DELGADO || Sebastian Sallow (Hogwarts Legacy)

Part 4 - Carnival and Sillhouets

ꕀꕥ〡~𐀔~〡ꕥꕀ

❝The upside-down heart symbolizes love turned heavy, moments when our world feels inverted❞

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The morning after, I found myself once again in the Great Hall for breakfast. This time, I had pancakes drizzled with maple syrup and a steaming cup of coffee. Anne sat across from me, and Poppy joined us for the day. She was as lovely and kind as ever, helping me find and care for magical creatures. As we ate, we chatted about our next class-Divination. Poppy was somewhere in the halls while the professor set up the glass orbs.

I told her about the time I visited a fortune-teller in Lleida-what we call El Adivino.

The visit had been brief. She fed me nothing but lies about my parents' deaths. A complete fraud. Poppy's expression softened with sympathy. She hoped that now, as a witch, I had finally found the answers I had been searching for.

As I sipped my coffee, I sensed someone standing behind me before sliding into the seat next to mine. I turned to my left and was greeted by a wide smile.

"Good morning, Ella," he said.

I smiled back, though I wasn't sure if he would notice-after all, he was blind.

"Good morning, Ominis. How are you today?"

He patted my hand. "I slept like a dream last night. You want to know why? I finally found a solution to Sebastian's snoring! Professor Garlick gave me the biggest earplugs I've ever seen. Best sleep I've had in ages!"

I laughed and gave his arm a light pat. "Good for you! Hopefully, they work better than the last thing you tried."

He chuckled, taking a sip of his coffee. "Well, I figured if I actually wanted to sleep, I needed a solution that didn't involve waking up every five minutes just to smother him with a pillow."

I shook my head, smiling as I returned to my pancakes. Ominis didn't mention his brother, which meant he probably had no idea we had met. For now, I wanted to keep it that way.

Just then, a flurry of owls swooped into the hall, delivering mail, postcards, newspapers, and letters. I didn't receive anything, but hushed whispers rippled through the crowd, and I caught people pointing at me. My stomach sank. The carnival was back, and I was once again the center of attention.

Before I could react, someone approached from behind. I turned to find Marvolo standing beside me, straddling the bench with both legs. He leaned in close and whispered, slipping a folded newspaper into my hands.

"You might want to see this," he murmured. Unfolding the paper, my breath hitched.

There it was-my face, front and center on the cover of The Daily Prophet.

Beneath my photo was a moving image, the same one that insufferable woman had shown me-a picture she believed captured me and Sebastian in an embrace. My stomach churned as I forced myself to keep a neutral expression.

"What's all the commotion about?" Ominis asked, sipping his coffee. "I keep hearing your name, Ella. What's going on?"

I felt my body tense, my palms growing clammy as I stared at the article. Leaning closer to the table, I whispered, "That's not me. What will everyone think? Dios mío... I have to get out of here."

Marvolo placed a steadying hand on my lower back, scanning the room. "Relax," he said, voice low. "If you want, I can pull some strings to fix this." He gestured to the paper.