//------------------------------// // In Which Sunset Celebrates Her Birthday By Breaking Someone Out of Goblin Jail // Story: Hogwarts: Sunset's Legacy // by witegrlninja //------------------------------// The rest of the week passed uneventfully. This coming week was my birthday, on Thursday the 19th... thinking about it had me feeling a bit melancholy. It'd be the first birthday in as long as I could remember that I'd be celebrating alone. Without Celestia. She always planned her schedule around the day so she could spend it with me, in its entirety. The food was always extra special, and the gifts were lavish. It was almost worth everything she'd put me through. Well, I had Fig, now. He knew about my birthday, surely he'd do something for the occasion. Monday, I sat by myself having lunch in the Great Hall while doing some last-minute reading for a Charms quiz later in the day. Out of the corner of my eye I saw both Sebastian and Ominis enter the hall and quickly move to a hidden corner by a staircase. Even from all the way over here, I could see that neither of them looked particularly pleased... it piqued my curiosity, and I got up and walked over to them, only just catching the end of their conversation. "I can't agree... and I'll not say a word more. I'm sorry," Ominis shook his head. He stood up from leaning against the wall and brought his wand out, which began to glow with pulses of red light. After it had pulsed a couple times, he turned away and left the Great Hall. "Did I miss something?" I asked, watching him leave. Sebastian let out a small grunt as his back slammed against the opposite wall. "He's being ridiculous. Apparently, Salazar Slytherin had a secret scriptorium here in Hogwarts... I haven't told you about this yet, have I?" "No... you have not," I drawled, automatically leaning in closer. "Well, Ominis swears it was used for the Dark Arts, so he wants nothing to do with it. I reminded him that Anne needs a cure... this scriptorium could hold the answers we need." "You think so? Sounds just plain fascinating to me," I grinned. "Just think of what else might be in there, I can't imagine all of it is that Dark." "Exactly! There's more to Dark magic than most people realize... the Gaunts know this better than most." As soon as the words left his mouth, Sebastian inhaled sharply through his teeth and grimaced. "...Perhaps I've spoken out of turn. Ominis' family history is personal to him." "How so?" I joined Sebastian in leaning against the wall. At first he opened his mouth, but closed it again while glancing away, towards the path Ominis had taken his leave from. Noticing this, I lowered my voice. "If it's meant to be a secret, you know I won't say anything. I'd just like a bit more context, is all." He remained silent for a few moments, mulling it over. "...Very well," his head tilted downwards before facing me, "but do keep this between us." "Of course," I nodded, showing a small smile. Sebastian lowered his voice to nearly a whisper. "Ominis learned Dark magic from his parents... Are you familiar with the Cruciatus Curse?" "Uh... yea," I blinked, my head recoiling a little. Crucio was one of the three Unforgivable Curses, specifically the one used for torture purposes. It caused unbelievable amounts of truly excruciating pain on its target without leaving any physical marks. While such a spell did seem like it could be useful in extreme circumstances, casting an Unforgivable on a human and being caught doing so was an instant life sentence in Azkaban... and Azkaban sounded like it was somehow even worse than Tartarus. Still... as intrigued as I was by these curses, the context in which it had come up gave me pause. "...Why?" "Apparently, his parents and his older siblings had no qualms about casting it on Muggles for sport," he shivered. "Ominis described the sounds of the victims' cries as horrific... so the first time he was asked to cast it himself as a child, he couldn't bring himself to do it. As punishment..." He paused for a moment to swallow uncomfortably. "...His family cast it on him. The anguish was so bad that when asked to cast it again, he... relented." My stomach dropped on the floor as I understood his words, as did my jaw. "They... t-they did that to their own son?! Their own brother?!" I gaped in horror. What the fresh hell?! No wonder Ominis doesn't like them! "When you told me he didn't like his family much, I wasn't expecting it was because they literally tortured him!" "Quite a few of the pureblood families are like that... I have repeatedly assured Ominis he did what he had to, but... he still hasn't forgiven himself," Sebastian sadly shook his head. "But... he was only a child! If he didn't after that, who knows what his parents might've done to him!" My jaw clenched, my eyes retracing the path Ominis had taken away from us. "That's... so unfair...!" "After that incident, the rift between Ominis and his family only grew... that is, until I came along. Every moment he isn't at Hogwarts, he's with us in Feldcroft. Ominis trusts me... and, more often than not, he winds up listening to me. I'll remind him of that when I follow up about the scriptorium." I considered this new information for a few moments, and came to a conclusion. "Well... he doesn't have to come with us, right?" "...No, I suppose not," he shook his head. "All I really need is the location of the entrance, and being a Gaunt, I'm almost positive Ominis knows where it is. I wouldn't ask him to come with us." "Then other than digging up trauma from his past experiences... I can't say I really see a problem here. It's not like the scriptorium is going to curse us if we go inside. Not to mention all of the lost