Postremo Gratis // Sebastian Sallow

3. To the Wolves

"Pura sanguine."

The password to the Slytherin common room made me cringe every time I had to say it. I never understood why we needed passwords when there certainly had to be an enchantment that could allow in specific people, but that quickly became the least of my concerns as I descended the steps into a large crowd of Slytherins that all stared at me as my feet fell onto the last step into the foyer.

I quickly scanned the room, met some concerned faces and other worried expressions.

"Clare, some assistance, please," Ominis requested as soon as he recognized my presence. I found him on the opposite side of the foyer, standing in front of the bathroom doors with his arms crossed over his chest and a stern expression on his face. I shoved through the crowd until I was at Ominis's side. "He's just trying to bathe, and they're like fucking vultures. It's despicable." A quiet call for Ominis came from inside the baths—a request for aid from Ominis.

Liam jumped up next to me and nodded for the baths. "Go, mate, we've got it out here," Liam assured him. Liam clapped his shoulder before turning him towards the doors behind us. Imelda quickly took Ominis's spot as the students shifted to try and get a better look inside.

"Give him some space," I pleaded, leaning in the way of a Fourth Year trying to get a look past me.

"You wouldn't want someone watching you bathe, would you? Disgusting," Imelda insulted.

"Can you tell us what happened?" The question came from a Second Year towards the back of the crowd.

"No," I said sternly.

"Did he really kill his uncle?" That question opened the floodgates. Students started spouting inquiries and shouting assumptions left and right.

"The rumors were true!"

"Sallow's a murderer!"

"It was justified, I heard."

"I heard he used the Killing Curse."

"Well, I heard—"

"ENOUGH!" I bellowed. A hush immediately overtook our classmates. "Was it not just sixth months ago that you offered us support when it all happened? You saw him, didn't you? Did he look like someone capable of that?" The whispers started again, most of which were Slytherins shaking their head or humming in agreement.

"You didn't look like you were capable of it," Ernie Armstrong, a Seventh Year, called out. He'd been a thorn in my side since the beginning of the year. It started with asking me on a date now that Sallow was on out of the picture. I turned his legs to jelly and went on my way. He's been about as obnoxious as a poltergeist ever since.

"I'm capable of a hell of a lot more, Ernie, would you care to find out?" I shot back. The crowd issued a low 'ooh' in response.

"My father said that the trial shouldn't have been overturned. The evidence was circumstantial at best." His eyebrows flicked up at me in challenge. Ernie's father was in the Wizengamot that made the decision, and probably one of the ones who voted to keep Sebastian incarcerated.

"And you would know what the evidence was?" Liam hissed. Ernie glared in response. If he knew, it was a direct violation of Magical Law. His father would lose his job.

"And do you happen to know which way your father voted? Because I do," Imelda piped up. "You know he voted to free Sebastian, right?" She got everyone's attention, including mine. She looked at me with a small shrug and gave me a quiet explanation. "My sister is an attorney's apprentice. Their whole firm went to watch the trial as soon as they found out it was happening yesterday." She turned a hard glare towards Ernie. "And the evidence against Solomon was pretty damning. Not to mention, the confession they retrieved was entirely unethical."