Disclaimer: standard disclaimer applies.
A/N: here's the next installment. The chapters tend to be a bit short, sorry about that. Please, don't forget to review!
Some of you asked about the mysterious door. I promise to explain it later. All I can say right now is that it's quite important for understanding Draco's character. Good question though!
CHAPTER 2
I hate you too
Exactly five days later, Ginny found a letter from Pembroke & Bells in her letter-box. Mr. Greycliffe was reminding her of their agreement and kindly asking her to step by his office that same day, at noon. Mr. Malfoy had been notified too.
Mr. Malfoy had been notified, huh? Mr. Malfoy could go to hell, for all she cared.
Nevertheless, she dressed with extra flair that morning, a little unsure of whom she wanted to impress. When both the hour and the minute hand were pointing to twelve, she left her office and took the lift to the fifth floor. Before the door to the notary's office, she paused, took a deep breath and then entered.
Malfoy was already there. Ginny greeted Mr. Greycliffe and took a seat. As usually, Draco was cutting her dead.
"What have you decided on this matter?" the notary asked kindly.
Ginny looked to her right and waited for Draco to respond. He was, however, studying the cuff-links of his shirt and refused to meet her gaze.
"I am willing to give this a try, on the condition that Mr. Malfoy will behave properly," Ginny said as she stared hard at Draco.
He looked up at the notary, still ignoring Ginny, and nodded, thus giving his consent.
"I'm glad we've reached a decision!" Mr. Greycliffe rubbed his hands gleefully. "Professor Dumbledore would be delighted."
"So, what is this book about anyway?" Draco asked.
"Oh, I haven't told you yet, have I? It concerns a well-known magnum opus. Liber Mysteriorum was rumored to have been written by Fra Filippo, a prominent friar of the Carmelite Order, somewhere at the end of the 12th century. Since no one knew for sure, the sloppy handwriting had always been attributed to the infamous friar. Legend has it that it was bought from an abbey in Kent by a 13th
century alchemist, who acquired it for his vast collection of ancient books. It had been kept in his private library for many generations, until it was moved to Italy as part of the dowry of the said alchemist's great-great-granddaughter. It took place in 1521. I have not been informed as to from whom Professor Dumbledore received or purchased this book. It is, after all, very rare and valuable. There are currently three copies in circulation, but only this one is authentic. I ascertained it myself. It is, as I have said, of great value and can only be compared to The Key of Solomon, which was attributed to the legendary King Solomon."
"It's a grimoire," Draco explained, turning to Ginny. "It means-"
"I know what a grimoire is," she snapped. "I'm not ignorant!"
"Well, that's a relief. So, you do have some brains after all. I was afraid that I'd have to do all the work by myself."
"You won't believe this," she hissed, "but I'd rather work on this project alone. It would spare me from seeing your disgusting face every day."
Ginny then turned back to the astonished notary with a sweet smile on her face and urged him to continue his narration.
"Just like The Greater Key of Solomon and The Lesser Key of Solomon, otherwise known as Lemegeton, this is one of the greatest grimoires in the history of magic."
"What's in it?" Ginny asked.
"That's the question!" exclaimed Mr. Greycliffe. "No one knows, because it's encrypted. So many people have tried to decipher the book, but to a lay person it is just a number of words and pictures. There is one thing they knew for sure: behind that all was wisdom and power!"
"Can I have a look at it?" Ginny asked, in awe of the mysterious story.
"Of course."
The man walked to the wall and, tapping a particular spot with his wand, whispered an incantation of the opening charm. The wooden panels slid apart and revealed a hollow space behind. He reached inside and took out the book that was wrapped in a peace of canvas. Carefully, he carried it back and put on the desk for Ginny and Draco to see.
When he unwrapped it, Ginny let out a sigh of reverence. Although the history of this folio spanned many centuries, it didn't look worn. It was bound with green-coloured polished shagreen. The golden clasp on it was shining too. The title in the same golden letters said: Liber Mysteriorum.
