The Phoenix Prophecy

Chapter Seventeen: The Return

Monday – Early Evening - July 21^st

Walt: 5:55 PM

Madelyn and Sirius were in front of me, chatting between them, as we ascended the stairway, for which I was grateful as I had a lot on my mind. It had taken every ounce of concentration that I possessed not to notice Madelyn’s considerable femininity as I burned the leeches off her body. I tried focusing only on the leeches to keep from noticing other things that I was feeling guilty for noticing. The fact that I was in considerable pain from the leeches that were attached to my body was the only reason I was successful in not letting my attention wander any farther that it did.

While Madelyn was burning the leeches off my body I stared around the room or up at the hole in the ceiling where Sirius was looking down at us. Once or twice, I thought I saw him smile as though he were enjoying my predicament. Madelyn was very adept at removing the leeches and did not burn me, even once. In almost no time at all, she removed all the leeches and I thought my troubles were almost over. Who would have thought that something as innocent as trying to balance each other while getting our clothes on would have such disastrous consequences?

When Madelyn lost her footing and we ended up on the ground, her thighs straddling my hips and my hands clutching the sides of her chest with our faces just inches apart, I was shocked at the sudden desire that flashed through my mind when our eyes locked together for a brief instant in time. As much as I tried to deny that I felt something, I knew deep in my heart that I was lying to myself. I had felt my passion flare up intensely for a brief flickering moment. I wanted desperately to pull Madelyn’s lips to mine and devour them. Once the moment had passed, I felt ashamed of my desires. Nevertheless, I couldn’t help but notice that Madelyn did not seem to be the least bit upset or embarrassed. If I had tried to kiss her, I don’t think she would have minded in the least.

The time it took us to fall down and get back on our feet again could not have been more than a few seconds, at the very most, but it seemed like an eternity. I don’t know what I would have said if Sirius had made some kind of wisecrack about what had just happened in front of his eyes. I felt bad enough when Madelyn repeatedly tried to sooth my anguish by telling me that we hand nothing to be ashamed of. When she mentioned that she had felt the same desire I had, I was dumbstruck and would have crawled into a hole if one had been at hand. Madelyn is a very persuasive woman, naked or fully clothed. She finally managed to get me to smile and I felt a little less anguished.

I readily agreed with Madelyn’s suggestion to levitate our clothes up to Sirius and then fly up and out of the mud hole we had fallen into. I tried not to look at her while we were levitating our clothes and transfiguring into our bird forms, but I just could not keep from glancing in her direction. My sense of guilt was overpowered by my desire to look at this decidedly mature, naked woman standing next to me. I guess what shocked me the most was how easily Madelyn accepted being naked in front of me. It almost seemed as if she was accustomed to being naked in front of others. I was pretty sure Madelyn knew that I was looking at her. Hell, she would have to have been blind not to notice. Thankfully, she didn’t say anything, just a small warm smile before she transfigured and took to the air. If I had not been so captivated by her sex appeal, I would have been completely embarrassed by my own nudity. I was anything but the exhibitionist type.

When we returned to the chamber from which we had fallen, I made a supreme effort to look in the other direction as we both washed the mud from our bodies. Fortunately, Sirius stood in between us, which helped a lot. While I was washing up, my thoughts turned to Martha and I felt a sharp pang of guilt. Martha was the only woman I had ever known, intimately that is. Our love life over the seventeen years of our marriage was always passionate and exciting. Up until the time Madelyn and I fell through the rotted floor, I would never have thought it possible that I could be so sexually attracted to another woman. Martha was, and is, the love of my life. After everything we had lived through, surely our love would never die or be ripped apart by someone else.

For the remainder of the time we spent climbing the stairs, I debated with myself whether to tell Martha what had happened. I knew her well enough to know that she would not be outwardly angry or upset with me. Just how much my actions would hurt her emotionally, I had no way of guessing. I had the feeling that Martha would just laugh the whole episode off, but I wasn’t one hundred percent positive about that. I realized that after seventeen years of marriage and six children, there were still many things about Martha that I did not fully understand. I was equally sure Martha would say the same thing about me. Spouses rarely—I’m tempted to say never—know everything about each other, which is probably necessary for two people to live together.

