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I yawned as I got up from my bed, stretching my arms up right as my owl flew in from the window, perching itself onto the stand next to my bed. I sighed a little as I changed into my usual attire, a dark shirt with dark trousers perfect for exploring. Once I finished putting on my boots, I walked over to the owl and stroked its head, taking the letter from its mouth.
“(Y/N), I’ve been studying Salazar Slytherin’s spellbook. Meet me in the Undercroft, I’ve found something.”
- Sebastian
I frowned a little at the letter. His obsession with curing Anne’s curse was getting a bit out of hand. The situations we’ve found ourselves in were getting more dangerous by the day and I didn’t want anything to happen to my best and first friend. I knew how much saving his sister meant, but there was a limit to how far you could go.
Nonetheless, if he were to get himself into danger, I had to be the one to pull him out of it. I didn’t want him to be alone in all this.
~~~
I entered the Undercroft after checking around for any loitering students, and spotted Sebastian sitting on a crate, reading the book we found in the scriptorium a few days prior. The thought of that day brought an involuntary shiver down my spine. I could still slightly feel the tingling at the tips of my fingers, vividly recalling the immense agony I felt when Sebastian cast the curse on me. It had to be done if we wanted to get out of there, but it was a painful memory.
“Sebastian,” I called as I approached him. The boy looked up from the book and gave me a warm smile, eyes brightening when he saw me.
“(Y/N)! I’ve been reading the book, and look what I’ve found,” he said as he opened the book towards me to show me. “There’s a relic that could grant the user the ability to reverse Dark Magic curses. This could surely cure Anne if we were to get our hands on it.”
I was still a bit anxious, given our past experiences. “It seems a bit suspicious, don’t you think? There must be a price to pay for something so valuable as that ability.”
“Nonsense, (Y/N). The book says nothing about a price.” Sebastian grinned, turning to glance at me. I returned his stare with a doubtful look and he softened his features. “I’m planning to search for this relic, but I understand. If you’re worried, we can grab it first and study it afterwards. If there’s a price, I promise I’ll put it back where it was.” There was no way there wasn’t a price to pay. Salazar Slytherin was a tricky fellow, and anything related to the Dark Arts could never be this good. “But let’s not tell anyone about this, especially Ominis. He wouldn’t understand.”
“What do you mean? We should most definitely tell Ominis, Sebastian.”
“He would just tell us to avoid it at all costs. I can’t afford that, (Y/N), not when we’re already so close to finding a solution.” He shook his head. “I’ll study more, and if I find anything, I’ll send you an owl…And don’t feel sorry for Ominis. Keeping this to ourselves for now is for his own good.”
“I’ll decide what’s for my own good,” Ominis stated sternly as he walked in, face set in a scowl.
“Ominis - We were just about to get some air. Care to join?” Sebastian asked, trying to change the subject. I shifted uncomfortably on my feet.
“You’re a liar, Sebastian. I heard everything. You swore you’d never engage in anything to do with Dark Magic again.”
“No I didn’t,” Sebastian replied, making my heart drop. “I said I understood you wanting that. I’d never swear to give up on finding a cure for Anne.”
“You don’t know when to stop, do you?!”
“I know when not to stop. Leave this alone, Ominis.” He scowled, turning away from him. “I’ll be on my way.” With that, Sebastian hastily left the Undercroft. That left me with Ominis, the room suddenly colder than it was before.
“Ominis-”
“You have to stop him, (Y/N). I appreciate you trying, but this is far more dangerous than before. I’ve practically lost Anne. I can’t lose Sebastian too.”
“…”
“Please. Avoid anything to do with that spellbook,” Ominis begged.
“It is concerning. I’ve been doing my best to get Sebastian to realise how bad this is but he’s not listening.” My voice cracked, a sting in my eyes had me doing my best to hold back my tears.
Ominis reached out, touching my shoulder briefly before pulling me in for a hug. “I also hope he pursues this no further. But if you think he might, please let me know. I’ll be able to help you drag him out.” I nodded against his chest before he let go. “Please take care.”
