Chapter 22-Ghosts for a Night
After the incident with the dementors the situation had by all intents returned to normal, by all accounts their small visit and the creation of rain had managed to cool the weather for the next 3 days which was to put it mildly a good thing out of a bad incident since both the horses and the riders were more than happy that they got a break from the heat of late July. Everyone had of course immediately resumed their activities, wanting to forget the incident. In the case of the wizard boy the chores around the ranch alongside other activities like riding in the forest were of great help for him to forget the encounter with his main fear, since he was a bit affected by it. He wasn't alone since Sarah and Will were had also decide to go on a small trail they had chosen, while Alma, Molly and Noni took another and Bailey and the twins another (he wondered how he holds up with 2 girls that go around him like bees).
"So how do you hold up? It has been 3 days since the dementor incident." Will asked.
"I am starting to get better, but I tell you I really wish to not have to encounter anymore of them." Harry replied while riding at pace.
"Not the only there I assure you." Sarah said.
"By the way Sarah, how was your cousin when she left? I know that she enjoyed this small misadventure, but still I hope it wasn't too much for her."
"She didn't considered you responsible for anything that happened especially that you took the worst, just like she had said the next day. She does send you her regards for quick recovery."
"I appreciate that a lot." Harry said with a small smile.
"I wonder if it will be better still for Hogwarts to have dragons as guards. This thing will now make the castle really as from a medieval fantasy with knights slaying dragons and all powerful wizards." Sarah said.
"Officially dragons aren't allowed to be owned by individuals, but the ministry would however allow it as long as they are kept in check and are for a specific task." Harry said.
"Alongside been closely kept on a leash so they wouldn't get out of control." Will added.
"That will be a certainty." Harry said stopping his horse to dismount near a river, so he would walk a bit.
"Urgh, by all accounts it is better than having dementors running around the place, since the main problem that is, is not so much the senior students as the younger ones who could be attacked."
"You can say that again cousin." Will commented dismounting as well.
"At present I will be happy that we will not encounter God knows what other surprises." Harry said.
"You surely kind of got a bit sick of unwanted events." Will commented.
"Doesn't anyone? To be honest even famous people wish for a quiet time for them to feel normal not always be on guard for who knows what."
"That I can assure you it is a fact, although it isn't a general thing by my experience." Sarah said.
"But it is good to know that they exist, and besides been suspended from using magic for 5 days I wouldn't consider this a sanction." Harry said before he noticed something in the water.
"A thing that our uncle and aunt don't consider it a problem either." Will commented but the wizard was now fixed on the river which wasn't supposed to be like this.
"I am glad that they weren't angry at him for doing what he had to be done."
"Uncle John had told me and Bailey that his father despite been sometimes reckless, he would have always go into the fire to help the ones he cared about." Will said now regretting the fact that he didn't managed to know his other uncle.
"Will, Sarah come over here." Harry called.
"What is it?" Sarah asked before the boy pointed to the water and to their shock it they noticed dead fish flowing and the water also had some reddish substance that was moving with the current.
"How could this happen?" Harry asked.
"I don't know but we will find out soon." Sarah said taking a branch and got it in the water to catch some of the alleges that were covered in the substance before sniffing it.
"Urgh!"
"What is it?" Will asked.
"Those chemicals are substances used for mining, mostly ammonium nitrate and sulfuric acid." Sarah said.
"Mining? But where." Harry asked before Will mounted Jimber.
"We will find out soon, we need to follow the river to check."
"Let's mount up then." Harry said while he and Sarah settled back in their saddles and went to full gallop following the river, passing through several miles of road they reached their destination, just before them was a small valley and there were 4 people conducting some excavations in the rock of the mountain and washing the rock with the chemicals that were on the river.
"We found them but what should we do to stop them?" Harry asked.
"We can't go head on, people like those are usually dangerous, we need to act smarter than them." Will said pulling out his phone to take a picture.
"Let's get back to the stables and tell the others of this situation, then we will start to draw up a plan." Will said while they turned around to move back to the stables.
Back at the stables with the whole group gathered
"This is troubling now, illegal mining exploitation nearby is now unacceptable." Molly said.
"Problem is, how are we going to bit them since they could become dangerous if we try to get close." Bailey asked.
