The Shadow of Slytherin

Rookwood's curse

"What have you done?"

Sebastian's voice in your ear, you stare at the silver shards that, shattered, fall to the ground, clinking as they tumble over the wood floor. The sharp edge cutting into your skin, you take a deep breath, the green fog lifting from the tip of your wand, slithering through the air onto your skin, along your arms, seeping through your pores.

The broken silver casket still in hand, you watch as the darkness engulfs your eyes and crawls down your throat until it has settled on every blood cell. Silence rests in your mind until the fog has lifted and you are able to see what has happened. The wand still in hand, you grip the silver, but drop it soon after as your chest aches.

Her torso bent forward, Anne groans, the hand still clutching onto the bed frame as she sinks onto the ground before your eyes. Her head thumping against the hard floor, her hand flies through the air as she releases the bed sheet she had clung to.

"Anne!" Sebastian exclaims, shoving Ominis aside as he stumbles forward and drops to the ground, gripping his sister by the shoulder as he holds up her face to look at him.

The eyes sunken in, colour drained from her face, she exhales, the rattling sound of her breath tearing on you as you lean towards her, but Sebastian pushes you away as well. Tears stream down his face as Anne's eyes rest on him, her arm too weak to lift, the body hanging in his tight grip.

"Sebastian" she breathes, "what have you done?"

The wand still in hand, Ominis approaches Sebastian and Anne, but Sebastian strikes him with a spell, causing Ominis to stumble backwards and fall through the front door of the house. While Ominis aches to get back on his feet, the wand clutched tight as his hand knocks on the door, the words muffled while Sebastian cusses at him, blaming him for his sister's death, you stand still, the eyes on the distraught boy before you.

The lips pressed, his glance rises to meet yours, the eyebrows lowered, his eyes dark as he clenches his jaw. "You promised to help, I trusted you"

With one of the shard in hand,you sit before Anne, her face pale as her eyes sway to you, a soft smile to her lips. "Thank you, Salem" The fingers brushing over your hand, you take a deep breath, trying to compose yourself, but when Anne's head drops to the side, Sebastian screams, the wand pointed at you when you try to console him.

"Get out! Get away from me. You said you could help her, and now she is dead. You and Ominis, you killed her. You're a monster. I trusted you" His voice lingers in your ears as you stumble through the door, your heart aching at his harsh words. The pain of watching Anne die, even when you tried all you could to help her. Water fills your eyes as you stand outside, the cold wind blowing through your cloak, as you spin around, noticing how Ominis has gone, but soon you hear no more than a steady ringing that turns into a humming sound, then laughter. Rookwood's voice.

"Children should be seen, not heard" Swirling through your mind, the words become torn, distorted, turning into a shriek and a growl until you drop to your knees, the chest heaving as you struggle to breathe.

Your vision blurred, you see Sebastian, clinging onto his sister.

***

Your fingers stiff from the cold, you attempt to wave them through the air to have the blood vanish, but it does not work properly and most of the blood remains on your face. With a growl, you spin around to walk off, but a sharp pain forces you to halt, a yelp coming over your lips while your knees hit onto the sharp stone that digs through your trousers.

"Salem, look at me" Alec orders, lifting you to a stand, but you sink to the ground as soon as his fingers release you from his grasp.

The memory of Anne's face, pale and cold, haunting you as you shut your eyes, your stomach twists, Sebastian's voice in mind. The desperation in his eyes, the whimpers as he watches his sister's breath grow weaker. Ominis, unable to see what has occurred.

Bent over, your fingers scratching along the cold stone ground, you ring for air, your ears deaf to Alec who tries to speak to you, but the rushing river of blood boiling in your veins causes your mind to drift.

Blood seeping through your skin, you look as if your tears have stained your skin red, your nose covered with streaks of dried, brown blood, you have smeared as you try to wipe it all away, but it returns, more blood. The metallic stench that causes you to break down, emptying your stomach onto the plateau, but as you stare at the dark puddle, most of it blood, your head begins to spin.

"Salem!"

Over again that name pierces through your ears, but you are unable to respond as a storm of memories returns.

***

"I cannot let you go through with this, Salem" Ominis states, approaching as you head out the Slytherin common room. "It is horrible enough that Sebastian will not give up, but you cannot feed into his hope any more. It will destroy him, and you"

A smug grin on your lips, you step through the door, the giant snake slithering across the wall, giving a grinding sound as it vanishes into the ground.

"I am not feeding him hope. I am his only hope, and I can help. I can take her pain away, like Isadora did, but better. Much better" A familiar heat rising within your chest, you spin around and rush up the stairs outside where the fresh wind blows against your cloak, and underneath your jumper. "I can save her. Sebastian will agree"

***

Your body pressed against his, Alec keeps you standing upright, mumbling spells to clean the blood off your face and arms. "What have you done?" The eyes resting on your golden one, Alec sighs. "Sallow"

Growling, you jump back at the sound of that name. Your lips press together when a pair of hazel eyes flashing in front of you before the darkness returns, Alec's face only lit by the braziers around the platform. The sharp fingernails digging into his chest as you rip through the skin, leaving him perplexed when your bloodshot eyes meet his, he reaches out to grab your arm, preventing you from causing further harm.

"Release me" you hiss, red lines forming on your skin as you fight against Alec's grip, but he refuses to let go and instead pulls you closer. "Hawthorn, let me go!" Your eyes dart to the blood on your arms, some darker, the one on your hand lighter mixing in with your own.

"No, what happened to you?" Alec inquires, watching the lines spread from your chest over your arms to your fingertips, his hand hurting from the heat your body expels.

Standing before him, your arm in his grip, you chuckle, more blood gushing over your lips, mixing into the dark stain that has formed on your shirt. The eyes on him as he lifts his wand, uttering another spell, you reach out to grab it from him, but your eyes roll back and you drop.