Chapter 7 – The Ancient Tomb

Lily raised her wand. Eddie followed suit.

"Reducto!" Lily shouted at the golden brick walls in front of her. Normally, the spell would reduce the bricks into dust or shambles, but these golden bricks only shook for a moment, as though there was an earthquake, and then nothing happened. Lily looked at the walls wide-eyed and then at Eddie. He too was staring at the walls as though he feared it. The 'earthquake' continued.

"Lily?" he cried. But before anyone could respond or do anything, the bricks on the wall facing them were beginning to move and take on a new shape. Lily raised her wand again but it was snatched out of her hand, as though someone had performed a Disarming Spell. She turned to Eddie in a panic but his wand was also snatched out of his hand. They looked up to see that their wands were floating over their heads, completely out of reach.

"Bloody hell!" Eddie shouted. "What's happening?"

Eddie panicked and immediately began to feel out the walls, except for the one that was changing shape, to find a way out. Lily, however, her eyes wide, stared at the one wall. She noticed that only a few of the bricks were changing that the bricks were turning to a solid gold liquid. The liquid began to ripple and became oval shaped, completely flat against the rough bricks. The gold oval than began to grow features and Lily's emerald green eyes widened even more.

"Eddie?" she called out in horse voice, barely above a whisper. But he was too busy shouting, pulling at his hair, and looking for a way out to hear Lily. Lily took a deep breath as the features became more defined and more descriptive; it took the shape of a face. In a few moments, Lily was staring at the face of young boy. She was transfixed, unable to move or speak. She was only able to choke out one word:

"Ed?"

Eddie finally stopped freaking out and he looked up at Lily, seeing her completely stunned. He rushed to her side, thinking she may have found or discovered something but instead. Eddie followed her gaze and his eyes settled on to the same handsome face. He let out a yell and stumbled backward a bit before clutching his chest and breathing heavily. To their immense surprise, the face chuckled and spoke in a language that neither of them could understand.

"What did he….she…what did it say?" Eddie asked breathlessly.

"No idea," said Lily, barely above a whisper. "Ancient Egyptian is not one of the languages we study in the Auror Department."

"Not even in the Mistress of Magic Department either?" Eddie asked, and for once he was not being sarcastic. Eddie sounded genuinely frightened and Lily knew that it was not right to tease him about it and just shook her head 'no.' Once again, the golden face in the wall laughed. Lily took the time to study the face. It was of a boy, no more than eighteen or so and because his skin and features were all of gold, it was hard to tell exactly what he looked like. His eyes, even though they were gold, were piercing. The boy had kissable lips, a large forehead, and his face looked somewhat uneven; the right side of his jaw went more inward and curved than the left side of his face, which was smooth and strong. But, despite that, the face could be described as quite exquisite.

"My new visitors speak English," the face said, with a straight face. Lily raised an eyebrow as the face stared back at her.

"You speak English?" Lily heard Eddie ask from beside her. The face ripped his piercing gaze off of Lily and looked at Eddie.

"I am in the afterlife," he said simply, "I can speak whatever language I wish." Eddie shuffled his feet in embarrassment and the face turned his gaze back on to Lily. Lily nodded in understanding.

"You're King Tut?" she asked in a gentle, understanding whisper.

"King Tutankhamun," the face corrected sternly. His tone softened. "But yes, I am the youngest pharaoh of Egypt."

"And one of the greatest, most powerful wizards who had ever lived," Lily said, giving him a bow of respect. She looked at wide with wide-eyes and gave him a look, encouraging him to do the same. Knowing that they could very well be in incredible danger, Eddie also gave a bow of respect to King Tutankhamun. The face nodded in approval with a slight smile.

"So…uh…can you tell us what is going on?" Lily asked uncertainly. King Tut just stared at her and his face became impassive. His eyes widen and he suddenly looked as though he were in a trance.

"Only one has gotten past my famous enchantments and defenses," said King Tut, his voice monotone. "I have never seen such magic. She came here and told me to wait for someone."

"Who?"

