Unofficial Portkey Archive

Harry Potter and the Curse of Atlantis by R K Thompson
EPUB MOBI HTML Text

Harry Potter and the Curse of Atlantis

R K Thompson

Ch 5: Summoning the Council

As the fire's flames returned to normal, Dumbledore leaned back wearily deeper into his chair. There was no sound but the crackling of the fire and an occasional soft hiss as the logs burnt down into embers. Much later Dumbledore slowly raised himself from his seat and crossed the room to stand before a small portrait of a lion roaring in front of an emerald forest. He whispered softly then raised his hand to the portrait. His hand hovered there for a moment, then reached through the lion's mouth and passed right through the picture. When he pulled it back out, a thick leatherbound book was held in his grip. He returned to his desk and sat in his chair. As he flipped through the dusty pages, his shoulders slumped slightly.

At the end of the book, he closed it once again and removed his half moon spectacles, laying them gently on the top of the desk. For another moment, he sat quietly, rubbing the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger. Moving suddenly, he rose and replaced the book within the mouth of the lion. Pulling his hand back out, he waved it in a circle and whispered softly. He then swept aside one of the hanging tapestries that hung in front of the door to his private chambers and opened it.

Entering his bedroom, he strode quickly to a small trunk sitting under a long sidetable. Lifting it easily, he sat it on the table and withdrew his wand. Focusing intently, he waved it in a very complex, intricate pattern and then touched the wandtip to what appeared to be a broken lock and the lid opened by itself. Though there were several items within the trunk, Dumbledore removed only two. He pulled out a shimmering silver cloak and a small hoop made of a silvery metal. He placed the hoop in a small stand that allowed it to stand upright, like a table mirror. Dumbledore then threw the cloak over his shoulders and pulled the hood down over his face until it was covered in shadow. He pulled a chair to the table and sat down in front of the hoop. He reached out his hand towards the center of the hoop and extended his fingertips. His eyes looked intently at the hoop and he guided his fingers deftly over the thin, nearly invisible strings that crisscrossed each other within the hoop. As his fingers danced over the magical threads, there was no sound but instead there were small bursts of light which hovered in the air above the quivering strings.

Dumbledore spoke softly as the lights shimmered in the room. "Greetings, fellow members of the Council. I request an emergency meeting of the full Council in three days at our usual location. I apologize for the short notice I have given, but I feel it is critical that we meet quickly to discuss a recent development that has just been brought to my attention. Thank you, Septimus."

Dumbledore's fingers continued to fly over the gossamer strands for several minutes as the light show continued. When he stopped, the light lingered for several minutes and then slowly faded away. Dumbledore replaced both the cloak and the metal hoop in the trunk and resealed it. Wearily, Dumbledore shuffled to his bed and laid down. However, sleep did not come quickly.

-----

The next morning, Dumbledore asked Minerva to take care of any important school related issues for the next week and indicated that he was not to be disturbed. Though a bit confused, she complied with his request. That day and the next two passed quickly as Dumbledore sat in his study, poring over various books and ancient scrolls. Late in the evening of the third day, Dumbledore once again opened the small little trunk and removed the silver cloak and a small silver key. Placing the cloak on his shoulders and pulling the hood over his face, Dumbledore picked up the silver key and spoke several words quietly.

Moments later and hundreds of miles away, Dumbledore stood still for a moment to regain his equilibrium from the portkey trip. Feeling better, he walked towards what appeared to be an old abandoned grist mill by the side of a creek. Laying his hand on the side of the doorway, his fingers tapped out a curious rhythm and then repeated it twice more in slightly altered form. As he stepped under the partially collapsed beam of the doorway, his view suddenly changed and he found himself in a large entryway. He walked briskly down the hall to the open double doors and entered the room.

