Up and Down

Walls and Trebuchets

The announcement of the first Trial happened at breakfast. It is going to happen in one week. She can see Sebastian's Adam's apple bob as he swallows hard, his fingers adjusting her blue-and-bronze tie around his neck.

She takes his hand and smiles reassuringly.

"I have a plan, Sebastian. It will be alright," she whispers, and he nods.

She suddenly feels someone's eyes on her, nearly searing her skin off. She senses... malice.

Looking up, she finds the source of that feeling. Olesya, the Durmstrang Champion, is just a seat away and across, her eyes boring into her, her focus unblinking, unbroken.

Anna can't look away, mesmerised. Something is... wrong. But she can't... she can't think...

A spike is burying itself into her mind, and she sees flickers of the past, far and close, recent and distant, a total blur...

Suddenly, Ominis tips a goblet in the other girl's direction, spilling pumpkin juice right onto her lap.

The pressure on her is gone in a blink of Olesya's eye and Anna gasps, splitting pain piercing her skull and her stomach lurching unpleasantly.

"Pardon me..." Ominis is smiling with apologetic charm, getting up and fumbling with his wand, "I didn't mean to... I'm so terribly sorry."

The girl's eyes sweep over his face, his hazy corneas and she relaxes somewhat, responding softly, but Anna can't hear it for the ringing in her ears.

"Anna?..."

She stumbles off the bench and rushes to the secluded second-floor gallery, shaking with unknown terror and pain, Sebastian close behind.

"Are you alright?!"

"No," she gasps, clutching her temples, "something... she was doing something, I can't..."

Sebastian gathers her in his arms and sits her down on the floor as she hisses in pain.

"Should I bring you to the Hospital Wing?..."

"Madam Bailey will probably think I've had too much of my potion again," she groans, the awful feeling subsiding, "I think it's passing... I... I don't know..."

"Anna!"

Ominis is walking over to them swiftly, the red pulses of his wand coming rapidly, like a frantic heartbeat.

He kneels beside her, his cool fingers resting on her temples bringing some relief.

"Be very careful around her, my love... I think she is a Legillemens."

"What?!" Sebastian seems shocked, but Anna blinks blearily at him.

"Legillemens?"

Ominis huffs a laugh, shaking his head.

"I keep forgetting you lived as a Squib, what with how brilliant you are..."

Sebastian's arms tighten around her protectively.

"Legillemens are mind readers, love. She must have heard you and... and tried to learn what the plan was."

Ominis nods, frowning.

"My wand could sense that vile art coming off her. My grandfather used it on us all the time. I had to break her concentration..."

Fear surges through her veins. Could Olesya have learned about Anna seeing her last night, or that she has been using Alexandre to help Sebastian? She could tell the former, breaking the tenuous alliance which would increase her chances.