Chapter 20

The Manor House that isn't.

They found themselves back at the hilltop beside the small copse, looking down at the Canu Cochran, people were still enjoying the sun and the beer. Other walkers were heading away or arriving from many directions.

"Why are we back here?" Adam asked.

"I want to check if Haf or her father let Argonia know we were coming, plus I need Haf to show me where Darnell's house is." Tony headed off across the short walk down towards the little bridge, Adam in tow for once.

Haf gave them the location of the house and made them know in no uncertain terms she or her father had warned Argonia they were coming. Tony took them to the place shown on the map. Adam could no longer feel the act of apparition he was so used to it.

"Surprise me." Asked Adam looking around the hilltop they were standing on. Green grass inter-spaced with grey-white rocks stretched away in all directions, a small river trickled past as they surveyed the surrounding hills. Tony rotated on the spot trying to take everything in at the same time. Adam held his phone up; the display was showing the spot they were standing in was the spot shown by Haf.

"She must have been mistaken," Tony said after a moment.

"No, she said she delivers to his house."

"I thought she delivered to Hogwarts?"

"She told me while you checked out Argonia's house. Could it be some extension thingy?"

"It could be hidden in an extension or any of a dozen different spells. It depends upon how good the wizard is, and Arcadius is a superb wizard."

Adam turned to look at the younger man. "I saw you and him battling and I thought you were better, but I'm no expert."

"I think I was lucky. You don't get to be a professor at Hogwarts and stay there for over twenty-five years without being a bloody good wizard."

"Why do you think you were lucky?" He asked still staring at him.

"I may have power, but knowledge of a range of spells only comes with experience. Arcadius was arrogant that and power is the only reason I beat him." Unnerved by the intensity of Adam's stare, he turned around again, surveying the area. "If I was to face him a second time, I'm not sure I could beat him because he would be ready for me."

"Is that why you spent so much time reading those books on Matilda?" He nodded and smiled glumly.

Adam pointed into the distance. "Look at the grass just before the ground rises." Tony looked into the distance, then back at Adam. "The ground seems discoloured" He looked again, just before a bright smile broke out on his face.

"Your powers of observation are brilliant." He said raising the wand pointing into the distance. A moment later, a small white star flashed out from the end. The little star gained a tail as it slowly arched upwards before dropping downwards towards the spot Adam had seen. There was a light flicker in the very air around them as the little star hit something. For a moment nothing happened, then they could see a milky radiance spread out from the spot where the star disappeared.

"I think we may have found Arcadius's house," Tony said pointing the wand again. This time a clap of thunder and a huge bright flash came from the wand, hitting the remains of the milky radiance with a huge gout of whiteness, the sound of thunder, felt through the ground, echoing loudly of the surrounding hills, which must have been heard for miles around. In front of them stood a large Tudor manor house, white painted with dark wooden beams and an ornate roofline, covered with grey slate tiles. At the front were manicured gardens, fruit trees and clipped bushes behind a brick wall. The wall, broken only by a wrought-iron gate, and a slabbed pathway leading to the door of the house.

"Good grief Arcadius lives well. That house looks totally out of place." Adam said after a moment. "Do you think they know we're here?" He continued, feeling quite unnerved by Tony's latest show of force.

"I want them to know, I'm hoping to frighten them a little. Hopefully, it should give me a much-needed edge." He was looking at his wand, a perplexed look on his face.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

"This bloody wand seems to amplify everything I want it to do. It seems to be much stronger than my old one."

"That's good, right?"

Tony shrugged. "I don't know, but I like it." He walked forward, but Adam held his arm, stopping him.

"Is it my imagination or does this whole house look wrong?" Tony had stopped, knowing Adams observation skills seemed to miss nothing.

"What can you see?" He asked moving back to stand by Adams side.

"The angle of the walls look slightly out, the roofline looks wrong, but I can't tell what it is." Adam looked away from the house for a moment, then looked back. "There it is. The building changes slightly when I look away. Is that building some sort of mirage?"

Tony did the looking away thing a couple of times and realised he could see the problem. He looked at Adam and shook his head.

"You should be a wizard, Adam, you're wasted as a muggle." He lifted the wand and a pencil this bright green laser light spat from the end, hitting the house. A loud cracking sound echoed from the hill as, what looked like a huge pane of glass shattered into many pieces, falling noisily to the floor. The manor house, the wall and its gardens were gone, in its place stood a small brick and wood one-roomed shack, It looked more like an old crofter cottage, made from the local stone, disused and ready to fall down at any moment. Both stood in silence looking at the little hut.

"Well, Mr Wizard?" Adam asked looking at the confused man. He shrugged his shoulders and marched off across the open field, with Adam bringing up the rear, constantly surveying the area around and behind them, expecting some sort of attack. "Do you think this is safe?"

"I have no idea at the moment."

As they arrived at the old building, Tony tapped at the warped old planked door gently. Adam pushed passed and placed his foot against the door and shoved. The door creaked alarmingly as it bowed inwards, before freeing itself, smashing against the wall behind it. The room, around three meters square and swept bare save for a small dolls house in the sitting on the floor. The doll's house was a replica of the manor house they had just uncovered and then destroyed.

"Well then, extension spell perhaps?" Adam asked, feeling more than a little unnerved as he bent over and looked at the house.

"It's not an extension, I think it's a port key." Tony looked over at Adam and found him staring at him. "A port key is a little like apparition, touch it and you are transported to a particular spot."

"What's the point, why not just apparate, all this cloak and dagger stuff is a little odd? Also, that door hasn't been opened in a long time."

"The door has probably never been used. All the owner has to do is apparate to this room and the port key takes you the rest of the way."

"So the manor house you seem to have destroyed is for what?"

"Distraction. The port key will take us to only one location, designed by whoever made it and could lead anywhere in the world."

"Let's go." Adam stepped forward and looked down at the little house. "How does it work?"

"Hold on, this could be a trap," Tony said grabbing Adam's arm as he reached out.

"Of course it's a trap."

"We could end up in a cell with the enemy waiting all around us." Adam gave him a shrewd look, then pulled the gun from its holster, flicking the power button as he did. He then crouched down in front of the house, gun out in front of him.

"Loaded for bear, ready?" Tony nodded, readied the wand and crouched the same way Adam did, realising that Adam was showing the smallest body area to anyone they would meet, also they both looked away from each other.

"You're a lunatic. By the way, you might not like this too much." Tony held out his right hand and Adam his left, together they touched the little house.