"And it will be a certainty." Zoe started after looking into the picture and researching on the internet.
"It is a group that is known for those kinds of acts, wanted in 3 states already. I had been warned in my ecological club about them, the main problem is that whenever one finds them they try to run away in the next state. They report that they sometimes return when the situation calms down a bit. However they also got methods to persuade some people so they wouldn't be disturbed."
"And let me guess, when one tries to report it they show up as uninvited guests at the doorstep of the said person, and the talk includes persuasion with pickaxes, shovels and probably other things which include beating and violence." Harry said no in an amused way but by his experience those could be the best possibilities that could happen.
"You got that right and I don't think I want to know why." Zoe said.
"I kind of know how it is to be the victim of bullying and things like that. So this presumption was obvious."
"Well in any case, the best possibility to stop them is only if we know what they are looking for in that mountain. Alongside as finding out where they have the containers that have the substances they use to catch on act. Alongside taking the opportunity of when we have to strike." Chloe said it was now known that she also joined the conservation club her sister was part of.
"Problem will be how; the best way we could do for now is taking pictures, while figuring a way for the authorities to catch them." Noni said while the wizard thought for a bit and found an idea on how to deal with this situation.
"Hmm, let's for now prepare to take some pictures. We will figure something out in time while we observe them to see an opening." Harry said.
"I agree we need to first observe when we can strike." Chloe said.
"Let's mount up." Sarah said while everyone was preparing before the wizard placed his hands on Molly and Bailey.
"I believe you got some ideas now isn't it?" Bailey asked.
"I do indeed and don't worry it's a good plan. But for that I need something."
"What exactly?" Molly asked.
"You will see soon." He said before the 2 went on their horses before turning to the others.
"You guys go ahead I need to do something first."
"Just be quick about it." Zoe said before the group left for their mission, leaving the wizard behind wish a small smirk while moving towards the house while the animals remained behind.
"Wonder what he will do?" Angora asked.
"Something unprecedented." Hedwig said with a smile.
"Hopefully not too crazy." Cubby said while in the room of the teenage wizard the boy moved to his drawer taking out exactly the thing that they could need in this endeavor smiling to himself with confidence.
Back at the site the other riders had arrived and started to spy and take some pictures. Of course that wasn't quite enough since they also have to know why they are making a mining operation in that mountain, and the only way to find out is by trying to sneak around it which for them was a fool's errand.
"Well officially we made the photos that we need however the main question is what they are looking for." Chloe said.
"If only we could get closer to see what they are prospecting." Alma said.
"If there was a way to get closer." Zoe commented before turning to the Bailey and Will. "By the way where is Harry?" She asked before hearing a trot in the distance.
"I believe he arrived, I shall go and see." Bailey said followed by Molly.
"I wonder what he needed to take." She asked before the 2 saw Merlin, just Merlin with the saddle but without its rider.
"Why is the horse here but not the rider?" Asked Molly before feeling something on her shoulder right, turning around saw nothing however she might have an idea who.
"Bailey you shouldn't have done it." She said confusing the boy.
"Done what?"
"Didn't you had my hand on my shoulder?" She asked.
"He didn't done it." Said a voice from her right side but saw no one till a shape the form of a cloak was shown and out of it came the wizard.
"I did."
"Wonder where you have been." Bailey asked.
"Needed to try if this will work to get what we need." He said showing the cloak.
"Wait is that the invisible cloak?" Molly asked and he nodded with a small smile.
"You sneaky wizard."
"And let me guess, you will wear it in order to take something from them for us to see why they are prospecting?" Bailey asked.
"That is the plan. But I will probably need a distraction to lure away the one guarding it."
"We will figure something out, and by the way." Said Molly before pulling out from her pockets a pair of medical gloves.
"You will probably need those, especially if they use poisonous substances." The afro-american girl said.
"Thanks." He said placing them on his hands before raveling himself with the cloak.
"Wish me luck." The 2 then moved away and went back to the others.
"Well, did he arrived?" Zoe asked.
"He did and is trying to find out what they are looking for." Molly asked tracking the attention of the twins.
"Alone, is he crazy?!" Chloe asked not expecting him to be a daredevil.
"Don't worry I am sure he will do great, almost as if we will not see him at all. But we might need to make a distraction." Bailey said.
