In the Shadow of Darkness | Sebastian Sallow

Phoenix Tears

The next day Sebastian sent me an owl saying he would rather we postpone our search of the Forbidden Forest. Natty and Poppy had also opted not to explore due to the weather that continued to drench the highlands, so we would make no progress.

The Great Hall was quiet at breakfast, with some students milling about talking about the previous day's match. Gryffindor's table was especially empty, which came as no surprise with how late the party in our common room had gone the night before, so I sat alone. Imelda, Nerida, and Violet were engaged in a serious conversation across the room, no doubt about Quidditch or broom racing or something of that sort. As I finished my meal, I caught a snippet of a conversation from three girls the Hufflepuff table that I wasn't meant to hear.

"Did you see Imelda and Sebastian yesterday? Quite the row! I'm surprised she didn't kick him off the team," the first one said.

"Nah, she wouldn't do that. He's the best Keeper Slytherin's had in years!" a second one asserted.

I smiled. Something to tell Sebastian later, I supposed.

"Plus, I bet she's still crazy over him ever since fourth year. I know I would be," the third one said with a giggle.

"No, I hear she hates him now. Especially now that he's courting that Gryffindor," the first one said, lowering her voice when she said my house name.

I stopped chewing. I wasn't exactly one to pay attention to gossip, and now I remembered why. I stood to leave before they realized I'd overheard anything. I had to get out of there. With the rain making the outside miserable, I opted to go to the vivariums and visit the beasts and clear my head. As I walked into the Room of Requirement, however, I noticed sleeping form on one of the couches.

Sebastian. What was he doing here?

I snuck past him and into the vivarium to visit with Alaris, the phoenix I had saved from poachers the year before. As soon as I entered the vivarium, I heard him greet me, landing beside me as I sat down on a rock. I gave him an affectionate scratch. "How are you, my friend?"

He cocked his head in curiosity. I laughed and fed him a snack. He squawked happily, then amazingly, laid his head gently on my lap. I felt honored. As much as he seemed to enjoy spending time with me, the bird had never done this. After a few moments, he lifted his head and nibbled my hair. I swore he made intentional eye contact before flying off into the distance.

I watched him fly, amazed at his grace and beauty. Closing my eyes, I breathed in the scent of this magical nature.

"Is that a phoenix?" Sebastian stood just behind me, following my gaze.

I nodded.

He sat down on a rock beside mine. "Beautiful birds. You know, their tears have immense healing properties? Not that they'll cry on cue, mind you."

It took a moment to process what he'd said. I looked at him. "Do you think they might help Anne?"

He shrugged, shaking his head. "Don't know." I could tell he was trying to sound apathetic, but failing as his voice cracked a little bit. His eyes had a sheen to them that suggested he was holding back emotions.

Phoenix tears. Could it be that simple?

"How long have you been here?" he asked, apparently deciding to change to subject.

I looked over at him in surprise. "Not long. You were asleep when I came in. I didn't want wake you."

His cheeks turned a bit pink. "Oh."

"Do you sleep here often?" I asked outright. "Ominis always expresses his worry when you disappear for the night."

He looked down at his hands, embarrassed. "Sometimes I need to get away from all the memories."

I could understand this was probably the only part of Hogwarts where he didn't think of Anne. A unicorn wandered over to me as we sat in our easy silence, and I absentmindedly gave her a pat. Satisfied, she took a few steps toward Sebastian, sniffing his knee before assessing he must not be a threat. She lifted her head, closing her lips gently against his face with a pop. We both laughed at the sound, which made her flinch. She didn't run, though, still curious about this man she's never met.

He rubbed along her forehead and down to her nose, humming softly.

"She likes you," I observed.

"Seems so."

The unicorn lowered her head, choosing to graze on the lush grass at our feet. I watched her, thinking back to my childhood. "When I was a little girl, I used to visit a nearby stable to get away from the other children. The first time I did, the matron thought I'd run away. At first, she didn't approve, but she saw something in how the horses soothed my soul, so she eventually yielded. She coordinated with the manager to let me help the stable hands occasionally. I would probably be there now had I not been accepted into Hogwarts. I understand needing to get away sometimes," I said looking at him with a reassuring smile.

His eyes met mine. The left one, which had been so red and swollen yesterday, was good as new. I reached out to touch it gently and his lips twitched. "You know, I forget sometimes that you haven't always been around magic."

I let out a quiet laugh, dropping my hand. "I'm still amazed it exists."

Another easy silence fell between us. My thoughts turned to the conversation I'd overheard in the Great Hall, and I sighed.

"Everything all right?" he asked.

"You were quite the subject of conversation in the Great Hall this morning," I told him.

"Oh, really," he asked, a smirk evident on his face. "Pretty sure I deserve that for attacking one of the Gryffindor Beaters."

I nodded, chuckling a bit. "Some Hufflepuffs were especially interested in the status of your relationship with Imelda."

He paled, wincing a bit. He took a breath and let it out slowly before speaking, "I figured you already knew about that." When I didn't answer, he shifted uncomfortably. "It was fourth year. We were..." he sighed. "Well, I'm not sure what we were, if I'm honest. She was none-too-happy with me at the beginning of fifth year when I broke it off." He scoffed. "If Alchemy and Quidditch are any indicators, she still very much hates me for it."

I couldn't help but tease him a bit, "Wow. You and Imelda. She seems more like Ominis' type."

"Well, it seems Ominis was a little preoccupied with my sister."

I chuckled. "A bit protective, are we?"

"Of course," he said. "If I didn't know him as well as I do, I'd box his ears." He looked up at the sky, all humor beginning to leave him at the mention of his sister. "But she's...happy. That's all that matters now."

I reached for his hand and squeezed it. When I did, his eyes shifted to me as he faked a smile. "I'm sorry, Sebastian."

"You know, it's not your fault. Or mine. Or Solomon's." He sighed, tears threatening to fall. "But I would trade places with her in a heartbeat."

"Then Anne would be the one looking for a cure for you," I told him simply. "I don't think she would give up, either."

He closed his eyes tightly as he rode a visible wave of emotion. "She wouldn't."

The next week, I asked both Professor Sharp and Professor Howin about phoenix tears. Professor Howin seemed most interested that I knew where to find a phoenix. She told me that the bird was rare enough but that their tears were so rare that not a single Magizoologist knew the extent of their healing power. Professor Sharp, on the other hand, said phoenix tears had been proven to heal wounds and damage caused by most venoms, adding that healing cursed wounds was unlikely. He also noted that they were exceptionally rare, and he did not know of a single potion with phoenix tears as an ingredient.

Feelingas if I were back at square one, I spent a lot of time in the vivarium withAlaris. Though I doubted he could understand me, I told him about Anne, and howshe was going to die. At one point, I became so overcome with emotion—betweenthe Sallows, Professor Fig, and all of the events over the previous schoolyear—that I, myself, began to cry. Alaris settled down beside me, placing hishead on my lap again and providing an odd sort of comfort. Once it felt as if Icould cry no more tears, I thanked him. We sat there staring at one anotherbefore I asked if he would like to meet Anne, and I could've sworn he nodded,so I promised to bring him along to visit her the following weekend.