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Language:
English
Series:
Part 1 of In The Shadow of Hogwarts Legacy
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Published:
2025-12-31
Updated:
2026-07-01
Words:
130,119
Chapters:
49/?
Comments:
3
Kudos:
49
Bookmarks:
3
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626

In the Shadow of the Past

Summary:

In their sixth year at Hogwarts, a shadow hangs over the corridors - because Ginevra Wood (Own Character) and Sebastian Sallow are haunted by their past at every turn. What began as a fragile friendship turns into a battle against guilt, old scars, and new secrets. While the darkness of past decisions weighs heavily on Sebastian's heart, hope grows between classes, secret meetings of the Crossed Wands, and the search for a cure for Anne, hope that no one dares to admit. But nothing is forgotten at Hogwarts - and it takes more than courage to survive in the shadow of the past. Who dares to look behind the masks? Who shines when secrets threaten to absorb everything?
Discover how much light is hidden in the shadows of the past - and whether loyalty brings hope or destroys everything.

Notes:

Before you return to Hogwarts for sixth year this story needs a few words in advance — not because it is meant to be complicated, but because it wants to take you by the hand from the very beginning so you can slip into its world without effort.

Because In the Shadow of the Past and In the Shadow of the Curse work like two spells cast at the very same time: two narratives that illuminate the same stretch of time, mirror each other from different angles, and keep crossing paths again and again — just as the paths of their characters will.

Two stories, one time

In the Shadow of the Past follows mostly Ginny Wood and Sebastian Sallow: their painful attempt to draw closer again after the events surrounding Ranrok, Professor Fig's death, the break with Anne, and their shared struggle, in their sixth year, to find a way to each other somewhere between guilt, Ancient Magic, and new feelings. You will be there when Ginny and Sebastian see each other again after a summer of silence, when their shared history catches up with them and they have to learn whether trust and love still stand a chance after so much darkness.

In the Shadow of the Curse begins at the same time, exactly where the main story cannot look: with Ominis Gaunt and Anne Sallow, their secret contact, their hidden relationship, and their own, often quieter ways of living with Anne's curse. While Ginny and Sebastian try to look ahead at Hogwarts, Ominis and Anne are fighting in the shadows for the question of whether there can be any hope at all — for Anne's pain and for their future together. Here you will get to know the shadows that live between the lines of the main story — softly spoken letters, secret meetings, and decisions of which Ginny and Sebastian at first know nothing (and must not know).

How you can read

If you want to follow events in chronological order, you can use the list below. It shows you how both stories interlock and again and again portray the same time at Hogwarts from different perspectives:

In the Shadow of the Curse – Prologue

In the Shadow of the Past – Chapters 1 – 5

In the Shadow of the Curse – Chapter 1

In the Shadow of the Past – Chapters 6 – 24

In the Shadow of the Curse – Chapter 2

In the Shadow of the Past – Chapters 25 – 34

In the Shadow of the Curse – Chapter 3

In the Shadow of the Past – Chapter 35 –

This reading order will be updated as new chapters are published and the paths of Ginny, Sebastian, Ominis, and Anne become even more entwined (at the time this foreword is posted, not all of the chapters of In the Shadow of the Curse listed above have been published yet—so your patience will still be tested just a little).

Separate reads – still connected

Both stories are written so that you can also read them independently of one another.

If you want to focus entirely on Ginny and Sebastian, you can read only In the Shadow of the Past and later revisit familiar events from inside the shadows with In the Shadow of the Curse.

If you would rather start with Ominis and Anne, you can first discover their hidden choices and then watch how those invisible threads begin to move the open conflicts and developments in the main story.

If you read both storylines interwoven in the order suggested above, scene by scene a mosaic of one and the same story will emerge — only seen through different eyes.

Your journey back to Hogwarts

No matter which path you choose: both stories are meant as one shared journey — back to Hogwarts, right into everyday life in the magical world of 1891, deep into the shadows of the past and into the question of how far you would go for the people you love.