"I don't know what to say about this." Sara said concerned about what he is doing.
"Don't worry he is using his invisible cloak, but we need to make a diversion to distract them so he could take a sample from what they are digging." Molly whispered to the girls.
"You know he is sometimes a loco." Alma commented.
"And yet it might be our best bet." Noni said turning to the others "We can try to imitate a wolf pack, so they will get defensive."
"For that we can try to go several miles further there. So they wouldn't expect anything." Will said.
"Still believe this is dangerous." Zoe said.
"Don't worry I believe he went through worst then this." Bailey commented.
"Really wonder through what."
"You wouldn't believe if I tell you."
"We talk about this another time, let's solve this situation first." Sarah said
"Agree, I and Bailey will stay with the horses, you girls go." Will said while the girls went to another area some miles in the forest.
"You know I still believe he is risking himself too much." The blond boy commented to his cousin.
"You know our cousin, he kind of turn expert in this regard." Bailey added.
"That isn't something great for him especially if he actually wants to no more been involved in things like those."
"Sometimes I doubt that he has a choice or the option to not get involved." Bailey commented while the wizard under the invisible cloak was moving as slowly and cautiously as possible avoiding as much from making noise. In which time the miners were continuing to extract the rocks from the mountain and of course had to hide himself behind some crates while one had came with a sack full of rocks to place them in a container. While watching him however he didn't noticed when another one had stepped on his hand while passing by, the pain was intense, he was lucky that he mustered every strength possible to keep himself quiet.
"Remember Phil to get the rocks that had been cleaned already." Said the one who had stepped on his hand, he was a large bald man, well built but with a face one wouldn't want to cross.
"Right away Rick." Said the other one, who had a much slender physical appearance that carried the sack going to a machine that was meant for cleaning the ore in the rock, positioned near the river.
"And remember to dump the chemicals; you know how toxic they are." He said before leaving, letting go of his hand and sighted in relief before going.
"Sure thing." He said while the other went to open a watch that liberated the substances in the river, while the man took the now cleaned ores to the table.
'My turn now.' Harry thought to himself going first to the crate where some of the rocks on the table before moving to the crate to take some samples from there as well. However he couldn't go too far since he another one came around and he had to lay low again near the table. In that time his cousins had been watching and relatively saw a bit of the situation and Bailey took out his phone to call the girls.
In the meantime the girls had arrived in a meadow that wasn't too far from where the mining operations were conducted.
"Well here we are. Now we need to wait for the signal." Noni said.
"Problem is when it will come." Zoe asked before a phone buzzed, it was Molly's.
"Hello….alright." She said ending the call turning to the others.
"It's go time. We need to howl like wolves as powerful as we can."
"Can't believe I do this." Zoe said.
"It will be worth it." Sara said while everyone was adjusting their voices.
"aaaaaawwwwwoooooooo!" They all started to howl.
In the meantime
"What is that?" Asked one of the miners.
"Is it a wolf pack?" Asked another going in the direction where it was heard while Harry moved in and took what was needed before starting to retreat at full speed going back to where he started. Removing his cloak he immediately went to his cousins.
"Done I managed." Harry said.
"Perfect." Will said calling the others with his phone.
"Guys, it's done you can come back now." He said.
"On our way." Sara replied ending the call. "It's done we have to go back."
"Well that was very quick." Zoe said while the whole group started to run back to the boys.
"Good thing you have your dad's invisibility cloak it really was of help." Bailey commented.
"Hopefully it will come in handy other times as well." Harry said.
"It will, but for now let's place it back, I don't think the twins are yet prepared to know about this stuff." Will said folding the cloak before Harry placed it back in the bag attached to the saddle of his horse.
"Question is when could that opportunity come?" Harry asked.
"It will come, hopefully in better situations then this. I would very much prefer another unicorn or any other magical creature saving situation."
"Don't think it will happen anytime soon."
"Whatever situation might come let's hope it wouldn't be life threatening." Will said.
"Who wants to be in a life threatening situation? No one." Harry commented before the girls arrived.
"So how was the situation?" Chloe asked.
"Well, first of all sorry for not telling you and also I believe I managed to get something from what they seem to be looking for." Harry said getting out from his pockets some pebbles before Zoe took them to look at it closer.
