#itsoff

Today was Ominis’ birthday. Sebastian paused for a moment to glance out of the kitchen door as Garreth and Tessie flung Gnomes over the hedge, he watched as the Gnomes flew up into the sky and then back down. His eyes travelled out further to the boundary of the Weasley’s home. He was safe as long as he didn’t cross that line, the Gaunts couldn’t enter or see into the grounds around this home, as much as they knew, this home might not even exist. In September, which grew closer with shockingly fast speed, he would leave this place of safety. At Hogwarts, he would be protected by Professor Weasley, all the Hogwarts staff. He knew he could not leave the grounds, not even for a Hogsmeade visit. He was not overly concerned, even a limited freedom at school was preferred to life in Azkaban.

The idea of returning to Hogwarts made him feel sick to his stomach. As his pile of papers grew smaller and smaller, anxiety started creeping in. He would have to leave here and enter Hogwarts, were everybody would be judging him as a killer. He left Hogwarts as a teenager, one who hadn’t even reached Christmas of his fifth year, and he would return as a man of seventeen in his last year, a shadow of himself who had been to the worse place wizardkind had ever envisioned. He still didn’t feel himself, not truly. He felt distant, the Sebastian he used to be suddenly felt too happy, almost to the point he was annoying and overbearing. He couldn’t believe that he trusted a new student with dangerous information that had power over him, he had known this new student for less than three months and he already learned them the Unforgiveable Curses. Looking back now, he had been too trusting, too foolish.

Today was his best friend’s birthday and according to Garreth, Ominis was back with the Gaunts. As Sebastian continued to look outside the door, feeling the cool air on his skin, he released something. He didn’t care. Not really. Ominis hated his family, they had hurt him, yet Sebastian found he cared very little right now for how his best friend was feeling. It was a lovely summer’s day, back home if things had been different, he and Anne would be playing in the sea at Feldcroft. Sebastian had no desire to go out into the sun, was it because he was anxious that going outside would mean risking the Gaunts finding him? He knew it was unlikely to happen, it was almost impossible for Mr Gaunt to be randomly standing in a seemingly empty field in the middle of the English countryside, on the otherside of the country. The Gaunts lived way up in the North, the Weasleys down in the west, Gaunt was not here. No, that was the excuse Sebastian give himself, because the truth was slightly scaring him. He liked the dark. He liked the shadows. Cool air felt nicer on his skin than the heat of the sun. And he did not care that it was Ominis’ birthday.

“Sebby!” Garreth yelled. “Come over. Mum and dad are freeing the Chinese Chomping Cabbages, there’s too many gnomes here for a degnoming, so they- well- dinner time.” “Ooooooh” Sang Tessie “It’s so savage. I love it!” She started making over exaggerated chomping movements, accompanied by little screams as Mr Weasley came into view levitating a crate. “You have been raised correctly.” Garreth said, patting his sister’s head. “Tessie, maybe you’d want to go inside?” Mrs Weasely suggested. “No. I’m here for murder time.” She said, standing her ground. Sebastian smiled, but he shook his head and turned back to his work as outside came the sound of a crate opening, followed by loads of small shouts from the gnomes as they became plant food. He opened another school book and got back to work. He would master all these spells, all these enchantments, all these transfigurations. He was due to take his O.W.Ls in October, he was determent to get Outstandings in everything, but especially the classes he needed to be an Auror. Not like his Uncle or Sharp, he wanted to become one to stop people like Rookwood, so they would be no more victims like Anne.

He paused as he pictured her brown eyes. She was not found of his idea of becoming an auror, she felt he would be better as a professor, teaching students, but Sebastian privately disagreed with her on that. The last time he had learned a student spells… It had been the unforgivables. He was unfit to be a teacher. He didn’t know how to tell Anne this, he knew she would not approve of him still trying to help her, rather than focusing on his own life, but even before Anne was cursed, he and Ominis had always said they would be Aurors. The idea had always stuck with him and it was the only thing he could see himself doing. He lowered his quill and rubbed his eyes, he would likely need a calming drought before long if his anxiety didn’t calm down. He glanced up at a little chart on the wall, it was mid July now, soon that sheet would roll over to August. Then his time here would end and he would go back to school. His stomach tightened bad enough to make it cramp and at the same time a cold shiver ran down his chest and he sat forward in the chair.

He needed to get this under control, he would look great at Hogwarts being half reliant on potions to get by, the unhinged killer who wasn’t entirely sane. He glanced down at his transfiguration homework and the notes Professor Weasley had given him, trying yet again to take in the diagrams showing human transfiguration. It was would have made more sense if it had been written in Gobbledygook. This was sixth year Transfiguration, if he passed his O.W.Ls, he would need to start work from the seventh year, meaning he still needed to catch up on an entire year, but if he failed his exam, all this work would have been for nothing. He paused, should he work on potions or charms? Maybe his time would be better off finishing his fifth year work. Yet again, his hand ran through his hair, his waves were back now and thanks to Mrs Weasley, he looked groomed again. His hair was the only thing currently under his control. From the garden came silence from the gnomes, evidently, they had been all eaten. He found he didn’t care about them either.

Monday arrived. Then it was Friday. Tuesday arrived, then a Saturday. A week passed, then another. Sebastian got unsteadily to his feet and placed the unopened gift from Uncle Solomon into his trunk, then dropped his new school robes on top of them. The robes he used to wear had only been a year old, he had got them before his 4th year as he had grown a lot in the time, they were long lost, confiscated by the Ministry of Magic before they took him to Azkaban. Garreth had gotten new robes too, his were much longer than Sebastian’s, it seemed to him that Garreth was taller, while he was the same height he had been two years ago. That should have worried him, or concerned him that his growth had been slowed down, but he felt nothing. He glanced down at his trunk. His old books from his fifth year, all read, but some he had never got the chance to use yet in an academic way. His new books for the sixth year and his seventh year books. He got the books for all his old subjects, not knowing if he would even use them. Among them were O.W.Ls study guides and books for N.E.W.Ts. Sitting next to them was a range of medications he would need to take and chocolate, his teddy bear from his parents and the Slytherin blanket from his dorm.

Today was the last day of the summer holidays. He was terrified. Glancing around his little room, he knew he would miss this place while he was at Hogwarts. The Weasleys had invited him back for the holidays and after school had ended, but on the eve of returning to school, he suddenly had his doubts. So he packed his trunk. He carefully decided which clothing to wear tomorrow to go to Kings Cross. He had opted to wear a jumper to hide his arm bones from being too noticeable, it helped to bulk him out too, hopefully nobody would notice how thin he had become.

All too soon, Mrs Weasley was waking him on the 1st of September. They were going to travel with floo powder to the Leaky Cauldron, and then a horse and cart would take them to Kings Cross. “We no longer have the access to the floo network at Kings Cross, sadly the Gaunts got their wishes with their new bill. Only families who live a certain distance away can use the fireplace at Platform 9 ¾ now,” Mr Weasely explain with a scowl. “Oddly, and by pure coincidence, of course, the distance roughtly starts at Yorkshire.” Mr Weasley rolled his eyed. “Which is the Gaunts’ way of making sure only pure-blood families of their favour can use it. The Gaunts themselves and the Selwyns, that makes sense. Gaunts are up in Yorkshire and the Selwyns are in Scotland, but the Parkinson family or the Blacks? Those live in the city of London; they could walk to the station quite easy. Everybody else? We have to make our own way, using muggle transport. No, this is just the blood supremist making life harder for the rest of us because they don’t want to queue.”

“Good Morning!” Garreth called as he walked into the kitchen. “I already have a order for G.R.O. IN to give to Dunkein, he wants a full beard to look as manly as he can to throw off his old nickname.” Garreth grinned, and Sebastian forced a little smile on his face. “Garreth, we have talked about this, we don’t want you using your products on people.” Mr Weasely said. “Also, I want to talk to you, today I want you to-“ “- To stay by Sebastian’s side, I know dad and I mean it, I know. Only an idiot would leave him and I, ECO of Garreth Weasley’s inventions, am not an idiot. I’m not just going to leave him on the train and ditch him for my friends.”

Garreth winked at Sebastian, but his sudden stillness imposed how serious the situation was. They had discussed this all week leading up to their return. They were going early, so that they would arrive on the Platform just as the Hogwarts Express pulled in. They would be the among the first on the train, all the best to get Sebastian safety into a carriage without any of the Gaunts seeing him.

“Gauntylocks won’t be there at 10am, a whole hour before the train leaves, I doubt they would even leave their gold and gem entombed house before quarter to eleven anyway.” Garreth said, trying to keep the general feeling in the kitchen light. “Only commoners and Blood Traitors have to arrive early now.” After breakfast, they got up and with Garreth going first, Sebastian stepped into the fireplace. “Leaky Cauldron.” He said and a moment later he arrived in the fireplace of an inn. The famous pub that opened up Diagon Alley. He looked around, wishing Anne could see this with him. There were wizards and witches everywhere, the whole place was alive with drinks being placed at the bar, and a queue already forming to enter the shopping street outside.

Garreth moved Sebastian out of the grate and tried his best to hide him from anybody walking past. Sebastian kept his head down, his eyes averted. Surely nobody would be looking for the St Mungos runaway now, months after the Daily Prophet plea, but they wanted the less attention brought to Sebastian as possible. As the flames turned bright green again, Mr Weasley stepped out and led the two boys and their trunks outside the pub. Sebastian took a glance back, one day he would come here properly, maybe have a drink before he went shopping. It was something to look forward too. A horse and cart were already waiting for them, a wizard atop it. Professor Weasley had planned it in advance to pick them up and take them to King Cross when it became clear they couldn’t travel to the station directly.

Sebastian was sandwiched between Garreth and Mr Weasley, again for his own protection, but he could still see out of the little semi curtained window. London passed through the window as Sebastian glanced out, with his mouth open, taking in all the tall buildings, cobbled street after cobbled street. “Sebastian, look!” Garreth shouted, pointing outside. “See those poles on that bridge? The Muggles have found a way to create light without oil and candle. It’s like their version of Lumos.” “I believe they are calling it Eel-et-ric.” Mr Weasley said thoughtfully. “Although many of them are untrussing of it, it must remind them too much of magic, even if they don’t make the connection.” It was off right now, in the daylight, but Sebastian could see something bulbous in shape in the middle of the lamp. “Did they put that up recently?” He asked unsure, he had never seen anything like that before Azkaban. “Within the last year.” Mr Weasley answered. “The Muggles made a big deal of it. I know some of wizardkind tried to destroy it, saying it was a step too far for Muggles, some of us believe the Muggles are getting too advanced.” Even the Muggle word had carried on while he had been locked up. He tried to act normal, tried to force surprise at other things Garreth was pointing out to him, suddenly his time driving through London wasn’t fun anymore.

They arrived at Kings Cross, it was much bigger than Sebastian had been expecting. They got out, hearing southern English accents, which sounded so odd and posh to Sebastian’s ears, he missed Scotland a lot, the accents up there more musical than down here. Then he smiled, remembering tonight would be the first time he would return there, back to the highlands, to the snow and the cold, to the crisp mornings and the warm summers, surrounded by lakes and mountains. He felt light as they walked into the station with their trunks. “Ok, walk right into the wall Sebastian.” Garreth said, pointing at a solid wall. “Huh?” Sebastian asked “He is right, you need to walk into it. I will take you as I want to see who is on the platform right now and I’m not leaving you out here.” And with that, Mr Weasley slowly led him into the brickwork. Sebastian’s mouth dropped open as they really did walk right through it. The other students did this each year? He had so much to tell Anne.

The platform was deserted except for the odd witch and wizard. What clearly looked like a family of Muggles were standing in shock, seeing their child onto the train. “Ok, let’s get you both into a carriage. Pick one on the far side, one that faces the other side of the platform, I don’t want you to be seen by anybody on the platform when it fills up.” Sebastian and Garreth were placed by Mr Weasley into an end carriage that faced the other side of the platform, which was brick wall. They both hugged him goodbye, with Mr Weasley holding Sebastian’s shoulders for a moment. “Remember, you are welcome at our home any holiday and after school has ended, right? Don’t be going off on your own Sebastian. You and Anne will always be welcome.” He nodded, wishing Anne was on the train with him right now. “Keep in school, don’t leave after dark and don’t give the Gaunts any chance to get you, right? Matilia – Professor Weasley – will be watching out for you.” Sebastian nodded. He suddenly felt like he couldn’t speak. “Thank you.” He said, his nose suddenly burned and his eyes were threatening to water. “You and Mrs Weasley, for everything.” Mr Weasley nodded, he understood.

“There’s always room at our table for a pair of Sallows.” He said, before shooting Sebastian and Garreth back to their compartment. “Now stay in here, keep the curtain down so nobody comes in. Have a good term boys, Sebastian I hope your O.W.Ls go well, both of you do well on your N.E.W.Ts and maybe I will see you both at Christmas?” He asked, looking at both of them, they both nodded. “I will stay on the platform until the train leaves. I want to see what Gaunt is doing.” With that, he closed their door. Garreth grinned at Sebastian. “Feels strange going back?” He asked. Sebastian nodded. “I can imagine.” He said. They both grew quiet as they listened to the platform slowly filling up, then the movement of feet as the rest of the Hogwarts students slowly piled onto the train as 11’o’clock drew slowly nearer. One of those footsteps could be Ominis, walking around with his wand out, apparently with a snake now from his family, a fully-fledged Gaunt. Maybe both of them had changed, Sebastian would be able to tell tonight when they went to bed. Then he paused in his thoughts, was his bed in the dorm still his or had somebody else moved into his space?

Outside on the platform, Mr Weasley watched from the corners of the platform. The Potter family walked past, leading a well-dressed young child alongside a new Hogwarts student, their eyes met as they passed and Mr Weasley give a subtle nod at them, which was returned with a “Good Morning”, the Potters were a decent family, they were followed by the Prewitts and then the Longbottom family passed, both families acknowledged Mr Weasely cheerfully, looking slightly windswept, none of them had been permitted to use the Floo Network. He continued to watch and then it happened, the moment Mr Weasley had been waiting for. Green flames over by the floo fireplace and out they came. First were the Lestranges, followed by the Slughorns and Rosiers. The Knott family, forever the butt of jokes among the true Pure Bloods, had been told they were not in the catchment area for Floo travel. They gathered for the final family to come through.

Then a man who Mr Weasley knew all too well came out. They had never spoken, but everybody knew who the Gaunts were. They were as identifiable with their strange silvery blue eyes and fair hair as the Weasley’s were with their red hair, however recently their inbred genes had been producing brown eyed children with darker hair as well. They were dressed in the finest robes Mr Weasley had ever seen, even their wands had ornate handles from exotic far away countries. The young man with Gaunt was clearly their youngest son, Ominis Gaunt. He was walking beside his father, his wand out before him. This was Sebastain’s friend, but it appeared that friendship may had ended, Sebastian never spoke of his friend from the Gaunt family anymore, although Professor Weasley had informed them he may write. As Mr Weasley watched, the young Gaunt snapped at students to get out of his way, before his father flicked his hand and sent the young wizards stumbling out of the way of his son, to the angry cries of parents. That was another thing about the Gaunts: Wandless magic. Most wizards could often find themselves using magic without meaning too, mostly as untrained wizards, but the Gaunts were said to be killed at it. Wild rumours even said the Gaunts could fly without the need of brooms, but Mr Weasley didn’t believe it. Those shouts from the parents died the second they had released who they were shouting at, instead they backed away, moving their children as far from the group of Dark Wizards as they could get as Gaunt lead the pack of notorious families closer to the train. Father and son then shared words on the platform, but it was not English or any human speech.

It was hissing.

In that moment a small snake emerged from underneath the boy’s robes. Mr Weasley knew they were speaking Parceltounge and his nerves flared up. No matter his experience within the Wizarding World, Mr Weasley knew Parseltounge was always a sign of evil. Gaunt bent down to hug his son goodbye, whether that was for show or real affection, Mr Weasley didn’t know. The young Gaunt climbed onto the train with the help of his wand and the father watched him, not blinking. That look unnerved Mr Weasley much further, it was the look you give to a tool that worked well for you. As Ominis disappeared onto the train, Gaunt turned, there was a flash of silver as an animal’s body was temporary shown around Gaunt’s neckline, no doubt the dreaded snake everybody said Gaunt carried with him at all times, the same one that had chased his own sister, Matilda and the two Sallow children.

Gaunt didn’t glance at Mr Weasley, he took no notice of anybody else other than the pure supremists around him now his son was on the train, but a few other families around Mr Weasley were watching Gaunt, some with hatred, some with downright fear. The McKinnons standing nearby had actually drew their wands as if ready for a duel. Mr Weasley wasn’t surprised, he had heard it a few times that the Gaunts had previously attacked that family. All the families nearby, all the decent ones Mr Weasley noticed, were watching Gaunt carefully. The Potters alone stood slightly ahead, watching as Master Gaunt waved his hand at the other families around him as they all made their way back to the floo grate, which the other families not in with the Gaunts had since lost the privilege of using. The Mr Weasley saw it, at the very last moment. Gaunt had stopped and waved the others ahead of him, indicating they should use it ahead of him. He stopped and glanced around the platform, his cold silvery eyes sweeping over everybody, including Mr Weasley. He was searching for something, almost as carefully as the snake he had concealed within his robes would. Mr Weasely believed he knew whom Gaunt was looking for. A few students were still climbing onto the train as the final whistles blew out, steam had started blowing out and guards were slamming doors closed. Gaunt’s gaze passed over them all, glancing up and down.

