July 7th 1998; 00:13 AM
Lofoten, Norway
Norway was a beautiful country - the vast snow top mountain ranges that held many, many mysteries loomed at large; an imposing sense of dread made Harry's body yearn for adventure, to know what secrets these mountains possessed.
One such secret was Dumstrang's elusive location. It was said to reside in the northernmost region of the country, but Harry was sure they'd not stumble across it on their journey. They weren't that far north, not even on the mainland, in an area known as Lofoten - an archipelago sitting off Norway's coast.
Harry and Daphne had set up camp atop the mountain that overlooked the village of Gimsøysand, using an enchanted one-man tent as their base of operations. Inside was a small apartment with the living area the focal point - that held the entrance on one side and a small kitchen and dining area on the other. There were two doors on the right side - one leading to a bedroom and another to their bathroom. On the left side sat their sofa; bookshelves on either side with a coffee table just in front of it.
The kitchen had the basics, not overly extravagant, but held everything they needed for good meals - Daphne always cooking as Harry could never get his head around how to use any of the appliances.
Their bedroom was not overly large but held a magnificent bed that's as soft as the clouds, along with storage for their personal belongings. The bathroom had two doors, so it could be accessed from the living room or the bedroom; for convenience at night.
Harry took a deep breath as he took in the mountain top scenery, the midnight sun a spectacular sight. It gave off a surreal sensation, his body feeling like it should be dark, yet it remained light.
They'd arrived in Norway for multiple reasons, sightseeing had been one, and it was spectacular; they'd spent a few days exploring the area, experiencing the culture and food before they set out into the mountains for the main reason they were there.
Dumbledore had told them of some ancient ruins that resided somewhere in the archipelago, ruins that outdated Durmstrang, belonging to a historic sorcerer whose name was lost to time.
A snowy white owl took Harry out of his thoughts as it descended toward him and landed in front of him, changing into his gorgeous girlfriend, Daphne.
"Did you find anything?"
"No... There wasn't anything that looked remotely like an entrance."
"I guess we'll have to explore on foot - maybe ask some locals of any rumours."
"This would be easier if you could fly," Daphne said with a smirk.
Harry rolled his eyes at the witches antics. "You have to rub it in, don't you?"
Daphne shrugged, wearing a mirthful grin. "I find it funny how The Golden Boy of Gryffindor is a snake at heart."
"Do you have to use that name?" Harry asked, though his smile didn't match the withering tone of his voice.
Daphne giggled, stepping closer to Harry and cupping his cheek with her hand. "You've always looked so cute when your pretending to be mad at me - I could just eat you up."
"I'd love to see you try," Harry said huskily.
Daphne's breath tickled Harry's neck as she inched ever closer to him. "Forgotten about last night, have we?"
"How could I?" Harry asked, wrapping his arms around the small of Daphne's back, "you were magnificent."
Daphne smiled sweetly, "I was, wasn't I?"
"And awfully humble about it, as well." Harry snorted.
"I hope you aren't mocking me, Harry?" Daphne said with false seriousness.
"Of course not - you're the yin to my yang, My Queen," Harry said sarcastically.
Ignoring Harry's sarcastic tone, "Good," Daphne said as she patted Harry's cheek, chuckling along with him.
Harry smiled, breathing in Daphne's scent that overpowered the fresh mountain air. Gazing out at the bay below, the beautiful scenery rivalled Hogwarts for how magnificent it was.
"We should move camp, go further south and see if it's down there."
"It would be easier if Dumbledore gave us more insight on this."
Harry shrugged, chuckling slightly. "I think he enjoys letting us go on an adventure for it. What were his words? Something always lies in the cracks - read between the lines, everything has more than one meaning - nothing is ever just black or white..."
"It's infuriating not finding it when he clearly knows of the exact location." Daphne huffed.
"Where's the fun in knowing everything without even trying? Isn't it infinitely better to unravel it ourselves - come up with our own conclusions to our own findings?"
"It's not that I don't want that - I just want to know where it is so we can learn from it ourselves."
"What if finding it is part of the puzzle?" Harry suggested with a twinkle in his eye.
