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arthenaa · 1 year

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To be or not to be (CHAPTER 2)

Auror! Sebastian Sallow x Fem! MACUSA Auror! Reader Series

Story Summary: To prevent a war between humans and wizards, you and Sebastian are tasked with your respective agencies to save the fate of the wizarding world from the hands of a dark wizard in the Philippines.

Chapter Summary: After almost getting yourself arrested and controlling the urge to strangle Sebastian Sallow, you try to remain civil by being the bigger person. More things happen and you meet more people as you set sail to the Philippines.

Chapter warnings: cursing, nothing much really again, plot groundwork, mentions of discrimination and colonization, seb likes to tease u, ominis being adorable and cat like, gladys being gladys i love her sm,

Chapters: Prologue, Chapter 1

Notes: WOOHOO CHAPTER 2 BABY!!!!!!!!!!!!! 6k words again enjoy this chapter. hiraya is my daughter i love her. if you want to be part of the tag list to get immediate updates on the next chapters just reply here or on my future posts on to be or not to be !!! see u on chapter 3 miluvs

It was a matter of a few hours before the head Auror would contact you once again to travel. You had already packed your things and made sure to check your necessities (checking your pocket for your wand constantly as a result of the altercation this morning). Now all you needed to do was wait.

Currently hauled in one of the suites provided by the ministry, you sat idling on your bed, eyes trained on the large windows showcasing London. Your hands found comfort in the soft duvet as you continue to admire the scenery in front of you. Gladys sits on one of the chairs against the wall positioned close to the window. Comfortable silence engulfs you both, with Gladys’s coin flicking and the London bustle as your background noise.

You allow yourself to be distracted as your eyes glance towards Gladys’s coin tricks; Watching as it twirls on her knuckles before flicking it up into the air and catching it effortlessly. You somehow get entranced by it that you weren’t able to notice that she stopped. Gladys clears her throat to get your attention.

“Yeah?” You look up at her, clearly still distracted by her previous actions. The woman blink slow like she was trying to access the deepest parts of your mind. You somehow get nervous under her watchful stare. “Are you trying to mind-control me or something?”

“Why do you always assume that I’m going to do something to you?” She raises an eyebrow in mild amusement as she crosses her leg over her knee. She begins to continue rolling her coin against her knuckles as she raises her elbow on the arm rest. You shrug at her question.

“… You’re quite intimidating.”

She lets out an amused scoff before flipping the coin in the air then catching with her other hand and flopping it against the back of her other hand. She lifts her hand off, assessing the coin before looking up at you. You furrow your eyebrows in confusion.

“Heads.” She comments offhandedly before resuming with her coin tricks. You raised your eyebrows to gesture for more explanation. “Heads, I leave you alone. Tails, I give in to the urge to smack you in the head.”

You gasp in horror. “You decide inflicting violence on me through a coin?!”

“I’m not intimidating.” She purses her lips as she becomes more and more entertained with your behavior. “Also it makes things… interesting. ‘Decided through a little game’. Doesn’t that make life more fun?”

“You’re evil, y’know that?” You sneer jokingly as you stand up from your seat on the bed. You head over to one of the coffee tables where a fresh pot of tea is placed. With a wave of wand, the tea pot levitates and pours you a cup of tea. You look back at Gladys who resumes her coin tricks as you wait for your drink. “What’s the coin for anyway?”

Gladys glances at you for a second before looking at the coin on her fingers. “Keeps the voices at bay. When I focus my mind on one thing, it’s the closest I have to silence.”

You nod in understanding. You were somewhat aware of how legilimency worked but you weren’t aware about how hard it was. Hearing different voices all at once can become quite an emotional stressor. You weren’t sure you would be able to handle it. You pour another cup of tea for your companion to help ease her down. Gladys turns to you in surprise, hand pausing with her coin as you pull the other chair to sit adjacent to her. You give her a cup of tea to which she receives gratefully. Taking a sip of your beverage, you decide to start another conversation regarding the case.

“Any deductions from the files you’ve received?” You start off as you take a sip from your cup of tea. Ooh, is that lavender? No wait—Chamomile?

“First one—lavender,” Gladys nonchalantly says, referring to your guess of flavor. You pause for a moment, not yet used to her abilities to access the mind before nodding. She takes a sip first before resuming on continuing her response. “Regina Salazar is of pure blood ancestry. From what I’ve learned of wizardry lineage in the Philippines, originally sectioned in tribes, these pure-bloods would use marriage to have tribal connections and to form united fronts. Naturally, after the colonization of Spain, they had to adapt and took different surnames influenced by Spanish culture to avoid being detected by No-Majs.”

You nod in understanding, watching as Gladys pulls out the folder with a flick of her wand and settling it on the coffee table in front of you. The page flicks to the suspect’s main information and intel. You lick your lips as you assess the information in front of you. Gladys continues her collection of background information. “Overall, because of the whole colonization thing, Philippines has to be one of the—if not the strictest regarding No-Maj wizards or half-bloods. Half-bloods take long processes and series of interviews and checkups before they’re approved by the office. Like a fucking criminal taking parole.”

“Must be a discrimination fest in there.” You scrunch your nose at the insinuation. No-Maj discrimination was already quite severe in the wizarding world. You couldn’t even imagine the severity of it in a place that publicly declares its hate for their kind. Gladys shakes her head in agreement. Your eyebrows then furrow as a question comes into mind. “But Regina has a friendly relationship with No-Majs? That contradicts the whole motive, no?”

“Certainly,” Gladys huffs in frustration as she raises her hand to pick at the dry skin on her lips. She then turns a page to a partially filled page with only the information of the area discovered north of the Philippines. Gladys motions to the page with a light knock of her knuckles against the surface. “It has something to do with this, definitely.”

You tilt your head in confusion as you analyze the vague information. “How are you certain it’s connected?”

Gladys takes a sip of her tea, licking her lips for any lingering residue. “I don’t. It’s just something we’d have to find out.”

“What’s up, old man? On your coffee break?” You smile at your former mentor who quietly sips his coffee in the wee hours of the morning. You had spotted the man lingering in one of the ministry’s large empty rooms (presumably used for large events). You assumed this would be the place of traveling with the equipment and size of it all. It could definitely fit a portkey large enough to travel multiple people. You couldn’t help but approach the man and ruin his solitude. Your mentor breaks into a grin at your arrival and he immediately welcomes your presence with a raised arm, inviting you to a hug.

You run like it’s innate for you to immediately dive into his arms, hugging his waist with glee as he squeezes you to his side. The silence is comfortable as you allow yourself a moment of peace. Elliot releases you with two pats on the back before pulling away. He tilts his head, certainly not expecting you to be this early. “Still resorting to that damned nickname, kid?”

“You literally still call me kid.”

“Touché,” He chuckles as he takes a sip of his beverage. “What’re you doing up? Finally exhausted Joanne’s mind-reader?”

“Mhm, literally face-planted on the bed. Had to deal with me yapping both physically and mentally. I think I killed her. Also don’t call her that, she just might haunt you back from the dead.” You scrunch your nose as you joked. Elliot laughs at your jesting.

There’s a lapse of silence before Elliot starts a conversation once more.

“How’s the Sallow boy so far?” He asks with a glance towards you, assessing your body language at the prompt of his question. Your former mentor had the knack of observing first before proceeding on which course to take. A habit that he, unfortunately, brings everywhere even outside of work. The mans was a detective even in his own personal relationship that it was considered annoying. You had learned to deal with it though. Elliot often joked that by the time he was 70, you would be the only person who could tolerate him.

Elliot immediately knew from the way your shoulders fell and the down direction of your facial features that you didn’t have a good impression of Britain’s representative. You huff a sigh as you tuck your hands inside your pockets. “… He’s okay, I guess.”

“Liar.”

“You and your damned eyes. Have you ever considered not noticing every detail?” You deadpanned. Elliot smiles in amusement at your behavior.

“He was following protocol though. Nothing to blame on a man following rules.”

“Oh, I will be the reason you die someday.”

“Oh! The fear! How could I live now!” Elliot dramatically yells to which you smack his arm at. The man giggles like a fucking school girl and you had to remind yourself that this was a grown ass man and not an 11-year-old kid. You wonder if the nicknames should be switched.

“I tried to make amends okay! Technically, he was the one who didn’t scale his puny little ego down so why should I make the effort?” You complain as you lean against the wall he’s leaning at. Elliot leans against your side to which you return the small affection with the rest of your head against his arm.

“Did you say it nicely?” He responds.

“Nicely? What do you mean nicely?”

“You tend to…” He trails off as he makes absurd gestures with his free hand. “Sound not so nice when you make amends.”

You give him an incredulous stare to which he tries to avoid with a sip of his coffee.

“I don’t do that?”

“Yes you do, Y/N.” He smiles innocently. “Remember that time when I had to not only mentally but physically convince you to apologize to that witness just because he was rude to me? You were basically ripping that man apart in your head and I don’t need to be a legilimens to know that.”

Elliot raises his eyebrows to further emphasize his point. You stare him down, trying to challenge the older man before giving up as you turn your gaze to the other side of the wall with a cross of your arms. He stares at you for a few moments before chuckling. That case was ages ago but it had been quite an annoying one. The witness had been difficult to deal with and considered Elliot to be a wizard of low standing because of his lineage. He had refused to cooperate at first but was eventually convinced with the help of another Auror present at the scene. You had almost tried to strangle the man if it weren’t for the old man’s jokes of reassurance. They were jests to lighten up the mood but you knew better. Be the bigger person, kid.

You had to suck it up and apologize with gritted teeth. A regret you continue to have until this day. A shame you weren’t able to curse that man without losing your job.

Elliot pats your back once more to lighten up the mood. “You’ll get along, kid. You’re a presence is a force to be reckoned with. We just hope it doesn’t clash with his.”

Elliot smiles before finishing his coffee beside you. You sigh as a vague response. Just as the old man says, be the bigger person.

“Alright! This portkey holds quite a distance as its built for intercontinental travel. The travel time will take a few minutes but it should be fairly short enough to not cause any sort of pain or dissonance with the mind and body.” Ryona Bassett discusses as rotating door is presented in front of you. You take a glance around the room to assess the people expected on the trip. Gladys Hale stands to your left, suitcase in hand as she rolls her coin on her knuckles. Ominis Gaunt, a relations officer you had been introduced shortly a few minutes ago, standing on your far right. Then Sebastian Sallow, the man who had saved you from your imminent death from the hooves of a horse, to trying to obliviate you then and there, then arresting you, to finally be revealed to be your partner in the span of a few hours, stands to your right. The four of you would be heading first while your mentors will wait for the assessment of the situation before following you out into the field.

You let out the sigh as this is considered to be the nth time you had travelled using a portkey. You hope the weirdness of the experience only lessens the more you get used to it.

“You will be greeted by your division captain who will guide you inside the governing office of the wizarding community. Things after that will be debriefed to you by the head of the office. Are we clear?” Ryona finishes as her eyes assess the four of you. You all answer with curt and firm responses. Howard and Ryona turn to each other with a look, some sort of telepathic message only communicated through their eyes. You could almost feel an unspeakable tension before the minister steps forward to address one more thing.

“The fate of the wizarding word rests in your hands. I hope you’ll be able to deliver well, Aurors.” He nods with a smile before motioning the door with his hand. You watch as a bright light emits from the other side. You exchange looks with Gladys before you feel the brush of a finger against your arm. You turn your head towards the culprit with an apprehensive glare. Sebastian peers down at you with a seemingly innocent smile.

“I’ve thought about your offer,” He says your last name with such gentleness it makes you feel uncomfortable for a moment. You lock eyes with him as his eyes never seem to leave from yours. It made your palms sweat from how piercing his stare is. “I’ve decided to give it a chance…”

“Really?” Your facial features relax in relief that it almost makes Sebastian coo at your adorable decision to let your guard down for a moment. He lets a sliver of mischievousness bleed into his smirk.