He glanced quickly around the large table and saw five other figures in silver robes. The quiet discussions they had been holding stopped as soon as he entered. He moved to his place and sat without speaking to anyone else. Instead, he simply observed them in the awkward silence that continued. It did not last long, however, since a few minutes later, another silver cloaked wizard strode through the door. At his entrance, everyone else moved to their seats. The last member to arrive stood and announced, "Welcome. Since Septimus has called this meeting, I will let him direct it as he sees fit. Septimus?"

"Thank you Primus," spoke Dumbledore as he arose from his chair. "As you all know, this secret Council exists to protect the world from magical threats of the most dangerous nature, such as that most recently posed by Voldemort. But one of our greatest fears has always been that some of the surviving artifacts from Atlantis might eventually be rediscovered. This council has existed since the fall of that mighty city changed the world of magic as our ancestors knew it. It has summoned the mightiest wizards and witches from the magical world and extracted from them an oath to protect the world from another Atlantean catastrophe. This council is so secret, that I, who was chosen last among all of you, do not know the identity of any of you. Only you, Primus, having served the longest of those here, know the true identities of the rest of us. In fulfilling that oath, we are allowed, nay, encouraged, to use any and all means at our disposal in order to prevent a repetition of those events."

A voice from across the table interrupted. "If we could finish with the history lesson, Septimus, what is your point? Why did you summon us here?"

"I was just getting to that, Secondus. As you all know, one of my greatest tasks has been watching over the young wizard named Harry Potter."

"Yes, and what a fiasco you've made of that. Abused for ten years by those damned Muggles and completely ignorant of the wizarding world until he was eleven. Then he nearly got himself killed nearly every year he went to Hogwarts. He should have been trained with us. We could have tracked down and defeated Voldemort much more quickly had we done so. How he ever learned enough to survive that final battle with Voldemort, let alone defeat him, remains one of the greatest pieces of luck I've ever encountered. No, we should have handled his training."

"But at what cost to Harry? I wish there had been some more humane relatives with whom we could have placed him instead of the Dursleys, but there were none. I believe his experiences there and at Hogwarts were the ones that made him strong enough to defeat Voldemort-it was the friendship and love he developed through those trying experiences that allowed him to defeat Voldemort, not his extensive training or incredible power that allowed him to emerge victorious, and gave him hope of enjoying some kind of life afterwards."

"I don't care about his life afterwards. We could have destroyed Voldemort earlier and perhaps saved other lives as well."

"And that has always been one of the greatest differences between you and I, Secundus. I don't think we could have trained him to defeat Voldemort. And I never saw Harry simply as a tool to defeat Voldemort. I saw him as a boy with a terrible destiny laid upon him. And I know that I went against the wishes of many on this council in treating him the way I did, but I never apologized then, and I will not do so now."

Primus then interrupted both of them. "Secundus, what is done is done. There is no need to continue bringing up this old debate. Yes, Septimus may have gone against the wishes of this council, but he chose his own method, as can we all. And in the end, Voldemort was defeated. That is what mattered the most. Please continue, Septimus."

"Thank you. Three days ago, Harry Potter and a close friend of his, Hermione Granger, told me of a very strange experience they had while visiting the Acropolis in Athens. It seems a wizard in a grey robe with a shadowed hood who called himself Corlyn approached them and spoke with them. During the course of the conversation, he all but invited them to look for a lost artifact from Atlantis in order to destroy it before it fell into the wrong hands. This figure indicated that he knew me and had worked with me on a council similar to the Order of the Phoenix. The shadowed figure may even have been referring to this council itself."

The room exploded in a babble of voices. Finally, Primus raised his arms and restored order. Secundus hissed at Septimus, "Are you accusing one of us of betraying their oath by telling others about the artifacts of Atlantis? Of betraying everything we hold dear and would give our lives in defending?"

"No, I do not believe it was one of the members present. I have worked with a man named Corlyn in the past, but if this was in fact the same Corlyn, why he didn't come directly to me, I do not know. Perhaps it was too dangerous for him to do so." As the other six started to speak, Dumbledore raised his hand. "The Corlyn I know provided very useful information in the war against Voldemort, so I have little reason to distrust him. And if the vague hints which he gave Harry and Hermione are true, then somebody is seeking one of the Atlantean artifacts."

