Once we left, Sebastian immediately sent Skye an owl to meet us at the Undercroft.
At first, he was unsure it would even reach her, since he said her father was quite strict when it came to things such as letters, given his line of work.
However, not long after, an owl returned with a letter, dropping it on Sebastian's lap.
He opened it to see a simple message scribbled on a small piece of paper, seemingly rushed.
It was from Skye.
I'll be there.
Now, we were once again waiting in the Undercroft, the minutes feeling like hours as we awaited her arrival, wondering how exactly she was planning on getting here.
It was only Sebastian, Ominis and I waiting, since we didn't see the need for involving the others just yet, not wanting to overwhelm her with people as we told her what we needed.
It just seemed rude.
I felt strange as I prepared myself to tell the story for what seemed like the hundredth time this year.
Perhaps keeping it all a secret wasn't so bad afterall.
Yet, as I watched Sebastian fiddle with his cloak, staring at the door, and Ominis pace back and forth, I couldn't help but feel grateful.
Because as much as I dreaded explaining this again, it didn't compare to the loneliness I had felt this time last year.
Suddenly, the sound of the Undercroft opening filled the room, causing me to turn and look at the door.
I stared as someone entered, hoping our wait was finally over.
And sure enough, as she stepped into the light with a grin, Skye entered the Undercroft.
"Well this place hasn't changed." she commented, looking around the room as she walked towards us.
Sebastian wasted no time in greeting her, engulfing her in a hug once again.
"Thank you for coming." I heard him mutter, his voice monotone, making me think back to his reaction earlier.
I knew a part of him was thrilled to have his friend back, but it seemed to be overshadowed by the secret he kept from her, as though he were just waiting for it to all explode in his face.
As he let go of her, Skye immediately made her way over to me, her grin still wide as she opened her arms and pulled me in.
"It's nice to see you again." she beamed, seeming genuinely happy to be back.
I couldn't imagine begin away from here for so long.
This all must feel so magical to her.
Even in a world full of wonder, Hogwarts still held something that couldn't quite be captured anywhere else.
"You too." I said, hugging her back briefly before she backed away, her eyes landing on Ominis as he stood away from us all, kicking his feet awkwardly as he faced us.
It was silent for a moment, before Skye stepped towards him, her smile turning softer as she looked at him.
"It's been a while." she said, her voice gentle as she greeted him.
Ominis nodded in response, his usual whit absent as he seemed to be at a loss for words, a small blush creeping up his cheeks.
"You look well." Skye continued, unfazed by his quiet response.
I wonder if he always acted like that around her.
"Thank you. It's nice to hear your voice again." Ominis replied, his voice barely a whisper as he tried to compose himself.
Skye smiled at his response.
I could tell by the way she looked at him that she'd missed him.
Sebastian and I exchanged a knowing look as the two stood there, neither saying a word, but having plenty that they wanted to say.
Observing it was so innocent.
I wished they would hug, or say what was on their mind.
But for now, this was enough.
I understood that.
"As much as I appreciate you coming, couldn't you get into trouble for coming to the school grounds?" I asked, breaking the silence.
Skye turned to me, surprised at first, as though she forgot Sebastian and I were in the room.
Then, she gave us both a mischievous smirk.
"Professor Black received a lovely letter from 'my father' expressing my desire to reacquaint myself with the castle grounds before I return next year. To which he graciously accepted." she laughed, her tone sounding amused with the ordeal, as though she missed such antics.
That was when something seemed to cross her mind.
She stopped laughing, before looking around the room, as though she were wondering something.
"Where's Anne?" she asked.
I froze as the question escaped her lips, and I could see Sebastian go pale beside me.
Meanwhile, Ominis just looked as confused as Skye, but for a different reason.
"What do you me-" he began, but Sebastian quickly cut him off.