“Mhm,” He hums as he assesses your face. It almost looks like he’s looking at your lips with the way he’s staring you down. He scrunches his nose before continuing his response. “If you admit that I’m right.”

Your face falls as soon as you hear the words and the brunette erupts into a heap of chuckles before he walks away from your side then walking over to Ominis with a pat on his back. The poor blonde only furrows his eyebrows at him, chastising him for his poor cooperation. Sebastian only shrugs before he casts one last look at you then entering the rotating doors with a push against it. Ominis follows after.

You let out a sigh, deciding to not let yourself get annoyed by his little act but the woman beside you think it’s quite amusing. You hear her low chuckle as she flips her coin into the air and catching it effortlessly as she steps forward to make her way to the rotating doors. She casts one last glance at you as she pulls her hat down with a smirk. “Really? You’re just going to let him have that?”

Your jaw clenches in amusement as your hatred and urge to kick Sebastian Sallow off his high horse doubles over the last few minutes. You would try and plan your revenge now but a cough from Elliot and a nudge of his head immediately reminded you of your current situation. You nod with haste as you grab your case before making your way to the doors. You send one last smile at the old man as he sends you off with a short wave. You push the glass doors, letting the light engulf you.

Then suddenly, everything was black.

The world is a blur.

Your senses are in a disarray and you couldn’t sense where you were exactly with the fogginess your brain was currently in. You try to will yourself to blink or move any part of your body, trying to get a feel your current situation.

It was certainly a bit warmer than London, windier as well. Ryona said there won’t be any dissonance. Goddamn liar.

You could feel a presence on your side, a weight keeping you up. Then a voice.

“Y/N?”

It was faint but it was there.

Mom?

“Y/N, wake up. Fuck.”

No wait, it’s Gladys.

“Don’t tell me she can’t take portkey travels?”

Is that the annoying fuck?

“Do you ever plan on keeping your mouth shut, Sebastian?”

The other guy. Blonde? What was his name… Ominous? Something like that.

“Move.”

Now this was unfamiliar. You feel yourself sit upright with a few set of hands. Your eyes seem to not be cooperating as it remained shut. You suddenly smell something strong and pungent. You couldn’t quite put your finger on it but it creates a sudden shock in your system causing you to jolt awake. Your body is forced to move and a cramp forms on your leg as you groan in pain. Gladys, seated beside you, sighs in relief. You take a second to process your environment.

It seems that you’re in some sort scenic view, with the ocean in front of you. Rocks crackle beneath your weight as sand trickles down on the elevated surface from where you’re seating. It almost seems like a calm and refreshing view to see during a vacation but then you’re aware of the 4 piercing stares directed at you.

You recognized the three; Sebastian stands a few meters in front of you with arms crossed, Ominis kneeling on your right and Gladys on your left. That leaves this other guy who’s kneeling in front of you. You furrow your eyebrows in confusion at the sudden addition to the group.

“Good, the herbs worked.” He smiles like a teacher praising a student’s work. “Must’ve hit quite hard, no? Filipino healing potions tend to have strong effects.”

He pockets the vial of questionable liquid and herbs before he raises his wand and casts a dimmed ‘lumos.’ “Follow the light with your eyes, senora. I need to check your responsiveness.”

You follow without questions as he moves his wand left to right. He then asks you to grip his hand with both your hands then try to push his palm towards him. You were able to do them, albeit weakly. It seems to satisfy the man enough though. The man nods in understanding before the wand quickly apparates away. “Your responsiveness seems okay enough. Long distance travels like these leave wizards in a weakened state. I suppose you don’t get that much portkey travel? Your body seemed to shut down on its own. Alright, let’s get you standing.”

Gladys and the man help you in putting your weight on your feet. Still confused by the whole ordeal and the silence from your colleagues, you blink in confusion as you allow yourself to rest some of your weight in Gladys’s hands. “I-I’m sorry… But who are you?”

“Elias Alcantara. Your Division Captain.” He answers with a smile, charming enough to swoon you but not enough to distract you. Christ. This was the officer that the minister and head Auror was talking about. You nod in understanding, slowly pulling yourself from Gladys’s grasp and allowing yourself to stand on your own two feet. “It’s understandable. Most maharlikas get the same symptoms as you on their first travel. We often use portkeys to visit magical tribes due to distance of their locations from the PhilMaj.”

“Maharlikas? Like Aurors?” Sebastian chimes in, body leaning towards the conversation. Elias places his hands on his hips as he turns to look at the young man.

“Precisely. Although, our Aurors do vary in terms of magic.” Elias turns to assess his surroundings. He seems to be looking for something.

“Are you waiting for someone, Captain?” Gladys says with a raised eyebrow. Elias turns to her for a moment before going back to looking. It’s not long before a call of his name catches your attention. A woman rushes towards you with great speed, apparent excitement evident on her face. You notice their similarities in terms of clothing. A uniform.

The thin sheer fabric with exquisite designing on the center of their upper clothing gives a symbolic nature to it. You were sure it held some sort of meaning with the way the pattern and the swirls was formed. The woman wore a black ankle length skirt while Elias wore black slacks. The only difference in showcasing their rank was the color of the upper apparel and the pin on the collar.

You began to sense this magical community’s levels of strictness bleeding through the uniforms of these officers in front of you. Having enough with analyzing the new addition to the group, you focus just in time for Elias to introduce the woman. “This is Hiraya Rivera; she’s assigned as Philippines’ representative on this case.”

“Yes … That’s me … Or just Raya for short. I already… uhm, know you all, so...” She says with much enthusiasm to the point that it makes her awkwardly adorable. Your group only returns the introductions with stiff smiles. It doesn’t seem to bother her however as she clasps her hands together. “Oh! They must be tired. We should go now.”

Elias nods in agreement before following with his response. “Of course. A final debrief will be done shortly on our arrival to the base. This will allow us to proceed with field assessment and investigation.”

The two share looks of approval before moving along and motioning for the others to follow them. The four of you stare at their backs as they move closer to the bay. Normally, wizardry governing offices were meant to be hidden in plain sight and only wizards should be able to see them but so far, all the four of you have seen is a blank scenery of what is supposedly the Philippines’ wizarding governing office.

“Um, to where exactly?” Ominis inquires for the benefit of the group. Hiraya turns around, assessing your confused expressions before smiling as she nudges her head towards the captain who walks towards the shallow parts of the water.

The four of you follow begrudgingly, letting the cold waters seep into your shoes. Ominis clings to Sebastian’s arm, feeling overwhelmed by the sudden change of temperature as he grips his wand tightly within his other hand. Gladys seems to not mind the cold at all as she lets out a sigh and picks up her pace to match with Captain Alcantara. The wind blows against your hair, ruffling your robes as you try to pull them closer against you. The waves pull you closer to Sebastian’s side.

“Not expecting this kind of entrance!” Sebastian tries to shout over the loud splashing of waves against the shallow waters. The waters have already reached to your thighs.

You allow yourself to be slightly pushed by an incoming wave. “Certainly has to be one of the most unique ones I’ve seen.”

Sebastian glances at you with a smirk. “Thought about what I said, Y/L/N?”

You let out an annoyed huff as you faced him with a deadpan stare, giving him no answer as you move towards the front, leaving the two boys to their own. You could faintly hear Sebastian’s light chuckle over the harsh winds. You’d rather be dead than give him the satisfaction of hearing what he wanted to hear.

Okay, maybe…. It was on his jurisdiction to arrest you.

But was it really your fault? He could’ve handled it in a more civil way after he had found out you were a witch. You could’ve been nice and understanding as you were an Auror yourself. But the day had not been the best one and dealing with a man who has now made it his mission to piss you off by not taking you seriously because of your little altercation, has definitely started to put you in a not so civil mood. But of course.

You have to be the bigger person.

Curse you Elliot Fontaine for being a shitty fucking role model. Too imperfectly perfect to be one. The right amount as others would say.

The trio in front of you suddenly stops in their tracks as the water had now reached your hips. It was silent at first. The type of silence that made you unnerved. It was like you were expecting something to jump out of nowhere.

You should’ve held your tongue on that one.

You feel the ripples of water cease into a calm and the sudden eeriness of it all tripled by a dozen. Elias and Hiraya draw up their wands but as the three of you (with the exception of Ominis who is still clinging quite tightly on Sebastian’s arm) follow their movements, Hiraya only stares back with a shake of her head. Gladys turns to you with an apprehensive stare as the three of you slowly lower your wands.

Then the ripples start again. This time more chaotic and aggressive.

A sign of aggression and power. You could almost cower in fear as high pitched noises fill the air. Ominis and Sebastian clutches their ears in response at the howling noise. You see shadows in the water, circling your little group then it jumps. It was hard trying to make a figure out of it as it somehow manages to control the waters as they jump into the air.

Sebastian could make out three creatures circling them. He wasn’t sure if this was part of an initiation but the calm demeanors of the local Aurors at the front seemed to be his last thread of sanity in this very disturbing and panic-inducing moment. The circling stops as the creatures finally end their laps by surrounding them on each side.

They rise from the waters and you could only stare in awe as green scales with fish like heads emerge from the waters.

“What’s happening?” Ominis whispers in Sebastian’s ear. The brunette is entranced in fear by the presence of these domineering creatures.

“You don’t wanna know.” He replies, quietly. The silence is tense and uncomfortable as these creatures with large fins and predatory stares guard your group in a circle.

It’s Captain Alcantara who breaks the silence. “We’re expected. Bisita sila ng Datu.”

(“They are visitors of the Datu”)

The creatures make gurgling and chirping sounds before the so called leader, standing in front of Captain Alcantara, nods its head.

“Very well, Maharlika. Ibigay ang daan.” The leader says in a low and deep voice. It almost sounds too inhuman. Nevertheless, the group of creatures then swim once again underwater. Their figures form in a blur as they began to swim fast into circles in front of your group. A small whirlpool begins to form before the creatures swam back and then towards the whirlpool, using some sort of pressure that bursts the moving waters up. You had expected it to explode into your face, but the waters remain still above you forming an archway to a tunnel pathway. The waters beneath you slowly descend as they put you down slowly onto the sandy path. You see the creatures on standby in the walls of water. They send you a bow of respect before moving along.

(“Lead the way”)

“C’mon, the tunnel closes fast. The longer it stays up, the longer the risk for exposure.” Elias motions the four of you still stuck in a trance. Hiraya smiles as she pulls on your arm, encouraging you to walk with her. Just as Ominis and Sebastian enter the depths, the entrance immediately merges into what it once was. Sebastian lets out a huff of amusement before leaning close to whisper what just happened in Ominis’s ear.

You would think of the gesture endearing if it weren’t for the constant reminder of your dislike for him in your head.

“Apologies for the short freight, that was their main purpose to scare intruders. The Siyokoy tribe can be quite aggressive. Anyways, this way,” Captain Alcantara leads as whisps of blue flames light up as they trudge through a sandy path. You follow the officer, admiring the blues of the tunnel in awe. You watch as school of fishes pass by and numerous sea creatures appear above you. This was marvelous.

Silence lapses once more as the only sounds of the trek below was the sea life surrounding you and the crunch of your shoes against the sandy pathway.

It’s Hiraya who breaks your short solitude. “You’re Y/N Y/L/N right? Elliot Fontaine’s protégé?”

You turn to her with a smile. Her overall demeanor and personality seems too bright for your taste. It definitely is too blinding whenever she smiles. “Yeah—Well, was his protégé. Got promoted.”

You sheepishly reply to which she gasps in surprise. Eyes widening and mouthing forming a wide smile. God, she’s expressive too. “Congratulations! That’s incredible. I’m happy for you, senora.”

It’s awkward once again. The urge to say something back gets lost in your thoughts of thinking of another topic to start. This sends you in a spiral of trying to make your social relations skills work. It seems that Gladys has noticed your inner turmoil as she sends a look of amusement back at you from her position with Captain Alcantara. Your eyes widen at her as a glare to which she only chuckles at.

Thank Isolt Sayre that the gal broke the silence once more.

