Chapter Text
‘Depulso’
My spell soared, a good few inches left of Sebastian’s head. To add insult to injury, he didn’t even bother to duck or raise a protego.
The resounding CRASH did nothing to ease my pride. Sebastian stepped aside to peer behind, and I felt my insides swoop uncomfortably when I saw where my wayward spell had landed.
Ominis Gaunt was sprawled, lying unceremoniously in a heap of broken desk, spilled ink, and scattered books, loose pages fluttering down around him like snow. He looked mostly unharmed, except a single thin line of blood meandering its way down his face from his hairline. It looked starkly red against his otherwise fairly pallid complexion. Although he always looks like he needs a good few days in the sun.
‘You absolute blundering billywig' Came Lenora’s indignant voice. ‘Professor Hecat always says the astute caster should always check their surroundings!’
I winced. Just how badly do you have to fudge things up to make Lenora sound like the voice of reason.
‘He’s fine.’ I said, sounding uncertain even to my own ears. The background classroom chatter had died down, everyone turning to see what the commotion was all about. All eyes on me. ‘Sebastian started it.’ I added lamely, trying to diffuse the hushed murmurs starting up.
Now understand this, Ominis is not frail. Having been on the receiving end of his flipendo during charms practice, I know this, but he certainly isn’t the sturdiest. I’ve seen Sebastian shouting at an over excited gaggle of 2nd years before, as they rushed past, having sent him tumbling down a flight of stairs in the astronomy tower.
‘You know,’ He said weakly, wiping under his nose with the back of his hand, smearing blood further across his cheek. 'I really don’t get the appeal of duelling.’
Sebastian knelt down beside him, pressed a handkerchief firmly to the cut on Ominis' forehead, instigating a bodily flinch, air sucked in between clenched teeth as he did so. Sebastian was muttering angrily, all I caught was ‘all you need after yesterday’, before Ominis elbowed him sharply into silence.
Hecat appeared, as she often does, seemingly out of no where, unfazed and unconcerned. She glided over, and looked between the three of us with an unreadable expression on her face. Her wand flicked in the direction of Ominis briefly, the faint glow of a wordless spell, assessing for damage or something I’d guess, gone almost before it started.
‘Mr Prewett. Please escort your classmate to the hospital wing and see to it Madam Blainey gets him sorted.’
‘I’ll take him.’ Sebastian said darkly, pulling at his friend to unsteady feet.
‘You’re going to stay behind and tidy up this mess, Mr Sallow. Without magic.’
Sebastian started to splutter incoherently, placing his hands on his hips, full of defiance. Hecat gave no notice of his fury. ‘It takes two to duel, you’re as much at fault for your friend’s predicament.’
Sebastian gave me the sort of look that entirely explains the phenomenon of spontaneous human combustion, so letting me escape was quite the act of mercy on Hecat’s part.
Ominis raised his wand, a second later its tip exuding pulsing red light as is a familiar sight to all in our years cohort, and marched out the room with obvious intent. I looked to Hecat, as she made a shoo motion with her hands.
‘Today, Mr Prewett.’
I had to jog slightly to catch up, and fell into step next to him, refused to walk behind like some chastised child.
‘I can manage just fine.’ He said, without shifting his gaze, not that it matters I suppose, after we made our way across the suspension bridge in silence, our footsteps slightly out of synchrony. I huffed in disapproval, but he didn’t seem to notice.
‘I won’t tell Professor Hecat if you’ve got better things to do than chaperone me around.’ He added, sounding almost embarrassed, which is ridiculous, it was my fault after all, something I needed to make up for. Being in the debt of a Slytherin wasn’t something I intended to have looming over me for the rest of the school year.
‘I don’t shirk from the consequences of my actions.’ I puffed my chest out, not that he would see, of course, but it was the principle.
‘Oh how very Gryffindor.’ He murmured. I couldn’t quite tell if he was joking or not. Not wanting to be outdone, I tried to keep the conversation going. Gryffindors are known for being a chivalrous bunch after all.
