Cursed (Hogwarts Legacy fanfiction - original in German)

Chapter 06 - Be there

"Hurry up, Ominis, or we'll be late for Charms class," urged Sebastian, prodding his rather groggy-looking roommate who, though he had finally managed to change, still sat on his bed rubbing his eyes with a lackluster groan. Ominis really had no nerves left for Charms class or any kind of lessons at the moment. He had hardly slept at all last night. For days, memories of practicing in the backyard of his family estate with his siblings had been playing in his mind, using an explosive spell to push barrels and then smaller cans off a fallen tree trunk. It had been difficult to use his wand simultaneously for orientation, targeting, and spellcasting, but his parents had never accepted that as an excuse.

"Come on, let's go," thankfully, Sebastian quickly snapped him back to reality. He grabbed Ominis' arm and simply pulled him along. There was no roughness in his actions; it had just become Sebastian's habit to make sure Ominis didn't lag behind. He had always looked out for his blind best friend when he had moments of sluggishness. While Ominis managed quite well on his own most of the time, it was comforting to know that Sebastian still kept an eye on him, just in case.

When the two Slytherins finally reached the Charms classroom, they had caught up so much time that they even arrived early. Phina entered shortly after them, also seeming a bit dreamy. When her gaze fell on Sebastian, she immediately thought of how Nerida had been pestering her relentlessly over the last few days about whether they were finally a couple. According to her roommate, it had been more than obvious since the last school year that there was some serious chemistry between them. But that spark had faded, at least for Phina. No matter how much Nerida raved about how handsome she found him and how he would be a catch if you wanted a confident, talented guy who could protect you from the rest of the world, Phina knew better. She knew him more intimately, knew his other side, and she was glad that side had receded a bit for the moment. She realized this as he saw her entering the classroom and smiled that irresistible smile, instantly lifting Phina's mood.

After a bit of small talk with Sebastian and Ominis, who seemed noticeably tired, two people suddenly entered the room that Phina had never seen at Hogwarts before. They must be the new classmates Imelda and Everett had told her about, having met them in class already. Her residual sleepiness vanished in an instant, and her entire attention focused first on the black-haired girl with the darkest eyes she had ever seen. Maybe it was the intense contrast with her fair skin that made them seem even darker. She walked elegantly beside a boy who wore a blue tie and a Ravenclaw vest over a white shirt. His slightly wavy brown hair added to his charm, and the way he carried himself exuded such pride that one could almost think he owned the entire school. Phina noticed Sebastian giving the boy a mistrustful glance, assessing him from head to toe as if trying to gauge whether the newcomer posed any serious competition for the school's best duelist. Sebastian had always taken pride in that title, so his reaction to the newcomer wasn't surprising to Phina. Even Ominis seemed to pick up on the slight tension in the room; he had also fallen silent, and Phina knew he was attentively listening for any sound. The other classmates were eyeing the newcomers just as curiously, and the appearance of the stunning black-haired witch prompted some chattering among a few Gryffindors who had already taken seats in a corner of the room.

"Good morning, we're the new sixth years. I don't think we've met yet," the girl finally said, and her deep gaze locked onto Phina. Something about that look sent shivers down Phina's spine, and she couldn't quite explain it, but her gut feeling gave her a clear alarm signal that something wasn't right with this new classmate. Phina tried not to show her discomfort; she didn't want to appear rude. After all, she understood the situation of being new to a school and joining at an unusual time. So, she attempted a friendly tone.
"That's right. Hi, I'm Phina," she introduced herself and gave Sebastian, who still stared at the newest Ravenclaw member with fire in his eyes, a rather forceful nudge with her elbow. He briefly grinned at her challenge and nudged his elbow back towards Phina, but it was quite obvious that he intentionally missed her. Then he introduced himself as well.
"Sebastian Sallow," he said with his typically lofty tone, as if everyone should know that his name carried a certain reputation and demanded respect if you didn't want to get into trouble.