“I’ve seen your cases a few times on the transmission.” Hiraya timidly comments as she fiddles with her fingers, arm still intertwined with yours. You’ve never met an awkwardly introvert extrovert before. Was that even a thing?

She locks eyes with you in what you could say was pure admiration. “I admire you as an Auror is what I wanted to say… Both you and uh… Senor Fontaine.”

“… Thank you.” You nod shyly. “I’ll make sure to let him know.”

Hiraya bites her lip to control her excitement. You can deduce that this young girl had only been accepted recently. Talk about huge potential. Immediately placed as an Auror representative for a case that could indefinitely mean a war against humans and wizards? What kind of skills and capabilities is this girl hiding?

You decide to find it out yourself.

“Have you only graduated recently? Seems like a pretty big case to start off.” You say with genuine curiosity. Hiraya blows a raspberry as she guides you away from a protruding rock sprouting from the ground.

“Well, it’s been 4 years actually? So I guess that’s still fairly new. So um, off topic but um… Marahuyo en Mahika is a school led by Aurors, well babaylans to be specific.” She lists off. Your eyebrows must’ve furrowed in confusion as she leans in to continue. “Babaylans are shamans, most of them are women. They also wield magic quite differently. Instead of wands, they use weapons. Fascinating, right?”

Your eyebrows widen in amusement. “Weapons?”

“Yep. Well, originally Maharlikas or y’know our Aurors were like that too but they eventually had to adapt to the use of wands. Babaylans are old old. They keep the ancestral culture alive which makes them very important figures in the community.” Hiraya nonchalantly continues. “When you get praised and recommended to the Datu by a Babaylan—Datu is, what do you guys call your… The um… head?”

“Overall?” You suggest. From your peripheral, you see Ominis and Sebastian lean closer to listen in on the conversation. Hiraya nods then you continue. “It’s either President or Minister. Depends on the community.”

“Right. So basically, when the overall head gets a recommendation from a Babaylan. It means big,” Hiraya glances at you to assess your reaction. “They have inner connection to Bathala. They recognize your innate capabilities for magic and your potential for something greater…. Not to brag but yeah, it was mostly why I reached the higher ranks faster. Why I’m being mentored by PhilMaj’s greatest captain.”

Elias hears this. “That better be genuine.”

Hiraya giggles. “Why would I lie?”

You huff in amusement at the girl beside you. Techinically, you didn’t know exactly which field she was recommended for but to have a reliable witch beside you definitely eased your worries. Before you could further admire the literal sunshine hanging off your arm, you were suddenly aware of the large waterfall like entrance in front of you. Too distracted by Hiraya’s chatter, you had failed to realize that you were already at the entrance of the community.

Hiraya turns to you with a giddy smile as Elias pulls out his wand and waves it in a pattern before the waterfalls part gracefully and a whole new scenery is laid in front of you. You enter the place, watching as children flutter around, squealing as they chased one another. You eyed the Spanish influenced architecture and the stone pavements to the dome structure that protects the whole town. It seems to portray a version of day and night. Wizards and witches roam the streets as vendors selling levitating egg waffle balls (the closest thing you could describe it as) and many kinds of delicacies.

“The air is pristine and clean.” Ominis observes to which Gladys hums in agreement. He allows himself to be led by his wand. The waterfall doors immediately led to a small version of a town square. You would immediately be bombarded by the town’s festive nature by the time you enter place. Street lights decorate the place and you watch in amusement as a horse-man? Man-horse? Basically, A horse for an upper body and a man for a lower dressed in formal clothing walks on the other side of the street.

“Senor Cardel!” Hiraya calls at the same horse-man who looks up at the call of his name.

“Senora! Sigues siendo hermosa como siempre!” Senor Cardel greets with motion of the tip of his cigar before chuckling as Hiraya giggles at his compliments.

(Milady! You look beautiful as always!)

Hiraya turns around to see 4 sets of eyes looking at her in confusion.

“Was that a … horse?” Gladys asks, hesitant. Captain Alcantara laughs.

“That was Senor Cardel. A local here in Manila. He’s from the tikbalang tribe.” Elias comments. Gladys sounds a hum of disbelief before continuing to follow the young officer.

As you reach the main town hall, a large path then leads to a large building with grandiose architecture. Gladys glances at you with a knowing look as the four of you alongside Hiraya stand alongside each other.

“This is it right? The governing office?” Sebastian mumbles as the 6 of you watch three people exit the building. There were 2 women and a goblin approaching your little group. One wore a Spanish influenced type of traditional clothing while the other was covered in sleek black with golden jewelry adorning her neck, wrists, and even a form of headband around her forehead. A cloth in exquisite pattern surround her from the shoulder to her hip. A blade is rested on one side of her hip, hands resting on the handle. The goblin, in similar fashion to that of the first lady, approaches behind the two.

“You’re here just as our resident babaylan, Ysmeria predicted.” The woman dressed in beige traditional clothing walks forward. Ysmeria, the woman in black only stares as she analyzes the group before her. Eventually, her eyes landed on you. You couldn’t handle the heaviness of her stare and so you look away.

“Capitan Alacantara, salamat. You have served well and will continue to do so.” The woman praises the young man who nods in respect before taking a step back. The woman then takes a few steps closer to where you four are, kind gaze trained on each one of you.

“We have awaited your arrival. I am Corazon Del Rosario, the ruling Datu. Welcome to the Philippine Bureau of Magic and Wizardry.”

A/N: and that is chapter 2 WHWHHWHEHEHEH WELCOME TO THE PHILIPPINES MWA MWA <3 as u can see from this chapter, magical creatures are v much intertwined with society nyehe. More lore explained hihi AND THE INTRODUCTION OF FOUR MORE CHARACTERS!!! Will update the face claims nyehehe lmk your feedback as always!! It always makes my heart warm when I read your responses J

Datu – rulers, chiefs and monarchs in precolonial ph

Babaylan- shamans, often female, who use connect to the spirits and nature to heal and protect. Can also be warriors or leaders.

Siyokoy – underwater creatures depicted to have fish like features

Tikbalang – creatures who guard the mountains. Depicted to have a horse for a head and a human body.

#arthenaa #arthenaa auror seb fic #tobeornottobe #sebastian sallow x reader #hogwarts legacy x reader #sebastian sallow #ominis gaunt #hp

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arthenaa · 1 year

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To be or not to be (CHAPTER 1)

Auror! Sebastian Sallow x Fem! MACUSA Auror! Reader Series

Chapter Summary: The agencies get news of what happened, they've decided to put you and Sebastian on the case.

Chapter warnings: cursing, nothing much really, seb and you arguing its kinda cute,

Chapters: Prologue, Chapter 2

Notes: this was supposed to be uploaded yesterday but i got kinda sick and only finished it now. enjoy the 6k words ppl and if you ever want to join the tag list for this fic to receive immediate updates regarding future chapters, just reply on any of my posts about to be or not to be hehe

“Simmons is summoning me?”

You were sure you heard wrong. An effect of the coffee you bought from a No-Maj coffee shop on the way to work. The caffeine was kicking in and causing you to have auditory delusions.

Yes, surely that must be it,

But the more you assess the woman’s deadpan stare and exhausted stature, the more you started to doubt if the coffee really had an effect at all. You had gone to the MACUSA headquarters with no expectations and a hefty paperwork awaiting your desk. It was mostly due to the fact that you had finished a heavy case alongside your mentor and Senior Auror, Elliot Fontaine.

Having mentors in MACUSA meant potential. They took you under their wing because they saw great potential in you and would have the possibility of joining the higher ranks alongside them where witches and wizards with formidable power reside. It was an honor that you definitely upheld and cherished from the day when Elliot witnessed your magical prowess on the field and began calling you ‘kid.’ He’s been with you ever since. Having a mentor also meant that you took cases in pairs. Lower rank Aurors are mostly handled and led by the Middle Ranks. They are formed in squads or teams while Higher rank Aurors such as Elliot operated individually or sometimes in pairs when they choose to mentor someone. Usually higher ranks are tasked with grave cases which usually involved dark wizards who plan to overtake communities while the lower ranks settled to maintain order and minor cases.

You had expected the moment that Gladys Hale, Joan Goldstein’s stagiaire, stepped into your office that a case would be delivered for your mentor but to your very very very big surprise. It was addressed to you.

“Are you sure you’re not tricking me? Like this is not some form of prank to make me look bad or something?” You asked with your hands wringing each other as you looked up at her with big eyes from your seat behind your desk. She blinks slowly as if to further emphasize her lack of mood to jest. You lick your lips as you feel them dry up from the lack of moisture in the air. The clacking of typewriters and the scratching of quill pens against parchment paper (a charm you had casted as multiple quills help you in lessening the piling workload on your desk) form a comfortable distraction from Gladys’ piercing eyes.

“Do I look like I’m kidding?” She says your last name with such disdain as if to say how disgusted she is that you would even consider her travelling few floors down instead of dawdling with the higher ups just to prank you. You let out a shaky breath as you place your hands on the cool wooden surface of your desk.

“… Can I at least know the details?”

“I’m not authorized to reveal case details unless you agree to come with me to the designated place.” Gladys answers with curt and firm professionalism. You stare at her some more, trying to find a flaw in her body language. It wasn’t every day that the President of the Magical Congress of the United States of America would personally summon you to her office. Normally, situations like that called trouble or a possible loss of job or banishment to the cells under the Woolworth building and you were sure that you did nothing to warrant such cruel punishments (you think?).

You hadn’t realized that your mind further buried you into a spiraling descend to overthinking when Gladys decided she had enough and snapped her fingers in front of your face. You lean back fast in surprise as her face seems to look grouchier and cold than the last.

“Look, all I know is that Fontaine was the one who suggested you for this case to the President. Rest assured that your mentor will be present while they debrief you. A few other senior Aurors will be on standby and judging by the fact that Fontaine, Goldstein and Walker are called in one room, you are safe to assume that this is counted as a very important case. Understand?” Gladys raises her eyebrows as she expects you to finally calm your thoughts with her vague explanation.

It certainly did not help at all.

You put on a stiff smile while you made sure to strangle your no-good-of-a-mentor right after this so called debrief. So let’s sort this out, MACUSA’s great three is present in one room with the President being the handler of this case and they’ve elected you to be the primary representative and investigator of whatever fuckery this case might be.

What the actual fuck? Are they fucking mental?

“No, they’re not fucking mental, Y/N.” Gladys retorts as she crosses her arms over her chest. Right, she’s a legilimens. Right on Joan Goldstein’s track. The Senior Auror often handled prosecutions and interrogations. Gladys proved to be quite effective in this side of the Auror office due to her ability and efficiency in prosecuting dark wizards and made sure they rot in hell in their prisons under the fucking congress. It certainly proved to be a pain on the ass right now though. “Do know that ill-intentions towards the higher ranks are—“

“It was a joke, Hale. Calm your tits.” You chortle as you rise from your seat, putting on your coat and grabbing your wand from the safety of your desk drawer. Gladys sighs as she then waits for you to get ready. With a firm tug on the collars of your coat, you turn towards the brunette with a smile.

“Can’t keep the Madam President waiting can we?” You outstretch your hand towards her. “Assuming from the vague details you just explained, we’re expected someplace else?”

“Correct,” Gladys grabs your outstretched hand before pulling out a small book from her pockets. You know what it was—a portkey. To where it might lead you? You’ll never know. She glances at you as she motions the book in her hand. “This is authorized, do not fret.”

You sigh before nodding. Apparating within congress grounds was usually prohibited and there were only certain areas in the ministry that allowed such modes of travel. Portkeys usually were required to have the authorization and approval of the Travel department as well as the President so you knew that you didn’t need to move someplace else for the portkey to work. You only hope that the journey won’t result in you puking your guts out.

Gladys levitates the book in her hand as it begins turn page after page in a fast pace. The magic ruffles your clothes as green light emerges from the paper material of the pages. Gladys turns to you with a smile. “Let’s visit home, shall we?”

