In the Shadow of Regret (Sebastian Sallow Story)

Chapter Thirteen | A bit of Extra Help

"Rearranging your room again?" Deek asks as I continue to rearrange my furniture and statues in the room of requirement.

"Uh yeah, I am trying to make this place a bit more cosy. Considering I tend to spend a majority of my time here." I answer.

"Well Deek has really enjoyed your company, and you needn't worry, Deek has made sure to keep your beasts nice and fed."

"Thank you, I appreciate you looking after them. I hope they weren't much trouble." I say

"Not at all, they are very well behaved. Especially your newest addition." Deek says as he looks over to my newest vivarium. One of which contains a single beast that I had obtained during one of my ventures.

"How is he settling in? I was worried he would have a difficult time adjusting, especially after what that poor thing has been through." I say as I look over at the vivarium.

"He is timid. I am afraid Deek is of no help when it comes to this particular specie. Basilisks are known to be hostile creatures."

"I promise Gerald is harmless, for a baby he has been through a lot. I don't blame him for not being willing to trust those around him, especially with his disabilities." I say

"Deek understands, Deek will try his best to be more useful."

"No, it's alright. I don't want you to do anything that you aren't comfortable with. You already do enough with the rest of my beasts. Besides I could always find extra help." I reassure Deek.

"Well, Deek is always here to help" he says

"Yes, I know." I smile as I finish moving the last bit of furniture. I make my way over to the southwest corner of the room where I had recently build a food preparation station for my beasts. Most of my beasts are perfectly fine with the built in feeders in the the vivariums, however, there are those who require special diets. I reach down and grab a small bucket and fill it with bits of raw meat from my enchanted cooling box. I walk over to the Basilisk vivarium and step into it.

The vivarium isn't quite as spacious as the others, but it's big enough to house baby Gerald. The Vivarium is darkly lit and it is filled with a significant amount of tall plants surrounding the vivarium. I tried to keep the amount of objects in the vivarium to a minimum, due to Gerald's disability. However, there is more than enough space for him to roam, that is until he decides to come out of his shell.

I quickly scan for Gerald, and he is nowhere to be seen. I try my best to look for the familiar black iridescent color of his scales. Nothing.

"Gerald, come here little one. It's me, I'm not going to hurt you." I say as I look under a nearby log.  I reach for my wand and cast revelio.  And suddenly I am flooded with a rush of panic. Gerald is gone. He's not here. He couldn't have left the Room of requirement.... He couldn't have...

I quickly rush out of the vivarium and call Deek.

"Deek, have you seen Gerald? he's not in his vivarium!" I say with clear panic in my voice.

"No, Deek hasn't seem him. He should be in the vivarium." Deek answers.

"Oh my god. He must've gotten out! I need to find him immediately."

"Deek shall inform Professor Weasley at-"

"NO!.... No..... I shall find him. There is no need to cause any panic. Gerald is not a threat, I promise to find him and return him at once. For now, find out how he got out and set up a security measure to keep this from happening again."  I say before rushing out of the Room of Requirement.