolled her eyes.

Vernon's smile softened up as his eyes trailed from Lillian to her daughter and sighed. Ophelia could see just how happy was that man and she was curious if, by any chance, he wasn't her her.

Suddenly, the whole room emptied and it became cold. Ophelia grew back to her original size and looked around curiously. She was in a different house, one that she knew well but hasn't visited in a while. The brunette witch looked up to the first floor and breathed out, feeling a chill go down her spine. She placed her hand on the railing and trailed it as she took a few steps up the stairs. The door suddenly closed and she turned around quickly, scared. No one was downstairs so she turned back towards the first floor. Ophelia looked up and saw green before she heard someone whisper.

"Not yet." 

Two green eyes opened abruptly, scaring whoever was next to her. She rose on her bottom quickly and looked down at her hands.

[End of Flashback]

"Are you alright, dear? You woke up so suddenly."

Ophelia looked up and met the worried eyes of Madame Pomfrey, who was just passing by her bed. Seeing her, it made the girl remember that she was actually at school and she had a very bad meeting with what was called a Dementor. Then, she remembered one more detail-

"Where is Severus?" She asked, yet not moving from the bed. For some reason, she felt like she shouldn't push the covers off.

Madame Pomfrey smiled softly, worry still in her eyes but something else too.

"He's fine. He's been coming every two hours to check on you." She said softly before her smile widened, "Such a friendship is hard to come by. Treasure it." She said before leaving to mend to her own business.

All alone in the whole room, Ophelia looked down at her hands once again. She was sure someone tugged on her hand right before she lost consciousness and it was someone rather small. Slowly, Ophelia pushed the covers off and patted around, searching for something small yet firm. She couldn't find anything until she started to search under the pillow. Every so often she would glance over her shoulder, just in case someone would spontaneously pop in. It was clear and she found it; she found the stone and it looked unimpressive.

The knob moved and being so large, the door cracked as it opened and Ophelia pulled the covers over quickly. She kept her hand under and lied down, looking still tired.

Surprisingly, the one who entered was Professor Spinnard, whose face was pretty much the definition of an unpleasing, grumpy visitor who wanted to be anywhere but there.

"Glad to see you're well, Molley." He mumbled, his tone opposite of what he actually said, "You just can't help yourself, can you? Trouble is written all over your face and you went so far as dragging Severus with you."

"I didn't drag anyone with me. You weren't there. You don't even know what happened, professor." She responded, annoyed that he could look down on her so much that he'd even think she would drag someone into trouble.

Professor Spinnard raised an eyebrow and seemed to scan her closely, as if he knew she was hiding something.

"Did you hurt your hand?" He asked, his voice sounding a lot like her father when he knew she had done something bad but wanted her to speak about it.

"No."

Professor Spinnard was only a professor so he shouldn't look so deep into what his students were doing in their free time. Besides, she was from another house and he had no right to question her.

"I would prefer if you would leave me alone to rest, prof-"

"Have you finished your homework, Molley? The extra work too?" He interrupted, asking something irrelevant to the matter at hand.

"What extra homework?" She asked, taken aback by the sudden change.

"For walking out into the Forest, which is strictly forbidden to students such as yourself, and for secretly learning spells high above your skill without a tutor. You wrote about defensive spells, haven't you? Well, it's time for you to write me about offensive spells and curses. Also, for the whole of the next semester you and your friend will be actively participating in my class." He finished, walking two steps closer yet still keeping the distance.

"Is that all?" She asked, knowing that it wasn't such a bad punishment.

Professor Spinnard chuckled darkly, linking his arms behind him.

"Believe me, that's enough. I have prepared classes especially for you, Ophelia." He added before he sneered at her and left.

Hearing her name being spoken by someone so strange was only adding more questions to her list.

----------------------------------------------------

Ophelia was perfectly fine, except the shock of having to face a Dementor. Madame Pomfrey offered her some chocolate and advised her to eat a lot in the next few days. Of course the first place she went to was the dungeons where she met Professor Slughorn.

"Oh, dear! You scared me…"

He looked genuinely scared for some reason and she knew she wasn't exactly terrifying.

"I'm sorry, professor. I was in a hurry to see Severus."

"Oh, yes, yes. Severus Snape, such a gifted potion maker. Of course, it's still too early to give an honest opinion but he's a fast learner, that boy." Slughorn added, complimenting Severus with a bright expression, "I'm sure you will try harder this next semester, am I right? You must not fall behind your friends, Molley."

"I'll try my best, professor. It's not going so well for me now so I'm not sure I'll improve."

Slughorn was surprised for the mere fact that she looked genuinely worried and angry with herself. She was so pitiful, especially because Slughorn has seen how bad she was at potions compared to other classes.

"Yes, well you may need a miracle for that to happen." He trailed, his smile cracking in the corners.

Ophelia could feel her eyebrow twitch at that subtle commentary but decided to shrug it off since he was a professor and she was just a first year. She still had a lot to learn and do and showing Slughorn that she could master the art of making potions was just another thing on her list.

"Well, I'll be off then. Nice seeing you, professor." She said with a polite smile before rushing past him towards the Slytherin common room.

It was only when she passed a certain dusty classroom that she realized she didn't know where the Slytherin common room was. She wandered around the dungeons for an hour before she finally found someone that could help, if he wanted to.

"You should be upstairs, little girl. The festivity will begin soon."

He was a ghost, the Bloody Baron of them all, and he was terrifying. Of course, it was because of the blood on his clothes and the stories she heard from other students but he himself seemed to be very secretive and firm.

"I am looking for Severus?" She asked, taking a few steps back when the Baron flied closer. "Greasy black hair and dark wide eyes. He looks like a squirrel really…" She added chuckling to herself but the Baron was poker faced.

