Disclaimer: I do not own any character that has been created by renowned authors.
Chapter 13
The Dumbledore Tryst
He stood there waiting, for whom he knew not, why, that also he knew not. One of his friends had just been murdered and the murderer had fled. And there was nothing he could possibly have done. This was true.
Though he could have defeated any fifth or sixth year student in a one on one duel, the man had been a fully grown wizard and in the air; his spell wouldn't have reached the man in time either; now he had to think up of some method, trick or way when, whereby, in the future, he wouldn't be left helplessly wandless in case of such an emergency.
Artemis Fowl had indeed, been helpless. But how often did such a thing happen? Now it had, but it wouldn't again, he wouldn't ever again be in such a position.
And was she his friend, after all? Friends didn't leave you alone, they didn't go away. But she had gone; she had left him once and for all. This was not a sign of friendship. No, this wasn't; so none of those who he thought were his friends weren't so.
He had no friends. And he would make sure he never ever did again.
His heart swelled with anger and determination and cruelty, a heart along with a brain that was intelligent beyond measure.
It was this incident that made Artemis Fowl the person we all now know; the boy who would go beyond every limit to exploit anything worth it; the boy who would make even the fairies shiver at the very mention of his name.
He suddenly heard the sound of hurrying footsteps. He turned back to see Professor McGonagall moving towards him quickly, followed by Professor Flitwick, Professor Sprout, Madam Pomfrey and Professor Slughorn. He didn't utter a word.
Professor McGonagall spoke as the others went to see what had happened to the girl, "Did you see it? Only now Professor Flitwick informs me that a he saw a man on a broomstick flying away from the school and that he saw this girl falling. We rushed as quickly as we can. What happened? Who was it?"
Artemis was determined. He had turned his emotions of grief and anger to determination. But somehow, he found that he could not speak. He felt like a frog that had been subjected to the Silencing Charm (or as if someone had used a tongue-tying curse on him, if you prefer).
Professor Slughorn hurried to McGonagall and obscurely whispered something to her that sounded like 'She's dead, Minerva'. McGonagall sighed 'Oh no!' and looked up hopefully at Artemis for an explanation.
She got none, and hence spoke, "Very well. I understand your situation, Mr. Fowl. You go to my office and wait there. The entry to –"
"I know the place, Professor," Artemis replied boldly.
She looked uncertain for a moment. Then with a concerning look, she said, "The password is Verklaren Umgestalten. I will attend to you shortly."
Artemis nodded. Never before had he gotten himself into such a situation. He was hesitating to tell the truth. He, of all people. He couldn't believe this. Panic was not something he was accustomed to. It made him all the more determined.
As he turned to go to the office of the Headmistress, he saw students running wildly towards the grounds. Obviously, they'd heard the news. But no one other than him had actually seenit. Slowly, he made his walk to the office.
The portraits were shouting at the students and asking them what had happened that made them rush out of the school. But no one asked Artemis. This was because they couldn't see him.
He knew people would try to ask him. So he had cast upon himself a Disillusionment Charm sufficiently power to hide himself from others.
By the time he had reached the large, ugly stone gargoyle, the entry to the Headmistress' Office as he'd heard (he heard this from older students who had to visit the Professor for some stuff they did. He thought knowing the location would be useful, and here it was, now). He spoke the password (both the words of which in German meant 'to transfigure', which he knew the moment he heard it).
The gargoyle leapt aside. The wall behind split in two to reveal a spiral staircase that was moving upward. He stepped onto it as the wall closed and after rising in circles for a while, he saw a large oak door open in front of him. He entered. This was the office of the Hogwarts Headmistress.
It was a circular room with portraits of old headmasters and headmistresses. He knew all this, for it was all mentioned in Hogwarts, a History. Directly behind the Headmistress' chair lay the portrait of Albus Dumbledore himself, alongside that of Severus Snape. He knew a bit about both of them from books.
Artemis stared at Dumbledore. For a great sorcerer, this one looked funny. Suddenly, Dumbledore spoke, "I am Albus–"
"Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore," Artemis said, "yes. I know you. I've heard of you. The Only One He Ever Feared. The defeater of the Dark Lord Grindelwald and the champion of muggleborns," he finished.
Dumbledore looked at him with a newfound awe. He smiled and spoke, "Though I am amazed at your unusual knowledge, Mr. –?"
"Artemis Fowl," said the owner of the name.
"Yes, well, Mr. Fowl," Dumbledore continued pleasantly, "though I am impressed by your surprising knowledge for a first year," his voice turned more serious, "I wish to be informed of what has happened to the girl searching whom the Headmistress has gone."
