A/N: In response to a review by a guest,
I'm not losing inspiration for the fic. I'm only losing inspiration for the filler in this Part. Which there isn't much left of to tell you the truth.
Also, I'm so sorry for missing this, but this story has over 300 followers now! Thanks a lot for that!!
《••••••••••••••••••••》
A Song of Lightning and Fire
Arc I: Hogwarts
Part IV: The Last Wish
《••••••••••••••••••••》
"Mr. Potter and Miss Weasley," Professor Grayson called. "Please remain behind. I have an important matter that I must discuss with you."
Harry and Ginny were just about to get up and leave for the day, but they nodded and sat down, trying not to look too disappointed. Really, Professor Grayson was a great teacher, but his methods were focused on fitness, and exercise, which was not necessarily a bad thing, but it did get annoying when Harry and Ginny were made to run longer distances because they were used to doing so.
It was why they were dreading this meeting, and fervently hoping it had something to do with the Cursed Vaults instead of being a part of the DADA curriculum.
For once, Harry's prayers were answered.
"I have checked out the map of the Forest," Professor Grayson said. "But I have heard from a good source that you are… familiar with the area?"
Ginny nodded and Harry shrugged. "We are, and we aren't," he said.
Professor Grayson blinked. "You've been hanging around Dumbledore too much."
Harry snorted and cracked a smile. "What do you need us for?" Ginny asked, bringing the conversation back on track.
"I need you to take a look at this," Professor Grayson said, flicking his Wand and summoning the map to him. "And tell me where on earth this is supposed to be."
He was pointing at a depiction of a mountain, and it took Harry a moment to realize that this was not a place he and Ginny had been to. He was about to say it was near the Acromantula's Lair where they had placed the Bottle… but no, it wasn't. The lair was quite a bit toward the west side of where Professor Grayson was pointing.
"We know how to get till here," Ginny said, probably mirroring his thoughts and pointing at the Lair. "But not beyond that."
"That's why you have me, I reckon," Professor Grayson said, folding up the map. "Are you sure you want to do this? I am an honest enough man to admit I'm still sceptical about your abilities in an actual combat scenario, despite many assurances and demonstrations that you are good."
"I mean…" Harry trailed off, sharing a glance with Ginny. "You could always teach us," he suggested hesitantly.
"What? Private Lessons?" Professor Grayson asked, rubbing his chin. "Not a bad idea, but I don't know if I should teach you advanced stuff just yet."
"Why not?" Harry asked. "We can do the Patronus Charm," he added, causing the Professor to blanch.
"I'm sorry, what?" He asked. "You're Fourth Years!"
Harry and Ginny just cast the Spell, not bothering to explain a complicated backstory. Prongs and Ginny's Mare formed out of the mist and galloped around the room once before disappearing.
"Blimey," Professor Grayson said slowly, shaking his head.
"Will you teach us more?" Ginny asked.
"Alright, you've got a deal," Professor Grayson said. "We've got almost six months. By the end of that time, I expect you'll be able to take out most Seventh Years in a Duel, although I would suggest avoiding that confrontation."
Harry and Ginny grinned at the man before Harry's grin Vanished with a sudden realization. "Will you be able to teach us? I mean, that's kind of unfair to the others isn't it?"
"Don't you worry about that," Professor Grayson said, waving a hand aside dismissively. "I'll talk to Dumbledore about the lessons. Merlin knows he's been badgering me about taking you on for them almost every week since I started here."
"Seriously?" Harry asked, Ginny could do no more than stare at the Professor.
"Aye," Professor Grayson replied. "It was getting mighty annoying to tell ya the truth, but I can see why he wanted me to improve your talents even more."
Harry just nodded, lost in thought. He couldn't believe Dumbledore had actually taken Ginny's suggestion to heart. Sure, nothing had come of it till now, but still. It was nice knowing that they had him in their corner.
"Dumbledore's calling us for a meeting tonight," Professor Grayson said. "There's something happening in the School that he wants to look into."
"What is it?" Ginny asked.
"Don't know," Professor Grayson said. "We'll find out tonight. The Meeting is at 8:30. Password's Sherbert Lemon."
《••••••••••••••••••••》
"Sherbert Lemon," Ginny said to the Gargoyle outside the Headmaster's Office.
The Gargoyle stepped aside, and Harry and Ginny waited for the stairs to take them to the landing outside the Headmaster's Office. They knocked on the door and were immediately answered by Dumbledore. "Enter," he said.
They did so, and saw that Dumbledore was seated behind his desk as usual, with Fawkes sitting on the Perch, and Professor Grayson standing near the corner of the desk.
Fawkes trilled a greeting to them, and they responded with a "Hello," and a smile, making their way over to the two armchairs in front of the desk.
"Good evening," Professors Dumbledore and Grayson said.
"Good evening," Harry and Ginny responded.
