After The Shadows // Sebastian Sallow

Chapter 10

"Ominis."

"Father."

Other than the greeting, his father didn't say another word during the entirety of the carriage ride. It wasn't long, maybe 30 minutes, maybe a little more. His father never told him where they were going, but he quickly recognized the area his wand showed him when they landed. It had been a normal occurrence for his father to take him to appointments immediately at the end of the school year before he started staying with Sebastian, so this flu network was familiar to him. He mitted however, he hated the flu network. He feared if he ever didn't say something just quite right, he would end up somewhere unfamiliar to him. However, as he spoke the words and took the step out, his wand reflected the familiar surroundings to him of the Ministry of Magic.

    His father began walking and he rushed to walk beside him.

    "Fix your hair, you look like a muggle." Ominis brushed his hands through his hair, feeling he was pushing a few straggling pieces back into place.

"Magnus Gaunt!" A voice said in front of them. "To what do I owe te pleasure?" Ominis recognized the voice with a thick Scottish accent, but couldn't place who the man was.

"I had been informed there is a trial regarding a new Hogwarts student, seeing as my son is a current student, I deemed it necessary to be involved." Ominis's blood ran cold. He didn't mean-

"Oh aye! A've heard o' that. Some muggle-born or mudblood startin' Hogwarts as a fifth year, wi' some kind o' dangerous magic. Heard she killed an entire room o' wizards she did."

    Ominis's mind reeled. Dangerous magic? Was that the ancient magic she had mentioned to him and Anne? But killing a room of wizards? He had never heard anything about that.

"There is certainly much to be concerned about." Ominis's father continued. "We must go if we are not to be late, perhaps we can meet soon. I hear there have been a lot of disruptions in the past few months."

    "Aye Mr. Gaunt, just send me an owl." Without another word, his father began walking. It took Ominis a moment to remind his body how to move and he rushed after him.  This was about Siren. Not just her magic, but... everything. He heard all the whispers around the school. Siren and Poppy taking down poacher camps, Siren and Natsai defeating Harlow. Siren defeating Rookwood, and who knows what else. Siren was creating an uproar in the dark side of the wizarding world, and she had caught the attention of his father. Ominis clenched his wand tightly as he walked, trying to keep his face blank and emotionless. He felt weak as he remembered his brother's voice in the defence against the dark arts class. His stomach rolled, and he wondered if he was going to be sick. The slight ache of his stomach reminded him he hadn't eaten breakfast that morning, and for that, he was thankful.

She was too intertwined within his family, far more than he would want any one of his friends to be.

    Ominis began to bump against people as they got closer to their destination. He could hear reporters and cameras and a large crowd demanding to know what was going on. Someone must have recognised his father since they walked straight into the courtroom without any hindrance. As they took their seat, Ominis urged his wand to work harder. He scanned all of the people in the room. A few people seemed familiar, but without a voice, he just couldn't place them. Then he found Professor Weasley, Professor Sharp, and Professor Hecat. Ominis couldn't hide the sigh of relief upon the realisation that they were there for her, however, his wand didn't miss that Hecat's gaze was faced  pointedly in their direction.

Then a deafening hush fell upon the room, and he had found her. The Minister was making his way up to the stand and Siren was being led to the center of the room. She seemed so small here in this room full of big people.