In the Shadow of Azkaban

Volume II: XXVIII

Sebastian's Point-of-View
Outer Hebrides, Scotland
October 1893

"Stay here," Iskra's voice was strained as she picked Anne up by her arm and drug her to the middle of the field.

I waited in the canoe and took in my surroundings. There were four aurors waiting around the hamlet, and I did not recognize any of their faces.

Iskra returned and extended her hand toward me. I grabbed it while I hoisted myself out of the small boat. We trekked up the slight elevation change to see the faux Feldcroft.

Iskra spoke under her breath, "Sebastian. I cannot help you with this trial, and you will not see me fight. That's for the next task. Be warned that these aurors will attack you at my call. Do not severely wound or kill them; disarm only."

I nodded at her warnings. Four against one. It could be a tough fight depending on their skill level.

"Ready?" Iskra yelled.

I watched as the aurors around me wave their wands in a particular pattern to transfigure themselves. Instead of the aurors, I was now fighting Rookwood, Ranrok, and two other loyalists.

Anne was positioned in front of our home. The door even had the same scuff marks from when we would close it with our feet. Solomon always scolded us for that behavior. I watched Anne kneel down and wait to be tortured.

"The aurors have been given special permission to use Unforgiveables. But you cannot." Iskra's voice was quiet against the aching of my mind. I knew better than to argue against that rule.

"Go!" Iskra screamed.

I sprinted toward Anne. I threw my wand out in front of me at one of the loyalists, "Bombarda!" My voice bellowed throughout the hamlet.

A loud whizzing shot right past my ear as I heard the auror disguised as Rookwood cast, "Crucio!"

Shit. I had to be more careful. The loyalist faced me, and his grin appeared menacing when he began to conjure his magic.

"Incendio! Expelliarmus!" His wand toppled out of his fingers, and I ran past him to grab it. I slid the wand in my belt loop.

The loyalist disapparated once I told Iskra, "One wand down." I assumed he went back to the Ministry.

I spun back toward the three aurors. The other loyalist warrior was closest to me, and I brought my wand next to my ear and lunged forward screaming, "Obscuro!" A bandana began threading itself around the loyalists eyes.

"Expulso!" My wand was becoming hot in my hands. I approached him and cried, "Expelliarmus! Accio wand!" I turned toward Iskra and smiled. She seemed unimpressed with her grimace permanently lingering on her face.

Casts were flying at me, but I was able to dodge them with ease. These aurors must have been the worst of the lot.

Now only Rookwood and Ranrok were left. My eyes scanned toward Anne, and I watched her stand up from the ground. "Sebastian! Move!" Her voice was piercing against my ears.

I leaned forward and dodged. The man playing Rookwood turned and cast at Anne, "Crucio!" She had fallen to her knees and was breathing deeply to prevent herself from screaming. Even from this far away, I could see her jaw clenching in pain.

Rookwood turned toward me and smiled coyly, "Children should be seen and not heard."

I gasped. I clenched my wand tighter, and my vision burned red. "You sick fuck!" I screamed.

More casts directed themselves at me. I did not care. At this point, they could have hit me, but my adrenaline already kicked in.

I could have killed anyone in this moment.

I did not sprint. I glided over to them with purpose. "Diffindo!" I shot at Rookwood. I threw a line of casts while tears streamed down my face, "Impedimenta! Incarcerous!"

He stood frozen with his wrists bound while I approached him. A giant slash bore across his chest.

I took his wand from his hands and held it to his neck. "I'll remember you next time, and I'll kill you. Don't come back here." I spat at his face.

A cast finally hit me in the arm; I whisked over to Ranrok. "You ignorant, little goblin." I hit him with a few basic casts before disarming him.

The last two aurors returned to the Ministry, and it was just us three once again.

Iskra approached me and laid her hand against my back. She rubbed me softly to calm me down. It didn't work.

The trial was over, but my own voice kept playing over in my head. "Ignorant."

I felt as if I had fainted.

"A goblin? Tell me I'm wrong. You know goblins cursed my sister to shut her up. Said she should be 'seen and not heard'." My jaw tightened. The anger was spilling off of me.

Antoinette's tone was argumentative, "I do. But not all goblins—"

She knew what had happened with Anne, and she still chose to defend that piece of shit, Lodgok. My voice was tense as I mocked her, "Not all goblins what? Have you forgotten Feldcroft? Have you forgotten the mines we just went through?"

Her voice threaded itself with pain, "No, Sebastian. I haven't. You're not listening to me."

I moved backwards and put a hand to my chest."Why would I listen to someone so ignorant?" The insult flicked off my tongue at her. I could feel my eyes narrow and my jaw pulse rapidly. I brought my wand up just in case she were to strike.

I was wrong. She was just upset. She was not going to hurt me like others had. The voice that escaped her seeped with betrayal. "...Ignorant?" She whispered.

No! No. What had I done? I needed to make her feel safe, like I had promised. She loved me, and I put her directly in harms way.

I placed my wand to my side and strolled toward her. I wanted to draw her in for an embrace, but she had already made her decision about me. She positioned herself to duel. However, her clumsy nature made her fall into the pensieve.

This was the only time I had to mend our relationship. My face scrunched in pain, and I let her know that I had given up. I fell to my knees in defeat. I brought my empty hands up and looked up at her.

I felt my eyes pooling with hot tears. My voice cracked while small cries escaped me. My voice wavered when I told her, "Wait! I'm sorry. I didn't mean to—"

She didn't even look at me. Her eyes were fixated on the walls of The Undercroft. I watched her face harden while she spoke through her teeth, "You already did." And she left my life as quickly as she entered it.

Immense amounts of pressure weighed on my mind. I screamed to release some of the pent up energy. Nothing worked. The pain entered every part of my being. My veins felt like they were held under a lake covered in ice, and my head burned as if it had been engulfed in flames.

Every memory played through my mind. I heaved and began hurling onto the ground. My vision rocked before me, and I felt more dizzy than I ever had. But I remembered.

I turned in the direction of my childhood home and spoke directly to her, "Anne! Anne. I remember. I remember everything."