Chapter 8
July and August seemed to roll by quickly and without incident. Before Eleazar had realized it, the end of August was upon them.
Hallie had done exceptionally well in her schoolwork. Her wandwork had been good from the start, but with the acquisition of her own wand her spell casting had become drastically better. He found himself often feeling impressed at just how good she was at it and how quickly she caught on to spells. He had never seen anything like it in all his years of teaching.
She could cast transfiguration spells with the best of them. He wasn't sure if it was Hallie's seemingly limitless imagination or simply pure talent that made it come so easily to her. He couldn't wait to see Matilda's reaction to how good she was at it. And he didn't think Dinah would be at all disappointed with Hallie's ability to duel either.
He'd been afraid at first that duels would be a difficult hurtle for Hallie. He'd avoided them for as long as possible for the simple fear that they might trigger a panic for her. However when they had finally started dueling, he found that she quickly overcame any fear of it. He did wish he had more time to teach her more defensive spells but he had seen enough to know she greatly enjoyed dueling and had a talent for it as well.
She had struggled with Potions throughout much of their lessons and she had correctly called it in that she also struggled with Herbology too. The two subjects were the most difficult for her to grasp it seemed. But he had seen students much worse at the subjects than her. Despite her struggles she had still managed to master both subjects well enough that he felt she would do just fine in her classes.
They had at least managed to make the back garden turn green with life once again. The plants were still a little spotty and not nearly as healthy as they had been under Miriam's care but at least they live. Miriam would have been proud to see it, he thought warmly.
In spite of her struggles, she had worked hard. He had found himself having to intervene to pace her on more than one occasion, fearful she might burn herself out working so hard. On anything she struggled with, she would come back to it again and again until she could get it right on repeat. It was hard to deter the child from something once she had set her mind to it.
He couldn't help but feel proud at her determination and hard work and all that she had accomplished.
He was just nearly finished cooking breakfast when Hallie appeared right on time in the kitchen doorway wearing a bright smile and greeted him with a cheerful, "good morning!"
"Good morning," he greeted back, finding her bright mood to be infectious.
In addition to her skills in schoolwork, he had also seen a change in the girl herself over the months. She was hardly like the reserved and quiet girl he had brought here back in May. There were certainly still days where she would withdrawl back into herself or react strongly to unexpected sounds and things gone wrong- he had unfortunately had to become quite good at coaching her through these moments of panic- but these moments in her had dwindled down to be far less frequent.
The girl who joined him now for breakfast was much more jovial and at ease. She had become bright-eyed and energetic. She had a sense of adventure now, always up to something in her spare time. She asked questions more, spoke more, laughed, and shared more. She'd even developed a habbit of humming melodies when she was occupied with something.
Eleazar's home used to be quiet and still, he thought with amusement as he watched her hum a melody while she set the table. It was as if his home had suddenly been filled with life and sound lately, though he found he did not mind it. These were all signs that the girl felt safe and happy and he appreciated them for what they were.
He was just about to sit at the table to eat when a familiar tawny owl flew in through the open window with a letter for him.
George's owl, he thought. The letter was very brief and vague. George wanted to meet with him as soon as possible. He had something to show him.
Odd. He had not seen George since Miriam's funeral and George's letters were usually always long and detailed. Something must be going on.
Retrieving a quill and parchment, he jotted down a reply and sent George's owl back on his way.
****
"Don't send him there you nitwit!"
A small black rook yelled up at Hallie as she almost made a poor move across the chessboard.
Professor Fig had been teaching her wizard's chess on the occasional afternoon as of late. Or trying to anyway, unfortunately Hallie was not turning out to be the very best at the game.
Professor Fig himself claimed not to be the most skilled with it either although he had a much stronger grasp of it than her. He claimed Miriam used to wipe the floor with him regularly at the game. Hallie would have argued that he was a very good wizard's chess player but currently her mind was too occupied by their current stalemate.