"Let's get this meeting started," Professor Dumbledore said. "Have you ever heard of Cursed Ice?"
Harry and Ginny shook their heads no and Professor Grayson nodded. "It's a type of Ice that doesn't melt or stop spreading no matter how much you try to stop it," he explained.
"Exactly," Professor Dumbledore said, nodding at the explanation. "I have found some around the Corridors outside the Library."
Harry and Ginny raised their eyebrows and Professor Grayson blanched. "You're kidding," he said.
"I'm afraid not," Professor Dumbledore said. He reached into a drawer behind his desk and pulled out a crystalline object. It looked like it was cold, and Harry was able to make the connection between this and the Cursed Ice.
"Blimey," Professor Grayson said. "Never thought I'd see any in my life."
"Is it that rare?" Ginny asked with a frown.
"Very," Dumbledore said. "The Spell required for its creation is lost. But if anyone found it, they'd be rewarded with Galleons."
Harry personally thought that was a bit too much for a simple Spell, and he chose to voice that thought aloud.
"Ah, but it's not just a simple Spell, is it Potter?" Professor Grayson said. "Imagine a substance that doesn't melt, doesn't break, and keeps spreading. It would be a miracle for the Aurors and the Dark Wizards."
"Surely there must be some way to counter it?" Ginny asked.
"There is," Professor Grayson said. "But it is difficult. There's a Charm called the Gubraithian Fire. That works against it, but it takes loads of time. The Charm produces Everlasting Fire that you can maybe learn to transform into weapons."
"Hellfire can burn it as well," Professor Dumbledore offered. "But that is not why we are here. We are here to discuss our… quest."
"Albus," Professor Grayson interjected. "If what you say about these Vaults is true, then wouldn't it be better to just leave them lying?"
"No," Dumbledore said. "If we were at any other point in time, and if Harry and Ginny had not interacted with the Vaults, I would have said yes, we could leave them alone. But not now."
"Why not?" Professor Grayson asked, oblivious to the uncomfortable feeling in Harry and Ginny's stomachs.
"Because once a single Vault has been interacted with, the other three start casting out their Defences," Professor Dumbledore said. "The Cursed Ice is merely one of them. The Tree Line of The Forbidden Forest is moving forward towards the Castle. I believe you have noticed it?" The last part was directed to Professor Grayson, who nodded.
"Similarly," Professor Dumbledore continued. "The Water Level at the Black Lake is also rising, and the Merfolk report that there is a strange reverberating sound in one of their Temples."
Professor Grayson frowned in confusion before sighing. "You think there's a Cursed Vault in the Lake?" He asked.
"Yes," Professor Dumbledore said with a nod. "And I also suspect there to be a Vault near the Library. Unless we find and open them all, the Vaults' Defences will keep spreading, and we will either drown, get eaten by the creatures in the Forbidden Forest, or freeze to Death. Neither of the options are something I'm comfortable with."
"Will you be coming with us sir?" Ginny asked.
Professor Dumbledore shook his head. "No," he said. "I will be in the Black Lake, checking the Merfolk Temple since I have good relations with them. I shall update you on my findings after you three return from the Forbidden Forest."
Harry nodded and watched Ginny do the same, grateful that they were included in the conversation. "Do you have the map?" Professor Dumbledore asked.
Professor Grayson pulled it out, placing it on the Headmaster's Desk. "This place," Dumbledore said, pointing at a spot near Aries and Artemis' Lair. "This might also be the Location. I figured it out after you left. Do try and do both."
Professor Grayson nodded, and they were soon dismissed for Dinner. "Listen you two," Professor Grayson said once they were a fair distance away from the Headmaster's Office. "I want the absolute best you can do in two days, do you understand? No slacking around. I'm going to try and teach you how to cast the Gubraithian Fire. You won't learn to control it so soon, but trying never hurt anyone."
They weren't able to do more than nod, and Professor Grayson gave them a grin and walked away, bidding them a good night.
《••••••••••••••••••••》
Sleep did not come easy to Harry that night. He kept tossing and turning, trying to find a position comfortable enough to sleep in, but to no avail.
Just then, his Mirror rang, and Harry rushed to pick it up, hoping he'd hear from Sirius or Remus or Marlene. But, much to his surprise, it was Ginny.
"Gin?" He asked. "What's wrong?"
"Hopefully nothing," she said. "I just wanted to talk to you. Is now a good time?"
"Of course," Harry answered. "Do you want me to meet you-"
"The Mirrors will be fine, I think," Ginny said, interrupting him. "Did I wake you?"
"No," he said. "I couldn't sleep."
"Oh," she said, letting out a breath. "That's good."
"Gee, I didn't know you felt so hostile toward me," Harry replied, smirking at her.
"You know that's not what I meant," Ginny protested. "I'm just glad that I didn't wake you and-."
"I know, I know," Harry interrupted with a smile. "What did you want to talk about?"