Damn him. He knew Artemis was a first year. His height had betrayed him. He had to something to increase his height. This Dumbledore was quite a genius. Though many had considered that he'd been cracked, it all had turned to be untrue.
Severus Snape spoke quickly before Artemis had to answer, "Let the Headmistress come, Albus. She wants to hear it as well, too, or she wouldn't have sent him here. The boy must have been there at the scene."
Artemis looked up at Snape. He'd been the thirty-fifth Headmaster of Hogwarts, and his time as Headmaster was second-shortest of all. (The shortest was of Headmistress Mona Bilsker, who'd been murdered by her jealous cousin. Jealous of what, books didn't say)
The Headmistress walked in swiftly and surprisingly. Only one boy was not much surprised, and you know him.
"What happened?" she roared.
Artemis was ready. In fact, he had memorized the summarized explanation he was going to offer and checked it thrice.
"Jennifer Yaxley wanted me to help her learn some tricks in flying. I wanted to know how well she can fly… she was demonstrating me exactly that, when a man riding on a broom came out of nowhere into the school," Artemis said, "And fired a killing curse at her. She was already lifeless when she fell to the ground. The man had blonde hair, pale face; he was wearing a cloak and a hood. I do not know him. I can draw him, I remember him well, though I only saw him sideways. I can draw a reasonably accurate picture of him, Professor."
"What do you say, Albus?" she enquired Dumbledore.
"I cannot say anything for sure, Minerva," Dumbledore said, "but I and Mr. Fowl have come to the same conclusion on one thing," he nodded at Artemis.
But they hadn't come to a conclusion on anything! They'd only talked! What was this old man talking about? These were the thoughts of Artemis just after Dumbledore said it.
Dumbledore continued calmly, "The thing is, the murderer could not have had any ill-will for the girl alone. It would be purposeless insensibility for someone to enter the grounds of Hogwarts to kill someone for vengeance or that sort of stuff, knowing well the risks he takes by attempting to breach the ancient enchantments of Hogwarts, the secrets of which few have but known."
"And none but she and the other Slytherins might've known that Artemis and she were going to the grounds. And possibly, her parents could've known, owing to the fact that she is the student with the largest amount of owls sent and received in her name and that she might've told everything to them, about her plans, I mean. She was obviously attracted to Artemis, given his exceptional abilities and performances of late. She would most certainly have mentioned to them that she wanted to learn more about from him."
"It is a fact that she was not so adept at flying and wanted to be taught by someone other than a professional Madam Hooch, which is more than understandable – most students feel comfortable getting to know things from someone they can consider a friend who just supports you, rather than a person who judges you. Unfortunately, the murderer got this news as to when she would be out in the grounds and must have waited silently for her to emerge and be secluded. No student could have passed the information, for they knew only now. The murderer knew the time to come for her."
"So the only possibility is that the murderer knew her parents well, and that he disliked the family as a whole or is working under… a greater power…" he finished. But as he said the last six words, he trembled. This was not possible. Hecould not return.
"How did you know so much about the girl, Albus?" the Headmistress asked, stunned.
Dumbledore decided not to answer. He noticed many things that others didn't. He merely shrugged in a knowing manner, appearing for all the world a proud and innocent old man.
Artemis slowly looked up at Dumbledore. He'd said that they had together come to this conclusion. Though this was what Artemis had thought, it was amazing that: (i) Dumbledore had thought the same thing, and (ii) Dumbledore knewthat Artemis had thought the same thing.
As he looked into the former Headmaster's eyes, he felt as though the eyes were piercing through his very mind. As if they knew everything that was inside his mind.
"Do you intend to say, Albus," McGonagall started, "that the both of you talked this much and made a conclusion in the mere minutes of my absence in this office?"
For a moment, all the portraits of the former heads of Hogwarts were very happy, possibly due to the fact that Dumbledore couldn't respond to this. Just when Artemis thought they were going to shout out 'He's lying!' Dumbledore looked at the rest of the portraits with calm fury emanating from his face (even though he was in a portrait, his feelings were quite clear). The portraits fell silent at once. It was like they feared him.
The Headmistress was too lost in her own thoughts to notice all this. She finally spoke, "And your conclusion from all this, Albus?"
"The conclusion is, Minerva," Dumbledore said, "that the man who killed Miss Yaxley is not, or may be was not, about to spare any other Yaxley. As I said, killing a first-year student, who is in general capable of next to nothing in terms of practical wizarding abilities, is purposeless; no offense to young and talented Mr. Fowl there. The only intent could have been to destroy any and every living member of the family.
