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vii-is-free · 2 months ago

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Unbreakable Bonds, a Hogwarts Legacy Fanfic

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Summary: Is redemption possible? Is the blood of the covenant thicker than the blood spilled from betrayal?

My interpretation of what went on with Sebastian and Ominis during MC's battle against Ranrok.

The sound of the bubbles popping as they rose above the silvery brew in the cauldron, the steam filling the air, the dark clammy temperature of the potions classroom, all of this did nothing to temper Sebastian’s intrusive thoughts.

He looked over the cauldron as he attempted to perfect his Edurus potion for the umteenth time. Each batch seemed to improve, or so he thought, until the disapproving aura of the professor in the back of the room hit Sebastian like a bludger to the back of the head. He continued stirring, hoping that if he just focused on the task at hand, the glare of Sharp’s steel eyes wouldn’t sting as much.

Between the pressure of catching up on his studies and the self hatred that made a home in his head, Sebastian was nervous about how he would fare in OWLs. He buried that concern in the same corner of the mind that kept his fear of Professor Sharp. After all, he was given a second chance. No matter what ugly words were thrown at him, whether by Sharp or by himself, Sebastian had to press on.

I need to stir this just right.

I wonder where Anne is.

Were those Ashwinder eggs fresh enough?

Is she okay? Who’s taking care of her?

Sebastian froze.

Will I ever see her again?

Resting the ladle against the edge of the pot, Sebastian took a deep sigh.

Ever since the incident in the catacombs and the resulting fallout in the Undercroft, Sebastian created a regimen for himself, one born out of the desire for self isolation. He timed his daily schedule to the minute, arriving to and from class just in time as to avoid any kind of socialization. The same went for meals, as he would take food in the Great Hall to the dorms. The rest of his time was spent in the library, where Madam Scribner kept a watchful eye on him. She remained unconvinced of Sebastian’s new found love for studying, and refused to give him any opportunity to sneak off into the Restricted Section.

It seemed that studying on the second floor did little to quell her.

On the weekends, Sebastian went to Feldcroft. The Headmaster had granted him special permission to leave the school to handle Solomon’s affairs, a benefit Sebastian took full advantage of. After all, returning to the dormitory late at night just to be the first person awake and out of the door grew exhausting. These small trips back home became the one time Sebastian could catch up on his sleep.

If he could sleep.

He mostly sat at his uncle's grave, creating a makeshift bed with the piles of hay outside. He was too ashamed to walk indoors, lest his uncle’s ghost return to chastise him. He considered sleeping in Solomon’s shed, but the stench of fermented ale lived in the walls, pungent even a month after his demise. Sebastian figured he would spend the rest of his life picking up tiny bits of glass in the wooden floors.

In fact, it wasn’t a bad idea to just set it on fire. Let the past die with his uncle.

After a few weeks, and a long talk with Bernard Ndiaye, Sebastian finally slept indoors.

Before he knew it, an entire month had passed. He received no word from Anne.

Back in the present, Sebastian continued to stir the cauldron, alone in the classroom besides one other. He knew Sharp was staring at him, but every glance he gave at the professor betrayed nothing. Sharp’s head was always down in whatever paperwork he was reading, quill scribbling away while his students prayed for a day without eye contact.

Sebastian really wanted to ask about the eggs, but figured if the potion was complete garbage, he would have been chastised by now. Sharp’s patience for imperfection was thinner than the scar that ran along his left eye. Even the slightest scent of a bad potion was enough to set that man off. Sebastian saw him throw students out of the classroom for less egregious matters.

Sebastian then heard an audible sniff.

Oh well.

“The ashwinder eggs are a bit too ripe.”

Sebastian leaned over his cauldron and frowned. Finding no hint of sulfur, he looked back at Sharp

“It’s something you pick up with time.” Though he had stopped writing, Sharp’s eyes were still focused on his parchment. “Just a bit of advice, not something that your grade is dependent on.”

Sebastian turned back around, rubbing the back of his neck. Was Sharp being nice to him? He managed to murmur out a “Thank you, sir,” as he stirred, questioning his sanity once again. Surely he imagined such a thing.

“Your recent dedication hasn’t gone unnoticed.” Sharp said, “I expect to see you in advanced potions next year.”

Sebastian’s hands froze and his eyes grew wide. He certainly didn’t imagine those words escaping Sharp's mouth.

