Chapter 11: Chapter 11
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Secret
I followed Draco down several staircases. Every single one of them delved deeper into the ground. Light started becoming scarcer to the point where I couldn't see an inch in front of my nose.
"Antoine, your eyesight might be perfect in darkness, but ours is not, would it be too much to ask for some light?"
I heard him turn and come up some steps to stand not too far down below me.
"Hermione, dear, I was under the impression you were a witch and a skilled one at that. I am certain someone who can counter one of my spells can easily cast some light. Can't you?"
My hands turned to fists.
A step below me I heard the shuffling of clothes, Draco was looking for his wand.
An icy sensation gripped my heart. Without thinking I jumped towards Draco and held him in a tight embrace, restricting his movement.
"What the hell, Hermione?"
"Draco, it might have slipped your mind, but under the last agreement between magical creatures which was signed just at the beginning of this century, it's stated that any wizard or witch who is a guest on the dwelling place of a magical creature must not perform any sort of magic on the premises without the owner's explicit permission to do so. Otherwise the wizard or witch would become the creature's possession for indefinite time. I am absolutely sure all of this slipped your mind Antoine, but would you mind giving us some light?"
Antoine's joyful laughter rang clearly in the dark staircase.
I let go of Draco.
"Hermione it is a shame you have such good knowledge of the magical agreements, I would've been a good master. But given your reluctance to fall in my trap, I'll show you the beauty of this chamber."
He snapped his fingers and an ethereal blue light lighted even the smallest crevice in the chamber. Dark wooden spiral staircases stretched far below our feet only to disappear into darkness without a definite end. The rail, which had prevented me from falling more than once, had precious stones embedded into it, rubies, diamonds and sapphires.
I looked down and Antoine looked so otherworldly. His blond hair had a bluish hint, his pale skin resembled marble and his eyes burned a fiery purple. He had the posture Alexander the Great must've had upon entering a conquered empire. His aura exuded power. Here stood a legend, a living icon of a forgotten time.
He smiled at me and my heart lost a beat. I diverted my gaze and nudged Draco to keep descending.
An eternity later we finished our long descent. My legs were shaking from the effort; my body was covered with a sheet of sweat. I felt like drinking an entire lake. Upon reaching the last step I sat upon it. From there I saw we had reached a sort of underground well.
Antoine and Draco where waist deep into it, both of them looked ready to continue onwards, I could barely stand.
Draco looked at me, "I should've remembered you have not yet fully recovered."
Upon hearing his words Antoine came towards me, Draco just behind him.
"Recovered from what? I didn't know you had been ill. Had I known I would've postponed this trip till you were completely well. What ails you?"
Draco snorted.
"Well, she simply happened to be …"
"Draco! Antoine worry not I am perfectly fine, it's just I haven't kept my routine lately and my muscles resent my lack of exercise."
Antoine fixed me with a displeased look and turned to Draco.
"You were saying Draco."
Draco hesitated, looked at me and closed his mouth, "Just as she said, she's been too pampered for her own good."
Antoine came to stand right before me. I knew he would try to enter my mind so I closed it off. Without warning he got inside my mind. I could feel him searching and as I knew what he was looking for I got ahead of him and encapsulated those memories behind my time with Harry.
He reached them and was disconcerted. I felt him begin to pull out of my head when Draco spoke.
"Lucious Malfoy."
That name was all it took to break my concentration and my time in Malfoy Manor came to the front of my mind, right into Antoine's gaze.
I shuddered. There were tears on my cheeks I could feel their cold texture running freely.
I stood next to Draco.
"Happy now, Malfoy?"
He hugged me and placed a kiss on my temple.
"He should know. He will look after you, after seeing all of that, there is no way he will return you to him. Antoine here is our best shot."
With a feble voice I said, "You had no right."
"I know."
With trembling hands I wiped the tears from my cheeks and asked, "Should we keep going?"
I braved a look at Antoine and found raw rage in his eyes.
His eyes were like a burning inferno, their purple hue alight in cracking wrath. The pallor of his skin made him look like a vengeful angel. All around him, his aura expanded like ravenous flames looking for something to devour. As these flames reached the dark walls confining the chamber, it appeared the unyielding rock cowered from him. The air was dense with power.
