Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.
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The boat magically powered itself away from the shoreline, and Bill and Quirinius quickly found themselves at a greater distance from the shore than they would've anticipated in that amount of time. The boat was clearly bewitched to go faster than it appeared.
In fact, Bill got the feeling that the boat wasn't moving at all. Upon closer inspection, Bill saw it wasn't.
"We must be directly over the stone," said Bill.
"That's not all we're directly over," said Quirinius. Bill looked down and saw hoards of crocodiles swimming all throughout the water.
"The good news," said Quirinius, "is that the river's pretty shallow, and clear enough. If we look, we should be able to see the stone from up here."
But Bill already saw it, glimpsing through the gaps between the crocodiles beneath the surface. It was a perfectly symmetrical flowering bud, and Bill recognized the shape of the lotus flower, but rather than pinkish white or bright yellow, the flower was perfectly golden in color.
"How do we get down there?" asked Quirinius.
"There was an incantation to part the water and retrieve it," explained Bill. "It was written on the map we got from the Purple Tribe. I did read it, but I'm not sure I can remember it."
"Do you remember enough?" asked Quirinius.
"Ytlay olg," Bill said, squeezing his eyes tight and pinching his temples. "Ytlay olg... niyd..."
Quirinius watched him apprehensively. "You're doing good," he whispered.
"Not helping, hush," Bill said, quickly. He kept his eyes shut. "Ytlay olg niyd... nufo tubytu aeb..."
"Come on," Quirinius whispered, not loud enough to be heard.
Then, Bill stood and said triumphantly, "Ytlay olg niyd nufo tubytu aeb foton enihsi!"
There was a sound like howling winds, and the water just at the boat's starboard side began to swirl in a kind of whirlpool, like a miniaturized maelstrom.
The crocodiles swam away from the whirlpool, and the water opened up to the murky bottom, so it was like a pillar of air. The lotus was resting in the mud.
Without hesitation, Bill jumped out of the boat and down the tunnel and seized it. "Alright, Q," he said, "let's get out of here before al'Misri catches up with us."
"It is too late for that, Englishman!" and Bill craned his neck to see another boat, seemingly conjured by al'Misri and his men, on the opposite side of the whirlpool from Quirinius, at whom several wands were pointed.
"Accio lotus!" cried al'Misri, waving his wand, and the lotus came flying out of the pit and into al'Misri's hand.
"Now get me out of here," Bill shouted.
And to everyone's amazement, al'Misri waved his wand again and Bill ascended to surface level and landed in the boat with Quirinius.
"Good," said Bill, stamping the mud off his boots. "Now you are to go to the Medjay Office and turn youselves in, but first, Expelliarmus!" he disarmed al'Misri and the lotus flew from the wizard's hand and into Bill's.
Then, al'Misri and his men disapparated.
Quirinius was only confused for a second, then broke into a smile. "Al'Misri's summoning charm didn't work did it?"
"Cursebreaking is never that simple," Bill said, as he and Quirinius started rowing back to the river's edge.
"You tossed it up to him, and that counts as presenting it to him?"
"Yep."
"So now he'll obey any order you give him?"
"Yep."
Quirinius observed the lotus in Bill's hand. "So it's like an Imperius Curse in a flower?"
"Golden flower," Bill corrected. "But yes. I suppose when Zazamanhk crafted it, he was thinking it was a more humane use of the Imperius. Giving someone a flower is far more pleasant than pointing a stick at them."
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Bill returned to Alexandria that afternoon alone. Forguk was waiting for him in the conference room, along with an Egyptian wizard who introduced himself as Sultaan Mansour, Head of the Medjay Office.
Forguk was appraising the lotus Bill had brought in, (although, Forguk had pick-pocketed it from Bill before Bill had entered the room) and Mansour was asking Bill some questions.
"We have apprehended some members of the Purple Tribe whose stories match up with your own," Mansour explained. "That Asima al'Misri was murdered by Riyasat al'Misri in the Sahara. We also want to apologize for the death of Gringotts employee Ahad Mikhail, who was killed to maintain al'Misri's cover."
Bill's eyes flashed dangerous. "I can't speak for the rest of Gringotts, sir, but I do not condone al'Misri's 'collateral damage' as she calls it. I call it murder."
"It was a necessary loss to maintain her cover," Mansour explained, his expressing darkening.
"Nothing happened to blow her cover between breaking the Fidelius Charm and al'Misri's death, yet she was killed anyway. Riyasat already knew his daughter was betraying him, he was only using her to find the map that would lead him to the lotus."
Mansour said nothing. "We will investigate. Fortunately, al'Misri turned himself in this morning. Any explanation why that may be?"
Bill lied easily. "No."
Mansour gave Bill a piercing look. "You didn't command him to-?"
