The Keeper's Legacy | Ominis Gaunt | Sebastian Sallow

The winner of the detention is..

"Ophelia?" Poppy interrupted our staring contest with Sebastian. "We need to come up with a plan if we don't want to spend all night here."

As if on cue, a flock of birds took flight from the trees, adding to the eerie feeling emanating from the forest. I turned to observe the woods carefully.

"If the Demiguise is truly lurking here (I had my doubts about Mr. Moon's claims), then perhaps we should simply wait here until it shows up," I suggested, reluctant to venture into the forest, especially without my cabbages.

"What do you mean if it's here, you don't believe Mr. Moon?" Garreth asked.

"In fact, I don't," I replied. "He's terrified of demiguises. Last year, he made me collect even the statues of them around Hogwarts. I believe he would fall for any rumors out there."

Garreth shook his head in disbelief, and Sebastian remained silent next to me.

"Either way," Poppy said, "It's unwise to just stand here. A Demiguise has a great ability to avoid us. It has a special fur that can make itself invisible. Not to mention they can predict the future. It's almost impossible to even spot them. We should try to act unpredictable."

"So what do you suggest?" Sebastian asked. "It eludes me how we can be unpredictable when we know that we are trying to be that, therefore we are clearly predictable."

He had a point.

"I guess we could roam around aimlessly?" Poppy suggested. Sebastian let out a frustrated sigh. "What a marvellous idea."

"Even if the miracle happens, and we spot it, how do we catch it?" Garreth raised a valid concern.

Finally, I had an answer. "As a matter of fact, I happen to have a nab-sack in hand."

"A nab-sack?" Poppy furrowed her brows. "How did you come across a poacher's tool? She asked.

Poppy looked at me suspiciously. I raised my hand in defense. "Calm down, Poppy. Professor Weasley gave it to me when she learned I spent my free time roaming around the highlands. She encouraged me to use my time for something good, like saving beasts from poachers."

After a moment of silence, Poppy's expression softened, and she looked at me with admiration. Sebastian, on the other hand, remained silent, seemingly unsurprised by the revelation.

"I didn't know that, Ophelia," Poppy apologized. "Indeed, that tool can come in handy."

Garreth whistled, "She let you just roam around the highlands, but punishes me for my harmless experiments?"

I couldn't help but chuckle at Garreth's words. "Your experiments are hardly harmless," I reminded him.

Sebastian, ever the adventurer, opened his arms towards the forest. "Shall we head into the forest then?" he asked. I couldn't help but feel a pang of anxiety at the thought of going into the forbidden forest, but I knew I hadn't been sorted to the house of the brave for no reason.

As the branches of the terrible trees covered the sky around us, my heartbeat accelerated. I couldn't remember a single good thing happened to me in this forest.

"This is a terrible idea" Garreth said, voicing my own thoughts. I nodded in agreement, trying to be on high alert and spot that elusive Demiguise. I had already taken out my nab-sack from my pocket, and it grew big enough to hold any creature we might catch. I held it tightly in one hand, ready to open it at a moment's notice.

It shook gently. Hmm It should be empty. Did I left a Puffskin accidentally inside?

A little worried, I adjusted the buckle of the bag, knowing that since I had caught the Graphon the lock had not been functioning properly.

As we roamed around for half an hour, nothing happened. Sebastian yawned and sat down on a nearby trunk. "I changed my mind, I would have preferred the Trophy room duty, this starts to be really boring."

Poppy was quick to reprimand him. "You should be grateful that we are trying to rescue a noble creature, which is hunted almost to extinction," she exclaimed.

"I am so grateful," Sebastian retorted mockingly. "I believe this is the perfect time to decide who wins the detention contest."

Poppy was unimpressed. "What do you mean by that?" she asked.

"Every detention has a winner, Poppy. We just have to decide who did the most mischievous thing to get it." Sebastian explained.

"I see," Poppy replied, still unimpressed.

"I was caught by Peeves," I chimed in.

"Oh Darcy, half of the students were. Do better next time," Sebastian replied dismissively, staring me down with his piercing gaze.

"I don't plan to be caught next time." I retorted.

"That courting must have ended up painfully," Garreth interrupted us, trying to lighten the mood.

Both of us were indignant and said at the same time "We were never together!"

"Well something did happen," Poppy said, a twinkle in her eye.

Well something did.

To quickly change the subject, I asked Poppy, "Why did you get detention?"

I was dying to know.

She sighed and scratched her forehead. "I... I bombarded that awful Ravenclaw guy down the stairs from the Beast class. I caught him with a bunch of Fwooper feathers. He was going to sell them. He is in the hospital wing now," she said, pointing her fingers together in embarrassment.

"Wow Poppy," I said, amazed.

"I expect a Howler from my grandmother any time." She added in a low voice.

Sebastian boasted, "I thought I would surely win this round. I mean, the person I hexed was Prewett. But Sweeting, that's a tough act to follow."

Garreth interjected, "Well, I think I can top that."

My curiosity peaked, and I couldn't help but ask, "What did you blow up?"

Garreth shrugged, "Nothing. He raised his hand in defense. I was just experimenting with our moustache paste prank, you know?"

I realized then that I had forgotten about the prank entirely.

Sebastian called me out, "You left me out of a good prank too?"

I corrected him, "It was more like a pact on our first day."

Sebastian retorted, "Even better."

Garreth tried to reassure me, "Don't worry Sallow, it's just Ophelia supports my experiments."

I couldn't help but bring up the Babbling Beverage incident, "When it's not directed at me."

Garreth yelled, "It was well intentioned!" and I rolled my eyes, crossing my arms.

Sebastian got back to the topic at hand, "So?"

Garreth explained his latest prank, "Oh well, I wanted to make the moustache paste burn away the moustache for an hour or something. I needed to test it, and as you know, there are not many volunteers to do it, let alone students with facial hair, so I opted to try it on a cat."

Poppy disapproved, "A CAT?"

Garreth quickly defended himself, "Don't worry Poppy, no cat was harmed... permanently."

"Then what happened to the cat?" I asked curiously.

Garreth sighed, "Well... the effect was a bit more prominent than I thought it would be... but that's not the worst part."

I was now intrigued, "What's the worst part?"

"I didn't know, but the cat belonged to Professor Sharp..." Garreth paused for effect, "and now it's furless."

"He has a cat??" We were all surprised.

Sebastian declared, "I think we have a winner."

And we all nodded in agreement.