Chapter 31: The Return
Starfox5
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Chapter 31: The Return
'There are few adventurers braver than the tomb raiders working in the Valley of the Kings. Armed only with their wands and wits, they face millennia-old curses and traps, prepared by the most skilful wizards of Ancient Egypt, as they descend into graves filled with danger and treasure. But it's not the lure of gold that drives them to face such threats, for a skilled Curse-Breaker could make a small fortune providing homes and offices with strong protections. Nor is it the wish to uncover ancient magic, lost to time in the centuries since Ancient Egypt fell to the Romans, before some ignoble grave-robber pilfers it, as they did for centuries before Gringotts took control of the Valley of the Kings.
No, what drives a Curse-Breaker to enter tombs is the desire to prove themselves. To know that it is only their skill and knowledge keeping them alive as they face ancient terrors… Not much can equal the satisfaction derived from a curse broken, a trap circumvented and an undead guardian slain at your hand. To triumph where so many have failed before, to stand where no one living has stood in millennia - this is what drives the tomb raiders in the Valley of the Kings. The challenge, not the lucre.
I know this very well, for I have been one of them. I've crossed wands with bandits and set ancient mummies on fire. I've seen fellow Curse-Breakers die screaming to dark curses thought lost to time and plucky squibs dodging age-old traps despite their lack of magic. I've gazed upon more gold and jewels than found in the vaults of the wealthiest families at Gringotts, and I've seen entire tombs looted by robbers, all the lore and history of an ancient culture destroyed for mere money.
In my years in Egypt, I've had many adventures - in tombs as well as in the harems and bazaars of the Orient. Too many to tell them all, but the most interesting ones you shall find detailed in the following pages. May they serve as inspiration to budding Curse-Breakers.'
- Excerpt from 'Matching Wits with Mummies - Adventures in the Valley of the Kings' by Gilderoy Lockhart, London, 1988
Atlantic Ocean, December 27th, 2001
Ron Weasley was, once again, steering the Range Rover through the night over the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. A rather crowded car this time, though - and that was with Mum and Dad, as well as Bill and Fleur, travelling in Sirius's car, which was following theirs.
A rather loud car, too, he added to himself as he heard laughter and a small explosion from the back.
"Your brothers are stupid."
He turned his head as Ari slid into the seat next to him, pouting.
"The twins? Yes, they are." He chuckled.
She scoffed.
"They're family," Ron said. He almost added 'can't get rid of them', but that would have would have been hurtful - her family had disowned and banished her, after all.
"They're stupid family."
"I think everyone in my family would agree with that," he said, laughing. "Especially Ginny and Mum."
She nodded. After a moment, she said: "The celebration was nice, though."
He nodded in agreement, then reached out to hold her hand, gently squeezing it. "You're family too, now."
She didn't say anything, but she leaned over until her head touched his shoulder.
They remained like that for a while.
Atlantic Ocean, December 28th, 2001
Hermione Granger threw a last, suspicious glance over her shoulder at the twins currently steering the Range Rover before she entered her and Harry's room in the back. She trusted the twins not to crash and sink them - deliberately, at least. But she didn't actually trust them to behave. But the Headmaster had asked to have a private discussion with her and her friends, actually flying over on his broom from Petunia and Sirius's car. She didn't think Dumbledore would have done that if it weren't important.
"Thank you for taking the time to discuss a few things," the Headmaster said, smiling gently as she took her seat next to Harry at the conjured table. "I do not like interrupting a most pleasant journey, but I think it is best to do this now, before we arrive in the Caribbean and might find our time occupied with more urgent matters."
"Of course, sir," Harry agreed.
"It's not as if we were particularly busy," Ron added - a little too nonchalantly, in Hermione's opinion. Ari seemed to share her view if the glare she sent Ron was anything to go by.
"Quite. Although one should never underestimate the value of a few days spent resting without worrying." Dumbledore sighed slightly and leaned back in his own conjured armchair - a copy of the one he had in his office. "Especially after experiences such as those you had recently."
"Danger's part of a Curse-Breaker's job." Harry smiled as he recited his favourite quote of Bill's.
"But young William was talking about curses and traps, and also, perhaps, bandits. He was not talking about the dangers of using the Dark Arts," Dumbledore replied.
Hermione froze for a moment as her heart seemed to skip a beat. What did the Headmaster mean? Did he know what they had done?
"We're no dark wizards," Ari said while Hermione - and, presumably, Harry and Ron - was still trying to come up with a reply herself.
"No, you are not," Dumbledore said, inclining his head. "But I dare say that you are more than merely theoretically familiar with the Dark Arts." He chuckled, once. "All of you avoided mentioning blood magic or soul magic when you told your tales, apart from the most basic descriptions. Quite peculiar, in light of the lengths to which you went in securing my own notes on those subjects."
Hermione grimaced at the oversight. Of course the Headmaster would have noticed that. "We didn't sacrifice anyone, human or creature," she said.
"Self-sacrificial magic is still blood magic, my dear," Dumbledore retorted. "Not as dark, of course, but still questionable - and with good reason."
She tensed. "Blood is also used in potions," she pointed out.
"Indeed, it is." The Headmaster nodded at her. "But even though brewing a potion is similar to a ritual, it is not quite the same." He took a deep breath. "Now I do not think you are but one spell away from becoming blood mages, but you should not underestimate the danger of taking further steps down that particular slope."
"We had no choice but to use self-sacrificial magic," she retorted. "We would have been killed otherwise when Kohlmeier attacked." She felt Harry grab her hand and squeeze it, and took a deep breath, trying to relax a little.
"I do not doubt that you had compelling reasons to resort to such spells," Dumbledore said, "but as you might realise too late, that is often the case when one's life is threatened. If that is your justification, you are merely trading one danger for another, more insidious menace."
There wasn't much she could say in reply to that. He was correct, of course. But…
"What should we do instead?" Ari asked.
"There is almost always an alternative to using the Dark Arts. Perhaps more expensive, more prone to failure and not as quick - but also not as dangerous to yourself and your friends," the Headmaster told her.
Hermione clenched her teeth. Could they have found another way to convince Ophas to tell them Atlantis's location? Perhaps. Mallory's ghost wouldn't have been able to blackmail them, then. But what if Kohlmeier had found the temple first? Used the opportunity for dark rituals?
"Sometimes, the danger is too great to risk those alternatives," Harry said, voicing her own thoughts.
"That is true," Dumbledore agreed. "However, it is not nearly as often the case as you might think." He shook his head. "I do not know what exactly you did, though I believe you when you said that you stuck to sacrificing your own blood. But do not fall into the trap of considering such deeds acceptable - or even advisable. Nor of assuming that sacrificing yourself would be an acceptable price to pay as long as enough is at stake. You might find out too late that you were sorely mistaken." He smiled, though it looked quite sad. "Believe me, there is not much more tragic than having to face a friend who has succumbed to the lure of the Dark Arts." He nodded at them as he stood. "I shall leave you to ponder this, I think."
Hermione managed to return his nod as he left the room, but she couldn't meet his eyes.
Harry Potter slowly let out a breath as soon as Dumbledore had left. That had been… a lesson. And a warning. Several warnings, actually.
"So… no more blood magic," Ron said. "Got it." He didn't sound too torn up over it - but then, he hadn't been the one to actually use blood magic. And he was looking at them with a slightly worried expression, Harry noted.
"We weren't planning to use more blood magic," Harry pointed out. He wasn't angry, not really, but the assumption did annoy him.
"Unless it were the only way," Hermione added. She sounded a lot less… confident than usual, though, as she corrected him.
He leaned over and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "We'll have to be more creative, then."
"And live more dangerously," Ron added.
"Not more dangerously - less, according to the Headmaster." That sounded more like Hermione's usual corrections.
"Yes," Harry agreed.
"We should ask him to teach us more spells, then," Ari suggested.
That was a great idea! Harry grinned as Hermione started to smile, and Ron kissed Ari. It wasn't like Harry resented the Headmaster for telling them off for using blood magic - he hadn't liked casting a blood curse, after all, and not just because he had to cast it on himself - but Ari's idea offered a great way to, well, get back a little at Dumbledore, and for perfectly valid reasons.
"Let's ask him," he said, smiling.
"Yes," Hermione added, "let's."
Virgin Islands, Tortola, December 30th, 2001
They were approaching a clearing in the woods - not one of the ones that they had used before, but large enough for two Range Rovers - when Harry Potter heard Hermione gasp.
"We crossed a wardline," she said.
"Someone warded the forest?" Ron sounded as incredulous as Harry felt.
"My tribe did that as well," Ari pointed out.
Harry sincerely hoped that whoever had done this didn't know the spells Ari's tribe had used to control their territory.
"We need to turn around!" Hermione said. "Whoever controls the spells will know something arrived."
"That's why we need to land," Harry told her. The Range Rover hadn't fared well in the last clash with bounty hunters - who else would cover a forest on an island in detection spells? - and he didn't fancy another chase through the skies.
"Why… Ah." Hermione nodded. "Of course." She knew what he was planning, then.
They still took the time to check the clearing before setting down, of course. You couldn't reason with or frighten off traps, after all.
But as soon as Auntie's car touched the ground, Dumbledore was the first to leave it, looking around.
Harry was already shrinking their own Range Rover.
"Perhaps we should have conjured a floating platform out over the sea," Hermione whispered next to him as she conjured swarms of bats to cover the sky.
Perhaps they should have. But they would have been even more vulnerable if someone had attacked them there, even though the odds of an attack taking place… well, Harry wouldn't have expected detection spells covering the forest here either, so perhaps the odds wouldn't have been as low as he had thought.