Advanced Potions?!

The prerequisite for his advanced class was an Outstanding in both Potions and Herbology. Sebastian had just wasted year five chasing false promises and fruitlessly running from his grief. There was no possibility that in such a short time, he could even dream of –

“Stir!” Sharp snapped.

Sebastian’s soul nearly jumped out of his skin, and he quickly resumed stirring.

“Heh,” Sharp gave a chuckle as he stood up. “You were about to ruin a perfectly usable Edurus potion.”

Sebastian swore that this blighter was tormenting him on purpose. He did nothing to reveal the total exasperation he was feeling as he kept his eyes fixed on the potion.

Usable meant…good, right?

Sebastian’s hands jumped back into action.

“Meet me in my office once you bottle those up.”

Sebastian turned off the burner and took a moment to settle his nerves. Ominis and Leona would never believe the exchange he just had! He couldn’t wait to see the look on their faces when he would tell them at dinner.

Then, Sebastian remembered.

He opened the drawer to his left, below the countertop, and retrieved three glass bottles. He placed the two similar ones, round with floral etching, beside the cauldron. He kept the third bottle in his hands, a thumb trailing along the indent caused by the triangular designs. This reminded him of the mark of the Deathly Hallows. Supposedly, this one belonged to his father. The other two, according to Anne, had been passed down their mothers side for over half a century.

His thumb stopped when it reached the bottom, the sharp edge digging into the center.

What did their parents think of him?

As Sebastian reached for the funnel on the shelf, the heavy oak doors of the classroom burst open as is someone had just spilled a Thunderbrew. But rather, it was the frail hands of Professor Hecat. She did not show her age as she hurried over to Professor Sharp.

Sebastian nearly dropped the glass. He had never seen her with such a look.

“Aesop!” Hecat exclaimed, visibly slowing down at the sight of Sebastian. She quickly gathered herself, hands clasped in front of her, and she said with a controlled tone, “An intruder has entered the dungeons of Hogwarts. We are to meet Professor Weasley at once.” Hecat turned to Sebastian. “Mr. Sallow, all of the students other than Slytherin have been ordered to their common rooms, but some may be too far away to reach them safely so please,” Hecat beckoned Sharp to remove the office keys from his pockets and continued, “Find as many students as you can and lock the door. Wait for our return.”

“Yes, Professor.” Sebastian was stunned, failing to register the weight of the large brass keys Sharp had placard in his hands. As the professors hurried towards the door, Sebastian shuddered at what he heard.

“Fig was right.”

—--------

On a typical day like this, the long gallery of Central Hall was bustling with chatter about holiday traditions and who received the latest Trimmer model. Instead, the heart of Hogwarts descended into total chaos, echos bouncing off the walls filled with panic between students calling out for the classmates and the paintings who shouted orders at all who ran by.

“This is an order from Deputy Headmaster Weasley!”

“All students in Gryffindor, Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw are to go to their common rooms at once!”

“All students in Slytherin, and those students too far from their common rooms to return safely, please report to your nearest painting!”

Ominis Gaunt managed to make it up the stairwell along with the other frantic students, breathing a sigh of relief as he scuffled through the large metal doors, exiting the Greenhouses. The relief was short lived, however, as he realized there were twice as many students rushing about in Central Hall. Most of them were Gryffindors rushing to their own common room.

Ominis scowled. So much for bravery.

The potions classroom was just across the way. Perhaps he could at least find–

The moment Ominis entered the crosshairs of the library doors, they burst open revealing yet another mob of students frantic for a hiding spot. Before he could get out of the way, somebody rammed into his shoulder, and Ominis fell to the ground. He lost grip of his wand, cursing as it slid across the marble before finally fading into the loud stomping of shoes on the ground.

What a ridiculous way to die.

He cried out as another student inadvertently rammed their lower leg into his chest, causing a chain reaction of other students crashing onto the floor. Over the cries and curses, Ominis heard a familiar voice chastise the blighter that tripped over him.

“Watch it, you prat!”

Ominis sighed as he felt relief from the crushing weight above him. Sebastian placed a hand on his shoulder as he dropped to his knees.

“Can you get up?”

“Y-yes,” Ominis said as he accepted Sebastian’s help, shakily rising to a stand. He repeated, more firmly, “I’m fine.”

