Part 20

Noah ran through the streets of Hogsmeade at a fast pace, colliding with passers-by. He wanted to get lost among the crowd, to run away and hide, but Sebastian did not lag behind him. For the first time in their acquaintance, Noah was afraid of talking to him. He feared that if Sebastian heard the truth, he would turn away from him, and everyone else would follow, leaving Noah alone. This thought made him shiver. Seeking a moment of respite, Noah turned the corner towards Pippin's store and noticed Sebastian running towards him with a frenzy.

"What's wrong with you? Leave me alone!" Noah, fearing Sebastian, exclaimed. Remembering that there was a witch's cave nearby where he had once searched for a goblin helmet, he decided to hide there.

As Noah ran past a large tree, Sebastian used Incarcerous on him, causing bonds to tie Noah's legs and forcing him to collapse to the ground.

"Damn you, Sebastian!" Noah pulled out his wand, but Sebastian caught up with him and used Expelliarmus.

"Disarmed and bound. Are you in the mood to talk now?" Sebastian picked up Noah's wand and put it in his pocket, while trying to catch his breath.

"We have nothing to talk about," Noah responded, his pupils turning red.

"Well, first of all, let's talk about your eye trick," Sebastian said, feeling exhausted. He knew Noah was in great shape, but he didn't expect him to be this powerful.

"I already told you, it's none of your business, Sebastian! Remove this spell from me, or else..."

"Or else what? What are you going to do?" Sebastian, tired of the evasions, asked. "You will tell me everything now, and together we will solve this urgent problem."

"You always like to poke your nose where it isn't wanted, don't you?" Noah replied.

Sebastian rolled his eyes and turned away. When did Noah become so stubborn? He felt that if he didn't break through to him now, he might never get the chance. Taking advantage of Sebastian's distraction, Noah pulled out Miriam's wand, which he always carried with him.

"Arrest Momentum!" Noah cast the spell, causing Sebastian to freeze in place. The bonds fell off, and Noah calmly got to his feet, dusting himself off.

"I remember you asked me how to become a good duelist, so..." Noah hid Miriam's wand back in his bag. Approaching Sebastian, he retrieved his own wand from Sebastian's pocket. "Never expose your back to an opponent, Sebastian."

Noah looked Sebastian in the eyes and recalled the events of the previous day. If he thought about it, he had literally breathed life into Sebastian. But for what?

"I wish I had died in that lake," Noah thought to himself. He believed he deserved only death. The words didn't sound as harsh as they echoed in his mind. From that perspective, he had nothing to lose. Noah decided that confessing, at least to his best friend, was not such a bad idea. They had been through thick and thin together, and Sebastian deserved to know what kind of monster his friend had become.

"Isadora created a massive container to hold all the pain collected with the help of ancient magic. After the guardians killed her, they hid all that magic because they couldn't destroy it," Noah paused, his hands trembling with excitement, though he tried to hide it by placing them in his pants pocket.

"Then, there were the tests..." Noah cleared his throat, "When the goblins attacked me and Professor Fig, we..." Noah physically couldn't continue speaking; his words were trapped between his teeth. After standing like that for another two minutes, he shouted into the void, hoping it would help him regain his composure. It didn't.

Noah released the spell on Sebastian. As he collapsed to the ground, his arms and legs went numb. Noah held his breath, waiting for Sebastian to lash out at him with accusations.

"Tell me one thing, is Professor Fig's death your fault?" Sebastian, lying on the ground, asked the pressing question that had been bothering him.

"No, he was killed by Ranrok," Noah answered truthfully. He reached out his hand to help Sebastian up, but Sebastian pulled him closer, unable to stand on his own. Noah tried to break free, but Sebastian held him tightly.

"What are you doing?" Noah asked, no longer resisting.

"Since Incarcerous doesn't keep you, I decided this would be more convenient," Sebastian explained.

"I'm heavy, let go."

"Yes, I would say you're as light as a feather. You need to gain some weight."

Noah, realizing the absurdity of the situation, laughed, and Sebastian followed suit. For a moment, it felt like they had returned to the past. When Sebastian finally released his grip, Noah stood up.

"What have I done to deserve you?" Noah asked, sitting down next to Sebastian.

"For all the bad things," Sebastian kicked Noah playfully. "Wherever you go, I go. Don't think you can get rid of me," even though the damp ground was cold, Sebastian had no intention of getting up.