The past week had felt like torture. Raven had tried her best to keep Ominis and Sebastian at a safe distance after what happened with her dragons. It grew increasingly difficult, for even just seeing Ominis had her heart racing now. She couldn't help imagining how things could be if it weren't for that damned curse of hers. But tonight was an exception. An owl from Sebastian brought her news earlier that evening - news about that scriptorium he and Ominis discussed before. Well, it was more like a plea for help because he couldn't get answers out of the pure-blood. That's why Raven now found herself outside of the Slytherin common room after curfew where Sebastian was waiting for her.

"What happened with Ominis?" the girl asked, getting straight to the point.

"I told him none of us will be able to avoid Dark Magic forever. So the more we know about Salazar Slytherin and the Dark Arts, the better prepared we'll be. I know you may not agree, but if there are answers about your curse lurking in there, well…" Raven nodded for him to continue. "Unfortunately, only a Gaunt knows the location of the scriptorium's entrance and Ominis won't tell me."

"Hmm. I wasn't going to get too involved in your little spat, but… Perhaps I should have a chat with Ominis."

A little smirk tugged at the boy's lips. "Oh? That's not a bad idea. He does grow more lenient when it comes to you. But I'm sure you already know how annoyingly stubborn he is. Nothing new there. I suppose it's worth a try. I know where he is right now. I'll lead you to him and then leave you to work your feminine charm."

Raven gave a playful roll of her eyes but smiled. "Just you wait. I'll have him eating out of my hand before you know it."

Sebastian led her into the narrow hall to the common room's left, heading toward the Slytherin restrooms. "We're in our own territory here, but keep an eye out nevertheless. Never know who's watching. Although that hasn't stopped us before."

"Strictly speaking, it has. We were caught in the Restricted Section."

"Damned poltergeist," Sebastian grumbled. "Such a nuisance." He came to a stop at the beginning of the long corridor leading away from the restrooms. "There he is. Good luck."

Sure enough, Ominis was at the other end of the long stretch of hall. He looked to be pacing slowly, something he often did when angry or frustrated. Taking a deep breath, Raven left Sebastian to make her way over to the blond. To her surprise, Ominis came to halt and perked up upon hearing her approach.

"Raven? What are you doing here?"

"You knew it was me?" she asked in surprise.

"It's your footsteps. With those I'm around often, I learn to distinguish their steps. Yours are always soft and graceful."

Raven cleared her throat to get back on track. "I was hoping we could discuss something."

"What is it? I sincerely hope Sebastian didn't put you up to this." He heard her scoff in offense, sighing harshly at his own accusation. "I'm sorry. It's just…Sebastian's been pestering me lately about something and I'm frustrated with him."

Raven decided to play along. "Don't tell me he's still been going on about that scriptorium thing."

"He has. He seems to think it contains the answer to saving Anne. I think it's likely full of Dark Magic that is better left untouched."

Perfect, he's opening up, she thought. "Likely? You've never been inside?"

"Of course not! I only know about it because of my favorite aunt - Noctua. She thought like I do. Didn't agree with the family on the use of Dark Magic. I believe I told you about her once."

"You did. I remember her name."

Ominis smiled at the memories he had of Noctua. "She'd hoped to convince my family that there was more to Salazar Slytherin than worshipping pure-blood status. She'd heard of this 'scriptorium' and thought its contents might shed some light on him. She even found the secret entrance in this very corridor. She wrote regularly to my father about her efforts to gain access, and then she simply vanished. No one else tried to enter."

Raven reached out to gently rub his arm. "I'm so sorry about your aunt. She sounded like a wonderful person. But don't you want to find out what happened to her?" While that information made great leverage, she felt great sympathy and almost regretted doing so.

Ominis shook his head, placing his hand over hers that was on his arm. "Aunt Noctua went down this path with good intentions and lost her life. I don't want the same to happen again. Not to Sebastian. And definitely not to you."

Raven retracted her hand. "You don't know that history will repeat itself. Besides, you said your aunt thought like you. This could honor her memory - finish what she started and get you answers about Slytherin, and Sebastian answers for Anne. And I'll admit, I'm hoping there's some kind of answers about what's wrong with me hiding in there. Your aunt pursued this alone. We could do it together."

