Harry sighed as he flopped onto his bed in relief, thankful that the purple has finally faded after a week. His other worry, practice, had been unfounded as the Quidditch practices had been fun and rather calming despite how hard Flint pushed the team. Harry had even heard Flint was rivals with the Gryffindor team captain, a boy named Oliver Wood. Luckily, the freedom Harry felt during practice always made him feel great, even when his body ached afterwards.
After the rather embarrassing experience on the stairs with Neville, Harry had started to wonder how he would keep in shape. Quidditch seemed to help, but without his nightly runs in his fox form he was finding it hard not to slip into bad habits. Talking with Neville near Hermione revealed the young witch had a wealth of knowledge. Her parents seemed to exercise regularly, so soon enough they had started doing similar exercises three times a week.
After a while, Harry was surprised when Ron finally apologized to Hermione. When he finally did, Harry begrudgingly forgave Ron in return. He was quiet in their group now, and seemed to go off with other Gryffindors frequently.
After a long day, Harry had returned to his and Draco's dorm, flopping onto his bed. With a sigh, Harry grabbed one of his books. It had been an exciting week, but he finally had time to read!
Harry grabbed his second book, making it float with a quick flick of his wrist. After a lot of practice and watching how his magic affected things with his wand, he had learned how to cast Wingardium Leviosa without too much of an issue. It had taken a lot of concentration at first, but he had made his magic twist into the same approximate 'shape' of the spell, which caused it to act as if he had used a wand.
"Let's see… Goblins of Blood and Stone is waiting, but we're finally leaving the Atlantis section of History of Magic next week so it might be good to recap on what Binns went over from History of Magic: Volume One…" Harry muttered to himself. He wanted to read both, of course, but which should he read first?
Finally deciding on "Goblins of Blood and Stone", Harry sent the other book back to one of the piles that were growing around his bed. Seeing Harry about to spend time reading, Amber slithered into the boy's lap who then rested the book on her coils and starting to pet her scales as he opened it.
Goblins of Blood and Stone
The Experiences of Millican Wainright, Bloodbrother to Goblin Steeltoe
Harry grinned. This was going to be good.
"The Goblins deep beneath the earth and stone have a beautiful culture of honor and glory. Their culture is focused around mining, warfare, and gold, with the most honorable goblins making their way to the top, on mountains of gold and rivers of blood. Every Goblin is a warrior, even in modern times where they seem to be peaceable bankers; their battlefield is now the battlefield of gold and investments."
Harry flipped the page as he read over different goblin cultures. "Goblins never show their teeth, and doing such signifies the intention of an honor duel. Oh wow… so they're like wolves, right?" Harry asked himself curiously. Amber hissed gently, peering at the book as Harry continued and flipped to the next page.
"Gringotts is merely one of the Mountain Strongholds the Goblins have, and they graciously allowed me to go beneath the earth with them to areas that no human wizard has been in millenia. They are impossibly old, with ages nearing hundreds of years, a curious difference from wizards, who can only reach a hundred and fifty years on average. The Mountain Strongholds are called, aptly, Holds, and the largest, I am told, are called Mountainhomes."
Harry seemed curious at that. They almost sounded like dwarves from The Hobbit! Continuing to read, he grinned and was immediately surprised as the author spoke about it.
"One of my companions, a squib by the name of John Tolkien, stated that the Goblins were fascinating. He also commented on their skill of metalworking and their beauty of mining; he seemed to be fascinated by the way Goblin Steel was lighter than normal muggle steel.
The Goblins themselves do not refer to themselves as Goblins amongst each other, I found, instead referring to themselves as the "Dwa-Erf", which in their language, Gobbledygook, means "Children of Earth."
John seemed eager to learn more of their language, the man seemingly enamored by it. I hope my old friend doesn't get into any trouble, however. Incessant questioning seemed to annoy the Goblins we spoke to, and they only accepted John because I was around."
Harry's eyes widened in surprise. The author had mentioned in the first chapter he was a "Friend of the Goblins", which was their term for one of the highest patrons of the bank and a personal friend of a high ranking Goblin. Harry idly imagined what it'd be like to have a Goblin friend.
