Ominis always looked forward to Potions, to its intriguing ingredients and its soothing melody of bubbling cauldrons. In Potions, his extra perceptive touch and smell and hearing were actually useful. He dearly wished to excel at Potions, but feared most of the time his creations weren't anywhere near measuring up to a true potions master. So when he actually finished his brewing assignment right before class ended, he was elated; he wouldn't have to continue into lunch. He rubbed at his robe pocket where he had stored his new gloves. His chest swelled at the thought of his friends going out of their way to watch out for him. He turned his head, listening to Sebastian and Anne debating.

'Think about what you could do with a sticking charm, though,' Sebastian said.

'A permanent sticking charm is nothing to play around with,' Anne countered.

'But you could…'

'Amelia Wright used it on her earrings. Do you remember how long it took Madam Blainey to get them off? Amelia had to wear the same earrings for months!'

'Amelia is a silly twit. Of course you shouldn't use it for things like that.'

'It's a spell you should think about before you do it.'

'I've thought about it, and using it to stick a Dark Wizard to a wall would be brilliant!'

'I don't even think you can use it on people.'

'No kidding, Anne," Sebastian said with a roll of his eyes. "You'd use it on their clothing like Amelia did on her earrings.'

'And how would you get them down to take them off to Azkaban?'

'Diffindo their clothes off. Who cares if they end up starkers?'

'Sebastian!'

'Yeah?'

"Ugh!" Anne exclaimed in exasperation. 'You'd have torn up clothing stuck to walls all over the United Kingdom. What would the muggles think of that?'

Ominis smiled, strolling on ahead as they continued the debate. The siblings argued sometimes, but he loved it, because even when they did, they always ended friends or at least made up if the argument grew too heated. They knew how to apologise and make things right. Their relationship displayed an enduring strength that Ominis had never experienced in his own family.

The three friends entered the Great Hall once more and made quick work of lunch. Since last year, their usual habit had been to eat and hurry to the Dark Arts Tower where they'd slip into their own secret room. Phemos, Ominis' brother, currently a seventh-year, had revealed the existence of the room, called the Undercroft, when he'd decided he didn't have much use for it anymore. Apparently, the knowledge of the room's existence had been passed down in the Gaunt family ever since one of their ancestors had found it centuries ago.

'I have my new set of Gobstones,' Anne gushed as they strode down elaborate marble halls. Anne had purchased the set she had saved years for on their last visit to Hogsmeade. Ominis wondered if that was when the twins had bought his gloves as well. He'd been left on his own for a time in J. Pippin's Potions.

'I'll play,' Sebastian said, 'as long as you lose.' His voice grinned. Ominis heard Anne playfully slap her brother on the arm.

They ducked behind a set of stairs and found the entrance to the Undercroft, which appeared to be a complicated clock with a number of faces that counted time in different ways. Ominis flicked his wand and the gears on the other side clunked and grinded. A door swung open.

'I'm going to win anyway,' Ominis said to his friends as they proceeded inside. 'I practised this summer.'

'Oh, did you?' Anne said, challenge in her tone.

'Bet he defeats you this time,' Sebastian said.

'Neither of you—' Anne stopped talking, and Ominis' wand caught her form coming to an abrupt stop.

'Ominis,' Sebastian spoke in an undertone, 'it's your brother.'

Ominis swung his wand around; the outline of the Undercroft appeared before his eyes. A tall, wiry form at the far end loomed over something on the floor. Ominis strode across the room to address the form.

'I thought you said you didn't need this place anymore.'

Phemos turned slowly round. 'I was wrong.'

'Then what are you—' A soft moan arrested Ominis' attention. He pointed the wand at the floor. The form on the ground was a person.

'What have you done?' Anne suddenly spoke from Ominis' right side.

'Get out. All of you,' Phemos ordered.

Ominis tilted his head towards Anne. 'Who is it?'

'A student. He's bound.'

Ominis swiveled his attention back to his brother. 'Tell me.'

'It's only a mudblood.'

'Why is he here?'

'Leave. This is none of your concern.'

Ominis' blood began to boil. 'What do you think he did to you?' He knew his brother, could easily guess along the lines of the truth.

'Think?' Phemos laughed. 'Know. You still don't understand, do you? Let the muggles take one step and they'll demand a mile. Mixed blood is a stain on this school.'

Ominis pointed his wand at Phemos. 'What happened?'

'What do you think? Insulted the House of Gaunt. Implied his blood was just as good as ours.'

'He called you out about something, didn't he? And you argued with him?'

Ominis heard Phemos suck in an angry breath. Phemos could never bear being corrected, especially by any student with muggle blood. The student had probably noted a failing of his brother's and been drawn into a quarrel that went a completely different direction.

Ominis gathered his courage. He flicked his wand towards the exit. 'Go. Leave him.'

Phemos drew himself up to his full height and chuckled. 'You're ordering me?'

'Go, and I won't tell the headmaster.'

Phemos laughed loudly. 'He'll take my side. Black adores me. And I'm fairly certain he only tolerates you because of our father.'

'If you don't—'

'What, Ominis? What if I don't?'

Sebastian answered from Ominis' left. 'Then there are three of us and one of you.'

