Hogwarts Legacy : A Sixth Year Continuation

Chapter Thirty-Eight : Lady in the Bookshop

"...however the quality of the deck's shuffle does not determine the quality of the read, as long as the reader has clear intent on what they wish to perceive from the cards...are you asleep?"

"No."

"Is it Ruby?"

I nodded from under my blanket, I felt Sebastian drop my divination book heavily at my feet in frustration, muttering "Sorry Emmy." Under his breath, missing the cat by inches.

It had been two days since Ruby had pushed her way past me in her slippers. I hadn't seen her since. She had reacted exactly the same way Ominis had when he addressed my knowledge of their conversations. It was frying my brain. Even after I had threatened her she seemed overcome with ...relief? Realisation? I wasn't sure. Maybe I had lost my edge. I missed the look of terror in her eyes that day in the bathroom.

I pulled the blanket from my face. Sebastian was illuminated by the warm light of my lamp. His hair almost auburn in its glow. His skin had a rosy tinge, his time spent in the Room of requirement as well as his distance from Luka Rossi seemed to be doing wonders for his health. I couldn't say the same for myself.
Every day I had woken up determined to glamour myself into something beautiful , something worth looking at. But I hadn't the energy. My mind was elsewhere. Maybe tomorrow.
My visions still hadn't returned , as well as no new memories of Mammy. I needed a new spark, a new fire. I needed motivation.

"Will you read me the three brothers?" I asked nervously.

We hadn't picked up the book since the first night of reading it. When memories flooded back. Deciding I wasn't ready for it.
Ready or not I needed a push.
I had only attended one class this week. The rest of the time I had trapped myself in my stuffy dorm, avoiding whispers and stares from students in the corridors. I had the same page of my divination textbook open for a full three hours, the whole time all I had done was stare at "The Tales of Beadle the Bard" battling myself over picking it up or not.

"Yes." Sebastian said reaching over my body to my bedside table, his waist exposed as his shirt rode over his stomach. I wanted to badly to feel the hunger I once had for him, the longing, but it had been shattered when Luka did what he did.

"Wait!" I exclaimed, grabbing my journal in case anything happened while he was reading, quill ready to make notes. I had a tingle in my chest that told me I would need it the further we dived. So far I hadn't got past the first two lines without being flung backwards into my real memory.

"Okay let's go. If I do anything weird, shake, eyes rolling, nosebleeds just keep going. I need something to happen." I said with determination. Sebastain nodded obediently and as he began my heart raced. The first paragraph sparked nothing and then suddenly I felt myself fall through my mind , Sallow's voice echoing in my ears as I did.

" ...But Death was cunning. He pretended to congratulate the three brothers upon their magic, and said that each had earned a prize for being clever enough to evade him..."

Mammy and I , on a beach, looking at a small pile of rocks where I had placed the pouch without her looking. The pouch that contained the thing they wanted.

I scribbled my quill across my page and nodded at Sebastian to continue.

"So, the oldest brother, who was a combative man, asked for a wand more powerful than any in existence. A wand that must always win battles for its owner. A wand worthy of a wizard who had conquered Death. So, Death had crossed to an Elder Tree on the banks of the river, fashioned a wand from a branch that had hung there, and gave it to the oldest brother."

Mammy was shrieking as I had found my first ancient magic wisp near an old church, vanishing into its glow, into another dimension , before returning a few minutes later.