For the last five minutes they had both been staring at the board making no moves as the little animated chess pieces grew more and more agitated at them. They yelled directions at the two of them that they both promptly ignored.
"Somewhere beyond us Miriam is laughing at the both of us," Professor Fig muttered. His elbows on the table with hands clasped in front of him, a look of pure concentration on his face.
"Laughing at you. You're the professor. I can hardly be expected to surpass you," Hallie corrected him jokingly.
He laughed, "I expect you will surpass me in a great number of things in time."
"You have far too much faith in me."
"On the contrary, you have far too little faith in yourself. Just look at all you have accomplished these last few months. All in such a short time too. It's nothing short of extraordinary," he said somewhat insistently.
She swallowed a lump in her throat nervously, "You really think i'm ready for the start of term?"
"I am certain of it," he said assuredly. He added, "And I will be there with you the whole way through it. You'll still have lessons with me and I will always be there if you have need of me."
Hallie nodded, grateful for his encouraging words.
She felt an odd mixture of excitement and sorrow at leaving Professor Fig's home tomorrow to begin her time at Hogwarts.
His home had come to feel like a safe haven and she had enjoyed her time here immensely. It felt frightening to know that everything would very soon be changing and it reminded her with a dull ache that her future still remained uncertain.
She wondered uncertainly if there would ever be a time again in her life that she would feel this safe and secure somewhere.
As bad as her life had been before now and with what she knew of the world she had little faith to believe that it held much of anything particularly good in store for her.
Her time here felt like a precious anomaly, bound to come to an end eventually.
She knew however, that Professor Fig could not provide this safety net for her here forever and that Hogwarts itself would surely hold its own joys for her in time. She could trust that it would because Professor Fig had told her as much and she believed him.
He would not have told her Hogwarts was a wonderful place if it weren't true. She just had to be brave enough to face the changes that were coming her way and accept them, whatever they may be.
****
By eight thirty the next morning, they had their trunks packed and by the door to wait for their carriage to Hogwarts.
George was to meet them before the carriage left at nine o'clock. Eleazar checked his watch. If he doesn't hurry we'll have to leave without seeing him, he thought.
****
The carriage arrived around fifteen minutes after Hallie and Professor Fig had gotten all of their luggage downstairs and ready to load.
Hallie followed Professor Fig out of the door with her trunk in hand and across the short path from Professor Fig's house to the gate.
The carriage, which was red with black trimmings, sat just beyond the gate. It must be the property of Hogwarts because the large golden Hogwarts crest sat the base of its red door. The driver lept down from his seat to help them begin loading their belongings onto the carriage.
Hallie couldn't help but stare at the carriage. Not because the carriage itself was particularly notable. It was because the carriage was drawn by four dark and skeletal thin horse-like creatures with wings. They took her breath for a moment. Hallie had never seen anything like them. Their eyes, set deep in a skull that favored a reptile, were solid white. Their skin appeared leathery and was so tightly clung to the animals' frames that she could see nearly every bone in their bodies.
"Are they supposed to be that skinny," she asked. She couldn't help but be a bit concerned by the animals weights. They looked very poorly.
Professor Fig whipped around and looked at her with an expression of suprise on his face. He looked at the horse-like creatures and then at her.
"You can see them?" He asked her.
"What do you mean? Of course I can see them. Why wouldn't I see them," she replied, feeling very confused by his question. The animals stood there bold as day, did they not?
He gave her a strange look and explained, "They are called Thestrals. They are only visible to those who have seen and understood death."
"Oh," she said. And odd feeling settling in her stomach. "So they're invisible to some people then?"
"Yes. A great number of people cannot see them, actually," he said, pausing for a moment. He added, "oh, and yes, they are naturally that skinny."
"Oh, so not starving then?"
Professor Fig chuckled at that. "No, not starving."
"That's good then," she said as Professor Fig waved his wand and loaded her trunk - the last of their things - onto the carriage.
"That's the last of them. It seems we are almost ready to depart," he said, walking around the carriage to face her.