If you accompany Ginny, Sebastian, Ominis, and Anne on this path, you will not only witness their magic, but above all their guilt, doubts, hopes, and small sparks of happiness — and perhaps you will discover where you yourself would stand between light and darkness.

Your role in this story

And now to you: please feel free to leave comments, your thoughts or theories—about scenes, characters, favourite moments, or parts that bother or surprise you.

Your thoughts are to me what a wand is to every witch and wizard — absolutely essential to make this story come alive and turn it into something unique ఇ

Because a truly good story is never born only in the author's head, but also in the hearts of those who read it. Every 'owl' you send helps Ginny, Sebastian, Ominis, and Anne grow just a little more — and lets you become an invisible part of Hogwarts yourself.

Magical greetings and lots of love! ❤

Chapter 1: Owl Post

Chapter Text

June 15, 1891

Dear Ginevra,

I hope this letter finds you well and that you are enjoying a well-deserved rest after what has been, to say the least, an extraordinary school year. Your last piece of advice still echoes in my mind—and, as difficult as it was for me, I actually managed to bring myself to have another heart-to-heart talk with Sebastian. As you can probably imagine, it was not a gentle exchange of polite words. It got loud, it got honest—perhaps too honest. We said things to each other that had long remained unsaid. But despite all our differences, and there are certainly a few—you know Sebastian—we came to the conclusion that we need each other.

He has lost so much in recent months. More than he would ever admit to others. And sometimes I feel like he is in danger of losing himself as well. I am probably the only family he has left – and, if I am honest, the same is true for me.

To make a clean break, we decided to leave Feldcroft behind. The memories there are too heavy, too painful. Instead, we moved into my Aunt Noctua's old house near Ipswich. It had been empty for so long that the dust had almost developed a personality of its own—malicious and resilient—but it's a start. We are trying hard to make it something like a home.

There is still no sign of Anne. She has made it clear to me that she does not want to reveal her whereabouts – not even to me. Sebastian is silent about it, but I know how much her departure and the separation from her are weighing on him. Solomon's death also haunts him. There are nights when he wakes up screaming. All I can do is sit quietly by his side.

Maybe it would be good for him to hear from you. I think he misses you very much, even though he would never admit it.

At least I managed to get Anne to tell me where Solomon's grave is. That way, Sebastian could say goodbye before we left Feldcroft for good. It was a quiet, difficult moment, but perhaps necessary in order to draw a line under the past.

Please don't worry too much about us. There are days when the burden feels lighter, and every now and then Sebastian actually manages to make me angry and laugh at the same time—a talent that should not be underestimated, even if it is questionable. I'll keep you posted if anything changes.

All the best,
Ominis

June 30, 1891

Dear Ominis,

Thank you for your owl. It means a lot to me to hear from you, especially after everything that has happened. You know how much Sebastian—and you, of course—mean to me. I can hardly imagine how difficult the last few weeks must have been for both of you. It reassures me all the more that you have found your way back to each other. You are like family to each other, and I firmly believe that together you can overcome anything, even when it seems hopeless at times.

Moving to Ipswich sounds like a good decision. A fresh start can sometimes work wonders, even if the old shadows don't let go so easily. I really hope that you have settled in a little there and that your aunt's house can give you at least a little bit of peace and security.

As for Anne, please don't hesitate to involve me if there's anything I can do to help. I know she's withdrawn, but maybe I can think of a way to reach her—or at least make sure she knows she's not alone. I think about her often, and about both of you.

Don't worry about me, really. I'm really enjoying my time with my parents, even if they are a little overprotective at times—but I guess that's normal when you come home from the magical world looking like you've been fighting a dragon (which isn't that far-fetched). The peace and quiet is doing me good, and I'm only now realizing how much I needed it.

Poppy and Natty are coming over next week—I'm really looking forward to seeing them again and experiencing a bit of normality. Maybe we'll even manage not to talk about the O.W.L. results or courses, who knows!

Please give my regards to Sebastian.
Be sure to write to me if there is any news.

Many warm regards,
Ginevra