He was looking for Sebastian. He wanted to see the boy in the flesh, his curiosity as to why his son cared so much for this boy getting the better of him yet again. However it seemed the boy wasn’t here, nor was his sickly sister. Gaunt could see nobody who fit their profiles on the platform. Mr Weasley was suddenly very relieved they had gotten Sebastian out of sight long before Gaunt and his inner circle had arrived. Gaunt’s gaze passed over the small circle of onlookers and amusement ran through him as he noticed them all, all the families his family had stood on in one place, gathered, safety in numbers style, like animals of prey. It amused Gaunt to no end that these families, and of course the Notts, now had to travel like the Muggles they loved to marry and breed with so much. Then Gaunt’s eyed locked onto Potter. The current head of the Potter family had taken a step forward, a younger brother watching carefully behind him. The two Potters and Gaunt seemed to be locked into some unseen, unheard standoff. Mr Weasley didn’t know what that was about, but if the Potters were in some sort of feud with the Gaunts, it was news to him. They were normally very quiet, focusing on their hair tonics and potion ranges.

Gaunt continued to watch them, his eyes almost hungry for something as he continued to hold their gaze. The cloak came to the front of his mind, he would like that so much for the Gaunts. He then turned his attention to the floo grate, making a slow show of using it to remind the lesser families of what they’ve lost before returning to the House of Gaunt.

Before the strange dream with the snake, he had been dreaming about Sebastian. It was his normal dream, finally managing to write a letter to his best friend, only to have it fly away in the wind, while Sebastian sat in a dark room somewhere far away, waiting for the letter that will never come. Each day it played on his mind that he had not yet made peace with Sebastian, even though it had been months since Sebastian was freed, almost a year. He couldn’t write to him now, it would be too beyond risky and he didn’t know Sebastian’s location. Ominis would say his words to Sebastian, face to face, when they met next, he knew they would meet again.

‘Come Snakey’ He hissed, holding his hand out blindly for his friend to slide into his palm. “Sir. Please sir. I have orders, he is not to come. The snake is not to come sir, your father was very clear.” “What?” Ominis said, shocked. “Why can’t Snakey come?” “Sir. I do not know. They is not telling me. Your father only said you. Not the snake. He said the snake must stay in here. The snake is not welcome.” Ominis took an intake of breath. Not welcome? “This house is full of snakes!” He shouted and he didn’t mean only the animal type. “Why is he not invited? He’s a part of his family just as much as I.” Ominis raged. “Sir. Sir please. Those are my orders. Sir, please- It’s my first day serving the House of Gaunt, please sir.” The elf begged desperately, no doubt the other elves had informed this one of who it’s new masters were. Ominis couldn’t tell if it was male or female by its voice, but it was terrified. “Of course, sorry. Snakey stay here.” Dread. Anxiety. Pure horror filled Ominis as he walked down the halls of his house without his snake. Snakey was his eyes, he could see what was going on. Ominis’ ears strained to hear anything from downstairs, but the house was strangely quiet at this time of morning. “What time is it?” Ominis asked, suddenly curious. “It is 6am, sir.” The Elf replied timidly. "He wants to see you before anyone else wakes.”

He tried to guess what was going on. When Marvolo had come of age, Ominis had been with Sebastian and Anne. He didn’t know what happened in this family when somebody came of age, he took deep breaths. Would it be the killing curse this time? Would he have to become a murderer and take a life just to become seen as an adult in his family’s eyes? Yes, that seemed the most likely thing and his heart raced. Would they kill him when it became clear he was not a killer like them? His family would have captured a muggle, hence the early hour of the day. It would be on Ominis to murder them with the killing curse.

The elf continued to walk him downstairs, unseen to Ominis and the newest elf in the Gaunt house, Marvolo was watching his clueless brother from the smallest gap in his bedroom door. He knew already that Ominis would react badly to what came next and he was living for it. He wished he could be in the room with Ominis and their father, but oddly, each Gaunt had to hear this on their own, father to son, mother to daughter. Never were any siblings allowed into the room with them, which Marvolo found stupid. It wasn’t like the secret was that big, so why all the secrecy? What would his parents do when Ominis broke down and started screaming out about the darkest secret of the Gaunt family. He remembered when he turned seventeen and learned Salazar Slytherin’s biggest gift to the Gaunt family, he had been filled with excitement and an eagerness to see his ancestor’s plans fulfilled. Knowing Ominis, he would have a panic attack.

Master Gaunt was waiting for his son. Time for childhood innocent to leave the boy. No Gaunt passed this day without the terrible burden passed to them. “Come in.” He said as the elf knocked on the door. “Sit him in the chair and leave. If I catch you earsdropping, you won’t last to your second day, clear?” Mr Gaunt told the trembling elf, who bowed low and did as instructed. “Wait!” Gaunt ordered the elf. “Make sure Marvolo is not anywhere near this room. If I get wind that Marvolo has heard anything I tell my son now, you will pay for it, as will every elf in this household.” “Yes sir.” The elf gasped in alarm as it left. Mr Gaunt looked over at Ominis, lingering in on those eyes without any pupils. “Don’t look too afraid Ominis.” He said, slightly irked over the fact his son always looked terrified in the presence of his family. “Today is a special day. Your birthday. Your 17th birthday and that means something. In our family, just like all other wizarding families that matter, the 17th year marks your coming of age. You are no longer a child and therefore, you are now an adult, an equal in my eyes. Everything I tell you, you are forbidden from telling Marvolo, do you understand me? You are not to tell your snake anything of what we say in this room. If I find out you have spoken, I will kill you myself.” Ominis froze. He slowly nodded.

There was a moments pause as Mr Gaunt slide off the ring from his hand, he glanced down at the Peverell mark upon it. “Hold your hand out.” He ordered, moving the ring more into the light so that the Deathly Hallows symbol shone out. Ominis slowly held his hand up, every nerve he had was listening, waiting. Being blind meant he couldn’t see what was right in front of him. Mr Gaunt dropped the ring into Ominis’ hands. To Ominis, it felt slightly heavy and warm. He closed his fingers around it to feel his father’s ring. “Do you recall the bedtime stories I used to read to you when you were a child.” Mr Gaunt asked, a slightly light in his eye, his head slightly titled. “Which ones?” Ominis asked cautiously, now feeling the big stone on the ring. “There were many.” “Beadle the Bard” His father said with distain. “The idiot storyteller. He who had a big mouth he didn’t know when to keep shut.” “I remember.” Ominis said quietly. The memory came to him. His father reading him a set of children’s stories, laughing hysterically at the final one, then throwing the book across the room, before telling a very alarmed younger Ominis that lesser wizards knew nothing about facts.

“You recall the Three Brothers? Ignore everything you think you know about that story. I’m going to tell you real truth. As you can guess, there was no river and there was no Death, just three gifted wizarding brothers named Peverell. Your brother knows only of their name and that they were famous, the reason Slytherin himself wanted to marry our line. He doesn’t know anything else and I would have that stay this way. Do you understand?” Ominis nodded, his father continued.

“Cadmus Peverell was the second brother from the Three Brothers story. It’s not just a story Ominis. Cadmus’ line married into the Gaunt family at the time. We are the descendants of the Peverell brothers. A greater family than Salazar Slytherin ever was. Take a feel of that ring in your hand. Feel it. You can’t see the engraving on the stone, but it’s there. A line, a tringle and a circle. Look with your fingers, feel it.” Ominis did, the stone was really old but he could feel something there. “I can feel them.” He said softly, wondering what this had to do with him. “Place the ring on your finger, Ominis.” His father said suddenly. Ominis took the ring and carefully slid it onto his finger. “Do you recall what the second brother could do with the stone?” His father asked. Ominis nodded. All children knew the story. “He could recall a loved one who had passed.” Ominis said slowly. “Turn the stone on that ring.” His father said calmly. Ominis’ fingers seemed to trembled as he felt for the stone. There was no way this was the same stone from his childhood story book. People always said the Gaunts were insane due to the inbreeding, if his father really believed he could reawaken the dead with an old heirloom, maybe those rumours were true after all. The stone turned when he pushed it, at the same time, he left his hair move slightly as if a little breeze had blown in.

Unseen to Ominis, a woman with dark golden hair and pale silver eyes appeared next to him. His father was averting his eyes from the place he believed his sister would be standing, even though for once he couldn’t see her. How many times had he talked to Noctua Gaunt’s shadow, he had lost count. His sister had been everything to him, even if they didn’t agree on many things. Her constant battles against their family tiring to him, but she was still his blood and her disappearance hurt just as much today as it did all those years ago. She had tried to prove the Gaunts all wrong and had lost her life for it. Mr Gaunt knew she had died the moment she appeared to him after he had turned the ring himself, all those years ago. He had hoped to prove her still among the living. As Gaunt watched, his son’s mouth dropped open and a cry of anguish escaped his lips as his unseeing eyes searched desperately for the woman clearly talking to him. As Gaunt watched, his son carefully reached out to feel the woman there, but of course, he would only feel air.

“My sister speaks to me often. When I call to her to come.” Gaunt said quietly, in a voice Ominis had never heard him use before. “Sometimes, others come with her. My grandparents, my own parents. It’s not always family, old friends come too, those who have been lost over the years. The resurrection stone has been in our family longer than the ability to speak with snakes. The reason you walk around with your wand, able to use magic to help you see, that is down to your unique heritage. It’s not from Slytherin side, but from the Peverell bloodline. We have the bloodline of wizards who did extraordinary things that history only remembers as a story, for such was their magnificence ordinary wizards believe it false.” Gaunt paused. Tapping his fingers on his chin, lost for a second in his own thoughts.

“So, at 17, all Gaunts learn of their heritage and inheritance, but only certain Gaunts are shared the information about this ring and it’s stone. You see, I want you to have this ring when its time. You will pass this ring on to your children and you shall only tell one of them its true purpose. Whichever son holds the values not of Slytherin, but of Cadmus Peverell. If not a son, then a daughter. Never hand this ring to the likes of Marvolo.” Ominis’ mouth fell open, before he closed it again. What was he hearing? His father had seriously chosen him, blind as he was, as imperfect as a Gaunt as he was, over Marvolo? At the same time, he could hear his aunt Noctua in his ears confirming he was better than all of them. ‘”Never stop fighting them”’ She whispered softly into his ear.

Gaunt watched Ominis as his head still turned to listen to whoever spoke to him from where wizards went after death. “But a warning, my son. There are people out there searching for this ring. Lunatics. Fanatics. People who don’t deserve to hold our items in their hands. Bard told the world of our family relics and some wizards want them, badly, they believe they will be equal to our bloodline should they have them. Tears ran from Ominis’ eyes and he took off the ring, unable to bare wearing it a second longer. Hearing Noctua confirming to him that he should run away, her telling him he is perfect and loved. If this ring was really going to be his, he could talk to her again at a later date. He lifted his hands to his eyes to rub the tears away. For once, Master Gaunt allowed his son to have this moment. The first time he had tried on the ring, he had nightmares for weeks and couldn’t so much as look at the ring upon his own father’s hand. “She spoke to me.” He said, his voice shaking as he held out the ring for his father to take back. “More will join her in time, that’s a certain.” His father said, not unkindly.

“This is a Hallow. One of the Deathly Hallows.” His father said, putting it back onto his finger. “There’s three. The Potter family are also descendants of the Peverell family, they have the cloak. This may surprise you, but you are distantly related to them, cousins to be exact, but you are never to marry them, or interact with them. They are not our family They’ve made it very clear they hate us and our ways. Preferring blood traitors and Half Bloods.” Nobody knows where the wand is, it was last seen in the hands of Loxias when he named it ‘The Deathstick’ as would be typical of a lesser wizard. You must protect this ring, because if the ring and the cloak are ever reunited with the wand, it makes the barer the master of death, and you can guarantee whoever owns the wand right now wants the cloak and the ring too. It is your job to protect this stone and to never let it leave our family. Don’t bother the Potter family, blood traitors they may be, they are as equally gifted in the magical arts as we are. For this reason, I always belittle them in the eyes of other wizards more in line with our views, so they can never raise above us, because they can if they wished. Lucky for us, they are more than happy to marry lesser blooded wizarding families. Nothing good will ever come from a Gaunt challenging a Potter, but maybe one day.”

Gaunt took a drink, while looking down at the ring on his hand. “The Potters aren’t going to start talking, they love that cloak too much to risk it. Always passing the grubby little thing around to their children to take to school with them, to them it’s a joke. They do not treat it with respect.” Ominis’ head was spinning. He knew the Potters, there was a Potter at Hogwarts in the year under him, he now wondered if they knew about the Hallows too. “Marvolo doesn’t know any of this?” Ominis asked shaky “Not the ring, or what it is? He doesn’t know any of this?” “He only knows that our family are related to Cadmus Peverell, a gifted and ancient wizarding family. He knows nothing of the ring’s true abilities. He believes it a simple heirloom; he does not know of the Deathly Hallows. I have picked you to get this inheritance.” “The second thing I want to tell you is something Marvolo knows and no doubt when you leave this room, he will taunt you about it. You may speak freely about the next part as if it were all we spoken about today. Understand?” Gaunt asked Ominis, back on business now. Ominis nodded.

“We have talked about heritage, but now it’s time to talk inheritance. Tell me, my son, have you heard a voice at Hogwarts before, from the walls maybe or deep in the castle itself?” Now his father sounded like he was smiling, he sounded like a school boy again, who had been waiting a long time to tell his son this. “A voice nobody else but you can hear?” Ominis’ blood ran cold, goosebumps erupted down his arms. Yes, there had been a voice. Since his first night at Hogwarts, all those years ago, he had heard a voice calling to him as he slept, or moved around the castle. Somebody calling him by his name, only for him to turn his head and not hear footsteps. He had thought he was just hearing things, being away from home and everything he knew, settling into a new environment. In the end he had laid the blame on Peeves, believing the Poltergeist was playing tricks on him. He nodded. “Yes?”

His father was smiling now, for sure. Ominis could hear the enthusiasm in his voice. “Think back to when you were a boy, do you recall me and your mother telling you about a secret chamber at Hogwarts? We told you Slytherin had made one. Do you remember? You were so young, so you may have forgotten.” Master Gaunt took a drink, Ominis could hear him place the glass down. “They say she is beautiful, she could be fifty foot long by now, she has lived many hundreds of years already and she will live just as longer still. It is her who calls to you Ominis, she feels us whenever we are near the castle and she calls out to us. She has lived in the castle since Slytherin left. He placed her there the very night the other founders forced him out. Our payment for speaking Parseltounge, gifted to the Gaunt family who carry the Peverell bloodline, is to ensure her survival and her concealment. She’s a snake Ominis, a Basilisk. Normally the Gaunt family would never be bossed around, but all Slytherin asked of us was to carry on his work, guard the chamber and when it’s time, we are to open it and free her, so she can claim all the Mudbloods finally. You see Ominis, there really is a chamber, deep down in the school, under the lake. You may notice you hear her the most when you are in bed, it’s because you are right above her. She sleeps under you each night at school. Slytherin knew his students alone should be the closest to her. Throughout the generations, the Gaunts, all of us, have protected the chamber. We’ve been waiting for the true heir of Slytherin who will open the chamber and set her free. No Gaunt has ever done this, even though we can any time. Do you know why?”

Ominis shook his head. “No?” He asked, now entirely in shock. Sheer disgust numbed him. His family was even worse than he had ever believed. “We can’t look upon her, she can kill with her gaze. When you were born without working eyes, your mother wanted to search the world, use any magical means necessarily to make you see. Others in this family could see clearer than your mother, who herself was blinded by parental love. You were born unable to see because it is you Ominis, you are Slytherin’s true heir. She can’t harm you. You can be in her presence and not fear her eyes. You will open the chamber of secrets on your final day at Hogwarts and when they all return next year, she will be unleashed upon the Mudbloods at that school. Marvolo likes to think he is the prince of this family, but it’s you Ominis. You are the heir of Slytherin, you are the Gaunt who will change our world. And that, my son, is the reason I wanted you home so badly. You are my son, the one this family has been waiting for. So if one insignificant boy had a jail break from Azkaban using all my favours with my peers, it was a little price to pay to have my little prince back home where he belongs.” He was rooted in his seat. Then he lunched forward and vomited up water. “Ominis, control your emotions.” His father said simply, as Ominis continued to empty his stomach. “You want me to kill students?” Ominis asked in horror at last, gasping for air as his father cleaned up after him with his wand. “Just the Mudbloods. They shouldn’t be at the school anyway. You won’t be killing students, you shall be cleansing the dirt, the pretenders, from our society before they can learn enough to join it.” “Our family, has kept this all this time? For-For generations? And nobody has said a thing?” “I don’t see an issue with that.” Came his father, short and simple.

The true horror of this family, the depravity, was crushing him. His family had always been despicable, but this was a new low even for them. They were all complaisant to murder, they had been planning it for centuries, for millennia and nobody had said anything! “Did Noctua know this?” He asked “She did, it’s what made her leave the family.” His father said in a neutral voice. “However, to answer your question, yes, there have been incidents over the years, when a few Gaunts have spoken of the chamber drunk out of their heads, or our own children have ran to teachers, claiming there is a monster hiding in the walls.” At this, Gaunt laughed.