While he did want to help Anne and complete Noctua’s work, the idea that he may help Raven in some way was the final push he needed to give in. But the realization suddenly dawned on the blind boy, and he couldn't hold back the faint yet sly grin on his face. "I see what you've done here. Well played, Raven. I confess, you've convinced me. I didn't think it possible."

Raven's expression brightened. "Thank you, Ominis."

She moved in to hug him, wrapping her arms around him and pressing her body to his. The boy stiffened at the sudden contact, but started to move his arms to return the gesture. Raven was quick to let go and back off when she realized what she was doing, not giving him the chance to hold her. That didn't stop the lightest tint of pink to color Ominis's cheeks. It took him a moment to regain his composure.

"I shall tell you what I know. Fetch Sebastian, won't you? I know he must be nearby." Just as she turned away, she heard him mutter, "I hope I…we don't regret this."

A sliver of doubt crept into her mind. He could be right. This whole venture could be pointless. There might be nothing but danger awaiting them, and yet, with even a miniscule chance of there being answers or clues about her own curse inside, she had the resolve to continue on. She waved Sebastian over, and he hurried across the corridor to their position.

"Now you'll share?" Sebastian said. "You wouldn't tell me when I practically begged."

"It wasn't you who told me what I needed to hear. Now, opening the entrance has something to do with threes."

"Well, three heads are better than one," the brunet added.

"It's two heads are better than one."

"And by that logic, three is better than two. Simple mathematics, Ominis."

"If you gentlemen are done joking around, I think I know what to do." Raven had already been scanning their surroundings for clues, and she pointed to direct Sebastian's attention. "There are two braziers right over there, and one down in that corridor. None of them are lit."

"So we light them, perhaps simultaneously," Ominis concluded. "You're as clever as a Kneazle. Let's try it."

Ominis and Sebastian readied themselves in range of the two braziers while Raven positioned herself closer to the lone one. On the count of three, they used Confringo. The fiery blasts lit them up, and the sound of shifting stones caught their attention. Part of the wall near where Ominis previously stood slid open to reveal a doorway.

"Merlin's beard! It worked!" Sebastian was all too eager to go inside, a dark spiraling set of stairs meeting him.

"I hope we're ready for this," Ominis warily added, following behind Raven.

The room at the bottom of the stairs was dark, forcing them to use Lumos to see. There were cobwebs everywhere, and dust and debris. Ahead of them was a locked door, intertwined snakes carved into it.

"Looks like some kind of locked door. But there's no handle or lever of any kind." The freckled boy started walking around, seeking some kind of solution.

Upon looking around, Raven found an old page tucked into one of the small alcoves in the walls. "I found something. Looks like a journal entry." When she picked it up, she gasped at the name written on it. "It's signed by Noctua Gaunt!"

That had the blond's attention. "What does it say?"

The girl read it aloud for them, "I must prove my point - we do not need to use the Dark Arts as my family instructs. When I reach the scriptorium, I will find evidence that there's more to Salazar Slytherin than we realize. I have written to my brother. He now knows how I accessed the corridor's entrance and that there's no straight path to reach the scriptorium. It's a maze with many challenges to solve. I hope that my brother will follow my lead and we can study our ancestor's legacy together."

"Gaunt?" Sebastian asked. "Someone from your family, Ominis?"

"She was my aunt. This entry mentions many challenges ahead. That's why I said this could be dangerous. Aunt Noctua kept my father informed until she vanished."

Putting the page back, Raven's foot nudged a piece of rubble. That's when she noticed what looked like a piece of a picture on it. Using Reparo, she put the debris back together, creating an image on the wall. At the same time, a voice began whispering in Ominis's ears, as if some mechanism was triggered.

"The rubble formed a relief of a person facing a snake," Sebastian pointed out.

"That must be the voice I hear," Ominis said. "It's ancient - sinister."

Raven looked at the brunet who shrugged his shoulders in confusion. "We don't hear anything, Ominis."

That immediately confirmed something for the blind boy. "It started when you repaired that relief. I hear a whisper saying 'speak to me'." He could practically feel the baffled looks his friends were giving him, so he decided to elaborate. "I'm a Parselmouth. I can hear and speak to snakes. Nearly all known Parselmouths are descended from Salazar Slytherin."