"The festivity will begin soon. It's Christmas, Miss Gaunt." He added, staring at her closely.

"Miss Gaunt?" She asked, completely taken aback by that name. "I have heard that name before…" She mumbled, scratching her cheek thoughtfully.

"Daughter of Lillian Gaunt, aren't you?" The Baron asked, already knowing the answer.

Ophelia nodded mouth agape as the ghost flied through the wall towards the Potion classroom.

During dinner, Dumbledore was sure to transform the ceiling into a night sky, full of bright stars while snow was swaying beautifully around the room. It was Christmas and the students that remained at Hogwarts were definitely enjoying themselves. Severus was nowhere to be found so that left Ophelia all alone at the table, munching on whatever she could find that wasn't greasy. The tarts were delicious so she even hid some in her pockets in case she would like a midnight snack.  

Taking one long glance around the Great Hall, Ophelia fumbled with her pants' front pocket before taking out the stone. She looked down at it, turned it in every way but from any angle she'd look at it, it was nothing but a stone. She took a peek at the staff table and noticed that Dumbledore was not there so with a little bit more confidence, she put her hands on the table and placed the stone into the light.

"How did I get you?" She mumbled, wondering just how exactly the stone ended in her grasp.

Well, someone did tug on her arm and probably forced it in her hand but that person must have been pretty small for that to happen. Also, how exactly did Severus get rid of the Dementor? Did professor Spinnard follow them or maybe Hagrid saw them? It was still so mysterious.

"Enjoying yourself, Ophelia?"

Hearing that low tone, Ophelia's eyes widened and she hid the stone in her palm; she grasped it tightly before going back to choosing tarts.

"Headmaster," She barely said before grabbing a tart with her free hand, "I'm fine, yes. It's a bit lonely but I enjoy the silence and peace."

Dumbledore's careful eye caught sight of the stone from the moment she pulled it out but it felt like she wouldn't give it to him if he were to ask her about it. Ophelia was a secretive child, just like her parents, so he had to be careful.

"I thought you were rather eager to go back to Birmingham." He started, knowing exactly what route to take with her.

"Um, yes. I lost the train and decided to spend Christmas here. Besides, Willy has been missing ever since I arrived to Hogwarts." She grumbled, still having a hard time because of her owl.

Dumbledore's usual warm blue eyes seemed to have darkened as his whole posture stiffened; it was barely noticeable, but being right behind her, she couldn't help but feel tension surround her.

"It would be better to have someone look after him. I'm sure he will return but until then, use one of the owls from the Owlery."

Dumbledore advised her softly yet there was a tinge of firmness in his voice; it actually made her feel like she might have been the one ordering Willy not to return.

But there was something even stranger and that was the sudden information that there existed an Owlery. She kept that sudden enthusiasm to herself but her eyes were shining in hope that she could write to her adoptive parents.

"I assume you don't plan another escapade to the Forbidden Forest?" He asked as if he already knew everything, making her tighten her grasp on the stone. "Have you found something of interest on your last adventure?" He added.

"No, of course not. Except maybe a Dementor." She mumbled, feeling suddenly tensioned with the headmaster questioning her.

"Do you know who saved you, Ophelia?"

She sighed and turned to fully look at him while he moved a bit to the side. He was very tall and quite intimidating from her seat yet there was something else that was making her feel angry.

"I don't know. Professor Spinnard? Or maybe Severus?" She asked trying to sound innocent. "My Patronus, even if it ran away?"

Dumbledore raised one eyebrow elegantly and shook his head.

"When Professor Spinnard arrived, the Dementor was already gone and Severus was unconscious. He left right before you woke up so then, who saved you? I do have my own theories but I would like if you could give me an answer of your own."

Under Dumbledore's watchful eye -and it looked like nothing would pass him, not the smallest information about the students of Hogwarts (and even beyond the grounds of the school)- Ophelia was just a child, maybe innocent maybe not, that was trying her hardest to hide from his view. Well, that was impossible at the moment and she knew she had to come up with some theory of her own.

"Someone else heard us and came to help. Someone who was already in the forest, watching." She answered hesitantly.

Dumbledore chuckled and nodded before he leaned in a bit.

"Maybe. You may be right and if so, then someone has been watching you and Severus secretly. But I don't think that person was there, I believe that your Patronus did not have enough power to push the Dementor away so based on your memories, it went in search of that particular person."

"What person?" She asked, getting confused even though Dumbledore's eyes seemed to get darker.

"The person that makes you happy," He said, looking at her with those intense blue eyes from behind his half-moon spectacles. "He must treasure you just as much as you treasure him if he did come to your aid."

"But then-" She stopped, knowing that she was going to give herself away if she'd speak more.

Instead, she thought about that supposed person that makes her happy; her mind could only surface memories with the pale man and the way he introduced her to a new world, one that she belongs in.

"Ophelia, be careful in whom you trust both inside and outside these grounds. Hogwarts can only help you if you ask for it but it can't protect you from yourself."

Those words were meant in more than one way and understanding them was far too complicated for Ophelia. Seeing the black hair of Severus Snape, her attention shifted quicker than the dark glint in Dumbledore's eyes.

Feeling like she was at a loss of words, Ophelia said a quick Merry Christmas, headmaster! in which Dumbledore nodded and smiled softly at the child.

The tension dispersed and Dumbledore grabbed one tart before winking at the brunette and moving towards the staff table. While the girl was focusing on the Slytherin boy, having to tell him many things, the headmaster was growing curious just who exactly saved her; was it the same man as in Aviemore? If that was the case, he should have a word with Professor Spinnard and Professor McGonagall.