He gave her a studying look for a moment and asked, "still a bit nervous?"
Hallie looked at her feet, nodding. She felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up to meet his eyes.
"You've made incredible progress these past few months. You're going to be just fine," he said softly.
She took a deep breath and nodded and then shuffling nervously a bit she said, "Thank you Professor Fig. I appreciate you working with me before the term begins and-"
Hallie was interrupted by a loud whip-like crack beside them. The sound caused her to jump and take a step away from the sound.
She turned to see the back of a man in a brown coat and trousers. He turned around to face them.
"Oh! Eleazar," the man said and made his way over to them.
"George! There you are! I was wondering when you might arrive," Professor Fig said cheerfully as he shook George's hand.
Hallie looked between the two men, relaxing again now that she realized that the two knew each other.
George chuckled, "yes, well it seems I got a bit distracted on my way here."
"Its been much too long. When I received your owl I must say I -," Professor Fig began.
George interrupted him, "Best not speak here Eleazar, hmm?"
He looked strangely nervous as he said so and looked around a bit, causing Professor Fig to also look around.
Hallie wondered what might be making him nervous. Professor Fig didn't seem to act like he knew either but he seemed to catch on quickly to George's urgency.
"Of course. Why don't we speak en route to Hogwarts? We have a start-of-term feast and a Sorting Ceremony to get to, " Professor Fig said, turning to Hallie with a smile as he spoke.
"Wonderful idea. As long as your young charge here doesn't mind me tagging along."
"Not at all, sir," Hallie replied.
"After you," Professor Fig said to her as they turned to climb into the carriage.
"Ages since I've seen the old castle. Would be good to see the old pile of rocks," George said, pausing to look around and then climbing in to take a seat opposite to Hallie and Professor Fig.
The door clicked shut behind him and a moment later the carriage shifted as it began to move forward and gain speed.
Hallie leaned forward and peered out of the window towards the front of the carriage, hoping to catch a glimpse of the threshals taking off but from the angle she was sitting she couldn't see the creatures. She swiftly sat back and gripped the seat anxiously as the carriage gave a large shaky lurch as the wheels lifted off of the ground.
Professor Fig looked over at her with a raised eyebrow.
"I'm fine," she said trying to sound inconspicuous as the carriage bounced around in the air as it took off.
"Hmm," he hummed disbelievingly in response. Thankfully he didn't press the matter further though. Hallie really didn't want to seem like she was afraid of everything.
Hallie looked back out of the window again as the carriage's movement smoothed out and the ground began to shrink below them. She let go of the seat and leaned forward again to watch as they rose up and up. Everything looked so small from up here and she could see so much of London's countryside. A small smile grew on her lips as the carriage was engulphed in the clouds. It was beautiful and incredible all at once.
She looked back at Professor Fig, still grinning with wonder from the sight.
"Must be this one's first time flying in a carriage," George said, inclined his head in her direction.
"It is," Professor Fig said chuckling lightly. He returned Hallie's smile and gave her a wink.
"Glad I caught you before you left for Scotland," said George.
"Just barely," Professor Fig replied.
"Who is your young traveling companion?"
"Miss Hallie Edmund. A new student," Professor Fig said, looking at Hallie.
"New?"
"Yes, sir. I'm starting school as a fifth-year," Hallie said.
"How extraordinary," George said, looking at Hallie with fascination.
"It is, indeed. None of the faculty has ever heard of anyone being admitted to Hogwarts so late," Professor Fig said.
"Nor have I," George said.
"Of course, as the other fifth-years will have been honing their magical skills for four years now, the Headmaster asked if I could get our new student up to speed a bit before the term begins," Professor Fig explained.
Hallie smiled, trying to hide her nervousness at the thought. She really didn't want to think too hard about how much different she was from the other students. And how much behind she must be from them too.
It made her feel a bit queasy to think about, honestly.
