Chapter 14: The Scrimgeour Secret
December 18th
A small, older man with big, round sunglasses and a serene, happy smile on his face sat in a small wicker chair overlooking the Egyptian landscape and the bleak, hot desert beyond. He had sun-darkened skin and bleach-white hair in contrast; it was sparse and he was bald on top, but the hair he did have was neatly trimmed and combed, matching a thin, wispy mustache. The sun beat down on the city of Alexandria with little mercy, but the small man had little to worry about for this particular man was a wizard - with a little magic, he was as cool as he wanted. Muggles entering the city looked at the strange, fully dressed little man camped out by a house that edged the empty desert with befuddled expressions, but he continued to sit and wait.
Little did anyone know that the small wizard was actually a member of an underground network of spies aimed at working against He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. The fear of the Dark Lord was far-reaching - it gripped Egypt like it did all other countries that were occupied by wizard-kind. The city was in a state of alarm as news spread that the Royal Library of Alexandria had been broken into. It was a well-known fact to any witch or wizard that the Royal Library was the most well-guarded place on earth. It has housed so many powerful and dangerous secrets that in ancient times, wizards had made Muggles think it was destroyed just to keep its whereabouts from their knowledge. To know that it had been broken into and something was possibly stolen during a time in which the Dark Lord was back in power and The Boy Who Lived had been missing for months was to panic.
However, the small wizard was smiling serenely and continued to keep a look out carefully, almost as if he wasn't worried about a thing.
"Gyasi Mahaado," a quiet voice suddenly said very close by.
The man jumped in his seat and turned his head quickly to see where the voice came from. Standing just a few feet to his left was a strong, extremely well-built man hidden by his coat and a cloth mask that shielded his lower face from the sun. He was wearing a light-colored, but dusty and ripped canvas cloak that shielded his body and around his neck was a large python that seemed to be looking at him with interest. The wiry Egyptian looked shocked for a split second, as if no one had ever got the best of him before, but then he began to chuckle.
"Harry Potter!" Mahaado began to laugh. "I have to say, I didn't believe it when Viktor said you were crafty, but that was impressive!"
"Please Mr. Mahaado," Harry said quietly. "There is a homunculus out today."
"Ah yes, yes!" He got up from his chair and waved Harry in his direction. "Come! Inside, where it is cooler." Harry followed him inside the small-looking house only to discover it was magically enlarged and felt rather like a large Middle-eastern bachelor pad. The walls were covered in maps and pictures and notes, seeming as if the man hated throwing anything away that even remotely resembled something that could be hung. Windows were covered by large, crimson red drapes and all of the doors in the house were finely hand-carved. Beautiful tapestries showing wonderful-looking scenes of heroic warriors and damsels in distress hung from the ceiling and very ornate rugs covered the floor. Mahaado led Harry to a chair where he could sit and scampered to the nearby kitchen where he began to pour glasses of iced tea.
Harry took off his hood and pulled down his face guard. His face looked like it had a line right through the middle of it, his upper half caked with large amounts of dust. His hair was even more unruly as usual, sticking up in various places. He began to wipe dust off of his shoulders when a humming noise caught his attention. A small, pyramid-shaped, metallic object zoomed into the room and began rotating around Harry. In moments, the dirt and dust covering Harry and Worthwhile was sucked clean off their bodies and attached itself to the object like iron to a magnet. After they were both completely dirt-free it zoomed off.
"Isn't it great?" Mahaado cackled, slapping his knee. "I enchanted it myself. I have the cleanest home in Alexandria!" He came back into the living area Harry was in presented him with a glass of iced tea, which he downed half of in one gulp.
"Thank you, Mr. Mahaado. I'm afraid I haven't had much to drink today. There is little refuge for a foreigner right now."
"Please, call me Gyasi," Mahaado said with his first serious look since Harry first encountered him. "And I know what you mean. I'm afraid there is nothing I can do to help you in that area. Since the Library was broken into, Alexandria has been shut off to any wizards or witches who wish to stay here tonight and Muggles are being watched very closely. However, from what I have heard, a homunculus should be no problem for you Mr. Potter!"