Ginny's face immediately hardened, and he couldn't help but frown in concern. "Do you ever feel like we're walking into a trap?" She asked.
"A trap?" He replied. "I don't know what you mean."
"I mean," Ginny said. "What's been happening to the School every year, and how we're always in the middle of it."
"What about it?" He asked.
"What if it's all set up?" She asked.
"Set up?" He asked incredulously. "Who would set it up?"
"I don't know," Ginny said. "But I don't like it. It all feels like it's happening for a reason. Like someone wants to test us and is making all of this to make the test possible."
"But these are all Random," Harry protested, not understanding where she was coming from. "Sure, Dumbledore hid the Philosopher's Stone here, and that was intentional, but that's it."
"Theodore Nott Sr. planted the Diary in the Chamber," Ginny said.
That had been a shocker to them when they'd heard about it before the Christmas break. They hadn't known who did it before, but after Theodore Nott Sr.'s Death, the Aurors had gone through his House and found that it was him that was behind the whole plot.
"I'll give Sirius the benefit of the doubt since he was out of it for twelve years," Ginny said, much to his relief. "But what about John Smith? Why did he hand it to us?"
"Because we were the only ones there?" Harry suggested, knowing exactly what Ginny was talking about. "Because he recognized who we were from the Papers? Ginny, there are loads of reasons. Are you okay?"
She shook her head. "I don't know," she said. "It feels like something bad's going to happen soon."
Harry's eyes went wide. He'd been feeling the same thing on and off for a few days now, but he'd just chalked it up to his anxiety acting up because they were nearing the end of the year, which was when most of their Death-Defying Adventures took place.
"I'm coming over," Harry said firmly, giving her enough time to kod before he closed the connection.
He got out of bed and made a run for it, not bothering to change out of his pyjamas. He made it up to Gryffindor Tower with the Invisibility Cloak and knocked twice on the Portrait and followed it up with three rapid ones, and two slow ones.
It was their Signal if they wanted to get into the other's Common Room at night, and as usual, it came in handy this time as well.
Ginny opened the Portrait Hole from the inside and led him toward the Sofas without a word. "You alright?" He asked as he took a seat beside her.
She nodded, still not looking at him. "Mostly," she said. "I- I think I just needed to talk. It's nothing-"
"Don't do that," he said, frowning and taking her hand in his. "Tell me."
"If we find the Cursed Vaults, I'm done," she said after a while. "With the adventures I mean. I just want to be… normal."
Harry's heart went out to her, and he felt guilty for dragging her into those situations. Naturally, she saw right through his emotionless mask. "I'm not mad at you," she said. "You didn't drag me into that stuff. I went with you."
"But-"
"If you don't stop thinking that, I won't talk to you," Ginny declared.
"Okay, okay," he said, rolling his eyes when she smirked triumphantly at him. "You win."
"Of course I do," she replied. She turned back to the fire, but Harry watched her smirk and happy expression slowly disappear.
Truth be told, Harry had no idea what he should do, so he decided to keep talking. "I feel it too, you know," he said, causing Ginny to look at him. "That feeling like something bad is about to happen."
"What do you reckon it is?" She asked after a while.
"No idea," Harry said, playing with the hem of his shirt. "But I just thought it was me being nervous since everything bad seems to happen around this time of the year."
"It feels like someone's setting all of this up for us," she said again after a while. "And I don't want any part of it. That's the only reason I want to leave this behind."
"If what you're saying is true, then I don't think I want any part of it either," Harry said truthfully. He wasn't going to be anyone's pawn again. "But why would anyone try to do that?"
"I don't know," she replied. "I just don't like it."
《••••••••••••••••••••》
That weekend, Harry and Ginny were getting ready to leave for the Forbidden Forest. Harry wouldn't have minded the day, but pretty much everyone seemed to know that they were doing something, and thus, Harry and Ginny were peppered with questions.
"Where are you going?"
"What are you doing?"
"Is it true that you're going into the Black Lake?"
"Are you and Ginny dating?"
Yes, the last person had the audacity to say that to Harry's face. At Breakfast. Honestly, the Fifth Year was lucky that Sean had clutched Harry's hand, otherwise nothing could have stopped Harry from pummeling the Hufflepuff, Zacharias Smith, into the ground.
Professor Grayson would be meeting them in Hagrid's Hut since they had quickly become friends. Harry thought it was due to their shared love for all things dangerous. Ginny thought it was their large size that they both found as common ground.
Harry and Ginny left the Entrance Hall and made their way to Hagrid's Hut, making sure that no one was following them. Thankfully, no one was.
They knocked on the door and Hagrid opened it almost immediately. They didn't waste a moment to step in, and Hagrid closed the door behind them as they did.
"Ready to go?" Professor Grayson asked, standing up.
"Yep," Harry said as Ginny nodded.
"If you find an Acromantula, what are you going to do with it?" Grayson asked, folding his arms.