knowledge we might find in there! That's worth it by itself, if you ask me." "Glad you get it," Sebastian smiled lightly, looking at me. "With the both of us working together, there's nothing to worry about. We can handle anything it might send our way." "Yea... don't worry. I'll keep you safe from the rats and spiders," I turned up my nose and placed my hands on my hips, grinning smugly. He chuckled at my pride and stood up from against the wall. "I'll make Ominis understand... he'll change his mind," his lips thinned. "Hope so... you've got me too excited about the prospect of this scriptorium now." We went our separate ways to prepare for our next class, but even as I did so, his words about Ominis' family experiences ate away at my mind. That poor guy... not only did his own family expect him to follow in their evil footsteps, but they brutally punished him for having a heart and a conscience. I'd heard plenty of things about the Gaunts through eavesdropping on the conversations of my classmates: they were notorious for their self-lauded connections to Salazar Slytherin, their vast knowledge of the Dark Arts, their legendary cruelty to all who weren't pureblooded, and their engaging in a frightening amount of incest to ensure they themselves remained "pure"... it was nothing short of a miracle Ominis had turned out as well as he had. I wonder... what if I had never lost my parents, and they were actually like that...? I shivered; I didn't particularly like where that train of thought was headed. And yet it barreled onward, prickling at the depths of my subconscious throughout the rest of the day. Through psychology, I had a clear picture of what parents were supposed to be like: full of mercy and compassion for their children, a source of endless warmth, protection and unconditional love, so filled with a desire to see them thrive that they would move heaven and earth for their child if something had gone desperately wrong. Celestia had been all that and more... or... ...She once had, anyway. And yet, even though she'd banished me from her castle, and disowned me as both protégé and daughter... what she had done was a slap on the wrist compared to what Ominis' family had done to him. I counted myself fortunate that Celestia would never have even dreamed of treating me as they had treated him, being such a paragon of ultimate goodness herself. In a sense... I could almost understand him. Almost. The possibilities of what lay within that scriptorium overrode my sympathy for him... Anyone who was afraid of new knowledge was a coward; a weak-minded, weak-willed, sniveling, mewling baby. It was undoubtedly worth further investigation, and if he couldn't discern that then it was his loss. ~ Tuesday began like any other school day. In Divination class, though, Professor Onai pulled me aside and told me that my birthday was coming up. Surprising, since I'd never told her, but also not since she was an actual Seer. "It is... the 19th, actually," I nodded. "Ah, exactly as I foresaw," Onai smiled. "As a gift, I like to give my students a Divination reading for their birthdays... are you interested?" "Yea, sure," I grinned. I'd never actually had my fortune told by a true Seer before... I'd always wondered how different it'd be from a cold-reading. Professor Onai had me sit across from her, with her crystal ball between us. Her hands gestured softly around the orb as she peered into its depths. "Ah, the day of the projector," she hummed. "Independent, spirited and outspoken, but also highly opinionated and stubborn. You love to partake in competition, yet you must take care not to sow strife and conflict wherever you go. Less-aware individuals can be terribly afraid of having the truth about themselves exposed." I unconsciously swallowed. "But another possibility is to drop out of sight, bettering themselves and their skills, before reemerging more successful than ever before! The only danger here is that while cloistered, they may stagnate or get involved in a lifestyle or family situation where they, in fact, never reemerge at all." Ah, that does make sense... I did throw myself through the Crystal Mirror for this world. Once I'd mastered both magic and the ancient magic here, I'd go back and show Celestia why I deserved to be made a princess... "You will make a good friend and family member, but you must also be careful not to be too critical of those close to you. Your harsh words wound far deeper than you imagine, since your opinions carry great weight." ... For whatever reason, my mind was dragged back to the trial I had faced. It took some effort to not shake the thought from my mind in front of her. That didn't count... that Celestia was just an illusion... "You must make an effort to break down your defensive reactions, particularly regarding your motives and actions. Now, being born on the 19th, you are ruled by the number 1... you are ambitious, dislike restraint, and demand first position. The 19th card of the Major Arcana is The Sun, symbolizing knowledge, vitality and good fortune. Both the number 1 and The Sun grant you strong solar influences, but you must take care not to misuse such power. Your contentiousness can arouse hostility in others, which ultimately may prove dangerous." I let out a reflective hum... it seemed that a reading from a Seer was much more on-the-nose than a charlatan, I had enough self-awareness to see that every detail she brought up was something I did identify within myself. Whether or not I agreed some of those qualities were negative, however, was where I drew the line. Professor Onai sat up from examining her crystal ball and smiled serenely. "I hope this has brought you some