"No one is safe from even one, much less the three the Royal Library guards may have let out. I have tried to get inside, but they are somehow keen to my presence. That, I will admit, makes me ever wary of them."
"Aye," Gyasi said with a smile back on his face. "Right terrible creatures that only obey the Library guards, and they've learned to sink into the ground, traveling underfoot to find anyone they might be looking for."
"The Library is what brings me here. It has been a while since what was stolen was actually taken, but word is spreading in the underground. I need to know what was stolen."
"Aye, those who know of this theft want to know the same thing. The Library magistrates are saying nothing I'm afraid. Every Minister of Magic in the world has come to inquire - even your Mr. Scrimgeour, but they are being told nothing; as stubborn as goblins, the Magistrates are."
"Yes, I'm aware no one has the ear of the Library," Harry said smiling knowingly. "I'm assuming this is why Krum sent me to you."
"Right you are my boy!" Gyasi clapped his hands to together and rubbed them in delight. "Now, I can get you inside, but I'm afraid the rest is up to you. I can't tell you what you will even find, because I don't know myself. You will need to speak to the High Mage herself, but she is perhaps, I am sorry to say, the most guarded person on the face of the planet. The risk is up to you, James."
"James?" Harry looked at Gyasi with a quizzical look on his face.
"Oh, sorry! You look so much like your father did; I guess it slipped my mind who I was talking to for a second there."
"You knew my dad?" Harry leaned forward and Worthwhile perked his interest as well. "How?"
"I taught him!" Gyasi answered with a smile, enjoying Harry's attention. "Aye, I was the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher your mother and fathers' final year at Hogwarts. Two of the finest students I ever taught - they actually were beginning to date, so getting those two to pay attention was a tough task, let me tell you!"
"Do you remember how exactly that happened?" Harry asked. "Because I know my mum wasn't too fond of my dad in their fifth year."
"Oh they had their squabbles as many lovebirds in training do, but one always knew there was something special there. I imagine you have yet to understand love's finer intricacies - your mother and father's souls...well, they were a match. Once James grew out of his rebelliousness and stubborn pride and Lily stopped denying the inevitable, it happened in moments."
"So they were happy?"
"Very happy. Many young boys loved Lily and many young ladies swooned over James, but to tell you the truth, we all expected it - they were a match made in heaven and they went on to do great things. I ended up taking James on as an apprentice, Lily was a tremendously accepted witch, and you were born at the peak of their lives. It was such a shame..."
"My dad was your apprentice?" Harry interrupted excitedly. "What do you do?"
"Oh, I'm sorry! I am retired now, but I was a Crelix... or dark wizard catcher."
"Like an Auror?"
"You could say that; however a Crelix is independent, kind of like a private eye. I was good, but your father was a man of raw talent. Dark wizards, Death Eaters... they all feared him more than anyone except Dumbledore himself. James and Lily... yep, they were an amazing team, loved around the world. They couldn't go wrong... until they decided to take up against You-Know-Who. Believe me when I tell you the Dark Lord hated your parents. They were everything he was not; when you were born, the world rejoiced at their good fortune and people were happy even in the midst of You-Know-Who's reign of chaos. To tell you the truth, you were already news before your parents died; it's the real reason you became not just famous, but an icon. You were born of two great people who defied You-Know-Who... and you were the cause of his eventual demise."
Harry sat back calmly, overwhelmed with everything he was hearing. He was elated to know his parents truly were a happy couple and that what he saw in Snape's memory had been just a bad day. He remembered how bad his temper was at that age and felt better about everything. Harry and Gyasi spent the remainder of the day talking of James and Lily Potter's exploits; of how they eluded Voldemort and frustrated him; of their wedding day; of his birth and how happy Harry's parents were. Harry soaked up every word the merry old man said and he and Gyasi became friends in short time. As day faded into night, discussion reverted back to Harry's agenda.
"Now," Gyasi said, putting down his tea glass and becoming slightly more serious. "We will be able to enter the Library, but only because I have been given clearance. However, getting to where you need to be will be tricky."