"Bludgeoning Spell," Harry replied promptly.
"What about a Whomping Willow?" Professor Grayson asked.
"Shield Charm followed by a Reductor Curse followed by the Gubraithian Fire Charm," Ginny said.
They didn't quite know how to control the Gubraithian Fire Charm, but they could cast the Spell itself. Just like how they could manipulate the clouds to come together using the Tempest Jinx, but summoning or even creating the Lightning was well beyond their capabilities.
They went over a few more drills like, "What would you do if you had a deep gash?" Or, "What would you do if you were poisoned?" They were ready for this, Harry knew.
They set off toward the Forest, Professor Grayson in the lead, with Harry and Ginny following him while hiding under the Invisibility Cloak.
Professor Grayson kept checking the map anxiously as they moved through the Forest, and this set Harry on edge. He'd been here several times, but he couldn't be calm if the man kept doing that.
"This map is outdated," Professor Grayson said as they reached a right turn. "Fuck. We should have known that before we came here."
Of course they hadn't thought of it. Harry had just thought that it would be the same, which in hindsight was a dumb thing to do since the map was made a few centuries ago, but still…
Professor Grayson led them into a clearing to their right where he observed the map. Harry and Ginny, however, took a look at the clearing they were in.
"What's that there?" Ginny asked. Harry turned to see her pointing over to a tree where they could see a Symbol, a Rune, or a word sketched onto the roots of the tree.
Professor Grayson walked over to the tree, Wand held out. He cast a Spell of some kind on the roots of the tree, and then waved his Wand around himself like a lasso, causing an orange wave of Magic to be released from it and spread all over the clearing.
Immediately, similar symbols, or words, started appearing on the barks of all of the trees marking the edge of the clearing. Suddenly, an Arrow shot over Harry's head, straight toward Professor Grayson.
"WATCH OUT!!" Harry and Ginny screamed, and turned around, coming face to face with a Centaur.
The Centaur drew its bow back, forming an arrow of Magic that was already nocked. Harry thrust his hand out, lashing out with his Magic. The Centaur went flying back and hit the tree, but the Arrow still released and nicked Harry's shoulder.
Another Centaur came, but this time Harry dived to the side as Ginny cast an Everte Statum before the Centaur could even do anything.
"HALT!" A booming voice roared.
Harry and Ginny turned to see that Professor Grayson was held at bowpoint by several Centaurs, three of whom were bruised and lying on the ground, moaning in pain.
A Centaur with Grey skin walked out of the trees, head held high. He made his way over to their Professor and asked, "What brings you here, Human?"
"What do you care?" Professor Grayson asked back. "Just let us go. We're not here to bother you."
"The fact that you have walked into Centaur territory suggests otherwise," the Centaur said.
"Magorian," Professor Grayson said with a sigh. "This is important. Professor Dumbledore has sent us."
The Centaur- Magorian- turned to Harry and Ginny with a raised brow. "Is this true, young ones?" He asked them, seemingly peering into their very souls.
Harry and Ginny both nodded. Magorian bowed his head. "I have found that Children do not often lie, but if I do find out that you are… it will not be pretty for you," he said to them. "Release the Half-Giant!" Magorian commanded.
Ginny gasped and Harry's eyes went wide as Professor Grayson paled. Half-Giants were the offspring of a Giant and a Human, and Harry really didn't want to think about how that went down…
"Are you here to see what is wrong with the Forest?" Magorian asked.
"To an extent," was Professor Grayson's clipped response.
"Well, then," Magorian said. "Allow us to offer our humble apologies."
"Apology accepted," Professor Grayson replied in a gruff voice. "Can you take us to the point where these disturbances started?"
"Of course," Magorian said. "Bane!" He called.
A Brown colored Centaur stepped towards them. "Take them to the Eldar Tree," Magorian said to him. "See that they are safe."
Bane really didn't look like he wanted to go, but he nodded anyway, and without a word, he set off. "Beware young Humans," Magorian said to Harry and Ginny. "The World needs you yet. And one of your greatest trials is near. Do not stray off course when you face it."
Harry frowned in confusion, sharing a glance with Ginny and turning to Professor Grayson, who had a worried look on his face. "Let's move," Professor Grayson said.
Bane led them through the Forbidden Forest for over fifteen minutes before they finally reached a Large Tree in the middle of a clearing. "This is the Eldar Tree," Bane said. "It used to be Worshipped by the Elves when they were not under the rule of the Wizards."
Harry bowed his head, trying to be respectful, and he saw Ginny do the same. Bane frowned at them curiously, but Professor Grayson had already made his way forward towards the tree.
Bane followed him, and Harry and Ginny rushed to catch up. "Where do we go from here?" Professor Grayson asked.
"Under," Bane said, pointing at the roots where a gap was visible. Unfortunately, the gap was only big enough to fit Harry and Ginny.