Unhindered, Ginny took it in her lap (while noting to herself that it was probably a few pounds less heavy than herself) and opened it on the first page. It was written by hand, as any true grimoire should be. The parchment pages were yellowed and the blue ink slightly faded. Like the notary said, the handwriting was sloppy, but still very medieval, with fancy curlicues here and there. She leafed through the book and noticed that the text alternated with colourful pictures and odd-looking equations.
"Some of it is in Latin," Ginny noted thoughtfully.
"I'm sure I can read it," Draco claimed self-assuredly. "I've had proper education, which includes Greek and Latin, of course."
"Oh really? May I enquire where you have learned to speak these fine languages?" Mr. Greycliffe asked curiously.
"At Pompous Git Institution," Ginny grumbled.
"I had a private tutor," Draco replied disdainfully.
"Very nice," the lawyer said, trying to remain calm. He had noticed that there might be some tension between those two and he wondered if they would get along some day, as it was essential for the completion of the task.
Ginny ground her teeth in frustration. She could hardly resist the desire to stub Malfoy with the nib of her quill. She shut the book and put it back on the desk.
"Any questions so far?" the notary asked again.
They shook their heads.
"All right then. The book is yours and you may begin whenever you wish, that is at your discretion."
He wrapped the book in the layers of fabric again and held it out.
"I'm keeping this," Ginny anticipated his question and took the heavy lump from him. Draco shrugged indifferently.
They all got up and Philibert Greycliffe walked with them to the door.
"I do hope you will enjoy it. If you encounter any problems, please, don't hesitate to ask for advice."
Neither of them shared his enthusiasm. Ginny was already at the door, when a thought occurred to her.
"Can I ask you something?"
"Yes, certainly," replied Mr. Greycliffe.
"When Professor Dumbledore made that will on the 25th of March last year, did he know that he
would die three months later?"
His expression changed and he peered at her. At last he said: "He acted a bit strangely, I thought. Mysterious and sad. Now that I look back, I suppose he knew or at least suspected something."
Ginny nodded and left the office after Malfoy. He strode down the corridor towards the lift, without sparing her another glance.
"Wait!" Ginny ran after him. "Where do you think you are going?"
Draco stopped in his tracks, turned slowly and looked her over. Nope, nothing had changed since yesterday. She was still the same ill-bred, annoying bint.
"What is it?" he drawled.
"We haven't decided anything about the book. And I'd like you to make an effort and be more civil when you talk to me!"
"I don't associate with Muggles, half-bloods and Muggle-lovers. Which part of this do you not understand?" he jeered.
"I didn't ask for this to happen," she spat and glared at him so viciously that he involuntarily took a step back. She won't let him victimize her in any way, she decided. "But unfortunately we have to do this together."
"Yes," he gave her another contemptuous look, "and the sooner it's over, the better."
"I couldn't agree with you more. So, when shall we start? And where?"
She'd rather choose a neutral territory. She had no intention of letting Malfoy come into her apartment, and wouldn't set her foot inside the Malfoy Mansion, if she could help it.
"We shall begin tomorrow then," he nodded. "I'll let you know what time and where."
"Fine. I'll see you tomorrow."
And she walked off in the direction of the stairs, on the way to her office.
As the day was drawing to an end, Ginny awaited the upcoming meeting with dread and excitement. While seeing Malfoy was the last thing she wanted to do, she couldn't wait to get at the business in hand. She had to admit that the lawyer managed to enthrall her with his story. And just in less than a day she'd be unraveling a medieval mystery!
But that would be tomorrow. Until then she had a great deal of reading to do. She wanted to know what exactly she got herself involved in, and besides, and most importantly, she didn't fancy appearing an ignoramus in the eyes of Draco Malfoy.
