Only The Beginning

The Restricted Section

It did not take her long to find her new Slytherin friend, briskly moving down the steps she spotted him on a couch reading the book in his hand. Now was the perfect time, there was no one around and no prying ears. Olive slipped into the chair beside the couch and turned to him, so lost in his book he didn't notice her presence.

"Hello Sebastian." Startled by the new voice he looked up at her.

"Oh, hello Ollie. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were following me." He grinned at her. "What can I do for you, my kindred spirit?"

"I suppose I'll just get straight to the point, the other day you mentioned sneaking into the restricted section of the library. Can you help me get in there?" Hope written on her face.

He laughed at her question and rested his head on his fist "I'll admit that was not what I was expecting, but it is intriguing. What could you possibly need in there? Has it got anything to do with Ranrok and Rookwood and our little soiree in Hogsmeade?"

Olive nodded "It does, or at least I think it does. I need answers, and something down there has them. I must get in there Seb, I need your help, I can't trust anyone else. I promise to tell you everything you want to know, although it's a bit of a long story..."

"I've got time."

From there Olive delved into her story, starting from the very beginning. Sebastian listened intently as the word vomit came out of George Osric and the dragon attack, what truly happened after in Gringotts with Ranrok and the ancient magic. The locket she and Fig had found and how Ranrok wanted it, the discovery Fig made of the map and how it led her to the restricted section. Olive poured everything she had into the tale, praying she didn't sound crazy while also not lessening the gravity of the situation. They sat in silence for a moment as Olive caught her breath, Sebastian in deep thought.

"Figure you'd have to be a real nutter to come up with a story like that." He ran a hand through his hair, and Olive's heart dropped to her stomach "But, I saw what happened in Hogsmeade and I saw Ranrok. I believe you."

The weight of what she had just told Sebastian hit her like a brick, Fig had instructed her not to tell anyone. The secret had been drowning her slowly, feeling utterly alone in this new world. Had she made the right choice to trust him? What if he turned around and sold her out to the highest bidder, there were lives at stake, her life was at stake. She felt silly for spilling her guts out to the first person who asked, let alone someone she barely knew, but it did feel good to get it out.

"You have to promise not to tell anyone. Please, you must swear it, I need to know I can trust you; I need to have someone else on my side." She practically begged him as she gripped onto his arm.

"I'll protect your secret; you can trust me. I'll help you anyway I can, and from the sounds of it you need a guide to the restricted section, lucky for you I'm certified. Madame Scribner is usually gone after curfew; it'll be a piece of cake once we get past the prefects. Meet me tonight in central hall and don't tell a soul."

Sebastian departed leaving Olive alone with her thoughts. She leaned her head against the back of the chair and contemplated her actions. Whether she could actually trust Sebastian or not, one thing was clear to her, she was one step closer to finding what was hidden in that library.

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Once everyone was settled in bed, Olive waited to hear the breathing of her roommates even out indicating their slumber before sneaking out. Sneaking around was something she got quite good at while at the orphanage, she knew how to blend into the shadows, which floorboard creaked under her weight and how to keep her steps light as a feather. On more than one occasion, Olive would slink around the home to find something to eat to keep her stomach from turning inside out. She had only been caught once, and the punishment of being locked in the cold, dark basement for 2 days was enough to make sure she wasn't caught a second time.