Rain pours down unto the streets of London, rendering the streets with murky waters. People bustle here and there as carriages roll down the stone pavements. It was considered to be another normal day for muggles however an entirely different scene is happening within the alleyways of London. A shadow stands on top of the buildings and peers down unto the narrow paths, watching a figure run down with escape only in their mind. The rain wets his coat as he lifts his wand, tip illuminating as he focuses it on the running figure. He then raises his free hand to tap against his temple, the skin illuminating under his touch. He forms a mind connection with another.

“Coming out your way. King’s Road. I’ve casted the tracking charm.” Sebastian Sallow murmurs into the connection with his partner. The figure disappears from his sight as he turns a sharp left into the streets.

“Nice work. On your position.” The man on the other side praises his work before the connection drops. He lets out a sigh before apparating to the discussed location. The man tries to disguise himself with the crowd as he pulls his coat to further cover his face. Sebastian follows him quietly behind, glancing on the other side of the street as another auror matches his pace. The fugitive seems to have caught on causing him to break into a sprint. The auror on the other side of the street gives him a curt nod before chasing him down. Sebastian turns to a corner to take a shortcut before a pair of hands grab him from moving any further. He raises his head in surprise, staring at familiar cloudy blue eyes.

“Ominis?” Sebastian raises his eyebrows in surprise at the presence of his dearest friend, Ominis Gaunt. The former Slytherin smiles at Sebastian’s voice before nodding his head towards the other way.

“No time to waste, come with me.” He mumbles quietly as he grasps his arm but Sebastian only stands still—confused.

“We’re in the middle of an operation. Wren’s expecting me to be with her in a few minutes. I’m sure this can wait?” Sebastian raises his eyebrows as Ominis lets out a huff. “They’re about to catch Collins and I have to be there to help.”

Ominis Gaunt can’t help but roll his eyes at his best friend’s attempt at firmness. It never really suited him as someone who had experienced all sorts of tomfoolery the Sallow boy had done throughout their stays at Hogwarts. After their graduation, the two of them immediately got jobs at the ministry. Ominis wasn’t surprised that Sebastian became an Auror and he was glad and incredibly grateful for his job at the Department of International Magical Cooperation. He often travelled as a demand from his work so seeing the brunette in front of him was definitely a missed sight. The Henry Collins case was trending currently in the wizarding world. An alchemist who used muggle subjects to perform his works on was horrifying enough that it was considered a main priority. Of course, you could count Sebastian Sallow to be part of the group of Aurors in charge of the case. Under the guidance and authority of Victoria Wren, a senior Auror and quite a renowned one, he was considered to be a genius investigator and a skilled duelist. Two factors that made him a great Auror. He was already recognized by the head as well as the Minister for Magic. It was safe to say that he was quite requested for the important cases. As said before, the Henry Collins Case was considered to be a priority, until recently.

“I was tasked to fetch you. They’ve sent someone from Yaxley’s squad to cover your position. Wren’s notified of it just now.” Ominis taps the end of his cane against ground, a small act he has to keep up with to avoid stares from muggles. Luckily with years of practice in transfiguration, he was able to transfigure his wand into a cane that allowed him to navigate himself freely in unknown areas without having to hit random strangers’ knees every time. It was a few hard months but definitely worth it. Professor Weasley surely must be proud of him.

Sebastian furrows his eyebrows in confusion. “Tasked by who?”

Ominis sighs before placing a firm hand on Sebastian’s shoulder. “The Minister of Magic himself along with the Head Auror. They’ve got a case for you. Bigger than this one, I fear.”

Sebastian’s jaw slightly falls at the mention of the two important figures. It wasn’t every day that the higher ups were the ones who requested for your presence. He wasn’t even promoted yet (a stupid mistake on Wren’s behalf according to him) and here he was, personally requested by wizards who could easily end his career. He lets out a shaky breath before glancing at the bustling street then back at his best friend.

“Are you sure you’re not just pranking me or something?” Sebastian tries to reassure the situation one more time but Ominis only shakes his head with a smile.

“Such a worrywart you are, Sebastian Sallow. Where has the Slytherin in you gone? A stain on Salazar’s legacy.” Ominis dramatically replies as he moves forward to intertwine his arm with Sebastian. He nudges him slightly before letting out a breath. “Hang tight.”

“What—“

And that was the last thing Sebastian said before he was pulled in by magic with three taps of Ominis’s cane on the ground.

“You could’ve at least let me prepare before apparating out of there?” Sebastian leans against the ministry’s cold walls as he catches his breath. Ominis appears to be unaffected as he transfigures the cane back to his wand. Sebastian looks up at him with disdain. “How’d you even apparate in?”

“Authorized. Bragging rights.” Ominis grins as he begins to walk down the halls of the international delegation office, an exhausted Sebastian trudging behind him. The brunette examines the blonde’s back with boredom as he passes office after of office. Levitating quills and flying books flutter in the air as they quickly made their way to the double doors at the end of the hallway. Ominis stops with a quick halt causing Sebastian to bump into his back.

The brunette lets out an oomph as he pushes back against Ominis to steady himself. The blonde turns towards him with a sigh. Sebastian feels like his best friend would chastise him once more for his lack of attention but the blonde only turns back around towards the large black glossy doors and knocks a rhythm on the surface.

Instead of opening up like normal doors, they rotate as a gargoyle replaces its position. Ominis leans in to speak in parseltongue and Sebastian can’t help but be amused at his best friend speaking the language of snakes once more.

He remembers the blonde promising to not speak it again after their little altercation in the scriptorium.

“Sorry, the complexity of it all has a reason.” Ominis explains as the gargoyle rotates once more revealing a set of staircase leading down. Sebastian glances behind him as he lets his best friend go first before following behind him.

Every step lights a blue flame on the walls as they descend down the spiraling stairs. It was quite dizzy at first but the scenery of a whole new floor left Sebastian in awe. A functioning headquarters was right under the gargoyle as wizards and witches bustle around. Sebastian furrows his eyebrows as a large projection of a man getting blasted across the room and an image of a woman appears right after. The danger meter hanging on top of the ceiling was dangerously touching the tips of the red shade.

What the fuck is happening?

The two reach the final step before Ominis drags them to the front of the room where the Head Auror, Ryona Bassett, Minister for Magic, Howard Arkenstone and someone whom he’d never expect to be there, his old professor, Aesop Sharp.

The three seem to be in a deep conversation as Ominis and Sebastian arrive. The Gaunt clears his throat catch their attention. Ryona lets out a breath of relief at the arrival. “You’re here, at last.”

“Why is the meter red?” Sebastian immediately intercepts as he stares at the clock dangling on the ceiling. “That wasn’t like that this morning. Is it because of Collins?”

Howard lets out a sad huff. “Your mentor has got the Collins case handled but I’m afraid there are much more pressing matters. We received an intercontinental transmission message from another wizarding community regarding an emergency.”

Sebastian furrows his eyebrows as he looks up at the giant projection. Ryona moves beside Sebastian as she watches the moving image of the situation playing in a loop. The Head Auror turns towards the Sallow boy with a look of anguish. “That wizard community is at its wilting threads because of this, Sebastian. It’s only a matter of time that we’ll be affected by it as well.”

The brunette glances back at Ryona who smiles at him. “We’ve decided to put you on the case.”

“What?”

“You’re a duelist and have far more knowledge in the dark arts. At least according from what I heard from your Head Auror.” His old professor, Aesop intercepts. Ryona nods at his words. “I was called here by Ryona. I will be part of the overseeing team of this whole case. There has never been a case like this for years.”

“I will be with you as well.” Ominis reassures behind him. Sebastian sighs as he tucks his hands within his pockets.

“Alright, tell me everything I need to know.”

Ilvermorny was beautiful than ever.

Sat on the highest peak of Mount Greylock was Ilvermorny School for Witches and Wizards. A place you once called home. Your old school. The stone walls of the castle looked sturdy and firm like it always had been as you trudged the halls of the castle. A few students murmur against one another as their eyes linger at your figures. You could practically hear the whispers of amazement as they recognize your connection to the congress. It wasn’t unusual to see an Auror here and there in the streets of New York but to see them in schools was definitely an alarming sight. It usually meant something was in trouble.

The potions professor, Ellen Quinn was tasked to be your guide to the assigned meeting. It was wise of the President to conduct her debrief here considering that Ilvermorny, like other wizarding schools, is a base of wizardry’s most powerful defense and combat magic. Where else to discuss such matters than the safest place in the wizarding world of America?

The heels of your boots clack nicely against the marble floors as you near the entrance to the Great Hall. Gladys stands beside you as Ellen motions for the two of you to wait before entering the hall. A blue light glides over the huge double doors—a privacy protection charm that you were sure Gregory Walker casted. A pure master in charms and spells. The man was most known for his great skill in silent charms and also created upgraded spells. A man of innovation.

Your mentor was most known for his affinity with the dark arts. Elliot Fontaine still is America’s most skilled magic duelist to this era. His work was often affiliated with dark magic and slowly he was able to build a slight immunity from dark curses. You weren’t surprised as to why they were called the MACUSA’s finest. Soon enough, you knew that you’d have to fill in the shoes of your mentor as Gladys and Gregory’s protégé will.

Gladys shuffles quietly beside you and you couldn’t help but turn your head towards her shifting. “Nervous?”

“For what? I’m not the one handling the case.” She answered with a teasing tone as she places her hands behind her back. You tense at the reminder before continuing to reminisce the memories of the past.

“I take that you’re a Horned Serpent then?” You change the topic as you glance at her from your peripheral vision. Gladys shakes her head as she laughs softly in amusement.

“Is it the legilimency that made you think that?” Gladys replies. You shrug jokingly.

“I mean, it makes sense…”

“Well, you’re right.” Gladys pats your shoulder as she replies. “Everyone expects a Hale to be a Horned Serpent.”

“Notice how I didn’t mention your lineage?”

“Oh shut up,” Gladys rolls her eyes as she says your name with playful annoyance. The doors open once more and you suddenly feel immense pressure from the amount of eyes staring at your arrival.

Joanne Goldstein.

Gregory Walker.

Elliot Fon—Wait no that old man can suck ass actually,

And of course, the President of MACUSA and the handler of your case, Margaery Simmons. You lock eyes with her and you see her lips twitch up into a gentle smile.

“Ms. Hale and Ms. Y/L/N.” She greets you with a gentle but professional tone. Your hands sweat as you enter the room. The doors glide again with the blue light as it closes with an echo. You discreetly brush them against the fabric of your coat before shaking the hand of America’s most beloved witch. “I trust that Ms. Hale was able to somewhat give you an idea as to why you were summoned here?”

“Somewhat.” You answer with a stiff smile as you glance at your mentor who only grins cheekily form his position beside Joanne. You subtly widen your eyes at him to which the senior Auror chuckles at.

“Good. Good.” Margaery nods her head slightly before grabbing a discarded newspaper placed on one of the tables. “Now that you have established that the debrief today is of a case with utmost importance, we will move on to the details.”

“To speed things up.” She adds as she motions the newspaper towards you and you take it with hesitance before flipping it to read the heading.

Influencial Seromahi killed by an unforgivable. Sources say the witch responsible for the murder is a Salazar.

“Seromahi?” You whisper in confusion as a moving picture of the event plays on the newspaper. You watch as a man is thrown back across the room by a spell you know all too well. A picture of a woman then flashes beside it, eyes mischievous and calculating.

“That’s a translated newspaper sent to us. It means No-Maj. Muggles for Britain.” Margaery muses as she elegantly places her hands on top of each other, positioned on her lower stomach. “Human.”

No way?

“A wizard killed a No-Maj in plain sight.” Gregory Walker chimes in from his position. Your heads turn towards him. “There are witnesses. Countless. Normally, matters like this are settled by their respective magical communities but the No-Maj killed is of foreign lineage.”

“An influential one as well.” You whisper as you try to assess more of what happened through the moving images. “How influential exactly?”