The twins, Angelina and Alicia spread out, covering the edges of one side of the clearing. They looked as if they knew what they were doing - but they didn't have the experience Harry and the others had. Fortunately, Ari was there as well, sniffing the air. He trusted her.
And he trusted Auntie and the others, of course. She was standing next to Sirius, an assault rifle ready, while Harry's godfather shrank their car. Arthur, Molly and Xenophilius were with Ginny and Luna in the middle of the clearing, while Bill and Fleur covered the other side of the clearing.
"Anything in the air?" Bill asked.
"The bats haven't found anything ye… someone's coming!" Hermione yelled.
"Keep an eye on the forest!" Ron yelled to the twins. "The sky might be a diversion."
Or a pincer attack - Harry would do that if he were on the other side. That required numbers, though - could whoever had placed the spells that detected them muster as many wands as their own group? They would soon find out, Harry guessed, raising his wand as he searched the sky for the swarms of bats pointing out an invisible presence.
Then a very loud voice filled the clearing - and the sky, presumably. Dumbledore had cast an Amplifying Charm. "To whoever is approaching our little gathering: I am Albus Dumbledore, and I bid you welcome - provided you come in peace."
The Headmaster sounded jovial and was smiling widely - but Harry was certain that any bounty hunter approaching them had suffered a shock upon hearing his words.
He kept watching the sky anyway, of course, as Hermione finished conjuring stone shelters for them. No markers appeared - but then, bounty hunters would know to stay out of the range of the Human-presence-revealing Spell.
"They've stopped moving," Hermione said, pointing at the swarms of bats indicating disillusioned people in the air.
They could copy Kohlmeier and summon clouds of gas in the air. Inflammable gases. It wouldn't take much to set them off, either. Although the gas had to be lighter than air, or the clouds would drift down towards the clearing.
He glanced at Dumbledore. The old wizard was still smiling, standing in the clearing as if he didn't have a care in the world.
"Dumbledore?" The amplified voice from the sky sounded dubious.
Instead of answering, Dumbledore flicked his wand, and the treeline in front of him turned into a herd of elephants. A rather large herd.
"Shit."
"I take it that I have convinced you of my identity. Now, would you mind telling me whom I am addressing?" The elephants vanished again with another flick of Dumbledore's wand. "And, perhaps, you would find it in yourself to land so we can discuss things in a more civilised fashion?"
That was the tone Dumbledore used when addressing students who broke the rules at Hogwarts. Harry suppressed the urge to flinch out of reflex - he was very familiar with it.
"Alright," came the answer. A moment later, a broom rider faded into view above them and started to slowly descend to the ground.
"Stay sharp," Harry mumbled into his enchanted pin. "The other bounty hunters might try to use this as a distraction."
The bounty hunter - a wizard wearing a leather coat, buckskin, Harry thought the style was called - dismounted and approached them.
"Good afternoon," Dumbledore said.
"Good afternoon." The man studied the others on the field. Harry met his eyes.
"Mr…?" The Headmaster cocked his head.
"Mackenzie. Call me Mack."
"Mr Mackenzie." Dumbledore nodded, still smiling politely as the other wizard frowned. "I do not think I have to ask what brought you here."
Mackenzie snorted. "No, you don't."
"But I do have to ask you if you still intend to go through with your plans."
The bounty snorted again. "Facing you? I'm not stupid." Shaking his head, he added: "We didn't expect half an army either."
"But you should have expected this, Mr Mackenzie." Dumbledore gently shook his head. "Attacking Mr Potter and his friends means attacking their friends - a group of which I am proud to be a part."
"It's a legit bounty!"
"Several countries, including my own, disagree with that claim, Mr Mackenzie. But then, if everyone agreed about such matters, there would be no need at all for bounty hunters, would there?"
"You're protecting them."
"Should it come to blows, I shall gladly lend my wand to their defence. Although I think, in this case, I would only be hastening the inevitable." Dumbledore chuckled. "After all, we are travelling to confirm the death of Herbert Kohlmeier and two dozen of his followers at the hand of Mr Potter and his friends so they can claim the bounty."
Harry managed to keep his expression from revealing that he had forgotten entirely about the bounty on Kohlmeier.
"Blimey!"
"Bounty?"
His friends didn't, though.
"Kohlmeier? They claim to have killed Kohlmeier?" Mackenzie probably tried to sound doubtful, but he seemed more nervous than before.
"Indeed. You were unaware of the fact that Mr Kohlmeier's Storm Wizards were the ones to actually attack the Sultan's palace?"
"The Ottomans denied that."
"They deny a lot, alas," the Headmaster said with a shake of his head. "That does not mean they are to be trusted. Now, do you intend to continue pursuing Mr Potter and his friends? They are, in a way, colleagues of yours."
"Of course not. Told ya, we're not stupid or suicidal," Mackenzie spat.
"Jury's still out on that," Harry muttered. The other wizard didn't hear him, though.
"Then I suggest you vacate the premises with your friends and allies," Dumbledore said, still in a very pleasant tone as if he were talking about the weather. "Otherwise, someone might think you were still planning to attack. I would be loathe to see a fight break out over such a misunderstanding, but I would certainly end it."
"We'll be gone in a minute," Mackenzie said with a grimace.
"Please see to it."
The bounty hunter mounted his broom and flew upwards - considerably faster than he had descended, Harry noted.
"We haven't spotted anyone in the woods," Ron reported.
"Nor smelled anyone," Ari added.
"Then it seems we are in the clear, so to speak," Dumbledore said. "Now, shall we continue towards our destination?"
Harry nodded. "Yes. But we should move to another location to prepare Portkeys for the return journey." The bounty hunters might yet try to trap the clearing after they had left.
"That's a good idea," Dumbledore agreed. "I do not think Mr Mackenzie would risk such an attack, but some among his fellow bounty hunters might not be as wise."
"But if they warded this clearing, they might have warded others as well," Hermione pointed out.
"In that case, I think it might be best to create a new clearing," Dumbledore replied. "We can easily restore the trees afterwards."
Harry sighed. Time to get the Range Rovers out again.
Caribbean Sea, Puerto Rico Trench, December 30th, 2001
The temple's roof was clear of Inferi. Ron Weasley sighed with relief as he lowered his wand. Of course, he had known all along that it had been very unlikely that the zombies left in the cavern would have not only realised that they would return to the roof, but managed to scale the walls of the temple as well, but… every Curse-Breaker knew that 'very unlikely' didn't mean 'impossible'.
Ari sniffed the air. "There are Inferi below us," she announced.
Bats swirled around them, then fanned out. "Nothing disillusioned near us," Hermione said.
"Marvellous!" Dumbledore exclaimed. "To visit Atlantis… I think every wizard who has heard the tales of this island has dreamed of such a feat at least once."
Was the Headmaster crying? No, he wasn't. But his eyes were a little wet, or so it seemed to Ron.
Harry was already on his broom, hovering in front of the gates. "Some Inferi are inside the temple, but the walls are clear," he told them through his enchanted pin.
"But they know we're here," Hermione said. "They'll be gathering around and inside the temple."
"Precisely where we want them." Dumbledore slowly walked to the edge of the temple's roof and peered down, his wand weaving a complicated pattern. "Oh, I see. Quite impressive, indeed. His master would have been proud of this achievement. You told me about these Inferi's resistance to fire and spells, but to see it with my own eyes..."
Ron grimaced. Those monsters had killed two dozen people in this cavern alone. Granted, all of them had been Storm Wizards, but still…
"Can you kill them?" Ari asked.
Dumbledore slowly nodded. "I think so - though a test is needed, I believe. It would be quite embarrassing if we went to the trouble of gathering them all, only to discover that I overlooked a crucial issue. Potentially dangerous as well, although I think as long as we stick to the roof, we should be safe."
"Unless they manage to wreck the walls and cause the temple to collapse, we're safe here," Harry said.
"Quite. Now let us see if my concoction will work as planned." Dumbledore flicked his wand, then swished, and a few seconds later, a cage made of stone containing a growling zombie floated in front of him.
Unconcerned about the Inferius trying to reach him through the bars of the cage, the Headmaster pulled out a vial from his robe, unstoppered it, then flicked his wand.
A moment later, the creature started to smoke, though it didn't seem to notice. Its movements grew more sluggish as well - and then, suddenly, it collapsed entirely within the cage, quickly turning to ashes.
"It seems the Essence of Salt is working as it should," Dumbledore commented. "A single drop put the zombie to rest. Apparently, Mr Kohlmeier did not account for Alchemy when he created these creatures. Though, to be fair, he probably never studied it - it is a somewhat esoteric art these days, and was one during his formative years as well."
"Is it difficult to produce such essence?" Hermione asked as Ron had known she would.
"It is not particularly difficult, but it requires extensive knowledge and practice of Alchemy, Miss Granger."
Studying Alchemy just for the times they encountered Inferi in their line of work seemed excessive to Ron. He knew better than to mention it, though - Hermione looked like she'd found a new project to focus on.
"Are there any more stragglers?" Dumbledore asked, nodding towards the horde gathering below them.
"We'll check the area," Harry said, already flying towards the pier.
Ron nodded, mounted his own broom - a Firebolt, a Christmas gift from Sirius - and started towards the buildings on the other side of the temple, followed by Ari. Between her nose and him playing bait, they quickly confirmed that there were no Inferi hiding in the buildings.
Harry took a little longer but hadn't found any stragglers either by the time he returned to the temple's roof.
"Mr Kohlmeier's creations might be a little too good at tracking their prey. Or too single-minded," Dumbledore commented on the results of their reconnaissance. "Let us deal with them now so we can inform the others that it is safe to use their Portkey."
Once more, he raised the vial and flicked his wand. This time, though, dozens of drops flew out of it, then dived towards the waiting Inferi below them.
And the monsters started to collapse.
