Disclaimer: Harry Potter and its characters belong to J. K. Rowling, Warner Brothers and its affiliates. The Egyptian Gods belong to Kazuki Takahashi; it does not belong to me.

Rating: M.

Chapter 2: Two's Company, Three's a Crowd

Ginny had finally finished eating her turkey sandwich, roasted potatoes, and the apple pie; currently, she was drinking some Pumpkin juice. She was looking outside through the closed windows; the weather hadn't changed much. Slowly Ginny began to drift to some fantasyland when someone approached and said…

"Break's over!" She looked around, and finally, saw the owner of the voice; it was Ken.

"There are customers waiting in line, Ginny." Ken Savant was the owner of the Goblet King, a famed and notable clothing retail store; only those who lived extremely rich and extravagant life-style came to this store.

Today is first weekend of the March, and it is about fifteen minutes to six O' clock in the evening. Ginny was at the Goblet King since eight O' clock in the morning; she has been working nonstop, round-the-clock, since she came. After all, a person needed money and bills to pay for food, clothes, rent, and other necessities to live a life. The more she worked the better.

Today, the Goblet King had a lot of customers; the majority being the Hogwarts school students, particularly the girls from fourth years and higher. On the coming weekend Hogwarts will host a ball dance event. Dumbledore announced this last Monday at dinner. The girls were more excited than the boys concerning the dance party and discussed it the whole week, both in their free time and classes, with regard to what they would wear and purchase. Moreover, the Goblet King had declared discounts on various party dress and gowns. So, lot of clients and shoppers hardly surprised Ginny and her colleagues. Additionally, the whole Diagon Alley was filled with Aurors and various other Ministry guards for the protection of its denizens.

At five thirty, Ginny needed to take a short break as she was completely exhausted and famished. Her stomach growled and made noises as she was working, which resulted in some of the shoppers and customers giving her looks. When Ginny noticed their looks, she excused herself and allowed Preity Harper, another saleswoman, to take her place, while she went to eat something as well as for a break.

Oh! Well, the break was over even before it begun.

"Fine! Boss!" Ginny said, giving him a trivial exasperated look. Ken didn't mind. He was a young man in his mid-twenties; with brunette colored hair, blue eyes, and tan skin; he also had light brown whiskers around his jaw.

When Ginny went near the cash counter, she saw a long queue; shoppers and clients were getting fed up and irked for waiting so long. Although there were eight to ten cash counters at different parts of the shop, at different stories, all of them were going slow and gradual.

"How long are we supposed to wait?" A girl with an unkempt, waist-length, dirty-blonde hair protested, although controlled. She was waiting with another young girl, and they were almost at the end of the line.

"Vic is going to be so frantic. The party begins at nine O' clock, and its almost six." The other girl with smooth brown hair said. "It almost takes us an hour and half to get ready; I wished the line would go more quickly."

Some clients were exasperated and cried about the weather getting worse, while someone, adjacent to the line, started crying and howling. As the shoppers looked around, they found the source: the sounds of howling were coming from two newborn infants. One of the baby's diapers had gone wet, while the other looked as if it was starving. The young callow mothers were trying their best to placate the newborns, which resulted in more howling and wailing. People were almost at the edge of their sanity and endurance. They couldn't take it anymore; neither the cacophony, nor the long waiting.

All these crying (of the infants) and screaming had suddenly started a racket at the lower right corner in the first level of the cash registrar. The cashier in that section had almost lost her patience and yelled, "Would you all be quiet, please!"

"Be quiet! Be quiet, yourself!" a young teenager retorted back. "We're waiting for so damn long time that I think we should really shop somewhere else."

Some of the purchasers virtually agreed with the boy. At this the clerk completely snapped and riposted angrily, "Go ahead! Go and do your shopping somewhere else! We're doing as fast as we can, yet you can't stop…"

Before she could say anything more, Ginny intervened.

"Sheila, can I help you? It'll be much faster if we work together," Ginny requested.

