Chapter 27
Hermione's excitement grew and grew as they descended the long dark tunnel. She could hardly contain herself when they arrived to their final destination. She whipped out her pocket notebook where she translated and deciphered the information from the first room. She reviewed, while Draco removed the Alchemy box from his pack. "Well, Mister Alchemist, remove everything from the box and place them on one of the raised benches." She instructed, while she paced around the center platform humming a tune.
She stopped pacing when Draco finished. With a sly smile she tore out a blank page from her notebook and transfigured it into a compass. She placed the compass on the platform where the Gordian knot sat in the center. Removing the knot she placed it in her pocket for safe keeping to use later. "Alright, I'm going to need the universal solvent due south. And the saltpeter needs to be thirty degrees from north." She instructed. She had originally planned on doing the placement of the items herself, but figured it would be more fun to tell him what to do.
"Solvent South, Saltpeter 30 degrees north…" He repeated to himself going into work mode. He pulled out the universal solvent potion and levitated the liquid to the appropriate location, keeping it in suspended animation until they were ready. By the time he began working on the saltpeter it donned on him that he was doing all the labor.
"Go figure, I am taking orders from Hermione Granger…" There was a pause to glance her way to see her reaction before adding, "…and mildly enjoying it." He checked over both potions once more then stood with wand in hand at the ready awaiting her signal to release the solvent.
Hermione giggled, "Oh, I'm sure you are. I guess I shouldn't have you do all the work." She levitated the remaining substances into place, eight vials and bottles in all. Then she set the Gordian knot in the center of the circle again and stood aside. "Alright, that should do it. I'm going to recite the incantation, be prepared for anything that might happen." She advised Draco. Moving due north, she placed her hands on the circle and began. "Lorem ipsum dolar sitamet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Doned nec vestibulum lectus, eu cursus dolar. Donec bibendum moltestie ultrices…"
As Hermione recited the lengthy incantation, the transmutation circle began to glow white, brighter than the orbs of light hovering above them from the Deluminator. The various substances began swirling around over the platform, creating a vortex that lead to the Gordian knot in the middle. Bit by bit, the substances were absorbed by whatever was inside the knot through the seams of the wires. After everything was consumed, the light from the circle itself seemed to be getting absorbed; until the knot couldn't be looked at directly. Hermione and Draco had to look away from the blinding light until it dissipated.
When it was safe to look, on the platform sat the Gordian knot. But it was different. The wires that used to be thick and covered the entire surface were now thin, causing a small device to be the size of a beach ball. At the center of the knot appeared to be a circular rotating gas substance. All was silent at first, but a mouth suddenly appeared and yawned and one large eye blinked an opened. "Aaaaaaaah….Hmmm….Oh boy, ten thousand years….That'd give ya a crick in the neck….if I had one…" It said in a raspy, high pitched voice.
'Oh, blood hell. What have we done?' Draco thought to himself as he removed his arm from shielding his eyes just moments ago and held his wand at the ready. The Gordian knot had a simple eye and mouth shape made from its newly refined size of knot and was now the size of a beach ball. And had the most insufferable tone of voice.
"You alright there, Granger?" He asked looking over towards Hermione making sure she was okay, now that he had taken a moment to assess that the sentient being wasn't an immediate threat.
"Quite well now that I am awake. Though I am not a Granger." The Gordian knot replied. "I wasn't talking to you…whatever you are." Draco quipped with a steel tone of voice at the verbal knot.
"I'm fine, Draco." Hermione said, mesmerized by the sight before her. "Wow, Jinn in a Knot just like the writings." She mumbled. The Jinn's eye looked to her and grinned, "Yes, that's me, sentient being created by alchemy. Nearly all-knowing and wise." The creature looked between the two of them and scowled, "Now who are you? I didn't think anyone would be back to seek my knowledge."
Hermione smiled and stood tall, "My name is Hermione Granger. I am a Curse-Breaker for Gringotts bank. This is my associate, Draco Malfoy. He is a very accomplished alchemist." The creature looked at Draco, "Who this pup? He doesn't look it. Despite being a spitting image of the first one who summoned me. Grow out your hair and a beard; I'd probably mistake you for Dev Hoenheim." The thing chuckled at the thought.
Draco found the observation of the Jinn in a Knot about him looking like Dev Hoenheim very curious. He wasn't aware of any Hoenheim in the family lineage. He definitely would look into that later. "Pup? I'm not a halfbreed. We are human, so watch your tongue Jinn. We summoned you, we can send you back to the Ether realm." Draco cautioned sternly.
"Talk about sensitivity. Dev Hoenheim was like that as well." The Jinn remarked, wagging his rope eyebrows at Hermione. "You seem like a knowledgeable pair. Is there anything I can do for you? Remember, I am nearly all-knowing and wise."
"We heard you the first time. What's the catch if we ask you to share your specific knowledge?" Draco inquired cautiously.
"Alright, alright, you get this one last question, then it's her turn." Said the Jinn, glaring at Draco. "There is no catch. You inquire, I answer. I was created to serve after all, was I not?" It shot a look to Hermione, "Now if your associate can stand patient enough, you look as though you have a burning question."
Hermione pulled out her notebook and prepared to write, wetting her quill, "Yes, I was wondering what you could tell me about the fall of Tanis. History books simply say it vanished under the sands. But there must be more than that, correct?" She asked eagerly. Sweat was collecting on her forehead. She was so excited to learn what no no else had before. But the Jinn's reaction to her question concerned her.