Daphne raised an amused eyebrow, letting out a small snort. "How you ever were sorted into Gryffindor, I will never know."
"Not all of us Gryffs spend our time searching for a damsel in distress to save, you know? Dumbledore was in Gryffindor."
"Ah yes, Dumbledore... I wouldn't ever think he'd be saving a young woman and fall in love with her..."
"A young man may catch his fancy, perhaps?" Harry said with a grin.
Daphne laughed heartily, "your face when he said that was priceless."
Harry's face flushed, grimacing as he relived the moment in his head. "I wasn't expecting him to come out with that! I can personally say I never even wanted to imagine his love life, let alone know his preferences."
"That's what you get when you meddle in his past."
"I only asked if there was a witch he once loved. How would I know he's gay?"
"The way he dresses?"
"... Now that you mention it... He does dress a bit - what's the word?"
"Camp?" Daphne finished.
"Yeah, that's it."
Daphne chuckled and looked down at her watch. "We should pack up if we want to keep on schedule."
"Are you going to change?"
Daphne tilted her head in a questioning manner.
"You're wearing heels - we're going to be walking."
Daphne laughed, "you're going to be walking. I'll be flying." Daphne flicked her wand, and the tent packed up before she shifted into her owl form and sat on Harry's shoulder.
"I'll learn to fly without aid one of these days, mark my words."
"Hoot!" Daphne said, smacking the side of his head with her wing.
"I'm going, I'm going!" Harry said as he picked up the neatly folded tent and shoved it into his enchanted backpack, and threw it over his shoulders, causing Daphne to take flight.
ooo000ooo000ooo
July 7th 1998; 02:47 AM
Vestvågøy
Harry appeared on the shoreline, turning and watching Daphne fly over the water with practised grace, shifting into her human form mid-flight, landing with a gentle thud.
"Still happy to explore?" Daphne mocked.
Harry smiled, though it didn't fully meet his eyes, "Of course, the views are more than worth it!"
Daphne rolled her eyes, "I'm sure..."
"The sun looks beautiful from here... I say we stop and have a picnic."
"Sounds delightful! What would you like?"
"You choose, I picked yesterday," Harry said as he took the backpack off his back and grabbed the tent, setting it up with a wave of his hand.
"Do you have to show off? No one else is here."
"It's always a good time to practice without a wand - there's only one way to get better than Dumbledore."
"Do you have to compete with the old man at every turn?"
"I don't compete with him," Harry said petulantly.
"Sure you don't..." Daphne drawled.
"It's just friendly banter, nothing more," Harry said, turning toward the tent and entering it.
Daphne followed, sitting down at the sofa, untying her pure white boots by hand and kicking off, while Harry undid his black ones with a flick of his wand.
"I swear, you've done everything but measure your wand with him - and I'm not talking of the stick you're holding," Daphne said, eyes alight with amusement.
"He's a good person to measure skill against, is all." Harry slipped out of his pitch-black trench coat with gold accents. Sending it to the rack on the wall beside the entrance with a wave of his hand.
"I'm sure he'd still put you on your arse without breaking a sweat." Daphne chuckled, mimicking Harry's gesture with her white coat.
"I'm hurt that you don't think he'd find me a challenge," Harry said, holding his heart with false pain.
"Well... Dumbledore does have some years on you - perhaps in half a century, you might be able to compete."
"I am honoured that you think I'm capable of such a feat," Harry said with a bow.
"You'll need my help, of course."
"How could I forget?"
"You can't. You're stuck with me, whether you like it or not."
Harry grinned, swooping Daphne off her feet, carrying her bridal style. "That doesn't sound like such a bad thing."
Daphne giggled as Harry danced around the room with her in his arms, twirling about with no care in the world.
Harry put Daphne down onto her feet, flicking his wand at the boombox that sat on the coffee table, a cassette flying into it.
"I hate this song," Daphne said, attempting to hold her smile in but failing miserably.
"What!" Harry said with a wry smile, "But I'm Truly Madly Deeply in love with you."
"That was a truly awful joke, Harry," Daphne tried to chide.
