Chapter 7: Pen, Get it?
Dinner time strolled around rather quickly for Penelope Silverthorn. Her eyes were entirely fixated on the leather journal given by Sebastian Sallow that her time was wasted over the day.
"Ah, Pen! I was hoping to reach you halfway." Poppy Sweeting's voice reached out a little after the moving stairs.
Penelope turned her head, meeting Poppy near the Entrance Hall and giving off a faint smile, the journal in her sides being clutched more than usual.
"Oh, hey Poppy. And yeah, I figured I should be more on time when it came to dinner time. To avoid...you know, student jam." Penelope joked as they walked.
"Understandable," Poppy kept the contagious grin on her face, her eyes landing over Penelope's arms, "Oh, taking notes?"
Penelope looked down with an uneasy laugh, beginning to realize that having the journal in an open space wouldn't have been a good idea.
With a flick of a wand, the journal poof away into the pocket of her jacket and the journal curiosity ended right there.
"Oh, yeah," Penelope flushed, "Should've left it in the room."
Penelope worried that her own close friend would be able to uncover the expressions behind the truth, but Poppy gave a nodding gesture and entered the Great Hall.
Sebastian Sallow's pinky wiggled at the end of his food plate. His eyes lowered over the mashed potatoes below him as the other hand clutched onto the unmoved fork.
"Are you even listening to me?" Cecil Greengrass fussed beside him.
Professor Sallow was known to have a mind of his own. A little creative world that skulked over his conscious. It wasn't on purpose, but when he was disinterested, he'll fidget. Some students would take advantage of this and chatter until he came back to reality.
"Did know you she pierced out that monstrous goblin in year 90?"
"Bloody hell, I believe she was my first crush when I was like nine."
Sebastian's eyes gawked up at the conversation between two Ravenclaw boys at the far end table. They seemed to be in their last year and Sebastian could detect it was the most obnoxious pair from his fifth class.
"Merlin, the dreams I'll have while Miss S. is around."
The hazel eyes stalled from the seventh year boys, tracking their distraction before they found a target.
Penelope Silverthorn entered the Great Hall slowly. Her eyes disoriented as she struggled; the attention being given to her from the return.
Sebastian didn't blame the students. Even if he wanted to get them in trouble, there was this source of luck he felt within him that there was a lifetime where he acted just like them too.
And it wasn't long ago.
Look away, Sallow. Look away.
It was helpless. Penelope was the center of attention and it would be a lie to say he wasn't curious about how she was doing. Even if he forced himself to.
Her smile was rare. Sebastian remembers how it took Penelope almost a full 12-month year to grow it back after the events of the fifth year. Now, it was his turn to grow that smile back.
The waves of hair bounced over her shoulders beside Poppy Sweeting and he blinked, watching the brown leather of his journal spike through her pocket.
"Eherm," Cecil pouted.
Sebastian was quick to lose hold of his actions and his throat cleared, adjusting his tie.
"You weren't listening to me at all, were you?" Cecil said in arrogance, already upset over the ignorance her fiancé had been giving.
"I apologize," Sebastian sighed, bringing his fingers over his temples and rubbing, "I have lots in my mind. I can barely eat." He half-lied.
Cecil stared down at the untouched plate of Sebastian and rolled her eyes, "I sure hope you aren't like that at my parent's estate this weekend."
Sebastian listened, but from the corner of his eyes, he could mark the presence of both women who had just entered from the opposite end of his seat.
Penelope Silverthorn locked the door of her faculty bedroom later that evening. Her breaths tired as she leaned on it for a minute and closed her eyes.
"For once, I miss you, you bloody Ignatia." Penelope whispered to herself as she walked her way back instead of using Floo.
Yes, she did have the knowledge of the new Floo Powder system that Sebastian Sallow taught her, but after dinner, she decided to spend an hour of her time in the Vivarium with Luna.
Although it sucked to not have her dog around her side as a guard, Penelope knew it was best to keep any important pet in safe hands until the case was over. Visiting seemed worth it, and Luna seemed more open in the Room of Requirement with the others.
