The Sallow Saga - Vol. 1 - In the Shadows of a Legacy [a HL fanfiction]

Chapter 7. Going Rogue

It took a couple of hours before Ominis calmed down enough to eat a few mouthfuls of food. The revelations he had shared had left everyone with a sour taste in their mouth and a heightened sense of grief for their friend. As the sun began to set outside, Ominis indicated that he had to head back to Hogwarts and prepare his classes for the following day. After receiving a series of long and well meant hugs from each of his friends, he apparated with a tear streaked face and puffy, red eyes.

Cassy, Natty and Sebastian settled back down at the coffee table, each exhaling heavily from the shock of the day's revelations. For a while, only the grandfather clock could be heard, heavily clunking away behind the curtain.
Natty sighed heavily; "what a day!"
The other two nodded quietly, no one knew what to say. Sebastian didn't need to read anyone's mind to know they were all on the same page, how were they going to protect Ominis and stop Marvolo, both at once?
Still the clock ticked away. Suddenly, with a jump that made both Sebastian and Natty shout out, Cassy leapt up.

Taking on the mantle of room pacing, she began to mutter, waving her hand in front of her, as though she were reading an invisible book and flicking through the pages with a deftness that would put even the smartest student at Hogwarts to shame.
Natty raised her brow questioningly at Sebastian and tilted her head toward Cassy. Smiling pleasantly, he shook his head.
Leaning conspiratorially toward Natty, he whispered; "believe me when I say this, at this moment in time, I'm not sure I want to know what's going through her mind."
Finally, Cassy triumphantly giggled and flopped down on to Sebastian's bed.
"I do believe – I have a plan! It's going to take some convincing of other parties to get it to work, but it's better than nothing."
"Well? Don't leave us in suspense!" Sebastian urged.
"Professor Sharp!" She shouted, pointing at Natty, with a look of pride on her face.
Natty frowned, "I do not follow Cassy?"
"Professor Sharp is heading an auror team, looking into the events surrounding his last major case. Last week, when I had to send in my weekly report regarding your progress Sebastian, I ran in to him and asked how things were progressing. He was... cagey, as always. He did however divulge that he had hit something a dead end. He'd determined the shrunken heads being smuggled were muggle victims! Apparently, there's a lucrative trade in the dark arts market, which centres on the trade of muggle shrunken heads. They're shipped abroad for a range of rituals, the purer the muggle, the better the fortune gained."
Natty frowned, "I know of these smugglers, they are everywhere in Africa. My department focused on the poaching crimes with Poppy however, so I did not get a chance to determine how the trade was impacting on life in the muggle community."

Sebastian looked from Natty to Cassy with growing confusion.
"I'm sorry, shrunken muggle heads? What? How is any of this relevant? How do you determine the purity of a muggle?"
Cassy's face turned sour at the thought.
"We've all encountered shrunken heads at some point, Borgin and Burkes are notorious for selling them. The number of raids I've headed to rid them of the items." She sighed heavily, "it's sickening really. There are some cultures in the more remote areas of the New World who practice an art called Tsantsa, it roughly translates to 'Treatment of Dead Enemies'. Carrying the shrunken head of one's enemy is supposed to imbibe you with additional strength and health, as you absorb their power. It's a load of dragon dung, naturally – but where there is a strong belief, you can guarantee that one can make a solid trade out of it."
Sebastian's face took on a shade of green, "you mean to say, someone in the magical world is shrinking muggle heads and..." he shivered.
"Not just any muggles. Pure, muggle souls." Cassy responded slowly, looking at Natty meaningfully and sadly.
Natty paused for thought before screaming, "Merlin's beard, no! No! No, no, no!"
Cassy glanced over at Sebastian who appeared to be processing everything discussed so far. Slowly, he started to piece things together.
"So, you think that Marvolo is..." the shock of the revelation caused him to jump up; "we have to inform the school! If Marvolo is behind the muggle born child abductions, and Professor Black is proffering an invitation toward him to join the school – it's like providing that monster with a catalogue of his own choosing!" he leapt up, grabbing his cloak in the process and was about to head out of the door when both Cassy and Natty grabbed hold of his arms and pulled him back.

"You, of all people Sebastian, cannot go storming into Hogwarts!" Natty scolded, "can you imagine the panic your appearance would cause?"
"I don't care! I can't sit here alone, minding my own business while that is happening not a moments flight away by broom! Ominis needs to know too!" Sebastian panted, struggling against the two women who were holding him back.
"Sebastian... I... understand your frustrations!" Cassy panted, while trying to keep a hold of his right arm, "But storming... into Hogwarts... right now... will not help you... putting forward a case!"