enlightenment, Miss Shimmer. Rest assured, I do not take any of the negatives into account when I speak with you - we all have our inner demons to fight. I leave you with this advice: Do not abuse your projective powers. Act with kindness and consideration. Show your real feelings... you don't have to always control the situation." Kindness? Consideration? Feh... but I guess the other stuff makes sense. "I see... I'll keep that in mind," I nodded slowly. "Thank you, Professor." And I did, still considering the reading as I ate my dinner. I didn't even notice Sebastian sitting down across from me, nor did I notice him trying to get my attention until he'd actually hit me in the forehead with a softly-thrown piece of bread roll. "Whaaat?!" I groused, glaring. "You're in a good mood," he smirked. "Or, at least you were." "Just got a good birthday reading from Professor Onai, that's all," I replied, throwing a piece of broccoli back at him. "Your birthday?" Sebastian drew back in surprise, ignoring the vegetable that fell into his lap. "It wasn't today, was it?" "Oh, no, not until Thursday," I shook my head. "...Why?" "Thursday, you say... do you have any plans?" "No, not really," I answered neutrally. Why? Are you going to give me something? Knowing you, it'd better be good. "Perfect. Then allow me to take you into Hogsmeade for the occasion," he insisted charmingly, a hand on his chest. "My treat." "Really? Then I'll be expecting a proper wining and dining out of you," I grinned, agreeing quickly. Nothing like free food and stuff for one's birthday, after all. ~ The day finally arrived - my 16th birthday. I woke up to see that a decently-large gift from Professor Fig had been left on my dresser, likely placed there by Deek. Unwrapping it revealed a short message wishing me a happy birthday and that he was proud of all he'd seen me accomplish in the short time we'd known each other, accompanying a pair of black boots and gloves. They were made from dragonhide, reinforced in places with goblin silver and enchanted to protect against many common offensive spells. I smiled at the thoughtfulness of the gift - I had no idea where he could've gotten these, nor how much they would've cost, but these would definitely come in handy the next time I had to fight a horde of goblins or poachers. It took me by surprise when Ominis wished me a happy birthday during Defense Against the Dark Arts, it wasn't like we were all that close... Sebastian probably mentioned it to him. Natty and Poppy made sure to find me during the day and said their birthday wishes as well; Natty giving me another box of candy with the elephant on a bicycle, and Poppy handing me a small book while giggling (the book turned out to be a rather saucy and amusing read called Fanny Hill, I was floored she of all people would get me something so shocking). And on occasion someone in my class would wish me the same, probably having heard of it from those in Professor Onai's class. I simply smiled at whoever had spoken and went on with my day. Finally, the school day ended. I studied in my Room for a little while until I heard the door open, Sebastian walking inside. "There you are... ready to go?" "Yea, let's go," I nodded, shutting my book and getting up. The flight to Hogsmeade was a bit cold, seeing how it was the middle of autumn now, but soon the two of us entered the Three Broomsticks. The fire in the hearth was roaring and radiating a pleasant heat that warmed me to my core, and the patrons inside the tavern were all curled up and cozy around tankards of Butterbeer and other drinks. "Ah, good to see you two again," Sirona greeted us warmly. "What's the occasion?" "Hello, Sirona. Today happens to be dear Sunset's birthday," Sebastian crooned, one hand reaching around and resting on my shoulder while the other gestured towards me. "Is that so? Happy birthday, Sunset," she smiled, bowing her head slightly. "In that case, the house special tonight is venison braised in a preserved cherry and red wine sauce with roasted root veg." "Ooh, that sounds nice, actually," I nodded eagerly. "Sit wherever you'd like," Sirona gestured. "I'll be right there with some Butterbeers." We took a seat near the fireplace and talked idly, barely noticing the drinks being brought to the table. At one point in the conversation Sebastian handed me a present - a very-obviously-a-book wrapped nicely in green paper. Before I could open it, though, he reached out and covered my hand with his. "Ah, best to open this somewhere private... perhaps when you return to your Room later on?" Is that so...? This must be a good book, then. "Alright... thank you, Seb." I grinned as he tried and failed to hide a blush, not even caring his hand seemed to linger for longer than it really needed to. We continued to talk up until Sirona reappeared with refills and our food, which smelled incredible - even better than what was usually served in the Great Hall. I hadn't had venison yet, and though it was gamey I also found it to have a rich flavor, perfectly enhanced by the sour-sweet sauce. While I ate, I couldn't help but notice Sebastian's table manners... unlike most of the others at the Slytherin table, he ate with all the proper forks and knives, with etiquette nearly as impeccable as my own. Surely he wasn't raised by royalty like I was, but the simple fact that he didn't eat as barbarically as the rest of our classmates had me slightly more curious about his upbringing. It was clearly a sophisticated one. After finishing the meal, Sirona brought out a shallow dish of one of her apparently-famous desserts - Shrivelfigs poached in red wine and spices with clotted cream. It tasted like something Celestia's best chefs