“A general.” Joanne Goldstein replies as she continues to sit on one of the empty chairs. “A friend and a close adviser to the King of Spain. This means something worse for us. A country as large and influential as Spain gaining knowledge of the existence of the wizarding world proves to be severely detrimental not only for the targeted magical community but also for the whole.”

Your jaw flutters at the severity of the situation as they stare at you with such seriousness. The gravity of this case can almost pummel you to the ground. Your hands tighten their grip around the paper. Margaery notices your nervousness. “Mr. Fontaine has suggested to assign you this task because of your capabilities and incredible skills as well as your affinity for magical tracing in dark magic. We don’t have much information on this but the head of the targeted magical community has reached out to send representatives per agency. You will not be alone in this, Y/N.”

This has to be your worst case yet. A wizard killing a No-Maj was not unheard of, in fact many prisoners underneath Woolworth were testified and charged guilty for the very reason. The severity of this situation was because the murder had been done in front of numerous No-Majs and the victim was also of influential standing. The murderer knew what she was doing. She did this on purpose.

Elliot Fontaine then walked towards you, placing a hand on your shoulder. “You’ve proven yourself worthy of this case. This counts as your immediate promotion, kid. You’re designated as a Senior Auror and investigator. Welcome to the ranks, detective.”

You turn towards Margaery who nods in agreement. Gladys smiles behind you as she only watches and listens in on the discussion. You bow your head in respect, unable to currently speak words from the shock of it all.

A promotion and a fucking mind shattering, headache inducing of a case. How wonderful.

“We’ll be right with you as combat squads in case a brawl happens, Ms. Y/N.” Joanne reassures you. “Until then, you and a few other representatives will be the ones leading this case.”

“Where is it located?” You ask as you fold the newspaper and tucking it under your arm. Gladys turns towards you as she flips a coin into the air before catching it effortlessly.

“The Philippines.” She says as she smiles. Your eyebrows raise in surprise. “But before we head there, we rendezvous first with the representative of the British Ministry of Magic.”

Elliot grins as he tucks his hands inside his pockets. “Pack up. We’re going to London.”

You had never expected your first trip to London was going to be like this.

Put on the spot by your higher ups to lead an investigation alongside a British representative was certainly not one of your list of reasons in visiting. You hoped that it would be for a vacation; a well-deserved leave.

You sigh for the nth time because while you did not expect your week to end up like this, it seems Isolt Sayre frowned upon you. Your day is in absolute shit.

First, you were lost. Like a kid who got lost in a fucking playground lost. Though these things never bothered you that much, it certainly was an annoying thing to deal with. You had gone out to hunt for a proper No-Maj coffee. Gladys thinks it’s absurd that you prefer No-Maj coffee over her own brew but you don’t have the heart to tell her that your heart might as well explode from the amount of caffeine she intakes and it’s not even the No-Maj kind which gives you the right kind of palpitation but it’s the wizard kind that leaves all sorts of side effects. You don’t want to deal with having discolored eyes for an hour because of it. Anyways, after hunting for a good coffee, you had somehow forgotten to retrace your footsteps.

You might be thinking, oh! But you’re a wizard anyways, you can just apparate out of there! WRONG. You had forgotten your wand as well. The portkey had already destroyed your inner organs (exaggerated obviously) and had left your mind grasping at straws. It hasn’t reversed back to its prime condition as you had forgotten your most important necessity of all.

You trudge along the streets of London with an exhausted look on your face. You look around, taking in the bustling streets of Monday morning. It was early and your darling roommate, Gladys Hale, had taken it upon herself to suffocate into the comfortable and soft duvet in her sleep. Well, you couldn’t blame her. The beds were definitely nice.

After being promoted as a Senior Auror, Joanne Goldstein had assigned Gladys Hale to be your assistant for the case. She says after all that 3 minds are better than two. You could almost laugh at Gladys’s stiff face as she certainly did not expect to be included in the trip.

As promised, the other Aurors had their respective portkeys, in case a war or a brawl severe enough to warrant backup was needed. They still had to solve other cases after all.

Unaware of your surroundings, you were suddenly pushed harshly on the side. You yelped at the sudden force as you landed on your side at the stone pavement, the harsh texture of rock digging on your skin. You were about to curse whoever it was but a sudden neigh of a horse catches your attention.

Your eyes widened as a horse seemed to have noticed you last minute and began to jump up in fear. Its hooves were directly in front of your face and the overall posture of the animal made it feel so large and intimidating.

Time slowed and you wondered if this was how you were going to die.

You could hear horrified gasps and the horrified yells of the coachman. This was it. The horse was about to smash your face in and you certainly think that whatever might have possessed Margaery to decided how much of a fucking idiot decision to place you as lead investigator for this whole Salazar case is a bunch of bullshit. Yeah, the old man was a bunch of bullshit as well. You close your eyes in fearbefore you hear a spell being casted.

“Petrificus Totalus.”

It was curt and discreet but you heard it. The horse froze above you suddenly and you took the chance to crawl backwards and out of its smashing zone. The spell was immediately gone as it was casted and a hand on your arm pulls you up.

“Are you okay?” He asks as he stands you properly. You stare at him, unable to speak as you look down at your spilt coffee. He notices where you’re looking at before sighing. “Please don’t go under horses and squashing yourself.”

You look back at the crowd you had created as they begin murmur and gossip over what just had happened. The man tsked as he pulled off his coat and pulled it over your head. You certainly think following this man was a bad idea but he had saved you and he was a wizard, so that was a well reason enough. He pulled you in an empty alleyway, away from prying eyes.

“Thank you— “As you try to express your gratitude, he pulled out his wand and pressed the tip of it against your temple. Your eyes widen as you know what he’s doing it. “Wait! Are you fucking obliviating me?!”

The man tilts his head back in shock at your reply. He squints his eyes as he drops his wand back. “Are you a witch?”

You furrow your eyebrows. “Yes and you just tried to fucking obliviate me without even giving me the chance to speak.”

“I thought you were a muggle. You had no wand on you?! Who doesn’t bring their wand everywhere. It’s like your most important necessity.” The man reasoned. Your jaw flutters in annoyance.

“Look, I didn’t mean to leave it at home but—“

The man then tensed, wand raised again as he squints his eyes in suspicion. “Wait, who sent you? Wizards lingering like this sound awfully suspicious.”

Your jaw drops at the accusation. Is this what you get for agreeing to this stupid mission? Your coffee definitely got the brunt end of it. You place your hands on your hips as you give him an incredulous stare. “Are you insisting I’m a criminal?”

“… Maybe,”

“You fucking idiot.”

“I-I mean who knows!” The wizard tries to defend himself. “You’re certainly acting like one.”

“What is your standard actually? I’ll have you know that casting spells in a No-Maj environment is a grave offense.” You retort, face filled with fury. You were seriously going to bash this man’s head in.

“I saved your life?!”

“Still, No-Maj environment mister.”

“No-Maj?” He tilts his head like a dog confused. It was almost cute if not for his idiocy. You sigh as you raise an eyebrow at him.

“No magic. A non-wizard, dumbass.”

“For your information, we call them muggles.” He sarcastically responds before grabbing your arm. You gasp at his forward actions before trying to pull away.

“What are you doing?! I could have you filed for sexual assault—“

“I’m bringing you over to the ministry. Surely your excuse will matter when you face the court.” He scrunches his nose at you like an adult trying to talk to a toddler. You gasp at his insinuation and before you could even respond, you were gone.

Then a blink of an eye, you were someplace else.

You were sure that you were in a similar place to MACUSA. After all, you had heard him say ‘Ministry’ as he had forcefully hauled your ass over after he had tried to obliviate you. Darn fucking Monday.

The clack of your boots and his pristine shoes against the marble floors were satisfying. You could only look around in awe as he dragged you by the arm. The architecture was stunning. It was certainly quite different from your agency. It definitely gave off elegance. Amidst admiring the wondrousness of the building’s interior, you were then pulled to a stop which caused you to stumble on your feet.

The man gave you a look over with a raised eyebrow before looking at the receptionist. The woman nods in familiarity. “Mr. Sallow! To what do I owe this pleasure?”

“Is the court available? I have this very suspicious witch in my hands. I’d like her to be interrogated.” He smiles innocently at the receptionist who only raises her eyebrows in slight surprise. You turn towards him with a shocked look on your face.

“You’re putting me on trial?!”

“Why not?” He looks at you, deadpan. Oh gods, you wish you could strangle this man. “Loss of magical object and ill-intentions toward an officer-in-charge. Shall I name more?”

“Oh, fuck you.”

“You wish, darling.” He leans in with a wink, mockingly. You could feel your face heating at the response. This man was certainly attractive but you couldn’t let that distract you from planning to curse his bloodline for the next 7 fucking generations.

That was a joke.

You think?

You let yourself be dragged begrudgingly before a call of your name catches your attention. You never knew Gladys Hale’s presence could be a sigh of relief. It was almost comforting. The woman mentioned marched with fury leaving her steps as her eyes never seem to leave yours. She calls your last name once more. “You fucking idiot! I leave you for 15 minutes and now you’re getting yourself arrested?!”

The man responsible for your capture pauses as he stares at the two of you. You look at Gladys with pleading eyes. “Save me, Hale. This man’s trying to put me in jail for baseless claims.”

“She left her wand. Insulted me too.” The man chimes in as he locks eyes with Gladys. Your companion looks back at you with a sigh before pulling said object from her coat pocket. You let out a noise of appreciation as you grab the object, hugging it close to your chest.

“We’re with MACUSA,” Gladys flashes her ID to Sebastian who furrows her eyebrows. “We’re supposed to be expected here— “

Sebastian’s eyes move from Gladys before looking at the newly entered people who, at first, doesn’t seem to notice them but then a man calls out an unfamiliar name and then he locks eyes with the Head Auror. He would try and greet in respect but the sound of you acknowledging the call immediately turned his head towards you in shock. Don’t fucking tell me this is—

“It seems you’ve already acquainted yourselves with one another?” Howard smiles alongside an unfamiliar man who he assumes to be of utmost importance judging by his overall aura. You furrow your eyebrows before turning towards the man beside you with a shocked look on your face.

“No fucking way.”

Elliot lets out a soft chuckle. “Mr. Sallow. Ms. Bassett has told me about you. Allow me to introduce my stagiaire, this is Y/N Y/L/N, MACUSA’s representative for the Salazar case.”

Sebastian turns to him in surprise, still speechless. The Head Auror notices the tense aura between you two. She raises an eyebrow at Sebastian who only smiles sheepishly at her stare.

“Alright, we’ve got no time to lose. Let’s go ahead and debrief the whole situation.”

You couldn’t believe this.

No, you will yourself not to. Sebastian, as you had come to know from his introduction, was supposedly your partner for this case. Well, the case was expected to have at least 5 representatives guided by a Division captain from the Philippines’ magical community. In those 5 representatives, they will be then grouped according to skill compatibility. The man beside you were decided to be your partner alongside Philippines’ representative, which you will meet at your arrival.

“According to our sources, the witch on target is Regina Salazar. A pureblood witch who was a big activist in the community.” Head Auror, Ryona Bassett discusses as she flips through a folder of the case intel. All of you had the same folder and your eyes lock with the moving picture of the culprit on yours. A pureblood? Interesting.

“Activist?” Sebastian chimes in from your side.

“The gal was a huge advocate for voicing the wizarding minority in the Philippines. Not sure as to why she’d suddenly kill a muggle. Sources also claim she’s quite friendly to muggles as well.” Howard furrows his eyebrows before placing his elbows on the table and intertwining his fingers with one another.

“Quite an odd background for a dark wizard.” You comment as you flip through the case notes. Ryona seems to have her eyes settled on you before letting out a sigh.

“It seems we had a bit of an altercation this morning, Ms. Y/L/N,” Your head turns to her in surprise. “I apologize in behalf of the confusion.”

You bit your lip before smiling at her. “It’s alright, Ms. Bassett.”

“Aurors in the ministry should be great examples of the wizarding community,” Ryona sends a sharp look at Sebastian who almost cowers in fear like a kid who got caught in stealing some cookies. “My men should know better, isn’t that right, Mr. Sallow?”