"Well, you couldn't have asked for a better mentor. Professor Fig is not only an exceptional teacher, he is also a remarkably intuitive-and gifted-wizard," George said to Hallie. Professor Fig scoffed and waved him off dismissively as he spoke.
"Mr. Osric is prone to flattery. I daresay it's one of the reasons he's risen so far at the Ministry," Professor Fig said to Hallie with a chuckle.
Hallie smiled at that but turned to look between him and George as she said, "I'd have to agree with Mr. Osric on that one, Professor. You ARE a great teacher and I'm lucky to have been able to study with you before term."
Professor Fig shook his head and chuckled, saying, "You haven't met your other professors yet. I'll be old news once you've expanded your horizons, I'm afraid."
Hallie shook her head at that with a smile.
"Never," she said. There's no way anyone could ever replace Professor Fig as her favorite teacher. Not after everything he had done for her.
Hallie returned to looking out of the window to watch the horizon for a while after that as Professor Fig and George continued in some small talk and catching up for a while.
She couldn't be all that fascinated in their conversation when she had the beautiful skyline to admire. Seeing the world from these heights was something she had never imagined doing in her life. Although it occurred to her now that she had discovered the world of magic that she might encounter a great number of things that she had never thought possible. She wondered if she could get this high up on a broomstick.
Professor Fig would likely not aprove of such a reckless attempt on a broomstick. Still, she thought the idea was tempting, if only to test how high she could go. She could argue that it was done in the name of knowledge.
It was some time later when a bit of Professor Fig and George's conversation did catch her interest. George had produced a copy of the Daily Prophet, the newspaper that Professor Fig would receive every morning by owl. Hallie had never paid the newspapers much attention. At least not aside from noticing that the pictures in the paper moved as most of the photos she had seen in Professor Fig's home did.
"Have you seen this," George asked, holding out the paper towards Professor Fig. A photograph of an angry looking goblin was depicted on the cover beside a title that read, 'Ranrok's Goblin Rebellion: Truth or Gobbledegook?'.
"I have. Opinions differ as to how great a threat Ranrok really is," Professor Fig replied.
So that's what Professor Fig had meant that day in Diagon Alley, Hallie thought as she turned back to the window again. He had been referring to the rebellion that was going on. And thinking back on it, he had been worried about it. This rebellion must really be a threat if it has Professor Fig concerned.
"Although I've yet to convince my colleagues at the Ministry. I believe he is a significant threat," George said.
Something moved across the clouds outside Hallie's window. She leaned closer to look. What was that? A shadow? She couldn't make it out.
"And it was your wife, Eleazar, who alerted me to his activities months ago," George continued tentatively. This brought Hallie's attention back to their conversation again.
It caught Professor Fig's attention too. Hallie could see the grief flash across her professor's face at the mention of his wife. He raised his eyebrows in surprise and leaned forward, "Miriam? How?"
George sighed, "She wrote to me about Ranrok before she died- wondering what the ministry knew about his activities."
He set the newspaper down with a mournful look on his face and continued, "Before I could respond, I received this."
George reached into his coat and pulled out a metal cylinder case of some sort.
"It was the last thing she sent me, Eleazar," George said, leaning forward and holding the container out. "It came to me via her owl- but with no correspondence. I can only assume-,"
"-That she had to get rid of it quickly to keep it safe," Professor Fig finished for George, taking the case from him and looking at it closely.
"Presumably from Ranrok," George said. "I cannot open it. Whatever magic protects this is powerful indeed."
Professor Fig turned the container in his hands with a focused look.
"It looks like goblin metal," he said. Tapping the container as he spoke and glancing up briefly to notice Hallie also looking at the container very closely.
Hallie had indeed been staring at the container with rapt attention. She had never seen a glow like that coming off of anything before. The soft white-blue glow coming off of it drew her in like a call.
"That symbol-," Professor Fig began, looking at the glowing symbol that had captured Hallie's attention.
