Chapter Text
It had all started innocently enough…well, as innocent as anything involving Salazar Slytherin could have been. Sebastian was certain that this scriptorium held the key for curing his sister, and as always when it comes to anyone coming to you for help, you found yourself unwilling to turn his request to explore alongside him down.
Door puzzles including snake statues that had a tendency to strike the soft part of your throat was almost unbearably cliche of the Hogwarts Founder, and while you had unfortunately felt the sting of those stone fangs one time before figuring out how the puzzle mechanisms worked, you found yourself thankful it was just the once. The praise from your friends about your cleverness certainly helped to soften the blow to both your ego and your jugular, and finding entries from Ominis’ long lost Aunt Noctua had even the most cautious of the three of you feeling as though this was a worthwhile adventure after all.
You were almost more excited about Ominis seeming to open up a bit more to you after giving you nothing but the cold shoulder after your unfortunate run in with him outside of the Undercroft than the idea of finding some secret Slytherin lair. You didn’t even try to hide the snort that escaped you when he made a remark about how you were the only one doing any work to solve the puzzles, much to Sebastian’s dismay.
"How do you know I’m not currently working on the hardest door puzzle so far?" Sebastian asked in his own defense, crossing his arms as he turned to address Ominis after his disparaging comment.
"I know you aren't because of all the times lumos has been cast in this chamber, none of them have been done by you. Either you are just lazing about while our ‘third head’ solves all the puzzles, or you have developed a remarkable ability to see in the dark." Ominis smugly replied, and boy were you glad you still had your wand illuminating the space when Sebastian’s expression morphed to one that showed he felt properly embarrassed.
All of this is to say, when the door that you finally got open after tedious puzzle work slammed shut behind the three of you plunging you once again into complete darkness, you were less worried and more so excited to face whatever challenge came next. This time both you and Sebastian had cast lumos to illuminate the pitch black room, and you were glad Ominis couldn’t see what was lying ahead as your confidence quickly wavered.
A large door was almost pulsating at the end of the narrow passageway, the depiction of several faces in extraordinary pain writhing underneath the strange enchantment encasing the door. Several cobwebs covered the walls and corners of the corridor, and you were relieved when some unknown trigger in the room illuminated the stone sconces on the walls relieving your arm from needing to maintain the illumination charm. The stone work above each torch depicted a snake preparing to strike, and while you were aware that one fourth of the school was using the creature's depiction as their mascot, you were ready to never see another one of the scaly creatures again after this adventure.
As you and Sebastian walk closer to the door, Ominis’ almost cheerful mood which he had built up in the previous chamber was lost entirely. He was now nervously fidgeting by the newly sealed doorway behind the three of you, letting out small utterings about how ‘Salazar Slytherin is not yet finished with us’.
As you got closer, Sebastian was wholly focused on the door, his fingers lightly tracing the silently screaming faces as you focused on the pile of debris nearby. It didn’t take long for you to realize what was really lying at your feet, the sharp intake of breath at your discovery not drawing either boy’s attention as they remained focused on their own tasks.
A skull, not unlike those displayed in the various classrooms throughout the castle, was resting atop a pile of bones, no longer held together by skin and ligaments but instead sitting detached in a messy formation. The skull was unnerving, positioned almost as though it were watching you as you drew closer. Scraps of clothing were surrounding the pile, and though you cannot identify what the articles were meant to look like, you could tell that the fabric was more modern than what you would expect from the scriptorium of a Hogwarts Founder.
A scrap of paper catches your eye as you anxiously observe the bones, and you try your best to be gentle as you slowly nudge the skeletal bones of the poor person’s hand away from the note. You squeeze your eyes shut for a moment, willing the obvious to not be true as you finally stand to read the note under the torchlight.
I’ve lost hope. I’m locked in. I heard a scream and saw the tortured faces. The only way forward is with an Unforgivable Curse. Even if I wanted to cast it, I have no one upon whom to do so. Salazar Slytherin created a malicious challenge indeed.
In my last correspondence to my brother, I’d invited him here. Now, if he looks for me alone, I’ll have led him to his death. Despite our differences, I wish him no ill will. I wish we had parted on better terms.