But now, Penelope was slightly bored.
It was a shameful thought for boredom. Children were at risk and Penelope was part of the job to take care of a heavy case, yet, her concern was that she was bored.
"Azkaban I go," Penelope joked to herself from the childish thoughts and proceeded into her office space.
This book belongs to:
Sebastian Sallow
Penelope stared blankly over the lettering. It wasn't even her first time looking at the journal, so she couldn't understand the abstraction of it.
Sixth Year
Sixth year Penelope Silverthorn sat on the brown couch in the Slytherin Common Room. Her fingers clutched over the journal she had personally customized from Tomes & Scrolls earlier that day.
It was past midnight and the exhaustion from her recent quest made her weak, but she didn't want to forget the journal.
"I know you're there, Sebastian."
There was a curse that came out of Sebastian Sallow's mouth from the failure of the Disillusionment Charm on Penelope Silverthorn.
"Damn, I can never get past you, can I?" Sebastian smirked at his friend, walking around the sofa.
Yes, friends. They were still friends, but their feelings for each other were at a peak.
Penelope Silverthorn was just in denial. As always.
Penelope made the journal disappear at sight once Sebastian got close.
"Why are you awake?" Sebastian asked.
"Why are you awake?" Penelope mimicked him, resting her dirty battling gear on the cushion and folding her arms.
"I asked you first."
"I just came back from Aranshire." Penelope murmured.
"Isn't that place infested with spiders?" Sebastian furrowed, but his brows adjusted when Penelope gave him a deep stare and he corrected his words, "I mean, the place that was infested with spiders that you destroyed."
"Exactly." Penelope sighed.
Sebastian Sallow looked over his shoulder, sitting beside the girl with dirty gear and spiderwebs over her long hair.
Oh, to be so gorgeous even at your worst, he thought to himself.
"So, what were you hiding in there?" Sebastian nudged with his shoulder.
Penelope Silvethorn pretended as if having Sebastian Sallow inches from her on that couch wasn't making her shy. She didn't have a need to feel fluttering over it. She was brave, uncaring sometimes, and strong. Shyness felt like a weakness.
"Nothing." Penelope lied, her eyes now on the fireplace.
"Nothing?" Sebastian chuckled, "You had a journal in your hand."
Penelope flushed, "If you already know, why do you ask?" She rolled her eyes, hiding her smile.
Sebastian shrugged, "I tend to hear your ideas."
Penelope pressed her lips together, wandering her mind on how she would approach it. She had never done this. Only once in the first grade, but it wasn't a journal, it was a letter, and that seven year old boy rejected it.
"Are you shy?" Sebastian noticed the expressions of Penelope, "That's not so Slytherin of you, missy." He teased.
Penelope scoffed, giving a push to Sebastian on that sofa.
"I mean, I was going to be nice and give you a gift, but now you ruined it, Sallow!"
Sebastian brought his feet up on the couch, acting like a child and gasping dramatically over the confession.
"A gift?" Sebastian let out, "A gift from Pen? Oh, wait, not just any Pen! A gift from THE Penelope Silverthorn! How gracious. Should I scream my lungs out and show it off—"
"Oh, hush!" Penelope looked around, "You'll wake the entire common room, you snake."
Sebastian Sallow just smiled at her. The freckles in him peeked nicely over the fireplace in front of them as he adjusted himself on that cushion again and stared down at Penelope with happiness.
Penelope Silverthorn had a crush. There was no denying it. It was right there. It was too late.
Slowly, Penelope slipped out the journal with an enchantment and placed it over Sebastian's lap, shyly.
"It's really mine?" Sebastian observed the thick material, not believing the gift.
"You thought I was joking?"
"You always do, so yes." Sebastian laughed, his eyes still on the journal below him.
"Well, I figure you'll make more use of it than me. I tend to keep important notes in my head, rather than on paper." Penelope excused.
"Yeah, you're quite intelligent, aren't ya?" Sebastian praised, but took a sigh, "How do you know I love to take notes?" He asked in sarcasm.