"Aw... I thought you loved my jokes," Harry said, taking Daphne into his arms and starting to lead her around the room.
"I love you, Harry, not your jokes."
"And I love you, Daphne," Harry said, closing the distance between them, bringing Daphne into a passionate kiss, melting into the embrace.
Breaking apart, they stared into each other's eyes, green meeting blue as they lost all sense of time, all sense of the outside world as all that mattered was the other.
"I've never been so happy to have Dumbledore meddle with my life..." Harry whispered into Daphne's hair.
Daphne giggled, "I used to think he was just a meddling old man... But he really is something more than that - Slytherin doesn't give him the credit he deserves."
"I used to think Gryffindor gave him too much, but he really does live up to the legacy he created. He just enjoys letting people underestimate him."
"Probably for the best, only people who actually wield the power he does can even comprehend the magic he knows."
"That'll be us one day, Daphne! Just think of what we can achieve!"
"The possibilities are endless; we just need to have a couple more decades of knowledge under our belts."
"And it all starts here!" Harry said, summoning a bottle of wine to his grasp. "I propose a toast! To our life, and all it may bring!" Harry conjured a couple of glasses and poured the wine into them, handing one to Daphne.
After a clink of their goblets and a sip of their wine, Harry began to set the table as Daphne prepared some food.
ooo000ooo000ooo
July 8th 1998; 22:36 PM
Vestvågøy
"What do you think lies in the Ruins, Harry?" Daphne asked as she landed next to Harry, walking alongside him down the paved road.
"Hmm... I'm not too sure - Dumbledore must think it's important enough to tell us about it."
"Of course, he likes to keep things vague, though - he didn't even give us a hint of what it might contain."
"It's our first little adventure. It must have something to help us in the future."
"Perhaps it's as you said... The main part of this is to find it, using our skills of locating magic and feeling it to determine where it is and how to access it."
Harry mulled over the idea in his head, "yeah... that sounds like something he'd do. Maybe there are some tomes inside that go into more detail about building hidden structures - how to make them and even find them."
"Are you suggesting we make one ourselves back home?"
"Now that you mention it, I think that'll be a fun project to do."
"My, Harry, are you asking me to move in with you?" Daphne asked innocently.
Harry stayed silent for a moment, "Er... yes?"
"I'm flattered," Daphne said with amusement. "But I do have one request..."
"That is?"
"You have to install proper plumbing - Vanishing everything is too much effort."
Harry snorted, "then we have an accord, Miss Greengrass?" Harry said satirically, holding out his hand.
"That we do, Mr Potter," Daphne said, taking Harry's hand and shaking it with a theatrical flair.
"This all relies on actually finding the place."
"My, is someone getting tired?" Daphne asked with a wry grin.
"Nothing of the sort!" Harry said a little too quickly.
"I'm sure..." Daphne drawled.
"I assume you found nothing in the surrounding mountains?" Harry asked, trying to change the subject.
"Nothing that looks suspicious, but it could be hidden really well."
"I doubt Dumbledore wouldn't have told us about that. If it were really obscure, then he'd have told us to be thorough."
Daphne hummed, "I hope you're right. I'd like to find it whilst the midnight sun is still here."
"You and me both, Daphne," Harry chuckled.
"I think we should start seeking the local's knowledge - If Dumbledore knew of this legend, these people must."
"Like Merlin for the Muggles?" Harry asked.
"Exactly! Historic figures always make their way into both worlds! If this guy was as important in Norway as Dumbledore says, then he must be known - at the very least here."
"You're right, of course. We'll go to a village on the next island in the chain - I think we've explored this one enough, even without a legend..."
"Hmm, yeah, there wasn't a mountain I didn't check at least once, most twice."
"I'll try to be more help next time - my summer project can be learning to fly without a broom."
"It all depends on what these ruins contain - we could hit the jackpot."
"You have no idea how much I hope you're right, Daphne."
ooo000ooo000ooo
July 9th 1998; 18:56 PM
Nusfjord, Flakstadøya
Harry appeared on the outskirts of the Village, Nusfjord. Moving with purpose toward the small settlement.
Daphne flew above him, just out of sight.