Once at home, she made herself a cup of strong tea and then went into her study. An omnivorous reader as she was, Ginny never missed an opportunity to buy a few books whenever she was in the vicinity of a bookshop. While she wasn't rich enough to buy a lot, she still had a decent library at home. Here was soft morocco, calf skin, wooden bindings and many a page beautifully illustrated with vignettes, emblems and armorial bearings. And cheap books of spells were as equally treasured as facsimile charters of medieval cities. Now she was gazing lovingly at the bookshelves that lined the walls, treating each book to a special affectionate look, which, if directed at any man in England, would have never gone unnoticed.
She finally rested her eyes on a particularly old-looking book on the leftmost shelf. She removed it carefully and placed it in her lap. It was a beautiful roan-bound edition of The Complete Magical Encyclopaedia, obtained at a recent sale at Flourish and Blotts. This cost her a third of her monthly salary, but was still worth every Knut she had spent on it.
She opened it and first consulted the index, looking for 'grimoire'.
"Grimoire," she then read out loud, "which literally means 'grammar', is a book of magical knowledge, written between the late-medieval period and the 18th century. Such books contain
astrological correspondences, lists of angels and demons, directions on casting charms and spells, on mixing medicines, summoning unearthly entities, and making talismans. Grimoires first came into common use around the 13th century and are thought by some to have been linked to the Knights Templar. Much of the material in grimoires is taken from Egyptian texts dating back to around 100 A.D."
The list of famous grimoires followed:
The Key of Solomon
Ars Steganographiae of Abbott Johannes Trithemius
The Sworne Booke of Honorius
Liber Mysteriorum of Fra Filippo
Compendium Heptarchiae Mysticae of Dr. John Dee
She curiously read the reference articles.
"…The Key of Solomon (Clavicula Salomonis) is one of many classical, medieval and Renaissance magical texts, known as grimoires, claiming the authorship of King Solomon, renowned for his wisdom and spiritual powers. According to the legend, it was written in the 10th century B.C. The first mention of the grimoire dates back to the 1st century. Another book, also ascribed to Solomon,
is Lemegeton (The Lesser Key of Solomon). It is the first grimoire to describe two divisions in magic - Carmen (on spells and magical formulas) and Goetia (on evoking and conjuring the demons)."
"Johannes Trithemius (1462-1516), the teacher of Agrippa and Paracelsus, wrote Ars Steganographiae at the end of the 15th century. Some claimed it to be co-authored by the notorious
Dr. Faust (1480-1540). On the surface it is a system of angel magic, but within is a highly sophisticated system of cryptography. It claims to contain a synthesis of the science of knowledge, the art of memory, magic, an accelerated language learning system, and a method of sending messages without symbols or messenger. It's also been said that he used cryptography to write down alchemical processes. The method of concealing one text inside the other was very popular in alchemy.
In private circulation, Ars Steganographia was highly valued. John Dee, whose Enochian system of angelic magic was influenced by Steganographia, noted that one thousand crowns had been offered for a copy of this work. On the other hand, it brought such a reaction of fear that Trithemius decided it should never be published. He reportedly destroyed the more extreme portions (presumably instructions for prophecy/divination) but it continued to circulate in manuscript form and was eventually published posthumously in 1606."
"The Sworne Booke of Honorius (Liber Juratus), which was most probably written in the 13th century,
contains instructions on how to conjure and command demons, to work other magical operations, and knowledge of what lies in Heaven among other highly sought information. Like many grimoires, this one has lengthy dissertations for proper operation and seals to be used.
This is one of the oldest existing medieval grimoires as well as one of the most influential. It is said that Dr. John Dee had this book in his private library. Another famous occultist, Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa, has also been rumored to be influenced by this work. The Liber Juratus can be classified as a Solomonic Grimoire due to its heavy use of angelic powers and seals like those found in The Greater Key of Solomon."
