The Scar of Wizardry

They arrived in hallway of the fourth floor to the spot Luke had showed them on the map.

"Rose, you know what this is?" Albus asked, peering down the endless dark crevasse before them.

"What?"

"It's that place you nearly fell down into, the day when the Ensis Lapiss was stolen." Albus said.

Rose recalled the day well. "And now we are going down it voluntarily."

Albus looked back into crevasse. "I'll go first. If you hear me after I go down or I tell you not to come, go straight my dad and tell him everything. Then send an owl to the Ministry telling them of what's going on. If we all do go down there, if I think things are too dangerous the two of you will turn back and do everything I told you to do."

Luke was obviously worried. "Are you sure?"

Albus put his hand on Luke's shoulder. "I am, but you need to promise to do what I say if needed."

Rose and Luke looked at each other and after a couple of seconds it seemed as if they had come to an agreement. "We promise." They both assured him.

Albus sat down on the edge of the chasm. He closed his eyes and braced himself as he flung his feet away from the edge and sung his body down.

"Thud!"

Albus looked up. It had only taken him a second to reach the bottom. He saw that he hadn't even dropped six feet.

"Albus, are you okay?" Rose yelled.

Albus was confused. He could clearly see Rose right above him. "Yeah, can't you see me?"

"No."

Albus jumped and grabbed the edge of the chasm. He lifted his head and chest out of the hole.

Rose gasped. "Albus, where's the rest of your body?"

Albus looked down to see only the part of him that was over the surface was exposed. "It must be charmed so you can't see anything below the surface." Albus stated.

Rose nodded and she and Luke plopped down into the crevasse as well. Albus lowered himself back down. Following the light cast down from the surface, the three followed a stone path heading east. Soon the light faded and the three were left in darkness.

"Lumos." All three of them lit their wands. The light revealed they were facing a wall with a small piece of parchment attached to it.

"In here you will find three tests," read Luke. "A test of strength, knowledge, and courage. Once within a test you cannot go forward or turn back until you succeed. Those without the skill, turn back now. You have been warned."

"We continue." declared Albus.

The wall parted and the three friends went through. The wall closed quickly behind them.

The light on their wand went out without warning. For a minute all was silent. Then candles produced flames all around them. Before them was another wall.

"Now what?"

But the question Luke had asked wasn't answered. Not with words, that is. Instead, a lower rumbling from both sides of them was heard. Slowly, moving skeletons, about a dozen of them, holding long metals swords and sharp daggers limped out from the darkness towards the three of them.

Rose screamed as Luke stuck out his arm and pushed her and Albus aside to the wall in front of them. He then drew a small sword from the stone floor that was just lying there below at his feet. He a gripped it with tow hands and put it in front of his face just in time to block a jab from the closest skeleton's dagger.

"Go! I'll hold him off!" Luke bellowed ducking to avoid the swing of one of the skeleton's swords.

"No!"yelled Rose.

"You must go now! Go!" shouted Luke.

Albus felt disheartened. He knew he shouldn't leave Luke but he didn't have much choice. He grabbed Rose as he saw the wall begin to open for them to continue on. "C'mon."

"We can't leave him!" shrieked Rose, her arms thrashing wildly.

Albus' eyes started to tear up. "He knew why we came down here. Sometimes we have to learn to let go."

Rose dropped her arms and wiped her eyes with her sleeve. She took one last look at the fighting Luke and continued through the walkway.

The wall shut behind them again and they found themselves face to face with a man.

No, his head was a man but had a flowing man and the upper half of his torso was a lion's boy and the rest was stone, keeping him pinned to the floor.

Albus remembered his father once mentioning him acing one of these creatures but couldn't remember anything about it.

"Welcome."

Rose bowed and Albus, thinking Rose must know more about the creature than he did, bowed as well. "You have a riddle for us?" asked Rose.

The sphinx made a chocking sound that Albus guessed was his equivalent of a laugh. "No child just a question. If I was to ask you two a question and you gave the innocent answer, why would I not attack?"

Albus was stumped. He thought this might be the end of their journey when Rose started to speak.

"You are a asking a question and not a riddle. Also, instead of the common woman you have the head of a man, an androsphinx. Only one people portrayed the sphinx as a man and benevolent. The reason you wouldn't attack us is because you are of Egyptian origin."

The sphinx nodded. "That is correct. One may pass."

"What?" asked Albus.

"It as I have been ordered. Decide who continues or I will be forced to violence."

Albus realized this was it. He bent over Rose who had sat down from her overwhelmingly sad emotions. "Beyond that wall is what we've been looking for. And I'll face it, alone. It's my job. You go back and help Luke. Then get out of here and tell my father what's going on. Send a letter to the Ministry if dad agrees. Do you understand?"

Rose nodded through her tears. She then stood up and started back the way they came. The wall opened just enough for her to go in and then shut behind her. The stone end of the sphinx slowly turned golden until it became part of the rest of his body. The sphinx rose and moved slightly to the right to reveal a small doorway. Albus ducked and went through. Albus was in a circular room in the middle of the room was a silver pillar about six feet tall. On it was stacked something Albus hadn't seen for months. The Ensis Lapiss. Over the Ensis Lapiss crouched a man. He was a tall man at least six and half feet tall. His body was almost completely hidden beneath a black robe and a hood over his face.

The hooded man was speaking a language unlike any Albus gad ever heard. It seemed…ancient, like a language that hadn't been heard for millennia. The hooded man was holding something over the Ensis Lapiss. A was a purple stone in the shape of a diamond, its edges were covered in a thin layer of gold.

