POV ADA MARROW
Right after we were released from detention, Sebastian and I hurried out of the castle along the road to Hogsmeade.
"The Portrait said his name was Eldritch Diggory, we're looking for his Great Niece Helen Thistlewood. He said her home is in Upper Hogsfield and that he'd go and tell her to expect my arrival but I'm sure she wouldn't mind you tagging along." I was feeding him what was told to me as we walked.
"How exactly would those missing pages solve a cold case?" Sebastian questioned, arms crossed over his chest as he watched me rather intently.
"He said that his Great Niece believes it will exonerate the girl that was falsely accused of this boy's death but he couldn't give specifics."
"Well that specific hamlet is a good twenty minute walk..." Sebastian murmured, hand rubbing along his neck, "So Ominis told me you forgave him."
I glanced at him, "Really there was nothing to forgive. We all make mistakes and really I couldn't stand seeing his face like that."
"Like what?" Sebastian asked, glancing at me. I clasped my hands behind my back as we continued the walk.
"When he let go of me... he's rather expressive. He looked shocked and then disgusted with himself. It's why I could forgive him so easily..." My voice trailed off to silence.
"Yes that does sound like him, he tries so hard to be better than those he's forced to be around." Sebastians' voice had also grown quiet.
"He told me about his family being Dark Wizards, that he detests Dark Magic. I can't imagine what it's like for him to be around those who use it so often."
"Yes, well, he has his reasons for disliking it. Seeing as they abuse it at every turn."
"I take it you don't agree with him?" I glanced at him.
"Ominis has good reasons, but I feel Dark Magic is only frowned upon because of those who wish to use it for nefarious reasons. I wish he'd see it the way I see it but I won't be holding my breath anytime soon." That conversation went on, even to him promising to teach me some more spells one of these days when we're free. Though once we passed through Hogsmeade we were halted,
"Hufflepuff girl, brown hair and a scar on her cheek." I heard a man muse. Walking onto the path from behind a cluster of trees.
"Rookwood will be pleased." His face was hidden by a skull mask, "you finally left the castle and all you have is your little friend."
I pulled out my wand, Sebastian following my lead. Trails of smoke touched down all around us revealing more Ashwinders. Sebastian moved his back pressed to mine.
"I'm most definitely teaching you more spells after our little trip." His tone was flat, more likely annoyed now that we were stopped.
"We can speak about that later." I stated, "Less words and more action." I saw one cast and I yelled out, "Protego!" The spell bounced off.
"Remember! We need her alive, the boy not so much." One called out.
"A Sallow never backs down from a fight and I'm not against wrecking you lot into the dirt." He was always so confident in himself even as he let out a series of spells at the ones facing him. His roster was bigger than mine, launching spells I'd never heard of before.
One attempted to grab at me, "Depulso!" I sent him flying back down the hill side.
"Expelliarmus!" Launching his wand from his hand then, "ACCIO!" I snatched his wand from mid air. Then, smashed it with my heel.
"My wand!"
"You idiots, they're children, get them already!"
I blocked a spell, "Confringo!" I countered back sending one to the ground screaming as he tried to put out the magic fire on his chest.
"Imperio!" I heard I tried shielding but it busted through hitting me directly, I felt light. Like nothing mattered, my hand slipped dropping my wand, was Sebastian calling for me? I was only slightly aware of an arm wrapping me to keep me against a body.
"Bombarda Maxima!" The ground shook, in an instant it felt like I was surrounded in an inferno, then panic set in. As the calmness was yanked away. I gasped my head looking at my surroundings. The surrounding ground and now ruined bodies of the Ashwinders surrounded us.
"Merlin's beard, are you alright?"
"What... Sebastian what happened?"
"They casted the Imperius curse on you. They ordered you to them and I had to act quickly." He looked around at the area, "may have not been my brightest move. The path is destroyed..." he still had an arm wrapped firmly around my waist.
"Sebastian... I'm not um, cursed anymore... you can let go of my waist." He glanced down to me then lower.
"Right, right I'm sorry." His hand left my waist and I relaxed, letting out a soft sigh. "Damn they have what you look like down to a T. How many Hufflepuffs look like you?" He asked, he knew the answer, none. Especially with the scar on my face.
"I suppose I'd look closest to Poppy." I murmured, though the scar is the difference between us both.
"Now that I look at you, you do sort of look like her but she's got freckles and her hair is longer than yours by an inch." The similarities between us was a bit disconcerting.
"I think I should warn her next time I see her."