"If you're suggesting I mishandled the Golden Lotus," Bill said, speaking over the Medjay, "the answer is no."
Mansour didn't look pleased. "That'll be all," and he started to leave the room, before he turned and asked. "Where is Quirinius Quirrell?"
"He's already moved out," said Bill. "Travelling throughout the rest of Africa for the next couple of months, then he'll be in Eastern Europe."
"We'll be in touch with him," said Mansour. "It is our understanding that Riyasat al'Misri had some seer blood in him and that he made a prediction that Quirrell would be a 'tool for the Dark Arts.'"
"It was a prediction, not a prophecy," said Bill.
Mansour nodded. "If you hear from him again, tell him to be careful. Studying the Dark Arts can be a very dangerous occupation." And he left.
"Git," Bill muttered, as he positioned himself more comfortably in his seat.
"As always, outstanding work," said Forguk, setting the Golden Lotus down and emotionlessly praising Bill.
"Despite the babysitting," said Bill.
"Quirrell and al'Misri were both capable of taking care of themselves. Al'Misri's death was unavoidable, if her cover was already blown. The only real concern you had was Skeeter, who left before the first day concluded, as I understand it." The goblin gave Bill a knowing look.
"Skeeter was a hindrance and we were good to be rid of her," Bill explained.
"Well what she has to say about you is only somewhat kinder," Forguk said, extracting a newspaper from the folds of his jacket and reading aloud.
"Dear Readers, my promise to report on the adventurous and exciting occupations of Gringotts's Cursebreakers has sadly been broken as I report with a heavy heart that the Cursebreakers of Gringotts are completely uncooperative to share their stories with the public. One particular William Weasley (23), a long-haired pillock if ever I saw one, was surly and rude throughout our entire conjoined assignment, at some points refusing point blank to explain his research or findings and allowing his companions, myself included, to be harmed in a dangerous booby trap."
Forguk stopped reading there. "Just to be clear, was the booby trap dangerous?"
"If you're allergic to cats or dust," said Bill.
Forguk nodded, knowingly. But before Bill could stop himself, he had to ask, "Long-haired pillock?"
Forguk shrugged.
Bill shifted uneasily in his seat again. "You're not upset that I... I dunno... embarrassed the name of Gringotts Bank, are you?"
"Not nearly as upset as I would be if I ran the Daily Prophet," Forguk sighed. "Anyway, there's another assignment for you."
"Fill me in tomorrow," said Bill, standing now and making to leave the room. "There's something I need to do first."
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She'd probably already received condolences from the Medjay Office, but Bill reasoned since it was his assignment, he should make it more personal.
He knocked on the door to the small house in Cairo and a moment later, an elderly Egyptian witch opened it.
"Do you speak English?" Bill asked.
"A little," the woman said. "Asima teaches me some." She was tearful at the mention of her daughter's name.
"She died on my assignment," Bill explained. "I wanted to come by and give you my condolences."
The woman cried softly and opened the door wider to admit Bill.
"Her father killed her," the woman said, angrily.
"I don't think you have to worry about Riyasat al'Misri ever again," said Bill.
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It was nighttime when Mansour approached the wizard prison, Farafra. Unlike it's European counterparts, Azkaban and Nuremgaard, Farafra wasn't guarded by dementors. They were regular witches and wizards who would turn a blind eye should Mansour need a private moment with the prisoner.
Mansour made his way to the newest inmate, Riyasat al'Misri, who didn't look troubled in the least.
"You accepted the Golden Lotus from William Weasley," he accused. Al'Misri didn't deny it.
"That means, if William Weasley commands you to round up your men and escape from this prison, you would have no choice but to obey." Mansour didn't know why he felt the need to explain all this to al'Misri anyway. It was meaningless to him, as his senses would be dulled by the Lotus's effects. "William Weasley's Uncles are Gideon and Fabian Prewett. They were killed in Britain's Wizarding War several years back. They were members of the Order of the Phoenix."
Riyasat said nothing.
Undaunted, Mansour kept talking. "If what you yourself have predicted will come to pass, Lord Voldemort will return within the decade. Quirinius Quirrell, an English wizard and Hogwarts teacher studying the Dark Arts is travelling to Eastern Europe which is where Lord Voldemort is currently hiding. If he returns and the Order is resurrected, I don't want Weasley using his influence over you to break you from this prison or let you out of this country.
Riyasat could see where the talk was going, but due to the Lotus's effects, he felt no fear.
"Weasley has left me no choice," Mansour said.
"You'll regret this," Riyasat warned.
Mansour raised his wand, pointed it through the bars of the cage and whispered, "Avada Kedavra."
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A/N: I couldn't think how else to end it, or for that matter, if this was the end. Anyway, I left it open for a possible sequel/ part 2. Let me know what ya'll think (if there will be, though, it won't be for a while).