Bad Faith Island
A Harry Potter Pirate Story
by VG Jekyll52. In the Chamber of Secrets
The phoenix flies in a circle around them, creating behind it a ring of fire. It makes the group draw back closer to each other, seeking to avoid the heat. They don't even get to voice their doubts about being surrounded by the heated flames, when they already disappear.
Including the forest surrounding the group.
In the blink of an eye, the harsh daylight is gone and instead they find themselves surrounded by sheer darkness. The air around them feels moist yet smells stale. Slowly their eyes adjust and the group finds out they have not been left in complete darkness.
There is still a small light source present. Though with it behind hidden behind the group's backs, it hadn't been able to cast about its rays. One by one, the pirates turn around, only to find out that their light source is the phoenix Fawkes.
Fawkes appears to have transported them straight into the cave system and placed them in front of the door leading to the Chamber of Secrets. The bird ruffles up its glowing feathers, seemingly enjoying how they casts their shine onto the walls.
The bird preens under the pirates' marvelling looks. Since somehow Fawkes hadn't looked as majestic in the daylight. Their captivated silence is interrupted by a chilling cold and a bellowed curse.
Regulus comes through the cave's wall only to yell abuse at the bird for leaving him outside. It shouldn't be that big a problem, since he is a ghost, but it is clear that he still feels abandoned by the act.
"So…" Hermione tries to intervene in the one-sided verbal fight. "What do we do now?"
Harry pats down his clothes and finally fishes the Philosopher's Stone out of a small pocket in which he had it hidden.
"I guess we use this," he suggests as he holds it up. In Fawkes' light the red stone looks like a wet drop of blood with intricate white veins going through it.
"Do we also know how to use it?" Remus asks.
Somewhere along the way, he has started carrying Sirius on his back. Something which only seems possible because the Black has lost consciousness: his pride would have made him object otherwise.
Harry spares a concerned look for his godfather, but is pacified when Remus tells him the other has simply asleep because without his body battling his wound's infection, it now demanded.
"It's a good question though!" Harry continues the earlier conversation. "Such a good question, I might ask it myself."
He and the others stare expectantly at Fawkes. The bird however remains silent and starts to groom its feathers almost haughtily. Draco scoffs and pushes past Harry to stand in front of the massive door leading to the chamber.
"You guys are damn lazy," the blond thief complaints. His fingers travel almost reverently over the engravings on the door. Unlike a certain black-haired captain earlier, he makes sure his skin isn't caught on the sharp edges.
"There, an ouroboros," he finally states. He points at the two snakes circling and biting each other's tail. Draco glances over his shoulder at Harry and explains: "It is linked to the legendary opus of alchemists-" the thief raises his hand to show off the white-veined red stone. "-the Philosopher's Stone."
It takes Harry a second to realize that Draco has stolen the Philosopher's Stone straight out of his hand earlier while pushing past him. He can't keep himself from admiring Draco's quick hands as intellect.
Draco is not privy to the captain's innermost thoughts and continues explaining. "My guess is that the stone needs to be in between the snakes."
He holds the red stone in front of the ouroboros and now the others can see how well it would fit in there.
"You are smart," Regulus comments breathily.
"So? What are you waiting for?" Ron complains when Draco doesn't just push the stone in place.
Draco sends Ron an annoyed sneer.
"Harries Potter et Philosophi Lapis," he quotes. His eyes glance to the pirate captain who is still staring bemused at him. Harry quirks up a brow in question. Draco smirks back and send him a 'come hither' look.
"Oh get a room," mutters Ron as he glances from one to another, then yelps as he is apparently pinched by Hermione.
Harry walks over to Draco and plasters himself against the blond's back. His hand slides over Draco's arm until his hand can fold over Draco's hand, taking the stone from him in a manner that makes him touch Draco as much as possible.
They hear Ron groan annoyed behind them, followed by a clear slap to his head, and Draco can feel Harry chuckle.
Harry pushes the blood-red stone in its designated spot and for a moment nothing appear to happen. Harry is reach out to it again, with the thought to adjust it, when the white veins in the stone start to glow.
Harry stumbles backwards, making sure to drag Draco along with him and away from the possible dangerous situation.
The stone walls start to creak and groan. Then ever so slowly the door appears to break into two uneven halves that slide sideways. This takes a moment or two before a man-sized opening is created.
Harry waits till he hears the stones stop shifting and steps around Draco. He goes to the opening in the wall, takes a good hold of the edges and leans his torso forward to peer inside.
"Well, that is interesting," he says after a moment.
"What? What do you see?" Draco asks as he tries to glance over Harry's shoulder.
The answer is rather disappointing though. "Absolutely nothing."
"What do you mean, nothing?" Ron is now demanding to know. He sounds incredulous and slightly disappointed. Probably having imagined riches beyond measure behind the door.