“But that’s the thing Ominis, we are never believed, even for all our wealth, our prestige. If you were to go shouting about the chamber right now at school, nobody will ever believe you. The school has been searched many times and they never found the chamber, yet its right in front of their eyes. I imagine many students have stood right in front of the entrance each year and they have no idea what it is. It is impossible for them to even enter; they can’t speak our language. I will tell you in time where the chamber is.” Mr Gaunt smiled at his son. “I know this may be overwhelming, but this is what being part of his family is all about. You have great gifts and carry a noble purpose. You may go now. Remember, not a word to Marvolo about the Deathly Hallows. Go, you are dismissed.” Ominis snapped his thoughts together. “Yes.” “And wash your face, it’s your birthday after all, your family all wish to celebrate with you.” “I will.” Ominis said dully, as he approached the door.

“Oh and Ominis? I hear tell from my sources that your dear Sebastian Sallow will be back at Hogwarts this upcoming term, did you know that? It’s my view that he would have been safer staying in St Mungos, if you ask me. Make sure he knows to keep his mouth shut, now and forever, no matter how guilty he feels over what he did to his uncle. If he says anything, if I get wind he is close to cracking, then he will go the same way as that lovely woman who worked for the Prophet. I’ve forgotten her name already, I have had so many silenced since her. Make sure he knows if he ever feels like he’s going to confess to his crimes that I can arrange for him to be united with his uncle and his parents. I have opted for mercy, but you know I don’t like loose ends, so tell him to be very careful and tread lightly around this family. We are always watching and Hogsmeade is not as safe as you’d believe.” Ominis nodded. His imagination of Poppy’s fate appeared in his mind, he could almost see his own picture of Marvolo creeping up behind his classmate, a wand in his hand. He nodded. “I will tell him father.”

“-JUST WALKED IN HERE! He is a descendant of one of the founders, they can do that. His father does the same thing all of the time.” Black shouted. “They walk in, they don’t need the password!”

Ominis wasn’t the only person inside Hogwarts having a troubled time. Black’s throbbing nose alone was putting him in a bad mood, but now Professor Weasley and a gang of snivelling imbeciles stood before him, forcing him to be awake and dressed before 9am.

“It is outrageous! Simply outrageous!” Professor Black raged. “Ominis Gaunt came into my office unannounced and uninvited, yet you say I am to blame? I told him to leave and he fell down the staircase. He can’t see where he’s walking, this is clearly his attempt to have me removed. Anything I say you won’t believe anyway, it’s clear you are all in Matilda’s pockets. The boy was blackmailing me, he threatened me!”

The small woman in glasses before him blinked and noted down what he said with her quill.

“Headmaster Black, a student needs to know the password in order to be in here, the Gaunt boy-“

“The Gaunt boy,” Continued the woman from the board of governors, as if Black wasn’t shouting over her, “Claims you invited him to your office to talk about student matters, you collected him from the bottom of the stairs, took him to the top where you assaulted him by shaking him and throwing him back down the stairs, where he hit various parts of himself on the stone as he rolled down, resulting in damage to his skull, a broken nose and cheekbones. He was found by a Professor Garlick of the Hogwarts’ teaching staff. His words upon waking were a recount of events in your office of the attack. You are denying the attack?”

“Yes!” Cried Professor Black “He’s a cripple, but a sly and scheming one. His father has recently fell out with me, as I daresay you can see.” Black pointed to his face and body, where the injuries Gaunt and his inbred son had inflicted upon him. “You surely have heard of The House of Gaunt, have you not, who hasn’t? They are the scum of our world. Untrustworthy, dissembling little inbreeds. No doubt they’ve already paid you to fire me, what was the agreed price? You’re on their payroll! I know it.”

Both Weasley and the woman from the board of governors glanced at each other.

“I assure you, the Board of Governors do not accept bribes in anyway, I am here to conduct an investigation on behalf of the Ministry of Magic.” The witch said in a level and professional voice.

“Now, can we have your account please?”

“Certainly.” Professor Black said, sitting back in his chair, his hands on his desk, glaring at the two witches before him. “If I recall correctly, it was the afternoon and I was drinking my tea in here. Gaunt came barging in, demanding the reenrolment at this school of a criminal. I said no, as it’s my duty to protect the children in this castle. Gaunt then turned violent, no wonder too as his family are all mentally unstable. I told Gaunt he was out of order, then I asked him to leave, which he did. The first I heard of his accident was when I was informed by the mud- ah, Professor Garlick. Yes it was her who told me the dreadful thing that had happened to Gaunt! That is my account. That is the truth, yes.”

He folded his arms and waited for them to reply to him.

The witch scribbled down a few notes, before looking back at Professor Black.

“I also need to discuss with you the attack on one of your students just last night, this will also need a report, there is a task force of Aurors on their way to investigate the grounds. I must say Mr Black, this does not bode well for you. Two students attacked within Hogwarts, one claims by your own hands and another within this school who bears the marks of powerful dark magic.”

Professor Black struggled to keep his temper.

“Are you implying something against my own House? The Blacks are not dark magic users! That was clearly Gaunt too. That girl was covered in snake bites, you’ve read the report and they control snakes. It’s not too hard to see the truth here. The Gaunts are all over this, trying to get me removed and now blamed for this attack. You are all blind to their actions. Clearly Gaunt wants to discredit me, no doubt he knew you were coming today, so he attacked the girl last night. He picked his moment well and Poppy Sweeting was collateral, chosen for her blood statues.”

“Phineas, surely you are not accusing your own students of dark magic?” Professor Weasley said shocked. “You know as well as I that this level of dark magic is beyond anything a sixteen-year old wizard can do.”

“Aha! But remember Matilda, how you praised Sallow and all along he was using dark magic behind your back.” Black shouted triumphantly, pointing at Professor Weasley. “The apple never falls too far from the tree, and Gaunt and Sallow are the roots of all this trouble. They even lived together during holidays, I imagine Gaunt grew tired of Sallow’s dead weight and turned him in, to focus on his own progress to the dark.”

“You are raving. This is your own students you are talking about,” Professor Weasley said back. “Might I remind you Headmaster that Sallow was cleared of all chargers-“

Black then muttered something that sounded like, “Yeah and the Gaunts had their hands in that too.”

The witch from the board of governors continued to make notes.

“How would you describe your relationship with your students, headmaster?” The witch asked, interrupting Weasley and Black’s disagreement.

“I have a good, strong, rapport with all my students.” Black said, while Professor Weasley looked on in disbelief behind the witch’s back. “Just ask them! They shall all tell you what a great headmaster I am, I’m always mingling among them, patting their backs, sending encouragements.”

“I shall indeed be talking to various students I come across, to get a firsthand account of their experiences of Hogwarts under your premiership.”

“Yes, yes” Black said, suddenly on edge. “Yes, you do that.”

“I shall go and speak to students now, I will be about an hour, then I shall see myself out of the castle when I’m done, you shall get my report and verdict within a week.”

Professor Black smiled, and held it upon his face as the witch let herself out. Then he looked sidewards at Professor Weasley.

“Well, it looks like you’ve finally done it Matilda. You’ve always wanted to be where I am now, haven’t you? I daresay soon this office shall be yours, that is your goal, is it not? When the last Head left, you thought this job was yours for the taking, but I came along and you’ve loathed it every day. I know it. I see through you.”

Professor Weasley made to leave the office; she paused as she opened the door.

“Let’s not be unprofessional, headmaster.” Was all she said.

“Maybe you should have been in my house Matilda, you are certainly a snake! You, Gaunt and Sallow. Don’t think I haven’t noticed! Don’t you think for a second that I don’t know about all the times you visited Sallow before his strange disappearance! You’re behind this too!”

He called out behind her, then his blood went cold as he noticed the witch from the board of governors still on the stairs. Her eyebrows were raised as she looked back into the room at Professor Black.

He smiled at her warmly, hoping she hadn’t heard everything, but already the damage was done.

Back in the corridors, Ominis lined up outside of History of Magic, it would be hard to fall asleep in class today, with none stop mutterings all around him.

“Her gran is with her at St Mungos, it almost sounds like she’s, you know.” Evangeline Bardsley said behind Ominis.

“No, don’t say that. Shush. Don’t talk like that.” Answered Adelaide Oakes.

Ominis’ gut twisted more.

“I say, have any of you seen the strange witches and that wizard walking around yet? They’re stopping students at random and asking them questions about Black and Hogwarts. A witch approached me after break, so I told her he is the worst headmaster we’ve ever had, and mentioned how he looks at me as though I am a pauper.”

Ominis’ head turned at that.

“Pardon? Somebody is asking about Black?” He asked.

“Yes Ominis. The woman I spoke too was in the Defence Corridors, she was by the teapots. Loads of people were dishing the dirt, so to speak.”

“I thought they were Aurors? For what happened to Poppy” He asked, unsure now that he had arrived at the right conclusion.

“Aurors?” The voice answered. “No, although I think I did see some earlier in the grounds, no this group is from the Ministry, they have those little badges all the workers wear, maybe they are doing something about how Black treats us.

He was sure it was Samantha Dale, but he wasn’t certain with all of the noise around him.

As expected, when Professor Binns opened the doors for the class to enter, tiny whispers all around him started breaking out, about Poppy, about who the attacker could be, and about the group from the Ministry. His head was still reeling when he left class an hour and a half later.

“Well, Well, Well.” Came a loud voice walking past him as his wand lead him in the direction of the Slytherin common room later in the day to drop off his bag before dinner.

“You happy now, boy? You will have your precious Sallow back in no time. Tell your cousin-marrying father he has won this time, but he has lost me as an ally. The House of Black will never answer the Gaunts again.”

It was Professor Black, a painful knock to Ominis’ side ran down him as the Headmaster deliberately pushed into him. His wand fell on the floor and Ominis went to bent down to feel for it, but footsteps quickly rushed to his side.

He could hear Professor Black’s footsteps fading away far ahead of him.

“Are you okay?” A little voice asked uncertainly, and Ominis felt his wand being placed in his hand.

A first year maybe by the high voice.

“Yes, thank you.” He said, a little startled. “I think Black’s in a mood.”

Clearly Black wasn’t done, his voice echoed down the dungeons as he shouted far ahead.

“Move along now! Move it Mudblood, how dare you stand in the way of a pure blood!”

They came a slapping sound.

Shocked gasps all around him.

“Professor Black just slapped a student!” shouted a boy.

“I never!” Came Cressida Blume’s outrageous voice, leaving the potions classroom. “He just assaulted a student and used the M word.”

They could hear Black moving away from them, still shouting at random students as he passed. Ominis went into the Common Room, where his fellow Slytherins were all talking about Black or Poppy.

The scandal of Professor Black continued into the late evening.

As Ominis left the Slytherin Common Room, a mixture of uneasy talk and laughing reached his ears.

“He told me my family do illicit things with Muggles and that any children I have will be squibs.”

“He called me a Mudblood in front of Professor Sharp. My father is a wizard.”

“I saw Black today shouting at Amit and calling him a bore.”

As he walked to the Great Hall, more voices joined him.

“What in Merlin’s name?” Came Lucan Brattleby’s high pitch voice as Ominis crossed into the hall

“He shouted something rather obscene at me. I am a little shocked, I can’t repeat what he said, but that was... Has somebody cursed our headmaster?”

“No” Ominis answered. “I think our headmaster is in his right mind, but in a dreadful rage.”

He took his normal seat half way up the table and his wand guided his hand to his favourite meal. He placed chicken onto this plate with some fresh bread and began to eat.

All around the hall, gasps of outrage rang out.

The room went quiet really fast and Ominis looked up, bread still in his mouth and turned his head to hear why the room was now silent.

“Hem Hem! I have an announcement to make!” Came Professor Black’s voice, clearly up at the owl lectern by the way it echoed around the room. Ominis kept eating, he was hungry and nothing Black was going to say would be very pleasant anyway, his mood had been continuously vile all afternoon. Ominis half expected him to insult everybody right now in the hall.

“Ahem. Ahem. Ah yes. I am here tonight to declare my intentions to step down as Hogwarts’ Headmaster, with immediate effect.”

All around the hall, talk broke out. Excited chatter and even some cheering.

“Bah! Silence! I am not finished.” Professor Black shouted out. “If I see anybody talking over me, I shall curse the perpetrator. I am not joking, I shall curse each and every one of you uncanny little freaks.”

Silence filled the hall. A few people give a sort of nervous laugh.

“There has been a coup! Lead by the serpent herself, Matilda Weasley. I have chosen to stand down before false evidence can be used against me to sour my name. I came here with the best intentions, to improve this school for my own children, and for all magical children who pass through this door. I accepted the role of Headmaster with the goal of ridding this school of Mudbloods, but as you can see, there’s one such vile wand stealer in my own staff.”

“I said be quiet, didn’t I? I will curse you, so hold your tongues. Mudbloods have no place at our school, but sadly, there’s some blood traitors here tonight that believe otherwise. Well, I say have the school Professor Weasley. It’s yours! You want murderers and inbreds by your side? Then so be it. Take your place upon my chair, in my office. You are welcome to this cesspool, feel free to stew in the filth you accept into this noble school. I shall be remembered as the headmaster who tried to save Hogwarts from the dirt, the stain of the unworthy. Children, I have had enough of you. I am from the noble house of Black, and I won’t be pushed around anymore. How dare those among us tonight in this hall believe for a second that they can control me! The Black family will always be here, unlike some of you. That is all I have to say. Goodbye to you all.”

There was a loud bang that made Ominis jump, it seemed Black had pushed over the owl lectern. Footsteps ran down the middle tables as Professor Black walked out.

There was an awkward silence.

It went on.

“Can I have everybody’s attention please?” It was Professor Weasley. “I believe our headmaster has absconded his role. As the deputy Headmistresses, it would seem I am now acting Headmistress.”

Silence still lingered.

“Merlin’s Pants, Auntie!” Came Garreth’s voice from the Gryffindor table.

The whole hall erupted into cheering as the school appeared to have caught on.

Ominis sat stunned in his seat. The bread clutched in his hand, now forgotten about.

Black gone?

“Black really has left?” Ominis asked around him. “He’s walked out of the castle?”

“Yep” Somebody replied. “He’s not here at all. I can’t see him, it looks like he’s left.”

A few people were now hovered around the hall, late comers to dinner catching up on events, people from other houses visiting tables of their friends to talk.

People celebrating.

“Professor Weasley, can we have Quidditch again?” Shouted Imelda Reyes a few seats down the table, all normal rules and curtsy’s forgotten about temperedly.

“All of Professor Black’s past legislations will be null and void.” Professor Weasley said from the owl lectern. “Starting with the Quidditch ban.”

The screaming that came from each house’ Quidditch players was deafening.

“I shall address the full school in the days coming, but right now there’s an important duty I must attend to.”

The staff had now joined in with the applaud, signs of relief upon their faces as Professor Weasley stepped down and walked between the tables. She glanced at Ominis, sitting at the Slytherin table, she was in two minds to ask him to come with her, but she believed it was best to try what she had planned alone, that way, if it didn’t work, they would be less disappointment.

She walked up the stairs and along the corridors.

She finally came to the headmaster’s office. The Stone Gargolyes moved aside for her and the staircase took her to the top where the door opened.

The old Headmasters and Headmistresses were awake now, congratulating her on her promotion to Headmistress.

“Thank you. Thank you, you are all so very kind.” She walked over to the side of the room and there in a small circler tube was a key.

“I shall be needing this.” She said, picking it up.

Maybe undoing the ban on Quidditch had been her first call as headmistress, but this second act was her most important.

She carried the key back down the stairs and walked down the hall. There was a locked door at the end of the corridor that never opened, only the current head of Hogwarts was allowed access. She unlocked the door and began her journey upstairs, to one of the highest rooms in the castle.

She pushed open the door and there before her was the book she had only ever heard of. Book of Admittance and flying around it, the Quill of Acceptance.

“Sebastian Sallow, please” She told the book. The pages started turning back page after page after page, until a few dozen turns had happened. There was his name, right under Anne’s.

There was a line through his name.

“Reenrol Sebastian Sallow.” She instructed the book. At once, the Quill of Acceptance flew up and skated across Sebastian’s name, taking the line of ink away.

At the Ministry of Magic, in the Improper Use of Magic Office, a beeping, humming noise went off.

A young wizard picked up a note that had just appeared on the desk, taking a glance at it, the wizard nodded and went over to the source of the humming. In one of the wand lock up boxes, one of the boxes had started humming. The wizard took the box out and opened it, the wand within was wrapped in parchment, with the owner’s name clearly labelled.

The note in the wizard’s hand read

Sebastian Sallow

D.O.B: 1875

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Sebastian Sallow has herby been reemitted to Hogwarts School as a student. As per to the law on the Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery, all charges against Sebastian Sallow were lifted and reenrolment at school confirmed. Please ensure wand is reunited with the correct owner.

Your Sinserly,

Professor M. Weasley

Headmistress of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

An hour later after all the appropriate checks had been confirmed, an owl was sent out. It eventually found it’s way to the Burrow. It arrived and tapped the window of the living room and awaited entrance into the house. At the same moment, an owl from Hogwarts joined it and they both hopped in together.