Discussions broke out again as Dumbldore finished speaking.

Interrupting the chaos, Dumbledore continued. "I have a question that only Primus may be able to answer. When I was invited to join the Council, I was under the impression that you served until death. But have there been occasions where someone has been too badly wounded to continue serving on the Council, or disappeared on a mission and been replaced? Has anyone ever been removed from the Council for any other reason?" There was a deep silence as six pairs of eyes turned to look at Primus, but Septimus continued. "The reason I ask is that Corlyn, by dressing the way he was, may have been trying to send a message. Perhaps whoever is seeking the artifact from Atlantis captured a former member of the Council. Or worse, perhaps the person we seek was a former member of the Council."

Voices erupted again in pandemonium at Dumbledore's words.

"This is very disturbing news Septimus. As to your earlier question the answer is yes, there have been people removed from the Council for other reasons besides death. I will personally investigate those who remain alive. Septimus, continue to keep a close watch upon your young charge. There may be more things required of him in the future. What will you counsel them to do?"

"I fear my counsel may not move them much one way or the other. Both Mr. Potter and Miss Granger have a tendency to make up their minds on their own and act accordingly. It would appear that they have already decided to pursue the task despite my concern for their safety."

"Well, good. Maybe they can help us discover and defeat this mysterious group."

"Secundus, that is of less concern to me than their safety."

"Bah! You've always been too soft about these things. There are higher stakes at risk. You should understand this."

"I do, only too well. But the magical world has already asked so much of these two. When will it be enough? But do not worry too much. I have already told you that I doubt they will heed my advice. Knowing them as I do, they will do everything in their power to recover the item and to destroy it if it poses a great danger to the world. Though I do not like the idea, I will offer them my complete cooperation-as much as my oath will allow."

"Excellent, Septimus. Is there any other news of importance that we should discuss while we are here? If not, then…"

"What about the prophecy? It could be related to this. It has been foretold that after the defeat of the mighty dark one that a queen of death would arise to take his place," interrupted Quintus.

"Not the Dark Queen of doom and gloom prophecy again," laughed Primus. "You went on and on about that first after Grindelwald was defeated, and then after Voldemort was defeated the first time."

"And the only reason it didn't come to pass then was because Voldemort hadn't really been defeated. But now he has and I'm warning you that the prophecy will come true," insisted Quintus.

"What prophecy is this?" asked Dumbledore. "I have never heard of it."

"I thought you did not put much stock in prophecies, Septimus," chuckled Primus.

"Well, normally I do not, but…" replied Dumbledore.

"Well, then do not worry about this one. Quintus and I have discussed it at great length, and we have decided it is like the vast majority of prophecies-vague, misleading, and useless," answered Primus.

"Maybe you've decided," mumbled Quintus.

With a scathing glance towards Quintus, Primus continued in a somewhat angry tone, "Now if there are no more important matters to discuss, we stand adjourned."

Primus and Quintus left immediately, giving Dumbledore no opportunity to speak more with either of them, but the rest sat and talked quietly for quite some time afterwards. Though Dumbledore was involved in many of the conversations, he actually said very little, preferring instead to listen and observe his colleagues. It was quite early in the morning by the time he returned to Hogwarts and he fell into his bed quite exhausted.

-----

For a week after their visit with Dumbledore, Harry and Hermione continued to enjoy the sights of Athens, though Hermione's mother could tell the two teens were sometimes a bit distracted. When asked about it, they both denied anything was going on which she seemed to accept, but didn't really believe. In the evenings, Harry would summon various books on Atlantis from the Hogwarts' library and they would carefully read through them and take notes.

