In the Shadow of Power - Hogwarts Legacy

Chapter 21

"Absolutely not, Sebastian."

"But it's to help Anne, Ominis! Please, just tell me."

"You know how I feel about Dark Magic. If you're really my friend you'll drop this."

The argument Alayna had been expecting between Ominis and Sebastian. After class, she'd had detention with Johanna. It seemed to go on forever but finally they'd been freed if not a little late for dinner. Which was how Alayna walked into the Great Hall and spotted Ominis and Sebastian talking in a corner rather than seated at the table. Just as she was approaching, she heard the tail end of their argument before Ominis stormed out of the Great Hall to who knows where.

"Didn't work as well as you thought, huh?" Alayna raised an eyebrow at Sebastian with a smirk.

"And where have you been?" Sebastian asked in return.

"Ugh, detention. Did you not hear about what happened with Johanna yesterday?"

"Ah, that. You really got detention over that? Sounds like I need to teach you a thing or two about getting out of trouble."

"It's over now anyway." Alayna shrugged. "But I appreciate the offer. So...Ominis?" Sebastian sighed and looked towards the door their friend had left out of.

"Ominis's family, the Gaunt's, know a lot about Hogwarts. He's a descendant of Salazar Slytherin, actually, which is how he knew about the undercroft. And I know he has to know where Salazar Slytherin's Scriptorium is, but he refuses to tell me."

"A descendant of Salazar Slytherin? As in the founder of Slytherin house?" Alayna's eyes went wide. She'd had no idea his family had that kind of lineage. She understood now why he'd appreciated the fact that she didn't judge him for his family. Those were big shoes to fill.

"Yes, that Slytherin."

"Wow...but then why is he so against showing you the Scriptorium? I heard him mention Dark Magic, but..." Alayna trailed off.

"Well, by now I know you're familiar with the prejudices in the wizarding world regarding purebloods and mudbloods. Salazar Slytherin was like the biggest pureblood fanatic back in the day. Ominis's family still are too. And the Dark Magic...I can tell you if you want to know. Ominis never talks to anyone about this." Sebastian started to look...solemn? Disturbed? Alayna wasn't sure what it was, but it unnerved her. Of course, she was aware of the prejudices in the wizarding world by now and she knew some about Dark Magic. Which only worried her more about what Sebastian was talking of.

"No, if I'm going to hear it from anyone, I'll ask Ominis himself," Alayna insisted. She didn't want to go behind his back again after the undercroft incident.

"Alright. Good luck with that...but in case he does listen to you. I want to go to the Scriptorium to look for something that might help Anne. If anyone knew anything about curses, it would be Salazar Slytherin."

"I had a feeling I'd be the one trying to convince Ominis to help. I'll let you know what happens. Any idea where he might have gone?" There were any number of places Ominis could go in the castle, but Sebastian knew him best.

"The undercroft or the common room would be my best guess." Sebastian shrugged, giving a less than satisfactory answer. Alayna frowned and gave him an annoyed look. At least he'd narrowed it down to two places. Where to start first?

In the end, Alayna found him in the common room after having first guessed incorrectly that he would be in the undercroft. She'd thought he would choose the more private location, but perhaps the possibility of Sebastian showing up there ruled it out. Ominis was sitting on a couch in the large room with the windows looking out into the lake. He was tracing his hand over the pages of a book.