could only dream of coming up with! "I had no idea you were such a fantastic chef," I complimented Sirona after we'd eaten our fill. "I enjoy cooking and experimenting in my spare time," she shrugged gracefully as she took our plates. "It's not often the customers ask for more than simple tavern fare, but I do like to offer something more distinguished for special occasions." "Thank you, Sirona. Wonderful, as always," Sebastian grinned as he handed over a small stack of Galleons. "Thank you for your business," she grinned softly in return. While Sirona left to put the money away Sebastian and I continued with our conversation from before, though we only got a few sentences into it before we both noticed a girl standing near the bar, staring at us. Her uniform marked her as a member of the Hufflepuff house. Once she'd seen that she had our attention, she shyly approached our table. "Um, hello... I'm Adelaide Oakes," the Hufflepuff girl introduced herself anxiously, primarily to me. Something was clearly on her mind. "Oh, dear... I feel terrible for asking you like this, but after everything I've heard about your brave exploits, I also feel as though you're the only one I could possibly turn to." "My brave exploits?" I raised an eyebrow. "Seems your reputation precedes you," remarked Sebastian. While I was mildly annoyed this random girl had the audacity to interrupt our meal... well, we had finished eating, I guess, and weren't really doing anything at the moment. "...Let's hear it," I grumbled, beckoning. Adelaide took a deep breath. "You see, my uncle Rowland is a metal trader who's quite well-known in the goblin community. He normally sends me owls every week when he's on his business travels... In his last owl, he alluded to dealings with those radical goblins, Ranrok's Loyalists... It's been ages since that owl and I'm worried, what with the troll attack here and the rumors that goblins may have been involved... well, I'm fearing the worst." Considering her tale, I winced in sympathy. "Yea, that... doesn't sound very good," I shook my head slowly. "Your uncle may very well be screwed." Adelaide's face paled. "Oh, no... well, you're still much more understanding than Professor Weasley was. She heard I was going to look for him and forbade me from leaving the grounds." "And yet, here you are," I smirked, the irony not lost on me. "Of course I am! She's convinced he can handle himself, but I can't concentrate on anything until I know he's alright!" she exclaimed. "I take it you and your Uncle Rowland are close?" asked Sebastian. "We are," Adelaide nodded, her voice lowering to nearly a whisper. "Uncle Rowland's looked after me for as long as I can remember. He knows I get anxious when he travels and that's why he sends me all the owls, to let me know that he's alright." She turned back towards me. "Please... I've heard you're nearly as adventurous as he is, may I be so bold as to ask you to find him? He should be in the area, but..." she trailed off to bite away a sob. "Well, if you say he should be close by... then I suppose I could use some excitement," I shrugged, glancing at Sebastian who mimicked my grin. "Alright... but you do owe me for this, I hope you realize." Adelaide's face lit up. "Thank you," she inhaled shakily, pulling out a piece of parchment from her robes. "He's very thorough in his record-keeping - notes all his trades in a journal, makes maps. In his last owl he drew me a map of his next stop... he'd planned to set up camp here," she pointed to an area southeast of Hogwarts before handing the map to me. I gave the map a once-over before handing it to Sebastian. "Do you know where this is?" "Indeed, I do," he nodded. "It's just by Brocburrow." "I do hope you're able to find out where he is... Thank you, again, for any help you can provide," moaned Adelaide. "Yea, yea..." I grumbled as I stood up from my seat. "Well, no time like the present. Shall we go on an adventure?" "If you wish... today is all about you, after all," Sebastian grinned. ~ The flight from Hogsmeade to Brocburrow was about twenty minutes, plenty of time for my meal to digest. As we flew together, Sebastian carefully checked and rechecked the map we'd been given for the landmarks where Rowland had set up his camp. Eventually he waved me over, and we stopped and hovered to survey the land. At the foot of a cliff a large tent had been set up, with crates and barrels of supplies arranged all around it. It appeared to have been a small mine of sorts, as there was a furnace and smelter right next to an opening in the cliff wall. A large, slow stream cut through the land about fifty feet away to the right, snaking past the cliffs and into a deep, barren gulch. From above, however, I could see figures moving about on the ground. Figures that were definitely not human. "If this is Mr. Oakes' campsite, we're in for trouble," Sebastian frowned. We landed behind some trees a good hundred feet away from the camp, peering through the underbrush to watch. A large number of goblins were rifling around in Rowland's possessions, searching for valuables and casually ignoring the fallen corpses of their comrades... likely leftovers from when Rowland had gone missing in the first place. "If I'd known I would be killing goblins today, I would've worn Fig's gift," I sighed, muttering to myself. "Oh, well." "Fig got you a gift?" "Sure did. I'll show you later, if you want," I replied. "Very well... Now, tread lightly, we're unwelcome guests here," he motioned as he cast Disillusionment on himself. I cast the spell on myself as well, and we crept closer until the first goblin was mere feet away. Almost in perfect unison, we each levitated a nearby crate