"Well I can already tell what it looks like; those pebbles seem to contain silver ore." Zoe said.
"Meaning there might be a silver deposit in the rock of that mountain." Harry asked.
"It might be a possibility especially if you found those. But this isn't the idea, the main idea is that this area is protected by law, no one should be allowed to make prospecting here especially not in the rock of that mountain." Chloe said.
"We should then go and alert the authorities?" Sara said.
"This might be easier said than done I had made a research on my phone on the internet this group is wanted in at least 3 states because of their illegal mining activities."
"How come the authorities didn't manage to catch them?" Bailey asked.
"They usually try to cover their tracks and also when they want to run away they try to pack things during the day and then attempt to flee during the night. Of course those things weren't reported right away, they were discovered only 3 days later." Molly explained.
"We already got a head start if we found out about them in the first day. And also I believe that if they found something of value they wouldn't want to let it go." Harry commented.
"That is a certainty. However they could try to return later if you had been discovered." Zoe said.
"What do you mean?"
"They are packing look." Zoe said pointing to them and saw that they are trying to pack up in a rush.
"That isn't good." Bailey said.
"They probably saw your foot prints." Zoe said before the miners were starting to gather around wanting to speak.
"Someone must get near to hear what they are talking." Chloe said before the wizard thought for a moment on how to proceed and by all accounts there was only another way for the ones that know. The wizard went back to his horse to take back the cloak to put it on him again.
"Is there someone who wants to go there and try eavesdropping on them?" Asked Zoe before noticing someone was missing.
"Where is Harry?" She noticed while Molly sneaked to check his bag and the cloak wasn't there.
"The apple really doesn't fall far from the tree, if his father was like him." She commented by all accounts he really has to give him credit for the fact that he really has courage big as a sky scraper.
"Where he could have disappeared now?"
"You don't need to worry he offered himself to eavesdrop on them."
"Never thought he could be risking himself so much." Chloe said.
"Wait till you find out about how his father was when he was his age." Bailey said with a sly smile.
In the meantime
"We might have been spotted boss." Said the first one to a man that had a scar across his eye and a giant beard.
"No matter you all know the strategy that we have to do. Retreat and hid for a small amount of time and then return."
"Are you sure about this?" Asked the sly one.
"Of course because this time we hit jackpot, we saw what the sensors had told us and they don't lie, you all know how much smuggling we had to do and besides our boss Roland Roller or Mr. Scar Hand will not like it if we don't do what we had been ordered to do."
"To distract the authorities while we do the prospecting, and we are keeping the valuable ores that we come across? While in the meantime a small transport of heroin is coming through in a ford car, hidden in the chairs." The slender one asked.
"You got it, for now we pack but we will leave under the cover of the night." He said with a smirk while the wizard under the cloak started to move out by walking in the river, good thing he had long black riding boots, for the moment he just moved as slowly in an attempt to be as inconspicuous as possible before arriving near dense vegetation where he started to remove his cloak and to accelerate, till he managed to reach where the group was, however when he moved out of the water, but he didn't however take into account that he also went through a nettle bush.
"Urgh, seriously." He said trying to get to them.
"You do realize you are going through a nettle bush." Zoe asked.
"I know, but I had to hurry, however I had managed to gain some information." He said having his hands behind his back holding his invisible cloak.
"Well from what heard they don't want to give up the vain easily and might return, and aside from that they said that they are working for someone called Roland Roller whom they nicknamed Scar Hand."
"Roland Roller?" Alma asked taking out her phone to look on the internet to find about him.
"No bueno, this person is a portrayed as a small business person who runs a jewel shop and also some pubs in at least 5 states; however the truth is, he is suspected to be a smuggler operating especially with narcotics."
"What do you mean he is suspected?" Harry asked.
"He wasn't caught on the act, but it is said that behind his jewel shop he is smuggling narcotics to some customers."
"Problem is, he is making very good looking jewels and other accessories. Really unfortunate if you tell us." Chloe said.
"And let me guess, his jewel shop is in this state?" Harry asked.
"Yes, why do you ask?" Zoe asked.
"They said that there is a transport coming and if we report this, this will only be a diversion for the authorities. They hid the narcotic in the chairs of a ford car."