I’d gotten another letter from Sebastian, asking me to meet him in the catacomb behind Feldcroft. Knowing him, this could only mean that he’d managed to find the location of the relic. I’d wished that traces of the relic could never be found, but why did everything fall so perfectly in place when it came to Sebastian’s hunt for a cure.
Before I went to Sebastian, however, I had to find Ominis. He wasn’t in the common room, so I was currently on my way to the area under the entrance to the Undercroft. He loved to sit by the window in his free time. Luckily enough, I had ran into him as I rounded the corner.
“Ominis!” I exclaimed when I realised who I’d bumped into. My features shifted to one of concern, and I shifted on my feet.
Ominis reached over and put a hand on my shoulder. “Is something the matter, (Y/N)?”
“Ominis…it’s Sebastian. He said he found information about a relic that reverses curses. It’s in a catacomb near Feldcroft. I told him it sounded suspicious, but he wouldn’t listen, so I agreed to meet him tonight,” I explained. “What should I do, Ominis? I’m getting a bad feeling about this.”
Ominis sighed. “Go. I’ll follow behind to make sure everything is alright. He’ll be more stubborn if I go with you, so maybe you can try to convince him once you find the relic.”
“What if I can’t, Ominis?”
“You’re his friend, he’ll listen to you. Though if his stubbornness is too much, I’ll step in to help.”
This time, I let a sigh escape my lips. “Alright, I’ll do my best.”
Ominis smiled and patted my shoulder. “Please, be safe.”
~Later that night~
I zoomed through the sky on my broomstick once I fast travelled to Feldcroft, making my way towards the location Sebastian sent to me a few minutes ago. It was very close to Feldcroft, in fact, just up the mountain. I dismounted my broomstick when I spotted Sebastian pacing in front of the catacomb, and I approached him with a little hesitance.
“You promised to leave it if it’s suspicious, right?” I asked, catching his attention.
“I promise. I even have that student’s notes with me and they said it looked fascinating. I’m positive it’s nothing too bad.”
“Isn’t there another way to do this?”
“…I’m going to do this, (Y/N), with or without you.”
Silently, I buried my worries deep down before I nodded at him, deciding to trust his words. Then we both headed into the catacomb. Much to my delight, there weren’t any monsters that lurked inside the abandoned catacomb, so making our way through the rooms was a breeze. The little puzzles that we had to solve to get to each room weren’t all that difficult either, so it was only a matter of time when we arrived at the altar where the relic lay, with a bunch of other items that belonged to the owner of the tomb.
I carefully took the relic in my hands, thoroughly examining it when Sebastian came up behind me.
“That’s it! We found it!” He exclaimed gleefully.
“The markings on it look like Inferi, Sebastian. Are you certain this will give you the ability to reverse Anne’s curse?” I questioned, glancing at him with a brow raised doubtfully. “It just doesn’t make sense.”
“I’m certain, (Y/N). Here, give it to me so I can study it.” He reached for the relic, but I pulled away slightly.
“…Sebastian, maybe we should just leave it here.”
His brows furrowed in disbelief. “What?! We’re so close, (Y/N), I’m not going to just let it slip from my fingers when it’s within my reach.”
“Listen to me, Sebastian! It could be dangerous!”
“You can’t know that! I haven’t even studied it to see how it works. How can you know it’s dangerous?”
“Because it’s a relic of the Dark Arts. Nothing is not dangerous when it comes to that.”
“You must be joking. I promised you that if it were dangerous, I’d put it back-”
“It is dangerous, Sebastian!”
“Let me study it first so we can know for sure!”
“Sebastian!” A voice suddenly called out from the doorway. Both our heads snapped towards the voice and I was glad to see Ominis safe and sound. “Please just put it back, Sebastian.”
“I need to study it. If you both are gonna get in my way, I won’t hesitate to fight you,” Sebastian replied. Panicking at his words, I shoved the relic in his hands and stood in front of him.
