He Couldn't Be That Bad? // Sebastian Sallow and You (spicy)

5. A Look At Lucan

The sun is setting over the peaks of the Dragon Back Mountains that surround Hogwarts valley causing an orange glow to bathe the top halves of the trees and most of the castle ruins. Its been a pleasantly warm day but as night approaches, the winds bring a cool breeze that will soon be uncomfortable, especially from the back of a broom.

I don't know why we saved the farthest castle for last.

Shadow of the evening to come is already pressing up the walls of the red brick and shrouding the several bunches of spider eggs clinging to the corners.

I'm staring down the face of an objectively terrifying Matriarch Spider, she's poised in the corner of the ceiling, perfectly still, watching us. If I hadn't seen the reflection in her eyes, I wouldn't have seen her at all. This isn't a dream, or a flashback, this is unfortunately very much real. And I'm very much tired of fighting spiders.

"After this, you're checking castles by yourself." I called over to Lucan Brattleby.

He's whipping spells with breakneck speed at the clusters of spider eggs hanging in pods from the ceiling. With a smile as wide as his face he says, "I can't believe you're not having fun!"

Emerging out of the ground right behind him a spider the size of a horse clicks its fangs.

He casts a shield, then slashes a diffindo spell through the spider and it shrivels up on the spot. He pivots and casts another burst of flame that illuminates his face, he's positively beaming. Not maniacally, but he's just having the time of his life.

Lucan is now the age I was when I first met him and I can't believe how much he's grown. Still plucky and excitable, but he's so driven to make Hogwarts a good experience for everyone I can't help but like him. And most other students that come into contact with him adore him just as much.

When I came back from my conquest, Crossed Wands seemed almost laughable. I was the champion of the dueling club by a wide margin my entire sixth year and could have likely even won the quads section on my own. Lucan insisted I train him, then also hold instructions for the rest of the club if they wanted. And after sharing quite a bit of what I'd learned, I finally seemed to have some better competition on my hands.

But Professor Hecat didn't like that the club had become too "volatile" –in her words. And gave a list of spells deemed too dangerous for students to use, especially on each other.

So that's why we were searching for places to hold Dueling Club now, in the ruins of old castles, because ours was no longer welcome.

Another scurrier is coming at me and I blast it back with incendio and I think about the Ashwinder Duelists that used that spell but basically made a fire tornado. I want to do that, and wish I had Sebastian with me as he'd always been the better one with spells.

Lucan obviously didn't see the Matriarch Spider, still looming in the corner shadow, folded up and watching us with her countless eyes.

"If only it didn't have a roof. I think I'd like it if we could say it's a 'battle under the stars' or something like that." Lucan says, turning to me with his wand lowered.

That was the moment the Matriarch was waiting for, and only a quick internal reflex from countless encounters prepped me to dash over to Lucan and put up a shield.

At this point I am just really burned out from fighting spiders and I'm wanting to get this well and over with.

I feel that pull of silvery blue energy tugging at every fiber inside me. It wells up, deep from within the earth, surging from my feet, flooding into my chest, and out my arms as I lift my hands above my head. It practically steals my breath as the ancient magic shoots out of me in a wordless spell and manifests as a white hot bolt of lightning.