Chapter 17 Puzzles
The next day after lunch Harry went for a walk by the lake, soon enough the elf king joined him and they walked in silence for a ways.
"Harry I have been growing worried since these skulls began to appear, what they could do." He began slowly, "I can see, you plan to change wizarding society, bring it back to what it was like when the Atlantians were around. I have to say I approve, I've looked deeply into all those reports and papers you've written, I have to say I like their legal system, and their attitude. But these skulls, what purpose could they serve, what could Voldemort do if he got them?"
"If he got one and managed to destroy it I would be unable to reinstate their legal system. The Council of Eight Halisar Ashixhum (the elf king's name) Eight people, chosen by the King as advisors and aides. They were the most powerful, and the best for their jobs. The best strategists, fighters, diplomats, etc. Eight black skulls, one for each of the council member. They were second only to the king and/or queen, and each had control of an element, given to them when they assumed the post. If the king should die without naming a successor the Council of Eight would rule until the shades of the dead kings and queens chose the new ruler. These Eight were a focal point of the government, and they had many responsibilities. There were twenty-four schools of magic on Atlantis, each of the eight had to keep update don what happened at three of them. Their greatest responsibility was to the Eight Planets, besides Atlantis there were eight other planets, one with the goblins, one with the giants, one with dwarves, one with werewolves (they evolved to bite humans on the full moon, it was not always so) one with the wood nymphs, another with water sprites, and one with fairies. All of which have ended up here on Earth due to some unfortunate circumstances. Four driven form their home worlds by the Bachians (the other invasive alien species) One forced to flee to Earth from an ice age, another from a heat wave that killed almost everything on the planet, One forced to flee from their planets collision with an asteroid, rather like Atlantis, and one fleeing terrible volcanic upheaval, their planet basically destroyed itself, some sort of explosion in its core. Seven Councilors would not be sufficient, there must be two for each element, so that all are balanced. Voldemort could destroy one of the skulls and mess everything up, a new one might eventually be created, though I am not sure how." Harry explained to the king, who listened with great interest.
"And you mean to set things right?"
"As right as I can, I'm not a god, I haven't a clue how, but I will try."
"The elves will help however we can, we would like to see this happen, we trust you, and thank you Harry."
"And thank you, I will probably need help." They walked back to the castle in silence, Harry planning how he would present his new found findings to the world, the elf king lost deep in his own thoughts.
** "Harry? Are you okay? No clearly you're not, what's going on?" Ira said as soon as she entered the room, but after she had closed the door firmly behind her. She sat down on the chair next to his desk, glancing at the papers on it, which were all written in Atlantian. They were all of the Atlantian legal system, but she hadn't learned to read Atlantian well enough yet to really know what they said.
"I've been doing a few experiments with the skulls, and gotten some surprising results."
"Hm, so what else is new? Why do you look like you haven't slept for days?"
"Ah well, that would be because I haven't. Those skulls seem to be taking up residence in my dreams of late." Ira raised an eyebrow at this.
"Have they? What are they telling you?"
"Their locations, the other six I mean, I really don't understand but they've shown me their locations. Well their general locations, not very specific unfortunately." He pointed to a map of the world tacked on the wall, there were six circles on it, each about sixty miles in diameter.
"Let me guess, they want you to go and find them?"
"You read my mind. But I'm not going to yet, I've got the Wolves to train, and I've been asked to draw up some special battle plans just incase Hogwarts is attacked anytime soon. And over the weekend I'm flying out with a special hit squad to clean up some muggle terrorist activities. They're trying to build an atomic bomb for Voldemort. Oh yes and there's that damned prophesy, the reason I asked you to come."
"There's still more of it?"
"Yes, I think so, it's been bugging me for days, you know having vision sitting in the back of my mind makes me feel nauseous," *Ah that's why he hasn't been eating much* Ira thought. "I want it out of the way so I'm going to try and see it tonight." Harry handed her the paper upon which the other verses were written, Ira followed Harry into the secret room and sat down in the armchair. Harry sat down before the fire. He stared into it, letting the lames invade his mind, but nothing came to him.
"Ira could you recite what we've got so far?" She began to immediately; Harry detached himself and tuned her out, gazing into the fire.
The sky was a dark gray, a crescent moon was visible between the clouds. The castle looked gray and forbidding, it was dusk. Suddenly everything began to ripple, like a mirage, then slowly solidified, nothing appeared to have changed, then he heard the war cries. Hundreds of vampires, banshees, dementors, and death eaters came running out of the forest. Overhead flew over a hundred death eaters on broomsticks, a huge army attacking Hogwarts, they swarmed towards the walls. Muggle airplanes, a score of them, came in to attack, ready to drop bombs. Then everything vanished, Harry struggled, trying to call the vision back, what had happened? But nothing came, now he was standing just outside a huge warehouse. Muggle guards were standing around it in twos, ten of them. Harry reached out, trying to get control over the vision, everything went black, then he was inside the building.