and slammed them into either side of the hapless fool, squishing him like a bug. Before any of the rest of them could react, we both spun around and hurled the crates into more of them. The goblins descended on us in droves. We fended them off easily, dancing around each other in perfect synchronization as we fired spells at anything that moved. I created a wall of ice with Glacius to block a couple of melee attacks mid-swing, then as I swung around to fire a Depulso shockwave at an approaching group Sebastian mirrored my movements and shattered the ice with a Diffindo, razor-sharp shards slicing into the attackers' flesh like knives. He cast a mass Levioso at another group of goblins, then while he spun around to deflect an attack with Protego I spun behind him, cast Deprimo to create a huge crater and finished the floating goblins with Descendo, burying them under the earth. A number of crossbow bolts collided with his shield - I caught them all with an Arresto Momentum and sent them back where they'd come from, directly into the heads and throats of those who had fired them. He saw an axe whirling through the air towards my back and caught it in his magic, then in one smooth motion sent it flying straight into the offending goblin's abdomen with so much force it went flying back into a crate and stuck him to it a few feet off the ground. In all, the carnage lasted shortly longer than a mere minute. The ground around where we stood was painted with an explosion of blood. The two of us were silent for a few moments, simply catching our breath... I broke the silence first with a dark chuckle. Perhaps it was for her best interests that Celestia had broken up that underground dueling club... fighting was just so much fun. "Not scared to muddy your hands, are you?" Sebastian grinned, impressed. "Not at all," I smirked. "I do prefer to take a more... hands-on approach with solving such problems." He turned around to face me, the grin on his face suddenly falling. "...You're hurt," he stated rather matter-of-factly, pointing towards my arm. I looked down, surprised to see a short but deep gash in my upper left arm, wet red oozing from it and staining the severed edges of my cloak's sleeve. Apparently I hadn't even noticed getting cut during the fight, but now that I'd seen it it began to sting. Even so, it wasn't really anything worth worrying about... I'd suffered worse before. "Ow... when did that happen? Those little bastards," I grumbled, raising my wand. "How dare they make me bleed my own blood." "Here, I'll take care of it," he said as he gently lifted my arm with one hand, pointing his wand at the wound with the other. "Episkey." I blinked as the wound burned for a moment, cauterizing itself shut. He then followed it up with a quick Scourgify to remove the blood, then a Reparo to mend the tear in my cloak. I flexed my arm once he let go, surprisingly quite pleased with the results. It was like nothing had ever happened at all. "Thanks," I nodded to him. Sebastian nodded in return, though the smile quickly slid from his face as we resumed our search. "If Mr. Oakes was here, there's no sign of him now," he sighed. "No... let's look around," I suggested. We poked around the camp for a few minutes, searching for anything that might've belonged to the man. While I was rummaging through his belongings in the large tent, I heard Sebastian calling me over. He was hunched down on the ground near some of the smelting equipment by the cliff. "His journal left behind... this can't be good," he mumbled, picking it up. I peeked over his shoulder as he opened it to its last entry. Ranrok's lot agreed to meet, but I do feel a tad uneasy. They amended their requests and were angry when I asked questions. I overheard some of their plans in Gobbledegook... they're after my rare metal deposits that are suitable for drilling. I'm afraid of upsetting them further - they seem rather volatile, but I need this transaction to happen. Perhaps we can work out a compromise... Perhaps not. "Looks like they didn't come to an agreement," I remarked. Sebastian turned the page, revealing another map on the back of the entry. It led past a few detailed landmarks towards what looked to be the ruins of an abandoned keep. "Oakes is an experienced trader, he marked this map for a reason," he muttered, tapping the image of the keep. "My guess is that this keep is where the goblins are camping out. I believe the stream in this map is right over there." "Let's go," I nodded, already headed towards it. There was a path alongside the stream, and we followed it upwards through the gulch, walking in silence for a little while as the wind rustled through the trees. Butterflies and grasshoppers flitted about in the late October evening, catching the last of the sun's warmth before nesting for the night in the sparse tall grass. The dying light bathed the canyon in golden hues, but the air grew chilly as the light slowly receded over time. "I have to admit, it's quite picturesque out here," he hummed, glancing around. "Babbling brook and all." I nodded in agreement. "Too bad it isn't a bit warmer, though," I grumbled, pulling tightly on the sides of my cloak. "Autumn's definitely not my favorite season... just means it's gonna be cold and wet for nine months straight." "I could lend you my cloak, if you'd like." "Such a gentleman... but nah," I shook my head with a mischievous grin. "Then I'd wind up smelling awful like you." "Hey! I take great pride in my appearance, I'll have you know... and that includes the way I smell!" Sebastian rumbled playfully as he stripped off his cloak. "Just for that... c'mere, you're going to wear it!" "Ack! Nooo!" I laughed as I ran