Pureblood Muggle

Chapter 15, The Curse of Woe

   Arriving at the Ministry, you and Ominis we're met with Professor Fig and Sharp.
"Ah, I was wondering when you'd both show up. Stephen and Richard told me Elizabeth stopped in to talk to you."
"Looking like me, that's very worrying," Fig added.
"No worse than me as Professor Black," you teased, getting Sharp and Ominis to look your way.
"Bubotuber puss and dittany, I should have known," Ominis mumbled, chuckling slightly.
Smirking, you changed the topic. "So, how's Anne?"
"I feel we're getting closer to a breakthrough. We managed to narrow it down to two different curses. Is there anything you've noticed about her side effects that could help us?"
"Yes, it's called Maledictio vae. Solomon knew the whole time what it was."
"How do you know?" Sharp asked, glancing between you and Ominis. 
"He wrote it on a paper in his home," you answered, making Ominis stiffen slightly at the half lie. "He also knew it was Rookwood who cursed her."
"Hmm, this complicates matters," Fig mumbled, looking to Sharp.
"Why? You can reverse it, right?"
"This particular curse is one we haven't seen in a long time. It took us a while to hunt it down, but as far as we can tell, there is a way to reverse it, but it's not recorded," Sharp answered, his face remaining neutral.
"If it's that bad, how is it not recorded?" Ominis asked as you started to get a really bad feeling.
"It could have merely been lost to time, but with Rookwood knowing it, I have a feeling Charles would too," Fig mentioned, his eyes moving to you.
"You want me to break into Hogwarts in mid summer to ask?"
"Hardly," Sharp replied, giving you a look for suggesting such a thing with two professors in front of you. "You won't be breaking in. I've already informed Professor Weasley. Fig will apparate you to the school gates. We're taking great pains to keep this from the headmaster, so do try to avoid him."
Sighing, you rubbed your temples.
"Do you want me to go with?" Ominis asked.
"No, it's okay. You should be with Sebastian and Anne." He hesitated, but nodded as you moved over to Fig. "Be back soon."
He smiled just before Fig disapparated. The pull on top of the nerves almost made you feel sick.
Professor Weasley smiled at you as nearly tripped.
"I see you're studious. Don't seem to want to leave."
You nearly answered, but Professor Garlick raced  over. "Professor Black is coming."
What horrible timing that man has, but at least he wasn't there when you arrived.
Fig spun towards you. "You go on ahead. Quickly before he sees you."
Not waiting to be told twice, you moved onto the school grounds and raced as fast as you could to reach the doors, slipping inside just before the headmaster could see you.
You didn't stop, not even when you came across Peeves who started floating beside you, taunting that he'd tell.
You just baited him by telling him to go ahead and do what he wanted, anything to get him to stop following you.
It worked. He went to go tell anyone who'd listen, but that was okay. The worst they could do was yell at you, maybe expell you.
The keepers weren't in their portraits, but calling their names, they moved into view.
"Isn't it still summer?" Percival asked, concern written all over their faces. 
"Maledictio vae," you panted, hands on your knees. "Do you know how to remove it?"
You looked hopefully up at Charles, but saw everyone's faces darken.
"Why are you asking about this?" San Bakar asked, still suspicious of you.
"My friend, Anne was cursed with it by Victor Rookwood. Please, if you know anything-"
"That magic is dangerous and wildly unstable," Charles mentioned.
Well, obviously you considered that being it was a "curse", but you weren't going to point that out and push your luck.
"Please? I don't want to watch her die and I don't want to turn to dangerous magic like Isadora. Please help me."
You watched as they did their best to glance at each other.
"The curse of woe was born from a witch with powerful magic, hurt by one she took as a lover. She created it so he would feel her pain. It went wrong and he died from experiencing the pain from anyone in the area," Percival answered, making the pit in your stomach grow. "Only powerful magic can remove it and contain it."
"Like Isadora's emotional psycho ball of pain?"
"The very same," Niamh admitted. "Though it wasn't born of ancient magic, so doing this could be potentially lethal to you, especially if that powerful magic attaches itself to you." 
"But Isadora stole every emotion from the people she used this magic on, how do I avoid that?"
"Which is why we shouldn't be entertaining this idea," San remarked, drawing your gaze. "She's walking the same dangerous path."
"She's not removing her pain, just access to everyone else's, which is the source of the curse," Percival replied, getting Charles and Niamh to nod. "If you recall, we have pulled a few from people too. We were quite a bit older and more advanced however."
You felt pressure weigh on your shoulders making it harder to breathe.
"It's too close to-"
Percival sighed softly. "We can't stop her from trying and there is a distinct difference between taking someone's pain and pulling a curse from a body."
You looked at San. "I do understand why you don't like me asking about this and I wouldn't have if my friend wasn't dying from it. I understand that people's pain makes them who they are, even if sometimes they shouldn't go through it, but she's not just living with her own now."
San fell silent as Charles gave a soft chuckle. "She has a compassionate heart and knows the boundaries well. There is no reason to stop her from trying."
Niamh smiled when San nodded. "It's best to do that here where you can store it with the repository."
"This will not be an easy task," San mentioned strongly. "Even in our time, it wouldn't remove itself willingly and almost always went wrong, resulting in the death of the one attempting it."
"What about risk to Anne?"
He blinked as if he wasn't expecting you to ask.
"The curse will try to hold on, she will need to be willing to let it go," Niamh answered gently.
The door opened loudly, making you whirl around seeing Fig rushing over. "Professor Black's on the look out for you, we have to go."
Nodding you moved over to the passage to San Bakar's tower and opened it, slipping through with Professor Fig.
"Did you get the answers you needed?"
"Yes and it's not good."