As Harry spent more time reading he began to sigh, learning more of the Goblin's customs and their race. His mind danced with images of strong goblin warriors fighting and battling things like dragons and trolls. The customs seemed to be unique, focused around honor to the stone that had birthed them and magic which guided their hammers and picks. Harry learned of different Goblin strongholds, but the author, despite his status as a sworn bloodbrother to an important goblin, wasn't allowed to visit any of the Mountainhomes; he wasn't even told where they were.
One day, Harry hoped he might be able to visit one. His mind gave him visions of beautiful carved stone doors leading deep beneath the earth, a magnificent underground city that was carved into the mountain itself. It was like a fairy tale, but this fairy tale might have a ring of truth to it.
Closing the book and peering at the large, ornate grandfather clock at the side of the room, Harry noticed that it was nearly midnight. He had been reading for almost five hours! Flopping back on his pillow, Amber hissed gently as she coiled around her boy.
As Harry began to relax, allowing sleep to take hold, his thoughts wandered back to the prank. Goblins didn't resort to pranks—such antics were beneath their sense of honor. Instead, they engaged in sparring and friendly duels, a dignified way of testing strength and skill. The sheer cruelty of the prank made Harry's anger simmer anew. It wasn't just childish mischief; it was a deliberate act of humiliation, and the dishonor of it gnawed at him. He wanted payback—but how?
The Slytherins were all but certain the Weasley twins were behind it, and Harry wasn't inclined to disagree. A part of him itched to retaliate, to teach them a lesson they wouldn't soon forget.
His mind began to turn over the possibilities, ideas forming and dissolving as he idly scanned the room. His gaze landed on the book of Runes resting on his bedside table, the crisp pages practically calling to him. Slowly, a wicked grin spread across his face.
Yes, his mind whispered. That could work.
No longer tired, the boy grabbed the book and flipped into it, an absolutely devilish idea sliding through his mind and making his grin slowly grow wider in the darkness of the dorm room.
The next couple weeks were rather simple. The first Quidditch game, normally in November, had been postponed until the first week of January so that all four Houses could test the new brooms and grow comfortable with them. It wasn't like Harry minded at all; the more flight practice he got, the better he felt.
With the new method of attempting to reach his animagus form, Harry found the void during the ritual much less harsh and seemed to have a give. He had spent the ritual wandering the void, the Gray and Red lights dancing by his side, no longer fighting off the darkness. Harry had felt the darkness that close a few times; but each time he had felt the presence quickly back off as he approached.
With only two rituals remaining, Harry's nerves were starting to get the better of him, and the strain was beginning to seep into his performance in class. The weight of anticipation hung heavy over him, but a glimmer of relief came in the form of a recent test from Professor Binns. The exam, which marked the conclusion of what the ethereal Professor grandly referred to as "The Atlantis Section," had been a challenge, but completing it felt like a victory.
When the following week's class arrived, Harry walked in with a noticeable spring in his step.
"So we're going to go into the collapse of Atlantis, and the immediate aftereffects today, Draco. It's going to be so cool!"
Harry's comment made Draco grin, "I still can't believe you actually got the ghost to actually do his job, Potter. No one's done that in… well, ever! Everyone always said how bad his classes were. Even Father was surprised when I told him you had done that."
Harry grinned. "Well, he seemed to be under the assumption that it wasn't his job. I wonder why?" Harry asked curiously.
Draco shrugged, "Who knows. Maybe the previous headmaster tried to split the class and Binns was never told when the class was removed. You are good with books, Potter, look it up."
Harry nodded in agreement as the two, once more trailed by Crabbe and Goyle, made their way into the history class. As per usual, the class was lively and excited to learn more about the magical history of their world.
When the bell rang, Professor Binns floated up through the floor. "Alright, class, take your seats. With the political machinations of Atlantis complete and your test scores on the subject adequate, we will now move on to the collapse of Atlantis, its causes, and its repercussions. Open your books and move to Chapter Fourteen, if you would."
Harry and Draco moved to scooch closer, sharing the book as they turned the page, the ghostly professor beginning to read. His monotone voice had long since been discarded and the ghost showed a true animation to himself. Though perhaps that was simply from the magic Harry 'fed' the ghost each class.