By the time we reached the top of the stairway, I decided to tell Martha what had happened. If I tried to keep this from her, I would feel guilty for the rest of my life. And that was no way to be true to your partner or yourself.

The stairway ended in a large circular, dimly lit chamber. In the middle of the chamber stood a large stone sculpture that appeared to be three dragons. The sculpture was surrounded by a small moat. As I tried to focus on the sculpture, Sirius called out that he had located a stairway leading upward, presumably to the main floor of Marcus’ house. I quickly forgot about the sculpture and followed the two of them to the base of the stairway.

We climbed the stairway in silence. I think we were all a little apprehensive about what we would find at the top of the stairs. What we did find was a landing that ended in a wall made of stone that had a single torch attached to it.

“There must be a level or other mechanism to open a door in this wall,” Sirius began. “I refuse to believe that this stairway has no purpose.”

“Agreed,” Madelyn replied as she started rubbing her hand over the smooth stone wall.

After spending a couple of minutes and not finding a means of opening the door, Sirius tried several spells, each unsuccessful.

“Sirius, let me have a try,” I said when he stopped casting spells at the wall.

I took out my wand, pointed it at the wall and said ‘Divulgus Enchantum.’ Instantly, a fine yellow mesh started shimmering on the center of the wall in front of me. As we watched, the mesh grew steadily and within a few seconds covered the entire wall.

“I don’t see that we have learned anything,” Sirius said.

“Patience, Sirius, patience,” I replied.

A few seconds later, a small red dot began to be visible directly under the bracket that held the torch. When the dot stopped pulsating, I went over and pressed my wand to the red spot on the wall. Instantly a section of the wall slid towards us and then sideways, revealing what I thought to be one of the three passageways on the main floor of Marcus’ house. Stepping through the opening confirmed that we were indeed on the main floor of the house. The atrium was off to our left and a door to the outside was just off to our right. As soon as Madelyn and Sirius stepped through the opening, the opening sealed itself as the movable section of stone slid silently back into place.

We wasted very little time reaching the atrium. Everyone was sitting around the pool in two small groups. Albus and Minerva were talking with the people we had rescued from the giants, while Martha, my girls and the twins were sitting a short distance away chatting among themselves.

“Daddy!” Katie exclaimed when she saw me walking towards her. Before I had taken another three steps, Katie ran to me and leaped into my arms, flinging her arms around my neck.

“Hi, Kitten. Gosh it’s good to see you too,” I replied as Katie was plastering kisses all over my face.

Annie holding Laurie and Martha holding Lazarus were only a few steps behind Katie. Within seconds, the most important people in the world, my family, were mobbing me. After everyone had hugged and kissed everyone else, I noticed that Alec was not in the room.

“Martha, where is Alec?” I asked as Annie handed Laurie to me.

“He is off with the kids from Earth and Nicole. Harry and Hermione were here just a short time ago and said everything was fine, they were just exploring, that’s all,” Martha answered. When I looked closer at Martha, I noticed her eyes were very watery, almost on the verge of tears.

“Martha, what’s wrong?” I asked, suddenly worried that something had happened in my absence.

“Nothing is wrong, Walt. I’m just terribly relieved to see you, that’s all,” Martha replied and pulled my head to hers for a warm kiss.

“I am glad to hear that, you had me worried for a second,” I replied after we broke from our kiss.

After Martha gave my cheek a quick peck, she let go of me and walked over to hug Madelyn, who along with Sirius were talking with Albus and Minerva.

“Would one of you mind finding something for your father to eat? I’m starved,” I said to the girls.

“Sure, dad,” Annie replied, and both her and Katie headed for the kitchen with the promise to find something to tide me over until supper was served.

“Better bring enough for three as Sirius and Madelyn are probably hungry as well,” I called after them and then walked over where the others were seated.

“Walt, it is good to see that you made it back safe and sound,” Albus said after I pulled up a chair and sat down next to Martha. “From what Sirius and Madelyn have been telling me, it sounds as though you had quite an eventful journey.”

“Yes, we certainly did,” I replied, patting Martha’s hand affectionately. “Madelyn is lucky to be alive. On top of that, this house is much more than it seems.”