Professor Grayson drew his Wand and pointed it at the tree. "Don't," Bane warned him. "Whatever Spell you cast will come back at you in the form of a Soul Slicer, and I don't think it bears mentioning how horrible it is to have your soul deformed."
Professor Grayson sighed. "Looks like you're on your own this time," he said, holstering his Wand.
"What!?" Harry cried in shock as Ginny sighed as though she had been expecting something like this.
"It is true," Bane said. "He cannot assist you. Nor can he go alone. He shall have to wait here whilst you handle this."
"Do you want to find the things we're sent to find or not?" Professor Grayson asked, a strange gleam in his eye. "Because, ultimately, that's what this boils down to."
A few minutes later, Harry and Ginny had to admit defeat, and they went between the gap in the roots. The gap opened up into a large, dark tunnel, and Harry and Ginny had to light their Wands up to see in front of them.
The tunnel was quite similar to what the one they were in during their First Year. The floor, the walls, and the ceiling were all covered with a cave like surface, and there were a few roots here and there, but judging by the way they did not react to light, they weren't Magical.
Harry and Ginny walked forward without a destination in sight. The tunnel curved and he saw that it was headed downward. He looked at Ginny and shrugged, walking forward again.
They kept walking along the path of the tunnel until they spotted light coming from a crack in the walls. Upon further observation, the crack turned out to be a rather large doorway, and Harry stopped dead in his tracks when he saw the other side.
The doorway led into a Huge Cavern, bathed in a blue hue coming from the various cave entrances and ponds there. There was a trunk of a tree stretching from the ground up to the ceiling of the Cavern and disappearing into it. Long thick branches with thick leaves had sprouted from the tree, and it looked like there was an area under there where the residents would come to hang out.
There were also quite a few House-like structures hanging around the edge of the cave, and some were even dangling on the tree trunk, or from the branches. There were also a few that were placed on top of the branches.
There were fences on either side of the paths, and on the other side of the fences, they were met with a large farmland area, and the crops there looked like they hadn't even been touched in a long time.
"What is this place?" Harry asked.
"An old Elf-Village," Ginny whispered in awe. "Oh, Bill is going to freak out when I tell him."
"An Elf-Village?" Harry asked.
"The Villages of the Elves before they became House-Elves," Ginny said in somewhat of a daze. "The ones that lived in this Realm preferred to hide underground."
"I thought that Dwarves lived Underground," Harry said.
"Misconception," Ginny replied. "They live in Mountains."
Harry's eyebrows raised and she blushed a little. "Charlie always used to recite this stuff to me and Ron when we were younger."
"Must have been fun," he said with a wistful smile.
"It was," she said, smiling at what he assumed was the memory. "I wish you could have had that."
That warm, tingly, non-Magical but still Magical feeling came up within him again, and he smiled at her and squeezed her hand. "Thank you," he said, almost choking on his own words.
She smiled at him, and they just looked at each other for a long moment, their heads inching closer and closer together…
"Where do you think the Vault is?" Harry asked her, immediately feeling like an idiot afterwards.
She blinked and drew her head back. "Er... right, yeah. The Cursed Vault that we're supposed to be looking for… it should be around here somewhere, right?"
They walked along the path leading to the tree, trying to find any hint of the Vault. They eventually found it near the back of the Cavern, on the other side of the tree.
There was a large double door behind a tall fence. It was black in color with lines that swirled around the length of the doors. There was an inscription of a tree carved over it.
"Found it," Ginny declared triumphantly, the earlier embarrassment seemingly forgotten.
Harry rolled his eyes. "I can see that," he said, glad that they could move past it.
She smiled. "Good," she said. "That means you can help me get over this," she gestured to the fence.
Harry furrowed his brow. "Or we could just use the gate?" He asked more than said. He looked around and saw that there was no gate. Of course there wasn't. "Oh," he said.
"Yeah," Ginny said, patting his head. "Don't worry, you'll be useful later."
Harry batted it away and ripped the fence off the ground using Wandless Magic and gently placed it elsewhere, not wanting to disturb the scenery any more than he already had.
"Is this useful enough?" He asked her.
She blinked up at him and licked her bottom lip. "Yeah, I think so," she said.
He smirked at her and walked toward the doors. He touched the door, and the lines on the doors glowed Golden. Harry thought he was about to be incinerated, but the doors opened shortly after, giving them admittance.
The door opened up into a small corridor, big enough to fit them, but not any others. Harry and Ginny walked ahead, lighting their Wands again.
They were soon led into the main Vault without incident. It was exactly the same as the previous one, but for some reason, Harry didn't think that it would open the same way.
All the same, he refrained from touching it, choosing instead to observe. He saw that the Column in the centre had a Runic inscription on it that read, Make The Ultimate Sacrifice to open the Vault.
"What does it say?" Ginny asked.
