Through Her Eyes

Chapter 57

Ever since Regulus had seen that darkness in Ophelia's eyes, his will to find all there is about the witch increased. However, for the next weeks Ophelia acted normally.

There was a reason for that: exams. The period of exams was approaching and Gryffindors seemed particularly studious. Lily and Remus were first to enter the library and last to leave it in the last week and their notes were going around the common room like fire.

"So, Monday is Transfiguration? We begin with all that information about animagi?" Frank whined. He was laying on the couch with one leg hanging over the back of it and one hand under his head, looking like he might start reciting from Casanova any minute now. If only he knew about it.

"Potter is ready for it. Has been for a while, am I right?" Cissney asked, raising an eyebrow at the messy haired boy.

"If only I could say the same about Potions and History of Magic," he mumbled, copying down Remus' notes in Care of Magical Creatures. His writing was horrid and his notes were undescyphrable.

"Have you heard?" Arthur Weasley barged inside the common room with Wood. They were both rambling about something.

"We haven't heard anything. Do inform us," Black started from his seat near the chimney.

"Victor the vampire will be involved in the DADA exam for third years and he will also be watching OWLs and NEWTs." Arthur explained with a frown.

"See? He didn't just come to have a chat." Potter screamed from across the room, yet not taking his nose from the notes.

"Have you been informed too? About the vampire, I mean." Ophelia asked Severus later that night, during their spontaneous Occlumency lesson.

"He'll be present during our DADA test, yes. Slytherins believe it's an improvement."

"How so? Cerberus has planned a hard and practical exam anyway."

"But he will also watch over OWLs and NEWTs which are exams that make a difference in the lives of students and their futures." Severus added before he flinched, "That hurt!" He hissed, feeling like a rock dropped on his forehead.

"Sorry. It's been harder to control myself ever since-" she stopped and glanced at Severus with innocent eyes.

"Ever since what? What have you done?" The Slytherin asked with a tinge of expectation.

"I was worried for Sirius' brother since I've seen him being pushed around by everyone and briefly took a peek at his mind. It seems Avery made a deal with him and now he has to keep your dormmates up to date with my life."

Severus frowned but after a long and distressed sighed, he took a break from occlumency.

"That's because of Malfoy and Lestrange. It's too obvious they give you prefferencial treatment whenever you come to the Room." He explained, having heard Mulciber talk about it before.

"But they will leave soon enough. It's Malfoy's last year and Rabastan is a sixth year. What then?"

"You tell me. I'm sure your father has already planned your future for yourself."

For some reason, that statement -although it might have been true- made Ophelia very uncomfortable.

Transfiguration ended up being harsher than students imagined, having to transfigurate other stuff except explaining what an animagus is. During Charms, Cissney might have overdone her partner, which was Lily. Potter had never seen Lily laugh so much in all their academic years. And there was Herbology and Care of Magical Creatures, where Ophelia let her partner, Frank, do most of the job while she pitched in here and there. Occlumency was a fun exam but it left Cerberus with no energy at all, or will to continue next year. Actually, Gryffindors seemed prepared for whatever was to come, passing every exam with both flying colours and less than acceptable grades.