Hogwarts, deep beneath the castle, in the Chamber of Secrets.
The air was cool and heavy with the scent of wet stone, while the dim light from burning torches flickered across the walls, revealing serpentine carvings that glistened faintly with moisture.
At the far end of the chamber stood a colossal stone face, presumably that of Salazar Slytherin himself. The carving was disturbingly lifelike, its expression both proud and cruel, with serpents twining around its long beard. "Hideous" would be the first word to come to mind when looking at it.
Then, with a deep rumble, the statue began to move. Stone grated against stone as its mouth slowly opened, the lips parting and the massive jaw lowering to reveal a dark passage beyond, as though the ancient founder were about to speak after centuries of silence.
From within the shadowed tunnel, slow, deliberate footsteps echoed into the vast underground hall, breaking the stillness as two figures emerged side by side. Their voices were low, almost casual, as they walked between the rows of serpent statues, the sound of their conversation mingling with the faint hiss of air moving through the ancient chamber.
"Couldn't you have chosen a better place, Headmaster?" Maverick asked, waving his hand and sending two orbs of light drifting into the air. They hovered above, casting a steady glow across the damp stone. "At least somewhere with a bit of a breeze..."
The two in question were Maverick and Dumbledore, and the passage they had just emerged from was none other than the true Chamber of Secrets, hidden behind the enormous stone face. After their first exploration of the place and their encounter with the castle's guardian, they were now able to access this secret sanctuary through a floo point connected to the Headmaster's office, allowing them to enter and exit with ease whenever needed.
"The ambient magic here is strong, and the chamber is well protected with wards," Dumbledore replied, half-smiling, and paused as he reached the heart of the long walkway lined with countless grim snake faces, his steps coming to a deliberate halt.
"Interesting choice for ink…" Maverick said, frowning slightly.
Before them, on the slick stone floor, a wide circle of rune-like patterns sprawled outward, drawn in a thick black substance. It glistened faintly in the torchlight, viscous and almost alive, as if the ink itself pulsed with a quiet, steady rhythm.
"Ah, Night Serpent Essence… I happened to acquire it from Hagrid," Dumbledore said, smiling. "It is rare, certainly, yet not altogether difficult to obtain. It resonates most harmoniously with darker forms of magic and provides a remarkably steady conduit for even the most intricate of runic enchantments."
"Or, in this particular case, for inscribing a ritual circle," Maverick added.
"Quite right," Dumbledore agreed, his eyes twinkling as he gestured toward the slick black runes already laid out on the floor. "I completed the inscriptions only yesterday, and now, it is ready to be set into motion."
"Whenever you're prepared, Headmaster."
"I shall begin then…" Dumbledore said, nodding thoughtfully.
While Maverick watched, Dumbledore stepped carefully into the circle, mindful not to disturb the dark ink, and one by one retrieved items from his storage ring, placing them at precise points along the patterns.
"And you're certain, Headmaster, this is the last ritual?" Maverick asked after a moment, his eyes studying the objects carefully laid out within the circle.
"The third," Dumbledore nodded thoughtfully as he continued his movements. "If all proceeds as it should, then yes, this will be the final ritual."
Maverick then began to circle the drawn pattern, studying it carefully with both his eyes and his magical sense. "How far has the curse been lifted so far?" he asked.
"It is not removed, Professor, though 'suppressed' would be a more accurate term," Dumbledore answered, casting a brief glance at him, then retrieved another item, the wooden box Maverick had given him earlier, and continued his careful work. With a precise flick of his wand, he levitated it to the very center of the circle and gently lowered it into place.
The item looked ordinary at first, just a small, withered piece of wood. Yet its deep black color and the deliberate care with which Dumbledore handled it made it clear there was more to it than met the eye.
"Shadowroot," Dumbledore said, stepping carefully out of the circle now that the final item was in place. "Records tell us it is a subterranean tree, flourishing only in perpetual darkness. I must admit, I had long since lost hope, for it was believed extinct for centuries." He smiled, eyes twinkling as he gave Maverick a knowing glance. "That is, until you were kind enough to procure it for me."
Saying, he walked over to Maverick and, standing shoulder to shoulder, peered into the circle. Then, with a teasing lilt in his voice, he asked, "Curious why it's so crucial?"
"I'm not," Maverick answered, letting out a quiet sigh at the old man's antics. "But I'm sure you'll explain anyway."
Chuckling softly, Dumbledore continued, "It anchors the ritual to the physical world, preventing the curse from escaping into the ether or rebounding onto another host."
He then pointed to another item. "The Crystalline Water from the Silver Springs cleanses magical residue, ensuring no remnants of the curse linger to rebind the victim later."
Then he gestured to another. "Moonflower Pollen enhances the alignment between earthly and cosmic energies needed to purge soul-bound curses."
