Different Worlds

FOURTEEN - MAGIC

Sophie's POV

I couldn't believe it. He was here! Kneeling on the ground, his hands and legs tied up with thick ropes.

"ALEX!" I called at him, wanting to run to him but Sebastian was still holding my hand tightly. "Let me go, Sebastian!"

I looked at him, prepared to pull out of his grasp but his expression left me stunned. His glance was fixated at something in front of us, his eyes ice cold. I followed his gaze and saw a man. He was watching us with a tilted head and for whatever reason he was holding a stick in his hand. His face was full of determination, his body took almost a fighting stance. Like he was holding a sword, not just a piece of wood. That had to be Carman.

My eyes flicked back to Alex. He was facing the ground when we entered but his head flipped up when he heard my voice. He looked at us with disbelief. He definitely didn't expect us here. He didn't expect ME here at all.

"And who are you?" Carman pointed at us with his stick, his teeth tightly clenched.

I took a deep breath wanting to answer but Sebastian pressed my hand, to shut me up. "Alex's friends," he answered bluntly.

"Friends, you say. So maybe you could help bring your friend to his senses." Carman went closer to Alex and pressed the weird stick to his cheek.

Sebastian slowly pulled me by our joined hands so I was standing behind him, his other hand was holding a similar piece of wood as Carman. Like seriously, why was everyone suddenly waving a stick like it was some kind of weapon? Do they want to poke out their eyes or something?

"I've already told you!" Alex gritted out angrily. "I can't help you. No one can."

"You are LYING," Carman yelled and the tip of the stick suddenly glowed with a bright light. The ropes that were binding Alex slowly moved by themselves and tightened up, cutting into his wrists. "Maybe you just need the right motivation," he moved his attention back to us, more specific to me.

"Don't you dare touch her." Sebastian moved me further behind his body and at the same time Alex shouted "Leave here out of this!"

"Did I just find your weakness?" Carman said with a wicked grin on his face. "You help me or you will watch her suffer."

"I can't! I CAN'T help you. It's not possible to remove it from her!" Alex cried desperately.

The next minute was like in slow motion. Carman's stick glowed again but this time with a more evil red light. And it wasn't only glowing on the tip of the wood, but this time the light moved. Towards us!

"Protego," Sebastian shouted and the red light hit some invisible wall in front of us. It was like some kind of magic and I was almost positive that the invisible wall was there because of Sebastian. "Confringo," Sebastian let out his own light but fiery orange and Carman stumbled a little as it hit his own invisible shield. The light hit it with an astonishing force and splashed out in a thousand little sparks.

"Strong one, are you? But do you think you could really compete with me?" Carman spat towards Sebastian and without any other word sent several light beams to us. And Sebastian blocked it yet again with the same invisible shield, he didn't even stumble. Carman was furious, attacking us again and again. I flinched every time the light splashed against the shield, terrified what could happen if the shield shattered.

Carman and Sebastian were both so distracted with their fierce fight that they didn't notice the movement on our left. There she was. Carman's daughter. She looked frightened, her eyes full of panic. Her whole body was shaking, it almost looked like it was losing its form. I wanted to run to her, comfort her. She was just a child. But I couldn't move. I was too scared to get hit by one of those lights. I was positive it would be the same as if I caught a bullet.

And then it happened. I let out a deafening scream as I watched her small body transformed in some black fluid-like cloud. Both men stop fighting for a second. Sebastian quickly checked if I was hurt but I was completely ignoring him. hypnotizing the terrifying cloud of pure darkness floating in the air exactly where the small girl stood just a moment ago.

"Mabel!" Carman breathed out, looking at the black cloud. "Look what've you done!" He shouted at Sebastian.

"Seb, wha-what is that? Where is she? What is happening?" I said in a small voice, trying to understand what is going on. I felt like my brain stopped working. All of this was so surreal. My gaze kept skipping between Sebastian, Carman and the weird cloud-like thing.

"She's a muggle," Carman stated in shock.

"I am what?" I looked at him baffled. His face changed from shock to wickedness in an instant.

He had noticed that Sebastian was a little bit distracted due to the events of the last few minutes and before I knew it he pointed the stick back at me. "Accio!" I could feel some invisible force pulling me towards him by my coat. I tried to grasp Sebastian's hand but the only thing my hand could feel was air.

"Sophie!" He yelled, his voice full of panic.

"Now. We can try and talk again," Carman dug the stick to my neck. I could feel his breath on my temple as he spoke, his other hand was holding both of my hands, pressing me into his body so I couldn't move. "Drop your wand, boy!"

Sebastian's whole body was shaking in anger. I could see in his face that he was torn and didn't know what to do. But in the end he listened and carefully put the wooden stick on the ground.

"Listen to me carefully, Wallace," he turned to Alex. "You will heal my daughter or I will turn both of you in. For breaking the secrecy law. Both of you will rot in Azkaban for that. It would be a shame if something horrible happened to this sweet little thing, wouldn't it? Help me, and the worst thing that could happen to her would be amnesia."

I finally understood. All of those lights, the weird animals I saw earlier, the terrifying black cloud...it was all part of Sebastian's secret. I wasn't supposed to know about any of this. And the punishment for knowing was erasing my memory. But I didn't want to forget. However terrifying it was, I wanted to remember it. I wanted to remember everything and everyone. I locked my eyes with Sebastian. His eyes were full of sadness and guilt now. He looked defeated. But I know exactly what to do. This wasn't the first time I was trapped in a helpless situation like this and Sebastian knew it.

I wiggled my hands just a tiny bit so it was easier for me to yank them out of his grasp. With all my strength I jerked both of my hands, digging my elbow into his ribs in the process. He gasped loudly and winced in pain, losing his grip. Sebastian took the opportunity and picked up his wand again.

"Down!" I didn't wait any second and threw my body on the ground. Just in time. "Depulso!" Sebastian shouted again and white stream of light flew over my head, hitting Carman right into his chest, sending him hard to the wall.

"Alex!" I breathed out and crawled towards him.

"Go help them, Sebastian. I am going back to the Ministry! Don't do anything reckless! I trust you," Ominis quickly squeezed Sebastian's shoulder and with a quiet POP sound he was gone. I blinked a few times, couldn't believe my eyes. One second he was standing there and the other he wasn't.

Sebastian quickly ran to us, trying to untie the ropes that were binding Alex. But it was useless, so he pointed his wand, as Carman called the wooden stick, and mumbled a few words. But the rope stayed put, didn't move a smidge.

"I could help with that," I smiled at Sebastian and pulled out a small knife that I tied to my ankle before we headed out.

"I don't think it will wo-" he stopped mid sentence and watched me cut the rope with ease.

"What?" I looked at him bewildered.

"No spell worked on that thing. I didn't think that ordinary knife would work," I shook his head in disbelief.

"You still rely too much on magic, Sebastian," Alex chuckled, rubbing his red wrists.

"Magic?!"