Muggles were standing and sitting around two tables talking, Harry couldn't hear what they were saying but there were no guards present, and the diagram on the wall showed what he thought must be the bomb they were building. Then the vision vanished as the other had, Harry came back to reality, to hear himself speaking. But he couldn't make out the words, then they stopped, he blinked a few times and looked away from the mesmeric flames. Ira stopped writing and looked over the paper.
"I think we have the whole thing now. You recited all the verses, and a new one, but in a different order." She took a breath and began to read.
The young must grow old, Whilst the old grow older, And cowards will shrink, As the bold grow bolder. Courage may blossom in quiet hearts, For who can tell where bravery starts?
Truth is a song, oft lying unsung, Some mother bird, protecting her young, Those who lay down their lives for friends, The echo rolls onward, it seldom ends.
Who is that one, loyal and brave? Who never turned and ran, but stayed? This is a warrior born not made! The warrior is one of wisdom Living in peace, aye many a season, Calm in life, sound in reason.
Peace shall lie over land and sea, Until the great evil arrives, With a wicked horde, Driving a warrior to pick up his sword, The challenger rings then, straight and fair, Justice is with us, beware. Beware!
"What do you think it means?" She asked as she finished.
"A nice piece of poetry, perhaps if I could write things like that I would have done better in muggle English class. I haven't a clue as to what it really means. But it may be a description of what is happening right now in the world, a disappointment, I had hoped it would tell us something useful of what is to come."
"Merlin prophesied nonsense and rhymes most of his life, none of which make any sense to anyone, perhaps this is like them. Or it may mean something, you also recited group of numbers, bizarre really, here I'll read them off to you." Ira began to read off the numbers aloud.
1.4.6 1.2.20 1.2.3 4.6.1 1.2.3 1.3.19 1.1.8
"Then you paused for a while and gave this weird twitch, then you said this."
2.2.11 2.1.8 4.4.1 1.1.3 3.1.11
"Any bright ideas?" Harry slowly shook his head before standing up and sitting in the other armchair.
"How odd, well totally bizarre to be more correct. Shall we call in the others?"
"I think we had better, the problem solving section of my brain has gone on temporary vacation as far as this is concerned." Ira said dryly, and began to call the others by the watches they all wore. In minutes Ron, Hermione, and Draco were all there and sitting around the table. Ira copied the poem and the numbers onto a different sheet for each and they all set to work on it.
It was well past midnight when they finally gave up for the night, no one had come up with any ideas that worked. What made it even more difficult was that they had not a single clue as to what they were looking for, the other departed, promising to continue working on it in their spare time. Harry went to bed, hoping he wouldn't have any dreams, and if he did dream it had better be a little fairy telling him what those number meant.
Short I know, sorry.
Can you figure it out? REVIEW
The next day after lunch Harry went for a walk by the lake, soon enough the elf king joined him and they walked in silence for a ways.
"Harry I have been growing worried since these skulls began to appear, what they could do." He began slowly, "I can see, you plan to change wizarding society, bring it back to what it was like when the Atlantians were around. I have to say I approve, I've looked deeply into all those reports and papers you've written, I have to say I like their legal system, and their attitude. But these skulls, what purpose could they serve, what could Voldemort do if he got them?"
"If he got one and managed to destroy it I would be unable to reinstate their legal system. The Council of Eight Halisar Ashixhum (the elf king's name) Eight people, chosen by the King as advisors and aides. They were the most powerful, and the best for their jobs. The best strategists, fighters, diplomats, etc. Eight black skulls, one for each of the council member. They were second only to the king and/or queen, and each had control of an element, given to them when they assumed the post. If the king should die without naming a successor the Council of Eight would rule until the shades of the dead kings and queens chose the new ruler. These Eight were a focal point of the government, and they had many responsibilities. There were twenty-four schools of magic on Atlantis, each of the eight had to keep update don what happened at three of them. Their greatest responsibility was to the Eight Planets, besides Atlantis there were eight other planets, one with the goblins, one with the giants, one with dwarves, one with werewolves (they evolved to bite humans on the full moon, it was not always so) one with the wood nymphs, another with water sprites, and one with fairies. All of which have ended up here on Earth due to some unfortunate circumstances. Four driven form their home worlds by the Bachians (the other invasive alien species) One forced to flee to Earth from an ice age, another from a heat wave that killed almost everything on the planet, One forced to flee from their planets collision with an asteroid, rather like Atlantis, and one fleeing terrible volcanic upheaval, their planet basically destroyed itself, some sort of explosion in its core. Seven Councilors would not be sufficient, there must be two for each element, so that all are balanced. Voldemort could destroy one of the skulls and mess everything up, a new one might eventually be created, though I am not sure how." Harry explained to the king, who listened with great interest.
"And you mean to set things right?"
"As right as I can, I'm not a god, I haven't a clue how, but I will try."
"The elves will help however we can, we would like to see this happen, we trust you, and thank you Harry."
"And thank you, I will probably need help." They walked back to the castle in silence, Harry planning how he would present his new found findings to the world, the elf king lost deep in his own thoughts.
** "Harry? Are you okay? No clearly you're not, what's going on?" Ira said as soon as she entered the room, but after she had closed the door firmly behind her. She sat down on the chair next to his desk, glancing at the papers on it, which were all written in Atlantian. They were all of the Atlantian legal system, but she hadn't learned to read Atlantian well enough yet to really know what they said.