“That is not surprising,” Albus replied with a small smile and a twinkle in his eyes. “With my dear departed friend, most things were not what they seemed to be. Marcus rarely displayed his true self to the world. He truly had an alter ego that he presented to the world instead of his true self. I suspect that is why he adopted the pseudonym of Gawain.”

“Unlike yourself, who always tells the whole truth,” Sirius said to Albus good-naturedly. I noticed that Minerva’s eyebrows rose noticeably when Sirius made his light-hearted jab.

Harry: 6:05 PM

The room at the bottom of the stairs was shaped like a piece of pie that had a single bite missing. The torches along the walls came to life as soon as Hermione and I stepped into the room. We moved out into what was obviously a bedroom or dormitory to make room for the others to enter the room. On each side of the room stood twelve double sized beds arranged in three rows of six, four and two. Down the middle of the room was a long bench, much like the ones in the Great Hall at Hogwarts. At the far end of the room, I noticed the only other way in or out of the room besides the staircase.

“It looks as if we need to go through that door, at the end of the room,” I told the others, pointing in its direction.

“If you say so, Harry,” Ron replied, sounding less than enthusiastic.

At the foot of each bed, there were two trunks. Attached to the head of each bed was a small bookshelf with sliding doors on both shelves. Not much space to live in, I thought. If I had to live in this room with forty-seven other people, I would go mad, even if one of them was Hermione.

Half way to the door, my curiosity finally got the better of me and I stopped in front of one of the trunks ready to open it.

“That might not be such a good idea,” Ron said as I bent over and grabbed hold of the trunk’s latch.

“Ron, nothing is going to leap out at us,” I replied, a little irked at his sudden overly cautious attitude. “No one has been in this room for hundreds of years. Everything in these trunks has probably turned to powder.”

To prove my words, I quickly flung open the lid to the trunk and immediately stumbled backwards, falling on my butt as two shrieking ghosts shot out of the trunk headed directly for my face. By the time my butt hit the ground, everyone in the room was screaming in fright. Before any of us could get a hold of our wits, the two ghosts burst out laughing hysterically.

“Luther, that was not funny,” I said angrily as I got to my feet. “You could have given one of us a heart attack by pulling a stunt like that. We are nervous enough already.”

“Oh, but it was funny, terribly funny. You should have seen the looks on your faces,” he replied, obviously pleased with what Eliza and he had done.

“I’m wringing wet with sweat,” I said, wiping my hand across my forehead to keep the perspiration from running into my eyes. The instant I did this, both Luther and Eliza stopped laughing and stared at me as if something about me was unbelievable. “Why are you two staring at me like that?” I asked after the silence dragged on and I started feeling very uncomfortable.

“That scar…the one on your forehead…where did you get it?” Luther stuttered, obviously shaken by what he had just noticed.

“I got it when an evil wizard named Voldemort tried to kill me just after he murdered my parents,” I replied without thinking. “I was just a baby so I don’t remember anything about it, I only know what I have been told by those who knew my parents and were alive when it happened. Why are you so upset over my scar?”

Instead of answering, Luther turned around and lifted his hair off the back of his neck. At first, I wondered what he wanted me to see, but then I spotted a scar shaped exactly like the one on my forehead.

Hermione was standing close enough to me to see the back of Luther’s neck. She stifled a scream with her hand when she noticed the scar a second after I noticed it.

“I too received my scar, or so I am led to believe, when an evil wizard killed my parents and then tried to kill me,” Luther said after he let his hair down and turned around to face me. “Tell me, have you ever encountered another person with a scar shaped like ours?”

“No, Luther, I have not. Not until you, that is,” I replied. My head was spinning from the shock of his revelation and I knew that if I didn’t sit down I was going to fall down. I grabbed for Hermione’s hand to support me, turned around and took a couple of shaky steps backwards to sit on the trunk next to the one I had just opened.

“Luther, have you ever been called ‘Seeker?’ Hermione asked.

“How did you know that?” Luther replied, a look of complete disbelief on his face.

“I assume that you have been called ‘Reader’ at some point in your life,” Hermione asked of Eliza who looked just as shocked as Luther did.

“How do you know this,” Eliza repeated. “We died hundreds of years before you were born. Did the dragons tell you about us?”