"A pity," the Headmaster commented as the first wave turned to ashes, quickly blown away by a soft wind - they still hadn't figured out how to control that, Ron remembered.
"Why?" Ari asked. "They are undead monsters."
"They were made from the bodies of the people sacrificed by the Atlanteans, or so I understand," Dumbledore replied. "I wish we could have given them a proper burial."
"Oh." Ari nodded. "I see. I'm sorry."
Ron didn't comment, but he also felt guilty for not thinking of the sacrifices. First murdered for a ritual, then their bodies turned into zombies… They hadn't deserved either. No one did.
At least they could now rest in peace.
"You destroyed all the Inferi?" Luna - and Ginny - was staring at her as if she had been told that Christmas had been retroactively cancelled.
Hermione Granger pursed her lips. "Yes, we did take great pains to wipe out the animated corpses that wanted to kill every single one of us," she said, perhaps a bit more sharply than she had intended.
"But," Luna protested, shaking her head in apparent shock, "they were a new variant! Unique creatures!"
"And with their creator dead, irreplaceable as well!" Ginny added. "We're talking extinction here!"
They couldn't be serious! Hermione looked to Harry for support, but her traitorous boyfriend was showing the temple's main room to Petunia and Sirius. "I reiterate," she said through clenched teeth, "the Inferi wanted to kill everyone. They massacred - killed and devoured - two dozen Storm Wizards."
"So they expressed typical behaviour for Inferi," Luna said, making a note. "And they were more resistant to spells than other Inferi. Were they created with dragon blood, perhaps?"
"We don't know," Hermione replied. It was theoretically possible - if Kohlmeier had used the blood from the dead dragon he had animated as well… She shook her head, then frowned at the pouts of the other two witches. "Did you check the remains of the zombie dragon Kohlmeier created?"
"You didn't destroy them?" Luna perked up.
"We blew it up, well, parts of it. But a lot remains," Hermione replied, pointing towards the collapsed house where the dragon had been trapped by Harry's foolhardy stunt.
"Oh, let's go! We might be able to reconstruct it!" Ginny exclaimed.
"And we have to categorise it! Inferius Draconicus Kohlmeierensis, perhaps?" Luna said.
"We should work in the dragon's species as well," Ginny replied.
"Yes!"
A moment later, the two were on their brooms and racing towards the dead dragon's remains.
"Ginny! Luna! Where are you going?" Hermione heard Molly yell. "Arthur!"
She sighed as she shook her head. Perhaps they shouldn't have brought quite so many people with them.
"Atlantis! I still cannot believe we're in the heart of Atlantis!" Luna's father muttered as he walked past her, head craned back as he studied the dome above them. "My readers won't believe it either!"
Well, some would, Hermione thought. And once the ICW confirmed their claim, many would want to read Xenophilius' articles. She smiled as she walked over to Harry and his family.
"...and that's the central rune. All the protection spells are tied to it," Harry said, pointing up at the dome.
"It needs to be protected, then," Petunia said. "One wrong spell or careless experiment - or an Imperiused saboteur - and the cavern could be gone."
It would take a little more than one spell, in Hermione's opinion, but Petunia was correct.
"We could put up a copy to cover the real one," Harry said.
"You really did it, you know?" Sirius said with a wide grin. "This is the discovery of the century! Atlantis!"
"Island of the blood mages," Harry added in not quite as reverent tone.
"That might not sit well with a few people," Sirius replied. "Especially those who think the Atlanteans taught our ancestors magic."
"I think that that theory has been disproven by our discoveries so far - the Atlanteans used blood magic for all their important rituals. While both Greek and Egyptian wizards used sacrificial magic as well, neither came close to the Atlanteans in that area; it remained reserved for special occasions," Hermione said.
"A sound deduction," Petunia agreed. "Which means it'll take ten or twenty years for people to accept it."
That was disheartening. Almost as disheartening as not being able to publish their discovery in the muggle world. Hermione sighed. Perhaps they might find some non-magical ruins of Atlantis on the bottom of the Puerto Rico Trench as well.
"We weren't created by Atlanteans as a slave race!"
Fleur was halfway to completing her transformation, Hermione noticed - and glaring at Ari and Cenkora.
"Denial won't change the facts," Ari retorted, equally loudly. "Cenkora knows better than you what the Atlanteans did and didn't do!"
"Those were 'arpies that 'e's talking about!" Fleur spat. "Not Veela!"
"But he mentioned plans to improve on them," Ari replied. "Shapechangers."
"We're not descendants of 'arpies either!" Fleur screeched before a beak replaced most of her face and Ron and Bill stepped between the two witches.
"It seems our discovery will have plenty of ramifications we haven't yet considered," Harry said.
"History might have to be rewritten," Sirius agreed.
And that wouldn't be easy, Hermione knew. Wizards, like people in general, were resistant to fundamental change.
"We still need to search the building in which Kohlmeier was hiding," she reminded the others. You never knew what he might have dropped in his mad and ultimately futile scramble to escape the Inferi.
As it turned out, the dark wizard hadn't dropped anything in the building in which he had hidden. She had hoped for some relics he had planned to use, but the man had been as competent as she should have expected.
"He gave them a good fight," Ron commented, poking the remains of one Inferius with his boot.
"He still tried to run away," Ari said.
"Emphasis on tried," Ron replied with a grin.
Hermione huffed - it wasn't a joking matter, in her opinion. He noticed, and his grin grew wider. "At least we have bodies for Luna and Ginny to examine," she said, hiding a smile when Ron grimaced in return.
"...and while the curses used against the Inferi hindered our examination - as well as the fact so much time passed before we arrived here - we still found some remarkable clues," Ginny said at dinner.
"And we found enough intact body parts for two Inferi!" Luna added. "Although they don't work any more."
"Which is a very good thing," Hermione Granger said. Not exactly a good topic for dinner conversation, of course.
"I think the dead dragon is more interesting for our readers, though," Luna went on. "It must have been the greatest animated corpse in known history - until you blew parts of it up."
"We had to." Harry shrugged.
"It's still a loss for Magizoology," Xenophilius said. "As much a shame as the fact that the Atlanteans showed no care for fish."
"Fish?" Hermione stared at the man.
"Yes. They didn't manage to adjust the portal so it wouldn't allow fish through, which means all the native fish species in the harbour were transported to the bottom of the Puerto Rico Trench, where they must have perished in short order." The man sniffled. "So many species must have died out…"
"Seeing as the entire population of the islands died and the cavern sank to the bottom of the trench, I don't think they can be held responsible," Hermione pointed out. "They couldn't foresee that." And given the Atlanteans' attitude towards other races and slaves, they wouldn't have cared much, if at all, about fish. Cenkora certainly didn't.
"Neglect is no excuse either," Xenophilius replied. "If the ghosts were sapient, I would give them a piece of my mind!"
"Not the best phrasing, given the proximity of zombies," Dumbledore said with a smile.
Hermione chuckled, but not everyone was familiar enough with muggle zombie clichés to understand the joke. "In any case," she went on, addressing everyone at the extended table in their Range Rover, "We have now confirmed that the site is safe."
"And we've confirmed the deaths of Kohlmeier, Kraft and Mallory!" Ari exclaimed. "Bloody traitors!"
"And dark wizards as well as blood mages," Hermione said. Well, Kraft hadn't used blood magic, or Ari would have smelled it.
"Which means a hefty bounty awaits us!" Ron added with a wide grin.
"We still have to sort out the bounties placed on us," Harry pointed out.
"And the Ottomans are being very stubborn about the affair," Dumbledore said with a faint frown. "The dispute over the exact status of Atlantis will not help. That said, all of you can be proud of what you have achieved. This is the discovery of the century."
Hermione nodded in agreement. They had done it. Now all that was left was to handle the political consequences.
Swiss Magical Confederation, Geneva, January 7th, 2002
"Isn't that a little pretentious?" Harry Potter asked, peering at the seal inlaid in the polished marble floor which used the official name of Magical Switzerland, Confoederatio Helvetica Magica. "We're in the Hall of the International Confederation of Wizards, which isn't actually Swiss territory."
"It's territory ceded to the ICW by the Swiss," Hermione replied, "So they probably didn't want anyone to ever forget that oh so generous gesture."
"Well, Percy told me that they are a prickly sort," Ron said. "And no one really cares about the Swiss, so this is probably the most important part of their history."
"It's actually a fascinating country. Despite their small size, the Swiss have four official languages," Hermione said.
"No wonder they take ages to actually do anything," Ron replied. "Percy said that they're always the last to adopt the ICW decrees. They must spend most of the time translating everything into three other languages."
Harry laughed at the joke, even though that earned him a glare from Hermione. But they had been cooling their heels for over two hours here while the representatives of the ICW's member countries slowly gathered in the hall behind them for today's special session.
And they were using privacy charms, so the two Swiss Guards who were guarding the entrance nearby in robes even Dumbledore might consider a little tacky couldn't understand them anyway.
And neither could the representatives who passed them on their way to their seats.
"Watch out, that one stinks!" Ari suddenly hissed. "Blood mage!"
Harry looked up and saw a middle-aged witch glaring at them. That had to be the representative from Magical Jamaica. He sneered at her in return. There was no point in being polite to the houngans, and being openly hostile to them would only gather more support among the rest of the member countries.
The hongan sniffed as she walked past them, white linen robes swirling.
"For a culture whose robes are supposedly styled after the slaves' garb worn by their ancestors, she's wearing quite ostentatious clothing," Hermione commented snidely.
"Impractical, too," Ari added. "Wouldn't be able to fight well in them."
"Heads up, Ottoman incoming," Ron said.
And yes, here came Pasha Abdul al-Azm, the Ottoman representative. He scowled at them so deeply, it looked almost comical. And the way he openly ground his teeth when Harry smiled at him only reinforced that.
