The Department of Mysteries' Hall of Portkeys!

Darice had desired nothing but true Greatness since the time she had learned the meaning of the word Desire.

Millicent's pupils trembled, and even Madam Villanelle looked taken aback by the sudden utterance of those words.

Truly a mind and bearing transcending her age and generation! Both witches thought simultaneously.

"I knew you would say something like that," the minister grinned magnificently, her worries becoming elation. "V, you heard her. I hope you won't back out now. Let them meet her."

Madam Villanelle took a deep breath, her gaze becoming hard and resolute. "I won't. Let's go."

Huh? What's going on?! Darcie once again felt something wasn't right. "Wait! Milli wasn't one of the friends you were talking about, mentor?"

Millicent Bagnold's eyes widened.

"You told Darcie you would take her to meet friends?! You already knew she would accept my proposal?!" she asked Madam Villanelle.

The Assistant Manager of Flourish and Blotts smiled mischievously. "Humph! You think only you know the girl's heart?"

The minister couldn't help but smile at the question.

She then looked down at Darcie. "Do you know where we are?"

By now, Darcie had confirmed it a dozen times already. "Level 9. The corridor leading to the Department of Mysteries."

The witches gave a hard nod.

The minister tapped the giant black door with her wand, and the doors opened with a creaking sound.

They entered an Entrance Chamber.

It was a circular room with a dark marble floor that looked almost like standing water, candles emitting a cool blue light, and twelve handleless doors.

Darcie had always known the description, and some more from her father, but the genuine feeling of standing here was truly matchless.

Magic was thick here, Darcie observed.

Thicker than the most mysterious places Darcie had been to so far.

Even the costliest books didn't mention what lay beyond these doors. So it truly fascinated Darcie to be here, about to enter one of these doors.

It would have been even better if she knew where she was going, Darcie thought, holding back her curiosity.

She just hoped Daphne and Dobby would have been here with her as well. Then she wouldn't have to hide these things from them later.

The Department of Mysteries contained the secrets of secrets, Darcie had learned.

If there was anything that deserved to be called Confidential, then this department would top the list.

Not to mention, only the Unspeakables could research and walk freely in and out of this department.

The department enjoyed grand independence in its work, to the point that even the ministry could not influence it beyond a line.

Why this was so, Darcie didn't know. Nor did she think about it further.

Daphne's uncle is an Unspeakable, Darcie remembered suddenly. It was just that the girls never discussed him when they were together.

"This way," the minister said, pointing to a door.

The three witches headed in that direction, and once again, the minister tapped the handleless door with her wand.

This time, when the door opened, someone was standing beyond it.

It was a male, dressed in a black hooded cloak. He eyed them with an emotionless gaze, his black eyes seeing into the mysteries themselves.

To Darcie's shock, the Unspeakable ignored both the minister and her and did something that she could've never expected to see.

The Unspeakable was bowing towards Madam Villanelle, his back bent at 90 degrees.

This?! Darcie couldn't make sense of this gesture.

Who exactly was her mentor? What was Madam Villanelle's true identity?

An even bigger thing to be astonished of was that the minister looked quite calm as if she had known this would happen.

The Unspeakable turned around and the older witches followed him in, Darcie catching up with them with hurried steps.

"Where are we?" Darcie asked her mentor in a hushed tone.

It was the minister who replied.

"There are several chambers within the Department of Mysteries, Darcie," she told her, smiling proudly. "This one is called… the Celestial Chamber."

Darcie frowned.

"It has another name," Madam Villanelle added. "The Hall of Portkeys."

"Portkeys?" Darcie looked unimpressed.

She had thought the Department of Mysteries was for researching profound mysteries. What was so great about Portkeys?

"Ignorance is truly bliss," Madam Villanelle sighed. "How do you think the wizardkind learned to create Portkeys?"

Darcie's mouth became the shape of an O.

"It all started here," the minister chimed in. "Not only do the Unspeakables monitor all the Portkeys created in Britain in this Hall, but they also research the origin and ultimate destination of ancient Portkeys found in every corner of the world that predates the known history of wizardkind."

"Some Portkeys lead to strange places and dimensions," Madam Villanelle told Darcie. "A few are even believed to take the user to the unknown depths of Cosmos."

Even with her intelligence, Darcie was having trouble believing what she was hearing.

However, she couldn't ask more questions, the sudden sight bewitching her senses.

They had entered a majestic hall with a towering vaulted ceiling. Half a dozen Unspeakables were seated on desks, examining the oddest collections of objects. The moment they saw Madam Villanelle, they all stood up and bowed toward her.

Darcie's head kept bobbing in all directions.

There were shelves piled with broken and dusty objects. She saw earthen pots, awls, bones, rocks, books, etc.

All Portkeys.

"When you meet them," Madam Villanelle suddenly said, jolting Darcie, "just be yourself, and don't be nervous."

"They are here?" Darcie asked, still trying to see as much as she could.

"No." Madam Villanelle shook her head. "We will use a Portkey."

They had arrived in front of another door, older than the several objects Darcie had seen so far.

The Unspeakable paused beside the door, and said, "Only the Ancient is allowed in."

The minister nodded and stood aside. "It's all up to you, V." Then she smiled at Darcie, her eyes full of expectations.

Darcie had already stopped thinking much about these strange turns of events.

She saw Madam Villanelle whisper something to the Unspeakable, who narrowed his eyes at Darcie and nodded heavily.

"Come." Madam Villanelle held Darcie's hand and put her hand on the door.

The metal rippled like water and they walked in without the door even opening.

The most magical sight greeted Darcie in this chamber.

…

It was a small room and had plain black walls and a marble floor. In the middle of the room, there was a pool of black liquid that looked like a bottomless well.

And over this pool, a sword was hovering mid-air, tossing and turning elegantly.

It was a longsword sheathed into a blue and yellow scabbard. The sword's hilt was as blue as the sky, and there was a yellow jewel at its end as a pommel.

The very presence of this object spoke of power, majesty, righteousness, and justice.

Even the very space around it seemed to bend, giving an impression as if it was nothing but a cloth wrapped around the sword.

"This is…" Darcie eyed the object in sheer incredulity.

Madam Villanelle nodded. "The legendary sword…" she whispered, her voice vanishing into the black pool.

"… Excalibur!"