Legacy of Magic

Chapter 4

The sun hung low in the sky, casting a warm glow over the village of Lower Hogsfield as Eloise and Sebastian, who had come to hang out with her again, strolled back from their trip to the local market. Archie, always enthusiastic, skipped ahead of them, holding a bag of freshly baked bread as he chattered on about his plans for the day. The small village was quiet, with the occasional bird call breaking the stillness, and the breeze carried with it the scent of wildflowers.
"Archie, slow down!" Eloise called, a laugh in her voice as she watched him dart off.
Sebastian chuckled beside her, shaking his head. "That boy has more energy than a pack of Chizpurfles."
Eloise smiled, her heart feeling lighter despite the weight of what awaited her. As they neared the cottage, a figure in official Ministry robes appeared at the edge of the village. The woman strode toward them with a determined air, her posture stiff, her eyes sharp behind thin spectacles.
"Ah, Miss Dawnson," the agent greeted as she approached. "And Mr. Sallow, I presume?"
Eloise nodded, tightening her grip on the bags she carried. "That's right."
"I am Isobel Brown, I'm here in name of the ministry" The woman's gaze flickered to Archie, who was bouncing on the balls of his feet, eager to be involved. "Could we speak privately?"
Sebastian shot Archie a quick glance, rolling his eyes with a smirk. "Why don't you head back to the house, Archie? This is grown-up business."
Archie groaned dramatically. "But I wanted to help!"
"Archie," Eloise said softly, her voice gentle but firm. "We'll be right behind you, I promise."
After a few more grumbles, Archie finally turned on his heel and trudged back toward the cottage, muttering about how grown ups never let him do anything fun. Once he was out of earshot, the Ministry agent straightened her robes, casting a brief, disapproving glance toward Sebastian.
"I am here regarding the execution of Professor Fig's will," she stated without preamble. "We will need to meet tomorrow morning to travel to Marunweem. You will be visiting the late Professor's house, and I will accompany you to ensure all proceedings go as planned."
Eloise nodded, her throat tightening slightly at the mention of Professor Fig. "I understand."
The woman's eyes narrowed. "Is there anything further you wish to inquire about?"
Eloise shook her head. "No. Tomorrow is fine."
Before Isobel could turn away, Sebastian spoke up, his voice soft yet insistent. "Would it be possible for me to accompany Eloise? She—" He glanced at Eloise, his concern evident. "She shouldn't have to go through this alone. If she wants me to, of course"
Eloise nodded "It would be nice. Is it alright if my friend comes with us?"
Isobel's lips pressed into a thin line as she surveyed Sebastian with thinly veiled annoyance. "I suppose it's not entirely improper," she said, her tone begrudging. "Very well, Mr. Sallow. You may accompany her."
With that, the woman bid them farewell with a curt nod, disappearing with a crack of Apparition.
Eloise let out a slow breath, her shoulders sagging slightly under the weight of it all. Sebastian, ever perceptive, turned to her, his brow furrowing.
"How are you feeling about all this?" he asked, his voice gentle but probing.
Eloise looked down at the ground, her fingers twisting together. "I'm not sure. There's a part of me that feels... apprehensive. Like I'm walking into something much bigger than I understand. Professor Fig's wife, Miriam, was researching ancient magic before she died. Maybe there's something in the house. Something she left behind."
Sebastian frowned, his gaze sharpening with curiosity. "What do you hope to find?"
Eloise shook her head, her auburn hair catching the fading sunlight. "I don't know. Maybe nothing. But ancient magic—it has to be more than just conjuring columns of light and unleashing chaos. I don't want to be like Isidora, trying to change the world with a power I don't understand. But I need to know what it really is, why it exists, why it chose me. What makes me so different?"
Sebastian's hand found hers, his grip firm and reassuring, but serious "Hey, look at me. There's nothing wrong with you, El," he said, his voice low but resolute. "Don't ever think that."
She glanced at him, gratitude flickering in her gray eyes. "Thank you, Sebastian. But... I found out I was a witch so late. There has to be a reason."
He squeezed her hand once more before releasing it. "If there is, we'll figure it out together."