"She's still away with Solomon. You know Anne, she has always wanted to go out and see the world, not to mention learning all Solomon could teach her about Aurors. I guess he thought this would kill two birds with one stone." Sebastian let out a nervous laugh at the end, trying to play off how quickly he had blurted out the information.
Yet, Skye didn't seem all that convinced.
"... during term?" she questioned, raising an eyebrow.
Sebastian laughed again as he nodded, as though that were somehow more convincing than his story.
Luckily, while Skye still held a questioning look, she seemed to decide not to press, turning to me instead as she put on her grin again.
"So why exactly am I here?"
I opened my mouth to begin the exhausting explanation, but I cut myself short as a wave of dread filled my body.
So many people are getting involved now. And it felt like the more people knew, the more we put them at risk. If Isidora found out any of this, who knows what she would do.
But then again, who was to say she didn't know already.
Besides, Skye didn't seem like the type to worry about such things.
Which is why I decided to swallow this feeling, trapping it deep down, and begin to explain once again, hoping this would be the last time the words left my mouth.
————————————————————————————-
Skye was quiet for a while afterwards, her hand cupping her chin as she stared off in thought.
I couldn't quite make out what she was thinking in this moment, she definitely didn't seem excited by the information or request, but she didn't seem deterred either.
Just.... Somewhere in the middle.
"What are you thinking?" Ominis asked, clearly uncomfortable in the silence, concern in his voice as he struggled to gauge her reaction.
She looked up at him, like she wasn't expecting to hear his voice.
After looking at all our faces, taking in our expressions as we waited in anticipation, a smile seemed to tug at her lips, before slowly turning into an amused laugh.
"And here I thought your lives would be boring without me." She giggled, causing us all to look at each other in slight shock.
I hadn't expected her to be so calm.
As I looked back at her, I was taken aback to see she was now looking at me, a friendly smile resting on her face.
"Why don't you go fetch those other friends of yours?"
I blinked in surprise, processing what she was saying.
"Does that mean...?" I trailed off, to which she nodded eagerly.
"I'll teach you guys the patronus charm."
————————————————————
We all stood there in a line, watching as Skye paced back and forth, clearly enjoying the attention as she grinned before she began to explain what we needed to do.
"Alright, so, it's actually a pretty simple charm once you get the hang of it, so I need you all to listen carefully." she began, looking at us all as she stopped in her tracks, holding her wand out in front of her.
"First, you need to know that the charm is first and foremost a projection of all your most positive feelings, and can take the form of a magical guardian, an creature which embodies you." she explained.
She quickly pointed her wand, uttering the words 'expecto patronum'.
A bright light emerged from the tip of her wand, followed by a glow on the ground.
As our eyes adjusted, we could all see that it wasn't just a glow, it was a Hedgehog.
We watched in awe as the creature scurried around, before running up to Ominis, who was confused to say the least.
He jumped as he felt something on his leg, but as he pointed his wand down towards the blue hedgehog, a small smile graced his face, knowing it was a production of Skye's happiness.
Skye lowered her wand, causing the hedgehog to disappear.
We all looked back at her with wide eyes, while she held a triumphant grin, like she'd been waiting to show that off for a while now.
"See, it's easy. Just focus on a memory, point your wand, then recite the incantation." she simplified.
And with that, we all whipped out our wands, eager to try it for ourselves, wanting to see what our guardian would be.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
It had been a while now, and everyone was starting to get exhausted.
While we had all managed to cast the charm, none of us had yet managed to conjure our guardian.
However, just as it was beginning to feel pointless, I heard a gasp from behind me.
I quickly turned to see that Natty was stood there, staring in awe as the light from her wand took shape.
After a moment of adjustment, she was greeted with a Gazelle, which quickly began to bounce around the room, full of energy and freedom, just like Natty.
I smiled at her as she looked at everyone in amazement, proud of her success.
It made sense that it would be the same as her Animagus form, since the two followed the same principles.
Natty was just meant to be a Gazelle.
