In the Shadow of Seventh year

Chapter 44: Closure and Ceremonies

"It's something my oldest brother William taught me. He's a Healer currently working in Germany and he loves to study Muggle medicine. Apparently some surgeon there was doing the chest compressions you saw me do." Garreth explained when Sebastian had asked how he knew what to do to keep you and Ominis alive.

It had been a couple of weeks since the battle at the Repository. The snow was almost gone and though it was still freezing outside, it was clear that the worst of the winter was over.

The day after you had woken up, Nurse Blainey had let you return to your common room, deeming you physically healthy.
Mentally was a whole other story of course.
Professor Weasley (Headmaster Black was still under investigation and had no more say in it) had given all of you the week off, but no more since N.E.W.T.s were approaching and all of you were planning on actually graduating. Anne still had a year more to go, so if she wished she could take a second week off, but she had politely declined saying that she rather would like the distraction of schoolwork.

That brought you to where you were now. It was Monday and all of you were sitting in the Room of Requirement, talking about everything that happened.

"Thank Merlin for your brother. I seriously cannot ever repay you for what you did." Sebastian told Garreth seriously, admiration in his eyes.
The Weasley blushed and awkwardly scratched his neck when Poppy echoed the sentiment. "Really, don't mention it. I just did what I could and I'm happy it worked. Besides, you both helped so I'd say it was a team effort."
Before either of them could protest -which they absolutely would have, their faces said it all- Garreth turned to you. "What happened to MacMillan?"

Everyone's attention was now on you and you awkwardly brushed your hair behind your ear, leaning a bit more against Sebastian, who immediately wrapped an arm around your shoulders.
"I- I think the power he was trying to wield was too much." Images of your uncle's final moments flashed through your mind. "He was draining the Ancient Magic from me while simultaneously wanting to wield the corrupted magic from the Repository."

"But didn't he have the ring of Goblin silver?" Natty asked. "I thought that would make him able to wield it all."
You shook your head. "The ring was thinning while he was absorbing the magic. Almost like it was melting. Yesterday Gornuk told me that a ring like that would be able to hold a significant amount of magic, but that the magic in the Repository was already way too much for it. And he was already draining my Ancient Magic before he got his hands on that."
The Goblin had come yesterday to claim his reward, but you had to tell him the ring was gone. You and the Professors had gone down one last time to search for it and MacMillan's wand, but while his wand was in pieces scattered around in the place he last had been standing, there was no sign of the ring at all.
When you explained to him what you had seen, the Goblin had shook his head with a sigh and had muttered grumpily; "Stupid wizards and their greediness for power."
To your surprise he didn't ask for your mother's ring instead, which you had been prepared for. The Goblin just grumbled an amount in Galleons that he expected from you for the information he had given and had walked out.

"And that's why no good can ever come from wanting too much power." Ominis spoke up from his place next to Poppy. The two of them had taken the love seat the Room had provided and hadn't let go of each other's hand.
"He got what he deserved. Though in my opinion he got off easy all things considered."
"Sebastian!" Anne lightly scolded her brother.
"He hurt and killed so many people Anne, including a lot of innocent children. And what did he get? A quick explosion. He probably didn't feel much of it."

You weren't proud of it, but you couldn't help but agree a little bit with Sebastian. Thinking about the innocent lives of the children and Madam Price from the orphanage, not to mention what he did to your father's family and your own parents, there was a part of you that had wanted MacMillan to suffer more for what he did.
But there was a bigger part of you that was just relieved it was all over. He was gone and you were free. With your enemies either locked up, dead or worse, you could finally feel safe again. And you knew MacMillan had definitely felt it all, if his screams of agony were anything to go by.