The Dragon Variation

Chapter One

My Next Closed Subject

pov: Ophelia De Levisay

Who was I before I was this? This monster?

I don't look like a monster, do I?
But I am. Behind the smoke and mirrors—that's all I'll ever be. A monster.

And here is where it all begins. And not doubt will end.

A reign of hellfire and sodom.

Yet such a fairytale castle of Hogwarts—on the outside, nothing could hurt you within its walls. Nothing at all.

But—oh Lord have mercy on those naive enough to think that they're safe within the walls—or safe at all in the Sodom and Gomorrah cities of this netherworld I have been raised in.

Hogwarts. A school to which one day, I am sure, it will be the final battleground.

Even still, it is everything I imagined it to be, the grand stone, the towering spires, the majestic architecture. Breath-taking. Just breath-taking. Hogwarts is like the castle in the clouds in all of my childhood story books, except it's real.

It's actually real and I'm about to become a student, to everyone else's knowledge. I'm simply here for one thing. And because I moved.

Little do they know—I've been sent. Summoned.

My mind is racing with nervous excitement as I approach the entrance. I take in everything around me, the solid stone beneath my feet making a cold sound ricochet over the path, the stars are glitter, glimmering above, the smoke coming from my mouth as I breath in the sharp cold air and the glow coming through the windows of the castle in the sky make a comforting aura around the school, it feels safe. Home, finally.

I'm defiantly late, in my defence I did just come from a commemoration of sorts, really boring to be honest. There's no one else around so I'm guessing the first years have already gone in, luckily for me I'm not a whinny first year, I will be joining the sixth years.

My father, Professor DeLevisay, started teaching here towards the end of fifth year. I lived in America and went to Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry despite being born in London, and since my father moved back here, I obviously had to move with him. We needed a fresh start.

The 'passing' of my mother hasn't been easy on either of us, but especially my father. I think it was best for the both of us to move, but it means joining a new school and making friends all over again. So moving we did—quite conveniently.

I make my way rather briskly through the courtyard and make my way up the steps where I see an impatiently waiting lady pace back and forth in front of some grand doors. I can hear the roaring chatter of students, I'm guessing, from the other side.

"Ah! Miss Ophelia DeLevisay! It's about time! Where have you been?!" She harks eloquently.

"Uh...I-" She cut me off before I could even string a bloody sentence together. But then again, how do you explain to someone that the reason you are running late is because the process of getting a dark mark doesn't run on a time schedule.

Just casually late because I was a bit preoccupied getting a dark marl branded to me.

So, I'm terribly sorry, my bad that I'm late, I was busy selling my soul.

"Oh, never mind for that now, you're late. I'm Miss McGonagall, the Headmistress of Hogwarts, I sent you your acceptance letter, its lovely to finally meet you. Anyway, everyone is inside waiting, hurry up let's get a move on please!" she said with worry and haste as she ushers me towards the Great Hall entrance.