‘If it was the other way round, I suppose your lot would just turn tail and run from your responsibilities eh?’
If Garreth had said it, it would have sounded jokey, charming even, Natsai would have sounded wistful and mysterious; but from me it just came out rather cold and bitter.
He turned his head to me slightly, gave me a half smirk. ‘No, my lot wouldn’t have missed in the first place.’
Well.
Dammed Slytherin. You have to laugh really, or you’d end up lying in the foetal position in the showers crying over calling Professor Shah ‘mother’ in front of everyone during astronomy class. Or, so I’m told.
‘If it’s all the same to you, I’d rather not face Hecat’s wrath when she finds out I left you alone to succumb to your head trauma.’
‘Trauma.’ He sniffed, sounding incredulous. ‘So dramatic.’
I have always suspected the staircases in Hogwarts are sentient. The ones leading up from the quad courtyard seem particularly grouchy, often leaving out a step or two so you have to make a leap over the empty space. On this occasion they had simply vanished altogether. I was about to voice my concern at this recent development, when Ominis stopped, holding his wand high then low, searching, or however that spell of his works.
‘Where are the stairs?’ He asked, turning towards me, his head dipped slightly.
‘Stay back.’ I said confidently, desperate to prove myself. I’d seen the new student use this trick, not that Ominis’ needed to know where I got the idea from.
‘Revelio.’
Nothing. I cleared my throat. I was sure I had got the pronunciation correct.
‘Revelio.’
Still nothing. I took a step forward, held my wand closer, tried again. Maybe I needed more force behind it.
‘REVELIO.’
‘Yes shouting spells usually works.’
‘Your sarcasm is really helpful right now.’ I turned, caught him smirking at first, then a grimace of pain came over him. His wand tip spluttered out as he swayed on the spot slightly, arm reaching out for balance but left wanting. It was pure instinct that caused me to catch him, steady his shoulders.
‘I’m fine.’ He said, voice wobbling at the edges of his otherwise impeccable received pronunciation.
‘Your near collapse says otherwise.’ Words such as ‘concussion’, ‘incapacitation’, and ‘expulsion for causing irrevocable brain damage on another student due to your sheer incompetence’ flashed before my eyes.
‘We’re gonna have to go the long way round.’ I said trying, and failing, to sound authoritative. It doesn’t come naturally. I really do question the credentials of the sorting hat at times like this. Not that I’d admit it out loud of course, but I’m fairly certain the hat made a huge mistake with me in Gryffindor. Not that I’m smart enough for Ravenclaw, patient enough for Hufflepuff or cunning enough for Slytherin either. There should to be a fifth house, for those of us that are a bit useless and bumbling.
‘I just need a minute.’ He looked like he needed a few, now somehow paler than he was before, wand held limply at his side. Healing really isn’t my area of expertise, and I had no intention of spending the rest of my time at Hogwarts looking over my shoulder for a certain Slytherin out for revenge if I let anything bad happen to his best friend.
'We really ought to get you to the Hospital Wing sooner rather than later.’ For my sake, if anything.
I did vaguely recall Sebastian, and Anne, on a few occasions, with Ominis’ hand in the crook of their arm before, especially in our earlier years. Was this such a time for that? I gestured. Instantly realised my mistake and cleared my throat. My dignity be dammed.
‘I... do you need assistance getting there? I want to help, if you do?’
His eyes skated over my face, almost making contact, his expression unreadable. Wordlessly he held his hand out. I stepped next to him.
His hand found my elbow crook with practiced ease, clasped it tentatively, his fingers curled in my shirt material.
‘You’re an awful lot taller than Sebastian.’ It wasn’t a complaint, or even a compliment, merely a statement.
‘And you’re an awful lot nicer.’ I replied too quickly to be casual, as if I hadn’t just been thinking about all the imaginative ways Sebastian was going to get his own back on me later. The side of his lip quirked into what could almost be mistaken for a smile. It felt like a tentative, slightly clammy, hand of friendship.