Sebastian was laying in front of the fire on the rug, the lingering smell of gobstone fluid lingered on Tessie as Anne apologized to her.

“Told you not to play with her, she’s too good.” Sebastian laughed. “She beats me, every time.”

“I demand a replay. Slytherins cheat, everybody knows that!” Tessie said, crossing her arms. “I never lose a game, you cheated Anne.”

“I most certainly did not.” Anne laughed, gathering all her Gobstones back up. “Round twenty. Shall we begin?”

Sebastian laughed, scrunching his nose up. These two really stunk and he was happy he had refused their offer of playing.

Mr Weasley crossed the room as two owls entered, he removed their mail and let them back out. One parcel was long, another was a letter.

“Sebastian, these are both addressed to you.”

“Ooooh Sebby got mail. Is that a sugar quill order from Honeydukes? I like Sugar Quills, just saying.” She give him her big eyes that suggested if it were sweets, she would want some.

Sebastian glanced curious at the long parcel. It was wrapped in brown paper with the Ministry of Magic ‘M’ all over it.

Anne had also noticed the M’s, she suddenly leaned forward as Sebastian slowly got up and crossed his legs, the letter on his knee, but it was the parcel his attention was on.

“Can I open this?” Anne asked him, pointing to the letter.

All of Sebastian’s attention was on the parcel as he pulled apart the paper.

It felt like something was calling to him. An old friend.

He knew what was in the box, he didn’t need to see the wand box to know what was inside this, his wand knew its master was here.

He let out a cry of pure joy as he took hold of the familiar wand, with its green hand. Tessie’s open dropped open in awe as golden stars flew out of the wand.

“I missed you!” Sebastian cried, his wand vibrating in his hand, a warm glow running down his arm.

“Sebastian! They’ve let you back in!” Anne shouted, holding the letter near him.

Mrs Weasley came in at their shouts, she was beaming.

“That’s brilliant, Sebastian, I am so happy for you.” She said, coming down to the floor to hug him as Anne read out loud.

Dear Mr Sallow.

We are pleased to inform you that you have been reaccepted at Hogwarts School of Wichcraft and wizardry. Term starts on the 1st Sepember, the Hogwarts Express will leave from Platform 9 ¾ at 11’clock on the 1st September, term starts on the 2nd. Please ensure you have all required books and supplies for the upcoming year. I hope you are well.

Yours, Professor Weasley.

Headmistress of Hogwarts.

Anne glanced up, she had tears in her eyes that she blinked away.

“There’s a PS” She read the letter more.

“’Your wand will be arriving shortly by owl from the Ministry. I will come visit you at my earliest convenience, I wish to tell you how we at Hogwarts are going to get you up to speed with your fellow classmates and about taking your O.W.Ls and N.E.W.Ts. It shall be a challenging year, but I have faith in you Sebastian, I know you can do it. A very happy evening to you all.’”

tagging @myfavouritelunatic @sekkitsu @queenfinehair

Sebastian was feeling weird, like his mind was spinning, but with total euphoria.

His wand was right there in his hand, a Hogwarts letter right beside him telling him which books he would need for his 7th year, with an addition list of books from the 6th year he had never yet studied. He ran his eyes down them all, so many new books, full of spells he had never learned.

“I’m going back” He said, it suddenly hitting him. It was real. He was really going back to Hogwarts!

Anne had tackled him with a crushing hug, all around him, the sounds of the Weasley’s congratulating him.

He was going back to school.

Sebastian stood up, and followed Garreth out of the compartment, keeping his head down and avoiding eyes. He didn’t look for Ominis, he would see him soon enough anyway. Among all the talking and the sound of Gladwin Moon calling for all first years, Sebastian found nobody was looking at him. So far, he had gone unnoticed, but it wouldn’t stay like this. He tried to hide himself the best he could, going so far as to raise his hood as he and Garreth got into a cart, followed by a few other students. Sebastian kept his head facing towards the window as the other students in the cart with them talked about Quidditch, how hungry they were, how hard 4rd year was going to be. They had no idea they were sitting next to a murderer. Sebastian’s heart pounded, and he tried to remember these students would have only been in the 2nd year the last time they saw him and were unlikely to recognize him. “Lucan Brattleby’s voice has finally dropped. I just seen him on the train and he sounds so funny.” One of the new fourth years laughed. “He was the last in our year to still sound like a twelve year old.” The last time Sebastian had seen Lucan, he had been twelve. The calming effects were starting to kick in and he almost felt a detachment to that around him. The carriage stopped and they got out, Sebastian pulled his hood down, he would attract more attention wearing it up and nobody would really see his face in the darkness.

Walking up the path, he kept close to Garreth, they talked, but not much. Sebastain then noticed warm lights had reached them and as he glanced up, Hogwarts was right in front of him. He had been walking with his head down so much he hadn’t noticed the school right there. He gazed up, the light from the castle shinning down upon his face. All that time in Azkaban, behind the bars watching the Dementors gliding up and down, all he wanted was to be back here. Laying in St Mungo’s, his mind had travelled back to this place in his imagination many times, it had been a comfort to him. A few people noticed him looking up, most didn’t know who he was, but a few people glanced twice at him, unsure if they were really seeing who they believed they were. Garreth stayed with him, while Sebastian took in Hogwarts once more. “It hasn’t changed that much, Sharp still hates my potions and Peevees still floods the bathroom near Gryffindor tower. Come on, let’s get you in before the Great Hall fills up.” “Sure.” Sebastian muttered, taking his eyes off Hogwarts and-

-And there he was. Ominis.

Another empty carriage ride to the school. This was the fourth time this had happened to him now. Ominis was more than used to the quiet and isolation from the rest of the school. He had reached that state of mind now where people could believe whatever they wanted, he knew the truth. He was a Gaunt and he could not change that. He was a descendant from Salazar Slytherin, that was old news. His entire family line before him was filled with murder, torture and the dark arts. Again, old news, everybody knew about it, from the mutterings in Hogsmeade about his family, some past, some recent, to the whispers and comments he got in the school. Let them talk. Let them hate. He had more important things on his mind than their childish mutterings. He needed to save them all. For the entire train ride, he had been mostly alone, locked within his own thoughts. The rest of the summer, he had spent all his time with his father, learning all about the Deathly Hallows, he knew what they looked like, how they worked, how they were made. He knew what happened to the one who united them all. His father had made it clear it was in the Gaunt’s interests to unite all three. Master of death who could not be beaten in a battle, who could protect their loved ones by returning them to a form of living and to hide from any foe. Then his father had informed him about the Chamber of Secrets.

“It was your great-great Grandfather, Corvinius Gaunt who was the saving grace of the family. They would have found the trapdoor down to the chamber had it not been for his quick thinking. All of our family’s planning would have been for nothing. He found out where they would be placing the plumbing next and timed it perfectly, concealing the entrance in a bathroom which had just been fitted. In a way, the school getting the new plumbing worked in our favour, the snake, she was able to travel around the school more efficient. She can travel to the other side of the school in a matter of seconds, snakes like dark tunnels, so they did her a kindness. A less stressed snake can perform better and she will need to keep out of sight while she works. You can speak to her anywhere in the school, but the Undercroft was made especially to talk with her, the walls along the back of the room are thinner. You are in her presence while you are in there, have you felt her? It’s calming for us to be near her Ominis.” His father’s words echoed in his mind as he had sat on the train, even his happiest place at Hogwarts now had a terrible truth. Was he so protective of the Undercroft because he was where he, Sebastian and Anne played games or was he really feeling a kinship to the snake that could have been inches from them.

“Can you sense her?” He asked Snakey as they climbed the lawn closer to the castle, his wand guiding him as normal. He felt Snakey move and he knew his serpent friend was coming out of his robes. Snakey rose onto Ominis’ shoulders and with his tongue, he flickered it into the night to smell. ‘Water. Grass. Cold air. Nothing else.’ “Try opening your mouth?” Ominis asked, he knew they could smell more this way. Snakey did as instructed. ‘Wet stone.’ his snake answered. Ominis nodded. “I think we need to be inside the castle to sense her. I’m going to try and call to her, if I know where she is, I can tell Weasley and Sharp, they can stop her. I’m going to talk to Weasley right after the feast, they need to know what my family is doing, what they plan on doing here. This chamber, we can’t allow it to be open, so many will be killed.” ‘They are watching us’ Snakey told him. “Just ignore them.” Ominis said, “They have nought better to do.” Ominis could feel his wand leading him passed people on the path. Something then made him slow down, his ears straining. It had sounded like somebody had spoken before quickly being hushed by something else. Had somebody wanted to speak to him? More likely somebody had been about to insult him and their friend had wisely stopped them. Tonight he wasn’t in the mood for them. Ominis continued walking as normal, whatever that was, it wasn’t his problem, the only thing that was.

“Um, that’s your best friend.” Garreth said, slightly confused. “It’s Ominis. Sebastian?” “I know who he is.” Sebastian said, suddenly on edge and trying not to snap at Garreth. “I just don’t want to talk to him right now.” “Okay.” Garreth said. He had made to tap Ominis’ arm to show him Sebastian was here and Sebastian had suddenly grabbed his arm away and shook his head, stopping him from drawing attention to Sebastian being there. “He’s going to find out you’re here eventually. He likely already knows you’re here.” Garreth told Sebastian. “His family, remember.” “He turned me in.” Sebastian said, now he had seen Ominis, he felt sick and no calming tonic could take that away. The bitterness of Ominis’ betrayal stirring up in him. He actually was glaring at Ominis’ back, seeing his wand flashing red as he walked. “Let’s keep walking. I know being sent to Azkaban for something you didn’t do hurts, but try to remember Anne and Ominis were bewitched by that Rookwood fellow. It wasn’t really Ominis who turned you in, he had no choice.” Garreth said, trying to reason with Sebastian. For a moment Sebastian was confused, then he remembered the fake story they all had agreed on for his behalf. The fake story of Rookwood killing Solomon, enchanting Anne and Ominis. He had forgotten all about it, for a moment panic threatened to overpower the calming draught. “Yeah, you’re right.” Sebastian said, his mouth dry, but his insides still raging. No lie could take away the truth. No amount of lying would ever excuse Ominis for turning him in. His own best friend. As Ominis walked past Sebastian, he could see quite clearly there was indeed a snake with Ominis now. His once best friend had turned him in for Dark Magic, and then had proceeded to settle back into the House of Gaunt. ‘Double sided much Ominis?’ Sebastian thought to himself.

They climbed the stairs into the Entrance Hall. This was the part Sebastian was dreading the most, he was bathed in light and less people were in here, already heading into the Great Hall, greeting friends from other houses. Just as he turned to look at the doors to the Great Hall, his eyes met those of Grace Pinch-Smedley’s, whose mouth dropped open for a moment. The shock on her face when she looked at him, then averted her eyes. Garreth touched his arm to make him move. “It’s okay.” He tried to reassure Sebastian, but at that moment, Natty walked passed them. She had been coming over to say hello to Garreth when she noticed Sebastian standing by his side. Her eyes narrowed as she looked over Sebastian, before sweeping off into the hall without saying a word. “Okay, we shall just ignore that.” Garreth said, now almost dragging Sebastian through the doors. The Great Hall looked just as he had imagined it, the four long house tables, the enchanted ceiling far above reflecting the night sky. “I have to go sit at my table, go sit at the Slytherin table. Will you be okay?” Garreth asked him. Sebastian nodded, he didn’t want to be in here right now, it felt like all eyes were upon him. Everywhere he looked, people were double taking looks, some students even turned around in their seats to watch him as he slowly tried to find an empty seat at the Slytherin table, as far away from Ominis as he could.

“Oh my. Sallow. Look, Sebastian Sallow is here.” “What? Where?” “That’s Sebastian Sallow? Whoa, what happened to him?” “Sallow?” “Goodness.”

He didn’t look up, he just kept walking. The hall was now full of people trying to look at him, the Slytherins in front of him stopped to look back at him, there was silence from his own table, when he looked up there were eyes staring at him. He was trembling and trying to hide it. Just find an empty seat and- A hand on his arm, somebody turning him around. “Sebastian?” Nerida Roberts said “Want to sit with us?” They were all there. Imelda Reyes was leaning across the table, concern on her face. Grace had been right behind him, she had followed him into the hall and he hadn’t notice. “We were calling you, but you didn’t seem to hear.” Grace said. Nerida looked at him in the face, they knew each other well from Crossed Wands, he could see it in her eyes, the worry, the uncertainty. “It’s good to see you again, are you well?” “Sallow, sit down, you are making the place untidy.” Imelda said, but her smile said otherwise as she gestured to the seat opposite her. He sank into the bench, looking down at the gold plates. Anything not to look up at all the eyes. “What are you looking at?” Imelda snapped over his head at a group of Ravenclaws who were all trying to look at Sebastian. “Turn around or I’ll hex you. You lot of nosey arses, mind your own business.” Grace sat on his other side of him, like his personal guards, Nerida on his other, with Imelda directly opposite.

She leaned across the table. “We all read in the Prophet that St Mungo’s were looking for you. Are you sick? We can take you to Nurse Blainey if you are?” Sebastian shook his head. His ability to talk had seemly disappeared again. That calming draught hadn’t been enough, he needed another. He opened his mouth, and then closed it again. He closed his eyes for a second and opened them again, taking slow breaths like the healers had taught him. “Have you been hiding all this time?” Nerdia asked him gently. “We’ve all been worried about you. When Black left, we half expected you back to very next day, but we all guessed somebody must have taken you in, as there was no sign of you. Are you going to be in our classes still, or will you be with the sixth years?” “With you.” He muttered, finding his voice at last, trying not to draw attention to himself, he could feel the Ravenclaws still watching. “I’ve been doing extra work to catch up. I’m taking my O.W.Ls around Christmas and then N.E.W.Ts at the end of the year.” Imelda looked down the table. “Gaunt is down there, Sebastian.” She said hesitating. “Want me to go fetch him?” The three girls exchanged a look while Sebastian finally looked down the table, finding Ominis sitting there looking a bit uneasy. His old friend was moving his head up and down the table, as if listening for Sebastian. “No,” Sebastian said. “We- We haven’t spoken, since -you know.” The girls looked uneasy. “Yeah. Nobody could believe it when we heard he testified against you, like he was your best friend, but he was bewitched, right? That’s what the Prophet said. I am so sorry about your uncle, that Rookwood got what he deserved if you ask me. Hopefully you and Gaunt can be friends again, must be so bad for you both. I can’t imagine how you both feel.” Nerdia whispered to him. “Me and Imedla patched things up last year, but this is bigger than a fallout over flying.”

Sebastian shook his head again. “I don’t think he wants to be friends, he-“ He broke off as the doors to the hall opened again and Professor Weasley led the line of first years in, everybody’s eyes were on the newcomers. Sebastian alone wasn’t watching the sorting, he was watching Ominis, he was talking to that snake again. He looked away from Ominis when he noticed a few eyes were watching him curiously. He kept his eyes averted, watching the candlelight reflecting upon his plate as all around him polite applause came from the Ravenclaw table as the first years started being sorted. It was around the time that ‘Dumbledore, Albus’ was sorted into Gryffindor that Sebastian released he couldn’t stomach the clapping, it hurt his head like never before. He wished the sorting would be over with soon. Covering his ears, he tried to remain unnoticeable while the Slytherin table clapped as a newcomer joined their table. Finally, the sorting was over and the food appeared. For the first time, Sebastian felt a little more at ease. Nobody at the Slytherin table was taking too much notice of him, in fact whenever his eyes met somebody at his own table, he was met with a small smile. At least his house was on his side.

The girls filled him in on events he had missed, school work, who won the house cup last year (“Slytherin, of course.”) and Poppy. “Nobody is any closer to finding out who cursed her with Dark Magic, there’s rumours but-“ “Gaunts?” Sebastian asked dully, remembering how they were also after him, how they chased Anne and himself through St Mungo's. How he would likely be looking for his shoulder for the rest of his life. The girls went silent, their faces confirmed their feelings. “Yeah, the Gaunts have been mentioned a lot, like a lot, a lot.” Nerdia said with a shudder. “Poppy was seen in Hogsmeade with Ominis’ older brother a few weeks before the attack ,and according to some others, Ominis had been with his brother that same day, they had been together and Marvolo had gone off with Poppy, but nobody has proof it was him who attacked her. We we know is Poppy left the castle in the early hours of the morning, the Ministry, if you can believe this, just said a young lady like Poppy shouldn’t have been out at that time. They are blaming her! She got attacked but they blamed her!” Grace said angerly. “I hear her gran is furious, it casts a bad light upon their entire family. But poor Poppy, she’s still not awake. They don’t know if or when she ever will.”