“Wait, don’t.” I took a deep breath and exhaled to try rid my unease. “Ok, Sebastian. I’ll trust you to study it and then figure out its true purpose, but this has to be the last time.”
Sebastian grinned when I finally took his side. “I will.”
“Then…I’ll speak to Ominis,” I whispered before turning and making my way to the blind boy by the entrance. “Ominis-”
“I’m grateful you tried so hard to stop him, but his stubbornness is going too far, (Y/N). We have to stop him now or he’ll never give up.”
“He said he’ll put it back if the relic reveals itself to be dangerous, so can we give him one more chance? I want to trust him.”
Ominis scoffed. “Sebastian won’t put it back, (Y/N). And even if he does, he’ll just go and discover another dangerous item that ‘might’ cure Anne. I miss Anne too, so much, but even she wouldn’t agree to this.”
“Please, Ominis. Just one last chance. If not for Sebastian, then for me. I want to believe in him,” I begged.
Ominis paused at my tone and stared at my general direction before giving out a harsh sigh. “Fine. One last chance.”
I grinned and jumped up to give him a hug. “Thank you, Ominis.”
“Go, before I change my mind.”
I pulled away from the boy and turned back to Sebastian. “Come on, let’s go!”
~~~
Once we were out of the catacomb, I explained to Sebastian that Ominis was giving him one last chance. This would be the last time Sebastian were to venture into the Dark Arts. Sebastian didn’t agree, but he made it sound as if he did, his clever use of wordplay coming to surface again. I had noticed him doing this when he got into trouble. I was about to refute him when he noticed smoke coming from Feldcroft.
“They’re under attack!” Sebastian yelled as he sprinted towards the hamlet.
“Wait for me!” I screamed as I followed after him, my blood pumping when I saw a glimpse of a Loyalist readying their weapon. “Damn Loyalists,” I hissed.
As soon as we arrived, we joined the fight, helping all the other residents chase off the goblins. It took all we had to get rid of them, especially when more of them kept appearing one after the other. Solomon, Sebastian’s uncle, was on the front lines with Sebastian, and I spotted Anne fighting as well. Even when he had told her to find someplace safe, there was nowhere to go that wasn’t teeming with goblins.
“Agh!” Anne groaned as she fell to her knees, clutching her abdomen in pain. I glanced over in concern, but couldn’t do anything since I was preoccupied with at least three other goblins.
“Imperio!” Sebastian casted, aiming at the goblin set on Anne. I finished off the goblins on me before staring in horror as Sebastian controlled the goblin to slice its own stomach. He rushed over to his sister, offering a hand, but Anne only stared back at him in shock.
“Boy, what have you done?” Solomon interrupted as he approached Anne, helping her up.
“I saved my sister-!”
“With an Unforgivable Curse. Your father would be ashamed. You’ve gone too far, Sebastian. Stay away from her…from all of us,” Solomon muttered as he led Anne away.
When they were out of sight, Sebastian whipped around towards me in disbelief. “What did my uncle expect me to do? The Imperius Curse saved Anne’s life. That goblin was going to kill her!”
“There was little time to react, but…it was still an Unforgivable Curse,” I responded a little hesitantly, shifting between both my feet.
“How can you say that?!” Sebastian seethed. “I shall make my uncle see reason. He cannot banish me from my own home, or my sister.”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea right now, Sebastian. Perhaps I should speak with him,” I suggested.
He sighed. “You may be right. Very well. Probably best if I get out of here and clear my mind. I’ll head back to Hogwarts.” Reluctantly, Sebastian turned away from his house and made his way back to our school. I took a deep breath before heading towards his uncle Solomon.
“What was he thinking?” Solomon muttered to himself.
“Pardon me, Mr Sallow-”
“What Sebastian did was inexcusable. You cannot possibly be about to defend him,” he scolded.
“That’s not it, sir. I agree, Sebastian’s use of an Unforgivable was far out of line. Instead, I came to apologise for him.”
“I appreciate you taking responsibility, but it is not you who should be apologising. This family does not resort to using Dark Magic, even against our enemies. What Sebastian did cannot be undone.”