The intention to be fine failed the moment Ominis put weight on his left foot, and his knee buckled from the pain. Sebastian caught him, and placed Ominis’s arm around his own shoulder.

“We’re not too far from Sharp’s classroom” Sebastian said, placing Ominis’s arm around his own neck. “I’m sure there’s some Wiggenweld's there. Let’s go”

Ominis and Sebastian shuffled across the hall, and he could've sworn the mob of students parted in front of them as if they were a dragon, coasting along the top of the sea.

“Be careful, we’re reaching the stairs now.”

Following Sebastian's lead, he carefully put one front down each step. He kept his mind off the pain by wondering how long his friend had been back. Ominis thought it was he who had been ignoring and avoiding Sebastian. Since when has it been the other way around?

Such things didn’t make a difference now, and surely did not kill the pain in his ankle. He returned his attention to the matter at hand.

“What’s going on?”

“There’s an intruder,” said Sebastian, “I was in the Potions classroom when Professor Hecat stormed in. I heard her say something to Sharp as they left.” Sebastian’s tone grew quiet, and serious. “Fig was right.”

“Right?” Ominis frowned. “About what?”

Sebastian kept their slow pace, as to keep Ominis from falling again. He did not answer right away, not until they reached the bottom of the stairs. He seemed to be mulling on his words before he answered, yet another sign the old Sebastian had returned.

“If I were to guess,” Sebastian said, “I’d say it’s probably something about Ranrok.” His shoulders rose and his tone rose a bit as he asked, “You haven’t seen Leona around, have you?”

“I haven’t.” said Ominis.

Shortly after his embarrassing outburst over the Undercroft, Sebastian, in his well deserved guilt, spilled the beans to Ominis about Leona’s magic. It ended up being of little consequence, because during the entire exchange Ominis just simply stared at Sebastian as he spouted utter nonsense.

The hell did he call it, again?

Ancient magic? Absurd. Isn’t all magic ancient?

No matter how many times Sebastian had tried to explain, the exchange left them both confused, eager to move on from the topic. Ominis was especially grateful.

After all, he wanted nothing to do with goblins, dark wizards, or any unusual types of magic. He was fine playing the spectator to whatever shenanigans that went about the castle. Except for now...

As he limped toward their destination, Ominis felt the cold well of guilt washing over him. In truth, he felt so useless.

Initially, he viewed Leona and Sebastian as two moons sharing one mind. But, in time, Ominis realized that she held a thoughtfulness he had rarely seen, certainly not by the idiots he was surrounded by in Hogwarts. She saw through everyone’s ridiculous pomp, as well as his own. He appreciated that about her, for in the end Sebastian couldn't fool Leona either. But it didn't matter - in the end neither of them could stop him.

“I”m sorry,” Leona said to him that night. “I can’t turn him in.”

Ominis was relieved to hear that, as neither could he at that moment. They both spent the next month wondering aloud if it was the right thing to do. They couldn’t be sure, as Sebastian was avoiding them, hell, avoiding everyone. Perhaps he needed space. He needed time to come back to himself. Right?

Sebastian…wasn’t evil, right?

A cool draft touched his cheeks as they entered the corridor to the Potions classroom. They passed the solid oak doors, past the Slytherin prefect giving everyone directions, and found an empty wall.

“Here,” said Sebastian, “we can sit now.”

Ominis leaned against the stone, nearly jumping away at the feeling of ice against him. He hadn’t realized how much he had sweat through his shirt. He eased back against the wall, slowly, the cold touch settling his nerves. Ominis finally slid down to a seated position, keeping his left foot crossed over his right, and drew a deep sigh.

Was he really back?

“Ominis! Are you alright?”

Ominis blinked and the grip of Sebastian’s hands on his shoulders returned him to the present. “I said I’m fine.”

“Why…are you crying?”

“Huh?” Ominis hadn’t even noticed until he placed his fingers against his cheeks, realizing they were cold and wet. Embarrassed, he gently pushed Sebastian away, burying his face into the sleeves of his robe.

“Oh!”

A soft, higher pitched voice approached them, belonging to Nerida Roberts, “Please tell me the two of you aren’t fighting anymore!”

Sebastian released the hold on Ominis’s shoulders. “We weren’t fighting.”

"You definitely were,” Nerida said, “But now’s not the time to talk about that! This is such a disaster! Imelda is running a time trial in Craiggcroft. What if she tries to return!?”