“The only thing the dragons told us was that you were killed by Dracks and that you were among the first people to join the cult,” I replied, suddenly realizing that it must have been Mortius who killed Luther’s parents. If that were true, then why would Luther have joined the cult? Maybe he did not know who killed his parents.

“Luther, do you know the name of the wizard the killed your parents?” Hermione asked.

For a moment, I was temporarily stunned that Hermione asked the exact question I was thinking of asking. I was afraid to ask her if she could now read my mind.

“No, I do not know the wizard’s name,” Luther replied sadly. “Every time I brought up the subject, I was told not to dig up the past as that would not change anything.”

“If you don’t mind my asking, why did you two join the cult?” I asked.

“We did not join, we were abducted,” Eliza spat out, the anger in her voice unmistakable.

“When? How?” I stammered, completely dumbstruck that these two might have been kind and decent folks and being here was not of their choosing.

“It was just past the summer solstice of Eleven hundred,” Luther replied. “Eliza was twenty and I had just turned twenty-one two months before. We had only been married for one month and we were enjoying a picnic on a beautiful summer’s day. The next thing we knew, we were lying on a bed in an unfamiliar room wearing rings that did not belong to us.”

“Mortius kidnapped you?” Gretchen asked when she and Ron, as well as Alec and Nicole, crowded in next to Hermione and me.

“Yes he did, although we didn’t know that until later,” Luther answered. “At first, he told us that he found us adrift in a small boat not far away and brought us to this island. After we kept insisting that he return us to the mainland and he kept making up excuses as to why he could not do that we became suspicious of him. Finally, after two days of asking, we demanded that he return us. That was when he refused, telling us that we would never leave this island again. As if it was some great consolation, he also told us that we would live forever and never grow old, as long as we stayed here. We were to be the beginning of a new world order of dark wizards and witches with unimaginable power. In addition, he told us that if we attempted to leave, we would rapidly grow old and die within a single day. Needless to say, Eliza and I were both completely stunned by this announcement. We attacked Mortius on the spot, but he immobilized us with a flick of his hand and we were powerless to move. He left us floating in midair for a whole day before he released us from his spell and then we were confined to a bedroom for almost a month.”

“He must have feed you,” Ron exclaimed, looking horrified at the though of going with out food. In Ron’s estimation, being deprived of food was the worst sort of torture.

“Yes, we were fed,” Eliza replied. “Twice each day, morning and night, we were given large trays of food to eat. We did not starve for bodily nourishment, just for our freedom.”

“How did you survive?” Nicole asked. “I would go crazy locked in the same room for a month.”

“I almost lost my sanity,” Eliza replied, managing a small smile in Nicole’s direction. “I cried a lot in the beginning, but in the end it was our love for each other that helped us to survive. Fortunately, the bedroom was quite large and well lit. It also had its own private bathroom. I don’t know how we would have survived if we had been keep in the lower chambers, like most of the others were.”

“Other people were kidnapped as well?” Hermione asked, clearly astonished by the implications of what it would be like to under the complete control of an evil wizard like Mortius, or perhaps Voldemort. I think the term ‘a fate worse than death’ had taken on new meaning to all of us since we had returned to the island. I know it sure had for me.

“Yes, most of the cult members we kidnapped, especial in the early years,” Luther answered. “Towards the end, after Eliza and I were both killed, Mortius managed to convince a few wizards and witches to join willingly. However, it was too late to save the dying cult. A year later, Mortius knew that cult would not survive, so he left the island, leaving behind fifty odd souls, plus the three dragons. Instead of freeing us, he just left us hear to go on living until one by one, the members were either killed by Dracks or killed themselves.”

“How long after you were kidnapped was it until…you died?” Ron asked hesitantly.

“We endured this place for about thirty one years before me were murdered,” Luther replied, his voice full of anger and bitterness.

“Murdered? I thought Cetus said that you were killed by being careless around the Dracks,” Gretchen exclaimed. The shock that Luther and Eliza had been murdered and not died by their own carelessness was clearly audible from the collective gaps that resounded through the room at Luther’s announcement.