"Well, I can't see anything," Harry reveals. "-cause it's pitch black here."
He yelps as Draco punches him in the side and mutters 'asshole' at him. Harry chuckles a she rubs his hurt side. Apparently Draco can pack a punch. He steps aside and motions to Fawkes.
"Let's just have the magnificent bird with wild fire show us, shall we?"
Remus, ever the diplomat, quickly adds. "That is, if our host Fawkes feels inclined to do so."
The bird does not react verbally, but flies past them. His tail feathers brush over Draco's shoulder and as Fawkes goes through the opening, Harry finally can see what's beyond.
"There's a tunnel," he reveals. "Watch out though, I think the steps seem very uneven."
He is quick to follow the legendary bird with the others hot on his heels. They know that if they do not stick close, they might get lost in the dark. The group straggles though the tunnel, which almost seems like ages, but then they see an opening with what seems like natural light.
Harry at the front has to prevent himself from picking up his pace, since the stairs-if you can even call them that- are very slippery and uneven. Some stones even break or glide away beneath the soles of their boots.
Then they find themselves in the opening of a ginormous cave chamber, and for a long moment all the group can do is stare blinking around, not knowing if the spots in front of their eyes are created by the sudden bright light of the treasure sparking and shining almost blindingly at them.
"This is…" Draco mutters softly and quite overwhelmed.
"… the Chamber of Secrets," Harry finishes his sentence almost reverently.
The whole group stares in amazement around the large chamber. From the ceiling hang thin stalactites, while even larger stalagmites fiercely growing from the cave's floor.
All around the stalagmites lies scattered treasure: exquisite silver and gold Roman objects, glimmering silverware, gold coins, jewellery, armour pieces, precious stones, statues, bronze plates.
They can even pick out antique looking furniture that's oddly enough still completely whole and untouched by time, salt, water or moths.
The object that draws all of their undivided attention though, as they carefully enter the chamber further and see more of the treasures it holds, is a large ship partly hidden behind a large rock formation.
It rest on a sturdy wooden construction and stands proudly erect with its top almost touching the cave's ceiling.
"Is that? No, it can't be." Harry whispered in complete awe. To him the whole treasure all around seems bleak compared to what this could mean.
"No, it is! It really is!" Regulus claims gleefully.
Surrounded by the gold and treasure stands the majestic ship 'Santa Narcissa'. Her sails are rolled up, but looking neat and whole. Her rigging and wood equally untouched by time.
"How in the blazes did they get her in a bloody cave?" Harry asks.
"I thought the ghost has been lying about that," Draco muttered.
"I wanna know why," Ron said. "How come she still looks so good? Shouldn't the wood have rotten away?"
They receive no answers though as they all are still amazed and simply don't possess the answers. As they get closer, they notice several cracked open travel chests with their contents spread around.
"The chests certainly have rotted away," Hermione says as she picks up what looks to be a tiara and twirls it around between her fingers before ever so carefully placing it down again. She wraps her arms around herself, unused to having so many riches around her.
"Will you look at that! They wouldn't even have to careen that ship!" Harry exclaims. He's slips over golden coins as he tries to get near the ship.
"It has to be made of magic wood doesn't rot and barnacles and seaweed cannot get attached to it. It's like she's brand new!"
Remus found a lounger with velvet cushions and pushed the spilled treasure off it before placing a still sleeping Sirius on it. He lovingly pushes some locks from Sirius' sweaty forehead.
Then he glances at Harry and voices the question that first came to his mind.
"How do you suppose they got it inside the cave?"
This causes some curious yet confused looks, followed by questioning gazes at Regulus. The ghost, which somehow kept hanging around Sirius and Remus, shrugs unconcerned.
"Don't ask me. I never even got to lay eye on this place. I only saw it when we attacked the ship."
While the others are drawn to the ship and the questions it raises with its presence in the cave, Draco finds himself wandering a bit slower after them. While he at first also had been perplexed by the presence of the magnificent ship, his gaze had quickly stayed to the treasure.
It wasn't that he hadn't been used to the riches: after all, he'd been noble-born. However, too many an object boasted a too familiar seal and family shield. It almost felt like the whole contents of his father's mansion had been taken and dumped it. It was a rather disconcerting feeling.
Draco picks up a golden ring with several emeralds. It looks remarkably like the one his grandmother wore in the painting above the grand staircase. It had scared the hell out of Draco when he had been a child, because her stern look appeared to follow you around.
He is brought out of his musing by Fawkes. The bird has kept to his side the moment they left the tunnel and entered the cave.
Now the phoenix has landed on his shoulder. Its weight remarkably light compared to its size, and it starts to groom Draco's hair. The soft touches relax Draco briefly, but it is followed by a chill traveling down his spine as he hears Fawkes softly thrill.
"It is watching us," the phoenix ominously claims.
To Be Continued
