Disclaimer: Athena and all children during Athena's time belong to me. The rest belongs to J.K Rowling.

Note: I didn't invent the gemstone Draconite, I found out about it in David Colbert's The Magical Worlds of Harry Potter

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Chapter 12: The Flying Flames and the Four Chambers of Transfigurations

Athena arrived in a brightly lit room with several torches, its ceiling arching high above her and at the other side of the room was a small glass door.

"This room seems harmless enough." Athena said as she walked across the room and reached her hand for the door. But the moment she touched the glass doorknob, the door vanished and the flames of the torches started to fly towards her like a swarm of angry bees.

"Or maybe not." She said in panic and ran away as fast as she could. Athena soon realized that those are not ordinary flames, not only they fly, they are damn fast, sharp and hard too: Every time when they catch up with her, they shot past her and slashed her smooth skin, leaving long, deep cuts behind and then they would go one round and come back to get her again.

"Maybe it will be a lot more safer for me to fly." Athena thought quickly and jumped to the air, spreading her angel-like wings. The flames won't give up and chased after her as fast as they could go. This time, they slashed her skin AND burned her feathers. As Athena zoomed high up in the air, she saw the door appearing again at the corner of her eye and it was wide open. She dived down, trying to ignore the hot flames, flew through the door and landed hard on the cold marble floor in the next chamber. The door slammed shut and everything was quiet.

Athena turned her body over and groaned in pain as she sat up. She studied and stared in horror at her scalded hands and her heavily wounded skin. "Don't give up yet, Dad is in this place, waiting for you." Athena said to herself and struggled to stand up, despite the painful protests made by her body.

***

When Athena stood up, the room lit up immediately and she stared in awe at the surrounding of the room: On the walls are the ancient cravings and drawings of the life of the people in Ancient Egypt. At the end of the room, there were two stone statues of the Sphinx sitting at the two corners and at the opening that led to the next chamber, stood two Egyptian guards made of stone. Athena felt like she had stepped into a ancient Egyptian tomb. The guards had their sharp spears, which looked so real and new as if they were made yesterday, in their hands. They stared unblinkingly in front of them and Athena thought that both of them wouldn't do any harm as they were made of stone. But she was wrong. As soon as Athena went near the opening, the guards crossed their spears in front of her sharply, daring her to come any further. "There are four chambers in this passageway, so to get past us, you must answer our question. If you answer correctly, we will let you pass. If you are wrong, we will harm you."

"In what way?" Athena asked. To her surprise, one of the guards actually said: "You don't want to know. Anyway, our question changes every time so don't bother to give your friends or family or whatever hints."

"What's the question?" Athena asked.

"What's the animal that our ancient country worship?" The guard asked.

"Easy, everyone knows that the Egyptians worship cats."

The Egyptian guards bow to her and let her pass.

"This is easy." Athena thought and stopped at the next chamber. She admired the Malayan paintings on the walls, which showed the Malays working on the rubber trees and planting their plants in the rice fields. She turned her head and looked seriously at the two Malayan stone guards at the opening, each of them holding a long, sharp dagger. "Ask your question."

"What's the national flower of Muggle Malaysia?"

Athena's mouth dropped open and she went silent for a while, looking at the guards' faces for any hints.

"You don't know? Let me give you a clue. Its common colour is red."

Athena blinked. Red? Roses are red..no, the rose is Britain's national flower.. "Err..is it the Flame of the Forest?" She said nervously.

To her horror, the guards shook their heads and without warning, one of them raised his dagger and slashed Athena's left cheek deeply. His attack was so hard that Athena fell from his blow. Her hand reached up to touch her cheek and when she removed it, she found that her hand was covered with blood.

"Give up?" The guard sneered. "If you retreat, we AND the Egyptian guards will attack you."

"Why are you asking such a stupid question when you know that I have no choice?" Athena asked weakly, not letting the guard to get the best of her. "Of course I will not give up."

"Keep guessing then." The guard ordered.

Athena thought furiously. "What Muggle flower grows in Asia? Orchid? No, that's Singapore national flower. Frangipani? No, it's white with a yellow centre..."

"Hurry up or my partner will give you another cut. You have ten seconds, then we will attack you again." The guard said impatiently. Athena began to wonder whether they are really made of stone, they were too life-like.

"What else? What else?! Wait a minute! I got it! Hi...hi..what's its name?!"

Both of the guards gave her stony stares, which made Athena to urge herself think faster.

"Hi...hi...hibiscus!" Athena said, hoping that she is correct.

The guards stared at her for a moment, sulked and stood aside to her pass.

Athena walked tiredly to the third chamber, straight to the guards, barely took a look at the wall paintings of elegant ladies with their wide-brimmed hats and long dresses.

"Ask away."

"During the Muggle war, World War 2, what's the name of the Prime Minister of Britain?"

"Which period?" Athena asked, trying to stand still, her pain was becoming unbearable.

"Pardon?" The British guard asked with a blank look on his stone face.

"At the very beginning of World War 2, it was Neville Chamberlain, but during the most of World War 2, it was Winston Churchill. So you are asking..."

"I am asking about Winston Churchill, anyway, you are correct." The other British guard smiled and the guards shot their rifles in the air to salute her. They bow and let her to pass.

"Good thing that I listened to Professor Binns about the Muggle war instead of sleeping like the others. All right, Athena, get a hold of yourself, this is the last chamber." Athena said to herself and she stepped into a chamber with four Greek pillars and Ancient Greek paintings on the walls. She looked at the two Greek guards (who are made of white marble) with their helmets, armors and spears seriously.

"Question?" She asked, too weak to ask the same question for the fourth time.

"Who is the patron goddess of the city of Athens?" One of the guards asked.

Athena beamed happily, despite that her cheek hurts like hell. "You are asking the right person, I has the same name as hers so I always check her up in books to see who she is. The goddess is Athena, Goddess of wisdom."

The guard nodded and the other said, "Question 2."

"Wait! I thought there is only 1 question?!" Athena protested in panic.

"You have came so far and here is the last chamber of the Transfigurations passageway. So you must answer 2 questions to get to the Potions passageway." The guard explained impatiently."

"Potions?!" Athena shrieked.

The guard ignored her. "What's the name of the Roman counterpart of the Goddess Athena?"

"Minerva." Athena said quickly. The marble guards bow and let her to go through the opening.

"I wonder if I can make it alive." Athena thought tiredly.