Good Evening Readers. Here I have added the original insert for the story (before being told multiple times that it had to be a certain amount of characters). Credit to JK Rowling and her wonderful Wizarding World and the character Ophelia Giovanni is of my own creation. This story is based around the fifth year of the Hogwarts we know and love. Excuse the long winded moments - I am first and foremost a role-player and it is hard to step away from drowning details at first. Promise to try and not to but yeah. Please feel free to comment, even to just say you hate it, love it, or favoring it; this is my first story that I have decided to post and like to get some feedback (even if it is to bash it). Enjoy and any other notes will be located at the footer of the document.
Appointed to attend Hogwarts in a new study abroad program between magical schools, Ophelia, a sophomore from Salem Institute, was not prepared of the changes ahead when a vampire attacked her at the end of her freshman year at Salem. Encouraged to continue her study and even the study overseas, having to hide her 'alter' state from students, her mentor during her stay at Hogwarts will soon find out how 'abnormal' and yet supernaturally magnetic the visiting American student is.
Nearly colliding with a group of muggle delinquents, Ophelia made it to Platform 9 3/4 with a tilt to her head at the brick wall. Ophelia never had to go through so many loops living in the same town as the school she attended, but as a family bidding their children away emerged from the once empty location, it was enough to tell her that she was on the right path. Walking through without hesitation, she felt the tingle of magic brush past her cool skin as the warm steam of bodies and living flesh in a close quarters sent her to a dead stop. So many noises and smells, voices, and magic, her senses were in overdrive and almost unbearable to endure.
Closing her eyes as she pressed her fingers to the bridge of her nose, she started walking without fully opening her eyes before bumping into a tall well-dressed man that sneered as he turned to face her. Pale skin and near white blonde hair, Ophelia almost mistaken him for a vampire but saw the warmth and vitality coursing within. Eyes locked on each other for a brief second and while the intention of the man was to correct the girl in her manners, he knew quite well, what she was. Apologizing just loud enough for the wizard to hear, she passed a very younger looking version of the man almost about to open his mouth in protest to her actions before the man stopped the boy with a single grip to the shoulder, pulling the tension away from her.
With a sigh of relief, Ophelia had to get off the platform and on the train before her sense went insane from so much happening around her. Reaching the cart that she was instructed to approach, it only a matter of seconds to pass her ticket to the inspector and find herself in absolute silence as the door locked behind her. With her senses coming back to her, the shut door muffled the high whistle screaming the last call for passengers.
Going to the only compartment door left open Ophelia could hear others already settled within, talking to other acquaintances as she walked in and shut the door behind her. Locking the door and pulling the shades to obtain ultimate privacy, the girl tossed her bag to one side as she lay down on her stomach to use her hood for additional privacy. As much as she could function within the light of the sun, it was irritating to her eyes and skin no matter what. Curling up in a ball as her hands went over her head, Ophelia slumbered off well before the train jerked to begin the trip to Hogwarts.
She had not dreamed since the month of her attack but Ophelia went into an astral state. Just because she was held up in the last cart on the train and shutting herself off to the physical world, didn't mean she could not feel like she was still her normal self. Gliding along, she heard excited conversations and gossip, squeals of excitement from the young children that would have been in charter schools if they attended the states. The further she traveled, the conversations of coming up classes and holiday chatter continued until she stopped at the front cart where the pale blonde boy sat silently within his compartment. Examining his companions, it was screamingly apparent that his attention was not to their chatter. As Ophelia's astral body stood only a foot away to stare at the ice gray eyes that looked out to the darkening skies, she froze as something caught his attention and looked straight at her.
It would not have bothered her so but, it really felt like he was looking directly into her eyes. Within seconds of contact, she was sent back to her slumbering shell that shot up from where it was into a fighting stance, wand at the ready. While breathing was a conscious effort, Ophelia breathed deep before sitting back down on the edge of her bench. Pulling the hair tie from her now sloppily held black bun, Ophelia ran her gloved fingers through her long hair before rolling it back up into a bun as a static voice struggled through the intercom.
