Chapter nineteen: the temple of the crystal skull

For a moment, nothing happened. Then there was ear-piercing grind of stone on stone. Slowly, the four pillars rose, supported by hidden gears. They met with a crunch, forming a single pillar pointing into the sky. Then the monument rotated a single time, like a key turning in a lock.

With a click, the stone around the pillar began retract. Harry danced backward as the gap widened, sand spilling into it. The pillar extended downward within the pyramid, reaching into the darkness below. Harry saw foot-long stone slabs set into pillar, stairs, descending into the heart of the pyramid.

"Opes the palace of eternity," said Neville, happily. He jumped down into the gap, landing on the stairway. He began to descend, and was quickly swallowed up.

"Here goes nothing," James leapt after the professor. By now the stone roof had stopped retracting, leaving a sizable gap between safe ground and the pillar. Harry urged Ginny on, and she jumped, landing in a crouch.

"No way, mate," Mundungus protested, but Harry simply grabbed him and half-pushed, half-threw him into the gap. Ginny caught him, and the two set off down the stairwell.

Harry, last to leave, followed. The stairs were slippery, and there was no support other than the pillar itself. So the climb down was more treacherous than he had expected. They were descending into a wide-open space; apparently the entire pyramid had been hollow within. Far below, the pillar reached solid stone, the flat ground unadorned.

Another grinding from within the pillar rang in Harry's ears. He started as he realized what was going on. The stairs, were retracting into the pillar.

"Hurry," he shouted, shoving Mundungus to go faster. He guessed they had about thirty seconds before the stairs disappeared entirely. They flew around the pillar, disregarding caution, the ground below still uninvitingly far away. But, it became harder and harder to find purchase as the steps grew rapidly smaller.

The stairs reached a single inch long, and got smaller. Harry's trainers searched for purchase as the stairs disappeared into the wall. He fell the last ten feet to the ground, and landed in a crouch. Still, it hurt.

Neville had already arrived; James had only dropped a few feet. Mundungus had landed heavily on his back, and lay groaning. Ginny had actually wrapped herself around the pillar, and slid slowly down. They were altogether, wherever.

"This has to be underground," Harry said, "a whole complex." Stretching out from the hollow room were multiple corridors and passageways.

"This way," he said, indicating a wide doorway.

"How do you know?" Ginny questioned.

He shrugged, "I just know." The same way he had known that the pyramid was where the skull needed to go.

Natasha Lestrange stepped slowly through the streets of the lost city. Around her the ground was littered with bodies, a mixture of Ugha and Death Eaters. The natives had put up a surprising resistance, but they had been wiped out. The same would happen to Harry Potter.

Natasha shaded her eyes with a hand, as she looked to the peak of the pyramid in the city's center. That was where she would find the power, the skull, and, no doubt, Potter as well. And, being the most impressive building in these dilapidated ruins, it was simply a great place to start.

After a stretch of tunnel like corridor, the path opened out into a larger room. A walkway, elevated over still pools of water, proceeded past large stone wheels. "Turbines," said James. "They had water power, maybe even electricity."

"Then they were just as advanced as the stories say," Harry nodded, also impressed.

At the end of the walkway, they came to a pair of wide wooden doors. They reminded James of the doors leading to Hogwarts' great hall. The doors were unlocked, and pushed open easily, scrapping against the stone floor.

"That's more like it," Mundungus exclaimed, his face lighting up. For the large room beyond was heaped with treasure. Gold, bars and jewelry. Precious stones, set into crowns or uncut, piled in heaps. There were statues of pure marble and jade, suits of armor of the most valuable metals.

They walked slowly into the room, looking all about, taking it in. it was more treasure than Harry had seen in his life. And so diverse, he realized. Not just South American treasures, but coins and works of art from all around the world, all Earth's primitive cultures. Rome, Greece, Persia, Egypt, all were well represented.

"They were collectors," Harry whispered. "More than that, they were archeologists."

James picked up a medallion, pure god inset with a gleaming pearl. His mother shot him a look, and he replaced it quickly. But once Ginny's back was turned, Mundungus pocketed the piece. It was quickly joined by a string of pearls and several handfuls of coins.

Neville took no notice of the glittering horde. He walked straight through the cavern. At the far side were two more double doors, this time stone. They were locked, when Harry pushed on them. However, set into the door, like a keyhole, was a hole. It was about the size of the crystal skull.

As the five of them surrounded the doors. Harry once again picked up the skull. He placed it into the notch, and there was a click. The doors slid slowly open of their won accord.

The room inside was perfectly circular, the ceiling a dome. Up a small flight of steps was a round pedestal. The others followed Harry up onto the pedestal, standing in its center.

Evenly spaced around the pedestal where thirteen stone thrones. And on each of these thrones a skeleton. They were larger than that of a human, seven feet at least, and with long arms and legs. The skeletons were of pure crystal, catching what little light filled the room and distorting it. Each of their skulls was identical to the piece of rock in Harry's hands. Except for a single member of the thirteen, whose head was missing.

"They're a hive mind," Harry said, unsure where the knowledge arose from. "A single consciousness spread throughout multiple bodies, unable to function without a missing piece."

"Return," Neville whispered. Now that Harry was so close to the skulls goal, it practically hurt not to be placing it on the skeletons shoulders.

"Accio crystal skull!"

The skull was torn form Harry's grasp. It flew into Mundungus waiting hands. The small man leveled his wand at the four of them, while slowly backing away.

"Well, done Fletcher," it was a voice Harry had hoped never to hear again. Natasha Lestrange walked up the steps to join them on the platform, catching the skull as Mundungus tossed it to her. Behind her came three men, the remnants of what had originally been a small army of Death Eaters.

"What are you a triple agent?" Ginny protested.

"More of an opportunist," said Mundungus with a grin.

The three Death Eaters spread out, covering Harry and his companions with their wands. "So close and yet so far," said Natasha to Harry, in mock pity. "An admirable effort, but if you'll excuse me, I have an appointment to keep."