In the Shadow of Darkness | Sebastian Sallow

Summer Begins

"There you are!" Ominis uttered in relief from behind me. I turned as he hurried over.

I was standing on the platform at Hogsmeade Station, waiting for the train; which was abnormally late, according to another student. I felt numb to it all, though.

"Sebastian is gone," Ominis huffed as he stopped beside me. "I woke up to—"

"An owl? Me, too," I interrupted, feeling my throat close up a bit with emotion. He'd turned himself in. It was all I could think about the entire morning as I'd finished packing, eaten breakfast, and ridden the carriages back to Hogsmeade.

"I can't believe he did it."

"I can," I said. In fact, I wasn't surprised. He'd been hiding it well, but I could see the pain in his eyes when we'd spoken—was it only yesterday? It seemed so much further in the past. I wished I'd said something more, anything.

"He sent an owl to Anne, as well. There were tear stains all over the letter she sent me. She doesn't know what will happen now." The ground shook as the train began rolling into the station, causing Ominis to raise his voice so I could hear.

"I don't know, either."

"He's probably been expelled and sent to Azkaban to await trial." He paused, probably remembering I had not grown up in this world. "It's a wizarding prison, guarded by dementors—nasty things! Ghastly place."

My heart sank. I had read about it earlier in the year. "Oh, Sebastian," I whispered, feeling a tear track down my face.

The other students were lining up, clamoring to get on the train. One bumped into Ominis, knocking him into me. He used the opportunity to put a hand on my shoulder, speaking softly, "Sit with me?"

I nodded, still deep in thought, before remembering to add a verbal, "Yes."

Ominis smiled. "Follow me."

Before long, we were settled in a private compartment with the door closed tightly. "Using an Unforgivable Curse is punishable by life imprisonment. Sebastian had to have known that," I thought out loud.

"He most certainly did." Ominis confirmed, looking at toward me with a raised eyebrow.

"I'm not going to tell anyone he used it on me. That was...different."

"Why do you feel the need to defend him at every turn?" His voice held a little disgust. "Playing into his fantasies got you both into this mess, and you still refused to turn him in after all of it. Not that it matters now, I suppose."

More tears welled up in my eyes. "I..." I began, but words failed. I wanted to say it was because he was my friend, but that didn't really cover it.

I thought back on all of our adventures during the past school year, from that first duel in Defense Against the Dark Arts to those last moments in the Undercroft the day before and everything in between. We had become friends almost immediately, but somewhere along the way, it had become more...at least, it had to me. I hadn't been able to turn him in because that something more I couldn't find the words for.

"Forgive me, Eleanor, I didn't mean to—"

"No," I said, holding up a hand I knew he couldn't see. "No, you're right. I was blinded by my faith in him. I thought he would make the right choices, but in the end he didn't. And then all I could think about is how much worse it would be if we turned him in." I sniffles, wiping the tears away.

"You know, he's been having nightmares," Ominis told me quietly after a brief silence. "I don't know about what, but...I can guess."

I closed my eyes, resting my face in my hands. "I wish he would have just talked to me."

Ominis smirked ever so slightly, reminding me matter-of-factly, "Men and boys aren't that great with...feelings. Especially not when it comes to discussing them with the fairer sex."

I sighed. "Is there someone I can speak with at the Ministry? Somewhere I can send an owl to...put in a good word?"

"I would advise against it. Let me remind you that you've also used the Curses and could be implicated, as well," he warned.

"I can't let him face this alone, Ominis."

He sat there for what seemed an eternity before speaking. "Justus Pilliwickle."

"Pardon?"

"Justus Pilliwickle. He works in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. I'm not sure what his position is, but he's a friend of my father's, well, an acquaintance." He paused. "Please be careful what you say to him. I don't really feel like losing both of my friends right now."

I was touched to hear him call me a friend. "Thank you."

"Don't mention it. I know I won't, spending the summer with my family."

I recalled Sebastian telling me that Ominis would spend most of his time in Feldcroft with the Sallows, and realized the bigger implications from even before Sebastian turned himself in. "I'm so sorry, Ominis."

We spent the rest of the train ride home in mostly silence. Occasionally, I'd talk about something we learned or one of the beasts I had met, though I often found myself having to stop talking about it for fear of saying too much. Ominis, after all, didn't know everything that had happened, and I had promised Professor Fig and then Professor Weasley that I would keep the Ancient Magic a secret, at least for now.

We seemed to make it to London in no time at all. Ominis didn't stand once the train stopped, explaining that it was probably best that we did not disembark at the same time since he didn't want me to draw any ire from his family. As I stepped off the train, I saw the other Gaunts gathered around, looking just as dour as Ominis had described. I hurried past them, hoping not to catch their attention at all and following the crowd toward the exit. Before leaving, however, I did hang back to make sure he made it safely off the train. His mother gave him a quick hug, which was promising enough, so I slipped off the platform, heading for the orphanage I had called home for as long as I could remember.