SHADOWS OF SORROW [S.S]

Prologue

Note: Please read the story description if anything is unclear. Should your question still remain, feel free to reach out to me.

If it were up to him, he would have left this shithole of a village a long time ago, packing up everything he could have grabbed and fit into two suitcases the moment he saw those lifeless bodies on the floor of the library. The moment he heard those screams and the utter, stone-cold realization, the death of any hope when he noticed there was nothing to be done, no way to help. He failed his parents, and he wasn't going to fail anyone else he loved so dearly. Not Anne.

But where would he have gone without any magical talent, money or plan as to how to survive on his own. With his twin. If they had left that night, they would have never been in the situation of the day Anne was cursed. But instead, the twins were there. Stayed in Feldcroft with their miserable uncle who refused to do anything about Anne ́s state of health as if he was a wise, know-it-all healer and not a former Auror who got thrown out because he used an unforgivable curse. He knows nothing about her. Nothing about him. He just got thrown into this mess of a broken family because he was the only one left to take care of them.

They were able to spend a few years at Hogwarts together, making friends, having fun at trying out new spells, dueling everyone they could find at the crossed Wands and practicing the more serious spells with Ominis, their closest friend in the undercroft. But what was a not so terrible life once, can't be one now. And Sebastian hasn ́t felt the grief and pure desperation as much as he did on this day. The first day of 7th year. The welcome ceremony for the first years and their sorting into houses. It was the first year in Hogwarts without Anne by his side. Only Ominis who was looking into the direction of his plate since the ceremony started, was at his side now, ignoring the loud cheering and hating the noise that surrounded his sensible ears. It was true that once you lose one of your senses, the others heighten to make up for the loss. Since Ominis was blind, his ears were extraordinarily sensible to noise, and he hated the ceremonies that occurred during the school year. Since they were seven years in already, Ominis came to just accept these kinds of days, but his Slytherin self wouldn't
miss the chance to still let other people know he hated it to be here.

His gaze fixed on the table ignoring it every time when someone was sorted into a house and the loud cheering began. Sebastian felt the tension leave his friends body as soon as the clapping died down but not even a few minutes later it started again, and it was a constant on-off.
As the first-year students in the middle of the hallway through the Ravenclaw and Gryffindor table got less, Sebastian felt the relief of going back to his dorm already. Feeling the common door room appear in its snake like form and disappear just as magically once he entered. It would be a pain in the ass to have all the new Slytherin students running around, exploring the catacombs of their dormitory but he wasn't different back in his and Annes first year. They didn't leave it at the mysteries of their common room and the rumors about creatures passing by their windows but explored the whole castle, finding secret passageways, riddles and everything that was intentionally made to be found by any great ancestor of this school. Eventually they found the Undercroft in their third year and chose to leave it at that. The need to study for exams and practice for their classes was bigger than the curiosity that carried the three of them through the hallways of Hogwarts once.

"I swear if one more student gets that fucking hat sat upon their first-year tiny head I'm going to implode and take you all down to hell with me.", Ominis whispered, and the corners of Sebastian's mouth twitched upward as he looked over the tables to find that it actually seemed to be the last student for this year. "Then you are in fact a lucky ́pal my friend. It was the last one and our house was lucky to have the least new students this year. It sounds like a win for me to be honest with you." Ominis let out a heavy sigh he seemed to be holding in for the whole ceremony but didn't dare to raise his head from the creepy stare on his loaded plate. "Lucky in fact. I can't stand the noise of those little, fast feet running though the catacombs at night. It makes me twitch in my sleep to just think about it.", he proclaimed, and Sebastian had to hold in a laugh as his friend's face was washed over by a wave of disgust at the memory of those tiny feet. "They are like ants. I wish you could hear what I hear sometimes" Ominis sighed again and wanted to leave the ceremony, but something made him halt right in his swift movement of standing up from the bench. His eyebrows furrowed and Sebastian turned his head, unsure what was wrong. "What is it?"

"It wasn't the last one. I can hear people running down the hallway to the Great Hall. Professor Fig and someone else are coming this way."
Sebastian looked at the door and pulled Ominis ́ ass back onto the bench of their table. "What do you mean? You can distinguish who is coming just by the sound of their footsteps? How do you know its Professor Fig specifically?" Sebastian's tone was low, a mere whisper as the room started to quiet down and even the talkative first years brought their fast-running thoughts to a stop.
"We do have one last student to sort into a house." Professor Black exclaimed with a slight raspy voice that made him clear his throat a little nervously. It didn't take long for the already sorted students to continue their conversations where they left off as if they never even stopped talking. "That's not a first-year student so I will do you the favor of not imploding right next to you. But the chattering still gets on my nerves", Ominis whispered back but didn't think of answering the question Sebastian proposed.

It didn't matter much though because what Ominis couldn't see, only hear, was the fact that it wasn't a first-year student but a 7th year one walking down that hallway in between the Ravenclaw and Gryffindor table, unsure of herself but still seemingly excited of whatever laid ahead. "How in the name of Salazar is that possible?" Sebastian hissed and Ominis smiled a little at the comment. The new girl that just came rushing into the ceremony took a seat on the altar as Professor Weasley put the sorting Hat on her. He murmured something and Sebastian's dark, analyzing eyes caught her answering, wondering why the sorting hat even dared question her something instead of just putting her into a house. Instead of just doing his job. Why was the Hat curious about
her? Why was she smiling at whatever the Hat said and why, Gods above, was she even here?
How could she join without even passing any classes before had? What was this nonsense?

"Slytherin!"

And for the first time since the welcoming ceremony started Ominis raised his head as if in shock to investigate the girl. Whatever he could hear, or sense was not enough to keep him looking for long though. As his head dropped back down and the tension in him slowly eased as the clapping died down, Sebastian chose to leave. "Let's go, before the first years flood the common room." Obviously, it didn't take long for Ominis to stand up as he was on the verge of fleeing the Great Hall for the whole welcoming ceremony.

As the two Slytherins left, Professor Weasley came back from her discussion with Professor Fig to introduce herself to the new student.
"I'm glad you made it even with a little delay. Fig told me about your... encounter with that dragon. I hope you are not in too much of a shock." She didn't quite know what to say at first but chose to smile though her own confusion of the past events. "I am fine. I just feel sorry about Professor Figs friend. George." – "Yes, of course. It will be fine. This way Dear, I'll show you to your Dormitory and Common room. You can take a good night's rest and I will introduce you to everything first thing tomorrow morning." Professor Weasley made a quick turn on her heels before surprisingly fast dashing down the hallway. The halls only got more confusing the deeper they got. It would take a lifetime to get to know this school and find a way around it, but she was open for a challenge. Always.