“That is what the other members of the cult were supposed to believe,” Eliza said after a pause. “The other two lieutenants, that is what Mortius called us, did not like us. They were very cozy with a couple that worked on experiments with Dracks. The four of them arranged for Luther and me to be ambushed and killed by a pair of Dracks. It was made to look as if the Dracks broke loose from their cages, but the locks were tampered with and the Dracks were brutally tortured so that they would attack and kill anything that crossed their path. Unfortunately, we did come across their path and…and it was…over quickly. You don’t want to know the details, believe me.”

If Eliza was not already a ghost, I’m sure she would have looked like one when she finished telling how they had died. I know my stomach had turned very queasy while she was telling us their story. The memory of being trapped by the Dracks our first night on the island had more than a little to do with my queasiness. Ron and Gretchen were both silent. Gretchen looked extremely pale. All of a sudden, Gretchen clasped her hand over her mouth and tears started streaming down her cheeks as she frantically looked around. I figured she was going to sick. Luckily, large clay pots were scattered about the room. She just managed to plunge her head into one before becoming violently sick. Ron was at her side in an instant, but there was little he could do until her stomach was empty.

“Ron and Gretchen were almost killed by Dracks yesterday,” I explained to Luther and Eliza. Good Lord, was it only yesterday?

“How did they manage to escape alive?” Luther asked, looking at Ron and Gretchen sympathetically.

“A phoenix named Iseult helped them to escape,” Hermione replied. “She is the sister to the phoenix owned by our headmaster. Haven’t you been around for the past few years? I’m sure you would have seen her.”

“Eliza and I have been hiding in a very small cavern deep beneath the island,” Luther answered. “Without anyone around this place is terribly depressing. It has been at least fifty years since we visited the upper chambers.”

“Then you never met a wizard named Marcus Pennywhistle, also know as Gawain?” I asked.

“No, we know of no such person. Who is he?” Luther replied.

“Gawain, or Marcus lived on the top floor of this house for some number of years,” I replied. “We don’t know exactly when he started living here, but he died two days ago in the atrium. The phoenix, Iseult, the one that saved Ron and Gretchen belonged to him.”

“I guess we should have checked for visitors more often,” Eliza said to Luther.

“Looks as if we should have,” Luther replied glumly.

While Gretchen was trying to get her stomach under control, Hermione and I used the time to bring Luther and Eliza up to date on everything that had happened in the past couple of days. After hearing everything we had been through, they agreed to help us in any way that they could to deactivate the aging spell’s agent or the dark power source. Once Gretchen’s stomach had settled down and she was ready to continue, we exited the room through the door that we had been heading towards in the first place.

Sirius: 6:15 PM

Annie and Katie showed up with three plates of food shortly after Walt sat down. I didn’t realize how hungry I was until I saw and smelled the food that they had fetched from the kitchen. Madelyn, Walt and I wasted little time devouring the bread, cheese and slices of apple that Martha’s girls had prepared for us.

“That should keep your stomachs satisfied until supper,” Martha said after we had finished off the last of the food.

“By the way, what time did you plan supper for?” I asked, still hungry.

“I planned supper for seven o’clock sharp,” Martha replied. “That is less than an hour away. Do you think you will survive until then?”

“Probably, but if not, I’m sure Ron will eat my share as well as his own” I answered, patting my stomach as if testing its fullness.

“Albus, as I was telling you before, this house is built more like a fortress than a home, but even than does not quite describe it correctly,” Walt said after he finished the last bite of his food. “I’m not sure what the exact purpose of this building is, but it seems much more complex than a cult would create.”

“What is it specifically that seems out of place with the needs of a cult?” Albus asked thoughtfully.

“For starters, take the huge cavern carved out of the rock at the base of the island. It is a marvelously complex ecosystem that seems beyond the talents, or needs, of any of the cults that I have ever run across or read about,” Walt replied. “Most cults are composed of individuals with blind faith in some cause, and little capability for original thinking. Typically, they take over an existing building or habitat and turn it into a temple of some kind. Magic and potions can do amazing things, but I would bet long odds that this structure was not created that way.”

“I agree with Walt,” Madelyn replied. “From what we saw in the cavern and lower levels, I would guess that this place was created using some form of advanced Muggle engineering.”

“Madelyn, what do you know about Muggle engineering?” I asked, shocked that she had expressed such an opinion.