"I cannot say. Only they know the answer," said King Tut. Eddie gave Lily a confused and desperate look but Lily could only shrug her shoulders; she was just as confused as he was and King Tut seemed to be making no sense.

Lily knew that the only way to get an answer out of King Tut, to let them by without danger, to let them get into his tomb in order to get that third clue or to help them get to Jane; then she had to appeal to his positive nature. Lily had to appeal to him, to make sure that she could relate to him. Lily needed King Tut to trust her and to open up to her. It was the only way to get to the next step.

Then it hit Lily; an explosion blew within the bit of her stomach like a ticking time bomb. What if Jane was hidden on the other side of this wall? What is she was being held captive in the tomb of the youngest pharaoh? Did the kidnapper like the symbolism of killing a Muggle woman in the tomb of the youngest pharaoh of Egypt and one of the most powerful wizards of all time? Lily's insides panicked but she knew on the outside, she had to stay calm, so that she could trick King Tut and to make sure that Eddie also stayed calm.

"King Tutankhamun?" Lily asked, looking back at the golden face among the golden brick wall. King Tut, who had never taken his eyes off of Lily, nodded. "What happened to you? You were a great king and you were so young, so powerful. What happened?"

The young pharaoh said nothing but stared at Lily as though he had never seen anything quite like her before. She noted that under King Tut's intense stare that Eddie took a step toward her and stood protectively behind her. Lily could not help but grin slightly at Eddie's feeble attempt to protect her.

"No one," King Tut started, "has ever asked that before."

"Well no one would be able to ask you, would they?" Eddie blurted out without thinking. "I mean…you're dead. Plus, you said it yourself, only one person has been able to penetrate your magical defenses. I mean, no one would be able to ask you." That was one of the remarkable things about Eddie, the few times that Lily did not have the words, he would have them and he would say them for her. Though that rarely happened because Lily was known for speaking her mind, she was grateful for when it did happen. King Tut, however, narrowed his eyes at Eddie.

"I said only one person has made it to my tomb," King Tut snapped angrily. "Twelve people have made it to this point; fourteen now including you two. And none of them ever asked about me. They just wanted the treasures that lie within my tomb."

"Well, I'm asking you," Lily said, nodding her head. "What happened to you?" King Tut stared at her for a moment before taking a deep, raspy breath.

"I was only nine years old when I became pharaoh of Egypt. That is hardly old enough to rule a kingdom. It is impossible for anyone to understand being thrown into a situation that they are hardly ready for," King Tut explained. Lily gave a lop-sided smirk and shook her head slowly.

"No, no I don't think many people can understand that," she whispered softly. Eddie turned to look at her and gently lifted a hand to stroke the back of her neck. Lily ignored the gesture, which caused Eddie to take his hand away, and look to the other side of the room, blushing severely. King Tut took no notice of Lily's comment or Eddie's action.

"Because of my young age, I had many influential advisors; people who helped me make decisions about what I could not understand," King Tut continued. "One of those advisors went by the name of General Horemheb, the Vizier Ay. He was the only one who knew I was a wizard, other than my mother of course. Horemheb helped me keep my secret and never told anyone of my magic and how I used my magic to help restore the Egyptian economy and our diplomatic relationships with other kingdoms.

"Horemheb accidentally let it slip to my beloved wife, Ankhesenamun, that I was a wizard. He assumed that I told her on our wedding night. I, however, understood my wife and knew that she would think of it is as evil…and use it against me. I never told her. It is my deepest regret," King Tut looked away from Lily and in the space between Eddie and the wall. "Maybe…if I had told her…if I had explained to her that while magic can be used for evil, that I was using it for the good…to help Egypt…then maybe I could have done more for Egypt….and the wizarding world. Maybe today we would be able to give magic to those who cannot attain it through birth."

"Your highness," Lily interrupted, holding up her hand, her eyes wide. "Are you trying to tell me that your wife murdered you?"

