KEEP IT, LOSE IT (HOGWARTS LEGACY FANFICTION)

Chapter Twenty-Four

The trio made their way towards the location Richard Jackdaw had described, the cool breeze of the late afternoon brushing against them as they walked. Ominis, who had been unusually quiet since leaving the Owlery, finally broke his silence with a muttered, sarcastic comment.

"Well, isn't this a fine adventure," Ominis began, his tone laced with dry humor. "Marching off to join the illustrious club of decapitated students. Maybe they'll even give us honorary membership."

Mary couldn't help but laugh, the image of such a grim "club" tickling her despite the seriousness of their task. 

"I think I'll pass on that membership," she replied, her tone light. 

Sebastian, on the other hand, was less amused. 

"I still can't believe that ghost had the nerve to make us jump through hoops just to tell us where to go," he grumbled, kicking at a stray pebble on the path. "And what was with all that cryptic nonsense about breezes? I swear, these ghosts live for drama."

Mary chuckled softly. "They do have a flair for the theatrical," she agreed. "But at least we know what to watch out for."

Ominis shook his head, unable to resist adding another sarcastic quip. "Yes, we'll just have to keep our heads on straight. Literally."

Sebastian rolled his eyes but couldn't suppress a smirk. "Let's just hope this trip to the Forbidden Forest doesn't end with us needing a ghost to guide us back."

As they walked deeper into the forest, the conversation shifted from sarcastic remarks about decapitated students to a topic that was clearly bothering Sebastian. He shot a glance at Mary, his expression a mix of irritation and disbelief.

"Did you see the way that ghost was looking at you? Like he'd just seen the love of his life return from the grave," Sebastian muttered, his tone dripping with sarcasm.

Mary immediately shook her head, though a faint blush crept up her cheeks. "Oh, come on, Sebastian. He's a ghost. I doubt he's interested in anything other than solving whatever unfinished business he left behind."

Sebastian wasn't convinced. "Right, because it's perfectly normal for a ghost to just stop and stare at someone like that. I don't care if he's dead—he clearly has a thing for you."

Ominis, who had been listening quietly, decided to join in. "I have to agree with Sebastian on this one, Mary. That ghost definitely seemed more interested in you than he was in the wand or the pages. Almost... nostalgic, even."

Mary felt cornered as both boys ganged up on her, their jealousy and protectiveness flaring up. She tried to deflect their comments with a dismissive wave of her hand. 

"You're both overreacting. Even if he did seem a little... intrigued, it doesn't mean anything. Besides, if he's on our side, then we'll be fine, right?"

Her words managed to quell their frustration, at least slightly. Sebastian and Ominis exchanged glances before reluctantly nodding. "I suppose you're right," Ominis admitted. "As long as he's guiding us, we might actually have a chance."

"But that doesn't mean we're letting our guard down," Sebastian added firmly. "Ghost or not, I'll be keeping an eye on him—and on you, just in case he gets any more ideas."

Mary couldn't help but roll her eyes, though she appreciated their concern. 

"I think we'll all be keeping our eyes open. But for now, let's focus on getting to that cave. The sooner we find those pages, the sooner we can put this behind us."

With that, the three of them continued onward.