"Making him angry won't help us come to an accommodation," Hermione told Harry.
"Showing weakness only encourages your enemies," Ari replied.
"We're not going to fight them," Hermione retorted.
"Not here, at least," Ron added. "Though it would be funny with Dumbledore present."
Harry had to agree, but before he could make a quip, someone else stepped out of the lift on the other side of the anteroom. "Lockhart?" Harry blinked. It was the ponce, heading straight towards them with his far too shining smile and far too perfectly coiffed hair. And next to him was Tahira, clinging to his arm, and…
"Mr Sayadi!" Hermione exclaimed, flicking her wand to dispel the privacy charms.
Indeed, the ghost floated there, beaming at them.
"The heroes of the hour!" Lockhart loudly declared as he reached them. "My friend told me everything! I am so proud I did my little part to help you make this monumental discovery!"
Everything? Harry really hoped that wasn't true.
"Hello, Mr Lockhart," Hermione said. "Tahira," she added with a nod to the jinni. "Mr Sayadi! What happened to you? The last time we saw you, you were..."
"Ah, as embarrassing as it was… I got lost." The ghost did indeed look a little sheepish. "I couldn't find you again, and finally decided to return to the surface. It took me some time to find a wizard willing to contact my friend for me - I didn't want to inadvertently betray your position while doing so. And once contact was established, I had to make travel arrangements, which was also a little challenging without any money."
"I, of course, sent him money as soon as I heard from him!" Lockhart stated.
"And we travelled far to meet with Mr Sayadi," the jinni added. "Could there be a more cruel fate than being left drifting in the eternal darkness of the ocean's depths, so far from the skies?"
Harry couldn't help feeling that Tahira was blaming them for Mr Sayadi's situation. Judging by Ari's scowl and muttered 'stupid smokestack' as well as Hermione and Ron's expressions, he wasn't the only one.
"We're sorry - we were attacked by a giant squid," Hermione said. "It threw us off-course, and we didn't find you before..." She trailed off.
"Before you made the discovery of the century!" Lockhart said. "When we heard of the special session, and that Dumbledore had been seen with you beforehand, we decided to come at once. It was obvious, of course, that the 'important discovery' the Supreme Mugwump wished to discuss in plenum could only be…"
Harry's privacy charm cut the man off. "Dumbledore wanted to announce it himself," he explained.
"Ah, of course. To spoil the surprise would have been gauche indeed. I was caught up in the moment, so to speak." Lockhart flashed his smile at them. "Now, have you considered writing a book about your travels? I have no small experience as an author, and would be glad to help you with that task."
Fortunately, Dumbledore called them inside to start the session and provided them with an excuse to avoid answering that.
"Honoured members of the International Confederation of Wizards!" Dumbledore began. "I have called for a special session because an issue of utmost importance has arisen." He nodded towards the bench on which Harry Potter and his friends - and, unfortunately, Lockhart and Tahira as well - were seated. "Most of you will recognise Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley and Ari. The untrue accusations levelled against them by the Ottoman Empire and Jamaica have been topics in this chamber before."
"Have you called us together for another attempt to protect these criminals?" al-Azm interjected with a sneer. "According to reports, a week ago you were personally responsible for preventing their arrest by lawful authorities!"
"A few misguided and uninformed bounty hunters decided that they would rather not attack me," Dumbledore replied. "These young people, whom I am proud to number among my friends, have brought the actual culprits of the attack on the Sultan's palace to justice. They faced and defeated Herbert Kohlmeier and two dozen of his so-called Storm Wizards and recovered the relics stolen from the Sultan's Collection."
That sent a wave of whispers and comments through the gathered representatives. The houngan representative looked shocked for a moment, Harry noticed, and al-Azm had stopped sneering. Although Harry was not sure if the man would actually accept the truth, or condemn them as trying to escape justice by giving their stolen loot back. It didn't really matter, of course - the return of their property coupled with the impact of the discovery of Atlantis and Dumbledore's backing would be enough to make the Ottomans give in. This was politics, after all, not a trial.
"But that is not why I called for this session. While important, it certainly would not deserve a special session. No, I have called you all together because these heroes have discovered Atlantis."
Exclamations and questions filled the chamber at once, creating a cacophony of noise that rendered the individual questions unintelligible. Even Dumbledore took a few seconds to quiet the excitement down.
"It is true," the Headmaster finally went on, "And they found not just ruins but a magically preserved, although depopulated, cavern housing the main temple of Atlantis." Aided by his Amplifying Charm, he spoke over the rising questions. "I have walked the streets of Atlantis. I have seen their holy place. I have read their scriptures and - with the help of skilled translators - I have talked to the ghost of their high priest. My friends, my esteemed colleagues, fellow members of the International Confederation of Wizards, what has been shrouded in myth and legend, thought lost forever, has been found! The history and lore of Atlantis will be revealed to us in due course, and it's all thanks to these young people!"
Applause filled the chamber, and Harry blushed a little under the - barely intelligible - praise heaped upon them.
Once more, the Headmaster let the representatives voice their excitement for a bit before he continued. "But while the Curse-Breakers who made this discovery will certainly be honoured for their achievement, and, I expect, their legal troubles with certain member countries expeditiously resolved in the light of the evidence they have provided, we need to determine under whose authority the remains of Atlantis fall. Should we let any one country claim dominion over arguably one of the most important legacies of our entire world and their secret knowledge? I think not, although I am but one wizard."
Dumbledore's false modesty didn't fool anyone, of course, but his statement had the desired effect as the - mostly Caribbean - nations wanting to know where Atlantis was located were quickly drowned out by proposals supported by many more, and more powerful, countries, to have the ICW take control of the remains of Atlantis for 'the whole of wizardkind'. After all, no country would want to risk one of their rivals gaining such prestige and potentially powerful secrets, after all, even if it meant curbing their own ambition and letting the ICW step in.
Just as Dumbledore had planned, and to which Harry and his friends had agreed.
It still took hours to pass the proposal, of course. And even longer and Dumbledore's personal intervention until the Ottomans officially withdrew their bounty. That the information stolen from the Sultan's Collection hadn't been needed to discover Atlantis hadn't made them any happier, of course.
Swiss Magical Confederation, Geneva, January 7th, 2002
"We should have just bribed al-Azm," Sirius said at the very late dinner Harry Potter and his friends were having in the 'Baton Vert', a small restaurant in Geneva that Dumbledore had recommended to them. "It was obvious that he knew we were telling the truth and was only holding out for a better offer."
"Or he was trying to entrap us, so he could accuse us of attempted bribery," Hermione pointed out.
"I would not go as far as to accuse Abdul of such machinations," Dumbledore said, "although I would not put it past him, either. However, I think he was merely trying to save face for the Sultan."
"And protect himself," Ron added.
"Indeed, he would not have been the first representative whose ruler punished them for supposed failures in the ICW," the Headmaster agreed. "In any case, at long last, this matter has been settled. Your reputation has been restored."
"There's still the houngans' accusations," Hermione said.
"Which are true, as I recall," Dumbledore said with a slight smile. "But, in light of the houngans' infamy, few, if any, magical nations would consider Jamaica's enmity a smirch on your honour. Quite the contrary, in fact."
He was correct, of course - Harry knew a number of Caribbean nations voted against the houngans no matter what proposal was up for debate. And not many bounty hunters would work for them lest they ended up ostracised and blacklisted.
"So, what are your plans now that your claim to Atlantis has been secured?" Auntie asked him as dessert was being served.
"Ah." Harry took a deep breath. "We haven't made any concrete plans yet."
"Apart from spending a week celebrating our success!" Ron exclaimed. "At least!"
"Yes!" Ari agreed emphatically.
"My treat!" Sirius obviously wouldn't let the opportunity to spoil Harry and his friends again pass by. "People will remember our parties just as much as your discovery!"
"Properly examining the Atlantean cavern will take a long time," Hermione said with a glance at Harry's godfather, who was probably already making plans for the parties he had mentioned.
"Too long," Ron added.
"We have to, at least, teach others Atlantean so they can do their own research," Hermione retorted. "And I see no reason why we shouldn't continue to examine the temple and its surroundings while we're doing that. The lore of the Atlanteans, including almost all their history, still remains to be discovered."
And she wouldn't want anyone else to discover that, Harry knew.
"While your tenacity and determination are admirable," Dumbledore cut in, "and, I have no doubt, one of the main reasons you succeeded where countless others failed, I need to caution you against resuming your more dangerous work as Curse-Breakers too soon. You have made a great discovery - but you also suffered a great deal. You faced slander, betrayal and far more deadly combat than anyone should experience, especially at your age. And you've wrestled with a temptation to which many have succumbed in the past." The Headmaster slowly met their eyes, one after the other, and Harry knew exactly what Dumbledore meant.
Blood magic. And everything else they had done which hadn't been entirely above board.
About which, judging by her frown, Auntie would demand to know more once they were in private. Rats.
"I feel it would be best if you spent considerable time unwinding and relaxing, my dear friends, before you undertake your next adventure." Dumbledore nodded at them.
Harry glanced at his friends as he wrapped an arm around Hermione.
"I think that's a good idea," she said.
He nodded in agreement. They would have to deal with the press for a long time, anyway - there had been a dozen requests for interviews already, even though the session hadn't ended until less than an hour ago. That spoke volumes about the impact that their discovery would have on the magical world. They were famous now - and they had earned it. He wasn't the Boy-Who-Lived any more, but one of the tomb raiders who had discovered the legendary Atlantis! Against all the odds, despite betrayals, curses and ambushes, they had realised their dream.
"A break would do us good," Harry agreed.
For a while, at least - they were tomb raiders, not mere archaeologists, after all.