The reflection of Sebastian's notes on random parchments in his Feldcroft home, Undercroft, classes, and the intense note taking in the chalkboards in the Undercroft.
Penelope knew him by now.
"I wrote the first one on the last page." Penelope pointed.
Penelope watched as Sebastian's long fingers traced over the journal, untying the lace string; it had in a knot. Her eyes were distracted from watching him undo the brown string in such a gentle matter.
No, Penelope. Fantasizing right now is the worst timing. Stop it.
Theory to test #1.
Give Pen my Arithmancy notes.
Sebastian Sallow maintained a high smile at the note-taking and shook his head, laughing.
"You just never bloody fail, do you?"
Penelope smiled, "What can I say?"
Sebastian nodded, "Hogwarts top duelist, but can't understand Arithmancy? Maybe, all heroes do have a flaw."
"You ask for my Transfiguration and History of Magic notes all the time. I wouldn't talk if I were you." Penelope attacked back.
Sebastian kept the laugh, wiggling his fingers, "Do you have a quill pen by any chance?" He motioned scribbling, "Get it? Pen...Pen."
"That joke died a long time ago, Sebastian."
Sebastian winked at her, "Not for me."
This book belongs to:
Sebastian Sallow
Sebastian Sallow wrote freshly in that journal.
...
Penelope Silverthorn stared at the last page of the journal.
It was gone. Blank. The writing she once left there was no longer there.
There was no need to fret. It's been years. Penelope shouldn't have been shocked to see no traces of herself anymore. She left. He had every right.
It was normal to feel a sting. Even if it was her fault for the results, Penelope accepted the consequences of the memories. She should be grateful he kept the journal in the first place.
"Anyways, back to the real problem," Penelope adjusted herself, slipping through Sebastian Sallow's notes.
Penelope's eyes scrolled through the writing of Sebastian Sallow. Her brain reading thoroughly over his writing and findings.
There were writings and numbers involving the named ill students at Hogwarts. How he had observed them and made notes on their symptoms.
Possible Theories:
Wizarding World international illness
- No place of bloomed yet Not enough evidence
- No other students from other parts of the world have it
Food poisoning
- Potential poisoning from honey dukes?
- Owner possibly scared to admit
- All children ate the same sweet within six months
Penelope closed the journal before reading further. She had to look at these students herself.
Sebastian Sallow and Penelope Silverthorn always seemed to make a perfect team in the past with battles, but sometimes, note-taking together was a back-and-forth play.
Hence, why one was better at certain subjects than the other.
It was only 11pm when Penelope Silverthorn strolled around the halls of Hogwarts. She was going to take floo, but she wanted to avoid any potential noise the fireplace at the Hospital Wing would've made.
The infirmary seemed different than how she last remembered. The walls were brighter and there were no longer curtains that separated the students. It seemed more comfortable than how she last remembered it.
It seemed empty, adult-wise. There wasn't a nurse around at the time and Penelope took this time to observe the patients around with her wand.
Gryffindor boy, candy-pox.
Hufflepuff girl, high fever.
Empty bed.
Empty bed.
Penelope stopped slowly in her tracks, her wand detecting over the slumped ginger girl who laid with sweat on the white bed.
Her brows furrowed, taking notice of magical straps over her wrist and realizing that this might've been the third-year Ravenclaw with sleep-walking problems.
Penelope felt an off aura from the setting already. She blamed the insomnia that she dealt with arriving at Hogwarts, but she stared to the sides, taking the view that she was between the two students.
Meredith Lima and Greg Brown.
"Hm," Penelope furrowed.
Penelope's actions were gentle, caressing over the sleepy children in her view. One of her hands traced over the forehead.
"Hm, no," The third-year grew a night terror, shifting in her bed.
"Shh, it's alright," Penelope whispered, "I'm here to help."
Penelope observed and observed, and then she turned to the younger boy. Greg Brown — he was only a first year. So young.
Penelope bent, clutching over the thin wrist. A feeling of guilt washed her from the lack of eating the children were having.