The puddings came out and Sebastian started to regret eating too much, his stomach churned loudly. He knew Grace and Nerdia could hear it, he saw their eyes flicker to his body. He was slimmer than both of them now. “Everything ok?” Grace asked quietly. Sebastian nodded. “You know, I always thought there was something wrong with that fifth year, they stole my family’s astrolabe after all. Didn’t I tell you they were bad news?” She looked at the others for confirmational nods. “If they were involved in you being wrongly sent to Azkaban, they need bringing to justice.” Grace said quietly. Sebastian nodded. “Good luck with that. They vanished into thin air.” He said bitterly, remembering how he had been so convinced that they were his equal in magical curiosity. “Wait! They stole your families’ astrolabe?” Nerdia gasped. “They stole my gift from the Merpeople.” That brought some giggles from the little gang. Even Sebastian found a smile upon his face. He didn’t know this about his old ‘friend’. Bad gossip about them was cheering him up. “No way!” Grace gasped back. “What a scoundrel!” “They cheated on all the Quidditch trials too. No way did they beat me.” Imelda scoffed. “I say we are better off without them.”

At that moment, Professor Weasley got to her feet. “Welcome back to all returning students, and to our newcomers, I wish you all a warm welcome.” Sebastian glanced behind him to look at Professor Weasley. He felt an incredible warmth towards her, she had been there for him at his lowest, she had cared for him, sat by his bedside, even now she was giving Anne a place of safety. As she looked around, his eyes met hers and he couldn’t help but to give her a little smile. “Quidditch trials will take place in the second week of term, anybody wishing to take part should submit their names to their head of houses. Mr Moon has asked me to remind you that Demiguise Statues and facemasks are not permitted within the school and I want to remind you all of the dangers of being out of bed after hours. For your own safety, once dark has fallen all students should remain inside the castle. Your safety is my uttermost concern. Now, it is bedtime, you all have busy days tomorrow.”

Everybody got up, Sebastian stood up with the girls. “Ooh we get to move into the 7th year dorms. Have you seen them? They are separate from the other rooms, we get sofas and our own sitting areas within our own room. It’s very posh.” Nerdia said to Sebastian. They were keeping him distracted from all the looks at him. “We can look in the boy’s rooms, but you can’t see into ours, unless you like slides.” Imelda laughed as she joined them. “Look at him again and you won’t have eyes!” She shouted to a Hufflepuff passing. “Some people in this school. I swear they are only here for drama.” Sebastian smiled weakly. It was so nice of them to welcome him back like this. It was a relief to leave the rest of the school to climb the grand staircase while their house went down to the dungeons.

Sebastian didn’t look for Ominis.

He had made it clear to Sebastian with his continued silence over these past months how he really felt.

Mr Gaunt entered the kitchen. “For heaven’s sake Ominis!” He shouted, ignoring how Ominis had jumped almost a foot in the air. “We’ve told you enough times to be mindful of yourself when eating.” Mr Gaunt pulled out his wand and cleaned the front of his son’s robes. “Do not do that tomorrow in front of our guests and your new bribe - what are you eating?” “It’s disgusting.” Marvolo said, watching his brother still. “It’s like a dog is eating at the table with us.” “I just fancied some oats.” Ominis said quietly. “I like how they cook it at Hogwarts, so-“

Marvolo looked up at the ceiling, so did his father. The oil lamp above them was flickering, as if caught in a high wind. “What in Merlin’s name?” Marvolo muttered. Gaunt looked up, then down to the floor at the elf waiting on the room. “Don’t wait for your orders, use your brain and fix it.” Gaunt barked at the elf. “Sorry Master!” The elf cried in fear as it rushed forward to fix the flickering oil lamp. Ominis seemed to be looking troubled, his eyes almost popping out of his head as he turned his head slightly to the side. “Stop sloughing, Ominis.” Mr Gaunt said as he sat down at the table, and at the same time, the elf looked confused down at Mr Gaunt from up near the ceiling. “Sir, there’s enough oil in here, I don’t know why its flickering.”

Ominis’ eyes at that moment went even wider. Marvolo’s golden eyes were fixed on his brother, who was growing paler by the second. What had gotten into him?

“Fix it anyway, I am getting a migraine down here.” Gaunt said. “This flickering light…” Mr Gaunt covered the top part of his head, shielding his eyes from the now flashing lights the oil lamp was giving off. Marvolo’s eyes left Ominis for a second to look up at the lamp above. It was somehow growing more violent by the second. “Yes Master!” The elf said in panic as it attempted anyway it knew to fix the flickering, flashing flame. Gaunt said down and summoned another elf to take his order for breakfast. “I would like to talk with you later Ominis, before tomorrow.” “Sure dad.” Ominis said. The room went silent except for the sounds of the yelping elf above as it kept touched the hot oil, trying to calm the flame. Marvolo’s mouth dropped open. Since when had Ominis ever used the common term of ‘Dad’? That was what Mudbloods and Blood Traitors used. Only the riffraff of society used such vulgar terms. From the moment they could speak, it had always been ‘Mother’ or ‘Father’.

“I am so tired of this childish behaviour, you’ll be attending the wedding tomorrow with visible signs of a Stinging Jinx if you carry on.” “I’m sorry.” Ominis said quickly. However, Gaunt wasn’t paying Ominis any attention, all his focus was on Marvolo. “What!” Marvolo said, his eyes leaving Ominis for a moment to look at his father. “Why are you having a go at me for?” “You’ve put a Confundus Charm on your brother, don’t insult my intelligence by pretending you haven’t. I believe it’s quite obvious with his behaviour.” At that moment, Sebastian felt a wand tap him on the head and it took all his will power not to cry out in alarm. “Finite.” Came Gaunt’s voice. Marvolo was not going to let this drop without defending himself. “I have not done anything to him.” He said, putting strain into his voice so his father would listen to him. “If he’s acting weird it’s because he is weird! Look at the state of him. I have told you he’s not fit to be the one who carries on this family’s-“ There came a sound of a loud slap. “You will not insult Ominis, Marvolo.” Gaunt said in a deadly cold voice, pointing a finger at him. “Whatever his flaws may be, they pale in comparison to yours.”

Marvolo sat there, rage boiling beneath him, threatening to spill over. How dare they treat him like this. Him, the one rare Gaunt who carried Slytherin’s looks the most, the one who would one day be Minister for Magic. He was the greatest Gaunt in this house and they treat him like filth in favour of a lesser brother. All it would take it one order to Mori and…

There was silence in the room again, just the elf’s cries as it poured more oil into the lamp that was still flickering and spluttering as if caught in a high wind. Marvolo was rubbing his check, he was glaring at Ominis from across the table, imagining murdering him slowly. Ominis had finished his gruel without any more mess, but the light above kept flashing. “That light.” Gumbled Mr Gaunt. “Have you fixed it yet?” “No sir!” The elf cried out in misery. “I cannot fixs it sir! I will try more oil Master!” However, it seemed there was already too much oil within the lamp, for when the elf poured more in, the oil overflowed onto Marvolo. In a flash of moment, Marvolo leaped up with a cry of rage and pain as hot oil landed on his hand, he grabbed the House Elf which started screaming at once.

- “No sir! Please Sir! Master help me!”- -“MASTER! Master!”-

To Sebastian, he just heard thump after thump after thump. He held his breathe, unable to see what was happening in the room

-“Help me … Master!”- -“Ma…st…er”-

Thump after thump until the elf fell silent. “Did you have to?” Mr Gaunt asked Marvolo calmly. “That’s coming out of your allowance. I told you I will not stand for you killing our servants so freely, they cost good Galleons.” “It burned my hand!” Marvolo shouted, showing his father, who looked uninterested. “So, apply a healing balm next time. Stop killing the elves I bring in.” “Just buy a new one.” Marvolo shrugged coldly. There was another slap. Sebastian sat rooted to his chair. He was feeling sick to his stomach. He knew about the Gaunt’s violent streek, but never expected this. “May I be excused?” He asked finally, there was no answer so Sebastian didn’t know what to do, so he slowly got up. He misjudged his steps and had to feel around for the door, feeling the Gaunts eyes on him.

Marvolo finished his own meal and went out into the hall outside. “Blind worm.” He muttered on his way past Ominis, who was feeling around on the railing. Ominis didn’t react at all. “Blind, blind, little worm.” Marvolo hissed at him. “Cousin is going to give you deformed, gapping mouthed little babies with extra fingers and toes who won’t even live a week.” Ominis was climbing the stairs now. He was ignoring Marvolo well as if he had been practising, but even Marvolo could see him acknowledging the hissing.

“Are you ignoring me, Ominis? Guess I just need to get your attention. How about this, I’m going to find Sebastian Sallow and when I do, what I did to Poppy is going to look like child’s play. I’m going to turn Sallow’s guts outwards and spread them across the ground to see how long they are. I’m going to crack his brain like an egg, but not before I torture him.”

Marvolo ran up the stairs so that he was in front of Ominis, blocking his way. His pathetic brother didn’t even seem to know Marvolo was there and when his hand touched Marvolo’s, he almost jumped back on the step, making Marvolo snort.

“I think I even know where to find him, you see, Phineas came here a few days before the end of term and this time I was in the room with them. He and father were talking about your wedding and his firing was brought up again. Father was jesting about it and Black, well, he mentioned it wasn’t his fault he got fired, that a certain Professor had been rather protective of you while at school, and she held testament against Black. Of course, father thinks the whole thing is funny, he doesn’t look between the lines, you know.”

Marvolo leaned closer to Ominis, who was still looking blankly. Marvolo watched in mild amusement as Ominis reached out to feel if Marvolo was still there.

“She’s replaced dear old Phineas as headmistress, which is common knowledge to me, that I knew, but I didn’t know she had protected you, that was news to me. See I know Black threw you down the stairs, I was there when father delt with him for that, but I didn't know the extent this teacher had coming to your rescue. Now, why would Matilda Weasley be interested in a Gaunt? Our families are not close, hell our father mocks Gared Weasley every chance he gets. The Weasleys have always sided with the Potters on many topics and reforms against us. No respectful Weasley will even talk to a Gaunt, and then it hit me. The reason she is interested in you, is not really you, is it?... It's who you are best friends with.”

Now Marvolo had a big smile upon his face.

“It’s Sallow, isn’t it? Shiva said Sallow was taken by a woman, and we’ve never found Sallow, have we? He’s never at the train station. He’s never at Diagon Alley or anywhere we can find him. Father has asked around all his connections and searched in most wizarding neighbourhood, but nobody knows anything. Sallow has no family, so who was this woman who took him and why would she care for him. Under what right did she have to take custody of him? We never suspected the Weasleys, they aren’t Slytherins so no link to Sallow. They aren’t related. There is no connection at all, they should be strangers, but then hearing father and Black talking the other night made it all click in my head. So I went into work the day before you arrived home and I looked up Hogwarts Teachers in the Ministry’s records and what did I find? Sallow’s parents both worked with Professor Weasley, they were friends even outside of the school… Oh yes, close enough friends that the Weasleys would give a damn about the Sallow boy. The blood traitor, Matilda Weasley, was at their funeral dear brother, I saw her photo in an old Daily Prophet issue.”

Marvolo was now so close to Ominis, his noise was almost touching his brothers. To Marvolo’s distain, Ominis’ face was frustratedly blank.

“Let’s put it all together shall we. Unknown woman in St Mungos with Sallow and his sister. Not one of father’s connections know anything, because the Weasley’s have never been in father’s service. Father wouldn't find Sallow if he'd been hidden by the Weasley's, there's so many of them, it would be quite easy to hide within a family that large. They don’t associate with the elite of wizardkind so nobody who matters would have seen him. You ran off to the Sallows, allowed them to mollycoddle you like a baby. Sallow goes to Azkaban. We get him out for you. You put on a pathetic display of power on Black to get Sallow back into school, it fails. She then testifies on your behalf over Black because she knows you and Sallow are close friends. I’m guessing... she figured out you were involved in getting Sallow out of Azkaban and she’s covering for you both at school by getting rid of Black, who knows the truth. Have I guessed right, Omi? Should I go tell father what I believe, that Sallow is with the Weasleys at this very moment? I think I should…”

Marvolo let the threat hang in the air. He knew Ominis would be trembling, sweating, the stuttering and shaking in his voice as he tried to convince Marvolo he was wrong. He was expecting a look of terror to cross Ominis' face as he comes to terms with Game Over for Sallow, but to Marvolo’s disappointment, Ominis continued to blink dumbstruck, entirely unaffected by Marvolo’s threat. A second past. Then two. Then three. Ominis just stayed still, blinking. Then… He continued to walk up the stairs. “OMINIS!” Marvolo shouted, a hiss bursting from his lips as disbelief and rage flooded him. “DON’T YOU DARE IGNORE ME.” But Ominis kept going, he reached the landing before heading back to his bedroom.

Marvolo watched him go, the look in his eyes at this moment could have petrified anybody making eye contact with him better than the snake in the Chamber. His insides twisted in cold fury. He had wanted a reaction from Ominis, any sign of fear, but his brother had acted as if he couldn’t hear Marvolo at all. Marvolo was at boiling point, he had been cast aside for this weak and sad excuse of a Gaunt, beaten by his father for the smallest things when Ominis got away with everything. Marvolo longed for the days of the past, when it was Ominis at the end of their wands, twitching and screaming in agony. When had things changed? Mori slid up the stairs behind him, but even she kept her distance from her master. ‘He smells bad.’ She hissed quietly. “You can shut up too.” Marvolo snapped, mistaking Mori’s meaning. ‘Ominis… ‘ She corrected him.

Sebastian leaned back against the doorframe, gulping down another vial. “What in Merlin’s pants was that all about?” He whispered to himself. His head spun when he tried to make sense of what had just happened to him on the stairs. Already this morning had given him a first hand experience of the Gaunts and their madness where society didn’t see them, no wonder Ominis hated them all. He had witnessed, or at least had heard, a house elf being murdered right in front of him during breakfast, then Marvolo had cornered him on the stairs, just to hiss at him and enter into his personal space while still hissing right into his face. Sebastian would have laughed if the situation hadn’t been so intense and terrifying. He had no idea what Marvolo had been hissing about, but the guy needed to work on his manners around people, his behaviour was inappropriate. Uncle Solomon would have given Sebastian a week’s long lecture if he had acted like that.

Gaunt sat in his office, mulling over a document he had drawn up weeks prior. He had kept this one letter locked away by numerous enchantments and spells. he had made two copies, one for his personal records, and one to be sent to the Ministry of Magic to be kept safe until his passing. The document was a Will and he knew if certain eyes read this, he would likely have his throat slit in the night. Shiva, forever by his side, flicked her tongue as her black eyes also read over the document. She knew what it meant for the Gaunt family, her silence on the matter was not asked, because her loyalty to the man in the chair was greater than her comradery to the other snakes in this house.

Gaunt read through it once more, he had rewritten, redrew, and replanned his wording of this document so many times, but now it was finally perfected, worded exactly how he wanted. He was finally satisfied. He placed it back into it’s protective sleeve, returned it to the drawer and locked it again. “Can you go get Ominis. I need to talk to him.” He asked Shiva, who at once left her master’s side and slithered under the door. She passed Marvolo and Mori and although her expression didn’t change, she felt little respect for them. What was coming was justified by her master, this duo had had enough chances over the years to finally act like real Gaunts. Up the skirting boards she went, reaching speeds the other snakes in his house could only dream off, even Snakey wasn’t this fast as light as he was.

She slid effortlessly as if made of silk and was soon at Ominis’ door, she entered through the gap She didn’t normally do this, but right now secrecy was needed. Master Ominis was fiddling on with his robes, she wondered for a second if he was going to do the strange thing where humans shed their outer coverings at the end of each day, only to replace them with every sunrise. Snakey on the bed shot up as if electrocuted, the younger snake startling at her presence.

‘Come. Master wishes to see you.’ She told Ominis. Ominis stopped fiddling with his clothing and rubbed his mouth with a hand. ‘You must not keep him awaiting.’ She said after a little pause. Snakey was making agitated movements, heading to Ominis who was too far out of his reach. ‘Ominis, come.’ Shiva said, wondering why Ominis was ignoring her.

As she watched, Ominis started feeling around for his bed, as if about to sit on it. Shiva rose up, standing into the air. ‘Master summoned you. You must come to him.’ ‘Coming,’ Snakey perked up. ‘Friend has blocked ears. Can’t hear.’ Ominis sat down as Snakey flew at speed up his arm. “Whoa” Sebastian cried out in alarm, feeling Snakey’s body almost flying up his arm and around his neck, tapping frantically on the back of his neck. Sebastian froze. What did this mean again? It meant walk, but why walk? What was going on. Sebastian stood up unsurely.

‘Yes, we come now.’ Snakey hissed down to Shiva, who was looking up at them with growing curiosity by the second. Snakey desperately guided Sebastian to the door, pushing this stupid and totally helpless human forward. They were both going to get killed, why had he agreed to this plan? He bucked his body against Sebastian’s back, trying to get him to walk faster as Sebastian opened the door.

“Hello?” Sebastian asked unsure if somebody was there or not.

Snakey maneuvered the fake Ominis in the direction of Shiva, who was now making her way down the passage towards the stairs. Snakey’s worst fears came true as Shiva turned off at the forbidden hallway to Master Gaunt’s room. So much for Sebastian being able to just sit in Ominis’ room. If Gaunt spoke Parceltounge to the boy he believed was Ominis, and Ominis didn’t reply, it would be the death of both of them. Shiva disappeared under the door to Mr Gaunt's office and Snakey was left to steer Sebastian, but to his horror, the boy walked right into the door. “Ough” Sebastian grumbled, feeling the door with his hand. Snakey pushed him forward and Sebastian walked right into the room.