Harry walked up to what appeared to be a small restaurant, entering as Daphne landed on his shoulder.
"You're probably not allowed in as an animal, Daphne," Harry whispered.
"Hoot," Smacking Harry's head.
"Fine," Harry relented.
Strolling up to a small bar, Harry called over the bartender - a burly bloke with thick facial hair.
Speaking tentatively in Norweigan, with slow and deliberate words.
"Hi, I'm a Historian. I'm researching an old legend. A man who lived in a mountain. Do you know about this?" Harry asked, the local tongue feeling foreign on his lips.
"Hoot!" Daphne said, and Harry was sure she was mocking him.
The barman looked up at Daphne with a smirk, "Yes, there is a legend of such - a lonely man who was said to have lived somewhere on Stjerntinden. The mountain has been searched many times over the years - no one has ever found it." The barman said, and Harry had to cling to every word, ensuring he didn't miss it.
"Thank you very much," Harry said, reaching into his pocket and handing some of the local currency to the man, "For your hospitality."
"Thank you, Traveller - have a safe journey."
"Hoot!"
The barman chuckled, and Harry gave one last thanks before leaving with Daphne at his side.
ooo000ooo000ooo
July 10th 1998; 00:19 AM
Flakstadøya
Arriving at the foot of the mountain, Stjerntinden, Harry and Daphne quickly found a secluded area and put up their tent, repelling charms and all.
Whilst Harry set the tent up, Daphne whipped up a quick dinner of rice, cod and some vegetables on the side. Setting two places at their table, Daphne sat waiting for Harry to finish.
"It looks like it may rain," Harry said upon entering the tent.
"Really?"
"Yeah, nothing much, but it might make walking a bit more treacherous tomorrow," Harry said as he took off his boots and sat opposite Daphne.
"Unless you're as clumsy as Longbottom, I think you'll be fine."
"I am very light on my feet, shouldn't be too much trouble."
"If all goes bad, we can leave our belongings here, and you can slither up whilst I fly," Daphne suggested.
"You could fly me up - I don't weigh much as my snake... But, we'll see tomorrow, I could be wrong, and it may be a wonderful day tomorrow."
Daphne snorted, "Wouldn't be the first time - I remember when you said it was going to snow - but the next day, it was sunny."
Harry grimaced, "yeah... Not one of my finer moments..." Scratching the back of his neck. "I'm still a bit miffed we didn't start from the bottom of the archipelago as we had planned."
"An easy mistake, you couldn't get over from the mainland, so we had to adapt, no harm done."
"I'm ready to go home soon; I really hope we find it after some food."
"Me too, Harry, this has gone on longer than I had thought it would."
"Do you think we should've started with the search and done sightseeing later?"
Daphne shrugged, "I think mixing them is a good way to keep it fresh. Sightsee as we go, instead of separating our lives with the two, have them connect."
"Working in perfect harmony together?"
"Yes, like how Dumbledore told us how we should work."
"Like my father and Sirius?"
"Exactly like them! They work together like two peas in a pod."
"I hope people don't liken us to that when we go down in history..."
"They'll admire us too much for that," Daphne smirked.
Harry grinned, "I hope your right."
ooo000ooo000ooo
July 10th 1998; 03:47 AM
Flakstadøya
Harry stood at the top of the mountain, Stjerntinden. Waiting for Daphne to return from scouting the sheer cliffs on either side of him.
The scenery was a sight to behold, the high peak gifting him an unparalleled view of the vast mountain peaks and the endless Norwegian sea. It was such a beautiful country, and Harry felt he could spend a long time exploring all it had to offer, but he was starting to miss home.
They had come straight to Norway after leaving Hogwarts for the last time, excited and yearning for adventure - not to mention wanting to experience the midnight sun for as long as possible, but Harry was hungry to find the ruins and spend a couple of days going through all that it had to offer and even make copies of some old texts that may have been left.
Daphne swooped down from the sky, landing perfectly in front of him, her white coat in perfect contrast to his black.
"Anything?"
"Yes, actually," Daphne said with an enormous smile.
"Whereabouts?"
"It's on one of the cliff faces - there's a circular offset that looks like it could be a door."
