Marriage, Murder & Magic- [OMINIS GAUNT]

Chapter 37- Tears of Stone

I thought someone would spot me being kidnapped when the carriage landed at Hogwarts, but almost everyone was back at the wedding.

Duncan forced me to go to the Muggle Studies classroom, which was also serving at the Muggle Art classroom. I recalled visiting Duncan here earlier in the year while investigating for Imelda. I certainly felt stupid for having missed him when I was so close.

Lamp light illuminated the faces of Duncan's sculptures; made of stone, marble, and wood. He led me to a door in the back. "Professor Pemberton has let me have this space as my own private workshop."

Duncan dropped me inside the workshop on the stone floor. My mouth was still sewn shut and my limbs were bound together with magic ropes, so the first thing I did was look around for anything I might be able to use to defend myself if I was freed. There were sculpting tools on the wall above a work table. They looked sharp.

Duncan closed the door behind him and locked it. Perhaps as a small mercy, or just to play with me, he undid the silencing spell.

I said, "Alright, you have me trapped, with no wand. You can untie me. I can't run far in this dress, anyways."

Duncan eyed me carefully. Then, with a wave of his wand, he put away his sculpting tools in a drawer and locked it tight. And finally, my legs and hands were freed from their magical bindings.

I slowly moved to the other side of the room, and glanced at a shelf of mini statuettes. They each had unique shapes; an owl, a dove, a bull- there were twelve of them, and each had glossy black eyes. When I looked into the eyes I saw the halls of Hogwarts. I could see the library; the Great Hall; even Ravenclaw common room. So that's how Duncan was able to watch everyone at once. That's how he knew about Imelda's crossdressing for Quidditch; and how he knew about me going to meet Ominis in the owlery.

Next to the shelf was a collection of big statues that could have been ten feet tall. My eyes were immediately drawn to the statue of a woman with long curly hair and pretty eyes. I recognized that face somewhere.

"Oh, my god." My stomach pulsed in horror when I saw the statue move her head to look at me as though she could see me. As though she were alive. "It's- it's Morgana-"

She moved gracefully, looking at me, and then at Duncan. It seemed as though she wanted to say something. But though her mouth opened, no voice came out; and her feet were stuck in the same place, so she was only able to freely move her head and arms. I noticed that on her left hand was one finger not made of stone. It was a real, flesh-and-blood, human finger.

My knees hit the floor. "Is- is that Morgana's finger-?"

"I found the spell for a living statue in the forbidden section of the library," Duncan said. "It required a piece of flesh. It makes a pretty convincing replica; she can see, and hear, and move a little. But she cannot speak. Not that I need her to; I like being able to come and look at her whenever I want. I'm planning on making one for you, too."

I thought I was done throwing up today, but I was wrong. My stomach emptied itself onto the floor. Duncan groaned.

"Stop being gross!" He pinched his nose at the smell. "Ewwww. Girls are so much better when they're made of stone."

I glared up at him over the puddle of my own vomit. He was the reason Morgana's spirit still haunted the halls as a banshee. As long as she was a living statue, her soul would not find rest.

"You're a monster."

"I'm not a monster. I'm just a boy. I deserve to be loved. I deserve to be loved, and any woman who won't love me will be turned into a pretty statue!"

He gripped my wrist roughly and brought me over to his worktable. Duncan kept my left hand pressed flat against the worktable by my wrist, and unlocked the tool drawer. He took out a sharp, flat chisel.

I hoped that Ominis and Sebastian were coming- before Duncan could slice off my ring finger- but right now, it seemed as though I was on my own.

I looked at the statue of Morgana. She was looking right at me, her eyebrows turned up in sympathy, crying tears of stone.

"You won't need this anymore." Duncan started to slide my black diamond engagement ring off of my finger.

"Don't-" My entire body tensed, "touch my ring!"

Without thinking, my hand came up and slapped Duncan across the face, sending his glasses flying. They shattered on the floor.

"Agh!" He groaned. He took a step back and put a hand to his face, feeling the spot where his glasses used to be. "You broke my glasses, you bitch!"

I grabbed the chisel, attempting to wrench it from his hands, but he held on tight. He and I danced across the room, crashing into statuettes as we fought over the chisel. Just in time, I remembered an important spot of vomit on the floor- and steered a blind Duncan directly into it.

Just as I hoped, he slid and crashed. His hands released the chisel.

I raised the chisel up high above my head- not quite sure what I was planning on doing with it. My instinct was to aim for his throat. After all, he was going to murder me. Why was I hesitating before doing the same in self defense?

I can't kill someone. I couldn't even let Sebastian teach me the killing curse.

I didn't have to kill Duncan- I could stab him in the stomach, I decided, and then let the Dementors have their way with him in prison- but my decision was too late.

Duncan had his wand drawn.

"Expelliarm-"

The spell caught in his throat when a dark shadow crossed over his face. Morgana's statue- the one who he said could listen, and see, and move a little- was tipping itself over. And Duncan was lying right beneath her. I couldn't save him in time even if I wanted to.

In seconds, Duncan was crushed under smithereens of stone.

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Wow!!! I had so much fun writing this chapter. I really channeled Criminal Minds haha. Good for Prisma for fighting back; and in the end, Morgana came to the rescue.

Next chapter is last chapter <3