"Your attention, please. Ten minutes to destination. Passengers, please prepare to depart with immediate belongings for we will be at Hogsmeade Station in ten minutes. Thank you for your attention."
Standing up with a few cracks and pops from her extended hands, arms, back, and legs; the girl returned her hood to the top of her head while pulling the curtain string that separated her from the outside world. Leaning back as she looked to the glittering dark skies above, she closed her eyes and wondered if the boy really saw her. It was an odd sensation she had never experienced, but she could not dwell on the thought as her stomach growled in protest from the lack of nutrients.
As the train began to slow its pace, Ophelia slipped silently from her compartment with her bag back on as those around her sounded like a herd of elephants getting restless in a cage meant for one. Taking position at the outer door as the station platform came to vision, Ophelia did not wait to open the door at the complete stop. As the blast of moist cooling air pasted her still figure gripping her hood to stay on her head, she did not hear the door click as she departed as the train was still in motion. As instructed, the girl was in a brisk jog towards the well-worn carriages waiting for the elder students to join. Running her gloved fingers alongside the thestral flesh that stirred a little by her presence, as she jumped into the carriage, it was off speeding towards the castle leaving the other students unaware of what had happened.
Silently thinking as the carriage crawled closer to the school, it saddened Ophelia that she could not have interacted freely as like any of the students. She had imagined making new friends and learning about subjects only taught at Hogwarts but all she could think of was how she had to keep herself at a safe distance so she would not hurt someone. Her emotions began to pull at her mind to be depressed and angered but as the carriage came to a stop; she shook the emotions as a tall wizard in almost ancient and screamingly bright shimmering dress robes stood waiting for her. Dismounting from the carriage with another caress to the winged creature that seemed giddy with delight, the wizard approached with an arm stretched and a smile that matched the twinkle in the eyes that looked through half-moon spectacles.
"Miss Ophelia Giovanni, a pleasure to have you at Hogwarts", the elderly man said with a firm grip as she shook his hand with equal force.
"And as to you Headmaster," she stated with a small smile as he placed an arm behind her shoulders, careful to not invading her personal space while still guiding her into the great double doors.
Pulling her hood back, she fell silent to the massive sides of the gothic structure. Walking into Hogwarts felt like she was walking into an Ivy League after coming from a public high school. While Salem had a diverse history, the structure of the building had been remodeled a few times to now reflect a modern design instead of the gothic structure like Hogwarts. While she did her best to drink up the sights, Ophelia did her best to keep at least her ears to the elderly man.
"I hope your travels were painless and I am sorry to have to keep this brief but, I think the first carriage and boat has arrived and I need to prepare for a few others to arrive. While I think you should not hide in the shadows, I will assume you will do so while you wait for the end of the sorting ceremony. Do you know of our customs?" the man asked wondering about her knowledge.
"Yes sir, I studied the school history and customs before traveling," she stated with a soft smile still on her pale lips.
"Wonderful!" the elderly wizard stated with a small chuckle, "I hope Professor McGonagall will also make herself present before she gathers the first years and during their introduction to the customs that are to come. Until then, Welcome again Ms. Giovanni; I know things have not been smooth since your incident, but I assure you that the staff here will work at making your stay pleasant. Come to me or the Head of House, whomever he or she may be, if there is a problem and see you under the sorting hat."
With a soft grip on her shoulder, the man was gone in a flash leaving Ophelia standing next to a pillar at the doors of the Great Hall. Taking a spot within the shadow, the girl leaned against the cool stone support and closed her eyes once again. She could feel her senses beginning to go into overdrive from the sudden rush of silence to chaotic energy creeping closer and she could not let her sense go haywire again from the abrupt change. Concentrating to become one with the shadow, Ophelia waited as if standing in a fog for when the time was right, she was to leave the safety of the shadow to present herself to this different world.