“What’s going on?” Sebastian asked.

“Goblins!” Nerida exclaimed. “With a...giant drill!”

Silence fell among the three. Ominis lowered his arm, revealing a befuddled expression.

"A...drill?"

“That’s what Amit said!” Nerida exclaimed. “He told me the details but…well, you know you can only listen to him for so long before he goes on about himself! Oh, there he is! Amit!”

As Nerida rushed off, Ominis leaned in towards Sebastian. “He’s full of it, right?”

“Perhaps,” said Sebastian, “But if that’s true…there must be a massive battle happening right below us!”

Ominis’s heart sank.

“Impressive, don’t you think?" Sebastian quipped and Ominis could hear the smirk on his face.

The old Sebastian was definitely back.

“No, I don’t!” Ominis snapped back. “This is a nightmare! Where is the headmaster!?.”

“Perhaps somewhere in Spain,” Sebastian joked, patting Ominis on the shoulder. “Anyways, let’s not fret too much about it. I doubt it was a drill."

“Oh no, it was definitely a drill!”

Ominis frowned at the annoyingly chipper voice that invaded their space. Nerida had returned with Amit, whose frantic energy could be felt at any distance. However, the close proximity to him, especially now, irritated Ominis even more.

Sebastian stood up. "How do you know it was a drill?”

“I saw it with my own two eyes!” Amit exclaimed, with an irritating surety to his voice.

“I mean,” Sebastian said. “How do you know what you saw was a drill?”

Amit became suddenly silent for a moment, trying to buy time with some incoherent mumbles. Ominis braced himself against the wall and rose to a stand, ignoring his sore ankle. He could already figure out one half of the story.

He was having none of Amit’s nonsense.

“Alright Amit," Omins said with the infamous Gaunt seethe dripping with each word. "Tell me what you and Hart did.”

“Hart?” Sebastian chuckled.

“What?” Amit was shocked. “How did you…did you just use Legimens on me?”

Ominis nearly cracked his molars from clenching his jaw, and he was suddenly brought back to his first year. The hushed whispers, accusations he ignored, it all came to a head in this very moment. His logical mind told him that Amit's ignorance was the last thing he should care about. But the sudden return of Sebastian, the idea of Leona in danger and his only home facing imminent destruction broke his resolve.

In that moment, he thought of his dear Aunt Noctua. What injustices did she face as a student in Hogwarts? Was she treated in such a terrible way? The idea of an idiot like Amit accusing the kindest woman he had ever known in such a way the broke long sturdy dam holding his bottled up rage.

He was tired of being treated as an enemy. He was tired of his tired fate as the enemy of Hogwarts.

He was going to let this fool have it.

"Did you— Did you honestly just ask me that?!"

“Oh dear,” said Sebastian.

“Merlin’s beard, I didn’t even feel it!” Amit almost sounded impressed. “Are you supposed to feel it?”

“Amit, I don't think he…” Nerida trailed off, ending with an “Ah, forget it.”

“Even if I knew it,” Ominis snapped, his voice growing louder, “I don’t need to use it on someone like you!”

Sebastian failed to hide a chuckle, as Nerida walked away. Ominis kept going, pointing his finger in Amit’s direction as he continued his barrage of insults.

“That’s how stupid you are! A blind person can read you! Now, tell me what you and Hart did!”

Not wanting to risk a whooping by the blind kid, Amit finally capitulated.

“We snuck into one of the goblin mines to study their plans! Leona asked me to come because I can read Gobbledegook! I thought I could speak it too, but Leona’s goblin friend informed me otherwise…” Amit chuckled nervously as he got back on track, “Anyways, we found a blueprint for the same machine that was seen outside. The goblin built a giant drill!”

What are they drilling into?” Sebastian asked.

“On the blueprint was a…giant spherical chamber,” said Amit, “I think I heard Leona call it…a repository?”

“A repository?” Ominis spat out, “for what?”

“No idea,” said Amit, “Perhaps it's underground at Hogwarts? That must be why the Slytherins can’t return to their dormitory!”

Ominis let out a deep sigh, his nerves somewhat settled, and returned to his seat against the wall. Meanwhile, his mind was still spinning. He knew many secrets that resided in Hogwarts, but he never heard anything about a repository. Surely nothing that would pique a goblin’s interest.

Just how many secrets did this castle hide?