    As you recounted everything you learned since parting with the Sallow twins, they stared at you, not even bothering to read the diary. Though at the mention of Anne's curse, Sebastian looked hopeful. 
"So, I'm feeling the bad emotions of those around me?" She asked cutting over you before you could bring up the probability San told you about.
"And it projects into physical pain?" Sebastian glanced around the room at everyone.
"Any pain in the vicinity, emotional or physical," you clarified.
"Did they say you can remove them? Like Isadora did?"
You had to keep yourself from flinching. "Let's not forget she stole all emotions from them, not just pain," you said pacing.
"Can you?" He asked again, leaning forward in his chair.
"Charles said it's old powerful magic." You began to wring your hands, trying to put the words together the best you can. "And only another powerful magic can remove it."
"You have that ancient magic thing. We saw you contain it before it tore the school down," he said climbing to his feet to moved closer.
"You seem to be forgetting that magic like this always comes at a cost Sebastian." Ominis mentioned, drawing everyone's attention. "Two powerful magics fighting, I can't imagine it's going to be simple or easy."
Of course Ominis would see more than what you put forward. A consequence of hiding the truth from him for too long. 
"No, it's not," you admitted, your stomach turning as you grew too close to the truth, but you couldn't bring yourself to tell them seeing hope in the Sallow twins eyes. "We have to do this in the caverns under Hogwarts so I can store the curse in with Isadora's stolen emotions."
Ominis twitched his brow as his milky eyes stared your way. Even if he couldn't see you, it felt like he could see through you.
"Sneaking into places is something of a pass time of mine," Sebastian teased before he turned to face Anne. "We can cure you. I was right!"
She laughed as her brother hugged her, the smiles on their faces were happy and carefree.
The image was enough to tell you that you did the right thing. Anne never would have agreed if she knew the truth.
"Well, I'm going to get some food. I haven't eaten in a while and running made me hungry."
You moved to leave, being carefully calculative about how fast or slow you walked so as to not let Ominis catch on more than he had.
"Hey," Sebastian called, getting you to look over your shoulder at him. "Thank you."
Smiling, you nodded as you left.

     Instead of going to get food, you sat in one of the windows overlooking the adults busying themselves with their daily work.
"I thought you were going to get food," Ominis said coming over, frowning when he made you jump. "You know they only believed your lie because they're desperate. What is the true cost? If you don't tell me, I will tell them my worries."
It was too good to be true thinking he wouldn't catch on despite your efforts.
You sighed, your eyes never leaving the window. "Do I win your silence if I tell you?"
"Possibly," he replied and noticed after a moment that he wasn't getting an answer without it. "Fine, yes. I won't say a word."
You couldn't look his way as you fought the growing pit in your stomach.
"It could be potentially fatal," you whispered, the words making it feel real. "For me."
He half sat, half fell into the seat beside you. "You have to tell them. You can't exchange your lives-"
You caught his arm as he moved to get up. "You couldn't see it, but they were happy. For the first time since I've met them, they were hopeful. I'm not about to destroy that. Besides, it COULD be lethal. It's not a guarantee, like it would be if I didn't do anything."
He sat back beside you, a mixture of emotions fighting for a spot on his face.
"I don't like this," he replied after a moment. "But, I know I can't change your mine. Though, just so we're clear, I'll never forgive you if you die."
You moved to rest against him, feeling him set his head against yours as he enveloped you in his arms.
"I can't imagine those keepers were happy about you asking about this."
"No, but this is similar to breaking a curse that people do normally."
His frown deepened. "If it was, you wouldn't need to do it. The Ministry has plenty of curse breakers." He tightened his hold as he sighed heavily.
"Do you think I'm following Isadora's path?"
"No, I can see how it parallels, but a curse isn't the same as stealing emotions. But, you can't blame me for worrying."
He pressed his head further into yours, before his eyes closed as he tried to keep his fear locked tightly behind his lips.