The Shadow of Slytherin

Sebastian

Wresting your arm from his grip, you use a bit of magic to tie your hair back and a drying spell on your body. With your clothes in hand, you head over to the door of the washroom, but Alex follows you, blocking the door with his body. "Salem, talk to me. What is going on?"

Anger rises from inside you, so strong, you want to scream and fight, no matter who as long as it takes your mind off all that is happening. Instead however, you grab Alex by the arm and pull him from the door with such force, he stumbles and rolls over the ground, landing near the wash basins in the middle of the room. "Just stay out of my way!" your voice deep and threatening, but when you turn to see him laying on the ground, his arms shaking as he pushes himself off the ground, you halt.

"Salem" Alex lets out, but at the same moment, the door shuts and you wander off, through the hallways back to your room, get dressed and hurry off to dinner, starved, the smell of roast beef and salmon in your nose, your body walks on its own, drawn to the delicious smells inside the great hall.

Laughing comes from behind you, and when you turn, Garreth Weasley walks down the stairs in your direction. "Decided to bless us with your presence, have you?" he lets out, walking past you and through the doors into the room before the great hall.

Clicking, the doors snap closed, leaving you, Garreth and the two armours between two doors. Stuck as Garreth struggles to get the door to the great hall open. "It won't budge" he utters, his body pressed against the heavy metal.

"Look at that, Salem and their little Weasel" The croaky voice comes from the walls and a moment later, the colourful hat appears, followed by the scrunched face of Peeves, who freezes in his spot when you throw a potion at him, the liquid drenching his coat and dripping to the ground.

A smug grin on his face, Garreth turns to look at you, "Nice toss, what is that?"

"Wool of bat" Your tone cold, the face turned to Peeves who drops to the ground, still, his body still as a statue, "Mixed with some aconite and maybe a bit more" Your eyes on Garreth as you step past Peeves, who fights against his paralysis, the hand reached out to the door, you turn back and laugh, "Come on, he needed a taste of his own medicine at some point"

"I like the new you" Garreth lets out, the chest puffed as he walks towards the door and past you as you extend your arm and hold it open for him, "full of surprises, a real prankster may become of you"

Walking close behind Garreth, you scan the room to see Natty and Poppy wave from different tables, and as you wave back, Sebastian and Ominis rise from their spots and wave at you as well.

A sigh of relief comes over Ominis's lips as you place your hand on his shoulder and have a seat beside him. "It is good to have you back, Salem. I feared you might be in trouble" whispering the last part, he leans closer and offers you a plate with chicken strips, then hands over the sauce and some salad. "Sebastian here refused to believe you could get yourself in trouble any time before midnight"

"Isn't the late afternoon technically also after midnight?" The eyebrow raised, you grin at Sebastian, whose face turns cold at your remark, but as you stuff your mouth with food, he does the same and the dinner continued without any further conversation.

Only after dessert, the vast variety of sweets, so many, you are sick after the first muffin you eat and just endure Sebastian stuff himself with piece of cake after the other, then pudding and some Turkish delight, he blurts out about another idea he has got for the cure.

"Enough, Sebastian. Salem is not yours to command, and I told you I refuse to help. It is too dangerous" His voice so full of anger, you have never seen Ominis this upset, you rise from your spot and grab him by the arm, but he pulls himself free and leaves the great hall, and you as well as Sebastian with it.

All eyes on you as you rise as well and hurry after him, Sebastian remains seated, the stare of some Hufflepuff on him, his grim expression enough for them to turn their backs and continue as if nothing had happened.

"Ominis, wait!" The voice carried through the long and high corridors, you rush up a flight of stairs, then another in an attempt to find Ominis as you cannot see or hear him anywhere, but when nothing comes to sight, your mind clears so fast you are perplexed for a moment. Standing still, the golden eye scanning the grand staircase, the heart beat echoes your way, higher up, almost at the top of the stairs, then it disappears through the floo flames.

Growling, you spin around and use the floo flames next to you to get to the DADA tower and walk onto the higher level just as a door screeches and shuts, dust twirling up while you hurry down the stairs in front of the DADA classroom towards the undercroft.

The hand on the door, you take a deep breath, then open it and hush through the dark corridor into the undercroft, the metal gate switching open when you step inside.

In the middle of the room, his body on the cold stone ground, the arms rested on his chest, his eyes closed. At the sound of the door, his face turns into your direction, but he does not say a word until you reach him and crouch beside him, your eyes on him as he moves. "How did you get in? I locked the door"

"It was open for me" You shrug your shoulders, a cool draught tickling your back. At the wave of your hand, an invisible window opens, letting in enough fresh air to cool your body as the temperature rises once again. "I know you do not want to talk about it, but-"

"You are right. I refuse to listen to Sebastian any longer. It does not matter what I say, he refuses to listen. He is our friend, I know that, but this is going too far" Ominis reaches out to rest his hand on yours as he sits up, then sighs and turns his glance to the ground, "I am losing Anne, I cannot change that, but you have become my friend and I do not want to lose you as well. And Sebastian refuses to see that"

"Let me have another word with him, maybe I can change his mind, or at least give him some distraction"

Snorting, Ominis stands up, the one chair in the undercroft falling over with a bang as he steps forward, the leg stuck as his trousers are caught in a wooden splinter on the chair. With a scratch, the side of his trousers rips, leaving a slit near his knee. A sigh comes over his lips as Ominis mumbles a spell to fix the trousers, then leans down to pick up the fallen chair. "And how will you do that?"

"I don't know yet, but as long as Anne is well enough, I have got a chance"

"Then I fear you are running out of time"

Your face turning blank, you stare at Ominis as he holds out his wand to find his way out the undercroft. "I have heard word from her, it is getting worse, but she has not told Sebastian yet. He will be devastated, and I fear when he hears he will do something terrible"

"I will find a way" A deep breath, the cold air filling your lungs, you head through the narrow tunnel, and walk into the DADA tower, only a few students walking around, too occupied with peeves harassing them to notice you.