"What's that glow," Hallie asked as she pointed at it, unable to stop her curiosity from getting the better of her and interrupting her professor.
Both men looked at her in surprise and then back at the container. Professor Fig turned the container in every direction as though trying to catch it in a different light.
"I don't see a glow," he said, sounding confused.
"Nor do I," George agreed, regarding Hallie with a curious look.
Professor Fig turned to her, holding the container out for her to take- which she did.
Hallie held it closer to her lap to look at it better now. She didn't understand how they couldn't see it. It was definitely glowing. In fact, it was brighter now than it had appeared before. She felt a pull to the blueish hue that she couldn't quite place. She wanted to understand it. To know what it was exactly.
She'd never felt a sensation like it before.
The symbol gave a sudden flash of bright blue-white light that traveled along the seal of the container and to its ends- and then it sprung open.
"Merlin's beard! How did you-" George began.
Cushioned inside of the container was a large key. Its handle resembled the symbol on its container. Hallie reached for it as George was speaking.
Professor Fig caught her hand, stopping her from touching the key and interrupted George as he took the container back and exclaimed, "Wait! We do not know what-"
Whatever warning Professor Fig was going to say was cut short by the deafening sounds of wood twisting and snapping and glass shattering. Hallie felt a searing pain in her leg as they were washed in bright sunlight.
She looked ahead of her, not to see George and the other half of the carriage, but the open sky. Wooden shards and bits of their carriage rained down through the sky around a massive beast that could only be one thing- a dragon. Held tightly inside of the dragon's maw was the other half to their carriage and George.
Hallie could only watch in horror as the beast clenched its jaw shut around the carriage half. One moment George was there- a look of abject horror on his face- and then he was gone. Swallowed by the jaws of the dragon.
Hallie gripped the now shattered windowpane with one hand and the seat of the carriage with the other for dear life. Horrifyingly aware that she could slip and plummet through the sky to her death at any moment.
Beside her, Professer Fig also gripped the broken windowpane beside him with one hand. He shoved the metal container into his coat with the other and then grabbed Hallie's arm tightly to hold her to the seat of the carriage.
The dragon gave several great flaps to its massive wings, propelling it forward to them with incredible speed. It opened its mouth as it surged forward- an orange glow starting at the back of its throat.
"JUMP," Professor Fig yelled.
Hallie had no chance to reply. Professor Fig dove from his seat, his hand still gripping her arm. She was dragged out of the carriage alongside him.
She felt the heat from the dragon's flames behind her and heard the beast crash into what remained of their carriage. Good thing they had jumped.
They tumbled through the open air. Something metal was thrown from Professor Fig's coat as they fell.
"THE KEY," he yelled.
The sky over them darkened. Hallie realized with horror that the dragon was making a dive for them.
"Hold on to me," he called to Hallie over the wind. She twisted her arm that he still held to around to grasp his arm in return.
"Accio," Professor Fig called with his other palm outstretched towards the falling key.
The key shot into his hand. Hallie felt a pull at her naval and then everything was gone in a flash.
She clung to the only solid thing that she was still aware of. Professor Fig's arm.
****
Eleazar slammed into the ground rather unceremoniously with a hard thump.
Not the landing he had expected, but he was unharmed.
A Portkey! That was the last thing he had expected the key to be.
He thought perhaps it would have had enchantments to protect it. At worst he had feared it might be cursed. He hadn't expected it to cart them off the Merlin knows where.
"Are you all right," he asked Hallie as he started to clamor to his feet.
His question was met only with a pained cry from behind him. His heart dropped.
"You're hurt," he said as he scrambled the rest of his way to his feet quickly, turning just in time to see her attempt to stand and fail.
She dropped back down to the ground with a wince and held herself up with one hand, gripping her leg with the other. Her face was pale and pained.
She groaned, "A little. My leg-"
"Let me see," he said, rushing over to her to see what they were dealing with.
There was a narrow gash across the muscle of her leg, presumably caused by the destruction of their carriage, but he was relieved to see that the injury was not too severe.
