Through Her Eyes

Chapter 119

With Dobby in the house, life became smoother not because Dobby was willing to teach Ophelia to be independent but because he used magic for everything. Standing there, watching as the dust was wiping itself, she sighed and thought back to the Order. It was important to train if they wanted to have any chance to protect each other during a fight with crazy lunatics. So, just like that, a few hours later, she ended up in front of Spinnard's portrait once more.

"Would the house be able to hide approximately 30 people doing magic illegally?" she asked.

Luce Spinnard looked down at her, already half regretting his decision to remain under any form in the house. But he could understand her, and her need to grow stronger in order to be able to stand straight in front of her father.

"The Order has to train, some of them still need to protect their minds and their families. Others want revenge, but most of them just want Voldemort gone,"

"Tom," Spinnard added calmly, "His name is Tom. When you begin using his silly nicknames, you elevate him to a villain that must be feared. As long as he remains Tom to you, he will not scare you nor will he be more than a half-blood Slytherin," he repeated with scorn, his expression darkening as he remembered everything he had done for Tom.

Ophelia couldn't help but smile, happy that Spinnard decided to leave her a piece of himself with whom she could actually interact. But there was also newfound respect for the person that both drew her closer and away from her father.

"You...are a truly complicated man," she said out loud, not thinking twice. Spinnard raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything for a while.

"Why would I agree to have 30 students in my house?"

"Because we must train and there is no better place than a cottage in the middle of nowhere, that could hide us doing magic outside of school,"

"Why don't you just go to school, then?"

"Well, we can't, can we? It's summer break and Hogwarts is far,"

Spinnard seemed deep in thought, considering if these kids would actually be able to train each other.

"Besides," she started, "This is my house now. I'm just asking if the house is able to hide us using magic. I didn't ask for your approval," she finished, blinking innocently. But Spinnard couldn't believe the words he heard, even as a painting, and he started to laugh.

"My, Ophelia, aren't you just like your father in the most unexpected moments," he said after he calmed down. "The house cannot do that, but there is something you can do. The house will answer to your needs, but not in the way you expect. Look in the basement,"

And she did, she walked down into the damp and dark space that seemed to be bigger in the dim light. There, in the corner just under the light was her former potions working table where her unlucky cauldron looked used. She swore there were blue traces on it, but she hadn't used it ever since Rabastan stopped tutoring her. Her whole expression softened at the memories, at how easy her life appeared back then. She wanted nothing but to learn dark arts and have a family, friends, and be a normal witch.

"So much happened since then," she mumbled gently grazing her fingers over the table. "And yet I still suck at Potions," she added with a soft chuckle.

She turned around and looked at how dark the basement truly was if she walked deeper into it. The working table was near the entrance but the further she walked, the longer it seemed to become. Ophelia frowned, feeling as if the basement was stretching right before her eyes. At some point she reached an end, or what felt like one since she was touching around.

"I wish there was a light around here, somewhere," she muttered, seeing nothing.

But then, beautiful bronze sconces appeared and lit up alongside the walls, contouring a slim corridor that seemed to go infinitely. Ophelia remained staring at one of the sconces and had an idea.