They walked in comfortable silence back to the cottage, their arms filled with their shopping. As they entered, Mrs. Bickle greeted them with her usual warmth.
"Sebastian, would you care to stay for dinner?"
Sebastian offered a polite smile, but shook his head. "I'm afraid I can't, Mrs. Bickle. I need to get back to Feldcroft. Mrs. Hall is expecting her medicine, and I can't let her forget."
The older woman smiled fondly at him. "It's very sweet of you to take care of her, you know."
Sebastian waved the compliment away. "She's agreed to take me in this summer. It's the least I can do."
After bidding Eloise and Mrs. Bickle goodnight, Sebastian disappeared through the Floo to Feldcroft. Eloise stood there for a moment, staring at the now empty fireplace, feeling the quiet weight of what tomorrow would bring.
The next morning arrived all too quickly. Isobel Brown returned as promised, her demeanor just as stiff as before. Sebastian stood beside Eloise, his presence a silent source of comfort as they prepared to leave.
Archie, of course, wasn't pleased to be left behind, his tear-filled eyes pleading with them. "I want to come too!"
Eloise knelt down to his level, giving him a warm, reassuring smile. "We'll be back soon, Archie. And I promise, we'll play later."
After tearfully agreeing, Archie waved them off, and with a crack, Eloise and Sebastian Apparated with Isobel to Marunweem.
The cottage was smaller than Eloise expected, but beautiful in its simplicity. The two-story house was surrounded by a garden, now overgrown and wild, with flowers that had long since wilted. As they approached, Eloise felt her stomach tighten, her heart heavy with grief.
The Ministry agent gestured toward the house and they all entered. "Everything within now belongs to you, Miss Dawnson. No one from the Fig family has contested the will. However, you will only have full access once you reach the age of seventeen."
Eloise nodded, barely hearing her words. The house seemed to pulse with memories, as though Professor Fig's presence still lingered in every corner. She swallowed hard, forcing back the wave of emotion that threatened to overwhelm her.
"Could we have a moment?" she asked, her voice soft.
Isobel her lips but nodded. "I will return in one hour. Do not delay."
As soon as she disappeared, Eloise let out a shaky breath, her eyes scanning the interior of the cottage. It was cluttered, with books piled high on every surface, scrolls of parchment unfurled on tables, and the faint scent of dust lingering in the air. Vases of dead flowers, likely Miriam's, dotted the windowsills. She felt a pang in her chest, wondering what would have happened if she had been born here. Sebastian comes to her and asks
"What is it, Eloise?" He held her hand
"I... I was just thinking that I would have been so lucky if they had been my parents," Eloise whispered, her voice breaking as she spoke.
Sebastian moved closer, his hand gently resting on her shoulder. "I can't imagine what that is like, not knowing who you family is. But you've got us—your friends. We may be a mess of broken, complicated weirdos, but we're not leaving you."
Her eyes shimmered with unshed tears, and she offered him a weak smile. "Thank you, Sebastian. You have no idea how much that means to me."
She wiped her tears quickly, determined not to lose herself in grief. "We don't have much time," she said, shifting her focus. "We need to look for anything related to Miriam and ancient magic."
They began their search, sifting through books and notes. She looked around for traces of ancient magic but found nothing. Time passed in a blur, the quiet ticking of the clock counting down the minutes until the Ministry agent's return. Just as Eloise was about to give up hope, Sebastian called her over.
"Eloise, think I've found something over here," he said, holding up a small, worn leather journal. "It looks like it's from Professor Fig's wife."
Eloise's heart skipped a beat as she reached for the diary, her fingers brushing the soft leather. But before she could open it, the unmistakable sound of Apparition echoed through the room.
Isobel Brown had returned.
Sebastian, quick as ever, slipped the diary inside his coat, his face calm and composed as the woman tepped forward. Her eyes narrowed suspiciously.
"What were you two doing?"
Sebastian shrugged nonchalantly. "Just looking around. If everything belongs to Eloise now, I didn't think there'd be a problem."
The agent eyed them both but said nothing further, merely gesturing for them to follow her. After she Apparated them back to Lower Hogsfield and left, Sebastian handed the journal to Eloise with a subtle grin.