Sheila couldn't be any happier, after all if there was anyone who was an adroit and apt at handling big, long and irate crowds, it was Ginny. And Sheila was right; within five minutes, the cash-counter was running smoothly and effectively; line was moving quickly until the two girls came, the same two girls who had complained about being late for a celebration. As they and Ginny met, a tense atmosphere enveloped over that certain area.

"Oh! It's you!" said the girl with smooth brown hair; she was looking at Ginny with an indifferent expression.

"Yes, Ms. Granger, it's me!" Ginny retorted coldly.

"She actually works here, Hermione; it seems that the rumors were true after all." said the other girl dreamily, the one with dirty-blonde hair.

"Well unlike you, Ms. Lovegood, some of us actually have to work for a living. Especially, those people who do not steal their friend's money as well as betray them at the same time," Ginny replied icily.

"'Steal… friend's money,' Ginny. We didn't steal Harry's money; he bequeathed his possessions to us," Hermione uttered between chuckles. "Foolish girl."

"You're actually right, Herms; Ginny is an asinine," Luna remarked lazily. "After all anyone who does what she did is a foolish girl. Ginny, you could've lived such an opulent and an extravagance life like us, if you hadn't declined his money."

"You're customers here, Ms. Granger and Lovegood; it would be wise and professional to keep your personal comments about my personal life out of here. Sheila, could you take care their purchases and bills." Ginny retorted in a distant tone.

"Oh! Oh! This is fun, isn't it Luna? It seems ms. no name can't confront us, unless she wants to be fired. Poor Ginny no name!" Hermione voiced softly with malice and animosity, though composed, and a cold smile gracing her appearance.

"Poor Ginny no name, indeed!"

"Be polite and courteous with the customers." It was this condition, in her employment requirements, that hold Ginny back. She mentally counted one, two, three… to calm and compose herself, but unfortunately it didn't work, as her anger went beyond control.

"You know, Ginny, you could have purchased expensive garments and apparels like us; instead, you're selling it. It looks like you don't have enough money to buy a decent gown for the next week's ball dance celebration." Hermione commented after looking at Ginny's outfit. Ginny was wearing a pair of dilapidated green denims, a yellow top with black sweater. Her hair was tied haphazardly in a braid with most of her hair sticking out on and around her face.

"Be courteous! My foot!" she thought and bit her tongue.

Ginny was practically annoyed by their endless harassment; she had moved out from her own house, the Burrow, because of her family and friends continual altercation and bickering as she refused to take Harry's money. Not only they were shocked by her decision, but her refusal to take Harry's money resulted in that particular money vault being frozen, according Harry's will condition; since then both her family members and friends harassed her incessantly. Ginny actually wanted to file a restraining order against her entire family and friends, as they would not leave her alone, though she resisted the idea.

"What's going on here, Sheila?" Ken inquired.

"Sir, it would be better if someone else picks up purchases and account; these customers are almost testing our patience" replied Sheila.

"Ma'am, follow me, please," requested Ken. He had taken them to the second story and walked to the left side in a straight line and then moved towards the right side. There was an empty cash registrar where they all moved in together, although Hermione and Ginny were outside the counter fence.

Soon Ken was done taking their purchases, but before the girls left, he asked them to wait outside for a few moments. When Ken came out, he met up with them and addressed them saying, "Ma'am, in future it would be better if you'd keep your rivalry outside the business establishment. Please keep this mind or you'll lose the privilege of shopping here."

After this, both of them were notably angered and embarrassed at the same time; their cheeks blushed as well as venom spilled in their blood.

"Ginny, you're so gonna to pay." Both of them promised. They both didn't see a man, wearing a full-length brown trench coat, following them, throughout the day.

-/-

A strange man was dwelling in the one of the chairs at Leaky Cauldron at Diagon Alley; he frequently looked at his watch, after each five or six minutes, as though if he was expecting someone or something. The man was wearing heavy robes, some parts of which were completely torn, while dirt and grime filled the bottom as well as some other parts of his robe, including his hiking boots. Furthermore, he was also wearing heavy diadem, which covered most of his countenances. Because of his conduct along with ragged and shabby demeanor he getting strange looks from the other clients at Leaky Cauldron. The customers suddenly talked in hushed silence, but the man did not notice. He was looking at his watch once more.