“I’m aware…”
“Tell him that he’s to go nowhere near Feldcroft, nor Anne. If I hear that he is continuing to head down this path - if he uses Dark Magic - I shall notify the Headmaster immediately.”
“Understood, sir,” I whispered and he sighed, placing a hand on my shoulder.
“You’re a good friend. Please help him find his way back.” I nodded at him, then turned to leave the hamlet.
~
I chewed my lip nervously as I left, heading towards the Floo Flame, when Ominis caught me halfway. He immediately sensed my discomfort.
“(Y/N), it’ll be alright. No matter what happens, it will never be your fault,” Ominis tried to comfort.
“I know…”
The taller boy approached me carefully and placed a hand on my head, giving it a soft ruffle. “Don’t worry, if anything does happen, I’ll be there to help you stop him.”
“I’m glad you’re here, Ominis,” I mumbled.
“Shall we head back?” His hand dropped to my shoulder, warmth seeping through my shirt.
I sighed. “You can go ahead. I think I’ll wander around a bit,” I replied as I glanced over at him.
The blonde frowned and shook his head. “If you’re gonna wander, I shall accompany you. Merlin knows what nonsense thoughts you’d be thinking.”
I chuckled slightly. “Gosh, are you looking down on me, Ominis?”
Ominis smiled softly at my laugh. “I’m merely concerned, (Y/N). Besides, it wouldn’t hurt to know what you’ve been up to in your spare time.”
Without really having the heart to reject him, I decided to drag him along on my walk, no destination in mind. For the most part, we were silent as we strolled through fields and forests with arms interlocked, so that Ominis didn’t have to rely on his wand. Occasionally, he’d ask me what I was thinking, and I would respond to him with honesty since there was no point lying to someone who could determine the truth so easily. In turn, he’d also give his input on my thoughts, even if those thoughts were pointless things. I could’ve walked through the night forever with Ominis. I felt so comfortable and peaceful with him, though we did start off on the wrong foot. Sebastian was pushed to the back of my head for the time being and I could truly enjoy myself for the first time in weeks.
If Sebastian was a flame that burned in a forest fire, Ominis was a flame that burned at a fireplace; both fascinating in their own ways, but fulfilling different purposes.
“Thank you, Ominis,” I whispered as we sat on a small stone wall, taking a break from walking for hours.
Said boy glanced towards me with a soft smile. “It is I who should thank you. You’ve been a great help to not only Sebastian, but also to everyone in Hogwarts and perhaps even more.”
“I haven’t done anything special, really.”
“Nothing special? You’ve stopped Ranrok and his Loyalists from destroying our school. Not to mention that you took down Rookwood and Merlin knows how many Ashwinders.”
I frowned, Professor Fig’s face flashing in my mind. “But I haven’t saved everyone. We still haven’t found a cure for Anne, and there were a lot of…casualties during the encounter with Ranrok.”
“…I’m truly sorry about Professor Fig’s passing. I know how close you were with him,” Ominis hesitantly consoled, reaching over to place a hand on my knee. “He was a good teacher.”
I smiled sadly. “He truly was…” I exhaled sharply as I stood up, stretching my arms up. “Shall we head back now? I’m sure we’ve been out long enough.”
Ominis returned my smile and stood up as well. “Let’s go to the closest Floo Flame. I think I’ve had enough walking for today,” he joked and I giggled.
“Very well.”
~A few days later~
Things have been quiet recently. I was able to have a picnic with Poppy and Natty, then study with Ominis in the library for our assignments. I hadn’t heard from Sebastian yet, but I wasn’t sure if I was looking forward to him contacting me again. How it’s going right now in Hogwarts; that’s what I’ve been looking forward to.
However, as I got up to start my new day, a new letter from my owl caught my attention. Dread settled at the pit of my stomach and I carefully took the letter.
“The relic is the key to saving Anne - I know it.
Meet me outside of Feldcroft as soon as you can.”