"Oh…" The massive grin fell from the creature's face, "I was hoping you wouldn't ask…but since you have, I must answer. Tanis fell because of its King's greed for power and longevity. He knew Dev wanted to keep the secret of immortality from him, so he came to me without Hoenheim's knowledge. He wanted immortality that didn't require the maintenance of the Chintamani." He began.
"The Chintamani is what they called the Philospher's Stone, very old language." Hermione explained to Draco as she scribbled down notes, "Sorry, please continue."
"I told the old man, Xerxes was his name, there was a method to rather become a Chintamani, to have it inside one's self. But it was a nasty process that only the worthy would survive. He insisted that he was, in fact, worthy and ordered Hoenheim to proceed with my instruction. The results of which wiped out all human life within the city." The way the Jinn described the past events, it sounded almost proud of what it accomplished.
Hermione stopped writing. "That's horrible! All those people; women and children and you just let it happen?"
Draco merely raised his eyebrows slightly, acknowledging her clarification while the Jinn told his tale. By the end Draco wasn't surprised that the city was destroyed because of the desires of their king and help from a nearly all-knowing sentient being.
Draco gave an 'I told you so' kind of look to Hermione. It was no surprise to him that an all-knowing being would be used for negative instead of positive. "To state that this Jinn just 'let it happen' is false. It does or rather it tells what is asked of it. It does not think of cause or effects of the information it services. It just serves to provide information."
Draco looked back at the Jinn, "Who else tried and failed or tried and was successful to become immortal besides King Xerxes?" he asked, wondering if there were other mysteries of history that were because of the greed of immortality.
Hermione crossed her arms and glared at the Jinn, "I suppose you are right, it's what he was designed to do, but still…" She readied her notes for the Jinn's answer to Draco's next question.
"To say that king Xerxes succeeded is a bit of an overstatement." The Jinn spoke, looking to Draco. "The process of gaining immortality sucked the life from all but a few citizens of Tanis. Dev Hoenheim had the sense to take as many people as he could convince out of the city limits, away from the event horizon. Once the king realized he no longer had anyone to rule, he felt horrible and wanted to die. He asked me how to kill himself. I said there was no way other than to give up his immortal body. I would have been able to take it, but Dev stopped me from doing so. However, Xerxes' spirit was able to leave his body, so he got his wish. Not sure why Dev stopped me from taking the body. It's just sitting around here unused for centuries." The Jinn started to look away but snapped back, "Oh, and no one else has done so before or since then." It then turned back to Hermione, anticipating another question, but she was too busy writing everything down.
That had Draco puzzled. Why did Hoenheim preserve the body? Egyptians were known to do so out of belief in an afterlife. But an Alchemist religious? Not likely. Which made Draco think that despite the fact Xerxes' soul was able to leave its vessel the immortality of the body and peak preservation still remained, just simply uninhabited by a soul.
Draco glanced over at Hermione hand writing extensive notes. "Goodness Granger, it's a miracle that you don't take a daily potion for carpal tunnel syndrome. Allow me." Draco said, well more like demanded nicely as his hands glided over hers to take the quill and parchment. He read the last sentence she wrote and continued on jotting the information that the Jinn had relayed to them, while he carefully listened for her to ask her next question.
Hermione was far too engrossed in her scribing to hear Draco's offer to write for her until he'd already taken hold of her quill and parchment. "Oh! I suppose, thank you Draco." She said, blushing slightly. His sudden contact had taken her a bit by surprise and his concern, though shrouded in sarcasm, was heartwarming. She sat back onto one of the benches and mulled over the information she'd just absorbed.
Apparently she was thinking the same thing as Draco, "So, let me get this straight, King Xerxes obtained immortality, regretted doing so at the expense of his people, tried killing himself by allowing you to take over his body and consuming his spirit or something like that? But Hoenheim stopped you from finishing the process and now the King's immortal body lies somewhere around here?" She asked the Jinn.
"That about sums it up." The Jinn nodded back.
Hermione's eyes narrowed at the creature, "It almost sounds like you had that planned the entire time, except for being stopped. A being with immense knowledge wouldn't be happy simply being a servant of knowledge. That brings up two questions." She turned to Draco, "I apologize for taking your turn, but I must know." She turned back to the Jinn. "First, why did Hoenheim deem it necessary to destroy you, and how did he do it?"
The Jinn hesitated to answer. It remained silent, thinking, staring at Hermione. Finally it spoke, grinning, "You think you have it all figured out, don't you? Cheeky little thing. Have you any idea what it feels like to have such a vast intellect trapped inside a cage? You're smart, I'm sure you can image how degrading it is to constantly be answering questions by you dumb, foolish, humans. I felt that I deserved at least the luxury of mobility." The Jinn said proudly.
While the Jinn didn't directly answer Hermione's questions, Draco had already reached the conclusion to the first question. "Hoenheim wouldn't destroy this. So he found a way to seal this Jinn, because if it takes over a body, it gains agency. It would no longer be limited to a non-corporeal form simply stating knowledge. If it gained a physical body, with that immense knowledge, mobility wouldn't simply be a luxury. It would cause chaos to us 'inferior' humans. Hoenheim had issues with simply destroying you, so he sealed you away. Not counting on you being found again by a skilled Alchemist and a Curse-Breaker. The real question is can you be destroyed?" Draco asked, catching on quick what exactly that had unleashed. With no idea how to reseal it, their best option was to learn of a way to destroy it.