After Harry Potter's death, the security everywhere had been tripled; majority populous were apprehensive to go out and do their business and employment. They didn't know if their friends and acquaintances were really their friends or enemies. If anyone said anything out of context, than that person was treated as a traitor. Every rumor, hearsay, gossip was taken seriously; if a person declared or even articulated something like "You know I like the dark" or "Dark is better than light" as sarcasm, he or she would be put in Azkaban without any trial or hearing. If any inhabitants or citizens saw an unknown person doing strange things or even acted out of conduct, they were imposed to tell it to the Aurors and other Ministry officials.

Out of the blue, the man began to discern other peoples' disposition towards him, so he went to the counter and asked for the manager. Gradually, Tom came out into the counter and asked the man.

"What do you want, Mr.…?" Tom trailed off, as he didn't know the man's name.

"Forrester. Cole Forrester. Could you tell me where can I find the men's room, to refresh myself?"

"Just go downstairs to the left and at the end of the corridor turn towards the right. The men's room will be ahead of you, Mr. Forrester."

Slowly Cole went downstairs and preceded in the direction Tom had told him, and he found the men's room in front of him. Just so that he wouldn't appear suspicious to others, he went inside carefully but no one was there. Cole couldn't believe his luck.

"Colloportus!"

He placed a locking charm on the door so that no one could enter while he was refreshing himself. Leisurely he unfastened his outer attire and threw it on the floor. On closer inspection, the man appeared to be in his thirties, with curly black hair, brown eyes, and bronzed skin. Several strange symbols could be seen throughout his body, but the bulk of those were in his right hand.

He then went to one of the stalls and turned on the knob of the tap, which would allow him to take a shower. After sometime Cole came out of the shower and dried himself with a towel that was placed nearby. After drying himself and combing his hair, he saw a major problem; there were no clothes for him to put on. Instead, of looking troubled or concerned, a smirk was placed on his face. He chanted something quietly and the symbols on his body gleamed in various colors. As the glowing stopped, clothes automatically emerged from nowhere on his body. This time Cole wasn't wearing heavy robes. Instead, it was swapped with light-fluffy clothes; it looked somewhat more like Muggle attire, rather than Wizarding robes.

"Incendio!"

Cole said and burnt his ragged clothes that were strewn across the floor; then he unbuttoned the right side of his shirt sleeve and bought forth his right hand and invoked an incantation:

Témoins dans la chambre,

Tenez-pour toujours vous paix;

Celui qui puisse vous avoir entendu ou vu,

remiain enseveli en dedans.

De sorte que vous ne puissiez pas dire d'autres,

Ce qui a transpiré.

As Cole chanted the spell, the symbols on his right hand gleamed. The radiance of those symbols expanded everywhere in the men's room; it destroyed any and every evidence of the burnt clothes. Then Cole came out of the men's room.

Presently, Cole wore a full brown shirt with heavy white sweater and black jeans; moreover he also wore black boots. As he entered the tavern again, Cole was greeted with few Ministry personnel's. Amongst them were Kingsley Shacklebolt, Alastor Moody, and Remus Lupin.

"Who are you, Mr.…?" One of the officers asked. The said official's hand and face was badly scarred; moreover, he also had one small dark and beady eye, while the other one was large, round, and made of glass, which steadily kept moving, without blinking. He also had one carved wooden leg.

"Who are you? And why did you need to know who I am?" Cole retorted coldly.

"I'm Alastor Moody. We're from the Ministry, and we've received some complaints against you from the other customers; they say you were acting peculiarly."

"Well, for your information, I'm not a public hazard. And as for me acting peculiarly, I've traveled great distances to come here to meet a friend of mine. And he is not yet here."