- Sebastian
My heart sank. I had wished, deep down, that he would abandon that relic and search for a new way to cure Anne. At the very least, it could buy me time to come up with my own solutions that don’t involve the Dark Arts. Yet fate had other ideas as I found myself getting ready to depart for Feldcroft.
~~~
I was leisurely making my way to Feldcroft, putting off on meeting Sebastian since I sincerely wished he would’ve just left the relic alone. I knew that if I went against him, then he’d be all alone again, fighting by himself to find any and which way to cure Anne. I didn’t want that. I didn’t want my first and best friend to travel this path alone, no matter how dark. Even if my gut was screaming for me to drag him away, that would most certainly get Sebastian to react negatively.
I sighed, lost in my concerns once again, when my owl suddenly flew down with a new letter. It dropped it as it flew by and I caught it with ease.
“Anne’s worried. She said Sebastian promised her that I would be there if she went to meet him in the catacomb. But now he’s asking her to join him immediately and to come alone. She says he doesn’t sound himself.
Meet us at the catacomb as soon as you can.
I hope that my quill has conveyed my message clearly.”
- Ominis
With that, I took off on my broom, getting to the closest Floo Flame to travel to Feldcroft. I rushed through the forest, climbing up the hill to reach the catacomb. I couldn’t believe that Sebastian didn’t even wait for me. My heart stung at the thought of him going through his path alone again, before I saw two figures in front of the catacomb, catching their conversation briefly.
“Sebastian has gone too far. You saw what lies in the catacomb. I cannot stay here,” Anne said.
“Wait, Anne. Please,” Ominis begged.
“Ominis, he was willing to put the whole hamlet and himself in danger on the chance that some old relic could help to heal me.” She turned away from him and finally noticed me, giving me an apologetic look. “I’m sorry, Ominis. Make sure he’s alright, will you?” She walked past me after that, leaving us both alone. Once she was out of earshot, Ominis sighed.
“I’m glad you’re here…”
“I received your owl. Where’s Sebastian?” I asked.
“Inside the catacomb. Frankly, I was surprised you weren’t with him,” he replied, shaking his head.
“I was on my way to reason with him but I got your owl before I could arrive.”
“Sebastian is in real trouble now. I’m going back in to find him. Anne’s right, he and the entire hamlet are in danger.”
I swallowed thickly. “What’s happened in there?”
“The place is crawling with Inferi.” I felt all the colour drain from my face. The relic’s markings were of Inferi, and I informed Sebastian of this, so why was he back inside with such monsters surrounding him?
“Inferi…”
“We need to hurry. Will you come with me?”
“That’s not even a question, Ominis. Of course I’m coming.” Nodding, Ominis turned to the catacomb and started towards it first. I followed closely behind. “Last time we were here, this place was crawling with spiders.”
“We’re about to face worse. Let’s find Sebastian, quickly.”
We rushed through the already explored catacomb, trying to find the brunette that had wandered in. So far, there weren’t any Inferi in sight, which was fortunate for us. Though I doubt our luck would last for long. “Where was Sebastian when you and Anne found him?” I asked, trying to ease the tension in the air.
“Just ahead in the Great Room,” Ominis informed as I rounded the corner, a growl emerging from the ground. The disgusting bodies of the dead rose from the ground and snarled at us, and I quickly fished out my wand to fight them.
“Incendio!” I exclaimed, fire bursting out of my wand as a ring of fire exploded around me. The screeching noises of the Inferi as they burned slowly died down as they turned to ashes, Ominis finishing the last of them before his wand glowed red once again.
“There weren’t this many Inferi before…”
“There’s no sign of Sebastian. I don’t know if I’m glad or worried,” I mumbled when I saw more Inferi in the next room.
“I’ve got your back,” Ominis reassured me as I readied my wand.
“Confringo!” I shouted, sending a blast of fire at one Inferi before using accio to bring another towards me. “Incendio.” Lighting it up in flames, as well as the ones surrounding me, I continued to fight off the monsters.
“Depulso.” An Inferi was blasted away right as it was about to attack me and I thanked Ominis.