"Yes I do believe that would be a good idea." His hand rested on my back leading me over the broken up path.
"Shouldn't we repair this?"
"And risk an adult coming across us? I think not, someone else can fix it." He huffed, then seemed to flinch.
"What's wrong?" I asked, eyes widening.
"Nothing that you need to worry your pretty little head over." He smiled at me and I stopped grabbing his wand hand. It was most definitely bruising.
"My God, Sebastian, what happened to your hand?" I was quick to pull out a Wiggenweld for him to drink.
He grimaced, watching me pull out the potion, "Oh please those taste rank." He groaned.
"Did casting that spell do this?"
"I haven't really mastered it yet. I mean not like I can practice anywhere it would take down the entire Undercroft." I popped open the bottle and handed it to him.
"Drink it."
"Really this isn't necessary."
"Drink it or I'll make you drink it."
He scoffed, "You couldn't overpower me even if you wanted to." I glared at him, his eyes flicking from me to the vial. "Fine, fine you win Ada." He took it and downed the concoction, "Ugh that's horrible!" He used his sleeve to clean off his mouth.
"Yes but your hand will be healed up. I can't believe you used a spell you didn't have full control over."
"I had control over it! If you haven't noticed we have all of our limbs." He was being cheeky now, and I couldn't help but laugh.
"Oh yes, of course it could have been much worse!"
POV SEBASTIAN SALLOW
Despite my hand being healed I could still feel the ache. I had been desperate, the moment they took control of her all rational thoughts shut off and my body and mouth moved on its own. What I did was incredibly reckless, it could have ended with both of us dead along with the Ashwinders.
I didn't regret it though, her being captured while she was under my charge wasn't an option. It would never be an option.
"Sebastian?" Her voice carried, since we had moved on from that incident it had been very quiet, "How's your hand?"
"My hand? Just fine actually, I mean it aches but I'll live. I'm quite lucky you had a potion on you because I most definitely wasn't ready for today." I gave her a side glance, her lips were pressed into a thin line, eyes looking down at her wand.
"You're quite lucky it didn't get damaged." I commented, incredibly lucky that I hadn't fucked up her first wand, they're not exactly cheap.
"I'm not worried about my wand, I didn't realize such magic like that even existed."
"Yes, it's an unforgivable... it can't be repelled by counter magic but lucky you the Imperius curse can be fought against. If your willpower is strong enough that is." She looked up at me.
"Is there a way I can train to resist it?" I was silent for a time watching her, they were after her.
"The only way I can think you could train is to have it cast on you until you can break it on your own. It's powerful mind magic and not everyone has the willpower to overcome it." I was quiet as I said it, I would not dare offer to cast it on her, "We can speak more about it when we return to Hogwarts."
We were already arriving to the Hamlet. She looked as if she wanted to continue this conversation but it was lively for the evening. People were everywhere and I most definitely did not want an Adult ratting us out to our Professors.
"You know where this Auror lives, correct?"
"Yes, he said it was the first elevated house you come across." She murmured, leading me not too far into the village. She knocked at the door and opened it, "Hello? Helen Thistlewood? You're Great-Uncle sent us."
"Yes and I am right here young one!" She walked in and I followed in after her, "You brought a companion with you!" The portrait sounded surprised.
"Yes this is Sebastian Sallow, he's a friend and he knows the area much better than I do. He's come to help me." Suddenly an older woman popped her head from behind a curtain.
"Ah there you are! Come in and sit down, I have tea." Ada smiled at her and nodded, going to sit at the table. I followed suit sitting down with her, an Ex-Auror was serving us tea.
"You're Great Uncle said something about the book I found and their missing pages may be able to help solve a murder?" She asked.
"Yes, Decades ago a boy called Richard Jackdaw vanished when he went to meet a girl named Anne. They never found his body." I listened intently to her, then watched Ada pour some cream into her tea then add a few sugar cubes. Two... Three, four. She really loved her tea sweet didn't she.
"His headless ghost briefly appeared in Hogsmeade, wholly unaware of how he died. Anne was convicted for his murder and sent to Azkaban." My brows furrowed.
"Surely there was more evidence than that to convict her for murder?" I asked, slightly appalled.
"She was mainly convicted by testimony from Apollonia Black. I think she was jealous of Anne." The woman sounded equally as frustrated as I felt.
"Of course it's a Black." I murmured, the Headmaster awful and I couldn't imagine what the rest of his family was like.