"Ankhesenamun lured me to her bed chambers. I thought she was trying to seduce me," explained the golden face. "But I was wrong. She told me that she knew what I was and that she would not stay marry to someone as evil as me, nor would she give birth to the heirs of evil. We struggled, but she hit me over the head with an object. I am not sure what she grabbed. Then…I died.

"But my death was not enough for my beloved Ankhesenamun. She meant what she said when she said she would not give birth to their heirs of evil. So, she cut out the twin sons that were growing in her womb," King Tut said in a soft, sad voice. "Many years ago, my tomb was discovered with the coffins of two infants that have not yet reached full human potential. Those were my unborn sons. Horemheb knew what truly happened and covered up the mess that my wife had created and buried my sons with me. He knew that is the way I would have wanted it.

"Many years later, it was discovered that I had been a wizard and wizards and witches from all over the country came in search of my tomb. Well, I was discovered, though no one, except her, has even seen the coffin. The magic in this place was beyond anything that any of them could ever experience. They knew that those who did not understand magic would never be able to penetrate the magical defenses that my soul would naturally create. My magic was much too powerful to simply die with me. I had used a spell I created to protect my tomb, my body, and the bodies of my unborn sons. Unfortunately, my magic was not enough to save them. The witches and wizards found the coffins of my unborn sons, regarded them as nothing, and placed them in my false tomb."

"False tomb?" asked Eddie.

"Yes, the tomb that was created to look like mine," explained King Tut. "It was made for those who specifically did not understand magic."

"Muggles," Lily whispered to Eddie. He nodded and King Tut did not notice.

"I was a famous king; surely those who did not understand the magic would come looking for my tomb as well. So, a false tomb was created to trick them and the witches and wizards placed the coffins of my sons in that false tomb."

"King Tutankhamun," started Lily, "I apologize for your sufferings. Trust me, if there is one person who understands loss and suffering, it is me."

"Really?" King Tut asked in a disbelieving tone. "Have you even been betrayed by the one you love most in this world? Have you felt the agony knowing that the person you care for most in this world no longer feels the same for you? Have you ever felt the agony of having your unborn children ripped away from you?"

At those words, both Lily and Eddie immediately tensed and went rigid. Eddie could hardly breathe and Lily was now fidgeting with her fingers, looking down at her hands, though she was still standing proud. Eddie chanced a glance at her, then looked away, his face growing scarlet. He was not sure how Lily would answer. Yes, the both of them have felt the pain of losing an unborn child. How could either of them forget the tragic miscarriage that Lily went through during the final battle with Voldemort? But did Lily really feel betrayed? Were Eddie's actions as horrible as Ankhesenamun's had been? Were they worse?

"Yes…" Lily finally whispered after several moments of silence. "Yes I have been betrayed by the person I love most in this world." Eddie's stomach began doing somersaults and he felt his breath quicken. "And yes, I have had an unborn child ripped away from me."

Eddie refused to look at Lily. He just stared straight ahead at King Tut's face. King Tut glanced quickly at Eddie than turned back to Lily

"I see…" whispered King Tut. Lily stood proud and tall, staring hard at King Tut.

"But, I overcame my tragedies," said Lily, chancing a glance at Eddie. He was paler than a ghost. "I became a famous Auror and am now the most powerful witch in Britian." For some reason, Eddie felt his heart completely sink.

"Well, miss, I admire your perseverance," the pharaoh said, nodding his head towards Lily, in respect. "But, now it is my turn to ask the questions. Why are you here? What do you want?"

"We need to enter your tomb," Lily said firmly. The golden face of King Tut stared at them and sighed.

"I am sorry my dear, but only one has had the power to enter my tomb," said King Tut in a blissful voice. "She held a magic…a deep penetrating magic…a magic that I have never encountered…until just now."

"What do you mean?" asked Eddie, cocking a confused eyebrow. King Tut ignored him.

"She used this magic…oh that voice…that blissful voice…and she was able to enter the tomb. She was also able to make sure that I made a promise to her." King Tut was once again speaking in that dazed voice and Lily immediately began to shift uncomfortably from one foot to the other.

