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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"𝐒𝐡𝐞'𝐬 𝐚 𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞."
☾ ⋆*･ﾟ:⋆*･ﾟ:⠀ *⋆.*:･ﾟ .: ⋆*･ﾟ: .⋆ ☽
Ophelia hadn't been able to see Harry in the hospital wing, primarily because Draco wouldn't let her out of his sight. Now that the Chamber of Secrets was open, she could barely get any time alone. He was smothering her, and if he wasn't there, another one of his goons was. She could barely get any time alone, and it came to a point where she had to hide to get just a few seconds by herself. But it wasn't all bad; she was never alone in the halls, and she always had a friend or two with her. Draco was still disappointed about his quidditch game, and Flint had finally tracked him down after a furious hunt. Ophelia had to yank Draco out of the captain's vice-like grip as he wrung Draco by the collar and spat in his face.
So, now she was hiding in the girls' lavatory on the second floor, avoiding Moaning Myrtle and Draco, who both whined equally the same. She hung her satchel on the peeling green door, closing the toilet seat so she could have something to sit on that was at least a bit sanitary. Crossing her legs so no one would see her, Ophelia began to scribble quietly on a piece of parchment, finishing up the Potions essay that she had begun yesterday evening. It was due this afternoon, and she needed time alone to focus, though that was in vain, as she was soon interrupted by someone else coming in. She didn't take any mind to it, knowing they would be out in just a few minutes or so until they didn't. The person presumably locked themselves in a stall somewhere near her and ignited something quickly. Ophelia watched puffs of steam rise to the ceiling and fill the air with a herb-like smell. If something was burning, wouldn't it be smoking and stagnant?
Suddenly, she heard a pop, which caused the perpetrator to cough a few times. Something was sizzling. Ophelia didn't think it was too concerning; it could be a student practising some potions before they got to class? Maybe she could help them. Ophelia was relatively proficient in potions, at least for a second year. She could follow the instructions to the letter, and she always got high marks in her practicals and essays, so why not? Just as she was about to confront the student, more people entered the lavatory, and Ophelia drew back into her seat, pulling her knees to her chin and wrapping her arms around herself.
"Hermione, are you in here?" A voice called.
Oh no, Ophelia thought to herself as she saw the shoes of two boys come into view under the door of her stall.
"I'm over here," Hermione replied, not far from Ophelia. She did notice that there was an out-of-order stall on the opposite side of the hall; maybe that's where Hermione had put whatever she was concocting. Then the four legs disappeared. The room was getting progressively steamier, and the smell of ripe fruit and green tea filled the air; it made Ophelia increasingly dizzy by how strong the odour was.
"Anything new?" Hermione asked.
"Colin's been petrified," Harry said reluctantly. Holding her breath as she attempted to hide from the three Gryffindors, Ophelia wracked her brain for who this 'Colin' was. She didn't recall the name, so he was a new student, most definitely, a first-year most likely. Hogwarts rarely had new students in the upper years. So that made her search easier. She knew these three stayed relatively close-knit; she didn't know if they had any other friends really, especially not in other houses. There were only a few first years that she really knew, Lorelei and Sophie, the strawberry blonde near her at the quidditch game. Maybe the first year with the camera? She had remembered Harry saying a name when Draco had jeered Harry about his so-called autographs. Perhaps that was Colin.
"Professor Dumbledore brought him in last night; he was frozen solid with his camera in front of his face," Harry spoke quietly. "He was mumbling to himself that the Chamber of Secrets was open, again."
"Again?" Hermione replied. "You mean the Chamber of Secrets has been opened before?"
"Of course," Ron interjected. "Don't you see, Lucius Malfoy must have opened it when he was at school here, and now he's told Draco how to do it."
Ophelia winced at the mention of her friend's name.
"So, therefore, Ophelia knows too," Hermione said slowly. The three of them murmured words of support, and unbeknownst to them, wrenched the knife further into Ophelia's gut with every word they uttered.
"You might be right," Hermione continued, "but we can't be sure until this potion is finished brewing."
"Enlighten me, why are we brewing Polyjuice Potion in broad daylight, in the middle of the girls' lavatory? Aren't you worried we'll get caught?" Ron said snidely.
"No one comes in here, like, ever." Hermione replied. If she weren't trying to keep quiet, Ophelia might have laughed.
"Why?" Ron asked.
"Moaning Myrtle." Hermione said quickly, shutting Ron up with a few words. Ophelia squeezed her eyes shut, waiting for the inevitable and wishing Hermione had never spoken a word at all.
"Sorry?" Harry said, a high inflexion in his tone.
"Moaning Myrtle." Hermione stated. Abruptly, a high shrieking filled the air, and a cold breeze slipped down Ophelia's spine.
"I'm Moaning Myrtle," The teenage ghost squeaked, drawling out her words with a pout and whiny pucker that drove every girl who entered the lavatory mad.
"But I wouldn't expect you to know me. No one does!" The female ghost flew above the faucets, 'sitting' down on the frieze, swinging her legs like a child. A shrill cry elicited from her cold, unforgiving mouth.
"Who would ever talk about fat, ugly, miserable, moping, moaning Myrtle?" Then, suddenly, the ghost shrieked, sobbing loudly and dived straight into the toilet in the stall next to Ophelia, splashing water all over the floor and walls.
"She's a little sensitive," Hermione stated. The two boys let out exasperated sighs in agreement.
☾ ⋆*･ﾟ:⋆*･ﾟ:⠀ *⋆.*:･ﾟ .: ⋆*･ﾟ: .⋆ ☽
Author's Note: I'm so sorry I've been gone for a while, I've been really busy with my show and schoolwork has been overwhelming. I'll try to update in short bursts when I have time :)
