Sebastian and I glanced at each other in fear. Suddenly, we heard a crash into the brick wall next to Zonko's and what we witnessed truly shocked the living daylight out of me.
We were met with a very much fully grown troll, now making its way to the people in the town circle. It was fighting with the wizards, meanwhile creating destruction all around.
There were a few people who were drawing the troll away from the village. However, I couldn't help but notice the dark, glowing collar the troll was wearing and the similarities that it had to that of the dragon I encountered on my way to Hogwarts. Not to mention, I also saw that same glow when Ranrok was summoning magic back in the blue room with me and professor Fig.
The troll was controlled by some dark magic. Dark magic that Ranrok was most likely controlling.
Before I could finish my thinking, I suddenly heard another crash somewhere behind me.
"Watch out!" Sebastian yelled and pulled me aside with him. Turning around, it felt like a true nightmare was taking place in real life. A second troll had appeared, wearing the same collar as the other one.
Now, having no one to save us anymore, as the others were occupied by the first troll, Sebastian and I stood alone. I felt all the nerves take over my body as the troll was headed directly towards me.
Ranrok must have sent the troll to get me. I grabbed my newly acquired wand and casted at the troll. "Levioso!"
However, the troll was too heavy and I could not lift him off the ground. Sebastian sent some basic casts at the ginormous creature and stood before me as a way to protect me.
I joined him in his basic casting, as it seemed the most effective way to get the troll to slow down his movements and get distracted. How on earth were we going to take down this thing?
The more spells I cast, the more powerful I started to feel. It was almost as if I was charging my wand to perform some very powerful magic.
Then suddenly, I saw it. There was a blue glow appearing around a the brick wall, destructed by the troll. Without hesitation, I aimed my wand in the wall's direction, lifting up the bricks, and smashed it into the creature, making it stumble backwards.
The troll itself was now glowing and, holding my wand firmly with both hands, I was able to cast a very powerful magic blast, completely pulverizing the enormous nuisance.
"Bloody hell! What on earth was that", Sebastian breathed out, bending over and grabbing his knees while grasping for air. "I'm not quite sure myself", I looked down at my hands as they were still shaking from the actions that they had just performed.
"Well, whatever it was, that was pretty impressive." I chuckled: "You could say that." "I think we've earned ourselves a butterbeer or two", Sebastian patted his belly and guided me to a pub called 'The Three Broomsticks'.
On our way to the pub, I felt the magic inside of me stir. Something was off. I stopped in my tracks and heard two voices talking to my left.
"What's wrong?" Sebastian asked a bit confused. Without answering, I followed the sound of the voices.
In a small alley, there were 2 figures talking to each other. One of them being the very goblin that attacked me on the way to Hogwarts. Ranrok.
Sebastian had joined me in my eavesdropping. "Victor Rookwood? Talking to a goblin?" He seemed a bit shocked at the appearance. "It's Ranrok", I whispered.
"The goblin of the daily prophet? This can't be good."
"You said you could get to the child when they came to Hogsmeade", Ranrok spoke in an angry tone. I gasped, knowing very well they were talking about me, that my assumption was right. "That all you needed was a distraction. I gave you a distraction!", the goblin continued.
"I just watched a student take down your 'distraction'", the man, whose name I had now come to know as Victor Rookwood, defended himself.
He seemed to become suspicious of the goblin in front of him: "Who's this child? What are you not telling me?" "All you need to know is that if you cannot get to the child, then you have no value to me."
Ranrok slowly started turning around in our direction. "Let's go", I pulled Sebastian's arm, hoping they didn't see us. We ran to The Three Broomsticks.
"What was Ranrok doing with Victor Rookwood?" he asked a bit puzzled. "And more importantly, why are they after you?"
"I'll explain everything, I promise. Let's get inside first, it's safer there." Sebastian simply nodded and we entered the pub.
The inside of The Three Broomsticks was pretty big and there was a tall woman standing behind the bar. Me and Sebastian nervously went to sit in front of her. "There's a face I haven't seen before", the woman spoke up, which slightly startled me.
"Yes, I'm a new student", I forced a smile, still a bit shaken from the event moments ago. The woman smiled back. "Butterbeer's on me," she said as two mugs of butterbeer appeared in front of me and Sebastian. "Thank you."
As I wanted to take my first sip, the doors of The Three Broomsticks suddenly burst open. Two men barged in, one of them being Victor Rookwood, the same man we saw talking to Ranrok. My heart started pounding fast and I clutched my wand tightly in my hand.
Rookwood was looking around the pub: "Your clientele's not what it used to be, Sirona." The pub owner walked over to the two men at the entrance. "Don't worry Victor. Once the two of you leave the caliber of my clientele will greatly improve."