'There are few adventurers braver than the tomb raiders working in the Valley of the Kings. Armed only with their wands and wits, they face millennia-old curses and traps, prepared by the most skilful wizards of Ancient Egypt, as they descend into graves filled with danger and treasure. But it's not the lure of gold that drives them to face such threats, for a skilled Curse-Breaker could make a small fortune providing homes and offices with strong protections. Nor is it the wish to uncover ancient magic, lost to time in the centuries since Ancient Egypt fell to the Romans, before some ignoble grave-robber pilfers it, as they did for centuries before Gringotts took control of the Valley of the Kings.
No, what drives a Curse-Breaker to enter tombs is the desire to prove themselves. To know that it is only their skill and knowledge keeping them alive as they face ancient terrors… Not much can equal the satisfaction derived from a curse broken, a trap circumvented and an undead guardian slain at your hand. To triumph where so many have failed before, to stand where no one living has stood in millennia - this is what drives the tomb raiders in the Valley of the Kings. The challenge, not the lucre.
I know this very well, for I have been one of them. I've crossed wands with bandits and set ancient mummies on fire. I've seen fellow Curse-Breakers die screaming to dark curses thought lost to time and plucky squibs dodging age-old traps despite their lack of magic. I've gazed upon more gold and jewels than found in the vaults of the wealthiest families at Gringotts, and I've seen entire tombs looted by robbers, all the lore and history of an ancient culture destroyed for mere money.
In my years in Egypt, I've had many adventures - in tombs as well as in the harems and bazaars of the Orient. Too many to tell them all, but the most interesting ones you shall find detailed in the following pages. May they serve as inspiration to budding Curse-Breakers.'
- Excerpt from 'Matching Wits with Mummies - Adventures in the Valley of the Kings' by Gilderoy Lockhart, London, 1988
*****
Atlantic Ocean, December 27th, 2001
Ron Weasley was, once again, steering the Range Rover through the night over the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. A rather crowded car this time, though - and that was with Mum and Dad, as well as Bill and Fleur, travelling in Sirius's car, which was following theirs.
A rather loud car, too, he added to himself as he heard laughter and a small explosion from the back.
"Your brothers are stupid."
He turned his head as Ari slid into the seat next to him, pouting.
"The twins? Yes, they are." He chuckled.
She scoffed.
"They're family," Ron said. He almost added 'can't get rid of them', but that would have would have been hurtful - her family had disowned and banished her, after all.
"They're stupid family."
"I think everyone in my family would agree with that," he said, laughing. "Especially Ginny and Mum."
She nodded. After a moment, she said: "The celebration was nice, though."
He nodded in agreement, then reached out to hold her hand, gently squeezing it. "You're family too, now."
She didn't say anything, but she leaned over until her head touched his shoulder.
They remained like that for a while.
*****
Atlantic Ocean, December 28th, 2001
Hermione Granger threw a last, suspicious glance over her shoulder at the twins currently steering the Range Rover before she entered her and Harry's room in the back. She trusted the twins not to crash and sink them - deliberately, at least. But she didn't actually trust them to behave. But the Headmaster had asked to have a private discussion with her and her friends, actually flying over on his broom from Petunia and Sirius's car. She didn't think Dumbledore would have done that if it weren't important.
"Thank you for taking the time to discuss a few things," the Headmaster said, smiling gently as she took her seat next to Harry at the conjured table. "I do not like interrupting a most pleasant journey, but I think it is best to do this now, before we arrive in the Caribbean and might find our time occupied with more urgent matters."
"Of course, sir," Harry agreed.
"It's not as if we were particularly busy," Ron added - a little too nonchalantly, in Hermione's opinion. Ari seemed to share her view if the glare she sent Ron was anything to go by.
"Quite. Although one should never underestimate the value of a few days spent resting without worrying." Dumbledore sighed slightly and leaned back in his own conjured armchair - a copy of the one he had in his office. "Especially after experiences such as those you had recently."
"Danger's part of a Curse-Breaker's job." Harry smiled as he recited his favourite quote of Bill's.
"But young William was talking about curses and traps, and also, perhaps, bandits. He was not talking about the dangers of using the Dark Arts," Dumbledore replied.
Hermione froze for a moment as her heart seemed to skip a beat. What did the Headmaster mean? Did he know what they had done?
"We're no dark wizards," Ari said while Hermione - and, presumably, Harry and Ron - was still trying to come up with a reply herself.
"No, you are not," Dumbledore said, inclining his head. "But I dare say that you are more than merely theoretically familiar with the Dark Arts." He chuckled, once. "All of you avoided mentioning blood magic or soul magic when you told your tales, apart from the most basic descriptions. Quite peculiar, in light of the lengths to which you went in securing my own notes on those subjects."
Hermione grimaced at the oversight. Of course the Headmaster would have noticed that. "We didn't sacrifice anyone, human or creature," she said.
"Self-sacrificial magic is still blood magic, my dear," Dumbledore retorted. "Not as dark, of course, but still questionable - and with good reason."
She tensed. "Blood is also used in potions," she pointed out.
"Indeed, it is." The Headmaster nodded at her. "But even though brewing a potion is similar to a ritual, it is not quite the same." He took a deep breath. "Now I do not think you are but one spell away from becoming blood mages, but you should not underestimate the danger of taking further steps down that particular slope."
"We had no choice but to use self-sacrificial magic," she retorted. "We would have been killed otherwise when Kohlmeier attacked." She felt Harry grab her hand and squeeze it, and took a deep breath, trying to relax a little.
"I do not doubt that you had compelling reasons to resort to such spells," Dumbledore said, "but as you might realise too late, that is often the case when one's life is threatened. If that is your justification, you are merely trading one danger for another, more insidious menace."
There wasn't much she could say in reply to that. He was correct, of course. But…
"What should we do instead?" Ari asked.
"There is almost always an alternative to using the Dark Arts. Perhaps more expensive, more prone to failure and not as quick - but also not as dangerous to yourself and your friends," the Headmaster told her.
Hermione clenched her teeth. Could they have found another way to convince Ophas to tell them Atlantis's location? Perhaps. Mallory's ghost wouldn't have been able to blackmail them, then. But what if Kohlmeier had found the temple first? Used the opportunity for dark rituals?
"Sometimes, the danger is too great to risk those alternatives," Harry said, voicing her own thoughts.
"That is true," Dumbledore agreed. "However, it is not nearly as often the case as you might think." He shook his head. "I do not know what exactly you did, though I believe you when you said that you stuck to sacrificing your own blood. But do not fall into the trap of considering such deeds acceptable - or even advisable. Nor of assuming that sacrificing yourself would be an acceptable price to pay as long as enough is at stake. You might find out too late that you were sorely mistaken." He smiled, though it looked quite sad. "Believe me, there is not much more tragic than having to face a friend who has succumbed to the lure of the Dark Arts." He nodded at them as he stood. "I shall leave you to ponder this, I think."
Hermione managed to return his nod as he left the room, but she couldn't meet his eyes.
*****
Harry Potter slowly let out a breath as soon as Dumbledore had left. That had been… a lesson. And a warning. Several warnings, actually.
"So… no more blood magic," Ron said. "Got it." He didn't sound too torn up over it - but then, he hadn't been the one to actually use blood magic. And he was looking at them with a slightly worried expression, Harry noted.
"We weren't planning to use more blood magic," Harry pointed out. He wasn't angry, not really, but the assumption did annoy him.
"Unless it were the only way," Hermione added. She sounded a lot less… confident than usual, though, as she corrected him.
He leaned over and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "We'll have to be more creative, then."
"And live more dangerously," Ron added.
"Not more dangerously - less, according to the Headmaster." That sounded more like Hermione's usual corrections.
"Yes," Harry agreed.
"We should ask him to teach us more spells, then," Ari suggested.
That was a great idea! Harry grinned as Hermione started to smile, and Ron kissed Ari. It wasn't like Harry resented the Headmaster for telling them off for using blood magic - he hadn't liked casting a blood curse, after all, and not just because he had to cast it on himself - but Ari's idea offered a great way to, well, get back a little at Dumbledore, and for perfectly valid reasons.
"Let's ask him," he said, smiling.
"Yes," Hermione added, "let's."
*****
Virgin Islands, Tortola, December 30th, 2001
They were approaching a clearing in the woods - not one of the ones that they had used before, but large enough for two Range Rovers - when Harry Potter heard Hermione gasp.
"We crossed a wardline," she said.
"Someone warded the forest?" Ron sounded as incredulous as Harry felt.
"My tribe did that as well," Ari pointed out.
Harry sincerely hoped that whoever had done this didn't know the spells Ari's tribe had used to control their territory.
"We need to turn around!" Hermione said. "Whoever controls the spells will know something arrived."
"That's why we need to land," Harry told her. The Range Rover hadn't fared well in the last clash with bounty hunters - who else would cover a forest on an island in detection spells? - and he didn't fancy another chase through the skies.
"Why… Ah." Hermione nodded. "Of course." She knew what he was planning, then.
They still took the time to check the clearing before setting down, of course. You couldn't reason with or frighten off traps, after all.
But as soon as Auntie's car touched the ground, Dumbledore was the first to leave it, looking around.
Harry was already shrinking their own Range Rover.
"Perhaps we should have conjured a floating platform out over the sea," Hermione whispered next to him as she conjured swarms of bats to cover the sky.
Perhaps they should have. But they would have been even more vulnerable if someone had attacked them there, even though the odds of an attack taking place… well, Harry wouldn't have expected detection spells covering the forest here either, so perhaps the odds wouldn't have been as low as he had thought.
The twins, Angelina and Alicia spread out, covering the edges of one side of the clearing. They looked as if they knew what they were doing - but they didn't have the experience Harry and the others had. Fortunately, Ari was there as well, sniffing the air. He trusted her.