"Similar tactic like during the prohibition." Bailey said.
"Well in this case we need to find a way to delay them, preferably to not get ourselves up." Sara said.
"We shall figure it out, but better not here. Someone is coming." Will said while everyone started to mount up and started to move at full gallop away from them and back to the stables, immediately arriving there the teenage wizard placed his invisibility cloak back in his closet, before turning to the others outside near the stables.
"Well we need to figure something out; by all accounts those kinds of things would usually happen on a much less traveled road in the forest." Bailey said.
"Thing is how are we going to delay them? By all accounts we are stuck theoretically on 2 fronts." Sara said.
"Well, is there a way to I don't know stop them fast, if we can't do both at the same time, at least one operation to be stopped, before moving to the other." Chloe said.
"The primary thing that we need to do is gaining proofs of what is happening." Molly said.
"Too bad we don't know where they are transporting the drug." Noni asked while Bailey thought of something before turning to Harry before making a sign to Will and he acknowledge.
"We will figure something out." Bailey said taking Harry by his shoulder.
"Where are we going?"
"Sssshh, don't say anything just move." Bailey said while both moved back in the house to his room, to the confusion of the wizard who by how he knew his cousin since coming here, had some crazy plan for sure.
"What exactly do you have in mind Bailey?"
"Well going head on is risky and unadvisable if we think that this one is a mobster. I know that we shouldn't be playing with magic so much, but maybe we can try something to scare them. And we shouldn't involve the invisible cloak now." Bailey explained hinting that something magical had to used but how could he if he still was suspended to use his wand, especially if he could be only allowed tomorrow.
"Bailey you do know that I am still suspended till tomorrow evening. I can't use my wand, and the Patronus is out of the question."
"I know but maybe Professor Smith might have an idea for this. As it happens there are many myths and legends about different haunted places and to tell you the truth, some examples include different ghosts or other creatures like the wendigo."
"You think that we should I don't know somehow use a ghost or a creature to scare them?"
"Don't you think in the magical world there could be almost every possibility? Of course as long as it is legal in the magical terms and none lethal" The tanned boy explained while the wizard sighted.
"You think that professor Smith might help us in this endeavor?"
"You will be the one who will ask." He said pulling out his writing feather and a piece of paper and Harry with reluctance took it up.
"You know there is one thing for him to help us in magical situations and another is to help us in non-magical situations." Harry said getting to his desk to start writing.
"I don't think there is much a difference when it comes to people getting hurt or killed in different way, be it magical or not. And by the way Molly told me that you should try to get your own phone." Bailey said.
"Maybe but I don't think I will take it at Hogwarts."
"Don't worry I know the rules and no one said needs you to take it there. I only say that you might need it around here." He explained.
"That I agree." The wizard commented before he started to write the letter, immediately after finishing it he get it to Hedwig.
"It will take some time till we get the reply but let's hope we will get it fast."
"Till then, we shall figure out other plans."
"I tried to figure something out, we could try to keep an eye on them for the moment before making another move, maybe we can find out where that transport could go and then inform the police. Of course let's see what the others have to say" Bailey explained.
"Agreed." Both the boys then went back outside to the others whom by what it seemed they had made a little brainstorming on what course of action they should take. When they reach the others however they noticed that the twins were missing.
"Where are Chloe and Zoe?" Harry asked.
"They decided to go check the roads to see which one the transport might go through." Sarah informed them.
"What did you 2 go?" Alma asked with suspicion knowing in a sense that they might try a bit of magic.
"This time it is on me, I proposed to him to write a letter to Professor Smith so he might give us an idea on how we could do to stop them, by indeed using something magical." Bailey said with a shy smile, knowing that it might be a slight rushed idea.
"You know that he is still suspended to use a wand till tomorrow evening." Alma commented.
"I know, but maybe we could try to use something that wouldn't involve him using magic." Bailey explained.
"I do admit that even I am a bit unease about this idea. And I do admit that I wouldn't try this, however in our situation." Will said.
"You don't need to worry maybe professor Smith will give us something that wouldn't involve me using magic." Harry said before hearing a crow coming and surprisingly he saw the professor's craw with the reply and a small package alongside his owl coming, landing on the fence the wizard went near it to read it.