"Liber Mysteriorum is one of the most enigmatic grimoires ever written. Its real name is The Book of Mysteries, but it's often simply referred to as The Book. Even to this day no one knows precisely what the book is about, all one sees there are astrological charts, poems, mathematical sequences and pictures. For the lack of a unified truth, people believed that this was an encrypted message (much like Trithemius' work) on how to make the Philosopher's Stone. As the word got around, many other books followed, copying the mysterious nature of the original, but they had absolutely no power whatsoever and were therefore useless. Some of them include: Corpus Mysterium, Trattata Anglesia, The Testament of Albertus the Mage, etc. The most curious book of them all was, however, Secretum Secretorum (Secret of Secrets). It was an abridged version of The Book and therefore more truthful. It was composed by one of the followers of Fra Filippo around 1214 in assignment for Duke William of Rochester. It was extremely influential throughout the Middle Ages and Renaissance. But, alas, no man ever succeeded in decrypting it. With time, like many other books of this nature, Secretum Secretorum failed to hold the interest of the general public and settled down in libraries and private collections…"
Ginny rubbed her temples tiredly. There was too much information already for her to grasp. Besides, first she had to have a proper look at Liber Mysteriorum and try to analyze it. And that she put off for later, meaning to start on it together with Malfoy, as planned. The mound of work that she had pictured, grew steadily into a gigantic mountain. But she reassured herself - what she had done already, was enough to share with Malfoy and from thereon they could work together.
Satisfied with herself, she stood up from the sofa and stretched. After stashing the books away, she contemplated running a bath.
When the bathtub was filled with hot water, she sank into the thick coat of foam. She leaned back and closed her eyes, allowing her body to relax. Again, in her thoughts she recurred to the subject of The Book. She had to admit that she was actually enjoying this project. Yes, the project. Certainly not her partner with whom she reluctantly agreed to be paired up. Draco was strong and muscular, but she didn't care two straws about his brawny frame. She couldn't forget the atrocities he had committed at school with impunity. Every time he did something mean to her or to her friends, he managed to get away with it! And that's all because he was a Slytherin and he came from an affluent family. And, perhaps, because he wasn't particularly ugly, she admitted unwillingly.
He was always popular, she remembered. For some reason girls always adored him and his scurvy nature and he was never short of female company. Not that she cared. Still, she couldn't help wonder if he was still seeing anyone, now that he was playing a recluse. She, on her part, was convinced that he was fooling everyone with that tale of remorse and guilty conscience, and all the while was engaged in wild orgies with numerous concubines in the sumptuous bedrooms of the house. She had never seen the inside of the mansion, but she imagined it to be grand. She laughed when she pictured a real-life harem stationed there.
But, she told herself again, she didn't give a damn about it. What she was really interested in, was the reason why he agreed to collaborate with her. Even at Hogwarts he never rubbed shoulders with base-born or otherwise unworthy of his attention. Why had he agreed to do just that now? What made him say yes? Was he just curious about The Book? Or was there more to it? He could have refused and, she was sure, he wanted refuse instantly. But he didn't. This naturally made her a little apprehensive. Was she in danger? What nonsense! Of course he wouldn't try anything funny. Nonetheless, she wasn't too keen on seeing Malfoy more than it was really necessary.
He was absolutely right, the sooner this all was over the better.
***
When Ginny woke up next morning, she saw a beautiful grey owl outside her window. She undid the latch and let the bird in. It alighted, thrusting the letter in its beak into Ginny's hand. Curious, Ginny tore the envelope.
Mr. Malfoy's secretary was informing her that unfortunately Mr. Malfoy could not confirm their appointment for that day as he was busy elsewhere. He would let her know which day would be more convenient for him.
"That wretch!" Ginny roared, frightening the poor owl.
She jumped out of the bed and started pacing the bedroom, almost tripping on the hem of her night-gown in agitation. She was fuming.
He was busy elsewhere?! How dared he cancel their appointment! He thought she could just put her life on hold and spend all the time studying ancient books? What did he take her for?! Oh right, she was one of those second-rate people - a blood-traitor!
"Now, we'll just see about that, Mr. Malfoy!" Ginny thought maliciously, as she murmured 'Incendio' and the note in her hand burst into flames.