"I am assuming," Harry said, folding his hands. "You have a way."
"Mr. Potter, you have to understand something. The information you seek would only be known by the High Mage for sure. There is a way inside to the High Mage, but once inside, you will be detected. It will only be a few minutes before the entirety of the Library guard is upon you."
"I understand Gyasi, but it is crucial we find out what was stolen. If no one will tell me, I must force the situation. I will talk to the High Mage and see what happens. That is the best plan we have."
As the full moon crept over the Egyptian city, Gyasi scampered up a dark and lonely street, Harry in close pursuit. The winding road finally broke from its clay building-lined curbs and opened to an expanse overlooking the Mediterranean. The light from the moon and nearby streetlamps brought a stunning vision to Harry's eyes. Off near a wharf where many large fishing boats were moored was a large wooden ramp that seemed to float on the water without any support; despite that, it looked very sturdy. It led for at least a mile out into the sea, finally coming to a stop in front of an enormous Romanesque building that was well-lit and looked like it was built on an island. Gyasi made his way towards the ramp and Harry continued to follow.
"The Royal Library of Alexandria," Gyasi huffed as they continued to walk. "Muggles can't see it and the only way inside is on that walkway. Now, we will be detected immediately but I am cleared and you will simply be my guest, but once we are at the Library, you must hide yourself, for you are no ordinary guest...they will know this. You must be aware Mr. Potter: the magic protecting these buildings is much beyond many wizards' understanding. Your father helped construct many of its protections, so they are very good. You cannot use your invisibility cloak until we have safely passed."
They reached the long, wooden path to the Library secluded at sea and began the trek. After a few minutes walking, they were suddenly confronted by a short, hooded little being that was armed with a dagger and a wand, one in each hand. Harry had no idea where he came from considering there was no other structure attached to the plain walkway and apparating was not possible.
"Who approaches?" it whispered in a throaty glut.
"Gyasi Mahaado and a guest," Gyasi said with a smile. With a nod, the small creature disappeared into thin air and they continued on. Finally arriving, Harry was more able to appreciate the grandiose form of the Library. Gardens surrounded the enormous marble building, with fountains scattered among various flowers and vines that Harry knew well enough were as dangerous as they were beautiful. They walked up the large staircase that led to a pair of great, golden doors. Harry donned his invisibility cloak and followed Gyasi at a farther distance. He watched as Gyasi pulled out a short knife and cut his forehead. As blood ran down his face, Gyasi quickened his speed up the stairs. Finally reaching the top, two large guards in purple robes with golden chains around their necks and chest approached him.
"Gyasi, you are back," one of the guards spoke. "Where is your accompanying guest?" Finally reaching Gyasi, the guard realized he was bleeding. Pulling out his wand, the two men scoured the area around them. "Gyasi, what is going on?"
"I was attacked!" Gyasi blurted in a heavy tone as if he were breathing hard. Harry thought he was acting the part of the innocent attacked man very well. "I met a man who said he knew something of the theft, so I brought him in. Once we reached the landing, he attacked me and went into the gardens!" He pointed off towards where Harry was previously looking.
"Well, he won't last long if that's true," the other guard scoffed.
"Atemu," the first guard ordered. "Take Gyasi into the Library and make sure he is looked after." Suddenly two more purple robe-clad guards appeared and joined him. They weren't apparating, Harry noticed, but it was still a magical transport. Harry was reminded of Dumbledore's ability to travel without apparition by the help of Fawkes. The first guard and the two newly arrived wizards went off down the steps while Atemu led Gyasi through the Library doors, Harry following silently behind.
Inside, Harry became even more awe-struck at the Library's majesty. The Building was one giant room laden with smaller ones on the sides, all of them protected by doors of every size and shape imaginable. The shelves of books were the true wonder, however. They reached to the ceiling high above and the amount of shelves were innumerable in Harry's eyes. Various witches and wizards were able to summon the books they wanted with simple spells, although how they knew where they were located, Harry had no idea.