He breathed a sigh of relief, taking a wiggenweld potion from his coat and handing it to her, "Its not too deep for a wiggenweld to fix, thank Merlin. Take this."
He watched Hallie take the potion from him and drink it.
He couldn't believe what had just happened- a dragon- and now George is gone. A wave of grief washed over him, "Poor George- I can't believe he -"
He never would have expected this. It hardly made any sense at all. Dragons don't behave like this!
George had so much of his life left to live and now he was just- gone. And they were very nearly gone with him as well.
"What got hell got into that damned thing!? Attacking a carriage mid-air? A typical dragon would never-" he muttered to himself angrily. He paced back and forth, trying to wrap his head around the horrible turn of events.
"P-Professor?"
He was so worked up and upset, he almost didn't hear Hallie speak at first. It wasn't till she spoke again that he registered her question and the edge of panic in her voice.
"Sir- where are we," she asked him. There was a clear ring of fear in her voice this time.
He turned to look at her. She was staring up at him from her seat on the ground with questioning eyes.
The fear in her voice and eyes was enough to bring him a sense of clarity. He felt like someone had thrown a bucket of cold water over him. He had to pull himself together.
If he let her see him panic, then she surely would do the same. He needed to stay calm, he thought, looking around at their surroundings.
It seemed that they were in a large almost cave-like alcove. It didn't seem there was anything overtly dangerous at the moment about their location, but he still wasn't sure precisely where they were.
"I'm not sure. But that key you found was clearly a portkey," he said at last after taking a deep breath.
"A portkey?" Hallie asked, sounding much calmer now that he had answered her.
"An item enchanted to bring whoever touches it to a specific place," he explained.
It begged the question in his mind. Why would someone enchant the key to lead them here? What specifically about this place held significance?
Hallie must have been thinking exactly the same thing because she asked, "So- that means someone wanted us to end up here?"
"Well, yes, but-" he began, watching her stand up as he spoke. "We've no idea who created this portkey- or why. Their intentions could be anything."
"I'm feeling better now- if you'd like to look around a bit. Maybe we could find out why," Hallie said.
"No," he dismissed the idea immediately. There was no way they could risk doing that. "It's too risky. We should apparate to safety immediately. I'm afraid this has already been dangerous enough as it is."
"But- Professor your wife, she sent that portkey to Mr. Osric for a reason, didn't she?"
"She did, and she- and now George- died in pursuit of whatever it was meant to lead to, Hallie. This is hardly safe."
"Couldn't we simply apparate away if we encounter danger?"
He considered Hallie carefully at that. He wasn't sure why exactly she was so determined to investigate. He couldn't deny that he DID also want answers. This is his wife's life work after all. And he had now lost two loved ones in pursuit of this knowledge. It would mean a great deal if he could finish the trail they were following.
Hallie also wasn't entirely wrong either. They COULD apparate away if things went sideways and likely be just fine. As long as she stayed close enough and they were vigilant. And if he saw more of their surroundings he might have a better chance of being capable of apparating back to this place.
If he didn't investigate more now he doubted that he could apparate back here later. Not with such limited knowledge on the location. He would surely never find it again.
"I suppose we could look around," He said at last. Then he added firmly, "but, you must stay close to me and don't touch anything you see. As you saw with this Portkey, not everything is as it seems."
Hallie nodded, "Of course."
The two of them slowly made their way to the mouth of the alcove and into the sunlight and harsh wind. They were standing on a rocky cliffside by the ocean. Eleazar had never seen this place before, but given the terrain, it had to be the Highlands.
The only sign of any human life here was the ruined remains of what must have been a small castle long ago on a rocky outcropping in the distance.
Hallie gasped at the view beside him, "how far did that portkey take us!?"
"Farther from London than the carriage travelled. We're somewhere in the Scottish Highlands, I'd assume," he replied.