Noctua Gaunt
You stood still for a moment longer, trying to figure out how to even begin the conversation you know you must have. You look down at Noctua’s skeleton once more, only to have your eyes drawn to what might be her other hand where strange writing is etched into the ground. Crucio. The unforgivable curse that needs to be cast is one that you are painfully aware the Gaunts, including the one still pacing behind you, are unfortunately very familiar with.
“Ominis…” You start, addressing him from across the narrow corridor as he halts his pacing to turn vaguely in your direction. Sebastian also turns away from the door to listen as you walk closer to the blond, and you try to avoid looking into Ominis’ worried and cloudy gaze as you work up the nerve to deliver the news.
“Over here, I- there is a skeleton… and Noctua’s last journal entry. She mentions being trapped here, blocked by an unforgivable curse.” You rush to say, feeling self conscious by the less than eloquent phrasing you just attacked the boy with. You wince realizing that there were more tactful ways to inform someone you just found the body of a loved one, a skeleton no less, but it's too late now. Ominis buries his face in his hands for a moment, a frustrated sound escaping him as he quickly swipes his hands upwards over his hair in an anxious motion.
“This…is where she died. This is where we’ll die! I shouldn’t have listened to either of you.” He laments, the undercurrent of anger in his words becoming stronger as he speaks.
“Ominis, I’m truly sorry about your aunt. But, I know what to do…it's going to be difficult.” Sebastian adds before motioning silently for you to come closer to the haunting door. You glance back nervously at Ominis, who is once again pacing and running his hands over his slicked back hair in exasperation, worried that Sebastian has come to the same conclusion that you already have.
“You said you know what to do?” You ask in a low voice, trying not to disturb the still pacing boy behind you both.
“Tortured faces on the door and Crucio is etched into the stone in front of it. My guess is if we cast the Cruciatus Curse, the door will open. That’s why Noctua died. She had no one to cast the curse on.” He informs you, not making as much of an effort to keep quiet.
“That's what I was afraid of.” You mutter, looking back down at the skeletal remains of Noctua Gaunt before focusing on Sebastian once more.
“Ominis has the most experience with this. He should cast it.” Sebastian confidently says, not even sparing a glance at his distressed friend still pacing behind you. “You seem to be in Ominis’ favor. Will you ask him about this?”
You are sure that your face is clearly displaying the shock that you are currently feeling at the request. Talking Ominis into this adventure with the prospect of uncovering what may have happened to his aunt was one thing, but asking him to cast an unforgivable curse in the very chamber where she died is another entirely. Not to mention that you know exactly how he feels about all dark magic, especially the very curse you need to ask him to cast.
“I- Sebastian, I’m not sure...” You trail off, trying your best to extract yourself from the situation despite being trapped in the room with it. Sebastian looks disappointed, his eyes almost pleading for you to not outright say no. You both sit quietly for a moment, most likely thinking of how to convince the other to do the task before you let out a defeated sigh.
“He does seem more cross with you than me. I’ll speak to him.” You relent, trying to ignore how Sebastian smiles after getting his way.
“Good. Work your ‘magic’ so to speak.” He smugly adds, and it takes all your self control not to toss him a glare dangerous enough to rival the one Ominis is sporting as you turn to do the unenviable task.
Ominis has stopped pacing, but now he is fidgeting nervously with his wand as he stands stiffly by the door. You swore you could hear him let out another long hiss under his breath, the tone making you think he may have been begging for the door to open to let you all back through it in parseltongue. As you walk closer you see him stiffen up even more, clamping his mouth shut as he waits for you to say something.
“Ominis, I hadn’t imagined we’d end up trapped like this.” You start, sounding as contrite as you can while you try to placate him, not that the feeling isn’t genuine. You really didn’t think this was how your evening was going to go, and you’d never want to purposely put anyone in this situation.
“Salazar Slytherin did. He’s to blame for many unimaginable things.” Ominis spits out in response, the torchlight illuminating the sharp features of his face making his anger look more dangerous than usual. You struggle to find the right thing to say, both to somehow convince him to cast the curse while also offering support, but you don’t get to think about it for long.
“I overheard you and Sebastian, and I won’t do it. The Cruciatus Curse is pure torture. I would know.” Ominis continues, his scowl letting up slightly as he seems lost in the past after his statement.