Gaunt’s eyebrows rose as Ominis almost fell into the room. “Did you forget how to knock?” He said, reprovingly “Sorry, father!” Sebastian said, catching on fast. “My head is in a pickle.” That sounded like something a posh person would say. Gaunt looked taken aback for a second. “Okay.” He said slowly. “Well, unpickle it please. I need to talk with you about important stuff.” He took out his wand and waved it, making the door slam shut.

“Tomorrow is a big day for you, so I won’t keep you long. Let’s keep this brief and honest. Maelia has certain birth defects, not like yours, but different, for a woman. Marvolo wasn’t just jesting to be unpleasant about her and your marriage.” He paused, wondering how to explain this to his blind son. “She doesn’t have enough space, hip wise, on a normal woman, you know, that part is wider. I was frankly amazed your aunt even agreed to her marrying you, but not because of your eyes, it’s because of her. It’s a big risk to her.” Sebastian sat there, a new horror over taking him as unwanted images flashed in his mind. Poor Ominis had to listen to this normally? No wonder he wanted to flee. Sebastian could almost imagine his checks turning bright red.

Gaunt had noticed the look on Ominis’ face, but he had misread Sebastian’s mortification for confusion.

“What it means for you both, is she may not be able to have children, Ominis. She could even die in childbirth.” Gaunt said, sitting back in his chair. “Your mother hates any talk of this subject, because it’s her own sister’s daughter, but your cousin may not be able to give you children, her body just isn’t up to it, any children she may have could be deformed due to lack of room. I’m talking about twisted legs, crushed skulls that result in the death of the child before it’s born. There’s simply no room at all for children. Therefore, if she can’t give a heir within two years, I’d advise you to seek another partner who can, one you can visit discreetly without the wider wizarding world knowing, because then they will all want to marry into this family for the Parseltounge, and you know we can’t allow that. You and Maelia can raise the child as if it were a product of your marriage, your mother also need not know if you wish. I have a few families in mind who will agree to keep this a secret for the correct price, the Blacks among them. It is more vital than ever that you have children, we’ve spoken about this before, but this is the reason why.” They came the sound of a door opening in the desk.

Sebastian couldn’t believe he was having this chat with the head of the Gaunt family. Have children outside of marriage to another woman and pay for their silence? These sorts of things just did not happen in normal society and Sebastian could feel himself growing hotter with embarrassment. It was shocking to hear such affluent people talking in this way, he expected better. Maybe he had just been a little too sheltered, but he doubted it.

Gaunt reached down and took out the document he had been obsessing over. “Read this now.” Sebastian felt something that felt like paper being placed in his hand. He reached into his robes and pulled out Ominis’ wand, he had seen his best friend do this many times, he held the wand to the paper. Nothing happened. He waited for the wand to read to him Still nothing happened. “Today will do.” Mr Gaunt said, slightly at odds as to why Ominis wasn’t reading. “Oh erm, yes, I-“ Ominis fumbled, tapping the paper with the wand. Still nothing happened. Did Ominis use a spell to read, how exactly did this work. “Pass it back, I’ll read it for you.” Gaunt said, putting this down to Ominis’ stresses for tomorrow getting the better of him.

The Last Will and Testerment of Master Gaunt. Revisited Edition It is my wish that all conditions of my current Will are upheld upon my death, these include: All artifacts and inheritance of the House of Gaunt be passed to my youngest son, Ominis Gaunt upon the passing of myself/ or both myself and my wife, whichever is first. The Conditions that Ominis receives his inheritance shall happen despite any objections from my wife: Ominis is placed higher in terms of authority than my wife.

“That’s so she can’t block you taking over as the head of the family should anything happen to me, or Marvolo worming his way in through her.” Gaunt explained to a very dumbstruck Sebastian.

My eldest son, Marvolo is hereby and forever unnamed and my wishes for his renouncement in the Will and in the line of inheritance shall be recorded.

Did that mean what Sebastian thought it meant? “And this is why I asked you to come down here, by sending Shiva and not an elf.” Gaunt told what he believed to be Ominis. “You’re disinheriting Marvolo?” Sebastian asked. “More than that.” Gaunt said with a smile Sebastian couldn’t see. He carried on reading.

My eldest son Marvolo is to be prohibited and restricted from using the surname Gaunt, this rule also applies to any blood children/grandchildren he may sire and continued down the line to time infinite. It is my expressed wish that Marvolo is made Persona Non Grata from the earliest possible time after the marriage of my youngest son, Ominis Gaunt to his wife to be, Maelia Gaunt, via means of Damnatio Memoriae

Sebastian’s mouth dropped open, he couldn’t believe it. “You’re removing him entirely from your family. It will be like he never existed.” Sebastian gasped in shock. He had been so wrong about the Gaunts, they hated Marvolo just as much as he and Ominis did it seemed. “My, you’ve been studying your latin, I thought you hated Latin?” Gaunt asked, a strange note in his voice. “Oh. I- I read a book in the library at school.” Sebastian said, covering as best as he could. It was a good thing that Gaunt was so amused at Ominis‘ new appreciation of Latin, because Sebastian’s use of ‘Your family’ went right over his head. The two humans didn’t notice, but Snakey did. He wanted to bite this stupid boy right here and now for his careless slip. Sebastian’s remark also was not missed by Shiva. She flickered her tongue into the air. ‘Smells funny’ she hissed. Gaunt, still looking at this son in an approving manner, ignored her.

“You are correct, Ominis. I am removing Marvolo from the family. We have spoken about this before, but he… he is why I believe our ways of marrying our cousins needs to end before bad things happen. Your aunt was the first to bring it up. Noctua’s first act of defiance was telling your grandfather that she would marry a pure blood, but his name would not be Gaunt. I remember their faces still, they were horrified at the idea of her marrying outside the family. Noctua told me the reason our family has these – moments – is due to our marrying our cousins, you may have noticed it yourself. You are normal one moment, happy even, then you have rage, or aggression, and then it’s gone again. Marvolo is pure aggression, all the time. I must admit myself, I’ve had moments where muggle baiting has gone too far, much further than I’ve ever wanted to take things. It’s like blacking out and waking up to find yourself covered in too much blood.”

Gaunt paused, as if recalling his last outing over Easter.

“That is also why I say find a woman who can give you more balanced children. Marvolo brings shame to the family. He is a liability. If he were to ever become a parent, I worry what it will mean to our family, what our legacy may be, so I am disowning him and removing any memory of him. It will be as if Marvolo Gaunt never existed…” Sebastian sat taking all of this in and made mental notes of everything being said just incase Ominis wanted to know. He was not a gossiper and didn’t want to lower himself to the standard of Leander and the muffin wallopers, but sitting here, getting front row seats to the Gaunt’s inner dysfunctional workings was something he didn’t know he was going to get during his stay here, it was certainly proving as interesting as terrifying being among them. “Anyway, that is what I wanted to talk to you about, so you know.” Gaunt finished, bringing Sebastian back from his thoughts. “After your wedding, we may have some family drama, but don’t worry about it. Focus on getting to know your cousin as your wife, leave Marvolo to me to deal with. If he makes things difficult, well…” And here, Gaunt give a cold laugh “…As I said, it’ll be like he doesnt exist, so we could make that happen for real. Nobody outside our family knows half of what goes on here, we can easy hide what’s left.”

Mr Gaunt was casually talking about murdering his own son as though it was an amusing joke. Sebastian giggled a little, not sure how Ominis would react in this circumstance and as he did, his stomach give a nasty turn as he realised, no, Ominis wouldn’t laugh. Shiva’s eyes couldn’t narrow, but if they could have in that moment, they would be narrowed in an emotion she could only describe as mistrust. It wasn’t the first time she suspected Ominis, she remember how she could sense him over the winter period in her Master’s room, and caught him in the act of hanging around outside Master’s door.

What was odd about him this time? Last time he had been somewhere he shouldn’t be. Now? smells funny. Acting not like Ominis.

Mr Gaunt shifted Shiva over slightly as he placed his arms on the desk in front of him. His attention was entirely on the document in front of him, carefully returning it back into it’s protective sleeve, so he didn’t see what came next. But Shiva did. ‘Smells…funny’ Shiva hissed, leaning forward, her eyes on Ominis. A snake like her could only see very limited colours, to her, Ominis always had light coloured hair, but now it seemed to be going dark from the roots, almost growing down his fair strands. Shiva had no idea what she was seeing, but she started rumbling. A warning.

Sebastian blinked. Was it his imagination, or could he actually see the room slowly coming into view? His stomach was still feeling like it was rumbling from within. He knew what it meant at once. He leaped to his feet. “I need to go now. I-I-bathroom needed.” He was already running out of the room before Mr Gaunt could dismiss him properly or even look up. “Try to enjoy your last night of freedom, Ominis.” He called lightly, still absorbed entirely on the document, laughing as the door closed with a snap. ‘Smells…Funny…Hair…Funny’ Shiva said to Gaunt. “You’re just smelling stress.” Gaunt said, dismissing his snake. “A normal, human smell, and his hair needs washing anyway for tomorrow. Now stop saying my boy smells funny. He can hear you, you know. So, when you don’t eat because something has upset you, and you go an entire month without food? That’s what he feels when you say he smells.” Shiva flicked her tongue.

She hated it when Master didn’t fully listen to her. In truth, she didn’t trust any of them in this house other than her master. Marvolo posed a deadly threat, Mori too. The life partner of her master was cold and distant and her snake, Greer, more distant then any of them, having lived far longer and having other masters in the past. Finally, Ominis. The one who runs away. He smelt odd. She knew how the Silver Eyed One normally smelt, fear was different from stress and that boy always smelt scared, but he smelt like Ominis Gaunt, no matter his emotional state. Currently, Ominis smelt entirely different to how he normally does. There was no trace of the normal smell around him. Even when her master washes in water, or sprays himself with musks, she could smell him still, same old master. So why did Ominis smell – Not so Ominis? She flickered her tongue and let loose a hiss, as if letting off steaming. Master Ominis also hadn't respond to her, he didn’t even acknowledge her being in his room, yet she had made her presence known to him. Her little, tiny brain ticked over what this meant, but she couldn’t quite sum up her thoughts. Her mind was on her next meal and her latest territory disrupts with Mori. There simply wasn’t enough room for deeper thoughts right now. There was something about Ominis. She knew it, but she couldn’t explain it.

Outside the room, Sebastian was already pulling out a vial from his pocket. The hour had passed so quickly, he had not noticed time passing while being treat to the Gaunt’s drama. He gulped it down and felt his blindness returned and the brown hair on his head slowly straightening and turning blonde again as his cover resumed. That had been too close, his heart was pounding with how quick he had came to danger. He would take another one before dinner that night, he needed to find a way to drink them in front of the family without raising any suspicion. However, he was safe, Gaunt hadn’t noticed anything. Polyjuice Potion takes a few moments to wear off and he had left the room quick enough, his cover had not been blown. His relief was so great and right at that moment he was high on adrenaline to notice anything. Not even something he should have noticed. He had missed something rather important.

The elf normally guarding Mr Gaunt’s room to alert him to Marvolo’s presence in this area was standing to the left of the door, hidden by a large verse. It was always watching down the hall, hidden from view and while Sebastian’s back was facing it, some of his brown hair had started slipping through the blonde. The elf had seen. It’s eyes were wide, a small hand covering it’s mouth. It didn't understand what it had just seen, didnt know why Master Ominis' hair had just altered in colour. It was holding it's breath and glancing at Ominis as he walked away, and too the door. Should it knock and tell Mr Gaunt what it had just seen? It didn't want to die if it was something trivial, it was only meant to alert Gaunt to Marvolo. For now, it wouldn't do anything. It hoped it was doing the correct thing.

As Sebastian made his way back to Ominis’ room, and Shiva sat trying to bridge two thought processes together about Ominis, Master Gaunt yet again returned to the document. He had only handed Ominis the top form, but hiding underneath the Will was a letter. It was not addressed to anybody, for Gaunt knew it would be a nameless witch or wizard in charge of wills at the Ministry who would be reading it. He only cared that the message was sent.

A letter is to be sent to the head of the Potter family, addressed to either Henry, his son Fleamount, or whichever Potter is currently the head, to inform them my son, Ominis Gaunt has taken possession of Cadmus Peverell’s ring and will be passing it down through his bloodline. It is a shared interest to both family Gaunt and Potter. It is vital they know who has the ring, although this wish seems such a small and irrelevant statement, it carries a significant weight of importance. Please see to this wish as a matter of urgency. - Gaunt.

A curtesy call, hopefully not to be sent for many, many years from now. The Potters, as Gaunt knew, also had a similar letter tucked away in their house. As both guardians of the Hallows, they did keep the other informed should something happen to the Deathly Hallows, including changes in whoever had possession of their respected item, or, in the worse case, if they were stolen. Gaunt didn’t like the Potters, refused to acknowledge them as blood relatives, but he follows the tradition of generations and knew Ominis would too. Then, under this letter, was yet another letter. This one was addressed.

Carrow. Remember the other month when we shared an afternoon in Harrogate, because a certain somebody was causing trouble for myself in York, as per usual, and you spoke carelessly, without thought and tried to tell me you were simply jesting? What you spoke of that day disturbed me most dearly and hurtfully, for I believed we always saw eye to eye in the great scheme of things. Instead, I am to find you fantasising plots against one of my own children?

A child of the House of Gaunt is to be nourished and protected, pray they can grow to be respectful members who carry the blood of Salazar Slytherin. I know you agree with me on this matter. Having assessed the situation and mulled things over, I see some part of your logic. As you are fully aware, my home is guarded by a very ancient anaconda that possesses extremely valuable security magic, and as you are also aware, my youngest son Ominis has married and taken the first steps towards stepping up as head of the Gaunt family to follow after me. Marvolo has not.

Upon receiving this owl, I will be moving Greer into my drawing room for a night. I do enjoy visitors after hours, if you were to honour me with a visit? Sadly I may have retreated to my personal chambers so your reception to my home may go amiss. My darling son sleeps on the first floor, up the stairs and to the left. Be sure not to wake Ominis who sleeps directly above, his ears are very sharp and he is a curious boy who will surely come investigate if he hears anything. Keep my darling child in a safe, but not too comfortable location. I shall decide what to do with him later. - Gaunt.

Mr Gaunt looked over the letter. If the time ever came when Marvolo posed a threat to Ominis, then this letter would be sent without hesitation. There was only one child of the Gaunts who mattered, and the insane one was not him. Gaunt put the first two letters together, those would go to the Ministry, the other one he put underneath, then he sealed them back into the draw where they would be safe from a certain golden eyed young man.

Before dinner, Sebastian was back again up in Ominis’ room, in less than twelve hours and he could make his casual escape. As the smells of dinner slowly crept into the house, Sebastian lay down on Ominis’ bed. He rubbed his eyes, sure he could rub the vision back into working. It made him feel very vulnerable being without seeing eyes in this house and he found himself woundering if this was why Ominis was so hightly wound up at times. Being on this level of awareness and anxiety could not be good for him. Over 200 miles away, another Ominis was rubbing his eyes too. Since leaving Hogwarts through Professor Weasley’s fireplace, Ominis and Anne had tried to take their mind off Sebastian, for the second they thought of him, horrible images appeared in their mind; Sebastian being skinned alive by Marvolo. His father’s wand waving as he fired a killing curse at Sebastian. They tried to play exploding snap, gobstones, anything to take their mind off the waiting. They were helpless to act, and knew they had to wait and hope Sebastian was still safe.

On the night before their trip to Gringotts, Ominis brought out the Gaunt Vault key. “So this is the key to my family’s vault…” He said in a very quiet voice. “And these are our keys.” Anne spoke, placing two keys on the table by the Gaunt key. Ominis heard the sound of them scraping on the table. “We take the money from my families’ accounts, and transfer it to Solomon’s accounts. When it’s in there, we then move it into your mother and father’s account.” Ominis said, picking up Solomon Sallow’s key. It felt so weird to be holding the dead man’s bank key in his hand. “Yes” Anne confirmed, “But only if it’s safe to do so. I shall have my parent’s key and if nothing happens, I will quickly move the money to their account. That way there won’t be any trace, not that they should be if it’s in Solomon’s account, but best be safe.” “Then we get out of there.” Ominis said softly. “Back here and Sebastian will be at the Weasley’s. Nobody will know we did anything.”

Some part of him felt almost sorry that he would never see his father again, he was the only Gaunt who treat Ominis as human. Marvolo was scary and his mother hated him, but Ominis pushed those feelings away. His father had done plenty of bad things to him, Ominis remembered how his father was the one who started the torture on him the day he refused to hurt those muggles. He remembered every threat his father had ever given him, no, the only father figure Ominis had ever knew had been Solomon Sallow. “Shall I make us another cup of tea?” Ominis said a few minutes into the dead silence. “Yes please.” Anne said, although she had not drunk the last cup yet, she had just been gazing down into it. It was 8pm, back at home, Sebastian would be heading down for dinner by now, looking just like Ominis. Here, Ominis was planning on going to bed.

Ominis eventually resurfaced from his bedroom at dinnertime and walked into the dining room with his wand held at chest level, which made Marvolo laugh. His brother was absolutely hilarious at times. “Are you expecting to duel the potatoes or something?” He drawled, upon noticing Ominis walking to the table with his wand flashing like a beacon. “Put it away, why do you even have it out?” Sebastian was quick on the mark. “With all the new stuff in the house for my wedding, I can’t be sure the way forward is clear.” “Then trip over and find out.” Marvolo suggested coldly.