After we’ve cleared all the rest of the Inferi, I glanced around cautiously in case another one popped up. “Hold on a moment.” I glanced towards Ominis when he spoke up and he continued once he felt my gaze on him. “I was so worried about Sebastian that I didn’t realise. Anne’s gone to get Solomon!” Shit, if Solomon found out that Sebastian was still delving into the Dark Arts…his threat from days ago flashed in my head and I grimaced. “When Anne said she couldn’t stay here, I didn’t realise what she meant.”
“Solomon threatened to go to the Headmaster if he heard of Sebastian dealing with Dark Magic again,” I informed.
“I need to get back to Hogwarts. I must get to Professor Black first, twist the story a bit and make him think it’s a family fight.”
“Alright, I’ll continue looking for Sebastian.”
“I’ll be back as soon as I can. See if you can talk some sense into him.”
“Be safe, Ominis,” I bid farewell.
“You too.”
~~~
After a few more puzzles and fighting off swarms of Inferi, I managed to navigate myself back to the Great Room where Anne and Ominis previously found Sebastian. However, I froze in place momentarily when I saw the Inferi standing around him. Those ugly, dead beings were awaiting orders from the boy, their eyes green from the spell. Their soft growls were the only other noise as Sebastian continued to tinker with the relic.
It was only another moment before he locked eyes with me, his own eyes brightening. “Isn’t this incredible?”
“Sebastian-”
“I told you! The relic is the answer!” He beamed. “I’ve been trying to reverse the Dark Magic that cursed Anne, but this will allow me to control it.” I winced at his words. “Just as I can control the Inferi.”
This time, I was enraged. “Control?! I had to fight the Inferi all the way here! This is too much, Sebastian, even for yo-” A blast of magic shot down an Inferi behind Sebastian, and we both turned to the newcomer.
“What have you done?!” Solomon exclaimed and my eyes trailed down to the relic in Sebastian’s hands.
“Accio!” I exclaimed, snatching the relic out of Sebastian’s hand as he was distracted.
“(Y/N)…?” Sebastian whispered.
“I’m sorry, Sebastian,” I replied, pointing the wand at the relic.
“Wait, don’t!” His words reached deaf ears as I burned the relic into ashes.
His gaze turned sour and he pointed his wand at me. “You’ll pay for this! That relic was going to save Anne!” I furrowed my brows, feeling my stomach bubble with annoyance, before casting depulso on the Inferi. “Confringo!” Sebastian casted.
“Protego,” I mumbled. “You never listen, Sebastian. This has gone on long enough. You need to stop.” I couldn’t walk with him on his dark path anymore. This time, I had to pull him away.
“I thought you would understand,” he seethed. “But you’re just like the others.” His words sent a pang to my heart, but I buried it down with a quickly casted depulso.
“You don’t have to fight, kid. Let me deal with my nephew,” Solomon said.
“I’m sorry, Mr Sallow. This is my fault, so I shall fix it,” I replied to him before addressing Sebastian once again. “Is this what you want?!”
“This is what is needed,” Sebastian hissed before we exchanged blows.
“Your obsession with finding a cure led you down a dark road, Sebastian. You have to realise that even if you had good intentions - Protego! Even if you have good intentions, this is wrong!” I screamed.
“Dark Magic cursed Anne, so there must be Dark Magic that can reverse it! Diffindo!”
“Do you hear yourself?! You’re so blinded that you can’t see how many people you’re hurting!” Sebastian grit his teeth at my words, but only shook them off to send another spell my way.
“You-!”
“Anne wouldn’t want this. She would be more hurt to see what you’re doing!”
“Shut up! Avada Kedavra!” He screamed, his wand glowing green. My eyes widened at the spell he used, and I could only watch as the green lightning hurdled towards me.
“No!” Solomon yelled as he pushed me away, getting hit by the spell himself. I lay on the floor, shocked frozen. My eyes moved from Sebastian to the unmoving body of his uncle. Once again, I wasn’t able to save another soul. Sebastian had long since dropped his wand, regretting his actions.