"Well done, Natty!" Skye exclaimed, patting her on the shoulder.
"What changed?" she asked.
She didn't really seem to ask out of curiosity, but more as a way to aid the rest of us.
She almost sounded like one of the Professors.
"At first, I was thinking about general things that made me happy, like days with my mother, or spending time with friends. But, as my mind drifted, I began thinking about a specific day I spent with my mother and father. We didn't do anything special, we just spent the day together, having fun on a nice day, enjoying each others company. It was one of the last times we were all together, but that just made me cherish it more." she explained, lowering her wand as she focused on the memory.
Skye nodded in acknowledgement, a kind smile on her face, before turning to the rest of us.
We all knew what she was trying to say.
She wanted us to follow Natty's example.
With a new sense of determination, we went back to casting the charm, and, sure enough, Poppy began laughing with joy not long after.
She watched as a Bay Mare took form, galloping around the room with determination.
Skye nodded at her, wearing the same look she gave Natty earlier, motioning for her to speak.
"I just thought of the day my Gran finally decided to teach me about caring for beasts. I had always grown up around creatures, but it had pained me that I couldn't do anything to help. When my Gran saw this, she sat me down, and went through as many as she could, telling me exactly what they needed to thrive. Seeing her talk so passionately, and knowing I was going to do some good... it was the happiest I'd ever been."
Next to cast the charm was Blaine, no doubt moved by Poppy's recollection.
A Hare left the tip of his wand, hopping around the air, floating above our heads.
He looked at Poppy as she smiled at him.
"Remember the day I showed you my greenhouse?" he asked, to which Poppy eagerly nodded.
"I had always been made to feel odd for liking Herbology so much, knowing so much information about plants made me a bit of a loner. So, when you asked me about them, seeing if any could help with the Beasts you cared for, I was so happy. I thought you'd make fun of me once I started rambling on, but you didn't. We just talked for hours. It was the first time anyone had completely accepted me." he admitted, a blush dusting both his and Poppy's cheeks.
However, as time dragged on, it seemed that Ominis, Sebastian and I weren't having such an easy time.
No matter how many times we cast the charm, or how many times the others encouraged us, we just couldn't conjure our guardian.
After a while, I took a deep breath, dangerously close to just calling it a day since I could feel my eyelids becoming heavier by the second.
But I didn't.
Instead, I decided to look around the room.
I saw Ominis and Sebastian trying their hardest to cast a charm, all so they could in an endevour they were only in because of me.
I watched Skye try and mentor them, knowing she had come to help without another thought, wanting to help her friends she hadn't seen in years.
I watched the others cast the charm over and over, perfecting it as they watched their guardians run around, trying to cheer on the rest of us.
They were all here because they believed we could do this.
And I wasn't about to let them down now.
So, all I needed to do, was to think of something happy...
I closed my eyes as I tried to concentrate, drowning out the sound of the others as I wracked my brain.
At frist, I could only think of the negative, my mind being focused on that for so long, dwelling on how my actions caused a cascade of events to unfold.
But then, I remembered the fun.
I remembered the first time I had met them all.
I remembered how I had walked down the stairs and seeing Sebastian reading his book, giving me attitude before realising I was the intriguing new student, before beating him in Defence Against the Dark Arts.
Meeting Ominis in the common room as he tried his best to make me feel welcome, calming my nerves before the first day.
How Natty had offered me a seat, eager to make me feel at ease, encouraging me from day one.
And Poppy, trusting me almost instantly, introducing me to Highwing, being caring even though she believed people weren't her strong suit.
They had all made me feel like I was a part of something, that I wasn't just some vessel for Ancient Magic.
They made me feel alive again.
They made me feel happy.
A warm feeling started building in my chest, causing a subconscious smile to spread across my face.
I took advantage of it, focusing on the feeling as I raised my wand.
"Expecto Patronum" I said, more determined than before, confident that this time it would work, the memories playing on a loop as I spoke.