The man next to Rookwood put his hand on his wand. "I wouldn't do that if I were you, Theophilus." Sirona glanced at him.
Rookwood took a step closer to Sirona: "Come now, I'm only here for this one, anyway", he pointed at me, making me stand up with my wand out in defense. Sebastian followed suit and Sirona covered me by standing in front of me.
"My friend is enjoying a well-earned butterbeer." "I only want a word", Rookwood stepped even closer, now only being a few inches away from Sirona.
At that, all the people in the pub stood up with their wands raised. "Perhaps you didn't hear me"
, Sirona raised her voice, "I said
- my friend - is busy."
"One would think you all had enough bloodshed for one day", Victor scoffed, "Come Theophilus, let's spend our galleons elsewhere." And with that they left the pub.
I breathed out in relief. "Seems you've made an unfortunate enemy. Rookwood and Harlow are worse than any troll you might encounter", Sirona looked at me in concern.
"Not to mention Ranrok", Sebastian added. Sirona looked at me with even more concern. "Ranrok? The goblin that the Ministry is looking for?" I simply nodded my head, speechless. Professor Fig had asked me not to speak about it, so spilling my secrets didn't seem like the smartest idea.
"As much as I would love to explain, I can't talk about it", I said. Sirona sighed: "I won't ask any further then. Enjoy your butterbeer, and stay safe." She went back to work as if nothing happened.
"You'll have to give me SOME sort of explanation, seeing as I was almost killed by a troll", Sebastian spoke up after a while, both irritation and concern audible in his voice.
I sighed. "I know, but not here. I promise to tell you everything when we get back to the castle. I owe you as much." He nodded and we drank our butterbeer without exchanging a single word.
For some reason, I felt like Sebastian was mad at me. Like, he blamed for the troll attack and like he had something to say. I decided to ignore it to not anger or trigger him any further.
The trip back to the castle was very awkward as we both still didn't speak. Sebastian was giving me the silent treatment and I had no idea why.
When we arrived in the common room he finally spoke up: "So, care to tell me what this is all about?" I got a lump in my throat as I felt his anger grow again. Why was he acting like this?
"Are you all right, Sebastian?" I asked almost in a whisper, barely able to speak up. "Don't change the subject, just please tell me what's going on."
I sat down on the green sofa by the fireplace, making myself ready to tell him the secret Fig asked me to keep. Sebastian followed suit and sat across from me.
"Okay, so, I can see an ancient form of magic that no one else can", I began. Sebastian's eyes widened, but he stayed quiet to let me continue. "On Fig and I's way to Hogwarts, we had this container with us that contained a portkey to Gringotts. However, only I could open the container as it was sealed with ancient magic, which only I happen to be able to see, or so I thought." Sebastian was still listening to me very intensely.
"In Gringotts we found this very big blue room, which contained a locket, and a pensieve with a memory. The memory showed two wizards building the room with ancient magic. One of them could see ancient magic too. Now, I don't know exactly what it means yet, but I'm sure I will find out. However, then suddenly Ranrok met us in that chamber. And he could wield magic. Magic with the same type of colour that was on the trolls' collars-"
"Wait", Sebastian interrupted me. "You're saying that Ranrok sent those trolls?" He frowned. "I- I think so, yes." "And that ALL to get to you, a Hogwarts student?" His hands were turning into fists. "Yes, I don't get why-"
"I was almost killed by a troll sent by a bloody goblin because of you!" He raised his voice and stood up. "Sebastian, I don't get why you're so upset. We made it out, didn't we?"
"Oh. So everything is fine because we're still alive? You know that goblin won't stop." "I know, but that has nothing to do with you. That's my problem", I was still very confused as to why he was this angry.
"No, Eve, it isn't! I might be a target now too! And as long as I am friends with you I might stay one."
"You're scared because you think that being friends with me is putting you in danger, aren't you?" I asked putting my hands on his shoulder to calm him down. He shrugged my hand right off.
"I'm not scared! The last thing I need is to be hunted down by a nasty goblin!" He crossed his arms and threw his head back. "Why do you hate goblins so much?"
"Because my sister was cursed by them!" He yelled and then covered his mouth with his hands, as if he said something he shouldn't have.
"Sebastian, I- I'm sorry", I apologized, barely getting the words out of my mouth. He must have gotten triggered from knowing Ranrok is after me.
"If you're really sorry," he started, "then stay away from me. For me, as well as my sister." He walked away after and left me to stand there alone.
"It's not like I chose this", I muttered, looking at my hands. A part of me now hated the responsibility that I had been given solely by my unusual gift.
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this is kind of a filler chapter, as most of the scenes in this chapter are from the game. however, i wanted to add a slight bit of drama to get the story moving, as well as add some dynamic between the relationship between eve and sebastian!