"Is there anywhere for me to stand?"
"No..."
"I guess you'll have to fly me down then," Harry said merrily.
"Fly you down? You weigh a tonne!"
"I'd like to say I'm quite fit. I'll have you know!" Harry snarked, dropping their backpack to the floor with a gentle thud. "I'll be in my snake form, and you fly me down so I can have a look."
Harry didn't wait for Daphne's response and turned into a 12ft long Black Mamba.
Daphne swiftly changed into her owl form and picked him up with her talons, flying down toward the setback in the mountain. Daphne swooped down with practised ease, and no matter how comfortable Harry was on a broomstick, not being in control made his stomach turn.
They slowed down, the offset coming into sight. It had around a 9ft diameter and looked way too circular to be natural.
Daphne continued toward it until they were within a couple of feet and hovered as she looked for somewhere to set Harry down.
There was a small ledge, hardly big enough for Harry to fit that looked exceptionally dangerous, but Daphne flew over and set Harry down, keeping a close eye on him as Harry coiled up as tight as he could and started to inspect the so-called door.
Raising his head as high as it would go, Harry could feel the magic on the door, how it sang. It felt like some of the hidden passages in Hogwarts, how they had their own magic to them, how his father and friends had been able to discover some in their time in Hogwarts and how Harry and Daphne had been able to find more in their last year.
Harry couldn't feel the magic enough to know how to open the door, knowing he needed to change back into his human form to know definitively, so Harry cautiously changed back, hearing a slight crack as he shifted, his body tightly hugging the door. He took a deep breath, whispering to himself that all was fine.
"Hoot?!" Daphne squawked from behind him, then landed on his shoulder.
"I know, but I can't get a proper feel for the magic, Daphne."
"Hoot!"
"If the ledge gives way, I'll turn into my snake, and I'll need you to catch me. You got that?" Harry panted as he surveyed the wall.
"Hoot," Daphne said. Harry could distinctly hear the disapproval in her voice but carried on with the task.
"Okay... Okay..." Harry breathed, closing his eyes and listening to the magic flow around him, tuning out every and all distraction as he remembered how Dumbledore taught them how to detect what magic wanted.
'Something always lies in the cracks - read between the lines, everything has more than one meaning - nothing is ever just black or white...'
Harry repeated the words in his head, scanning, identifying what he knew - a Muggle repelling charm sat on the wall, a jinx against intruders as well. Harry pulled out his wand, pointing it at the door.
"Finite Incantatem," Harry spoke, feeling the magic fade, leaving behind the unknown.
"Hoot?"
"I still feel magic, but I've never felt anything like it."
"Hoot!"
"Change positions, I'll be a snake around your shoulders whilst you have a look."
Switching positions carefully, Harry sat on Daphne's shoulders as she took her time analysing the door.
"This feels a lot higher than when I was an owl," Daphne joked breathlessly. "You're right, I feel magic, but I can't decipher what it wants."
Daphne returned to the wall, searching for something, whispering, "In the cracks." Over and over again.
Harry heard the ledge start to crack again, and he hissed into Daphne's ear.
"I know, I heard it too," Daphne said, her voice quivering slightly. "Revelio," Daphne chanted as she pointed her wand at a crack in the wall.
"Ugh!" Daphne grunted as the spell was absorbed. "I think it needs another person."
Harry tilted his head at Daphne.
"Think about it, this Sorcerer was a lonely man, and Dumbledore wanted us together, no? It must mean something! If we Counter it together - that should work."
Harry nodded, slithering down onto the rock and slowly transforming, holding onto both Daphne and the door with an ironclad grip.
"On the count of three... One..." Daphne said.
Harry pulled his wand out, pointing it at the wall
"Two..."
Harry heard the ledge crack again, some rocks falling to the abyss.
"Three!"
"Finite Incantatem," They both spoke, pointing their wands in unison at the door.
Harry heard a rumble and the stone door started to slowly retreat upwards.
Looking at Daphne, "Well, that was easy," Harry joked as the door reached their waist.
"Yeah, normally things would go wrong right about now."