"I've been doing a few experiments with the skulls, and gotten some surprising results."
"Hm, so what else is new? Why do you look like you haven't slept for days?"
"Ah well, that would be because I haven't. Those skulls seem to be taking up residence in my dreams of late." Ira raised an eyebrow at this.
"Have they? What are they telling you?"
"Their locations, the other six I mean, I really don't understand but they've shown me their locations. Well their general locations, not very specific unfortunately." He pointed to a map of the world tacked on the wall, there were six circles on it, each about sixty miles in diameter.
"Let me guess, they want you to go and find them?"
"You read my mind. But I'm not going to yet, I've got the Wolves to train, and I've been asked to draw up some special battle plans just incase Hogwarts is attacked anytime soon. And over the weekend I'm flying out with a special hit squad to clean up some muggle terrorist activities. They're trying to build an atomic bomb for Voldemort. Oh yes and there's that damned prophesy, the reason I asked you to come."
"There's still more of it?"
"Yes, I think so, it's been bugging me for days, you know having vision sitting in the back of my mind makes me feel nauseous," *Ah that's why he hasn't been eating much* Ira thought. "I want it out of the way so I'm going to try and see it tonight." Harry handed her the paper upon which the other verses were written, Ira followed Harry into the secret room and sat down in the armchair. Harry sat down before the fire. He stared into it, letting the lames invade his mind, but nothing came to him.
"Ira could you recite what we've got so far?" She began to immediately; Harry detached himself and tuned her out, gazing into the fire.
The sky was a dark gray, a crescent moon was visible between the clouds. The castle looked gray and forbidding, it was dusk. Suddenly everything began to ripple, like a mirage, then slowly solidified, nothing appeared to have changed, then he heard the war cries. Hundreds of vampires, banshees, dementors, and death eaters came running out of the forest. Overhead flew over a hundred death eaters on broomsticks, a huge army attacking Hogwarts, they swarmed towards the walls. Muggle airplanes, a score of them, came in to attack, ready to drop bombs. Then everything vanished, Harry struggled, trying to call the vision back, what had happened? But nothing came, now he was standing just outside a huge warehouse. Muggle guards were standing around it in twos, ten of them. Harry reached out, trying to get control over the vision, everything went black, then he was inside the building.
Muggles were standing and sitting around two tables talking, Harry couldn't hear what they were saying but there were no guards present, and the diagram on the wall showed what he thought must be the bomb they were building. Then the vision vanished as the other had, Harry came back to reality, to hear himself speaking. But he couldn't make out the words, then they stopped, he blinked a few times and looked away from the mesmeric flames. Ira stopped writing and looked over the paper.
"I think we have the whole thing now. You recited all the verses, and a new one, but in a different order." She took a breath and began to read.
The young must grow old, Whilst the old grow older, And cowards will shrink, As the bold grow bolder. Courage may blossom in quiet hearts, For who can tell where bravery starts?
Truth is a song, oft lying unsung, Some mother bird, protecting her young, Those who lay down their lives for friends, The echo rolls onward, it seldom ends.
Who is that one, loyal and brave? Who never turned and ran, but stayed? This is a warrior born not made! The warrior is one of wisdom Living in peace, aye many a season, Calm in life, sound in reason.
Peace shall lie over land and sea, Until the great evil arrives, With a wicked horde, Driving a warrior to pick up his sword, The challenger rings then, straight and fair, Justice is with us, beware. Beware!
"What do you think it means?" She asked as she finished.
"A nice piece of poetry, perhaps if I could write things like that I would have done better in muggle English class. I haven't a clue as to what it really means. But it may be a description of what is happening right now in the world, a disappointment, I had hoped it would tell us something useful of what is to come."
"Merlin prophesied nonsense and rhymes most of his life, none of which make any sense to anyone, perhaps this is like them. Or it may mean something, you also recited group of numbers, bizarre really, here I'll read them off to you." Ira began to read off the numbers aloud.
1.4.6 1.2.20 1.2.3 4.6.1 1.2.3 1.3.19 1.1.8
"Then you paused for a while and gave this weird twitch, then you said this."
2.2.11 2.1.8 4.4.1 1.1.3 3.1.11
"Any bright ideas?" Harry slowly shook his head before standing up and sitting in the other armchair.
"How odd, well totally bizarre to be more correct. Shall we call in the others?"
"I think we had better, the problem solving section of my brain has gone on temporary vacation as far as this is concerned." Ira said dryly, and began to call the others by the watches they all wore. In minutes Ron, Hermione, and Draco were all there and sitting around the table. Ira copied the poem and the numbers onto a different sheet for each and they all set to work on it.
It was well past midnight when they finally gave up for the night, no one had come up with any ideas that worked. What made it even more difficult was that they had not a single clue as to what they were looking for, the other departed, promising to continue working on it in their spare time. Harry went to bed, hoping he wouldn't have any dreams, and if he did dream it had better be a little fairy telling him what those number meant.
Short I know, sorry.
Can you figure it out? REVIEW