The man lets out a begrudging sigh before turning towards you with a stiff look on his face. “Apologies, Ms. Y/L/N. Don’t forget your wand next time.”

You smile sarcastically at him before faking a smile towards the higher ups in front of you. Your mentor claps his hands to catch the attention of the room.

“Now that we’ve got that out of the way. The case file also mentioned the discovery of an area in the northern Philippines.” He starts off as he stands from his seat, hands behind his back. “Not much is said about this in the files so I assume the debrief on this part will be conducted by your Division captain.”

You and Sebastian nod in understanding. The rest of the room stands up after an hour of planning before the Minister for Magic, Howard Arkenstone breaks the silence. “The two of you alongside Gladys Hale and Ominis Gaunt will be leaving for the Philippines in a few hours. Pack up what you need to bring and I can only hope that your time working together will be as efficient and swift as your capabilities as Aurors. Do I make myself clear?”

There’s a pause before both of you nod in understanding. “Yes sir.”

“Good.” Howard nods at the two of your before motioning Ryona and Elliot to join alongside him. “Come, we have to talk to the operations team as well.”

The two follow him out of the room, leaving the two of you to still be standing in silence beside each other. As soon as the doors close with a loud thud, you turn towards him with a serious look on your face.

“Look, I’ve decided to forgive and forget this little altercation we had this morning in hopes that we’ll be having a good partner relationship.” You smile innocently at him. You sure hope that he’d let this go considering he was the one who started the whole shebang. He only smiles at you with a slight chuckle, a little too condescending. Your hate for this man ups a scale for sure.

“Mhm,” He hums, a little too low. It stirs something in your stomach that you indefinitely ignore. He leans down with a patronizing smile. “This is important for the wizarding world after all.”

“Are you fucking with me?”

“Are you?” He raises an eyebrow before standing in his full height. He steps aside to gather his case file and then walking out of the room. You stare at his back as he pauses before turning back towards you.

“Let’s work well together, Ms. Y/L/N. I look forward to our time in the Philippines.”

He sends you a boyish grin that would’ve made you swoon if it weren’t for his little act. You knew he was just playing along by your rules but never taking you seriously. You huff in annoyance as you run your fingers through your hair.

Sayre, this is going to definitely be a long fucking annoying case.

Notes:

sebastian: *smirks*

reader: oh my fucking god you're so fucking annoying fuck you fuck me id let you do unspeakable things to me

anys hehe so theres gonna be five of u gasppp <3 and also a bit of bg introduction of the plot's main antagonist hehe hope you guys enjoyed this hihi, apologies if theres any grammatical errors or typos, ill be proof reading tom mwa

#arthenaa auror seb fic #hogwarts legacy x reader #sebastian sallow x reader #ominis gaunt #hogwarts legacy

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arthenaa · 1 year

Text

To be or not to be (Prologue)

Auror! Sebastian Sallow x MACUSA Auror! Reader Series

Chapter Summary: The start of it all.

Chapter warnings: subtle hints of discrimination, side character death

Chapters: Chapter 1, Chapter 2

Notes: HEYA just finished finals and as a reward for myself, ive finished the prologue. Will publish chapter 1 soon! For now enjoy hehe <3 also guess the surprise guest in this chapter hihi

Everything was bright.

The shimmer and grandiose of it all could’ve blinded Jose but he remains tucked in the corner, eyes observing as he tries to blend in with people of influence. They glided across the ballroom floor, faces plastered with kind and welcoming facades that hid manipulative and calculating thoughts. This had never been a welcome and comfortable sight for Jose but he must endure in order to pursue his studies. A glass of alcohol in his hand, he takes a glance at the main attraction of the night; Don Manuel Alfonso. The host of the party.

He was a lord who loved the essence of galas, balls and parties. The life of the party. It was hard enough to get in here with his blood lineage; A reason for stares and murmurs of disgust from the elite who have no shame in doing it in front of him. However, no one dares to insult for he was personally invited by the lavish lord who found interest in his great capabilities as a scholar and an artist. It certainly made him feel like some sort of personal entertainment for the noble.

Before he could continue judging the absurdness of this whole gala, a hand on his arm breaks him out of his reverie. He turns sharply to the culprit but sighing in relief at the sight of his companion.

“Taviel,” He smiles as the other nods at him as a greeting. The two had been invited by Don Manuel to the ball after Jose’s overseas trip. ‘An opportunity to catch up,’ the Spaniard had said with a hearty laugh and a rough pat on his back.

“I almost thought Don Alfonso whisked you away to talk your ear off.” Taviel chuckles as he watches yet another dance sequence starts on the dance floor. He glanced at shorter man beside him, taking note of his blank expression. “Not having much fun, I assume?”

“It depends.” Jose replies with nonchalance as he watches a young lord bump into a maiden before flustered cheeks and lingering glances occur. He watches the beauty of a love blossom from across the room, watching as they get absorbed into their own little bubble. Free of care and attention in the world.

The sweet bliss of ignorance.

“It does get me enough material for my works, though.”

“Ah, a great writer’s mind never rests.” Taviel chuckles as he slips his hands inside his pockets. Jose shakes his head as he lets the ambiance of the room answer for him. The artist takes a sip of his drink before resuming his people watching.

“You jest, Taviel.” Jose catches the eye of a young woman across the room. He sends a subtle smile before raising his glass as a greeting. The woman returns his initiation for an interaction before giving him a lingering glance as she blends in with the other ladies. “But I do suppose that holds some truth to it. Explains why women love me so much.”

“Mierda. Keep talking like that and you’ll surely scare them off.” Taviel tries to hide a chuckle as he nudges the writer beside him as a response to his cocky response. The scholar only hums as he hides his smile in his drink. To even progress the night into a far more interesting one, Jose catches the eye of Don Manuel who exaggeratedly points his hand towards their direction. The crowd around him disperses as he makes his way over to the two of them.

“Oh dear, one more step from him and I fear for the safety of the marble floors.” Taviel tries to hide his crud teasing with a stiff smile as the Spaniard approaches with a welcoming smile. Jose only shakes his head at Taviel’s teasing before smiling at the approaching noble.

“Don Taviel de Andrade! And of course, Jose Rizal.” Don Manuel greets them with enthusiasm to which they return with slight bows of respect. “I’ve been looking everywhere for you!”

“I suppose that’s a direct reference to our dear friend, Don Alfonso?” Taviel grins innocently to which the host laughs loud at. Jose almost winces at the loudness of his voice but he was too busy trying to send a glare at his companion for the night.

“How was your trip, Doctor?” Don Manuel turns to him with interested eyes. Jose smiles sheepishly as he feels his fingers grip the stem of his wine glass.

“It was wonderful, mi senor. France was lovely and a life-changing experience indeed. An opportunity to learn has always been a welcomed chance to be better.” Jose replies with elegance of a scholar. Taviel thinks he’ll never get tired being in the presence of one of the greatest men the Philippines has seen. The man himself evokes intelligence and elegance. Spaniards may soil his blood but they can never deny his intimidating and alluring presence. Taviel truly admired him.

“You never fail to impress me, Rizal. It’s why you’re one of my favorites.” Don Manuel sneakily tries to whisper to Jose but Taviel only shakes his head in amusement. The hearty Spaniard chuckles at the two before changing the topic. “I suppose you’re wondering why there’s a gala out of the blue.”

“Well, it’s never really an unusual sight for you is it?” Taviel raises his eyebrows as he encourages the man to continue. Don Manuel grins widely as he steps closer to the two.

“Well, there’s actually a reason behind it. Some of my men and some troops sent by the military have secured an area in the north. Now, this would be the usual for us but this was a tip given by an informant of mine and said to hold a relic that grants abilities.” Don Manuel speaks with a crazed look on his face. Jose feels a chill go down his spine as he furrows his eyebrows in confusion. “Informant overheard a few indios and forced it out of them. Definitely worth it, I tell you. I’m celebrating at the chance of becoming Manila's richest man and of course being recognized by his Majesty.”

Jose’s free hand crumples to a fist as he only listens to the old man's laughter. Taviel glances at him before looking back at Don Manuel. The young lord laughs. “Surely, you’re not letting old age affect your state of mind, senor?”

Don Manuel grunts at him in annoyance. “The relic is there but for some reason my men can’t get it. We send one in the forest and they return dazed and lost. Like they’ve got no clue why they went in in the first place. Pendejadas."

The old man turns to look at Jose with a raised eyebrow as he places his hands on his hips. “I suppose you’d know something of this, Rizal? Considering your lineage.”

“No.” Jose replies with no hesitance that it almost made Taviel suspicious. The taller of the two looks at him with concern. The artist only glances at the two with a smile before shaking his head. “None at all. This is news to me.”

“Well, whatever this relic is, it’s crucial that we obtain it. The wonders it'll do for Spain. I’m only letting you two know because I hold you very dearly to my heart.” Don Manuel pats their backs with a harsh motion causing the two to stumble. Then he pauses to grip their shoulders tight before murmuring with hostility and threat. “Do know that I’ll know if you open your mouths. I assume that this is going to stay between us. We don’t want anything bad to happen don’t we, caballeros?”

Jose looks down at the floor with a blank look while Taviel lets out a sigh before nodding. The man smiles once again before patting the two one last time. Jose watches as the old man walks away and buries himself in the attention of the crowd before placing his glass on an empty table and began marching his way out. Taviel stutters as he follows fast behind him.

“Jose? Jose—Wait!”

He must get out now. A target could be placed on his back for all he cares and he knows that Don Manuel is nothing but trouble. He had always allowed his crass deeds to float above his head, avoiding to give it attention. He only nods and smiles in the presence of the noble but he supposes all things must have a limit.

“Where are you going?! It’s not a good time to leave right now.” Taviel tries to catch up to him, a shock considering their heights. Jose grabs his coat and hat from a servant before tugging it on. Taviel stands in front of him in confusion, stopping him from further leaving the place. “This is all too fast, what’s wrong?“

“I apologize my friend but I must leave early tonight. The festivities have rendered me exhausted.” Jose tries to reason as he looks at his friend with a stiff smile. Taviel furrows his eyebrows before leaning closely.

“Is this about what Alfonso said? You do know that things will happen if you leave now. He’s got eyes everywhere, mi amigo.” Taviel places a hand on his shoulder, encouraging him to communicate his worries. “Talk to me, Pepe.”

Jose lets out a shaky breath as he glances around him. About to voice his reasons for worry, he feels a chill presence glide behind and it’s as if everything’s in slow motion. Normally, Jose relates this feeling to moments of love. A sudden meeting of eyes, lingering touches and the gentle dancing of body language around one another. This—This was different. It felt as if he was close yet so far. He was too caught up by the ambiance and the festivities to miss the off signals around him. It was right in front of him and yet he had only watched as it fled from his grasp.

The sweet bliss of ignorance.

The familiar figure stands in front of him, directly in front of the parting in the crowd at the center where Don Manuel continues to speak with his guests. No one pays attention as the woman blends perfectly with the festivities. The woman glances back at the two with a smile.

She was that girl he raised his glass at. Jose is paralyzed with an unspeakable force as he watches the woman pull out an all familiar item. An object he never got the chance to hold.

He only watches as she extends her arm, wand pointed at the man who merely moments ago had threatened to do unlawful crimes towards him. He thinks karma is a befitting mode of justice but he hadn’t expect it to come in this.

He hears the words, a faint reminder of the world beyond him.

“Avada Kedavra.”

The green light emerges from the wand but vanishes quickly from his eyes before he could even process it. It directly hits Don Manuel and sends him flying across the room. Everyone gasps in silence as the lord hits the ground with a loud thud. His wife rushes over immediately to check on him before screams of horror erupt.

“He’s dead!” His wife screams before commotion ensues. The woman in front of him chuckles before using the distraction as a way to escape.

The whole room starts to erupt in panic at the sight of a dead man. They rush to the exits causing the two to move back in shock at what just happened. Jose feels dread fill his gut at the possible consequences of what just happened. Leonor. I have to get back to Leonor.