"That's incredible, Ominis! You never told me that, and I've certainly never heard you speak it." Raven was genuinely amazed he'd kept that from her for so long, although she shouldn't be so surprised given his lineage.

Her response made him chuckle. "Parseltongue is often associated with Dark wizards, which is why I don't exactly show it off. I haven't spoken it in ages, but I'd wager if I speak it now, the door will open. I'm…hoping you're having second thoughts."

"I am," Raven told him honestly. "But we can't simply turn back, not after finding all this. We all need answers."

Ominis sighed, but nodded in understanding. "It's ironic. When I left home, I vowed to leave the Dark Arts behind. And yet, here I am."

"It's only this once," she assured.

Ominis turned toward the door. "I can't believe I'm doing this."

To Raven's surprise, words she'd never heard in her life left the boy's lips. It barely even sounded like words, it was more like strange hissing sounds. But it was impressive to hear what Parseltongue sounded like. The eyes of the door's snakes glowed green, and they moved to untangle themselves. The door split in the middle and swung open.

"Excellent, Ominis! You possess quite the rare and, might I say, incredible ability."

"Between the two of you, I'm starting to feel left out," Sebastian joked.

"Trust me, you wouldn't want whatever I possess," Raven told him.

In the next area, the layout was much more of a maze. The door behind them closed and sealed itself shut, trapping them and forcing them to continue. There were several directions, and the dark corridors almost always took them to a gate. Some gates were old and broken, leaving gaps that could be crawled under. They only ever led to dead ends, though. Raven did, however, find another page Noctua left behind.

"Another of Noctua's entries." She cleared her throat. "Salazar Slytherin buried this scriptorium deep within Hogwarts. I'm afraid I shall lose my way around these dark corridors. I am a descendant and yet I feel unwelcome. Lighting these braziers in the corridor is helping. I shan't lose heart. Challenge by challenge, I will make my way through."

"Poor Aunt Noctua."

A sudden blast made the pair jump and they turned to where Sebastian just lit one of said braziers. "Don't do that!" Raven scolded. "You scared me half to death! I was focused on the note!"

"Sorry, but I figured I'd do what she did and give us a little more light to see what we're doing."

Raven was about to say more, but the gate behind the brunet caught her attention. "Hey, there's something on that gate." She moved past him. "It's a pair of symbols." With a hum, she looked around, her gaze landing on a dial tucked away on her left. It had similar symbols. "Oh, I think we have to match these symbols with the ones on the gate. Let's see." She studied the peculiar pictures. "Top one is twin mountains. Bottom one is a fish."

Ominis raised a brow. "What? Is it really?"

Sebastian leaned over the girl's shoulder. "What are you seeing? That's a pair of triangles and a squiggly thing."

"I know, but if I have to match the symbols I might as well make it easier on myself. And you can't possibly tell me you don't see mountains and a fish."

"Well I do now that you've pointed it out. Whatever works, I suppose." He went to the dial. The stone snake curled on top of it slithered into a striking position. "That's a bit unsettling."

"It's turning," Raven added. "It might be timed. Best to hurry."

Sebastian turned the top dial until he found the first symbol. "Twin mountains…" He did the same with the bottom one. "And the fish."

The snake curled up again, and the gate raised. "That did it," Ominis said. "Good work, you two."

"Well if that's all we have to do, then this maze will be a piece of cake." Raven led the way through, her enthusiasm dissipating once they found their way barred yet again. "Another gate. Great."

Ominis sighed. "Seems Slytherin liked to play games."

"Must run in the family."

"Look in a mirror, Sebastian."

"I'll look for another dial," Raven interrupted before they veered too far off course with their banter. While searching, she found another page. "I failed the dial, and it struck my face as if it were a real serpent. But I must find a way forward for my family's sake. We should not require children to conform to old traditions. This scriptorium must have proof that there's more to our legacy than meets the eye." She set the page down. "You know, I wish we'd known the snakes on the dials could strike us. Maybe be careful with them from here on out."

"Will do," Sebastian answered. "I certainly don't want bites all over my face."

"On a side note, Ominis, your aunt truly wanted to change your family's traditions."

"She did. And she was one of my favorite people in the world for it."

The affection he held in his voice made the girl smile. He really loved his aunt. She was probably the only one in his entire family that he could speak to and felt comfortable with. After passing another gate, Sebastian found a note, and read it for his friends.

