Hogwarts Legacy: The Price of Power

The Shape of Your Soul

Dracaena poured a careful measure of ground unicorn horn into her cauldron, frowning lightly. Just as she tipped the last glittering granules out of the mortar, a low rumble of thunder sounded from beyond the dungeon, distant, yet unmistakeable. She froze, then turned, agonisingly slowly, to stare at Sebastian. He was wide eyed, his lips parted, and when their gaze met, it was clear they were thinking the same thing.

It's time.

He stepped a little closer under the pretence of borrowing her knife.

"How are we going to get out?" he whispered, a note of urgency fluting under his breath. "We've still got an hour and a half!"

Dracaena glanced over her shoulder as the sky beyond the small windows began to darken. Professor Sharp was making the rounds of the classroom, keeping a weather eye on Garreth as he went. They could just run for it, though they'd likely earn a detention apiece, not to mention suspicion. She could blow up her cauldron, but it'd have to be big enough to cancel the rest of their double period, and they'd be collared by Sharp, no chance to sneak away.

She turned back to Sebastian, his expression both hopeful and anxious.

"Stun me," she whispered.

"What?"

"Stun me," she repeated. "Nonverbally. I'll faint, you carry me out. Tell Sharp you're taking me to the Hospital Wing."

"Will that work?" he glanced over his shoulder. "He might just try and revive you."

"Don't give him the chance," she said.

"What if they look for us?"

"We'll deal with that later," she muttered, then stepped away from her cauldron as Sharp turned his back on them to snap at Garreth. "Now, Bassy."

He bit his lip, then slid his wand out of his pocket. To his credit, he didn't hesitate again.

Dracaena came to as Sebastian was sprinting up the stairs, holding her in his arms. She stirred, and he slowed down, waiting until he'd cleared the steps before gently letting her slide to her feet.

"Everything alright?" came Ominis' voice, and she turned to him, shaking away the last of the dizziness.

"Perfectly," she said, taking both their hands and rushing up towards the Room. "Well done, Bassy. I hope you managed to get out quickly."

"I just shouted you'd fainted, threw you over my shoulder and ran," he said, huffing a small laugh. "Ominis was waiting for us just outside. Merlin, I hope we've got time."

The rain began just as they burst into the Room, tearing down from the sky in sheets, the archway in the wall appearing as they spilled inside, allowing a torrent of rain to flood into the Room. They paused, heads tilted, until a bright flash lit up the opening, followed after a few seconds by a rumble of thunder.

"It's now or never," Dracaena said, pulling her broom out of her pocket and duplicating it. "Having any second thoughts?"

"More than I care to mention," Ominis said, as Sebastian took his arm, tugging him towards the arch.

"Plenty," Sebastian agreed. "But we can't stop now."

"Agreed," Dracaena said, mounting her broom. "We get the phials, then fly into the storm. When we're in the middle of it, we land and find a private area each. Let's go."

Without another word, she kicked off, soaring out into the rain. Sebastian soon followed, Ominis clinging to him. The rain soaked through her robes in a matter of seconds as she turned them towards the Forbidden Forest, squinting through the sheets of freezing water. She pushed her sodden hair back from her face and angled down, finding the small cliff face by memory. She landed and lit her wand, tracing her hands over the stone, feeling for the irregularity. Her nails hooked into the groove just as Sebastian and Ominis landed, and another flash of lightning flared overhead, followed almost immediately by roaring thunder that rumbled through her chest.