Never in my entire life had I seen this sort of power, through history only a couple of great wizards had been known to posses this sort of energy.
When his aura reached my skin I felt my nerves cry out in pain. I advanced towards him and braved to touch his arm.
I was sure my hand would melt upon contact.
"Antoine, let us keep moving. I am tired. Please."
His eyes focused on me and all the anger evaporated from them. With tender care he took hold of my arm. He smiled, and the room became once more a cool place.
Without a word he guided me to the point where I was skin deep into the water. The dress I was wearing floated with ease over the surface.
"Hermione, Draco you both will need to hold your breath. Take in as much air as your longs can carry, on my count one, two, and three."
Upon his last word all the water rose from the bottom of the chamber and showering us in the process of getting to the chamber's walls. With the shimmering light the water covered walls resembled the scales on a mermaid's tail.
If people were granted but a minute in this place, no one would ever again commit a crime. It's shear beauty would transform the hearts and engrave in them a sense of greatness, beauty and good no amount of evil could ever tarnish such a memory nor it's meaning.
"Did you ever bring Tom here?"
Antoine remained silent, assessing from my posture to my tone of voice.
"Had you brought him here his life might've turned completely differently."
Draco snorted and said, "Hermione could you stop trying to redeem the bloody…"
Draco's eyes became wide in fear, to the point where he resembled more a fish than a human being.
"What I meant was simply that.."
Antoine took one look at Draco and dismissed his commentary with a nod of his head.
"No need to apologize Draco. After what I've seen he deserves your opinion of him. Feel assured I will never again comment on his behalf."
I felt dreadful upon hearing this. Here stood the one being beside myself with whom Tom had developed a deeper bond and I was responsible for the shattering of said friendship.
"Antoine, I don't justify him, but given how Tom sees…"
Draco forcefully grabbed my arm and turned me to him and with deadly fury said, "Don't you dare and try to justify his actions. What he did is unforgivable, are WE clear?"
"Draco, but…"
He shook me, his face turned by grief.
"No, Hermione. I am sorry, but what he has done is monstrous. The sooner you realize it the sooner you'll be free of his hold on you."
After this he left me to stand next to Antoine.
Antoine looked took a glance at Draco then another at myself, without a comment he opened his arms into a grand gesture.
"Master Malfoy, Miss Granger, you are now looking upon a sight never before seen by mortal eyes."
His arms descended to point towards the sandy floor of the chamber.
The sand appeared to be minuscule diamonds, which reflected the light breaking it into hues of red and blue, orange and green, yellow and purple, with a glimpse of red here and there.
In all its dazzling beauty I could see odd objects scattered around the place. A broken doll from the sixteenth century, with discolored clothes and a missing button eye lay upon the bright bed. Not far from it stood a wooden ring with a hieroglyph on it.
The object which caught my eye the most was a rusty piece of metal which could've been anything from a banner to a staff. It had hues of rusty green and brown. It seemed to call to me with all its simplicity and abandonment. Contrary to my common sense I decided to extend my hand towards it.
As I heard neither shout of warning nor any foreboding energy which surrounded it I grabbed it. As soon as I touched made contact with it a handsome fellow appeared before me.
"Antoine you better stop bothering me with your incessant chatter regarding Riddle, that boy is a rotten apple, no amount of effort will…"
Here he realized I was standing before him.
With lazy eyes, he analyzed me, not being self-conscious while doing so. He looked at Draco and then at Antoine.
"So you've disregarded my advice. Bringing mortals here will be your undoing. Mark my words."
His voice was wise beyond his years.
"Now pretty Miss, let me introduce myself, Wizard Merlin at your service."
The name was accompanied with a deep bow.
My legs lost all strength and I fell on the unforgiving sand.
"That is not possible, all records of your existence end no later than…"
He smiled at my words, "Dear I am or was not known for my greatness for nothing. Let's say I simply forgot to let the world know about me in those dates. If I'm not mistaken you took that information out of Distran's work. She was quite a remarkable scholar. If only she hadn't been so insistent upon the truth I might've not needed to modify her memory."
