The Keeper and the Monster

Prologue - The Keeper of Hogwarts legacy

Ophelia O'Conor had an english father and a french mother. They abandonned her when she was 7 for being a squib and left the country with no possibilities of finding them again.

Her aunt Persephone and her uncle Phebus O'Connor adopted her. They were very young, only 18 at the time, but loved her with all their heart. Her aunt was an incredible witch and healer, though she always avoided to use magic at home. It was a sensitive subject for her husband Phebus, who was a squib, and they lived like muggles. Sadly, Persephone died when Ophelia was 13 years old.

Phebus wasn't a bad chap. He was a funny man with a big ego, and felt like big brother to Ophelia. Losing his wife broke him a little though, and as a workalcoholic, he hid himself in work.

Ophelia knew Professor Fig from afar, as he and his wife knew aunt Persephone. When Fig knocked on her door when she was 15, she was quite surprised: she hadn't seen him since her aunt's death. She didn't even know that Miriam was dead, too. That was when he told her she was, in the end, a witch. Every squib's dream.

She didn't know much about magic. She'd always been eager to learn more about it but her uncle never allowed it, as he affirmed it would be too painful for her. Imagine knowing all about a wonderful, magical world you will never, ever belong to. Ophelia felt bad for him, as he was once again the only squib of the family. However, he supported her and even allowed her to practice magic with Fig under his roof. He was on working trips, anyway.

She was sorted in Ravenclaw. It suited her. She would ramble for hours about a subject nobody cared about, she loved to learn, she was smart. It could be annoying and endearing at the same time.

It was easier to make friends amongts the students who were lonely or nonconformists, like Natty and Poppy. Sebastian though, despite having a friend already and being very busy with curing his sister, had to problem with bringing her in his life. here was respect and admiration between them. And loyalty, from the very beginning.

She helped him find a cure for his sister Anne. She wished she knew more about her aunt's healing practises, but she was a squib back when she was alive and Persephone never told her anything. Sebastian helped her find out more about magic, and even Ancient Magic. Sometimes he would steal a book from the restricted section, just for her. They were friends and more, but the "more" part was always silent. It was a quiet fire that made them feel safe and home with each other. They knew it was love, but a friendship or a relationship kind of love, they weren't sure. But at the time, it was friendship they needed.

Then, time went by and he began to lose himself. According to Ophelia, Sebastian was realising deep down that Anne was a lost cause, and it made him mad. She helped him nonetheless. However, she never learnt any unforgivable curse, except for imperio. She thought to use it on Sebastian to stop him, though she never did. She couldn't. She was on both Ominis and Sebastian's sides. Sebastian was going too far, but her aunt was like that too : she'd do anything to help someone. Worrying over him made her friends with Ominis.

They never turned him in after the death of Solomon. Anne left to a facility in Ireland, a hospital specialised for witches and wizards that couldn't be cured. The place her uncle had meant to take her. She only wrote once to Ominis after she moved there, to tell him she was safe, but refused any visitors.

Sebastian had a hard time living with guilt, and Ophelia as well. They also had to deal with grief: Anne, Solomon, Professor Fig, and what their lives used to be before carrying their burdens. Pr Weasley helped them with that.

Relationships were cold between Ominis and Sebastian until the end of the year, with Ophelia in the middle. The boys were friends still, but in a distance. They focused on their OWLs, anyway. They still cared about each other of course. When Sebastian was having nightmares, Ominis would tell Ophelia so she could comfort him. When Ominis was struggling in potion, Sebastian would silently gesture her to rescue their blind friend.

At the end of the year, something unexpected happened. Officially, Solomon's death was caused by goblins and so, a goblin was accused for this murder : Garnuff. The poor chap had been at the wrong place, wrong time, looking for his pet Biscuit. Moreover, he was disliked by both evil goblins and judgmental wizards and made a convinient culprit. Hearing about it, Ophelia was devastated. She knew how kind this goblin was. Her morals tore her appart, but she couldn't save him without turning Sebastian in – and that, the fire within her would never let happen.

Sebastian, well... He hated goblins, and wasn't fond of the "good ones" Ophelia told him about either. Furthermore, his life was starting to get a bit brighter: he had good grades, Ophelia had offered him and Ominis a place to stay during the summer, he was healing. Nevertheless, he could not endure the thought to send an innocent to Azkaban. On their last day at Hogwarts, he went to Pr Weasley's office and turned himself in.