"Make The Ultimate Sacrifice to open the Vault," Harry recited with a frown. "Do they want us to die?"
"I don't think so," Ginny said, shaking her head. "Bill always says the Ultimate Sacrifice for a Magical being is to lose its Magic."
Harry blanched. "How does that work?" He asked in a shocked whisper.
"I don't think they're actually asking you to destroy your Magical Core," Ginny answered. "I think it just requires a Wand. Remember the other Pyramids in Egypt? The Drawings showed the Wizard's Wand being broken as the Ultimate Punishment. Or Ultimate Sacrifice."
Harry frowned. "I'm not letting either of us break our Wands," he said.
"I know," Ginny replied. "But what if our Brother Wands can fix each other?" She asked.
"Maybe they can," Harry began. "But I don't want to take the risk."
Ginny nodded with a grimace. "Well, I guess we're stuck."
"Not necessarily," Harry said a while later, an idea forming in his mind.
"What are you thinking?" She asked. "If that look is anything to go by, it's genius."
"It might be," Harry said. "What are the odds that there are Wands lying around from when the Sleepwalk Killer was roaming around the School?"
Ginny's eyes went wide. The Sleepwalk Killer was an Acromantula that killed Sleepwalking Students whenever said students ventured into its Lair. There had been a Curse placed on the Castle around the year 1960 that caused sleeping students to randomly venture near the Acromantula's Lair in the Forbidden Forest. It had taken Dumbledore three weeks to figure out what was happening. The Bodies, or the Lair of the Acromantula still had not been found.
"You think the tunnels are connected to its lair," Ginny said, gawking at him with an open mouth.
"I do," he replied, not surprised that she had known what he was thinking of.
"So then… what? You're gonna cast a Summoning Charm?" She asked.
"No," he said. "We are going to cast a Summoning Charm."
Ginny grinned at him, and they moved to stand next to each other. "3… 2… 1," Harry counted down.
Accio Wand, he cast, focusing on finding any Wand that would serve their purpose. He knew the Spell had worked by the vibrations he could feel off of both his and Ginny's Wands, and a few minutes of waiting later, a short, Dusty, brown colored, 9 inch Wand flew into his outstretched hand. He didn't feel anything from it, though.
Harry held the Wand so that its length was facing the column. He applied some pressure at the centre, and snapped the Wand in half, releasing a wave of Magic.
The Column absorbed the Magic, and hissed as it slid toward the top, revealing another beam of Magic with just another Headless Key in it.
"Nothing else?" Harry asked incredulously. He was hoping for another map, at least.
"Looks like it," Ginny said, grimacing. She summoned the key into her hand and put it into Harry's robe pocket.
He slid the broken pieces of the Wand in there too, and zipped the pocket shut. "Let's go," he said, not wanting to spend more time here than what was necessary.
Ginny nodded and they both set off towards the Cavern again. They reached the exit to the tunnel they were in, and just stood there for a while, appreciating the sheer beauty of the place.
"We should bring a camera next time," Harry said.
"Oh, definitely," Ginny agreed.
《••••••••••••••••••••》
Harry, Ginny, and Professor Grayson made their way out of the Forbidden Forest soon after they'd come out of the tunnel under the Eldar Tree.
Professor Grayson had been quite pleased with them and their abilities, and on any other day, they would have been proud to hear those words, but now, they were not.
Ginny's words from a few nights ago came back to him, and he couldn't help but think she had a point. This mission was looking more like a setup with every passing minute.
The question was, did Dumbledore know?
He reckoned they would find out the answer soon. They were already nearing the Gargoyle that guarded the Headmaster's Office. "Ginger Snaps," Harry said, causing the Gargoyle to jump aside and reveal the staircase.
They climbed on and the staircase took them to the landing outside the Headmaster's Office. They knocked on the door, and Dumbledore himself opened it this time. "Come in," he said with a tired sigh.
They did so and sat down in front of Dumbledore's desk as he went to sit behind it. "Have you found the Vault?" Dumbledore asked.
Harry and Ginny nodded. "Opened the Column, too," she said.
Dumbledore gave them a relieved smile. "Excellent," he said. "I myself have not been able to do much besides locate and open the Vault door. According to the Merfolk, it asks for proof of some Sacrifice to open the Column. I was hoping you could shed some light on it?"
Harry and Ginny shared a glance, and he nodded for her to go ahead. "We had to break a Wand in the Forest Vault," Ginny said.
Dumbledore's eyes grew wide and Ginny rushed to reassure him. "We just summoned a Wand," Ginny said. She quickly explained where they had ended up and how Harry had come up with the idea of Summoning the Wands from the Lair of the Sleepwalk Killer.
Harry and Ginny blushed when Dumbledore looked at both of them with a proud smile. Somehow, the praise coming from Dumbledore felt more… impactful.
"Is the Village truly as beautiful as your cousins believed it to be?" Dumbledore asked Professor Grayson, who did an awkward little shuffle.