Gyasi was led off to one of the side doors - one that looked like an octagon. Atemu pulled out a set of strange-looking keys that were attached to his hip and picked one. Inserting it and unlocking the door, they went into a small but very-high reaching room. Lining the walls were shelves that were filled with every sort of bottle Harry could imagine. Glass, plastic, red, blue, square, crystal - all of them interesting, but so numerous that it would take a lifetime to look through.
"Alright Gyasi," Atemu said as he pulled out his wand and summoned a bottle that looked like some sort of healing potion. "Tell me what happened."
"I'm sorry, my friend," Gyasi said with a sad, apologetic look on his face. Harry performed a sleeping spell on the guard and he was out in seconds, slumped on the floor. Harry took off his cloak while Gyasi grabbed the keys at Atemu's hip and they walked out of the room together, closing the door. Gyasi quickly walked towards the far end of the library, before finally reaching another door - a blue half-circle door with a crimson doorknob. He picked a key, used it and Harry and Gyasi quickly entered, closing the door behind them. The inside was nothing more than a broom closet, but Harry could sense something was special about it.
"Your father was crafty, lad," Gyasi said with a sneaking smile on his face. "He loved having ways in and out of places that no one else knew about - he would call himself a `Marauder.' When he helped fortify the Library's defenses, he built a small entryway that leads directly to the High Mage. He was already allowed to see the High Mage whenever he wanted, but he loved just knowing he could get into her chambers without approval." Gyasi pulled out his wand and whispered something unintelligible while pointing it at the wall. Suddenly an outline of a passage became visible and the wall disappeared into a steep slide into the abyss.
"He only told two souls of this passage's existence. Myself and..."
"Sirius," Harry finished for him, examining the dark drop.
"Aye... Mr. Potter, you probably won't see me again until this is all over. I will be a wanted man for this and the Homunculi will be sure to be after me, so this is goodbye."
"You should take up safety at the Order!" Harry suggested enthusiastically.
"I'm afraid I can't do that. My place is here with my people. The resistance against the Dark Lord is a worldwide struggle. I am here for Egypt. You must eventually go back and fight him in your own homeland."
Harry shook his hand with thankfulness. "You are a friend Gyasi. Hopefully soon, the war will truly be over."
"Aye, you have your father's spirit in you lad." Gyasi's mustache twitched in a happy smile. "I know you have the ability to bring it to an end."
"Without friends like you, it would never have been possible."
Gyasi donned his hood and his large sunglasses. "Remember lad, this chute will take you right to the High Mage, but as soon as you are there, your presence in the chamber will be known." Harry nodded and after another grin, Gyasi Mahaado quickly left the room.
Harry summoned his staff to his hand from his holster and slid into the opening. Sliding deeper and deeper into the ground below the Library, Harry suspected he must be under the sea. Soon, he landed in a well-lit chamber that was seemingly empty except for a large throne-looking chair in the middle of the room. Sitting in it was a very beautiful woman who had flowing golden hair and a graceful green and white dress that ran down to the floor. She was a bit along in years, but was still stunning in look and form. Her eyes at first went wide with complete surprise at the sudden appearance of Harry through a chute whose entrance disappeared as soon as he arrived, but then she seemed to realize something and looked more at ease.
"Why, if I didn't know it any better, I would say James is visiting me from the grave." The woman said with a sly smile on her face.
"I'm sorry... uh... my lady," Harry became flustered at his lack of thought concerning just what he was going to say. The fact that this woman was all alone in a chamber far below the library escaped him. "Miss, I need to know what was taken from the Library some time ago."
"Do you? So many people need me to tell them what they need to know and yet here I sit still, ever unaffected."
"I don't mean to be brash," Harry was trying to hurry, but he did not know who this woman really was except a guardian of something very important. He was ready should she be dangerous. "But I have very little time. Please, can you tell me?"
"Oh, nonsense!" She said with an entrancing smile. "We have plenty of time! Are you worried about the guards?" She snapped her fingers and Harry heard a snap behind him. "There... now I've sealed the doors and we won't be interrupted."
"Um... okay. So, I really need to know who the thief was and what was stolen."
"Why so eager Harry? Come over to me and let's talk."