'Hm. Yes. You do outnumber me, don't you?' There was a swishing sound—Phemos whipping out his wand.

Ominis didn't hesitate. He cried out as he ran. 'Find cover!'

A series of cracks rang out behind him before he reached a column to duck behind, but he was unscathed. 'Sebastian? Anne?'

'I'm all right!' Sebastian called out. He was still next to Ominis, behind the same column.

'Me, too,' Anne confirmed, her voice coming from a little distance to Ominis' right, probably hiding behind a similar column.

'Give up, Om!' Phemos shouted. 'I'm better than all three of you combined!'

'Is he?' Sebastian asked at Ominis' shoulder.

'Probably,' Ominis said. 'He's older.' Phemos would know more spells than they did and a host of jinxes and hexes. 'We'll have to get his wand.'

'I'll draw his attention,' Sebastian said. His presence left Ominis' shoulder.

'Sebastian!' Ominis shouted as his impulsive friend dove away.

'Agglutinate immotus!' Sebastian cried out.

'You're trying the sticking charm now?' Anne shouted.

'Blast!' Sebastian cursed. He must have either missed or Phemos had blocked the spell.

'Flipendo!' Phemos shouted. Ominis heard Sebastian cry out.

Anne's voice yelled, closer towards his position. 'Impedimenta!' They had learned that spell recently in Defense Against the Dark Arts as a good one to use when slowing down nasty beasts. Seemed appropriate, considering the circumstances.

Phemos' voice countered. 'Titallando!'

Anne reached Ominis, careening into his shoulder. She giggled. 'Aargh! He hit me with a tickling charm.' She kept laughing through her words. 'What...he he…do you want…he he…to do?'

Ominis took a breath. 'He's not really trying.'

Anne laughed. 'What?'

'He's not using the spells he could. He doesn't really mean to hurt us.'

'Why?'

'Because my father would kill him. I'm still a Gaunt. Family loyalty and all that.' Except for the secret he'd never revealed to his friends, the memory he tried often to forget, that his dear old family had tortured him on purpose.

A flurry of wand blasts sparked against their column. Ominis gripped Anne's arm, pulling her closer. 'Petrificus totalus. At the same time. One…two…three…'

They whirled out from behind the column, shouting the spell. It didn't matter. Phemos cried out, 'Ventus!' and they were pushed backwards fighting a furious wind. Phemos cackled with laughter.

'Capitulate, Om!'

Sebastian's voice suddenly screamed out. 'Stupefy!'

Phemos grunted.

'I got him!' Sebastian shouted.

Ominis forced himself to calm down enough to see with his wand. Sebastian was running at Phemos who had stumbled back. Ominis sprinted towards his brother. Phemos wobbled but whipped his wand around. Various objects zipped away from the walls, hurtling towards their feet. By the sound of it, Anne tripped and went down. Ominis narrowly jumped, and Sebastian must have as well, because he shouted another spell.

'Ascendio!'

A shadowy shimmer to Ominis' sight indicated Phemos caught the spell with a shield, but other objects he'd meant to throw at them crashed to the ground.

'Locomotor mortis!' Anne called.

Phemos suddenly halted, his legs locked. Ominis pointed his wand. This was his chance. 'Expelliarmis!'

Phemos' wand shot away from his hand and Ominis caught it. Phemos growled. 'Let me go!'

'You've got to be mad!' Sebastian said, stumbling over to them.

'We…defeated you,' Ominis said, trying to catch his breath. 'So, you get to leave.'

'What are you going to do with the mudblood?'

'Will you leave?'

Phemos growled again, but spat out his answer. 'I'll leave.'

Anne released her spell. Phemos took a couple faltering steps and headed towards the door. Ominis turned his attention to the bound student.

'He's confunded,' Anne said.

That was good. It meant he probably wouldn't remember a thing that had happened.

Sebastian suddenly shouted. 'Watch out!'

Ominis whirled round. His wand had barely shown him Sebastiaan leaping in front of him before he heard Phemos scream, 'Diffindo!' and his best friend hit the ground, his hand to his cheek.

Phemos darted through the exit. Ominis went down to his knees beside Sebastian.

'Sebastian,' Anne muttered.

Sebastian drew in a shaky breath. 'It's…nothing.'

'Your cheek is slashed.'

'Always wanted a scar.'

Ominis clenched his teeth, thinking of all the curses he wanted to inflict on Phemos that he would never dare. 'Anne, move back.' Ominis leaned over his friend. 'Direct my wand.' This would have to be precise, and he couldn't risk the spell to his less than exact wand-sight. Anne adjusted his wand and Ominis spoke the spell. 'Episkey.'

Sebastian let out a breath of relief.

'It's almost fully healed,' Anne said with amazement. 'I don't think you will scar. How did you learn that?' Her question was directed at Ominis.

Ominis' blood still raced through his veins. 'When you're a Gaunt, healing is a necessity.'

'Oh,' Anne said, her voice quiet and pitying. She began to reach out towards his arm. Ominis, not wanting to go where he feared she might, pulled away by pretending to scrutinize Sebastian's wound more fully.

'I'm fine,' Sebastian assured. 'But I don't think I'm up for Gobstones today.'

The twins laughed softly. Ominis forced himself to join in.