You are suddenly faced with another tough decision, the churning in your gut at his statement feeling reminiscent of the feeling you experienced with Sebastian moments prior when trying to determine who would initiate this very conversation. You are unsure if you want to reveal that you are in the know when it comes to Ominis’ personal experience with the curse, as you know Sebastian betrayed his friend’s trust to tell you about it. Sebastian betraying Ominis’ trust is what got you both off on the wrong foot in the first place, but you had thought that this little adventure had been helping you and Ominis to mend that original wound.
You almost want to mourn the loss of the camaraderie between the three of you, as you are acutely aware that you are once again an outsider amongst your peers. The brief moment of wide-eyed adventure and willful mischief has passed, and once again you realize that Ominis is not exactly your friend; you are both just friends with Sebastian. You only think about it for a moment longer before deciding that honesty is your only hope for a productive conversation as well as easing the sudden weight on your conscience.
“Sebastian told me a little of what happened when you were young. It sounded as if you had no other choice.” You nervously start, and Ominis lets out another annoyed sound as he scrubs his hand across his face in exasperation.
“Should have known he would have told you.” Ominis grits out, and from the corner of your eye you see a chill go through Sebastian, almost as though he could sense that he was being chastised even from the other side of the corridor. Ominis lets out another deep sigh, this time sounding as though he was weighed down by guilt rather than rage.
“And one always has a choice. I’m as guilty as the rest of my family. Unforgivable curses won’t work unless you really mean them. I had wanted to cause pain and for that, I shall never forgive myself.” He adds, his tone laced with an anguish that could compete with the faces still writhing on the enchanted doorway ahead of you both.
You are trying to work up the nerve to say something, anything, that could both make Ominis release the guilt tied to this spell as well as convince him to help you, when he does something uncharacteristic.
You find yourself looking directly into the cloudy gaze of his unseeing eyes, the almost white sheen reflecting amber from the torchlight above you both. His jaw is set, and he draws a deep breath as his gaze somehow continues to penetrate your own. Ominis tends to avoid eye contact at all costs, and you figured it was simply because it wasn’t something that a blind person needed to really worry about. Now that he has fixed you with his pale eyes, however, you are keenly aware that his avoidance of eye contact has always been intentional. It’s almost unnerving how he has pinpointed exactly where your own eyes are located, and you find yourself losing your nerve just as he speaks once more.
“That spell is the only reason I have no family left. You and Sebastian will need to sort out another solution.” He firmly states, before thankfully looking away to free you from where his eyes had pinned you in place. You try not to walk away too quickly, but you are sure he is aware that you are practically running from him as you cross the room.
“If you cast crucio, you will regret it forever.” He warns, before once again pacing in the back of the room like a caged animal.
You are sure when you approach Sebastian you are significantly more pale, but this doesn’t stop him from looking at you with a slight thrum of hope. You shake your head slightly, and Sebastian’s hope quickly morphs into annoyance as he cuts his eyes at the blond across the room.
“What do we do now? Ominis is not going to cast the Cruciatus Curse again.” You fervently ask. You are well aware that casting spells isn’t as simple as waving your wand and saying some magic words, though you distinctly remember it seeming that way when you first learned of magic from Professor Fig not too long ago. Incantations, technique, and intent are all important to varying levels depending on the spell, and an unforgivable curse sounds as though it would be more difficult than casting protego on the fly.
“Ridiculous! As if dying here is a better option than casting a damned spell.” Sebastian fumes, and you try not to wince as his voice echoes slightly in the stone room. Ominis gives no indication that he heard the exclamation, though you are well aware that he must have.
“I can’t say I really blame him.” You add, trying to sound as reasonable as you can muster under the circumstances. Sebastian doesn’t seem to begrudge you for it, but he still cuts his eyes at Ominis once more before turning back to you with a serious expression fixed on his face.
“It’s up to us. I can teach you crucio, or I can cast it on you.” He states, and even Ominis’ pacing ceases as the offer is made.
“Wait, you didn’t say you knew how to cast crucio.” You comment almost incredulously as you feel a coal of anger kindle itself in your chest. He had you ask someone who suffered directly from the unforgivable curse to cast it again, when the entire time there was another option.
“Because I’m not sure I do.” Sebastian responds defensively, and the flash of anger you felt is quickly extinguished as you wait for him to explain further. “Ominis knows that, yet he’s left us with no choice. I don’t yearn to follow in Noctua Gaunt’s footsteps. I think I can cast it if I have to.”