"Quick thinking," Eloise complimented as she took it from him.
Sebastian winked. "I try." he looked around, as if to make sure that the agent was truly gone, his expression serious "You think the ministry might be onto you?"
Eloise sighed "I don't know. Professor Weasley told me that she and the other professors managed to keep the details about the repository and my ancient magic under wraps, but it never hurts to be careful and the fewer people that know about it the better."
They walked together into the woods and sat behind a large tree with the diary in her hands. Eloise's expression shifted, a flicker of excitement mixing with uncertainty. She turned the diary over in her hands, examining every inch of it, her eyes scanning for any sign of that special magical glow. Her fingers traced the edges of the cover, lingering on the faint lines of wear and tear.
She bit her lip, flipping it over again. "I kind of expected to see traces of ancient magic on it, but there's nothing.," she muttered under her breath, frustration creeping into her voice.
Sebastian leaned in closer, also searching for something—anything—that might give them a clue. The two of them sat there in silence for several minutes, the only sound being the rustle of the leather cover as Eloise carefully inspected each corner, each inch.
"Anything?" Sebastian asked, though he could already sense her growing impatience.
Eloise shook her head, sighing. "Nothing. It looks like an ordinary book."
Her fingers hovered over the cover, hesitating before she tried to pry it open. The journal had a strange looking lock with no keyhole, but when she tried to force it open, the lock held fast, refusing to budge under her attempts. Her brows furrowed even more deeply as she pulled out her wand.
"Alohomora," she muttered, flicking her wand toward the lock. But nothing happened. The lock remained sealed, as though the magic had simply washed over it like water off a rock.
She cursed under her breath, throwing her wand down beside her. "Dammit! Why can't something just be easy for a change?" Her voice cracked slightly, the frustration and annoyance finally catching up to her.
Sebastian watched her, the tension in her posture clear. He could see the frustration in her eyes, the way her hands trembled slightly as she reached up to run them through her hair. She'd been through a lot—too much, really—and yet every new discovery seemed to bring more questions, more obstacles. He could see the weight of it pressing down on her, and it made his chest ache.
"Hey..." he said softly, reaching out to place his hand over hers. "We'll figure this out. We always do."
Eloise glanced up at him, her expression softening slightly at his words. But there was still a trace of doubt in her eyes, a flicker of frustration that refused to be quelled.
"Sebastian, I just..." she trailed off, shaking her head as she looked down at the diary again. "What if we're missing something? I know this is probably wishful thinking but what if there's something important here that Professor Fig didn't know about? I'm pretty sure that Miriam knew more than what she told him, but we can't even open the damn thing"
He squeezed her hand gently, trying to reassure her. "Hey, we'll figure it out, Eloise. We always do," he repeated, his voice firm but kind. "It's not like we haven't been through worse."
She let out a soft breath, her shoulders relaxing just a fraction as she leaned back against the tree. "I hope you're right," she said quietly. "I just... I don't know how much more of this I can take."
Sebastian shifted closer to her, his hand still resting on hers. "You're stronger than you think," he said, his voice low. "Maybe when we return to Hogwarts we can find something out there. I wouldn't oppose to another nightly trip to the library's restricted section with you if you need"
She smiled a little, remembering the first time they did that and how he got himself into trouble to protect her.
"Fine. I'll leave it be for now. Until we return to school." She accepted. For a moment, they sat there in silence, the tension between them easing as the quiet of the tower settled around them. Eloise closed her eyes, resting her head against the stone wall, the diary still in her lap.
Sebastian watched her, his heart twisting slightly as he saw the hidden exhaustion etched into her features. He felt like such a jerk for the way he treated her last year. She was going through all that and still he demanded more from her without thinking about what that meant and when she tried to put some sense into him, he yelled at her and he still had the nerve to say he was her friend. And even so she stood by him after everything he's done. He had apologized to her already, but it would never be enough.
He wished he could take some of that burden from her, wished he could make things easier for her. But he knew that there wasn't much he could do except being by her side, so that was what he intended to do.
And as the last rays of sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting a soft glow over the woods, he promised himself that he wouldn't let her face any of it alone. No matter what it took, he would be a better friend for her and they would figure this out.