Dear Mr. Potter I had gotten your message regarding those crooks that were working for a mobster. Unfortunately due to you been suspended from using your wand or any kind of magic that you could make, I can only send you something that might however work to delay them, something specific of New Orleans, the most haunted city in North America. You must however know what to choose and to be aware of the warnings that might be written on, some of the "products" are not to be trifled with. Hopefully it will help since by all accounts there are situations of accidents and ghosts been spotted by some especially in places that are declared cursed. I can only bid you good luck.
Professor John Smith
After finishing to read the letter he went to what the craw had brought and to his somehow amazement it was a small catalogue with a black cover and the image of a moving ghost that contained only 30 pages with the title Ghost for a Night in which one could hire a ghost for a night to be used either for parties or to discourage the curious when one wants to stay alone or out of reach. By all despite he been in the wizard world for 3 years already some things even for him are still new and out of ordinary.
"So what did the professor sent?" Asked Bailey before he showed them the catalogue.
"Ghost for a Night?" Molly asked.
"It is a firm where one can order a ghost to haunt a specific place for the course of a night. To keep away unwanted visitors and just for you to know even I didn't knew about this." Harry said.
"You know you are supposed to be the magical boy here, how come that you didn't know about this?"
"I stayed all my life around none magical and I barely started to know about the magical world for only 3 years. Not to mention that I hadn't spend a lot of time outside of school work to know the hustle and bustle of the magical world."
"Anyways let's see what ghost we can hire for tonight to haunt the place the miners had been prospecting." Harry started opening the catalogue to the first page the first section was from the War of Independence first ghost proposals were that of cavalry riders from the continental army and the British army while the second of foot soldiers.
"What do you think of those?" Harry asked.
"Hmm well it is a good magical way to celebrate the 4th of July but it wouldn't do." Bailey said before his cousin moved to the next that showed civil war era.
"What about those?"
"No it wouldn't work either, there wasn't any battle here, probably a skirmish but not an all-out battle." Molly said.
"Continue to turn on the pages we will surely find something." Sara said and the boy obliged the next one was of kuk-klux-klan who burned himself by accident.
"No." Molly said this time a bit indignant, why did they put one, she wondered, the next one was that of Mexican-American war.
"No." Alma said with the same indignation Molly had and this time the boy who kept turning pages to show them but didn't looked started to look in and search himself.
"Alright maybe we can try…." Harry said flipping through the pages finding one that might do.
"This one it surely scares them badly."
"A Headless Horseman? This would scare anyone now, however like Molly said there weren't any battles here and from what I can tell this one is Revolutionary War. The territory of the country didn't extend here." Will commented before Sara took a closer look also noticed a red sign that showed a warning.
"And there is also another problem." Sara said showing the red label near it "It has a warning here that says "Be aware it might turn violent if provoked and if the intended target isn't running away."
"This is now quite new I do have to admit I didn't had bad experiences with the ones at Hogwarts and also some books that were in the library tell about some of them that when one shows up it might want to send a warning about a possible death or some other tragedy before leaving, that in some case of course, it isn't something general I do admit. And also the ghosts at Hogwarts were playing and entertaining the students."
"We saw the pictures they really are funny. However that might be in Britain and generally in Europe, but here it is totally another story." Bailey commented.
"Especially in the case of ghosts turning berserk, like in the case of the Headless Horseman." Molly commented and the young wizard acknowledged and turned to the next page which was the last thing they would want now.
"Voltea la pagina!" Alma commented.
"What?"
"If you keep the catalogue you can rip that page if you want." Alma said before looking at what it was, and it was what he didn't want, a dementor and so he immediately turned at the end of the catalogue that included Native American ghosts.
"Noni, maybe you can choose which one to take. Maybe the warrior." Harry said showing her a page that included a Native American.
"I would advise against it actually. That warrior is Iroquois it is more specific for the north-east territories near the Great Lakes, while here the specific tribes are Cherokee, Shawnee and Chickasaw."
"I hope the last one will do." Harry said turning to the next page that included a shaman.
"A shaman, this one I think might work." Noni said.
"You think so?" Molly asked.
"The shamans of old used lots of incantations and many tricks, according to the old beliefs if the spirit or a ghost of a shaman is summoned with the purpose of protection he might be able to ward off the evil." Noni explained while Alma looked on the internet for more information.