"Luckily, we're not in a movie," Harry snorted as the door got to Harry's shoulder.
"Let's not jinx it," Daphne said, ducking under the last bit and getting off the platform.
Hearing another crack, Harry followed. "Perhaps that's for the best..."
Upon entering, Harry flicked his wand. Lighting the room up with ease.
As the light revealed the room before them, they stood in silent awe, eyes wide with reverence.
The first thing Harry noticed was the immense chandelier that hung from the centre of the room. Swiping with his wand, it burst to life, giving the room an ethereal glow.
Looking around some more, Harry noticed three colossal doors, one on each wall, that matched the one they'd just entered through. Each one looked to have different engravings upon it. And Harry guessed that it was either; instructions to open them. Or the contents of the room.
The walls and floor looked made of the finest marble, which looked far too new for it to date back to the 10th Century.
"Are you still up for making this back home?" Daphne asked.
"Now more than ever," Harry said breathlessly, walking toward one of the doors, brushing his hand across the engravings.
The engravings were in a language Harry had never seen before. They looked like words, and Harry felt drawn to them. They had been intricately carved, with a precision that suggested it was done with a wand and not by hand.
"What do you think it means, Daphne?" Harry asked as Daphne came beside him, mimicking Harry's actions.
"I couldn't say... They do look somewhat familiar, but I can't pinpoint it."
"Hmm, you're right... It's on the tip of my tongue..." Harry said, looking more intently at the writing than before.
"We should copy them down - we can decipher it once we're home."
"Have you got your diary? I left mine with our stuff atop the mountain."
"Yeah," Daphne said, reaching into her coat and pulling it out of an enchanted pocket.
"I'm going to see if the other doors have different ones on or not."
Daphne gave an affirmative hum as she started to copy down the carvings.
Harry sauntered over to the door to his and Daphne's right, reaching out with his hand to try to feel the magic - to see if there were any enchantments on it like the entrance.
The writing on the door was slightly different to the first door, the start looked the same, but the ending strayed from the other.
"It's not really surprising we can't read this... But it does make things a bit frustrating."
"I'm sure there's something Dumbledore has to translate it."
Harry snorted, "He probably has a whole book with the translations somewhere in his office."
"Knowing Dumbledore, you're probably right."
"Do you want to grab the bag whilst I continue to copy things down?"
Daphne looked up from her book, "Okay, but don't do anything stupid."
"I promise I'll do nothing more than write down these cool symbols," Harry said, hand on his heart.
"Good," Daphne said, patting Harry's cheek after handing him her white and gold diary.
Harry got to work, quickly picking up where Daphne had left off and neatly started to copy down the drawings, taking his time with the way they curved, each dot and cross making sure they were an exact replica.
No matter how hard Harry tried, however, he could never be as neat as Daphne was, she had a knack for being meticulous with her writing, making sure it was nothing but the best, and only ever handing in work that had no mistakes - even if it meant re-writing it all over again.
Now that he was copying it down, the writing somewhat matched Scandinavian runes but was marginally different. It wasn't too surprising. Not only was it the right era - but these runes were said to hold magical properties, unlike regular runes.
Daphne flew back in, their bag clutched firmly between her talons.
"I think this Sorcerer modified the runic alphabet at the time," Harry said once she'd landed.
"... It did look somewhat familiar, even if I couldn't read it."
"Yeah, they might've somehow found magical properties in writing it this way."
"Could that be why everything still looks pristine, even after almost a millennia of being untouched?"
"Perhaps, it's a combination of extremely advanced enchantments, like at Hogwarts, and the writing aids it in some way?"
Daphne hummed in agreement, caressing the inscription once more, "Have you finished copying them down?"
"Yeah, here," Harry said, handing her diary back to her.
"Thanks," Daphne said, looking at the inscriptions he'd made, "My, you've gotten better at writing, haven't you?"
"Only for you," Harry said with a cheeky smile.
Daphne snorted, "Do you want to try and open the door?"
"Yeah, I'm excited to see what's inside," Harry said, rubbing his hands together.
"You're like a child on Christmas, you know that, right?" Daphne said, eyes alight with mirth.
"Of course!"