He heard Sebastian murmur something and he turned his head upwards. “What?”

“I'll tell you later,” Sebastian said, “Amit, have you seen Leona?”

“I haven’t.” Amit sounded worried. “Do you think…do you think they’re here to look for her?”

Silence fell upon the group.

“Oh Merlin,” Amit began to pace. “You don’t think…”

Ominis tried to mute the intense, intrusive thoughts about any terrible possibility that could happen to her. He should have known Leona was in over her head this entire time. Why didn't she ever ask for help?!

“You don’t think…” Amit mused aloud, his voice in a panic, “You don’t think they’re after me too, do you?”

Ominis should have smacked that fool when he had the chance.

“Um,” Sebastian said as nicely as he could, “I…doubt that. Besides, we don’t even know if goblins are here.”

Ominis heard the rustling of metal as Sebastian reached for something in his pocket. Sebastian continued, “Amit, can you fetch Neridia and check outside for any stragglers? I have to lock the door, eventually.”

As Amit left, Sebastian knelt down and leaned towards Ominis. “I really wish you could have seen the look on Amit's face as you were yelling at him.”

Ominis chuckled. He wanted to retort with something clever. But at that moment, among the fear and exhaustion, he was just grateful they were talking again.

Ominis wiped his eyes, and the two began to laugh.

—-----------

October, 1890

Leona stared down at the floor below her. It was clear, like glass, the landmarks of the Scottish highlands illuminating like stars in the night sky. She loved looking at the map chamber floor. It was as if she was truly in the sky upon Highwing, looking at the earth below. A twinkling line of stars appeared, one by one, creating a path of sorts leading to the place of the final trial.

But that the majesty of the Map Chamber, nor the location of the final trial did not have her attention at that moment.

Leona's eyes were looking to the west, to a small corner of the map that marked Feldcroft.

Professor Fig interrupted her with a tap on the shoulder. She looked up, her eyes on him but her attention still elsewhere.

The four Keepers stood in front of her, in their large, oak framed portraits. The ambiance, the color, the clothing they wore, everything deepened the separation that Leona felt between her and the ancient wizards.

Between her and her magic. The Keepers seemed to notice.

"Have you something on your mind?" Professor Rackham asked.

Leona pursed her lips as she looked into his twinkling eyes. She wondered how she could ask this question without drawing suspicion from any of them. The last thing she wanted was for them to see her as Isadora. But she learned something during her short time as a student.

Truthfully, she never really thought about the plight of others before she came to Hogwarts. Before this year, no one cared for her and she cared for no one. Leona had never experienced such things in her time at St. Agnes Home for Squibs. Being around concerned adults, sharing a laugh with new friends, having somebody care for her just because she existed. Those small, seemingly insignificant moments had irrevocably changed her.

The Leona of this moment…she could not simply accept Anne’s tragedy. She couldn’t accept that for her friends.

She chose her words carefully.

“Have you ever tried to heal a curse out of somebody?”

The four paintings looked at each other, searching for answers in each other's eyes.

“I’m not asking to do what Isadora did,” Leona said, “I’m asking...all I’m asking is, can I do the same as an antidote? A potion? A countercurse? Surely, it cannot do that much damage. Surely it's of little consequence…”

“Nothing is without consequence.” said Bakar.

“Surely,” Leona continued, “It’s less consequential than ending a drought.”

Percival and Charles looked at each other, and they seemed to have a silent conversation between themselves. Rookwood gave a nod, and Percival looked back at Leona.

“Can you describe this curse?”

Leona explained the best she could, offering every bit of information Sebastian had given her about that fateful night. Then, she explained Anne’s symptoms as she had witnessed. She described Anne's pale skin, her sunken cheeks, the immense attacks she had in moments of stress.

Bakar mused aloud, “Perhaps it is a blood curse. Do you know who cast it?”

“I was told it was a goblin.” Leona answered, “Who said something about children needing to be seen, not heard.”

“I have never heard of a goblin casting a curse,” said Charles.

Fitzgerald chimed in, “I have no personal experience with blood curses. But Isadora frequently wrote to us, attempting to heal muggles with the plague…if she could not use her ancient magic to reverse…biological ailments, I am unsure that you could simply reverse this curse.”