One night after several hours of reading, Hermione threw up her hands in disgust. "It's just one misleading myth after another Harry! Sometimes it seems like all these authors are talking about three hundred different events. There aren't enough overlapping details for me to say for sure whether any of them are anywhere near the truth. For example, this historian insists that groups of magical humans fled Atlantis and settled on the isles of Great Britain. Another claims they fled to South America. This one claims that the pyramids of Egypt and Mexico were ancient outposts of the Atlantean civilization. This one claims that Atlantis was destroyed by a magical spell gone horribly wrong, while this one argues that it was simply a natural catastrophe. And don't even get me started on the different places they claim as the original site of Atlantis. This is so maddening!"

"Well, maybe they are all right. Or all of them have bits of truth in them."

"How can they all be right, Harry?"

"I don't know. But we'll figure it out. And when I say we, I really mean you. After all, you're the one with the intellect and the adaptable and agile mind. I've just got my courage and valor. And that annoying save-the-world-and-play-the-hero impulse that always gets me into trouble."

"Are you still letting what he said bother you, Harry?"

"Well, yeah. I would like to get noticed for more than just my rugged good looks, my snitch catching ability, and my incredibly beautiful girlfriend, but I guess you can't have it all."

"Oh quit whining and give me a kiss," laughed Hermione. Harry eagerly obeyed, and then Hermione chuckled at Harry's face when she pulled back a few moments later.

"Harry, we need to get back to these books."

"Yeah, whatever," he grumbled sourly. "Have you found anything that mentioned what kind of artifacts we might be looking for or what they might be able to do?"

"Some sources have said it had the power to call down fire from the heavens, or that it could transport people and items halfway across the world, or it allowed the Atlanteans to control the minds of other races. One even said it could raise the dead."

Harry blinked. "Did you say raise the dead?"

Hermione looked over and then started as she saw Harry's face. "Yeah, why?"

"Think about it. What group of people would be very interested in raising the dead right about now?"

"Well, the Death Eaters are probably at the top of the list…" murmured Hermione, "but we don't even know if it does that Harry. It could…"

"It doesn't really matter. We can't let anything like that fall into their hands," finished Harry grimly as he opened another book.

-----

The evening they were supposed to meet with Dumbledore, Harry and Hermione explained to her parents they were going to go try the new restaurant one of the tour guides had been talking about. They took a taxi to the street before The Crooked Staff and walked the rest of the way. They were still a half an hour early so they went in and ordered some dinner. Dumbledore had been right-the food was excellent. None of the other patrons paid them any attention. When they were finished eating, the owner, who looked at them curiously, approached and said in a low whisper, "Follow me upstairs. Your friend is waiting for you."

Harry looked at him suspiciously and asked, "Which friend?"

With a quick glance around the room, the tavern owner leaned closer and replied in an almost inaudible tone, "Dumbledore. Come with me now. Don't worry about paying for the meal."

Hiding their surprise, both Harry and Hermione rose to follow him upstairs. At the end of the hallway, they entered a brightly lit room after the tavern owner opened the door. They heard Dumbledore speak from a comfortable chair by the fireplace at the far side of the room.

"Thank you Laeconius, for taking care of my young friends."

"I wish I had known they were friends of yours, I could have helped them get home safely on their last visit. It was very late and the streets around here can be dangerous. In fact Albus, I cannot tell you how glad I was to learn that the two of them reached their hotel safely that evening. There were five extremely brutal murders that very night not far from here. The city has been in an uproar about it. Even the Greek Ministry of Magic has Aurors looking into it."

Dumbledore rose from his chair with concern evident in his face. With a quick warning glance at Hermione, Harry asked quietly, "How were they killed?"

"Well, that's the thing that has everyone so upset. All five of them had criminal records-mostly theft, assault and battery-that sort of thing. Most people I've spoken with assume that the five of them just picked the wrong victim. What they believe to have happened is that the five of them intended to rob the victim when he turned the tables on them. But this is the part that really scares everybody. He appears to have beaten them all into submission, there appears to have been no need to kill them-he could have just walked away. Four of the bodies were found in the same alley. But the fifth was found nearly five blocks away."