And he trusted Auntie and the others, of course. She was standing next to Sirius, an assault rifle ready, while Harry's godfather shrank their car. Arthur, Molly and Xenophilius were with Ginny and Luna in the middle of the clearing, while Bill and Fleur covered the other side of the clearing.
"Anything in the air?" Bill asked.
"The bats haven't found anything ye… someone's coming!" Hermione yelled.
"Keep an eye on the forest!" Ron yelled to the twins. "The sky might be a diversion."
Or a pincer attack - Harry would do that if he were on the other side. That required numbers, though - could whoever had placed the spells that detected them muster as many wands as their own group? They would soon find out, Harry guessed, raising his wand as he searched the sky for the swarms of bats pointing out an invisible presence.
Then a very loud voice filled the clearing - and the sky, presumably. Dumbledore had cast an Amplifying Charm. "To whoever is approaching our little gathering: I am Albus Dumbledore, and I bid you welcome - provided you come in peace."
The Headmaster sounded jovial and was smiling widely - but Harry was certain that any bounty hunter approaching them had suffered a shock upon hearing his words.
He kept watching the sky anyway, of course, as Hermione finished conjuring stone shelters for them. No markers appeared - but then, bounty hunters would know to stay out of the range of the Human-presence-revealing Spell.
"They've stopped moving," Hermione said, pointing at the swarms of bats indicating disillusioned people in the air.
They could copy Kohlmeier and summon clouds of gas in the air. Inflammable gases. It wouldn't take much to set them off, either. Although the gas had to be lighter than air, or the clouds would drift down towards the clearing.
He glanced at Dumbledore. The old wizard was still smiling, standing in the clearing as if he didn't have a care in the world.
"Dumbledore?" The amplified voice from the sky sounded dubious.
Instead of answering, Dumbledore flicked his wand, and the treeline in front of him turned into a herd of elephants. A rather large herd.
"Shit."
"I take it that I have convinced you of my identity. Now, would you mind telling me whom I am addressing?" The elephants vanished again with another flick of Dumbledore's wand. "And, perhaps, you would find it in yourself to land so we can discuss things in a more civilised fashion?"
That was the tone Dumbledore used when addressing students who broke the rules at Hogwarts. Harry suppressed the urge to flinch out of reflex - he was very familiar with it.
"Alright," came the answer. A moment later, a broom rider faded into view above them and started to slowly descend to the ground.
"Stay sharp," Harry mumbled into his enchanted pin. "The other bounty hunters might try to use this as a distraction."
The bounty hunter - a wizard wearing a leather coat, buckskin, Harry thought the style was called - dismounted and approached them.
"Good afternoon," Dumbledore said.
"Good afternoon." The man studied the others on the field. Harry met his eyes.
"Mr…?" The Headmaster cocked his head.
"Mackenzie. Call me Mack."
"Mr Mackenzie." Dumbledore nodded, still smiling politely as the other wizard frowned. "I do not think I have to ask what brought you here."
Mackenzie snorted. "No, you don't."
"But I do have to ask you if you still intend to go through with your plans."
The bounty snorted again. "Facing you? I'm not stupid." Shaking his head, he added: "We didn't expect half an army either."
"But you should have expected this, Mr Mackenzie." Dumbledore gently shook his head. "Attacking Mr Potter and his friends means attacking their friends - a group of which I am proud to be a part."
"It's a legit bounty!"
"Several countries, including my own, disagree with that claim, Mr Mackenzie. But then, if everyone agreed about such matters, there would be no need at all for bounty hunters, would there?"
"You're protecting them."
"Should it come to blows, I shall gladly lend my wand to their defence. Although I think, in this case, I would only be hastening the inevitable." Dumbledore chuckled. "After all, we are travelling to confirm the death of Herbert Kohlmeier and two dozen of his followers at the hand of Mr Potter and his friends so they can claim the bounty."
Harry managed to keep his expression from revealing that he had forgotten entirely about the bounty on Kohlmeier.
"Blimey!"
"Bounty?"
His friends didn't, though.
"Kohlmeier? They claim to have killed Kohlmeier?" Mackenzie probably tried to sound doubtful, but he seemed more nervous than before.
"Indeed. You were unaware of the fact that Mr Kohlmeier's Storm Wizards were the ones to actually attack the Sultan's palace?"
"The Ottomans denied that."
"They deny a lot, alas," the Headmaster said with a shake of his head. "That does not mean they are to be trusted. Now, do you intend to continue pursuing Mr Potter and his friends? They are, in a way, colleagues of yours."
"Of course not. Told ya, we're not stupid or suicidal," Mackenzie spat.
"Jury's still out on that," Harry muttered. The other wizard didn't hear him, though.
"Then I suggest you vacate the premises with your friends and allies," Dumbledore said, still in a very pleasant tone as if he were talking about the weather. "Otherwise, someone might think you were still planning to attack. I would be loathe to see a fight break out over such a misunderstanding, but I would certainly end it."
"We'll be gone in a minute," Mackenzie said with a grimace.
"Please see to it."
The bounty hunter mounted his broom and flew upwards - considerably faster than he had descended, Harry noted.
"We haven't spotted anyone in the woods," Ron reported.
"Nor smelled anyone," Ari added.
"Then it seems we are in the clear, so to speak," Dumbledore said. "Now, shall we continue towards our destination?"
Harry nodded. "Yes. But we should move to another location to prepare Portkeys for the return journey." The bounty hunters might yet try to trap the clearing after they had left.
"That's a good idea," Dumbledore agreed. "I do not think Mr Mackenzie would risk such an attack, but some among his fellow bounty hunters might not be as wise."
"But if they warded this clearing, they might have warded others as well," Hermione pointed out.
"In that case, I think it might be best to create a new clearing," Dumbledore replied. "We can easily restore the trees afterwards."
Harry sighed. Time to get the Range Rovers out again.
*****
Caribbean Sea, Puerto Rico Trench, December 30th, 2001
The temple's roof was clear of Inferi. Ron Weasley sighed with relief as he lowered his wand. Of course, he had known all along that it had been very unlikely that the zombies left in the cavern would have not only realised that they would return to the roof, but managed to scale the walls of the temple as well, but… every Curse-Breaker knew that 'very unlikely' didn't mean 'impossible'.
Ari sniffed the air. "There are Inferi below us," she announced.
Bats swirled around them, then fanned out. "Nothing disillusioned near us," Hermione said.
"Marvellous!" Dumbledore exclaimed. "To visit Atlantis… I think every wizard who has heard the tales of this island has dreamed of such a feat at least once."
Was the Headmaster crying? No, he wasn't. But his eyes were a little wet, or so it seemed to Ron.
Harry was already on his broom, hovering in front of the gates. "Some Inferi are inside the temple, but the walls are clear," he told them through his enchanted pin.
"But they know we're here," Hermione said. "They'll be gathering around and inside the temple."
"Precisely where we want them." Dumbledore slowly walked to the edge of the temple's roof and peered down, his wand weaving a complicated pattern. "Oh, I see. Quite impressive, indeed. His master would have been proud of this achievement. You told me about these Inferi's resistance to fire and spells, but to see it with my own eyes..."
Ron grimaced. Those monsters had killed two dozen people in this cavern alone. Granted, all of them had been Storm Wizards, but still…
"Can you kill them?" Ari asked.
Dumbledore slowly nodded. "I think so - though a test is needed, I believe. It would be quite embarrassing if we went to the trouble of gathering them all, only to discover that I overlooked a crucial issue. Potentially dangerous as well, although I think as long as we stick to the roof, we should be safe."
"Unless they manage to wreck the walls and cause the temple to collapse, we're safe here," Harry said.
"Quite. Now let us see if my concoction will work as planned." Dumbledore flicked his wand, then swished, and a few seconds later, a cage made of stone containing a growling zombie floated in front of him.
Unconcerned about the Inferius trying to reach him through the bars of the cage, the Headmaster pulled out a vial from his robe, unstoppered it, then flicked his wand.
A moment later, the creature started to smoke, though it didn't seem to notice. Its movements grew more sluggish as well - and then, suddenly, it collapsed entirely within the cage, quickly turning to ashes.
"It seems the Essence of Salt is working as it should," Dumbledore commented. "A single drop put the zombie to rest. Apparently, Mr Kohlmeier did not account for Alchemy when he created these creatures. Though, to be fair, he probably never studied it - it is a somewhat esoteric art these days, and was one during his formative years as well."
"Is it difficult to produce such essence?" Hermione asked as Ron had known she would.
"It is not particularly difficult, but it requires extensive knowledge and practice of Alchemy, Miss Granger."
Studying Alchemy just for the times they encountered Inferi in their line of work seemed excessive to Ron. He knew better than to mention it, though - Hermione looked like she'd found a new project to focus on.
"Are there any more stragglers?" Dumbledore asked, nodding towards the horde gathering below them.
"We'll check the area," Harry said, already flying towards the pier.
Ron nodded, mounted his own broom - a Firebolt, a Christmas gift from Sirius - and started towards the buildings on the other side of the temple, followed by Ari. Between her nose and him playing bait, they quickly confirmed that there were no Inferi hiding in the buildings.
Harry took a little longer but hadn't found any stragglers either by the time he returned to the temple's roof.
"Mr Kohlmeier's creations might be a little too good at tracking their prey. Or too single-minded," Dumbledore commented on the results of their reconnaissance. "Let us deal with them now so we can inform the others that it is safe to use their Portkey."
Once more, he raised the vial and flicked his wand. This time, though, dozens of drops flew out of it, then dived towards the waiting Inferi below them.
And the monsters started to collapse.
