The Shadow of Slytherin

The Cruciatus curse

Lighting the three snake torches in the dungeon, the wall swishes open to reveal a secret passage behind, through which the three of you head in direction of the alleged scriptorium. Farther and farther, hallway after darkness, you head on, using your magic to move the snakes that give way to another corridor.

Whispers fill the air as the three of you stand there, the dark surrounding you. At first you cannot understand what the whispers say, but when Sebastian notes that he cannot even hear anything, you turn to Ominis. "Can you?"

"I can hear them" Ominis states, his face scrunching at your remark. "Do you hear them as well?"

"Yes" you whisper, listening to the words that comes from the walls around you. Quiet but straight forward, telling you a story you do not want to hear. Ominis listens as well, his face scrunched at the words he hears. "It's nothing good, is it?"

"It certainly is not"

For a moment, you turn t talk to Ominis about the whispers, wanting to know how you can hear them when Sebastian cannot, but Ominis warns you about learning their meaning, telling you it is parseltongue, and old language spoken between the heirs of Salazar Slytherin, but he does not want anything to do with it and asks you to forget about it as well.

While Sebastian is distracted and wants to go deeper into the scriptorium, you search for anything that might give you a hint where the voice is coming from, but find nothing other than the stone around you.

***

Trapped in the last chamber, the skeleton of Noctua Gaunt beside the three of you, Sebastian asks you to help him convince Ominis to cast the cruciatus curse, but when you approach Ominis, your head turned to Sebastian, you do not ask any such thing.

"I do not know how to stop him, believe me, I tried"

The hand on your shoulder, Ominis leans closer, "I know, Salem. I have been friends with Sebastian long enough to know how stubborn he is, but in this situation I refuse to help, I will not ever cast that terrible curse on either one of you."

Letting out a sigh, you nod in agreement. "I understand, and I am not asking you, but then there is no way out of here. I am willing to have it cast on me, but I will not force you to do so"

"I will not cast the spell" Ominis repeats himself loud enough for Sebastian to hear, the arms crossed before his chest.

As you return to Sebastian, a questioning look as to what to do now, Sebastian admits to knowing the incantation.

The wet stone around you, the smell of moss and rotten flesh in the air, you stand still, your eyes on Sebastian. Taking a deep breath, your eyes on him, you step from one foot to the other. "You know it? How?"

"I taught myself" Sebastian admits,a proud smile on his lips, hoping no one can see it, but in the dark, you spot it at once. His eyes on you as he steps forward, "And if you want I will teach you as well"

"No, I do not ever want to learn it" You state at once, your arm out in defence when Sebastian reaches his hand to grab you. "Neither do I want to cast it on you, or Ominis"

"Then you leave me no choice, I will have to cast it on you"

Taking a deep breath, your face turned to Ominis who stands in the corner, you nod, "Go ahead then"

"Sebastian stop. This is madness, you cannot be serious to cast the spell on Salem" Your hand pressed against his chest, you lean closer to Ominis who steps between you and Sebastian, the wand pointed at his friend. "I cannot let you do this"