"Extraordinary. This journey is painful but rewarding. I shall soon find the scriptorium and discover untold secrets regarding our house founder. Salazar Slytherin intended more than what we've become. I know it."

"Painful, now that's the part I'm wary of," Ominis admitted.

"But the rewards sound promising," Raven said. "This could all be worth it in the end."

Continuing on, they solved more dials, opened more gates, and finally reached one final corridor. There looked to be a strange door at the far end.

Sebastian was the first to notice it. "Well, that looks troubling."

"This whole place is troubling," Ominis corrected him, "but, for my aunt's sake, we cannot stop now."

The gate behind them slammed closed, trapping them. "I think we're locked in," Sebastian informed them. "Again."

Ominis's face twisted to one of concern. "Then Salazar Slytherin is not yet finished with us."

While Ominis hung back, Raven and Sebastian approached the door. It was blackened and covered in what appeared to be faces contorted in anguish. A single word lit up on the floor in front of it - Crucio. What sounded like an agonized shriek echoed around them, startling them. Next to the door was a note laying next to a withered pile of old bones.

"Ominis, there's another journal entry." Raven shakily picked it up, eyeing the bones with horror. "Next to…a skeleton. I'll read what it says." She had to force herself to focus on the paper instead of the bones. "I've lost hope. I'm locked in. I heard a scream and saw the tortured faces. The only way forward is with an Unforgivable Curse. Even if I wanted to cast it, I have no one upon whom to do so. Salazar Slytherin created a malicious challenge indeed. In my last correspondence to my brother, I'd invited him here. Now, if he looks for me alone, I'll have led him to his death. Despite our differences, I wish him no ill. I wish we had parted on better terms."

"This…is where she died. This is where we'll die." Ominis's voice grew in volume and panic. "I shouldn't have listened to either of you."

"Ominis, I'm truly sorry about your aunt," Sebastian spoke up. "But, I know what to do. It's going to be difficult."

Raven dropped the page with a gasp. "Don't tell me…"

Sebastian gave her a firm nod. "Tortured faces on the door and 'Crucio' is etched into the stone. My guess is if we cast the Cruciatus Curse, the door will open. That's why Noctua died. She had no one to cast the curse on. Ominis has the most experience with this. He should cast it."

"I won't do it," the blind boy responded. "The Cruciatus Curse is pure torture. I would know."

Raven went to his side, worried. "This is about when you were young, isn't it? You had no choice. It wasn't your fault."

He sighed. "One always has a choice. I'm as guilty as the worst of my family. Unforgivable Curses won't work unless you really mean them. I had to want to cause pain. And for that, I shall never forgive myself. That spell's the reason I have no family left."

That left Raven perturbed. "You have to…mean it? But I… That can't be right. I didn't mean it. I didn't…"

"What are you talking about?" Sebastian asked. "When you accidentally cast the Cruciatus Curse?"

Ominis moved closer, his hand finding her shoulder. "What are you not telling us, Raven?"

The girl stared down at her feet, lost in the memories for a moment. "Something is really wrong with me." She shook the thoughts away. "We can discuss it later. Right now, we have to get out of here."

"Well, since Ominis won't help, it's up to us, Raven. Either you cast Crucio on me, or I can cast it on you."

"Absolutely not!" Ominis shouted.

Raven had to calm him with a palm pressed lightly against his chest, all while giving Sebastian an alarmed look. "Hold on. You didn't say you knew how to cast Crucio."

"Because I'm not sure I do. But Ominis has left me no choice. I don't yearn to follow in Noctua Gaunt's footsteps. I think I can cast it if I have to."

Raven gritted her teeth, not liking the odds here. "I could never cast that curse again, not after the damage it did. You'll just have to cast it on me."

"Raven, no!"

She took hold of Ominis's arm. "I'll be all right. Trust me." He opened his mouth to argue, but the girl pressed a finger to his lips to silence him. "Dying here isn't an option. Let me do this, Ominis." He looked so distraught, but said nothing else. She backed away from him and turned to Sebastian. "I only have one condition. As soon as you cast it, you both have to get as far away from me as you can."

"How come?" the brunet pressed.

Raven took a deep breath and took her position near the door. "Because as I've said before, my curse is dangerous."