"Well that's awful to hear but I don't see how I can help in this matter." Ada stated, she sipped her tea. I sipped mine, tasting the bitterness of the leaves and soothing warmth down my throat.
"Annes' alibi was labrthyine. Jackdaw had promised her adventure...To follow a map that he had stolen off of Peeves." Helen explained, pouring her own cup now, sitting down across from us.
"Of course it's Peeves, it's always that Bloody Poltergeist." I murmured while sipping my tea again.
"So you think the pages Jackdaw had came from the book I found?"
"Exactly, at least that's what's to be believed by the portraits at Hogwarts... Anne insisted that Jackdaw would only let her go with him if she solved a series of puzzles he left for her. Such an odd way to woo a girl." I would disagree, it sounded fun and if the girl was the adventurous type wandering to find puzzles would have been perfect.
"She swears however that she never even solved the first puzzle." Miss. Thistlewood added sugar cubes to her tea, mixing it with a small spoon. "Jackdaw's ghost also vanished just as soon as it appeared, so without those pages, the puzzle or remains Anne was convicted solely on Apollonias' testimony."
"That's not right." I heard Ada murmur, I also felt bad for the poor girl. She had been in Azkaban for decades based on hearsay, "But what can I do exactly?" Ada murmured, brows furrowing. What could Ada do for her, Professor Fig had the book. We didn't have the pages.
"I believe that Anne has solved the first riddle by now, but she won't speak to anyone she doesn't trust and she trusts no one. My hope is that if you, someone with a connection to the pages like Jackdaw had were to speak to her. She'll tell you."
My eyes widened, "Surely you aren't suggesting taking Ada to Azkaban?" I was surprised, and now on edge. I had only heard stories about the place but with Dementors scouring every hall it would be dangerous.
"That is exactly what I'm suggesting, I can apparate us to the cell block that's containing Anne and I can protect you from the Dementors." I opened my mouth to argue, like hell we were going there of all places.
"I'll go, if it means that I can find proof of Anne's innocence, I'll go and speak to her."
"Like Bloody Hell you are." I interjected, brows raised at her, "It's much too dangerous for us let alone you to be wandering about the cell blocks of Azkaban."
"You don't get to make that decision for me, Sebastian." Ada bit back, she looked serious. She had a glare in her eyes towards me.
"If you're going then I'm going with you." I set the tea down, "I refuse to let you out of my sight." I saw her roll her eyes at me, was she annoyed? She was annoyed with me. "Don't roll your eyes, may I remind you you're entirely new to this world. If we get stuck in Azkaban we can never get out."
"You have nothing to worry about Mr. Sallow. I've escorted plenty of people through that wretched place. I can keep you both safe." Helen interjected, she had a cool look to her.
"Let's go now then." Ada stood up, setting her tea down, "before it gets too late. I don't fancy getting locked out of the Castle."
Helen Thistlewood nodded to us, "Steady yourselves you two, we'll apparate together." I finished off the tea, downing it back. I got to my feet and stood with the two, taking the Retired Aurors hand as Ada held onto her other one.
It was instantaneous, one second we were in Miss. Thistlewoods' cozy little home in a hamlet and the next we were in the chilly confines of this blasted prison. The cool air seeped over my spine and I saw Ada, bent over and disoriented from her first apparition. Her hands resting on her knees as she heaved.
"That was awful." She whimpered, I could only nod. I had gone through the same thing that she had when I was younger. When Solomon had apperated Anne and I to his home in Feldcroft. I went to her and patted her back.
"The nausea will pass Ada." My eyes wandered, spotting the first glimpse of a Dementor. A wave of despair overcame me. Never had I felt so hopeless, not in control as the Dementors gathered into the block.
"Expecto Patronum!" My head snapped over looking at the Auror as a bright rabbit appeared from her wand running out along the air. It seemed that was enough to scare them all off.
"That will deter them for some time, quickly you two. This way, remember Anne has been here for a while, be kind and respectful."
I kept Ada close to me seeing the Witches and Wizards threaten us from their cells, I had my jaw set, hand going to grab hers. Glaring at a man who had tried to make a pass at her. Disgusting. Though there was something I'd need to reflect about myself. If anyone knew of my extracurricular activities with Unforgivable curses this is where I'd end up.
—-
The time was quick and Ada's talk with Anne was cryptic. I didn't know what she was babbling about but Ada seemed to know right away. Even when Miss. Thistlewood was attacked by Anne and apparated us back outside her house safely Ada was only concerned about finding the cave and solving the puzzle.