"You mean –"
The oak door to the office was suddenly thrown open. Professor Slughorn entered, looking anxious.
As everyone turned their attention to him, he spoke, "Minerva! We've just got news from the Ministry that Miss Yaxley's parents have been murdered as well!"
The guess of Artemis and Dumbledore was proved correct.
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The day devolved. Next day, after the end of his classes, Artemis set to draw the picture of the man who had murdered Jennifer. His hood had fallen at the moment before his casting the curse, and Artemis had seen him. He would not forget that face for the rest of his life.
He recounted what he'd seen of her death for the umpteenth time to Steve, for he was curious to know what had precisely happened. Artemis said that he didn't know what spell the man put on her (he didn't want to tell, that's why. He didn't want to scare innocent people by informing them that there's a curse that you can use to kill people those who don't know already?), and that she fell from her broom and all that. He didn't tell anything about meeting McGonagall, and no one knew about it, anyway.
Not only Steve, but every student from all the Houses (including Gryffindor, yes) had asked him for an account of the incident. Artemis was becoming famous for seeing someone dying. He was already hurt by it (now was he, really? He himself didn't know…) and students were troubling him over it.
After fifteen minutes of drawing the outline, shading the right parts and all, his sketch was finished. It was perfect. He'd drawn him not exactly as he had actually seen him, but as if they'd seen each other eye to eye. It was a precise drawing of Lucius Malfoy, which he didn't know and whom also he didn't know, either.
He went and handed it to Professor McGonagall, who blinked in surprise at the image.
"Are you sure it is him, Mr. Fowl?" she asked.
"Yes, Professor. Do you know him?" he asked inquisitively.
"Insignificant and unnecessary to you," she said and moved away.
He couldn't ask her again. It would make her suspicious.
The body had been taken away by the Ministry. Officials had come immediately to take it. The Daily Prophet had announced the news of the death of all the three Yaxleys and had managed to figure out that the murder was a planned one, which itself was to be considered extraordinary for the brains at work in the Prophet.
(Though after the famous defeat of Voldemort by Harry the Ministry had become powerful and strong and able, the Prophet remained at its level of stupidity. It was still the media, and exaggerating even the movement of a flobberworm in the lack of other news is what the media will do.)
And so the days went on. March came and went. And Artemis had already finished nearly half of the fifth-year books. It was a common belief among students that the Ordinary Wizarding Levels were tough and that fifth-year books were very hard. But that didn't seem to be the case (you know him, don't you?). Artemis could agree that their complexity was a bit greater than the other books, but not tough, not at all. It was as easy for him as what would be for us to read third grade books.
Artemis never talked much with anyone after the incident in the end of February. His dorm mates and fellow Slytherins tried to tempt him to talk, but he avoided even speaking with anyone for the most part. He spent all his time on thinking about the various spells he learned, and variations that could be brought in them to make them more perfect. He also thought of new, innovative and thought-to-be-impossible types of spells and how they could be created. He even occasionally thought of his plans for the summer, when he could explore in detail about the civilization of the fairies.
As the month of April arrived, the final match of the season also drew near. The fellow teammates were worried that they had to prepare for their exams as well as practice Quidditch. Artemis told them that they need not have long practice sessions and guaranteed them that he would catch the snitch this time before either team had started to score.
But the response he got to this from the captain was not what he hadn't expected.
"What? You say you can catch the snitch before any of us Chasers can score? Impossible," said Kirke, when he first heard Artemis, "unless… you know where the snitch will be from the moment of its release?"
Artemis couldn't say, "I do." And so he didn't say that. Instead he tried to convince them to not practice long as they already played well and had practiced enough. Though they weren't convinced by his mere words, they trusted him. And that trust gave him warmth.
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Lucius Malfoy was sitting beside his master, the invincible man whom all wizards had feared at the height of his powers. He had nearly been killed by that Potter twice before. Not again, he thought.
He had not managed to become the Minister's favorite, though he tried. The whole Ministry actually despised him for his involvement with the Dark Lord. But he had managed to convince them by revealing some of the Dark Lord's secrets and by telling them that he really wanted to become a good man again. With no actual charges against him, he was one of the few Death Eaters released after the end of the 'Second War of He Who Must Not Be Named'.
