A Glimpse of Truth

"Dear Eleazar Fig,

Your letter has brought Ranrok's threat to the forefront of our minds, but before you hear our words, you must keep in mind that we, as a department, must be objective, and objectively Ranrok doesn't seem to be a problem.

As you say, he may be very dangerous, but we must disagree. All our information on the Goblin revolutionary has pointed to him being relatively weak. His only observed prowess comes from the devotion his followers show him and their combined manpower.

-Now, for my actual opinion, devoid of the ministry's bureaucracy. 

Eli, you didn't give me much to go off of. The details you gave were spotty, and the danger level was way above even our highest classifications. I understand and believe your frustration, but I can't do anything unless you give me more information.

I know this means a lot, considering your wife's passing, but I need you to work with me…

How about you come down to the ministry and share your memories? It would help me best help you.

Sincerely, Annabeth."

Professor Fig slumped back in his chair. He ran his hands through his hair, shutting his eyes as he thought.

"Memories? No, I can't do that. They'll take everything involving ancient magic, involving Miriam… So what do I do?" Professor Fig thought aloud. He was torn. Should he present his memories before the court to persuade them to pursue Ranrok, allowing their hungry eyes to focus on his wife's life's work, or deny them and keep Ranroks's full power, along with ancient magic, a secret?

As the stress piled up in his chest, making breathing hard, his door opened.

"You called me, Eleazar?" Professor Abraham Ronen said, entering the room.

"Abraham, it's always a pleasure," Fig said, a relieved smile forming on his face. "Would you like to drink with me?" Eleazar raised a bottle above his head.

Ronen's Eyes lit up as he spoke in his booming Arab accent, "How could I turn down a good alcohol and friendly company!" He sat before Eleazar, picking up a glass, and beckoning for its arrival, all the while a smile was etched on his face.

—-------------------

"I had quite the fun time, William. Maybe we could do this again sometime," Imelda said. 

The duo sat atop the astronomy tower, their legs dangling in the air as they observed the beauty of the sunset. The sun's rays were warm, and the air was cool. 

"That would be wonderful, Imelda," William said, genuine appreciation laced in his voice.

The two sat atop Hogwarts, appreciating the beauty of not only the sunset but the mountains and rivers, the great lake that surrounded Hogwarts and Hogwarts itself. The absolute monolith of a school had stood for almost a thousand years, a testament to the power of its founders and the care its residents have given to this magical establishment. Its beauty was only rivaled by its imposing nature.

"There you two are!" Sebastian's voice pierced the duo's ears.

"Oh, hey, Sebastian," Imelda said.

"Shhh! Do you want to get caught up here?" William said in a hushed voice.

Sebastian smiled and waved his hand, "Don't worry about it; Professor Shah's going down the tower for dinner."

Imelda frowned as she felt her stomach growl. The mention of dinner made her mouth salivate, and her mind go crazy. "I'll leave you boys to talk," she said, getting up.

William and Sebastian looked at her quizzically. "What? You two need to talk, don't you?"

"Well, yeah, but how do you know," Sebastian said, crossing his arms.

"It's not my fault you two look like a married couple. William looks like he just cheated on you, and you look like you want answers… Bye-bye, boys," she said, walking down the stairs of the tower.

William stood from the edge and said, looking at Sebastian, "I need a secure place to talk to you, someplace where our conversation won't be heard."

"Okay, I've got you…" Sebastian said, pulling out his wand and pointing it to the ground. "Solidum Oratio," he whispered, making tiny circular motions with his hand.

As he moved his wand, a burst of air shot past William and Sebastian's face. As it surrounded them, the sounds of the outside world disappeared. The sound of birds chirping, the blowing of the wind, and the creaking of the massive telescope that protruded from the tower were all silent.

It was an alien feeling to William; all foreign sound was gone. He could hear his heart beating, the sound of his digestive tract, and the air coming in and out of his lungs. He could even hear Sebastian's body talking.

"Yeah, it's quite uncomfortable. No one can hear us, nor we them, now… I think I've earned an explanation," Sebastian said, his brows furrowed.

"Well," William paused as he thought. He stared into Sebastian, his face firm and his hands clenched, "The truth is, I was supposed to die in that dragon attack, Fig, as well, but a port key saved us…" 

"Port key?" Sebastian questioned as a hum escaped his mouth. "Where did it take you?"

"Gringotts, a private entrance. Apparently, they're very rare, but that's beside the point. We were taken to a vault, and we obtained a relic, but Ranrok was just a step behind us."

Sebastian held his face in his hand as he walked past William with measured steps. His hands rested on the tower's railing as he spoke, "Often interacting with goblins is a negative venture; I suppose this one was as well?"

"Yes," William said, turning to Sebastian. "He almost killed the Professor and I…"

"I'm just trying to put this together, so tell me if I've got this right. After an unfortunate dragon attack, you both survived with the help of a port key that led you to Gringotts. Once there, you were chauffeured to a vault containing a 'relic,' then attacked by a goblin revolutionary. You made it to the sorting ceremony just in time. Then, the very next day, trolls attacked Hogsmeade, and if I heard Rookwood correctly, they were there to collect you."

William leaned against a wooden post as Sebastian talked. He shook his head in the affirmative, responding, "Yeah, that's about right."

"Okay, two questions," Sebastian said, peeling his eyes from the mountains and looking at William. "What was up with your wand? It was the most bizarre thing I've ever seen."

"Oh, that? I have no clue. Maybe it had something to do with the wand's core."

"It's truly fascinating, William. During my flight to Feldcroft, my hometown, I started to think about that wand of yours. And truthfully, it could be a massive breakthrough in studying wands. Now, I'm not one for that type of study, but my sister wishes to be a wand maker one day. She was even studying under Gerbold before she fell ill."

"Hmm, quite the interesting pursuit," William said.

"Indeed, it takes quite a bit of effort to join that profession, but it's her calling."

"Next question," William said, hopefully hurrying along the conversation.

"What is this 'relic' you speak of," Sebastian said curiously.

"I can't answer that. Fig made me swear secrecy on our way to the sorting ceremony. Too bad you weren't there before then. I could have gone on and on about that relic." William raised his hands into the air; his voice radiated a fanaticism akin to Dr. Frankenstein's: "Oh, the power! Oh, the knowledge! Oh, the wealth! All tied up into one relic! You missed out, my friend!"

A smirk appeared on Sebastian's face as he listened to William rant. "You done?"

William lowered his hands, keeping his jovial smile. "Yes… Let's go eat dinner!"

A small sigh escaped Sebastian's mouth as he walked to the steps, "Seconded, come on."

"Oh, and don't tell anything of what I just said to you, to anyone."

"Sure, sure. Now, come on! We'll miss the turkey rabbit stew if we wait any longer!" Sebastian yelled, running down the stairs.

William's mouth salivated, 'turkey rabbit stew sounds delicious after a day of flying.'

"You're not gonna beat me!" William screamed as he jumped into the air, pulling his wand out. "Depulso!" He shouted, wand pointing behind him at the staircase. He shot through the air towards the astronomy tower's floo flame. 

"I can't imagine how inconvenient travel was before I—" the statue hanging on the wall started to talk.

William landed before her and placed his hand on the flame. "The Great Hall!" He practically screamed, interrupting the statue. The green flames engulfed his body as he disappeared. 

"That was quite rude!" The bust said, her stony visage molding into a sad expression.

"Merlin's beard!" Sebastian exclaimed, looking at how William propelled himself. He stood at the bottom of the staircase in silence. "...What was that?"