Part 11

Ominis stood there in a stupor for a while.

"Ancient magic?" The voice was very skeptical. Ominis didn't know if they were playing a prank on him or telling the truth.

"You should have seen what he did to Rookwood's followers with this ancient magic," Sebastian praised with admiration.

"No, it's more like creative magic," Noah thought about how to present it clearly. "The fact that I use it in such a primitive way is due to a lack of knowledge."

Ominis began to pace slowly, making a circle, as if hoping to speed up his thought process.

"What do you mean by 'creative'?" Ominis turned towards his friends.

"I saw in the keepers' memories how they built beautiful structures," Noah remembered how they had saved the village from drought.

"But didn't those keepers teach you? What was the point of passing their tests, then?" Sebastian thought they had already taught him a lot.

"No, with every test I passed, I only saw memories related to Isadora."

"What other tests? And who is Isadora?" The more Ominis listened, the more questions he had.

Noah explained the trials he had gone through, the spatial riddles, and the animated statues guarding them.

"Did Professor Fig know what you went through during each test?" Ominis suddenly asked.

"I didn't tell him," Noah began to look away, which didn't escape Sebastian's notice.

"You still haven't told me what happened that day," Sebastian jumped off the barrel and walked over to Noah. He had terrible suspicions, but he didn't dare voice them.

"Ranrok seized that power before we could stop him," Noah felt as if he were reliving the horror all over again. His hands began to shake, and he felt like he had been thrown into a black lake, cold sweat covering him.

"What's wrong with you?" Sebastian saw Noah turn pale before his eyes. "Are you in pain?" He started examining Noah. "Tell me where it hurts. Maybe you were discharged too early." Noah stepped away from Sebastian.

"No, I'm fine. I just feel a little unwell. It's hard to remember all of this," Noah tried to stop shaking.

"Can I?" Sebastian approached him again, and Noah looked at him questioningly.

"What are you..." Sebastian didn't have time to finish as he hugged him. Noah was taken aback at first, but the warmth of someone else calmed him down. Sebastian began to pat Noah on the back, and his breathing started to even out, his thoughts becoming more organized. Ominis approached them.

"If it's difficult to remember, don't force yourself. We can wait until you're ready," Ominis began to understand what Noah had been going through all this time, and he felt immense sympathy for him. To face everything alone, to be on the verge of death during every trial.

"Let's stick together from this day on and help each other," Ominis wanted to somehow ease the pain their friend carried.

Noah realized that his condition had returned to normal, but Sebastian hugged him even tighter. Noah didn't know what to do, so he simply hugged him back. They stood there for a few more minutes until Sebastian finally released him. The three of them sat on the cold floor of the crypt, resting against the wall, and began to discuss their studies, their childhood stories, trying to feel like ordinary students again. It was as if nothing bad had happened this year.

"Let's go to Hogsmeade! Let's take a walk and have some butterbeer," Sebastian didn't want to be separated from his friends.

"Yes, I actually need to go there. I have to pick up a package," Ominis agreed.

"And I can't go. Professor Weasley has forbidden me to leave Hogwarts," Noah thought that now was a great opportunity to study the scrolls in the Room of Requirement.

"I thought the school rules didn't apply to you," Sebastian was surprised.

"If there's a ban, then it's impossible," Ominis was equally surprised, and Noah himself received a reprimand.

"Although, there is one loophole. Garrett told me about it," Noah remembered the secret passage behind the statue of the witch.

"Garrett?!" Almost simultaneously, their friends exclaimed.

"Yes, because I helped him retrieve something for his experiments," he kept silent about the theft.

"Well, in that case, show us the way," Sebastian couldn't wait to find out about the secret passage.