Hogwarts Legacy: The Price of Power

Cursed Revelations

The three of them stood on the platform amongst the milling students thronging towards the Thestral-drawn carriages. Glancing around, they slipped through and joined the queue. Sebastian had the hood of his cloak up, and Dracaena caught the nervous glances he threw to the other students, most of whom seemed too concerned with their own excitement to bother paying attention to anything.

"It's going to be fine," she said, patting his arm reassuringly.

Sebastian favoured her with a small smile. "I hope so."

"I'm sure everyone is going to be as glad to have you back as we are," she said.

Sebastian nodded and pulled his cloak a little tighter about himself. Ominis moved next to them, his hand brushing along Dracaena's arm as they made their way towards an empty carriage, clambering up first.

"I'm starving," he murmured. "I must say, though your grandmother is an excellent cook, there's something to be said for Hogwarts' feasts."

"Your grandmother?" Sebastian said.

"Ominis stayed with me through the summer," Dracaena explained. "And, well, most of the holidays, in truth."

"Oh," Sebastian said.

"Well, I couldn't very well stay with you, could I?" Ominis remarked. Sebastian's face fell, and Dracaena kicked Ominis in the shin.

"Ouch! Thank you for that," he grumbled. Then, he sighed. "I'm sorry, Sebastian, that came across rather harsher than I intended. I simply missed the time we spent together in Feldcroft. Walking through the village, feeling the sun on my face, you and Anne by my side..."

"We could do it again," Sebastian said. "The warm weather isn't completely over yet, and I'm sure Anne would love to go on a stroll around... that is, if she's forgiven me. Not that I expect her to, of course, but... well. It would be nice."

"Perhaps," Ominis said, his face carefully neutral. "Though I expect a leisurely stroll around the hamlet might be a little difficult. Anne no longer lives in Feldcroft, you see."

Sebastian whipped around. "What?"

Ominis turned away, fussing with his cuffs as the Thestrals began to trot, pulling their carriage down the pathway, passing the low, cobbled walls lined with small, orange lamps, throwing deep shadows over the trees standing sentinel just beyond. "I'm surprised you're surprised. With both you and Solomon gone, she had no one."

"She could have come back to Hogwarts."

"No, Sebastian." Ominis sighed and reached out, grasping his sleeve. "I'm sorry, but her condition only worsened after Solomon's funeral. She's at St Mungo's now."

"St Mungo's..." Sebastian pulled back, his brow creasing. "She's worse? Ominis, tell me everything."

"There's not much more to tell," he said, gently. "She's comfortable there, from what I understand. They're better able to provide her with pain-relieving spells and potions. It's the best place for her."

"They've not found a cure? Did no one investigate those bastard goblins, interrogate them? I told them all at my trial that's what happened, did nothing come of it?"

"Sebastian," Dracaena took his hand. "You don't know. It wasn't the goblins that cursed her. It was Victor Rookwood."

"I... what?" he stared at the both of them, his head swivelling as though he was watching a tennis match. "Rookwood? As in that scruffy git who was after you?"

"Yes," Dracaena said. "I wanted to tell you, but my owls to Azkaban were returned. He cursed Anne, not the goblins."

Sebastian's face paled, his hand tightening in her grip as his brows lowered into a terrible frown, throwing deep shadows over his eyes. It seemed that an entirely new man sat before her in that moment, a scarred and powerful man, his rage barely contained. She gulped.