The Dark Promise// Theodore Nott

CH 49

"Theo, he's sleeping." Neville stated, pointing out the obvious. The group was standing in front of the sleeping portrait of Ominis Sallow, formally Gaunt. Hermione looked more perturbed than Neville did, feeling as though they were wasting their precious time. Olivia would have agreed with her, but instead the look on her face was one of awe. This made her wish she had explored the castle more when she was welcome here. A painting of the beautiful Ominis Sallow was right here. One where he wasn't bleeding in pain that was. She knew that was the painting they were after, but staring into his handsome calm face made her heart skip a beat. She felt as though she knew him personally, even though he had died long ago.

Theo began to clap his hands in front of the portrait to wake him up. He did just about anything. He snapped his fingers, yelled several obscenities at him, all the while looking like a fool to the others in the group. "Fuck! What did Mattheo do to wake him up?" He said before letting his arms fall to his sides, finally giving up. "Portraits are strange sometimes. They usually only show up when they want too. The ones in the halls of Hogwarts were usually chatty people so that's what we are used to. It would seem that in Mr. Sallow's lifetime he was quite the napper." Hermione stated.

"That's an understatement." Theo said before hearing another loud explosion in the distance. The rest of the order would be coming inside and they were still no closer to the portrait than they were fifteen minutes ago. "Let's go look around. Maybe there is a clue somewhere." Hermione stated, turning down the hallway as Neville and Theo began to follow her. Olivia stayed back, slowly walking up to the portrait. Her head was craned upwards, her eyes not wanting to leave the mans soft face. He was so pale he looked to be made of porcelain. She reached up, gently touching the gold frame the man was encased in. "If a Gaunt could change. Anyone could." She whispered under her breath.

The man's face began to twitch at her words, his eyes slowly opening. She was now staring into one pale blue eye, and one milky orb. He lifted his head from his hand, turning his head slightly to look at who just disturbed his lovely dream. "Why hello there. It seems I've become quite the popular creature as of late." He said in a prim and proper voice. The other three were halfway down the hallway when they heard the man's voice. Theo looked to be in shock, his disappointment fading from his face. How could Olivia wake him so easily? What did she say? They followed back, stopping behind Olivia. "Ah, it seems I have an audience. It's like being in a classroom all over again." The man said with a small smile.

"Mr. Sallow, we don't have a lot of time to explain. There is a portrait of you in this castle that we desperately need to get to. You wouldn't happen to know where it might be do you?" Olivia asked softly, not wanting to change the demeanor that awoke the man in the first place. The man sat up lazily, yawning before running his fingers through his dirty blonde hair. "I have only commissioned two paintings of myself in my lifetime. Yours truly." He said before flashing her a pearly smile. "And one of the most transformative moments in my life." He continued, his smile quickly fading.

Olivia nodded at him; happy he knew which one they were talking about. "Yes, the scene of your blinding. That's the one we are after." She was very surprised that he himself had commissioned the painting. The fact that he would revisit a traumatizing event like that was interesting. It was even more interesting that he would name it 'The Traitor' It was like he was proud of betraying his bloodline. Olivia then remembered something the man had said while reading his autobiography. He saw the blinding as something of a rebirth. Something to change him for the better. She wondered if that's how Malfoy felt about his burns. She doubted it though.

Ominis scoffed, leaning back in his office chair. "That painting is here? I ordered it to be put in the ministry of magic after my death. It would seem they don't appreciate true art anymore." Olivia shook her head at that statement, trying to keep the man on topic. She had to remind herself that this was not the Ominis Sallow that once lived. It would seem whoever enchanted this portrait of him left his more neurotic sensibilities inside this painting. He seemed abit more pompous then he did in his book. "It may have once been there, but your nephew had made a hobby of collecting certain artifacts. He has turned your painting into an evil instrument to gain immortality." She explained.