At that, he leaves the choice up to you. He seems willing to give you the time to consider whether or not you want to cast or even learn the curse, and you are aware that there are now two sets of eyes focused on you and awaiting your decision. You know that intent plays a larger factor when it comes to curses in comparison to other spells, and you can’t shake the final warning that Ominis gave you as you left him to have this entire conversation.
‘If you cast crucio, you will regret it forever.’
You’ve had a curse or two flung your way, the Killing Curse cast by Harlow during your time with Natty coming to mind in particular, but even the times you were raiding poacher camps or taking down droves of ashwinders, you realize that the unforgivable curses are cast few and far between. If even the darkest of wizards won’t stoop so low, should you? You bite the inside of your cheek as you continue to ponder the decision, and ultimately you realize that this is something you don’t even want to open the door to, despite opening a door being the very problem that led you here.
“I don’t want to learn the curse, but I can handle the pain. I’ll be fine, but you need to cast it on me.” You timidly reply, and while Sebastian seems slightly shocked by your choice he quickly recovers.
“I shan’t forget this.” He exclaims, and while he pulls out his wand you can’t help but glance at Ominis to see his reaction. He looks disappointed, and you feel as though ice is moving through your veins as you realize you are unable to discern if his disappointment is in you for not taking the burden from his only friend, or in Sebastian for almost being eager to cast it. You don’t have much of a chance to determine which it is before Sebastian begins to step back from you, wand raised in your direction.
“Ready?” He asks, and while every fiber of your being is trying to force you to run, you instead stand firm after taking a small couple of steps backwards yourself.
“I’m ready.” You reply, making an effort to unclench your fists at your sides as Sebastian begins to move his wand in your direction.
“Crucio!”
You barely have time to register the red burst of light hitting you in the chest as you immediately collapse. You try to land in a way where your arms can support yourself, but you only maintain this position for what felt like a second before you were fully on the ground, writhing in pain in a way that mirrored the door’s haunting images as screams rip their way out of you.
You feel as though every nerve ending in your body has been held to a flame, the all-consuming burning pain only being contrasted by feeling as though you were dunked in arctic waters to freeze to death. Every pore in your body is a bleeding wound and you were being rolled in salt. You were being stabbed over every inch of your body with a hot knife. Your heart was beating insanely fast, only being contrasted by the way your lungs have seemed to stop functioning entirely. Your eardrums have burst over and over and you are blinded by pain. Your bones are shattering, only to be reformed and break again as you endure the sensation over and over.
It was excruciating.
All you can think of is the pain. How to stop the pain. How dying would be the quickest way out of it. You don’t even remember what this was all for, only that you wish whoever it was would kill you. You think that at this point, you would make the effort to kill yourself if your limbs would cooperate, though they unfortunately are spasming out of your control like the rest of your body.
It feels like an eternity before the source of the pain ceases, though this doesn’t mean the excruciating feeling has left you behind. You are still writhing on the ground, and your throat is so hoarse from your screams that all you can manage now is a wheezing sound. Your ears are still ringing, though you can just hear a voice over the constant buzz.
“Are you all right?” Sebastian asks, his voice almost too calm in contrast to the overwhelming sensation you are still feeling.
If you weren’t unsure if you still had eyes, you would have rolled them at the question. Instead you push yourself back up onto your elbows, relieving your face from the pressure of being ground painfully into the stone floor. You take several heaving breaths, trying to work through the pain that is finally beginning to subside as you ignore the question entirely.
You are vaguely aware that there is some form of magic being done to the doorway, and you find enough energy to turn your head slightly just in time to see the final pulse of red magic torture the already anguished faces before the door seemingly melts away into nothing.
At this point you feel strong enough to force yourself onto your feet, though you lean heavily into the stone wall behind you for support. Your arms wrap around your middle, right where you know the spell made contact, as you fight the feeling of nausea accompanying your new stance.
“Are you all right?” Ominis practically shouts from across the room, his voice shrill with panic now that you are completely silent. You can hear the shuffling of his feet as he slowly approaches you and Sebastian, and you take several painful gulps of air as you work up the will to answer.
“That pain- it was excruciating.” You choke out, finally able to speak as you stagger to stand up straighter away from the wall. “But, I’ll survive. Let’s keep moving.”