"I wasn't down there," he muttered.
Dumbledore blinked. "I beg your Pardon?" He asked in a voice that sent shivers down Harry and Ginny's spines. "What do you mean you weren't down there?"
"The hole was too small for me to go," he tried explaining but Dumbledore wasn't having it.
"Then you come and call me!" He thundered. "You do not send two underage students down to a potentially dangerous location!"
The emotions coming from Dumbledore seemed to be genuine, and it was a huge relief for Harry and Ginny since it probably meant that he was on their side.
"They consented to it," Professor Grayson protested.
"I don't care!" Professor Dumbledore growled. "You shouldn't be putting students in danger on their own."
"You took them to the Chamber of Secrets," Professor Grayson said with a shrug. "I thought they'd be used to this."
"I was with them," Dumbledore hissed. "As was Newt Scamander. There was an urgency since the Basilisk is a monster that can kill with a mere sight. The Defences of the Cursed Vaults will take time to fully activate. Time that we can afford to waste for once. We will discuss this later, Romulus."
Professor Dumbledore turned to them, the previous anger gone so suddenly that the difference was laughable. "Do you, by any chance, have the broken pieces of the Wand?"
Harry nodded and quickly brought the two pieces of the Wand out, giving them to the Headmaster. "Hm…" he trailed off in thought. "This looks like an Ollivander's creation. I shall have to ask him whose it is, and if it can be repaired," he nodded to himself, and looked at them again.
"The Vault in the Lake is quite… shall we say, harmless," Dumbledore said. "As is, I believe, the Vault in the Forest?"
Harry and Ginny nodded. "Why is that, Sir?" Harry asked. "The Vault of Fear had Enchantments on it, didn't it?"
"It did," Dumbledore said. "I do believe we have gone about finding the Vaults in the wrong order. I bet you anything that the Vault that is not known to us has a way to get rid of the Enchantment in the Vault of Fear. But I doubt we will ever know if it works."
"As for why the Vaults in the Forest and the Lake don't have any Enchantments," Dumbledore continued. "I believe that is due to the fact that it was entrusted to a specific species to protect. The Elves have gone extinct, it is true, but the Merfolk still guard their Temple with their lives. The Elves wouldn't have allowed anyone to enter the Vaults, I'm sure of it. This also negates the use of any Enchantments on the Vaults."
"I shall take this down to the Lake tomorrow," Dumbledore added, gesturing to the Wand. "If any of you wish to observe from a distance, you may do so. The Merfolk are quite accommodating if you're polite enough."
Harry nodded and saw Ginny do the same. Dumbledore checked the clock and raised his eyebrows. "It's almost time for Lunch, I believe," he said. "I'd hate to keep you from your friends. Meet me at the Shore of the Lake tomorrow at 10 in the morning. I shall also show you a way to breathe underwater, so don't dress too heavily."
With that, Harry and Ginny took their dismissal, wishing a Goodnight to the Professors, and heading down to the Great Hall.
《••••••••••••••••••••》
The next morning, Harry and Ginny met at the Entrance Hall and went straight for the Black Lake where Professor Dumbledore was waiting with a pouch in his hand.
"Good morning," he greeted them cheerfully.
"Good morning, Professor," Harry and Ginny said.
"Here," Dumbledore said, opening the pouch and showing them a slimy, rat tail-like substance. The substance was a plant, Harry realized a few seconds later.
They both made a face. "What on Earth is that?" Ginny asked.
"Gillyweed," he said. "It is quite useful for Underwater breathing and for fast, long distance swimming. Everyone was quite sceptical when it was discovered, but it did manage to gain popularity rather quickly when Newt dared me to have some. Naturally, the Daily Prophet reported it within minutes. Oh, the good old days," he finished with a smile and a faraway look, shaking his head slowly.
Harry and Ginny shared a look and Harry shrugged, deciding to go for it. He took one piece, grimacing when it literally squirmed in his hand, and it put it in his mouth.
It tasted disgusting, but Harry had tasted worse- Fuck you, Petunia Dursley- so he was able to keep it down without gagging. Ginny, on the other hand, wasn't able to, so they had to thump her back until she did.
"What does this do?" Harry asked.
"The moment you step into water, it will temporarily Transfigure your feet into natural flippers, your hands will be webbed, and you will get gills," Professor Dumbledore explained, popping the last one into his mouth as though it was a candy. "It lasts for 3 hours after consumption, but the moment you come above water, the Transfigurations wear off permanently."
Harry and Ginny nodded in understanding, and Dumbledore led them over to the Lake. He ran into the Lake like a small child, causing Harry and Ginny to gape after him in astonishment. "Are you coming or not?" His voice boomed out of the Lake.
Harry shook himself and slowly went in, hugging himself as the cold of the water became nearly unbearable.
