The Sallow Saga (Volume 3) A Hogwarts Legacy Fanfiction

Chapter 14. Spavin vs. Sallow

Professor Ronen hastily cut the live recording being projected onto the screen and looked awkwardly among the group of morose ex-students and academic staff. Being renown as the jovial Charm's Professor, it was difficult for him to witness such events and not be able to bring some light-hearted cheeriness to break up the drama.
"Merlin's beard!" Garreth exploded, "you'd think Spavin would be happy that we managed to apprehend Lestrange!" He ran his hands through his red locks, exasperatedly; his Polyjuice potion having officially worn off.
"Now, Garreth;" Ominis assured him. "I'm sure the Minister would only like to have a quiet word with us and advise on how we can improve on future circumstances."
The rest of the group slowly turned to look at him with unconvinced expressions painted plainly on their features.
"Do you really hear yourself, Ominis?" Garreth groaned, "we've only just got the headquarters looking just right. I have finally got things just the way I like them in the potion's chamber! And now, we're going to be sacked. He's overlooked everything that's come to light with Thorne. Y'know, I bet he's even going to pardon Marvolo for his past misdeeds, as the bastard had a sudden change of heart and decided to warn us about Lestrange. Personally, I thought we'd had more success these last few months than since we all joined together to address matters to do with Marvolo – because let's face it, the Minister was completely inept in doing anything like this, on his own!"
Poppy gasped, "Garreth, please – calm down! Sebastian, say something..." she urged the head of the Keepers of the Peace.

Sebastian however was too busy gazing into Cassy's eyes. Seeing her duel Lestrange like that had brought things into a whole new perspective. He reflected on the time he'd been waiting for the aurors to take him away to the ministry at the end of his fifth year. Ominis had met him before and had detailed how Cassy had run in to Rookwood at Hogsmeade and entered a daring duel after discovering he had contributed toward Anne's curse. Sebastian hadn't dared to envision what such a duel would have looked like. Witnessing Cassy best Lestrange however, had been terrifyingly phenomenal to watch. As Poppy's persistent requests to get him to calm Garreth down, perforated his clouded mind, Sebastian couldn't think of anything more important that the woman he was holding close to him.
"Honestly," Sebastian's voice croaked thickly with emotion, "I don't care anymore."
"WHAT?!" Garreth erupted, "you don't...what?!"
"I don't care," Sebastian blinked and looked around at them all, their incredulous expressions staring wide eyed at him. "The only care I have right now is ensuring the safety of my family. I want to be there to watch it grow and thrive. If what the Minister established our unit for meant so much to him, we'll either be kept on, or replaced. Either way, we're expendable – even if we're kept on, none of us are getting any younger. If he thinks we're a waste of time, that's up to him, I don't see us as such."

Cassy cleared her throat, somewhat concerned with Sebastian's sudden change of heart, "Seb', what we stood for, what we fought for – it meant so much to you, to all of us. We have committed so much time and effort in to watching our team grow. Are you saying, you'd be fine walking away from all of it, if Spavin let us go?"
Sebastian shrugged, "I just watched the woman I love, take out a notorious foe, both mounted on the back of a dragon and then in wand-to-wand combat! Only to then witness her being scolded by her employer because his image and reputation had been called into question. Cassy, if walking away from our current role means finding a job where we are, all of us, respected and valued – my laces are tied and I'm out the door." He turned to Garreth; "Garreth, you could make a fortune from your potions mate, we've all seen what you can concoct – your talents are wasted just developing Polyjuice potions for secret undercover missions. Your potions alone could serve the ministry no end if you went into partnership with them, don't tell me your entrepreneurial mind hasn't already devised a stratagem to consider such a matter!"
Garreth bowed his head, "I guess. I just... really enjoyed working together as a team, Sebastian. Creating potions, selling them, gaining profit – it's all well and good, but I lived for the thrill of concocting something for such specific cases. I just... I mean look at Poppy! Look at what she can now do! If she's sacked by Spavin, how can she go back to a dull poacher observing auror job?"
"If I may interject..." Ominis sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose, "we don't know for definite that Spavin is going to release us from our duties, like he did with Black. I don't doubt he's furious, but really, we've all provided a rather top-notch service, albeit somewhat unorthodox."