“Puta, Jose!” Taviel lets out breaths of shock as he grabs his friend’s arm to get his attention. The people have started to fled. Jose sees Don Manuel’s unmoving body surrounded by his men and the still screaming wife. “What the fuck just happened?!”

Jose turns towards Taviel before grabbing his things and Taviel’s arm with haste and rushing outside the building. No one seems to pay them mind, too focused on their own safety as he pulls him to a secluded alleyway, hiding from possible onlookers. Taviel looks at him with a lost look on his face.

“Jose—“

“Taviel. Look, I can’t explain this right now but things are about to get bad.” Jose grasps his friend’s arms tightly. Fear and panic is evident on the doctor’s face before he lets go of him and opens up his case. “That area that Don Manuel discovered will only bring more suffering to my people and I have to let the others know.”

“Others? What do you mean, Jose?”

Jose pulls out a parchment and a pen as he begins to write with haste. Taviel looks out from the alleyway for potential onlookers before looking back at his friend who begins to fold the parchment paper into an origami crane.

“I have to warn them. I’m the least they’ll expect but it’ll work out.” Jose pants as he pulls out a vial of what Taviel assumes to be dust. Jose pours a few ounces of the powder on his palm before placing the crane on top of his briefcase. He takes a breath before placing his palm up with the powder on it in front of the crane before speaking.

“Ihatid, Ipaalam, Babalaan. Ito ang tadhanang pinaparating ko sa iyo sa grasya ng Bathala at dirihi ng mga tala.” Jose murmurs into the powder before blowing against the crane. Taviel watches with confusion and mild amusement before stumbling back with a gasp as the crane transfigures into an eagle. Jose nods at the animal as it returns the gesture before flying off his briefcase and into the sky.

“What did I just—“ Taviel cuts himself off as he stares into the sky before glancing down at Jose who stands up with a sigh before staring at him. “What is happening, Jose?”

Silence engulfs them both before Jose breaks it off.

“Tonight must’ve been a sight, Taviel.” Jose steps close towards Taviel who steps back in apprehension. “I’m sorry but I have to do this. For your sake."

Before Taviel could even defend himself, Jose blows another type of powder towards his face before the man faints to the floor. Jose sighs as he watches his friends take soft breaths in his sleep. He places the vials inside his pocket before grabbing his suitcase.

“PhilMaj must be furious by now. This can only mean worse for us.” Jose tips his hat closer to his head as he leans down to place his briefcase on the ground before grabbing Taviel’s arm off the floor and pulling his body up with difficulty. He slings his arm across his neck, taking a break from the strenuous exercise of hauling an unconscious man. Jose looks up at the sky.

He never knew that he’d once be exposed to that side of the world again. The PhilMaj valued secrecy more than anything and what just happened back at the gala could only result to the fall of what once was a perfect and secured place for people like him. Well, could he even call himself the same as the others?

He looks down at the briefcase as a dreading feeling creeps up his skin. He taps the top of the case three times before it snapped open, pulled them inside and disappearing into thin air. Escape was the only solution for now.

A death of a seromahi at the hands of a wizard meant one thing and one thing only.

That a war was beginning to brew.

Translation:

Mierda - shit

Pendejadas - cowards

Puta - fuck (can also mean bitch)

indios - term used by spaniards to filipinos (usually meant in a derogatory way

“Ihatid, Ipaalam, Babalaan. Ito ang tadhanang pinaparating ko sa iyo sa grasya ng Bathala at dirihi ng mga tala.” - Deliver, Inform, Warn. This is the fate I seal to you by the grace of Bathala and the guidance of the stars.

caballeros - gentlemen

seromahi - (sero (zero) , mahi(ka) (magic) ) muggle version of Filipinos

PhilMaj - Philippine Bureau of Magic and Wizardry

N/A: AND THAT SETS THE PLOT OF THE STORY ACKK !! What do you think will be the main conflict for this series? also jose rizal cameo hihi ,,, sorry if there will be inaccuracies, im doing my best in researching so just count this ver of jose rizal as fictional. also yes jose rizal does have magical lineage in his blood but if you look closely from the hints in the chapter, he's a little difference from others. do you think he'll make a come back in the future chapters? we'll see hehe. (jic some of you dont know who jose rizal is, he's a national figure in the philippines and a figure and symbolism of revolution) check this post out to learn more about the philmaj and the magical community of the Philippines! Chapter 1 will be you and Sebastian's debut

#arthenaa auror seb fic #arthenaa #hogwarts legacy #sebastian sallow #sebastian sallow x reader #reader is from macusa #sebastian sallow smut #hogwarts legacy smut

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arthenaa · 1 year

Text

To be or not to be (CHAPTER 3)

Auror! Sebastian x MACUSA Auror! Fem! Reader

Chapter Summary: You're finally inside the bureau and get introduced to the other two representatives from France and Thailand, joining you along this case. You get in close with the footage from the actual crime and seemed to have noticed something else.

Chapter Masterlist

Chapter warnings: mentions of blood and discrimination, there's also physical hurting of a child at the end, mentions of killing someone and a dead person. theres also sebastian and reader action but its subtle like deez nuts im so sorry i cant help it. anyways so far its all about the lore <3

a/n: enjoy plz even tho this is barely edited lmao. will edit tom. lmk ur thoughts.

You hear Sebastian's gasp of amazement at the sight before him.

"Woah."

Well, you couldn't argue with his sound of awe. As soon as you stepped inside, a magnificent sight greets you. A large tree situated at the center of the grand hall creates this majestic and nature feel of the whole building. It springs up and seems to be never-ending as a hole in the ceiling allows it to venture past the building's limitations. An encasement surrounds the tree, protecting it from wandering hands.

You feel the magic before you could even step closer to it. You feel its raw and powerful core, a feeling you once got the moment you held your wand. You see little specks of light floating around the magnificent tree— further enhancing its beauty.

"Damn. You don't get to see a tree like that back at home." You hear Gladys mutter beside you, eyes still trained on the gigantic specimen before you. She continues with a chuckle. "This is something Beauvais would probably lose her mind over."

You chuckle in agreement at the mention of the wandmaker. Trees like this were a source of raw and core magic. They were often planted in places sacred and solemn. This was an utter shock to you though. You just didn't see a tree blatantly planted in a place where wizards dwelled as well.

You further analyze the interior, noticing the receiving area for guests on the right side of the hall. You watch with curiosity at the numerous creatures dressed in formal wear roaming around the halls to the floating candles that surround the whole room.

It honestly didn't look like how MACUSA was from the inside. This felt more homey and welcoming. Like you were staying over at an inn with how warm the overall atmosphere felt. There was however a professional feel to it still. You suppose it's because the bureau is situated within a town where wizards lived and dwelled as well.

You glance at Ominis as he extends his hand out as if he was feeling for something you couldn't see. Your eyebrows furrow in confusion.

"The magic here is strong." The blonde mutters. You've read from his file that the British assistant excelled in magical tracing as well as he felt magic more differently and sensitively than others. While attuning and focusing on certain traces took a while for you, you were still the most skilled out of your peers. You just had years of practice in mastering that field. This man however felt everything from what you heard but still lacked in terms of tracing distinct traces. He'd be a valuable asset to you, for sure.

"Yes." You hear Corazon agreeing from the front of the group. You were too enamored by the beauty of the interior to notice that the Datu had already had her eyes trained on your little group. You still felt oddly uncomfortable with the way the babaylan standing beside her was staring at you. "It comes from the Balete tree. It's the rawest form of our magic and acts as a combat and defense system against potential threats. Keeps the community safe. It's why we're able to stay underground for so long."

"I see." Sebastian nods, passively commenting as he tucks his hands inside the pockets of his coat.

They continue to lead you to the area behind the tree where three archways forming in a coordinate axis are situated. One is situated to the north while the other two are on your west and east. Corazon continues to walk forwards into the northern hall with Ysmeria and the elf a few steps beside her.

You match pace with Captain Alcantara beside you, eyes trained on the long hallway in front of you. You pass by other wizards who turn to give a curious stare and a respectful nod to the authorities escorting your group. You can't help but feel oddly uncomfortable at the numerous stares you're receiving.

The investigation division captain turns to you with a curious glance. "Nervous?"

You're startled by his sudden start of conversation but you respond with a sheepish smile, nonetheless. "Somewhat. The stares are something I'm not used to."

Elias chuckles. "It's fine. We rarely get visitors for this particular reason and everything else is kept under wraps by the Datu. No one knows exactly what we're doing with the whole situation yet besides us and the higher ups so rest assured it's mostly out of curiosity."

You don't know whether you should sigh in relief or not but with the added smile of reassurance that the captain sends your way is enough to put a calming effect on your mind.

The Datu stops at the end of the hall where a huge double door stops you from surveying what was inside of it. It was certainly a sense of deja vu from your previous meeting back at Ilvermorny. Corazon turns to Ysmeria with a nod before stepping aside to let the witch do whatever it is that she needed to do.

The babaylan turns towards you with a short glance. "I hope none of you are iffy with blood."

The cryptic message leaves the four of you with confused looks on your faces. You would almost think that it was a threat but with the way the corner of her lip gently raised, you would assume it was a joke.

She looks oddly scary for someone joking about ... blood.

Not until, she pulled out the weapon attached to her hip, resting the blade on her hands as she turns it back and forth before facing the sharp edge against her palm and making a swift cut on the skin.

Gladys takes a step back at the sight while the others remained silent. She then faces her palm on the flat side of the blade, murmuring a language that almost sounds similar to parseltongue. You see Ominis tense at the words.

As her palm slides down the blade, a swirl of writing lights up on the metal surface. It glows at the touch of her blood before the whole flat side of the blade is illuminated. It gleams for a few seconds before the door makes a rumbling sound. You take a step back, startled by the sounds before a pair of hands catch your back.

You glance to your right to see Sebastian peering down at you. He smiles gently at your face filled with apprehension. "It's okay."

He whispers towards you with a look of comfort seeping into his smile. You gulp at his words before turning back to the door in front of you. You watch as the handles of the door begin to extend like a bark of a tree before slightly curling up like an object was expected to be placed on it.

Ysmeria places her blade on top of the handle before rubbing her bloodied palm against the surface of the door with exquisite design. There was a lapse of silence before the door brightens a gold color. You watch as it traces a certain pattern on the door before you hear a lock click from the inside. Ysmeria takes her sword from the handles, watching as it turns back into its original state before the doors are pushed open on their own.

Corazon turns to you with a professional smile once again on her face. "Apologies. We had to reassure that we had the safest room possible when discussing important intel. This was the best possible option as it connects directly to the Balete tree and a babaylan can only access it."

Just as the four of you would respond to your gestures of understanding, a cough resounds throughout the empty hall. Your heads turn towards two figures stood inside the room.

A man and a woman.

The man raises his hand to form a wave with a cheeky smile, greeting you all while the woman only gives you a half-lidded stare from her spot beside him.

"Ah! Right." Corazon claps her hands at the sight of the two before turning towards the four of you. "I know introductions are in order but first please do situate yourselves amongst the room."

You take a step inside the spacious hall, eyes wandering as you take in its architecture and interior. You notice glass surrounds your feet and the room seems oddly empty despite being spacious enough to house a thousand people.

You find yourself between Sebastian and Gladys, adjacent to you is the two unknown figures, one of which seems to be eyeing your companion. You turn to Gladys who seems to be uncomfortable at the woman's stares.

"You okay?" You ask her as she locks eyes with the woman who sends her a smirk before crossing her arms over her chest and facing Corazon with a smile. Gladys does not respond to your question.

"Alright. Now that all of our representatives are here, let me introduce you to one another." Corazon rubs her hands together as she studies the people who will lead the investigation. She purses her lips for a short pause before smiling once more. "Let's start off with our Thailand representative. Sent by the Ministry of Magic and Wizardry for Thailand and approved by the Southeast Asian Wizardry Congregation to represent as their primary representative is Hathaikan Anant."