But the cold slowly started receding as Harry felt his feet stretch. There was also something between his fingers, and he looked to see that there was webbing between them.
His neck was starting to itch, and he felt like he couldn't breathe. His body was practically begging for Water, and he ran into the Lake, feeling the air in his lungs when he was fully submerged.
He saw Ginny come into the Lake a moment later, and she looked just as relieved to see him as he was to see her.
It's a bit rough at first, Professor Dumbledore's voice sounded in their mind, causing them to start.
"How?" Harry tried saying, but only bubbles came out of his mind.
Legilimency, Dumbledore answered. I can communicate with you using the ability. Now, we must make haste. The Merfolk do not appreciate lateness.
Dumbledore swam forward, and Harry and Ginny followed him. Harry was having some difficulty in keeping up, though, never having swam before. He'd thought there would be a Kelpie or something that Dumbledore owned that would take them to the village.
They soon reached a hole in the Lake, and Dumbledore swam downward, probably aware of Harry and Ginny following him.
The Hole opened up into a large underwater village, and Harry couldn't help but stop and take in the sight of it. He was aware that Ginny and Dumbledore had stopped too, so he wasn't too worried about getting lost.
The Village was huge, and Harry caught sight of a few Merfolk swimming around the Houses and using a green wave of Magic from their Tridents to grow a few crops, there were others who were harvesting them too.
The Merfolk themselves weren't like their description in the Muggle Fairy tales at all. They had greyish skin and long, wild, dark green hair. Their eyes were yellow, as were their broken teeth, and they wore thick ropes of pebbles around their necks.
There was a large Colosseum-like area near the back of the village where there was a statue of a Mermaid holding a Trident. But this Mermaid wasn't like the others, she had the head and body of a Human, with a fish-like tail.
A company of five Merfolk were headed their way. The one in the centre looked like he was the King or the leader, while the other four looked like his guards.
"Welcome," the Leader said in a beautiful ethereal voice as his guards stopped and rested their Tridents against their shoulders.
"Thank you for having us, Thaddeo," Dumbledore replied. "We shall make this quick, I promise. I have all of the materials that I think will be needed."
"And these?" Thaddeo asked, nodding at Harry and Ginny. "Will they cause trouble?"
"I assure you, they will not," Dumbledore said. Harry and Ginny nodded their agreement.
"Very well," Thaddeo said. "Come along."
They were led towards the large Colosseum, and down towards the rocks it was resting on. They swam a short distance to their left and finally came upon a ruined structure at the edge of the town.
It was a dome shaped structure covered in moss and missing a few chunks of Stone here and there. He could spot a Carving of a Merman with a crown fighting a Horned Serpent, and assumed that this was an ancient God of the Mer.
Thaddeo banged the blunt end of his Trident on the ground, causing a ripple to move toward the Temple. A circular indent in the Floor of the temple slid open, and Harry, Ginny, and Professor Dumbledoor swam down the hole, and the tube eventually straightened out and led them into a hallway with a Double Door at the end.
The Double Door was black in color, just like the other ones they'd seen, and it had an inscription of a Trident carved over it. "Wait here," Dumbledore said to them when they were near the door. "Do not enter the Vault."
Dumbledore opened the door and swam in. The Vault looked exactly like the other two Harry had seen, and at this point, he was certain that they were all just the same design.
Dumbledore didn't waste any time looking around, he just touched the pieces of the Wand to the Column and quickly backed away.
Fortunately, the column didn't do much more than hiss and slide open, revealing a Golden Trident floating in the beam of Magic.
Dumbledore frowned but summoned the Trident into his outstretched hand anyway. "Come, we must go," he said, setting off towards the tube again.
Harry and Ginny didn't hesitate to follow him. The climb upwards was slightly taxing on their stamina, but they made it without any incident.
"Well?" Thaddeo asked when they arrived.
"All done," Dumbledore confirmed. "We also found this," he added, showing Thaddeo the Trident.
He gasped and immediately came over to check the weapon. He observed it for a few minutes before confirming that it was a very important artefact that they had found.
Dumbledore and Thaddeo chatted for a few more minutes about Mermish history, most of which went over Harry's head, so he decided to read up on it soon.
Eventually, their conversation ended, and Harry, Ginny, and Dumbledore swam up to the shore of the Lake where Dumbledore dried them off.
"This has been quite the adventure," Dumbledore said cheerfully. "But alas, it must also end. I shall search for the source of The Cursed Ice, and let you know. In the meantime, I must thank you for everything you have done. This would not have been possible without you. Now, I'm afraid I have a meeting with the Minister of Education in a few minutes, so I must take your leave. I hope you have a good day."
"Thank you sir," Harry and Ginny said, glad that this had gone off without a hitch.
But for some reason, that nagging feeling that something was wrong still remained.
《••••••••••••••••••••》
A/N 2: Leave a review if you enjoyed it please, and I'll see you in the next one!
Byee!