"You did what?"
"Don't fuss over it I made a perfect job of it. Now dear, it's been a while since I've been in the company of such a pretty little girl. Would you care for a cup of wine?"
"Sir, though I'm flattered by the invitation I would rather know how you are alive? Even for a wizard as remarkable as yourself, death should've caught up with you by now."
I could hear Draco murmur something along the lines of "great more immortal coots."
He smiled a devilish handsome smile.
"This must be Miss Granger," Turning to Antoine he added. "Seriously, mate, you need to detach yourself from Tom. Do you want to explain it to her or should I?"
Antoine just nodded.
Merlin helped me regain my footing.
"Many long years ago Antoine figured a way to trap the soul of a person, the whole thing into inanimate objects. The only requisite is for the person to do so out in a selfless act. Through the centuries Antoine has collected several interesting people, all of us have been present at important times, or shaped in a remarkable way the world today. All of the people you will find here are vast oceans of knowledge and experience."
"You are the source where Tom learnt all he knows."
"Not directly my dear, I would've never consented to instructing such a terrible whelp. But Antoine here has taken to writing books about what he's heard from my mouth over the centuries. His libraries are priceless. Ohh you like that, eh? A true scholar at heart."
I laughed freely at this and said, "It takes one to know one."
"True. You've quite a charming character if you do fancy spending the rest of eternity here, let me know. One of The Golden Trio among us would be a worthy acquisition to this garden."
He winked at me. I blushed.
I giggled like a school girl. He made me feel so young and renewed. Who knew Merlin was such a flirt?
"If Tom ever does give you some trouble count on me and let me give you a piece of advice little one. Antoine here might be softening his heart to you, but never forget he was Tom's friend fist. Weren't you Antoine?"
Antoine was looking forlornly at a bone comb which sat just a couple of steps beyond him.
"Certainly, Merlin, but that is neither here nor there. I count myself Hermione's and Draco's protector."
A malicious glint entered Merlin's eyes.
"Interesting how you chose the word protector and not friend. But anyways little one, take care and please say not a word of this place. You of all people should appreciate the value of this place."
Merlin let go of my arm and went to stand in front of Draco.
Who fought the losing battle of trying to maintain his look of indifference in front of the older wizard.
With a deep bow Merlin addressed Draco.
"Master Malfoy, it is good to see my line still inhabits the wizarding world. Though you should've been taller, must come from your mother's side. "
Draco crossed his arms in front of his chest and composed his posture to show all of his stature.
With a smug smirk upon his features Malfoy said, "So father was correct he is a descendant of Merlin himself. "
"Good gracious, no! If that were the case I'd feel sullied just to be remotely related to your father. No offense. I meant your mother, she is my descendant."
Draco laughed.
"That is something I've got to say to father next time we meet, the look on his face would be priceless."
The room dimmed.
"You shall not breath a word of this to a soul! Are we clear?"
Merlin's eyes issued a challenge, to which Draco's grey pools resentfully submitted.
When all returned to normalcy, Merlin hugged Draco and said, "Now my boy, please do take care of Hermione here, and by all means come back to show me the little one. I'd love to see a baby. It's been the longest time since I've held an infant in my arms."
Hermione palled.
Draco bellowed, "WHAT?"
Antoine laughed.
"Pay no mind to the old coot," he punctuated his words with a significant glance at Merlin who took it with a devious smile.
Antoine looked at the place where the ceiling of the chamber must stand, many miles from us and said, "Well Merlin, I guess we will have to cut our little meeting short. If I am not mistaken our guest has arrived, and he's never taken lightly to be kept waiting. Shall we?"
"I don't think I've got it in me to make the travel back, let alone face him tonight."
Merlin grabbed my hand and with his touch I felt totally renewed.
"Take care little one, and do come back we could have such fun together."
Saying this he kissed my knuckles.
With a snap of Antoine's fingers I found myself once more in the house. He hadn't given me the time to say good bye to Merlin.
Antoine turned to Draco and inquired, "Are you joining us? I can have dinner brought to your room if you prefer."
Draco sent him a murderous look, "Come on Hermione. This will be an interesting evening."