The Second Trial

Chapter 17

The air was bitterly cold when Ominis flung open a hidden door that Hazel had never seen in the hallway.

The three of them did nothing but breath heavily for a long minute, trying to regain their senses.

Hazel's hands clutched the map protectively. She felt sort of dizzy, but not in a physically ill sort of way. In a 'what did I just do' and 'everything is sort of overwhelming right now' way.

She watched Sebastian and Ominis uneasily.

Oh Merlin.

Everything came back to her.

Marvolo was working with Rookwood. Rookwood had offered Marvolo something, but what did Rookwood even want?

Then she remembered the most important thing. Her jaw slacked and she dropped the map, horrified.

"I'm sorry, Ominis." She turned to him. "I'm real-"

"Why?" He shook his head. "I don't like the curse, but I don't hold it against you in a situation like that."

"There were better options."

"Maybe," he agreed, "But you would have risked failing and us getting hurt. He got as good as he gave."

They stood silently, snow beginning to fall. Hazel shivered and clutched the map closer to her chest.

"I suppose it's back to Hogwarts." She said, looking at the house one last time. She could see the silhouettes of people dancing in the windows and the soft glow of candlelight. It looked warm, but she knew it wasn't.

Hazel grabbed their hands, tucking the map under her shoulder, and apparated them back to as close to Hogwarts as possible. The night was dark, and it was the same temperature it had been at Ominis' house, but it didn't feel as bitterly scary or cold.

"I'm just going to go put the map in the Undercroft." She told the boys, dusting off the snow from her dress. Ominis nodded.

Hogwarts was quiet. Hazel knew there was only one reason why it would ever be so quiet: one of the houses was having a party. But she had no desire to attend after what had happened today.

It was just a little too quiet as she walked. Usually she couldn't hear her thoughts when surrounded by the other students, but now those thoughts were the only thing she could hear.

Despite what Ominis said, Hazel did feel guilt and responsibility for what she had done. And while she knew they tried to cover it, this journey was already draining and hurting them. Ominis had had to return to the one place he hated because Hazel thought it would help. And it did, but surely she had better options?

Sebastian was obviously happy about finding a cure, but she couldn't help but feel a drift between him and her. One of his character traits was impatience, and she couldn't help but think perhaps he could be upset because they went to the Gaunt's too? He had been against the idea from the start, and now that Hazel looked back she saw that her judgment had been wrong. She had put both of them in situations that weren't needed because she thought they were. And they had both suffered because of it. If Hazel hadn't demanded to stay, then Ominis and her wouldn't have been kidnapped, Sebastian wouldn't have needed to save them, and they both wouldn't have had to fight Marvolo while she ran off.

She opened the Undercroft's door and walked inside. The pensieve and triptych were still there. A reminder of what happened when Hazel and Sebastian worked together. But right now she only saw the consequences of those things. Solomon's death. And their regret.