Disclaimer: I do not own HP

Summer Camp

Hufflepuff Cabin

Week 3: Scavenger Hunt

Let's go for a scavenger hunt! Keep your eyes peeled while participating in this event. Task: Write about someone looking for answers.

Word count: 1300

Date: September fifth, Marduith

It's been a long time since I have been called by my fellow colleagues halfway across the world for a scientific discovery. This one is the most peculiar I have ever encountered. Clearly, magic is involved, but that is something I cannot tell them. When Renna had called me saying that they had found the ancient city of Marduith, I hadn't known how to respond. I could have bet everything they weren't going to be able to find it. Which was precisely why I had accepted to work on the project in New Zealand while they dug out on the United Kingdom site.

After Hogwarts, I don't think anyone had expected me to go into Archaeology, however, Ancient Runes had always been my favourite. I think they all had thought I would follow my aunt and become an Auror. But, I was the last Bones. I didn't want to go into something that would possibly cost my life. No, that Magical Archaeology wasn't dangerous. It was. I had always found it fascinating how Muggles survived all those tomb curses without…. Curse Breakers. I guess, they somehow, magically avoided them.

But avoiding curses and finding a completely magical ancient village was something else entirely. It seems that the Minister of Magic had had a good idea to send someone to work for the Muggles. Of course tho, he has a good adviser and Hermione has always been brilliant. She'd also helped me fit in the Muggle World, transforming my diplomas from Oxford Institute of Archaeology, Ancient Runes and Arithmancy into a Muggle one.

Currently, I am in Marduith near the caves. It's September and the ground is already filled with leaves. I know I will have to find some answers for this before I contact the Ministry. As I can say the situation is under control. They have decided to explore the caves, which as far as my history lessons go, they're not really magical, despite being part of the village that was hidden.

"SUSAN!"

Renna's voice resonates across the room, making me jump and grasp for my wand. I stop myself at the last second, reminding myself that Renna is not only a Muggle, but also a friend. No Death Eaters are around, and Harry kicked the bald one to the grave years back.

"Renna! I told you not to scare me like this! I could have hit you or something!"

She waves me off. "Yeah, yeah, I know. You got a black belt of sorts, not to mess with you… sure. But you gotta see this. Like right now! You won't believe what we've found!"

Something in her voice throws me off. Could they have found something magical in the caves? I've scanned the area when I'd arrived under a glamour charm and I hadn't found any magical activity, except the conservation spells the Ministry had put over the village.

"Yes, we did. I'm sorry now we didn't let you join us despite not being at the security meeting yesterday. You should have seen this as we discovered it."

"What?"

Renna grabs me and pulls me over. "Take a helmet for the head and a jumper and come inside."

I do as she asks and we reunite outside the tent. "You know, Susan, I have always thought that you were different. Something special. But I didn't think you'd be another question that we are looking for an answer to."

"Renna, what are you saying?"

"Come see!" And as we go deeper inside the cave, it's getting colder and colder. Soon she brings me to a room filled with ice and several of our colleagues. And in the middle of all that, I could see a block of ice with… a person inside. That… that had my face on!

"What… in the name?" I manage to say, but my mind is going with a lot of theories, each worse than the other. Although the most logical one…. was terrible.

"See? That's why we're sorry. We really didn't know when we called you over from New Zealand. That thing should be thousands and thousands of years old as it's this cave, but that's you, Susan, inside. Everything is untouched by some miracle in this cave. It's as it was in the ice age probably. It's like 10 degrees inside the cave, and several rooms are filled with deep block ice."

"I…" I didn't know what to say. I was sure that there was a logical explanation for all of this, but none that I could tell her. "I have no idea Renna. Like none. I don't understand why that thing looks like me."

The site manager, Francisco, shook his head. "It not only looks like you, it has your type of clothes. We need to find answers for this."

"But I don't have them for you."

"We know," Renna says. "But you can look for answers with us. Who knows, maybe it's all an elaborate prank from someone you know."

Somehow, I doubted that. But one thing she was right. I needed to look for answers. However, I couldn't do it alone. But first things first, I needed to know one answer to one question.

"Has the press been notified that you have found Marduith?"

Normally, they wouldn't. The company we worked for liked to keep things out of the press until concrete answers. No one else even knows that they are here. At least they shouldn't. Everything is done top secret, but such a discovery may have made some team members break protocol. I had to know.

"Bones, you kidding?" Saido, another team member shouted. "We'd be fired so fast! Although this discovery may have some merit, first we would need to go back to London and discuss with the big bosses."

I give him a small smile. That's exactly what I wanted to hear. "Sorry Saido. But this is big, just as you said. I didn't even think you'd find this village. I thought it was myth. People have been looking for it for hundreds and hundreds of years. Searching for an answer of how a whole village had evaporated. I thought…. protocol was going to be different for it. However, considering that weird thing with my face on it. I am glad it's not."

"Don't worry Susan," Renna says,"we're going to research properly before releasing your face to the public!" Then she starts laughing and I hit her gently.

Inwardly, I know this is the beginning of an end. To hide this, we'll need to do a mass memory spell and falsify a lot of documents. If it wouldn't have been that thing in the cave, it would have been much easier. I had a Curse Break en route to help with any potential curses, and I would have hidden any magical object found in the village. However, the person inside the ice block in the cave that has my face cannot be fixed that easily. The Ministry of Magic, and especially the Department of Mysteries will be looking for answers and they cannot be working around Muggles. I will probably lose Renna as a friend, but I knew from the beginning I shouldn't get attached. But I'm a Hufflepuff. How could I not get attached?

In the end, as they go for lunch, I pretend, no, I don't even need to pretend. I am disturbed and I am retreating for a bit, on the other side of the caves alone. I need to notify Hermione somehow. After that, I shall go back inside and enjoy being Renna's friend for a while longer. Although, who knows, maybe they will manage not to wipe all of their memories of me. Only time will tell and give us the answers we seek.

Signed,

Susan Bones.