The eyes of Harry and Hermione widened at this. Laeconius continued, glancing now at the two teenagers. "Three of them had been beaten by someone who knew how to fight, someone who had been well trained-there were no wasted punches, and all of the blows were to vital areas. The fourth wasn't beaten as severely or as efficiently, but was still effectively taken out of the fight. Some think there might have been two victims who were initially attacked, based on the different fighting styles. Anyways, all four were probably unconscious and defenseless when they were killed." With a strange look on his face, Laeconius looked at Harry and Hermione more closely.

In a voice barely above a whisper, Harry repeated his earlier question. "Yes, but how were they killed? And what about the fifth man?"

"Yes, well, it uhh-it seemed as if some sort of wild animal had ripped out their throats." Hermione turned away with a hand covering her mouth. Harry's eyes bored into Laeconius, "And the fifth?"

"Like I said, he was found nearly five blocks away with his throat torn out as well. He was very badly beaten and looked like he had tried to fight off his attacker, though. And one of his hands was severely burned."

Dumbledore asked quietly, "Why is the Greek Ministry of Magic involved? Were any of the victims wizards? Or do they believe those who killed them were wizards?"

"They believe there may have been magic used in the attacks. Though there were no eyewitnesses to the actual attacks, there were reports of a bright blinding flash about the time of the deaths. Also, the fifth victim had a rather nasty burn in his palm that matched the pattern of a knife hilt found with the other four bodies. But nobody can explain how the knife got so hot so quickly to burn his palm like that. Most ominously, there were traces of Dark Magic. Unfortunately, there was not enough to positively identify the magical aura of any of the casters. They used either very powerful concealing charms or wandless magic, or they possessed natural magical abilities. The Ministry is very concerned about these murders."

"Would you care to share any other observations, Laeconius?"

Laeconius glanced briefly at Harry and Hermione before replying. "I think there were two victims who fought only to defend themselves against the five attackers. I think that they disabled four of the attackers, and the fifth ran away. I think a third individual killed the four unconscious would-be thieves and tracked down and killed the fifth. But what the motive might have been for the murders, I haven't got a clue."

"How do you know so much about these murders?" asked Hermione. "We heard about them a couple days ago at the hotel and were warned against visiting this part of the city, but nobody seemed to know any of the details you've shared with us tonight."

"Ahh. Perhaps I will share my secrets if you and your young red-haired friend will share yours," chuckled Laeconius.

"I'm sorry to disappoint you, but we have no secrets. We're just two normal students on summer vacation who hope to graduate next year …" started Harry.

"Who receive secret, personal visits from one of the most powerful wizards in the world while on vacation? I hardly doubt either of you is ordinary or common."

"No, they are not. In fact, they are two of the finest students who have ever attended Hogwarts." Dumbledore paused momentarily while Hermione looked at him and silently informed him that she and Harry had been attacked by the five but had left them alive. Looking back at Laeconius, he spoke again. "But these murders trouble me greatly. In fact, I believe it is a good thing that you are here with us now, Laeconius. These two might be able to help you in your investigation."

Both Harry and Hermione looked at Dumbledore sharply. However, Dumbledore was looking at Laeconius and asked, "May I?"

Seeing Laeconius nod slightly, Dumbledore continued. "Laeconius is an Auror for the Greek Ministry-one of their best. Though officially retired, he still helps them out occasionally. I have known Laeconius a long time. You can trust him."

"Now that you know my secret, perhaps I can guess one of your secrets." Smiling slightly, Laeconius bowed slightly towards Hermione and said, "It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Miss Granger." Hermione was shocked as Laeconius turned to Harry. "And I am very pleased to meet you, Mr. Potter. I have heard a great deal about the two of you."

Harry's mouth dropped open and he shut it quickly. "I'm not…" he began to deny but realized that Laeconius would not be fooled any longer, "how did you know?"