"But still, who are you?" Moody persisted, hiding his annoyance. "Unless you tell us, we've the right to detain you? Without any trial, I might add," He smiled maliciously.

So this is how its going to be. Fine! Have it your way! Cole pondered at the Ministry officials' smugness.

"Since you put it that way, then I'm bound to tell you. I'm Cole Forrester, and I'm an archeologist; and I've just returned from South America to meet with a friend of mine." Just to make sure, Cole provided them with some credentials as proof for his identification.

After being satisfied, the Ministry officials left. As they were leaving, one of them said, "Thought himself to be some kind of hero, didn't he? That Cole." A tall, bald wizard with deep slow voice spoke; it was Kingsley Shacklebolt.

"And we showed him who's the boss here," Moody returned vindictively

Lupin sneered alongside with them but still inquired, "What if he lied?" He did look troubled. Something about Cole worried him; his keen werewolf sense was telling him that something was off about Cole.

As they left, they didn't see the disdain and the twisted smile on Cole's countenance. Foolish simpletons! You've no idea who I'm, and by the time you'll realize this, it'll be too late. He thought. Tom noticed his expression, though.

Cole than took one of the seats in the bar and ordered a glass of Firewhisky and a platter assorted nuts. He then went back to looking at his watch. As he took the second sip of his beverage, another man came into the inn and joined him. The other man was wearing full-length brown trench coat and brown boots. Cole questioned if the he wanted something to eat or drink, but he declined politely.

Quite soon, Cole was done eating, and then inquired with Tom, if they find someplace where they could talk in private; Tom had rented them a room for the night. As soon as the two men entered into their dwelling, they immediately settled into their business, all the earlier pleasantries forgotten.

"Did you find out anything? You've been following them since last few months," Cole asked.

"Nothing. All I found out is that they've gone completely egotistical after getting his money" Mike replied to the point. He was a man in his late thirties with blonde hair and black eyes. Mike was wearing full-length black shirt and white pants, after he opened his trench coat and kept it in a sofa nearby.

"She is not going to be pleased with me either. I haven't been able to find it; I virtually traveled the Muggle world as well to find what she wanted" Cole voiced. They both talked in hushed silence.

"He has become wary and discreet, I think. He has done a good job in hiding the rest of his possessions; I'll compliment him on that. It only means I'll have to search harder." Mike declared.

"But unlike yours, Mike, mine's much harder to find; finding the three Gods won't be very easy. Not to mention, there are going to be traps and pitfalls. I've heard several rumors and talks that those who disturbs the resting place of those Gods, ends up either disappearing or dying from mysterious causes."

"Lovely! You've got that ominous thing going."

"Shut up, Mike!"

"Unfortunately, we've an appointment with her in a few hours from now." Mike whispered.

No matter what happened, if they did not meet her, they both would have to suffer her wrath. And she could be far worse than the Dark Lord.

-/-

Far away from the Wizarding World, far away from the prying eyes of the human civilization, beyond the mountains, in a deep dark forest was an old eerie citadel. The fortress was placed in such way that the sun's light barely entered, or even reached, the walls of the castle. From the exterior, the castle looked like an eighteenth century medieval mansion. But since it was nighttime, the manor had taken on a haunted and spooky semblance; moreover, the shouts coming from the castle made it believe that ghosts actually inhabited it.

In the castle, a young girl was almost jogging to get to her mistress' room; Diana, her mistress, was talking and verbalizing so loudly as if it several people were speaking at once, and not just she (her mistress).

"What is it, mistress? What do you foresee?" the young girl named Susan inquired as she opened the door to Diana's room; she was panting for breath. Susan was the apprentice of the seer Diana Hart.

Diana usually dwelled far away from the wizarding society. Because of her dark predictions and foretelling, the magical community didn't like Diana very much; her prophecies often brought catastrophes and was frequently threatening and foreboding. Very few wizards and witches heard of her, and those who knew her personally didn't want anything to do with her.

Susan came into her mistress' room and opened one of the windows so that light of the full moon could enter the room.

