Snakes and Shadows | Sebastian Sallow x Reader | Hogwarts Legacy Fanfiction

Chapter 21: Bold-Hearted

The wind was a soft caress on the nape of my exposed neck. The air smelled of lilacs and lavender as I stood in the middle of a lush green meadow. It reminded me of the vivarium back at my room of requirement. Save for the lack of the abundance of magical beasts that I had kept there. My eyes scanned the grass below me, double checking if I may catch sight of my niffler. But alas, I was correct the first time.

I was wearing a soft night dress, its material was thin, almost translucent and did little to protect my modesty in the warm sunlight. Instinctively I crossed my arms to protect my chest, and began walking through the meadow.

"Anyone else here?" I called out, suddenly feeling quite naked without my wand by my side.

"We are here" a number of eerie voices called out.

One by one a multitude of arms broke through the earth and reached towards me. They were like millions of insects crawling and speeding towards me, all dismembered and made with rotting flesh and bone.

Before I could think they were grabbing at my body, pulling and tugging me to the ground.

"H-HELP!" I screamed out, patting my sides desperately searching for my wand, what could I do. Was anyone out there?

Soon the hands were covering my mouth, keeping me silent as they began to bury me alive beneath their mass. Desperate, I squirmed and bucked attempting to toss these creaturesque hands. It was getting more difficult to breathe, my vision beginning to darken and dim.

Tears welled up in my eyes, was this seriously how everything ended? I didn't even understand what these things were. My life flashed before my eyes, all my regrets, all my failures. Merlin's beard... I wish... I wish I was stronger to carry these burdens of mine.

Then it felt like I was falling, deep into a dark abyss. Nothing was tethering me to my body, and I just fell, further and further, until-

With a jolt, I was awakened in a panic. Glancing around, I found that I was in my bed, the sheets were soaked with my sweat. Every part of me felt warm, sweat gathering on my forehead like heavy beads. Desperate for cold air, I kicked off the bed sheets and swung my legs out to sit on the edge of the bed.

"Merlin's beard, what a horrendous nightmare" I murmured, glancing at a nearby mirror. Saying I was disheveled would have been an understatement. I had somehow passed out wearing my school uniform, the uniform that I had worn for almost two days straight no less.

My hair flew in different directions, an untamed mess. While the sweat and grime I had accumulated made my shirt a near see through mess. With a groan, I glanced at a clock on someone's night table. It was late in the evening, so I must have slept all day- Why was it so hard to remember what happened?

I scratched the back of my head and began digging through my trunks for a change of clothes. My head still pounded with a headache, my limbs were aching; perhaps I'd get some more sleep before heading out at dawn to practice the extracting magic.

Once I found my familiar nightgown and grabbed my night robe from my dresser, I began heading out of the dormitory. Curiously, I took a sniff of my shirt. Phew! I stink so bad. Best wash this nastiness off me before I even think of meeting up with any friends.

I suppose it was my own fault for remaining distracted with my disgusting smell. I had not noticed someone trying to attempt to enter the dormitory as well. The two of us collided, causing me to drop my clothes to the ground, and slamming my already aching head on some hard plank they were holding.

"Y/N? Are you alright?"

Reeling from the collision, I rubbed at my aching forehead and glanced up at the familiar voice. "Sebastian?" I asked, blinking back at my blurry vision