"Acutally," Bakar added, “I studied blood curses during my living years. They are tricky…it’s tied to the blood of the one who cast it. That’s why the only known cure for such things is the death of said wizard”

Leona sighed. “I don’t even know where to start looking.”

“My descendent, perhaps” Rookwood lamented, “ If goblins were around that night, and you said they are working with him…perhaps one of his lackeys cast it. If you want to start looking for that wizard, start with the unsavory associates currently squatting in my castle. I wouldn’t put it past any of them to hurt a child.” Rookwood looked sad. “I’m sorry that someone from my family has caused this much trouble.”

“Miss Hart,” Rackham said, “It is imperative that you do not attempt to reverse the curse yourself. Is that what you wanted to ask?"

Leona kept silent.

“If you can, at least,” Fitzgerald said, “Please wait until you complete all the trials before you make such a decision. Isadora was faced with the same thing…”

“With her father…” Leona said.

Fitzgerald nodded. “I think once you see where our memories lead, the answer will be easier to find.”

Leona looked up at them. “Thank you.”

"One more thing I’d like to add," said Bakar, “You spoke of little consequence. Need I remind you, nothing in this world is without consequence. Our reversal of the drought in Feldcroft lead us to meeting Isadora. And…the subsequent outcome of that...well, you will see in time."

“Do you regret what you did?” asked Leona.

All four of them were silent. Finally, Fitzgerald spoke.

“I don't.”

“I don’t regret it as well,” said Rookwood.

“Neither do I,” said Rackham.

Bakar was silent, still stewing on his thoughts. Finally he said, “It’s pointless to think about things such as that…after all, we cannot live in a shield, protecting ourselves from the faults of the world. That’s what Isadora wanted. To remove the suffering from the world, but such a thing…Miss Hart,” Bakar looked at Leona, “Do you think pain needs to be removed from the world?"

“I think..." Leona paused for a moment. Such a thing was impossible. In truth, pain was an unavoidable part of life.

A part of life that Sebastian just can’t face.

Leona frowned. She thought of his recent behavior, from his anger over Lodgok to his bizarre jealousy over Ominis. Perhaps she needed to be apart from him for a while. She needed to focus on the trials and Ranrok.

Through Ranrok and Rookwood, perhaps she could find out who cursed Anne.

But first, she had to turn in her transfiguration parchment. And then create ten bottles of the focus potion for Sharp.

She placed her fingers on her neck, running them up through her hair as she massaged her scalp.

This was all too much.

“Miss Hart,” Fitzgerald said, causing her to jump.

"OWLs are soon. Have you had time to prepare?"

Leona gave her a look.

"Say no more," Rackham lamented, “We’ve truly placed a great burden on you,”

“I’ve been listening in on conversations with your deputy Headmistress," said Fitzgerald, "Professor Weasley may be able to help you with…time management. I would go see her as soon as possible.”

Leona nodded. "Thank you, Professor."

She nodded to the rest. "Thank you all."

"You still haven't answered my question." Bakhar quipped. "I will be expecting one after you finish the final trial."

Leona swallowed her ire, and nodded.

——

January 1891

Leona groaned as she finally awoke. She opened her eyes, taking her first full breath of awareness, and her body nearly froze and collapsed on itself. Expanding her chest caused a sharp pain to travel up and down her whole body. She focused on taking several small, shallow breaths. As the act of breathing became less torturous, she willed her fingers and toes to move. When they responded, she silently thanked whoever was up there, listening.

She had never been more thankful to be in one piece.

“Leona!” A voice cried out and the sound of glass bottles hitting each other reached Leona’s ears. Leona instinctively responded by trying to sit up. A grave mistake as she found herself flat against the mattress again, crying out as her nerves burned like they caught fire.

“Try not to move.” The voice said, and Leona opened one eye to see Lenorah Everleigh standing above her. “The skele-gro potion is currently putting your spine back together. Are you in any pain?”

“A bit.” Leona groaned. A large bit.

“Adalaide is in the gardens, fetching some more herbs. Have this, in the meantime. For the pain”

Lenorah raised a small glass vial to Leona’s lips. She took in the liquid before resting her head back against the pillow. “Thank you.”

“Me?” Leonorah said, surprised. “I should be thanking you! I heard that the horrid goblin who invaded Hogwarts turned into a giant dragon! I cannot imagine the bravery it took for you and Professor Fig to fight such a thing!”