Sebastian felt for the closest chair, pulled it out and scooted himself forward and at the same time, the House Elf who was waiting to push Ominis’ normal chair forward to accommodate him at the table looked stunned and confused, looking in fear between Ominis and Mr Gaunt. Master Ominis had refused its service, choosing to seat himself. Had it somehow offended Master Ominis? Was it going to be punished? Master Gaunt didn’t ask questions of his elves and would automatically assign blame to the House Elf. The House Elf slowly backed away, hoping the incident hadn’t been noticed.

Marvolo had seen and he snorted and shook his head. “My, aren’t we Mr Independent today.” He laughed. Ominis didn’t answer. He sat stiffly as if somebody had taped a broomstick to his back, which amused Marvolo even more. His arms were resting on his knees, both legs flat on the ground facing forward and his back was not resting against the back of the chair. Marvolo looked him up and down, a smirk on his face. “She’s not going to forget about your eyes just because you’ve picked to sit like a little muggle girl at finishing school.” He snorted with a hiss. Marvolo himself was lounging back in his seat, one leg over the other, a polar opposite to Ominis. Ominis still sat all stiff and unnatural as he waited for the food to be served, he spoke very little and at times his mouth would open, then close.

He did it so much that Marvolo started mimicking him, only stopping when his mother and father took their seats at the table. “Are we having fish tonight?” Marvolo asked nobody in particular, as his little brother continued acting like a goldfish. Why, his little brother was clearly terrified at the thought of marriage closing in on him in just two days time. Marvolo could practically see the sweat on his skin. Good. That’s what he got for usurping Marvolo from his rightful place as heir.

When the starters came, Marvolo couldn’t help but notice Ominis had picked up the wrong utensils. That wasn’t so unusual, his little brother was something of a brute when it came to dining etiquette, often dropping and slopping food down his robes, which revolted Marvolo to no end, but normally when Ominis picked up the wrong utensils, he often identified the correct one eventually. Not today however.

Ominis had eaten his starter with his dinning fork, including the steak knife. Marvolo was sniggering to himself, watching Ominis tackle his soft smoked trout pate with a blade sharpened to a point to cut through tough cooked animal skin. It was likely he was damaging the fine China plate by using such a sharp blade. Then, as Marvolo watched with growing disgust, Ominis used the same knife and fork to eat his main meal. The source of the fish going into the chicken breast, the fish juices mixing with the soft cheese. He even clumsily buttered his own bread with various bits of food still on the steak knife, leaving bits of fish, chicken and cheese within the butter. At this point, Marvolo was exclusively watching Ominis eat, his own food forgotten about as his appetite died along with Ominis’ dignity.

At the end of the meal, Ominis did not place the knife and fork both facing right, but just put them down on the plate like a commoner. Marvolo’s eyes were going up and down in silent judgement of his brother, he had made a spectacle of himself at the table. His mother and father were paying them both no attention, so they didnt see Ominis' new table manners. Then came desert that certainly got Marvolo’s eyebrows rising, it all started fine, the house elves brought out desert and left, Ominis picked up the starter spoon intended for the fish (Marvolo rolled his eyes) and took a large bite of desert, before gagging.

What Sebastian didn’t know was the desert they were eating was Tipsy Cake, a very strong sponge and jelly cake, soaked in Dragon Barrel Brandy. It was a favourite in the upper classes and the Gaunts loved the fact they could eat it any old time they wished. For Sebastian, who had never tasted anything like it, his tastebuds were screaming in protest, his stomach turning and his nose burning with the taste of brandy and it didn’t stop there. The flavour was getting stronger in his mouth, as if it were building. He gagged again. As Marvolo watched, Ominis looked like he was going to be ill right there all over the food. “What is wrong with you?” Marvolo asked, as Ominis lowered his spoon, Marvolo could almost see him going a bit green. He heaved again. Mr Gaunt was now looking across the table at Ominis. “May I be excused? I feel a little sick. I think it was the train ride.” “Sure.” Gaunt said lazily and Ominis got up and left as quickly as he could, knocking over his chair and hitting the wall with his arm before finding the door, where he shot through it like a mouse fleeing a cat. Marvolo sat feeling disgusted. His little brother had lost all his manners, his dignity and clearly his senses. Almost vomiting on the dining table, acting like a muggle during dinner. He might have well placed his elbows on the table, rested his feet on another chair and belched loudly for how he got away with it all. if that was Marvolo who did that, their father would skin him alive, but of course, it was precious Ominis who could do anything he wanted.

Outside of the room, Sebastian clutched Ominis’ wand tightly. “Bathroom!” He whispered to it urgently, feeling his stomach contracting and turning. Loud noises were coming from his gut and he retched again as he quickly walked as fast as he dared in the direction the wand was taking him. It had stopped and vibrated and Sebastian pushed the door open before locking it behind him. He felt blindly for the toilet and lifted the lid before emptying his stomach. He sat there gasping, rubbing his stomach to calm it. It had been a while since food had felt this heavy in his stomach, what the hell did the Gaunts eat? He may not be on such firm orders to eat little and often anymore, but whatever they were eating in this house was too much for him. They ate like kings, and Sebastian was no king, he ate whatever grew from the land or what they could buy from Hogsmeade. He winched, this was going to be harder than he thought, as he leaned up again to empty his stomach. How was he meant to eat their food when his own body threatened to blow his cover. After he left the bathroom, Sebastian found his way back up to Ominis’ room and sat on the bed, making sure the room door was locked. As his vision returned, he blinked a few times before getting up and barricaded the door with Ominis’ desk chair firmly under the door handle. Then he turned around, his mouth slightly open as he took in the enormity of Ominis’ bedroom. It was big, bigger than the entire ground floor of the burrow, bigger than Uncle Solomon’s house twice over, but it was the décor that made Sebastian stare.

Did Ominis know what his room looked like? Sebastian looked up at the high ceiling through his brown hair stands. Everything was gold and green. The gold, although shinny brightly, was drowned out by the green. A giant marble headboard stuck up behind Ominis’ four poster bed which was both far too high and far too big for any teenage boy, a half giant could have fitted more comfortable in there. There were drapes everywhere, all in dark green velvet and the long flowing curtains on the floor just darkened the room more. There were carved snakes on every surface, on the bedframe, all up the walls. There was even a snake on the ceiling, Sebastian released with a start. It’s head started in the middle and it’s body formed the unending loops. Ominis had already told him not to turn a light on, as Ominis had never needed one, so Sebastian stood in the darkening room, feeling the house’s oppressive aura sinking into him. He couldn’t see how Ominis could have lived here until he was eleven, their dorm at Hogwarts must have felt like his first real warm home. Even under the lake, it was bright and warm, the fires and candles casting warm glows.

The only colour that wasn’t green and golden was currently watching him from Ominis’ bed. Snakey’s head was up, his black face somehow blending into this room perfectly, before his body opened up in brilliant red, white and black bands. Sebastian walked over to him and whispered “What a lovely room and a lovely house.” His voice full of sarcasm. The snake’s expression didn’t change, he didn’t move, he didn’t flicker his tongue either, but Sebastian got the odd feeling the snake was agreeing with him. He found he wasn’t tired at all, for one thing, he was terrified the door would suddenly blown off its hinges and the Gaunts would storm in. He had to keep reminding himself he was being silly, it was his mind overplaying the worst case scenario, but Sebastian couldn’t shake off the feeling he was in terrible danger and an invisible net was closing in. Even the snake on the ceiling looked down at him, as if it knew he was not meant to be in this house at all. The House of Gaunt seemed to creak and groan all night long and as the hours slowly crept by, Sebastian found himself morbidly wondering how many people had died in this house. Ominis had told him about all the times his parents had brought Muggles up here for ‘entertainment’ which always ended in the muggles being killed, but what about other Gaunts? How many of their own family had been killed in this house over the years, all the generations past. This home must carry all their souls, the echoes of torturous screams. How many Gaunts found their ends in this home, those like Ominis who refused to conform to the dark ways. They must be watching him now, wondering why a stranger was hiding in Ominis’ room. He sat up, unable to lay any longer.

“Lumos.” He muttered, using his hand to cuff his wand, trying to block out most of the light. He made his way slowly around the room, looking at all of Ominis’ belongings. He could tell right away that Ominis hadn’t touched these things in years, the dust was undisturbed and formed a perfect blanket over the books and strange objects that Sebastian had never seen before, and was not planning on touching because he had an inkling they may be dark objects. As he drew a finger through the thick dust, making patterns he wondered, did they not ask the elves to clean his room? Sebastian opened the wardrobe and looked at the fine robes of silk, cloaks made of real fur and animal skins, even the cheapest robes in here cost ten times more than his own dress robes back at Solomon’s house. Sebastian compared these to the dust across the room. Of course, they dressed Ominis up, made him look just as good as the rest of the family when they presented him to the world, but the dust in here, the darkness and depression of the room told Sebastian the truth. Why bother cleaning Ominis’ room and making it look homely, light and welcoming when he couldn’t see what had been gifted to him. He closed the wardrobe again and continued to look around. There were no family photos to be found, no artwork hung on the wall, not so much as a Quidditch team poster could be found.

Hissssssss

Sebastian startled, but it was just Snakey hissing as normal, Sebastian rolled his eyes and ignored him. He guessed it was common snake behaviour, always hissing for no reason at all. No doubt the snake was telling him off for having a nose around Ominis’ personal space, but Sebastian couldn’t shake off the strange feeling in his stomach. Sure, he and Solomon rarely got on, but Soloman allowed Sebastian to have his Quidditch posters up, they had been a Slytherin scarf hanging around Sebastian’s bed. So many books that most of his sleeping area was cramped. He had still been allowed to decorate as he wished, no matter how much he and his uncle were at each other’s throats. Seeing the room Ominis was made to sleep in being all neglected, in a house that practically shone with the finest crystals and gold didn’t sit with him well. Sure it was still beautiful and rich, but not cared for. He touched the walls and they felt cold, the fireplace stood empty and like everything in this room, it was also dusty. Ominis had told him his mother and father had not allowed a fire in this room to be lit, due to Ominis not being able to watch over the fire, but they had a house full of Elves, why not get them to look after the fire. This angered Sebastian greatly, if this family hadn’t scared him so much, he would have it out with each of them over how they’ve treated Ominis.

Hisssssssssssss

Snakey was hissing again, louder this time. Sebastian hissed back at him, hoping it would irritate the little snake as he lifted his wand to read the books on the shelf upon the wall. This shelf was high on the wall too, likely kept out of the way of Ominis walking into it, but Sebastian also got the feeling it was set high up so Ominis wouldn’t find it on his own. Did the child Ominis have to ask his parents for his toys? The longer he looked, the more Ominis’ abuse at his parents’ hands became clearer. He read the titles and even his eyebrows lifted as he read ‘Wizard Heroes and the attack of the Evil Muggle’, and ‘Mudblood in the Mud’. Sebastian had read any book he could get his hands on, but he had never seen these books in Flourish and Blotts.

Hissssss Hisssssss

Sebastian laughed this time, and turned back to glare at Snakey “What?” He hissed in a low whisper. “Ominis is not going to mind.” And that was when he heard it. ‘Nox.’ He whispered fast. He leaned his head up against the wall to listen better, because something was on the other side of the wall and it was making its way slowly closer. If Sebastian could see through the wall, he had no doubt he would be eye to eye with whatever was on the other side. He could hear a strange clicking and the odd ‘Thump’ noise as something large hit the floor, before a slow whoooosh sound went back up the wall. Sebastian kept where he was, afraid to even move an inch as the noise of his clothing or the vibrations from his steps would reach the giant snake on the other side. This was Mori, it had to be. Ominis had given him plenty of warning to lock the door to his room, as it was normal for her to hang around outside of Ominis’ bedroom in the hopes of eating him, but Sebastian had half hoped Ominis had been joking. Sebastian glanced at the snake on the bed, it was looking at him and then turning to look at the door. Sebastian leaned back carefully to look at the door, there was currently still moonlight shining through, but the noise of the snake was slowly approaching the door.

He was all too aware that he was himself right now, having not taken the Polyjuice in over an hour and not looking at all like Ominis. Would that effect how he smelt to animals? Was this snake right now smelling an intruder where Ominis should be? The shadow of the giant snake was now crossing the doorframe, blocking out the light. Sebastian could hear its body pushing and tugging on the wood, clearly hoping to open the door. Sebastian held Ominis’ wand in his hand, pointing it at the door should the giant snake break in. It seemed to take ages for the snake to give in. He could almost see the light dance as the giant head bobbed against the frame with all its strength. Then the snake’s giant body slowly passed away from the door. Mori had moved on. Sebastian crept over to the bed, still listening to see if the snake was still outside the room, but he had no way of knowing and he was certainly not going to stick his head out to check. He glanced questionably at Snakey, who was still looking directly at the door. The snake slowly lowered its head until it was resting once more upon its own small body.

“Come here.” Sebastian laughed, and he reached over and made a big show of tidying up Ominis’ cloak at the end of double potions class. “You should ask your father if you can bring one of your house elves to school. Maybe it can make sure you’ve dressed correctly.” “Sebastian, have you ever gathered your robes and put them on with your eyes closed and got everything right? I suspect not.” Ominis sighed.

Just a normal exchange between best friends. One boy helping out his blind friend, tidying up his robes in the potions classroom. Nobody noticed Sebastian Sallow slip the concealed bundle into the back of Ominis’ robes, nor did they notice Ominis transferring them to his bag, even though Professor Sharp passed right in front of them. Just a blind boy putting his potion supplies away while his best friend helped him. It had happened almost daily since the first year. No suspicions arose an hour earlier, when Sebastian Sallow had one of his post-Dementor exposure meltdowns and needed to get some air in the courtyard outside.

The only thing Sharp had noted down was that Sebastian had needed some time out of class, and that a portion of chocolate should be given to him. He would deliver it to Professor Weasley after class ended, then visit Honeydukes himself to deliver said chocolate to Sebastian later. Sebastian had been out of class for half an hour and returned quietly and without fuss. It was a normal thing for Sebastian, so nobody questioned it or thought anything about his absence from class. He had not been outside getting air like everybody thought and he didn't have a post-Dementor exposure meltdown as he had pretended, but he was helping himself to the potion supply cupboard, taking all the restricted ingredients and more. Sharp would only become aware of the large-scale theft in a few weeks when it came to running an inventory, when it would be much too late to pinpoint suspicions on anybody.

Nobody saw them, either, when they started brewing, en masse, two large cauldrons filled to the top in the Undercroft, and nobody, certainly, didn’t see them smuggle a hired freelance house elf straight out of a Daily Prophet advert posted by Fletcher’s Elves into Hogwarts.

It was Ominis who was explaining the plan to the elf, as Sebastian tucked into free Honkeydukes chocolate, curtsy of Hogwarts. “This job will commence within months. The robes in question that I need altering are dress robes. I need concealed pocket all along the inside, deep enough to conceal small vials of potion. You will need to come to an address I shall provide you with later, in the dead of night. In that time, I will need various robes with the same concealed pockets on the inside. It is of vital importance that the pockets cannot be seen from anybody looking at the clothing, even up close. I will need elf magic to conceal them, so that only the people who know they are can see them. You shall also need to hide yourself from a large team of House Elves who cannot know you are there under any condition. Is this something you can do?”

The elf bowed.

“Yes sir. This is something Terrance can do. Sir has my assurance that the work will be carried out to a level that sir will be delighted with. Terrance offers his assurances too that you, nor anybody else, will notice Terrance, so discreet he will be. If you need me while I am at your residence, all you need do is say my name. My master hires many elves out to people who do not have their own. Terrance loves his job and master gets paid for Terrance’s work. Master does not ask Terrance what jobs he and the others are doing, so it is a discreet job guaranteed. Terrance can be loaned out for a whole week, if that is agreeable with Sir?” “Good.” Ominis smiled. “I will contact you in a few weeks, the job is yours.” The elf bowed and with a loud CRACK he left.

Sebastian was now drinking a cup of tea, his hair was uncombed and hanging into his eyes again. The vapour from the cauldrons were sticking his waves together. “So I asked Anne and she thinks we are both – not just me now, you too - ‘insane, stupid and reckless’ but she will gladly accompany you for your day of shopping.” He said it so causally and laid back, yet he ignored the twisting dread in his stomach and chose instead to smile. Ominis nodded. “Thank you. If at any moment you want to change your mind or-“ “Not happening.” Sebastian cut in above him. “I like breaking rules and living a life of danger. Also remember that Daily Prophet article that said you were the one who corrupted me? They got it wrong, I’m clearly the one leading you on to break rules.” “We are breaking them together, Sebastian.” Ominis smiled back, the vapour had also flattened his hair. “I think we are actually breaking the law, come to think of it. Does this count as robbing Gringotts or not? I can’t tell really as technically it’s my own family’s money we are taking and placing into another account. We aren’t leaving with the money so it’s not theft.”

