GLORY // book one

Drafts (Pt. 3)

A/N: This was a idea where an oc who's the sister of Sirius and Regulus had her memories replaced and everyone just thinks she looks like the dead girl, besides Lily and the gang, who are sworn to secrecy. I think, idk, it's kinda hazy.

I DON'T REMEMBER when my childhood ended. I don't remember when the lullaby's stopped, or when the glittery polish decorating my nails was replaced with black paint and broken edges. I don't remember when I started to notice people's flaws, I don't remember when the neon sneakers turned into sturdy boots, or when my nightmares started to go unanswered. I can't remember those changes.

But, I think that's for the best. If I knew when my childhood disappeared, I'd probably just try and get it back. And with a life as uncertain as mine is right now, I can't afford to be a child anymore.

My name is Ophelia Lee Jacobs, but anyone worth a damn calls me Leo. I'm fifteen, and for the majority of my life, I've been hiding away from my problems. I grew up with a distant cousin in America, homeschooled and mostly hidden from society. His name was Jason and he died over the summer. We lived in a great mountain range, just us and his girlfriend, Kal. They were both attacked when they were hiking, and now Kal remained in a wizarding home, still recovering, as she would be for at least a year, if not more. As for Jason . . . well, my cousin was gone for good.

And now, it seems I have no choice. The sheltered nights playing poker and drinking Lemonade were over. I would never again hear Jay's rumbling laugh, sleep through Kal's boring tutoring sessions, run through the woods at sunrise each and every day. There would never be another day spent by the creek, practicing spells or getting quizzed on different facts that were apparently perlative to my education. No, it was time to grow up now.

~~

It was the beginning of the school term at Hogwarts. I was nervous, to say the least. I hadn't been to the UK since I was three, and besides Jay and Kal, I had never had any social interactions with anyone. Ever. I once saw a hiker in the woods when I was nine, but Jay was quick to shoo me inside, an angry look set on his usually smiling face. He didn't return until late, and by then I had already feared the worst, praying that the stranger hadn't attacked the man who had raised me.

And now, I was surrounded by strangers. The uniform felt heavy and stiff- too different from my usual denim and flannel ensemble. I frowned and stared down at the boots I had managed to swap with the polished black things they had given me when I first arrived at the school, which I considered too awful to be counted as footwear. I stood in the Great Hall, embarrassingly one of the tallest students in line for the so-called 'Sorting Hat', even at only 5'4. If that wasn't bad enough, I had nearly tripped walking in a few minutes before, almost sending one of the tiny creatures waiting to be sorted smashing into the ground. I was just craving a warm shower and a soft bed. But finally, after nearly half a dozen other students, my name was called, meaning the awkward attention would hopefully end soon.

"Bl— Jacobs, Ophelia." Immediately, the students began to whisper to each other, a small ruckus overwhelming the room. I bit my lip anxiously, sitting under the ragged hat, realizing my hopes for peace were far fetched and unlikely.

"Hm, back for another go, you know the answer won't change," I jumped slightly as the voice filled my head, glancing up in surprise.

"Talking hat, that's new," I muttered, mostly to myself, brushing off the other comment. The hat seemed to chuckle, moving slightly on my head.

"You should already know your answer, but in case you've forgotten- GRYFFINDOR!" I jumped once more, the hat getting pulled off of my head just as quickly as it was dropped on.