After All This Time// Sebastian Sallow x Reader Hogwarts Legacy Fanfiction

Chapter 45

I'd been in the crate for a good few hours before they packed up and moved them. I felt so sweaty and claustrophobic there, but I knew it would be worth it once it was over. They had loaded me and some other crates onto a wagon. It didn't seem that we went very far at all. Most of my time was spent waiting to be transported in the first place. 

I tried to listen as best I could so I knew when it was safe for me to make my exit. When I finally did, I made sure that I had the disillusionment charm cast over myself. 

I cracked open the crate slowly, feeling a million times better now that I was breathing in fresh air. It was cut short when I felt the tip of someone's wand press up against my back. I put my hands up as two more wizards popped out in front of me. 

"Drop your wand," said the wizard behind me. 

"And if I don't?" I said. 

"Then the outcome is going to be a lot worse than what it already is," they said. 

Hesitantly, I let my wand fall to the ground. One of the wizards in front of me collected it. 

"Turn around and follow me."

I did as commanded and turned around. 

The wizard who had spoken to me was tall with dark hair, and he wore a long black trench coat. The one who took my wand handed it to him, and he pocketed it within his coat. As he led me, the other two followed closely, keeping their wands pressed to my backs. 

"May I ask where I'm being taken?" I remarked. "Though I do love to be chauffeured around, I'd prefer to know where it is that I'm going."

"Shut up," said the wizard in front. "You'll see soon enough."

I rolled my eyes and kept following. 

Was I scared? Yes. 

Was I going to show it? Absolutely fucking not. 

The wagon had dropped me off in a field outside of a little hamlet. There were no people around; all of the shops and homes looked abandoned, aside from the wizards who had captured me, and their buddies. 

Eventually, we reached where I was being taken. 

In front of me was a large set of ruins. They led me up to a set of stairs that went underground. 

"Here's your stop," said the wizard. "Just go down the stairs there and have fun. Oh, and here's your wand back."

A confused look crossed my face as he handed it back to me. Why would he want to give me my wand back?

I looked down the stairs, and saw a faint glow of torches. The other wizards waited at the top of the stairs until I started to descend. 

The air grew cold and damp the farther I went down the stairs. When I reached the bottom, I looked around the room. The room itself was pretty large with stone walls and a dirt floor, lit by torches that lined the wall. In the center of the room stood a man that couldn't have been much older than I. 

He locked eyes with me from across the room. His eyes were a shade of light blue, and his hair was dark brown, almost black, and fell down to his shoulders in waves. "Thank you for joining me," he deadpanned. His voice was cold and emotionless. 

"Thank you for having me," I bit back. "I must compliment you on your hospitality. Very friendly chauffeurs you have out there."

"I sure hope they didn't give you any trouble," he frowned. "I told them to play nice."

I couldn't figure out what it was, but something about him was off. 

"I think it's time for my introduction, don't you think, y/n?" he said. He must've read my face, as the next thing that fell out of his mouth was exactly what I'd been thinking. "Oh yes, I know your name. You are of high interest to me, y/n. My name is Charles Bellemonte, but you can just call me Charlie." he smiled. 

"What do you want from me?" I asked him. 

"Well, like I said, you are of great interest to me. You can probably believe how surprised I was to find another living person with the same abilities as I."

I was still processing what he'd just told me when he continued to speak, walking towards me. I didn't back off as he did, trying not to look frightened. 

"The ancient magic, as you call it," he continued. "After hearing your story, I just had to come see for myself if it were true. I knew that only you could understand me- only someone who possesses the same abilities as me could possibly understand the pain that comes along with it."

I stayed silent. I wasn't sure what to say to him at this point. 

"Well as you must know, this magic has the ability to give us so much more," he said, a smile forming on his face. "Though I was disappointed to hear what you'd done with it. Locking it away from everyone. Could do so much more, you know. You could be great."

"Taking away people's abilities to feel anything isn't great," I told him. "It's sick."

"How about this," he said. "Let me make you a deal. You can take it or leave it- it's up to you."

I wondered where this might go. I definitely wasn't going to help him, if that's what he was insinuating. 

Suddenly, I heard someone coming down the stairs. I turned my head to see who it was. 

It was the same wizards that brought me down here, except they were carrying someone's limp body. I looked at their face as the wizards threw him down onto the floor.

It was Sebastian. 

What the hell was he doing here?!

Charles cleared his throat, forcing me to turn my attention back to him. "You stay here and help me with my endeavors, and the boy goes free. Or, you don't help me, and he dies. I'll make sure you'll live though."

My breath hitched in my chest. 

Suddenly, I heard Sebastian stir on the floor behind me. I fell down to my knees next to him with tears welling up in my eyes. "Y/n?" he croaked as his eyes opened. "Where am I? Are you okay?"

"I'm okay," I told him, my voice at a whisper. "How are you feeling? Can you stand up?"

"Yeah, I think so," he said. He patted around his pockets. "They took my wand." 

"It's okay, I have mine," 

"I'm still waiting for an answer," Charles said, grabbing my attention. 

"What is he talking about?" Sebastian said. I shushed him and stood back up. 

I wasn't sure what to do. Sebastian wasn't in any condition to defend himself right now, and I had no idea how powerful this wizard in front of me was. 

Regardless of what happens to me, I needed Sebastian to get out of here alive. 

"I'll help you," I told Charles. "As long as he goes free, like promised."