Sebastian paused and allowed the girls to guide him back to the chair. All of them were breathing heavily from the struggle. Natty rested against the back of his chair.
"I can head up to the castle and inform Professor Weasley?" She suggested.
Cassy shook her head, "even Professor Weasley might think this too wild to believe from just one of us, with no evidence other than speculation. We need to put together a case, but we cannot all be together in one place to do so." She appraised Sebastian, who was still staring at the door, head in practical mode. Biting her lip, she started to worry. It was now dark outside, she and Natty would need to leave Sebastian shortly to send in their daily reports. If they were late – the entire auror division had orders to descend upon Feldcroft and return Sebastian to Azkaban with no questions asked. As she mithered, Natty suddenly gasped.

Hurrying to the door, she opened it to peer around and flagged them both over to her.
When they were near, she whispered; "coast is clear. Both of you, head to Cassy's cottage on the outskirts of the hamlet, I will join you shortly. Cassy, send in your daily report while you wait for me! I must speak with the rest of the hamlet."
Feeling both intrigued and puzzled, both Cassy and Sebastian put on their cloaks, raised their hoods, and hurried to the lone cottage situated not far from the Feldcroft Crypt. Entering the cottage, Cassy headed straight for her writing bureau to complete her daily report, hastily. Sebastian removed his cloak and looked around.
"I do love seeing the expansion charm put to good use." He grinned at Cassy. Before he had time to admire the cottage in its entirety, Natty hurriedly walked in, just as Cassy inserted her report into a metallic cylinder, before casting it into the fireplace with a spot of floo powder.
"All done?" Natty asked.
Cassy confirmed, as Natty approached the small window which looked out toward Sebastian's cottage. Turning around, she addressed them both hesitantly.
"I have an idea as to how we can put a case together, however it will be breaking a few promises with the ministry and the department."
Slowly, she approached Sebastian, "I have been meaning to ask, once your rehabilitation period is over – what is it you intend to do, in order to make a living?"
Sebastian stared blankly back, "I'm not sure what I was expecting you ask, but it wasn't that. I've honestly not given it much thought. How easy is it for an ex-convict to secure a paid role in the Highlands of Scotland? Especially, when most of the inhabitants know my name and crimes."
"About as easy as one can imagine," Natty sighed. "However, I do have an idea as to how you can earn an income and provide assistance towards the case, what do you think?"
"I'm listening..." Sebastian's eyes widened with excitement.
Natty turned to Cassy, "you said you have a year's supply of Polyjuice?"
"Wait..." Sebastian's eager face now became mortified as Cassy started to laugh.
Natty span around, hands on hips and glared at Sebastian.
"Do you want to help build this case, or not?!" She snapped.
Sebastian's shoulders slumped, and he nodded glumly.
"What's the plan, Natty?" Cassy wheezed through a fit of laughter, as she pulled out her store of Melisandre Bones' Polyjuice potion disguise, from under her bed.
"I will need to discuss it with the proprietor, but I did hear that the Hog's Head in Hogsmeade needs an apprentice. It is the hot spot for questionable witches and wizards to discuss trade and gossip. I suspect that if Marvolo is as invested in Hogwarts as he has indicated, I anticipate that several of his followers might frequent the premises. It is a perfect opportunity for you – Sebastian, to hone your skills as a legilimens on people other than your friends! The only proviso is that you do this undercover..." saying so, she tapped the crate of Polyjuice potions with her foot.
"In the meantime, Cassy, you are to discuss a potential partnership with Aesop Sharp. Let us see if we cannot help each other further our independent causes. Oh, Seb'?" Natty turned back to Sebastian who had since turned his attention toward Cassy's unique clock. He snapped back to attention at her address however.
"You will need these..." she grinned impishly, and picked up the emerald witch robes that completed the Melisandre Bones disguise. Cassy began to giggle again.
As he headed toward the door to head home, Sebastian turned back to Cassy, never one to leave without having the last word.
"Y'know Cassy, I suppose this is one way of getting under your skin..." he smirked at her stunned expression. Before she could respond, he'd pulled his hood up and hurried back to his cottage.
Natty and Cassy approached the small window in the cottage which looked out toward Sebastian's home. They could see Sebastian walking with his head held high, a fresh burst of energy offering a spring in his step. Natty glanced toward Cassy and smiled knowingly.
"You know... I think he might like you."