Hogwarts Legacy: The Dark Veins In Time

All's Not Well That Ends Well

Y/N POV

If someone had told me that I would be attending two funerals in the same month I wouldn't have believed them.

The entire school sat at the tables of The Great Hall in complete silence. A somber veil had taken over the entire room as not a single house color could be seen through the throng of people in funerary uniforms, each banner stricken with black sashes and up at the Headmaster's Table - a black Gryffindor flag draped over the seat previously belonging to Professor Eleazar Fig.

I shut my eyes as tightly as I could while listening to Headmaster Black bumble through his sorry excuse of a eulogy for the man who had been the only parental figure in my life to make me feel like I was worth anything to anyone, trying so hard to forget the look on his face when I watched him die. Nothing had made sense to me in his final moments - what exactly was all this for? The insane battle with Ranrok, putting an end to Victor Rookwood, countless goblin uprisings and cruel dark wizards I thwarted, all the time I spent trying to help Sebastian; only to be sitting here now trying so hard to not scream at the top of my lungs in despair. Nothing turned out the way it was supposed to, who really benefitted from all my blood, sweat, and tears over the past school year? I swore myself to secrecy over the Repository under the school, I lied to keep another liar out of prison, Anne Sallow was still ill and lost everything, I couldn't save Deek's friend, I couldn't save that lady's brother, so many beautiful creatures still went murdered despite my endless watch of the poachers, dark wizards STILL roamed Hogsmeade with ease .. and dozen or so other small missteps flooded my mind.

What was the point? I had imagined a summer vacation with Professor Fig, traveling the world to explore it's mysteries beyond the Scottish shores - writing to my friends everyday, maybe sending souvenirs to my potential boyfriend...

Thankfully Professor Weasley took over for the struggling Headmaster - her tender words bringing me back into the moment. My friends had gathered around me at the Ravenclaw table, pushing my fellow house members aside to encompass me in their condolences. Natty and Poppy sat on either side of me, resting their heads on my shoulders and taking turns massaging my back while their tears matched the coming and going of my own. Garreth sat next to Poppy and Everett on the other side of Natty like sentries protecting the front line from any more visitors to our little section of grief. To my surprise Imelda had left her seat among her beloved Slytherins to sit across from me next to Amit, both of them reaching across the table to take my hands in theirs. Wet sobs escaped my throat again as the Professor finished her speech and a soft applause filled the dining hall.

I looked helplessly around the enormous room. Slowly students began to rise from their seats and shuffle away, all of them with the same somber look on their faces. Some of them were even crying as I was. Small groups of friends exchanged hugs and comforting words. I caught sight of Ominis still seated among the lingering Slytherins next to Sebastian, his face swollen and bleak - I had no idea he had any special regard for the Professor but he too had clearly suffered his own bouts of crying. Sebastian's expression remained the same as I had left it on that hill weeks ago - pained, lost, and barely there. I could feel his gaze burning into me as I refused to make eye contact, keeping my sights on Ominis' movements as he finally rose to leave. The boys' relationship was still very much on the mend and everyone had noticed the distance between them, as well as the even larger distance between Sebastian and I. Tiny waves of guilt washed over my chest as I thought back to the powerful embrace Ominis and I shared not terribly long ago in the Headmaster's hallway, craving his scent and warmth to swallow me whole again.

"Come on, Y/N. Let's get you back to your common room." Natty said, helping Poppy brace my sides as we stood up together. Garreth came from around Poppy's side and gave me his signature bear hug, something he definitely felt more at ease doing now that Sebastian wasn't always a skip away. Imelda looked at me to say something but was lost for words, instead giving me a nod and a small wave as she blended back in with crowd of her housemates leaving the Great Hall.