"A pity," the Headmaster commented as the first wave turned to ashes, quickly blown away by a soft wind - they still hadn't figured out how to control that, Ron remembered.
"Why?" Ari asked. "They are undead monsters."
"They were made from the bodies of the people sacrificed by the Atlanteans, or so I understand," Dumbledore replied. "I wish we could have given them a proper burial."
"Oh." Ari nodded. "I see. I'm sorry."
Ron didn't comment, but he also felt guilty for not thinking of the sacrifices. First murdered for a ritual, then their bodies turned into zombies… They hadn't deserved either. No one did.
At least they could now rest in peace.
*****
"You destroyed all the Inferi?" Luna - and Ginny - was staring at her as if she had been told that Christmas had been retroactively cancelled.
Hermione Granger pursed her lips. "Yes, we did take great pains to wipe out the animated corpses that wanted to kill every single one of us," she said, perhaps a bit more sharply than she had intended.
"But," Luna protested, shaking her head in apparent shock, "they were a new variant! Unique creatures!"
"And with their creator dead, irreplaceable as well!" Ginny added. "We're talking extinction here!"
They couldn't be serious! Hermione looked to Harry for support, but her traitorous boyfriend was showing the temple's main room to Petunia and Sirius. "I reiterate," she said through clenched teeth, "the Inferi wanted to kill everyone. They massacred - killed and devoured - two dozen Storm Wizards."
"So they expressed typical behaviour for Inferi," Luna said, making a note. "And they were more resistant to spells than other Inferi. Were they created with dragon blood, perhaps?"
"We don't know," Hermione replied. It was theoretically possible - if Kohlmeier had used the blood from the dead dragon he had animated as well… She shook her head, then frowned at the pouts of the other two witches. "Did you check the remains of the zombie dragon Kohlmeier created?"
"You didn't destroy them?" Luna perked up.
"We blew it up, well, parts of it. But a lot remains," Hermione replied, pointing towards the collapsed house where the dragon had been trapped by Harry's foolhardy stunt.
"Oh, let's go! We might be able to reconstruct it!" Ginny exclaimed.
"And we have to categorise it! Inferius Draconicus Kohlmeierensis, perhaps?" Luna said.
"We should work in the dragon's species as well," Ginny replied.
"Yes!"
A moment later, the two were on their brooms and racing towards the dead dragon's remains.
"Ginny! Luna! Where are you going?" Hermione heard Molly yell. "Arthur!"
She sighed as she shook her head. Perhaps they shouldn't have brought quite so many people with them.
"Atlantis! I still cannot believe we're in the heart of Atlantis!" Luna's father muttered as he walked past her, head craned back as he studied the dome above them. "My readers won't believe it either!"
Well, some would, Hermione thought. And once the ICW confirmed their claim, many would want to read Xenophilius' articles. She smiled as she walked over to Harry and his family.
"...and that's the central rune. All the protection spells are tied to it," Harry said, pointing up at the dome.
"It needs to be protected, then," Petunia said. "One wrong spell or careless experiment - or an Imperiused saboteur - and the cavern could be gone."
It would take a little more than one spell, in Hermione's opinion, but Petunia was correct.
"We could put up a copy to cover the real one," Harry said.
"You really did it, you know?" Sirius said with a wide grin. "This is the discovery of the century! Atlantis!"
"Island of the blood mages," Harry added in not quite as reverent tone.
"That might not sit well with a few people," Sirius replied. "Especially those who think the Atlanteans taught our ancestors magic."
"I think that that theory has been disproven by our discoveries so far - the Atlanteans used blood magic for all their important rituals. While both Greek and Egyptian wizards used sacrificial magic as well, neither came close to the Atlanteans in that area; it remained reserved for special occasions," Hermione said.
"A sound deduction," Petunia agreed. "Which means it'll take ten or twenty years for people to accept it."
That was disheartening. Almost as disheartening as not being able to publish their discovery in the muggle world. Hermione sighed. Perhaps they might find some non-magical ruins of Atlantis on the bottom of the Puerto Rico Trench as well.
"We weren't created by Atlanteans as a slave race!"
Fleur was halfway to completing her transformation, Hermione noticed - and glaring at Ari and Cenkora.
"Denial won't change the facts," Ari retorted, equally loudly. "Cenkora knows better than you what the Atlanteans did and didn't do!"
"Those were 'arpies that 'e's talking about!" Fleur spat. "Not Veela!"
"But he mentioned plans to improve on them," Ari replied. "Shapechangers."
"We're not descendants of 'arpies either!" Fleur screeched before a beak replaced most of her face and Ron and Bill stepped between the two witches.
"It seems our discovery will have plenty of ramifications we haven't yet considered," Harry said.
"History might have to be rewritten," Sirius agreed.
And that wouldn't be easy, Hermione knew. Wizards, like people in general, were resistant to fundamental change.
"We still need to search the building in which Kohlmeier was hiding," she reminded the others. You never knew what he might have dropped in his mad and ultimately futile scramble to escape the Inferi.
As it turned out, the dark wizard hadn't dropped anything in the building in which he had hidden. She had hoped for some relics he had planned to use, but the man had been as competent as she should have expected.
"He gave them a good fight," Ron commented, poking the remains of one Inferius with his boot.
"He still tried to run away," Ari said.
"Emphasis on tried," Ron replied with a grin.
Hermione huffed - it wasn't a joking matter, in her opinion. He noticed, and his grin grew wider. "At least we have bodies for Luna and Ginny to examine," she said, hiding a smile when Ron grimaced in return.
*****
"...and while the curses used against the Inferi hindered our examination - as well as the fact so much time passed before we arrived here - we still found some remarkable clues," Ginny said at dinner.
"And we found enough intact body parts for two Inferi!" Luna added. "Although they don't work any more."
"Which is a very good thing," Hermione Granger said. Not exactly a good topic for dinner conversation, of course.
"I think the dead dragon is more interesting for our readers, though," Luna went on. "It must have been the greatest animated corpse in known history - until you blew parts of it up."
"We had to." Harry shrugged.
"It's still a loss for Magizoology," Xenophilius said. "As much a shame as the fact that the Atlanteans showed no care for fish."
"Fish?" Hermione stared at the man.
"Yes. They didn't manage to adjust the portal so it wouldn't allow fish through, which means all the native fish species in the harbour were transported to the bottom of the Puerto Rico Trench, where they must have perished in short order." The man sniffled. "So many species must have died out…"
"Seeing as the entire population of the islands died and the cavern sank to the bottom of the trench, I don't think they can be held responsible," Hermione pointed out. "They couldn't foresee that." And given the Atlanteans' attitude towards other races and slaves, they wouldn't have cared much, if at all, about fish. Cenkora certainly didn't.
"Neglect is no excuse either," Xenophilius replied. "If the ghosts were sapient, I would give them a piece of my mind!"
"Not the best phrasing, given the proximity of zombies," Dumbledore said with a smile.
Hermione chuckled, but not everyone was familiar enough with muggle zombie clichés to understand the joke. "In any case," she went on, addressing everyone at the extended table in their Range Rover, "We have now confirmed that the site is safe."
"And we've confirmed the deaths of Kohlmeier, Kraft and Mallory!" Ari exclaimed. "Bloody traitors!"
"And dark wizards as well as blood mages," Hermione said. Well, Kraft hadn't used blood magic, or Ari would have smelled it.
"Which means a hefty bounty awaits us!" Ron added with a wide grin.
"We still have to sort out the bounties placed on us," Harry pointed out.
"And the Ottomans are being very stubborn about the affair," Dumbledore said with a faint frown. "The dispute over the exact status of Atlantis will not help. That said, all of you can be proud of what you have achieved. This is the discovery of the century."
Hermione nodded in agreement. They had done it. Now all that was left was to handle the political consequences.
*****
Swiss Magical Confederation, Geneva, January 7th, 2002
"Isn't that a little pretentious?" Harry Potter asked, peering at the seal inlaid in the polished marble floor which used the official name of Magical Switzerland, Confoederatio Helvetica Magica. "We're in the Hall of the International Confederation of Wizards, which isn't actually Swiss territory."
"It's territory ceded to the ICW by the Swiss," Hermione replied, "So they probably didn't want anyone to ever forget that oh so generous gesture."
"Well, Percy told me that they are a prickly sort," Ron said. "And no one really cares about the Swiss, so this is probably the most important part of their history."
"It's actually a fascinating country. Despite their small size, the Swiss have four official languages," Hermione said.
"No wonder they take ages to actually do anything," Ron replied. "Percy said that they're always the last to adopt the ICW decrees. They must spend most of the time translating everything into three other languages."
Harry laughed at the joke, even though that earned him a glare from Hermione. But they had been cooling their heels for over two hours here while the representatives of the ICW's member countries slowly gathered in the hall behind them for today's special session.
And they were using privacy charms, so the two Swiss Guards who were guarding the entrance nearby in robes even Dumbledore might consider a little tacky couldn't understand them anyway.
And neither could the representatives who passed them on their way to their seats.
"Watch out, that one stinks!" Ari suddenly hissed. "Blood mage!"
Harry looked up and saw a middle-aged witch glaring at them. That had to be the representative from Magical Jamaica. He sneered at her in return. There was no point in being polite to the houngans, and being openly hostile to them would only gather more support among the rest of the member countries.
The hongan sniffed as she walked past them, white linen robes swirling.
"For a culture whose robes are supposedly styled after the slaves' garb worn by their ancestors, she's wearing quite ostentatious clothing," Hermione commented snidely.
"Impractical, too," Ari added. "Wouldn't be able to fight well in them."
"Heads up, Ottoman incoming," Ron said.
And yes, here came Pasha Abdul al-Azm, the Ottoman representative. He scowled at them so deeply, it looked almost comical. And the way he openly ground his teeth when Harry smiled at him only reinforced that.