"And so by the actions of the False King Altodmar, the fall of the magical kingdom began. With the Nobles acting against the common folk, magical and nonmagical alike, they started to view the commoners as subhuman. Eventually, the Court of Magic ruled that commoners would no longer be allowed to have magic, and a grand ritual was designed by the King and his court. Remember, as mentioned in the previous chapters, the False King gained his title through bloodshed and usurpation. It is believed that he murdered the heir of the true Atlantean king and used the resulting chaos to take the Crown of Magic by force. You can see here what happens when evil people gain power," the ghostly Professor said with a sigh.
"No one knows exactly what happened on the eve of the Ritual. However, the magic that seemed to rush from the world itself was felt by everyone, mundane and magical alike. It seemed to smash into Atlantis' capital city like a tidal wave, and the millions living within the glorious floating city suddenly found themselves plummeting to the ground. Some say that lucky Atlanteans managed to keep portions of the city afloat, but any truth to those rumors have been lost along with their fragments of the ancient city.
"A majority of the city sank into the sea to the west of the modern island of Britain, with some fragments scattered around the English Channel and the coast of Brittany. The few survivors of the destruction found themselves with magic that had been reduced, as if magic itself had pulled back from them in punishment for the ritual that had taken place. The largest group of survivors made their way to Britain, forming what is known today as the Council of Druids. Attempting to keep the magic safe, the very few Nobles who had survived were revealed to be minor houses of Atlantis who had gone against the ritual. No other loyalist nobles, or the False King, were ever seen again.
"With the fall of Atlantis, many of the surviving magicals that lived in colonies from the Empire were now on their own. These magicals became the foundation of many mythological persons and religious beliefs; with each area of the world relying on different aspects of what the empire had taught." Professor Binns stopped and he looked at everyone. "I believe myself that the Voodoo doctors in Africa, the Shamans of the Americas, the Incan Sun-Kings, and even the Shinto Priests in Japan are all remnants of different magical colonies formed by Atlantis to experiment with magic.
"The surge of magic had affected the world, plunging it into an era of a deep, frigid chill. Even those who had no interaction with Atlantis were affected, with the Ice Age even being mentioned in muggle histories. It took hundreds of years for the world to finally move back to civilization, with magicals working to assist the nonmagical leaders to reform new nations. And this is the final note of Atlantis. Plunging the world into an Ice Age, because of their hubris. Yes, Mister Terrance?"
"My name is Theodore Nott." Nott corrected him as he continued to speak, "But I was wondering, surely we would have been able to find fragments of Atlantis after the city fell? You said the city itself was nearly the size of Ireland itself."
"Indeed, Mister Terrance. The city was and still is the largest example of magicals and muggles working together on a magically-created structure. It is estimated by many scholars that the loss of life was nearly an extinction event for the world; estimations by magical scholars think that upwards of a hundred million died during that calamity, with more than two-thirds being magicals. This is stated to be why so few magicals exist in comparison to muggles today."
Nott nodded, ignoring the fact Binns had once more gotten his name incorrect, before lowering his hand so the Professor could continue.
"As the years passed, several of the Druids came together in a meeting with several muggle rulers, meeting with a set of Italian mages who were currently being oppressed by the muggle kingdoms situated in Greece. The Druids and the Italian mages decided to create a pact; half of the druids would head south to gather their fellows in France and then move to Italy to create a new empire."
Binns looked at the students. "Many of you would know the name of the Empire that followed… the muggles call it the Roman Empire, but magicals know of it as the Ro-Mana Empire. Unfortunately, with muggles being given more autonomy in the Ro-Mana Empire, the muggle senators assassinated the leader of the Druids, Julius Ceasar, after a victory against not muggle barbarians, as muggles would have you believe, but a group of rogue magic users. This forced the remaining Druids out, making them return to Britain."
There was a chorus of gasps around the room as Binns nodded. "Indeed, the muggle's Roman Empire was originally a magical Empire. It never got close to the level of cooperation between muggles and magicals as Atlantis, however. Now, let us continue.
"After the exile of the Druids from the Ro-Mana Empire, the Druids found themselves once more without a home or nation. This resulted in a series of Dark Lords, who started to attack and cause chaos in Britain. They delved into Black Magics that resulted in the eventual attack from the muggle Roman Emperor, Hadrian, and the forcing of the magicals into the northern parts of Britain. His wall was coated with the blood of magicals, creating a blood ward that would only shatter on the death of his line. The massacre of magicals was all because of the actions of the treacherous Dark Lord, Hugo the Black. This became known as the Night of Crimson among the Druids."