“I…”
“Depulso!” A purple light momentarily appeared, and Sebastian was thrown into the wall. I glanced over to where Solomon had entered, and found Anne with tears in her eyes, glaring at Sebastian. “Incendio!” With another spell, she quickly got rid of the remaining Inferi that Solomon had been killing. Once they were all gone, Anne knelt down next to Solomon, bringing his head to her knees. My heart stung with guilt, and she glanced up at me before looking at Sebastian. She slowly got up, her eyes trailing to Salazar Slytherin’s spellbook, which lay on the altar. “Bombarda!” With a loud boom, the book was reverted to ashes, just like the Inferi.
“No!” Sebastian wailed, and I realised that he hadn’t heard a word I said. Even after casting that spell, even after almost killing me, he was still thinking about using that spellbook to search for another form of Dark Magic to cure Anne. My hand flew to my mouth when I felt tears flood my eyes.
“Agh…” Anne groaned, getting another pain from the curse. “You’ve made your choice,” she told Sebastian before going back to Solomon. “(Y/N)…let’s go.” She offered her hand to me and I bit my lip to stop from sobbing, glancing back at Sebastian once more before taking it.
Anne apparated us back to Feldcroft, inside her home, before quickly fetching a quill and parchment to send an owl to Ominis.
“I’m so sorry, Anne…”
“I saw everything. Thank you for trying to protect my family. Uncle would be glad to know that you were safe,” she replied, attempting to reassure me even as her own tears cascaded down her face. “Please don’t feel bad. It is not your fault.” I whimpered slightly before covering my face with my hands, sobbing freely. “I’ve contacted Ominis. May I ask that you help me bury my uncle?”
“Of course, Anne…” I hiccuped. “I’m sorry.”
~~~
“Anne!” Ominis exclaimed as he rushed towards her, wand emitting that familiar red glow. “Anne, I’m so sorry.”
“Uncle died honourably,” Anne responded, glancing back at me momentarily. I sat against the stone wall with my knees up to my chest, my arms folded above them and empty eyes staring into space. “(Y/N) isn’t doing well.” Ominis’ attention shifted towards me and he carefully approached my figure. Once in front of me, he crouched down.
“(Y/N)…” he whispered and I broke down at his voice. Without knowing what to say to comfort me, Ominis swiftly reached out, pulling me in for a hug once he found me.
“He…He killed him, Ominis! I thought we were friends!” I cried. “I thought he would at least listen to what I say!”
“It’s not your fault.”
“I should’ve been the one who died, Ominis. I failed to save someone else. This is my fault. Sebastian only went so far because I trusted him, now look at what’s happened. I should’ve-”
“Be quiet. It’s not your fault, and never again say that you’re the one who should’ve died.” He tightened his grip on me. “Please. I can’t lose you too.” I bit my lip to stop anymore comments from escaping my mouth, knowing I’d probably regret it later, so I opted for clutching tightly onto Ominis. And for a while, we just held each other close.
After holding each other for so long, Anne eventually invited us in for dinner, and to plan about what to do next in regards to Sebastian. He not only killed his uncle, he attempted to kill a student of Hogwarts. Not to mention, in Ominis’ words, ‘the Hero of Hogwarts’. I had let them do all the talking, finding myself unable to contribute since thoughts of Sebastian’s friendship towards me flooded my mind. I always saw him as one of my best friends. We battled countless enemies together, we shared secrets with each other, and he was the first one I told about my ability with Ancient Magic. Despite all we’ve been through, how could he have the confidence to cast that spell at me?
Though after putting our options down on the table, Ominis decided to talk to Sebastian first. He had invited me to meet him in the Undercroft, but I really didn’t want to see Sebastian again. Still, I agreed to meet him there to discuss the next course of action.
I took a deep breath as I stood in front of the entrance to the Undercroft, then took out my wand to open it. The familiar sound of the clock ticking emitted from the door before it swung open, and I quickly went in.
“She’s devastated . Anne buried her uncle, and (Y/N) had to watch yet another person slip from her hands,” I heard Ominis speak.