ahead of him, the cloak billowing clumsily as he chased me a few hundred feet. He was slightly faster than me and managed to toss the cloak over my head like a net, and I screeched as I hastily balled it up and threw it back at his face. For a few moments we just stood there, giggling like a pair of idiots. Adoration. Merriment. Happiness. Affection. As though we were still fighting together in sync, his emotions perfectly matched my own. When I looked at him, sometimes I could swear I saw a lot of myself in him... I'd never met such a delightful person in all my life, someone I didn't actually mind hanging out with all the time. ...! The sudden realization of what the exact hell I was thinking turned my laughter into a coughing fit. Sebastian's own laughter cut itself short as he leaned in, likely wondering if I was okay or if I was going to keel over in a moment... I waved him off. What's wrong with me... why the hell do I feel the same way he does...?! "...I think I swallowed a bug," I lied, croaking the words out. He broke out into even harder laughter, stumbling forward as we resumed our way down the road. We passed by the landmarks along the way - a rock formation after ten minutes, then a crooked tree sticking out from beneath a boulder five minutes later, and then the ruins of a tower another ten minutes later. The elevation climbed subtly - by the time we'd finally reached the keep, the both of us were out of breath. "Guh... remind me why we didn't just fly here?" I whined, leaning against a tree. Sebastian opened his mouth to reply, but something must've caught his eye, because he dashed behind the tree and dragged me along with him. "I saw movement higher up in the keep," he muttered. "Goblins?" He nodded. I cast a silent Cobolorum Revelio to see how many there were... the entire keep was crawling with them. "Ooh... that's a lot to deal with." "Well, not with the two of us working together," he smirked. "Nah... this'll be fun," I matched his expression, twining my fingers together and flexing them outwards. We cast Disillusionment on ourselves and began working our way into the keep. At first our spells started out simple - a silent Diffindo to decapitate a patrolling goblin, a Flipendo to fling another one headfirst down a well, an Accio to drag one towards us away from his partner, followed immediately by Transfiguring him into a rock and flinging it at his partner's head. After climbing a ladder to the keep's second floor, however, there were far too many goblins to pick off sneakily. Now Sebastian and I changed tactics, and almost in perfect unison we broke our charms and began raining terror upon the unwitting enemies. His Descendo brought an entire section of wall crashing down on a group of them, and when the dust had settled I picked up the debris in my magic, flinging half of it towards other goblins while the rest spun around us in a defensive whirlwind. I heard the plinks of crossbow bolts striking the pieces of stone, allowing me to pick out snipers in the distance. "Alarte Ascendare!" I called out, pointing with my wand. The goblin snipers yelled in horror as they suddenly rocketed up high into the air, plummeting back down when the spell ended seconds later. I didn't let them touch the ground, instead I shot pieces of the whirlwind at them, forcefully enough that I could hear their bones crack from all the way over here. Meanwhile, Sebastian cast Arresto Momentum on another group of goblins charging towards us, chuckling darkly before spinning gracefully and casting Diffindo to cleave the lot of them in two. Not to be outdone, I focused on another group of goblins approaching from the rear. With one swift motion I raised my wand, the stone floor beneath them suddenly bending upwards in half and clapping together like a giant book being closed, crushing them under the weight and force. Lowering my wand opened the two halves back up and returned it to its original state; I then Transfigured the corpses into swords and heaved them at yet another group that had amassed below us. The blades rained down upon them, skewering them in their heads and torsos. "Bombarda!" I heard Sebastian shout, followed shortly by a massive explosion and a violent earthquake, the remainder of the whirlwind clattering to the ground at my sides. Turning around, I saw that he'd succeeded in razing an entire section of the keep with the single spell, a couple of goblin limbs sticking out of the rubble almost comically. I glanced around for more movement, but saw none. For now, it would seem that we had cleared the entire keep. Behind me Sebastian breathed hard with exertion, chuckling in a growing crescendo. "You and I, are unstoppable!" he cackled, grinning widely. I couldn't help but smile in return... something about the way he laughed in the face of danger was... oddly endearing. "You're right... we're a pretty good team, you and I," I tilted my head, smirking at him. Finally, we reached the entrance to the keep. The door had been left unlocked by the last goblin to have used it. We recast our Disillusionment Charms, then I cast a Muffling Charm on the door in case it was squeaky. Inside, the ruins glowed with firelight. Lit braziers and torches lined the hallways, shadows dancing and flickering along the walls. We tiptoed our way forward, the interior of the keep largely empty. It wasn't until we'd turned a few corners that we finally found three more goblins standing watch in a large room. They shifted from side to side nervously, likely having heard or even felt the carnage we'd wrought outside. "It's punishment to us all to have that miserable human around," one of them grumbled, gesturing towards a large metal door