Legacy Disowned - Book 2

Chapter 27 - Ominis' Sharp Initiative

Ominis was growing increasingly impatient with unpredictable and independently minded fools. It really was a shame. Those seemed to be exactly who he'd chosen for his closest friends.

Since his unsettling discovery in Hogsmeade, he'd been completely unable to pin Sebastian or Darling down to alert them of his revelation. And Merlin, it was driving him insane having to hold the horrible knowledge all to himself.

His brother was a murderer.

Vasileios had always placed a great deal of stock in superficial propriety. Cravat straight, shoes polished, and pocket square providing just the right splash of colour. He took his meals and tea times very seriously and always required that any plate he ate off be set in the proper place setting... all save the teacup.

As much as his brother loved the structure of social hierarchy, he loved himself more, and in his mind, anything that detracted from his favourable attributes was simply incorrect.

One trait he took particular pride in was his left handedness. Ever since he'd found out that muggles considered those that favoured the left to be suspicious and even evil, he'd begun wearing it as a badge of honour. Almost annoyingly drawing attention to it whenever he found the opportunity, thus setting him even further above those who were beneath the nobility of magic. So, at the ripe age of nine and three quarters, he'd loudly and unnecessarily ordered Mimmy to continue setting his place as she always had, so that he could move the teacup to the left himself.

Yes, there was no doubt in Ominis' mind that the person who had killed Natsai Onai was his very own brother.

"Look at this!"

Ominis was wafted with an abrupt, bacon scented breeze as Poppy flopped the newspaper onto the breakfast table in front of him. He forced himself to take a breath.

"I fear that joke's started to become a bit played out, Sweeting," he said dryly.

"Oh you know what I mean," the Hufflepuff said impatiently as she, rather boldly, took the seat across from him at the Slytherin table.

Ominis only remained stubbornly still for a moment before withdrawing his wand to extract the information from the paper. He regretted it instantly.

"You see," Poppy said, and Ominis bit his tongue. "They are now claiming Natty's death was a goblin conspiracy cooked up to defame Burke. It's such a disgustingly blatant and shameful lie I cannot even begin to understand why—"

"You're sitting at the Slytherin table?" Imelda cut in, taking the seat beside her. "You know I don't mind Sweeting, but don't count on everyone else being so welcoming."

"We having breakfast together?"

Ominis was forcibly shifted a few inches down the bench as Garreth Weasley inelegantly foisted himself into the seat beside him. "I've always wondered if they serve the same stuff over here? Are those duck eggs?"

"Absolutely not!" There was a sharp slapping sound as Imelda batted away Garreth's hand. "I might be willing to vouch for Poppy, but I will not be seen allowing a Gryffindor to sit here."

"Don't be so dramatic," Garreth dismissed through a mouth full of sausage. "I doubt any one's even noticed."

Judging by the speculative hissing Ominis heard coming from down the table, Garreth could not have been more incorrect. But that was hardly of concern just now. Ominis remained silent, his already strained nerves tightening with every word Poppy recounted from the article while the other two listened.

"And people are believing it," she concluded incredulously. "They're just blindly taking the Ministry's word on it without an ounce of evidence."

"Well of course they are," Imelda said gravely. "Who would want to believe that their own government cannot be trusted when there is already a perfectly good villain to shoulder the blame?"