“I did it for Anne,” Sebastian stated resolutely.
“Sebastian…Anne can’t bear the thought of turning you in, but-”
“What?! Turn me in?!”
“You tried to kill (Y/N), and thankfully your uncle was able to save her. But-” He stopped when he sensed my presence. “I’ll give you some time to think, Sebastian.” Ominis frowned in my direction before moving towards the other side of the room. Sebastian glanced over to me as well and his eyes widened with regret.
“(Y/N)!” He exclaimed as he ran to me. He reached out towards me, but I pulled away from him. Sebastian’s arm slowly retracted, hurt evident on his face, but he continued anyway. “I’m so sorry, (Y/N). I didn’t mean to cast that on you. I…I wasn’t in my right mind.”
“If you didn’t mean to cast it, your uncle would still be alive,” I hissed. “I can’t do this anymore, Sebastian. Not when you thought so little of our friendship.”
“I don’t-”
“Enough. Goodbye, Sebastian.” With that, I left him alone and headed towards Ominis. Sebastian sighed in annoyance before exiting the Undercroft, the door slamming shut behind him. I winced at the sound and Ominis reached out, taking my hand when he found me.
“Are you alright?” Ominis asked.
“I’m…I’m not sure.”
“I know how affected you are about this whole ordeal, so I’ll leave the choice to you.”
“What do you mean?” I asked, getting slightly worried.
“Sebastian’s fate. It’s your choice whether we let him go or tell the Headmaster.” Though he tried to hide it, there was an anticipation behind his eyes that didn’t go unnoticed by me.
“No. You choose. You’re his best friend, Ominis. I’m not certain I could say the same about me anymore. In fact, were we really friends in the first place?” I rambled.
Ominis sighed. “I don’t want Anne to lose someone else, and it also hurts me to send him away. So I’ll let him go. It’s punishment enough that Anne doesn’t wish to see him.”
I nodded. “I understand.”
“Thank you, (Y/N). For everything. I’ll speak to Anne about this decision. If you’d like, you’re welcome to join me.”
“Very well. I’ll meet you in Feldcroft tonight,” I agreed.
His grip on my hand tightened and I had forgotten he was still holding it. “(Y/N), whatever lies ahead, we must face it together from now on.”
“I…Thank you, Ominis. I shall keep that in mind.”
~~~
It’s been a few weeks since that eventful encounter with Sebastian, and I did everything in my power to avoid him. If I couldn’t avoid him, I’d ignore him. He would always start with an apology, begging me to hear him out, but slowly, he started to give up. I would catch Ominis talking to him like before, but otherwise would always be hanging out with me. I recall their conversation the day after we made our decision, eavesdropping around the corner in the Great Hall.
“Why can’t she just listen to me?!” Sebastian whined.
“Ironically, she said the same thing a few days ago,” Ominis replied.
Sebastian sighed. “I understand that I went too far, but I only wish she could give me another chance.”
“I’m sorry? I believe she’s given you many chances already.”
“Whose side are you on, Ominis?!”
“You almost killed her. I can’t forgive you for that.”
“I said I’m sorry!”
“That changes nothing, Sebastian. She’s lost so much, and you had to make her lose a friend too,” Ominis hissed. “I’m not going to let her do something she does not wish to.”
Frowning, I took a deep breath and turned the corner, catching Sebastian’s attention. “(Y/N)-”
“Ominis, I was on my way to the library to study. Would you care to join me?” I asked, completely ignoring Sebastian.
Ominis glanced briefly back at Sebastian before he smiled. “It would be my pleasure.” He gave Sebastian a quick pat on the shoulder before heading towards me.
“Wait, (Y/N)-” Sebastian attempted once again.
“I apologise, Sebastian, I’m quite busy at the moment,” I interrupted, taking Ominis’ hand and leading us away hastily.
I knew our friendship would never be the same, but I had to move on, just as I had to move on from Professor Fig. At least I knew that I had other friends who valued me more, especially Ominis. I just hoped that I could finally live life at Hogwarts more peacefully now.