Daphne rolled her eyes, waving her wand at the door, which didn't budge.
"I am going to guess that we'll have to do things together for this," Harry said.
"You're probably right..." Daphne agreed.
Harry stood next to Daphne, and they both flicked their wands at the door, which receded with a low groan.
"Dumbledore really wanted us to work together, didn't he?" Daphne asked.
"You can say that again. It's truly fascinating spell work, though."
"If there's no mention of how to replicate it on paper, we're coming back to break it down layer by layer until we know."
"We could do that anyway - a bit of hands-on practice was always better than going through a book."
They entered the new chamber, walking around the almost empty room.
"Do you think everything has been taken?" Harry asked, walking up to a lone pedestal, slightly off-centre from the room, looking like there should be a second next to it.
"I'm not sure..."
On top of the pedestal sat a box, forlorn and forgotten.
Harry and Daphne stood over the box, gazing down with curious eyes.
"Do you want to bet on what's in it?" Harry asked in a whisper.
"Only if you want to lose again," Daphne quipped.
"Last time was a fluke," Harry said quickly.
"And the time before that?" Daphne asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Luck."
"I'm sure... I think it'll be empty."
"Empty? That's optimistic..." Harry snorted, "I'm going to say it's this Sorcerer's most prized possession."
"In a box looking like that?"
"Why not?"
"It looks like shit! Just look at those edges!"
"It's old, is all..."
"This whole place is old, and it looks immaculate."
"Touche."
"I'm opening it."
"Fine, little Miss Patient."
Daphne stepped forward, ignoring Harry's comment, taking the boxes lid in her hands, careful not to get splinters on the old wood. Lifting it up, Daphne furrowed her eyebrows.
"What is it," Harry asked, stepping forward to have a look himself.
"It's a vial..." Daphne said, picking it up and holding it high, inspecting it in the light.
"Is that a memory?" Harry asked, reaching up to have a better look.
"I think so..."
"We're so taking over Dumbledores office for a week," Daphne said, pocketing the vial in her coat's enchanted pocket.
"I'm glad we're on the same page."
"When aren't we?"
"Never," Harry whispered. "I think this room is done. But, we'll check it over before we leave."
"Sounds like a plan. What door now?"
"Our right, the entrances left?"
"Sure."
Walking together toward the other door, their hands grasping for the others unconsciously. They inspected the doors markings.
"These runes start the same, don't they?" Daphne asked as she reached out to touch them.
"Yeah... I noticed that too."
"Do you want to write the other ones down whilst I do this one and then open them up one at a time?"
"That'll work; let me just grab my diary," Harry said, turning from Daphne.
"Keep it neat!" Daphne called over, not looking up from her book.
"Of course, my love," Harry said, going to work and hearing a faint sarcastic comment under Daphne's breath.
They sat in silence as they copied down the inscriptions, Harry taking extra care as he'd done with the previous one. Getting up once he'd finished, Harry ambled over to Daphne, spending time admiring the chandelier on his way over.
"I say we make copies of everything - leave as much here as possible."
"What about the memory?" Daphne asked, snapping her book shut.
"We'll return it once we've used it. We know where here is, so it'll be easy."
"We're making a safer platform first," Daphne said, shooting a quick glance at the entrance.
"You took the words right out of my mouth."
"Come on, I want to see what's inside."
Without another word, they flicked their wands in unison, and the door opened.
"No guesses this time?" Harry asked with a grin.
"Next time," Daphne dismissed with a wave.
"As you wish," Harry bowed.
Daphne shook her head at his antics and walked inside.
"At least there's something in this one..." Harry said as he looked at the vast shelves of books, filled to the brim.
"What could this Sorcerer have possibly known to have this many books?"
"What could he not have known..."
Daphne chuckled, "Grab the bag. I'll start duplicating them," Daphne said, walking over to the left shelf.
"Okay," Harry said, leaving to grab their bag.
Upon re-entering the library, Harry summoned the books. Placing them gently in his bag.
"You do that side I do this side?" Harry asked as he put the bag behind Daphne.
"Sure, that'll be easiest."