My wand glowed just as before, causing a shadow of doubt to plague my mind, but I shook it away, focusing on the memory.
I focused on the words they had said, the way they showed their kindness to a stranger.
The way my walls came crumbling down.
And then, the light grew.
I watched as something shot out of my wand, whizzing around the room as it danced about everyones heads, causing them to look up in awe.
I watched closely as it moved sporadically, wondering what it could possibly be.
As though it could read my mind, it came straight back towards me, stopping just short of my face.
My eyes widened as I realised what it was.
It was a Swallow.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
"This is pointless." Ominous snapped, lowering his wand in defeat as his face became sour.
He and Sebastian were still trying their best to conjure a guardian, but to no avail.
It had gotten to the point where the rest of us were sat against the wall, watching as we tried to suggest new ways for them to try.
But nothing seemed to work.
Even Sebastian looked like he wanted to give up, looking down at his wand in defeat.
We all looked at each other, wondering what to say to make it better, but none of us could think of anything.
Knowing that they struggled this much to find happiness...
How did you help something with that?
However, as we all searched our minds for a solution, Skye seemed to be a set ahead, sighing as she stood up and made her way towards them.
"You want to know what memory I use when I cast it?" she suggested in a way that didn't seem to give them a choice.
The two slowly nodded, seeming unsure by the sudden volunteer.
"It's the day Ominis first showed us this place." she smiled, causing the two to look up in surprise.
"I remember Sebastian telling Anne and I his new friend was so amazing, with his magical wand, and how he could show us areas of the castle even the Professors didn't know about. How we all ditched class to come here, with Sebastian bringing his Gobstones to pass the time, and how he lost to Anne every time. That day was truly one of my happiest, because it was the first time we were all together, and it was the first time I'd seen Ominis smile."
Ominis blushed at her words, which caused her smile to widen, but there was now a sadness behind her eyes.
"I'll admit, at first, the memroty use to make me feel sad. The thought of never seeing you all again was too painful. But, with time, I started to think about how lucky I was to experience it. To love something so much that missing it brought me that pain. If anything, the pain proves it was real. And isn't that something to be happy about?"
She walked forward so that she was now infront of Ominis, placing her hand on top of his gently, lifting his wand.
"I know you think it's hopeless, but there is something inside you that it good and pure. You have showed it countless times, no matter what you think of yourself. So, I believe you can do it. You just need to believe it too"
Ominis stayed silent, his face blank as he took in her words.
However, after a moment, he pointed his wand again, before casting the charm one more time.
And as we looked at the ground, we could see a King Cobra slithering on the ground.
"You did it!" We all cheered, getting up to congratulate him, with Ominis looking like a scared puppy with all the commotion.
Yet, I did see a look of pride wash over his face, but only for a moment.
As we all praised Ominis, I couldn't help but look over to Sebastian, wondering how he was feeling.
Once I did, I was surprised to see that he was looking over at me as well.
But it wasn't just the fact he was looking, it was more that he was staring.
His eyes seemed to widen as he took in my features, as though he was staring right through me, his mouth slightly parted, as though he were in shock.
I could have sworn I saw a light blush dusted across he face too, but that might have just been the light.
But overall, he just seemed almost... enchanted.
I didn't know why this look suddenly fell upon his face, maybe because of Ominis, or even what Skye had said.
But for some reason, in that moment, all I could do was smile at him, hoping that my silent encouragement would reach him.
He seemed to snap out of his trance, shaking his head slightly as he looked down at his wand again, a new look of determination taking over his features, creasing his eyebrow.
He took a deep breath, closing his eyes briefly, before casting the charm.
It didn't seem like it had worked at first, the light from his wand seeming the same as the other times, yet, after a moment, I could see something appear at my feet, causing me to look down, wondering what it could be.
Upon closer inspection, I could see that it was a blue light, which meant only one thing.
It was Sebastian's guardian.
And it took the shape of a fox.