Secrets of Sallow

Chapter 11 [Book 1]

"Children should be seen and not heard."

We continued to look around until I came across some equipment that is most definitely not associated with goblins camping out. Looking beyond, it seemed to be the ruins of a home.

"Whose home was this?" I inquired. 

Sebastian turned from his search to see the remains of a house that you were looking at.

"Been abandoned long as I've lived here. Rumour was, a Hogwarts professor liver here once - centuries ago - but that's all I ever heard."

He then began to walk up to me, "might be worth taking a look at the house itself", as his head turned towards the more stable remains of the house. 

Which, I went to go investigate.

The more I took a good look at the ruins, the more things pieced together, "Sebastian! I've seen this before. This house, the well, the view."

"What do you mean? When?"

I went on to explain the vision I saw about Isidora and about the drought and how she was also just like me as well as Professor Rackham, explaining how when she became a professor this was her home.

After exploring the house, the two of us discovered a stairwell and going down it, only revealed more mystery.

After clearing an odd-looking wall of wooden crates using depulso, I found a mirror, which was quite strange, to say the least, "Sebastian, you're not going to believe this. I can see the Undercroft."

"What, a daydream? Because that happens to me, too."

I shook, my head at Sebastian's comments, so I turned back and explained my rare ability to see wisps of ancient magic.

"I don't know what I was expecting you to say, but it wasn't that. I knew you weren't telling me everything. 'Ancient magic'? What does that even mean?"

I could only shrug my shoulders, "I'm not entirely sure, but the keepers have said that it's a powerful magic that only should be wielded by a select few."

"And you can wield it?" 

To which I nodded my head, explaining how Fig and I suspect that Ranrok is possibly harnessing some sort of magic power to which Sebastian could only react in disbelief.

"Are you telling me that goblins may be wielding some sort of wizard magic?"

"That's what we're trying to figure out. What I do know is that my ability allows me to travel through these 'windows' I see."

We turned back to see the mirror that stood in the corner.

"So you're telling me we can go directly to the Undercroft through there? Ominis would be floored."

"We can", I changed my tone, "But, perhaps it best not to tell anyone else about this for now. Even Ominis."

I glared towards him which sent a shiver down Sebastian's spine.

"Understood. Well, then. Invisible, secret, ancient magic passageway, here we come."

We both walked up to the mirror before touching it and moving our way through to enter the Undercroft.

"Why would the door lead us here?"

I looked around the familiar walls to search for any clues until one certainly caught my eye.

"Sebastian. Look."

I pointed towards the door that shared the same symbol I have been seeing in my previous endeavours before it shifted, turning into a triptych. Opening it, revealed a torn painting, but oddly enough a note was stuck in the middle.

"Anything helpful in the note?"

"A rune symbol. I've seen similar symbols used by the keepers."

I looked as if something seemed to be scrambling Sebastian's head before he began to question the keepers and Isidora and how there must've been a reason for the goblins to be lurking around her house.

"Do you think Anne could be cursed by ancient magic?"

I shrugged, "it's plausible, but I don't know enough to quite tell yet."

Sebastian could only nod in defeat, from what he has gathered, this is all still very new to me as to him, but he could only hope that I will guide the way to curing Anne.

"Well now, I need to see Ominis. Don't worry, I won't tell him anything. I honestly did not expect this to all unravel just by visiting Anne, my head a mess."

He gave me a gentle smile, "but I'm glad you told me all this. I'll send you an owl soon, good luck."

I watched as he sauntered out of the Undercroft, turning back to look at the painting.

Just who is it?