When Aurors had tried to catch the remaining Death Eaters, he had fled with his family from the school quickly to avoid them. In the ensuing battle between the Aurors and Death Eaters, both his wife and son were killed and the Death Eaters captured, though he somehow got off the trouble. His grief of losing his beloveds was great and he felt terrible anger at all the others in the world who still had their beloveds alive.
He remembered back to the moment when he had been nearly separated from his master. The Ministry of Magic had stormed into his house, asking him to come to the Ministry for an enquiry. He couldn't refuse, for it was official. They had found that some boy at Hogwarts had seen him while killing the girl and drawn an accurate picture of him. It had been very difficult to convince the Minister, who had personally come to investigate. He had to put forth points like they couldn't trust a eleven-year-old for a murder case and that they didn't even know if the boy's picture was accurate enough as he saw the incident from a far-off place. Unfortunately for the Ministry, they did not know of Artemis' observational genius.
He didn't tell them that the boy could have simply known him and disliked him, though. This was because they would then get to investigate the boy, and the truth would be known.
He had actually never expected to see anyone on the grounds other than the silly girl. He'd simply flown in the moment he saw her in the air and fired the killing curse at her. His hood had fallen off at the last moment, which would have revealed his face for the teensiest bit of moment before he caught his hood and put it back on his face. The boy must have seen him then. Whoever that boy was, he would not be spared.
ooooooo
The day of the match came. Despite doubts owing to lack of enough practice, Artemis' assurances and talents ensured the Slytherins were confident of winning the match; the Hufflepuffs were anxiously hoping for a miracle or fortune's favor as during their match with Ravenclaw.
Artemis didn't talk with anyone that day, and in fact, he rarely had on the other days too. Though Jack, Steve, Mark, Robert and even all the girls had wished good luck to him enthusiastically, hoping for a reply, he merely nodded and moved on. Even his teammates had been a bit concerned about his no-talking-with-anyone-anymore policy but didn't show it. Artemis had, meanwhile, used the extra time to study more, learn more and to improve his skills extollingly.
Eleven o'clock came, and with it came Madam Hooch, seven green robed players and players who wore yellow and gold. Artemis knew that though his teammates had not believed him when he'd said to them about catching the snitch early, they had not practiced much. Also, he wanted to make his own record of catching the snitch in the shortest time possible. And hence, he decided to go for it the moment the whistle was blown.
Kirke and the Hufflepuff captain shook hands, clearly neither wanting to do so. And then Madam Hooch blew her whistle and released all the balls.
But Artemis Fowl had eyes only for a tiny yellow glint of the golden snitch, moving quickly and efficiently in its path so that no one would notice.
"And so the match begins," said commentator Jones, "and Slytherin captain Kirke takes possession of the Quaffle and heads towards the hoops. Hold on a second – what is Artemis Fowl doing?"
It was then that the crowd and the Hufflepuff Seeker noticed. Artemis was racing in his broom at a great speed towards the ground, and it looked much like his Wronski Feint trick.
He can't deceive me like that, he thought, not knowing that Artemis was trying no deception.
Even the crowd believed it was a trick and resumed their gaze towards the Chasers. Only when Artemis caught the snitch did everyone realize what he was doing. For in the early stages, the speed of the snitch is so great that no one can see it for a considerable amount of time after the start of a game. And once it starts varying its velocities, no one knows its location.
"Chaser Boggleworth heads towards the hoops with the Quaffle in her possession," Jones said, "and – oh no. This can't be. Artemis Fowl has caught the snitch in what is thirteen seconds after the beginning of the match. Slytherin beat Hufflepuff 150-0 and hence win the Quidditch Cup for the year."
Jones didn't mention that it was a Hogwarts record. For he hadn't expected such a loss on his team's part.
The snitch was caught. The game was over. This was the end of his Quidditch obligations. And Artemis went back to the common room, ignoring his surprised teammates and the jubilant Slytherin crowd trying to embrace him, touch a part of him, the hero of their first Cup in over a decade.
ooooooo
Exams were near, and many students had started becoming serious. But Artemis had no worry. He knew each and every word as it was in the text upto the fifth-years' portions. He'd stopped at it, to continue after the summer holidays. He had a job to do for summer. He wasn't going to leave the fairy civilization hidden anymore.
He was merely reading the non-textual books to enhance his knowledge of magic. The Dark Arts fascinated him, though the teaching and use of the Dark Arts was forbidden. There was so much to read that he just couldn't stop reading the books until Madam Erma Pince forced him to get out of the library. He would borrow a dozen books at a time to read and when he didn't read, he would engage himself in plotting ways to restore the Fowl fortune.