“Hm,” Leona said, sleepily, “I’m sure the professor can tell the story in a much more colorful way than I can.”

Leona frowned when she was met with silence. She slowly opened an eye. “Is he here?”

Lenorah bit her lip.

Suddenly, a heated exchange erupted near the doors, and Lenorah quickly turned her back to Leona. They both kept quiet to hear an argument between three wildly different accents.

“Back into your dormitories, now!”

“Madame Blainey…We’re simply concerned for Miss Hart.”

“Is she alright?! Can you tell us that, at least —“

“OUT!”

Leona chuckled as she drifted back off to sleep, forgetting what she had asked.

————

Leona didn’t remember much of her life before Hogwarts, strangely enough. The day she woke up with pink hair instead of black, the same day that Professor Fig arrived at St. Agnes with her Hogwarts letter, was the day she left everything behind. Nothing in the past mattered anymore, not the drafty winters, the lonely holidays, nor the ever present question of who she was.

She could be anything she wanted now - she was a witch at Hogwarts.

She figured her friends found it rather weird she never talked about her time at the orphanage. But to her, that was a drop in the bucket compared to what the future held. Plus everything was happening so fast - the dragon attack, the troll attack, the ancient magic and the Keeper's Trials - Leona simply didn’t have time to process everything. She figured it was for the best, since such stress would outdo anybody else.

But she wasn’t like anybody else. She was special. Right?

She didn’t feel particularly special most of the time. On nights like this, alone in the hospital wing, she felt like the same forgotten girl in that drafty school in London.

Was she…was she fine now? Could she finally focus on herself?

Her first choice for herself was to get out of this infirmary. The bed she was resigned to was more like a metal torture chamber. Now, more than any other time, she craved her soft, feathered bed awaiting her in the Slytherin common room.

Slowly, she got up, thankful the Skele-Gro fixed her to the point where she was only feeling slight aches and pains. She looked to her left, at the door to Madame Blaineys office. She was probably asleep at this time. Leona figured that her absence in the morning was enough to send a message to the nurse that she was feeling just fine.

Leona opened the doors to the stairwell and stopped, facing two lumps of figures against the wall.

She chuckled at the sight. Sebastian and Ominis were fast asleep, resting on each other's shoulders.

—

Sebastian was awakened by a slight tap on the knee.

He blinked, rubbing his eyes and looked at the offending boot. He was taken aback when he looked up at the owner, a short girl with a face full of freckles and pink hair falling out of a messy braid. Her usual frameless green shades were gone, revealing the tired green eyes of Leona Hart.

She tried to hide her fatigue, an eyebrow raised and a hand out to greet him. “You two aren’t supposed to be out here.”

"Wake up!" Sebastian tapped Ominis’s shoulder. Ominis gave a snort, then yawned, then snapped, “What!?”

“Wake up, Sleeping Beauty.” Leona said, and Ominis's pale blue eyes widened at the sound of her voice. Sebastian hooked his arm around Ominis’s, directing him to a stand with Leona’s help.

"You're alright?" Ominis asked, breathlessly.

Leona shrugged. "Relatively. I believe the three of us will all appreciate our beds tonight."

Sebastian chuckled sheepishly and said, “It didn’t feel right to not check up on you, at the very least.”

“I did hear your exchange with Madame Blainey,” said Leona, “It felt like I was in a Jane Austen novel for a moment.”

“Ah!” Sebastian chuckled. He thought of Anne and her love of those books.

“Whatever would the school think, about two boys sitting eagerly at my bedside.” Leona dramatically put a hand over her forehead, “The scandal!”

Ominis scoffed as he raised the collar of his robe, hiding his red cheeks. “Please. This isn’t muggle literature,. You were nearly broken in half.”

“And now I'm in one piece." Leona said, and then gave a smile as she looked upon them. “Glad to see you two are thick as thieves again.”

Sebastian glanced at Ominis, unsure of what to say.

“Of course,” said Ominis, “Nothing cements a bond like thinking you’re about to die. And this is the...second? Third?”

“I’m happy for that,” said Leona, giving a chuckle. “Now, is the Professor Fig around? I'd very much like to see him”

Both boys' smiles had dropped. Leona gave no notice as she continued on, turning to walk away. “I’m sure he’s back to work as always, I’m going to go find him in his office.”