Binns set down the book, and nodded. "As you can see, the fall of Atlantis and the desperation of the Druids created the Roman Empire. For a time things were good. I know many here believe muggles to be unsophisticated, but they are excellent and hard workers, and good companions for magicals. Where a magical is weaker in physical strength due to the magic that runs through us, mundane folk are hardworking, steadfast, and strong." Binns explained, making Zabini snorted from his seat next to Nott.
"Now, I want each of you to go ahead and read the next chapter, as well as investigate the book "The Ro-Mana Empire" by Flickit Flenchery. Just the first chapter will do. When you have finished, I want a foot on your own thoughts on why the magical rulers of Ro-Mana made the same mistake of the Atlantean rulers."
The bell rang just as Binns nodded. "Class dismissed." With that said, he phased through the floor and out of sight.
"What's up, Draco? You've been quiet since the end of history class." Harry said as he moved to sit down at the Slytherin Table in the Great Hall. Draco moved to sit next to him, while Hermione moved to sit with Neville. Ron sat with Seamus and Dean, chatting with them merrily.
"Potter, the False King's actions sound a lot like the Dark Lord's. He has expressed that he wanted to take magic from those unworthy…"
A chill ran down Harry's spine making him frown. "Really?"
"Yes, my father mentioned it was a later addition to his goals in passing." Draco looked a bit uncomfortable.
Harry's finger tapped on his chin as he thought. After a second, Harry spoke up, "And did you do any research on how many that he killed, like I mentioned before?"
"Not yet, but I was going to do the research with questions to my father over Christmas. This has made me worry even more… do you really think that the Dark Lord was trying to steal power and cause another Fall of Atlantis?"
"He might not have been, Draco. Or perhaps he simply didn't know what he was attempting had been tried before. But as I said, you should do your research first, and then make your decision. If he's good for your family, isn't that what you should be looking at? And if he's not, it's your duty as Heir to mention it to your father." Harry said softly, keeping his voice low.
Draco had a determined look on his face before giving nod. Het then turned to get something to eat for lunch.
Harry, however, was eating slowly, thinking about what he had learned from Draco. The False King's usurpation did sound familiar. Voldemort's rise to power, from what Harry had researched, was quite similar. The death, the bigotry, the horror. That wasn't how a Magical Noble should act, ever.
His thought process was suddenly broken off as a firework went off in the Great Hall, whizzing around and dancing between the banners hung from the ceiling. Large, sparkling words danced from the firework's flare, appearing over the four tables.
Over Gryffindor, the word "Heroes" was displayed in great, glimmering gold letters.
Over Hufflepuff, the word "Duffers" was displayed in sparkling copper.
Over Ravenclaw, a sapphire series of sparks spelled out the word "Swots."
And over Slytherin, emerald sparkles spelled out the word "Tossers".
Harry could see the Gryffindors looked proud. The Hufflepuffs looked annoyed, but seemed to enjoy the prank. The Ravenclaws seemed embarrassed; some even got up and left the room.
For Slytherin, however, there was a lot of grumbling, with several seventh-years raising their wands and attempting to dispel it, only to cause the word to shift to "Prats" and then to "Slimes".
Harry sighed. Another prank, it seemed. Several teachers talked amongst each other, but nothing was done to stop the glittering fireworks. Harry quickly ate a few bites, but the food tasted like ash on his tongue.
The food wasn't bad, but his mood was low enough that he suddenly didn't feel hungry. Looking to Draco, he could see by his friend's face that it was the same for him. With a shared nod, the two got up and were joined by the majority of the Slytherins in leaving the hall.
Yet another insulting prank by the Weasleys, in that same style that the Weasleys are known for. Not quite dangerous, but still insulting and rude. Don't worry, their comeuppance will be coming soon.
And so we move out of the Atlantis history lessons. Next will begin the tale of Albion and the Ro-Mana Empire! Yes, I deliberately mispelled that. You'll see.
And yes! Turns out the Goblins inspired the famous Tolkien dwarves. The goblins we see managing the bank are comparatively younger goblins; the older ones stay in the Mountainhomes and work there.
A special thanks to Kaminton, Angie, and Levitress, my three beta readers! If you are interested in joining in to help, let me know! I'm already up to book 2 chapter 9, so there's plenty to read over and edit.
Harry Potter is owned by JK Rowling, not me.