18. The Archway

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            I was numb to everything Silas, Sharp, Weasley, and the Minister of Magic himself, Faris Spavin, spoke about as we sat in Headmaster Black's office. Though, given the last two year's events, he was relinquished of his title the morning after the attack. Professor Weasley was elected to fill his place and will likely retain the title for the coming school years.

"Miss Selwyn?"

I lifted my head from my hands and looked around the room at the four sets of expectant eyes. "Sorry, I was off somewhere else," I mumbled.

Spavin frowned sympathetically. "I understand you've been through a great deal in your two short years here. Please know that the Ministry is doing everything at its disposal to rectify the situation."

"Why did it take over two years?" I blurted. "Why has it cost so much? We nearly lost students this year after losing faculty last year. Have you no concept of what your failure to act has cost this world? What it's cost us? My friends and I will never be the same."

Silas came to my side and gripped my shoulder gently. Spavin just nodded in defeat. "I accept the consequences of my inactions."

"No, I accepted the consequences of your inactions. Alongside Sebastian Sallow, Poppy Sweeting, Natty Onai, Ominis—" I stopped myself. "Didn't suffer anything. The Gaunts live on as they always had."

"You and your friends will be compensated for what it's cost you, I assure you."

I let out a dry laugh and stood from my chair. "You can't repay me enough for what I've lost."

No one tried to stop me as I left the office. It had been five days since the attack, since Gooding, since I'd spoken to Ominis, since I'd seen Sebastian...

I needed to see Sebastian.

I left a note to Imelda in case anyone tried to find me, and I took the Floo into the Ministry in London. I was familiar with the Ministry in the 21st Century, and I could only assume it was largely the same.

It was. The hallway lined with fireplaces was bustling with the afternoon traffic. I did my best to blend in, but people were certainly talking. Not only was I a student. I was the same student that people have been reading about in the Daily Prophet for a year now. Lately, they've been reading about me nearly every day.

To the muggle eye, St. Mungos looked like standard brownstone housing just across the street from the entrance to the Ministry. However, the moment I broke the threshold into the facility, it transformed into a hospital.

The healer at the desk before me looked at me expectantly. "What can I do for you, miss?" She had a cockney accent and wildly curly red hair.

"Sebastian Sallow," I spoke gently.

Immediately, she frowned. "Mr. Sallow is not accepting visitors."

I sighed heavily and let my hands fall as gently as possible onto the desk that separated us. I spoke lowly as I addressed her. "Listen, I understand you're only doing your job, but let me tell you how this is going to go." Her eyebrows raised with an unimpressed interest. "I'm assuming you don't know who I am, and that's fine. Honestly, I prefer it that way. However, you're going to let me up to see Sebastian before I find a way up myself. And if I find a way up myself, I'm not so certain you'll like the consequences."

She stared at me for a long moment before a smirk crossed her lips. "Mr. Sallow is not accepting visitors," she repeated forcefully.

"Suit yourself." A flick of my wrist in her direction sent the full-body bind her direction. She stiffened and slid from her chair behind the desk, eyes wide with shock. I reached over the desk and scanned the chart in front of her for Sebastian's name.

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