The exams came; and they went. They were easier than he had anticipated, and was sure he would get the best grades in all the exams. One week remained before they got their results and headed off to their homes for the summer holidays.
The week passed quietly, and Artemis was reading as much as he could before heading off to Fowl Manor for further enlightenment about leprechauns. Three days before the Leaving Feast, Artemis packed his trunk.
The day of the Leaving Feast came. The walls behind the staffs' table were adorned with black drapes as a mark of respect for the death of Jennifer Yaxley. Artemis knew from books and from older students that normally, the walls were decorated with the colours of the winning House. Slytherin's colours were not on the wall for another year.
Maybe next year, Artemis thought. But the Jennifer Yaxley deserved the mourning she was receiving. She was an innocent girl.
Professor McGonagall rose to speak, "In the passage of time, thus ends another year."
Each and every student, as if magnetized, turned their attention to the Headmistress and listened with rapt attention.
The Headmistress continued, "I have to acquiesce the loss of a fine student, who should have been here with us all today. I wish that all of us stand and raise our glasses to Jennifer Yaxley."
Everyone in the Great Hall stood, and raising their glasses, muttered Jennifer Yaxley. Artemis was feeling a pang of grief as he had never felt before. He willed himself out of it and tried to concentrate harder on other things.
The Headmistress continued, "This years' points for the four houses stand thus: Hufflepuff, with two hundred and ninety-three points, is in the fourth place; Ravenclaw, with four hundred and thirty-seven points, stands third; in the second place, is Gryffindor, with four hundred and eighty-nine points; and in first place, Slytherin house has five hundred and seventy-four points. Slytherin wins the House Cup."
And then the food appeared on their plates, and they ate to their full. The exam results had come now; all students had passed this year. And Artemis had got, as he'd expected, the best grades.
They climbed the Hogwarts express shortly, and were off to their homes. Artemis sat in a lonely compartment, where he was midway joined by two older fourth-year girls and a second-year boy, none of them Slytherin. He didn't sit with those he knew, and didn't really want to know anyone anymore. He kept himself to himself. The second year tried to strike up a conversation twice, and failing, he'd left the compartment. The girls stayed there for the entire journey, laughing madly, chuckling, and whispering to each other, which nearly made Artemis mad by the time they reached platform nine and three-quarters.
As he got off the platform and moved past the ticket barrier, Butler stood waiting for him. Butler's bliss knew no bounds at seeing Master Artemis again.
"How was the year, Artemis?" he asked.
"As if you don't know," Artemis said, "You've been writing to me twice a week enquiring the same, if you fail to remember."
Butler smiled, "And Artemis, there's something of importance that might interest you."
Artemis was glad to be back with Butler. He asked, "And how emphatic could that be?"
"Very. We have another answer for our Web advertisement. I have uncovered the location of a place where a fairy lives. And this one seems to be bona fide," Butler said.
Artemis looked up at Butler. Eleven years of experience with him and being empathic, Artemis could tell that this was no joke. Butler was serious. Despite himself and the tiny grief that still stretched out for the memory of Jennifer Yaxley, he couldn't help but get excited. Goodness was an essential quality of a soul, but material conditioning lets one hold on to it for only so long.
"Where is this place?" Artemis asked.
"Buddha," Butler said with a grin.
Buddha couldn't refer to His actual birthplace or His great, noble and serene activities. Butler was certainly no match for Artemis' intellect, but his experiences with Artemis had certainly made him a talented riddle-maker.
And Artemis thought. Buddha was most popular for enlightening materially conditioned people. So Buddha could in Butler's puzzling context mean – He Who Enlightens, though the direct Sanskrit translation of Buddha meant He Who Is Knowledgeable. 'He Who Enlightens' was the direct translation from Vietnamese to English for 'Ho Chi Minh'. Artemis knew that. And it was the only applicable solution in the given context.
So they were going to Ho Chi Minh City to uncover the fairy mystery.
"Saigon… Ho Chi Minh City," Artemis gasped and looked up at Butler, who nodded, not in the slightest surprised at his master's quick understanding. In fact, he was a little surprised his master took a little long, and worried about his mental well-being.
But Artemis was free of worries now. It was almost as if… the pleasures and pains of the world were temporary. Interesting theory… he thought. An intelligent man should search after permanent happiness, though certainly it isn't available in this material world, he thought. But for now… they were back to the muggle world.
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So, how was this chapter? I know it was long and boring, and so don't mention that in your reviews. This is the end of the first book. The sequel for this has come, and it is titled 'Artemis Fowl and the Five Ways'. Please R&R!