"What promise is that?"

"To destroy anyone who comes into this room," said King Tut, "unless they give me a specific name." Lily and Eddie stared wide-eyed at the golden face of King Tut as they slowly let his words sink in.

"Destroy?" Eddie asked in a choked voice. He gently grabbed a hold of Lily and brought her closer to him. She was not sure if he was doing this to protect himself or to protect her. Either way, she did not feel comforted. Lily immediately looked up at the floating wand above her head and stared at it determinedly. "You mean…you're going to…?"

"I am truly sorry," said King Tut, "but unless I hear the name, I am going to have to kill you both. This was a promise, a contract binding wizard and witch together. I cannot break it. I cannot."

"Why not?" Eddie shouted angrily. He did not notice Lily frowning and looking from her wand to King Tut. "What is the worst that can happen to you? You're already dead!"

"I consider myself an honorable spirit," King Tut said stiffly. "I am truly sorry but until I hear the name, there is nothing I can do."

"King Tutankhamun," Lily said out of nowhere, still staring at her wand. "I have the power to destroy this tomb. I suggest you give us back our wands and let us be on our way."

"Lily, just because you're the Mistress of Magic in England does not mean you have the power to destroy one of the most magical, enchanted places in the entire world!" Eddie shouted in frustration, throwing his hands in the air, panic rising in his chest. Lily ignored him and looked from her wand back to the face of the youngest pharaoh. King Tut also ignored Eddie and continued to stare curiously at Lily.

"My dear, I do believe you have the power to destroy this tomb. I believe you are one of the few who has the power to enter my tomb," said King Tut. "But, a promise is a promise. I am sorry but until I hear the name…"

At that precise moment, golden bricks on both side of King Tut's face opened and water came rushing out by the galleon, filling the tiny room with water. Eddie screamed in horror as Lily gasped and her eyes went wide-eyed. She stared at King Tut furiously before turning to Eddie and grabbing him by the shoulders.

"Lily, we're going to die!" he shouted, pulling at his wild, curly red hair. "We're going to drown! Puckles sent us to a trap!" Lily raised her hand and gently smacked Eddie across the face, glaring at him.

"Calm the bloody hell down for a second!" Lily shouted back, talking very fast and in a complete and utter frenzy. "Don't you see what is happening? Jane's kidnapper's sent us here! Puckles was one of the kidnappers. One of the kidnappers…he…or she…was the one that made King Tut promise to destroy anyone who came through here unless they said a specific name. Jane's kidnappers are behind all of this, Ed. You need to say Jane's name. Say her name! That is the name he needs to hear and he needs to hear it from you! SAY IT!"

"Jane!" Eddie shouted out desperately. The water was now up to their kneecaps and growing at a fast and steady rate. "Jane Anderson!"

Nothing happened and the water continued to fill the room at a fast and steady rate. Panic began to swell in both Lily and Eddie's chests. Eddie pulled himself from Lily's grip and was once again gripping at his red hair screaming in fear.

"JANE ANDERSON! JANE ANDERSON!" Eddie screamed desperately as he tried to jump up and grab his wand. But King Tut must have placed a spell on the wands because every time Eddie got nearer, the wand flew further up into the air and it was completely out of reach. Even if Lily managed to stand on Eddie's shoulders, the wands would still be completely out of their grasp. Lily now began to panic.

"Jane Anderson is not the name King Tut needs to hear!" Lily shouted over Eddie's yells as she desperately began to find a way out. "Say your name!" The water was now up to their waists.

"EDWARD WEASLEY!" Eddie shouted. "EDWARD RONALD WEASLEY!"

The water continued to fill the room. It was now rising to their shoulders.

