Hogwarts Legacy: The Price of Power

Smoke and Blood

Sebastian bolted to his feet, staring around the Room with wide eyes.

"Here?" he gasped. "All this time?"

"Not this Room specifically," Ominis said. "I don't know for certain, but it's the only place that truly makes sense. Dracaena, didn't you tell me back in sixth year that the Room will make itself into whatever a person wants, and that the first time you visited, it was a labyrinth full of random things?"

"Yes," she said. "None of those things are here now, and Professor Weasley found an old bag she'd lost decades ago that had apparently been there all that time. It stands to reason that whatever space Fotheringham created, the Source would be there."

"But..." Sebastian was still staring around as if he could somehow pick out the hiding spot just by looking really hard. "If we don't know what space he made, we'll never find it."

"Exactly," Ominis said. "It could be anything from a mansion to a broom cupboard."

"How the hell will we ever find it then?" Sebastian sank back to the sofa.

"How the hell will the Ashwinders find it?" Ominis said, with a satisfied smirk. "We truly should have just listened to him in the first place and left well enough alone, it would take a miracle to find it."

"Except he left us the note," Dracaena said, and Ominis' smirk slipped. "Considering how tight he was about telling us where it was, he wouldn't have done that unless something was wrong. Maybe he wants us to find it and move it somewhere else, somewhere even he doesn't know about. If what Melfis said is true, and they know about him... if they're hunting him, or worse, have caught him..."

Sebastian glared into the middle distance as her breath hitched, her skin prickling as she thought of Fotheringham, her father, hunted, captured and tortured by her enemies. She shuddered.

"We need to know more," Sebastian said, firmly. "With Weasley watching us like a damn hawk it's going to be difficult enough, but we have to know what the Ashwinders know."

"I'd be loath to contact Melfis again," Ominis grumbled. "But if what you've said is true, and Weasley's potion didn't make him glow, he may have been telling the truth. He could know something useful."

"Don't," Sebastian said. "It's not worth the risk."

"But-"

"No buts," Sebastian glowered. "I don't care if he can tell us every detail of what your family know, I don't want him anywhere near us. If he even sniffs that Drac's a descendant of Antioch, your family will get it out of him."

Ominis twisted his mouth. "Yes... you're quite right. But what can we do? I don't fancy breaking into the Ministry again."

"Find a camp," Dracaena said. "Spy on them."

"Easier said than done," Sebastian frowned, folding his arms and setting his knuckles under his nose. "Weasley will want to know if we leave the castle, and I've got a tail. Even if we take our normal precautions to avoid that, we'd be stupid to think she's not put some other measures in place."

"Then let's ask our friends," Dracaena said. "They're not being watched, are they? Poppy's always had a talent for ferreting out poacher camps, and wherever they are, Ashwinders won't be far away. Natty knows more about them than the rest too, she can help."

"Good point," Ominis said. "Very well, let's arrange to meet them tomorrow. Once they know of a likely spot, we can go from there. As for now..." he leaned into her, relaxing with a low sigh. "I'd rather just make the most of our limited time here. I can't stand being forced apart from you."