“More than you could possible imagine,” she retorted. “I can read, you know. While I was teaching ‘Muggle Studies’ at Beauxbatons, I became fascinated with how Muggles survived without the use of magic—

“You and Arthur—

—don’t interrupt me. It’s not polite, at least not for my future husband. Now where was I…Oh yes. One study led to another and the next thing I knew I was studying what Muggles call engineering, which to us would be, ‘how to build things with out magic.’ Did either of you two remember what happened when I touched one of the pedestals on the lowest level we visited?”

“No, Madelyn. Walt and I were looking around the chamber when you went to examine the pedestal,” I replied, trying to remember exactly what I had seen in that particular chamber. “Why? What happened?”

“When I touched the smooth surface on top of the pedestal, a collection of strangely shaped and colored objects began to glow from beneath the surface,” Madelyn said, looking at everyone. “I am quite sure that the pedestals are some type of control facility for the ‘machinery’—Muggle term—that powers and sustains life on this rock.”

“I suppose it is just as likely that this facility was created by Muggles as opposed to wizards and witches,” Albus said glancing in Minerva’s direction.

“Hogwarts is a large and complex structure, possibly much larger than this one,” Minerva replied. “I do not think we should rule out the use of magic in its creation.”

“I agree that Hogwarts is larger, but something about this place just feels different,” I answered. “I am not sure exactly how to describe it, but something is different.”

“This is a different world, Sirius. That may have a great deal to do with our perception of things,” Minerva replied.

“Minerva, I am from this world and I am familiar with many of the structures that have been created with magic. I know what Sirius means, this place feels different to me as well,” Walt added.

“I would not presume to argue with you two gentlemen,” Minerva began, her back stiffening noticeably. “After all, I am just an old witch that teaches transfiguration.”

“Dearest Minerva, if you are, just an old witch, then I am, just an old toad with a long gray beard,” Albus said, peering over the top of his spectacles at her.

“Well, I am old,” Minerva replied after a long pause.

“Yes, we both are. Nevertheless, I feel we both have some valuable contributions to make before it is time for us to depart our bodies,” Albus added.

I decided to change the subject before Minerva could sink into one of her moods. “Albus, did you find anything in Marcus’ bedroom that would tell us more about the origin of this place?”

“No, Sirius, I did not, at least not directly. The only link to what Marcus knew about this place or the events that have occurred here would be through his pensive. I have not yet prepared myself mentally to view his thoughts. I know that I must do so, as it may be our best hope of freeing Ron and Gretchen from the evil spell they are now under.”

“What about the library, have you searched there for anything pertaining to the house or its creation?” I asked. I knew that it was going to be hard on Albus to sort through his closest friend’s memories and wondered if the library might not be an alternative. Albus could then wait to use Marcus’ pensieve at a time of his choosing, not out of necessity to free Ron and Gretchen.

“Minerva and I are going to search the library immediately following supper,” Albus replied. “We thought that would be an excellent way to relax after the evening meal. I assume that Hermione would wish to join us in our search.”

“Speaking of Hermione, isn’t it about time the kids returned,” I asked, suddenly feeling apprehensive. This house had many surprises that I didn’t want them walking into.”

“Yes, I was beginning to wonder the same thing,” Martha replied. “After hearing what you three encountered, I am beginning to be more than a little concerned for their welfare.”

“If they don’t show up shortly, Sirius and I will go and round them up,” Walt replied in an effort to alleviate Martha’s worries.

“Would you mind going and looking for them now?” Martha asked, her voice betraying the anxiety she was trying not to show.

“No, I don’t mind,” Walt replied easily. “Sirius, I can round them up. No need for you to come along.”

“Until we know more about this house, it would be well to not go anywhere alone,” Albus added, his eyes suddenly cold as steel. “Perhaps I shall accompany you on your search.”

“Certainly, Albus. Glad to have you along,” I replied. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Madelyn’s eyebrows rise slightly.

Martha directed us to the passageway Harry and Hermione had taken the last time she saw them. Just as we stepped into the passageway, both Fawkes and Iseult glided silently into the corridor, coming to rest on the back of a bench midway towards the door at the far end of the corridor.