"The dark times have almost arrived, my child!" Diana said. "The dark times have arrived. It's waiting for us to open the door, as soon as it knocks." She exclaimed fervently.

Her mistress, who had hidden herself into the darkness of the room walked into the moonlight; she appeared to be in her late fifties. Her light grey hair perfectly matched with blackish-silver robes. Diana's hair was tied in a huge bun. Her fingers were long and her nails were blood red in color. Phoebe's usually pitch black eyes, was now completely white, as if white haze has covered her entire eyeball.

"The old dark witch will resurrect him. Though she failed the last time… She had only enlivened his body, not his soul…" Diana continued, her voice growing more forceful with every word she asserted. "But now everything will be different… His spirit will sleep until the new moon of the solstice; but it'll not be easy, my child.  No ritual, no sorcery, no witchcraft is powerful enough to rejuvenate his essence and mind. His soul will not wake up unless the three Gods themselves are revived and awakened…" Diana stopped speaking unexpectedly.

The utterances like "Soul sleeping until new moon, solstice, old witch resurrecting, Gods," baffled Susan slightly, though it hardly took her by surprise; however, she restrained herself until her mistress finished talking, which was sudden.

After Susan was certain and confident that her mistress was alright, she wanted to know what Diana was talking about.

"Three Gods, mistress? What Gods?" Susan inquired. She was astounded that her mistress gave a reply. Diana often didn't recall what she talked about, especially not, when she predicted something. But this time she did.

"Millennia ago three powerful creatures were created by sacrificing an entire village that were home to the evilest and the vilest people; their captors practiced and employed very dark rituals, which included using the darkness obtained from the captured villagers and other commoners by sacrificing them alive in a mystic rite; the outcome of the ritual resulted in the creation of seven mystical items (Millennium Items 1-2).

"But that wasn't the only consequence. There were other repercussions as well. Right now, one of them is being witnessed not only by the Wizarding population, but the Muggle world as well. 'Thunder and lightning pouring down from the heavens.' Why do you think the elements of nature have altered all of a sudden, Susan? Why?" Diana vociferated

Susan was at a loss to answer her mistress; but her mistress didn't mind when she couldn't answer. Diana continued speaking.

"…But the most devastating outcome came when three unstoppable beasts came out from nowhere. People thought that they could control the three beasts with their Shadow magic, but were proven wrong. The three beasts, which were called, the God of the Obelisk, Sky Dragon of Osiris, and the Winged Dragon of Ra, proved to be far more formidable; hence, the Egyptian populace almost revered them as Gods.

"Because of their destructive powers people, especially the sorcerers and wizards in the Kings court, wanted and allowed the Gods to rest; by burying them in the King's deep underground palace, they kept the leviathans in deep slumber. For eons these Gods have slept, but now they will wake once more…"

-/-

Author Notes: I wanted to post this chapter because today (July 8) is my birthday. Hope you enjoyed reading this chapter, as I did writing it. Although I did proofread it to the best of my ability, if you find any mistakes, please tell me. A beta-reader will be appreciated.

Important Works Cited Notes:

The spell recited by Cole appears as follows (in English): moreover, I've also personified the room to make the spell more potent.

Witnesses in the room,

Forever hold you peace;

Whatever may have you heard or seen,

Shall remain entombed within.

So that you may not tell others,

What has transpired.

I've also taken the help of Babelfish. a translation site, to translate the above spell into French.

The paraphrased version on the creation of Millennium Items is partially from watching anime Yu-Gi-Oh! And partly from reading about it in Wikipedia.

Moreover, I've infused the creation of Millennium Items with the origin of Gods. I've done like this because I wanted to give a different explanation as to how the Gods were created; not to mention, I heard an description similar to mine in a few websites; mine's from "The Gods' and Dragons' Temple

Note: For some reason, if I type the URL for the above websites here, the live preview for the story goes completely bad. Hence, I'll write the URL in profile page.

Flames will be accepted if it comes with constructive criticism.