"Making him angry won't help us come to an accommodation," Hermione told Harry.
"Showing weakness only encourages your enemies," Ari replied.
"We're not going to fight them," Hermione retorted.
"Not here, at least," Ron added. "Though it would be funny with Dumbledore present."
Harry had to agree, but before he could make a quip, someone else stepped out of the lift on the other side of the anteroom. "Lockhart?" Harry blinked. It was the ponce, heading straight towards them with his far too shining smile and far too perfectly coiffed hair. And next to him was Tahira, clinging to his arm, and…
"Mr Sayadi!" Hermione exclaimed, flicking her wand to dispel the privacy charms.
Indeed, the ghost floated there, beaming at them.
"The heroes of the hour!" Lockhart loudly declared as he reached them. "My friend told me everything! I am so proud I did my little part to help you make this monumental discovery!"
Everything? Harry really hoped that wasn't true.
"Hello, Mr Lockhart," Hermione said. "Tahira," she added with a nod to the jinni. "Mr Sayadi! What happened to you? The last time we saw you, you were..."
"Ah, as embarrassing as it was… I got lost." The ghost did indeed look a little sheepish. "I couldn't find you again, and finally decided to return to the surface. It took me some time to find a wizard willing to contact my friend for me - I didn't want to inadvertently betray your position while doing so. And once contact was established, I had to make travel arrangements, which was also a little challenging without any money."
"I, of course, sent him money as soon as I heard from him!" Lockhart stated.
"And we travelled far to meet with Mr Sayadi," the jinni added. "Could there be a more cruel fate than being left drifting in the eternal darkness of the ocean's depths, so far from the skies?"
Harry couldn't help feeling that Tahira was blaming them for Mr Sayadi's situation. Judging by Ari's scowl and muttered 'stupid smokestack' as well as Hermione and Ron's expressions, he wasn't the only one.
"We're sorry - we were attacked by a giant squid," Hermione said. "It threw us off-course, and we didn't find you before..." She trailed off.
"Before you made the discovery of the century!" Lockhart said. "When we heard of the special session, and that Dumbledore had been seen with you beforehand, we decided to come at once. It was obvious, of course, that the 'important discovery' the Supreme Mugwump wished to discuss in plenum could only be…"
Harry's privacy charm cut the man off. "Dumbledore wanted to announce it himself," he explained.
"Ah, of course. To spoil the surprise would have been gauche indeed. I was caught up in the moment, so to speak." Lockhart flashed his smile at them. "Now, have you considered writing a book about your travels? I have no small experience as an author, and would be glad to help you with that task."
Fortunately, Dumbledore called them inside to start the session and provided them with an excuse to avoid answering that.
*****
"Honoured members of the International Confederation of Wizards!" Dumbledore began. "I have called for a special session because an issue of utmost importance has arisen." He nodded towards the bench on which Harry Potter and his friends - and, unfortunately, Lockhart and Tahira as well - were seated. "Most of you will recognise Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley and Ari. The untrue accusations levelled against them by the Ottoman Empire and Jamaica have been topics in this chamber before."
"Have you called us together for another attempt to protect these criminals?" al-Azm interjected with a sneer. "According to reports, a week ago you were personally responsible for preventing their arrest by lawful authorities!"
"A few misguided and uninformed bounty hunters decided that they would rather not attack me," Dumbledore replied. "These young people, whom I am proud to number among my friends, have brought the actual culprits of the attack on the Sultan's palace to justice. They faced and defeated Herbert Kohlmeier and two dozen of his so-called Storm Wizards and recovered the relics stolen from the Sultan's Collection."
That sent a wave of whispers and comments through the gathered representatives. The houngan representative looked shocked for a moment, Harry noticed, and al-Azm had stopped sneering. Although Harry was not sure if the man would actually accept the truth, or condemn them as trying to escape justice by giving their stolen loot back. It didn't really matter, of course - the return of their property coupled with the impact of the discovery of Atlantis and Dumbledore's backing would be enough to make the Ottomans give in. This was politics, after all, not a trial.
"But that is not why I called for this session. While important, it certainly would not deserve a special session. No, I have called you all together because these heroes have discovered Atlantis."
Exclamations and questions filled the chamber at once, creating a cacophony of noise that rendered the individual questions unintelligible. Even Dumbledore took a few seconds to quiet the excitement down.
"It is true," the Headmaster finally went on, "And they found not just ruins but a magically preserved, although depopulated, cavern housing the main temple of Atlantis." Aided by his Amplifying Charm, he spoke over the rising questions. "I have walked the streets of Atlantis. I have seen their holy place. I have read their scriptures and - with the help of skilled translators - I have talked to the ghost of their high priest. My friends, my esteemed colleagues, fellow members of the International Confederation of Wizards, what has been shrouded in myth and legend, thought lost forever, has been found! The history and lore of Atlantis will be revealed to us in due course, and it's all thanks to these young people!"
Applause filled the chamber, and Harry blushed a little under the - barely intelligible - praise heaped upon them.
Once more, the Headmaster let the representatives voice their excitement for a bit before he continued. "But while the Curse-Breakers who made this discovery will certainly be honoured for their achievement, and, I expect, their legal troubles with certain member countries expeditiously resolved in the light of the evidence they have provided, we need to determine under whose authority the remains of Atlantis fall. Should we let any one country claim dominion over arguably one of the most important legacies of our entire world and their secret knowledge? I think not, although I am but one wizard."
Dumbledore's false modesty didn't fool anyone, of course, but his statement had the desired effect as the - mostly Caribbean - nations wanting to know where Atlantis was located were quickly drowned out by proposals supported by many more, and more powerful, countries, to have the ICW take control of the remains of Atlantis for 'the whole of wizardkind'. After all, no country would want to risk one of their rivals gaining such prestige and potentially powerful secrets, after all, even if it meant curbing their own ambition and letting the ICW step in.
Just as Dumbledore had planned, and to which Harry and his friends had agreed.
It still took hours to pass the proposal, of course. And even longer and Dumbledore's personal intervention until the Ottomans officially withdrew their bounty. That the information stolen from the Sultan's Collection hadn't been needed to discover Atlantis hadn't made them any happier, of course.
*****
Swiss Magical Confederation, Geneva, January 7th, 2002
"We should have just bribed al-Azm," Sirius said at the very late dinner Harry Potter and his friends were having in the 'Baton Vert', a small restaurant in Geneva that Dumbledore had recommended to them. "It was obvious that he knew we were telling the truth and was only holding out for a better offer."
"Or he was trying to entrap us, so he could accuse us of attempted bribery," Hermione pointed out.
"I would not go as far as to accuse Abdul of such machinations," Dumbledore said, "although I would not put it past him, either. However, I think he was merely trying to save face for the Sultan."
"And protect himself," Ron added.
"Indeed, he would not have been the first representative whose ruler punished them for supposed failures in the ICW," the Headmaster agreed. "In any case, at long last, this matter has been settled. Your reputation has been restored."
"There's still the houngans' accusations," Hermione said.
"Which are true, as I recall," Dumbledore said with a slight smile. "But, in light of the houngans' infamy, few, if any, magical nations would consider Jamaica's enmity a smirch on your honour. Quite the contrary, in fact."
He was correct, of course - Harry knew a number of Caribbean nations voted against the houngans no matter what proposal was up for debate. And not many bounty hunters would work for them lest they ended up ostracised and blacklisted.
"So, what are your plans now that your claim to Atlantis has been secured?" Auntie asked him as dessert was being served.
"Ah." Harry took a deep breath. "We haven't made any concrete plans yet."
"Apart from spending a week celebrating our success!" Ron exclaimed. "At least!"
"Yes!" Ari agreed emphatically.
"My treat!" Sirius obviously wouldn't let the opportunity to spoil Harry and his friends again pass by. "People will remember our parties just as much as your discovery!"
"Properly examining the Atlantean cavern will take a long time," Hermione said with a glance at Harry's godfather, who was probably already making plans for the parties he had mentioned.
"Too long," Ron added.
"We have to, at least, teach others Atlantean so they can do their own research," Hermione retorted. "And I see no reason why we shouldn't continue to examine the temple and its surroundings while we're doing that. The lore of the Atlanteans, including almost all their history, still remains to be discovered."
And she wouldn't want anyone else to discover that, Harry knew.
"While your tenacity and determination are admirable," Dumbledore cut in, "and, I have no doubt, one of the main reasons you succeeded where countless others failed, I need to caution you against resuming your more dangerous work as Curse-Breakers too soon. You have made a great discovery - but you also suffered a great deal. You faced slander, betrayal and far more deadly combat than anyone should experience, especially at your age. And you've wrestled with a temptation to which many have succumbed in the past." The Headmaster slowly met their eyes, one after the other, and Harry knew exactly what Dumbledore meant.
Blood magic. And everything else they had done which hadn't been entirely above board.
About which, judging by her frown, Auntie would demand to know more once they were in private. Rats.
"I feel it would be best if you spent considerable time unwinding and relaxing, my dear friends, before you undertake your next adventure." Dumbledore nodded at them.
Harry glanced at his friends as he wrapped an arm around Hermione.
"I think that's a good idea," she said.
He nodded in agreement. They would have to deal with the press for a long time, anyway - there had been a dozen requests for interviews already, even though the session hadn't ended until less than an hour ago. That spoke volumes about the impact that their discovery would have on the magical world. They were famous now - and they had earned it. He wasn't the Boy-Who-Lived any more, but one of the tomb raiders who had discovered the legendary Atlantis! Against all the odds, despite betrayals, curses and ambushes, they had realised their dream.
"A break would do us good," Harry agreed.
For a while, at least - they were tomb raiders, not mere archaeologists, after all.
*****