Her eyes closed for a moment, beginning to whisper incantations, wanting to trace ancient magic and find detections over the problem.
Penelope Silverthorn has done this for years. At first, it was difficult to take hold of such strength-like magic, but after eight years of doing such a job, it became easier. Slightly easier.
Except now.
Penelope let out a light groan, her vision instantly blurry and a circling feeling overcoming her head.
The magic over her body burned and flashes of ancient magic flowed over her dark view. Then the guidance of familiar parts of the castle appeared. It was a guidance, but a bad type.
Before Penelope can drown over the curse between her and the students, reality checked back in on her in seconds.
"Whoa, hey, hey,"
Penelope Silverthorn took her first breath from the darkness, her eyesight adjusting before she felt a pair of arms hold her together from the scary moment.
Penelope couldn't remember how long it's been to feel such an energy at once, but she swallowed and flicked over at the scene.
"I...I...Percy?"
Percy Dumbledore stood in place, the nineteen year old giving a look of concern from witnessing Penelope lose herself on the observation.
"Good evening, Miss Silverthorn," Percy bowed slightly, still keeping her in place, "I suppose this wasn't a very well greeting for the day. Are you alright?"
No, nothing was alright. There were so many things to be said. So many things that were more than those notes in that journal.
"Uh, yes, yes I am. I apologize," Penelope said in a clear tone, bringing herself together, "What...what are you doing here?"
Percy nodded, letting her go and standing in a proper posture as he stared down at the sleeping students again.
"It's my duty to check up on the students here at Hogwarts every other night or so," He answered.
Penelope nodded, wiping her skirt from the fall.
"I usually take turns with Professor Sallow to check over them. As you can see, it's my turn tonight." Percy smiled.
Penelope stopped the wiping and froze over the name mentioned, "Uh, Professor Sallow?"
The blue-eyed man nodded, arms crossed as he spoke, "Yes. Professor Sallow has lots of care and worry over his students, which I agree, I was a student of his myself," Percy smiled, "We've discussed that since we failed not checking on the previous ill students that are now in St. Mungos, we check over the ones that are here."
Penelope was stuck on the thought of the caring Sebastian Sallow grew over his students. He always had a soft aura on him — a sympathetic trait that he always needed to protect the ones he cared about. Always. And he cared about his students.
"Oh, that's...nice of him—I mean of you two. Very well done. I wasn't aware." Penelope said.
Percy nodded at her, "It's alright. We still have lots of precautions and you just got here...it seems like you know much more than us."
Penelope chuckled, pain still tingling over the tip of her fingers from the odd flashbacks with the first year student.
"I do, unfortunately. Perhaps, I should save that for the next faculty meeting," Penelope sighed, "Thank you, by the way. For that. That was rather embarrassing."
"Embarrassing?" Percy furrowed, "That was truly a brave act of yours, but it was out of luck I was here to help. It seems like you uncovered something new which is one step closer to solving this."
Penelope felt eased by the positivity that came out of Albus Dumbledore, or as he is called, Percy. Although it was a surge of darkness growing, he kept things on an assurance feel.
How Gryffindor of him. Penelope thought to herself.
"It is," Penelope sighed knowing she was going to be around for a while, "I suppose this also means you get an extra night of sleep. Add me to the monitoring list. I would be here often."
Percy agreed, "Thank you, Miss Silverthorn. I'll inform Professor Sallow about the observance change for the night."
Penelope stared blankly, "Did you get used to calling him Professor Sallow?"
Percy chuckled, looking down, "I, in fact, did. He was my professor for a year, but it stuck with me. It sometimes feels weird that I now work beside him."
Penelope let out a dry laugh, nodding and agreeing.
"Yeah, tell me about it."
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I just finished writing half of the plot for this book (which you guys won't see until the future hehe) and I am so excited.
The tension is going to be so worth it ! AGHHHHH. 😍
Also, I know it's hard to imagine a young Dumbledore, but it's basically a young Jude Law LOL!