"And also there is another thing, not too far from here there was a Cherokee place of worship, meant to worship the ground and the fields, been agrarian based they give a lot of respect to the ground and the fields. The most important ceremony been the Green Corn ceremony where the people would fast and try to abstain themselves from eating the corn till they got purified that also included bathing." Alma explained.
"A really rich heritage you have Noni, really amazing." The young wizard said in appreciation making the native American girl to blush.
"Always the gentleman you are."
"In any case, this might be perfect, especially if we say that the site is protected by ancient spirits that is if they are superstitious enough." Sara commented.
"If they aren't this will make them be. Go make the order afterwards we will meet with twins." Will said and Harry obliged.
It didn't took long for sending the request through the owl mail, also they had met the 2 Stilton girls on one of the roads they knew not too far away from where the miners were conducting their prospecting.
"Took you guys long enough." Chloe said.
"Sorry about that, needed to do some things." Harry said.
"Did any of you had figure out a possible rout?" Asked Will.
"Well those might be the only routs they might take?" Chloe said before they heard a sound coming from down the roads.
"Someone is coming, let's hide." Bailey said before the group had retreated to hid in the vegetation, and saw two of the miners passing by.
"I don't like this situation we might have found something and now we have to retreat."
"Problem is that our retreat wouldn't be fast at how much equipment we have. We can't pack up in such a short time and to add salt to injury, we are supposing to retreat on another road while this one will be used for that transport." Commented the other one.
"Well our situation is extremely troublesome someone will surely report this. I really hope that our boss will manage to figure out something, we only need to make sure that we will not have troubles and to prevent trespassers." Said the other one before going back and the group heard everything.
"Well at least we know better how to stop them now." Zoe said.
"With something crazy I can tell you that." Harry said.
"How crazy?"
"You will see, in the evening." Harry said confusing them more.
"Between us we found out that there was a sacred site that legend says it is haunted by a vengeful shaman. Who if one disrespects the place could wake up." Bailey explained.
"But this is only a legend." Chloe said.
"One can easily turn a legend into reality if one knows how to play the cards." Harry commented.
"You intend to make a show?" Zoe asked with a sly smile.
"Let's just say he inherited an unusual talent." Molly said.
"Of pulling out shows." Sara finished.
"Guess that theatre class really had a positive effect." Chloe said.
"You can call that." Harry said.
The evening
The sun was starting to settle and the miners were starting to move out, their packing was nearly complete, however they needed to move out pretty quick since a surprise visitor came in the form of the one transporting the narcotic to see how things were going. And also to mock them a little, for their slow movement, the driving been one who boasted himself with how fast he could go.
"Come on now, we have to go, who knows if someone had called the authorities already." Said the foreman.
"You really can't move faster?" Taunted the driver with a smirk.
"We are doing our best we will be ready soon." He said.
"Leeeeaaaveee!" Called a ghostly voice.
"What was that?" Asked the foreman.
"Don't know boss, it sounded like a ghost." Said another with a trembling voice while the rest were also getting nervous.
"Ghosts don't exist it is surely something else." Said the driver.
"The greed of man could destroy both one's own life and of the others." They heard again.
"Whoever you are come out and face us like a man." Demanded the foreman.
Boom-boom-boom
Several explosions and clouds of white smoke started to appear from the forest and from the mountain and out came the ghostly figure of a shaman with staff and feathers.
"You shouldn't have come here my spirit and that of my ancestors protect this area. You are defile sacred soil with your greed and for that you must be PUNISHED!"
Boom-boom-boom-boom-boom
More explosions came all around them causing panic among the miners who now attempt to flee however wherever they go another explosion came and had to go in the opposite direction, it was total chaos. By all accounts it started to be more and more intense.
"Run all of you, the place is cursed." Called Phil running directly in the woods with Rick following him as fast as he could, everything they had now in mind was only to run as far away as possible.
"Wait for me guys!" Said another.
"You cowards come back here it is only a trick for sure!" Called the driver, before an explosion near him made him trip to the ground while the ghost of the shaman was approaching. Looking him deep in the eyes he raised his staff it didn't needed to guess and started to run as fast as his feet could lead him followed by the foreman. While they vacated the area while Harry, Noni and Bailey came out from the smoke that start dissipating and the ghost came near them.
