Into Sallow's mind // Sebastian Sallow

Back to Hogwarts

Packing up to go back to hogwarts, I could sense that Anne was feeling down about not being able to join me. She tried to put on a brave face and act excited, not wanting to upset me. But I knew her too well. She loved hearing about my classes when I came back on the weekends, so I decided to take notes for her on what I was learning. Sometimes, I would even sneak a book from the library for her to read. I was determined to do anything to bring a smile to her face.

A: "Sebastian, I'm begging you, please write legibly this time. Last year's notes were a mess. I thought I was reading gobbledygook." I could see Anne smirking mischievously at me. She loved teasing me about my writing, but I knew she appreciated my efforts to help her keep up with her studies.

S: "What, you don't like decoding my top-secret handwriting?" I replied, trying to sound offended. "I thought it added to the fun of it all."

A: "I'd rather be able to study without having to hire a codebreaker." Anne let out a small chuckle. "Could you at least try?"

I placed a hand on my chest and gave her a small bow, "Don't worry, sis. I'll be your knight in shining armor, armed with my trusty quill and ink. Together, we'll conquer the world of potions." I grinned at her mischievously.

A: "Ha! More like we'll barely survive it. But at least we'll have each other's backs, right?" She smiled at my enthusiasm, her eyes crinkling at the corners.

S: "Always. You're my favorite Slytherin, after all. Don't tell anyone else I said that, or I'll have to deny it." I squinted my eyes at her.

Anne leaned towards me and whispered, "Don't worry, your secret is safe with me. And I promise not to hex you in your sleep this year." She replied, giving me a wink.

S: "Ha! You promise that every year, and yet I still wake up with my hair turned pink."

A: "I can't help it, you look so cute with it. But I guess it would be more difficult to sneak around with bright pink hair, and we don't want to tarnish your reputation for causing trouble."

S: "Oh, don't worry. I'll make sure to have plenty of moments this year. Who knows, maybe I'll even break a record or two. Most detentions in a single year, anyone?" I looked around the room, motioning at the nonexistent crowd.

She looked at me in disbelief, smiling at my silly gesture. "But seriously, thanks for being the best brother ever. Even if you can't write to save your life."

S: "Hey, my handwriting is a masterpiece. You just need to appreciate it for what it is. A work of art, not a science."

Anne rolled her eyes, but I could tell she was trying not to smile. "You're impossible," she said with a shake of her head. "But I wouldn't have it any other way. You keep life interesting, Sebastian. And I love you for it."

Anne's words made my heart swell with pride and affection. "I love you too, Anne. Even with your lack of taste for the abstract art of my handwriting."

When she was about to let out a chuckle, she suddenly grabbed her side and let out a pained moan. Her fits of pain seemed to be growing worse with each passing day, and every time she cried out, my heart ached in a way that was almost physical.

Anne and I were inseparable before she was cursed. We did everything together, even developing our own secret language. After our parents' death, we only had each other, and our bond grew even stronger. Seeing her in so much pain was tearing me apart.

Our uncle and guardian didn't understand our relationship. How could he? He didn't even like his own brother, our father. Uncle Solomon often remarked on how much I resembled my father, and he made sure I knew how much he resented me for it.

As usual, I arrived at the Slytherin dormitory after everyone else had settled in. I set my belongings down on the bed, where one of Ominis' trunks sat on top. He always saved the bed next to the door for me since he knew I liked to sneak out at night. After throwing myself onto the bed, I let out a loud sigh of exhaustion. A few moments later, Ominis barged through the door.

O: "Did you hear?" Ominis said excitedly, without even saying a greeting.

S: "Hello Ominis, nice to see you too," I said in a sarcastic tone. Ignoring my response, he sat on the bed next to mine and continued talking.

O: "There's going to be a new student starting in the fifth year," it's been a while since the last time I saw Ominis excited about anything.

I lifted myself resting on my elbows, "What? A new fifth year student?" I asked genuinely curious.

O: "Yes, apparently they're muggle-born, but they started showing signs of magic last year when they turned 15. Isn't that fascinating?" Ominis' smile grew wider.

S: "How do you know all of this?" I asked, puzzled.

He sighed, "You know how," dropping his head.

I rested my head on the pillow again, "Right, nothing gets past your father." I turned my head to look at him. "But what's all this excitement about? It's not like you would want to befriend them anyway. You're always by yourself, sitting in a corner in the Defense Against the Dark Arts tower."

 Ominis scoffed, "Excuse me if I'm not a charmer like you. People tend to avoid me," he said with a defeated tone. "Anyway, I just thought you might find it interesting."

I wasn't trying to insult him, it was just the truth, he always isolates from people, afraid of being judged for his appearance and last name.

I shrugged looking at the ceiling, "Besides, I don't want a new student that doesn't know anything getting in my way, you know I don't need any distractions from finding a cure for Anne." Helping my sister was my only priority.

We chatted for a while until it was time for the sorting ceremony. I wished I could just skip it and continue studying my books. Every moment was crucial for helping Anne. After every new student was sorted into their houses, a loud chatter started to spread throughout the Great Hall. It was the new fifth-year student walking down the corridor to be sorted. She was blushing when she realized all the attention was on her, and that made me chuckle a bit.

Ominis turned to me and whispered "What is it?" with curiosity in his voice.

S: "She's as red as a devil's snare flower," I said, smiling.

O: "Oh, the new fifth year is a 'she'? Poor thing must be terrified. Can you imagine?" He had a sympathetic look on his face. 

Ominis was always caring, even with strangers, which didn't make much sense to me since people always assumed the worst of him just for being a Gaunt.

The new girl sat on the stool and the hat didn't take long to sort her into Slytherin. "This will be interesting," I thought to myself. At the common room, she was the topic of everyone's conversation. Apparently, a dragon had attacked their carriage, killing a Ministry official who was accompanying them. What a story.

The next morning, I was already by the common room fireplace, reading a new spell book that I had acquired in hopes that it would help with Anne's curse. Unfortunately, it wasn't proving to be useful. In the midst of my reading, someone approached me. Annoyed at being interrupted, I set my book down.

"Can I help you?"

When I caught sight of the new student, who had been the talk of the school, I made an effort to soften my voice, remembering what Ominis said about how daunting it could be starting in a new school as a fifth year. I welcomed her and we had a brief chat before she went off to introduce herself to other students. I saw her talking to Imelda and Ominis, and couldn't help but think that she had a knack for picking out the odd ones. At first, I had assumed the new student would just be a nuisance, but now, I was intrigued. She showed a curiosity for forbidden magic, perhaps it would be interesting to get to know her - she seemed like a kindred spirit.