The Renegades

Chapter 27 : Amends

The days following the second task had felt like a whirlwind. Penelope found herself waking up in the hospital wing once again, with Natty and Poppy at her bedside. Nurse Blainey attributed her fainting spell to mere shock, but Penelope knew it was yet another symptom of her condition, whatever it may be.

Sufian had been transferred to St Mungo's for extensive treatment, and miraculously, he had survived. Adèle had been in such a state of shock that it required the intervention of healers to pry her away from Sufian's motionless body. When Penelope spoke to her a few days later, it was clear that she believed she was responsible for the ordeal.

"He's the one who cast the spell in the first place," Penelope had reasoned.

"I should've countered with a shield charm... I don't know what came over me..." Adèle's voice trembled as she nervously wrung her hands.

"It's a competition, Adèle," she reminded her gently. "Besides, his condition has improved, hasn't it?"

"If only that were the only concern. Now the Uagadou delegation wants my head, and I've tried to apologise but..."

Penelope could only offer platitudes. All three of the champions were aware of the risks entailed upon entering the Tournament, and she felt the Uagadou students had conveniently forgotten that fact. One individual, however, found unexpected joy in the turn of events. Lewis Macmillan had emerged as the newfound hero of Hogwarts, a stark contrast to how he had been treated after the first task.

Wherever he went, enthusiastic cheers and admiration greeted him, and he was now accompanied by an entourage of sixth and seventh-year girls who seemed to surround him at all times. Penelope found the situation utterly absurd but secretly welcomed the shift in attention. With Lewis now the centre of everyone's focus, Penelope could slip through the corridors even more inconspicuously, whether to visit Isidora or sneak out to Hogsmeade.

There was nothing out of the usual, that day. Once the corridors emptied during dinner, she made her way down the secret passage behind the one-eyed witch statue, leading to Honeydukes' cellar. She was confident that this time would be different, that she would uncover something. It was a mantra she repeated to herself each time she ventured into the hidden passage. There was nothing out of the usual, or at least there shouldn't have been.

As Penelope descended deeper into the passage, her wand casting flickering shadows on the walls, an unexplained unease crept over her senses. A prickling sensation danced along her skin, and she couldn't shake the feeling of being watched. Instinctively, she glanced over her shoulder, and to her surprise, she caught a fleeting glimpse of movement, a subtle blur in the air—a disillusionment charm. Her heart quickened as the realization hit her. She was not alone, someone had been following her.

Penelope raised her wand menacingly. "Who goes there?" she demanded.

Sebastian seemingly materialised out of thin air, holding up his wand as if expecting a hex.

"Sebastian," she hissed. "What in Godric's name do you think you're doing?!"

"I wanted to make sure you were safe..." he replied defensively.

Penelope rolled her eyes, but she felt a warmth spread through her chest, which she suppressed immediately. She refused to let herself be swayed by sentimentality, not again.

"You've been following me this entire time?!"

"Just today", he admitted. "But I've noticed, you know. Once you know what to look out for, it's easy to track you."

"Your point being?" she asked impatiently.

Sebastian hesitated, his expression shifting from concern to something akin to guilt. "I... I wanted to apologise," he admitted, his voice barely above a whisper. "For everything."