"Master, I don't trust her," Worthwhile said hesitatingly.
"Neither do I Worthwhile, but we must find out what was stolen. I will be okay."
"Will you now?" the woman said in Parseltongue. She looked at Harry with a patronizing smile. Harry raised his staff in front of him, completely wary of the woman.
"Who are you?" Harry demanded.
"Why I am the High Mage! Isn't that who you seek? Come now, have I done anything to deserve this kind of treatment?"
"I've only come to find out what was stolen, nothing more."
"Why should I tell you? You know, James used to talk with me." The woman suddenly looked very sad and she averted her eyes.
"My father would talk with you... even confide in you?" Harry asked.
"Yes..." she replied wistfully. "Yes, we had many talks."
"If that is true, then what was my godfather's name?"
"Sirius Black. Poor Sirius. I heard about what happened." Suddenly the doors began to rattle and thumps could be heard from the other side. The High Mage simply continued to look forlorn.
Harry holstered his staff and walked up to the woman. "I'm sorry. I never meant to be rude. Time is simply critical at the moment. If you say I am safe, then I will believe it."
"You are for now. Sadly, however, I cannot tell you who broke into the Library's inner secret rooms, nor can I tell you what was stolen."
"Why not?"
"I am bound to never speak of it except to the Magistrates. You see, the position of High Mage is one of great honor but also one of profound misery and loneliness. I can never leave this chamber until my time to serve is up. I am granted largely amplified powers, one of which being the ability to speak many languages, but I hold the keys to this Library, and am bound by magic to never reveal its secrets, nor any information the Magistrates deem unspeakable."
"Then why did you accept the position?" Worthwhile asked.
"I had to! The burden of High Mage must be carried down through my family line. Each service is twenty years. In exchange, you are given much after you have finished. After my twenty years is over, I will be given a large amount of money to start my life and a rare youth potion that will restore some of my age, but time is still lost. This curse of protecting the Royal Library is a black tarnish forever associated with the Scrimgeour name."
Harry and Worthwhile glanced at each other. "Come again?" Harry asked.
"Yes you heard right. My name is Rhona Scrimgeour. Rufus - your Minister of Magic - is my brother."
"So why wasn't he picked to serve in the Library?" Harry asked.
"My parents decided it was I who should serve when my Aunt Magdalene's term was over. I began over nineteen years ago and your father was brought in to oversee new magical spells and wards being placed that were meant to protect me. I guess they finally failed when the Library was broken into." She had a lost look on her face as she spoke to Harry and he finally understood.
"You were in love with my father?" Harry asked in a soothing manner.
Rhona looked at him exasperated for a moment, but finally chuckled in a light tone. "He was the only man I ever saw besides the aging Chief Magistrates, can you blame me? But that didn't matter; I could tell he was dreamy. However, as much as I flirted and batted my eyelashes, he could never have been swayed away from his love. Seeing you just now almost made me think he had come back for me. How horrible this time has been."
"It really isn't fair," Harry conceded. "I'm sorry my dad couldn't do more for you. My mum and dad were both lucky I guess."
"You know this," Rhona said with a knowing smile on her face. "Because you are in love yourself. I can see it in your eyes."
"I'm afraid I don't have time for love," Harry responded politely. The rattles and bangs against the door were beginning to increase in intensity and Harry's mind began to race again.
"Perhaps, but let me tell you... a life without love is no life at all. Don't ever let it go." Harry looked at her with the first realization of what she was talking about the entire time. She had had twenty years to think about what to tell someone the first time she should get an opportunity and that was her choice: that love is more important than anything...and Harry knew she was right.
Suddenly, there was a blast on the other side of the door and Harry shifted and resummoned his staff to his hand.
"I guess that means they are serious now," Rhona sighed. "Listen to me Harry. If you want to know what was stolen, I can't tell you that, but my brother can. He has the key to all of this! Just tell him that our worst fear has been realized. As for the thief, I don't think anyone knows who it was - which is why it has the whole of the Library abuzz."
"That is the second time I have been told that the Ministry holds some sort of key. What is it?" Harry shouted over the loud explosions that were beginning to multiply.