“I like your thinking. No, it’s just inheritance, you’re taking it early.” Sebastian nodded. “So I have my parents and uncle’s keys and your key. You withdraw your gold and place it into my uncle’s account. Anne will move the money into our parent’s account until everything goes quite. Later, we’ll move your money back to my uncle’s account and you can keep his key. Remember, those fifty Thousands Galleons are mine, but your welcome to use them.” Ominis shook his head. “I will just be adding about five Billion Galleons to that amount. Feel welcome to use it.” Sebastian laughed and shook his head. “Wait, wait, are you being serious? I can’t tell.” “… Yes I’m serious. That’s roughly how much they have.” Ominis confirmed. “I shall leave them with a bit, of course, but not enough for them to carry on paying for all these outragous acts. Hopefully they will budget accordioning and still live comfortable within their means for a generation or two, but without the means to fund anything. Do you think fifty thousand Galleons is enough for them? It’s a good sum of money if the Ministry thinks that’s a good pay out.” “Bloody hell.” Sebastian gasped. He knew the Gaunts were rich, but that much? “Five billion? Ominis, really? Merlin’s socks.”

Sebastian stirred the cauldron. He glanced down into the potion he was making. Polyjuice Potion. “It will be ready in a month, the lacewing flies are in, and I will need to pick Fluxweed on a full moon. I will do that, if anybody catches me outside, I can fake a meltdown again.” “That was a good performance in class the other day, but don’t be doing it too often. They will take you to the hospital wing again for a few days and while that would be slightly amusing, I need you here. Sadly, I am useless at potions and J Pippin will report us at once if we ask for Polyjuice Potion and it will certainly get back to my father.” Sebastian made a sound of agreement. “Do you think they will expel me when I cut off a girl’s ponytail?” He asked Ominis. “Anne can’t go into Gringotts looking like herself, the Gaunts will sure question the goblins once they learn their money is gone. Just don’t let her ride down to your vault, they have anti-concealment enchantments remember, it will detect the potion.” “I know that, they dont generally take me down in the cart, so I will ask for assisstance at the cashier desks. I was wondering about the hair we need. Maybe enchant some scissors from a distance, that way you can’t be blamed. The poor girl, we should leave some hair regrowth potion out, make it look like a prank from somebody she knows. We could do it on April Fools Day, nobody would suspect more sinister motives on that day.” “Ominis Gaunt!” Sebastian laughed. “Why, you have been eating meat. Make it a Muggle Born too, somebody without any wizarding connections. That would be safer for anybody we may accidently involve. Your dad can’t find people who aren’t from our world.” Ominis nodded. “That is very true. Though I do regret targeting a Muggle Born in the present environment, it’s feels very wrong, but you are right when you say they would be more safer than say, a half blood with wizarding relatives whom my father CAN find.”

Sebastian checked his watch, planets and stars were flying around the outside. He had just about worked out how to tell time with this watch after asking for help from Mr Weasley. “I’m going to get going. The Auror office has sent somebody to see me about how to join them. Like this won’t be awkward at all.” He gave Ominis a little smile, but his stomach tightened. What if one of the Aurors coming out today was one of the Aurors who had arrested him for murder, and the use of the Unforgiveables? His career hopes would be over the second he walked in the room. “Good luck Sebastian, I hope it’s what you want to do.” Ominis said. “I shall come out with you. I am going to visit the library. I think we need to learn how to enchant some scissors, and my homework needs doing, but I will look in Witch Weekly to see if there’s anything in there.” “I hope they don’t ask me what are my greatest accomplishments to date.” Sebastian smiled. “It’s going to be bad enough.” “You’ll be fine.”

They left together, looking hot and a bit unruly. Sebastian ran his hand through his hair to encourage the waves to lift as he climbed the stairs to the next level up. He was to report to Professor Sharp’s office to meet the Auror and as he walked through corridors and up more stairs, his sense of dread rose within him. What if it really was one of the Aurors who had arrested him? Did he even remember what they had looked like? He couldn’t remember most of his time being held at the ministry, even Azkaban – which he never wanted to think about again – was mostly blurry to him. Would the Auror take one look at him and realise it was him, the uncle killer, would they leave the moment they saw him, telling him he would never be an Auror. What if it was worse, what if they suspected the Gaunts had somehow got him freed and told him he was lucky to be out, never mind applying to be an Auror. His hands were now sweaty and his mouth dry.

He climbed the carpeted stairs and arrived at Sharp’s office. His potions master was waiting for him. “Ah Mr Sallow.” Sharp said, out of all the teachers at Hogwarts, Sharp never had altered his feelings for Sebastian. He was just a normal, everyday student to Sharp. “I’ll open the door and wait with you, he won’t be long. Remember to use this opportunity to ask question, take notes if you wish, you have your quill, ink and parchment? It’s just an informative chat so use this to ask anything you want.”

Sebastian sat in one of the chairs. Even in here, Sharp had bits from his time as an Auror. This was possibly why this meeting was held in his office. Sebastian tried not to think of the stolen potion ingredients brewing below. Had Sharp suspected anybody yet, did he even know anything was missing? He needed to breathe, no need to look any more guilty then what he had already cast upon himself. There was a knock on the door and Sharp answered it. The Auror who entered the room was not at all what Sebastian had been expecting. He had greeted Sharp like they knew each other very well, and as Sebastian looked at him, he could see why. This Auror was not that much older than him, maybe six or seven years difference at most. It was very likely Sharp had taught him potions and not that long ago. “Lucan.” Sharp greeted him. “This is Sebastian. I shall leave you both to chat.” “Nice to meet you.” Lucan said. “I’m Lucan Moody, and as of this moment I am one of three Aurors that haven’t been fired or demoted to desk duty for the department of law enforcement.” Sebastian’s mouth fell open.

“Hi.” He said, his head reeling over what he had just heard. “Everyone’s been fired?” Lucan nodded. “Yeah. You’ve likely seen what happened over New Year? Just say there was a big mess and everybody above me got fired for gross incompetence, after they tried to complain. It's messy. I guess you could say ninety per cent of the Auror office is currently on desk duty for now until they are reordered in the department, and it won’t be in an active role.” Lucan Moody sat next to Sebastian. “I’ll sit here. I don’t fancy the whole sitting behind a desk thing. Merlin no. So I’m here because my superior, who is my own age, is currently running the office and she’s amazing, but she couldn’t come herself as she’s very busy. I’m technically on leave due to injury.” He pointed at his neck and Sebastian looked up. On his neck was a clear set of snake teeth marks. “A snake?” He asked, his eyes widening as he looked the puncture wounds. “Yes. I was told it was a Reticulated Python, the longest snake in the world and this one is strongly believed to have magical properties, not a normal snake by a long shot. I was very fortunate that my team were with me, otherwise I could have been eaten alive. Even so, I get shooting pains down my side every so often. I guess I’m telling you this so you know what to expect as an Auror. These things happen in this line of work, and I’m sure you’ve seen Sharp’s limp. Aurors don’t have it easy, but making a difference makes up for that.” “Was it one of the Gaunts snakes?” Sebastian asked without thinking. Sebastian’s careless comment had quite the effect on Moody. He was caught totally of guard. The Auror’s mouth had actually dropped open before closing again. “It was, yes.” Lucan said, he swallowed.

How much did this boy know? Maybe Lucan could do his own investigating, nobody else had the chance to talk with the Sallow boy since he left St Mungos, the Auror office didn’t even know where he had gone after vanishing from hospital. Back at the office, his name was connected to Ominis Gaunt, the youngest of the Gaunt children, various Aurors had weighed in on Sebastian Sallow, from innocent boy caught up in a terrible ordeal involving dark wizards to being one of Gaunt’s little associates through his son. Dark wizard in training or just a kid? Looking at him now, in school robes that were too big on him, but adjusted to fit his thinner than normal frame, the haunted look in his brown eyes from Azkaban, all Lucan could see was the boy he had taken from Azkaban, where he should never have been in the first place. Lucan Moody was a firm believer in Azkaban reform and believed the wizarding world needed to review their current jail. As Venusia Crickerly had always told him, it was not an Aurors place to judge when there was no proof, which was why she was currently being trained for command right now, despite only being in the job for two years.

“Yes, it was the Gaunts.” Lucan said to fill in the gap before Sebastian could notice anything. “You’ve likely seen in the newspaper that my last boss had the entire Law Enforcement stationed somewhere else, while the real terror was happening down in London. My last boss had prejudices against Slytherins and such he believed the Gaunts were planning an attack on the Muggle population, we were all stationed around locations local to their home. I was not there on New Years’ Eve, as in the week before, at Christmas, we unwisely went to the Gaunt’s home. The idea was to put the fear of Merlin into them, and I was attacked by one of their snakes.” “Mori.” Sebastian said. “It’s Marvolo’s snake. He attacked a girl in my class and the markings are the same.” This was not going as planned. They were walking a very tight line between confidential information that wasn’t Lucan’s to give out, and certainly not to a school boy. He would never tell this boy that the general feeling was the Gaunts had somehow planned the attack down in London, but they had no evidence at all. Oh this was not okay. He was here to give career advice to a student, but they had somehow got very close to classified information. Time to change the subject to something safer.

“Perhaps you are right, but let's get onto what you really want to know. The Auror pathway. I have your grades here, well done on catching up and passing your OWLs all within a few months, that’s remarkable. You have all the passing grade OWLs needed for NEWT study. Your teachers have given me a rough idea of your grades for NEWTs. A lot can change between now and a few months and considering your circumstances...”

Moody glanced down the list, but he didn’t show Sebastian.

“I think what you’ve achieved so far is really good. We do study for three more years minimum after Hogwarts, various test to see if you can work under pressure, that sort of thing. Your Defence against the Dark Arts predicted grades are exactly what we ask for, but your Transfiguration predictions aren’t so high, your Potions are ok, not perfect, and Charms is also a little behind. I know you’ve missed all of sixth year and half of your fifth year, but have you considered repeating a year, just to bring these grades up?” Sebastian’s stomach dropped. Why was everybody pushing him to repeat? First Weasley, now an Auror too?

“I want to finish with my friends.” Sebastian said simply. “I can work on my grades, I do a lot of studying in my free time. I’m currently doing last years work too alongside this years. I’m also staying over Easter here to work, one to one, with Professor Weasley.” “I can see.” Lucan smiled at him in a way an older brother might. “I also can imagine you don’t want to go to classes with people you don’t really know, share a dorm with them. Merlin’s beard no. I wouldn’t like that either, but when you train to become an Auror, you won’t be with your classmates, they’ll be new people to meet. Maybe it won’t be a bad thing for you to experience new people, in a familiar environment before you have to do it in a new place.”

Moody glanced down again at the paper with Sebastian’s predicted grades and hesitated. “I wish to be honest with you, these grades may not be enough for the Auror pathway, as they are now. You’ve achieved so much, you’ve practically shown yourself through your OWLS. I’m not saying you need to repeat because you’re lacking in knowledge or anything, you just need more time to learn some of the more advanced magic. It’s time you’re lacking in, not intelligence. With more time, you’ll be such a credit to the Auror office. If you were to take your exams this year and then apply for Auror training, your grades at NEWTs level are very likely not going to be enough. Remember what I said though, you have done outstanding in everything, catching up to your classmates, passing your OWLS with very little time in school. This is all a great credit to you, but you just need more time to grow.” He watched Sebastian’s face drop, literally almost crumble as if Moody had delivered a fatal blow to his dreams. Moody’s own brother was a sixth year at this school, but in Gryffindor, and Lucan knew teenagers well, how stubborn they could be. It wasn’t that long ago since he was one.

“How about we make a deal.” Lucan said. There was something about this teenager. He had survived Azkaban even though he was an inch from death the last time they had met. He had recovered and jumped right back into his education. If anybody was truly living up to the Slytherin trait of determination, it was this one before him. “So how about this for a deal. I will put your name down for Auror training IF you repeat your seventh year next year. I know a sixth year who will be in the seventh next year and he’s a good kid. If you need a friend he is just like me, but a younger version, less fun, but he’s ok. I am just worried that if you apply now to Auror training, you won’t make the grade and you can only sit your exams once. If you repeat the year, which you can do giving your circumstances, you will be on the mark with your grades.”

“What are my predicted NEWTs grades right now?” Sebastian asked. “Acceptable for most, with a single Poor for Transfiguration” Lucan said gently. “There’s an Exceeds Expectations in Defence against the Dark Arts and you’re between grades A and EE for Potions and Care of Magical Creatures, but Charms is Acceptable, Ancient Ruins is Acceptable, and while those are passes, they aren't high enough for the Auror office. Compare these to your OWLS and there’s a big difference. Normally OWLS and NEWTS are very similar, most students can guess their NEWTs by their OWLS, you should by now be at Outstanging in NEWT level, but in your case your NEWTS are far behind your OWLS, you just haven’t learned enough yet for the two to closely match each other. NEWTs are really difficult; they can’t really be done while working on your sixth year work at the same time.”

He was failing. He had tried so hard and it still wasn’t enough? “That’s lower than I had hoped.” Sebastian said, his shoulders slumping, was his eyes watering or was it just the air in the room really dry? How was he failing? He was in the library every day. So Transfiguration was extremely hard these days, but Professor Weasley was going to work with him during Easter, but Poor… Poor… That was a failing grade. “Did you forget the part where I was praising you for doing so much already?” Lucan asked. Sebastian nodded, but still felt empty. He liked this guy. He was definitely the friendliest Auror he’s met so far.

Lucan Moody took out some leaflets from his bag and handed them to Sebastian. “This will give you an idea how day to day life is as an Auror, this one tells you more about the training after school.” He pointed them out. “It’s a good career, pays well and you get adventures out and about in the world. The British Aurors sometimes do international tasks, you will see a lot of Britian and beyond. Everything from beast poachers to dark wizards, rebellious goblins to out of control wizards who have lost all grip on their magic. I started on a small job at first, and lately I’ve been tracking suspected dark wizards.” Moody handed Sebastian the paper, all his bad grades looking up at him. “You should really, really consider repeating this year. Coming from somebody who had all seven years at Hogwarts, I know how hard NEWT level is, you can do it with all seven years, you’ve only really had just over 5 years in total when you add up all you’ve missed. Talk to your Head of House and Professor Weasley and listen to their advice, they may be old, but they are wise. It’s just an extra year.” Lucan said.

Sebastian nodded. He would talk with Ominis and Professor Weasley, all the Weasleys even to see what they thought. It was true a lot this year was not making any sense for him having missed last year and half of the year before that. Maybe he really did need more time here? He could do that… Another year at Hogwarts? “What was your first job?” Sebastian asked out of curiosity to gain time to think. “Erm…” Lucan fumbled for words. He couldn’t tell Sebastian he was there at Azkaban with him, that would make things awkward between them before any working relationship was formed. His first ever job was keeping the boy before him alive until the Ministry got back to them, but he couldn’t say that. "Um, it was just an intro job, so nothing too dangerious. I was based at one of the places the Aurors have access too sometimes. The rest, sadly, is classified. Mostly, I was sitting around, but I think I made a difference… So any questions?” Lucan asked. “No, I think I know what to do now.” Sebastian said, looking through the information he had been handed. “If I repeat this year, do I redo my exams twice or just once next year?” “Oh that will be for the Headmistress to decide. However, later next year, if you come back, apply for the Auror pathway and then we can talk once more when you have your results, I can make a note on your file that we’ve talked today should you wish to progress.” “I do.” Sebastian said. This was what he wanted. “I can make a note now?” Lucan asked. “All our applicants have a file formed the moment they enquire. Our department gets a lot of hopefuls. They are destroyed if you don’t apply officially, of course.” Sebastian nodded.

“Done.” Lucan rubbed his neck, it was red and inflamed. “This time next year, we’ll have another chat. If you’d like. Anything else?” Sebastian shook his head. “Ok. Well it’s great seeing you again Sebastian. Repeat this year and next year we’ll talk. We could do with Aurors like you. Right now, our office is a bit too quiet. I will show myself out, I may even find my brother and arrest him in front of the entire school for his terrible skills at Quidditch. Auror privileges!” That made Sebastian laugh. “Hope your neck feels better soon.” “Same. I’m stuck on leave until it does.”

It was only when he was half way down the stairs in the Entrance Hall to going to see Professor Weasley did it hit him. It’s great seeing you again Sebastian. That wasn’t right, his and Lucan's time at Hogwarts didn’t line up, Moody would have been in the final year or left when Sebastian had arrived here. They didn’t meet at Hogwarts at all, during the first year, Sebastian was just with Anne and Ominis all the time. He was absolutely sure Moody was not one of the Aurors who had arrested him, they were middle age. Nor was he one of the Aurors who had tried to talk with him when he was sick in St Mungos, they had both been female.

It's great seeing you again Sebastian.

From where though? Where had they seen each other before? That Auror wasn’t much older than he was, but Sebastian was sure he had never seen Lucan before. For some reason, a flickering image of a gecko sprang into Sebastian’s mind thought he didn’t know why. He shivered, then put it out of his mind, it was not important. Now speaking to Professor Weasley was important. He set off again, putting the weird sense of dread behind him.

We have notes!

If you thought Fletcher’s Elves sounds a bit dodgy, you'd be correct. This is Mundungus Fletcher's grandfather's business. While Terrance the Elf is a good, honourable House Elf, I do worry what it means for Ominis and Sebastian to be hiring from a Fletcher...

The gecko was Lucan's patronus that was keeping the Dementors away from Sebastian when the Aurors took him out of Azkaban.