Finding it really wasn't that hard and neither was solving it, that Anne girl really wasn't that bright. We even found a note Jackdaw had left for her.
"Seems' she was telling the truth, she never figured out the first puzzle." I mused at this, Jackdaw seemed to have caught the attention of the wrong girls with this one.
"Hmm, The forbidden forest? It feels like another dead-end." I followed her out as she looked over the note. Trying to get a clue as to where we needed to go next. "It would take weeks for us to find whatever place he was looking for." I sighed, eyes closing, then I bumped into Ada. I grabbed her shoulders, eyes opening as I saw a Ghost gawking at us.
"Could it be? After all these years, has someone finally solved my puzzle?" He sounded elated.
"You're Jackdaw!" Ada cried out, she had a look of surprise on her face.
"That I am!"
"An ex-Auror told us about you and Anne told us as well! Where have you been all this time?"
"Where have I been? That's my puzzle you solved and I've been traveling around the world trying to mend my broken heart." I couldn't help but roll my eyes at the Ghost.
"Well your sudden disappearance after appearing in Hogsmeade as a ghost left Anne to be convicted for your murder. She's been stuck in Azkaban." I stated rather dryly towards him.
"W-What?! Azkaban, Oh no Anne... I didn't know I had thought she just written me off. Where is this Auror, I must speak with her so Anne can be free from that cursed place."
"Before you go!" Ada interjected, "Can you tell us where the pages you stole from peeves are?"
"I didn't steal them from peeves that Poltergeist was wreaking havoc and dropped them onto the floor but yes I suppose they'd be with my body. I can show you both how to get to the cave I found but I'm afraid I'm not quite ready to come to terms with my death. Meet me at the edge of the Forbidden forest."
POV ADA MARROW
Even when Jackdaw left us to find our own way and when we were attacked yet again this time by Ranrok Loyalists, Sebastian stayed by my side. Seeing it through to the very end. He was marveled by the display of Ancient Magic, seeing the bridge repair itself as he fought through those hoards of spiders and his shock when those statues came to life before us and attacked.
It was difficult, extensive and even Sebastian felt out of his element. The last statue fell and it was just us, panting, surrounded by rubble.
"I... Take it this is how you got that nasty haircut?" He let out a breath, starting to straighten out his back.
"Yes and it's also how I got the scar on my cheek." I glance around, eyes landing back to Jackdaws skeleton, "Finally found them. Thank you for keeping the pages safe for us Richard." I took my sweet time walking over and gathering the pages while Sebastian waited. Looking over all of the architecture.
"This place is amazing." He murmured, "if only Anne could see this." I looked to him and smiled,
"I wish you'd tell me more about her."
"You'll get to meet her soon enough, promise!" He was beaming at me, then looked back at the door, "I don't think we're getting out the way we came in." He commented, I looked back to the door still seeing it firmly shut behind us. Then I looked forward to a familiar archway.
"This way Sebastian." I pocketed the pages and started for the archway. He followed, eagerly watching to see what would happen next. I stood in the spot overflowing with ancient magic. Feeling it over flowing me, almost consuming me as my body moves. Waving the wand sent a shock through the room as the portal came to life.
I took his hand and quickly led him through it. He may not beagle to see the magic but he could definitely go through it. "Stay close to me."
"Shouldn't I be the one saying that?" He looked around the hall as we walked and once we stepped into a cave like corridor the doors shut. Water started flooding but with him beside me a magic barrier surrounded us keeping the water from touching our feet.
"Oh lovely, I suppose we won't be dying today." He jests at me, "Perhaps next weekend?"
"Oh it would have to be farther in the future, Sebastian. I'm afraid my weekend is booked out with Ominis and Leander." I looked at him, smiling brows wiggling at him.
"Ominis I understand, but Leander? Are you alright, did he spike your drink with amortentia?" He elbowed me playfully and sighed in relief as we exited the door, leaving the water filled room.
"Yes I know, but he asked me out on a date and was insistent I at least give him one chance." I saw him roll his eyes at that.
"You deserve so much better than that Snit."
"Oh and who do I deserve Mr. Sallow." I teased back, "Surely you don't mean Garreth Weasley."
"Oh no that's even worse!" It was a mock outrage coming from him though it stopped once we made it into the main chamber. We were both silent looking over the area and to the large Portraits. As I approached they revealed their background and the first Keeper appeared before us.
Percival Rackham looked down to us with a pleased smile. "You're much younger than I expected."