installed in the stone wall, covered in gears and pistons. That must be Rowland. "Would you like to take the lead on this one?" I whispered to Sebastian. "As you wish," he replied. Not even two seconds later, the wooden platform one of the goblins was standing on crumbled, dropping him to the floor on top of the other two. Before they could recover, their bodies began to float up into the air, and then they suddenly shot off into the walls and ceiling at a high speed, ricocheting off every surface with a crack or a thud. After maybe ten seconds of this, Sebastian ended their misery by letting them collide into each other and drop to the ground, then he levitated the bodies into a barrel and flipped it into a nearby brazier. "Learning from me, are you?" I giggled, amused by the overkill. "A true gentleman always keeps his lady entertained." I snorted at the sentiment - though I couldn't see him, I could definitely sense the sheer level of smugness dripping from him. Since no one else was around, I went ahead and canceled my Disillusionment Charm, prompting him to do the same. I cast a silent Alohomora at the door, but nothing seemed to happen. Hmm... that's odd. There was a small slot near the bottom of the door, probably for shoving food through. I kneeled down and slid it open. "Hello? Mr. Oakes?" I whisper-shouted, peering through the slot. I couldn't see anyone, but I could hear frantic shuffling, like someone quickly standing up from lying down. "Yes! I'm here!" a man's voice replied, shouting from the opposite side of the cell. I heard footsteps quickly approaching, then saw Rowland himself as he kneeled down and looked through his side of the slot. "They've taken my wand! This cell has an enchanted lock - I have experience with these locks, but need my wand to have any chance of opening it!" "Ah... that's why," I mumbled to myself. "Look for a boiler door... I've heard them speak of it," he uttered. I nodded in confirmation before moving away. "Where are we going to find a boiler door in this keep?" complained Sebastian. "Guess we're just gonna have to pick this place apart until we find it," I shrugged. We recast Disillusionment on ourselves and began the long, silent search for Rowland's wand and a boiler door. The keep was largely deserted, almost like our earlier assault had forced the vast majority of them outside to defend themselves. I kept careful track of Sebastian's footsteps to my side... a small part of me worried that since we couldn't see each other, we might wind up separated. But no matter where I walked I always heard him right behind me, like my own shadow. After a half-hour of searching, we finally happened upon the main chamber of the keep. A strange, circular-shaped metal door sat at the far end, with a long pipe leading from just below it all the way to the right and on an upper level. Following it, the pipe was attached to what appeared to be a giant pot on top of a large unlit brazier. I stood there for a moment, regarding the strange contraption. "Hmm... goblins use steam power, do they?" "They have to. They aren't supposed to have access to wizard magic," said Sebastian. "Right... I'll admit, it's an interesting concept," I shrugged as I casually cast a Confringo at the brazier, lighting it. "Everyone loves steampunk, after all." "...What is 'steampunk'?" he asked, the confusion thick in his voice. I nearly slapped myself in the forehead once I'd realized why. "Ah, never mind... just something from my homeland." As the heat from the fire grew stronger, I heard liquid begin to bubble and boil inside the giant pot. Steam leaked through a few minute cracks in the pipe, a hissing noise traveling along its length all the way to the door. By the time we'd backtracked to reach it, gears and knobs on the door spun and clicked, and it swung open in two pieces to reveal another large room. It appeared to be the actual throne room to the keep, and a large number of goblins were gathered inside. "I'd wager these are the last of them," he said quietly. "Shouldn't be any problem at all." "Don't you feel kinda sorry for them? They have no idea what's about to hit them," I chuckled devilishly. I could feel Sebastian looking at me, and we answered in unison, shaking our heads... "...Nah." We snuck inside and crept behind a pillar, peering out to watch our enemies go about their business. Some of them were nervous, having heard muffled noises of destruction outside and felt the keep shake. One particular goblin was trying to keep them in line with threats about what he or Ranrok would do to them if they abandoned their posts... I decided he would be the first to go. I waited until he wandered underneath an old chandelier made from splintering wood and cast iron. A quick flick of my wand severed its chain and sent it plummeting - right as it crashed down on top of him, Sebastian Transfigured the table just in front of the heap into a barrel of gunpowder and set it off with a Confringo. Shards of wood and metal flew everywhere, piercing a few of the nearby goblins. The explosion sent the rest of them into a panic. Our Disillusionment Charms lapsed as we stepped out from behind the pillar and began firing spells at them. A wave of my wand caused long, thin iron spears to shoot up from the floor and fall from the ceiling, while a wave of his sent bricks flying from the left and right walls into their opposites, where they morphed and melted back into the rest of the keep to fire off again. The lethal maze we'd created made short work of them, skewering goblins to the ceiling where they slid down off the spears and dropped with unceremonious thuds beside those that had been pinned to the ground or suffered a swift