They spent the next twenty minutes in silence as they meticulously copied row after row, column after column of books, depositing them in the bag as fast as they could. Harry tried to decipher some of the titles, but they were all written in the same nordic language, different to the doors, but definitely needing translating as the door did. Making it impossible.
"You don't know how much I want to go back and go through all of this," Daphne said once they'd finished, sitting down next to Harry for a small break.
"Tell me about it! This could keep us busy for the whole summer and some of autumn - I might have to postpone learning to fly..." Harry said gleefully.
"First order of business, a way to read all of it."
"Shouldn't take too long - we're the brightest witch and wizard of the age, it'll be no problem."
"My, so arrogant, aren't we?"
"You know it!" Harry said with a grin.
"Here, I thought you were humble..."
"Only to strangers, sadly."
"Such an enigma you are, Mr Potter..."
"I could say the same for you, Miss Greengrass."
They both smiled at each other, taking a moment for themselves before they got up and sauntered to the last door, pausing in front of it in tandem.
"Any ideas for this one?"
"Hmm... A memory, a library... How about his living area?"
"That's a good guess... I'm going to say... a bathroom."
"A bathroom? Are you sure?" Daphne asked with amusement.
Of course, now let's get on with it."
Again, they opened the door together, waiting for the door to open before entering.
"Well, what do you know... It's a bedroom."
"I will concede that you are right... On this occasion. But, I'm still hoping that the memory was his most prized possession..."
"We'll find out soon, won't we?"
"That we will."
"What side do you want to search?"
"I'll take the left side if you take the right one?"
Daphne hummed in agreement, walking over to the right side of the bed and opening the cabinet that sat in the wall. Whilst Harry walked over to the desk. Running his hand against the fine wood, a perfect opposite to the small wooden box the memory had lived in.
Harry opened one of the drawers and pulled out a small Diary. Flicking through the book, confirming it was written in the same language as the other books.
Searching the rest of the draws, Harry came up short.
"Have you found anything, Daphne?" Harry asked as he walked over.
"Nothing that seems important... It's just thick, awful looking robes."
"Maybe that was the fashion back then?" Harry suggested, "Do you feel any magic in them? They might have something woven into the fabric as we did to our coats."
Daphne stilled for a moment, closing her eyes, "I think I can feel something, come and touch it yourself."
Harry stepped forward, running his hand across one of the seams of a dull green cloak. "Yeah, it's only faint, though; the magic might be wearing off."
"We should get this back quick then," Daphne concluded, "Did you find anything?"
"What looks like a diary, nothing else, sadly."
"Could be interesting once we understand the language - we'll translate that first, then everything else later."
"Sounds like a plan!"
They went through the rooms one last time, running their hands over each and every part of the walls, before concluding nothing else was hidden, meeting back under the chandelier.
"Ready to go home?" Harry asked, taking Daphne's hand into his own.
"Never been more ready in my life. I want a proper shower."
Harry chuckled, "I will be joining you in that, Greengrass."
"I wouldn't have it any other way, Potter."
ooo000ooo000ooo
A/N: Okay, so I am going to write one-shots that detail Harry and Daphne's time exploring the world together. They won't necessarily be in chronological order, just as I think of something I'll write it. Ordinarily Prudent suggested that, and I really liked the idea.
I'm not from Norway, nor have I ever visited, so I am sorry if there are any mistakes with spelling, or just in general, to those who are from there. I did put a decent amount of research into it and continued to do so as I wrote - I really tried my best.
If there are any mistakes, please point them out so I can fix them.
Truly Madly Deeply is the song name by the way.
I really hope that the interactions between Harry and Daphne come off the way I hoped, I enjoy sarcasm and just general back and forths that are playful insults - it's something I do in my everyday life - the insults aren't malicious but I don't know if that comes off in my writing - edit - I've re-written parts, after re-reading some of it after a review, I might do the same again. Nothing has changed plot-wise, just the conversations between them have.
The next chapter will be them exploring everything they came across in this one, so if I haven't gone into too much detail, that's why.
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it, let me know your thoughts - if you have any requests about a part of the world you want me to write about or a particular type of magic, I'll see what I can do.
-Salt.