Hogwarts Legacy: The Price of Power

Out of the Shadows

In the Room of Requirement, Dracaena sank onto the sofa, exhausted beyond belief. Ominis flopped beside her, slumping to the side. She guided him to lie down, his head in her lap as Sebastian paced up and down, his brow furrowed, the knuckles of one had pressed to his lips as he went. Dracaena watched him through a haze of weariness.

"What's on your mind?" she asked.

"Ashwinders," he replied. "We'd be daft to think they're not planning something."

She nodded slowly. "Well, yeah, but what? Aside from wanting us dead, that is."

"I don't know," Sebastian said, twisting his mouth. "I get the feeling they don't know anything near as much as we do, but they're on the Gaunt's payroll, that much is clear. If they've backed off, but they're asking about us..." he spat a curse. "I don't know what they could be planning, I don't know what they want! It's driving me mad, thinking you could be in danger."

"We'll be alright," she said. "We've faced worse than them. We just need to get through the rest of this year, didn't Fotheringham say there's nothing to worry about? The Source is safe."

Sebastian glanced at her, his dark eyes brooding. "Sure, he says so. But what if someone finds out about the Peverell connection, how it's not just any old Peverell, but a descendent of Antioch?"

"Bassy..."

"You know I'm right," he said, hurrying over and dropping to his knees, taking her hands in his. "Love, you know it. If they figure out it's you..."

"How could they?" she leaned forward and kissed his forehead. "Bassy, there's no proof I am, and even if it's true, how would they know? It's not like Fotheringham would tell them, is it?"

Sebastian made a face. "What about those owls we sent?" he said. "To Nana, and to Fotheringham? If someone intercepted them... shit, I think Ominis was right, we shouldn't have done it."

"Do my ears deceive me?" Ominis mumbled, rolling over. "Did you just say I was right?"

"Maybe," Sebastian said. "I've got a really bad feeling that something's going to go wrong. If something happens to you Drac, I don't know what I'll do."

"Nothing's going to happen," Dracaena soothed, unwinding one of her hands to run through his hair. He closed his eyes, tilting his head into her palm, holding her hand to his cheek. "Darling, there's no place safer than Hogwarts. If we keep our heads down and stay out of trouble, we'll be alright."

"I hope so," he said, taking her hand and kissing the inside of her wrist. "If anyone threatens you I'll rain bloody hellfire down on them. I don't care what happens to me."

"It won't come to that," she said gently, taking his hand and drawing him close, making room for him on the sofa. Her partners curled into her, their arms winding around her figure. "Let's just focus on getting through this last term, okay?"

The next morning at breakfast, the usual flurry of owls descended upon the students. Dracaena, Sebastian and Ominis all tensed as a little barn owl dropped a letter in Ominis' lap, soaring on before any of them got a good look at it. His mouth set in a grim line, Ominis picked it up and slit the envelope, drawing out the letter with a steady hand, tracing his wand over it. His brows rose, his carefully neutral expression sliding into open incredulity as he read.

"What is it?" Sebastian asked. "Trouble?"

"I have no earthly idea," Ominis said. "It's... it's from Melfis."

"Melfis?" Dracaena echoed.

"One of my brothers," Ominis said, and handed it over to her. Sebastian peered over her shoulder as she scanned the letter, her lips parting.