"He-he, this really hit the spot." Bailey commented before the ghost came near them.
"Thank you honored shaman Amadahy(Forest Water) for your help." Noni said with respect to the spirit of the shaman.
"I am the one who should be thankful for what you did, very few times I had been required to do something honorable like what I now to stop them. It was really a pleasure for me this night." He said.
"Pleasure was also ours I apologies however that this wasn't really a Cherokee sacred site." Harry said.
"The nature is itself a sacred thing, that belongs to all the living things and we have to treat it with respect, since it gives us the life we all share and when our time comes we all have to go back to it." Said the shaman before leaving staying for the night in this place till morning will come.
"We will keep this in mind, thank you again." Bailey said before the others came out from the forest.
"That was now the best show I ever saw, you really are a talent for special effects." Zoe said.
"Give thanks to some friends he got at school, they gave some materials for this." Bailey said coming out with a purple bag of powder, which was actually magical and had to be handled carefully.
"I do admit, that powder was very explosive can't believe they were allowed to bring it at you school." Chloe said.
"They had their methods." Harry commented not yet keen on telling them how things are going. "And how will things go from here?"
"Already called the police they are on their way and will catch them." Will called.
"Even with that, from where did you got those ideas to scare them out." Zoe asked.
"Would you like to find out how his father was when he was his age?" Bailey asked with a smirk.
A bit later on the road
"Boy can't believe your father was like this when he was your age." Zoe said after listening to what Harry knew about his father in essence he told them everything he and his friends did as Hogwarts students baring the magical stuff for the moment.
"He had his crazy times there." Harry said by all accounts with pride.
"Even with that we can already tell your father really was someone. Both him and his group of Marauders surely knew how to have fun at Hogwarts." Molly said.
"Yeah they did Professor Lupin also told me that I got a lot of him in me."
"If he meant the talent for causing trouble to some people I have to agree, but I have to admit you really made a magic show there." Zoe commented with all accounts she really got her respect.
"Appreciate that Zoe however I don't think some would have agreed."
"Rivalry between teams or in this case houses are always present. From what I can tell the rivalry between Gryffindor and Slytherin was expected especially with such different principles." Alma said.
"Yet I got to bear a burden."
"No one thought that one whom you father had a rivalry with will become a teacher." Chloe commented.
"His teacher had a grudge against him also because of another reason. He also liked his mother Lily, so it is a grudge on more than one reason." Bailey said.
"And I do admit this is one of my own problems." Harry said.
"Hey even with that, it's not your fault. Well we do have to admit that your father made some bad choices that he rightfully had to bear the blame, but it doesn't mean that you had any agency for what he did." Sara said.
"Well even with that I believe that I have to try to resolve the situation somehow. And I surely will in a way or the other, the only thing that I wish to know however is if the police had already caught the criminals." Harry asked.
"Well they had apprehended them and confiscated everything already." Molly said, one of the good aspects of having an inside source in the force was gaining updates especially when her uncle is an inspector in the force.
"We can already call it a good evening." Will added.
"Yet another adventure out of ordinary." Merlin neighed to the others.
"Oh the more often you see the more you get tired of them." Jimber commented.
"You saw it more often, if you ask me this was really a stroke of good luck of watching a magic show." Chilly commented.
"Even I admit it was something that I liked never imagined I would see a real ghost that wasn't even scary unless it had a bit of help." Pepper said.
"Wait for the day when you see a dementor from up-close." Aztec commented.
"I am not waiting for that day to come anytime soon."
"We all don't, it's not great seeing them every 5 days now." Button commented.
"Wonder how some wizards manage to stay near one and not lose their sanity." Sunburst said.
"Let's not think about this." Scarlet said knowing it was enough for everyone both them and their riders to not think about them, but everyone can agree that what it was this evening was something all of them had enjoyed seeing.
Author's note: Sorry for the big hiatus that I took to write this chapter, but the time I got on my hand started to be very short not to mention the fact that other chapters and stories had also been in my mind and had to write. Inspiration and ideas could come at any moment one isn't always able to write them or other ideas come and you work with them not having time for the other stories. Inspiration really has different flavours.
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