The Keeper's Legacy | Ominis Gaunt | Sebastian Sallow

Chapter TWENTY SIX - Slytherin party - part 2 - Troll, poacher, demiguise

"What in Merlin's name happened?" I asked, casting a suspicious gaze at Garreth, whose face failed to exude the angelic charm of innocence.

In that moment, Griffin arrived, positioning himself purposefully at Garreth's side.

"Well, Sebastian got a little carried away," Garreth began, "and ended up drinking one of those mystery potions."

A sigh of relief escaped my lips. "Oh, well, they're from Zonko's bazaar, he should be perfectly fine," I reassured, waving away any lingering concerns. The tension in Ominis' rigid frame visibly eased.

"Unfortunately, not all of them were from there," Garreth continued, revealing the source of our trouble. Aha, that's where the wind blows from. I withdrew my arm from Ominis and took a deliberate step toward Garreth, conveying my displeasure. "How could that be?" I asked, my tone lacking its usual warmth.

Griffin intervened, positioning himself between us, preventing me from reaching Garreth, whom, if my suspicions were accurate, I was so furious with that I could have drowned him in a spoonful of water.

"Darcy, do calm yourself," Griffin implored, extending his hand in a conciliatory gesture.

"I never knew hiring a bodyguard was necessary to avoid trouble, Weasley," I heard Ominis' snide remark from behind me.

"Theo is a childhood friend of mine," Garreth explained, peering out from behind Griffin.

"So, you've been sneaking in some of your own concoctions?" I interrogated Garreth as my eyes began to scour the room, searching for Sebastian.

Well, in a manner of speaking, yes," Garreth confessed.

I crossed my arms in frustration, but before I could voice my thoughts, Ominis spoke ahead of me. "And what are the effects of your potion?"

Garreth stepped forward from behind Griffin, his movements measured. "Inspired by the aftermath of the potion mishap the other week, I thought it would be amusing to create a one that temporarily renders one's speech delightfully nonsensical."

My brows furrowed, memories of the Babbling Beverage failing to amuse me, causing my hands to clench into fists. "How utterly delightful." 

"It's not the end of the world," Griffin stated, trying to lighten the mood.

"If I take your word for it, the potion didn't exactly have the desired outcome, did it?" Ominis asked.

"Well, no, not precisely," Garreth conceded. "Sebastian, as it stands, can only communicate in a peculiar language we suspect to be gobbledegook."

A profound sigh escaped both Ominis and myself in unison, as if sharing the weight of the situation.

Ominis turned to me, a glimmer of question in his eyes. "Dear, which one of us shall handle this conundrum?"

I raised my eyes skyward, for attempting to reason with a partially intoxicated Sebastian in an unintelligible language was a challenge I lacked the patience for. Yet, he was my dear friend, and despite our previous conflicts, he had shown sincere dedication this year to mend our bond and restore our friendship. I couldn't let him down. However, I couldn't resist the temptation to engage Ominis in a playful exchange of banter.

"How about we settle this with a duel of troll, poacher, and demiguise?"

He shook his head, though a faint smile played at the corners of his mouth. "Very well, but Garreth shall remain as overseer, for I suspect you would seize the opportunity to bend the rules," he declared.