Sebastian needed no further prodding, already making his way through the now opened doorway and stopping in the center of the room to take in the new space. Upon his entry, the candles in the room magically illuminate themselves, and while he is taking in the sights of the scriptorium, all you can focus on is how the candles illuminate the stone carving of Salazar Slytherin in front of you. The harsh shadows being cast on cruel stone features almost feel as piercing as Ominis’ gaze had been moments prior. You almost feel taunted by the visage.
“We made it. We found Salazar Slytherin’s scriptorium.” Sebastian exclaims, now making his way towards the nearest bookshelf to rifle through the dusty collection. You take a few more steadying breaths as you move forwards to join Sebastian in the room, your vision slightly darkened around the edges as you fight a constant light-headedness.
“I can’t believe we’re here.” Ominis breathes out, his wand pulsating rapidly as he enters the room behind you.
You look around briefly, deciding that the table near Salazar Slytherin’s carving was as good a place as any to support yourself as you try to shake off the aftereffects of the curse. Once you finally make it to your chosen spot, you allow yourself to lean heavily into the table as you take additional deep breaths.
You still feel as though you are moments away from collapsing, but you feel more grounded as you breathe in tandem with the flickering candles surrounding you. As you become more aware of your surroundings, your mind clearing slightly even if your vision is still less than stellar, you notice that there are several scrolls and candles surrounding you on the table as well as a thick leather bound book.
The cover was a deep green color, though there were several splotchy sections on the cover that were weathered by time. Embossed in the leather was a large skull surrounded by runic symbols and a border inlaid with gold trim. As you pick up the book it feels heavy in your hands, and after a cursory glance through the pages you realize this is exactly what you came here to find.
“Sebastian. Ominis. There is a book over here.” You weakly call out, hoping that they will come to you to spare you the need to ascend the staircase that Sebastian has already trotted up.
“You found something?” Sebastian asks, and you look up to see him leaning over the railing slightly to get a better look, his head barely popping up over Salazar Slytherin’s own.
“You two go ahead, let me know what's in it. I’ll wander around a bit.” Ominis requests, already walking towards a collection of chests and feeling their engraved surface for a way to open them.
“May I have a look?” Sebastian asks, and you look up once again to see Sebastian has gone, though his voice carries from farther up the staircase. You let out a defeated sigh as you realize whatever he was currently doing, he wasn’t willing to stop it to meet you downstairs. You begin your shambling walk over towards the stone steps, leaning heavily on the railing as you force once foot after the other.
You see Sebastian in the corner, reading an extremely yellowed roll of parchment with a confused expression on his face. As you get closer he nudges it towards you and you skim it while handing the leather book to him in a trade.
You feel just as confused as Sebatian looked while you read about some sort of chamber holding a sleeping creature, but upon reading more carefully and seeing the mention of blood-purity and Slythern’s disdain for muggle-born students you decide that the thoughts of an old and prejudiced wizard aren't worth your time, even if he was one of the founders of the very school you are standing in.
While you were disinterested in your current reading material, a glance over reveals Sebastian enamored with the book you found as he rests the large tome against an ancient desk while quickly turning the pages. You quickly decide that making your way towards him and leaving the parchment behind was preferable.
“What do you think?” You ask, trying to sound as nonchalant as you can through your still hoarse voice.
“Looks like a spellbook of some kind. This is incredible. A Hogwarts Founder’s possession…what an honor.” He answers, finally tearing his eyes away from the book to address you with thinly veiled excitement.
“Still can’t believe Ominis never told me about his aunt and what she found.” He adds. You try to ignore the statement entirely, as you are sure that refuting his uncharitable point of view towards Ominis wouldn’t help anyone right now. Still, his excitement is palpable, and it almost makes you feel as though this entire adventure was worth it. Almost.
“What will you do with Slytherin’s spellbook?” You ask, redirecting the conversation back into neutral territory.
“What I do with every book: read it. Having professors as parents ingrained that habit early on. But I can do that later. For now, I say we explore this room.” Sebastian offhandedly answers, already tucking the spellbook under his arm as he walks towards another bookshelf. You wish that he were as ready to leave as you were, but you find yourself willing to stay a bit longer as you sink into a dusty chair near the desk. Luckily, you don’t need to wait for long as Ominis’ nervous voice begins to travel up the stairs.