"Well, it was not really that difficult. I began to suspect something as soon as I learned that Dumbledore would be coming here to visit with two of his students and that it needed to be kept quiet. And when he mentioned that you might be of help in the murder investigation, I realized for certain who you were. There are only a few wizards and witches your age that might have survived the murder scenes I inspected-either as intended victims or witnesses. And there is only one young wizard that I am aware of that could cast a wandless light charm as strongly as was described or cause a knife to heat so quickly that it seared itself into a man's palm without any sign of a spell at all. The red hair is a nice touch, but now that I think about it, it does remind me of your other friend, Mr. Weasley. I would have guessed your identities much earlier, but those terrible photos that continually appear in the papers scarcely do you justice, Miss Granger. You are much more beautiful in person."

Hermione blushed bright red while Harry tried to fight off a smile. "You know, you're the third person that's told me this is a terrible disguise." Harry's face tightened and his smile faded. He looked quickly at Dumbledore and then continued. "In fact, I think you might want to talk to this other guy about these murders." Harry recounted their encounter with the thieves and their later meeting with Aardus. Dumbledore and Laeconius waited until he was finished before asking additional questions. Laeconius seemed very impressed and both seemed very anxious to know more about Aardus. After Harry repeated again all the details he could remember about Aardus, the four sat quietly in thought.

Dumbledore asked Harry for one of the web spheres that he had used. "Fred and George call it the Webstopper. It's one of their latest inventions. If you ask me, it still needs some work. It barely stopped him. Another few seconds and he would have broken free," added Harry. Dumbledore just looked thoughtfully at Harry as he twirled the globe in his fingers.

Laeconius spoke then. "I understand Dumbledore wished to discuss some other things with you, so I will leave you alone. I would like to write a statement based on what you two have just told me, so that it can be used in the investigation. Would that be acceptable?" He looked first at the two teens, and then all three looked towards Dumbledore.

"I do not see any harm in it, but I trust you will be discreet," replied Dumbledore. Hermione and Harry both nodded their assent.

"Excellent. I will go write them up and bring them back for you to sign later."

"Umm, Laeconius, sir? I have a question."

"Go ahead Mr. Potter."

"Why do you believe us? What good will the signed statement do? Don't you need to use Veritaserum or something to know if we're telling the truth?"

Laeconius only chuckled. "Well, Veritaserum is fine and good for determining the truth once you've apprehended a suspect and the situation is completely under control. But for most Aurors in the field, there simply isn't time to use a potion like that. No, there are some other spells and techniques that we use that are nearly as reliable as Veritaserum."

"Nearly as reliable?" protested Hermione. "But don't you need to be sure?"

"Not even Veritaserum is perfect. The questioner can ask the wrong sort of questions, the person being interviewed can be under the influence of another powerful spell, or believe in their version of reality so strongly that they are no longer able to retell the true chain of events."

"But what about these other spells and techniques you mentioned? I've never read about any of them."

"No, Miss Granger, I doubt you would have. Surely you realize by now that there are many types of knowledge that escape the written page. History records only a fraction of the reality that has existed-sometimes by accident, sometimes on purpose. The spells and techniques I spoke of would only be learned by an Auror through the training they receive from another Auror."

Hermione's eyes widened in thought but she remained silent as she thought about the implications. Harry looked up suddenly at Laeconius.

"These alternative methods you use, do they enhance your ability to distinguish between truth and falsehood or do they interact with the target somehow?"

"A good question. There are methods that can do either. Why do you ask?"

"I was just trying to figure out how you knew we were telling the truth."

"And what do you think?" Laeconius leaned forward as he looked at Harry.

"I think you only used a method or two to enhance your own ability," responded Harry thoughtfully.

"And why do you say that?"

"Because I think I would have noticed if you had cast some sort of spell on me. At least a powerful spell."

