The Barrows. Another pureblood family from the long lines of Slytherin ancestry. It's 1991, and Elmira and Clyde Barrows' daughter's first year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry has arrived.
The Wizarding World is not safe to our young O...
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"𝐉𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐮𝐬?"
☾ ⋆*･ﾟ:⋆*･ﾟ:⠀ *⋆.*:･ﾟ .: ⋆*･ﾟ: .⋆ ☽
Briskly walking towards the castle, Ophelia and Draco caught up with the rest of their so-called friends, Crabbe and Goyle, then Pansy and Blaise. The six of them were all tightly knit, talking amongst themselves, giddily laughing as they pushed past unsuspecting first years. All of them were making their way towards Defense Against the Dark Arts, something Ophelia had looked forward to since last's year's events. Hopefully, Professor Lockhart would stay the entire year out of any sort of trouble. There were whispers in the halls the position was cursed, yet Professor Snape had sought after it for so long. She wondered why.
The group had reached the courtyard, relatively empty except for a few stragglers who were either tardy or had nowhere to be. In the corner of the yard, Ophelia spotted Harry and Ron, who were practically backed up against a wall, seemingly being smothered by some ginger first year. Ophelia would have thought he was a Weasley as well if not for the giant, expensive-looking camera that was bigger than the boy's head. Draco had spotted this interaction as well and veered into the courtyard, dragging Ophelia with him, whether she wanted to or not. She wasn't looking for any trouble.
"Do you think I could get it signed, Mr Potter?" The first-year said, eagerly leaning into Harry's shock-stricken face. Ophelia scrunched her eyes shut, already knowing what was about to go down, and surely enough, Draco burst out into patronising laughter, everyone in his posse following quickly after.
"Signed photos? You're giving out signed photos, Potter?" Draco chided, relatively high-pitched in between his bouts of howling. Ophelia watched Harry push past the first year, face blooming bright red and lips furled into a less-than tasteful frown. Draco untwined his arm with Ophelia and raised his hands to his mouth, further mocking Harry as he called out:
"Everyone line up! Harry Potter's giving out signed photos!" A few students turned to look at the face-off out of pure confusion, maybe a few out of curiosity or interest. Ophelia chuckled a bit but stifled it as she knew Harry's eyes were on her.
"Shut up, Malfoy." Harry spat, his fists curling so tight his knuckles turned white. Ron came up behind Harry and tugged on the brunette boy's shoulder, but Harry was rooted to the spot. Harry's eyes were burning holes through Ophelia and Draco's interlocking arms, and Ophelia turned to look away, afraid of what she might see if she looked into Harry's gaze of fire. Then, suddenly, interjecting into what could have been pictured as a bomb about to explode, the tiny first-year piped up, now revealing himself to be a fellow Gryffindor.
"You're just jealous." Everyone turned to look at the young boy, mouths agape and stifled amusement.
"Jealous?" Draco and Ophelia both scoffed.
"No thanks, I'd rather not have a disgusting scar across my head. I don't think having your head split makes you that special." Draco stated, frowning disdainfully at Harry's forehead, which the brunette boy covered up with his palm, also trying to hide that he was growing redder than a tomato. The first-year had disappeared behind Ron, and every time he peeked out, Crabbe and Goyle snarled at him, causing the boy to go back into hiding. Ophelia was growing tired of this conversation by the second if that's what you could call it.
"Eat slugs, Malfoy." Ron spat. Crabbe and Goyle burst out laughing, similar to Draco, who was smirking, holding back his own mirth.
"Careful, Weasley. Let's not start any trouble here, or else mother dearest will have to come and take you away." Draco faked a frown before he couldn't hold it anymore and started laughing again.
"If you put another toe out of line--" Crabbe spoke shrilly, mocking the voice of Mrs Weasley, one of the first times that Ophelia had ever heard the boy speak. Crabbe jabbed Goyle in the arm, which rightly earned him a headlock, his arms flailing out to the sides as he tried to break free. Ophelia rolled her eyes, shooting a glare at Goyle, who immediately let go of Crabbe, who started to wring his necktie out, gasping for air.
"C'mon, Potter. Give Weasley an autograph. I'm sure it would be worth more than his entire fortune--" Draco kept going but was cut off by a furious Ron, drawing his wand out in a reckless fashion, the tip slightly askew and bound with what seemed to be an entire roll of spellotape. Ophelia placed a hand on her pocket, ready to protect Draco at lightspeed.
"Look out!" Hermione whisper-screamed, approaching the group at the last second, turning read and pointing at someone behind the Slytherins. Turning her head and frowned, Ophelia saw none other than the blinding-white teeth of Gilderoy Lockhart, the man who she luckily had not met yet. His smile was oddly infuriating, as it seemed all thirty-two teeth were shown.
"And what's all this? Did I hear someone is giving out autographs?" The professor spoke regally, puffing out his chest that perfectly framed an hourglass-shaped pendant filled to the brim with glimmering azure powder. Before Ophelia could say anything, Professor Lockhart's eyes lit up, his smile growing exponentially bigger.
"Harry! I shouldn't have asked. We meet again." The beaming professor opened his arms to the young boy, who was now more embarrassed than furious from the past events. Draco rolled his eyes, pulling Ophelia away from the scene before they got roped in as well.
"Let's get out of here before Weasley blows." Draco leaned in and whispered in her ear, his hot breath trickling down her neck in long wispy strands. Ophelia nodded, finally taking her hand away from her pocket as they slipped away from the crowd. She shot one last look at Harry, who was now being embarrassed by Professor Lockhart, flushed pink with humiliation.