"Dragon's Vein Blood acts as a stabilizer for volatile energies, preventing the curse from backfiring onto the caster or the circle. Its elemental power strengthens the ritual's containment..."
"I know the ingredients, Headmaster. I'm a master alchemist," Maverick cut him off, holding back the urge to roll his eyes. "By the way, where's Slytheris?"
"Ah… the guardian should be resting in her chambers," Dumbledore's hand moved to his chin. "But with you here, Professor, I won't be requiring her assistance during this ritual."
"You had her assist you with the past rituals? How?" Maverick raised a brow, genuinely curious.
"Of course. Using her authority over the castle's magic, she assisted in strengthening the wards of the chamber, even layering barriers with her own magical energy in case any residual magic was produced."
Maverick gave the old man a long glance, then turned away. "I never took you for reckless… or daring, Headmaster. Why didn't you ask for mine, or Professor McGonagall's assistance?"
"Oh, do not take it the wrong way, Professor. I acted as I did because I have every confidence the ritual would succeed completely. It was simply an exercise in extreme precaution."
"And now? You don't have full confidence?"
"I do," the old wizard replied, eyes twinkling. "The ritual will succeed, of that I have no doubt. In my younger days, I pursued this branch of magic rather extensively and became, dare I say, fairly knowledgeable in it. Along with my…" He stopped mid-sentence, a faint smile tugging at his lips, as if reconsidering whether to share what was on his mind.
"The point, Professor," he continued after a brief pause, "is that this old man knows what he is doing. And besides, the Ancestors' Book is quite comprehensive. I dare say a master alchemist such as yourself could glean many valuable insights from it… would you care to take a look for yourself?"
"Isn't it in Slytherin's personal chamber?" Maverick shrugged knowingly. "So I will, eventually… when I have the time."
"Grimoire of Eternal Chains," Dumbledore went on, eyes twinkling. "It contains some very wicked knowledge for anyone inclined toward evil, yet at the same time, it is remarkably insightful."
"I'm sure it is." Maverick had gone through nearly all the books in the general Chamber of Secrets by now; only the personal collections in the founders' private chambers remained largely unexplored. And these past few months, he had been pressed for time at every turn.
Pushing the thought aside, he refocused on the matter at hand. "Is everything set up now for the ritual?"
"Yes. Though I will need your assistance, Professor, to ensure the aftermath is as quiet and controlled as possible."
Maverick took a moment to consider, then gave a small nod. After all, this was a ritual, a branch of magic he was not particularly proficient in. Yet he trusted Dumbledore, and from the old man's calm explanations, he sensed nothing but confidence. And with that reassurance, he let go of any lingering worry as well that something might go awry.
Once again, Dumbledore carefully stepped inside the circle, and while standing at the only point empty of ink and objects, he waved his wand. As a result, his robes vanished along with every piece of fabric on his upper body, and the old man lowered himself to the stone floor.
Damn… this old thing is ripped af. Maverick raised an eyebrow, watching Dumbledore's deliberate movements, then moved into action himself, pushing up from the stone floor and letting his magic flow as well, weaving protective layers around the ritual circle.
Layer by layer, he applied magical barriers, combining the magical system and the spells of sorcery, and soon, despite not being able to see anything with the naked eye, he was sure nothing, physical or otherwise, could escape far from the runic circle in which Dumbledore sat.
Meanwhile, sitting cross-legged with his upper body bare, Dumbledore waved the Elder Wand with his good hand, tracing precise gestures over his other, cursed hand. The tattered fabric that had once covered it had vanished, leaving only skin exposed. At a glance, the change was striking: where before the hand had looked sickly and bluish, it now appeared almost normal, at least to the naked eye.
The last two rituals the old man had performed seemed to have worked their miracle. From what Maverick had learned from Dumbledore, the curse was now almost completely suppressed. What remained, then, was simply the final step: removing it entirely and destroying it.
With another flick of the Elder Wand, one of the ingredients, the crystalline water that Maverick recognized by its silvery hue and faint magical residue, began to flow from its container in the ritual circle. Gradually, it flowed outward and wrapped around Dumbledore's outstretched, cursed hand like a serpent encircling its prey.
"When you're ready, Professor, I shall begin." With his arm, from elbow completely enveloped in the water containing the special magical essence, Dumbledore called out without raising his head.
"One moment," Maverick said, then added one final layer of magic. He enclosed the space and manipulated the mirror dimension, not in the usual way, but altered it so that objects could enter the circle while nothing could escape.
To an outside observer, shards of mirror-like surfaces would appear out of thin air, slowly spreading to envelop the entire space. Gradually, Dumbledore and Maverick would fade from sight, vanishing from the naked eye as if the air itself had swallowed them.
"Interesting… what fascinating magic," Dumbledore couldn't help but remark mid-action.
"You can start now, Headmaster."
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