Hallie pointed at the ruins that he had been looking at a moment ago, "Do you think-"
"-that the Portkey was meant to lead us there? I do," he said, finishing her statement for her with a smile trying to tug at his lips despite the situation. She clearly thought a lot along the same sort of lines that he did. The old adventurer in him couldn't help but want to jump out and solve the mystery and he couldn't help but find it at least a little comical that she was like-minded in that.
Having a look around in itself wasn't innately dangerous if they were careful, but he couldn't shake the feeling that something was amiss. The thought was sobering and he turned to Hallie, "This has not been the day either of us expected. Are you sure you are all right and want to do this?"
"Yes, sir, absolutely," Hallie nodded insistently. She didn't look the least bit doubtful about it and despite his feeling, he did still want to look around.
"Alright then, this looks like a path over here- albeit very faded," he said looking along the ragged cliffside. "Watch your step, it doesn't look very solid."
They began walking along the narrow path along the cliffside. Both of them were careful not to get too close to the edge as they walked.
"Where do you suppose your wife got the Portkey that brought us here," Hallie asked a few minutes later as they rounded a corner and passed under a large waterfall.
"A good question. Miriam spent years searching for evidence of a long-forgotten form of ancient magic," he explained.
If Hallie was going to accompany him in searching around this place, she at least had a right to understand at least some of what was going on. He may as well explain Miriam's research now.
"Ancient magic?"
"Yes. A powerful magic wielded by a rare few that seems to have been lost to time. Hogwarts castle was built by, and is itself a stronghold of that ancient magic," he said, pausing at the edge of the cliff to look for the rest of their path as he spoke. "I don't know where she came into possession of the Portkey. She had not mentioned coming across it to me, although I suppose it's plausible that she hadn't had a chance to before she died. But I am certain it was to do with that search."
Miriam had always told him nearly everything about her research. For many years he had been right there alongside her as she searched, helping her in any way that he could. After he had begun teaching instead of traveling with her, she would still send letters every week. She updated him often on her research, asked him for his opinions on theories she had, and he was her sounding board for any idea or discovery she had.
She had to have found that Portkey fairly briefly before her death for him to have not known about it. She would have been very excited to share that discovery with him if she had been given the chance to.
"Ah. There's the path down below us. This way," he said as he looked down and noticed the rest of their path. He led them along the path into a shaded opening in the cliff face.
"Professor- why was your wife searching for evidence of lost magic," Hallie asked. He could practically see her mind working to understand Miriam's research. Her interest warmed his heart.
Miriam had never thought that many others particularly cared about her research or to understand it. It was a lot akin to Magic Theory in that many people didn't seem to care to understand it. He and Miriam both had always seemed to see the value in subjects that others didn't. But here Hallie was, completely invested in learning more about it and understanding it.
"Miriam wanted to understand why such powerful magic disappeared from the wizarding world- spoke of the good it could do," he said.
"So- that magic could do things that other sorts or magic can't do? It was capable of better things then?"
He shook his head, climbing down a drop in the path, "Magic is no different than any power. What really matters is the one who wields it."
Hallie followed behind him. They came to a stop at a point where their path was blocked by, of all things, enchanted stone.
"Is... that ice," Hallie asked, looking at the wall in from of them perplexed.
"No, it's not cold enough here. It appears to be some sort of enchantment. Someone wanted to block this path, but it can be broken with a few basic casts," he said, giving her an expectant look.
"You want me to break it?"
"It's never a bad time for practice. Just focus on the center and cast at it," he said.
He watched Hallie take aim and after a few casts, the wall shattered away. They both walked forward.
"Exc-," He began to praise her when his feet slid right out from under him and he tumbled forward down the slope ahead of him.
He skidded to a stop at the bottom and looked beside him just in time to see Hallie come sliding to a stop just past him, covered in dirt from head to toe.
"That was a bit rougher than I'd expected," He said as they both laughed.
They stood, dusting themselves off and continued down the path until they came to a dead end where the path had crumpled away before them. He looked around them, considering their surroundings until he spotted a place they could climb up onto the path above them.