“I’ve been getting an uneasy feeling about this place. We shouldn’t linger here. Let’s find a way out, please.” He requests, walking towards Sebastian in an effort to get his attention. You watch him fail to get Sebastian up to the task before you let out a sigh and make the effort to look for the exit yourself.
In the center of the wall there is a large statue and upon further inspection you see that it is actually meant to swing open, scuff marks on the floor giving away the mechanism to the door. You walk forward and the statue spins around, revealing a hollow space for you to stand and hopefully be deposited outside of the Scriptorium. You wave Sebastian and Ominis over, the former thankfully content to leave after some prodding from the latter.
“I don’t want to leave, but I owe you- both of you. Without both of you, we’d never have made it this far.” Sebastian relents, finally making his way to the exit you just discovered. He gestures for you to go first, and while you are unsure if you are completely willing to be the test subject for what might be another trap, you are simply too exhausted to attempt to argue on the matter. Instead you simply walk forwards and hold tightly to the wall as it spins to take you out of the scriptorium, squeezing your eyes shut as your light-headedness returns in full force.
The spinning of the platform didn’t help with your already weak grasp on consciousness, so you soon find yourself leaning heavily into one of the intricately carved stone pillars in the Slytherin Dungeons. You hear Sebastian and Ominis come out soon after you, and while you are aware they are having some sort of spirited argument you can’t find the will to key into the conversation.
It isn’t until Ominis gives some sort of thanks for helping him find out what happened to his aunt that you give a sound of acknowledgement, and immediately after you find that you have been left alone leaning on the wall. You are sure if you weren’t currently fighting with every fiber of your being to remain upright you would have felt rather miffed by their abandonment, but as it stands you simply don’t have the mental capacity to feel such a strong emotion at the moment.
You take another moment slumped against the pillar to simply breathe through the painful tremors that are still working their way through you, wishing desperately that you still had some wiggenweld potions on hand but knowing that your current supply is still up in the Room of Requirement in a simmering cauldron. You come to the realization that the longer you stay slumped against a pillar in the dungeon the longer you will suffer, and soon you are up and moving towards the dungeon’s exit hoping that you can make it to the Room of Requirement before passing out.
Making your way out of the Slytherin Dungeons gives you your first glimpse of the outside world since meeting Sebastian in the dungeons earlier, and the darkness greeting you proves you are not only trying to make your way through the halls while injured, but you are doing it after curfew. Luckily, Prefects tend the patrol areas near common rooms and the faculty tower, so you feel confident that taking the route through the courtyard will be met with little resistance.
Well, little resistance from authority figures, that is.
You can feel your heartbeat in your skull as you make your way through the large doors and out into the Quad Courtyard. You forgot how many stairs there are between you and the Viaduct, not to mention once you get to the Viaduct you need to walk all the way up the Astronomy Tower.
There is a chill in the autumn air that has you wishing you were dressed more warmly, but in your defense you hadn’t been expecting to be wandering around injured in the dark. The cobblestone ground makes it so you need to focus more on your already unsteady footsteps, as you are sure that one slip up will result in you needing to rest wherever you land for the night. You repeat a mantra in your head to keep your mind sharp despite the fog that has settled over you ever since Sebastian cast the curse to begin with. ‘Just one more step. Just one more step-’ plays on repeat in your mind, almost as though you could lie to yourself as you slowly shuffle through the dark.
As you push open the large doors to the Viaduct you cringe at the loud echo that rings through the empty space. Your vision is still darkened around the edges as you shuffle across the marble floor, but you still make an effort to look around every now and then to ensure that you aren’t going to be caught sneaking around. It isn’t until you reach the various plush sofas and armchairs that other students are often lounging on that you really consider taking a break.
Almost as though the enchanted instruments always playing in the hall could hear your thoughts, a gentle melody is being played in place of the upbeat one that the quartet seems to love so much. There are two ghosts dancing gently near the quartet, the shimmer of their spectral forms almost making you dizzy in your already lightheaded state. You make the decision to sit for a moment before moving on, curling into yourself as another painful wave of tremors wreak havoc on your already fried nerves.
You chose to sit in an armchair in hopes that the upwards sitting position would help keep you awake, but as your focus on the still twirling ghosts becomes more hazy, you think you could close your eyes for just a moment. Just one more song and you’ll be on your way.