The woman sends a calculating gaze towards your group before nodding in greeting.

"She specializes in undercover missions and intel gathering. Particularly, in the field of potions." Corazon adds with a proud smile. Hathaikan chuckles.

"A pleasure to be working with you, Datu." Her voice rings out like a sickening sweet flavor that leaves a bad taste on your tongue. You can't help but be apprehensive as her eyes turn into slits as she smiles with 'innocence.'

Corazon then turns to the man beside him. "This is Regan Moreau. Sent by the Ministry of Magical Affairs for France. Specializes in defense against the dark arts."

Regan sends a look of familiarity toward Sebastian who only sends a forced smile towards him.

"Did he just say France?" Ominis leans slightly to his left to whisper to Sebastian who hums out a yes. It seems as though Regan had heard Ominis's question as he sends a smile back at him.

"Of course we have, Sebastian Sallow sent by the British Ministry of Magic. Excelling in the form of wand dueling especially against dark wizards as well as his affinity to dark magic." The Datu nods towards him. Heads turn towards him, eyes trained on his figure as he mumbles a quick 'hi.' You snorted at the awkwardness before coughing as you feel his arm nudge harshly against your rib. "Then sent by Magical Congress of the United States of America, Y/N Y/L/N. She specializes in magical tracing which will come quite in hand with Hathaikan's field."

You lock eyes with Thailand's representative who tilts her head, eyeing you up and down before winking. You look away in embarrassment.

"Last but not the least, we have our own agency's representative. Hiraya Rivera as your field medic and guide." Corazon motions her hand toward Hiraya who only nods her head in greeting. You could see her vibrant energy overflowing with the way she was bouncing on the balls of her feet. Elias had to subtly pull her down by the arm, appearing to look unbothered by ball of energy beside him. "You'll all be commanded by Captain Elias Alcantara throughout the entirety of this case. Am I clear?"

A resounding "Yes, Ma'am" is heard throughout the hall. Corazon smiles at the sounds of agreement before pulling out her wand. "Now that's out of the way, let's head on to the real reason why we're all here."

With a flick of her wrist, the wand transfigures into a staff before she uses the end of the wooden pole to thud against the glass pane beneath your feat. Within seconds, the room darkens and the glass illuminates causing you all to take a step back.

Corazon transfigures her wand back once more before swishing it into the air. You watch with bated breath as the room fills with mist. It surrounds your feet and the walls around you— almost blocking your vision. Its Sebastian that alerts you back to the present situation.

"Projection magic." He whispers beside you. You turn your head slightly toward him. He notices it and continues. ".... What she's doing. It gives a visual aid of a scene or an event. We use it often at the headquarters."

You face him with an amused stare. "... I know what it is."

You could only describe the face he made in the next few seconds as a child who had tried to show off his brand-new toy thinking it was him who only had it but then sees the whole class with the very same toy. He gaps at you like a fish out of water before pursing his lips and grumbling in annoyance. You could almost giggle at his childish demeanor but you suppose laughing at a time like this wasn't the best exact decision to make.

So you only smile.

You begin to notice the interior of the hall change from its traditional style to a more grandiose interior. It was a ballroom certainly but held more of a traditional Spanish-inspired feel to it. You then begin to hear chatters as ghosts of people start to appear around you.

You would almost be scared shitless at the faceless figures if you weren't aware with how this type of spell worked but you knew that this was an effect of what the projection spell was focusing on.

"This came from a memory vial sent by our informant." Ysmeria was the one who speaks up as she takes a step forward. She then gestures with her hand towards the man at the center of the ballroom. "Watch closely."

The movements appeared to be in slow motion. You watch as a man with clear features— one you deduced as the victim of the attack, converse with the blurred figures around him.

Just as he lets out a boisterous laughter, a woman dressed in the traditional Baro't Saya, emerges from the other end of the hall, pulling out her wand and casting what you can already tell as the Killing Curse.

The green light travels slowly, passing in front of you before hitting the man directly in the chest. The man flies from the impact before hitting the floor with a loud thud. You hear howls of pained and panicked screams from the sight of a dead man.

Then the projection stops.

Your eyes turn back to Corazon who had her hand raised, tip illuminating before she drops it back down and motioning her hand towards the scene. "Thoughts?"

It's Regan who speaks first. He walks toward the projected corpse of what once was a lively man. He crouches down, head tilted as he analyzes the man lying before him. "A direct hit. It's certainly cast with intentions."

You nod in agreement before hearing Sebastian chime from beside you. "Wizard on Muggle crimes are always led by a demonstration for power. Causes like this are common from past cases."

Hathaikan hums from her spot before walking toward the suspect who still has her wand raised. Arms tucked behind her back, she eyes the emotionless look plastered on her face. "Correct, Mr. Sallow, if she was a pureblood fanatic."

Hathaikan sends a sarcastic smile toward Sebastian who only looks away in annoyance. You furrow your eyebrows at her behavior.

Hathaikan then continues. "However, the files have already deduced that Regina Salazar is an activist for half bloods and seromahi born wizards. She has an affinity for humans."

Your purse your lips in thought. She was right.

The motives and background couldn't align. Either there was something that had her in a sudden change of heart or she was that manipulative, to begin with, but according to the case files, Regina was continuously passionate about allowing an easier process and a welcoming environment for the human minority of the wizarding community.

Murder for demonstration of superiority was certainly out of the question.

"We can't rule that out yet." The Datu corrects your thoughts. "Regina is still a pureblood. Raised by one of the most traditional families in the community. She was honed to feel superior than others. We still have to consider this as a possible motive."

The others fall silent at her thoughts. You suppose exhausting every possible option would be the best approach to this.

And that you did.

As you try to make more sense of the scene in front of you, your eyes catch a still figure amongst a panicked crowd. Normally, you'd pass it off as a shocked witness but with the way, his shoulders were hunched and his body language that spoke as if it was far from the emotion of fear and surprise, you knew this was something else.

"There." You point at the blurred figure on Hathaikan's right. The group turned toward the area where you pointed as marched to the faceless figure. "His positioning. I-It's not right."

Sebastian tilts his head at your observation. "It looks like a shocked witness. It doesn't really give off any other information besides that."

Regan, fortunately, takes notice of your insinuation. He points to the figure. "The head. It's tilted towards Regina as if he's watching her. Normally, if you're paralyzed by fear, it attunes to the rest of your body as well."

Gladys adds in. "The instinctive urge for flight. He would've taken a step back already."

Corazon locks eyes with Ysmeria who nods at the theory presented.

Hiraya chimes in all of a sudden. It almost startled you with how quiet she's been so far. "There's one here as well. Same body language."

The group turns their head to a faceless figure of a woman on the far left of the hall but situated at the front of the center aisle. She stood the same way as the man had. Face directed toward Regina.

"Is there no way to uncover the faces of these people?" Ominis asks as he raises his wand, the red tip scanning his surroundings.

"I believe not. It happened all too fast." Captain Alcantara makes his entrance into the conversation. His eyes scan the two added accomplices to their list of people to find. "The informant was only focused on the scene at hand, hence the faceless figures."

"Wait. Am I hearing this right?" Sebastian clarifies for the rest of the group. "Are we deducing that this is a murder done by not only one but a possible group of wizards?"

Silence.

Complete and utter silence.

The added two observations definitely provided more context to the scene of the crime and while dark wizards planning to take over No-Maj communities was something quite common in your line of work, never had you experienced a situation where a wizard loving human would murder a muggle out of plain sight. An influential one nonetheless.

Wait.

Influential?

"Wait!" You exclaimed, startling the others at your sudden rise of voice. You turn towards them with wide eyes. "Didn't the case file say that he's of influential standing? Connections with the King of sorts?"

"A general and an adviser to the King of Spain." Hathaikan has her full attention on you, arms crossed over her chest as she lifts a hand to rub her pointer finger against her chin in contemplation.

"This isn't just a murder, isn't it." Ominis catches your drift. You let out a shaky sigh as looks of dread fill the faces of the locals in front of you.

Gladys voices your thoughts with a flick of her coin.

"Its a fucking assassination."

"It's all over the paper."

A gentle thud of the paper against a wooden surface alerts the woman having breakfast. At first, she sends him a glare before sighing as a motherly look flashes across her face.

"Enzo. Eat." She gestures to the food laid out in front of the table. She takes a sip of the coffee before a harsh slam against the table burns her tongue.

She doesn't flinch and only peers at the young man standing in front of her with cold eyes.

"I didn't agree to this." Enzo voices out with a shaky tone. Tears well in his eyes as his hand grip the edge of table tightly within his grasp. "This— This is not what she would've wanted."

The woman sounds out a burst of laughter, malicious enough that it sends the young boy standing at his full height. Suddenly, he's aware of stares directed at him. One from the living area, coming from a man, and the other by the stairs, from a woman.

"Y'know," The woman smacks her lips as she feels the burn on the tip of her tongue. "It's crazy how the pain only settles after. It doesn't even hit you hard. It's a slow process."

The woman then stands up, posture elegant but menacing. Enzo takes a step back.

"Pain isn't even the only thing that settles after." She continues as if she's only telling a story. Enzo gulps as she makes calculated slow steps toward him. "There's scars. Trauma. Fear. All that stuff."

"P-Please—" Before he could even speak out his plea, a hand surges out to harshly grab his cheeks. He lets out a yelp in pain as the woman pulls him towards her.

"You don't get to tell me what she would've wanted." The woman hisses as her nails dug against the skin of his cheek. He whimpers as he claws at her wrist. "This is everything she should've had as well as the rest of you. I'm doing this for a cause, Lorenzo."

The way his name rolls out of her tongue leaves a bad taste in his mouth. Tears had already begun rolling down his eyes before he could even stop them. Noticing his scared expression, a motherly smile settles once again on her face.

"Should we teach him a lesson, Ate?" The woman from the stairs suggest with a smirk. The man seems to agree but a cold lifeless stare is only sent back to them as a response.

"Know your place, Vida. Juan." She calls out. The two cower in their places before she turns back her attention toward him. She releases her harsh grip on his face, opting to gently caress his cheeks as if he hadn't almost crushed his face together with just one hand.

He looks up at her in forced obedience.

"Do you understand what I'm saying, Enzo?" She utters in such a false warmth of security that it almost lulls the young boy if he wasn't used to it by now.

"Yes," He pauses for a second before he continues to address her. "Aunt Regina."

"Good boy." She giggles as she pats his head in a calming manner before pulling him in her arms.

He used to feel safe in this very cocoon of warmth. He used to remember her smiles differently but now it had all begun to bleed into the cold surface of her pain.

"I'm glad you understand." She reassures him, swaying them back and forth together, creating an allusion to a happy mother and son. He allows himself to rest against her, eyes empty and hollow.

There was a pause before her next words shakes a chill down his spine.

"Cause I was afraid I'd have to kill you too."

It didn't even sound like a threat. It was as if she whispered sweet nothings into his ear. He tenses and he knows she noticed. The swaying pauses and she pulls back to crouch in front of him. The fear intensifies as he stares at the empty hollow of a woman in front of him.

Eyes almost dark and empty of life and a smile curved up so eerily, she stares at him with what seems like the most haunting things he'd ever seen. The next few words further intensifies his fear.

"We certainly don't want that, do we?" Her voice is warm but gives off the feeling of coldness. He can't take his eyes off her.

"After all, a mother can't kill her son."

A/N: IM DONE W CHAP 3 THIS WAS SO FUN TO WRITE despite being lazy af im so sorry honkai star rail was so fun. NEW CHARACTERS AND A SNEAK PEEK OF THE MAIN VILLAIN !!! hope yall liked it, <3 the drama is starting hehe. LMK UR THEORIES PLS 🙏 also tysm for the support on this fic. its my baby. SEE U ALL ON CHAP 4 !!!!

#arthenaa #hogwarts legacy #sebastian sallow #hogwarts legacy x reader #sebastian sallow x reader #ominis gaunt #arthenaa auror seb fic #tobeornottobe

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