Summary: Since the battle at Rookwood's castle, Sebastian has been writing to Anne, who never replies. After an intervention, he embarks on a personal cleanse, unintentionally ceasing his letters. A sudden breakthrough in a dream inspires him to brew a new potion, prompting him to write a heartfelt letter to Anne. The letter details his recent struggles and triumphs, confesses his mistakes, and pleads with her to take the potion—a temporary cure he believes will help her, all in the hope that she has been reading his past letters despite her silence.
Word Count: 820 words
My Dearest Anne,
I know I haven't written in a while, and for that, I am truly sorry. My silence has been inexcusable. I've been... distracted. I don't know if you read my previous letter about my thoughts on dropping out of school, but in the end, I decided to stay. I even had a long talk with Professor Weasley about my future; then Ominis, well, he didn't talk much, he just stood cold in a very Ominis way. And then I talked to her, the not-so-new-anymore-sixth-year, and... I finally decided to stay. I know I didn't tell you about my change of mind. To be honest, I was too proud to admit I wasn't as strong as I thought I was.
I like to think that Mom and Dad would be proud of me for staying. Do you reckon they would be?
I don't know what you've heard or if anyone else told you about it, but after the last time we met, Ominis managed to get some crucial information from Rookwood. I won't lie to you, Anne, it consumed me. That obsession led to me hurting Ominis and her... They eventually forgave me, I'm not sure what I did to deserve friends like them.
With her help, I finally managed to pull back from my obsession. I don't know what she has, but she's always been able to get through to me, even when I'm at my worst. I had to put the research for the cure aside for a while, I'm so sorry, Anne, but I really needed to focus on catching up with my studies and my friends. Everyone cares about you deeply and has been so supportive through all of this. They don't talk about it much, but they miss you and hope you're doing well.
But a lot has changed since I've been back. Ominis has gotten annoyingly close to Poppy Sweeting. She seems to feed his sense of what's "correct," but she's far from a saint, she's out fighting dangerous poachers all the time, and Ominis just doesn't seem to notice that part of her. It makes me wonder if he's actually capable of falling in love; after all this time I just thought he... well, never mind. Our dearest "Hero of Hogwarts", on the other hand, was moved to Garreth Weasley's potion station after I left. They’ve become best friends, her and the exploding menace, can you believe it? Although, I have to admit, he’s actually a master at potions, he just believes exploding cauldrons is a great way to entertain Sharp's boring lectures. Anyway, I was terribly jealous at first, but I can see he's a good influence on her. Maybe a better one than I'll ever be.
I also went back to Quidditch. It turns out our old beater, William Grant, was caught cheating on a test and got himself banned from all extracurriculars, which left a spot open. With the Inter-House Quidditch Cup getting close, they were desperate, and you should have seen Imelda’s face when she had no choice but to beg me, Sebastian Sallow, to come back. She's been driving the team crazy with extra practices all around the highlands, desperate for a win after last year's ban, apparently, it's all about her curriculum. If we make it to the finals, I hope you can join us. I'll be looking out for you in the stands.
Classes, I have to admit, are rough. I don't know how the muggle prodigy managed last year, catching up on five years of studies and, Merlin! A whole life without magic. I'm struggling with months of falling behind and can barely fit more into my brain. The professors have been piling on extra credit to help me prepare for N.E.W.T.S., which means I have no free time. I'm exhausted, but it's a good kind of tired.
Anyway, the important thing, and the reason there is a mysterious bottle with this letter, is that last night I had a moment of absolute clarity. It's not a definite cure yet, but I truly believe this potion, this temporary solution, will make your life better. It will help. I'm sending a month's supply. Just drink five centiliters every day around the same time. I'll send more each month; I promise.
At this point, I don't know if you'll ever forgive me. I know I don't deserve it, but you deserve to be well, to live a better life.
With all my love and hope, your twin brother,
Please, Anne. Let me help you.
Sebastian
I'm so sorry this is late! I was completely caught up with work. This section really broke my heart—the thought of Sebastian still writing letters to Anne without any reply. He's holding onto so much hope, clinging to the belief that his twin sister is still out there. What do you all think? Is Anne alive and ignoring him, or is Sebastian sending letters to a ghost?