"Really. That's very interesting." Laeconius looked quickly at Dumbledore and then smiled. "You are correct Mr. Potter. I did not try to use any methods which might have possibly alerted you to what I was doing. Based on what I have heard of your exploits, I suspected that that you were both sensitive and resistant to mind altering spells. Indeed, a quick scan of my own indicated that both you and Miss Granger possess very powerful mental defenses. In such a case, it is always better to avoid any possible chance that the target may learn that they are being evaluated. I am sure you have both heard this before, but you would both make excellent Aurors. Now unless there are any further questions, I will leave the three of you alone." He rose and walked quickly and quietly to the door, leaving the three to look at each other.

Before Harry or Hermione could open their mouth to ask a question, Dumbledore had pulled out a large stone bowl from a large sack by the side of his table. "If you do not mind, I feel as if I need to order my thoughts for a moment." They watched as he drew his wand and slowly massaged his temple. Pulling out a small wisp of white, he placed it gently in the bowl. He repeated the process for several minutes while Hermione and Harry watched quietly with growing curiosity.

With a look of satisfaction on his face, Dumbledore pushed his chair back from the table. "There, I feel much better now. Before either of you ask, I apologize, but after a week of research I have discovered nothing I can tell you. I am truly sorry." They weren't sure, but he seemed to wink before continuing. "Did you try the soup? I seem to remember that they made the most excellent fish stew here. If you will excuse me for a few minutes, I believe I will go downstairs and have a bowl and check in on Laeconius. I should be back in about fifteen minutes or so." Without another word, Dumbledore walked to the door and let himself out.

"What on earth is going on?!?!" exploded Harry, staring in amazement at the Pensieve lying on the table. "A week of research and nothing to tell us?"

Hermione looked thoughtful for a minute and then replied, "No, he didn't say he had nothing to tell us. He said there was nothing he could tell us."

Harry's brow furrowed in thought for a moment. "Do you think that's why he left the Pensieve?"

"Only one way to find out," smiled Hermione. "But if we get in trouble…"

"I know, it's my fault," finished Harry. "Come on then," and he stretched out his hand for Hermione and together they peered into the Pensieve. First they found themselves reading over his shoulder in what they guessed was his private room at Hogwarts. Later, they found themselves walking beside Dumbledore to the run down mill and entering the meeting of the secret Council.

Five minutes after they had left the Pensieve they still sat in silence, trying to come to grips with the information they had just gained from Dumbledore's meeting.

"So, what do you make of all that, Mione?"

"Well, if Dumbledore's sources are better than the ones we've been looking at, at least we can eliminate some of the stranger myths."

"What about the meeting of that secret council?"

"I don't even know where to begin. Did you recognize anybody there?"

"No. I thought it might be one of the members, but I couldn't tell for sure. It sounds like the one named Primus will check out the others."

"Do you think he will get into trouble for telling us?"

"Dumbledore didn't tell us anything. He forgot to empty his Pensieve and we found out for ourselves."

"I don't know Harry…"

"Well, those guys seem to be operating with very few rules. And the few they have, they seem to be willing to break, if they think it's for the greater good. Besides, I don't care what they think-none of them seemed too concerned about me, except for Dumbledore."

There was a knock at the door and Dumbledore slowly opened the door, followed by Laeconius. Laeconius placed a long scroll on the table and placed a feathered quill nearby. Hermione picked up the scroll and quickly read through it. She offered it to Harry who held up his hand with a laugh. "If you've read it and approve of it, that's good enough for me." At a nod from Laeconius, they each signed their name below the statement.

"Thank you. I will keep you posted on how the investigation is proceeding and if we're able to find this Aardus. If we do, we might need you to testify-this statement would not be enough in a wizard court."

"Well, we hope it helps you find the murderer. If there is anything else you need, please let us know," offered Harry.

"Have a good evening. Let me know if you would like an escort to your hotel."

Harry nodded and thanked him for the offer. After he left the room, Harry and Hermione waited to see what other surprises Dumbledore might have in store for them.


-->