Ominis fought the urge to go and pull Raven away from that cursed door and out of harm's way. But she was right. They couldn't just stay there and die. Sebastian took a few steps back, facing Raven. She gave a nod for him to go ahead. With his wand in hand, he went over the proper movement in his head.

"Crucio!"

A burst of red magic shot from his wand and hit Raven. Immediately she fell to the floor, writhing and screaming. Ominis started to head toward her, but Sebastian caught his arm and pulled him back toward the gate they'd come from, heeding the girl's warning. The curse was like electricity coursing through her body and crackling off her. It shot up to hit the door, causing the blackness to melt away into nothing more than a puddle, giving way to an exit. But Raven's pain didn't cease, and her eyes glowed red as a wave of magical energy pulsed around her. It was like a bubble pushing outwards, little by little. When she managed to get a glimpse of the terrified boys, she forced down the pain of the Cruciatus Curse. Her magical bubble shrank, and finally, it dissipated. She was back to normal but out of breath as she managed to sit up. Her hands were gripping tight around her stomach, the last bouts of pain still afflicting her.

"Merlin's beard…" Sebastian breathed out.

Ominis wasted no time in rushing to her side, kneeling to help her up. "Raven, are you all right?! What happened just now?!"

His hand found her shoulder, but the girl was quick to stand and push him away with a fearful gaze. "That was excruciatingly painful. But I'll be fine." She gave a weak, nervous laugh. "Now you see just what kind of curse I'm dealing with. If I hadn't held it back, Crucio would have rebounded and affected you. I couldn't have that."

Ominis reached for her again. "Raven, please, let me help you."

"I said I'll be fine!" she snapped, backing away. "Just go. We opened the door."

Sebastian passed by her, flashing her a concerned look but decided it was best not to question her and irritate her further. Ominis also went on, forcing his legs to leave her be and go inside. Slowly, Raven followed them. She felt exhausted and awful, like her body was aching. She couldn't even be amazed or happy to be inside the scriptorium, she wanted to hide in bed and cry herself to sleep.

"We made it," Sebastian breathed out. "We found Salazar Slytherin's scriptorium."

Ominis was oddly quiet, and he hung back to stay near Raven. He was worried about her after all that, and perplexed by just what kind of curse she had. He let Sebastian explore the room instead. The brunet was positively giddy. He even found a spellbook belonging to Salazar Slytherin himself. Of course, he was eager to take it back to his room to read, but exploring that scriptorium was at the top of his list at the moment. There were dusty old books everywhere, and trinkets of all kinds. One would think he was browsing a shop by the sheer fascination he showed. From where Ominis was, he heard Raven slump against the nearest wall, a barely audible groan escaping her.

"Sebastian, we shouldn't linger much longer. Raven needs to rest. Let's find a way out, please."

"I don't want to leave, but I owe you - both of you. Without you two, we'd never have made it this far."

"We were lucky," the blind boy told him. "We could have died. We must swear never to do this again."

"I second that," Raven added.

Sebastian found an exit for them. A statue at the back of the room slid open, and once they stepped inside, it took them around and spat them out outside of their common room. Raven started heading for the door. The pain was gone, but she felt weak all over.

"It's time I get some rest," she told them. "Let me know what you find in that book, Sebastian. And Ominis, I'm truly sorry about your aunt."

"Thank you," Ominis said. "I suppose after all this, I'm grateful to know what happened to her. And please, don't hesitate to let us know if you need anything."

"Sure. Of course."

She went inside, leaving the boys alone and allowing Ominis to speak freely. "I meant what I said. We swear right now never to engage in anything to do with Dark Magic again. And if you ever cast a curse on Raven again, I will see to it that that precious spellbook is burned."

"Understood. I had no idea it would do that to her. But I promise, if this book has answers, I can help Anne and Raven both. I'll find a cure for them if it's the last thing I do."

"Just don't do anything dangerous. And don't drag Raven into it."

Ominis had to wonder though, just what kind of curse did his beloved have? And how did she get it? There was still so much he didn't know - so much she was still keeping to herself.

"Well, I'm off to the Undercroft. All this excitement has given me the energy to start reading this thing."

Ominis was glad tomorrow was a Saturday, meaning they could rest after being up so late. "Don't stay up too late." With that, the blind boy left him to head to their room, questions and concerns swirling around in his head.