Invisible String - Sebastian Sallow

Chapter Twenty: A Broken Home

Yes, that bastard was.

And the wizarding world was better off for it.

My fingers clenched and crinkled the paper clippings and I felt a rush of hatred flow through me, my magic bubbling just beneath the surface of my skin, throbbing against my veins. I had to squeeze my eyes shut to tone down the thumping in my ears.

I moved to the third article clipping, and my blood and magic ran cold. I was staring at a photo of myself, in the arms of Professor Weasley with Professor Sharp leading us out of a section of the school, with Sebastian's freckled face leaping out of the mass of students gathered, the caption footing underneath it reading: Unknown Hogwarts student shaken during recent exploits of Goblin Extremists.

I hadn't even seen this clipping before. I did, of course, recognize the area we were coming from. Far enough away that no one would think twice, but close enough for me to pin point it. Too close to the Map Chamber.

"When- when was this picture taken?" I asked, my eyes landing on Anne.

I didn't need her answer. I knew it had been taken that day. You could see the blood on my face, in my blonde hair; wether it was my own or if it belonged to a goblin I didn't remember.

"Two years ago," Anne said. "Same day I started to genuinely recover."

I gulped, knowing what apology she wanted from me. She didn't even realize- Sebastian's letter hadn't told her who had cursed her. All of the puzzle pieces were here, amidst these letters a prophet clippings, but she'd pieced them together incorrectly. Sebastian had protected my secret, at the cost of telling her the answers she needed.

I looked to him, expecting to see him shaking his head at me, telling me to stay silent and for once, was not met with his brown eyes. I was met with the sight of a boy, holding his head in his hands, knowing he was about to be exposed again. First to Poppy, and now to Anne.

"I need someone to start talking," Anne said finally, sitting down in her chair. "Clearly something is happening here, and the same day this photo of Abbi covered in blood comes out in the prophet, I'm feeling better."

"Anne," I said soothingly, standing myself from my seat to be level with her. "There is a lot to talk about here, but it's not what you think."

"Not what I think? You read his letters. You saw the clippings! You encouraged him with Solomon, you expect me to believe you didn't encourage him with the Goblins that night too?"

"Anne."

His voice was low, dangerous. He hadn't expected her to act like this, to accuse- I could read it all over his face.

"No! You wouldn't have done any of those things if it weren't for her."

The magic was ringing in my ears. My hands were hot, and despite what I wanted to do, I couldn't look away from her eyes. They were his, and despite what I knew to be true, that it was Anne talking to me, not him, it was as though he was the one confirming my worst fears.

Of course it had been my fault. Sebastian hadn't had a true bad intention until I convinced Ominis of the Scriptorium's importance. He probably never would have ended up down this path if I had never come to Hogwarts.

"Anne, that's enough. She was not the reason I did what I did!"

"Sebastian, please! Look at what's happened since she got here!"

The twins were fighting. Sebastian was red in the face at her words, his eyes dark and dangerous. Anne was just as fired up as he was, and I tried to focus on them. The magic only pulsed louder as she pointed a finger at me, and Sebastian did the same.