Out of the Shadows // Sebastian Sallow

Chapter Eleven

I did eventually return to the Ministry. I thought if I didn't it would be painfully obvious that I did something wrong and they might find out. Also, there were a few things I still wanted to search for. And I missed Ellie.

Although, the dynamic between us had changed. Sometimes, friends go through things together that irreversibly change their friendship and there's just no going back... boy, did I ever learn that lesson already!

I sat in my office randomly asking the research books the Keepers' names and trying to find anything at all... some clue, some rumor, something to indicate they had some record about ancient magic besides their wildly unhelpful portraits they left in the Map Chamber. I never really liked them much. Except Headmistress Fitzgerald. I remember liking her a bit.

But it seemed they were living up to their hype of keeping this whole ancient magic thing a secret.

Ok. Last one. I thought to myself. I had been avoiding this one because of a certain descendant of his that tried to kill me. I took a breath in and said "Professor Charles Rookwood" into the spine of the book and let it fall open on the desk.

Practically his whole life story was in there now. Including family tree, lineage, descendants, Hogwarts records. There was a lot to sift through here.

I had done this previously with each Keeper, including Isadora. Surprisingly, there was little to nothing about her at all. All that she did and history won't remember her at all. I let the dark thought of that flit away as quickly as I could.

I skipped through what I thought was boring backstory as fast as I could. And I found a mention of a descendant of Charles that attended Hogwarts and seemed to have a penchant for disciplinary actions. Must be where Victor inherited it from. I errantly thought to myself.

I closed the book and said to the spine, "Henry Rookwood, Hogwarts disciplinary records." I let it open on the desk, again.

It truly was a large record. Mostly innocuous enough. Dungbombs. Restricted Section. Curfew breaking. Nothing really earth shattering... until his seventh year where he was expelled. It seems he cursed someone. Curse. A Rookwood Curse. And they were unable to reverse it and the person died. He died.

I could feel my heartrate trying to beat out of my chest. I kept reading on the various attempts to cure the curse... nothing stood out too much. Except... a potion. With mandrake root and dittany and various other healing and curse breaking items that I knew about. And some I didn't. It looked like this one was the closest to success though.

My breathing was labored and I was starting to feel faint. Was I about to find the cure for Anne buried in a Hogwarts Disciplinary Record? I couldn't believe my LUCK!

The potion was the most helpful, but the Healer at the time noted that it was missing a final step they couldn't figure out. A spell that would need to be cast on the patient after consuming the potion it would seem. But they couldn't figure out what spell... I was putting pieces together as fast as I could but I just couldn't figure it out.

I made a magical copy of that whole disciplinary record and scratched out some notes that had been swirling in my brain, so I didn't forget them. I needed to talk to ... Sebastian.

But he didn't want to talk to me.

Onyx had returned only yesterday carrying my letter back to me once again. She was the most worn I'd ever seen her. I spent the whole afternoon nursing her back to health and cooing and stroking her feathers. She really did try for me. I loved that bird. I left her still asleep on her perch looking dreadfully tired out this morning.