"There's no time!" Rhona shouted. "When those doors open, I will distract them. You must make your way out as soon as possible before the Homunculi are upon you! No matter what you do, continue to go straight, even if it looks like a dead end, or you will be lost forever in the Library's underground labyrinth!" The doors shook with an explosion one last time before groaning and coming to a crash. "GO! NOW!"
Rhona spread her hands out and large star-shaped flashes of light flew from her hands in the doors' direction and burst into rays of intense light. Harry materialized his Firebolt, hopped on, and zoomed through the crowd of stunned wizards and witches who crashed through. Flying faster than he ever had before, he shot through the dark halls at light speed. A wall approached and Harry braced himself as he ran into it, but he hit nothing. He was in a hall once more. He continued on, finally reaching a pair of open green doors and zooming out into the Library main room. He rocketed through and out into the open air. Landing, he vanished his broom and ran as fast as he could across the walkway. No one stopped him as he made his way to the end. He stopped to catch his breath, looking out at the seemingly calm structure.
Suddenly, the earth beside him exploded; rising from the ground came an enormous golden-hued monster made from what looked like rock and boulder. It menaced over Harry with sinister red eyes and hands larger than five grown wizards. It was a homunculus, the guardian of the Royal Library of Alexandria and feared by all wizard-kind; Harry summoned his staff quickly and faced it. Suddenly two more exploded from the earth, quickly honing in on their quarry.
In seconds they were upon him. Harry barely missed their furious pounds to the ground as he leaped in between two of them, but he was soon cornered once more. His mind raced furiously - he tried to apparate, but found he couldn't. Harry tried a curse, but it bounced harmlessly off them as they advanced on him. They were truly too powerful to underestimate and a theft from the Library's secret archive would have taken a miracle.
"No..." Harry said with a grimace. "I've come too far." He thrust his staff in a great slice through the air and pure power flashed into the night. Harry's hair stood on end as his orb and wand together went to work, using all the strength Harry had inside. Within moments, the sand around him picked up in a terrific whirlwind. In a matter of seconds, large twisters of sand and wind were furiously winding around Harry, destroying everything in its path. One of the homunculi tried to punch through, but to no avail. Harry increased its intensity, putting everything he had into the barrier he had created. He had blocked the monsters off and began to walk towards the street.
The storm that raged around him cut him off from the stone beasts, but Harry had to walk slowly because the spell was intense - it was starting to cut into his mind. He didn't know how much longer he could hold it -- blood was beginning to drip from his nose and his eyes flashed like green fire; however, after a few minutes and enough walking, he found he was outside the homunculis' magical presence and he could apparate and did so, arriving at the edge of the desert. He flopped to the sand, breathing hard.
"Master, are you alright?" Worthwhile asked worried. "I've never seen anything like that."
"Enough... enough for me Worthwhile... it's time. I just can't do it. Rhona was right. I should never have let it go. It's time." Harry sat up, still trying to catch his breath.
"Time for what?"
"It's time to go home."
* * *
January 10th
Rufus Scrimgeour rose from his seat in horror at what Harry was telling him. He apparently was completely aware of what his sister Rhona meant by, "Tell him our worst fear has been realized."
"No... you must be mistaken," Scrimgeour said, terrified. His skin had turned a pasty white and his scruffy hair looked almost ashen. Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Worthwhile were back in the white room, alone with Scrimgeour.
"Minister, what is it?" Hermione asked.
Scrimgeour put his hand to his forehead and was silent for what seemed like an eternity. Finally he looked up at the ceiling and said, "What will we do? We are doomed! How are we to fight him now?"
"Minister!" Harry shouted with emphasis. It finally got his attention - Scrimgeour looked at them with weary eyes.
"Forgive me. The state of things has made the life of Minister of Magic a living, breathing nightmare, no matter what country you hail from. My sister, Rhona, was referring to the theft of one of the incantations of the six Unforgivable Curses that the Library houses in its powerful vaults. They were supposed to be untouchable."
"Six?" Ron said with an ashen face that matched Scrimgeour's. "I thought there were only three!"