Sebastian grabbed her by the wrist. She looked at the offending hand in confusion, but before Sebastian could even think of a way to break the news, it seemed to have dawned on her. The light in her eyes quickly dissipated like a failed potion, her face had lost her smile, her shoulders dropped as she gave a long, knowing sigh.

“Oh.”

Sebastian pulled Leona between him and Ominis, and he wrapped an arm around her shoulder. “Come on, let's go…to…” Sebastian looked at Ominis, desperate for a destination.

Ominis quickly picked up on it, putting his own arm around Leonas shoulder from the other side and finished Sebastian's sentence.

“The kitchens! We missed dinner, but…I’m sure the house elves don't mind feeding the Hero of Hogwarts1”

“Yeah,” Leona gave a sad smile.

———-

The three fled the hospital wing before Madame Blainey could wake up, leaving the faculty tower under the disillusionment spell. They released the spell once they made it to the grand staircase, and walked through the spiral stairs, noting in surprise how, even at this time of night, the staircase would change to bring them exactly where they needed to be. In little time, they were near the door to the Hufflepuff common room.

The three walked past the painting to the barrels, and Ominis transfigured a couple of stray boxes into three mugs.

“At least the butterbeer they spray you with is almost as good as Sirona’s” Sebastian said to Leona, who shook her head as she took a mug. Sebastian tapped the barrel and ran back to meet his friends, and they hid their faces and held out the mugs as the barrel sprayed liquid right towards them.

Thankfully, most of the butterbeer hit the mugs.

“I wish to go in there just once,” Ominous lamented before pressing the mug to his lips.

“Hm,” Sebastian said, “I like ours though. I prefer to be cool at night than warm. I imagine that common room to be…stuffy?”

Leona frowned. “Stuffy? It's supposed to be one of the coziest common rooms.”

“Yeah but,” Sebastian said, “When I think of cozy, I think stuffy. Don't you?”

Ominous and Leona stared at him.

“Really?”

The two shook their heads at a confused Seastian.

“You do like suffering in a weird way, Sebastian,” Ominis said.

“No I don't!” Sebastian snapped.

“Well, you certainly don’t like being cozy.” Leona scoffed as she walked toward the painting.

“I just like being cool at night!”

The pear started chuckling before Leona even pointed her wand. Ominis gave a laugh. “See? Even the fruit disagrees with you.”

The wall holding the painting turned into a door, and the three walked into the Hogwarts kitchens. As they entered, the various house elves all stopped what they were doing and rushed towards them.

“Is that the Hero of Hogwarts?!”

Leona groaned.

“It is! It is!”

“Thank you so much for saving the school!”

“It wasn't…just me…” Leona mumbled, scratching the back of her head.

“Well, it wasn’t Binnsy, that's for sure!” Sebastian exclaimed, “Or the headmaster!”

“Seriously,” Ominis added as he pushed Leona towards the elves. “You’re a Slytherin. Act like one.”

Leona scoffed, but failed to hide her smile at the end. She knelt down and took the mug of tea offered by one of the house elves. “Thank you.”

The rest of the night was spent celebrating in the kitchens, as the house elves took it upon themselves to create a feast for the three that rivaled the ones prepared for the holidays. Sebastian had a whole turkey to himself, passing a leg to Ominis in exchange for a few spare ribs. Leona sipped her tea, marveling at all of the desserts waiting for them at the other side of the long table they sat at.

What had been done had been done. The same pains that plagued them still remained. There was no reviving Professor Fig. There was little chance of reconciliation with Anne. There was no undoing the mental image of sweet Aunt Noctua suffering alone in her final moments, for the sin of daring to dream for a better future for her descendants. There was a long road ahead of all three to reconcile the sting of Sebastian's betrayal.

Tomorrow, the three of them would return to their pain, to the fears of the future and the shadows of the past. But for now, they could enjoy the warm ambiance of the kitchens, the joy of the house elves running about, the comfort of delicious food, and the happiness of each other's company.

For a moment, all was well.

---------------

I wrote this a year ago, but my depression got the better of me. I forgot how much I loved writing about these three. I have an unfinished fanfic that I would like to get back to. LMK if you enjoyed this short story.

#hogwarts legacy #hogwarts legacy fanfiction #hogwarts legacy fandom #hogwarts legacy mc #hogwarts legacy fanfic #ominis gaunt #sebastian sallow #snek trio #harry potter hogwarts legacy

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