"Stop!" yelled Albus. "Put Victoire's pendant down, now, Kinlan!"

The hooded man, Kinlan, turned around. From within his hood Albus heard a low rumbling. The rumbling suddenly turned into a laugh.

"Kinlan? You thought I was your professor, Grayson Kinlan?" the hooded man spoke with a low voice that seemed to echo with a higher voice beneath it. The man then threw back his hood to reveal his face. He was nearly bald, with a little hair around his ears and close to the center of his head. His face was pale, nearly as pale as Victoire had been. His eyes were dark brown and around his small curved mouth was a large scar that ran nearly across his entire face.

"Who are you?" Albus was frightened and confused. He thought he had it all figured out.

"No one of concern to you."

"But, I thought Kinlan-" Albus began.

"No, no." the scared man, previously the hooded man, said.

"We found his diary. He said he was going to check on the Scar tonight. He said no one else knew the destructions were fake and he was going to reveal his true intentions soon." Albus stammered.

"Yes, he tried to stop me. He alone discovered what was happening long ago. He planned on revealing himself to everyone and what he knew. He wanted to stop me, but failed." The scarred man pointed to a far end of the circular room where Albus saw a limp looking Kinlan. "So, you found his diary. Good, you will give it to me."

"Why do you want his diary?" Albus asked.

"His diary? Try reading the name on the diary." The scarred man pointed.

Albus looked to the diary that he had stuffed in his pocket. "Tom…Marvolo…Riddle."

The scarred man summoned the diary with his wand. "His soul may have left it, but the residual power is strong. Surely you recognize the name of the Dark Lord?"

"Lord Voldemort." Albus whispered with fear.

The scarred man hissed. "Do not speak the name of the Dark Lord!"

"Why are you doing this, what are you doing to my scar?" Albus demanded.

The scarred man laughed. "You understand so little about all this. You thought you had the Scar of Wizardry. You are wrong. Don't you remember what your father first told you about the Ensis Lapiss?"

"He said no one knows what it does. The notes by Dumbledore on it were mostly lost but of what remained it said that the Ensis Lapiss was some sort of intermediary and it was the 'Wound in Magick"

The scarred man smiled. "The wound in magick. A scar is a wound. Wizardry is magic. The Ensis Lapiss is an intermediary for the wound. The Scar of Wizardry."

"But my scar-"

"-is not the Scar of Wizardry. Look at this." The scarred man beckoned Albus over to the Ensis Lapiss. Albus knew he should be close to this dangerous man but his curiosity took over. The scarred man pointed to the Ancient Runes that covered the stone. "Read it."

"Are you insane, no one can read these! No one has for thousands of-" But Albus stopped. As he looked he realized he could read it. " 'The Scar of Wizardry can only be assembled in the Temple of the Scar of Wizardry. When all the power of the magical world are taken and put through the wound in magick it will become the Scar of Wizardry. The Scar will allow the one who controls it to be able to control all of magick.' "

"So you see, everything stolen this year was taken to be put through the Ensis Lapiss to assemble the Scar of Wizardry. So now I may use this power and use it for my own gain!"

"But, these sensations I feel taking over me sometimes, I thought they because of the Scar of Wizardry." Albus said.

"You have that sensation, that power for the same reason you can read those runes. The same reason you are here today" The scarred man said.

"Why am I here today?" Albus asked.

"It was me. I cast the Imperius Curse over Victoire to tell you about the Temple here but you didn't show up. So I told the Malfoy child but Victoire was too weak to do what I commanded so I could only get her to tell you of the Great Hall. You then were able to figure the puzzle out and get down here. I had to wait until the Scar of Wizardry was nearly complete until I had you come down here." The scarred man explained.

"I still don't understand, why would you want me down here?"

"You posses the last item I need to complete the Scar of Wizardry but I could take it from you unless you were here alone where no one could help you. Now, you will hand over your Invisibility Cloak."

Albus' curiosity was satisfied. Everything made sense to him at this instant. Now he was coming back to his senses. He realized the situation he was in and the danger he was in. He needed to make sure the scarred man didn't get his hands on the cloak.

"Did you not hear me?" asked the scarred man. "I said; give me the cloak, NOW!"

"No, I won't let you." Albus declared.

"Then I'll take it from you by force. You wouldn't have a place in my world anyways." The scarred man started to run towards Albus.

Albus realized if ever there was it a time, it was now. He had thrown it off last time but now he needed it. Willfully, the sensation took over. Time slowed down but this time, instead of becoming semi-conscious, Albus was in control of his body but allowed the sensation to control his actions. His arm was thrown back way behind his head. He felt something suddenly appear in his grip. His arm swung back around at the charging man and in his gripped hand was a silver bladed sword covered in egg sized rubies.

The Sword of Gryffindor.

The sword sliced through the scarred mans chest. The man cried out in pain and fell to the floor. Albus, more in control now then the sensation, jumped over towards the silver pillar that held the Ensis Lapiss. Albus threw the sword over his head then thrust it down on the Ensis Lapiss. The stone split in half. Albus then threw the sword down to the floor and he fell to his knees.

The scarred man was sprawled out on the floor. He looked up Albus and said, "As long as that power controls you, you will never be free." And the man's skin turned gray and started to turn to sand and then became smoke and was blown away.

Albus watched on. He had won.

Then his body fell completely over on the ground and everything went black.