"Ah, up there," he said, pointing it out to Hallie.
Hallie looked at him like he had lost his mind, "Professor, that ledge is twice as tall as I am."
"Ah, come on, you aren't going to let an old man like me out do you, are you?" He asked her with a laugh as he clambered up the ledge with a running start.
He turned around to face Hallie once he was up to see her watching after him with a hilariously sour look on her face. She ran for the ledge and leapt upwards, just barely reaching the edge of it and grabbing ahold. He grabbed her wrist to help her drag herself up.
"See, I knew you had it in you," he said when she reached the top and chuckled at her bitter look.
The wind picked up as they passed the the covered part of the cliffside.
"We're close now. It's just ahead. Steady yourself," he said as he braced against the heavy wind.
The path ahead of them had completely deteriorated. He could see what remained of the bridge that had once led across the water into the ruins.
"Repairo," he called with a wave of his wand. His spell piecing the bridge back together bit by bit.
Hallie gasped beside him and called over the wind," You're amazing! Did you know that?"
He chuckled, "Very kind of you to think so."
The wind quieted once they had gotten across the bridge and into the crumbling ruins.
"Why would someone have build this here," Hallie asked as she looked around them.
"I suspect they valued their privacy. That portkey led us here for a reason. Let's have a look around for anything that seems- out of place," he said as he spun slowly on the spot to look around them.
They both walked over to the opposite wall to them, where a large mural depicted a man practicing divination and stargazing.
"Perhaps our host was a noted Seer," he said to Hallie as he observed it closely.
Hallie wandered over to their side and called over her shoulder to him, "Professor, this statue-" she began.
He immediately noticed the same thing that she must have noticed. The statue was of that same man. "This may have been his home," he called back to her.
He turned back to study the mural more closely. Perhaps there was something in the mural of note, he wondered. The minutes dragged by as he observed it closely for any clues.
"Professor Fig!"
Hallie's distant voice snapped him back to attention and he looked around. Damn it! She had wandered off without him noticing. He walked over to where she had last been by the statue and noticed where the path continued to their side. That must be where she went, he thought, jogging down it.
Sure enough, he found her at the end of the path. He was about to chide her for wandering off when he got close enough to see the enchanted stone that she was staring at.
"How odd. Why would someone have conjured that enchanted stone here," he wondered aloud.
"And how is there a room behind it?"
"What room," he asked her, perplexed. "I don't see anything?"
Hallie didn't explain though. She was staring deeply at the enchanted stone as though it held some fascinating secret. She leaned in and said, "There's that glow again- like the glow on the Portkey container!"
"Where?" He asked her, now truly confused.
"There," Hallie said, reaching forward to the stone and before he could stop her, her finger grazed its surface.
The instant her finger made contact, the surface of the stone rippled like a liquid. The ripples cleared away after a moment, revealing a bricked wall in place of the enchanted stone.
"What in Merlin's name-" he began, looking around in wonder.
As he spoke, the sunlight that had just been shining above them vanished, blotted out by a cavernous roof and replaced by the soft glow of what could only be interior lighting.
They were- inside now?!
He turned around and his stomach dropped.
"Godricks heart," he exclaimed at the room around him.
"Where are we," Hallie asked curiously.
Eleazar stared in dumbfounded silence at the marbled floor and pillars before him. A large chandelier light hung from the center of the ceiling and opposite to them stood a single high desk. A goblin sat, sleeping, at the desk. This had to be the room Hallie had seen.
He knew exactly where they were, but he just couldn't believe it.
He felt a sickening pit in his stomach grow. Looking at the room before him, he knew he had made a severe mistake in allowing them the explore the ruins.
They couldn't dissapparate out of Gringotts.
Whatever journey they had just begun, there would be no backing out of it now. And he had just led his young and vulnerable student directly into the hands of whatever dangers might await them here.
What had he just done, he thought miserably.