The Shadow of Slytherin

Howl at the moon

You run after them, but cannot see Alec anywhere, not even Atticus, the long clack cloak flying behind him as he spins, but wherever you look, nothing seems out of place. With Akira to your left, you argue about Alec's intentions when Atticus returns, alone, but he refuses to listen and demands you do not pursue this path any further.

"It's too dangerous" he hisses pressing you against the wall, "You can barely control your powers as is, now you want to channel all your energy into something that could get you killed?"

"What is the matter with you? You are the one that keeps disappearing and comes back torn up. Care to explain that?"

His tired eyes lingering on you, Atticus leans closer, a sigh rolling over his lips. "Family business, none of your concern"

"Of course, Salem you tell, but not us" Alec rolls his eyes, leant against the door frame while Atticus releases you from his grasp and steps back, the pale fingers ruffling through the knotted hair he has tried to brush out, but no matter how often he goes through it, some more moss finds itself between his fingers as he pulls them from his head. Shrugging his shoulders, Atticus scoffs and tosses the moss at Alec. "I warned you to keep Salem out of this-" his voice grim at the mention of your name, "And you ignored it. I told you to keep quiet and you cannot even keep your mouth shut"

"Well, someone has to keep an eye on Salem, and why not give them a bit more power"

"A bit more po-" Akira claps his hands as he enters the room and pushes Alec aside, "You cannot keep it in your pants, that's the only reason you want Salem to be one of us"

"Thank you guys," Your eyes alternate between the three, standing opposite to one another, their fists clenched as their gaze rushes to you, "It's not like I have been through enough the past year. If you want to fight you may do so, but not on my account" A sigh comes over your lips when your fingers brush over a gash on Atticus's arm and you use you a pinch of goblin magic to heal it before he can pull his arm from your grasp. "I'll stop, if that's what you want, but then at least tell me why" The eyes raised to meet his glance, you shake your head when he scoffs and steps backwards, the hair falling into his face as he spins around and leaves the room.

For the rest of the day and the one that follows, neither you nor Alec or Akira speak to Atticus, or each other. Through Ominis you have heard that they got into another fight soon after, Professor Sharp stepping between Atticus and Alec, sending them both to detention.

Alone, strolling through the forbidden forest, you listen to the croaking of toads, and watch as fireflies hush by, lighting the path as you walk deeper into the forest and from the path towards the entrance of Richard Jackdaw's grave.

Although it has troubled you many times, how easy you found it to kill those loyalists, blaming their deaths on Ranrok, you seem to find a form of peace in that place. The calm lake, small ripples forming where the dragonflies land on water lilies, the stag that drinks at the other side of the lake and watches as you drop to the ground.

The limbs aching as your head touches the soft sand at the lake shore, you groan when a sharp sting rises through your body and tears on your mind. A sharp inhale and your eyes dart to the sky above, the full moon has passed, but it still shines bright above, lighting the forbidden forest in a vibrant blue, mystic, fog settling above the lake whose surface shimmers in the light of the moon while you fight to stay conscious.

Your body twitches as you push yourself off the ground and stumble forward, into the water, the cool waves brushing against your skin, hissing as the heat has reached a boiling point inside your body. With a desperate yelp, you drop forward and hold your breath as you dive deeper into the cold lake, father from the surface until no light can reach you. Screaming, you endure the pain that rushes through your veins and tortures you while the lake keeps you captured in the dark.