Ruins
They landed on the ground with an oof and saw they were in a cave.
"Are you all right?" Professor Fig asked hearing Hermione cry, and seeing she had trouble getting up from how hard she slammed into the ground of a cave. "You're hurt.?"
"Perhaps a bit." Hermione grunted head down.
"Take this." Professor Fig said giving her a potion. "It's Wiggenweld Potion. That stuff'll right you in a second."
"Thanks." Hermione said drinking it, and being healed except for a thin scar over her eye from where her face hit the ground since the potion was more focused on the leg that prevented her from walking. "What happened? Why did the dragon attack?"
"Poor George - I can't believe he -" Professor Fig said. "What the hell got into that damned thing? Attacking a carriage mid-air? A typical dragon would never -"
"Sir - where are we?" Hermione asked.
"I'm not sure." Professor Fig said. "But that key you discovered was clearly a portkey."
"A portkey." Hermione repeated knowing it was true but still relieved that it was. If it wasn't they would have been dragon food. Just how did Harry manage to go against an even more dangerous breed in Fourth year?
"An item enchanted to bring whoever touches it to a specific place." Professor Fig said believing she was asking what a portkey was.
"I'm feeling better now sir, if you'd like to look around a bit?" Hermione said knowing they needed to find where they were.
"I would." Professor Fig agreed. "But stay close we've no clue who created this portkey - or why."
With that they headed to the cave entrance and found themselves on a cliff overlooking the ocean and some ruins.
"How far did that Portkey take us?" Hermione asked.
"Further from London then the carriage traveled." Professor Fig said. "We're somewhere in the Scottish highlands."
"Sir - those ruins?" Hermione asked pointing to them. "Do you think -"
"The portkey was meant to lead us there?" Professor Fig said. "I do. This has not been the day either of us expected. But Miriam sent that Portkeynto George for a reason. And I believe that she - and now George - died in pursuit of where it was meant to lead to. If you're sure you're alright and wouldn't mind indulging me - I'd like to have a look around."
"Okay." Hermione said knowing the glow was the same as on the artifact that sent her back in time meaning following it was her best bet of getting back to the future.
"Good." Professor Fig said. "Let's see if we can find a path - however faded it may be."
"Mind your step." Professor Fig said as they walked along the cliff.
"Where do you think your wife got the portkey that brought us her?" Hermione asked as they reached a small ledge and climbed up it.
"A good question." Professor Fig said as they continued to another ledge and climbed it. "Miriam spent years searching for evidence of a long forgotten form of Ancient Magic."
"Ancient Magic?" Hermione asked having never heard of it.
"Yes, a powerful magic wielded by a rare few - that seems to have been lost to time." Professor Fig said as they continued along the path. "Hogwarts Castle was built by and is itself a stronghold of that Ancient Magic. I don't know where she came into possesion of that portkey, but I'm certain it has to do with that search. Ah there's the path down below. This way."
That shook Hermione out of her shock. Hogwarts a History never mentioned the castle being made with Ancient Magic.
"Why was your wife searching for lost magic?" Hermione asked as she followed.
"Miriam wanted to find out why such powerful magic disappeared from the wizarding world - spoke of the good it could do. But magic is no different from any power. What really matters is the one who wields it."
With that they came across a wall that looked like ice against the way.
"Is that ice?" Hermione asked knowing it could be with magic.
"It's not cold enough here." Professor Fig said. "It appears to be some sort of enchantment. Someone wanted to block this path. Let's see some of that wand work you were practicing. Focus on the center and use basic cast."
"Okay." Hermione said not sure how a basic cast could break an enchantment, but to her surprise it only took three hits to break.
"Excellent." Professor Fig said as they went forward and slid down the hill. "That was a bit rougher then I'd expected."
They then continued on and up another ledge, and continued on.
"We're close now. It's just ahead." Professor Fig said as they came across a windy broken bridge. "Steady yourself. Reparo!"
Hermione watched in shock as the bridge pathway was repaired, not knowing Reparo could fix things that big. And they crossed to the ruins where they searched around for what was next. They found a Mural and a Statue before Hermione found something else on a path behind the walls.
"That enchanted crystalized stone again. But what couldn't be blocking?" Hermione said using basic cast but this time it only spread it across the normal stone around it and had the same glowing swirling flame like symbol with what appeared to be a room behind it. "What's this? Professor Fig over here!"
"How odd." Professor Fig said. "Why would someone have conjured that enchanted stone here?"
"And how is there a room behind it?" Hermione asked knowing it was on an outside wall.
"What room?" Fig asked. "I don't see anything?"
"There's that glow again, like the glow on the portkey container." Hermione said touching it only for the ruins to disappear leaving them facing a stone wall.