brick to the side of the head. Now that the goblins were all dead, we searched the chamber and its side rooms. In an office, Rowland's wand was sitting neatly on a desk. "Finally... now we can get him out," I breathed. We jogged back the way we came until we were back outside Rowland's cell. "We've got your wand, Mr. Oakes," Sebastian yelled as we skidded to a stop just in front of the cell door. "Please, pass me my wand!" Rowland yelled, sticking his arm through the slot as much as he could. "I can't get out of this damned cell without it!" I placed the wand in his hand, and he yanked his arm back through. "My wand... oh, thank Merlin, thank you!" A few moments later the gears and pistons on the door moved on their own, and it swung open. Rowland strode out of the cell, dressed in a disheveled but sharp suit and top hat, with a flawlessly-molded handlebar moustache. "You did it! Found my wand and- ...wait, are you two students?! We must get you to safety, immediately! It's dangerous-" "Students?! We just saved your sorry arse," I grunted. "We've taken care of all the goblins here," Sebastian replied in a kinder tone. "There's no danger anymore." "Dear Merlin... you're either very lucky, or very talented!" Rowland gaped. "How did you find me?" "Adelaide asked me... she was worried about your dealings with Ranrok's Loyalists," I answered. "Oh, she was right to be... I couldn't go through with the agreement, and when I told them, I ended up blindfolded and behind bars," he sighed. "Been locked in that infernal cell for so long they'd forget I was even there! I... overheard things." "Like what, exactly?" asked Sebastian. "A sad tale, really," Rowland glanced at the floor. "I think I know where Ranrok's unfortunate vendetta against wizardkind began." "Oh?" An origin story definitely piqued my interest. "Do continue." "Although dragon breeding was outlawed by the Warlocks' Convention of 1709, Ranrok stumbled upon an illegal dragon camp. He was young... found the creatures fascinating. He'd visit the camp in secret whenever he could, never making his presence known. After weeks of his sly surveillance, he finally summoned the courage to speak to the wizard in charge. Ranrok wanted to join them... and the creatures. The wizard happened to drop his wand - Ranrok saw an opportunity! He picked it up, and went to hand it back as a means of introducing himself." "Uh huh..." Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Sebastian grimace, his face full of disdain. "The sight of a goblin with a wand sent the wizard into an instant rage... He beat Ranrok nearly to death. Ever since, Ranrok has despised wizardkind... sees us all as cruel." "Well... I suppose I can see his point, in that case," I hummed in contemplation. "Then again, this was an illegal dragon breeding camp... that wizard probably would've done the same to anyone, goblin or not." "Indeed," Rowland nodded. "Alas, it had to have happened to Ranrok, and now look where we all are..." Beside me, Sebastian shook his head with a grunt. Foolish creature. "If only I could reward you both for what you've done... blasted goblins stole every Knut on me. All I can say is thank you, truly." "Eh, consider the story you told us my payment," I shrugged. "At any rate, you should probably send Adelaide a letter as soon as you can, she's worried sick about you." "And I, her... She's become quite savvy to my trading habits, always analyzing my detailed owls," he smiled, though it quickly fell to a sigh. "...If only I hadn't resorted to trading with such fiends... a lesson I shan't soon forget. Having my wand back is like being reunited with an old friend. I must return home and inform Adelaide of my safety... will you two be alright?" "I... kinda think we've killed every goblin within a mile of here," my lips thinned as I shared a glance with Sebastian. "You just get back to your niece." "Oh, I'm anxious to see her. And then I plan to travel far from here for my next round of trading," said Rowland. "Thank you, both of you... may life reward you justly for your deeds. Be well, friends!" And with that lengthy farewell, he Apparated out of the room with a pop. "Mr. Oakes was lucky... Ranrok's lot would never have freed him," Sebastian frowned, shaking his head. "He's in the wrong business entirely, in my opinion." "No kidding," I agreed. "Lucky for him I decided to go on this little quest for Adelaide's sake. Let's get out of here." ~ It was twilight as we exited the keep. We pulled out our brooms and flew up into the sky, back towards Hogwarts. It was a couple of minutes before I glanced over at Sebastian, and noticed a big, dumb smile on his face. "...What's up with you?" I raised an eyebrow. He simply looked at me. "Just thinking... you know, despite your merciless and frightening demeanor, you've actually quite a kind heart deep down. I never would have expected you'd agree to help poor Adelaide find her uncle." I recoiled in disgust at the sentiment and opened my mouth to argue, but I blinked before any words could form. Kind...? Perhaps Professor Onai's reading had been much more accurate than I'd anticipated. Agh... I don't want to be kind and considerate! I don't do kind or considerate! When had I become such a sap, willing to help others out for no gain of my own? Is it that ancient magic's doing?! It was lucky for it that I really wanted that power... otherwise I'd forget about the whole thing and go back to solely looking out for number one. ...Well, I guess I did gain a little information. Not sure how it'd help me in the future, but... "...She owes me big for this," I muttered under my breath. Though I wasn't quite sure how I'd collect on this favor... or if I ever would.