"The three you know were the three that wizard-kind was unable to keep from public knowledge over the centuries. The other three were able to be snuffed out from memory. Until recently, the only known copies of their incantations were kept in the Royal Library of Alexandria... and if my sister tells me that our worst fear has been realized, then one or more of those spells have been stolen."
"What kind of curses are we talking about?" Harry asked.
"The three Unforgivable Curses you know are so called because they are devastating to wizards and Muggles alike... inhumane in every sense of the word, because they are built on evil. The three the Library houses are like them. While the Imperius, Cruciatus, and Avada Kedavra curses attack the mind, the Cadarius, Desiditrius, and Avada Deficus curses... they attack the heart. The six curses are sister spells, each pairing to commit the most heinous of evil pain and suffering upon others."
"I don't understand," Harry said with a dark look. "Why are they alike?"
"Because each one attacks the same way that another does. The Imperius Curse allows control of another's mind. Its sister spell, the Cadarius Curse... allows the caster control of another's heart."
Hermione shivered and grabbed Harry's arm as Scrimgeour continued. "The Cruciatus Curse causes the mind endless torment. The Desiditrius Curse so envelops the heart and soul in misery that it makes the victim lose his very will to live."
Harry's heart sunk to the bottom of his stomach. Desiditrium arbitratus - the curse from Slytherin's tome... a spell he had used to his advantage once before. Even though it was only used on a portrait, Harry felt his heart cringe in pain at the thought that he had used another Unforgivable Curse.
"And the third, like Avada Kedavra, causes death. Avada Deficus... instant destruction of the heart, for which there is no counter curse and of which no one has ever survived." A stiff air of defeat sliced through the room as Harry, Ron, and Hermione sat in stunned silence at what they were hearing. Three more unbearable curses and they might be in Voldemort's hands.
"It was once believed by many," Scrimgeour continued. "That the magic of the heart was more powerful than that of the mind - stronger if you will, but there are few who hold to that notion to this day. Dumbledore was one of its strongest advocates, while He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named sneered at the thought... that is, I suppose, until the day he found the `power of love could destroy him' as Dumbledore once put it."
"Tell me about the Cadarius Curse," Harry asked.
Scrimgeour looked at him with a curious face. "You realize it, don't you?" he asked Harry.
"Realize what?" Hermione asked, looking from Scrimgeour to Harry and back again.
"He realizes that if it was indeed You-Know-Who that broke into the Royal Library in Alexandria, then he needed to only take one."
"Why?"
"Because they are sister spells! Don't you see? The Desiditrius Curse and Avada Deficus accomplish the same thing as their counterparts, but the Cadarius! Yes... that curse is distinctly different than its sister, the Imperius Curse."
"How so?" Ron asked.
"Because," Harry said, answering Ron's question with an air of absolute defeat in his voice. "The Imperius Curse can be countered...even fought, but if you can control someone's heart, they won't want to fight it, because you would have their heart...you could control them potentially forever."
Ron, Hermione, and Worthwhile seemed struck senseless by the realization of what Harry had said. It truly was more evil than any of the other five.
"However," Harry spoke once more. "We still have opportunities." He reached into his robes and pulled out a small vial - it was a pensieve memory. The silvery substance was unmistakable. "This was given to me by Ramses before he died and is supposed to provide us with a key to defeating Lord Voldemort. He told me I would need to observe it with you, Minister, and that once we did, we would all understand."
Scrimgeour, at first looked wary. Harry assumed Scrimgeour would be very untrusting of anything concerning Ramses Beauregard, the notorious Death Eater for hire. However, he nodded and Harry was relieved to see Scrimgeour was trusting Harry's plan.
In minutes, Scrimgeour had a Pensieve brought in and the four of them with Worthwhile still around Harry's shoulders, gathered around it. Harry poured Ramses' memory into the bowl and they all at once put their faces forward. Within seconds, they were pulled into the Pensieve and found themselves in a toy shop. Harry instantly recognized it as the toy shop he and Ramses had slept in the night they arrived at the Edifice. However, the atmosphere was different. Toys on the shelves weren't dusty or forgotten. Various people were browsing inside and a young woman with short brown hair and brilliant blue eyes was helping customers and small children.