Lily became desperate. Tears were now beginning to fill her emerald green eyes as she realized that she had allowed them to walk right into a trap. There was no doubt in her mind that Jane's kidnappers had been here and had set the whole thing up. What were they looking for? What name did they want to hear? Because she did not know these answers, Lily was now going to be responsible for not only her own death, but for the death of Eddie Weasley and an innocent Muggle, Jane Anderson. The water was now up to their necks and she could still hear Eddie screaming desperately. Lily looked at King Tut's face, which was still above water, and gave him a pleading look to make it all stop; to let them live. But King Tut's face never left own; his gaze had never come off of Lily. From the moment they had entered the room, King Tut had not taken his eyes off of Lily unless he absolutely had to look at Eddie. Why? And why had Puckles known who she and Eddie were and why she was with him?

Then, it hit Lily. It was like someone had dropped a swinging back of sand into her gut as the truth finally dawned on her.

"LILY POTTER!" Lily shouted as she stretched her neck, as to not go under the cold frigid water that was now beginning to sweep over their heads. "THE NAME YOU NEED TO HEAR IS LILY POTTER!"

The bricks closed and the water immediately started to drain from the room, even more quickly than it had filled it. In a matter of moments, Lily and Eddie were standing on dry brick, completely soaked from head to toe. Once the water had disappeared, apart from a few puddles, their wands fell to the ground and bounced at their feet. Eddie stared at wand, looked at Lily, then King Tut, then back to Lily.

"That was the name he needed to hear?" Eddie asked in shock, almost angrily. "Your name? Lily Potter was the name?"

"Yes, that was the precise name I needed to hear," said King Tut. "Congratulations."

"Oh yes, congratulate us for trying to kill us and Lily here saving our necks!" Eddie shouted sarcastically at the golden face, picking up his wand and stuffing it into his pocket. Lily, however, gently picked up her wand, not taking her eyes off of King Tut's face.

"Now what?" Lily asked quietly. "Do we get to enter your tomb?"

"Of course not!" King Tut said, as though it were the most obvious thing in the world. "I let her into my tomb because I fell in love with her!"

"You mean your wife?" Eddie asked.

"Certainly not," King Tut said offensively. "I would never allow my murderer to enter my sanctuary."

"But…you've been dead since then…how could you possibly fall in love with – OW!" Lily had stomped hard on Eddie's foot and gave him a look that clearly said that he needed to shut his mouth. Eddie gave her a dirty look, then glared at King Tut before turning away, limping on his foot.

"If you won't allow us into your tomb," started Lily, "then what happens now?"

"I present you with a riddle, and then the Portkey which transported you here will take you back to where you first touched it," King Tut explained and he slowly took a deep breath.

I am a King's castle made of stone of scone

In the past, you would surely die if you tried to visit me alone

In the land where the little men drink

Give me a kiss and you will surely sink

There was a long pause as Lily grabbed her beaded bag, pulled out her Quick Quill and notepad and quickly wrote down the third clue. Stuffing quill and pad back into her beaded bag, she took a deep breath and nodded.

"Thank you King King Tutankhamun," Lily said with a nod. "My friend and I will be leaving now." There was a tiny pop behind them and the golden statue of a man, the Portkey that brought them here had returned. Eddie ran towards it and looked at Lily anxiously, more than ready to leave the ancient tomb.

"You're not going to enter my tomb?" King Tut asked, his eyes wide and his tone clearly that of shock. "You said it yourself; you have the power to do so. I can sense that."

"You're right," said Lily, "I do have the power to enter your tomb. But, I am not going to."

"Why?

"Ed and I are not interested in your riches, King Tutankhamun," Lily said honestly, looking at the young pharaoh square in the eye. He stared back at her curiously. "We got everything we came for. That is more than enough. I thank you for your time."

With that, Lily turned her back on the youngest pharaoh of Egypt and one of the most powerful wizards of all time.

"You ready?" she asked Eddie. Eddie nodded vigorously before they both grabbed on to the gold statue, the ground being yanked out from underneath them.

A note from the Jitterbelle.

I am working on the next two chapters right now. I would like to finish them tonight but I don't know if I can. If not, I will definitely finish them tomorrow night.

Once again, I apologize for my lack of update and I hope to have my other story, Harry Potter and the Heir's Revenge updated soon.

Please forgive me and please review! I still love feedback!