The Keeper's Legacy | Ominis Gaunt | Sebastian Sallow

Chapter THIRTY ONE - Ghostly melodies

Ominis stood before the concealed entrance to the chamber of werewolf tapestries, casting an imposing figure next to the human-height letter K. I couldn't help but question his choice of location for our meeting. It was secluded, far removed from the marked X's on the map. Concerned, I noted the weariness in his eyes, a few disheveled strands of dirty blond hair haphazardly arranged atop his head, a departure from his usual meticulous style. I hugged him, unable to contain my excitement; after all, he decided to meet me and end his seclusion.

At first hesitant, Ominis returned my embrace with a faint smile, and I studied his worn-out appearance. The poor lad had clearly not slept much in the past two days.

I bombarded him with questions, "What was in the letter? Why were you hiding? Why did you choose this place for the meeting?"

"Ophelia, thank you for coming, but please, slow down a bit," he shushed me. "I didn't want to draw attention to myself beforehand, especially not from anyone else, particularly Sebastian. As for the letter's contents, if you don't mind, I'd rather not discuss it right now. I prefer to put it behind me. Can you help me with that?" Ominis pleaded.

A fleeting shadow of sadness crossed my face, but I mustered a smile, knowing he would reveal everything in due time. "So, my dear friend, where would you like to spend a few hours while my humble self attempts to rejuvenate your spirits? And, of course, continue our search for that cursed snake."

"What are our options?" he asked.

I retrieved the map from my small pouch, "Let me see... the lavatories in the Slytherin dungeons? Not the most appealing choice," I grimaced.

"Ugh, no. Let's save that as a last option. Hopefully, we'll find the snake before then," Ominis remarked, and I wholeheartedly concurred.

"What about the restricted section of the library?" I suggested, hoping for a taste of excitement.

However, Ominis promptly shook his head. "Not there."

"What about the spacious chamber adjacent to the 'snogging room'?" I mentioned, unable to suppress a giggle at the room's amusing nickname.

"You mean the malodorous circular chamber where they used to assign detentions?"

"Yes, precisely! There is a sizable room not far from there, marked with a distinct X by Deek." I tapped my finger on the map.

"Very well then, that shall be our destination."

Upon Ominis's request, I cast a disillusionment spell upon us, ensuring we remained unnoticed, especially by Sebastian, as we retraced our steps toward the Slytherin basement.

"If you don't disclose the contents of the letter, perhaps you can enlighten me about your activities over the past two days," I said snidely, scrutinizing his face. Though nearly translucent due to the invisibility spell, I could discern the faint glow of his cheekbones in the dim lighting.

He appeared to furrow his brows. "I've been occupied with various tasks, such as composing a letter to that curse breaker and perusing countless copies of archival newspapers. "Unlike yours, my stack has diminished significantly," he mischievously jested, nudging me gently.

"Ouch," I melodramatically feigned a swan's demise. "You were no slacker either! Did you uncover anything of significance in those newspapers?"

"Perhaps a few minuscule details hold significance, but I am skeptical. We are not proceeding as we should, Ophelia. Each of us maintains separate notes, refraining from drawing connections—assuming there are any—to Rookwood's past as the potential key to discovering the counter curse."