"So this is what it's like being inside a Pensieve memory," Ron mused to Harry as he looked around.
"I forgot you and Hermione have never experienced this," Harry said. "I've done it so many times. Make sure you're on the lookout for Ramses."
They all looked around, but no large man in a brim hat was to be seen. Just then, the jingling of the bell hanging from the front door chimed its merry tune as the door burst open and a small boy with long, black hair and dusty play clothes rushed inside and ran towards the back.
"Ramses!" the woman behind the counter reprimanded in a half-angry, half-amused voice. "Stop running through the shop! Your father is in the back. He is waiting for you."
Harry smirked and Hermione, Ron, and Scrimgeour followed Harry who took the lead in tracing young Ramses Beauregard's steps into the back end of the toy shop. The boy rushed into the room where all the toy-making machines and magical gismos were. There, a thinner, gangly man sat in a chair working on a carving of a horse. He was tall, with very little hair on top of his head. What few strands he did have fell gently from the sides of his head to his shoulders. He wore drab grey robes and large, square spectacles hanging over his nose. Ramses ran up to the smiling man and jumped into his lap.
"Oh-ho! There you are! Ramses! Ramses, my lad, I have it!" he said elated, putting his work aside.
"Have what, Pappy?"
"Well," he replied mischievously, getting up and placing Ramses back on his feet. "I was in the Library at the Edifice..."
"Again?" Ramses huffed with a sarcastic smile on his face, his little face alight with playfulness. "You're always at the Library."
"Yes, you little rascal, I was there again," his father said, enjoying the repartee with his son. "And I found it!"
"It? You mean that dusty old book you were looking for?"
"It's not just any book Ramses! In fact it isn't a book at all! The Librarians all said it didn't exist, but I finally found it. It was hidden behind a collection of boring volumes about Goblin wars that no one ever looked at...high up on one of the tallest shelves." The man excitedly pulled the book from a drawer in a nearby desk. It was plain and brown, with no title or pictures.
"It looks like a dirty old regular book to me," Ramses said scrunching his nose.
"Oh really? Look again." Ramses' father opened the book to reveal not pages, but a hole... a hiding place. Inside was a small charcoal-colored box; Ramses was instantly interested.
"This, my boy," his father said, taking it out gently and showing it to his curious son. "...is a Bakuri Box!"
"What does it do?"
"Well, it gives a person one chance... one chance to see his future, to see what's going to happen in his life!"
"You could see anything you wanted?"
"Well no... not with just this. You see a Bakuri Box is just half of the puzzle my lad. See this little square hole here? That is where the other piece goes."
"There's another piece?"
"Yes. A Gorgon box. A Gorgon box is similar to this, but is white and has a magic just a little bit different. A Gorgon box will answer any question you ask it...and it is never wrong. Both boxes are useful in ways, but together… ah! Together, they would combine to show you anything you wanted...anything at all!"
"Wow!" Ramses smiled in delight. He ran to the window and looked out into the sky. "Do you think we might use it someday to see if we ever do anything great?"
"Why, son!" the man frowned slightly. "Are you not happy here?"
"I am Pappy, but I want to be an explorer! I want to see the ocean and the sky and forests and rivers and more cities! I like it here, but it's not for me."
"You will live your dreams one day, Ramses," the man said with a genuinely proud smile on his face. "I'm sure of it."
The five observers were unable to watch anymore because they were instantly picked up into the air and without another moment's notice, the five of them were back in the Ministry conference room, the memory ending at a screeching halt. Scrimgeour looked at Harry instantly as they recovered and Harry looked back with an expectant grimace. Reaching into his robes, Scrimgeour slowly pulled something out...it was a small white box, nearly identical to the description Ramses' father gave him. Hermione gasped when she saw it and Ron looked at Harry as he slowly pulled out his black box.
The Gorgon and Bakuri boxes... Ramses Beauregard's key to defeating Lord Voldemort.
END Chapter 14
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